Haylo: Crimson

by Zarius9998

Up on the roofto-BLAM.

After I found-out about that Washington human, I knew there was something that needed the UNSC's attention, regarding that so called "Freelancer" project Ghost had discovered...wait, what? It has already been taken care of...? Then why is...? Oh, I see...he's one of the last ones? The rest are dead? Well that's a relief! So what happened to Artemis up there...I understand you want to see how your Spartan-IV's fared against rival technology. I'll recount it in her words...that'll work best.

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"Washington? What the buck kind of name is that?"

The mysterious soldier casually made his way across the roof while the rest of the unarmored humans carefully made their way OFF the roof.

"It's a long story, and I really hate recalling it." he answered, "The whole mess was just too stupid..."

I shrugged, starting to walk closer to him as well. I just had this feeling that he would give me a good run...there was just SOMETHING about him...

"How about you owe me an explanation after I kick your flank, then?" I proposed, grinning smugly behind my visor.

"And when I pound your visor into the floor, you give me that armor of yours." he countered, coming to a stop about ten meters away.

"What'cha got against Ponies? And why do you need my armor?" I asked curiously, stopping as well and cocking my head to the side.

"Strictly business. Nothing personal." he explained, "Honestly, I'm only helping these guys 'cuz, after my last...'job,' I'm broke."

"Fair enough...and I'm only in this war 'cuz I love blood." I took a battle-ready stance, grinning widely behind my visor while he pulled up his BR and swapped his Grenade launcher for one of the Assault rifles.

"You remind me so much of some...thing I killed recently...well, I didn't kill it, per say, but I helped." he said before taking uncannily accurate aim with his BR, firing from the hip and landing two full bursts right on my head before I was able to dash out of the way.

'Buck, he's good!' I screamed mentally, glad I had those shields, 'OH BUCK ME!' he's obviously had more years of actual battle than me, as he had followed me with the Assault rifle and was already chipping away at my shields again before they could recover. I quickly starting at a sprint to the right, shouting, "Buck, you got good aim!"

"Why thanks." he ceased fire and flipped his Assault rifle above his head, grabbing a clip of ammo for it while continuing to shoot bursts at me with the BR. I dodged all of them, making my shield recharge a priority at that moment, but I still couldn't help but be impressed as he slammed the ammo clip into his Assault rifle and caught it in one swift motion, then proceeded to open fire on me with that so he could repeat the process with the BR.

'I'm ganna need a plan of attack, or else this guy's going to mop the floor with me...' I thought sheepishly, groaning inwardly at myself, 'Wish I had a gun, damnit!'

"Come on! I know you can do better than this!" he mocked, "Maybe you're not as tough as I thought!"

"I'm a little out-gunned, here!" I complained.

"Then improvise!"

'Is he...TRYING to get me to win...?' I thought, darting my eyes around to look for ANY inspiration while he continued his cycle of shooting and reloading. After about ten minutes of this running, I started to wonder just how much ammo he was carrying in that pouch of his...and I also realized that there was nothing on that flat roof to use. I could've used the RPG if it wasn't by his feet. Eventually, I decided to do something...drastic, "Fine! You want improv? Here ya go!"

I slid before flipping, un latching my helmet while upside down, then I pitched the large mass of metal at him upon landing. I rolled backwards, unable to stay upright from the throw, but I caught a glimpse of the impact. It hit him square in the face, his head reeling backwards while he dropped the Assault rifle. Upon rolling back to my back hooves, I was able to see him begin to rebalance himself, but I took this chance to get in close where his weapons would become his enemy instead of his ally.

"That was probably..." he raised his BR to block the first punch I threw, "...the BEST throw..." I quickly spun and backhanded his arm, knocking away the BR, "...ever..." before I could deliver a punch to his stomach, though, he sidestepped out of the way win a spin, grabbing his Grenade launcher off his back in the process, then slammed said weapon into the back of my now unprotected head, "...of all time."

Everything went dark for a few moments, but I could feel my body airborne for a moment before hitting the ground face-first. Once my eyesight came back, albeit somewhat blurry, I immediately started to push myself back up. With a HUGE pounding headache, though, that was a bit hard to do.

"Well, while I admit that little helmet trick was neat, that wasn't much of a fight." he scoffed, "Is that really all?"

I gritted my teeth, pushing what seemed my hardest to get back up, "Buck...you..."

"Buck...?" he questioned before laughing, "Oh I get it."

Yelling with an extreme amount of exertion, I did exactly what I said I would. I bucked him right in the chest. With a whoosh of air from his lungs, he flew backwards at least twenty meters before sliding to a halt on his feet five more meters back, holding his chest and stomach while bending over in pain, "Oh deer GOD that hurt!" he wheezed, coughing.

I finally made it back to a standing position, rubbing the back of my head and wincing from the sore bruise he left, "Good...but to be fair I did warn you."

"Gah...true..." he coughed a few more times before straightening up, reaching back and grabbing the other Assault rifle since he dropped the Grenade launcher while sailing through the air.

I looked down and grabbed the first Assault rifle, which he dropped when I hit him with my helmet, grinning and hefting it up onto my shoulder, "Full clip too...won't last too long, but thanks anyway!" I laugh, noticing the clip counter was at full on the AR's heads-up display.

"Right..." he murmured before starting a steady jog in my direction, opening fire in short, controlled bursts.

Since an entire set is required for the shield systems to work, I could no longer rely on my armor to protect me, so I dashed and evaded each burst, returning fire when I could in equally controlled bursts. Unsurprisingly, he evaded every shot as well...he must not have a shield like the Spartans did...

We both ceased fire only about a foot from eachother, rifles clicking as we pulled the triggers a few times and steadily aimed at eachother's faces. Looking down, I saw I was out of ammo, "Well...looks like I'm out." I stated calmly, staring him straight in the visor.

"Same here..."

We both stayed like that for a few seconds, not wanting to make the first move, but eventually, I just couldn't stand there any longer...got too bored. So I shifted forwards, planting a hoof onto his foot before shouldering his gut. We both tumbled head over hooves, but he shoved me off and we rolled back to a standing position a couple feet away, staring at eachother while gripping our empty Assault rifles.

"Heh, you sure know how to show a mare a good time!" I laughed, taking a huff and realizing this was becoming tiresome.

"Glad you got into the swing of things. Would've been boring if it ended earlier." he complimented, straightening up and motioning for me to come at him, "Let's get this over with."

"Righty-o!" I kicked off, sprinting at him with my rifle trailing behind me, ready to throw.

Of course, when I did throw it, he knew what to expect and swerved out of the way, but while he was distracted, I had gotten close enough to make the first attack. I grinned in satisfaction upon hearing his grunt of pain as I slammed a hoof into the side of his ribcage.

"Erng, nice trick!" he grunted again after taking another hoof to his stomach.

"Than-" I was cut off rudely by a sweep of the legs, floating for half a second before landing with a thud on my back.

After grimacing, I was able to just barely dodge the butt of his rifle, swerving my head to the side at the last second.

"Damn!" he shouted, preparing to step back as he was kneeling over me, but...I quickly snapped a hoof up, kicking him right in the down-lows!

"Gwoof!" he hopped backwards, stumbling and clutching at the new bruise while I stood up and brushed myself off, "That was cheap..." he wheezed out.

"All's fair."

"You remind me so much of Tex right now, it's uncanny..." he muttered, jumping around a bit as the pain subsided.

"Who...?"

"Nevermind, let's go."

Without warning, he ran at me again, so I hastily put up a defensive stance, preparing to counter whatever he threw at me. He came within range and sent a jab for my face, but I swerved out if the way. Unfortunately, he swung his rifle at me, holding it by the barrel, and accomplished delivering yet another blow to the back of my head before I even knew what happened.

Again, I blacked out, then woke up a few seconds later with my face on the ground. I swear, I don't know how I managed to got out of that bithout drain wamage...what...? What's with the looks? Anyway...once I came to, I realized that the pain in the back of my head was still there, and BOY IT HURT LIKE A BITCH.

"Tsssssss! AHG! BUCK!" I curled up on the ground, holding the back of my head and grimacing in pain, "BUCK BUCK BUCK!"

"Well, looks like you're in some pain. Give up?" he asked, huffing from all the exertion as he stood over me.

"I...Gah, buck...don't ever give up..." I spat back, rolling backwards onto my back hooves again...only to stumble and almost fall back down as a wave of nausea passed over me and my eyesight flickered, "Wh-hooao."

"Either you give up, or go into comatose." he pointed out, aiming the Grenade launcher he must have picked back up at me again, "Or worse."

My eyes darted around for anything I could use to defend myself...but the only thing I found was the RPG, which I had luckily ended up only a few feet away from. Still...I was handicapped and he had another explosive weapon aimed at me...the adrenaline was really kicking in now. In fact, mixed with the severe head trauma, I almost blacked out, swaying slightly with a dazed look.

As I fell, my dazed stare changed to a sly grin, "Try me."

I used the slight delay from the fake falling to my advantage, having a head start for the RPG. He fired at me, though luckily he missed, albeit barely, and the grenade exploded a few feet behind me.

"Crap!"

I rolled, diving for the RPG at the end of the tumble, and grabbed it, thanking Luna that it was still primed to fire another rocket. Quickly dropping straight into a kneeling stance from the tumble, I aimed at Washington, who had just finished reloading another grenade and, in turn, aimed at me...at least, I think...everything was fuzzy...both my vision at that time AND the memory...Gah, my head hurts talking about it!...anyway...

Everything seemed to go slowly from there...he fired first and I watched the grenade sail out of the barrel a few feet. Then I fired second, almost falling from the force exerted by the RPG. After that...the two explosives collided in mid air, and, I swear, I thought I could see the metal casing of the rocket bend and collapse just before the resulting explosion sent me sailing, knocked out my vision, and blew my eardrums to Canterlot.

For the next couple of moments, all I felt was burning and flying...then it abruptly ended with aloud thud and a sickening crack...that's when I stopped feeling anything and everything altogether.

Comments

[A Random Guy]

A minor error: It his him square in the face, his head reeling backwards while he dropped the Assault rifle.

Other than that, epic fight.

[Zarius9998]

45035
Aaaaaaand FIXED! Thanks for pointing that out, and thanks for the compliment!

[Shadowstep]

God I love Washington! Cant believe I didn't track this before, can you ever forgive me?