Chapter (21) Yippee-ki-yay mother fucker (5)

[SURPRISE back to back to back (probably) chapters]

(Mc Pov)

Battle rifle in hand I sprint from cover to cover or rather from tree to tree making my way in the direction of the Biodome. Miranda sent the codes to my TACPAD to enter in through that part of the facility seeing as that wasn't the original plan.

Currently, my gut is in knots making me feel unsettled, to say the least. I keep checking around in the forest for movement and even scanning the treetops to the best of my ability, but I don't see anything…That is until.

*crack*

I step on a stick breaking it but the sound breaks me out of my tunnel vision and I stop moving for half a second. Then I found out why my stomach was so worried about my situation.

*BING*

Time slowed down to a crawl. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a plasma bolt on a path to give me a lobotomy. I am certain at that moment my complexion turned completely white because I could feel death gripping my shoulder telling me to get aboard.

My mind processed the gravity of my situation for what felt like hours trying to find my out like this was some type of elaborate poker game. Eventually, the bolt got close enough that my brain said fuck it and called upon my reflexes and muscle memory to do something to save myself.

I only had time to dive into a roll further along the direction the bolt was heading and then find cover behind a tree. In an effort to at least avoid getting brain surgery with 4000 degrees Celsius gas.

And just like that I committed to the plan without hesitation.

"Hmph…HAAAAH," I grunt, executing my dive and roll just like I had planned, but the air is knocked out of me causing me to release a sharp breath as I feel a searing pain on my lower left abdomen.

I make it behind a tree surviving the initial engagement and immediately pull out my battle rifle. I do not check the extent of my wound nor begin first aid. Deciding that other things are more pressing than my comfort or well-being.

'I gotta take out that sniper ASAP before he reports to his friends inside the compound,' I think to myself while panting, "HUH HUH HUH", 'Fuck he got me good I now know what a plasma burn feels like…shit it fucking hurts,'

I take a second or two to get my bearings and decide on a plan. My goal is to take out the sniper hiding in the tallest tree at least 200-300 yards diagonally away from me. I know that's where he is located because I recognized the trajectory and got a glimpse of his scope glare just after he fired.

'The beam rifle at max can fire 3 shots before overheating and only 2 in rapid succession,' I think to myself, 'So my options are to do it the smart way by making him bait his shots but run the risk of him seeing through that plan, or just do it the simple way,' I conclude and after a couple of seconds nod to myself knowing exactly what I shall do.

'Well…Yippee-ki-yay mother fucker' While saying that internally I leave the safety of my cover determined to get my pound of flesh from this jackal.

I made sure to duck as soon as I came out of the cover of the tree, and sure enough, that motherfucker almost took my scalp again. Anyway that was his first shot and it was a complete miss thankfully.

I sprinted forward with a straight back and shouldered my battle rifle. I began firing bursts with the best accuracy I could muster in my adrenaline-filled state.

*BANG BANG BANG* X 8

I quickly fired off 8 bursts

Each burst ripped through the sniper. He didn't even see it coming. I approached his corpse to double-tap to be certain but there was no reason to do so.

The jackal sniper was eviscerated by my bullets. His head had been blown to pieces with only the bottom jaw and neck still remaining…or what could be called a neck seeing as another burst had torn through that and only a single sliver of flesh connecting what was left of its head and its torso. As for the torso, the amount of blood coming from the holes in the body made it look like a balloon filled with water that had been impaled with sticks.

I won't say that I did not find a little bit of sick satisfaction in looking at the mangled corpse that fell out of the tree. I mean, wouldn't you? Especially after this son of a bitch shot me with a plasma sniper rifle. This is probably the greatest point I could ever make for why I will never take Covenant, prisoners.

Speaking of, I need to look at the damage of my wound and keep myself from dying due to bleeding out.

I looked down and both felt immediate relief but also disgust. The good news was the bolt grazed me, meaning it incinerated the flesh and melted the armor near where it went by but didn't obliterate the bone and vital organs therefore there was a high probability it wouldn't kill me and I could carry out the rest of the mission. Alternatively, the bad news was it damaged an artery so I am bleeding like a faucet and it hurts like a bitch seeing as it would theoretically be a fourth-degree burn.

The wound itself looks like a burnt marshmallow due to my white skin. Though there isn't much white at that area anymore and instead it is replaced with blackened dead skin that makes it look like charcoal. Blood flows around the area like lava coming out of an erupting volcano.

"Mmmf" I wince in pain as I feel the full extent of the damage flood my mind now that the adrenaline has begun to leave my system. I crouch down behind a tree and lean my rifle against the tree's trunk and pull off my pack. Reaching in I pull out a canister of bio-foam. Bio foam works wonders; it can encapsulate, disinfect, and numb wounds. It will keep my organs from squeezing out of the gash in my side and will stop my bleeding and hemorrhaging. Whoever designed such a medical device is a saint and I will accept no slander on my hero's name.

*Squirt* (Author's note: Don't even fucking think about it)

After holding down the button on the nozzle my wound was patched tight with the foam hardening. The canister had a little left in it and I wasn't one to be wasteful so I threw it back in my bag and slung back onto my back. I then prepared for what Miranda was going to say seeing as she would probably be pissed that I immediately muted her the second I had been hit.

I know it's a bit of a dick move seeing as she is just doing her job and would probably prefer it if I didn't kick the bucket, but she is still young. I don't fully trust her yet to be mature and stay quiet while I handle the whole fighting for my life situation. Plus I rather prefer thinking alone in silence when in a high-pressure situation like the previous event.

"...Miranda I am here," I say, preparing for what she might say.

"...I am extremely angry at you and have half the mind to chew you out right now over coms. However, for the sake of the mission and my position as your handler, I won't say anything right now but don't think you are off the hook. We will be having a veeeerrryyy long conversation once this is over with," Miranda says through her teeth while emphasizing the word 'very'.

'Well, I guess that's the best I am going to get. I made this bed so I shall lie in it, but that's for later,' I think to myself thankful that my stay of execution is prolonged.

A sigh comes over the comms, "Now moving away from my anger. What is your status? I will admit that I was spooked when your vitals flared suddenly as well as your armor reading that it had been breached. So tell me what happened,"

"To make a long story short I was fired upon by a Jackal sniper hidden from sight. He grazed me with a shot initially aimed at my head. I then assessed the situation and fought back, and killed him with a couple of bursts of my battle rifle. I am sending a picture through my helmet now, this sniper was cut above the rest that I have seen and is wearing much better equipment from what I saw," I then was informed by a notification that popped up on the side of my HUD after my attempt.

{VISR System: unavailable}

"Fan-fucking-tastic," I whisper under my breath, "Cancel that I am going to have to give you a visual description. My armor has been faulty, most likely it was damaged during my drop. Because along with VISR being down my active camo has been down since I first got out of my pod,"

After a few seconds, "Alright I have a pen and paper go ahead and start describing,"

I then began describing traits of what I took in before I decimated the kig-yar and what I could gather from the rest of the corpse. The Jackal, unlike other sniper jackals, was dressed in a fully black jumpsuit /armor, unlike the usual dark purple or dark blue. Its goggle's light was blood red instead of the standard purple light. Finally, the sniper rifle itself was also pitch black matching the aesthetic of the Jackal's appearance.

"Alright, I will send these details to the intelligence officers. Just to make sure are you ok? You got hit by a beam rifle. I trust your judgment, but if you aren't in a position to continue then we can drop the ODSTs and have them handle the mission. It's not that big of a deal just say the word," Miranda said with concern.

"Don't worry I still have enough to finish this mission and then some. I just have to be careful otherwise I run the risk of tearing my wound open and making it larger," I say to calm her concerns.

"Fine, just be careful and make it back. I would rather not have my first set of orders end up as a failure," Miranda said before shutting off her com.

'Aww that last little bit sounded like genuine concern, or perhaps it wasn't. Her mom after all is Catherine Halsey and is the definition of a bitch if I have ever seen one, but enough getting sidetracked I have some aliens to kill,' I thought to myself before shaking my head and refocusing on the task at hand.

I made my way out of the forest and a couple of minutes later arrived at my designated entrance to the Biodome. I was to access a maintenance corridor and climb through some of the vast ductwork in the facility. Only God knew what awaited me as I began to climb towards the elevated door.

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So another chapter wanted to get some combat in before the stealth section.

Not much to say about this chapter

If you have any questions feel free to let me know.

The song of the day is "So Far Away" by Crossfade

I hope you all have a wonderful day and I will See You Star Side.