Halo: Shadow Team (Fixed)

Chapter 3: Jungle

After some introductions, the Spartans and Shadow Team entered the jungle to reach the nearby, still working radio station.

In the dense forest, they were marching through the majority stayed relatively quiet. There was no sound, but the mud, marshes, leaves, and sticks being crushed by the weight of these super soldiers.

"So", Kelly spoke, "have you guys ever went on these jungle missions". "Mostly", Cross said, "Though we typically do urban warfare".

"What was it like", She asked again, Arthur answers the spartan, "Quite difficult", "You never know who is the enemy, even with our advanced technology".

"Back then, we were just doing assassination missions and operations pertaining from international to inter-planetary conflicts; all to ensure peace without too much excessive force".

Arthur then got quiet for a while. "What happened then", Kelly asked once more, "Then", Arthur continued, "The War".

All of a sudden Arthur stopped dead in his tracks. The Spartans and Shadow team followed Arthur's instructions and waited. They soon hear footsteps and the leaves being pushed away as they overhear a conversation. The voices are distinct, loud, and low.

Arthur looked to the soldiers behind him and signal them to "get low and hide". The others follow the command as they waited for two Elites walking by, talking in their language.

"Wort wort wort"

"Wort wort wort"

It's difficult to understand them when they speak in a language meant to be ancient, however, to regular humans it sounded more like ramblings of grunts and growls of a dog bark and any animal if anything else.

As soon as the Elites were out of view distance, the super-soldiers slowly come out from their hiding place, trying their absolute best not to make any sound; At least, as quiet as they could do, despite the mud, dirt, sticks, and leaves.

"We should keep moving", John suggested, to which everyone agreed. They continue their march across the jungle. It was hard, dirty, and very slippery on some occasions, but they did manage to find a base and some wreckage.

Most of them were UNSC and Covenant, or what's left of them. Their corpses splattered the ground in red and blue blood. Multiple vehicles were being overturned, blown up, and have at least a dead driver. Some of them were tangled, some were crushed, burnt, wounded, the many things that could go wrong in a jungle.

"These men", Fred said then Havoc continued, "They were ambushed..."

"But these Covenant didn't get any luckier with it".

"How", Fred asked, "Overwhelming fire isn't always the best solution", Havoc replied as he looked to a tree falling on a corpse of an Elite, "Bombs and plasma could set this forest ablaze"

"Even if they don't use incendiary, those trees are a danger if knocked down. Who knows what is on these trees", It is precedent that they must move quickly, but carefully. The jungle isn't exactly safe with all the things going about. Like good soldiers, they collected as many dogtags as they could before proceeding further into the jungle.

At this point, they don't know how long it would take to get to the station, or if it's even operational. All that they can hope for is the ability to send a message to the Pillar of Autumn. The soldiers are now just marching into a muddy territory, with a likelihood of Covenant finding them.

"Man", Kelly speaks out, "This does remind me of Bootcamp".

"Which one", Fred asked, knowing fully well that she is referring to the forest, but which one.

"The mud, the dirt, and grime. I remembered the days we were sent to survive on our own".

"That was brutal. Yet, we manage to pull through".

"I missed the carving John etch into a tree bark to remember it"

"It was years ago. We're not children anymore"

"Still"

Then Kelly's and Fred's conversation came to a halt when the entirety of Shadow team looked at them with a noticable amount of curiosity.

"What kind of hell you were put into", Inferno inquired the Spartans, assuming something has gone wrong with their childhoods.

"Nothing", Kelly responded, somewhere in that armor of hers have a visible blush of embarrassment.

That too came to a halt when Covenant Forces discover their position. Immediately, Shadow Team and Blue Team take cover as each picks of the Covenant one by one.

An Elite got close to Havoc, which he uses his mace to shatter the skull of the Elite, blood splattering on his helmet.

Death #4: Elite's head smashed by mace.

A suicide grunt thought it is a good idea to rush at the with plasma grenades, however, he was intercepted and blown back by Inferno, which killed a couple of Covenant upon detonation.

Death #5-9: Grunt exploded alongside other Covenant units.

"Heav", Arthur called him, "Mow them down". A wide grin is a plaster on Heav's face as he said, "Gladly", before killing the rest of the Covenant forces with his minigun.

After the gunfight, the soldiers recover and converge near a wide area.

"Well", Havoc stated, "No time for stealth". "Agreed", some of the rest agreed on Havoc's statement. "Let's get to the tower before more come for us"

And so they rushed through the forest, killing any Covenant for they see through the thick leaves and trees. It was the only solution, there was no time for backup. If the Covenant were to be able to take control of the tower, who would know what kind of things they'll do.

After escaping the jungle, now they have to face the road ahead and straight to the station.

At the said station, an Elite commander paces on the deck of the tower, talking to his superior, who is onboard the Covenant ship above.

"Shipmaster", the Elite CO spoke with the shipmaster, "My forces have occupied the tower as we speak".

"Very good", The shipmaster congratulated the Elite CO, "However", he added, "There some you may have forgotten about".

"What do you mean, Shipmaster"

"The humans survive your onslaught. We must not let them take back this tower"

"Yes, Shipmaster"

The Elite CO was about to cut the connection, until the Shipmaster has him an order, "Oh and Commander, gather those human vessels. They shall be useful for us and the Great Journey in the future".

"Yes, Shipmaster".