Rookie had decided, quite quickly after the mission went awry, that his life was hell. Holo-Reach had been nasty, and standing up for The Arbiter against a load of angry Spartans had been just as bad. Though he counted it a victory that he’d stayed on friendly terms with them, and had even become fairly fast friends with their sniper, Jun. It made sense, the talker and the listener working together. Hadn’t it?
Of course, peace on the station wasn’t a constant… not that the Rookie could have handled it if it was. The fight was what he belonged to. That was probably why he volunteered for every mission with the Spartans he was able to, and had come out of it with few injuries. Occasional limps and concussions, new wounds that would become scars… a broken arm once. Nothing he couldn’t walk off, though.
Until this one, at least.
He couldn’t even remember what they were after this time, just that he’d wanted to go. Served him right that he’d finally be fatally wounded. Jun hauled him behind cover so hard that J.D. thought his shoulder would dislocate, and he motioned the Spartan to his pack. “Biofoam.” He wouldn’t live, he knew that much, but… he wanted time. He had to tell somebody something. Anything. He hisses shortly when he feels the knives-to-gut sting of the biofoam in his wound, settling once the painkiller set in.
“We’re going to get you out of here. Get you fixed up, and then we’ll be off, huh?” Jun offered. Rookie wondered if this was how that old Helljumper had felt, when he’d been trying to get the guy out for medical attention. That seemed so long ago.
Sometimes Rookie hated his life.
He reached across and put a hand – was that his blood on his fingers? There was so much of it – on Jun’s shoulder, giving the armor a loose squeeze. “Stop. Sit down. Listen.” He lifted his other hand, slowly pulling off his own helmet. “Going to tell you everything. Don’t want to be forgotten.” It was selfish, but…
Jun couldn’t carry his body out, but maybe he could carry Rookie with him, like he’d carried Yevgenny since they’d met. It was a nice thought.
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"Epilogue" - Martin O'Donnell/Halo: Reach
Rookie had decided, quite quickly after the mission went awry, that his life was hell. Holo-Reach had been nasty, and standing up for The Arbiter against a load of angry Spartans had been just as bad. Though he counted it a victory that he’d stayed on friendly terms with them, and had even become fairly fast friends with their sniper, Jun. It made sense, the talker and the listener working together. Hadn’t it?
Of course, peace on the station wasn’t a constant… not that the Rookie could have handled it if it was. The fight was what he belonged to. That was probably why he volunteered for every mission with the Spartans he was able to, and had come out of it with few injuries. Occasional limps and concussions, new wounds that would become scars… a broken arm once. Nothing he couldn’t walk off, though.
Until this one, at least.
He couldn’t even remember what they were after this time, just that he’d wanted to go. Served him right that he’d finally be fatally wounded. Jun hauled him behind cover so hard that J.D. thought his shoulder would dislocate, and he motioned the Spartan to his pack. “Biofoam.” He wouldn’t live, he knew that much, but… he wanted time. He had to tell somebody something. Anything. He hisses shortly when he feels the knives-to-gut sting of the biofoam in his wound, settling once the painkiller set in.
“We’re going to get you out of here. Get you fixed up, and then we’ll be off, huh?” Jun offered. Rookie wondered if this was how that old Helljumper had felt, when he’d been trying to get the guy out for medical attention. That seemed so long ago.
Sometimes Rookie hated his life.
He reached across and put a hand – was that his blood on his fingers? There was so much of it – on Jun’s shoulder, giving the armor a loose squeeze. “Stop. Sit down. Listen.” He lifted his other hand, slowly pulling off his own helmet. “Going to tell you everything. Don’t want to be forgotten.” It was selfish, but…
Jun couldn’t carry his body out, but maybe he could carry Rookie with him, like he’d carried Yevgenny since they’d met. It was a nice thought.