Training: A close call for all
Posted By: Richard.T<o_CarpeDiem_o@hotmail.com>
Date: 12 September 2004, 3:39 PM
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John lay on the ground eyes darting this way and that. His hand pressed down hard on his abdomen as he struggled to stop the bleeding. From the warthog the men could see his body tense up, twitch for a second and then go limp.
'Ha ha we got the bastard!'
'See. They're not so tough.'
The men dismounted and checked their weapons. After firing at the bushes for the better part of a minute they seemed overwhelmingly satisfied to finally have hit something.
Two marines approached the lifeless body quickly and carefully, scanning the surrounding area for more hostiles.
'O'Neil! You take 3 o'clock. Stevenson secure 9. Ill cover you on the LAAG.' The sergeant barked out the orders quickly and concisely. He had dealt with the Spartans before. Too many times before in fact, so he wasn't about too take any careless chances. The other two soldiers walked quickly towards the body and then spilt up, one going left the other going right. Their rifles, loaded, were at the ready. The sergeant didn't entirely like using live ammunition during training but then again he didn't like seeing his men getting beaten half to death either. He racked a round into the first chamber of the heavy machine gun and shouldered it, ready.
The two men went their separate directions about 15 meters each way before turning around and walking parallel to each other, towards the warthog.
'Hey Joe, what's the difference between a Spartan and an egg?'
'For gods sake Mike you've told this one a billions times already'
'All right I'm sorry man. Just trying to lighten the atmosphere, jeez'.
'Shut up!' The sergeant barked silencing the couple instantaneously
They were silent for the best part of a minute, during which sergeant Campbell kept his eyes fixed solidly on the dead Spartan. It was a waste maybe but their were plenty more where he came from no doubt. They probably grew on trees for all he knew.
After the lengthy silence the sergeant sighed, removed his cap, wiped his brow and with his eyes on the ground said 'Ok. Pick him up, we'll take him with us.'
'Sir?' The marine called his superior, the anxiety evident in his voice.
The sergeant looked up quickly. He didn't even have to ask. 'Fire!' He didn't even have to ask; the Master Chief had disappeared from view, obviously alive and well. The marines were once again firing madly into the surrounding vegetation.
'Marty!' Pvt. Stevenson cried as his friend took 3 rounds in the chest. Marty stumbled forwards, vomited and collapsed in a heap. Stevenson angered fired madly in all directions until his MA5B clicked empty. He coughed once as he reached behind him feeling the blood trickling down his neck. His terrified eyes looked directly at the sergeant as he fell forwards and convulsed on the floor.
The sergeant shit himself. Diving forwards into the driving seat he madly gunned the engine. The Warthog lurched forwards but the stopped its wheels spinning harmlessly in the mud. Glancing back in terror he saw why the car wasn't moving. Two Spartans in light body armour were holding the back end of the warthog. Their grip was like iron as their faces contorted. Even for a Spartan holding back a 4 by 4 was some work.
Macdonald again panicked as he reached down towards his holster, searching out his sidearm. It wasn't there. 'Looking for this?' A cold and slightly evil voice called out. He was sitting in the passenger seat right beside him.
'Jesus fucking Christ!' Macdonald screamed trying hopelessly to escape. The master chief smiled as he removed the magazine from the pistol. 'In future I'd recommend not using live ammunition against us. Its gets us kind of cranky.' He slapped the magazine back into the weapon and cocked it. Placing it against the Marines head he sneered 'better luck next time.' Tears began running down the marines face. He fainted.
The Spartans laughed as 2 more emerged from the bushes. Kelly removed her helmet. 'You're bleeding' John said.
'Just because I can run 40 miles an hour doesn't mean I can dodge a thousand rounds of 50 cal.' She retorted as he wrapped gauze around the slight nick in her arm. 'Anyway its just a scratch. Look at you!' She laughed heavily. John smiled as he glanced down towards he abdomen. He placed a finger inside the small hole and tasted the red liquid. 'Sucks that we can't have ketchup with our burgers tonight doesn't it?' The Spartans laughed as they loaded up onto the warthog before riding off into the distance towards their makeshift camp deep in the forests of Reach.
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