Garret zoned out whilst waiting for his team, remembering events that hit him hard.

[b][u]A few months later.[/b][/u]

[i]"Blackjack!" Cook claimed proudly, pulling all the cheese puffs into his pile.

"Oh, come on. You've gotta be cheating or something. Counting cards, I dunno." Garret responded, trying to act frustrated but obviously amused by Cook's surprisingly good luck. These guys were smart and lucky, and he always envied that about them. At least he had skill.

"Nope, it's all in the cards, baby." Cook chuckled, and Poindexter laughed with him.

"What do you find so funny, Dex?"

Dex laughed even more. "This guy's poker face is only any good when he plays cards. Remember the time he tried to lie to the Lieutenant about stealing some potato chips from the mess hall, but he tried to-" by this point, he couldn't contain his laughter. "He tried to tell him that the bag that said potato chips on it wasn't even food, and that they were computer processors he needed for a repair?!"

Garret cracked up with him and looked at Cook. "Oh, man. Now I see where all your lying skills went into. Explains why you're so good at cards!" He fell backwards onto his bunk."

"Okay, okay you two. Calm it down. I know I'm a terrible liar. It doesn't mea-" Just then, the facility alarm sounded. Boots were heard marching out in the halls, and in a few short seconds, periodic explosions began to rock the base. "Attention, all hands on deck. Report to your designated defe-" Another explosion sounded much closer, and screams were heard out in the halls. 

Hood opened the door, and looked around. Caved in ceilings, dead soldiers, and scattered weaponry on a nearby Spartan-III that had been stationed here- and she was obviously dead. Hood turned to his friends. "Guys, we need to get out. Now." He went to search the Spartan for ammo and any more weapons. He found a sidearm and a few clips for it, as well as a few magazines for the MA5B Assault Rifle that lay next to her. He took the AR and its ammo and gave the handgun to Cook once he stepped out of the room.

Poindexter looked down at the dead Spartan. "I... I thought Spartans never die?..." He said solemnly. "That's what they always said."

"Come on, you actually believed that crap? No matter how good you are, no one is invincible Dex... No one." Garret replied in a somber tone. He checked ammo counter on his rifle, seeing a satisfying but not perfect 23. Good. "Let's go, there's no telling how much time we have." He said, and began his jog down the hall of the facility as another explosion shook the place with a sound like thunder.[/i]