Spartan 117 (Halo)

[Orb]

Each of his squad mates were only 13, but they would have towered above any person bold enough to stand in their way. This, apparently, really pissed off the people that Mendez had hired-for the Spartans to fight. Another game of Capture the Flag, one that John knew the other men were determined to win. Long ago had they given up the hope of avoiding wounded, and they were definitely frustrated to the breaking point. Sam tapped his arm, and John ripped his gaze from the flag, flapping in the breeze a quarter mile away.

"What?" He whispered. Kelly crept up alongside him, knife in hand. They were standing on a rocky hilltop,facing east. The sun burned spots into his retinas.

"Team Red's not responding," He pointed down to a group of men huddled by the entrance, guns blazing.

"Damn-they've been found. Radio Linda!" He primed the pistol he'd filched from one of the men down by the blockade. Sam did the same.

"Linda, come in." Kelly whispered into the radio.

Silence.

"Come in, Linda!"

The radio buzzed to life, and John flicked his eyes up to the tree he knew she was hiding in, a mile away.

"Copy that,"She sounded annoyed.

"Do you see Red team?" John asked.

"Uh....... Yes-What the-"

"Cover them. Pick off those men-use headshots." He craned his neck. Crap, one had Fred by the throat. "I don't care if they die." He nodded to his teammates and sprinted down the slope, ducking behind rocks and fallen frees. Sam slipped and moaned as his ankle struck a sharp outcropping of granite. John did'nt waste time.

"Stay here, Sam. Keep the gun with you and stay as hidden as possible. Kelly, with me." Kelly radioed Linda again.

"Wer'e going in; Keep your shots away from us."

"Copy."

The pair sprinted down the slope again, passing a number of flowering, brightly colored plants. For a moment, he felt the shadow of a sneeze darken his nose, but it was gone before it ever really began. One of the men grabbed at his torso, blodd oozing between his fingers as Grace nipped his with a rock. Another one crumpled to the ground, a single drop of blood rolling from his head-good, Linda was doing her job.

They ducked behind a large, bright white dandelian, and John felt the need to sneeze return. Irritated, he shrugged it off. Kelly peered over the plant's thick foliage, a frown creasing her face.

"*Sniff* What?" John asked, following her trail of sight.

"Fred's blue!" She crouched, and John snared her arm between his hands.

"No! Not yet! They'll...... They'll......." His head bobbed, and his sentence trailed off. He shook his head, and the urge intensified. His shoulders hunched slightly, and his head tilted back. Kelly raised an eyebrow.

"They'll what?" She asked. John's eyes fluttered and his nostrils flared.

He couldn't sneeze. The men would hear and they would be in trouble-his head snapped straight and his body doubled up, and right in his friend's face-

"Huh...... Hact'ck!" He rubbed his nose and nearly yelped when Kelly slowly reached up and wiped her face clean with her bandana. One of the beating men looked up-long enough for Fred to struggle free and, gasping for breath, stab him in the stomach.

"S-sorr- Huh.... Huh....... Hactchew! Hactchew!" He turned and sneezed sharply two more times-each time, a man would look up, only to be killed by the very people he had been told to fight.

"Hactchew!" He sneezed again, and recoiled as Kelly touched his shoulder. How shoulders bunched, and he prepared for another sneeze.

"John!" She snapped, "Pay attention! The men are dead!"

"Wh....... What?" He squinted at where the men were. Only five bodies remained.

"You saved us. Now all we have to do is get the flag!"

"Huh........."He pitched his nose shut in slight desperation. "Want Boud tbe ben?" He asked thickly.

"Linda's got eyes, you know." Kelly rolled her eyes and pointed. Suddenly, his carefully built dam broke.

"Hah.... huh..... HACTCHEW!!" He doubled over and sniffed experimentally. Kelly gave him a quizzical look, then stood and rendezvoused with the other team. Sniffling and sneezing, John picked his way after them. He asked Kelly not to tell anyone what had happened.

She'd remember it for the rest of her life-as would he.

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

Awww, bless him. Very nicely done.

[Orb]

Thank you! I've recently gotten into Halo, but so far I'm only able to read the books. It's epic!

[Pyrus_Fangmon]

Halo is one of my babe games

Action, adventure, torture, and so many opportunities to mess with the characters. Heeheehee.

[Orb]

lol, I agree