Halo: Contagio Purgatiio/Chapter 2

Josh strapped himself into a seat of the Pelican; praying silently to himself. The rest of Xiphos sat beside and in front of him, with the ODST Platoon sitting at the very back of the Pelican; it seemed as if they were avoiding the young team of SPARTANs, which was to be expected.

Laszlo and the other SPARTAN team had already left, with Laszlo completing his objective with surprising speed. This made it remarkably easier for the other teams to complete their objectives, and Silver Team was close behind.

The oscillating rings stopped.

“This is Silver Lead: we have shut down the rings, and are now awaiting your arrival, Major.”

“Understood, Spartan,” she replied.

The two remaining Pelicans lifted off. Josh finished his prayer; he needed to show he was in control. He opened up a private come with Amy:

“Well?” He asked.

Amy was used to such short questions. “I don’t like it, Josh. If it’s a research station, surely there should be some form of defence, I mean, where are the fighters? It seems as if we’re lambs to the slaughter, sir.”

The “sir” unnerved Josh. She never called him sir unless she was really worried. He twitched. “Keep it cool, Amy. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“I hope so.”

The Pelicans split up; the ODSTs pelican moved to the airlock where Silver Team where waiting, and Josh’s pelican went for the hanger they were to secure for their retreat. Josh cocked his Carbine and pistol, his team and the ODSTs were similarly equipped with carbines being occasionally changed for Sub-Machine guns. Colin carried a shotgun and SMG, and two other ODSTs had a similar set-up.

The pelican banked to the right, and dove. The hanger was near the bottom of the station, meaning Laszlo and his team had an awful lot of ground to cover before they reached the hanger, but they hadn’t radioed in, so, they assumed, it was going all right.

“1 minute!” the pilot shouted.

Josh stood up and raised his weapon, everyone mimicked him, standing behind each other weapons hovering over shoulders so as to avoid friendly fire, should they be met with resistance once the hatch opened.

“10 seconds!”

The pelican touched down and the hatch opened. Nothing. Josh walked out, weapon scanning high and low. The soldiers disembarked and fanned out. Their fingers hovered over the triggers uneasily - almost aching for an enemy to appear.

Movement.

No...

An ODST fired his SMG, Josh and Amy turned; a grunt fell screaming to the ground. A door opened, and several Brute-led lances came pouring out, all moving in a hurried frenzy.

“Fire!” Josh screamed.

He dropped to one knee, and fired his carbine into the midst of the Covenant reaction force. The brutes began moving into cover and ordering their grunts, with organisation they were going to become a real problem. The ODST platoon leader began ordering his men around too, they began advancing on the lances; grunts fell and squealed as they did so. A suicide grunt ran forward:

“Look-out!” Amy cried.

“Shit, mo-!” an ODST cried before began killed by the resulting explosion.

The suicide grunt managed to kill a third of the ODST platoon; the ODST began to fall back into cover as the grunt had knocked the impetus out of their advance. The brutes moved out of cover and began their attack on the retreating ODSTs.

A brute stood on the head of an ODST trying to crawl away, and gave the surviving humans a look that was smug; almost begging for them to attack him – avenge their team member’s death.

Josh quickly made hand movements, of which only his team would understand – Andrew began firing upon the nearest brute, while Colin and Maria moved to the flank he and Amy threw stun grenades; the brutes snarled as they were blinded.

Colin moved up and quickly slashed a blinded brute’s throat, Maria quickly did the same. The brutes, now reduced by one-third, began retreating and firing upon the Spartans – but they were too quick; the Spartans began advancing on them, and slowly took them down one by one – the ODSTs did the same with the grunts, the lances were being slowly and methodically pushed into a killing zone; with no hope of escape.

Finally, the killing reached its crux; as every round that missed its target found a new one, the covenant were that tightly pack together. The grunts screamed, the brutes roared and stopped. An echo almost seemed to be formed by the sudden end of the firing. It left Josh oddly uneasy, normally he enjoyed killing covenant, and seeing their bodies spewn all over the ground; but this was different, the covenant were normally more organised than this, they seemed be running away from something. But what? It was a question Joshua couldn’t afford to focus on, he had a mission to complete.

“Clear.” An ODST said.

Josh dropped his magazine, and slotted in a new one. He surveyed the wreckage: about fifteen ODSTs dead and three walking wounded, decent enough figures for a tightly-packed firefight. At least none of his Spartans had been killed, that would be a disaster.

He order a squad of ODSTs to stay back, and keep the hanger secure and to radio Dietrich and tell her the hanger was secure, now Josh had to link up with Laszlo and his team.

“Laszlo, come in, over.” He buzzed.

“Copy,” was the reply.

“We’ve secured the hanger and are en-route, what is your status, over?”

“Under fire, but making steady pace. Lost a few ODSTs, but nothing serious, over.”

“Rodger that, on our way, out.”

Josh and his band of troopers move out, the corridors were tightly put together, and Josh hated the fact he had a platoon sized group behind him, the ONI spooks really hadn’t thought this through, had they?

A grunt ran round the corner, and was quickly gunned down. The sounds of plasma became more and more evident as the humans moved forward, a brute took a plasma round in the back as it ran. What the hell...? Josh mouthed. He put his head round the corner; there was a lance of Elites with basic fatigues one wielding plasma rifles, and advancing on a brute defence point. Josh and his team were right in the middle of it. They couldn’t move out, or they’d be in the crossfire, and they couldn’t stay put because they had to reach Laszlo.

“Anyone got any plasma grenades?” He asked, hoping someone had picked some up.

“I do, sir,” an ODST replied with a Greek accent.

“Give me them,” he said and snatched it out of the marine’s hand.

He looked round the corner again, and threw it at the brute barricade, and ordered the ODSTs to engage the Elites while he and his team would tackle the Brutes.

Josh and his Spartans fired short, sustained bursts at the brute –led barricade. They began falling under the sustained fire. The ODSTs were faring well against the Elites, too. However, the Elites were always better trained than the Brutes, and as such, ODSTs began to fall.

“Andrew, assist the ODSTs.” Josh ordered.

“Sir.”

Andrew moved into a hole that had been created in the ODSTs firing pattern. He fired four bursts of his Carbine, before taking the plasma rounds to the chest. He fell to the floor, clutching at his chest. His coughs filled the com in Josh’s ear.

They were being pinned down; there was no hope of getting to Laszlo soon. They needed a way out of this situation, but there was nothing available, he could only hope Laszlo would get to him soon.

“Laszlo, we’re pinned down we need your assistance, over!”