Sent To Protect and Serve Humanity

Chapter 5: Blending In

3rd POV

Valorous could feel the warmth of the blankets on top of him, basking in the feeling he still hadn't gotten used to. Maybe he wouldn't have to worry about the past anymore. Life here seemed so much easier than service within the Navy.

He happily began to forget the painful memories of war, ignoring the howling of wind around him.

Howling wind?

The boy shot up from his 'bed' to realize he was resting on a dropped stretcher. Blood oozed down old wounds that had healed up long ago, his service uniform was torn, and his right forearm ran red because of a jagged piece of metal that lodged itself within his shoulder.

The boy tried to clutch the steel with his left arm, only to find it numb and not responding to his mental commands.

He looked up and tried to look ahead, but his vision was obscured by a thick haze of soot and ash. The harder he concentrated his gaze, the thicker the wall became. There were a couple of things nearby, such as a broken radio, empty ammo boxes with bullet casings surrounding them, a hastily assembled half-wall of sandbags, and an M6D Magnum resting on top of it.

"ANYBODY OUT THERE!?" He shouted into the desolate wasteland. His voice was hoarse and weak, but his spirit had yet to falter.

The boy gathered his strength and forced himself to his feet. It was a miracle they even worked.

He stumbled towards the small barricade and nearly fell, but he caught himself on it. With fear and fatigue, he snatched the magnum from its resting place and made sure it was loaded, which it fortunately was. It shook in his weakened right hand, but he refused to be defenseless.

An explosion echoed from deeper within the storm of ash. Soon after, several stray bolts of plasma flew overhead, barely avoiding the boy's head.

Without wasting any time, he tried to summon his rigging but found the connection he had with his ship to be severed. By who or what was beyond him, but he had one goal and one only: To rejoin the fight.

Valorous limped towards the fray, coming across several helmets belonging to the UNSC, Sangheili, and Jiralhanae. Some were even stacked in bloody mounds. Eventually, he came across the shattered remains of someone's rigging.

He picked it up and scanned the fallen ship for any giveaways. Then, a voice echoed through his head.

"Coward."

One word that made him drop to his knees. It sounded like someone he knew, but it was off. Her voice was intertwined with what seemed like several others.

"Disgrace."

Another one boomed through his head, this time a masculine one. He looked around and was met with a round fresh from a Brute Spiker to his free shoulder, throwing him to the ground.

Valorous screamed in pain as he frantically searched for the dropped magnum.

A sickening laugh was heard from the direction of the bullet. The voice was coarse, gruff, and had a constant growl.

"How... interesting." The hulking figure of a Jiralhanae crept into view, a young girl with short, black hair struggling in his grip. "I missed one."

With a terrible crunch, the girl fell limp and was dropped to the ground. Her emerald green ovals stared up at the dead, ash-filled sky, her face etched in pure terror, amplified by a streak of dry tears.

The very Brute Cheiftan that took the lives of his family all that time ago, stood in front of him with a death grip on his Gravity Hammer.

"I had hoped for your last rook..." He raised the hammer into the air and snarled at the boy. "Not a pawn."