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  • Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Final Part Has Arrived!)
Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Final Part Has Arrived!)
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Dante closed his eyes as a needle was slipped into his arm. This was it, the last step. If he lived through this, he would be a Spartan, his dream would come true. He was scared when they took him away from his parents, but when they told him he was to be a Spartan, determination took over.

Before his abduction, he would totally immerse himself in anything to do with the super soldiers. At the age of five, he was reading every book on them that he could get his hands on, and retained every detail of the accounts. This was only a fraction of his shocking intelligence.

All Dante could do was hope. As his vision began to blur, a set of chemicals were placed on a stand next to him. The surgeon began to attach tubes to the vials, and Dante strained to read the label on the container. In bold black letters, it said, S-IV


Parts


Part 1: A Rude Awakening.

Part 2: A Bad Idea.

Part 3: Reality Strikes Hard.

Part 4: A Stiff Trigger.

Part 5: Sickened.

Part 6: Mistakes Are Deadly.

Part 7: A False Title.

Part 8: Back From The Dead.

Part 9: An Unpleasant Suprise.

Part 10: A Monster Approaches.

Part 11: Chase Down.

Part 12: Into The Frying Pan.

Part 13: Bullet Rain.

Part 14: Mass Deception.

Part 15: The Great Escape.

Part 16: Discovery.

Part 17: Time To Leave.

Part 18: Remembered.

Part 19: Down We Go.

Part 20: Trench Foot.

Part 21: Someplace Warm.

Part 22: Recovery.

Part 23: Never The Same.

Part 24: All They See.

Part 25: The Plan.

Part 26: Suprise!

Part 27: First Strike.

Part 28: Friends Pay Off.

Part 29: The Others.

Part 30: Screwed Is An Understatement.

Part 31: From Bad To Worse.

Part 32 (Final Part): Eli's Goodbye.

Epilogue...

[Edited on 05.29.2010 4:06 PM PDT]

  • 04.01.2010 8:47 AM PDT
Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Prolague)
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P.1


Dante's vision began to clear. Everything felt numb. "Am I dead?" He mumbled. People tend to say odd things when coming out of sedation.

"No, time to rise and shine soldier." A doctor replied.

"But I just got through an operation. Isn't this dangerous?"

"No, we've kept you out for a while. You're completely healed. We gave you a chemical that prevents muscle deterioration, so you won't need rehab."

Dante sat up, and swung his legs over the side. They flung over the edge with a force that shocked the Spartan. He went to stand, and he was on his feet in a flash. "This is normal, right?"

"Yeah," The doctor confirmed, "you're augmentation went perfectly."

Dante wobbled back and forth. He would have to do some serious adjusting. A grin appeared on his face as he spread his rock hard arms to retain his balance. "This is cool." He dressed in a huge set of olive drab fatigues, and exited the room. There was quite a bit of commotion in the colossal room he stepped into. Spartan Fours were everywhere. Each one had a doctor tending to him or her, making sure they were in tip top condition after being taken out of deep sedation.

Spartan A16 approached Dante as he sat down on a table, and a doctor began to examine him. She almost fell over as she stopped. "Are you feeling weird too Dante?"

"Yeah, I do. I'm sure we'll get it soon. You ready to end this war?"

"Hell yeah," Sarah replied, pounding his fist, "Let's give those god damn innies a kick in the ass."

"E18?" A voice said. Dante turned around to see a man in a blue uniform. "Lord Hood wants to see you."

The Spartan was shocked. "Lord...Hood?"

"Yes, follow me." Dante did what he was told. After a long walk through the base, he was delivered into a conference room.

An old man sat in a leather chair. He was balding, and his face was covered in wrinkles. He looked like he could keel over any moment. "Dante, that's your name?"

"Yes." Dante confirmed.

"Well, for now I'll call you E18."

"Really, you can just call me D-"

"Down to business E18. After doing my research, I've found you to be, well, worthy. You outdo the others in almost every way. I need someone to report directly to me, but be in combat, a liezon. Will you take this job?"

"Yes sir." Dante replied in his soldier voice.

"Good. That will be all, Master Chief." Dante looked around the room, and lord hood folded his hands, "That's you, soldier."

"Oh." The Spartan whispered

"Dismissed," E18 turned around, and headed for the door, and Hood continued, "You've got some damn big shoes to fill soldier."

Dante paused for a moment, then left. As he walked back to the medical bay, he realized his balance was back. He had already adjusted. When he reached his destination, he saw Brian, Spartan C12 stepped in front of him. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Good." The Chief said.

Sarah was a blur to everyone but the Spartans as she ran to her two friends, and stopped inbetween them. "Whacha guys talking about?"

"You," Brian replied, "And how much of a loser you are."

"Very funny."

Dante stopped a doctor as he walked by. "Have you seen Spartan A10?"

The doctor looked at his clipboard, scrolling his finger across the paper. "He didn't make it." The man went on his way as if nothing had happened.

Everything slowed down for Dante as he processed the words. Gale was dead? Impossible. He couldn't die, he was Dante's friend. The surgeries were meant to be safe now, weren't they? Sarah placed a light hand on his shoulder, and drew him back into the world. "I'm sorry D."

Dante immediately made an emotionless face. "For what?" He was a Spartan now, and Spartans had to be strong. They weren't allowed to feel sad about death, and they never did. The books said so.

  • 04.01.2010 4:52 PM PDT

How'd you find me?

I was thinking of writing something like this! You sunava- just kidding! Interesting story so far. But I notice you have a trend of mentioning innies.

  • 04.02.2010 7:36 AM PDT
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Posted by: kingwrench
I was thinking of writing something like this! You sunava- just kidding! Interesting story so far. But I notice you have a trend of mentioning innies.



The war takes place after the human covenant war. the insurgency didn't end during the war. It will be explained.

  • 04.02.2010 8:31 AM PDT

How'd you find me?

I know. I was just stating you mention them in both of your stories. Is there some grand scheme to things?

  • 04.02.2010 8:44 AM PDT
Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Final Part Has Arrived!)
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P.2



That night, Dante went to bed with a head full of thoughts. It was the first, and hopefully only one of the Spartan casualties. Would Dante lose another friend? Maybe the next time it would be his fault. He dreaded the thought of having to choose between the lives of two Spartans, so he immediately pushed the scenario away.

E18 looked across his bunk room. The little bit of light was enough to see every detail of Sarah's face. Then he felt something strange. It was an urge, but one that he hadn't felt before. He wanted Sarah, and badly. This wasn't right, he never felt this way for her before. Why would it start now? Then it hit him, it was the augmentation.

A short briefing after the surgeries told the Spartans about side effects. One the thing the operations did was accelerate puberty, and with that it brought, 'increased se><ual urges.' Dante shifted nervously in his bed. Why did he have to be bunked next to a girl? He had to get out of this situation, and fast.

The Chief jumped out of his bed, and Sarah sat up. "Where are you going?" Her voice was nervous, and Dante could hear that she was breathing harder than normal.

Dante cleared his throat, "I'm just going to get a drink of water, that's all."

"I'm thirsty too." Sarah said, standing up.

"No you're not."

"Yes I am."

"Okay." The Chief submitted. He now knew that she was thinking the exact same thing. The two left the room, and stopped at the water fountain outside of the bunk. Dante motioned for her to drink first. The back of his neck became hot as she bent over to drink. He turned away and looked at the ceiling.

Sarah cleared her throat. It was his turn. He drank quickly, and stood straight again, Sarah was staring at him with a look of desire. In a panic, he decided he'd take an unneeded trip to the bathroom. "I gotta goto the bathroom."

"Yeah, me too."

The Chief cursed his stupidity. The bathrooms were coed at the base. People in the military had no issue with this, but this particular moment was an acceptation. The magnetic attraction between the two was getting stronger by the second.

Dante and Sarah went into the bathroom, the door swinging shut behind them. The Chief went to the sink, turned it on, and picked up his razor. He saw the odd look Sarah was giving him, and realized he had shaven less than an hour ago, right before going to the bunk. "I just have a little stubble." He lied.

"I don't see any." Sarah said, touching his cheek, and running her fingertips down his jaw. From there she went across his chin, up under his nose, and down, stopping her fingers right on his lips.

"It's the augmentation Sarah." Dante said quickly, "We-" Sarah pressed her fingers tightly against his mouth, stopping his speech. She grimaced as she pushed Dante against the wall. She was fighting it too, but both of their attempts were futile. Once Sarah placed her hands on Dante's muscular chest, it was over.

The Chief pulled A16 forward, pressing his lips against hers. Their mouths moved as their hands explored the geography of each other's bodies. Just as they started to pull of each other's T-shirts, the bathroom door opened. The two turned around in a flash to see a pale faced marine. "Oh my god..." If seeing a Spartan wasn't scary enough, interrupting them while they are going at it was terrifying.

Dante swallowed. "She had something in her teeth. I was helping her get it out." The marine said nothing, but stood still, mouth hanging open. After ten seconds of staring, he made a break for the door, and made his escape. They wouldn't have to worry about him saying anything.

The two Spartans looked at each other, and headed back to the bunk. The feeling was gone.

"Rise and shine kids!" Commander Bayard shouted to the Spartan, "Time to meet your new best friends." The Spartans quickly dressed, and followed the commander. They were led to a high ceilinged room. Suits of armor were lined up in half cylinders.

Dante looked around the room, and spotted one with E18 printed on its chest. He approached it, scrutinizing every detail. It resembled the Mark Six, but the shoulders were bulkier, and the chest piece was more protective over the abdomen. It's helmet had the trademark golden visor. It was angled, and a bit wider than the Mark Six helmet. The back was also more protective.

Covering the spine was strips of titanium set over each other like the armor of Roman legionnaires. The legs didn't vary at all except for a slight thickening of the knee plates. The suit was the same color as the Mark Six, but there was a red stripe on top of the helmet.

Looking at the others, the Master Chief noticed that there were three separate colors on the helmets. Some were red, some were blue, and some were yellow. The chief figured they had to be squad markers.

The commander went on a long explanation on the armor, but the Chief just stared at his suit. He saw his reflection on the visor, but looked past it into the gold shine. That helmet would be his new face, his identity, him.

When the commander was done, everyone put their suits on, and practiced moving around. It must have looked hilarious, because the Spartans were falling over themselves like they had never walked before, arms flailing about, and attempting to grab onto things as they fell down.

"Well," The commander said, "I hope you kids catch on quick, because there's a parade in five hours, and you're the main attraction." A parade, great. The Spartans would have to get a hang of the armor, or look like total idiots. It was a good idea though. The public's moral had been decreasing steadily, and people were getting scared, thinking that they might just be on the losing side. The Innies were getting bolder, striking more and more important places. Security was at the maximum, but somehow they would slip through the cracks.

The Elites were helping with the war, but even some of them had joined in on the insurgency. The Innies were becoming a significant fighting force. If the UNSC couldn't keep its people safe, they would turn to someone else to do so, and the last thing the UNSC needed was more people joining the insurgency.

The Spartans would fix the problem. They were the very image of a hero. All doubts would disappear when the public set their eyes on them. Few civilians had been in the presence of a Spartan. The parade was a surefire success.




[Edited on 05.31.2010 10:10 AM PDT]

  • 04.02.2010 8:53 AM PDT
Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Part One Is Up!)

How'd you find me?

Nice. Wow, puberty is evil, but when you're a Spartan, it's super evil! Good job though, that part made me uncomfortable. That must have been fun to write.

  • 04.02.2010 12:41 PM PDT
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Posted by: kingwrench
Nice. Wow, puberty is evil, but when you're a Spartan, it's super evil! Good job though, that part made me uncomfortable. That must have been fun to write.


I want to portray Spartans in a different light. Nobody is dead all the way through. Spartans are chosen due to there genotypes, but society has done something to them before they were taken. That can't be permenently erased. This is the human side of the Spartans. This will show how war changes them.

  • 04.02.2010 12:57 PM PDT

How'd you find me?

Anyone thinking starship troopers? Cuz I am. But really good story.

  • 04.02.2010 12:59 PM PDT
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Starship troopers. Good movie. I don't see how it relates. I guess rico changes. This will be different though.

  • 04.02.2010 1:01 PM PDT

How'd you find me?

I was talking more about the romance. Remember that part?..

  • 04.02.2010 1:06 PM PDT
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Oh yeah, then she gets impaled by a bug? Not gunnna happen haha

  • 04.02.2010 1:15 PM PDT
Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Part Two Is Available!)
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P.3


Dante sat in the bunk room alone. The rest of the Spartans were getting ready for the parade, shining every detail of their armor, and working on their posture. He wondered how is parents were faring. Did the UNSC do something to replace him? Were they happy? He hadn't seen them in what felt like a lifetime. He hoped the other Spartans felt the same way. Dante didn't want to be the only one, he didn't want to be soft, but he couldn't help missing his mother and father.

The door to the bunk room opened, and Sarah stepped in. She saw Dante sitting on his bed, and took a step back. "Am I interrupting your thoughts? I can go."

"No," Dante said plainly, "You're fine."

Sarah sat down on his bed, placing her hands on the mattress. "Are you alright? You seem down."

"Yeah, I'm alright."

"No you're not," Sarah tilted her head, "I've known you for a long time D, I can tell when you're lying."

"Do you miss your parents Sarah?"

Sarah smiled nervously, "Is this a test to see if I'm fit to be a Spartan?"

"No, it's not." Dante let out a long sigh, "I just wish they could see me now. They would be so proud of me. No matter what I did when I was with them, they never cared, and I did some damn impressive stuff at the age of five. If they could just see me now."

"I'm sure they were always proud of you Dante, they just didn't show it." Sarah assured.

"I don't know, maybe. That's not the point though. I just want them to say it. I know I was young, but I was perceptive. I could feel things other kids my age couldn't. My parents didn't help much with that."

"Well, you have us now. You have a family Dante, right here." Sarah placed her hand on top of Dante's, but he immediately pulled it out from underneath.

The Chief stood up, and looked down at his inferior. "That was highly inappropriate lieutenant."

"What?"

"I am your superior. You cannot make a gesture of that kind towards me, or any other fellow soldier for that matter."

Sarah looked down at her feet. "But we, I just thought thatof course sir, my apologies. It won't happen again." She stood up and went to the back of the bunk room to her locker. She grabbed a polish container for her armor, and turned around. She jumped when she saw Dante standing inches in front of her.

The two Spartans stared at each other, breathing heavily. Dante swallowed, "I was wrong."

"No," Sarah said solemnly, "You were right. This can't end well."

"I don't care." Dante placed his hands on Sarah's hips, and kissed her as lightly as he could.

Sarah shook her head, "Dante what if one of us dies? We can't anything affect our combat performance." She took Dante's hands, and moved them off of her body.

"But you just said-"

"Dante, god knows I want this, but we can't." Sarah brushed past Dante, and left the bunk room.

The 29 Spartans stood on separate platforms. They weighed so much the parade platforms had to roll on treads. The parade line rolled into the city. Thousands were on the sidewalks, and even more watching on their televisions all over the world. The Spartans were back.

Dante removed his helmet as they rolled through the streets, tucking it under his arm. He grinned at the cheering crowd as floating cameras circled him and the rest of the Spartans. This is what he had always wanted. He was a hero, an unstoppable warrior. Everyone was proud of him. The rest of

The Spartans removed their helmets, bringing forth a huge roar from the crowd. The public had ever seen what Spartans looked like behind their golden visors.

The Chief took a quick look around the platform for Sarah. She was all the way at the back. Was she purposely avoiding him? That didn't matter now. He was here to be an icon, and icon for the victory everyone assumed to be so easy.

There were three parade platforms, one for each Spartan squad; Red team, blue team, and yellow team. Each had ten Spartans, except for yellow, which was one short.

Dante turned his head, trying to give everyone a view of him. His parents were probably watching right now, and he wanted them to see his face, and think, now there's a true hero.

All of a sudden there was a deafening "BOOM!". The Master Chief was sent flying through the air, and slammed into the side of a building.

Everything was a blur at first, a ring filling Dante's ears. Both soon faded, and he was able to get to his feet. What he saw was horrifying. The street was strewn with dead bodies.

The Chief ran to the flipped parade platforms. He had been able to hold on his helmet, and putting it on, saw that his Spartans were okay. They started to crawl out of the wreckage, relatively unscathed. However, the civilians weren't as fortunate.

Dante removed his helmet, and dropped it to the ground. The titanium clattered as it hit the blood soaked street. He slowly walked forward, stepping over mutilated corpses. He was devastated.

The Spartan dropped to his knees and looked down at a small boy. He couldn't have been older than six. The child was split in half. The Chief could see his spine sticking out of his torso, and his organs spread out on the pavement.

The Dante's mouth slightly hung open, his head tilted to one side. This wasn't right. He was a Spartan. Nobody could die when he was around, nobody. This wasn't what the books said.

The Chief heard a sobbing, and turned his head to see a member of blue team hugging his knees in a puddle of blood. "Oh god, no!"

Dante turned back to the child. Reaching down with his gloved hand, he closed the boy's eyes. The Spartan stood up, and walked towards were the majority of his men were.

Brian was looking dead at him as he approached. C12 burst into tears, and fell forward. Dante caught him in his arms, and stood still as the Spartan's tears rolled down his armor. The Chief couldn't cry. As much as he wanted to, he was the CO. He had to be strong, no matter what. He had to be the walking dead.


[Edited on 04.02.2010 3:33 PM PDT]

  • 04.02.2010 3:32 PM PDT

How'd you find me?

Damn, Dante's cold!

  • 04.02.2010 4:14 PM PDT
Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Part Six Is Up!)
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P.4



The Spartans were shipped back to the base. They all knew what had just happened. All they wanted to do was go to sleep. When they arrived home, they removed their armor, and went to the bunk room. It was odd how they all went to sleep so quickly. One would think that they would be kept awake. Dante, however, lay awake.

"Dante." A voice whispered. It was the voice Sarah. She sounded miserable.

The Chief heard a quiet sobbing, and got out of his bed. Kneeling next to Sarah, he held her hand. "It's okay Sarah, it's over."

"No," She sniffled, "this is just the beginning."

Dante knew this to be true, and he wasn't about to lie about it. "You're right Sarah. We haven't even seen the worst yet. There's no telling what's coming at us next, but there is one thing you can count on. I will always be at your side, and the others will be too."

Sarah sniffled, "You don't know that."

"Yes, I do. Come now; let's get you somewhere more comfortable." Dante picked the Lieutenant up, and carried her out of the room.

The Chief had his own quarters, but he was hesitant to use it. He felt that it would separate him from his Spartans, but tonight was an acceptation. Sarah was on the verge of breaking, and he wasn't going to let that happen.

Dante set Sarah down on the large, comfortable bed of his quarters, and pulled down the covers. He tucked her in, and pulled a chair up next to the bed. Sarah took the Chief's hand in both of hers, and held it to her lips. He didn't resist. "Dante," She whispered between his fingers, "What are we?"

"I'll never ask for anyone but you. Does that answer your question?" Sarah closed her eyes, smiling. Dante went on. "But I need you to promise me something."

"What?"

"If I die, you keep on fighting, and don't lose your head."

"Alright, I promise," Sarah let go of the Chief's hand, and propped herself up on one arm. "Now you have to promise me something."

"Alright." Dante said with a nod.

"You have to treat me like the others. Don't try to keep me safe."

"I promise." Dante leaned down, and kissed Sarah on the cheek. He slipped into the bed, and Sarah curled under his arm, her head resting on his chest. They were taking one hell of a risk, not only jeopardizing themselves, but all of the other Spartans.

When the Chief woke up, Sarah was still sleeping. It felt nice to have somebody. He hadn't had any nightmares about the previous day's events. It must have been Sarah's presence.

Dante got up, and went to take a shower. Turning on the nozzle, he let the warm water run down his body, wondering why he couldn't be the leader the UNSC needed him to be.Dante wasn't rock hard at all. He had already made a huge violation by having an intimate relationship with another soldier. Surely this wasn't what a Spartan was meant to be like.

There was a knock on the Master Chief's door, and he ran to his bed. He pulled the covers over Sarah, and answered the call. "Yes?" Dante said, opening up the door.

Commander Bayard stood in the doorway with a packet of papers in his hand. "This is what we gave the public. Anyone asks, it's the truth." He handed Dante the papers, and left.

The Chief closed his door, at sat down at his desk. He winced as his eyes rolled across the words. Blatant lies, that's what the people were being fed.

The Spartans have tracked down and captured the terrorist leader responsible for the recent attack on Mombasa, eliminating several other leaders in the process.

That was the only line anyone needed to read. The article went on about how the Spartans were having amazing success. The truth was, they hadn't even done anything yet. Dante shredded the papers, and dropped his head onto the wooden surface of his desk. "Being a Spartan wasn't meant to be like this, was it?"

The base's alarm went off, and the Chief rushed to put on the olive drab fatigues in his dresser. Sarah was up, and borrowed a pair of fatigues. She had to rush back to the bunks to get her boots, but Dante was already on his way to the armory.

The Spartan ran through the door, and grabbed an assault rifle. He ran back into the hall, and encountered a marine. "A Spartan just went nuts! He's trying to get out of the base! You gotta stop him sir."

"Where is he?" The Chief asked.

"I think he's making his way to the main exit."

Dante left the marine, taking the fastest way to the main exit he knew. He was a blur as he sprinted through the halls, leaving nothing but wind behind him. When he reached the doors, he stopped. There was no sign of the Spartan. Then he turned the corner.

Spartan C7, Mike, stood at the back of the hallway, looking dead at Dante. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

"It's okay," The Chief raised one hand at the Spartan, "Just turn around, and go back to the bunk Mike."

"No. I can't do this Dante."

"Don't make me do this, please." The Chief begged, shifting back and forth nervously. A Spartan can't be restrained. If Mike didn't comply, Dante would only have one option.

"Move Dante." The Spartan said, walking towards Dante for the door.

"Please Mike!" Mike kept walking. Nothing could keep him from trying to leave. Dante lifted his gun, aimed it at Mike's chest, and pulled the trigger. Bullets tore through the Spartan's chest, some pinging off his hardened bones, and some slipping past them.

It took half a clip to take C7 down. Finally, he collapsed. Dante watched as a puddle of blood formed around his friend's body. The Chief did what he had to.

Sarah and the rest of the Spartans arrived at the scene, filling the room with gloomy faces. They all looked down at their fallen friend. They had grown up with him, and now he was gone, and in a horrible way.

The Master Chief picked up Mike's body, and with two fingers closed his eyes. The Spartans watched as Dante walked away, carrying Mike to the medical bay for his body to be cleaned.


[Edited on 04.04.2010 1:15 PM PDT]

  • 04.03.2010 12:22 PM PDT
Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Part Two Is Available!)

How'd you find me?

That was a great part. You still need to work on your dialouge, though. Keep going!

  • 04.03.2010 1:33 PM PDT
Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Part Five Is Up!)
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P.5



The Spartans sat solemnly in the briefing room as Commander Bayard gave them their first mission. "Now, the public thinks we have caught the man responsible for the bomb during the parade. That isn't true. Now we have caught an associate. We did some questioning, and figured out where that bomb came from. "Bayard pulled up a satellite picture of a large building, "This is a steel mill. It is also a factory for the insurgent's explosives. Pretty good disguise hu? Anyway, red team is going in to raid that place. Now here," Bayard pressed a button on a control, and the screen portrayed a picture of a man, "Is a picture of a high ranking insurgent, Fredrick Taylor. He is a high priority target. The man should be in the mill. I want him alive. You are going to be dropped from orbit directly into the factory. With the exception of Fredrick, take no prisoners. Any questions?"

Spartan A15, Cody, of red team stood up. "Do we know how well armed these men will be?"

"No, so proceed with high caution. Anyone else?" Nobody spoke, "Good. Red team, report to the hanger as soon as you can."

The ten Spartans of red team geared up, and made their way to the hangar. From there a pelican took them out of the atmosphere, and docked in the Apocalypse, a UNSC frigate. They were led to the drop bay, and each of them took a pod. Sarah stopped before entering hers, and looked at Dante. She feared for his life. The drop pods were never very reliable.

Dante stepped into his pod, and buckled in. He lifted the Mark Seven helmed over his head, and lowered it. There was a hiss, confirming an airlock. "Everyone ready?" Nine green lights flashed on his HUD, "Alright, prepare for a bumpy ride." The pods ejected out of the bottom of the Apocalypse, and headed for the enemy location.

"Why couldn't we just take a pelican?" Cody questioned.

"This way we'll get the jump on them." Brian replied.

Sarah sighed, "Really Brian?"

"What did I s-oh. No pun intended."

"Too late Brian, too late."

"Go to hell." C12 snapped.

"Cool it you two." The Chief ordered. He wished he could join in on the fray, but he was the CO. He was already violating his responsibilities. This was the least he could do. The pods shook as they entered the atmosphere. Their interior heated up like an oven, but the MJOLNIR armor kept the Spartans cool.

Dante's squad status showed everyone's heart rate increasing. If they were scared now, how would they fare when bullets were flying over their heads?

Dante felt his pod slam into something, go through it, then slam into a second barrier, stopping that time. He pressed the door eject on the pod, but it was jammed. The Spartan kicked it off, and charged his battle rifle.

The rest of the Spartans were already out of their pods, sweeping the room. What looked like forty workers were just standing still, looking at the massive juggernauts in awe.

The factory kept running, but the workers neglected it. They just watched as the UNSC soldiers scanned the area. "These guys sure aren't innies," Brian remarked, "Did we land in the right place?"

The workers reached into their pockets, and pulled out magnums. Dante froze, "Yeah, we did." Loud bangs echoed through the steel mill as the insurgents fired their weapons.

The Spartans took cover, bullets pinging off of their over shields. There wasn't much to hide behind, because they were completely surrounded. The innies were even on catwalks above the Spartan's heads. They were sitting ducks.

Combat training kicked in, and red team fired back with devastating results. Bodies dropped like bricks, blood spattering the walls and refining equipment. An innie on top of a catwalk primed a grenade, but before he could throw it down, Sarah nailed it. The grenade detonated, killing five insurgents, and crushing three more when the catwalk hit the ground.

An insurgent snuck up behind Cody, or at least believed he snuck up on him. Cody whipped around, and slammed the man in the chest with the palm of his hand. He flew through the air, smashed against a wall, and dropped into a vat of molten steel.

Five innies fired at the Chief from his right. He turned, and fired four bursts with his battle rifle. Four bodies hit the ground when his rifle clicked. The Spartan drew his knife, and threw it through the air. It spun several times before lodging itself in the man's skull. Dante knew how to improvise.

The Chief swept the room with his weapon. Not one single innie was breathing. Dante motioned towards a reinforced steel door, and the Spartans moved to it. They separated onto the walls on both sides of the door, five on each side. Dante nodded, and the two nearest to the door kicked it in.

There was a loud smash as the door flew across the room. The Spartans stormed in, and every insurgent in the room dropped to the ground, hands behind their heads. This was the security room. They had seen the slaughter in the refining center, and didn't want to go out like that.

Unfortunately, the Spartans had specific orders. The Chief drew out his magnum, and executed them with a bullet to the brain.

Dante felt sick as he watched the insurgent's blood pool on the floor. He wanted to go back to the base, back to his quarters, but he had a mission, and he wasn't about to fail it. The Spartans pressed on. Brian kicked in the next door. One man stood in the center of the room, a small device in his hand. "Stay where you are Spartans. I'm sure you know what this is."

"He's got a detonator." Dante said over the COM to the Spartans outside of the room.

"If you make one move, I'll blow us all to hell."

The Chief saw the man's hand shaking, and smiled behind his visor. "Fredrick, am I right?"

"If you don't turn tail and run now, I might be the last person you ever meet." The terrorist growled.

Dante pulled a picture of the target up in his helmet. It matched. "I hope you know we'll survive this explosion." The Spartan lied. Fredrick looked at his detonator in a moment of doubt.

Dante took the opportunity to charge forward, and tackle him. He grabbed the detonator, and slid it across the floor. In an instant the man was cuffed, and face down. "Alright, let's get out of here."

"Not so fast." Cody said, "Aren't we gonna have a little fun first?"

"What?"

"This guy is responsible for the death of men, women, and children . I say we teach him a lesson."

"That's the interrogator's job," The Master Chief said, "Not ours."

"Oh come on Dante, you want to mess this guy up just as bad as I do."

It was the truth. Dante wanted to give the innie bastard hell, but he couldn't. It wasn't right. "No. We're getting him to the LZ."

Cody looked at the other Spartans, and one nodded. They were having a direct COM beam conversation. One that Dante wasn't hearing.

Two of the Chief's Spartans dashed forward, and slammed him into the wall. He struggled to break free, but stopped when one held a knife up to his throat. "What the hell are you doing?!" Dante shouted.

Sarah ran to Dante's rescue, but another Spartan restrained her. They must have kept her out of the conversation too. "Let him go!" She yelled.

"Nah." Cody said, walking over to Fredrick. He grabbed a chair, propped him up in it, and bound him with wires from the computers in the security room. The Spartan drew his knife, and placed it in the man's mouth, the blade facing the side. With a bit of pressure, it would cut his cheek in half. "So, you enjoy blowing children to peaces?" The prisoner shook in fear, totally silent, "I asked a question you sick bastard!" Cody pulled the knife out of the Fredrick's mouth, and slammed his armored elbow into the side of the man's head, splitting the skin. Cody was being gentle.

"Stand down Spartans! That's an order!" Red team diregaurded Dante's orders, and went on watching as Cody tortured the man. The Spartan's took of the prisoner's clothes, and spat on his body, humiliating him. They hit his groin with the butts of their rifles, and tossed him around, degrading the man as much as they could.

Red team took turns punching him in the stomach until he coughed up blood. At that point, they dropped him onto the ground, and laughed.

"Why don't you give it a try Dante?"

"The UNSC is gonna have your necks for this!"

"Let him go." Cody ordered. Dante's restrainers let go, and stepped back. "No they won't. You are going to tell them that you tackled him, and injured him in the process."

"Not in a million years jackass." The Chief snapped.

"Yes you will," A sinister grin spread across Cody's face, "Because if you don't, I'll tell them about you and Sarah, and that sir, wouldn't end well."


[Edited on 04.03.2010 7:26 PM PDT]

  • 04.03.2010 6:53 PM PDT
Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Part Fourteen Is Ready!)
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P.6



"What are you talking about?!" Dante lied.

Cody laughed. "We could hear you two in the bathroom."

Dante was about to reply when there was a loud explosion, sending shrapnel from what was once a wall at the Spartans. All of their shields drained, and bullets came flying in. Innie reinforcements. Dante picked up his battle rifle, and turned on his heat vision. The rest of the Spartans did the same, and quickly eliminated the enemies.

The Chief hoisted Fredrick over his shoulder, and ran for the processing area. When he arrived, he discovered an even worse situation. A mass of insurgents had dug into the area. Fifty caliber machineguns were resting on stands behind objects, and men with battle rifles were accompanying them.

Dante jumped back into cover as a wall of lead flew though the air. The Master Chief was lucky, Cody wasn't. The Spartan had been hit by multiple bullets, and was lying on the ground. He was right in the open, and bullets were pinging off of the floor around him. "Dante, help!" He strained.

Dante sat on the floor, back against a large metal machine. He looked at Cody in disgust. He wanted the bastard to die. He didn't deserve to live. Then a pang of guilt hit the Chief. He had wanted to do the exact same thing. He wanted to beat the hell out that innie, and if Sarah wasn't there, he probably would have.

Cody reached out a hand towards the Chief, and he grabbed it. In a flash he pulled the Spartan behind cover, and checked his wounds. They were bad. He had a fifty caliber round stuck in his gut, one where his arm met his chest, and another had collapsed one of his lungs. His armor had protected him form the rest. The automatic biofoam injecters in his armor had activated, but it wasn't enough.

"Jason!" The Chief shouted. Spartan A7, Jason, sprinted out from his cover, bullets ricocheteing off of the floor behind his heels. With a roll he made it to Dante and Cody. "Cody needs some TLC."

"Alright." Jason replied, reaching into his medical pack.

"You mean, 'Yes sir.' Now give me your weapons."

"What?"

"Give me your weapons!" The Chief ordered.

A7 hesitantly handed Dante an assault rifle, and an SMG. "Whatever you're planning on doing, it better work."

"It will." Dante said. He jumped into the air, and onto a metal covering over a conveyer belt. With an assault rifle in one arm, and an SMG in the other, he fired at the enemy. He dropped about ten before they turned their attention from the other Spartans to him. He jumped up onto a catwalk, and continued to fire.

A rocket whizzed past the Chief's head, and slammed into the far wall. His guns clicked, and he dropped them. He tore a pipe off of the ceiling. It broke off with a jagged tip, just like he wanted it to. Dante reached back, still running on the catwalk, and threw it through the air. It went through an innie, and punctured a pipe. Gas leaked out, and Dante got a brilliant idea. He still had three more shots in his battle rifle, one of which would be a tracer round.

Dante jumped off of the catwalk as a rocket hit it, sending shards of metal everywhere. His shields drained. If he didn't make this shot, it was over. Still in the air, he aimed, and fired. The tracer round shot through an innie's head, bounced off a refining machine, and hit the gas leak, igniting it in a flash of light.



[Edited on 04.25.2010 1:23 PM PDT]

  • 04.04.2010 1:07 PM PDT
Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Part Five Is Up!)

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omg noooooooooooooooo

  • 04.04.2010 3:20 PM PDT
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P.7


When Dante's eyes opened, his vision was red and blurry. His breaths were sharp, erratic gasps. Clawing at the ground, he desperately dragged himself across the ground. His helmet's visor was cracked, and the COM was obviously destroyed.

The Chief could hear his heartbeat as he crawled amongst the ruble that was once an insurgent base. Scorched and mutilated bodies lay everywhere, but one was still breathing. Dante pulled himself beside it. It was just a boy. An innie, yes, but just a boy. He couldn't have been any older than Dante. Soon the boy's breath slowed, and finally stopped altogether.

Dante pressed on. Were his Spartans okay? That was all he cared about. His severe injury was of no concern to him. Then he spotted one. The Spartan was leaning against a chunk of metal, holding his gut. His helmet was on the ground, and his eyes were locked on a Spartan face down in front of him.

The Chief's vision flashed white, and he fell limp for a moment. Then two arms slipped under him, and lifted him up. He was carried for a moment, then set down on a flat surface. The majority of red team lay around him. Nobody was in good shape.

Dante winced as he felt the intense sting of biofoam. He strained to see through his cracked visor. It was Cody. "You're helping me?" The Chief coughed.

"Red team's all I got." A pained voice replied. Cody was pushing his limits. He too was severely wounded, and if he didn't rest soon, he wouldn't make it. The Spartan disappeared out of Dante's view, and went off to collect the others.

The Chief's vision had cleared, but it was getting worse again, worse than before. Then it started to get dark. Was this it? Was this the end?


When Dante woke up, he was in a hospital bed. A doctor stood over him with a check board. "How ya feeling kid?"

"Where's Cody?" The Chief moaned.

"Cody?"

"Spartan A15, red team."

The Doctor checked his board, and he shook his head. "Flat lined this morning, I'm sorry. If it means anything, I read the report. Your team was found with biofoam in every one of their wounds, with the acceptation of A15. He used all of it on your team. He died an honorable death."

No, it wasn't fair. Cody didn't deserve to die. He saved red team. If he hadn't patched them up, they all would have bled out. Dante wished it had been him. He was the one who triggered the explosion. It was in a moment of panic, and he made a reckless and idiotic move.

"What about A16?" Dante asked, holding his breath.

"She's fine," The doctor said after checking his board, "A15 was the only casualty. You got banged up more than anyone really. The rest of your team is up. You've been in deep sedation for about three weeks."

"Send in A16 please."

"Alright, but I can only give you about ten minutes. We really need to run a few tests on you to make sure you're okay."

"Thanks doc," Dante said, "What's your name?"

"Dr. Bernard." The man replied.

"Dr. Bernard, I'm throwing in a good word for you." The doctor nodded with a smile, and left.

A few minutes later Sarah walked through the door. "Are there camera's in this room?" Dante didn't know, neither did he care. The Spartan jumped out of the hospital bed, and embraced Sarah. He pressed the side of his face against the girl's neck, and she felt his warm tears flow down her skin.

Sarah curled a finger under Dante's chin, and lifted his head. The Master Chief's eyes were red an shining, "It was me Sarah, I blew the building."

"If you didn't, we would all be dead."

"It was out of panic, not strategy. I killed Cody. I should be dead, not him."

Sarah shook her head. "No, you shouldn't be. When the others tortured that man, you didn't. You're a good person Dante."

"I wanted to torture the innie. If you weren't there, god knows what I would have done." Dante admitted in shame.

"It was the same with me Dante. We all wanted to see him suffer."

"It wasn't supposed to be like this Sarah," The Chief said.

"Nobody said this was going to be easy. Spartans are the best of the best. They fight flawlessy with almost no fear, and absolutely no hesitation, but how do you think they got that way Dante?" Then Dante saw it. None of the Spartan Fours were true Spartans, not yet. A Spartan isn't something you become through training, or augmentations. Exactly what a Spartan was, Dante wasn't sure, but what he was sure of was that he wasn't one, not yet at least.

  • 04.05.2010 9:10 AM PDT
Subject: [Story] The Spartan Four Project (Part Eight Is Available!)
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P.8


For the rest of the day, Dante sat in his quarters with the lights off. The Spartan knew that he was changing. He felt sick the first time he had seen gore, but in the steel refinery, he felt nothing but anger as he spilt the blood of his enemy.

Dante figured he had limited time before what he was now completely died. If he wanted his parents to see something they could be proud of, now was the time. The Chief took out his blue dress uniform, and donned it. He quickly shined his shoes, then his Spartan Insignia. He ran as fast as he could to the garage, and took a civilian model warthog.

Dante drove up to the fort's fence, and it opened. This was an extremely dangerous thing to do. If a high ranked officer figured this out, the Chief was meat. Dante figured this was worth the risk. His family lived in the suburbs a good three hours away from the base at the warthogs top speed, which is what he was hitting.

The Spartan herd sirens, and red and blue flashing lights behind him. Should he pull over? If he tried to escape, more officers would come. There would be a police chase, and they would catch him. He could probably escape by running after his car being stopped, but the base would probably do an investigation on who took the warthog. The best choice was to just pull over. Maybe he could get the officer not to say anything.

Dante stopped at the side of the road, and took a deep breath. The officer pulled up behind him, and walked around his vehicle to the driver's side. "License and registration please."

"Don't have it on me officer." Dante replied politely.

"Alright then. Step out of your vehicle.

The Spartan had a good idea of what was about to happen. Hesitantly, he exited the warthog, and stood. The officer went pale as Dante raised to his full hight. "My name is Dante, Spartan E18, Master Chief Petty Officer. I'm on a mission, and you're in my way," The officer nodded, stepping back slowly, "And Officer, this never happened." The man nodded, got back into his cruiser, and drove away.

Dante grinned at his move. He always wondered how much authority he would get as a Spartan. After some time of driving on the most remote highways the Chief could find, he arrived at his home town. He slowed down, and let the warm summer breeze play with his hair. The smell of freshly cut grass filled the air. It was just like when he was a kid.

The Chief stopped the car to look a large maple tree on the front lawn of the McHenries. He watched as the wind ran through its leaves, ruffling them in the soothing sound he loved. He drove on, for a few seconds, then spotted his house. It was exactly the same, the white wooden exterior, the slate roof, and the oak door. It was beautiful.

Dante pulled into the driveway, and parked his car. His heart beated faster and faster as he approached the door. Holding his breath, he knocked on the door. When it opened, a man in his mid fifties opened the door. He didn't freeze in fear or turn pale like the others; he just looked Dante dead in the eye and said, "What do you want?"

Dante saddened, "It's me, Dante. Don't you recognize me?" After he stopped speaking, he realized how ridiculous his expectation was.

"My son is dead," The man said angrily, "Get off of my property."

"But it's me dad. I'm home, I came back."

"I watched my son die in the hospital you sick freak."

'Sick freak.' The two words hit Dante like a tank shell. "What are you talking about? I was taken by the UNSC to make me a Spartan. How could I have been there?"

The man narrowed his eyes. Dante prayed that his father was still the genius he remembered him as. "Show me your hand." The Spartan reached his hand forward. The man took it, and scrutinized it as if he was looking for something. His face turned pale, and he burst into tears. Dante had to kneel down for his father to embrace him. He was back.

The man had spotted a scar running diagonally from Dante's pointer finger, to his index finger. It was from the time when Dante had cut himself playing with a kitchen knife. When they separated, Dante wiped is moist eyes. "What made you realize?"

"The scar across your fingers, the child didn't have it. I shrugged it off. I should have known it was a flash clone." Dante's father worked in genetics, and he had a good deal of knowledge about cloning, but ironically, when the clone is your child, you'd never notice. "Come in Dante." The Spartan lowered his head so he wouldn't hit it on the doorway. "Wait here for a moment."

Dante waited in the hall as his father called names. There were thuds as people came down the stairs, and a conversation started. Dante could hear everything from three rooms away.

Dante's father was telling his familly that their son had returned, and that the boy who had died was something called a flash clone, but Dante looks very very different now, however, they should not to be alarmed. His father told them that their son is a Spartan now, then he called Dante in.

Dante walked through the halls, looking at the familly pictures. He was in all of them, a smiling little boy with dirty blonde hair, and green eyes with beams of gold.

Dante opened the door to the living room, and stepped in; his sister Miriam, his father Charles, and his mother Gabriel. After a moment of shock, Gabriel and Miriam ran forward, and embraced Dante. Kneeling again, he wrapped his arms around them. Tears flowed, and words of love were exchanged.

A boy around the age of five rn to the room, and grabbed onto Gabriel's hand. When he looked up, his eyes widened, not in fear, but in excitement. "Mommy look, a Spartan!" He stared at Dante in awe.

"It's very rude to stare honey." Gabriel said, looking at the boy. She looked back up at Dante, and smiled. "This is your brother, Tyler."

The little boy slipped out of his mother's grasp, and ran to Dante. "Wow! You're my brother?!"

Dante smiled. He already loved the boy. Tyler was so much like Dante at his age. "Yeah," Dante said, laughing, "I am."

"Can I hug you?"

Gabriel cleared her throat. "Honey, don't bother your broth-"

"Sure." Dante interrupted, sitting down.

Tyler jumped onto his lap, and threw his arms around Dante's neck. Dante patted the boy's back. He had always wanted a little brother. The child spotted Dante's shining Spartan insignia, and his widened again. "Whoa! Is that your insignia?"

Dante nodded, "Want to see it?"

"Yeah!" Tyler said, thrilled. The rest of the familly watched in joy as the two instantly formed a brotherly bond. Dante unpinned his insignia, and handed it to Tyler. The boy moved it around in his fingers, inspecting it from every angle.

"Tell you what," Dante said, "You can keep that."

"Really?!"

"Yes, but you can't show it off. It's top secret."

Tyler giggled, "Okay."

"How about some dinner?" Dante's father asked. Everyone agreed, and they all cooked together. Dante sat without a chair, and everyone began to eat. "So Dante, how have you been doing?"

"Good." Dante lied.

Miriam grinned, "So Dante, are there any ladies you're into over there?"

Dante laughed, his sister would always ask him about his love life, even though he was only five at the time. It was an ongoing joke they had. "Well um, any intimate relation would be a serious violation of conduct in the military, especially in my field."

There was a momentary silence, then everyone burst into laughter. "Alright Dante, what's her name?" Miriam asked. Dante had given himself her way.

"Her name is Sarah, she's another Spartan." Everyone let out an "Ooooo!" And Dante laughed. He was completely forgetting how serious and confidential his job was meant to be. When dinner was over, they all went to the living room and reminisced.

It got late, and it was time to go to bed. Before the family went upstairs, Dante stopped them. "This is the last time I'll ever see all of you." Dante's family all wore miserable faces, "In truth, I'm not even supposed to be here. I'm in a direct violation of my duty. I want you to know how that I love you more than anything in the world, and I'll miss you all.

Tyler was sniffling, and the rest were silently crying. Dante kneeled, and the group embraced each other. Afterwards, they ascended the stairs with heavy feet. Dante's father stayed behind. "Son, I never told you how proud of you I am."

The Spartan smiled, then it faded. "I always wanted you to say that," He expected tears to come to his eyes, but they didn't, "Bye dad, I'll miss you." E18 turned, and walked out the door, leaving his family forever.


[Edited on 04.06.2010 3:53 PM PDT]

  • 04.06.2010 3:52 PM PDT

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Interesting!

Part 9 nao?

  • 04.07.2010 3:21 PM PDT

How'd you find me?

That part was great! Too bad only two other people (including me) have read it...

  • 04.08.2010 6:45 PM PDT

"I... believe I understand, sir," John said. "But which was it on this last mission? Lives spent? Or lives wasted?"
Mendez turned back toward the blackness of space and didn't answer.

I've been reading it!

  • 04.08.2010 7:13 PM PDT
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No matter how many seals are killed by sharks a year, it never seems to be enough :D

As have I. This is great dude. Just keep it up. You'll pick up more fans.

  • 04.09.2010 4:40 PM PDT