Halo: Feet First into Hell

Out of the Frying Pan

Time: 7:28 Date: 16th May Year: 2530

Location: UNSC Everest, in orbit above planet Harvest

I walked along one of the corridors of the ship towards the mess everyone was waking up and I needed to get something to eat. Tech caught up with me. "Hey Rookie! Great job down there, you flew that thing like it was second nature." He sounded as enthusiastic as ever. I began to hear the thumping of heavy footsteps behind me, I turned round to see Rod standing in front of me his hulking mass looming over me.

"Er..." He began. "Good job." He extended his hand and I shook it. "So where are you two headed?" His voice booming.

"I'm gonna go and grab a bite to eat. I haven't had anything to eat in hours."

"Same here." Rod replied.

"Me too." Tech said. We began to walk along they seemed far less serious than earlier and I began to see the kind of people they were beneath the armour. Tech flung his arm round my neck.

"Helljumper, helljumper, where you been?" Tech shouted out.

"Feet first into hell and back again!" Rod replied.

"When I die please bury me deep!" I found myself joining in.

"Place an MA5 down by my feet!" We were all singing it now. "Don't cry for me, don't shed a tear! Just pack my box with PT gear! 'Cuz one early morning 'bout zero five! The ground will rumble, there'll be lightning in the sky! Don't you worry, don't come undone! It's just my ghost on a PT run!"

"Hoorah!" Rod shouted at the end. He gave me a hardy whack on the back. "Nice going Rookie." He said to me as we entered the mess. There were troops, crew members and officers all eating a variety of different meals. We grabbed trays and loaded them with food. I saw Cap by the window and began to walk over to him but Rod stopped me and put his hand on my shoulder. "Easy now, he's just lost ten men under his command in the past 24 hours. Just take it slow." I paused for a moment then continued walking. I placed my tray down on the table in silence the others did the same, Cap just continued to stare out the window not uttering a word or even acknowledging our presence. A marine walked by and stopped at our table.

"Can we help you?" Tech asked?

"Nah I just wanted to see the squad who let two fire teams die."

"What did you say?" Rod asked clenching his fists.

"All I'm saying is that you let two fire teams die, some of whom were good friends of mine. I see even your captain can keep more than half his squad alive on one mis..." He was cut short as Cap leapt passed me tackling him to the ground then throw punches at him left and right. Rod and Tech were quick to act as they shot up and pulled Cap off the marine, who was now suffering from a broken nose and a missing tooth. Cap yelled out as he was pulled away.

"You think you've got it tough?" He screamed. "Our fucking intel was off! I lost three men in the drop alone! Another two as they tried to get out of there pods! One more was killed making his way to us and another four died on getting the fuck back here! So you think you've got it tough because you lost a few mates? I lost ten men who I had known and trained with for years!" He shook of Tech and Rod holding him walked over to the marine with tears building up in his eyes. He just looked at the marine and pointed at him. "Don't you ever fucking talk to me again! If you do, I' ll kill you!" He began to turn around but then whipped round and punched the marine a square in the face dislocating his jaw. The marine cried out in pain and Cap just ignored him and walked out of the mess and back to his quarters. The marine was carried out, he screamed back at us.

"You fucking ODST's! I'll kill you all!"

"Just shut the fuck up!" Tech called back.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" I asked.

"Hell be fine, just a few stitches a new tooth and a little over a week in the med bay and he'll be right as rain." Tech said.

"No I mean Cap. I've never seen him ever lose it like that before." I looked at Tech.

"No one has." Rod responded from behind us. "I don't know how he'll cope with it and I don't even know if he'll be able to cope with it." We stood there in silence for five or so minutes before going back to eating.

After breakfast I lay awake on my bed, I couldn't sleep at all no matter how tired I was. I got up and walked over to Cap's quarters. Tech and Rod had already gone back off to there rooms and everyone else was at there posts. I knocked on the door of Cap's room, but received no reply. I knocked harder but still I heard no reply. I slowly opened the door to Caps room and I saw him muttering to himself on the bed with a gun in one hand "You're a fucking useless captain." He was saying to himself. "Just end it now, no more will then die under your fucking useless command."

"Sir?" I asked. His eyes shot up at me. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm alright." He started to smile with a surreal look. "I mean there's no problem here, I'm as fit as a fiddle, I mean I led ten fucking men to their deaths but nothing is the problem."

"Sir could you just put the gun down then we can talk." He look at the pistol with surprise on his face.

"This? Forgot I had it, I wonder if it's loaded."

"Well we could check after you put it down." He chucked the pistol down on the bed.

"What's the point of it all hey? Whats the fucking point!" He snatched up the gun before I had the chance to grab it. He placed it to his head and looked at me. "Goodbye Rookie." He said as he pulled the trigger. I heard the gun fire and the next thing I saw was his blood splattered against the opposite wall.

"Medic!" I called out. I didn't know what else to do. Rod was first at the door.

"Aw fuck!" He said. He called the medics and they came but there was nothing they could do, he was dead from the moment he pulled the trigger.