AUGUST 27TH, 2024
8:00AM

ESSEX, MONTANA

It's been exactly one month since Nick received the distress call from deep space. In the meantime though, he had been training extensively for the upcoming trip. In his training room he was performing his usual training routine. 1,000 push ups, 1,000 sit ups and a multitude of punching and fighting techniques. As he had no clue what kind of fighting styles he'd be running into on this mysterious ring.

As he finished, he took a small break. Clearly exhausted from his training. Though it was worth it as it showed he was still largely in shape for the upcoming trip. He folded up all his training equipment and prepared to relax for a bit when he heard a knock on the front door. Hearing this, He put back on his casual clothes and walked over into the living room. Checking the fish eye, he spotted no one at first. "Jeez, another prankster?" Nick thought to himself as he walked back towards the couch. Then he spotted someone at the corner of his eye in the window. A blue and white masked cat man stood there with a nervous look on his face. Nick turned to face him and said: "Hey! Are you the guy that knocked on my door?" The cat man nodded and walked back to the front door. Nick met him there and opened the door. "Oh... hello. I assume you're Nick the TRUE HERO?" The cat man said with a nervous tone in his voice. Nick smirked, and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, that's me." Nick said with a confident tone in his voice. The cat man then smiled a bit, realising he had found the right person this time. "Good, I assume you got this weird message too?" He pulled out his phone and presented it to Nick. It was the same identical message he got on his computer. "Yeah I got this too, funny how I'm not the only one who got this." Nick said, with a curious tone in his voice. "Well, I was about to go on an intergalactic space trip. So you caught me at the right time." Nick's expression changed to a bright one. "Say, how would you like to come with me on it?" Nick said with a cheeky smile. "Umm... Sure? I guess. I mean if you got the same message maybe whoever it is does need our help," The cat man said with a calm tone.

Hearing this, Nick smiled. He wouldn't be alone on this trip like he feared he would be. After all, Ralsei and Kylaine had already decided to stay home and take care of Zander. Nick's son was only three years old. "Ok, before we go, I need to go grab my AI and my gear. I'll start my car before we leave so that way we can stay cool for the long trip ahead." Nick said hurriedly as he ran upstairs to his office. The cat man was still slightly nervous but was interested in the trip ahead, maybe this space trip wouldn't be bad at all.

Nick got into his office and walked to his computer. "Teardrop, I'm going to transfer you to my neural lace." The computer lit up and Nick's AI appeared. "Ok Nicholas, I will set myself up for transfer." Teardrop said with a monotone but slightly happy voice. Nick nodded and put his hand to the screen. The sound of data transferring could be heard as she moved from the screen to Nick's neural lace. Nick then shut off his computer and walked to his bedroom.

He then opened his closet, grabbing one of his many pairs of cloaks and scarf he had in the closet and undressed. First, he put on the top part of his cloak and then put on the scarf, tying it so that it wouldn't come loose. He then put on the bottom part and took his belt and fastened it to his waist, nice and tight. Nick gave himself a confident smirk in the mirror and then grabbed his new armor and cape. He then put on the torso belts and snapped it to the cape and belt. Grabbing the leather shoulder armor, he buttoned it to the straps and then walked over to his sword in its case.

Grabbing his sword, he rubbed his hand across it to check for any dents in the blade. Still smooth as ever, he smiled and took the sheath from nearby and threw it on around the leather straps. Spinning his sword and sheathing it. "Perfect, all set to go then." Nick rubbed his hands together and walked back downstairs. Seeing the cat man chilling in the living room, he decided to ask him a question. "Hey, what's your name by the way? Should get introductions out of the way." The cat man turned and looked at Nick. "Oh, my name is Rookie, Rookie Sparrington. I'm from Hope County, Montana." Nick took a double take when he heard his name. "Wait, your name is literally Rookie?" The cat man chuckled and nodded. "Ok then, that's a first for me," Nick said with a baffled look on his face. "Anyway, I've got all my equipment and stuff ready for the trip, just waiting on you." Nick acknowledged this and walked to the kitchen. His wife was cleaning the dishes when she heard him walk in.

"Hey Babe..." Kylaine said softly as she looked to see Nick in his combat gear. "Leaving already?" Nick looked at her with soft eyes, and small smirk on his face. "Yes Kylaine, you knew it'd come some day." Nick held her in his arms. The both of them exchanged loving glances.

"Just make it home in one piece, ok?" she said, with some tears in her eyes. Nick felt bad, leaving his family again for who knows how long. But he hugged her tight, eyes closed. "Don't worry, I always do." Nick said confidently. They let go of each other and exchanged a small kiss. Nick waved goodbye as he walked out of the kitchen and grabbed his car keys. Rookie was waiting near the garage door as Nick walked in and started his car. A 2025 Ford Mustang GTD with a dark green paint job and golden rims with several logos across the body marked this car was indeed Nicks. Nick opened the driver side door and put the keyfob in the middle console. He shut the door and put his hoof on the brake, pushing the push start button the car roared loudly to life. The 5.2L V8 with race tuning vibrated the entire house as the garage door opened and Nick shifted the car into drive, slowly leaving the garage.

Rookie felt the ground shake from Nick's car as he rolled out and stopped beside Rookie. He rolled down the window and unlocked the doors. "Get in, need to get to Billings airport." Rookie nodded and opened the passenger side door, getting in and buckling up. Closing the door Nick turned on the radio to the local rock radio in his area as he put in the destination in his car's GPS. Rookie nodded his head to the music as Nick pulled onto the road. A long three hour trip was between them and Billings.

As Nick drove, he thought about his past. Realising that fighting the DREAMBREAKERS had shown he wasn't as strong as he once was. And that clearly if earth was under threat again, that he'd have to call upon his team once again. But for now, this trip shouldn't be as bad as it seemed. After all, this wasn't his first foray with deep space distress calls. If it was anything like the last one, it should just be a simple dispute and then a quick trip back home. Nick decided to have some small talk with Rookie as he drove, to try and kill the time. "So Rookie, how exactly did you find my house?" Rookie looked at Nick and spoke: "Oh, well I heard about you on the news, said you were living in Essex, Montana now as part of your retirement. Though clearly you have a lot of money if you can afford a car like this." Rookie looked around at the GTD, seeing the lavishness of it. "Well, I've always had a soft spot for mustangs. My first one was a 2018 GT with the RTR spec 5 package, then I owned a GT500 in 2022, then I got this as a gift from Ford for defeating the dream breakers. I'm technically one of the first customers to receive this car."

Rookie nodded as Nick spoke. "It also comes with defense capabilities as well, with enhanced body armor and bullet proof windows. It has explosive reactive panels for incase someone tries to shoot my car with a RPG or tank. And also has shielding for IEDs underneath." Nick rubbed the dash as he drove as well, keeping his eyes on the road. "Wow, that's... A lot of stuff." Rookie said with a surprised look.

"Well, when you're a hero like me and globally recognised, you can make a lot of money, and come under a lot of threats, too." Nick said calmly as they were now halfway to Billings. Rookie looked at Nick's speedometer, showing a 100+mph speed. "You're speeding??" Rookie said, scared. "Oh no, I'm allowed to speed, cops know if they pull me over they're basically screwed. I was personally allowed by the president to speed on the highway, and pedestrians get a warning on the radio when I'm nearby so they know to move." Nick said as he checked his engine and oil temps. Seeing they were in normal ranges he nodded and went back to thinking about stuff.

Whoever called him and Rookie over the radio was female, maybe a human? Maybe some furry creature? Nick couldn't tell, as it sounded human. But if they were on a ring, chances are it's stranded UNSC survivors or alien life. Either way, Nick expected a warm welcome. Rookie on the other hand, was worried that Nick would probably crash the ship if he drove this recklessly. But if Nick could handle a car like this at 100 plus miles an hour then maybe things would be ok. Rookie checked his phone, seeing a text from his sister Neo asking about where he was going. He texted her back, letting her know that he'd be gone for a while. Going to space, after all, meant long trips away from home. Both Nick and Rookie couldn't help but realise they were leaving their families alone. But Nick held it in stride, realising this was his duty.

Nick's car phone rang as Hanna called him to check in on where he was. Nick picked it up and slowed down a little to focus on both driving and calling. "Hey Nick, ship's ready for your trip, just waiting for you to arrive," Hanna said with a happy tone in her voice. "Perfect, I'm bringing a friend along for the trip. Teardrop's comin' with me too, you made sure the ship was AI-capable right?" Nick said curiously. "Yep, adapted the ship's design to allow for Teardrop to control most routines to make flying easier for you." Hanna was checking over some equipment before Nick arrived so that it would be ready for takeoff at a moment's notice.

"Great, we should be there in thirty minutes, just getting off the highway now." Nick said as he slowed down and put on his right blinker. "Good, I'll give you the run down on the tech and controls when you get here. Safe travels Nick." Nick said goodbye as he hung up. Stopping before getting on the local road. Nick ran through his head real quick what he had brought with him: his sword, five grenades and a portable radio for emergency calls on the ring with compatible uplinks. "Hey Rookie. What did you get for equipment?" Nick said as he drove on his way to the airport. "Oh, I've got my AK-47, my 1911 and my bag, with several gadgets and med kits, in case we need to patch ourselves up," Rookie said confidently. "Good, the ship should have extra weapons and gear in case we need it on the Ring," Nick said.

They had just reached the entrance as the guard checked Nick's and Rookie's credentials. He confirmed both of their data and allowed them into the airport back lot to drive over to the ship. Before them stood a Winter-class prowler, with a UNSC tail logo with a small TUFFMU logo below it. The tail number was 00-0001668, Nick's favorite four-digit number. "Wow, that ship is.. Cool actually," Rookie said in awe as Nick stopped and parked the car nearby. "Yeah, it's slipspace capable, which is what we'll need to jump to the ring. Flying there normally would take eons."

"Oh, so like a warp drive?" Rookie said, comparing it to the jump drives they used in Star Wars. "Yeah, basically," Nick said as he shut the car off and got out, greeting Hanna. "Hey Hanna, we made it." As Nick shook her hand she gave him a quick rundown on the situation. "Just finished last minute checks. Should be all good to leave at a moment's notice, just need to upload Teardrop into the ship's computer and you can leave. Takeoff clearance was already approved."

"Perfect, I'll get us set up then." Nick said as he opened the landing bay door and walked up to the flight deck. Noticing the large amount of equipment and weaponry of standard UNSC circa 2561 issue lining the walls in the main deck. Nick checked the flight deck equipment, a standard winter-class prowler flight deck greeted him along with his personal MARK V(B) armor and M16A4 and M45 MEUSOC in a keypad locked case, with the tail number being a hint to its code. Nick nodded and sat down in the captain's seat, transferring Teardrop to the main computer. Teardrop got herself set in and imported the location data needed for the trip. Rookie boarded as well and sat down in the co-pilot seat. Nick sent Hanna the all set code and remotely closed the landing bay door.

As the door closed, Nick went through the engines start up checklist, firing up Engine No.1 and No.2 in quick succession and then did flight devices check. All seemed good for flight. Nick got on the radio with ATC and requested taxi clearance. It was given and then Nick taxied the ship to the runway, setting the throttles into the Takeoff/Go-around range, the prowler zoomed forward at almost break-neck speed to Vr and then V1. Nick Rotated the prowler into the sky and they lifted-off from the runway into the air. Nick retracted the flaps and then set up autopilot as Teardrop took over majority control from Nick. Rookie watched as the ground escaped below them. He was nervous still, but relaxed at Nick's presence. Clearly Nick was experienced in flight, and was more than just a hero.

As the ship reached past Earth's atmosphere several hours later, Nick went and took a shower in his personal quarters. Rookie went to the main deck and checked out the equipment. Seeing all the weapons and gear across the walls, Rookie knew they'd be in for a long expedition. He walked back to the flight deck and asked Teardrop a question. "Hey Teardrop, who exactly is Nick?" Teardrop appeared with a statistics board and combat record. "Nick is a SPARTAN-III from Beta Company. Codenamed Nick-B068, he graduated his class at the top three Spartans, alongside B-312 and B-320. He participated in many early SPARTAN-III battles including the famed battle of fumirole. He was enlisted to help NOBLE team when the covenant attacked Reach. Opting to leave with Captain Keyes when Six took the gun and protected their escape. After participating in the battle of Zeta Halo, Nick left UNSC service for private adventure, but still retains his access to UNSC equipment and data as a SPARTAN-III." Teardrop finished her long explanation as Rookie stood in awe of Nick's achievements.

"Wow, he really is something, isn't he?" Rookie said under his breath. Rookie felt slightly inferior to Nick, but knew he couldn't let that feeling take over. Nick clearly needed his help, and he would be damned if he didn't do so. Nick got out of the bathroom nice and refreshed, sitting back down in the captain's seat. He activated the slipspace jump protocol as he inputted the jump coordinates. Rookie sat back down and strapped in as Nick began the slipspace jump checklist, 100% engine power and slipspace drive primed. Nick pulled the lever for the jump and was pushed back into his seat as a slipspace portal opened in front of them and they were sucked in.

As they entered, the year changed from 2024 to 2561. As they went through a temporal time rift that the universe had set in place to keep time moving across it even as a result of the wormhole Nick opened when he was younger. This had no effect on the ship or their lives but only allowed them to essentially time travel to this point in time to meet the Ring. As they began exiting slipspace the prowler's radio buzzed with activity. Whoever sent the distress call was trying to hail them over the radio.

"Hello? Hellooooo? Anyone on this frequency?" A female voice said as Nick pressed the radio button. "This is UNSC EARTH'S PROTECTOR hailing, we receive you loud and clear," Nick said loudly and clearly. Meanwhile the female voice on the other end was excited to hear him. "Great! We finally got someone to hear us out! Ok, whoever you are I'm sending you the coordinates for our base, I'm assuming your ship has a GPS or whatever." Nick received the data and put it into the location data marking a waypoint on his HUD for landing. "Data received, I'll contact you once we're on the ground." The female voice acknowledged and broke radio contact in order to remain hidden.

Nick turned to his flight computers, everything seemed normal. But he couldn't help but shake the feeling something was off. "Teardrop, can you cross reference any other UNSC ships location records to our current location?" Teardrop scanned UNSC databases and found only one other ship. "One ship found, named the UNSC Praetorian Guard." Nick raised an eyebrow. He hadn't heard of the ship, but was interested in it's data. "Ship records." Teardrop opened the ship records and found that lots of its data was redacted, for some strange reason. "How could a Paris-Class frigate end up so far off course? It had to be travelling with another ship before it got lost," Nick pondered.

"Data determines the ship was lost with all hands in 2532. Data reveals it was carrying multiple ONI and UNSC personnel. Along with a shipping manifest of SPARTAN-II armor destined for Reach." Teardrop revealed more data that was redacted by ONI. Nick was baffled by this. It had participated in some of the earliest biggest battles of the Covenant War. How could a decorated ship be lost without a trace? He wondered as he looked at the ring ahead of him. Nick shook his head and asked Teardrop one more question. "Teardrop, who classified these records?" Teardrop replied. "ONI Agent Tysiac." Of course, it had to be a ONI agent, but not just any ol' ONI agent, a SPARTAN-III. Just like him. "Damn, guess ONI snatched him up after the covenant war. Hope Tysiac didn't screw himself." Nick said, leaning back in his chair.

Meanwhile, a distance away from the ship, a large group of Forerunner sentinels was patrolling the space around the Ring. They spotted Nick's ship and immediately became hostile. This was reflected in the cockpit as alarms blared to indicate hostiles had picked them up. Red diamonds appeared on Nick's HUD as he gripped the controls. Rookie braced himself as he saw Nick grab the controls aggressively. "Hold on, we've got company," Nick said as he armed the guns and lasers, preparing for battle. He turned the shields on and aimed his guns at the approaching sentinels.

Nick began firing on the sentinels. The ballistic weapons blasters bounced off the Sentinels a couple of times before landing a few hits on a couple. Blowing them up with ease. Nick heard laser impacts on the hull as they broke through the shields way too quickly. "Dammit! They're going to breach the hull!" Nick had already checked the probability of a crash landing. And the percentage was high, but if that was the case, he would do his damndest to get this ship on this ring. The ship was rocked side to side as the sentinels crashed into the ship as Nick shot them down.

Things were starting to get dire as damage was reported on flight surfaces, and some electronics were damaged. But Nick kept pressing on, giving the best defense he could. Using evasive maneuvers, he was able to turn back on the Sentinels, firing missiles at them, and destroying a majority of them.

"Alright, we might get out of this..." Nick was cut short as a massive explosion was heard and a large alarm blared. Nick checked his screens and found a massive hole was found in the hull. Left with no options, Nick aimed the ship at the nearest point to his waypoint and put the thrusters at full power. Nick knew was he was doing was suicidal, but it was the only option left. "Brace yourselves! We're going in for a crash landing!" Nick yelled as the ship began to deteriorate around them. As they closed in on the surface, Nick closed his eyes and spoke a small prayer, praying for his safety and his friends. That if they died, that their deaths would be quick and painless. Teardrop's voice rang in Nick's ear as alarms blared and critical systems started to fail.

Meanwhile several chupas on the ring could see Nick's ship largely on fire coming in hot. It was a dire situation. Meanwhile at the base that had contacted them, they had received footage from a camera of the ship coming in for a crash. They prayed that they would survive. And maybe they would, perhaps.

As Nick saw the ground approaching rapidly he yelled as the ship contacted the ground, barreling at a high rate of speed and exploding massively as it slowly came to a stop. Barely anything left. The crash site fell silent... Perhaps no one had made it.

The chupas had thought all hope was lost as they saw the explosions. Their help had just been killed in front of them in a large fiery explosion. But not everything was as it seemed.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Red vs Blue © Rooster Teeth. Halo © 343 Industries. Concept by Myshu, assisted by The Department of Chupapology.