<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Chapter 4: Recuperation and Retaliation</strong></span><br/><br/><strong>Gladiator 0161<br/>Loc: Manhattan, New York. Somewhere near Kips Bay, on Tunnel Highway 495.</strong><br/><br/>As soon as Gladiator had buckled in Patric, and jumped onto the Gunner's station that housed a swiveling M41 mounted chain gun, Valkyrie floored the gas pedal. The tires squealed in protest as the liquid cooled hydrogen IC engine roared powerfully. The back end of the all terrain armored jeep swerved left and right, fishtailing until it's massive tires gripped the pavement and jolted the vehicle forward. A big scar of tar marring the concrete where the vehicle had sat. Gladiator hung on through it all, bending his knees slightly so that he had a lower center of gravity, so that he wouldn't be thrown from the jeep. In seconds they were flying out of the garage's entrance and onto the street, Gladiator whooping excitedly, and raising a fist in the air as the jeep sailed through the air for a few seconds, and then landed roughly back on the ground. Plasma fire from Grunts and their Brute commanders sailed through the air, and splashed against the armor plating around them.<br/><br/>Spartan 0161 gripped the handles of the M41 chain gun tightly, riding out the near hair pin turns that Valkyrie was making in order to avoid a Brute that had suddenly leaped in front of the vehicle, leveling it's "Spiker" weapon. The Brute weapon was as garish and menacing as the creatures that wielded it, two razor sharp blades jutted out like fangs on the bottom of the weapon, while it's main function was to spit red hot rods of metal at you that could measure up to a foot and a half in length. It was an aptly named weapons by the UNSC forces, and a fitting weapon for the huge gorilla like aliens. The Brute never got the chance to use it though, as Gladiator fired at the alien warrior, bits of vaporized concrete and tar flying up around it as the 17.7X99 millimeter rocket propelled rounds punched the ground at it's feet. Valkyrie whipped the jeep around, tires skidding and squealing as she drifted the vehicle into the creature. The alien roared defiantly to the end as the Warthog slammed into it, shredding it's face to pieces as it's leg's were forced into an unnatural position and buckled, finally succumbing to the strength of the 'hog.<br/><br/>Gore smeared part of the windshield and Valkrie's armor, turning both a purplish blue. Red IED tags splayed on the bottom right of Gladiator's HUD, warning him of incoming enemies closing fast. He whipped the chain gun around just in time to see two Ghosts tear around the corner, and bear down on their position. The two alien craft hovering about 30 inches off the ground, opened up their main weapons, whitish blue plasma whizzing past the Warthog on either side, and splashing against the side and rear bumper. He opened the mounted chain gun up, the bullets streaking a trail of red and orange as they pummeled the road in front of the two pursuing alien craft. Both alien craft were being driven by Elites, and one sped up, easily passing past the gunner's position on the Warthog and sidling up to the driver's side. Gladiator had no time to switch targets though, because the other Ghost kept him busy as plasma passed dangerously close to his head. He ducked down farther into the gunner's station, and continued to pour hot lead at the remaining Ghost. Suddenly Valkyrie braked hard, tires roaring in protest, slamming Gladiator into the divider between driver and passenger seat and the gunner's station as the g-forces ripped the turret grips away from his hands, only to be ripped forward again as she slammed her foot on the gas.<br/><br/>Floundering his arms in a wheel motion to keep balance, he grabbed for the turret and hugged it close once he grabbed on, bracing himself against the divider. He felt the impact as the Warthog hit the Ghost but, only heard the crunch of metal impacting on metal. The other Elite didn't have time to correct itself and plowed into the back of the Warthog. The blue and gold Spartan didn't hesitate, he cut the Elite down before it had a chance to get away. The 17.7X99 millimeter bullets shredded through the Elite's shields like paper and splattered the aliens blood all over the seat as the bullets ripped through it's body, and into the fuselage. The Ghost dropped away sparking on the ground before catching on some debris. Flipping end over end, it crashed into a parked truck, nestled comfortably in the driver's compartment. Gladiator smirked and sent a hail of bullets it's way for good measure to make sure the vehicle was useless. A handful of bullets ripped through the fusion reactor compartment and a moment later a purple plume of fire rose into the sky. A second after that, the gas tank that had caught the rest of the bullets, caught flame and left both vehicles a popping pyre of circuits and glowing metal.<br/><br/>The vehicle jounced as the tires hit the uneven pavement leading into the tunnel of Highway 495, and everything went dark.