- soulguard
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- Exalted Mythic Member
“Sorry it took us so long, 19.” Captain Monroe stated over the com. “The fleet his headed for the Rally point, luckily it’s not too far.”
“Raynord, lets go.” Johnson shouted from the street. “You were always too damn slow.”
“If you knew how bad my week was, you’d be a little slow to.” Eric snarled in return.
Johnson shot back a wicked gaze, “Your week! Wait until I tell you about the $hit I’ve been through. Now let’s get to this Ark thing and kill us a prophet. Chief, load’em up.” The master chief nodded toward Linda and Kelly and they walked toward the waiting Pelican.
Eric began to climb the hill toward the road when Melanie, standing on the road, spoke into his com, “Sarge, you may want to debrief the Private”. Eric looked up at Melanie and she pointed her head back toward the scarab tank. Eric turned around and released a heavy sigh. He then walked back down the hill toward Wesley and Rose.
A communication from the Rogue Fantasy echoed in Melanie’s ear, “How is he?”
“Why do you want to know?” Melanie questioned to Siren’s voice.
“I… I need to know.”
“He’s fine. Tired, but fine.”
“What will he do about her?”
“You asked me that question last time and my answer is still the same.” Melanie walked away from the sandy hill, turning her back toward Eric and the others. Sergeant Johnson, the Chief, Linda, and Kelly were boarding the Pelican. Mathew walked up to Melanie’s side and they began to walk toward the pelican’s hanging ramp. The exhaust from the bird kicked sand into the air as Marines scrambled around the tanks. Melanie stepped to the ramp, hiding her heavy eyes behind her reflective mask, and climbed into the belly of the pelican. “He’ll tell her what she needs to hear, and then he’ll leave her behind.”
The chain gunner nodded as the two black ops Spartans passed by and Johnson walked toward them. “Where the hell is Raynord?”
Melanie turned to Johnson and pulled off her helmet, revealing dried tears, “He’s coming. Just give him a second.”
Johnson huffed, “We don’t have time for this.” He then walked out of the pelican and made long strides down the hill toward Eric.
- - - - - - - -
Eric stopped at the base of the rock and glared at Rose and Wesley, “You two okay?” They were shocked. Wesley fumbled with words and didn’t know how to reply.
Rose suddenly blurted out, “We’re fine, sir. It was my fault coming out here. I had to come and help...”
“You saved my life, Rose.” Eric simply stated. His eyes deeply focused on hers. Rose suddenly lost herself in the moment and began to fidget nervously as she gazed into his reflective visor. It had been so long since he was nice to her or said anything kind in her direction. This was the Eric she remembered from school and at the ONI facility, and she was filling her mind with all of their happier times together. For that brief moment she didn’t care about the war, what had happened in space or the events on the Elite home world, she only cared that Eric didn’t see her as being useless.
“I’ll go and help the others, Sergeant.” Wesley softly stated, walking away from the two of them. He didn’t want to interrupt and knew that he had no place. He began to push away the other marines that were lurking about, when he noticed Sergeant Johnson walking toward him. “Sergeant, anything I can do for you…” Johnson simply brushed past him, not breaking his walking stride.
Rose stepped closer to Eric, “Can you take off your helmet so I can see your face?” She smiled as she stopped only inches away from Eric’s expansive chest. She looked up into his reflective mask, but Eric remained silent.
“Raynord!” Johnson shouted as he came closer. “What the hell are you …” Johnson gazed at the woman in front of Eric and smirked angrily. “You must be Roselyn Santos.”
“Yeah, but how do you know my name?”
“Eric and I were bunk mates for a while.” Johnson simply returned. “Eric, we have to go.” Johnson gripped Eric’s arm and tugged on him, attempting to pull him toward the pelican.
Eric gripped Roses shoulder, “Get into Camp Eden. It’s the UNSC civilian fallout shelter. There’s food, water and plenty of places for you to rest.” Eric felt Johnson continue to pull at him and he let go of Rose. Eric could have easily resisted Johnson’s pull, but he followed Johnson back up the hill. “Rose, when this is over I’ll …” Eric paused as he walked backwards up the hill. Rose began to fallow, climbing the hill behind Eric and Johnson.
They reached the sandy road and Eric stopped as he neared the ramp; the roaring engine noise flooding into his helmet. “I might not make it back, but if I do … I’ll look for you.” Eric climbed into the back of the Pelican and Johnson fallowed suit, heading toward the pilot’s seat. Melanie heard the words and she pulled her helmet on, sealing it.
Mathew watched as Melanie stood up, and he grabbed her by the arm, “Don’t get involved.” Melanie snatched her arm free from Mathew’s loose grip and walked to the ramp. She grabbed Eric and pulled him away from Rose; onto the pelican loading ramp.
Melanie looked to Rose and then back to Eric, “We have a war to win.” Eric was stunned at the sudden interference, and watched as Rose stepped away from the pelican Ramp.
Rose looked up at the two black ops Spartans standing before her, “I’ll be waiting for both of you to come back.” The last time they parted ways, she didn’t have the chance to say goodbye or tell Eric how she felt. The memory of running across the university campus to find Eric swelled across her mind. She swallowed her pride and pushed past Melanie’s earlier warnings of distracting Eric. She couldn’t let Eric go, not again, not without telling him how she felt.
“Eric …” She paused, and the words seemed trapped in her throat. She lowered her head shyly and softly spoke, “… I love you.”
Melanie nervously turned to Eric, “Sergeant, we need to go.” She heard Rose’s words and it stirred something inside of her, something she had long kept secret and hid from everyone. Her heart nearly missed a beat and she quickly became nervous. But foremost, she knew that Eric had to have a clear head about him. He couldn’t be distracted with thoughts of Rose and hopes of living happily ever after. “We can’t deal with this right now, Eric.”
Eric could only gaze through his helmet visor and into his own reflection upon Melanie’s face. He looked to Rose and could tell by her eyes that she was sincere in her words, but he had to focus and clear out all the thoughts in his head. Melanie was right; there wouldn’t be a world for them to live in if the prophet of Truth wasn’t stopped. He looked to Rose one last time, and she smiled softly in return.
At one time, he felt that Rose wasn’t his type; she was all business, sharply dressed and determined to uphold her title as the leading engineer on the MJOLNIR project. But the new woman he was looking at was different, she had seen combat, been held captive and was finally beginning to understand what it meant to fight for what you believe in. Eric ran away from combat to be by her side, believing that he could protect her; knowing that he had to protect her from the closing Covenant threat. But the war changed Rose, and showed her who Eric Raynord was. She no longer wanted to keep him at a distance, and she no longer had Kim’s wishes lingering over her head. She knew what she wanted, and so did Eric.
“Juggernaut, get this bird in the air.” Eric stated firmly. He lifted his palm to Rose, giving her a soft wave goodbye, but then changed it to a thumb’s up. Rose smiled as a single tear rolled down her face. She returned the wave and stepped further away from the ramp.
“Yes sir.” The engines roared louder as the Pelican propelled itself into the sky. Rose covered her eyes to shield them from the sand that was dancing around her, and to dry the tears that were freely flowing down her face. The dust settled and they were gone, streaking into the sky toward the Rogue Fantasy. Rose folded her arms and began to walk the road back to Camp Eden’s gate. It was going to be long walk, but she wasn’t in a hurry. The walk would give her time to think and reflect on the future, but her silence was quickly interrupted as a warthog crept up beside her.
“Need a lift?” Wesley smiled. Rose nodded and climbed into the passenger’s seat. Wesley sped away from the marines and tanks that lined the road and headed toward the gates of Camp Eden.
“So, what now?” Rose stated as the wind whipped through her hair.
“I’m … not sure, but I think you’ve repaid your debt ten fold.”
They neared the gate and sped through the massive door. Marines and vehicles were stationed everywhere, as far as the eye could see and on both sides of the paved streets. The sandy roads were left behind and it was as if they had entered a major city. Camp Eden’s above ground area reminded them of a small city. There were signs that pointed to an Airport and a shopping district. Wesley followed the signs and made his way toward the main camp’s underground facilities.
There were several checkpoints ahead, but the guards waved them past, unconcerned. Wesley turned a curve and drove into a four lane tunnel, following the hanging traffic signs that guided them to the underground facility. Rose noticed that the tunnels massive doors were partially closed. Further into the tunnel they began to see rows of marines lining the walls with turret guns and jackhammers, clearly waiting to defend the camps underground structure if the Covenant broke through. Wesley couldn’t help but think of the Elite Inner Sanctum, and how things bore a resemblance to it.
[Edited on 12/20/2005]