>>USMC COMSEC/SIERRA 636//BURST MODE/HIGH ENCRYPTION>><br/><br/>"PFC Matthew Fry, this is Sierra six three six in your area. Status?"<br/><br/>If Matt hadn't have been looking at the business end of a battle rifle, he would have gladly replied to the Spartan's query. But as it happened, he was currently engaged in a struggle with one of the few people he'd ever expected to want to kill him. He watched as his captor removed the comm tech from the ODST helmet he'd been wearing then dropped it on the dusty floor of the crumbling apartment building in which Fry had taken shelter. His captor's boot came down on the commtech and crushed it, effectively cutting off Fry's ability to communicate with what he had thought was an evac team.<br/><br/>Fry cursed. "Why didn't you answer her?" he demanded, "Then we would have more of a chance of surviving.."<br/><br/>"Unfuck yourself Techie, it was a Covenant ploy to get us out in the open," the ODST said as the barrel of her rifle wavered over Fry. The woman's eyes went cold as she stared at Fry. "What happened to Cal?"<br/><br/>"Who?" Fry asked. He knew that ODSTs were wound tight but being held captive by a soldier who was UNSC had never seemed a possibility.<em>Maybe she's been wound up one time too many?</em>he considered. "I don't know a 'Cal'."<em>Covenant ploy?? Who's she kidding, they always kill us, they don't take prisoners.</em><br/><br/>"You're wearing his gear. I don't think Cal would give his gear to a Techie."<br/><br/>"He wasn't really in a place to disagree," Fry answered, immediately realizing he'd relayed the news of Cal's death in the wrong way because the ODSTs weapon drifted upward so she was aiming at his unprotected forehead. "I mean, he was dead on impact. I killed the Covenant around his pod and then took his gear.."<br/><br/>"Sorry Techie, I don't believe you, you lost me where you said you killed the Covenant." The female ODST snugged the butt of her rifle against her shoulder, aiming through the scope at Fry. "Take off Cal's gear."<br/><br/>"What?"<br/><br/>"Take. off. my. partner's. gear." the ODST repeated.<br/><br/><em>Shit. She's gone off the deep end. Cal and her had something going..</em>Fry thought as he made a show of removing the ODST battle armor without doing much.<em>I have to get away from her and I need to keep this armor in order to survive long enough to get an evac.</em>The crazy ODSTs grip hadn't weakened on her weapon and Fry was looking death in the face, but it never crossed his mind that he should kill the woman. She was UNSC and so was he. When she had first pulled him behind the makeshift barricade/lobby desk in the building, he'd been relieved after his initial shock had worn off. Another soldier with their head on a swivel meant his chances for survival had increased, or so Fry had thought.<br/><br/>"Listen I know you're upset about your partner's death but.." Fry started to say before the ODST switched the selector from burst to single shot, silencing his attempt to deffuse the situation.<em>I need a distraction so I can get out of here.</em>Matt tried to think of something, anything he could do, but nothing came to mind.<br/><br/>A round buried itself in the wood of the desk, missing Fry by mere inches. "Shit! Okay, you can have Cal's armor!" Fry said as his shaking hands began to move faster but with no more success.<br/><br/>A bright blue and white orb flew over the makeshift barricade and attached itself to the front of the crazy ODST's helmet. The single shot had drawn the attention of the Covenant patrol who were searching for stragglers among the ruins. Fry launched himself sideways as the ODST fired on him. He felt a round strike then there was a brilliant blue explosion.<br/><br/>***<br/><br/>When Fry regained consciousness he could hear Grunts close by, their tell-tale squeaks and snuffles an indication that the enemy was checking for any signs of life among the ruins of what had been the crazy ODSTs 'hunker down' spot. The butt of a weapon was sticking out of a pile of rubble a foot in front of the combat engineer but he dared not grab it and give away his position. Fry's forehead throbbed and his face felt wet. He was pretty sure he was bleeding. He remembered feeling the shot strike him but there wasn't any pain and he didn't know if that was a good thing or not.