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Well they're mission would be tough. Winter wouldn't do with anything less. No, it wasn't a suicide mission but he was a man who with a good batch of men could turn a so called suicide mission into a unforgettable success. The second to last word was not so true, unforgettable. Maybe when people looked into the past but it was forgotten because those who were there slowly faded away as battles raged on and the war kept taking lives. Somehow he, Winter had survived. That would change someday just not yet. The ODST had learned how to fight and his body had changed. No longer your common man but something greater. Something that had evolved, no not evolved, unlocked all the human bodies ability. That sixth-sense that came to you, you knew where to run without thinking before it happened and in doing so you saved your a** and others. It was being able to see five seconds into the future and react appropriately. The ability wasn't refined, and he never thought it would be. But that was the full ability of the human body. You can still die but your chances of death lower. Still Winter had starred death in the eyes several time. Thats why there were those brave men and women who were medics. Able to work miracles.

Because of one of them Shelly, who'd been of late quiet. Probably milling about doing her own thing.

"Shelly," Winter asked questionably, as if she just might not be there as he slid his black helmet across his face.

"Yes Winter." The voice answered, the shadowy girl holding her flaming book appeared upon his HUD, she seemed tired. And her appearance usually showed what was truly going through the AI.

A grin flashed across the man's lips. "Been listening?"

"And seeing," she answered. "Good rescue. Quick, simple, no casualties or wounded. Of those who went in of course. The Major and one other survived. It seems he'll live yet he is in critical."

Dammit, she knows to much. Winter thought. At least she wouldn't go rogue. Winter knew the AI knew of his love for the UNSC and the want to cleanse the world of all those who threatened the human race. She wouldn't betray him or any of those who worked with him. She was an AI and programmed to help. This one special and more sophisticated then the rest. A nerd in black armor, that was Winter. Able to fight like none other and at the same time extract valuable information from the enemy.

There was no way to get rid of Sarah. That wouldn't happen.

"Ah.." That was his answer. Turning he headed off. Officers on twenty four hour standby? Well not truly an officer he was right bellow. The Gunny's were the ones who took the orders from the officers and gave them to the soldiers. Or even gave advice to the Warrant Officers above them. And the ones even above.

Of course Winter was ready to be called upon any time of the day.

Lipton sat in the Ops center reviewing his After-Action report. He stared at the page and wondered about his future. What would happen to him? What would happen to humanity? They had been living on borrowed time for so long that most of the younger Marines couldn't remember safety. Twenty eight years of war. First contact with the Covenant had been in 2525. Now it was December 2552. This was the longest and most costly of any war in human history. So many dead... entire planets gone. Destroyed without a second thought. The Marine corps did its job and did it well, but there just weren't enough people to keep fighting effectively. Besides, no matter how often humanity won the ground engagements, the Covenant always won in space.

When the Spartan-II program went public there had been a huge boost in morale. The Spartan-II roster was still classified top secret. Only three people had access to it. One was dead, one was missing, and the other was Fleet Admiral Hood. But they all knew the Chief was the only one left. The others had just disappeared. On the official reports, which he had sometimes been required to file, they had been listed as Missing In Action. Lipton knew better. Spartans didn't get lost. They had the most impressive training in all of UNSC space. They were faster, stronger, smarter, and better equipped to fight than any other UNSC unit. They never got lost. Their armor had up-links, they knew the topography. They were dead. But Spartans could never die. It was part of the propaganda. They needed to keep up the image of the immortal warrior fighting to save humanity. Spartan One One Seven was the last. At least the last one on Earth. He knew there had been a small team of Spartans operating prior to the second battle of Earth, but he didn't know what happened to them.

E company had taken tremendous casualties in Voi or during the evacuation. Of the three Pelicans that had left the city, two had been shot down, including his. One made it. There were three survivors from the other crash, but they were all in critical condition. The Covenant had simply overwhelmed them. It was that simple. They knew where to hit and when. They focused on the sections of the perimeter that had seen heavy fighting already and left the fresh sections alone until troops were pulled away to reinforce the faltering positions, then they attacked en-mass. The City belonged to the aliens when he left. The Chief had changed that though. He saw the plume of fire that destroyed the AA gun. He saw Lord Hood initiate his low level strike. He knew they had achieved something. And then the Flood came.

The Flood. He had never experienced it, never known anything about it, never heard anything about it. All of the information was classified and there was no one left to declassify it. They had to gather information as they went. The sample he had brought in was as useful as a bag of snot. The Flood grew larger as it killed and killed as it grew larger. There was no logic in the attacks. Corpses were just thrown at the defensive positions again and again. Marines were forced to destroy the bodies of their fallen comrades. Forced to kill their honored dead, again and again. It was Hell on Earth.

Another crack of thunder. CWO Karr was doing some sharp-shooting. He needed snipers for his unit, and there were plenty of Marines without a job. He turned his attention back to his report until his watch chimed at 17:00. He printed a hard copy of the report and sent a digital file to Commander Hammer's personal keypad. He held the report and walked out of the Ops center and to the exterior radio post they had set up on top of one of the bunkers. He shielded his ears as the air split with thunder once more. This time it was louder and seemed to roll down from the heavens themselves. The major looked up and watched the pulsating blue orb for a moment before noticing a number of Covenant ships in the air. His heart rate sped up and adrenaline began to pulse through his system before a message came through on the radio.

[Hail Humans, and take heed. This is the Carrier Shadow of Intent. Clear this sector while we deal with the Flood!]

A Covenant assault carrier passed directly over the ruins of Voi, and though he could not see it, he knew that the Orbital Insertion Pods used by Elite Special forces were being dropped. His eyes saw what was happening yet his mind did not fully believe it. Similar to when he saw Spartan 117 fighting alongside the Arbiter. There was a strange feeling welling inside his chest though. At first he didn't know what it was, but then he identified it. Hope. Humanity had an ally, and a powerful one at that.

Lipton turned to face the CWO and shook the man's hand. Karr had been through Belfast, just like the Major. He knew he could count on the CWO if he needed to. He had also reviewed the man's personnel file, and it was impressive. He was a damn fine soldier and a damn fine shot. He glanced at the Elite ships before answering Karr.

"Well, out of the surviving members of E Company I'd suggest Sergeant Norris Garry from first platoon or Corporal Franklin Crawford from third platoon. They're the best marksmen in Easy. Though we lost our snipers in Voi. Covenant took 'em out with a Wraith."

He paused and double-checked the Company roster.

"You give those men a weapon and they'll do the job for you."

He nodded his head toward the Covenant ships flying above Voi.

"What do you think about that? Apparently the Elites are on our side now."

The Gunny's COM crackled to life, interrupting the never ending discussion of the situation at hand with the AI. "Yes sir." That was the only answer. No gear, hmm.. Leaving his sidearm at his side he discarded the shotgun and bandoleer of ammunition to the hands of a needy point man. It also brought him a word of thanks, he didn't deserve it though. Just orders.

It was amusing that Anthony didn't realize that he was ODST. Gear was just a weapon, all he carried now as a small pouch of those necessary tools, a sidearm arm and black attached to his breast. Nothing more.

Ten minutes later he arrived, carrying nothing in his hands, nothing on his back. "Sir," he announced when he arrived. "Sniping?" That brought a gentle smile to his lips, he loved to shoot. Long range wasn't as fun as shoving the end of a assault rifle of a Brutes face but hey it was also pretty to watch them die before they knew what hit 'em.

Winter approved, nodded within his mask. Camo huh? Secrecy? Yeah, the man could do that. Old nicknames returned to him, ones that rang true his silence. Taking down a brute with a knife without 'em knowing till it hit them wasn't a easy task. One he would hopefully not do but without ammunition its really your only choice to you could grab one of their spikers.

"Yes sir, I take it we are alone?" Winter asked, he didn't care if that was important. He was used to it. But it was always nice to know. "No support just ourselves?" There was no fear in his voice in fact there was enthusiasm.

"Hmmm..." That was his answer, and it was good enough in his mind. There was little of the 'worry' factor to force away. There was that shiver in battle but that happened over and over again to were you didn't notice it, it became masked out. "Yes sir.." That was to himself.

Stepping over the assembled green crates, jagged cuts upon their surfaces but that just added to the beauty of the sniper rifles resting against them. Instruments of death, no. That was wrong, Winter was the instrument this was just his aid. His reed to say.

Taking a dozen clips and sliding a clean one into the rifle he smiled beneath his helmet, the click sounded, the safety put down he was ready to go. Loaded up with plenty of ammo for any trip.

"Sir, isn't it nice?" He asked, stepping forward ready to go. Sadly he'd be sitting around for three hours. Plenty of time to inspect everything closely. Field strip, oil, and search through his bag of replacement parts. "In the old days I've read you had all sorts of rules to follow by. I will say having a hunting license and no bag limit is agreed by everybody now sure is a nice thing."

"Winter... Grab a SMG off the rack also. Your my spotter for the moment, I'll have you go solo after a while." Anthony called as he hailed a Pelican.

The Pelican, with its gunmetal grey exterior, fell down from the dusk sky, right in front of Karr. All the interior lights lined the bay for vision, almost as if a doorway opened up in the night.

Anthony quickly hopped aboard. The other 3 quickly following. Anthony slammed the side of the Peli's interior twice and the Pelican began to lift off the ground. Inside his stomach, Anthony felt the gravity take hold, and the ship began off.

"Sniper Team Alpha, do you copy?"

"Bravo-One-One-Six to Crows Nest, we copy. Over?"

Bravo-One-One-Six, please be advised new mission update. Plans have changed, going in with a RECON of the relic. Shake n' Bake is available. Hornet's Alpha Seven and Alpha Nine are in the vicinity. Mission GROUND ZERO is Aborted. Repeat: Mission Ground Zero has been terminated. Your new Objectives are to extract the Relic, and bring it back to designated Drop point Alpha. We're heading through that hole as back up. Copy that"

Anthony nodded to himself. "Copy nest. Bravo-One-One-Six out."

He turned to his team.

"Alright boys, we're still going down, but here's the new plan, were going to go in and snatch that relic."

He pointed at the 2 from Easy. "You two are covering fire. Your going to stand back at a distance while Winter and I move in. From there, we're going to grab it, then move out. Understood?"