Of Guns and Gore

Heavy is the head who wears the crown

Six had told him that Spartans were almost always tasked with suicide missions, that only those who survived were brought to the public's attention. Fighting a losing war, the human citizens needed hope, and dead heroes didn't usually inspire confidence that they would push back the Covenant. There was bitterness in his voice as he spoke though, and the Slayer hoped he merely spoke out of spite. It was hard to imagine sacrificing just to be forgotten. It was something every soldier feared.

Following the path D.O.T. had set, the group had not encountered any Covenant so far. Usually this would be something to celebrate, (Or lament on if you were the only one in the mood for ripping spines out.) but the Slayer didnt need to be a calculus teacher to know that they/he hadnt killed over half of the Covenant aboard this vessel. There was a sizable chunk of the crew that seemed to have just disappeared entirely.

"D.O.T. The Slayer felt a Jackals head squish under his foot, being a previous casualty of his flashy entrance. "You have scanned our route right?"

A nervous chuckle surrounded him. "Of course I have, and they should be clear of any obstacles." Her voice was laced with uncertainty, inspiring no confidence in the Slayer. "However, the massive energy spike may be messing with my limited scanners."

"And what's that supposed to mean" The Slayer rounded another corner in the seemingly endless maze, coming to a familiar vehicle bay. Unfortunately, he shared the space with roughly thirty Covenant troops. D.O.T.'s nervous laughter returned.

"Well. It means the readings may not be accurate." The cry of an Elite signalled that they had noticed his arrival, which became apparent by the subsequent wave of heated plasma that followed. The Slayer spun on his heels, feeling the marine behind him slam into his bulky chest before pushing against the row of soldiers, forcing them back the way they came. The soldiers recoiled once the volley of plasma bolts hit the walls all around the elevated doorway and the Slayers back. The marines quickly began to panic, turning around and funneling back down the hallway to take cover on either side of the connecting corridors. This proved to be the right move, as half a dozen plasma grenades arced up towards where they had just been, two actually making into the mouth of the hall.

The Slayer weathered the explosion, the grenades leaving him without a scratch. How much longer until the beam hits?

You have less than a minute at the most. D.O.T.s
The only way to the Prowler was down the ramps and through a door just before the column of enemy troops, then it was just two more rooms until they were at the bay that D.O.T. had hacked her way into. With little time to debate, the Slayer spoke firmly but swiftly to the frightened marines.

"Continue on the path and stop for nothing, I'll cover you." Not waiting for a reply, the Slayer sauntered back out onto the platform, withdrawing his Super Shotgun. He may have limited ammo, but there were more important things at hand than his supply of bullets. Vaulting the short railing, he hit the ground hard, his impact compensation allowing him to recover almost instantly. Bolts and needles spiraled towards him from every alien who could hold a firearm, proving that he held their undivided attention.

In a few quick strides he stood just ahead of a cluster of Grunts, slamming his knee into the first one he saw, and sending its corpse flying across the room. A few quick blows left the rest dead, and left room to deal with the more troublesome foes. A pair of Skirmishers had flanked him as he had killed their underlings, firing a rifle configuration of the needle guns the Grunts had been using.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Johnson was running straight past the firefight with his men right behind him, offering a salute to the Slayer as he passed through the passage they were trying to get to. The marines took little time in following him through, with the Captain only staring for a brief moment before Chief hurried him through.With a hurried tone D.O.T made sure this didn't go unnoticed.