#commander jerome 092

[borealtwilight]

solace

summary: not everyone finds it easy to wake up in the morning. it's definitely made easier with the help of a friend, though.

although at this point, is "friend" even the right term to describe one another with? characters: jerome-092, grace hendricks word count: 902 A/N: for @dancing-coyote :P

"You have bedhead."

Jerome reaches up to pat at his curly hair, puzzled. He's surprised that's the first thing he's greeted with, when Grace stumbles into the rec room at 0900. "And you're up late." he retorts, but there's no heat to it, and he smirks at her as he slides a mug of piping hot coffee across the table to her.

Grace flips him the bird, but shoots him a grateful look as she takes a sip. "Whose fault is that?" He knows exactly how she has her coffee: straight black, nice and fresh and strong.

"Hey, I advised you to go to bed, and that Alice, Douglas, and I had it handled, but you didn't listen..." Jerome shrugs innocently, folding his arms and leaning a hip against the table. Her twin, Killian, had gone to bed an hour or even an hour and a half before she had. But Grace had insisted that she remain, that she would be fine, that she could stay and help finish planning their upcoming mission. Now she was paying for it.

Her response is to reach out and thump him in the shoulder with a fist, hard. He dances out of her reach, yelping, and one hand goes to rub the smarting area gingerly.

"Ow, that's still tender!" he chides with a shake of his head, thinking of how much it had hurt yesterday when he'd sprained it. "Dick move."

She says nothing, but her eyes dance with amusement, and her lips are twitching as she takes another swallow of coffee. He knows she doesn't mean anything by it, though, and that really, he kinda had it coming. He knows full well that Grace has a tendency to be... cranky, first thing in the morning, and it may have become an oddly endearing trait of hers, but really, he shouldn't go poking the bear.

( He doesn't think of the fact that he's probably the only one allowed to gently, teasingly provoke Grace while she's still waking up. Never really occurs to him, but it's definitely A Whole Thing that he'd never hear the end of if anyone else realizes it. )

"I'm not the only one with a severe case of bedhead, though." That smirk is back on his face, and he reaches out to coil a lock of her curly hair around a finger. "What's the term your brother likes to use... Oh yeah, you look like you've been dragged backwards through a bush." The polite way of putting it, at any rate. Killian's exact words are usually more along the lines of "your hair appears to have turned into a nest for a family of rats". "Don't worry, I'll fix it."

Grace, still sleepy, hums wordless assent, and Jerome's quick to dart off to her quarters to raid her bathroom for her hair products.

( He doesn't think about the fact that he knows what kind of supplies are needed to help get Grace's hair under control. It's just something that he'd do for another Spartan, he tells himself. Not that he's ever had the chance to; they all keep their hair shoulder length or shorter. )

"Did you at least get some sleep at all?" he asks, as he gently begins to sort out her frizzy mane.

She mumbles her answer into the mug of coffee. "Probably not much more than you did. But then you're a dirty cheat."

He allows himself a chuckle; she does make a fair point. At least it's a topic he doesn't mind making light fun of, on occasion. "I admit it, my augmented physiology renders me a dirty cheater and I can therefore run on less sleep. Still, don't come cryin' to me when you've overtaxed yourself."

"No, I'll just steal your bunk."

"I don't mind sharing."

"You're a blanket hog."

Jerome sputters. "I am not a blanket hog." As a matter of fact, he really didn't need to use blankets all that often. "I think the blanket hog is you, and you just don't want to admit it, so you pass blame to me."

Because sharing bunks is also a thing they do. It's not even something they put stock into; they just... sometimes happen to fall asleep together. Sometimes it's on purpose, though, like when they need to share quarters because they're planetside. Or when one of them can't sleep because their head is too much, and sharing a bed with your co-worker best friend battle buddy fellow soldier is reassuring: you know you're not the only one who has these nightmares, you've got someone right beside you who's been through similar shitty things, physical contact is grounding, it's fine to share space with someone you're familiar with.

It's just habit, that's all.

He doesn't need to see her face to know that Grace is sticking her tongue out at him, and he swats at her playfully. It's easy, this rhythm they've fallen into; it's become a comfort.

( Grace and Killian are really part of Red Team, at this point. They all look out for each other. They're all under Jerome's command. They're his friends, they belong to him, and he would die for any one of them, just as he knows they would give their lives willingly for him. )

( Sure, he has the tendency to spend more time with Grace than any of the others at this point, but it's mere coincidence. Happenstance, that's all. )

[gamelpar]

drops my favorite character in water before pulling them out and flapping them repeatedly against the counter to dry them off

[helix-enterprises117]

Halo Reloaded: Rogue

Under the harsh artificial lights of the Autumn 2.0’s hangar bay, an impromptu arena was set, charged with an electric anticipation. Arrayed in a loose semi-circle, Blue, Red, Cobalt, and Silver Teams stood in full battle regalia, their armor a kaleidoscope of war-torn stories. In their midst, almost deceptively calm, stood John-117. His stance was relaxed, but there was an undeniable tension in the air, the kind that precedes storms.

Fred-104, of Blue-Team, took a step forward, his voice echoing slightly off the metallic walls. "John, you’re making a mistake. We’ve bled together, faced down the impossible. You don’t have to walk this path alone."

John’s helmet tilted slightly, considering Fred’s words. "This isn’t about us," he replied, his voice betraying a hint of underlying conflict. "It’s about Cortana. I can’t, I won’t, leave her to face whatever’s out there on her own."

Jerome-092, the de facto leader of Red-Team, chimed in with a mix of frustration and understanding. "You taught us to value the chain of command, to trust in the system. Why can't you follow your own advice?"

"It's not that simple," John countered, his tone firm. "This goes beyond orders. If there's a chance Cortana needs me, I have to try."

Yaz-112, her voice as cool and measured as her tactical mind, added, "We get loyalty, John. But defying direct orders? This is bigger than any single Spartan. We have to think about the consequences."

"Maybe you’re right," John conceded, though his stance remained unyielded. "But if there’s even a sliver of hope that I can help her, then I have to act. Consequences be damned."

With those final words, the uneasy truce shattered...

As the first move was made, John launched himself into the fray with a burst of speed that blurred the lines between human capability and machine-like efficiency. He met Kelly-087's charge head-on, their collision a thunderclap of power. Kelly, renowned for her unmatched speed, darted around John in a dizzying display, striking from all sides. But John, ever the tactician, anticipated her patterns, catching her mid-lunge and using her momentum to hurl her into a nearby Warthog, the impact echoing like a struck gong.

No sooner had Kelly been dealt with than Linda-058 took her shot from afar, her sniper rounds singing through the air. John twisted and dodged with preternatural agility, closing the distance between them with a calculated rush. He vaulted over a crate, grabbed a discarded energy sword, and deflected a bullet at the last second, the round grazing his armor. In a fluid motion, he disarmed Linda, their faces inches apart, before gently pushing her back with a nudge that said, "Gotcha."

The spectacle drew the attention of Jerome-092, Douglas-042, and Alice-130 of Red Team, who advanced as a cohesive unit. Jerome, leading the charge, was a behemoth, his every step shaking the ground. John met his advance with a defiant roar, their fists clashing with the force of cannon fire. Meanwhile, Douglas and Alice attempted a pincer maneuver, but John, ever vigilant, released a smoke grenade, obscuring their vision. Amidst the confusion, he engaged them in close combat, delivering a series of precise, disabling blows that left them momentarily incapacitated.

With Red Team down, Cobalt and Silver Teams joined the fray, their movements a whirlwind of strategic precision. Yet, John, standing at the eye of the storm, was a force of nature unto himself. He intercepted Yaz-112 and Karim-002 mid-assault, their fists and feet a blur of motion. John ducked, weaved, and countered, his armor scoring with each contact yet never yielding. A swift, judicious kick sent Karim skidding across the floor, while Yaz found herself caught in a lock that required her to yield lest her arm be broken.

Riz-028 and Kai-125 of Silver Team, not to be outdone, launched a coordinated aerial assault, jet packs igniting as they descended upon John like avenging angels. But John, predicting their trajectory, rolled away at the last moment, causing them to collide with each other instead. As they untangled themselves, John saluted them mockingly before moving on.

The climax of the battle saw John facing Vannak-134, his size and strength rivaling that of Jerome. Their duel was a masterpiece of power and agility, each blow from Vannak met with a parry or dodge from John. The hangar rang with the sound of their conflict until John, seizing an opening, executed a stunning judo throw that sent Vannak crashing into a stack of supply crates.

Breathing heavily, John scanned the hangar, his opponents defeated but unharmed, their respect for him undiminished by the battle.

As John reached the Condor, ready to make his escape, Kai-125’s voice crackled over the comm. "You know this makes you a traitor, right? There’s no turning back from this."John paused, his hand on the Condor’s hatch. "I know," he admitted, the weight of his decision clear in his voice. "But if there's the slightest chance I can save her, then it's a risk I'm willing to take."

He didn’t wait for a response, sealing the hatch behind him and launching into the unknown, leaving a wake of mixed feelings among his fellow Spartans. They understood his motivations, even if they couldn’t agree with his methods. John had made his choice, driven by a loyalty that transcended orders, a dedication to a friend that could not be swayed by protocol or decree.In the aftermath, as the Spartans regrouped, there was an unspoken agreement. John had chosen his path, driven by a bond that, to him, was worth any sacrifice. And while they couldn’t follow him down that path, they couldn’t help but respect his resolve. In the end, John did what he believed was right, consequences be damned.

[halobirthdays]

Happy birthday to Commander Jerome-092!

Today is his -487th birthday!

Jerome was born on an infamously underdeveloped part of the colony world Minister. His difficult upbringing would force him to grow up fast, resorting to criminal activity at a young age. He was targeted by Catherine Halsey for his notable genetics, and he, like all Spartan-IIs, was kidnapped and conscripted into the Spartan-II program.

Although he tried to escape multiple times, he would eventually accept his training and stood out as one of the rising leaders among the Spartan-II conscripts. However, his body rejected the biological augmentations in the second phase of the project. Thus, he was considered a "washout" and removed from the general population. However, he was able to be rehabilitated and re-augmented at a later date. At that point, he was paired with fellow washouts Alice-130 and Douglas-042, forming Red Team with Jerome as their leader.

In 2531, Red Team was tasked with evacuating the colony world Arcadia, holding off the Covenant attack so the civilians could escape. It was there that they paired up with the UNSC Spirit of Fire. Red Team would accompany the Spirit of Fire to the Forerunner shield world Trove (called Etran Harborage by the Forerunners) to stop Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee and the Prophet of Regret from activating the Forerunner dreadnoughts contained within, and to save Professor Ellen Anders, who had been captured by 'Moramee.

When Jerome suggested destroying 'Moramee's ship to prevent the Covenant from retrieving compromising information from Anders--a tactic that would stop 'Moramee but kill her--Sergeant Forge and Jerome got into a physical altercation that was only stopped after significant destruction and a lecture from the ship's AI Serina. Rather than creating a rift between them, these events would forge a mutual respect between the two.

The engagement on Trove was successful, but it would cost them the Spirit of Fire's slipspace drive. When the drive required a manually activation, Forge volunteered to trade his life for Jerome's, under the belief that the Spartans were too valuable to waste. Without being able to enter slipspace, the Spirit of Fire's crew--including Jerome--were put in cryo sleep while the ship drifted, waiting for rescue.

In 2559, Jerome and the rest of the crew were awakened, having been pulled into slipspace to the Ark. It was there that they learned of the threat of the Banished when Atriox confronted Red Team. He was able to fend off Red Team and wound Douglas--crushing his shoulder and helmet and forcing them to retreat. After that, the mission changed to stop Atriox's forces on the Ark. Jerome would help thin out the Banished presence on the Ark, while allowing Professor Anders to send a distress beacon to the UNSC.

As of recent canon, he is still on the heavily-contested Ark, which is occupied by Banished, Keeper, UNSC, and Covenant loyalist forces.

In canon (~2560), he is turning 49!

[halos-top-alien-model]

Sangheili Bracket Round 1 Match 29

More info below:

Let 'Volir:

Debuted in Halo Wars 2

Born Nov. 20th, 2477 on the colony Eshin, he commanded Enduring Conviction during his time in the Covenant Empire, causing the destruction of "quite a few" UNSC warships between 2549 and 2552 and becoming known to the UNSC and ONI as a result. One notable battle was during 2551, where it demonstrated impressive evasive maneuvers and counterattacks. Following the end of the Great Schism and the Covenant Empire, he would avoid joining the Swords of Sanghelios and the Arbiter, amongst other emerging warlords. For about six months, he instead served in the Sangheili-led Fleet of Recalcitrant Ire, led by Fleetmaster Arkad Nar 'Kulul.

In May 2553, the fleet - stationed near an airbase on the swamp-moon of Kostroda - would engage attacking Banished forces. Let would respond to a distress call from the base crew and successfully capture the Banished's leader - Atriox - due to a surrender. However, once back on board Enduring Conviction, Atriox would reveal a trap as several hidden Banished soldiers ambushed them and force Let to converse - Atriox's true reason for "surrendering". Atriox revealed he had been keeping an eye on Let and wished for him to join the Banished, to which Let decided life as a free mercenary would be better than what he had now. Allowing the fleetmaster to believe he and his crew had been killed by the Banished, Let would order Enduring Conviction to escape from the fleet as it began to fire on the correct assumption it was now hostile. These events would later be recorded and becoming known to ONI, leading agents "D" and "S" to begin studying Let. Later, Let and his crew would properly swear fealty to the Banished on an orbital installation, but then would lay low for awhile. Some time later, they would reemerge to raid the human settlement on Ansket IV. Let would also send a message to the Jiralhanae warlord Jovus to convince him to join the Banished, but Jovus found the concept of Jiralhanae and Sangheili working together absurd. Eventually, when it became known that Let 'Volir was not killed and had become a sellword to Atriox, his name would become tarnished - although he himself did not care.

On Nov. 25th, 2558, Enduring Conviction would arrive at the Ark, carrying with it a force large enough to take the Ark by force from the UNSC forces and researcher that previously held claim to the installation. Notably, Let did not enjoy the slaughter like the rest of the Banished and refused to partake in any celebrations. For months, the Banished extracted resources from the Ark. Then, on March 28th, 2559, the long-lost UNSC Spirit of Fire exited slipspace above the Ark, with conflict breaking out between the old ship and the Banished. Let would contribute on the Banished's side, first defending a salvage operation overseen by Decimus by melting UNSC ground forces with Enduring Conviction's pulse laser turrets. Once the defense was deemed a failure and Decimus retreated, Enduring Conviction would kill their own Banished allies at the site to keep the UNSC from learning anything. Later, on March 30th, Decimus would fall in battle whilst Let went on the attack against Spirit of Fire. During this, Spartan Jerome-092 and the AI Isabel would infiltrate the ship, forcing it to destroy the Ark and cause Aggressor Sentinels to destroy it in retaliation. Let would survive and be confronted by Atriox over the losses. The failures would only stack up in time, as Let would fail in the defense of Installation 09, allowing the Halo Ring to fall under UNSC control. These would weigh on him, causing him to feel a responsibility to safeguard the entire Banished as penance - now seeing every Banished individual as part of "his crew".

Redemption would soon come to him with a new task: a last ditch effort to push back Spirit of Fire. He would succeed in securing the site of a portal, allowing Atriox to utilize it in his return to the Milky Way galaxy. Now back in Atriox's good graces, he was further placed in command of all the Banished forces on the Ark, to continue the fight against the Spirit of Fire for the Ark whilst Atriox dealt with other priorities. Later, the Keepers of the One Freedom would reach the Ark through the same portal - on Atriox's personal Lich Pegoras no less. Let would contact them and even though he grew suspicious of them, he allowed it to pass through and was against the Jiralhanae brothers Pavium and Voridus going after them. They still did, then lied to Let about the devastating lost they took in the Battle of Epsilon Clarion. Let has also set his sights on quelling the rebellions of "Yapyap the Destroyer" that Atriox had previously tolerated.

Rojka 'Kasaan:

Debuted in Halo: Envoy (previously mentioned in "Oasis" of Halo: Fractures)

Born April 14th, 2494 on the colony of Glyke, he formed a close bond with Daga 'Rathum in youth and eventually joined him in the Covenant reserve units; his dreams of becoming a Shipmaster in the military being unfulfilled as he instead helped rebuild and refurbish warships until the end of the Covenant. Following Operation: SUNSPEAR in 2552, Glyke would be destroyed by Spartan Gray Team using a NOVA bomb. Upon hearing of his homeworld's destruction, Rojka would take control of the fleet he was tasked with repairing and travel to the ruins to see for himself and monitor activity in the system. The Arbiter Thel 'Vadam would ask him to not seek revenge against humanity - severing the carefully built peace in the process - and instead directed him to the abandoned human colony of Carrow, which the Sangheili named "Rakoi". Learning to think positively on this new opportunity, he would become the Kaidon of the newly founded city of Rak. Sometime later, however, the human colonists that had once lived on Carrow returned, alongside other migrant refugees from the war. Tensions over sharing the planet emerged, with Rojka attempting to maintain peaceful co-existence whilst his cousin Thars 'Sarov rallied an anti-human rebellion. An envoy named Melody Azikiwe would be sent to help with the situation; around the same time, Rojka detected a human signal in his former system and recovered the sleeping Spartans that had destroyed his old home. He would keep them on his ship whilst he debated killing them or using them as a bargaining chip.

A peace summit would be schedule, but the day before it was set to happen, Thars would go on the attack. With long-ranged communications down and no slipspace capable vessels, Rojka was forced to engage the rebels in a space battle above the planet. As a Jiralhanae fleet came to aid Thars, Rojka began losing the battle and prepared to be boarded by the enemy. Melody - who was also on board - would refuse an offer to be killed before the enemy could reach her and argue for the release of Gray Team. When she was refused, she went off to secretly release them herself whilst Rojka was distracted by the thoughts of each of his friends dying one by one alongside their ships. He would soon realize Melody's plan and move to stop her, but he was too late - the Spartans were awake and fended him off, forcing his retreat while they escaped the ship. Previously willing to allow Thars a final stand within the ship, he changed plans to go follow Gray Team to Carrow's surface; at the same time, he witnessed the beginning of the Jiralhanae's betrayal of Thars. Unfortunately, his ship would crash and an assassination attempted by some within his own ranks; but he endured, taking half of his surviving crew to pursue Melody and Gray Team. In his absence, the crash site would be attacked by Thars' forces. Eventually, Rojka would discover ONI's hidden base, Gila Station, where Thars would also catch up with him with an offer: Thars would allow Rojka to go in to kill Gray Team before Thars would finally finish him off, avoiding conflict with the UNSC by pretending the attack was done by Covenant remnants. Both cousins would attempt to break their side of the deal. Within Gila Station, Melody convinced Rojka that there was a bigger threat the Jiralhanae were planning to unleash; deciding to hold off on revenge against Gray Team, Rojka instead escaped Gila Station as it was destroyed, sending some warriors to go distract Thars. Later, he would help in the fight against the released Sharquoi at Suraka and the attempted assassination against the Jiralhanae leader controlling them, Hekabe. In the process, he would become injured, but would survive the close encounters with the Sharquoi. As he escaped the destruction of Suraka and all the Sharquoi gathered there, the mourned the loss of Daga, who died during the battle. Once at a safe location, Rojka would convince Thars to duel him by offering to hand over Gray Team - in reality, he, the Spartans, and Melody were plotting an ambush. Rojka would overpower his cousin, but at first kept him alive - they needed Thars to notify his forces of an incoming Sharquoi attack, to avoid the creatures obtaining Thars' remaining ships. When Thars refused to listen and the Sharquoi successfully captured both human and Sangheili ships, Rojka would decapitate him. Then, he went on to aid in the next attempt on Hekabe's life. He and a Surakan militia squad entered the Forerunner facility where Hekabe was hiding, with Rojka launching himself directly at the Sharquoi and getting grievously injured in the process. He would also get attacked by Hekabe once Governor Ellis Gass successfully removed the vertex controlling the Sharquoi from Hekabe's head. Finally, he would be immobilized by Sharquoi now under Ellis' command, who warned them to leave as she would detonate a nuke that would destroy the entire facility in ten minutes. During the escape, the injured Rojka lagged behind the others, but ultimately was able to escape and be picked up by a rescue Pelican. With all the conflicts on Carrow finally ended, Rojka would heal and return home, where he would find the new Kaidon Akato 'Dakaj who warned Rojka that he had little support in Rak now due to all the loss from the conflicts. Now grown and moving pass his previous grievances, Rojka accepted the offer to become Akato's envoy towards humanity.

[halopedia]

Lore Thursday — Command Mantis

The Command Mantis is an upgraded variant of the Mark IX Mantis platform featuring configurable weapon mounts, increased armor, and an on-board artificial intelligence capable of operating the vehicle without a pilot.

Jerome-092 has been known to operate a personalized Command Mantis nicknamed Theseus. This particular Mantis is fitted with a command-and-control nexus taken from the UNSC Spirit of Fire, allowing it to serve as a mobile command post for field operations.

[witchie-writings]

Hello! Your hcs are chefs kiss🤌🏻💋 I was wondering if I could get hcs on how Jerome would react when he finds out his s/o is on a mission and he hears over the comms that her teammates are going down and she’s being cornered by the covenant. Like would he go apeshit to save her?

glad you love my hcs!!! <33 and in short, anon: yes, but Jerome goes beyond apeshit >:)

Jerome-092 HCs:

It was supposed to be a normal mission, you said. It'll be all good and you'll get to see your husband again, you said. After saying all those things, of course the situation quickly dissolved into shit, and you discovered that maybe you should just keep your mouth shut permanently.

Your squad was sent to investigate a potential Covenant outpost stationed on Arcadia; after Jerome's team and those aboard the Spirit of Fire had dealt with the Covenant five years prior, they remained station there to prevent anymore attacks and to root out any who refused to retreat. Well, they were right to remain cautious.

It was meant to be a recon, then once confirmation was put in place Captain Cutter would send in the spartans to clean up. Unfortunately, you jinxed it way too early, and now your squad was paying the price. One of the members slipped on a rocky edge, sending rocks tumbling over the cliffside and alerting the Covenant forces below.

Then you began to wonder: how the bloody Hell did they sneak a god damn Phantoms and Banshees past them?

Only half of your team managed to survive after alerting the Covenant. All of you ran for your lives; the Banshees shot down a few of your men, some of them you knew personally, and it made your heart crack but you couldn't stop. You had to radio in for help.

It didn't take long for your transmission to go through, but it was a shaky connection and your voice was sometimes blurred by static. Cutter tried his best to disern your location and filter out the noises of screams and plasma blasts, but that's when Jerome walked in.

He only had to hear one thing from you: where you were positioned.

Then without a word he left with an unrelenting sprint to gather Douglas and Alice to dispatch.

With you, you were hold up in an abandoned cottage in the midst of a forest in an attempt to hide. You heard the last of your squad beg for mercy, but all knew that the Covenant took no prisoners, and he met a swift death at the tip of an energy blade.

It took all of your strength to stop breathing so hard, to stop your body from trembling violently and to cover your mouth to silence yourself. Your ragged and heavy breaths were met against a shaking palm; sweat trickled down your forehead as your body tensed.

You were going to die, you know it.

The muffled voices of elites giving out commands to the grunts was heard, and the shuffling of their feet told you they were surrounding the building.

You didn't get to say goodbye to Alice or Douglas, especially Jerome. You had all these plans laid out for the both of you when both retire: go somewhere remote, live on the beach and have a happy little family together. But now it seems as it was being snuffed out.

The seconds ticked down. A footstep was heard against the wooden floor, the rotten wood groaning under the strain.

One.

Two...

Then suddenly, the roar of a warthog was heard, and before the Elite could take another step, it found it's face colliding full force and speed against the front of the vehicle, bypassing its shields and killing it instantly.

Jerome had leaped out of the Warthog from the passenger seat before they collided with the Elite; he had his pistol and combat knife, firing at the closest enemy and making quick work with his blade. Anger and sheer rage fueled his actions, sparing no enemy and making sure they met a quick yet painful end.

Douglas and Alice joined the battle shortly after Jerome, and then it was Hell on Earth. Bullets fired like rain, knives sliding against flesh and war cries filled the air.

The Red Team's leader spared no one. It was though he only saw crimson; he shattered the knees of an Elite with a hard blow, knocking them down and jabbing his knife into their mouth and twisting it violently till he knew his opponent would perish.

A grunt tried to run at him in a suicide bombing, but unfortunately for them, Jerome was all too aware of it. He wasn't phased when he grabbed the Grunt's head, before chucking them over to their remaining allies, who could only look in terror before they were killed in the oncoming explosion.

Even Douglas and Alice were surprised... mainly because Jerome had made sure he snapped open the skull of the Unggoy before throwing them.

As quick as the battle had occured, it was over. You were still in the Cottage, your hands had found themselves covering your ears to block out the unholy sounds. It seems childish, but you were known to be sensitive to too much sound, it could spark an emotional overload and send you into a panic attack.

You barely heard the door of the cottage creak open. Your eyelids were sealed, they didn't want to have to witness their attacker take joy in their latest kill. You held your breath...

Before a familiar gloved hand gently found it's place on your shoulder.

You peaked one of your eyes open, and then relief washed over you like a warm shower when you saw the familiar visor of your beloved. You can tell anger was still pulsing through him by his touch, how underneath his undersuit he was trying to keep himself from displaying the monsterous side of him. Not directed towards you, never. Towards your attackers.

"Are you alright, (Y/N)?" Jerome's voice came out with concern laced through his words; you didn't respond, only darting forwards to wrap your arms tightly around his armor. It caught the spartan off guard, but he quickly returned the gesture.

"You're okay, baby, you're okay..." he whispered, carefully stroking your hair. He hardly used nicknames, it wasn't the spartan way to use them frequently, but in this case, he knew you needed it more than ever.

Softly, he repositioned you so he can slide an arm underneath your legs, pulling you up so you were cradled against his chest as he went to stand up.

Alice and Douglas were in the midst of contacting higher command when they saw Jerome leave the building with you in his arms, face buried against his chest. You weren't severely harmed, but Jerome will take you to the medical bay to be checked on regardless.

That night you slept close to Jerome as his arms caged you against him, his face buried in your hair as he slept. Never again... Never again.

[chadillacboseman]

Could I request a Jerome x reader smut? Maybe a little rough if possible? Write anything you’d like! (Fem reader)

I hope I'm correct in assuming you mean Spartan-092 Jerome from Halo Wars. If not, then enjoy this fic you didn't ask for lol.

"We have to be quick-" Jerome pushed you against the wall and you felt the cold metal of his armor brush against your back, "Douglas will be back from patrol any minute."

It always had to be quick. The drawback of being with a Spartan.

Jerome tugged at the waistband of your jeans until he had them down to your knees. You could hear him panting, even through his helmet, a kind of quiet desperation only you could bring out in the Spartan.

His first thrust shoved your face against the wall and you braced your hands against the surface for stability. He was always rough- not intentionally, but he sometimes forgot how to be gentle when he was in the Mjolnir.

Jerome is big- a full seven feet tall in the armor. But he's not just tall, he's big everywhere. When he first pushed inside you, it took you a moment to adjust- a moment he couldn't afford to give you.

You squeezed your eyes shut as the Spartan set a grueling pace and his gloved hands dug forcefully into your hips for leverage.

"So good," Jerome murmured, "All mine." He sounded punch drunk, devoid of all of his buttoned Spartan composure.

You felt the heat in your gut, like a rolling coal fire, as the Spartan continued to drive away at your core, chasing after his own finish. The hangar was quiet, save for the sound of him inside of you and your own quiet whimpers and moans.

Jerome put one of his hands over yours on the wall in front of you and squeezed gently as he came and his hips stilled.d You crested your own high and tried your best not to collapse to the floor despite your shaking legs.

Jerome pulled out of you and ran a gloved thumb over the small blooms of red his grip had left on your hips. He felt a pang of guilt at the sight of them- he forgot his own strength at times.

You were a secret he kept from the rest of his team- not out of shame, no, out of a sort of desperate fear. Telling anyone about you would make it real, make you something tangible that could be taken from him. He hoped you understood that. He hoped that these moments with him were enough for you to know how he felt.

"Commander?" Douglas's voice rang through the hangar bay and you felt a jolt of panic in your chest.

You made a move to sprint out when Jerome grabbed your arm and stooped to your level. You flashed him a grin and planted a kiss on his visor,

"See you later, commander."

[arkanhalo]

Halo Wars 2 DLC Leader - Spartan-092 (Commander Jerome)!

Oddly Jerome is now a leader in Halo Wars 2 aswell as a unit for Cutter and his own hero unit is him? There seems to be Jerome everywhere! Anyway breakdown time:

Leader Powers

Tier 1 - Recon Training Increases the line of sight for infantry and vehicles.

Tier 1 - Victory Mine Drop a series of mines that inspire friendly units upon detonation.

Tier 2 - Time for Heroes Unlock to inspire all units (Increasing their armour and damage) and give a bonus to speed. Take effects when you are at 40 population or less.

Tier 2 - Restoration Drones Heal all buildings and units in the targeted area.

Tier 3 - Enduring Salvo Bombards a target area with debris from the Enduring Conviction and inspires nearby units.

Tier 3 - Mastodon Unlocks the Mastodon for purchase at your base.

Tier 4 - Victory Turret Drops a turret that inspires nearby troops.

Tier 4 - Spartan Morale Inspired units gain an increase to speed, armour and damage for a short time.

Tier 5 - Field Promotion Promotes all non-promoted standard units in the area of effect to veterancy level one.

Tier 5 - Omega Team Calls in Jerome’s Omega Team, three Spartans with unique weapons who inspire nearby troops.

Unique Units

Commander Jerome - Hero Unit Inspires nearby units. Armed with a Hydra MLRS, fast movement speed and rapidly-recharging sheilds. Upgrade - Command Mantis - Gain ability to call in and pilot Jerome’s Command Mantis. Increases damage and health. Upgrade - Improved Inspire - Increases Radius of Inspire Aura, increases damage and health and increases Command Mantis’ damage and health. Upgrade - Laser Barrage - Calls in a laser barrage with the Command Mantis. Increases damage and health and increases the Command Mantis’ damage and health.

Mastodon - Mobile Garrison Can carry infantry. The infantry being transported provide supporting fire. Equipped with light machine guns. Upgrade - Infantry Capacity - Increases unit capacity from 3 infantry squads to 4.

[maximummusesarch]

Daisy-023 wasn’t very close to many of the other children in the Spartan-II program.  The circumstances of how they met made forming close social bonds difficult.  There were a few fellow S-IIs Daisy had grown close to, however.

The first, and most noteworthy bond she had with another S-II, was with Ralph-103.  The two of them had created a support system for one another both during boot camp and after augmentation.  In fact, the two of them mounted a successful escape attempt after augmentation.  However, following their return to the S-II program, Ralph washed out and was dropped, though he would pursue a military history and join the Marine Corps.  Daisy and Ralph would meet one last time on Harvest in 2530.  While Daisy would be successfully recovered by John-117, Ralph was listed as MIA under ONI Directive 930.

Daisy was also relatively close with Jerome-092, on Red Team.  Like Daisy, Jerome had made escape attempts before and the two would work together to create new plans to escape the training facility on Reach.  Like Daisy, Jerome also dedicated himself to being a Spartan.  The last Daisy heard of Jerome was that his body rejected the augmentations and washed out of the program.  However, she has heard rumors that Jerome, along with two other S-IIs, were retrained and successfully augmented separate from the rest of the class.  However, she’s yet to see Jerome once more.

While not as close, she was familiar with Jai-006 and Adriana-111, as prior escape attempts of Daisy’s had intersected with Jai’s and Adriana’s attempts.  After augmentation, however, Daisy seldom saw Jai or Adriana.

Following augmentation, however, Daisy was somewhat close with John-117.  Blue Team, Gold Team, and Green Team all participated in Operation: Silent Storm in 2526, John commanding Blue Team and Daisy being the infiltration specialist of Gold Team.  Daisy, while not being on the same team as John, did grow to trust him for his decision making and his dedication to making sure no one gets left behind.  In addition, it was John who found and recovered Daisy on Harvest after the failed UNSC evacuation attempt.  Like most of the Spartan-IIs, Daisy trusts John and his judgement,

[bxttle-cry]

Character Sheet Repost; do not reblog!

basics

Full name: Commander Jerome Cable 092 Nickname/s: Jay, Big Guy Gender: Male Height: 6′10.3″ out of armour / 7′2.3″ in full MJOLNIR Age: biologically, 19 / chronologically, 47 Zodiac: N/A Spoken language/s: English, Greek, French, some Hungarian, Russian

physical characteristics

Hair colour: Brown Eye colour: Green-flecked blue Skin tone: Sort of a golden, tawny cream? Body type: Unnaturally tall, powerful, fit, well-muscled, looks like a strongman with particular emphasis on arms & shoulders Voice: Deep, husky, warm Dominant hand: Right Posture: straight, yet relaxed, despite looking like he has a steel rod shoved up his spine Scar/s: Augmentation scars; a few others scattered across his body; most notably, a scar running across the right side of his mouth, thanks to an overeager Jiralhanae with a knife Birthmark/s: None Most noticeable feature/s: Build, height, gentle countenance, BABY FACE

childhood

Place of birth: Minister, Peleus system Hometown: Nereius, Palaikos borderlands Sibling/s: One younger sister, status unknown Parents: Names & statuses unknown

adult life

Occupation: Spartan-II warrior and leader of Red Team Current residence: UNSC Spirit of Fire Close friends: Alice-130, Douglas-042, John Forge (may he rest in peace), Captain Cutter Relationship status: Verse dependent Financial status: Probably has a bank account, with a decent amount of credits?? Driver’s license: No Criminal record: Do not ask him; he has no idea

sex & romance

Sexual orientation: Grey-Ace Preferred emotional role: Nyah? Preferred sexual role: He’s a giving person, so he’s definitely a switch Libido: Low / semi-inhibited due to augmentations Turn ons: Unknown Relationship tendencies: Tends to make friends rather than romantic partners... But maybe, just maybe, if you manage to capture his soft heart, he’ll attempt to become your romantic partner

misc.

Character’s theme song/s: Steel Hand, Gloves Off, Heads Up Display, and It’s Done, from the Halo Wars 2 Original Soundtrack Hobbies to pass time: Sparring or training with Red Team, reading books, offering a helping hand wherever its needed within the bowels of the Spirit Left or right brained?: ....Both? Self-confidence level: Moderately high Vulnerabilities: He is afraid of losing the ones he loves; turning out to be not good enough / a total failure; becoming outdated & unnecessary; stubbornness

tagged by: @owlsector​ ( thank! ) tagging: @hell-and-starlight​, @thestupidmeanone​, @perpetualxfire​   ( only if u guys want to!! )

[borealtwilight]

✨ my OTP list ✨

swtor / star wars:

ashala vex / malavai quinn ( alt: tyûkshâsotasha vex / malavai quinn; jedi ashala au ) : foolish malcontent

vhaethra taloran / arcann tirall

thas’absi’nthe / theron shan

kitalo’riah’lariv / lord scourge**

commander fox / ke’na leson

artemis katona / carter harkness ( swtor AU because That happened )

vastrtunos anari / akaavi spar

vanadyan / torian cadera

halo / rvb: 

artemis-b312 / carter-a259 : mandatum & vincere

artemis-b312 / gabriel thorne : you have me

artemis-b312 / epsilon-church**

artemis-012 / thomas lasky** : laskona

jerome-092 / grace hendricks : love me harder

khyl ’voramai / grace hendricks : helljumper & warlord

khyl ’voramai / t’kali ’kovam

khyl ’voramai / ina ’savam*

khyl ’voramai / talia-b271**

hunter-b170 / jeanette-b315 : until the stars burn out

ashala-094 / malavai quinn ( halo AU )

revan-b312 / tha’ze yvo ’suromai

helios-g249 / salvador-g262 : umbra solaris

( *NB: while ina ’savam is deceased in khyl’s backstory, i will still accept asks for them, on the basis of “what ifs” and things like that )

( ** denotes crackship / silly ship / “haha what if” ship )

[gamelpar]

Scarab - Jerome-092 & Alice-130

Who wants to drive the Scarab?

words: 245

ao3

---------------------

He looked over the datapad in his hand currently displaying Spirit of Fire’s vehicle and weapon maintenance report. “Douglas wants to drive the Scarab.”

“He always wants to drive the Scarab, Jerome.”

Jerome turned his head sideways to look at his sister and teammate. Trying to read his teammates' body language even without MJOLNIR armor proved a challenge sometimes. He raised an eyebrow at her, “Do you want to drive the Scarab?” She’d been the one working with Douglas to capture it first, after all.

Alice was silent a minute in thought before letting out a shrug. “I think I actually like it better on the ground, where I can meet up with our enemies up close and personal.”

Jerome nodded slightly and turned back to the datapad screen showing the Banished Scarab they’d captured and stored in their vehicle ranks for further deployment. He’d heard all about Douglas’ enjoyment with commandeering it from both him and Alice.

He would have lied if he didn’t say it had sparked his curiosity.

A moment went by in silence, Jerome pretending to read the text while actually in thought, and Alice gathering her bunt of used clothes for weekly laundry. Douglas was off to the gym doing exercises with marines and ODSTs.

“I want to drive the Scarab.”

Alice spared a glance at her brother from her gathering of clothing, “Good luck with that,” she said, “pretty sure Douglas' not gonna give it up without a fight.”

[thechiefcanuck]

Halo Wars 2 Concept art for Commander Jerome-092 (leader) and Omega Team (units). Omega Team: Robert-025 (plasma turret), August-099 (rail gun), and Leon-011 (energy sword)

I totally love the concept art for these characters and the crazy armour permutations!!

[oddities-forge117]

Sergeant John Forge:

Sergeant John Forge (Service Number 63492-94758-JF) was a veteran non-commissioned officer and an infantryman in the UNSC Marine Corps. Although he excelled in tactics and combat, his repeated acts of insubordination caused him to receive three demotions, with infractions such as fighting with an officer, (which resulted in 2.4 years in jail time), and striking a superior officer. He sported an ace of spades playing card attached to his left shoulder pauldron, and also carried a combat knife he named "Lucy."

Early Life:

Born on Earth on May 29, 2501, Forge's life revolved around the military. His family lineage had been a part of the military for generations, dating as far back as World War II. He joined boot camp at the minimum age 16, where his superiors remarked there was "something special" about him. Forge and his wife fathered a daughter, Lucy Orion "Rion" Forge, around 2525. Although John's marriage was strained even before the birth of his child, he and Rion would always remain on good terms.

Forge worked a stint as a military policeman on Mars and did some "grunt work" on Epsilon Eridani IV during the Insurrection. However, he hated policing and jumped at the chance to be assigned to Fort Marshall.

Forge was arrested twice during his service. His first arrest was for directly disobeying orders and disorderly conduct. Even though his actions saved four members of his squad, Forge spent a total of 2.4 years in prison, an infraction that removed any chance of moving through Officer Candidate School or even progressing beyond the rank of sergeant.

His second arrest occurred around August 17, 2530. Forge's then-five-year-old daughter, Rion, and her aunt Jillian were waiting for John in a bar when Lieutenant Prosser started making sexual advances on Jillian. When the lieutenant made a suggestive comment toward Rion, Jillian struck Prosser, prompting him to shove her against a wall. At this point John arrived and confronted the lieutenant. They engaged in a fist fight, with charges brought upon the sergeant. However, Rion proclaimed her father as a hero and all charges were dropped, where he was later reassigned to the UNSC Spirit of Fire by Admiral Preston Cole himself. Spirit of Fire's commanding officer, Captain James Cutter, came to trust Forge so thoroughly that he granted the sergeant a degree of authority significantly exceeding that afforded by his rank.

Reclamation of Harvest:

In February 2531, Spirit of Fire was sent to assist the crippled Marathon-class heavy cruiser UNSC Prophecy in the Epsilon Indi system. Captain Cutter ordered the Prophecy's navigation database and survivors to be recovered, sending Forge and multiple Marine fireteams on board the vessel while Spirit of Fire engaged several Covenant ships. Forge's Pelican dropship was hit by enemy fire and crash landed on the Prophecy's hull. Forge and Team Lima breached and boarded the Prophecy, whereupon they were attacked by Kig-Yar Rangers. Forge's ankle was broken during the engagement. With the guidance of Serina, Spirit of Fire's AI, he was able to find the a terminal to recover the ship's black box and wipe its navigation core while the rest of Team Lima rescued the ship's survivors. Serina warned Forge that the Prophecy's AI may "act peculiar" due to high radiation levels.

Upon scanning his retina to gain access to the terminal, Forge was halted by the ship's AI, FitzGibbon, who explained he could not allow him to enter due to the latter's poor service record. Forge reminded the AI of the Cole Protocol, stating that he was aboard the vessel to ensure the protocol would not to be violated. FitzGibbon then reluctantly allowed Forge into the terminal room and enabled radiation repair routines. Forge purged the navigation database and returned to the Pelicans as FitzGibbon activated Prophecy's self-destruct sequence, which soon scuttled the ship. After the Marines and Forge escaped with the survivors, they were taken to Spirit of Fire's medical bay. When Forge asked how the survivors were doing, Serina told him that they would all soon die due to all of them suffering extensive radiation poisoning. Forge was angered by the AI's indifference towards the survivors and comforted them in their final moments, believing that even if they would soon be dead, they were still people and so deserved better.

Forge was sent to the surface of Harvest on his first mission to scout out Covenant activity in the northern polar region of the planet. He drove through Quadrant 4 to find a battalion of Sangheili that an AV-14 Hornet squadron had spotted earlier. Reporting the Covenant activity to his superiors, as to how the aliens had found a a Forerunner structure buried within the ice, he returned to the overrun UNSC Alpha Base, and helped organize scattered Marine units along the way. Forge and his rag-tag assault force were able to retake Alpha Base a short-time later. Before the Relic was demolished by the Covenant, the Forerunner site is captured by Forge and Marine forces. Professor Ellen Anders was then sent to the planet's surface to personally investigate the relic, and Forge reluctantly escorted her inside.[14] He was present when Anders activated a Forerunner holographic projection of a star map, and protected her when they were ambushed by a team of Sangheili warriors. Spirit of Fire then evacuated most of her ground troops, including Forge, and set course for Arcadia, a UNSC colony planet to which the star map had pointed.[12]

Arcadia:

After arriving at Arcadia, Forge was among the first UNSC troops to set foot in the besieged capital of Pirth City, where he aided the evacuation of civilians aboard three cargo vessels. When the civilian transports took off, Forge and his men abandoned the besieged city and fell back to the outskirts. There, he took part in the destruction of a nearby Covenant base, assisted by Spartan teams Red and Omega. He also participated in the battle to destroy a Covenant energy dome which was protecting an unfinished Type-29 Scarab. After a short battle, the UNSC forces succeeded in destroying the Scarab. While he and Anders were surveying the area, Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee ambushed them. Forge was swiftly defeated and was about to be killed, until Anders stopped the Arbiter by agreeing to go with him without incident. After Spartan Red Team's unsuccessful attempt to stop the Arbiter from escaping, they immediately retreated back to the Spirit of Fire. Spirit of Fire then made a slipspace jump in pursuit of 'Moramee's retreating vessel.

Shield world:

After Spartan Jerome-092 recommended destroying 'Moramee's ship and killing Anders rather than let classified information fall into Covenant hands, Forge confronted the Spartan. The altercation resulted in a broken chair, a seal malfunction on a bulkhead and a stern interruption from Serina. From then on, Forge and Jerome always ate together in the mess hall.

Upon arriving at a mysterious planet, Forge was sent to the planet's surface, where he and his forces encountered the Flood. It was soon discovered that the world was not a planet at all, but a Forerunner shield world. Immediately following this revelation, Forge was put in charge of the evacuation of the Spirit's ground troops and the decontamination of Flood from the ship's dorsal surface. By chance, he came upon the recently escaped Ellen Anders in the shield world's interior and escorted her back to the Spirit of Fire.

Forge was then put in charge of the strike team that would deliver the Spirit's Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine to the Apex Site; the SFTE had been rigged as a bomb to destroy the shield world and deny its armada of Forerunner dreadnoughts to the Covenant. Atop the Apex, he once again faced 'Moramee in battle, while the Spartans of Red Team eliminated the Arbiter's comrades. Although Forge was nearly killed, he overcame his foe at the last minute by tricking the Arbiter to look him in the eye, and then stabbing him in the neck with his prized combat knife, "Lucy". He then picked up the Arbiter's energy sword and drove it through the Sangheili's stomach, killing him. As Alice-130 rolled the Arbiter's corpse off the platform, Jerome examined the engine, realizing that it had been damaged in the fight.

When it became clear that the damaged slipspace drive would have to be detonated manually, Forge realized that the Spartans would play a far greater role in the war than he ever could. He volunteered to take the FTL drive into the shield world's artificial star. Forge gave the Spirit's crew the time they needed to escape the hollow planet and then detonated the drive, sacrificing his own life, but dealing the Covenant a massive blow in the process.

Legacy:

Spirit of Fire was declared lost with all hands on February 10, 2534, though many bereaved family members refused to accept the official statement. On his deathbed, Forge's father encouraged Rion to keep up the search for the truth regarding the ship's disappearance. Rion spent the ensuing years seeking closure for her father's disappearance, eventually becoming a scavenger. In January 2557, she followed a series of leads that pointed to the log buoy Spirit of Fire had dropped at Arcadia, which in turn took her to the remains of Shield World 0459. There she encountered what remained of the former caretaker of the facility, a fragmentary ancilla she later dubbed "Little Bit", which provided her the trajectory Spirit of Fire had followed when escaping the shield world.

[borealtwilight]

Not Today

Red Team are a family. Two brothers, and one sister. Always sticking together; always tight-knit. They’ve fought their way through hordes of bloodthirsty Covenant. Struggled through crowds of the hideous Flood. But this? One Brute, versus three Spartan-IIs? Normally, it wouldn’t be much of a contest. But Atriox is something else entirely...

A/N: So I guess this is my take on The Signal’s cutscene, where Red Team meet Isabel, before battling Atriox for the first time. Wanted to write something angsty, and I have a lotta love for this rag-tag trio of Spartan-IIs... so here y’all are. Hope you enjoy! Rating: Ehh, let’s put it to a T for Teen and Up, only because lbr, the Halo universe is pretty damn violent. Also because cusswords. Characters: Jerome-092, Alice-130, Douglas-042, Atriox, those other Banished Brutes are mentioned   Pairing/s: Red Team BrOTP all around, my dudes  Warning/s: Violence. Blood. Angst. Swear words.

«This guy is a pain in the neck»

Alice’s text popped up on his HUD, and Jerome couldn’t help the smirk that crossed his lips. This Brute was certainly proving to be troublesome, but there was only one, and there was three Spartans that made up Red Team. The challenge would be there, but it would be over as soon as it had begun.

«Aw, don’t worry Al, we’ll kick his ass»   

Another text, this one from Douglas.

Jerome was glad to know that his team were certainly not worse for wear, considering that they’d all woken up from a twenty-eight year cryonap. And their bond was as strong as ever, which was a nice bonus.

The Spartan raised his M6C, firing off a few shots, only to have the weapon knocked free, and the Brute snarling in his face. This close, he could see that his headlamps were illuminating the mish-mash of armour that the hulking, gorilla-like alien was wearing.

Weird.

A flash of anger shot through him when he recognized the chestplate as one belonging to an ODST.

What the hell?

His momentary distraction was quickly replaced by a surge of adrenaline as the Brute raised its gravity hammer and smashed the thing sideways against his armour, sending him flying. He scrambled to his feet, watching as Alice and Douglas darted in and out, but they too were pounded backwards, this time by a shockwave from the gravity hammer.

He rose to his feet, yanking his combat knife free of his sheath, charging towards the Brute. His wrist whipped out, making ready to stab the alien in an exposed part of its midsection, but was slammed backwards a second time, cartwheeling through the air. As he regained his senses and began to rise to his feet, he saw Alice darting in with her own Magnum at the ready, only to be taken down with a shoulderbutt. 

And then Douglas was there, charging in with his shotgun at the ready. The weapon was tossed aside uselessly, the Brute chuckling in the Spartan’s face. And Douglas was striking, fast, faster than Jerome had been. Stabbed once, the Brute grabbing at him and missing. Stabbing again, and this time, the simian alien’s hand clamped onto Doug’s shoulder.

Jerome heard the MJOLNIR creaking and groaning as it was put under immense stress. He also heard, much lower in volume and much quieter, Douglas groaning with effort.

Come on, you can kick his ass, Doug...

But even the armour could not withstand the great pressure that was being heaped upon it. The armour was cracking, cracking, cracking—

And the armour broke, and Douglas screamed in pain.

Across the room, Alice flinched hard enough for it to be visible through her kit, and Jerome cringed inwardly, feeling sick - sick with fear, sick with anger, sick with the stabbing pain of sympathy.

Everything was going wrong; how could it all go so wrong; how did one Brute reduce three Spartan-IIs to nothing but mere cadets?

And Douglas was flying, spinning across the room, a gash in his chestplate, his helmet tumbling off. He was crumpled in a heap, panting hard, unable to rise despite his best efforts.

Something cold and hard clamped down in Jerome’s chest, and anger burst to the surface, bubbling, boiling, white-hot rage. He backed deeper into the shadows, and retrieved his BR, waiting to see whether or not the Brute would kill Douglas. He eyed Alice from where she, too, was backing into the shadows, fingers flexing on the trigger of her Magnum. That Brute could clearly have wiped them all out in an instant, starting by finishing off Douglas, and yet, he was not.

What was the alien doing?

“As I suspected...” The furry behemoth picked up Douglas’ helmet, crushing it in his bare hand. The visor cracked and shattered, and the lamp on the side died out. “Nothing but a man.” The useless piece of armour was tossed aside, and the Brute grinned, as it looked over the wounded Spartan on the floor.

SQUADCOM crackled to life, but Jerome barely heard the voice over the echo of Douglas’ scream ringing in his ears. ‹Red Team, this is Recon One. You have multiple hostiles approaching your location.›

He strode forward, almost in a daze, pointing his BR towards the Brute, and he saw Alice doing likewise with her M6C as they moved closer to their fallen comrade. He barely even heard his own voice, as he said softly, “Alice, we’re leaving.” Beneath his golden visor, he glared at the Brute, walking backwards to cover Alice as she began to drag Douglas away.

“Yes. Run, little Demons.” The Brute laughed mockingly, its gravity hammer still held as though he intended to attack, although he began to turn away from the retreating Spartans.

“Command, this is Red Team. We have a Spartan casualty.” Jerome was running on autopilot, the adrenaline flooding through his body, the words falling out of his mouth with no inflection to them. Everything was beginning to feel numb, and fade away, except his ire at the Brute, and fear for Douglas. He almost did not notice as he and Alice picked up the pace once they moved closer to the exit, hurrying to get away from the scene as quickly as they could. “Immediate EVAC requested.”

What he did notice, was his teammate fading. What he did hear was the rapid, pained pants for breath, as Douglas struggled to remain conscious.

“Douglas, stay with me.” he urged, and there was a quaver in his voice that he could not hide. Red Team had not survived through so much together only to lose one of their own now. It was not going to happen. There was no way.

But the hand that held onto his broken shoulder dropped to the ground, and the Spartan went limp, his eyes fluttering closed. He couldn’t fight it any longer; he was out cold. There was nothing that could be done. Not with whatever was pursuing them.

A chill of fear shot through Jerome, and it bled straight into his tone as he called out for his friend. “Douglas!”

They raced outside, Alice stringing Douglas across her shoulders as she hurried to the awaiting Warthog. Jerome, however, lingered and stared, seeing hundreds upon hundreds of Brutes, standing upon the cliff’s edges high above them. However, he snapped out of it when he heard more of the furry creatures crashing through the hallway they’d just exited, and without bothering to aim his rifle, fired into their midst. He then whirled and hurried after Alice.

“COME ON, COME ON!”

“Do we have a plan?” Alice questioned, looking over her shoulder at him.

Again, that cold, hard feeling shot through him like a lightning bolt. “We do.” he answered, and he was calm, collected, cool. He was level-headed; he was the leader. He was angry; he was hurt. Yes, oh yes, he had a plan.

His teammate nodded as she deposited Douglas into the passenger seat, and as she scrambled up to take the Vulcan turret, Jerome jumped into the driver’s seat. “Jerome to Spirit of Fire.”

Something akin to relief flooded through his veins, as the Spirit was quick to answer. ‹Cutter here. Status?›

“Sir. Requesting danger close.” He started the Warthog, and the vehicle growled to life, giving him an immense feeling of satisfaction. “On our location, trailing north.” Behind him, he heard the chaingun clanking, as Alice spun it into position, to cover their six. “Commence five seconds.”

“Interesting plan!” Alice sounded pleased, and that, too, was a relief.

‹Understood. Archer missiles, inbound.› SQUADCOM hissed closed, and the Warthog roared as Jerome punched the accelerator, the vehicle shooting away from the Research Outpost.   

Nothing else mattered now. All they had to do was get out of here, and make sure Douglas made it back to the Spirit of Fire alive. Once he was safely aboard, only then would he have a chance. And Jerome and Alice would do all they could to ensure they got “home” in one piece. No matter how tough those damned Brutes were, and no matter how many there were, they would not lose Douglas.

Not today.