[h2]Two Hours Ago[/h2]
Thomas woke to the sound of gunfire. Realistically speaking, this should not have been an unusual sound for him. Yet he bolted awake, his heart beating hard. His hand reflexively reached towards his back, where his battle rifle should have been. Once he realized it wasn’t there, he took a moment to gather his bearings. He was sitting in the wreckage of a pelican, and as he noticed this, he remembered the events of the past few hours. His Fireteam had been riding in a pelican, searching for survivors. Richard was in the pilot’s seat. Covenant artillery had struck the side and sent the ship spiraling into the ground. 

Thomas’s hand felt the ground around him until he found what he looking for. His helmet. As he put it on, he was greeted by Chauncey.

[color=cadetblue]”Sleeping on duty, Tommy?”[/color]

[color=lime]”Not. The. Time. Chauncey.”[/color]

[color=cadetblue]”You remember what happened, correct?”[/color]

[color=lime]”The pelican crashed.”[/color]

[color=cadetblue]”Your powers of observation are staggering.[/color]

[color=lime]”What’s the Fireteam’s status?”[/color]

[color=cadetblue]”Not good. Jane and Adam are missing, presumed dead. Amir is missing, though we have no evidence that he’s dead. Amber is wounded, you and Richard are the only fighting members of [i]Prosperity[/i] at the moment.”[/color] This news was a bit much for Thomas to handle. He stared at a spot of dirt on the barren ground. He might have stayed like that for a while, had it not been for the intervention of Rich-A196. 

[color=darkseagreen]”Oi! Tommy, get your ass over here!”[/color]

So he did. Thomas ran forth, grabbing his battle rifle off of the ground as he sprinted towards Richard’s position. He slid shoulder first into a slab of metal that had once been a piece of the ship’s hull. On the other side was a few grunts and an elite. Richard popped his head up and loosed a burst from his assault rifle, beheading a grunt.

[color=darkseagreen]”Amber’s over there, I have no fucking clue where anyone else is though.”[/color]

As Richard popped up for another burst and killed another grunt, they heard a roar. The elite had rushed forwards. Richard was reloading, so Thomas took a shot with his BR55. He missed. Thomas saw a flare of light as the Sangheili leapt over their cover. It slammed into Richard with bone crushing force. Thomas was paralysed as the creature grabbed Rich from the ground by his throat. The elite’s other hand held an energy sword, the flare of light he had seen. Thomas blinked and when he opened his eyes, the sword was poking out of the other side of Richard’s chest. The alien cast Richard’s body aside and ran towards Thomas.Thomas couldn’t move, his vision narrowed. It was as though his whole world consisted of only he and the elite. He may have died if not for Richard once again. The Warrant Officer tackled the elite with a live grenade in each hand.

[color=darkseagreen]”Run, you idiot! Get Amber!”[/color] Thomas needed no further provocation. He ran towards Amber’s unconscious body some thirty feet away. He slung his rifle over one shoulder as he grabbed her shotgun with one hand and her body with the other. Adrenaline led him to run for some time. Finally, he collapsed in a clearing.

[h2]Now[/h2]

[color=orchid]”Thomas. Tommy, wake up.”[/color]

He sat up with a gasp, startled awake for the second time in as many hours. His eyes scanned Private Melchiori’s armor-clad body, searching for wounds. He saw a rent in the armor near her hip, the twisted metal darkened with dry blood.

[color=lime]”Amber! Are you okay?”[/color] His hand touched the wound, and her face reddened. She was suddenly glad that she was wearing a helmet. 

[color=Orchid]”Tommy, I’m fine.[/color] She stepped backwards. [color=orchid]”A-are [i]you[/i] alri-”[/color]. She stopped. Thomas had gestured for her to listen. They heard a voice, a human voice coming from the other side of the trees to their left.

[b]"If you haven't guessed already...You've just met Fireteam Chariot. All hiding from both sides, 'n' shit..."[/b]

Without speaking they burst through the trees, weapons drawn. Amber winced as she raised the shotgun to her shoulder, praying that Thomas hadn’t noticed. He hadn’t. THomas was too busy being glad that they had met other humans.

[color=lime]”Hold your fire!”[/color] Thomas lowered his own weapon as he shouted. [color=lime]”I’m Lance Corporal Thomas-B311, this is Private Amber-A199. We’re the only active members of Fireteam Prosperity. You guys are sure as shit a sight for sore eyes.[/color].