- Rare_Spartan
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- Exalted Legendary Member
Chapter 12: A Time for an MP Voice-Over
The three Unggoy, unaccompanied by their long-time companion, Hackle, steadily poured out of the Phantom, and onto a soft patch of white fluff snow. Immediatly after their descent, Rtas 'Vadumee-the half-jawed commander-and his squadron of Sangheili followed. Night had fallen, with murky clouds looming over the mountainous library.
"What the heck is this stuff?" Pillow asked, examining the blanket of snow below their feet. However, being the curious Grunt that he was, Pillow stuffed the icey crystals through his methane breather, as if it were a funnel.
"Pillow, what's the matter with you?" barked Fisca, "For all we know, that stuff could be poisonous!"
"Ah, get off my back!" Pillow spat.
Standing fairly close to the scene, Silco was pulled behind a large boulder by what looked like a rotten, dead hand. However, his squad mates were too busy arguing to even notice.
Silco stood face-to-face with an Elite, whose snout was bent backwards, and a green-yellow mix in skin tone.
"Suprise, suprise!", the Sangheili cheered sarcastically. Silco immediatly recognized this character's-what could best be described as-Scottish accent, as it was that of Little Sparky.
"Ah, what the hell!? Did you follow me here?" exclaimed Silco.
"A friend dropped me off." answered Sparky, "However, this blighter is starting to get a wee bit stale. I think it's time I moved onto something a little more....fresh."
"Oh, well- wait! You're not talking about me, are ya? Please, don't!"
"Oh, foolish Silco. I don't intend to kill you- not yet, anyway. But mark my words, within this very night, you will have met a very sticky end!"
"So, let me get this straight." said Silco, "You've got me pushed up against a rock, with the perfect opportunity to take me down, and you're choosing to save me for later?"
"Dramatic license, lad. Get with the program."
"Also, don't you think these cameos are getting a bit stale?" Silco asked rhetorically.
"Cameos? You're really not gettin' it! Ever since you gave me this voice, I've been a full-fledged villain, baby! Now, enough chit-chat. I only came here to warn you, is all. Watch your back."
Just then, a stream of yellow light began circling over the Unggoy. Within seconds, he, as well as his squad mates, were standing on what appeared to be a slow moving gondola, breezing through the wind.
"Fisca, Silco, Pillow, anybody? Do you read me!?", Hackle shouted through the radio.
"Yeah, what's up, Hackle?" Silco asked puzzlingly.
"I've been trying to reach you guys for over an hour, and I think- Nevermind." said the Unggoy, "You've reached the Library. Now, follow the Arbiter, and grab the Icon!"
Silco was pleasantly confused. How did he get here so quickly? There was no time for questions, though, as there was an Icon that needed retrieving. The Grunt followed behind his three companions, including the Arbiter, as they entered the quiet halls of the Library. The first thing he noticed were the half a dozen infection forms crawling about the facility. For some reason, however, they did not attack them. Instead, the parasites simply waltzed through a nearby entryway. Being the only visible one, so far, the crew followed behind them.
This chamber was a complete and utter mess. The extremely high ceiling was dripping with a strange, green-yellow liquid, and the ground was scattered with dry heaps of metal. In the center of the enormous room was an almost equally large hole, leading who knows where.
"Engage active camouflage." whispered the Arbiter from ahead. Standing near the center hole was a female human, who was holding a small, T-shaped object- the Icon. Beside the female stood Avery Johnson, the man who had previously tried to kill their sargeant.
"McKenzie! Perez! How's our exit?" barked Johnson, "You hear me Marines?
"We've got trouble."
The sargeant readied his Battle Rifle, as the female-Miranda Keyes-took out her two SMGs. Avery scanned the chamber; as the Arbiter's camouflage faded, Johnson fired several shots from his rifle. The Sangheili leaped over a heap of wreckage, and stood face-to-face with the sargeant.
"How ya doin'?" Avery smirked. Not more than a second later, the Arbiter knocked his helmet apon Johnson's head, incapacitating the human. Just then, Miranda unleashed the ammo from her SMGs. The Sangheili rushed forward, and with his shields depleted, he slapped the guns from the commander's hands. Then suddenly, a wave of electricity engulfed her, sending her into the arms of Tartarus, who was accompanied by three of his fellow Brutes, along with Hackle. The Chieftain removed the Icon from the human's belt, as one of the three Jiralhanae dragged Johnson across the floor.
"Excellent work, Arbiter. The Hierarchs will be pleased." said Tartarus.
"The Icon..." replied the Arbiter, "is my responsibility."
"Was your responsibility.
"Now it is mine."
The other two behemoths centered their Brute Shots at the Arbiter, as Tartarus placed Miranda on the shoulder of the one who had retrieved Avery.
"A bloody fate awaits you and the rest of your incompetent race," Tartarus said menacingly, "And I, Tartarus, Chieftain of the Brutes will send you to it."
The Brute leveled his Gravity Hammer at the Sangheili, ready to send the Arbiter to his doom.
"When the Prophets learn of this, they will take your head!"
"Learn of it?" the Chieftain chuckled, "Fool...they ordered me to do it."
With that, the Arbiter, too, was engulfed in a wave of electricity. But instead of doing the obvious motion of sending him into the center hole, the Arbiter flew into the far wall, at which point he was smushed like a cricket. The Grunts could not believe themselves. The Arbiter....dead? It couldn't be.
"Now, Unggoy," said Tartarus, "You may either join us, or die."
"Hackle?" Fisca asked.
"Sorry, fellas." replied the Unggoy, "A Grunt's gotta do what a Grunt's gotta do."
"Sleep, sleep, and sleep some more?" asked Pillow, as his companions looked straight at him, then steadily turned their attention back to Hackle and Tartarus.
"I've got a better idea." Silco charged toward the Brute, with the blade on his left arm pointed forward.
"Don't, Silco!" shouted Fisca, "It ain't gonna work on him!"
As Silco approached him, Tartarus swung his hammer forward, sending the lifeless Grunt into the abyss.
"Silco!!" Pillow shouted, looking back at the enormous opening in the center of the chamber.
"Use your reason!" Hackle told his brothers. The two of them absolutely refused to join Hackle- the traitor!
"Sorry to jet, but we're in a hurry!" exclaimed Fisca, as he thumped backward, and through the center opening. Pillow was shocked by Fisca's actions, but without saying anything, he too leaped into the abyss.
Hackle nodded his head, saying, "Stubborn bastards...."