[quote]Here's Chapter 2 :D Please tell your friends![/quote] [quote]Chapter 2: Welcome to Reach![/quote] We were on [i]Lunar Sunshine[/i] for 2 long days. I learned that the guy with the suitcase was named Jacob, and he had left his mother when he decided to join the corps. His father was MIA. We became good friends, bonding over our constant quizzes to the mysterious ODST. It was unnerving talking to him. The dark visor that hid his features made talking to him rocket science. We arrived in New Alexandria, a sprawling metropolis of buildings and skyscrapers. Sight seeing was limited though, as were bustled onto a UNSC Pelican. Jacob and I kept questioning the ODST as the doors slid closed. We were taken out to the humid plains of Reach, the UNSC's private training grove where they could do as they pleased. When we arrived, we were instructed to go to the Dormitory area. I glanced around, unsure which of the several metal bunkers was the dorm. A nudge from Jacob directed me to on of the larger bunkers sitting in the field. Thinking the worst, I entered the dorm, and found no one else. No various toys and gadgets lying on the floor. No smell of sweat lingering after a hard training session. It was just a simple room, bed, table, chair and chest of drawers. I put my backpack down and lay on the bed. Thoughts stabbed at my mind like sharp sticks. Why were we here? Who was the man behind the visor? Or, more importantly, what was? Eventually I drifted into a dreamless sleep, a wave of blackness enveloping me. The next morning, I was awoken by a loud [b]bang[/b]. I looked at my watch, given to me by my Father before he left. Even in the dim light, I could make out the numbers. 5:00 am, it read. Groggily, I rose and realized I had slept in my clothes I wore the previous day. The bang came again, and I hurried to the door, gently prying open a fraction. The bang came again, right in my face. I fell back and yelped, ears ringing. Only to realize it was the ODST with a metal rubbish lid and a wooden spoon. "Get up!" he yelled at my huddled figure. I rose, and yelled in retaliation, "What the hell? It's 5 o'clock in the morning! They didn't make us get up this late on Earth!" That only bought me another bang in the face. "Well this isn't Earth is it?" His voice was low, but deadly. He grabbed my collar and pulled me up. He took me to what I later found out was the armory. I was surprised to see Jacob there. His face seemed to imply he had the same treatment this morning. "You two have been chosen to be ODST. You showed promise in your training, so for the love of Sam hell don't let me down. Apparently, I have to teach you the ways of an ODST. Let me assure you, I'm the best in the business." When he saw us listening, he continued "Here are your armor suits. There a bit outdated, I'm afraid. These are only training suits, to get you in the feel of wearing it all the time." "Now let's go get breakfast" He said, and clapped his hands together. I was certain I saw a grin behind the dark visor. We entered the Mess hall, a bleak grey box, with several wooden picnic tables' line along in rows down the centre. A line of varied foods were spread across a metal bench on the far side of the hall. As I glanced along the tables, I saw 2 other black-clad figures sitting at a table. I quickly grabbed some food and sat down next to them. One of them whispered "So you got the talk from the sarge? Don't worry; He's always like that to new recruits. Just give it some time and he'll treat you like kings." I nodded, and looked at what food I had picked up in my haste. A small box of orange juice and a bacon sandwich. What luck! We ate together in silence for the next 5 minutes. The sergeant, or as the ODST closest to me told me, [i]Flame[/i] sat at another table. After our small breakfast, the training began. We were marched outside into cold rain. The training area, if you could call it that, was no more than a few targets placed at different areas. A wire fence encircled it. We began with weapon training, which was followed by squeals of delight from Jacob. We were each handed a Designated Marksman Rifle. I had seen the other soldiers use them before. They were loud, but got the job done. I noticed this certain one had some modifications. It still had the scope, but it also had a laser pointer in-built and a small metal pipe at the end. Noticing my confusion, one of the other ODST in the squad said "ODST grade. Silenced, more accurate, and they won't shake around in your hands when you fire." he finished with a wink. I noticed that none of the others wore their helmets either. Only Flame did. I fired, and was surprised I was a good shot. The Sniper Rifle was a different matter. The large weapon was unwieldy to my small hands, and I missed almost every shot. We continued training weapons for the rest of the day, testing several techniques, including the right way to hold your rocket launcher. I soon discovered the Shotgun was my area of finesse. Afterwards, at 9:00PM, we re-entered the Mess Hall and picking up a small dinner of a roast potato and a ham sandwich, I went into a patchy sleep. [Edited on 05.28.2012 11:01 PM PDT]

[quote]Here is Chapter 3![/quote] [quote]Chapter 3: Strangers may be Rebels[/quote] It was the sound that woke me. It was a small sound, barely a whisper, but it was there. And it was hostile. Feeling my around the dark room, I grabbed my "Training armor" and put it on over my clothes. I noticed that Flame had his armor on as well, as did the other two ODSTs, [i]Shadow and Pulse[/i]. Jacob was still asleep. Pulling open the Velcro keypad that was located on my arm, I typed in: [i]What is it?[/i] Seconds later, Pulses reply came: [i]Most likely Rebels. They have a base on these plains, but it has some sort of dampening field that screws up our technology[/i]. Jacob's name appeared inside my helmets HUD. Soon after, his voice filled my helmet loudly. "What is it guys?" I heard a loud groan. Flame Whispered loudly "Will you shut up boy!?" Underneath his voice I heard Shadow chuckling silently to himself. Flames voice quickly took over "Let's get to the armory. Thankfully the ODST quarters are close by. Stay close and be quiet". We navigated our way down the bare hallways, walking past desolate rooms. As we walked, I wondered how the rebels got inside the base. We finally arrived at a familiar site; The Mess Hall. I raised my fists, ready for someone to strike from the darkness. Nothing. I had the feeling someone was watching us. We walked outside, and went behind the main complex. A small bunker lay embedded in the group, steel doors covering its entrance. Pulse typed in through the keypad that is was the armory. As we neared the Armory door, I realized it was magnetically sealed. "Pulse, get to work" Came Flames fierce whisper. I soon realized why Pulse was called Pulse. He fiddled with the door controls, and after a series of electric sparks, the door slid open. "Grab what you need and get ready for combat situations' Flame said."I call shotgun!" came Shadows cheerful voice. As Shadow ran in to grab his prized shotgun, He was suddenly knocked to the ground. "Well hello there" An alien voice came from behind us. As I turned around, ready to fight, I realized I had made a fatal mistake, as more [i]things[/i] swarmed from the armory. Then I blacked out. I awoke in a Prison cell. My armor was gone, and so were my weapons. Jeez, first day on the job and I'm already a prisoner, I thought my mind awakening. I heard a few sighs as my comrades groggily rose to their feet. "Damn it to Hell' I heard Flame say."Just be thankful were not dead" Pulse replied curtly. I wondered why I wasn't dead. We were in ODST uniforms when we were captured. Any two-bit hillbilly who hated the UNSC would shoot at us on sight. I looked across the bland cell. Gray cement all around, a small bucket that looked like a toilet and a bench chained to the wall. I saw Flame, Pulse and Jacob working on an escape plan. Shadow trying to figure out the best time to steal a gun and shoot his way out. And a huge iron gate that led to the bowels of this prison. I knew I was going to be here for a while. After what seemed like hours, I heard footsteps. It wasn't bad, seeming the only other noise was the quiet muttering of the 3 ODSTs trying to find a way out. Or, more correctly, 2 and a half ODSTs. The source of the footsteps approached our gate. It was a tall man, wearing a white button-up shirt and a long black cape. How medieval. His voice was a different matter. "So these are the ODST's?" he asked the guards. One of them nodded. "These are' the priso'ers me lord" He had a thick country accent, that suggested he had no proper education as a child. The man in the capes voice was high pitched, girly. I wondered how anyone took him seriously when he talked. Pulse seemed to be thinking along the same lines. As the caped man spoke, Pulse let out a small laugh. "Find something funny do you?" the man asked. "Yeah, your sister called, she wants her voice back" This arose a barrage of laughter from all of the ODST's. Even the guards chuckled a bit. "Well Mr. ODST, you just earned you and your friends no meals for the rest of the week. Let's see what your friends have to say" He added smugly, hoping that this ODST's comrades would pound the living daylights out of him. This only brought another round of laughter. Fuming, the caped man left the group with tears of laughter in their eyes. They would pay. He just needed the right time. "Good, that should get us off the radar" Came Pulses voice. What did he mean? "Good going there Pulse, Now we just need to put this plan into action. Jacob, please kick the wall" Flame said sweetly. Jacob, wide grin over his face, ran up to a grayish brownish part in the wall and let loose. A huge crack appeared in the wall. He did it again, this time successfully crumbling a small hole in the wall. Big enough to crawl through! "Good job boy, your new name is Crack." Flame whispered. Pulse nodded. I saw Cracks face light up with happiness. We crawled out of the cell and found themselves in a pre-dawn darkness. They were in the middle of a huge open field, with targets all around them. Another training field. Sitting in the centre of the field, an array of weapons lay in a box. "Yes! A Shotgun!" Came shadows voice. I thought he was a little crazy, but Pulse whispered in my ear, "He's more of the shoot first ask no questions later". After we got suited up with weapons, a light rain came. "Okay, we need to get out of here and find our way back to the base." Flame instructed. The group ran across the field. I saw the gate, unguarded. we sprinted, almost out; Then Crack fell over a tripwire. [Edited on 10.14.2011 11:12 PM PDT]

[quote]Chapter 4 is here :D! Sorry its short[/quote] [quote]Chapter 4: A bad surprise[/quote] It happened in a blur. Alarms rang in the distance, every light was turned on in the barracks, and pretty soon we were screwed. The last thing I rembered was being whacked on the head and blacking out again. I woke up in a warehouse. It was big, dark and smelled like old cheese. I glanced around and saw my teammates tied to chairs. I also noticed that equipment from our own camp was in the warehouse. I felt a searing pain in my arm, and saw that I had been stabbed multiple times with a crude knife. Then I blacked out again. I was aroused by that voice. The voice of the caped man. As he approached my slumped body, I saw his yellow teeth show as he grinned. Then he held up a needle. My eyes widened, wondering if he was going to poison me. "Relax, This is just a... Medication to make you feel better." He added with a smile. As he made those final few centimeters towards me, I felt as though my life was over. But a large bang and the cries of the rebel infantry stalled his hand. "What is it you fool" He squeaked, his girly voice kicking in. "Siruh, There's something' in t'e woods! It like nothing' we ev'r seen before!" A green light hit him in the back. He collapsed with a grunt. The sound of assault rifles firing in the distance came though the empty door. But it wasn't empty for long. Small creatures walked in, a cone on their backs. They saw us, squealed and started to open fire. I rolled out the way the chair slowing me down, but it was too late for the man in the cape. He got hit square in the chest. Out of the darkness, Blades voice shot out like a hot knife through butter "Get in here boy so we can untie you!" I had never been happier to hear his voice. As I sprinted towards the source of the sound, more bolts of green energy hit the chair. It disintegrated. Realizing I was free, I made the last few meters and found our little group fiddling with the wall. "How are we supposed to get out of here?" I asked urgently. "Stand back guys" Crack's voice was troubled. "3...2...1... Go!" The wall exploded in a shower of sparks. "Come on!" As we ran out, I noticed the pile of fusion coils next to the wall fragments. Then I banged into something hard. I fell over onto my back, and looked up. It was a UNSC falcon, probably taken from our base. "Hop aboard!" Pulse said. As we clambered aboard, green bolts of energy hit the side of the Falcon. "Take her off Pulse!" I yelled shakily. As we rose from the ground, a large green bolt of plasma hit the side. Suddenly the Falcon turned off. It was a close call. The falcon's chain guns were firing full blast, while Pulse desperately tried to raise us off the ground. I noticed that the landing pad we were on was full of gasoline containers. Aiming one of the chain guns, I fired on the closest gasoline tank. The explosion made the landing pad light up like a firework. As we started to rise, I had a clear look at what was shooting at us. They wore masks and were quite small. They ran around on fire, until one of them exploded. The others followed. As we flew out of the base, I took one final look at rebels. Most of the buildings were destroyed; the tallest alight with purple fire. Rebel infantry desperately tried to escape, only to be impaled by glowing swords, wielded large squid like aliens. Turning away, I heard Flame say over the NAVCOM "This is Master Sergeant Flame, ODST squad commander. We have escaped a Rebel complex and are heading full speed to the nearest UNSC base. All units in the area be aware that a large Covenant force is on Reach. I repeat the Covenant is on Reach." We flew off into the clear dawn. [Edited on 10.15.2011 12:44 AM PDT]

[quote]Chapter 5 here[/quote] [quote]Chapter 5: Meet the Jackass[/quote] [i]Espoz, Northern Ice shelf, Reach 902 Hours, 30 July (Military Calendar)[/i] It had been several days since the escape from the Rebel base. I suggested we moved back to our own base, but as always Flame had other ideas. He told us we needed to report this information to ONI as soon as possible. When he said the name of the Office of Naval Intelligence I stood rigid in my seat. This was going to be a [b][i]very[/i][/b] awkward trip. We went to the closest spaceport and rested in a nearby hotel. It was beautiful. Food, pools and just time to recover. We stayed for 3 days, then boarded a transport to Espoz. When we landed, we boarded a Pelican that took us straight to ONI. We landed on a top-side landing pad, and were greeted by an ONI officer. He attempted to ask for our ID but Flame just pushed past him and charged into the base. The officer looked relatively young, and had never encountered such brutal behavior. He shrank back behind a Fuel tank as our small group marched in perfect unison towards the secret ONI HQ. After a few minutes, I met one of the biggest jerks of my life. His name was Captain Duncan. He pushed in front of us, and started to order Flame around, saying he was acting upon treason by entering the base, and stating his rank many times. Eventually Pulse came up pushed him into a nearby closet, and locked the door. I heard most of the team chuckle as we passed his cries of surprise. Then we met Dr Halsey. "How do you know the covenant is on Reach?" Demanded Flame, his voice was barely more than a growl. His face was a canvas of twisted hatred and pain. "A group of Spartans encountered them while on a mission to restore communications with a UNSC base. They found the head of this force, but couldn't exterminate.. whatever gender it is." I drew a sharp intake of breath as I heard the word Spartans. The mythical super soldiers had been whispered among the ranks of the marines in my first few days. They were the best of the best, faster and smarter than any other. The only problem was they were expensive. As I mulled this over, Dr Halsey continued, "We believe they are on a search mission. What they are looking for, however, we don't know. The same group of Spartans who found the leader, or Zealot have dispatched there units to take out a covenant jammer. We haven't heard back from them yet. I'm afraid that is all the knowledge that your" She pointed at me and the others-"Group can hear. The rest is solely for your ears." I looked at Flame, expecting him to say that he needed his team, but he just pointed his head at the door. Leaving, I wondered what they would be talking about. It must have been a long conversation. We sat in the darkened room for 3 hours waiting for Flame to leave. Eventually Pulse and Crack started playing cards, while Shadow fell asleep. I just stared at the floor, thinking about what had happened to me so far. Being chosen as an ODST. Being kidnapped by Rebels, then being saved by a much bigger threat. I wondered how the heroes of the war managed. Admiral Preston Cole, Lord Hood. All I know is that my time on Reach was going to be one helluva of ride. Finally, after what was an eternity, Flame entered our secluded hideaway in the waiting room. He stared at me for a long time. Finally, he spoke "Were being transported to the UNSC Honeysuckle. Let's move out." As we left the waiting room, I noticed several ONI officials still looking at me. My foot hit something, and I looked down to see the still body of the Captain. No one else seemed to care he was knocked out. In fact, judging by the staple next to his head, his fellow officers had knocked him out as he got out of the closet. Shrugging, I felt like there was something the others wanted to say, but Flames rigid stance left words unspoken. We exited the office to the landing pad, where a Pelican was awaiting us. "Better get comfortable" Came Pulses short reply at my irritated posture. 'It's going to be a long time till we arrive." We arrived on the [i]Honeysuckle[/i] around 7 hours later. A large dock surrounded the ship. The first thing we did was stop at an Armory. Flame grabbed out some new pairs of ODST armor. As I put it on, I noticed that Flames had a white streak on the shoulder. We then reported to the bridge and addressed the captain. Flame seemed to know him very well, and the two of them sat on the bridge chatting for hours, while an ensign showed us our living quarters via data pad, and soon I was in the standard bunk of the UNSC. Small, uncomfortable and hot as hell. I finally drifted off to a dream filled sleep, where I dreamt of the streets I had grown up in on Earth, Fighting for survival. I rembered the Gangs who tried to kill me and my mother. I woke up in a cold sweat. No, not dreams, I thought sadly. Nightmares. Silently climbing down from my bunk, I headed to the mess hall to get a midnight snack to calm my nerves. On my way, I heard the Captain speaking to his commanding officer. "Do you think they'll do it this time Captain?" Came the officers' voice. He had a Scottish accent. "I believe so Mclivert. And if they do, we are going to be in one deep pit of hell." Wondering what they were talking about, I leaned in closer. "But surely we have enough firepower..." Came Mclivert's voice. "It doesn't matter about firepower of numbers. These...[i]things[/i] will destroy our ships one by one. Then they will set fire to reach. You've prepared for this, as have I. So be ready" The captains voice was lower, as If painful memories had surfaced in his mind. As Flame had said on the pelican ride up, I was too curious about things and I should "Let nature do its thing". It was my curiosity that didn't prepare me. The door suddenly opened, as the captain was exiting, and both of them were surprised to see me eaves dropping on their conversation. "What in the worl-" Came the captains startled reply. Suddenly I was knocked to my feet. A large boom had sounded from outside the ship's hull. It sounded as though the whole UNSC fleet was exiting slipsace at Reach. I ran in the room and looked out a nearby porthole. A covenant cruiser had just exited slipspace no more than 200 kilometers away. As I looked closer, I saw its blue guns started to power up. The bridge swayed uneasily as the captain, Mclivert and I had entered. An officer on deck came over and said "The UNSC [i]Big Ben[/i] is on the line. Want me to patch them through?" "Go ahead, Notold" The captain said curtly. Static sounded on a nearby radio, then the voice of another captain cut through "Honeysuckle, do you require assistance?" The captain picked up a microphone headset and replied "Yes. Immediate support. We have a covenant cruiser right on our heels. What's your ETA?" "Approximately 10 minutes. We'll come as soon as poss-ungh!" The captain's voice suddenly cut off. "Repeat that captain?" Came our own captain's voice. "Covenant corvette coming right at us. You're going to have to deal with that cruiser yourself, were being hit hard!" "Its okay captain, we'll do our best. I'm sending longswords to aid you." "No, don't. Were overpowered. Were history. See you in hell!" The sound of gunfire could be heard, and the captains own crazy laugh suddenly cut off from the radio. " Sir, I'm an ODST. Maybe Me and my squad could help?" The captain looked astonished. "You? An ODST? Why didn't you say so! Get your armor on and your squadron. Take a longsword onto that cruisers landing bay. Well give you some support with our guns. Here" He handed me a card. "This is a clearance card to get into the armory. There's a remote controlled nuke in there. Get to the centre of that ship and arm it. I'll give you 10 minutes to get out. No more, No less. If you're not out by then I'm going to activate it prematurely. Now get going. That an order solider!" He finished with a solid voice. Clutching the card, I hurried to the dorm were we were stationed. I bet there all ready in there armor I thought grimly, Imagining Flames comments. Doesn't matter, I thought to myself, we just need to get out of here. [Edited on 10.16.2011 9:08 PM PDT]

[quote]Chapter 6![/quote] [quote]Chapter 6: Why did it have to be aliens?[/quote] UNSC Honeysuckle, July 30, 2330 hours it didn't take us long to suit up. After a quick briefing, Flame snatched the keycard from my grasp. We suited up, and headed through a maze of burning passages and frightened cleaning staff. After narrowly avoiding being burnt to a crisp, we arrived at the hangar. And met Captain Duncan, standing in our way. He was holding a magnum at us. "You're under arrest for assaulting an ONI officer! One more move and your dead!" He cried, pointing the weak side-arm at my helmet. There was large [i]crack[/i] and Duncan once again fell to the ground. Shadow stood behind him. "Son of a gun, that man is a total jack-ass" I heard him mutter, as he kicked the limp body. I was going to join in, but Flame had already gone past us towards a longsword fighter. 'Hop aboard" He instructed. It wasn't the easiest flight in. Although we had reflective mirrors to camouflage us, when you're caught trying to sneak your way into an alien vessel, while in the midst of a battle, things can get pretty heated. More than once we were hit by a stray plasma bolt. After a lot of jostling, we finally landed, a little more beaten up than when we first started, on the alien deck. I was thinking running out the rear ramp, guns blazing, when I received a joyful punch in the stomach. "This way you fool!" Flame hissed. He instructed me to a small trapdoor in the cockpit. "Secret exit" Came Pulses voice over the comm. I looked up at the outside cameras, and saw two lower class elites guarding the hangar. The mirrors on the longsword seemed to have worked. As I was climbing through the secret hole, I heard the port doorway hiss open. Crack was standing at the door, holding a Frag grenade and a knife. It was short battle. But a deadly battle all the same. Flame jumped onto Crack, the grenade, pin drawn, tumbling at the elites, just before a blue bolt of plasma hit him. It dissipated on the inner hull of the longsword. Meanwhile, I took aim at the first elite's head and fired. The elite's shields were weakened from the grenade. As soon as the bullet struck He was knocked dead. Pulse took down the second one, while Shadow ran out with his shotgun. Both elites were dead, and now the whole team was exposed to any reinforcements. There was an alien language coming from one of the corpses. [i]Radios[/i] I thought to myself. "We better get out of here now." Flame called. He was running up a bright yellow ramp. Shrugging, I took the radio and followed him. The ramp led to a long stretch of hallway. One end held what seemed to be an elevator, the other went on to who knows where. A cold mist surrounded me. "Methane" Shadow said. "Damn Grunts can't breathe without it". 'So which say Sarge?" finished Shadow."Take the lift" called Flame, over the comm. "And for god's sake be careful!". "Chief, this lift is locked down" Pulses news mad me stop cold. "Can you unlock it?" "I'll try, but it's going to take some of my best hacking skills" Pulse opened a small hatch next to the door, and started to fiddle with the wires. He hooked a small keypad, and typed like mad. "Should be easy enough, Covenant use the same sort of number system the Romans did, with Letters taking the numbers. Bingo" The doors slid open. Satisfied, Shadow walked in. The rest of us followed. "Now take us to the Bridge" The doors slid open. They were facing a blue tunnel. "Pulse, where are we" Crack asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "Damn lift didn't take us all the way. Covies must have shut it down. They know were on board. " The lights went out above them. "Were gonna have to take the service shafts up. According to the last recorded layout of a Covenant corvette, there should be one about 400 meters up." I pulled up the silenced DMR from my back, and turned its light on. Flame covered it with his hand. 'No, lights are too obvious. See that little switch on your keypad? Flick it'. Obeying, the room suddenly lit up. "VISR, Low light vision filter. Essential for all stealthy operations. We walked in silence, weapons in hand. The tunnel got wider, a several hallways branched off into the side. I heard a noise. Raising my weapon, I aimed it down the hallway I thought the noise had come from. A small light up, and a green shot flew towards me through the darkness. I ducked, just in time,. I glanced up, and several more lights showed up. Large blue discs also appear on some of the lights. "Jackals!" Shadow yelled, and dragged me off to the side. A small firefight erupted. Green light lit up the corridor, and soon we were forced behind the cover. I pulled out a grenade, and chucked it in. That was a big mistake. The hallway erupted into blue flames, and I smelt burnt flesh. Peeking my head over, I saw the aliens corpses blackened. It was a good thing I was wearing a helmet, as I let a small amount of air leek in and I almost vomited. The blue mist circled us again. 'the methane's up here too?!" Pulse's, surprised voice came over the comm. Crack was kicking the nearest Jackal to us. "Take that you bird freaks!". We continued down the hallway, and reached the service shafts. "I hope you know how to climb" came Flames voice. The dome-shaped bridge of the covenant vessel glinted purple from the light the machines gave off. My gaze quickly fell towards a group of elites, all wielding the same swords the ones at the Rebel base used, along with a few gorillas, scratching their buttocks. One of them turned around, and soon enough ours were on the line. One thing I noticed, apart from firing at these monsters, is that the gorillas were firing red bolts plasma bolts from their rifles, not the average blue that elites shot. I peeked up for a split second, and as my training took effect, I aimed, fired and ducked in less than a second. One of the monkeys had died, but there was still one more. And the elites with swords were coming. Going out again, I saw the final gorilla had died. I noticed a hole in its helmet, red blood pouring out. Shrugging, I fired at elite. I watched it fall to the gleaming surface of the bridge, its companion falling over its corpse. Taking the advantage, I stuck around the outside, and headed for the controls. As I was running, I crashed into what seemed like thin air. But after I heard that familiar roar of rage, once I saw the elite materialize, I knew this was not thin air. It held a small energy dagger. I watched, as the room around me slowed down, the elites forearm swing down, its triumphant grin upon its face. I also noticed a pipe above its head. Filled with blue gases. Methane, I thought. Too late, I realized the elite were still swinging its dagger down. I rolled to the side, feeling the heat of the dagger as it brushed against my arm. Rolling again, I mustered my last reserve of strength and pulled out my magnum. The effect was instant. As the bullet struck against the glass, an explosion resulted, burning the elite alive. My arm also suffered burns. Limping up, I noticed Flame planting the bomb inside a large water feature in the centre of the bridge. Over the comm. link, he said 'Bomb planted. We have 10 minutes! Everyone back to the lift!" Crawling, I desperately tried to catch up. My body failed me, and I collapsed outside the doors. The rest of the escape was a blur of movement. Flame dragging me and heaving me onto his shoulder. Sprinting into the landing bay. Flame leaning me against the longswords wall as he grabbed a med kit from the wall. I dozed off for the bumpy ride back to the Honeysuckle. I awoke onboard the longsword. Pulse and Shadow were nowhere to be seen, Crack was sitting on a nearby seat, staring into the distance. Flame was crouched over my arm, tending my wounds. 'Get us out of here Pulse! We have a wounded". "Okay, okay, hold on to your helmet." The engines gave off a loud roar, and we slowly rose. I tried to lift myself up, but Flame held me down. "Get some rest, you took a serious beating over there." I noticed he had a plasma burn on his shoulder. Weakly obeying, I rolled my eyes to the outside cameras. There was a large amount of elites streaming down the yellow walkway. They were holding plasma rifles. [i]They can't get us anyway[/i] I told my aching body, trying to remove the stress of immeninent danger brought. I felt something cold in my hand. It was the detonator. I glanced up at Flame. He just nodded at me. Holding my breath, I moved my thumb down. It seemed to have used the last of my strength, but I heard the satisfying click of the button. Glancing up to the view screen, I watched as the Bridge started to erupt, but it didn't destroy the ship. Instead, the ship started to make a head on collision to the [i]Honeysuckle[/i] We skidded into the docking pad, the longsword alight. It didn't do much other damage, seeming as though it was almost destroyed. Hoisted onto Flames back, we ran to the drop pods. Flame had talked about it in training: "If you're in a burning ship, and everything seems lost, just drop". I noticed Captain Duncan was closely following us. He was clutching his shoulder. We soon arrived at the drop pods. Flame shoving me into one, he closed the hatch. The view screen showed the heads of the rest of the team. Flame wildly jammed some buttons on the screens, and Captain Duncan, The captain of the [i]Honeysuckle[/i] and Mclivert showed up. After watching Flames helmet pop into a screen, I felt the whooshing of the drop pod, as it slid away from the ship. "Hold on tight team!" I heard the urgent voice of flame. As I entered atmosphere, I saw the others pull a metal cord. Glancing, I found it and held on to it. Letting my body go limp, my body weight pulled the cord down. Several minutes after, we crashed into the surface of Reach. [Edited on 10.15.2011 12:35 AM PDT]

Not one reply? That last chapter is pretty good isnt it?

hol crap man that is probly the best story I have read! great job!

[quote]Chapter 7 is here![/quote] Chapter 7: Discoveries The pod was hot. Although we had just escaped with our lived from a Covenant Corvette, all I could think about was the temperature inside the Drop Pod. Over the radio, I heard several people screaming at me, their voices barely audible through the headache in my head. They were pointing at something close by... I looked up and saw another cord. Yanking it, the Drop Pod instantly slowed down, jolting me. [i]A Parachute [/i] I thought. I looked at the monitors, giving the thumbs up. But they were still screaming. I glanced at the outside camera, and froze. Banshees, plasma guns blazing, were assaulting us. We were helpless. "Sp..t up!" Flames voice crackled over the radio. I noticed the group of Drop Pods spread out from one another. The Banshees split up and went west, following Shadows Pod. Then I crashed. It was dark when I regained consciousness. Everything was blurry, and my limbs moved slowly, but I was awake. As I tried to recall the past events, something in my memories jolted me. "Flame!" I screamed, a cold sweat forming at my brow. I remembered the Drop, the Banshees... and the split up. Grimacing, I tried to open the pod. The plasma burns from the bridge battle made my arms ache. Eventually, all four bolts had been activated, and I dropped down, landing on my hands and knees. The ground was cold. i activated the VISR and realised I was in a suburban backyard. Tree house, swing set, BBQ, all the usual stuff. Except the grass was burned. I rose my silenced magnum, a sidearm I kept with me at all times, even when asleep. Moving slowly, I kicked open the back door, and left the cement patio barren once more. The house was dark, and looked as though a struggle had occurred. I walked past a kitchen, master bedroom, and bathroom. All the same signs. Pieces of furniture smashed, items strewn across the floor, jewellery taken. It wasn't a pretty sight. As I neared the front of the house, I heard the sound that I draw a tear. A baby's crying. I nudged the door open, weapon at ready, and found a gruesome sight. A small baby girl's room, items smashed and destroyed. Blood smeared the white walls. Two corpses lay still on the carpet, two men. I felt for a pulse, and discovered rigor mortis had set in. The baby was nowhere to be seen. Examining the room, I noticed a small wardrobe in the corner. I raised my magnum, and opened the door. The sight was sad enough to bring a grown man to tears. A woman; the baby's mother, sat sobbing in the corner, clutching her child, a baby that appeared no more than 4 months old. She screamed when she saw me. "Just take what you want, but don't us!". She threw a bottle at my head. Ducking, I approached slowly towards her. " I'm not here to hurt you. Tell me what happened." I told her soothingly, lowering the gun. Sobbing, she recalled the shocking events. "We saw a big explosion in the sky. It was HUGE. The man on the radio said it was the Covenant here to destroy us" She stopped to take a deep breath. then continued "Looters came, destroyed everything. Mad men they were. My husband tried to protect our daughter, and managed to take the man down...At a price" Her eyes flickered to the corpses. "He was dying when we emerged. He told us to hide in the wardrobe. So we did, and we've been here for hours. Then you showed up." she finished. "Why are you here? Who are you". "I'm and Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. Or at least a trainee. I work for the UNSC. I dropped down and crashed in your backyard. That's when i found your grass burned. How did that happen?" I asked. She explained that several bandits had chucked Molotov cocktails at houses. "We have fire damage on the other side of the house" She sobbed. "Don't worry" I told her "I'm going to get you and your daughter out of here." I finished with a wink. As soon as I had finished, I heard the familiar sound of Phantoms. The sound was getting louder

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] doccooper hol crap man that is probly the best story I have read! great job![/quote] Finally a review! Thanks.

Good work man. Nice stuff. But there's a room for improvement. One tip is to start a new line when someone replies or speaks. It spaces out the blocks of text and doesn't make it too eyesore. Punctuation and grammar, and the lot. But otherwise, great stuff, keep it up!

Ah yes, Ill go through and add new lines next week :D. Thanks for the info. Its been spell check on MS Word then put through an extended characters ripper. So if theres stuff missing its because of the ripper.

It's alright so far. There's just something that I want to address: [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi We landed on a top-side landing pad, and were greeted by an ONI officer. He attempted to ask for our ID but Flame just pushed past him and charged into the base. The officer looked relatively young, and had never encountered such brutal behavior. He shrank back behind a Fuel tank as our small group marched in perfect unison towards the secret ONI HQ. After a few minutes, I met one of the biggest jerks of my life. His name was Captain Duncan. He pushed in front of us, and started to order Flame around, saying he was acting upon treason by entering the base, and stating his rank many times. Eventually Pulse came up and punched him cold. I heard most of the team chuckle as we passed his body. Then we met Dr Halsey. [/quote]This sort of thing could probably get a man arrested, or even executed. There'd be serious repercussions for assaulting an ONI operative, no matter who you were. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi Ah yes, Ill go through and add new lines next week :D. Thanks for the info. Its been spell check on MS Word then put through an extended characters ripper. So if theres stuff missing its because of the ripper.[/quote]I'll break down my process of proof-reading if you want. Step One: MS Word/Open Office. You know, for spellchecking. Step Two: Upload to another forum. If you're part of another Halo site that has a fanfic section and are on good terms with most people there, they'll be happy to help you with proof-reading. Step Three: Put it through the extended character ripper, then upload it to a private group here. This should be your final chance to fix any mistakes. If you're on good terms with any private groups, then ask if you'll be allowed to make a thread where you can upload your fanfic. Step Four: Copy and paste to the Gallery. Note: I still find errors in my work, so it still might not be a fullproof method, but it'll certainly help a lot with any errors you might have. [Edited on 10.16.2011 12:30 AM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] OfTheBloodguard It's alright so far. There's just something that I want to address: [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi We landed on a top-side landing pad, and were greeted by an ONI officer. He attempted to ask for our ID but Flame just pushed past him and charged into the base. The officer looked relatively young, and had never encountered such brutal behavior. He shrank back behind a Fuel tank as our small group marched in perfect unison towards the secret ONI HQ. After a few minutes, I met one of the biggest jerks of my life. His name was Captain Duncan. He pushed in front of us, and started to order Flame around, saying he was acting upon treason by entering the base, and stating his rank many times. Eventually Pulse came up and punched him cold. I heard most of the team chuckle as we passed his body. Then we met Dr Halsey. [/quote]This sort of thing could probably get a man arrested, or even executed. There'd be serious repercussions for assaulting an ONI operative, no matter who you were. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi Ah yes, Ill go through and add new lines next week :D. Thanks for the info. Its been spell check on MS Word then put through an extended characters ripper. So if theres stuff missing its because of the ripper.[/quote]I'll break down my process of proof-reading if you want. Step One: MS Word/Open Office. You know, for spellchecking. Step Two: Upload to another forum. If you're part of another Halo site that has a fanfic section and are on good terms with most people there, they'll be happy to help you with proof-reading. Step Three: Put it through the extended character ripper, then upload it to a private group here. This should be your final chance to fix any mistakes. If you're on good terms with any private groups, then ask if you'll be allowed to make a thread where you can upload your fanfic. Step Four: Copy and paste to the Gallery. Note: I still find errors in my work, so it still might not be a fullproof method, but it'll certainly help a lot with any errors you might have.[/quote] If you read onward, no one cares about him. Hes a low level officer.

Anyway, I fixed it.

Chapter 8 is shaping up nicely. Be prepared for a mega post, as this is going to be at least 30000 words long.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] OfTheBloodguard It's alright so far. There's just something that I want to address: [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi We landed on a top-side landing pad, and were greeted by an ONI officer. He attempted to ask for our ID but Flame just pushed past him and charged into the base. The officer looked relatively young, and had never encountered such brutal behavior. He shrank back behind a Fuel tank as our small group marched in perfect unison towards the secret ONI HQ. After a few minutes, I met one of the biggest jerks of my life. His name was Captain Duncan. He pushed in front of us, and started to order Flame around, saying he was acting upon treason by entering the base, and stating his rank many times. Eventually Pulse came up and punched him cold. I heard most of the team chuckle as we passed his body. Then we met Dr Halsey. [/quote]This sort of thing could probably get a man arrested, or even executed. There'd be serious repercussions for assaulting an ONI operative, no matter who you were. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi Ah yes, Ill go through and add new lines next week :D. Thanks for the info. Its been spell check on MS Word then put through an extended characters ripper. So if theres stuff missing its because of the ripper.[/quote]I'll break down my process of proof-reading if you want. Step One: MS Word/Open Office. You know, for spellchecking. Step Two: Upload to another forum. If you're part of another Halo site that has a fanfic section and are on good terms with most people there, they'll be happy to help you with proof-reading. Step Three: Put it through the extended character ripper, then upload it to a [b]private group[/b] here. This should be your final chance to fix any mistakes. If you're on good terms with any private groups, then ask if you'll be allowed to make a thread where you can upload your fanfic. Step Four: Copy and paste to the Gallery. Note: I still find errors in my work, so it still might not be a fullproof method, but it'll certainly help a lot with any errors you might have.[/quote] If you read onward, no one cares about him. Hes a low level officer. [/quote] About the group...I can help with that.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Spartan1995324 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] OfTheBloodguard It's alright so far. There's just something that I want to address: [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi We landed on a top-side landing pad, and were greeted by an ONI officer. He attempted to ask for our ID but Flame just pushed past him and charged into the base. The officer looked relatively young, and had never encountered such brutal behavior. He shrank back behind a Fuel tank as our small group marched in perfect unison towards the secret ONI HQ. After a few minutes, I met one of the biggest jerks of my life. His name was Captain Duncan. He pushed in front of us, and started to order Flame around, saying he was acting upon treason by entering the base, and stating his rank many times. Eventually Pulse came up and punched him cold. I heard most of the team chuckle as we passed his body. Then we met Dr Halsey. [/quote]This sort of thing could probably get a man arrested, or even executed. There'd be serious repercussions for assaulting an ONI operative, no matter who you were. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi Ah yes, Ill go through and add new lines next week :D. Thanks for the info. Its been spell check on MS Word then put through an extended characters ripper. So if theres stuff missing its because of the ripper.[/quote]I'll break down my process of proof-reading if you want. Step One: MS Word/Open Office. You know, for spellchecking. Step Two: Upload to another forum. If you're part of another Halo site that has a fanfic section and are on good terms with most people there, they'll be happy to help you with proof-reading. Step Three: Put it through the extended character ripper, then upload it to a [b]private group[/b] here. This should be your final chance to fix any mistakes. If you're on good terms with any private groups, then ask if you'll be allowed to make a thread where you can upload your fanfic. Step Four: Copy and paste to the Gallery. Note: I still find errors in my work, so it still might not be a fullproof method, but it'll certainly help a lot with any errors you might have.[/quote] If you read onward, no one cares about him. Hes a low level officer. [/quote] About the group...I can help with that.[/quote] Thanks!

nice saved

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Spartan1995324 [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] OfTheBloodguard It's alright so far. There's just something that I want to address: [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi We landed on a top-side landing pad, and were greeted by an ONI officer. He attempted to ask for our ID but Flame just pushed past him and charged into the base. The officer looked relatively young, and had never encountered such brutal behavior. He shrank back behind a Fuel tank as our small group marched in perfect unison towards the secret ONI HQ. After a few minutes, I met one of the biggest jerks of my life. His name was Captain Duncan. He pushed in front of us, and started to order Flame around, saying he was acting upon treason by entering the base, and stating his rank many times. Eventually Pulse came up and punched him cold. I heard most of the team chuckle as we passed his body. Then we met Dr Halsey. [/quote]This sort of thing could probably get a man arrested, or even executed. There'd be serious repercussions for assaulting an ONI operative, no matter who you were. [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Multijirachi Ah yes, Ill go through and add new lines next week :D. Thanks for the info. Its been spell check on MS Word then put through an extended characters ripper. So if theres stuff missing its because of the ripper.[/quote]I'll break down my process of proof-reading if you want. Step One: MS Word/Open Office. You know, for spellchecking. Step Two: Upload to another forum. If you're part of another Halo site that has a fanfic section and are on good terms with most people there, they'll be happy to help you with proof-reading. Step Three: Put it through the extended character ripper, then upload it to a [b]private group[/b] here. This should be your final chance to fix any mistakes. If you're on good terms with any private groups, then ask if you'll be allowed to make a thread where you can upload your fanfic. Step Four: Copy and paste to the Gallery. Note: I still find errors in my work, so it still might not be a fullproof method, but it'll certainly help a lot with any errors you might have.[/quote] If you read onward, no one cares about him. Hes a low level officer. [/quote] About the group...I can help with that.[/quote] Thanks![/quote] So do you want to meet the group?

[quote]Here is Chapter 8. Could you guys help me make it work better, spelling mistakes ect.[/quote] Chapter 8: Hell on Reach I managed to persuade the woman to come with me. After much shuffling, we emerged onto the road. The lady sobbed into the bundle of blankets holding the infant. For a good reason. The street was partly shattered, dead neighbours lying around like flies eating rubbish, houses around us were in ruins and to top it off a large battle was erupting in the distance. But this wasn't a battle with the Covenant. Even from here, we could hear the screams of frightened civilians. Even from here, we could see the rebels. It was hard trudging through dark destroyed streets. The signs of recent violent activity were everywhere. Once, a dying man had clutched the woman's leg, trying to escape from this hell hole. She screamed and ran into the darkness. She was shaking, crouched, inside one of the holes. It took awhile to calm her down. Once she managed to get to her feet, we headed off towards the spaceport. It was the only place that I could think of that could get this woman and her child off the planet safely. It had been quiet once we managed to get a few kilometres. The sound of the phantoms still rung in my ears. Why they had come, I thought. My nerves had never been sharper as we navigated towards the centre of the town. The fires that burned reflected off my visor. ********** Flame awoke inside his pod, the plasma burns still fresh. He tested his joints and muscles, finding his ankle were sprained. Never mind, he thought, grabbing a pain killer with his good arm. As he injected into his shoulder, he looked out of the pod windows. It was early dawn. The landscape was desolate as far as he could see. Droplets of light rain let themselves fall onto his pod. Beautiful, he thought as he tried to hail someone on his radio. Nothing but static emerged from the speaker. Wincing in pain, Flame hit the explosive bolts on his pod and dropped down, SMG in hand. He looked around, and saw nothing but an empty plain. He raised his SMG and headed east. It was 4:00pm when he saw the cruiser. It loomed behind clouds, sitting still like a cat stalking its prey. He wondered why it was here. He had seen no evidence of civilisation all day. He looked around, and noticed smoke coming from the horizon. Great, he thought, more walking. Kicking a rock in anger, he walked towards the smoke. Only when he reached the crest of the hill did he realise that a city was being attacked by the covenant. ********** It was early morning when we arrived at the spaceport. What remained of it anyway. The Space Port was more than in ruins. It was rubble. Bodies from both sides, Covenant and Human, lay strewn across the debris of the main flight centre. Pieces of ships were everywhere. It must have been a brutal fight, as even now, with the morning rain, blood stained the broken cement we stood on. The Baby had slept all night. That was good, as most of things we were witnessing would scare her for life. "Maybe there's a radio in the building?" The lady thought aloud, gesturing towards a small area that was still standing. "Perhaps. Come on, I'm not leaving you out here. Even though the Covenant attacked, they didn't glass the area. Some deranged man might jump out of the bushes." "What, you don't think I can handle myself?" She asked "You were hiding in a wardrobe, with nothing but a baby bottle. I think that speaks for itself" I finished, effectively cutting off the conversation and leaving the woman red faced and aggravated. We entered the small covered area. From first glance I knew nothing would be here. The room; if you could call it that was no more than a few seats. A hole lay gaping in the floor. I sagged as I realised that there was no way off the planet. I pictured the Covenant burning the remains, instantly killing our small group. Anger flared inside me. I let out a roar and kicked one of the chairs. It came straight out of the row and fell into the hole. I noticed the woman sit down onto the other chairs and whisper into the pile. I strained to listen, focusing my ears onto the whispers. A loud sound interfered with the soundwaves. Listening to the source of the sound, I realised it came from the hole. I bent over, looked inside to see a light source, when suddenly a heavy foot behind me kicked my back. I tumbled down into the blackness, screaming all the way down. ************ Flame rolled down the slope. It was grassy, so as he reached the foot of the hill, he felt like he was lying on a mattress. How he longed for a warm bed. A bed he could crawl into and relax, forget about the war, get some sleep... He snapped out of his daydream. No, he would enter the city. He theorised that at least one of the drop squad had landed there. He got up and walked towards the outskirts of the city. As he walked, he heard sirens. Screams. Gunshots. He didn't realise that he was sprinting when he dropped down from the roof of a tall building. Flame was still sprinting when he reached the city centre. There wasn't much left. The Covenant must have screwed things up when they attacked. Of course, he thought, why else would the Covenant be here? To have a tea party? He chuckled at his own joke. A fog had started to grow. He glanced up in the sky, and saw the darkness creeping in. He had to hurry. Looking around, he noticed a city bus map inside an abandoned bus stop. He walked over, and pinpointed a Space Port. It wasn't far from him, maybe a kilometre. 5 minutes tops if he sprinted. And that was exactly what he did. He sprinted along the remains of the city streets. But he was not alone. As if some unseen hand had wanted to make his short journey harder, two Covenant Phantoms had appeared search beams on. One had spotted him, and instantly began to fire. He managed to make it out of their fire range with a quick sprint into an alley. He had hoped they would lose interest in him, but they continued to search for him. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he crouched down and walked silently out of the alley. He hoped his jet black armour would blend in with the black road. He walked down the street, a huddled figure. His helmet radio was showing up static, until he heard a familiar voice. A Sergeant he had met a few months earlier in the recruitment centre on Earth. Sergeant Edward Buck. He was requesting an air support to cover his exit vehicle. This would have been fine, if only he wasn't broadcasting on an open channel. The Phantoms picked up on it easily. He heard a Phantom approach, and broke into a sprint. ************** It was dark in the bottom of the pit. I looked above. I saw nothing but darkness, save for the bright light that was the moon at the top of the hole. I checked my gear thoroughly, and realised someone had grabbed my Magnum as I was falling into the pit. God Damn, I thought. Tricked by a woman. If any of the team heard about this, they'd never let me live it down. I noticed that my VISR had been damaged in the fall. Everything else checked out, a few minor hiccups here and there, but overall OK. In the fall, my radio had turned on. I expected static, but I almost flipped when I heard the sound of approaching Phantoms. Their low whining noises could be heard from a mile off; But then, you couldn't miss their brightly lit engines. I desperately search for a weapon I could use if a stupid Grunt fell down the hole. My eyes fell upon a rock, not too small yet not too big. Picking it up, I held it ready to hurl at the next thing that came down the pit. I waited several minutes. Eventually, a dark shape crashed in front of me. I stood frozen. My courage had abandoned me. Holding the rock above my head, I managed to hurl it. I almost fainted when I heard Flame respond.

So how was Chapter 8?

D: No Critics

it was good

Ima writing more now Im back from holiday. Be prepared! EDIT: Woah! Top forum topics! [Edited on 12.07.2011 8:46 PM PST]

Damn, No more Hot topics D:

Sorry to take your spot. It'll be back up on the hot topics in no time.