Scarecrow

"Noble team," Keyes said. "As you may have guessed, were sending you to check out the covenant cruiser we've spotted. We need you all to see why it isn't moving, but even so, the residual push from its engines is driving it towards Reach. Now, go in, execute, and move out."

"And if we encounter any resistance?" Carter asked.

"What do you think?" Emile said cocking his shotgun. "We send them a little 'gift' as usual."

"But, that's where the second part to this mission has gotten our comms confused." Keyes said. "As far as we know, they brought something aboard that ship, and then the whole ship lost power. Afterwards, we didn't hear a single noise."

"They brought something aboard?" Carter asked. "Do we know what it could have been? Could it have just caused the blackout?"

"A blackout doesn't cause an entire covenant cruiser to panic." He said before cutting off the comm.

The five spartans looked at each other before forming up and exiting the waiting bay.

Passing normal soldiers and engineers, they came to the docking bay's door. Carter put in his code and entered, inside they were all immediately saluted by the regular soldiers of the UNSC. Going down the metal stairs, they passed by warthogs awaiting drop, pelicans in repair, or ordnance being shipped to the various ships or rocket hogs.

"Sir's, ma'am," the pilot saluted them as she sat in her seat aboard a pelican. "Please be seated and strap in. I'm not in the mood for another trip of dodging plasma canons backwards."

"Whatever you say, Alesha." Emile said getting in.

She grunted, sinking lower into her seat before only the top of her visor could be seen over the wheel. Getting conformation of the passengers seated, she started the engine. The lift took them further up into the ship; stopping they turned finally before she hit the switch and the engines started.

They blasted through the exit port, halfway there, four panels slid over behind them and the front ones opened up letting the vacuum suck them out quicker. Boosting the engines, they shot through the opening and finally emerged into space.

"Alright, approaching covenant vessel." The pilot said. "Closing in at five-hundred meters. Increasing speed by two percent." She said making the pelican hum audibly.

The pelican quickly came upon the vessel. The human ship in comparison was nothing more than a fly, and the inhabitants knew how dangerous it was for a fly to be so close to a zapper. Going to the side of the ship, the pelican stopped inches away from the shield protecting them from whatever could be in there. With a final decision, it entered.

The pelican set down close to the exit, just barely touching the shielding. The back ramp lowered down letting the spartans exit. Carter came out first, rifle raised. As the others filed out in suite, June came out last, the barrel of his sniper resting on Kat's shoulder. When she stopped, she felt it and swatted it away.

"We've talked about that June," she said. "One more time and I'll bend the barrel so far you'll shoot yourself in the head."

"I need a good place that has resistance for my rifle if I needed to shoot." He shrugged. "Alright, I'm turning on my... Oh dear god. What the hell happened here?" He whispered looking around. "Word of advice, when you turn on night vision, don't look around."

The rest of the team looked uncertainly at each other before turning their night vision on. They all let out a collective gasp at the sight in front of them.

Blood was puddled on the floor, Elites and Jackals hung from wires by their necks, the Jackals by their side by a chain, Grunts had been sliced and stabbed alongside Hunters. A walkway had been blow up from the black scorch marks on it, a pile of burnt and partially disintegrated corpses lay underneath. The only light offered was from the ruined red lights that gave the occasional flicker, or the sparks arcing on the walkway.

"What the hell could have done this?" Jorge said. "It looks like a massacre."

"Whatever it was," Carter said beginning to walk forward. "It was either alone, or if there were any others, hard to kill. Kat, you stay here and keep the radio alive. Emile, you're with me, and June you go with George. We'll take the top, you two scout around down here; report anything you find."

"And if there's a survivor?" Jorge asked.

"Yeah, if being the hooker." Emile muttered.

"We'll take whatever it is, back to the ship. That way if the camera's are out here, we can have visual conformation. Now, move out!" Carter ordered.

Kat got to work immediately, opening a case beside the pelican; Emile and Carter were making their way towards a nearby gravift, and June and Jorge were going past the corpses.

Opening the doors to the lift, they both stopped and raised their guns, Emile raising his shotgun while getting onto a knee. When it opened, Emile took a step back as a head rolled out; kicking it away he carefully stepped inside.

"I found something suspicious sir." He said nudging the bodies. "Look at that one." He said pointing his gun at the intestine-less one.

Carter looked down, getting onto his knee he picked up a single greyed feather. Nodding to Emile, he put it on his fellow spartan's helmet. Emile looked at him chuckling slightly. Pushing the controls, Carter and him began up.

Entry level

"What do you think could have done that?" June asked peering behind another corner. "I've never even seen Emile do something that gruesome before."

"How should I know?" Jorge said. "Maybe they got the big guy up."

"Who?" June asked. "117? No. No way he's here." June said shaking his head. "I would have liked to meet him though."

"I heard he was a better shot than you." Jorge joked.

"Please, I'm not giving him that much credit." June said. "Hey, hold up. I think I see something up ahead."

Jorge stopped and raised his Gatling gun; they both stared ahead. The only thing visible was the dark lighting of the hall, and a door ahead with an arm poking out from it. Carefully, they went forward, taking light steps.

Going to the door, they froze when the arm moved. Seeing it still again, they proceeded forward again, their boots echoing throughout the hall with each step. When they did get to the door, the last steps they took felt like their feet were made of lead. Nudging June, Jorge started to spin the barrel of his gun as June reached to open the door.

Putting a hand to the middle, he pressed the holographic lock. It opened and a dead Elite fell at their feet. Looking up from it, they straightened out again.

Dead Grunts were littered around the floor, Elites were hunched over the monitors and consoles. It was a small room, with the bodies and blood it seemed even smaller. They entered, something immediately catching their attention.

Jorge walked over to an Elite laying against the back wall, above him in blood was written something but it was unreadable from the dripping of it; turning back to the Elite, he leaned down and pulled out the sickle from its throat.

"Sir," June said. "We've found something strange. We've just pulled a sickle out from a dead Elite's neck. Over."

"We found a feather in a pile of dead Rangers," Emile said. "Carter is looking over some others where we found some hay. Kat, do you-"

"Quiet!" Kat whispered. "I think there may be something near me, but it's not showing on my motion sensor. Over."

The team was quiet; quickly they all rushed back the way they all came. Emile and Carter rushing to the gravlift while June and George barreled through the halls.

Pelican

Kat had her pistol out; looking around she saw nothing. She tensed when she heard a sudden scrapping noise, her eyes saw her motion sensor flicker momentarily. A red dot appeared briefly again, following the scrapping sound.

She aimed her gun to the right, tensing as she saw an Elite slowly moving towards her, back against the wall. It looked over at her and lifted a hand, putting it down multiple times, it continued to move towards her, its needle rifle pointed upwards.

"Carter, I've got an Elite moving towards me. Over."

"Stay there, and do not engage. I repeat, do not engage. Over." Carter said.

"I don't think it's focused on me, sir." She said. "It made a motion for me to put down my weapon, but made no attempt to aim its own at me. Sir, I think it's... Scared of something. It keeps staring up instead of at me, I can practically see its gun rattling in its hands. Over."

"... Proceed towards it with caution. Keep your weapon raised, and keep your defense up. Over."

She didn't respond, instead she started forward. Slowly she began walking towards it, it stopped and looked at her. It made a motion for her to stay back, she complied as it lowered its own weapon. It got away from the wall, almost magnetically being drawn back to it, it kept its eyes above it as it began walking towards her. She raised her gun, leveling it with its head.

"Alright, that's close enough." She said getting its attention.

It stopped and looked at her. It was gripping its gun so hard that it had cracks in it, its eyes danced around wildly, and its legs seemed almost paralyzed. It hooked its bottom mandibles together before speaking.

"Human, do you have any communication?" He asked.

"Listen, I'm the one in control here. You-"

"No, you listen!" He hissed dropping his gun to hold with one hand. "He will kill you all. He's watching us, I know it. He will do to you as he did to the others." He said pointing towards the other covenant.

"Who is 'he' exactly?" She asked.

"He call's himself, S-Scarecrow." The Elite stuttered. "May I... May I go into the back of your ship? It is not safe here. He can see us, he can reach us from above."

"No. You're not going anywhere. Now, go wait in front of the ship's gun. And do not move, or I will shoot you myself." She ordered.

Hesitantly, he nodded while keeping his gun to his chest. As he approached the front of the ship, the other spartans came into view and immediately had their guns trained on the Elite sitting directly in front of the Pelican's gun. Approaching slowly, Carter came up to Kat, a cautious look behind his visor that was matched by her own cautious one.

"Kat, what's going on with him?" Carter asked.

"He seems to be in shock," she said. "He spoke directly to me. Lowered his weapon and asked if he could hide in the pelican. He said he can see us, and that he can get us from above. Do you think-"

"Hey, who lit the grill?" Emile asked. "Because I certainly didn't light that over there."

They all looked to the middle of the bay. A fire was lit in a small capsule, before June could look in his rifle, the Elite put a hand to the barrel. Pointing their guns at him again, Emile with his shotgun directly pressed against the Elites head; June looked up and saw the Elite shake his head. The Elite pointed up, June looked and saw something disappear past the edge of a walkway.

"We must go," the Elite said. "He will do the same to you, as he did to the others." He said pressing his back against the pelican. "We are not-you!" He pointed at Jorge. "You carry one of his weapons! No, no, no... You have doomed us all." He hissed, swinging his arm to the side for emphasis.

"Please," Emile said. "How tough can he be?"

"Very tough, crow." A voice said echoing throughout the hangar.

They all formed a tight circle, Jorge and June in the middle. As they listened, they all looked on their motion sensor.

"I'm not reading anything." Carter said. "If you move anywhere near us, we'll know the second you do so!" He yelled. "Now, give yourself up, and relinquish your weapons!"

A sudden laugh boomed across the hanger. It slowed into a near hiss.

"Are you giving me an order, crow?" He growled. "You are poorly educated in fighting. I am the one in control here, and your friend has something that belongs to me."

The Elite stormed past them, gun raised above them. They turned and raised their guns at the griffon as he stood with his scythe.

"You there," he pointed the blade towards Jorge. "You've found my sickle. Thank you for your consideration of others belongings," he said jumping down to meet the spartans gaze. "And I would sorely like to continue having it on my being. Now."

"Sir?" He looked towards Carter.

"No." He said. "Whatever you are, you're coming with us for questioning."

The griffon sighed, tsking and shaking his head.

"You poor, stupid crows," he sighed. "You just do not seem to understand your place. I am the Scarecrow!" He yelled swiping the blade from the spartan. "And I'm here to ward you all off from my harvest."

Before Jorge could grab him, he took to the air. Disappearing into the darkness, they all watched him with night vision as he went over another walkway.

"It sickens me," he said. "Seeing the crows use such feeble devices to try and stop me, but no matter, no crow has ever escaped me before. You will be no different. I will let the large one go though, he has caught my interest just as the sangheili has. You will all learn to fear the name, Scarecrow."

"Fuck you tweety!" Emile yelled. "Come out so I can shove this shotgun up your ass and blow your brains out!"

"As you wish, crow."

A screech was heard, he turned to see the griffon gliding down at him rapidly. Raising his shotgun, he blocked the first strike from his scythe, the second scratched his helmet.

Landing, Scarecrow stared at him through the hole in his mask. His dim yellow eye looking at Emile's orange and grey helmet. He lunged again, Emile putting up his arm in defense and then putting his shotgun out to fire.

Scarecrow saw his weapon before hand, hooking the blade of his scythe quickly around the back of Emile, he pulled himself forward and used his talons to scratch through the helmet. Feeling the glass break under his talons, he let go and jumped off as Emile shook his head free of the fragments.

Just as he was about to raise his scythe to finish the spartan off, a sudden bursting sound caught his attention.

He looked to the side just in time to put out his talons in a last ditch effort to stop the wraith from hitting him.

It slammed into him, pushing him onto the front edge. It quickly hit the back wall and stayed in a acceleration before stopping to a hover. The drivers hatch opened up and the Elite came out, obviously shaken as he emptied his stomach contents. It was only a few meters away before he looked up again, holding his gun as a soldier would, he shakily ran back to Emile.

Emile, still shocked by the fact a wraith had just nearly missed him, jumped slightly when he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. He was picked up by the Elite before being let go. They both stared at each other, Emile looking directly through the hole in his helmet and directly into the Elite's eyes.

"Uh... Don't come so close next time." Emile said gruffly.

"Do not anger the demon next time." The Elite shot back.

"You," Carver said walking up to the Elite. "You just killed whatever that was. Now, I'm going to-"

He was interrupted when a loud screeching cut through the air. They all turned sharply and saw the wraith, with sparks on the sides, being pushed along the floor. With a grunt, it stopped, a talon appeared, followed by a head and then a body as Scarecrow dragged himself out.

He was breathing heavily, while leaning onto his scythe he was staring directly at the Elite.

"I-I'm impressed..." He said wheezing. "I-I hope... Hope to combat you again, sa-sangheili." He said before collapsing.

They all just stared at the downed griffon, Emile took a step back as the Elite turned around.

"Now may I hide in your ship?" He asked Kat. "I wish to inflict no harm against any of you. I only wish to keep away from, Scarecrow." He visibly shuddered.

"Get on," Carter said. " Kat, tell Keyes we're bringing a sangheili and... Whatever the hell that thing is."

"A griffon." The Elite said. "He is a griffon. Half lion, half eagle."

"Tell Keyes were bringing a griffon and sangheili onboard."

"Shouldn't we tie him up?" June asked pointing at the griffon.

"Yeah, use a cable lying around." Carter said.

"No," the Elite said. "He will want that, back." He pointed at the group of Jackals hanging by a chain. "I wish not to upset him."

"You just trucked him with a wraith," Jorge said. "I don't think 'upset' is the word I'd use to describe what he feels toward you. I'd suggest you scram and get in the back. Now."

The Elite nodded, seeing the griffon begin to raise his head before falling back down. He quickly ran to the back of the ship with Jorge following closely.

"Sir," Emile said. "When we get back, can I take leave to get a new helmet?"

"After, we speak to Keyes." Carter said. "After."