Location: New Damascus, Research Facility - Outside Perimeter
Date: July 5, 2531
Time: 0920 Hours
We had barely made it outside the facility when the Covenant pushed again. Plasma fire streaked through the air, exploding against the rubble around us as we scrambled for cover. The ground shook from the intensity of the assault, and I could hear the guttural growls of Elites barking orders from just beyond the smoke.
"We can't hold them much longer!" Slink shouted, her voice tight as she fired off another burst from her MA5C.
The enemy was closing in fast, and we were running out of time. I could see the glint of energy shields and the towering figures of Elites moving through the haze, their glowing eyes locked onto us with deadly intent.
"We just need to hold out for the extraction!" I called back, my heart pounding in my chest. But even as I said it, I could feel the desperation creeping in. We were pinned down, outnumbered, and the Covenant wasn't letting up.
It was then that I saw them.
Three Elites emerged from the smoke—two Minors and one Major. They were moving in fast, their plasma rifles raised and their eyes burning with the unmistakable look of bloodlust. They were coming for us.
"Fall back!" I shouted, trying to rally the squad. "We can't hold this position!"
But Fumble didn't move. He was crouched low behind a piece of debris, his SPNKR empty and discarded beside him. His hand was on his knife—the gleaming, worn blade that I had seen him use in countless drills and close-quarters combat. I knew that look in his eyes. He wasn't going anywhere.
"Fumble, what the hell are you doing?!" I shouted, my voice filled with panic.
He glanced over his shoulder, giving me a grin that was equal parts determination and resignation. "Get the others to safety, Junior."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I could see the resolve in his face, the unspoken understanding that he wasn't coming with us. He was going to make his stand here, alone.
"No," I muttered, shaking my head as I stepped forward. "We can fight together! You don't have to do this!"
But Fumble wasn't listening. He stood up from his cover, his knife in hand, and faced the three Elites head-on.
"Go!" he barked, his voice carrying over the chaos of the battle. "I've got this!"
The Elites moved in fast, their plasma rifles lighting up the battlefield as they fired on him. But Fumble was faster. He darted forward, weaving between the shots with a precision I had never seen before, closing the distance between himself and the first Elite Minor in a heartbeat.
In one swift motion, Fumble was on the Elite, his knife flashing as it found its mark between the armor plates of the alien's neck. The Elite let out a choking roar as it staggered backward, its hand reaching for its throat, but it was too late. Fumble had already pulled the blade free and moved to the next target.
The second Elite Minor swung its plasma rifle like a club, trying to bludgeon him with the sheer force of its strength. But Fumble ducked low, rolling under the attack and coming up behind the alien in a blur of movement. His knife struck again, this time plunging deep into the Elite's side. The alien howled in pain, dropping to its knees as Fumble twisted the blade and pulled it free in one fluid motion.
Two down.
For a brief moment, I thought he might actually do it. I thought he might take them all.
But the Elite Major was different. Bigger, faster, and far more skilled than its subordinates.
It moved with terrifying speed, closing the distance between itself and Fumble in the blink of an eye. Before Fumble could react, the Major's energy sword ignited, its blade crackling with deadly energy.
Fumble lunged forward, his knife ready to strike, but the Elite Major was faster. It parried the attack with ease, swatting Fumble's arm aside and spinning in one swift motion. The energy sword flashed through the air, and before any of us could do anything, it pierced Fumble's chest.
The moment hung in the air, frozen.
Fumble gasped, his knife slipping from his hand as the energy sword burned through his armor and into his body. His eyes widened in shock, the pain hitting him all at once as the Elite Major twisted the blade.
"No!" I screamed, my voice raw with horror.
But it was too late.
The Elite Major pulled the sword free, and Fumble staggered backward, his hands grasping at the wound. Blood poured from the gash, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he dropped to his knees.
For a moment, the battlefield went silent. I couldn't hear the gunfire, couldn't hear the shouts of the squad. All I could see was Fumble, kneeling in the dirt, the life slipping away from him.
He looked at me, his face pale but still managing a weak smile. "Told you… I had this, Junior," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the chaos.
And then he fell.
Location: New Damascus, Research Facility - Outside Perimeter
Date: July 5, 2531
Time: 0925 Hours
Everything felt distant, muted. Fumble was gone. I could barely process it, barely comprehend what had just happened. One minute he was standing there, defiant and full of life, and the next… he was gone.
The Elite Major roared in triumph, its energy sword raised high as it turned its attention back to us. But I wasn't thinking anymore. My body moved on its own, my hands raising Allen's rifle and unloading every last round I had into the alien's shields.
The Elite's shields flared, then collapsed, and the last few rounds tore through its armor, sending it crashing to the ground in a heap.
But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered.
"Fumble…" Slink whispered, her voice trembling as she knelt beside his body. Her hands hovered over him, as if she didn't know what to do, how to help. But there was nothing to help. He was gone.
We had lost Fumble.
The extraction Pelican roared overhead, its thrusters kicking up dust and debris as it descended toward us. But I barely noticed. I was still staring at Fumble, the reality of his death crashing down on me like a wave.
"We need to go," Doc said, her voice tight with grief as she pulled at my arm. "Casper, we have to go. Now."
But I couldn't move. I couldn't leave him.
Allen's dog tags felt heavy around my neck, a constant reminder of the responsibility I now carried. First Allen, now Fumble. How many more would we lose before this war was over?
"We can't leave him," I muttered, my voice shaking. "We can't just leave him here."
But I knew the truth. There was no time. The Covenant was still closing in, and if we didn't get on that Pelican, we'd all be dead.
With one last glance at Fumble, I stood, my legs trembling beneath me. We had to survive. For him. For Allen.
"We'll come back for him," I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. "We'll come back."
We never could make it back to that rock.