Halo: Feet First into Hell

When I Die Bury Me Deep

Time: 15:23 Date: 23rd August Year: 2552

Location: New Alexandria, Eposz, planet Reach

We ran through the rest of the building to rescue another group of civilians trapped somewhere in the building. "Where are they trapped?" I asked. 

"Ten floors below us on floor forty three." Rod replied. We entered the elevator and pressed the button for then forty third floor. The elevator began to descend and we looked out at the burning city through the glass walls. The doors opened and we looked around there were no marines, no civilians not even any covenant forces. 

"Where are they?" Tech asked. 

"Keep your eyes peeled." Rod told us. We scoped out the area looking all around for any signs of movement. We turned round a corner and saw the bodies of the civilians and marines. 

"Fucking bastards!" Tech screamed, the sound echoed round the entire floor. 

"Is this them?" I asked hopefully. Rod bent down and took off the dog tags off the neck of one of the marines then he turned to us. 

"Yeah, this them." 

"Shit." Tech said. 

"Seems that they died protecting the civilians." I replied. Rod held up a clenched fist and we fell silent. He pointed upwards and we looked towards the ceiling I saw a drone trying to hide among the beams. Rod held up three fingers, we got ready to run, he then held up two fingers, then one, he clenched his fist in a downwards motion and we made a break for the elevator, instantly drones burst out of every fucking hiding place, there was a cloud of bugs and plasma, we continued running without slowing down. Tech was first at the doors and he pressed the call button whilst providing us with covering fire, the doors opened and he stepped inside still firing his rifle. Rod was just meters from the door and I was two steps behind him. The drones where almost all over us, a plasma shot hit me in the back of by left foot; I cried out in pain, Rod paused in mid stride and turned round he grabbed my chest plate and threw me into the lift. 

"Go now!" He cried. He turned round unleashing a full magazine into the cloud of bugs. "That's an order troopers!" Neither of us wanted to be the one to press the button. He turned his rifle towards the controls and fired, there was a sudden pause then the elevator dropped rapidly then the emergency breaks kicked in and the elevator slowly came to a halt between floors. 

"What now?" I asked. 

"We improvise. There are still more civilians that need escorting so we still have a job to do. " He looked at the right wall of the elevator and aimed his assault rifle at it. He fired several rounds shattering the glass. The wind this high up was blowing extremely hard and fast, he then aimed at the window and fired a few more rounds breaking the glass on the level. 

"Can you make that? " I asked. 

"Of course." Tech replied looking at me. "Question is though, can you?" He turned and leapt out over the gap landing firmly inside the building. "Come on!" He had to shout over the gusting winds. I slung my rifle over my back and swung my arms back and forth, suddenly I found myself leaping through the air and tumbling in through the window frame. I stood up, stretched and groaned. 

"I'm getting to old for this shit." I said. 

"Aren't we all." Tech replied patting me on the back. He pressed the button to call the other lift down. A banshee seemed to come out of nowhere, it straight towards us shooting as it went. We ducked for cover as it headed upwards and shot at the lift. It fell towards the ground in a ball of metal and flame. "Where the fuck do these things come from?" Tech asked. We ducked behind cover again the heard the roar of machine guns and the banshee exploded pieces of it flew in there the window. We stood up to see a falcon rise up. 

"Hotel Indigo this is Big Bird, seemed like you needed some assistance. We picked up the orders that some civilians were being evacuated from these coordinates and we came as fast as we could." The pilot said. 

"Fucking hell it's good to see you mate," Tech replied over comms. "The civilians were trapped on the forty third floor but they were dead before we got there." 

"Copy that. Do you need a ride?" 

"Thought you'd never ask." The falcon turned and hovered close enough for us to jump aboard. 

"Where's Rod?" The pilot asked. 

"He didn't make it." Tech replied. 

"Understood." The falcon took off heading north. 

"Where to now?" I asked. 

"The shuttle landing bay, there are three squads of marines holding up there. They're trying to make sure no covenant breach the bay doors. I have to drop you off whilst i pick up another squad of ODST's." 

"What makes them so special? Why do they get to go whilst we stay?" I asked. 

"They're the bullfrogs" The pilot replied. Command needs them for helping secure a vital sector inside the city." The Bullfrogs were a renowned squad of ODST's who used jetpacks to move across difficult terrain with ease. The falcon flew for another 3 minutes before touching down on the Tarmac. We hopped out and rallied towards the CO he was a major, went by the name of Jared. We saw the Bullfrogs board the falcon as it took off. "Hotel Indigo this is Big Bird. Good luck." 

"Copy that Big Bird, and thanks." Tech responded. 

"Anytime. Over and out." It flew of into the distance and we turned round to help out where we could. The marines were placing down sandbags and other pieces of equipment to use as cover, they set up turrets and loaded magazines awaiting the fight to come.