Exiled soldiers

A day has passed since Fire team phoenix was rescued, and Josh and Twilight were currently in the war games simulations so as to help her use her wingblades, using mainly a tuned down version of the new Firefight mode, a favorite of many Spartans on board. Ken and Palmer were going over various ways to use Twilight and Elegance's magic- or Vacuum energy control, to use Forerunner terms- in combat to effective measure, while Elegance and Spike were arguing over which Power pony was better. Hey, the company had a day off given what happened a day earlier, and were using it. Oh, and Rainbow was one of the test dummies for Twilight.

But right now, the  importance rests with Fireteam Phoenix, who was currently being debriefed by Serin Osman- a woman in her  late forties with black hair and blue eyes, the eyes a result of her failed Spartan two augments- and CINCONI.

"So while she was on Sangheilios, without my permission," Osman said from her end of the very, very unstable communication, "Spartan Palmer not only managed to find a previously undiscovered Forerunner site, but also three new races."

"That's the best we understand it, Ma'am," Dawn said, her squad having their entire armor on, a habit of their work with ONI. "I'd send you the files, but, given what happened with a majority of A.I.s in the galaxy, I think it best to not do that. We're risking a lot as is."

"Agreed," the Spartan two washout replied. "Still, I need three of you for the mission."

"I'll be one, ma'am," Cyclone, who wore white and blue Aviator armor and helmet with a red visor, said. "Those things'll need as many pilots, and will be looking for 'em. Who better than a Spartan."

"I'll go too, Ma'am," Wildfire said, stepping up. He wore black and red infiltrator armor with a red visor. "Besides, if the fuckers burn, I want to be the one to start it."

"Well, if he's going, Ma'am," Chemo, who wore orange and red E.O.D. armor with a red visor, "I will too. Wildfire will need someone to make sure his fuel won't explode in his face."

Osman nodded. "In that case, the rest of you will remain on Infinity, and assist them with combating the Created when you can, as well as gathering intelligence on these three new individuals."

"Ma'am," the nine Spartans said as the feed cut.

"Well, guess we'll get ready to leave later," Cyclone said.

"Good luck, guys," Cowboy said as he held a fist up to Wildfire, who gave one in return.

"Just don't burn wherever you guys are going down before we get there," Tank said, crossing his arms. "Or we may come after you three."

"I'll keep an eye on him," Chemo said before giving a two fingered salute. Well, guess we'll be seeing you guys in hell once you arrive."

"Same," Lightning, a Spartan who wore blue and White scout armor with a black visor, said. With that, the three volunteers left the room to grab weapons, and steal a prowler. Not that any could stop them, as they had ONI clearance to requisition one if needed.

"So, what do you say we go meet our new allies?" Ozone, who wore black and green C.I.O. armor with the recruit visor.

"That would be best," Dawn said. With that, the remaining six left, and made their way towards the war games deck.

There, Twilight, Josh, Void, Hope, Rainbow, and Resilience-Rainbow mainly just getting ran over by Twilight with a scout hog when it could be seen as an accident- were in the middle of a game of Firefight, the current round being one of having to kill the four Soldier captains with Gauss cannons. The team was spread out- Void and Rainbow handling the one at the outpost near the beach, Resilience, Hope, and Twilight the one near  the base that had palm trees around it, and Josh on the last, as the team had collectively killed the first.

With an active camo power up active and moving slowly, Josh made his way past the Soldiers and up the ramp that led to the top, stowing his Assault rifle, which had the Lagrange skin on, and pulled out the knife from his left wrist in a reverse grip. He looked around, and saw the only other thing up there was the Soldier before moving in. Upon reaching it, he delivered a punch to the things right arm, the surprise making it drop the cannon, and retort with an attempted, downward punch at Josh, who turned his body to the side to avoid it before bringing the knife down on the neck and hitting vital systems, killing it. "This is Lone one, target down."

A sniper shot echoed throughout the map. "Copy, this is Lone four, target down," Twilight replied.

"And this is Void. Construct neutralized," the female Soldier captain reported.

"Then it looks like we're moving on to round four," Josh said as the camo faded, and the remaining warzone constructs died.

"That'll have to wait, everyone," Roland said over their radios. "I'm restarting the match as you all are getting six more in with you."

"Twelve people?" Josh asked, surprised. "I thought the servers could only handle eight per match?"

"That's mostly because it's rare for twelve Spartans to go on a mission together, and Firefight usually only works with the maximum number that's been the main part," Roland replied. "Besides, can't really say no to ONI if i want to remain active."

"Wait, what?" Josh said before his vision blackened and, a few seconds later, he was sitting in a pelican facing Dawn from Phoenix.

"Hey, Josh."

"And what do you want. . .?"

"Drop the rank while we're in here," she said. "'Sides, we're the same rank anyway."

"Still doesn't answer my other question."

Dawn sighed. "Look, I just wanted to talk with you," she said. "CINCONI wanted six of us to stay back on the ship to help you guys out-"

"Among other things, I imagine," Josh interrupted.

Dawn nodded. "True, but not the reason I wanted to talk with you."

"Then let me guess," Josh said. "You six want to join our Spartan company so you can keep an eye and gather intel on Twilight and the others?"

"More like ordered," Dawn agreed. "But also because, well, we've seen just your team's records, even if it was before this whole thing started. Can you blame us for wanting to be with you guys?"

Josh sighed. "Guess not," he said. "We'll finalize it once this game's over with."

The female Spartan nodded. "Right," she said as the Pelicans turned around, and the ramps lowered, allowing the four occupants in each to deploy. With Josh and Dawn were Rainbow and Hope. Twilight, Resilience, Void, and Lightning were the second to their left, and to their right was Cowboy, Tank, Ozone, and Reaper, with Reaper wearing blue and black Venator armor with a blue visor, and Tank wearing red and white soldier armor with a blue visor.

For some reason, when the objective was supposed to appear on their HUDs, it didn't. "Uh, Roland, I think something's up!" Josh yelled, but another voice answered.

"Oh, he knows, he just can't do anything," a male voice, one Josh recognized, said. "We locked him out."

"Jacob, what the fuck do you mean!?" he asked, shouting at the air.

"Simple," a second, female voice said. "Don't you find it odd Jacob and I were posted here to Infinity just after the Guardians began to wake?"

"I don't even know when that was!"

"Couple months back," Jacob said. "Point is, and this is being broadcast to every Warzone game which was restarted, mind you, Bishop and I are actually created meant to help Cortana remove the ship. Only reason she hasn't attacked is because she wants to see if you can find a threat to her. If you do, well, we'll be there to kill the retrieval team, and remotely detonate a nuke from inside the ship."

"Then what the fuck are you doing now?" Ozone asked. "You gave your plan away."

"Ah, ah, not all of it, nor any other agents on this ship. Still, Bishop, care to tell them what we did?"

"On it," the female A.I. that had been posing as a Spartan said. "You see, with us being Fire team Shadow, we were able to gain access to the server room. Soon as Roland restarted one game, we used the code phrase to put him under our control, and restarted them all. But the thing is, we turned all of them into Firefight matches, ones that will only end if those involved can beat the fifth round, which is much more difficult than usual and scaled for amount of individuals in the game. Thing is, you die here, the pods deliver a shock to your brain." Here, Josh face palmed, or would have had his helmet not been there.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me."

"'Fraid not, Josh," Jacob said. "Though trust me, you twelve will be getting a special boss."

With that, the objective came up.

Round one: kill Knights

0/20

"Have fun," Bishop said in sing-song as Knight spawned in.

"Every one, form up on us," Dawn said, and the others did so.

"And so thus doth hell begin," Josh said as he checked the Req level before chuckling. "Least they left us something for a chance," he said, Req level being five. "Guys, we need to get to the terminal so I can pull something out."

"Going to be difficult," Dawn said, readying her assault rifle. "Gotta make it past those morons."

"Then let's blow through 'em like Spartans, even if some of us aren't," Josh said. "On three, people," he said as the hostile Knights, all with Scattershots, stalked closer. "One-" Void, Resilience, and Rainbow prepared to teleport around the Knights, Void standing close to Josh to do so with him. "Two-" Twilight charged her horn for teleportation of herself and the members of Phoenix. "Three!" At that, all those that could teleported behind the enemy horde, and made a run for the base to acquire req weapons. "Hope, Resilience, lightrifles!" Josh yelled. "Rainbow, get a Razor's edge and Song of peace. Void, Splinter turret. Twi, get a Sentinel BR and an Open hand boltshot, along with whatever armor mod you want."

"And what are you going to get?" Dawn asked as they entered the base, enemy knights firing their scattershots at them, quite ineffectively.

"You'll see," he said as the group split up. Half went to the central terminal in the core room, the other half to the right terminal as you enter the base.

"Load up, people!" Dawn yelled as her team gather their preferred weapons. Tank went with an EM (extended mag) AR and a Spnkr launcher. Lightning with a Sentinel BR with long barrel and an EM SMG. Cowboy a longshot BR with stabilization jets and a recon SMG with the same. Ozone went with a simple BR and Magnum, both EM variant. Reaper had a hybrid SMG and basic magnum. Dawn had the base BR with a stabilization jet AR. Only Tank and Cowboy had armor mods, with Tank using Grenadier, and Cowboy advanced sensors.

"Anyone know where Josh is?" Twilight asked, as he was with her.

"Look outside!" he replie dover the radio before an explosion was heard. "Come on, you fuckers! Try and nail me with those scattershots!"

The groups looked at those with them, and headed outside to see a single Wasp at the highest altitude the simulator would allow, firing its main guns and missiles at the Knights, who tried and failed to hit it.

"Firing!" Tank yelled before raising his launcher, and firing off two rockets, each one killing a wounded Knight and weakening others.

Kill Knights: 10/20

"What are you waiting for, guys?!" Josh said over the radio. "Join in."

"May as well," Rainbow said. "But Twilight-"

"No more running over until this is over, I know," she said, and the eleven charged into battle.