Eye for an Eye

Location: New Damascus, Landing Zone

Date: July 5, 2531

Time: 0515 Hours

The LZ was chaos. Plasma fire crisscrossed the battlefield, streaks of blue and green lighting up the smoke-filled air. Grunts and Jackals were pouring in from all sides, pushing us hard as we fought to secure the area.

I dove behind a pile of wreckage, my breath coming in short, sharp bursts as I fired off a few rounds at an approaching Jackal. Its shield flickered and collapsed, and it went down with a sharp hiss of pain. But for every one we took down, more seemed to swarm in.

"We need to push forward!" Allen shouted over the comms, his voice cutting through the noise. "Ramirez, hit that Wraith! Take it out before it pins us down!"

I barely had time to register his order before a blast of plasma hit the ground near me, sending a wave of heat and debris over my cover. I ducked instinctively, my heart hammering in my chest as I scanned the battlefield. The Wraith—Covenant artillery—was parked at the far end of the LZ, its turret glowing as it lined up its next shot.

"Slink, Casper, move up! We need to clear that Wraith's flank!" Allen's voice snapped me into focus.

I nodded, even though Allen couldn't see me through the comms, and started moving toward Slink, who was already sprinting through the wreckage, her MA5C spitting rounds as she ducked behind cover. The ground shook as another blast from the Wraith hit nearby, sending chunks of concrete and metal flying.

I was almost to her when something caught my eye—a flash of movement on a rooftop above. Before I could process it, a sharp, sizzling sound pierced the air. My instincts kicked in, but it was too late.

"Casper, down!" Slink shouted, and before I could react, she tackled me hard, sending us both sprawling behind a nearby pile of debris. A second later, a beam of energy sizzled past where I had been standing. I blinked, the reality of what had just happened sinking in.

Jackal sniper.

I would've been dead.

Casper, you're getting slow, I thought.

"Looks like I just saved your ass, Rookie," Slink muttered, her breathing heavy from the exertion as she peered over the cover. She gave me a grin, her eyes sharp with adrenaline. "I think that makes us even."

I opened my mouth to thank her, but before I could get the words out, I saw it—another Jackal sniper, perched on the wreckage ahead, lining up a shot at Slink's exposed flank.

"Slink, down!" I shouted, grabbing her arm and yanking her to the ground just as the beam rifle fired. The shot hit the debris behind us, sending a shower of sparks into the air.

She blinked, momentarily stunned as she realized how close the shot had come. "Oh, for the love of—" she growled, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Fine, Rookie. Guess you got me this time."

I grinned despite the situation. "Looks like we're even again."

She shot me a sidelong look, a mixture of frustration and appreciation flickering across her face. "Let's try to keep it that way, huh? I don't plan on making this a habit."

Before either of us could say more, Allen's voice came over the comms again, cutting through the moment. "Casper, Slink, focus! We've got incoming. Wraith's lining up another shot—take it out, now!"

We scrambled to our feet, the banter between us slipping away as the battle's intensity pulled us back in. The Wraith loomed ahead, its turret glowing ominously as it charged another plasma shot. Ramirez was repositioning his SPNKR, but he wasn't going to be in range for a clean shot yet. We had to move now.

"Follow me!" Slink shouted, already sprinting toward the Wraith's flank, keeping low as she moved through the wreckage. I followed close behind, my heart pounding in my ears.

The Wraith's turret swiveled, locking onto Ramirez's position as it prepared to fire.

I aimed down the sights of my M392, squeezing the trigger as I unloaded on the Grunts guarding the Wraith. One by one, they fell, their armor cracking under the sustained fire.

Slink was already in position, planting a charge on the Wraith's rear thruster. She gave me a sharp nod, signaling it was time to fall back.

"Fire in the hole!" she yelled, and we sprinted for cover as the charge detonated.

The explosion rocked the battlefield, and I turned just in time to see the Wraith's rear end go up in a ball of fire and smoke, its turret dropping lifelessly to the ground.

"We're clear!" Slink called over the comms, her voice triumphant. "Ramirez, take the shot!"

Ramirez didn't waste any time. His SPNKR locked onto the crippled Wraith, and the rocket streaked through the air, slamming into the vehicle with a satisfying explosion. The Wraith was done.

"Nice work, Beta Four," Allen said, his voice steady. "We've got the LZ clear for now. Regroup at my position."

Location: New Damascus, Central District

Date: July 5, 2531

Time: 0530 Hours

As we regrouped, the adrenaline began to fade, leaving a heavy exhaustion in its place. The LZ was mostly secure, though pockets of resistance still lingered around the edges. UNSC forces were moving in now, establishing defensive positions and preparing for the next phase of the operation.

Slink gave me a nod as we jogged over to Allen's position. "Not bad, Rookie. You're getting better at this."

I smiled, still feeling the rush from the firefight. "Thanks. I guess we're even now, for real."

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Let's not make a habit of saving each other every five minutes, yeah? I'd rather not owe you any more favors."

"Deal," I said, grinning.

But even as we exchanged banter, I could feel the weight of the mission ahead of us. This was just the beginning. The Covenant was dug in deep, and we still had to reach the research facility. The hardest part was yet to come.

Allen gathered us into formation, his eyes scanning the battlefield before turning to address the team. "We've cleared the LZ, but we're not done yet. The main force is on its way, but we need to move ahead and secure the facility before the Covenant can entrench themselves any further. Stay sharp. This isn't over."

The team nodded, the humor and lightness fading as the reality of the mission sank back in. We were just getting started.

As we moved out, I couldn't help but glance at Slink one more time. Despite everything, I knew we had each other's backs. We were a team, and we were going to finish this together.