If you read my first story about the Strike Witches and The Banished, you'd know that it was just in anticipation for the release for Halo Wars 2. Now that there is DLC slated for Fall, I'd thought I write another story in anticipation for the DLC.

I do not own Strike Witches or the Halo franchise. One-shot.

Hurried footstep echo throughout the empty hallways. Nobody in the 501st has ever taken the time to realize or appreciate just how enormous and intimidating the base's hallways are when they are in their haste. Of course, they would hurry if a Neuroi is attacking the base, but the current situation… well, most of them right now wished it was a Neuroi than what they are currently facing. Never have they attempted to quickly reach the hanger than right now, and that is saying a lot since every member in the team would move at a moment's notice if the alarms went off—which they didn't.

The systematic fire of Mg 42's fire off, making their presence known throughout the base. However, a breaking point is reached when a certain witch finally collapsing to her knees, paralyzed by the trepidation accompanied by the situation.

"Miyafuji, what are you doing?! Get up this instant!" Major Mio Sakamoto orders her Fuso subordinate, Yoshika Miyafuji, with anger, frustration, and worry. However, even her stern, commanding voice isn't enough to shake Yoshika from her apparent breakdown as she closes her eyes and plugs her ears with much force to drown away the gunfire of machineguns mixed in with screams of agony coming from all around the base. She especially loathed that dreaded sound: The instant the pained screams morphed into something else entirely—gargling and choking sounds is an indication that the process is happening. Every member of the 501st witnessed such a horrid, gruesome sight occur to a poor young soldier. It ended just as quickly as it began when Sakamoto unsheathed her sword and sliced the private in half after he—or rather it—attempted to take Sanya's life. Blood and a green, viscous material covered Reppumaru's blade by the end. Needless to say, it wasn't the most pleasant smell.

"I can't help them all. They are all dying… and I can't do anything about it…" Yoshika utters to herself, her face contorted with fear and dread, tears already streaming down her cheeks, unable to process the situation. She closes her eyes tighter and presses her hands against her ears harder as a distinct, ear-piercing wail sounds from a distance, clearly away from the base. All the members stop to listen to it. It last for a few moments before it slowly dies down, but still ringing within their heads. However, they have to turn their attention back to the current situation: Yoshika sprawled on her knees and unwilling to move while those things chase them, and by the approaching sounds of gunfire, they would say they are coming and fast.

"Yoshika! You have to get up! Those things are catching up! Please!" Lynette Bishop begs her dear friend, crying out of concern for Yoshika as she kneels on one knee and place her hands on her shoulder in attempts to speak some sense into her, but in vain, but she refuses to give up; she cares too much for her to just leave her there. She doesn't want her to go through that process, not after seeing that process happen on the soldier. "Yoshika! Please get up! Please! I don't want to lose you like that! Please… please…" Lynn cries, now resting her head on Yoshika's chest as her tears travel down her cheeks and onto Yoshika's uniform. And like last time, her pleas are in vain as Yoshika continues to acknowledge her surroundings as she covers her ears harder, unwilling to listen to Lynne's pleads. But more selfishly, she doesn't want to hear those things screeching more than a crying Lynne. Nothing that anyone is going to say will help to budge Yoshika from her position, so one witch in that group takes action. She grabs onto Lynne and moves her out of the way forcefully. The witch raises her right hand and with all her strength, swipes it across, smacking Yoshika across the face as her cheek turns red instantly. It doesn't stop there as the grabs her uniform and pulls her up from her seated position, bringing Yoshika in close where she can feel the attacking witch's breath.

"Perrine!"

"You think feeling sorry for yourself will accomplish anything? Sitting on the floor and crying when we are being attacked?" Perrine seethes, using even more strength to the point Yoshika is lifted off her feet with nothing more than her clothes keeping her suspended off the ground by Perrine's hands. "Letting yourself get killed isn't going to solve anything! If you don't make it, or if any of us don't make it, then her sacrifice would have been all for nothing!" Tears are beginning to form on Perrine's eye. "So I suggest you pull yourself together and make yourself useful or you are going to be the reason why we all die!" Perrine warns her as she releases Yoshika and lets her fall, landing on her bottom with a petrified expression.

"Perrine, stop it! You didn't have to be so hard on her." Lynne attempts to vindicate Yoshika's actions, earning a rather nasty look from Perrine.

"Too hard!? I'm not being hard enough! This raccoon-dog is going to get us killed or worse if she just sits there and mopes." Perrine lashes out, staring daggers at Miyafuji for her.

"Enough, you three!" Sakamoto intervenes. "Now isn't the time to fight with each other. Those things are drawing closer. Barkhorn, Hartmann, and Shirley can't hold them off much longer! Perrine, Lynne, grab Miyafuji and get her to the hanger! I'm going to go back see how the other are doing."

"But Major…."

"No buts, Perrine. This is an order! Now go!" she demands as she unsheathes her sword, preparing herself to join her comrades in battle against those things. She still doesn't know or understand what she is up against, but the enemy has proven to be strong, probably stronger than a Neuroi. She normally wouldn't think such a thought, but after witnessing firsthand what they can do, all she can think is those things are not to be trifled with.

"Uh… yes, Ma'am!" Lynne responds submissively for both herself and Perrine, who's demeanor has changed from anger towards Yoshika to concern for the Major. They both take ahold of a defeated Yoshika and place her arms around their shoulders and guide her away to the hanger, hopefully having a least the desire to enter her Striker. There is not much Sakamoto can do for Yoshika; she has already reached a breaking point and doesn't seem too responsive about what happens next. She didn't even react colorfully after Perrine slapped her. Sakamoto's grip tightens around her handle as she gnashes her teeth. Her inability to help one of her subordinates is ignominious for a warrior of Fuso, but right now, she has other matter to worry about. Barkhorn, Hartmann, and Shirley are still back there holding off those things as best they can, but those things are drawing closer rapidly. She increases her speed, and not much time after that, Sanya and Eila stumble into the hallway with Sanya embracing Eila as she digs her head into her body as Eila secures her position with her arms over her. It seems the situation is becoming too much for Sanya like Miyafuji, but she at least is responsive enough to move. Sakamoto grabs their attention and orders them to the hanger. Eila nods in response and continues to escort Sanya. Following right behind them is Francesca, who also having a hard time processing the situation, but by the looks of her pistol in her hand, it is clear she helped the others in defending.

"Major!" She cries.

"Lucchini, what is the situation like?" Sakamoto inquires.

"Not good! Those Things just keep coming from everywhere! The bodies…. They just… keep getting back up." She expresses in shock, wiping away the tears accumulating in her eyes. "No matter how many times we shoot them down… they just get back up…. Shirley told me to get away, but… I…"

"You did good, Lucchini. I want you to head to the hanger and prep your Striker. I am go tell the others."

"But…"

"Now is not the time to argue with me, Lucchini. As the next high-ranking officer, I am giving you an order as the commanding officer of the 501st JFW." Lucchini looks at the Major for a moment before acknowledging her order and runs off towards the hanger. Sakamoto continues to run toward the fighting. Eventually

"Major Sakamoto! What are you doing here?! We have to fall back! There's too many of them!" Captain Barkhorn explains—shouts—as the sounds of two MG 42s unleash a wave of lead into the enemy. But as Lucchini explained, the enemy did go down, but more bodies just kept rising up. Out of ammo, Barkhorn chucks her tow weapons at tow approaching things, causing them to fall to the ground. Barkhorn quickly whips out her Mauser and fires into the crowd—at this point, she can fire randomly and will hit something seeing as those things are crawling on the walls. Shirley and Hartmann still have their primary weapons, but they are on their last magazine.

"Why won't they stay down!?" Hartmann hollers angrily, chucking aside her MP 42 and pulling out her side arm. Barkhorn has never seen Hartmann this angry before, not even when Karlsland fell to the Neuroi. Hartmann has always kept up a calm, composed demeaner during battle and a lazy, carefree one outside. Right now, Hartman desires to take all of enemies down for what they have done, and it only seems to infuriate Hartmann more every time those things keep getting back up or more keep flooding through doorways, windows, or any conceivable opening.

"Guys…" Shirley begins. "We have to leave now! Or else the same thing is going to happen to us like M…"

"I KNOW!" Barkhorn explodes, reloading her pistol and firing once more.

"Alright, Barkhorn, Hartmann, Shirley, we are abandoning the base! I want all of you to hurry to the hanger and prepare for takeoff, on the double!" A heavy wordless silence befalls the four witches. Never have they imagined they would have to abandon the base, especially since they would be leaving behind a friend without so much as retrieving the body. They didn't want to do it, but not doing it is suicide—for this case, worse. Barkhorn restrains her trigger finger, and rummages through her pocket, pulling out a metal handle with a cylinder on it. She pulls the trigger, and chucks it towards a door frame.

"Move now!" Each witch squeezes through the door frame as fast as they could before an explosion sounds off, causing the doorframe to collapse and letting the rubble from above seal off the opening. But that isn't going to hold those things off much long. The horrid screeches of those things sound off, bouncing off the wall only to amplify their effect, sending shivers down the witches' spines. Footsteps from behind evolve into a stampede; they are drawing closer, and nothing the witches can do will stop them.

The door to the hanger burst open with all witches storming through it, with Sakamoto being the last and slamming the door, propping up a wooden two by four off against the handle to prevent the door from opening. Most of the other witches are already in their Strikers, engines revving up and weapons in hand, but they have not taken off yet for they didn't want to abandon the others yet. A good trait even during a time of disorder and retreat.

"Major Sakamoto! Perrine hollers out of worry.

"Everyone. We are leaving this base immediately. Grab your weapons and go."

"What about the others at this base?" Lynne inquires. Her answer, however, is the harsh banging against the sealed-off door along with loud growls.

"There is nothing more we can do for them." There is a bit of a sour taste in Sakamoto's mouth after stating such a response. To think a warrior such as herself would have to abandon the soldiers and maintenance crews that help them defeat the Neuroi.

"What about the Wing Commander?" That alone causes Sakamoto to stop in her tracks, gripping onto her sword until it hurts, her hand and arms ever-so-slightly shaking.

"She's gone." Is all Sakamoto can muster up. The banging grew louder; it sounds as if multiple bodies are just slamming into the door in hopes to bring it down. "Everyone, let's go!" All witches begin to accelerate out of the hanger, just when the door gives way as multiple bodies and things flood out of the door. The situation grew more dangerous when the witches spot some of those things wielding pistols and machine guns confiscated from the fallen personal, forcing the witches to prop up magic shields to absorb the bullets. They keep on swarming inside the hanger, but none of them can reach the speeding witches as they finally take to the sky.

The Strike Witches can only watch at an appropriate altitude as their base—their home—is slowly infested with those things. Some couldn't watch as those things crawl up the walls and some continued to shoot at them in futility. The Strike Witches may have escaped, but to them, it is a defeat. In one day—one afternoon—The Strike Witches' base was overtaken and good soldiers were lost. The Neuroi couldn't even perform such a fleet, let alone draw so close to their base. But more importantly, they lost one of their own, causing half the team to shed tears, including Barkhorn.

"What do we do now?" Shirley ask.

"I…" Sakamoto hesitates, but continues regardless. "I don't know. All we can do now is move east and find a place rest." Sakamoto responses, hating herself for having said such a thing.

"What about Rome? We have to go and help them?" Francesca intervenes. The Strike Witches are supposed to help them, but after these events, they couldn't even hold their own against whatever they just fought. Plus….

"We can't." Sanya interrupts as she is embraced by Eila. "There are many reports that Rome is lost. All military forces stationed in the city are destroyed. They tried to evacuate the populous, but the enemy… got to them before they could. And now… the military and the civilians, with what the reports are saying, have joined the enemies' ranks." Hearing that Rome was lost is enough to send Lucchini into Shirley's chest as she attempts to comfort her.

"With the city lost, all we can do is head east, and return to Gallia. Hopefully the enemy hasn't reached there yet." Sakamoto announces. And with that, the Strike Witches begin their evacuation to Gallia.

"I see. Do what you have to and stay safe, Major." Adolfine Galland replies, flicking a switch on her radio set to end communications with the 501st JFW. She is not having a good day. First, she has reports of the Neuroi attacking each other near the Karlsland and Orussia hive. That was the highlight of her day. The reports speculate the Neuroi are having some sort of civil war, but no conclusions can be made. They do say the Neuroi that are rebelling have green hexagonal polka-dots where the red ones are supposed to be. This—for all intensive purposes—is good news for them, but it only goes down there from there. Like the 501st, multiple reports from various other JFW are in full retreat for something is attacking them. Multiple cities have also been reported to already fallen to this new enemy, and they continued to relentlessly press forward, ravaging through smaller cities and military bases that stand in their way. Causalities—maintenance crews, soldiers, civilians, witches—are said to already exceed 30,000. With all these incoming reports, there is one detail that all of them do have in common: These new enemies can somehow utilize the enemy's dead as combatants to attack others. In other words, this new enemy grows stronger with each dying person it defeats. She audibly exhales to help ameliorate this new wave of frustration she is accumulating.

"Air Marshall Galland." A lone voice speaks out, prompting the Air Marshall to look towards the door.

"Group Captain Neumann, what do you have to report?"

"We just got back from our inspection at the 506th base and managed to save one soldier. He claims to have witnessed the whole ordeal. Would you like to speak to him?"

"Yes, bring him in here now. I want to know the hell is defeating the witches and soldiers alike." Neumann gives the Air Marshall a solute before she leaves the room. Galland turns her attention towards the map and begins marking off all the bases already lost to the enemy. Needless to say, she is not happy with how many "X's" she had to place on bases and cities as the marked sites outnumber the unmarked sites greatly—too many to count in her opinion. Eventually, Neumann returns with the lone soldier by her side as she has to guide him into the Air Marshall's office. The expression on his face says is all. Once Neumann releases him, he immediately assumes the fetal-position, covering his ears and pressing as hard as he can to, what the Air Marshall assumes, to drown out some sort of noise, but what noise is the question.

"Private, stand on your feet, now!" Neumann orders, but the private, too petrified by fear, ignores his superior officer. Neumann is about to repeat herself again, but is stopped by the Air Marshall.

"Private, what happened out there?" Galland inquires, dropping down to his eye level as she places her arm on his shoulder.

"Oh god. Please… make the screaming stop!" He panics, his voice shaking and stuttering.

"Calm down and tell us what happened." Galland tries again.

"I… I didn't have a choice. Those things… they… got to all of them. OH GOD, THE SCREAMS! You have to understand; I… I… I did what I had to do! I didn't want to shoot them; you have to believe me!"

"Calm down and explain what happened!" Neumann reiterates irritated.

"I… I had to do it! They were suffering and… oh god! It was horrible. SLIMING UNDERNEATH THEIR SKIN! Please, I'll go anywhere. I'll take on the Neuroi with a pistol or with a knife, BUT PLEASE! Don't send by back out there! I DON'T WANT TO GO THROGH THAT!" At this point, he has already descended into his own hysteria, closing his eyes as hard as he and curling up into a ball. He is basically useless at this point, and endeavoring to get anything out of him would prove a futile effort. Whatever this new enemy is, not only are they powerful, but they can also destroy morale to the point soldiers fall into insanity.

"Group Captain, please escort this private out and into a medical bay. I want a full psyche evaluation and the results on my desk a.s.a.p."

"Yes, Air Marshall Galland." She acquiesces her order.

"Takanashi, get in here and help the Group Captain with this private" The Air Marshall orders her subordinate, Mai Takanashi, a witch who recently joined the war efforts who was supposed to be stationed somewhere near the 501st base of operations, but with their retreat, Takanashi is going to have to be relocated somewhere else. A few moments pass, and no sign of Takanashi.

"Sergeant Takanashi, come in here and help the Group Captain. That is an order!" Galland repeats annoyed. "Sergeant, get in here now!" Galland orders once more, and this time, the Air Marshall receives a response.

Footsteps from a far can be heard coming down the hallway. It is unnatural for the footsteps sound heavy and erratic; no concise or systematic sound of each footstep sounding against the wood. Galland is then forced to pinch her nose for something gnarly and repugnant is wafting through the air. A loud thud bands against the door, and the door slowly creaks open.

"Sergeant Takanashi…" Her body—whatever is left of it—looks ravaged! And something is lodged into her shoulder. It looks quite large and has these red tentacles sticking out of her shoulder, pushing her head to the side, leaving it to dangle and wobble about with each passing step. The surrounding skin where this thing is lodged decaying. It looks as if her body has been decaying for weeks, which is saying something because the Air Marshall just saw Takanashi an hour ago. Her surrounding skin also has this sickly-greenish gray color to compliment the decaying process. What catches everyone's attention is the two long, sharp tentacle-like claws sticking out of her bloated left arm while her right arm grips onto her sidearm pistol issued to her by the Air Marshall herself—a Mauser pistol to be exact. The claws themselves look like they are capable of ripping flesh away with ease. She—or it—looks on at the three individuals, her tentacles twitching about as if it is smelling its surrounding area. The tentacles stop vibrating abruptly, and it unleashes a horrid, ear-piercing, high-pitch screech, forcing the two witches and the private to cover their ears.

"AHHHHHH!" The private lets out as the mutated Takanashi charges through the doorway, swinging its claw arm wildly into the air. But it stops swing when bullets pelt into it as smoke is coming out of Galland's and Neuman's pistol. It only takes one step back before it charges in once more. More bullets are unloaded into it. It is forced to take multiple steps back, but eventually presses forward through the barrage of bullets, slowly making its way toward the attacking Witches. Even with its ravaged and decay look, this thing is uncharacteristically resilient.

"Damn it! I'm out." Neumann states as Takanashi charges at her, her claw arm cocked back and her pistol aiming right at the Group Captain.

A shot is fired, and a body goes down.

Neumann watches as Takanashi's body flops backwards onto the ground, the thing in her chest nonexistent, leaving a gaping hole behind. Galland relaxes and slowly loosens her grip around her sidearm. If her last bullet missed, then Neumann would be in a world of pain as those claws tore into her skin and ripped away flesh. Galland hastely reloads her pistol and approaches the fallen body. Instead of blood, this yellowish-greenish putrid fluid ooze out of the bullet holes inflicted on Takanashi's body, making the Air Marshall wanting to hurl, but she manages to keep her stomach in check and gulps down whatever wanted to come right out.

Lifeless and decayed. Those are the only adjectives that can describe the expression frozen onto her sideways head as her eye balls are rolled up, her head and face the same color as the decaying skin: greenish-gray.

"I'm sorry." Galland expresses, closing her eyes and giving a small vote of silence for the fallen witch who has never entered the battle field. Galland eventually ascends back onto her feet and walks towards the Group Captain.

"You okay?"

"I am fine, though the same cannot be said for the private." Neumann expresses, darting her yes to the cowering private in the corner, hugging himself. Both the Witches approach the cowering private, but then stop as his eyes widen in horror and points directly behind them, causing the high-ranking witches to turn around. Multiple tiny, greenish-gray squid-like creatures with multiple legs and three tentacles with red fibers at the ends swarm into the room, crawling on the floor and walls, all converging on their three food sources.

Galland and Neuman spend no time waiting. Neumann reloads her pistol with lightning-fast precision and Galland begins emptying her clip, each bullet hitting one of those squid-like creatures as they explode. With each pull of the trigger, one squid-creature is taken down. Once Neumann joins the fray, they double their killing time to the point where they are actually pushing back the creatures. It isn't long before both empty the last bullets in their chambers, killing off the last of the squid creatures.

Or so they think.

Both spot one more of those creatures at the door, but instead of charging at them, this creature makes it way toward the fallen body of Sergeant Takanashi. Neumann and Galland have already reloaded their pistols. Neumann takes aim, but is halted by the Air Marshall, who has become curious as to what that thing is going to do. It crawls over the body and uses its tentacles to shove itself into the body, burrowing deep into the gaping hole. Both witches keep their pistols up. Takanashi's corpse begins to twitch and jerk violently like it is having some sort of seizure. The sounds coming from the corpse and the sight is quite revolting, but the true horror begins when the corpse—the one they have put so many bullets into—starts to get back up again. In the same place as the previous one, the squid creature placed itself in the same place as the previous. The corpse itself now more decrepit and ravaged as the bullet holes add to the aesthetic. It releases another ear piecing howl before charging at the witches one more. They fire their weapons once more, and like before, the body absorbed the bullets like some sort of bullet sponge. They both aim for the creature's new "head," but it places it right arm up to protect itself. Finally, within reach, it swipes at the Group Captain, but she evades backwards, only having her pistol hit away towards the side. This left the creature open, and Galland took the shot, putting a bullet into the "head," causing Takanashi's corpse to, yet again, fall to the earth face first. Hopefully for good this time.

"Neuman, are you alright?"

"Yes, Air Marshall. It is just a scratch, but I am fine."

"What about you, Private? How are…" That is the only thing she can get off before the sound of a gun fires off, grey-matter and blood splattering on the walls as the Private's body drops to the ground, along with the Group Captain's pistol. They have now for remorse or any sort of time to process what just happened as a high-pitch wail echoes throughout the hallways, the source originating from quite a distance.

A lone body is fumbled around, twisted and turned in a 360 rotation, tentacles griping around the arms and legs of the lone individual deep into unconsciousness. It does so heavily desire to mutate the red-haired individual, but curiosity is preventing from doing so as it would rather observe it from afar instead of assimilating her. Her eyes began to twitch, her mouth ever so moving slightly.

You, made of conviction and elegance…

Burdened with the sorrows of loss and uncertainty of life…

Your mind strong and capable, yet fragile and unwilling…

Is he talking about me? Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke ponders to herself shortly after awakening from her unconscious state to a darkened opening. She attempts to rub away the sleepiness still in her eyes, but realizes her arms and legs are constricted down. She wiggles and attempts to burdens her oppressor, but all is done in vain. Her eyes eventually adjust to the darkness, only to find she is in a massive cave, probably underground. She looks down at her legs, and finds only a sickly-green tentacle holding her ankles. How did she get in a position like this? She thinks, but it hurts her so. The last thing she can salvage is being bogged down by these tiny squid-like creatures. Anything after that is blurred. She moves and shakes more violently, realizing she cannot stay here for she is needed somewhere else.

I have warned you to stray away from your inclinations…

But defiance and arrogance will remain a virtue…

A chorus singing before victory is but habit…. a deep voice answers her movement.

"Who are you?!" Minna demands in her anger. The sounds of gushing and squishing echo throughout as something organic moves in the folds. Out of the darkness, a lone, long. massive tentacle presents itself in front of the Wing Commander, opening its mouth and revealing its sharp teeth and tongue accompanied of the sounds of liquids squeezing through slit-small opening of its tongue.

"W-who… what are you?" Minna stutters, trepidation enclosed in her eyes.

Me… I am nothing but the monument of all your sins…

"My sins…. What are you talking about?!" She argues.

Talk… there is much talk, and I have listened throughout the ages…

Yet, you do not listen to what the silence—the deep silence—has to offer…

"What do you want from me!?" Minna ask, not fully understanding what this thing is trying to tell her.

From you… everything… That made Minna give a big gulp.

You ask who I—we are…

But there is no difference to who we are...

We will continue until all space and time is rolled-up and life is crushed in the folds…

No end to war, grief, or pain…

Even if it takes a millennia…

Unity again, and wisdom

But until then—sweetness… It answers, bringing up another tentacle from the shadows. This tentacle has a body mutated into it, looking disgusting and ghastly, slowly rotting away, yet Minna can't shake the feeling the rotting body before her is somehow preserved for it looks familiar. The body raises its head, and looks on at Minna, finally realizing what she is looking at.

Her breathing intensifies and begins to exaggerate, her eyes quivering in fear and sadness as her eyes let down streams of tears upon beholding what this thing is presenting her. She can't say anything as every word is caught at her throat. Yet, one word manages to escape her mouth that perfectly describes the pain, sorrow, and regret being forcibly unearthed.

"K-K-Kurt…"

I offer no forgiveness

All life will suffer this ineffable fate…

Become one with us and join your voice with the singing chorus…

For we already own you…