Aimilios-727 walked out with the modified blade to his side, his rifle over his shoulder and his helmet over his eyes. The sirens blaring all around them.
"All hands to battle stations, repeat all hands to battle stations, Aimilios-727 you are needed on the command deck." The alarm blared. Aimilios-727 picked up speed and ran to the command deck.
"Whats it looking like Chief?" He asked watching the immense structure.
"Thats where the Prophet resides, we must strike." The Arbiter informed. Aimilios-727 raised his sniper and looked through the sights. "Alpha enhance the sights to 300X." Aimilios-727 said, the sights immediately became more zoomed in and Aimilios-727 could easily see the windows. He scouted through the glass. He zoomed through and saw something different. "What the hell is that thing? It's sitting on top of something." Aimilios-727 informed.
"That's the Prophet! Could you strike?" The Arbiter asked. Aimilios-727 nodded, walking out onto the top of the ship and magnetically sealing himself down. "If this works.... we can go home." Aimilios-727 told himself. "Aimi.... you can do this." Chief said quietly, almost sounding worried. Aimilios-727 laid against the ship, adjusted and slowly squeezed the trigger. The bullet flew through the air and struck its target. The Prophets right arm up to the shoulder blew off. The Brutes looking around for the shooter. "Target is missing a right arm, if we move in now we can take them out." Aimilios-727 said.
A chorus of cheers went up over the radio and Aimilios-727 climbed back into the ship. People clapped and applauded.
"That was one hell of a shot." The Chief said clasping forearms with his friend.
"All in a days work, the jobs not done yet." Aimilios-727 said moving towards a Pelican.
"This is going to get rough, better hang on tight!" Johnson said as they dropped towards the structure surface. "The gates are shielded, we need to disable the towers to continue with this mission." Keyes said over the radio.
"Aimilios-727, you and the chief take out one tower, Arbiter take out the other, and I will take out the third.... this is our last chance people, we cant mess it up." Johnson said.
"I dont like you going without one of us Johnson, permission to tag along?" Aimilios-727 asked.
"That first tower is the most guarded, the chief will need all the help we can get.... dont worry yourself, and besides, if you got shot while your with me my brother would kill me." Johnson said. Aimilios-727 laughed slightly.
"Me get shot? Now your talking crazy..... fine i'll stay with the chief, then im heading over there to secure you.... later uncle." Aimilios-727 said finally, he turned to the door with the Chief.
"Just like training." He said smiling.
"Except this time we kill, the prophet led those assholes straight to Earth, he's going to pay dearly for all of our friends." Aimilios-727 said glancing to the Chief.
"How was Alice last time you saw her?" The Chief asked.
"Glad to see me, hesitant to let go of my hand, too terrified that I would run back out.... but now, now that I know what she had to go through because I wasnt with you. I will not stop until every flood ship is destroyed." Aimilios-727 said watching as the pelicans flew closer to the ground.
"And your father? How is he?" The Chief asked, it was causal as if they werent going feet first into hell.
"Great, over the last two years he's been promoted to Admiral, I guess they didnt want his son to be a higher rank then him." Aimilios-727 said smirking. The Chief shook his head slowly, then like a switch a rocket zoomed by the back of the pelican.
"HOLY SHIT! BRACE!" Aimilios-727 yelled, the pelican dodged and weaved in and out to avoid being hit, Aimilios-727 watched as the pelican behind them exploded, it knocked the warthog attached to his pelican off and Aimilios-727 braced.
"I haven't fought as many brutes as I have elites... They dont have shields but go berserk correct?" Aimilios-727 asked pulling the action back on his rifle. The Chief nodded. "Kill them quick and keep moving forward, they can and will pin you down." He said as the pelican dropped them off. "Lets get to work." Aimilios-727 said dropping onto the ground and setting his sights on a Brute Chieftain.
After a few minutes the Chief and Aimilios-727 had pushed through the hundreds of covenant forces. Aimilios-727 kicked the chieftain to his knees and placed the magnum to its skull. Aimilios-727 walked forward pulling the trigger, the chieftain fell over dead.
"One tower down, two more to go." Aimilios-727 said as the Chief deactivated the tower.
"We are moving to help you with the second tower." The Arbiter said through comms.
"Rodger, and hows the status of the third tower?" Aimilios-727 asked, worried about Johnson.
"We're still dealing with covenant, we will take care of this tower, just worry about the other." Johnson said Aimilios-727 heard the gunshots in the background and gritted his teeth.
"Alright, we're moving there now." The chief said and turned to Aimilios-727.
"He'll be fine Aimilios-727, for now we need to keep moving." He said laying a hand on Aimilios-727's shoulder, Aimilios-727 nodded and started for the elevator, then once out they made they're way to the hornets. Arrived at the second tower and regrouped with the Elites.
"Asaroth would have liked to have been here." Aimilios-727 said smiling. "He would have indeed, but I hope he has changed your mind about Elites." The Arbiter said, Aimilios-727 looked to him. "I still hold a grudge or two but I would rather have more friends, then I do enemies." Aimilios-727 said smiling. "I hope to be your friend, Phantom." The Arbiter said charging into the fray. Aimilios-727 shot the drones and heard the elevator stop, he looked up to see 2 hunters moving forward, the elites roared. Aimilios-727 pushed the Chief and the Arbiter aside.
"Go, this is my fight." Aimilios-727 said smiling.
"You cant be serious, what chance do you have!" A Elite asked,Aimilios-727 reached to his side and grabbed the hilt, he thrust it down activating it.
"These fools dont stand a chance against this blade." Aimilios-727 said smiling. Then he activated his armor boosts and sped forward at lighting speeds, he cut clean through one Hunter and stopped on top of the other. The Hunter watched as its brother fell into two halves and roared. Aimilios-727 smiled and plunged the blade into the skull of the other Hunter, it cut clean through the armor and the Hunter's head slowly fell from its shoulders, Aimilios-727 stepped off easily and deactivated the blade. The Arbiter and the Elites were stunned, the Chief stepped forward.
"Showing off again are we Aimilios-727?" Chief said laughing slightly.
"No weapon can cut through a Hunter's armor, what have you done to that!" The Arbiter asked.
"Stronger, sharper, yellower..... just a few modifications." Aimilios-727 said smiling, he attached the blade back to his thigh. Then walked up with the Chief to the elevator.
"The Black Spartans are truly terrifying." The Arbiter said quietly, Aimilios-727 pressed the button on the elevator and started towards the top. "
"What happened to you Aimilios?" The Chief asked. 727 didnt even look at him. "Aim"
" A lot of things happened, i've seen good friends die, one of my squad nearly bled out infront of me, I've witnessed countless deaths... i'm tired of war John, I'm tired, and I want to go home." Aimilios-727 said finally as Aimilios-727 reached the top and fired off a shot killing the chieftain, then Aimilios-727 charged through with the energy sword and cut through the brutes with ease. stopping at the control panel. Aimilios-727 turned and walked away.
"I'm going after the Sergeant, when you're done here, meet me on the ship.... I will tell you more." he said before he pressed the button to go back downstairs. When Aimilios-727 got to the bottom floor he walked between the covenant forces and out the door. A Pelican met him on the beach.
"The Sarge hasn't radioed in for a while, you might want to be careful." the pilot said as he entered. Aimilios-727 pulled back the action on the rifle hearing it click back into place, he waited for the door to open, and when it did he breathed slowly.
"Just relax, its going to be okay." Alpha said through the comms.
"Cortana's gone.... isnt she?" Aimilios-727 asked quietly.
"Im afraid she is close to being so, we must hurry." Alpha said urgently.
"No force will stand in my way." Aimilios-727 said as he walked to the door and jumped out firing like a mad man, hitting every target he moved forward with expert precision, a trail of destruction followed him like a wave, nothing got left behind.
Suddenly Aimilios-727 saw dead marines, his heart dropped and he felt his shields get hit.
"Dammit!" he yelled firing and killing the last of the covenant forces, he ran over to the marines and looked for a helmet cam. the helmets were completely destroyed except one.
"Alpha, upload." Aimilios-727 asked, he saw the marines entering, encountering enemy forces, then Johnson being grabbed by Brutes, they ran off in a hurry keeping him alive, killing the rest.
"DAMMIT!" Aimilios-727 screamed punching into a wall, it shattered around his punch and he seathed.
"ALPHA PATCH ME INTO THEIR COMMS!" Aimilios-727 yelled.
"That is highly inadvisable Aimilios-727, as they coul" "I SAID DO IT!" Aimilios-727 growled. The comms suddenly lit up with chatter, alien chatter.
"ATTENTION ALL COVENANT BITCHES! YOU HAVE SOMETHING OF MINE! RELEASE THE SARGENT OR I SWEAR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU WILL DIE HORRIBLE DEATHS, I WILL RIP THE BRUTES LIMB FROM LIMB, TEAR THE PRECIOUS EYES FROM JACKALS AND PULL THE HEART FROM THE PROPHET! I ALSO HOPE YOU ENJOY HAVING A SINGLE ARM PROPHET!" Aimilios-727 yelled laughing maniacally. The comms switched back and a lot of chatter was towards him.
"Aimilios-727! What the hell are you doing on their channel!" A voice asked.
"They got Johnson, I'm going after him, and I'm killing any covenant in my way." Aimilios-727 said turning and walking out, a pelican was there to meet him. It held the chief.
"That was extremely dangerous, Aimilios! Are you listening! We are in grave danger because of that!" The chief yelled, Aimilios-727 tuned him out walking into the pelican, finally he turned to the Chief.
"John, get the shield down... I'm getting my uncle back. One way or another." Aimilios-727 said, turning away, suddenly a hand shot up, Aimilios-727 was about to turn away when the hand pulled him in and he found himself being pulled into a bear hug by the Chief.
"Relax Aimilios-727, we need to work together to get this shield down, then we go together to get our friend back.... alright?" The chief asked nicely, Aimilios-727 nodded, turning and walking beside the chief inside and up the stairs.
They killed the brutes at the top and the Chief went to activate the terminal, Aimilios-727 heard a bang and turned to the noise, he turned back just in time to see a blur moving to the chief. Aimilios-727 activated the sword and threw it into the blur, it pinned the brute to the window its cloak disengaged, it roared as it dried to push the sword away, Aimilios-727 walked up and pushed the sword all the way through, the brutes head rolling off the blade and onto the ground.
"The demon doesn't die today." Aimilios-727 said, turning to the chief. "Thanks." He said simply. Then he lowered the shield. Aimilios-727's hairs stood on end and he looked out the window just as a rift opened and a giant ship appeared, it was a covenant, except.... it was infected.
"The flood!" Aimilios-727 yelled, the chief looked up and took a step back. "We need to leave, this is bad, their has to be thousands!" Aimilios-727 said looking at the huge ship completely covered in flood spores.
"The Gravemind has come." The Chief said looking to the ship. That changed Aimilios-727's mind.
"I'm killing it. Once and for all." Aimilios-727 growled looking to the ship, when suddenly he saw a meteor falling straight for them.
"Aim!" The Chief said pulling him back and down, The meteor struck a few feet back, Aimilios-727 and the Chief go to their feet just in time to watch the flood spores pour out. They looked at each other and nodded silently knowing what the other was thinking. Together they pushed through the flood and down the elevator. Aimilios-727 shot a flood spore and felt one attach itself to his helmet.
"Shit! Get it off!" Aimilios-727 yelled trying to grab the elusive creature, the chief tore it off and smashed it with his boot.
"I thought you knew not to turn your back on the flood." He said turning to the entrance, the Arbiter and his elites were holding back the flood, but they were losing ground.
"Lets get a move on!" Aimilios-727 ordered, the elites running out the door. Aimilios-727 looked to the Chief.
"Take the tank, i'll cover you from the air." he said, turning and sitting on the side of a hornet.
"You wait for me, don't you dare go in alone." The Chief said sternly, Aimilios-727 smirked.
"Years ago we made an oath to each other... Do you remember it, John?" Aimilios-727 asked.
"To protect one with your life, and give yours in the others stead, it was a blood oath." The Chief said grimly. Aimilios-727 racked another shot into the chamber.
"I intend to keep that promise, just don't be late." Aimilios-727 nodded to the pilot who took to the air. The Chief got into the tank and drove, taking out the wraiths and others, until he came to two scarabs guarding the citadel.
"Boom, these better work." Aimilios-727 said loading a highly experimental type of bullet, Boom insisted they held the strength of a 100 missiles, Aimilios-727 only hoped he was right. Aimilios-727 aimed turning on the heat vision, found the core, and pulled the trigger, even as light as the rifle was the kick was tremendous! Aimilios-727's back hit the hornet making it veer.
"We okay?" Aimilios-727 asked looking to the pilot.
"Yeah, just warn me before you fire another shot!" The pilot said grunting slightly. Aimilios-727 felt the wave run past him, he looked down to see the Scarab had been enclosed in an explosion, no, both of the Scarabs had. Along with half of the mountain.
"Woah! Who called in artillery!" A marine asked.
"Everyone alright?" Aimilios-727 asked looking through and spotting many of the marines on the ground, he found the tank was damaged but still operational. "Was that the experimental shot your friend gave you?" The Chief asked and Aimilios-727 could have sworn he heard a slight chuckle.
"Yeah, except one thing."Aimilios-727 said unloading the magazine, it was empty. "What is it?" The Chief asked worried.
"That was the only bullet I had." Aimilios-727 said laughing, then he motioned for the pilot to carry him down to the bottom layer. Aimilios-727 raised his sniper with a normal magazine and pulled the trigger, it clicked.
"BOOM!" Aimilios-727 growled, his rifle was damaged and unusable, he swore he would kill Boom if he couldn't fix it. Aimilios-727 noticed the Chief and the Arbiter looking to him, the chief shaking his head.
"C'mon, lets finish this." The Chief said extending a hand and pulling Aimilios-727 to his feet, Aimilios-727 turned and placed the sniper in the hornet, the pilot assured it would get back to the ship safe. Then Aimilios-727 turned and walked into the citadel with the Chief, ending this story once and for all. They got inside and found a terminal displaying what Aimilios-727 had feared.
"Johnson!" Aimilios-727 yelled running to the screen. "Chief how close are you?" Keyes asked. "Not close enough." The chief responded looking up the elevator. Aimilios-727 pressed the button and grabbed the energy sword.
"1....2....3.... 3 seconds to kill." Aimilios-727 said breathing calmly.
"Are you alright?" The Chief asked, Aimilios-727 didnt respond as he walked forward, then suddenly jumped back.
"Tanks." Aimilios-727 sneered at the flood.
"Dont shoot, instead let us lead you to our foe, only you have the ability to stop what he has started. "They said, Aimilios-727 looked to the Chief.
"Your call." Aimilios-727 said between the two. The Chief nodded and started walking forward, suddenly thousands of flood spores poured from everywhere heading for the end of the room. Aimilios-727 made up his mind and ran with them cutting through the brutes that dared come between them. Then he made his way up the light bridge.
"This is your kill, but could you honor me by using my weapon?" Aimilios-727 asked the Arbiter, he nodded, taking the blade. Aimilios-727 turned and ran over to Johnson.
"You alright? Is anything broken?" Aimilios-727 asked looking over Captain Keyes's dead body, Johnson shook his head.
"Lets get you out of here." Aimilios-727 said helping Johnson load the dead body into the crashed pelican.
"Alpha, repair what you can, I don't trust the flood by any means." Aimilios-727 said watching the flood on the other side of the bridge.
"Repairs are already completing, 5 minutes to full functionality." Alpha informed.
"I want it flyable in 1." Aimilios-727 said, walking back out to watch as the Arbiter plunged the yellow blade into the Prophets back. The Chief deactivated the halos in the same second. A low rumble came from below as Johnson started the Pelican. Then suddenly tentacles appeared from below.
"I recognize you! The spartan that destroyed my brother Gravemind, one of his spores, was the only survivor." The Gravemind said, Aimilios-727 watched the tentacles whip at him and ducked just before he was hit.
"I also learned a interesting fact the last time we met.... your immune." The Gravemind said, Aimilios-727 looked around watching before a arm grabbed him and he was pulled into the pelican flying away.
"I can't let an immune live, for we must consume!" The Gravemind said wrapping a tentacle around Aimilios-727's leg and puling him, the Chief and the Arbiter grabbed onto Aimilios-727 before being pulled out by its immense strength.
"You will not leave so easily." The Gravemind said slowly." Aimilios-727, catch!" The Arbiter said tossing the yellow blade to Aimilios-727, he caught it deftly and swung cutting off a tentacle.
"Is this Pain? How did you hurt me?" The Gravemind asked clearly aghast that he was feeling such a new sensation.
"A magician can never reveal his tricks." Aimilios-727 motioned for the others to follow him as he charged through the endless hordes, looking like a bolt of lightning as he cut through the horde. Finally they made it to 3 Banshees. "We need to destroy this thing, once and for all." Aimilios-727 said, nodding to the others, they jumped into the banshees and flew towards a crashed ship.... High Charity.
When they arrived they destroyed everything they could in their path, following the chief, who seemed to know something neither of them did not. Finally Aimilios-727 asked.
"CHIEF! Where the hell are we!" Aimilios-727 yelled.
"I can hear her." The Chief said simply, Aimilios-727 looked to the Arbiter who simply shrugged. They continued forward until suddenly a voice rang out.
"Why hello Cortana." Alpha said out loud. Aimilios-727 nearly jumped off the flood mass he was on.
"Alpha, who are you talking t- Holy shit, its her." Aimilios-727 said looking to the A.I. the Chief moved forward and put her back into his head. The entire ship shook and Aimilios-727 looked around.
"The Gravemind is home." Aimilios-727 said, watching as the flood gathered all around them. Suddenly realization hit Aimilios-727. "Chief, get Cortana out, she has that key, I have a personal score to settle with this thing." Aimilios-727 said turning away.
"I'll wait for you at the banshees, dont be late....." The Chief said watching Aimilios-727 walk away and disappear.
"What did I miss while I was gone?" Cortana asked, the Chief shook his head.
"Many things Cortana, many Things." The Chief said turning, they found their Banshees and waited for Aimilios-727. Nearly a half hour had passed before the Arbiter laid a hand on the Chief's shoulder.
"We should go, if we destroy the ring before it is complete then we can end this... once and for all." he said stepping into his Banshee. The Chief reached into a pocket and pulled out a pair of tags. A secondary pair they had both gotten so they would always be together, like brothers should. The Chief clutched the tags in his hand and scanned the area one last time, then he put the tags away and got into the Banshee.
"CHIEF! IF YOUR NOT ALREADY OUT GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM THE SHIP!" Aimilios-727's voice rang out.
"What's going on Soldier?" The Chief asked.
"Lots of flood on me, the ship is destroying itself, I'll get another way out just go!" Aimilios-727 yelled, breathing heavily as if sprinting. Back at Aimilios-727's end he was sprinting, the ship was destroying itself faster then he had thought and now his armor was at max speed zooming around towards his only available exit... the crashed Pelican. Aimilios-727 ran straight through a group of Flood and onto the Pelican.
"Alpha! Lets go!" Aimilios-727 said turning and firing, trying to buy them as much time as possible. After a few minutes of hell the ship started and Aimilios-727 was sent sliding back, the doors closed in time and Aimilios-727 was caught before he would have been sucked out. Aimilios-727 fell to his knees breathing heavily, hearing the explosion being caught behind him.
"Sir 117's heart rate just raised exponentially, shall I connect you to him?" Alpha asked. "yea." Aimilios-727 said sleepily.
"Chief, whats going on?" Aimilios-727 asked.
"Can you get to the control room?" The Chief asked simply, Aimilios-727 nodded and Alpha changed the course.
"How soon?" The Chief asked.
"T-5." Alpha responded.
"You heard him, 5 minutes, think you can last without me?" Aimilios-727 asked, laughing slightly. The Chief's only response came as something that woke Aimilios-727 up. A scream of a wounded marine, Johnson.
"What the hell just happened?" Aimilios-727 asked, no response.
"Aimilios-727, we are here." Alpha said as the door opened and Aimilios-727 flew out and into a Flood. Aimilios-727 stood up and fired, clearing the area. He found a warthog and drove up to the door, as he had landed at the bottom of the building. Then he ran inside and found the chief taking a laser to the chest, from the robot. Aimilios-727 ran forward and sprung out his sword, cutting clean through the robot.
"This cant be happening, protocol dictates." The robot said falling down the long shaft.
"You alright Chief?" Aimilios-727 asked, giving him a hand up. The Chief took it but refused to look at Aimilios-727.
"What is it?" Aimilios-727 asked, looking around, his heart stopped as he saw the body of his uncle. "No,no,no,no,no c'mon lets get you out of here." Aimilios-727 said picking up Johnson.
"Put me down! You as stubborn as your father, are you sure your not really his?" Johnson asked, shaking his head.
"This isnt a choice, I'm getting you out." Aimilios-727 said, trying again, Johnson grabbed the blade and pointed it.
"I would only slow you down, get out of here before they get you too, that's an order from family son you have to obey that." Johnson said, then he handed the sword back as Aimilios-727 walked off. The Arbiter watching him.
"Im clearing the Exfil, get out as soon as your done." Aimilios-727 said simply walking out.
"You take care of him..... he's crazy and will fight on a dime, but he trusts you, so keep him safe." Johnson said to the Chief as he approached.
"And never let her go, Chief, never." Johnson said, laying back.
"Send me out, with a bang." He said finally as he let out his last breath.
The Chief grabbed the tags and walked to the terminal, activated the halo and ran out. He met a Aimilios-727 who he did not recognize, made of pure rage he had bodies of flood scattered around him. Cut down with no remorse or reason, violently slashed.
"I know these are flood, but still it scares me." The Arbiter said, voicing the Chiefs thoughts, a roar of the engine was heard and Aimilios-727 drove up.
"Lets go. We dont have much time." He said as they hopped in, Aimilios-727 punched down on the gas and they took off.
They had barely made it to the ship in time, Aimilios-727 ramped into the hangar and was thrown forward.
"John!" Cortana screamed, Aimilios-727 looked up and ran down catching his friend and throwing him forward, then himself.
"Power at critical levels, lockdown imminent." Alpha informed.
"Chief, Im out of juice." Aimilios-727 said as he locked himself behind a wall on the mirroring the Chief. "We'll make it." The Chief said simply, before all was still before a huge blast knocked Aimilios-727 out.
"Aimilios..... Aimilios! Mark!" A voice yelled, the last name startling Aimilios-727 out of his nap. "What happened?" Aimilios-727 asked looking around.
"The ship tore itself apart, the arbiter made it, we werent so lucky." The Chief said before Aimilios-727 realized.
"You remembered my real name, the one my parents gave me." Aimilios-727 said, the chief nodded.
"When you found them, they asked for mercy, they had sold you for drugs, the man let you go, said you were on your own.... and you told me, before I left." The Chief said, Mark nodded.
"You left and I never told you my decision. I gave them mercy, their supposed friends.... they did not." Mark said looking away.
"We can talk about it later, your armors probably still pretty low, lets get to the cryo pods, it may be a while before we get rescued." The Chief said.
"Cortana, perhaps I should watch and you should rest?" Alpha offered, Cortana shook her head.
"Rest Alpha, we may need you in due time." Cortana said.
"Cortana, wake us up if you need us." the Chief said as the pods closed.. Leaving them alone, drifting towards an unknown planet.