Reactor Room Harald POV

As Harald searched for somewhere to set the charges, the sound of gunfire echoed throughout the room. The Spartan dropped both charges as he turned towards the source, the two ODSTs the captain provided as his escort. One of the troopers, the male one with golden highlights on his armor, was shooting at a stack of boxes in the back of the room. His partner dove behind him as a familiar outline emerged from the crates.

"Spartan, we got company!" the female trooper called out as she readied her assault rifle.

Harald reached down for his magnum and sprinted past the troopers towards the cloaked elite. As he approached the halfway point between the elite and the ODSTs, the pile of crates shifted again. Two more camouflaged split-jaws vaulted over them and flanked the first. Harald froze, aiming his magnum at the center elite, which Harald could now see was the leader of the three.

The room was nearly silent, with neither side willing to make the first move. Harald could see clearly in the dark room thanks to his augmentations, but invisible enemies were still difficult for a Spartan to see. He could tell that the center split-lip wielded a sword, but the camouflage made it hard to identify the weapons that the other two wielded.

*Now who's gonna strike first?*

But both sides just stood there, weapons raised, the two other elites pointing their rifles at him. Harald took a deep breath, preparing for his next move.

One of the ODSTs, most likely the female, shot first, stunning the leftmost cloaker. The other ODST got a lucky shot that made his target drop its gun. Harald used the distraction to his advantage. He charged at the leader, grabbing its right wrist to prevent it from swinging its sword in defense. He tried to wrestle the sword out of its hand, but he couldn't get the leverage.

The split-jaw used its free hand to pry the pistol out of the Spartan’s clutches. Harald rammed his armored shoulder into the elite’s chest in response, cracking at least one of its ribs. He could hear the gunfire, plasma and ballistic, resonate from behind him as the troopers stood their ground against the elites.

But the Spartan didn't care. He was too wrapped up in the fight with the leader that he didn't bother to check behind him. Harald lifted the elite into the air and slammed it into the metal floor paneling at his feet. As the elite smashed into the ground, Harald stomped on its hand, making it let go of its sword in pain.

He reached for his combat knife, preparing to stab the now unarmed elite. But before he could pull the knife out of its sheath, one of the other elites shoved him away from its commander. The Spartan backpedalled into one of the railings, a thin metal pipe suspended at waist height.

As Harald recovered from being thrown off balance, this new foe activated its two energy gauntlets, glowing bright. He gripped his combat knife in his right hand, and got back into a fighting stance. Gauntlets were just as deadly as a sword, and Harald had nothing to defend himself with besides his knife.

Bullets were firing no further than a meter away behind Harald. The Spartan blocked a swing from the elite by deflecting the elite's arm with his own, and swung his knife towards the elite's head, who caught it between its wrists.

He heard a large *"thump"* as something caved in a console behind him. This short distraction was enough for the twin-bladed threat to disarm the Spartan, the knife spinning twice in the air before it landed, point down, in a slot in the floor paneling.

*Fuck!*

Harald gripped the railing behind him, snapping off a piece to use as a makeshift staff. He whacked the elite four times in quick succession, but the elite pushed through and grabbed Harald by the neck and lifting him into the air. The Spartan wrestled himself free, falling to the ground and landing on his back.

Harald rolled to his left, dodging as the elite brought its gauntlet's blade down and into the ground. As he rolled into a crouching position, he pulled his knife out of one of the floor paneling and swung it behind him in an attempt to catch it off guard. However, the elite dodged out of the way, burning a small line into the floor where its blade still touched the ground. Harald could hear the two ODSTs behind him:

"Thompson, help Harald!"

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna- Jet duck!"

Harald spun around just in time to see the female trooper attempt to block a flaming sword of plasma with her rifle. The energy sword cut straight through the rifle, slicing across her chest. The trooper cried out in pain as she fell to the floor.

The Spartan sprung up and charged towards the leader, but his opponent wasn’t ready to give up. The gauntlet elite gripped the Spartan’s shoulder, pulling Harald towards the activated energy blade on its other wrist.

"Jet?"

"Sir."