halo.bungie.org

They're Random, Baby!

Fan Fiction


Emperor's Children:Battle for the Icarus:Hangar Warfare
Posted By: Forever Forerunner<puppetofkorn@yahoo.com>
Date: 24 November 2003, 6:16 PM


Read/Post Comments

Battle for the Icarus: Part I: Hangar Warfare

Osheena looked at me again with a furrowed look, seeming that he still could not believe that I was an ally. The gold armor around him resonated a small tinge of light that shone on the crates around him. It was like he was still judging my present state as a Warrior. A slight feeling of worry washed over me about the though of teaming up with one of the most alien terror's the human race has ever faced.

The Prophet Ciza on the other hand seemed to have great interest in me, clicking and chirping is mandibles as signs of astonishment. The long flowing purple robe draped along the cold floor as his chair elevated him off the floor. The two just kept staring at me, like a new animal at the zoo no one has ever seen before, and it was starting to creep me out. A loud explosion sounded some where off in the hangar causing the three of us to flinch from the boom.

"Come Prophet, you must come, you must rally our troops!" The Commander bellowed, but the Prophet remained solemn. Instead he took a little vial from a right compartment on his arm chair and unplugged the stopper. He turned away from the panic stricken Commander and looked at me, in doing so my hand flew forward palm face up. I didn't know what the heck was happening but all I could do is watch in utter amazement. The vial, clear blue glass with a little black fluid, tilted and let the fluid out, and then splashed on my awaiting palm. This seemed to make the Commander angrier than before.

I tilted my head in interest as my hand startle to tingle and glow with a pale blue light.
"I have given you the human chemical 'adrenaline' with some modern engineering. You, unlike your predecessor's, now have an Elite chemical similar to adrenaline. The chemical will enable you to keep up with our forces and help aid them in their fight against the Diseased Ones." I blinked in astonishment, he just gave me something I didn't even think I would get, a few sputters of disbelief dribbled through my lips but they were soon silenced.
"Why did you give him the Vial? Why Prophet?" The Elite ranted, looking at me with the thought of death in mind.
"He needs to aid you Osheena, enough of this! Come! We must go to rally the troops!"
More infernal racket sounded across the high levels of the hangar as his chair reverberated in some mysterious way. Osheena glared at me once more,
"You have flank human, cover it well." The plasma sword sparked to life once more as he ran in front of his beloved Prophet. In doing so, it gave me time to look at my ammo count, fasten my belt and helmet, and even letting me think.
Me protect the flank? I can't even protect myself from a paper ball!
The turmoil inside my head wasn't as bad as the turmoil in the hangar; it seemed that nothing seemed normal. The commander started to walk in a fast pace, the Prophet not far behind; I easily strode in back of him keeping the flank covered in case any Flood decided to poke his head out. I was amazed at the speed I was going and not even breaking a sweat, Osheena's legs were like in slow motion, and I didn't even feel like breathing heavy.
This stuff is amazing! The complete virtue of running faster than you have ever run before is nothing I had experienced, it was great!

The dark suppressing shadows fell and rose over the two in front of me while I kept a keep eye on the open hangar and behind us. Beyond the purple struts that held the other floors was a mess, massive pilings of crates, ammunition, and even the occasional vehicle buried under the masses. My eyes scanned over the open hangar in search of life or anything that moved, just blow the peninsula of the first floor, there was a group of Covenant Spec Ops pinned by enemy fire.
"Wait! Over there! Left of the last Wraith tank!" The booming sound of my voice made them stop and turn heel, Osheena raged an angry battle cry and leapt several yards into the fray. The Prophet looked at the shining gold basically jumping across the hangar to help the fellow followers, I could have sworn I could see a tear, but then again that was just me.

He looked at me then pointed a long skinny finger in the direction of battle as if saying 'Go! Get out there and do what you're supposed to do, idiot!' In utter shock I ran full speed toward the first line of boxes preparing to climb over them, I heaved my body up, reached my hand out, and soared OVER the crates into a small gully surrounded by crates. I shook my head for a moment in disbelief again, man, this adrenaline combo works great! A sound made my mind come back to the settings as I glanced all around. Bright whips of plasma screeched across my eyesight and burned into the floor, my glance up to the upper floor revealed several Flood fighters ready to fire more volleys at the helpless creatures on the ground floor.
The walls of purple speculated the dim light that entered the ship as I traversed the unique gully that I had landed in. My rifle was still aimed at the fighters on the other floor but I wasn't intending to fire just yet, I wanted to make sure they couldn't get a good view to shoot at me. Following the gully, I made a right, a left, and then another right eventually hitting a dead end. I looked up to see the multi-colored projectiles flick back and forth. Looking closer I could see that the Flood were falling quite rapidly, but as they did two more took its place.

Cries of anguish rose from behind me, from those still alive, attempting to escape to more of the hangar. Pink Needler needles stuck onto a Flood and exploded, sending him and two others down into the gully. My mind thickened with concentration, rifle pointed at the fallen bodies, eyes carefully watching them as the battle on top ensued. The furthest one hopped up all the sudden with a wet gurgle flipping on his feet.
*Pt pt pt pt pt pt PTAK* My rifle coughed to life sending out bullets of destruction, impaling the flood who awoke, limps fell off and what was left of the head, that was gone too. The body shuddered violently and fell back down again with a sickening plop on the cold floor, my mind shouting victory while I could feel my stomach churning.

The sound of gurgles made me look up again, rifle trained at the very edge of the level walkway, alert again, and not daring to breathe. I couldn't hear the Covenant in back, but I knew they were there, they were frightened and out of ammo. Assessing the situation in my mind was more like a blueprint than thought.

All right, if the Covenant were hiding because of ammunition, I have no backup. I guess the only reasonable option is to level the first floor but how? I only have 2 grenades and possibly 4 clips left, maybe if I could ricochet the grenade so that the flood would fall off of the floor into the Covenant pile that would work better for me. Of course, then there would be a gaping hole for more flood to fall through and run the gully, I think I can handle it.

Re-thinking the plan over again my gripping hand on my AR went to my belt and detached one of the grenades strapped to it. The spherical shape lingered in my palms before one of my fingers felt for the trip switch, then hold it there until I could get into position. Mt eyes never left the first floor, in fear that some dramatic cinematic would start to play with me getting killed by the Flood.
*click*

Okay, it's cooking, now time to look for a good spot to ricochet this beast to the first floor. Then I found it, the perfect spot, a pillar adjoining the first floor was flat but broad enough to bounce the grenade off of. Praying that I wouldn't die in the next couple sections I threw it screaming the old familiar phrase,
'FIRE IN THE HOLE!' Of course that wasn't really too brilliant, when I released the grenade from my grasp it flew and connected with the wall, and barely, just barely docked on the first floor. The Flood were erratic with the noise and started to shoot off into unknown tradjectories into the ship. Osheena grunted with compliance as the Covenant grew deathly silent, waiting fort the explosion.

BOOM!

The sudden red-yellow explosion threw the awaiting Covenant into disarray as random weapons flew from where the flood were standing to there awaiting hands. Where the flood were now there resides a wide crater, blackened by the explosion with a tinge of green blood. The narrow gully I was in now caressed in green blood and broken bodies of the Flood. Nervous that the bodies would soon jump back up and attack I started back the way I came, pumping my legs in a rhythmic fashion. A flood appeared in front of me standing over his arm, I didn't give him much time for remorse when my bullets etched off what was left of his head. The shock and loss of blood made him fall to the floor as a wet gurgle emerged from behind me. My mind was in terror as I wielded around and opened fire totally craving into the flood that emerged. Waves of their sickening blood filled my nostrils as I could see my ammo count shrink and diminish.

More flood entered the gully as I panicked over my trigger, it clicked once and coughed uncontrollably. I glanced at the ammo count... Zero, the beasts were closing in on me and they could sense my fear, a terror only mind mind could make. The feeling in my viens went numb as the Flood leaped into the air...

"AHHH!!!!"

TO BE CONTINUED
Emperor's Children: Battle for the Icarus: Part II Floor to Floor





bungie.org