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  • Subject: Halo: Heretic or Hero?----------------- An elite story----- Finale ...
Subject: Halo: Heretic or Hero?----------------- An elite story----- Finale ...
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C + lol + 7 = clol7

I know just finished reading all of it in 2 days

This is the coolest piece of halo reading i've read in a long time. Thank you, sarge

[Edited on 01.08.2009 3:14 AM PST]

  • 01.08.2009 3:14 AM PDT
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i cant what intell the next chapter this is such a good story, i cant belive it got moved to the gallerey sergent murph had to send me a linke to find it, keep this thread alive!!!!!!!!

  • 01.08.2009 3:07 PM PDT
Subject: Halo: Heretic or Hero?----------------- (Prolouge and chapter 1 &2

Proud director of Black Plasma Studios. Check us out on Youtube!

Nice novel! I don't undersand why the Title is Book II Chapter 13? Is this whole part just the 13th chapter of Book II?

  • 01.11.2009 5:35 AM PDT
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Hi. My name is Andrew. I'm Asian. Still trying to figure out who I am. Yup. That's it.

Waiting..........

  • 01.15.2009 8:52 PM PDT

DIUTYAUSDPOI

340083 Coagulated Derelict

"Zombies.Gentlemen at times like these our capacity to retaliate must be and has to be massive,to deter all forms of aggression."-JFK

Can i haz moar story?

  • 01.16.2009 5:24 AM PDT
Subject: The Sangheili Chronicles------- Book II, Chapter 13 (UPDATED 1/6/09)
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Truly amazing work *claps*

  • 01.16.2009 6:07 AM PDT

yo wen pple come up with their own halo stories it's always awesome bc evryone has a different take on what could happen in the series

  • 01.16.2009 10:28 AM PDT
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still waiting

  • 01.17.2009 5:25 PM PDT

Halo: Heretic or Hero---An Elite's Story
Choose your own destiny

FanFicFactor
Forged in the Flames of Passion, go forth and represent!

Chapter Fourteen

Truth’s Warning

Silence. The underground cave felt more empty then it had been moments ago. Only the sound of the three allies’ breathing filled the dark halls. Hunter waited stupidly for Kate’s response that would never transmit. She was gone.

Cholahee and Sikanoy exchanged uneasy glances. Had she encountered Brutes on the far side of the crawlspace? Had they captured her?

Was she dead?

The two brushed off the horrible thought and leaned against the rock wall, growing impatient already. Hunter rasped a few nasty words under his breath, working hard to get a signal with Kate.

“Dammit!” He pounded his fist against the wall in exasperation. “This is all my fault. I could have saved her. I could have…”

“There was nothing you could do,” Sikanoy said gently, kneeling down beside the solemn Lieutenant. “None of us could have done anything. We can’t change the past.”

Hunter sighed bitterly. “I know,” he said in a voice smaller than the Elite’s had known he could conjure. He shook his head and said no more of the loss of his companion.

Cholahee extended a hand down to Hunter. Slowly, the marine’s hazel eyes swung upward. He’d never felt so stupid in his life. How could he simply let her go, not knowing what was on the far side? He stared at the armor plated hand in front of him. He sighed and grasped it tight. Cholahee pulled him to his feet.

Voices boomed throughout the caves. The two Elites heard it first and were immediately alert. The deep, angry voices obviously came from the mouths of Jiralhanae.

“How long until it is ready to fire?” one demanded. His voice echoed three times, fading away with each repetition.

“The firing sequence has yet to be initiated,” an older, more controlled voice responded. “Patience, my friend. We will have worked for so many ours to no avail if we are to act too quickly. All in good time—.”

“We don’t have time!” another voice cut in. “These human scoundrels are pushing us further back. As of this moment, the Demon himself dwells along the highway outside this town. If he discovers us…” His voice trailed off.

“Fear not,” the calmer Brute reassured him. “The Demon will not interfere. Nobody is aware of our presence down here. What would they think when we blow their city to bits from the inside? The Tombstone will be operable in about three hours’ time.” There was a pause. “The holy Prophet will reward us greatly when—.”

“...When he learns you got your asses kicked by human scoundrels.”

The Brutes whirled around, drawing their weapons and taking aim into the darkness. “Humans!” one yelled, then sniffed the air. “And Sangheili! Tear them to pieces!”

Hunter laughed bitterly, and again the Brutes circled in confusion, searching for the origin of this insanity. “You like hide and seek? I like hide and seek.”

  • 01.26.2009 6:45 AM PDT

Halo: Heretic or Hero---An Elite's Story
Choose your own destiny

FanFicFactor
Forged in the Flames of Passion, go forth and represent!

The older Brute called for backup, and that was when Hunter, Cholahee and Sikanoy swooped down on him. The Sangheili’s plasma blades dug into his flesh, and he crumpled to the ground, where his two accomplices glared in horror and fury.

Hunter swung a vicious punch into the Brute’s armored chest. Even though the beastly alien towered over him and was built fifty times as bulky, the rage packed in the punch managed to blow the Brute back two steps, where Cholahee finished him with a lethal lunge at his side.

That left the third and final Brute to be slaughtered. They’d lost him in the immense darkness. He’d fled, more likely than not to fetch reinforcements.

Hunter loaded a magazine into his BR55 rifle and stared grimly ahead, still pondering the thought of his missing troop.

************************************************************* ****************************************

“Sanchez!” Troy called again, desperately awaiting a response from his missing squad member. The streets were even more empty than they had been twenty minutes ago. It might have pleased him to come across some Brutes at the least to take his building rage out on.

Hunter hadn’t cared about Sanchez. He hadn’t given a damn whether or not the clumsy old fool had been captured and tortured. Or killed, more likely.

Martin sighed and walked beside Troy. Both ODST’s hadn’t ever really appreciated the third squad member. They’d always been like brothers and he’d just been someone there, following them around. It was almost like elementary school: Sanchez just wanted to fit in.

Their past had been a long, painful experience lined with memories of dead comrades and gritty battles.

Thinking back, things had been weird then—everything seemed so out of place. One moment the three of them were innocent school boys finishing up college, the next they were on the frontline, witnessing the very heart of the conflict through their eyes.

Troy could still recall the first time he’d uneasily clambered into that HEV pod, pulling on his black visor helmet and slipping on his leather gloves. The air seemed to be thickening around him every moment. The moment the doors of the pod locked closed with a click and a voice came over his COM system, he longed to break through the steel doors.

“Prepare to drop in five…”

Troy closed his eyes and controlled his breathing.

“Four…”

He sucked in one final, heavy breath before whimpering like a baby,

“Three…two…one…”

His stomach went wild, burning itself to pieces as he was flung downward at incredible speed. This time, he wailed louder than he thought possible, unwillingly slamming himself into the walls of the metal pod from hell.

But that had been long ago. Years had trickled by him, and were showing it. Although he hadn’t yet taken his helmet off for his party—he had gotten into the habit of keeping it on almost every moment—his chin had been grizzled with a short brown beard. This war had aged him all too much. But he wasn’t ready to retire with the Covenant still standing strong, especially not on his own planet.

Sighing deeply, he continued searching for his friend, not even vaguely aware that curious eyes followed him every step of the way.

************************************************************* ************************************

I hung my head low for most of the walk, step by grueling step. I’d been a fool and there was no denying it. Twice I caught Reth casting me dirty glances, then shaking his head when our eyes locked. I didn’t blame him.

After ten minutes of total silence, the Sangheili that had saved my life stopped abruptly. “Halt,” he commanded, eyes swinging about the street which he stood in the middle of. “We are not alone.”

The three of us were instantly on our toes, prepared to pounce on our enemy. Reth looked around thoughtfully, then said to us in less than a whisper, “Make no sudden movements. Wait for my signal.”

Anderson, Burns and I nodded, confused but convinced. We went about our walking until we rounded a corner with a gaping hole in the side from a Wraith mortar. I kept a steady eye fixed to my right, and finally caught a short glimpse of our stalkers.

A slight shimmer in the air gave them away. I couldn’t tell how many there were or when they would strike, or even if they had heard Reth’s warning.

  • 01.26.2009 6:46 AM PDT
Subject: Halo: Heretic or Hero?----------------- An elite story

Halo: Heretic or Hero---An Elite's Story
Choose your own destiny

FanFicFactor
Forged in the Flames of Passion, go forth and represent!

If they had, they certainly weren’t anticipating it any time soon. “Now!” he roared, whipping around and throwing himself upon an invisibly cloaked Brute. The stalker cursed and fired his Mauler, but to no avail, as Reth had already grappled him. The bullet screamed out of sight.

Burns made the next move, pivoting around and firing a single burst of his Battle Rifle into what would have been thin air to the naked and unknowing eye. The Brute cried in pain, and for a moment he was uncloaked and unarmed, planted stupidly in the middle of the street. Anderson placed a Shotgun bullet in his skull, and the cowardly attacker crumpled to the street.

I whipped out my Battle Blade and shuffled around, waiting anxiously for my attacker. I concentrated hard on finding the flicker of movement, but couldn’t pick out the Brute that I supposed was the last, as no others made their move.

Hot breath seeped down my neck, and I could feel angry eyes on me. Before I could react, my attacker brought his Mauler—blade and all—across my face. I dodged with incredible speed that no human could match, but the blade still caught my cheek. I cried out in pain as fresh blood pumped out of the side of my partly sliced open face. Fueled by rage, I swung erratically, hoping to slice off the Brute’s animal head. The quick movement only brought more pain to my face, and I dropped my sword and covered it with both hands, trying my best to stop the flow of my blood.

“Sol!” three voices yelled at once. Reth charged forward, but the now uncloaked Brute—readied in black steel armor and peculiar vision goggles—let loose a torrent of rounds on him. He fell to one knee and his shield generator flickered, temporarily offline.

Burns and Anderson both lunged at him, but the stalker was too strong, and shook them off like they were insects. He laughed at our mediocre efforts.

“Noble as you think you are,” he mused, “know how stupid your loyalty turned out in the end.”

He held the Mauler to my wounded cheek, taking his time to taunt me. I sucked in a breath, determined to hide my searing pain.

“You know nothing of honor,” Reth huffed, clutching the small bullet wounds in his chest. “Mongrel like you know only to destroy and to hate. Know how stupid your wit will cost you in the end,” the Elite threw back.

He barked a laugh. “I think I’ll kill him quickly.” He nodded at me, on my knees and at his mercy. “But I’ll make your death a slow one. I’ll cut you down, limb from limb…”

I could tell by the malice locked in his voice that he would have done that, two, had the devil not spoken out to him.

“Stop, incompetent fool!” a raspy, faraway voice screeched. It had come from the Brute’s helmet.

I saw his face turn from a darker shade of grey to pure white. He immediately drew away from me, eyes aflame with horror and confusion.

“Don not kill him!” the voice boomed again. Startled, the Brute stumbled backward and nearly lost his feet.

I’d heard that awful, hoarse voice before. It’s bearer outmatched evil itself. The five of us—Me, Reth, Anderson, Burns and the Brute—were lapsed in silence. It had been eight years since I’d seen the Prophet of Truth. I’d heard the voice on High Charity when the Sangheili was blamed for the death of Regret, but he sounded so different. There was a madness in his voice that—believe it or not—hadn’t been there before. Hatred leaked from his very soul, paralyzing the Brute with unimaginable fear.

“Back away from the boy,” he ordered, softer and more contained this time. It took me a moment to register: I was the boy!

Sourly, the Brute Stalker lowered his weapon and took three steps backward, half scared and half confused. I felt a touch of sympathy for him, torn between lust and demand. But then I remembered the innocent faces of those who had been damned by his kind. He was a monster, and nothing would ever change that.

“Despicable!” the Prophet accused, suddenly angry. He’d changed from calm to explosive in a matter of seconds. “You were given strict orders, and yet you disobey me!”

The Brute shook uneasily. Reth had already struggled to his feet, brushing off the last of his bloodstained armor. Anderson and Burns rolled to their feet and groaned as they stood up, regaining their breath.

“You know what you must do,” Truth pressed on. “For the good of our holy Covenant.”

The Brute nodded and closed his eyes. I could see that he was longing to wail into the sky, but somehow contained himself. Reth scowled and pulled the long silver rod from his back and activated it. The tip of the stave glimmered with electricity, looking to impale its prey through the stomach.

With malicious speed, the Elite that I’d known and hated for so long burst upward and darted toward the Brute, legs tearing the ground.

A single, squeaky blast of the Brute’s close ranged weapon went off. I swung around to see Reth standing over the body of the Brute, confounded.

“He…he killed himself,” Reth noted. I had to twist my head to see the limp body of the Brute, arms outstretched with a fresh bullet hole in his skull.

I wrestled myself to stand up and come closer to the body. A final message came through his earpiece. It was a message that he’d never hear.

“May the gods take pity on you, my arrogant brother.”

The line went dead with static.

Anderson shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t he kill us? Why would they give him orders to keep us alive?”

Burns and I shrugged uneasily, but Reth hung his head low and cast me a dark glance. “They didn’t want to keep us alive,” he bellowed. “We’re the puppets. We don’t matter to the Prophet.” He turned away, shaking his head. “They want Sol. This Brute,” he continued, prodding the lifeless body with his toe, “was given orders to take Sol and to kill the rest of us.”

“Why Sol?” Anderson challenged.

Reth shook his head again. “I know not of their plans,” he put simply, keeping his eyes locked on the ground. He walked away, and we soon followed after him.

I waited an extra second, rooted to the spot. My cheek was on fire and still dripping with blood, but I had more important things on my mind then the excruciating pain that plagued my face. The Brute that lay dead in front of me had submitted himself to death at his own hands because he’d attempted to do what he did best—kill. But why? Why was I suddenly an exception to the rest?

If I was positive about one thing, it was that Reth was hiding something. He knew more than I did about me. Once again, someone had lied through their teeth, straight to my face. I felt deceived and stupid.

“You coming Sol?” Anderson called. I nodded and gulped, taking one last look at the Brute that had taken his life because of me. Normally I’d have been celebrating that we had rid the world one less of these beasts, but now was different. It was all too much to handle.

Janerus hadn’t killed me either. But…

I was given strict orders from the Prophet himself not to kill you.

Even then, blinded by confusion, I sensed something terrible was coming. Maybe if I had reacted to my prediction, the next few hours wouldn’t have turned into such a bloodbath.

  • 01.26.2009 6:47 AM PDT

Halo: Heretic or Hero---An Elite's Story
Choose your own destiny

FanFicFactor
Forged in the Flames of Passion, go forth and represent!

Transmission intercepted—standby

Receiving new transmission—unknown source

Transmission successfully uploaded:


Millennia have I waited for this day. For this moment. Rejoice, my children, for destiny itself lay upon us. At dawn, our paths shall cross, and we join voices in everlasting song to salvation!

Searching for signal—signal lost.

Stand by


************************************************************* *****************

Michael Crosby turned up the volume on his radio system, projecting it out into the circular room with seven other blanked faced men staring aimlessly at computer screens.

“Anyone else hearing this?” he asked, a bit frightened.

Destruction was never my intention, but you have annihilated peace from my choosing.

Seven heads turned, looking puzzled. The voice rasping through Michael’s headset was powerful, yet absentminded. It was almost as if the voice was talking to itself.

“It’s not one of ours,” one said, listening intently to the prophetic words coming through Michael’s earpiece. “Establish a new connection. Throw it off signal.”

Michael nodded and flew his hands over his keyboard. He ended the connection and his earpiece went blank with static.

Relieved, he reestablished connection over the central COM system of the UNSC.

Long have your forefathers tried to kill me. The voice had returned over another man’s earpiece. And long have they failed.

“Damn!” the man hissed. “What is this thing?”

“Maybe the Covenant intercepted out signal,” another put in.

While the group discussed the mysterious words breaking up their connections, the oldest of the group—and by far the wisest—closed his eyes and shook his head grimly. “You’re all wrong,” he put simply. Every head turned sharply, and his eyes lasered in with all of theirs. “I can bet you one thing.” He averted his glare to the floor, examining his shoes. “That’s not Covenant.”

End Transmission

  • 01.26.2009 6:48 AM PDT

By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

Once again, Murph. You deliver an excellent chapter, my guess is that the voice is Mendicant Bias...Hmmmmm...

  • 01.26.2009 9:01 AM PDT

-eddy!
huh! What? It was the other guy, honest! ;)
'it was a sniper!' looks down at my sniper
uhh yeah? hes got one too. XD

nice just trhe covenet use units not hours

  • 01.26.2009 1:31 PM PDT

I haven't actually read this yet......

I'll read it all tomorrow.

  • 01.26.2009 6:47 PM PDT

I'm in it 4 teh lulz.

that sounds like the gravemind

  • 01.28.2009 10:42 AM PDT

By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

The Gravemind never wanted peace though, just to consume every being in the Universe.

  • 01.28.2009 10:46 AM PDT

I've read the first one, it was awsome.

  • 01.28.2009 11:10 AM PDT

Halo: Heretic or Hero---An Elite's Story
Choose your own destiny

FanFicFactor
Forged in the Flames of Passion, go forth and represent!

To Arbiter 617

Nah, I just put that so that people are aware of what part I've reached in the series and what chapters they've missed/should look for.

To AJ

I can't give anything away, but that's an excellant speculation. Fraid that's all I'm allowed to say ;)

To Everybody

The next chapter will, at best, be available on Monday/Tuesday. I promise I'll try to get chapters out a little quicker now. Maybe that's why this thread is empty these days...

Anyway, thanks for posting everyone, and please look out for future chapters.

Your Bestest Buddy,

~Murph

  • 01.29.2009 5:51 PM PDT

By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

Lol, yeah but I'd reccomend you do take your time in writing otherwise it can appear rushed and thoughtless.
Lookin' forwards to that next chapter.

  • 01.30.2009 8:28 AM PDT

"Oh, death was never enemy of ours!
We laughed, knowing that better men would come,
And greater wars: when each proud fighter brags
He wars on death, for lives: not men, for flags"

"The Next War"
http://www.blackwaterops.net/forums/index.php?referrerid=795

me too
keep up the gud work murph
:)

  • 02.02.2009 12:57 PM PDT
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i know who the voice is (said sarcasticly) oh p.s dont mind my spelling i am onley 13

  • 02.02.2009 2:20 PM PDT

Halo: Heretic or Hero---An Elite's Story
Choose your own destiny

FanFicFactor
Forged in the Flames of Passion, go forth and represent!

Chapter Fifteen

The Hunt

The world is never safe, for you may not even be vaguely aware of the demons lying in wait under the shadows.

A Phantom had landed six miles south of the city, residing atop a mountain. The sun gleamed heavily on the landing spot, as if pointing to the ship and its precarious crew.

Darralus came first, throwing open the door and coolly stepping down to the grass. He took a hasty reconnaissance, then beckoned the rest of his crew.

Three more Brute Councilors stepped down in single file. They joined Darralus and waited patiently by his side, arms folded.

Next came a pack of seven Unggoy, waddling onto the ground, led by their fierce leader called Nadap. Nadap wobbled slightly faster than the others, sporting the cleanest black armor of all of the Special Operations Grunts.

Finally, a silver foot cautiously stepped down from the Phantom. The Sangheili sniffed the air for a moment, looked out into the horizon in which an artificial storm swirled, and grunted.

Darralus stepped forward. “We part company now, 012.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Darralus’ eyes narrowed. “I believe I outrank you, ugly excuse for cannon fodder,” he snarled. “I shall refer to you how I please, and you will be pleased with what I call you.”

012’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Darralus hesitated, hoping for a reply and an excuse to toss the subject off of the cliff, but the Elite was no fool. He kept his stitched-together mouth shut.

“You may go as you please,” Darralus continued. “But take heed: if you’re task is not fulfilled, you will play the ultimate consequence.”

“No consequence…is greater than your company,” 012 countered, locking gazes with the Brute. His speech had improved greatly but was still not back to normal. He could walk firmly as well, though he’d toss furiously when he tried to run. 012 was still too unstable. Was he ready for battle?

Darralus sighed. “So be it. You know the task at hand. Do not fail us.”

“I won’t fail my Prophet.”

“Then my work is done.” Darralus nodded to 012, who gave a half nod back. He eyed the Brute all the way back to the Phantom, and watched solemnly as it lifted from the ground and disappeared into the sky.

012 flexed his back muscles, ignoring the whispers and squeals of the Grunts, who sat in a circle around each other, each sharing their own mishaps and adventures.

The leader called Nadap, though, sat away from them, eyes intently lasering in on 012. Unlike the human’s common knowledge that his kind were weaklings, Nadap was one of his kind’s finest fighters with the ability to easily take down three or four Marines. He took in a hot breath of methane, took one last, curious look at 012, then set off to join the others.

The revived Sangheili took a quick walk around the site, then took a knee in the swaying grass, eyes bent on something.

He reached down and dug a metal hand into the soil, played around with it for a moment, then produced a long metal chain with a wooden heart at the end.

012 stared at it for a moment, confused. He twisted the object in his hands and smelt it: human. It was a human’s object. They were clumsy and stupid enough to leave it behind—it served as a perfect tracking device.

But there was something about it that 012 couldn’t understand. Something that struck him deep down in his rekindled heart. With each time he twisted the metal chain and heart in his hand, he felt something burning inside. He tightened his grasp around the heart, and something inside his own heart tightened. Where was the feeling of life? Of happiness and love?

Almost immediately, the half-android Sangheili came back to his normal, destructive senses. He tucked the object away in a compartment and proceeded forward, the rest of his squadron waddling after him.

He studied each inch f ground carefully, walking slowly and squinting to look at the faintest hint of footprints. No humans had ventured this far up the mountain in decades, save for the ones that had made camp on it only hours before.

All was silent and tranquil among the Unggoy, but Nadap was still eyeing 012 with exceeding interest. Nadap hated Brutes. He hated how they’d treat his kind and others, as if they were in control. Nadap had favored the Sangheili with their sense of honor and nobility. Even the very day they split from the Covenant, he had trusted them. The Grunt had served beside the Arbiter in the battle of the gas mine that seemed so long ago.

After twenty minutes of silence and walking, 012 knelt down again, his fingers playing over the ground.

“Humans,” he confirmed, nodding grimly. His eyes traveled up the grass until he found another track, this one a much larger footprint. “Sangheili.” He stood up and swung his eyes about the cliffside that had been used as a campsite the night before. “They were here. They made camp over there.” He pointed a bony, gnarled finger to the burnt wood and traces of food. 012 looked around thoughtfully, finding one last set of footprints. “Brutes,” he sneered. “There was a battle fought here. Blood was shed. The humans… were the victors.”

  • 02.04.2009 5:45 PM PDT

Halo: Heretic or Hero---An Elite's Story
Choose your own destiny

FanFicFactor
Forged in the Flames of Passion, go forth and represent!

He traced the footsteps all the way to where Reth had brought down his Phantom. “They took off from here,” he noted. “But where they landed…”

012 stopped and whirled, as did the rest of the Grunts. He cursed the gods and fell backward as two missiles drove into the earth in front of him, sending rocks and dirt sailing. Shaking back to his feet with serious unease, he shuffled sideways to avoid the rapid firing bullets that slammed around him.

The Pelican overhead hovered just above them, slowly descending. 012 barked orders for the Grunts to spread out, and no one argued. The Elite stood his ground, prepared to make his first confrontation with humans in weeks.

The rear door opened and the turret operator was visible for the first time. He was a short, grizzled man who’d seen his fair share of combat. When he saw 012, he was astonished. “What the hell…” his voice trailed off as he studied an unmoving Sangheili that had been brought back to life by the harshest and most painful methods possible.

A second Marine drew up beside him, Assault Rifle in hand. He too stared at 012 as if it were his first glimpse at Sangheili.

After the briefest of silences, he spoke. “What are you doing out here?”

“Searching,” came the croaking reply that was, in a strange way, the truth.

“For?”

012 picked his words carefully. “Brutes. My…squadron dropped me here recently. I was searching for Brutes…when you attacked…me!”

The Marine cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. “There were Grunts with you. We saw them.”

“There were no Grunts.”

In fact, Nadap had already taken his SpecOps unit into hiding, keeping low behind rocks or in small caverns. It had been part of the plan if they were to be outnumbered.

The Marine stepped down from the hovering aircraft and looked around. “You’re right,” he muttered suspiciously. “Anyway, you’ll find no Brutes out here. Come with us; we could use the extra help right now.” He glanced sharply at 012’s peculiar body structure, but said nothing more. 012 blinked innocently and clambered into the Pelican with the enemy…

************************************************************* ************************

Lieutenant James Hunter barely came up for air as he swung around the underground caverns, keeping a steady pace. Cholahee and Sikanoy brought up the rear, each looking back over their shoulder with every few steps. The immense footsteps of Brutes was ominous throughout the tunnel. How far behind were they? Hunter couldn’t tell, but he could hear the angry voices drawing closer.

“Kill you!”

“Rip you!”

“Feast upon you!”

You name it. The taunts were getting louder and coming from more and more of the hairy beasts that had been cowardly lurking in the shadows.

Hunter sighed and drew to an abrupt stop, to his accomplices dismay.

“Are you mad?” Sikanoy barked. “Keep going!”

“No,” Hunter said. “We can’t outrun them. They’ll be swarming on us before we make it halfway to the surface.”

Cholahee grunted miserably. “What do we do?”

The footsteps were closer than ever. Within seconds, the Brutes would swing around the corner and be upon them. It was time to act.

“We stand and fight,” he put simply, loading a magazine into his Battle Rifle. Sikanoy nodded grimly.

“Aye. We fight.”

They jogged an extra two minutes before reaching a larger cavern with an incredibly high ceiling, lit only by the dimmest of lights. Work must have been done there long ago, because there were platforms stretching all about the rock walls. In the corner of the room, remarkably, there was a single escape route.

“The sewage pipe!” Hunter exclaimed, pointing at the idle pipeline big enough for the three of them to run through. He was about to lunge toward it when he registered the problem.

“The bridge is broken,” he scoffed. “We won’t make the jump.”

He walked to the edge of the stone and peered down into the darkness. The gap between the broken half of the bridge and the far platform was about nine feet. It was about six feet too far for Hunter and two too far for Cholahee and Sikanoy. Hunter moaned in exasperation and frantically searched for another route to the sewage pipe.

  • 02.04.2009 5:46 PM PDT

Halo: Heretic or Hero---An Elite's Story
Choose your own destiny

FanFicFactor
Forged in the Flames of Passion, go forth and represent!

“Stupid humans!” a voice boomed. “You’ve lured yourself into your own trap!”

“I swear, I haven’t once taken offense from one of their remarks,” Cholahee noted.

“Nor have I. They seem to be getting worse and worse every day—…”

“Shut up!” Hunter demanded. “Jesus, you guys like to talk at the stupidest times!” His eyes swung around to rescan the room.

“There!” He beamed, pointing to the narrowest of paths they could make their way around. The room was circular and the path around the perimeter of the dark hole was made of unsturdy wood. If they were lucky, they’d make it around the perimeter. If not, they’d sink down to the depths of darkness below.

The dense footsteps and heavy breaths of the Brutes had met their highest. It was time to get out of here.

“Take to the path!” Hunter commanded, ushering Cholahee and Sikanoy to the wooden planks that looked as if they were glued to the side of the circular room. He nodded to the sewage pipe in the far left of the room, and the Elites nodded back in understanding.

“I’ll hold them off for as long as I can,” he said grimly.

“No!” Sikanoy roared. “We fight together! If you’re not coming, we’re not going!”

“Stubborn son of a—…” he stopped and sighed deeply. “We can’t all make it across. One of us has to hang back and pose a distraction. You’d be fools not to go now.”

“Then call us fools,” Cholahee prodded, stepping toward Hunter. “But we’re no cowards. We’re not leaving you.”

“You’ll risk this entire mission! You need to get back to the surface and warn the others!”

The first Brute, a minor of the pack, sailed through the doorway, letting fire a volley of spikes. Hunter dropped to his stomach to dodge them all, then flicked up with lightning speed and put a bullet into the Brute’s face. Blood spurted and the enemy staggered backward to regroup with his pack.

“Go!” he screamed, shoving the Elite’s forward onto the narrow bridge of planks.

Both were going to protest until they saw the sharpness in his glare. He was settling his own score right now. For Kate. For the other brave men that he’d lost so recently.

“We’ll wait for you on the other side!” Cholahee barked as the two sprinted around the outskirts of the large cavernous room.

Hunter nodded and faced the entrance again. There was more than one this time, and they were angrier than ever. The fierce Lieutenant gripped a fragmentation grenade in his hand. He pulled the pin and launched it into the entrance just as two unlucky Brutes stumbled in. They blew backwards into the wall behind, lying dead still.

“That one’s for Kate!” he claimed, triumphantly raising his rifle to pick off the next batch of Brutes. Cholahee and Sikanoy were progressing well across the planks, although the path was getting more and more narrow as they drew closer to the large pipe.

The next three Brutes were not so hasty and took gracious stealth, quietly coming around the corner. Hunter luckily picked up on their repulsive scent and took one knee, preparing to fire. When they flew around the corner, roaring and firing superheated plasma, Hunter rolled to the side while unleashing bursts from his rifle. Soon that squad lay dead on the cavern floor as well, probably pondering how they were so easily defeated by one Marine.

With every bullet he fired, he dedicated it to various names of his once proud Marines. The battle for Crow’s Nest had taken most of their lives, but he would often dedicate them to proud officers that were long dead and buried.

“This one’s for Luke Fraser!” he snarled, slicing through a Brute’s arm with three bursts. “Rest in peace!” he huffed.

As Hunter set up for the fifth time, he quickly peered back to see how the Sangheili were moving along. They were now shimmying with their backs against the wall, not chancing to slip and fall from the planks.

“Hurry!” he yelled. “There are more coming! If they spot you…”

“They won’t!” Sikanoy laughed. He flicked on his Active Camouflage system and disappeared from sight.

“How come they always get the cool gadgets?” Hunter mumbled to himself. From the endless supply of taunts and death threats erupting from caves in the near distance, there must have been eight or nine more on the way. How would he ever fight his way through eight or nine Brutes?

  • 02.04.2009 5:46 PM PDT