Grunts do the Heavy Lifting (Halo SI)

I follow Dazik, unsure of what exactly is going on. I mostly understand that I am being deployed to the Ring with Dazik and a hundred or so nameless grunts, elites, jackals, and hunters. I touch the walls as I make my way to the armory alongside Dazik. The walls are cold to the touch, which is surprising considering that the wall looks like it should be warm to the touch due to the shimmering and color of the metal. It’s like touching ceramic tiles on the floor I realize after a moment.

I barely catch Dazik giving me a strange look as we walk, is it that strange to touch the cold metal of the walls as we walk? How much about Muzaw am I getting wrong? The realization dawned on me that I am not Muzaw and can’t ever be them since I have no idea what it was they were before I showed up. I don’t have any memories from Muzaw and I probably won’t get any of them. My brow furrows as the thought hits me, will I even be able to use anything given to me? Won’t I just be sent down to the Halo to die? What a horrible existence I stole, I have no doubts that Muzaw is in a better place than I am.

Most likely he is celebrating in whatever afterlife grunts have. I have no doubts that I am going to- “You okay Muzaw? You look unhappy.” Dazik says, derailing my train of thought. I notice that I have my back hunched, that’s probably what told him something was up.

I change the frown into a smile and look at Dazik, seeing their look of concern that they are giving me, their friend, as far as I am aware his only friend. “I’m fine, just confused, Head got hit harder than I think it should. Forget things, but not Dazik!” I intentionally beam at Dazik only for the concern in their eyes to deepen for some reason.

He reaches out grabbing my shoulder causing both of us to pause for a moment, “Muzaw, don’t lie to Dazik. Mean Bosses forcing us to fight so we can not talk now. We talk about this later but hurry up! We need to get armor and tanks on, I'll help you!” He sounds bitter about the fact that we are being forced to fight, and I can’t help but feel sad that this is something that is going on all over. Before and after the war grunts will be punished, degraded, forced into what amounts to slavery.

Several cruel whispers crawl into my head, saying that I might be able to change it, that I could stop the treatment grunts receive. I can’t though, I can’t improve the status of grunts, how we are treated. Because ironically I am a grunt myself. Nobody would respect me, nobody would care, nobody would listen. Maybe I can get someone else to help, maybe I can convince someone else to care.

I could defect, join the UNSC and help the grunts from there. It’d work, for a short period of time, they wouldn’t be the most hospitable but the fact that I might not only be bringing help and information, but I would also be laying the groundwork for the grunts to away from the Covenant dealing a blow to their ground-based operations, I could easily do that. I am lagging behind because Dazik grabs me and practically drags me to the armory. After several minutes we manage to get ourselves equipped properly. I grab two plasma grenades and a plasma pistol, the standard setup for a grunt, although I did give the needler a hard look due to its utility. The fact that an overcharged pistol can disable vehicles is what ultimately sold me, it is also much more important in the grand scheme of things due to the ability to worry less about reloading it would give me.

Once my backup methane tanks are equipped Dazik and I head to the hanger bay to get aboard the Spirit that is awaiting us. The hanger is… something else, the games have always painted the hangers as being smaller than they actually are, the hangar bay of the ship that I’m on has the possibility of holding to five Spirits by itself between the towering pillars act as support for the bay itself as well as spots for the spirits to dock when they aren’t in use. From what Dazik is telling me, multiple hangars can be used, and each isn’t any smaller than this one. While Dazik explains everything he finally mentions the name of the ship. It’s called the “Harbinger of Faith”, which seems to be more pious compared to the name Truth and Reconciliation. I let out a brief chuckle at the thought before I feel an impact against my back, and my methane tank. Yelping I turn around to look at what hit me.

An 8.6-foot tall creature that reminds me of a lizard stands before more. They have jaws that are quadruple-hinged, with an upper jaw, a greatly reduced lower jaw which together makes four mandible-like "lips." The armor that the creature is wearing is a distinctive cobalt-colored combat harness. They let out a roar towards me. I try to skitter away as fast as possible. Dazik puts himself between me and this… Monster!

He stutters in a panicked manner as he speaks, “M...Muzaw was getting on the S...Spirit, Boss! He got hurt, it’s harder for him to move! He just slightly slower! Won’t hold you back when fighting the Smelly Humans!” The monster threatening to crush me pauses at this for a moment before looking at me

I feel something ghost down my spine as it stands there staring at me with hate-fueled eyes. I let out a sigh of relief when it looks away and gets onto a nearby Spirit. Quickly I grab Dazik and hug him in my celebration. He looked confused for a second before nodding his head. “Yes, Boss very scary, you must have forgotten what they looked like! I was scared like you when I first saw him! But now I’m not!” He sounds excited at the last statement.

At another roar from the Boss, Dazik gets onto a Spirit. Quickly climbing into position, I follow him onto the vehicle, my steps are unsteady as I leave the ship and board the Spirit. As this happens I make sure to listen to Dazik and his explanations on how to lock myself into the thing so I don’t die if something happens. After two failed attempts at locking myself into the Spirit Dazik notices the Boss’ glare hurries and helps me get locked into my spot, also showing me how to undo the lock for when we are getting unloaded. I nod quickly and thank him as he scampers off to get into his spot.

Hopefully, this won’t end horrifically. I don’t want to die. I repeat the same phrase over and over in my head as we approach the Halo. Please don’t let there be the Master Chief there… Please!