A/N: I'm alive! Trying to find my muse, so expect the not-so-exciting return of Wayward Spartan, as I figure out how to format the summary/timeline of events that Six was supposed to go through. And hey, how coincidental; a story about second chances is my second try at this. Still, my muse is a slippery bastard and keeping it still long enough to get more than passing inspiration is hard.

Chapter 1: Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Reach, Aszod Ship-breaking Yards, Eposz
August 30, 2552
1800 Hours
Sierra Beta-312

The wind rustled my beaten and scarred armor. The Command Network Module hung somewhat loosely, the Hardened Up-link Module was flickering.
My 'Counter-assault' armor plate rattled against the Mjolnir. The Patrol scarf flapped with the wind, the cloth trying to escape its magnetic hold.

I looked over my armor. Couldn't hurt to do a status check.

The steel and blue color scheme was now more 'steel and ash with a slight hint of faded blue'. Most of the paint had been scratched or burned off during the last week or so.
FJ/Para shoulder and knee guards were cracked, pitted, and dented; yet still stayed stuck firmly on.

This prototype armor with its MK VI systems had saved my life, and ONI had let me keep it even now.

Noble team's dog tags dangled in the wind. I tucked them into the hardcase built into the extra armor plating. The soft-case wouldn't keep it safe.
The Trauma kit and my custom survival kit wavered back and forth, banging against my hip. Good to know it's still there.

I knelt down to Emile's propped up body, and grabbed his kukri. I had already grabbed the dog tags when I first got here. The kukri went on my right shoulder, in honor of my brother in arms.
Kat's Magnum and Carter's DMR felt like they were burning holes in my armor. "I'm sorry..." I walked off.

The Covvies were going to be all over the place soon, and I didn't feel like making my last stand in some stupid shipyards.

It took a few hours, but I had managed to escape the Covenant forces closing in on the shipyards. This refinery had played host to numerous other fellow soldiers, all dead now.
No better place to die than alongside the bodies of my fallen comrades.

There weren't any ways off-planet anymore, all either shot down, too damaged to use, or already taken.
Hope Jun made it out. At least then Noble Team could live on.

In the meantime, I headed up the steps to the radio antenna. Broadcast my swan song. Go down in a storm of plasma and bullets.
I would die with Reach, but I planned to carve this day into their minds; exact a toll so bloody they would remember it long after I passed.

A few tweaks...and there.

Banshees flew overhead.
The humming began, as the notes began to belt out.

Playing:
"Dead Man Walking"
By "WAR*HALL"

Grabbing a turret off its mount, I ran into the ruined building. The heavy firepower would be nice.
A Spartan Laser lay nearby, 75% charge. The hum of dropships continued in the background.

Several M392 DMRs, all with various amounts of ammo, a half-empty M6G, and a fully loaded MA37 lay nearby.
A SPNKr rested against a wall under a covering.

I ran back to grab the other turret, and nabbed the M319 Grenade Launcher at the bottom of the hill.
Blue-blooded fucks were content to take their time, still hovering about in their Spirits and Phantoms. Grunts were starting to trickle out, but it was slow going.

An SRS-99 and Bubble Shield enhancement. Was going to need that if I planned to last long.
Picked up both, and tossed aside my Sprint enhancement.

I'm a setting sun
But I'll never run

Squad of Grunts walked in, their plasma bolts splashing against my shields.
I snapped around with the M6G, and fired off a few shots.

Headshot for each.
A roar. Brutes were being deployed, too.

I'm a dead man walking, I'm a dead man walking

Grab one of the turrets.
Brutes, Jackals, and Grunts streamed in from the entrances; bullets cutting down alien after alien as more shoved their way through the pile.

I'll stay and fight, as long as I'm alive

Then the turret ran out.

I'm a dead man walking, I'm a dead man walking

"ShitShitShitSh-" Throwing the spent turret at a Grunt, I dove for the other one, propped up against a wall.
Shields glowed solid gold around me, plasma bolts flew all around the room.

I'm a dead man walking

No better time to use these.
A frag bounced out of my right hand just as the other grasped the turret handle.

The telltale glow and hum of a charging plasma pistol reached me too late.

Hell's at my door

Green plasma splashed against my shields as they collapsed.
I swung the turret around, holding down the trigger. The grenade finally went off, and bodies were flung all over the room.

The turret clicked, and I tossed it aside.

I'm a shadow of the man I was before

Most entrances were blocked with alien corpses, save for the massive hole in the walls.
Kneeling down and grabbing the DMR, I took any ammo that was available and stood back up.

MA37 in hand, DMR, Spartan Laser, and M6G holstered on my armor, I charged out of the building.

I'm a dead man walking

I quickly stitched several rounds into each target, before tossing aside the MA37 and drawing the DMR. Some rounds missed my targets, but most were accurate, killing Grunts and Jackals while staggering Brutes.
A Chieftain yelled, then ran at me with its Gravity Hammer. Time slowed to a crawl.

Shields 30%. Just enough to survive the impact.
4 rounds left in the DMR, last mag.
SPNKr 3 meters to my right.
3 Frags, and 1 Plasma.

I could try to tank the hit, then fight the space-gorilla in literal close quarters.
Another option was to try to dodge and reach the SPNKr to try and kill it.

Fuck this shit, man.

Before I die

I emptied the DMR into the Chieftain's shields, then braced myself for the pain.
With a smug roar, the Brute brought its weapon down onto me.

The DMR snapped in half, and I went flying off to my right. My visor cracked.
Grab the SPNKr. Two spare rounds, one already loaded in.

I'll take every soul I can into the night

Flames erupted from the barrel as the rocket flew into the Chieftain's feet.
Toss the spent barrels at another Covvie, and reload.

And kill till I die

A blue glob of plasma arced overhead.

A Wraith. Should be able to mostly cripple it with my remaining rockets, then hijack it.
Swap to the M6G. Clear a path to the Wraith.

And kill till I die

More dropships swooped in. Elites now.

Shielded enemies always were a pain in the ass.
The effort just makes the vengeance all that sweeter.

Wraith in sight, just down the hill.
One gout of flame rushed out of the barrels. A second followed shortly after.

Both direct hits. The Wraith was on fire, crawling along as the driver tried to keep it firing.

And kill till I die

An empty SPNKr hit the ground, my feet carrying me to the damaged Wraith.

Plasma rained down around me as my shields hummed back to life.
I hopped on, slamming my combat knife into the pilot. Toss their body out, then hop in.

Laying in the ground, gonna burn it down

Anger fueled my rampage against the aliens, and eventually several Hunters and Wraiths were deployed.

This Wraith was barely holding together, so I ditched the vehicle before it took me down with it.

I'm a dead man walking, I'm a dead man walking

I was proven right shortly after. A Banshee released its bomb on the Wraith and flew away.

Spartan Laser slid off my back, as a pair of Hunters charged their Fuel Rod Cannons.
Charge the weapon and strafe left.

Till my final breath, there'll be dust and death

Green plasma streaked past to my right, sending geysers of dirt everywhere. A ruby red beam flared out in response, killing one of the Hunters. The other of the pair silently howled, and charged at me.

I'm a dead man walking, I'm a dead man walking

Blue plasma ignited in my left hand. Hunter's shield came crashing down.
Jump left, and the ball of plasma left my hands. The Hunter spun around, ready to crush me to death as the ball of plasma detonated.

Purple spikes and a curved plate fell off. It staggered, and that was enough.

Hopping up onto and off of the shield, I launched myself over the Hunter and buried a frag in its exposed back.

Days go dark, death is real

Running back to where I had holed up, the SRS-99 and M319 awaited me.

Holstering both, I hefted the Spartan Laser again and took aim at a Spirit.

Embracing all the blood I spill

The red beam sheared off a whole 'wing' on the dropship, sending it plummeting into the ground.

Assassinate till my caskets filled

A Wraith zipped around, the plasma turret spraying wildly.

One red beam turned it into a burning husk.

Annihilation for the thrill

Drop the Spartan Laser. Out of charge and I didn't have a charging station near me.
Biomonitor was reading that I was near death. Put down the drop shield, and recover.

As a blue dome covered me, I pulled out my Trauma Kit and patched up any major wounds.

Nothing too severe, mostly from taking that Gravity Hammer head on.
Smearing a bit of Biogel on my plasma wounds, I sealed the Kit and placed it back on my hip.

Elites were starting to move in force now. A couple Brutes here and there, but no more Grunts or Jackals.

The drop shield turned crimson red as I leveled the SRS. Inhale.
Exhale. The shield disappeared.

An Elite's head exploded, smoke trail from my rifle quickly dissipating. My shields flared bright gold as they tried to repulse all the plasma.

Expect more gore and violence

Inhale. Exhale.
I fired again.

A miss, but it took out the Elite's shields. A follow up shot with the M6G killed it.
Holstering the M6G again, I took aim with the SRS.

Accept the blackness don't fight it

Shields 60% and depleting fast.
Needed to get to cover.

Running back for the ruined building, I fired away.
All my shots missed.

Gone forever complete silence

Shoving aside the bloody mush that blocked the door, I slammed my back against the wall.
Plasma flew through the entrance I had just come from.

Evil plans that close your eyelids

Fully loaded rifle with one spare mag left.
Still had my demolitions kit with me. I could rig this pl-

Before I could finish my thought, the wall behind me exploded.

On a crazy spree, I'm going mad

Knocked down, and my head hurt like hell.
I was barely able to roll over and kill the damn brute.

Stop beating hearts just like that

Body feels strange. Blood feels like it burns.
The song seemed to fade in and out, before cutting out. My vision faded with it.

This soul has seen a lot of bad

Huh?
Song was playing again. New crack on my visor. SRS was gone, and the M319 was nearly empty. M6G only had a few magazines left. There was an M45 slotted on my back, almost fully loaded. Biomonitor was reading critical.

Corpses lay everywhere. The clock read a couple hours had passed.
Medics mentioned this. 'Berserker Syndrome' apparently.

A wrecked Phantom lay in the rubble of the ruined refinery complex.
More Elites, roaring and firing plasma at me.

I fired the M319, stunning and depleting their shields.
A second grenade from the weapon silenced them.

The wave turned into a swarm, an unstoppable tide that all raced to me.

My future's in a body bag

Withdrawing the M45, the clatter of the discarded M319 was ignored.
I fired away, until the shotgun ran empty. Flipping the gun like a club and using it to beat Elites to death.

This world will know what to bind me

Before I knew it, a ball of blue stuck to the ground behind me. My sluggish mind only just conjured the words 'plasma grenade' before I was sent flying.

The Reaper so close behind me
His cold breath reminds me

"Ugh…" Beeping filled my ears, and I felt my strength slowly going.

The shadows of death won't find me

I crawled forward, and hauled myself to my knees. An MA37, fully loaded, beckoned to me.
Helmet was getting useless now. Cracks had spider-webbed through the visor so much I couldn't see through it.

Tossing it aside, I kept moving for the rifle.

I'm a dead man walking (Kill till I die)

I grabbed the rifle, and stood up fully.

Hell's at my door (Hell's at my door yeah!)

An Elite in white armor charged at me, and I put it down with a few quick bursts.

I'm a shadow of the man I was before (Shadow of the man)

More and more rushed at me, and I held them off; M6G in my left hand and MA37 in my right as I made my stand.

One shoved me down, but I knocked them back. More seemed to try to pounce but I threw them back. Another made a move to plunge their sword into my chest but I rolled them over and jammed my knife into their throat.

I'm a dead man walking (I'm a dead man)

Standing back up, I was surrounded by a whole group of them. They all tossed aside their weapons and drew their energy swords and daggers.

Before I die (Before I die)

I rushed forward, slashing and stabbing as much as I could.

I'll take every soul I can into the night (Oh)

Elite after Elite fell as I overwhelmed their shields and the knife bit into soft flesh.

And kill till I die

An energy sword picked up in my left hand, and the knife slid back into its holster.
"Let's do this."

As long as I'm alive

Two prongs of blue plasma ignited, and I leapt into the fray once more.

Kill till I die

Clash after clash, kill after kill. My strength was weakening, and I was getting slower.
Energy sword ran out.

I kept fighting with the knife, until it was too dull to keep going.

Take them with me till the night

Down to just my fists, I kept fighting even as I was slowly overwhelmed.

I won't leave till you laying by my side
You leaving with I

Eventually, my strength left me. My arms and legs wouldn't listen to me, and I collapsed.

I was hauled to my knees by rough hands, and the ignition of an energy dagger was almost drowned out by the howling winds.
Looking up, I saw the dagger plunge into my chest.

Kill till I die

The ground rushed up to meet me.
The song faded away, and so did my vision.