[b]Scene Title: Arcadia City

Characters: Corporal Gregory "Zulu" Zivaku (Kilo One), Lance Corporal Azumi Ian (Kilo Two), Private James Anchors (Kilo Three), Private Tyler Vesely (Kilo Four), Sergeant John Forge, and Adam the child for the named humans (except one unnamed soldier). K1-R4 for an AI (age 11).

Context (Situation): During a mission in Pirth City, the capital of the planet Arcadia in the Haloverse, a pre-Interference Azumi and Greg Zivaku help to cover the evacuation of the city. This takes place during the "Halo Wars" levels of "Arcadia City" and passing through "Arcadia Outskirts" by implication.[/b]


[i]February 9, 2531
Pirth City, Arcadia human Outer Colony, Procyon System, Haloverse[/i]

It was not a dark and stormy night. It probably should have been, but there's the weather for you. In fact, the sun was shining brightly on the spaceport of the capital city.

Lovely weather for an alien invasion? Probably not.

The Arcadian patrol was trying to help evacuate citizens of the capital city in the midst of the massacre. However, the incoming support from the Spirit of Fire knew that while clearing out the planet was of some aid to the Covenant, they were truly after some Forerunner artifact hidden somewhere within the colony, likely unknown to all who lived there.

Four black objects streaked across the sky, over the Covenant ships and footsoldiers. The large pods smashed through an overpass bridge, straight down close to the second cargo ship's platform. One of the ships was already in ruins, all of those within it dead. One by one, the hatches on the pods snapped off, falling forward off of the Human Entry Vehicles as the four ODST soldiers jumped out. One carried a battle rifle, another a sniper rifle, a third an assault rifle, and the fourth a suppressed SMG, an Energy Sword hilt at the hip of the latter, and a suppressed magnum pistol on the opposite hip of all four.

The one with the assault rifle looked up at their entry point, depolarizing his visor to get a better look at their entry point without a distracting Heads Up Display. "Ah, crap. I hope the UEG isn't gonna make us pay for that." He stepped over his pod's door, labeled with the name ANCHORS.

The one who opted to use standard ODST gear only just looked to the others. "VISRs up, check objectives. Kira?"

The artificial intelligence spoke into the headsets of the entire team. [i]"Two cargo ships left. Unless you want this capital to be glassed and full of dead civilians, I suggest you get as many people on board as you can."[/i]

James' visor darkened again to opacity, bringing back up his HUD as they all activated their VISR data management systems, which were directly connected to the neural implants in the backs of their heads. Arrows and distances in meters were brought up, as were other essentials such as ammunition count and equipped weaponry.

Azumi, with her battle rifle aiming around in case any Covenant had decided to attack them yet, spoke up. "Are you [i]sure[/i] she doesn't have a mute function?"

[i]"Ah, f*** you."[/i]

"No thanks," Tyler muttered, with his sniper rifle. "You ain't my type."

Greg just ignored them. "Sarge, you have ODSTs on the ground. Any suggestions? Over."

Sergeant Forge, the ground forces' leader directly under Cutter, was quick to respond. [i]"Just get us some damn backup already! All of your troopers to Cargo Two, pronto! Over!"[/i]

Not sparing another word, Zulu gave his orders through hand signals, not wanting Forge to know exactly what they would be doing. Tyler and Azumi were to take charge in going to Cargo One, using a nearby Warthog jeep to drive there. The medic would take to one of the towers around the launch pad to help sniper off incoming Ghost riders and footsoldiers, while Azumi kept to another tower, taking the same job at a somewhat closer range. Meanwhile, the team leader and the engineer would head to Cargo Two, and try to protect the civilians there. The teams would keep in contact over their radio signals, but not meet up unless absolutely necessary. With that, they split up.

===

[i]Six minutes later...[/i]

"Suppressive fire!" Greg called back to James, who instantly complied, spraying bullets at the Grunts and Elites who were nearby. Meanwhile, the corporal barked orders at several normal Marines. "Open that door!"

Five of the Marines ran to the console to open the way to the tram station. Only two made it without falling to plasma fire, and the rest died at the console before they could activate it.

"Son of a b****..." Greg swore, shooting the remainder of his submachine gun's ammunition into the Grunts to kill them before drawing his Energy Sword and charging the two more honorable Sangheili who took the challenge, drawing their own similar weapons. Unluckily, these were not very experienced fighters, as the young man knew from their red armor alone. Apparently this gate was not ranked as very important by their superior officers.

The entire fight did not last longer than forty five seconds. Greg ducked under both horizontal slashes, and sliced at the leg of the alien on his right, causing him to yell in pain before the plasma blade decapitated him. The other one was unprepared as the surprisingly experienced swordsman picked up the dropped hilt, reigniting it before taking his more comfortable dual-wielding stance. He swung again and again at the enemy Major Domo Elite, each blow merely being fended off, with no countering. In the meantime, the young man just spat his taunt in the alien's own tongue, one that no other human had trained him- or herself in. "Here's to your relic." With that, he feigned a slash to the Elite's left side with his right blade, which was blocked in turn, before stabbing straight through the chest with the other one, killing it instantly and dropping it to the ground. "Anchors, the door!"

As James ran to the door, Greg got a message on his radio, one from Azumi. She seemed to be panting, as if in pain. [i]"Zulu...I've been hit. We're close to clearing this place out, but..."[/i]

The door opened, and out ran a small boy, about seven years old. He had on a dark green shirt and lighter green pants, with short, brown hair. He seemed terrified. From what his mother had said back at Cargo Two, his name was Adam.

"Come with us, kid," the corporal said, deactivating one sword and jogging back toward the Warthog they had borrowed.

A Hornet plane was hovering near the spot as they got inside. Apparently the skipper did send some help after all. James took the wheel of the car as Adam sat between them, Greg dropping his SMG and putting away his Energy Swords in favor of his longer range pistol to lean out of the side.

James patted the crying boy's head to calm him, then floored the gas, heading back toward the evacuation carrier as Greg continued to talk to Azumi.

===

[i]"You still there, Ian?"[/i]

Azumi's vision blurred in and out of focus, the plasma blast that hit her on the left side from the beam rifle down below having left its steaming impression, a cauterized wound. Another one was from her right, the one that had forced her to stop firing, and for Vesely to pick up the slack. She did not know if she would survive this.

"Yeah..." she gasped, slumping to the ground in her tower, the battle rifle at her side, after she had applied the temporary biofoam to her wounds herself. It felt like a thousand fire ants were crawling over the wounds, the burns, but it would help coagulate the blood and clean the wound a bit better for a short time. "Greg, if I don't make it out of this...I need you to know..."

[i]"That's the last one! Ha ha! Look at 'em run!"[/i] Apparently Tyler had sniped off the last of the Elites, sending the Grunts screaming in terror in all directions. At this point, it was more a question of marksmanship than of timing. Ghosts and Spirits were in blue, flaming wrecks about the battlefield, alongside Warthogs and Hornets, UNSC and Covenant troops littering the area as well.

[i]"What's that, LC? You're breaking up."[/i]

She had to tell him now, if she was going to say it at all. Could she do it? "Greg, I--"

[i]"Corporal Zulu or Kilo One. We're on official business here, Ian."[/i]

Idiot. "Please... listen... I...." She didn't have time to say more before she blacked out. At least she had the satisfaction of knowing that her sacrifice was not in vain, as the sound of the ships breaking atmosphere was clearly audible.

===

[i]After the evacuation from the city, on the UNSC ship Spirit of Fire...[/i]

Azumi opened her eyes. She was...alive? Her undershirt was on, the armor likely stripped away to allow a corpsman to heal her more easily. For her health or not, the lance corporal did not very much like that being done to her while she was unconscious. Her eyes opened slowly, carefully, so as to avoid temporarily blinding herself with a light source before she tried to lift herself.

"...how long was I out?" she muttered, trying to move. Every move was sluggish, but she did recognize her surroundings as the Spirit. The bandages around her midsection restrained her movements somewhat, but not a lot. She would likely be able to take them off soon as she could walk straight.

"Most of the rest of the day, I'd say," came the voice of her commanding officer, her direct superior. His form was blurry. When her eyes widened, he merely looked to someone else in the room. "Corpsman, fill her in."

Then came a voice she didn't want to hear. "Well, LC, I gave you a dose of PPM. Polypseudomorphine. Had to drug you to get you back up here in one piece, or you'd try to fight your way across the outskirts. You know you would have wanted to try your aim against a Spartan's as much as the next shock trooper."

Azumi looked to the third occupant of the room, assuming the identity. "Hey, Three, did he--?"

Anchors cut her off. "Made sure a female corpsman put on those bandages. You'll probably be okay to walk in an hour or so."

Azumi fell back on the bed, sighing with relief that was probably at least partly exaggerated.

"Hey, I have my limits! I know, no touchy!"

The most recently wounded member of the team sat up again, leaning on her elbows. Finally, the others were in focus. "Greg, about what I said..."

Another medic, this one female, came into the room, looking to Greg. "Sergeant Forge wants to see you."

"Tell him I'm busy."

"He said you aren't, and I quote, 'too busy to disobey direct orders and get our men killed.'"

The undercover Interference muttered under his breath, but looked to her again. "If this about that ONI s*** again?"

"See for yourself. He's at the bridge with the skipper." With that, she walked off.

Azumi spoke again. "Greg, listen." He turned briefly. "Did you understand what I was saying? Back in Pirth?"

"We all need backup sometimes, Kilo Two. Don't forget that. And I never leave my team in the dust."

He didn't even come close to understanding. Anger came to her voice. "Go see the Sarge, sir."

The CO looked to the others. "Was it something I said?"

James palmed his face. "Figure this one out yourself, man."

"Everyone out. I need to rest." The other two hesitated, though the called-for one did leave. [i]"Out!"[/i] Only then did they leave, walking very quickly to get away from her. The second-in-command grunted, falling back on her bed once more and running a hand through her hair. Maybe she'd dye it again once she got back on her feet, just in case it was coming out. Anything to get her mind off the fact that she was surrounded by idiots, but still cared about him. Only one word she could think of really encompassed what she was feeling at that moment, before she drifted back off to sleep, still drowsy.

[i]"Men."[/i]