The Tables have turned. (Open)

[O'Reilly, C.]

(Eyyy, thought I'd join in here!)
Name: Hailey Oswell
Species: Human
Rank: Corporal

Basic equipment: Standard UNSC Marine BDU. MA5B Assault rifle (2 Spare magazines, 1 loaded, 47 rounds), M6D Magnum (7 magazines), 1 frag grenade, 2 concussion grenades

Troops: Private Elliot Gratsky, Private First Class Tom Lehman

---

Corporal Oswell peered out of the ruins of a supermarket, the surviving members of her fireteam with her. UNSC air support had just bombed the shit outta the city center, nearly catching her team unawares. They had been cut off from their company by Covenant flankers, coming in from behind and splitting the lines in two. They had been busy running from the bombing when their fourth member's skull was shattered by a Jackle sniper. Now, still separated from the rest of the company, her and her fireteam had the simple goal of getting back.

Luckily, morale was still at a reasonably high level. At least, high enough for PFC Lehman to cough up a signature wisecrack. "So, all we gotta do is fight out way through hostile territory, cross what remains of the front lines, and not get killed by ambushes and sniper fire? Walk in the park." he said.

Oswell looked at him, and was about to speak, but Gratsky beat her to it. "It'll be even easier after you shut your trap. Covenant have ears, y'know."

She smirked. "That's enough you two. I don't see any Covenant yet, but they could be hiding." she pointed out a row of cars. They had crashed in a way that left little exposed, should they be able to get into the pen. "I'm gonna make a run for those cars there. You guys are gonna cover me. When I'm there, Lehman is gonna follow up, and then you, Gratsky. Make it quick, and keep your eyes open. It won't take much for the Covies to wipe us out."

They both let off an 'oorah', so she vaulted the window and took off in a sprint. Surprisingly, it went smoothly, and there was no shooting. Shoot lifted her rifle, motioning for Lehman to follow. Once again, it went smoothly. When Elliot followed suit, everything went to hell. He was about halfway across the lane when a green carbine round tore through the air, glancing off Gratsky's ass. He yeped, vaulting over the car, but the trap had been sprung. Blue and green plasma arched out from the buildings around them, splattering on the cars that the Marines his behind. 

"Lehman, see if you can get anyone on the radio and request assistance! We won't last ten minutes like this!" Oswell shouted, hunkering down as plasma soared overhead.

"I'm on it!" he called. He took his radio, tuning it into the distress frequency. "Any nearby Marine units, this is Aztec 1-3. I'm under heavy fire on Kirk street, covies all around us. We won't last long out here, we could use some help!"

[Faclan]

(Welcome to the thread O'Reilly, C. )

Teo Poq - T'vaoan Murmillo
Lemarcha Street, at gunpoint
So much shouting.

Teo was honestly surprised he was still alive, two Humans had shown up, fully armored with guns trained on him, and they hadn't fired. Normally it was always fire first. Especially if the Humans had the numbers advantage. Always so angry that they were killed so easily by the superior maneuverability of the Kig-Yar or the Sangheili shields. But they were sure shouting a lot. Shouting to probably curse him and all of his kind even if he didn't believe in the Journey of any of that rot. And pointing at the ground?

It was as if they wanted more of the badly injured Covenant to descend upon them with all the shouting. The T'vaoan finally looking a bit more alert as he coughed and ughed quietly, looking up at the Human again as it kept its weapon trained on him, Looking at his metal blade and shouting something else. We're they trying to take him captive?...Well it was either that or death no question.

Finally nodding the Kig-Yar tossed the blade lightly to the side and then held its hands up a bit as it shifted around, moved away from the car he used to be crouched behind, and then lay down on the pavement. Beak still pointed at the human as he rested his hands on the ground near his head. Rolling his eyes a bit as he remembered an Old Kig-Yar adage about situations like this; 'can't stab them in the back later if you get shot at the outset'. He doubted he would get that chance, but there was vengeance that needed to be brought upon this group of shouty Humans for the murder of Laz.

In time. But for now he would play along, although he half expected his beak to be grabbed, lifted up, and for his vocal sac and throat to be slit open so he would bleed out in the road.

[Ward, J.]

Ward kept his rifle trained on the Jackal, his hazel eyes laser-focused as it finally relinquished its weapon with an unceremonious flick of the wrist. A hundred red flags flapped against the turbulent winds of his racing mind. Instinctively, his index finger inched its way closer to the trigger mechanism, steeling himself for whatever was about to transpire. If the alien attempted any sort of hostile action, perceived or otherwise, he would snap off a burst of seven-six-two into its chest.

"Watch its fuckin' hands, bro!" Avery exclaimed in warning, his voice strained from an overdose of stress and adrenaline. Jon knew the stakes, and knew that at any moment the alien could attempt escape. Or worse.

The Covenant were notoriously difficult to capture. Aside from the occasional Grunt that would surrender willingly out of fear for its own life, the majority of the Covenant's species preferred death over imprisonment. When faced with imminent capture, it was common for the bastards to attempt a last ditch, suicidal attack to maximize casualties and deny their sworn enemy a prisoner. Most often, their method of preference was to blindly charge their enemy with a grenade.

Jon did not intend to let that fly. If this bastard tried anything, it'd be dead before it could come close enough to harm himself, or the others. Of this much, he was certain. Either he would put it down, or his brethren.

"Don't move!" he barked authoritatively as the alien sprawled out on its stomach. Without looking back at his comrades, he asked: "You guys got zip ties?"

"Yeah, bro," Avery replied. He heard footsteps behind him and assumed the machine gunner was approaching to offer him the requested item. "Here."

Ward reached behind him and accepted the zip tie, clutching it firmly in his grasp. He paused a moment to scrutinize the alien once more before slinging his weapon over his shoulder. "Cover me," he called back to his teammates before beginning his approach.

"Covering," both Furby and Avery replied. Jon nodded as he closed the distance between himself and the alien. Kneeling down, he placed his knee against the back of its throat, using his body weight to keep it pinned as he reached for its arms. If the bastard resisted him, he'd back off and let his friends put it down like the rabid, vicious animal that it was. If not... well, he'd figure the rest out after he had it securely in custody.

Grabbing its right arm by the bicep, he wrenched its arm back and slid the first tie onto its wrist. Tightening it around the wrist, he moved to subdue its other wrists.

[Wilkas, G.]

 Wilkas realised she would have to move, her head screaming in pain, her vision blurring in and out of focus. Dimly, as if a person happened to be shouting from very far away the young marine's mind yelled at her. Yet she paid it little heed. Pain. She wanted to do nothing more than just lean against the wall. Where am I? How did I get here? Such questions ran through her brain, sparking more questions. It must of been a battle. But... Surely she was no soldier? The marine looked down at herself, the amour, the fatigues... She closed her eyes trying to focus her mind, channel her thoughts into something. Anything. She needed to move, but where? Where were her comrades? Her fellow soldiers, surely she could not be the only one? There must be others. With a groan she managed to move herself into a kneeling position, her vision blurred sickeningly before her. She waited, breathing gently for it to pass. Slowly, using the wall as support she forced herself to stand up. 

Grace started to move, wandering somewhat aimlessly through the rubble and wreckage, stumbling far too often over the uneven ground. After what felt like an age, she came across some distant voices, people shouting. Pain pulsed sharply through her mind, digging thorn sharp claws into her grey matter. She staggered, catching herself on some rubble and keeping her balance just. Eventually, the dazed red head came across what she took to be a rather comical scene, instead of a deadly series one. Two figures, dressed like her happened to be in the process of capturing some kind of weird animal. It looked like a weird bird, with hands instead of wings. She staggered over towards the three, dusty, covered in grim, her face streaked with blood, helmet less and weaponless. In fact the only thing she still possessed from her kit was a radio which the RTO had been ignoring and failing to understand. "W... Wh... What's going on?" She slurred out, vision blurring in and out of focus. Grace felt a sudden sharp rush of sickness. 

[Faclan]

(Woo getting back into it!)

Teo Poq - T'vaoan Murmillo
Lemarcha Street, being restrained
Negotiation time, with the language barrier.

Just grunting in response as he was pressed into the lightly dusted asphalt of the street Teo didn't make any big move to resist. Didn't try to hold his arms away from the Humans grip and the pressure on his wrist soon let him know he was being restrained. Probably creeping the Human out or somthing to that effect the Kig-Yars head would turn almost 180 degrees as he looked back to see what was happening. It looked like some kind of synthetic ties. Not metal or anything. That meant there would be no lock. That would be tricky to get out without a blade or cutters...Teo starting to think that he had really messed this up. Who knew what these humans would do to him now that they had him. He doubted it would just be walked to their base and put in a cell for awhile. Would they even have anyone that could speak Sangheili there to try and ask questions? His beak returning to the ground as he breathed out deeply. Well he would soon find out now. His wrists were securely stuck together now and he was in their arms now.

The human on his back probably being informed that there was movement heading their way, and from the orange triangles it was some Unggoy.

Teos hands flexing and clenching as his hearing picked up the wheezing of Unggoy breaths as he opened his mouth to speak before the Humans started to shout again. Probably pointing out the little squad he had was trying to get to them...Hopefully the shooting didn't just start now. They had already been beaten. Even more so when he was either pulled up to his knees or managed to look up enough to see that it was just the four minors, two Kig and two Unggoy. The Sangheili had probably already ran off to try and make it back to their deployment zone. Sick of being ordered around by the 'lessers'. They were attempting to hide behind vehicles but point weapons in the general direction of the Humans. Not expose themselves too much. One of the Ruuthians, a female named Lioc from Teos old squad standing up after about fifteen seconds with her weapon in hand but not directly aimed at the Humans as she pointed at Teo, then beckoned him toward her. Before half pointing the plasma pistol back at the Humans.

Teo just sighing as the Humans probably deliberated and shouted. He couldn't even tell if he had a gun barrel shoved against his head at this point. That brick he took earlier seemed to be coming back for round two.

"You should have just stayed hidden..." He finally grumbled out as the female shook her head.

"Can't just let you get tortured Teo...want me to shoot you and then we run?" The Murmillo blinked at that. Apparently he needed to consider that now too? This was so much simpler back home - back when he needed to just worry about guarding that dock. Sunk Covenant draft.

[Chambers, T.]

How in the hell First team had gotten themselves into that mess, he'd forgotten the former Squid had just been doing what ever had been asked of him, digging holes, keeping watch and even at one point just having a dart, he'd taken up the bad habit because of the devil dog that had once saved him, he was now perhaps slowly starting to become one of them.

The display of firepower the whole force had just witnessed was certainly impressive, the last time he'd seen something like that at least as close he'd ended up in an escape pod and had a disagreement with planets gravity, he'd lived but only because a couple' marines had filleted an elite at the last moment.

Sticking to his position he watched his part of the line, it was unlikely any covvie's would be coming at them, but training and some experience now told him it might just make the difference between living another day and getting a glob of plasma to the kisser.

The wait would be over soon, there was a brief gather of the squad leaders, he knew Stone would be in an even worse mood than normal, first team were missing and sure enough the remainder of first squad was certainly going to be the first ones on the line, across the streets and through doors. There was one upside to dying now, he'd die having killed some of the split jaw'd, gas sucking, beak-y bastards as a marine now, in addition to surviving some god awful fucked as all shit trip in forest against some dumb shit innies, didn't they get humanity had bigger bloody problems?

Chambers shook his head his head to clear his mind, the brim of his boonie flopped gently, he'd even managed to loose his helmet, though it had saved him, head injuries or close to them were becoming an alarmingly regular thing.

"Guess we're still first up Sergeant?" he asked Stone as he approached first squad.

[Davis, E.]

It was an uneventful trudge back to his team through the shelled husk of a city. Things were earily silent. His footsteps sounded far too loud to be stealthy against such a quiet backdrop. Even the distant gunfire did little to cover his movements.

The sounds of alien voices froze him in place. He motioned to Winters to do the same while his ears tried to find the offender of the silence. His eyes darted as he searched for cover. The only thing that was passable was the two walls that remained of a former apartment complex to his right. He motioned to Winters to follow and stepped out as quietly ass he could over the broken rubble.

The hulking shape of an elite lurched around the corner moments after they found cover. It was bloodied, but from the looks of it, most of the blood want his. A quick ammo check told him it was a poor choice to take this thing head on. As a second lurched after its comrade they were woefully out gunned. Their only hope now wad to stay down and unnoticed.

Davis hated waiting.

[Min Jung Jun]

 Min came round with start, half buried amongst a pile of rubble. It pinned her into place, providing the marine from second platoon's, first squad's, first team with some cover and concealment. The latter only really counted if she did not move. She went to, then froze hearing alien voices and then a heartbeat later two elites emerge. One was injured by the look of it. Min froze, eyes flickering for a weapon. She doubted even if she could find one that she might manage to stop either alien before one finished her off. Consequently, she did the only rational thing left to her. Min elected to play dead, she tried to go as limp as possible, control her breathing so it looked like she happened to be dead. Her heart beat loudly, beating rapidly with fear and barely held terror. If she struggled, tried to bolt, the aliens would grab her long before she even managed to free herself from the confines of the rubble. Quietly, with a voice filled tight with tension and fear, she whispered the letters. "S.O.S" Into her radio onto TEAMCOM. She dared not say any more than that, what with the elites so close. Min closed her eyes, praying to anyone and anything, offering god if there was one, whatever he or she, or they wanted in exchange for her life. Just go away, nothing to see here, just another dead marine. Nothing to look at, nothing exciting. Just keep walking, just leave. 

[Bannus Hammerus]

Today had so far been interesting. For hours, the humans had defiantly entrenched themselves within the city in a lackluster effort to maintain control over it. The Covenant overran their positions and slaughtered hundreds upon hundreds in their quest to conquer this town and cleanse it of the human blight. The fighting had been fierce and chaotic, the way Bannus Hammerus liked it.

Dozens had fallen to his mighty hammer, much to his satisfaction. His armor, once a shimmering gold, now bore the stains of blood and human viscera. His lengthy, gray beard, tied at the bottom with twine, had bits of human flesh stuck in it. There was something about the humans that he found appetising; delicious, even. The massive Jiralhanae had considered skewering a few of them, using the bladed end of his hammer to make a sort of human shishkabob, and cooking them over a fire. There were plenty of their machines lit aflame he could have repurposed as his personal campfire.

However, all the fun he'd been having was promptly cut short when the vile pests ran from the fight and, in an act of sheer cowardice, unleashed the mother of all bombs upon the burning metropolis. This had dampened the spirits of the mighty Bannus, and that would simply not do. It was unacceptable.

Nay, it was heresy!

To say he was infuriated was an understatement. Bannus was absolutely livid. Within his black eyes burned a fire that could only be extinguished through the spilling of more human blood. If it took scouring every inch of the city to find a human worthy enough of his fury, he would gladly do it. He hefted his banhammer up and upon his shoulder, stepping down from the pile of smoldering rubble that he had perched himself upon.

He'd heard the faint rattle of gunfire somewhere off in the distance, and he intended to find the source of it. At the source would undoubtedly be humans. Humans to whom could very likely become his prey; targets upon which he could unleash all his fury, and crush them like the bugs they were. It would be an easy feat considering his towering height. An eight-foot tall armored guerilla was an intimidating sight, and one he hoped would invoke the proper amounts of terror in his foes.

It was never satisfying when they weren't frightened by him. Fortunately, it was rare to find a human that did not tremble at the sight of the mighty Bannus Hammerus, he thought to himself proudly. Humans were frail, timid creatures, which made them apt targets to hunt. Their spirits were easily broken when faced with an enemy of superior strength and intellect. The Sangheili liked to think themselves superior to the Jiralhanae in almost every regard. Bannus chuckled, shaking his head at their blind ignorance and clear inferiority.

But, that was a matter for another time. With nothing nearby to occupy his interest, Bannus set out to find the source of the gunfire, casually making his way down the broken, wartorn streets of Lamarcha. He whistled a tune that he'd heard some humans humming one time -- before he brought a swift and just end to their abominable existance -- and had enjoyed it enough to mimic it. The lyrics of the song came to him as he rounded a corner, finding himself staring down another debris' ridden street.

"Jeepers Creepers, look at all the weepers," he began singing enthusiastically as he continued on his trek through the dilapidated streets and broken buildings of the heretic metropolis. He wasn't sure if those lyrics were correct, but cared little. It was a human song! Why should he care if he butchered it?

Especially when butchering human vermin was his trade...