(David Pov)
Pop-pop-pop-pop
AH
Another Grunt screeched as it fell over leaking blue blood. That had been the 6th I'd taken out. By now the forest floor glowed with a subtle blue light making it hell to look out through my night vision.
PING-PING-PING
Three purple needles shot out from some nearby brush and sprung forward. They looked almost like a children's toy but remembering the single plasma bolt that tore through Samuel's chest plating. I wasn't willing to see how my armor would fare against those.
The needles were seemingly heat seeking as they followed my, until they embedded in a tree that I put between me and them.
"Watchat," I heard the brief sound of a Jackal's vocalization above me, and immediately jumped backward.
BZZZZ
A white glowing slug of plasma rocketted into the ground where I'd been standing. I immediately looked upward finding a sniper crouched on a branch, its purple head gear glowing subtly in the night sky.
I squeezed off a few rounds from my MA5K tagging it in non vital areas, but causing it to stumble out of the tree and fall. With a burst of speed I was upon it as it hit the ground, and with one quick stomp I turned its head into mush.
TSSSS-BIIIIII
A blue baseball from behind my back landed and stuck too the tree trunk beside me. I turned slightly and sprinted away deeper into the forest, 'Right about now I wish I'd brought a suppressor,' any form of stealth weapon would be ideal right now.
I heard the distant explosion of the plasma grenade at the same time my eyes caught a strange shimmer ahead of me, 'Nice try,' I couldn't help but snort to myself as I yanked the trigger of my rifle dumping my magazine into an invisible Elite.
As its camouflage de-activated I saw its eyes bulge in surprise while my bullets tore into it. A spray of purple blood sloshed onto my armor with droplets collecting on my visor. I hit the mag release with my right hand as I brought the back of my left to wipe away the fluid before snatching another magazine out of its pouch and injecting it into my gun.
Hitting the charging handle another round was chambered just as I reached down and plucked a frag from my chest. Clicking the fuze I tossed it in one swift motion in the direction I'd just came from. Then I was back sprinting, only stopping when I came across a log to pause and make a short defense.
Suddenly, my helmet buzzed as I received an incoming message, the bottom corner informed me it was from Daisy, "David where are you? We've only got till dawn to pick you up," she said sounding concerned.
I glanced at the digital clock in the other bottom corner of my helmet, "tsk," I couldn't help but click my tongue as I began firing at an approaching jackal pair, 'Time's going to be tight,' I thought but didn't verbalize.
"En route, I will be there before the sun comes up,' I lied as a grunt appeared on my flank causing me to pull out my pistol and dispatch.
"Good," Daisy said sound relieved, "The Captain's getting pissed having to wait, but I can't blame him. We are basically hiding right under the Covenant's noses,"
"Understood," I acknowledged, 'Well he's going to be a bit angrier,' I thought with a wry look under my helmet. I crouched down reloading, "I am in the middle of something. I will call you when I am closer, David over and out," I focused fire on another Elite pushing up with an energy sword.
Seeing more movement ahead of me I repositioned moving away from the log, moments later it was nearly incinerated by oncoming plasma fire. Minutes passed of ongoing fighting, and I was beginning to run out of places to hide, 'Where are they?' I glanced around attempting to spot the large scout vehicle.
A look at my ammo counter in the top right of my HUD told me I was about to be handling things with my hands.
GURRRR
In the distance I found the growl of a conventional motor/engine roar to life, 'About time,' all I needed now was to stall and buy time-
BZZZ-BZZZ-BZZZ
My pupils dilated as nearly folded myself in half to dodge three glimmers of plasma traveling at mach speed. The Jackals had triangulated my position and waited until all three could fire at nearly the same instant.
The first two I managed to evade, but the third had a slight delay. The small beat caused me to nearly stumble to as I tried to move out of the way.
My eyes locked onto the glowing light as it sped toward me. It was close, too close and I wasn't nearly fast enough. As if in slow mo I moved to the side as the round traveled straight, a moment went by and I realized I would be able to evade a lethal hit.
Yet, with its current trajectory it would most likely hit my arm. Based on damage reports, anything besides a graze would most likely take off my arm, separating it at the point of impact. Mjolnir or not it was extremely dense superheated pellet of gasses, and I was still only wearing a titanium suit.
Thoughts flashed through my head as it seemed that losing a limb was a foregone conclusion until finally one thought prevailed above the rest, 'I can live with this, but they're going to be pissed,'
Time sped back up to normal speed the moment the round left my periphery. I didn't look to see the damage and I didn't want to think about it. I had to move, get down otherwise the next one would go straight through my head, and that was not something I could live with.
Glancing to my left I saw a shallow creek, it was filled with only a few inches of water, but was deep enough that I could crouch in and not get my head taken off. I dove into it landing on my shoulder. Water splashed as my pauldron dug into mud, the soil clinging onto it covering the Spartan insignia on it.
I brought my opposite hand and began wiping it off when I paused, 'Its still there,' I marveled at my arm. I looked over seeing a small tongue of smoke rising from my other shoulder. The plasma had grazed me, but managed to not rupture the inner shell.
I didn't know if I should laugh or not, 'Maybe some of John's luck rubbed off on me,' I gave a slight smile under my helmet before I got back on track.
I methodically moved down the creek bed before stopping a good enough distance from where I dove in, 'With their technology I doubt there is any way I can move slowly undetected,' I considered silently, 'My best chance is to take them head on. Put them at a disadvantage and use my speed to close the distance,'
I checked my rifle one last time, 31 lit up on both the weapon's ammo counter and my HUD's with 60 in reserve according to my armor, 'Three mags,' the quick math came instantly.
With a explosion of strength I leapt straight out of the creek and immediately dove into a roll. A flash came in the distance the instant I popped back up.
BZZZZ
'That's one,' I caught a glimpse of the sniper's direction and turned on my feet before sprinting. I moved with little to no reasoning, ducking and weaving sporadically around trees and brush.
BZZZ-BZZZ
Two more shots from behind me passed to the left of me completely missing.
BZZZ
I evaded quickly jumping to the side as a shot came from the front. It missed, but I had locked onto the Sniper's exact location.
Within range I pulled the trigger and let out a line of bullets shredding the Jackal as its head gear fell toward the ground while it hung in the branch. The tree and his perch became his tomb.
I spun around, '2 more,' I reminded myself 20 flickered the blue ammo count. Sprinting I noticed that the shots began to become more erratic but remained accurate. The sniper's were getting desperate, but they didn't suddenly forget years of training.
BRRRRR
I began shooting at the general location of the sniper's nest I approached. I needed to lessen the amount of rounds they were firing off, and suppressing one of them did just that.
BZZZZ
A quick flash and suddenly the rifle I held was missing its entire upper receiver, 'Damn it again!?' I exclaimed internally as I dropped it quickly.
Thinking quickly I reached down and picked up a small stone a bit bigger than a baseball and kept running. I scanned the canopy looking for the purple light of the Jackal's head gear until finally a glimmer caught my eye.
I immediately stopped in my tracks, my metal boots skidding to a halt. A plasma beam passed right in front of my path. I tightened my grip on the rock as I cocked my arm back loading with potential energy.
The next moment my arm came forward throwing it with all of the strength in my arm. The air cracked for a moment as it left my body. In a heartbeat it crossed the air between the Jackal's skull and my hand, and a moment later I saw the dark mass of a Jackal's body falling toward the ground.
BZZZ
My heart skipped a beat as I heard another shot, this time I didn't see it, 'Its behind me,' I instantly realized and began to pivot. I wouldn't be lucky a third time, I accepted hoping I would still be able to complete the mission.
ERRRRRR
My eyes widened in surprise as a Warthog bounded through the forest before stopping between me and the shot. The round plastering itself into the bumper, it melted the armor, but only caused superficial damage overall.
"GET IN!" I heard the cadet, Thomas Lasky, shout from the passenger seat.
Glancing over I recognized cadet Michael Sullivan driving, and cadet Chyler Silva sharing a seat with Lasky.
"About time," I couldn't help but say as I jumped onto the Wathog's chaingun platform. The suspension of the vehicle sagged as my added weight came to bear.
CHICK-CHUNK
I snatched the bolt of the chain gun back chambering a .50 BMG. I swiveled as another plasma bolt slammed into the armored plating around my helmet.
GRRRRRR
With one pull of the trigger I erased the area the sniper had been hiding. I let off the trigger and the barrel of the gun slowed down to a stop leaving only the sounds of the forest and the low rumble of the engine.
"We need to get back to the service roads," I said looking directly at Sullivan in the driver's seat. My helmet knowing my intention instantly brought up a topographical map of the forest, "Go straight 3 tenths of a mile then make a 30 degree right turn," I ordered.
With a quick nod I heard the tires of the Warthog spin before jolting forward. I gripped the chain gun's handles tightly as I spun to the opposite side jerking the trigger as I saw plasma rounds and needles fly toward us.
Like a buzz saw I cut down everything in my way. Trees, brush, Covenant-it didn't matter. Bullets with nearly the diameter of a dime ripped through material with little resistance.
As the I felt the truck turn I spoke again giving the next directions, "2 tenths of a mile turn 45 degrees left," I pivoted back to fight off the heavier concentration of enemies on the other side.
Thomas in front of me and Silva fired their rifles aiming at the side I was not covering. It was a small detail but helpful in the situation, 'Maybe they can be officers yet,'
The barrel of the gun began to glow red from sustained fire, "The service road is dead ahead. Once you hit the gravel turn left and floor it. We are running behind,' Sullivan didn't respond seemingly focused on the path in front of him and my directions.
Tracers continued to erupt from my weapon tearing through shields and flesh of Covenant infantry but I couldn't help and admit.
'We might be able to make it out of this one,'