Suddenly, there was a frightening grunt behind Rocket Raccoon. Groot thought of taking down the shadow creature behind him. The talking furry animal kept looting the weapons inside the facility.

" I am Groot! I am Groot! "

" Shut up! I'm busy here!, " Rocket angrily spoke.

Suddenly, a strange arm grabbed the talking raccoon as he mumbled. It appeared to be a tall well-built being with an armor. Rocket was struggling to break free when Groot circled his wooden tendrils around the creature and tightly trapped him down. Rocket instantly jumped away from the attacker and dropped himself to the floor.

" Dammit! What the heck is that?! " he exclaimed.

" I am Groot! "

" What do you mean you don't know?! I don't get it! "

The creature was struggling to break free as Groot let him down. It was heavily panting and taking his axe-like weapon to hit them. It almost slashed Groot and Rocket as they dodged away. The creature loudly growled when the two instantly fled from it.

" Groot, where the heck are you taking me?! "

" I am Groot!! "

" What are you talking about?! "

The creature kept chasing them when Tengfei, Anna, and Chris noticed the other two running away.

" Groot, what's going on?! " the Kree Voidwalker asked.

" I am Groot! " Groot raised his voice and pointed at the mad creature.

" The Banished! " Chris the Spartan II anxiously muttered. " We'd better take it down! "

" On it! " Anna-26 nodded and took her rifle to aim the attacker.

" Well, this brings more action for Pama's sakes, " Tengfei added and illuminated this both hands with Void Energy. " Come and get us, freak! "

The Banished trooper growled and readied himself to attack the three when the Kree Voidwalker gave an instant blow. It angrily dodged the attack and struck him down using his axe. Tengfei quickly dodged when a Kree Spartan-IV kept shooting it.

" You meddling beasts, " the Banished warrior spoke.

" Well, we won't give up in taking you down! " she answered and turned to her fellow Spartan. " Chris, it's your turn! "

" Got it! " Chris-77 took out his Sangheili Energy blade and instantly struck the being down into its demise. " Now, we're done here . "

" I am Groot..." the plant being said and pointed at the way going back to the lobby.

" Right, we're returning, " Chris-77 nodded.

" No, no, no, I'm not coming! " Rocket angrily pouted.

" Oh, yes, you are raccoon, " Tengfei answered and instantly carried the furry one.

" Hey, put me down, Kree! Put me down! "

" We're going or else we're dying! "

Rocket frowned at his teammates when they returned to the lobby. They saw Mantis and Drax waiting for them. Then, Gamora came aftewards.
She was panting and bleeding which she came from a sudden fight.

" Guys, where's Quill? " the muscular alien asked.

" He was taking those children into a spacecraft, " the scarlet-haired green skinned alien spoke. " Then, a creature instantly took him. "

" What did you do? " Mantis asked.

" I almost took it down, " she replied.. and sighed. " But it hindered me to save Peter! "

Hearing and Realizing the bad news, Rocket heavily sighed and felt guilty which he made his team leader a pain in the neck. Groot looked curiously at him and gently patted the furry one's back.

" Damn, this is all my fault, " Rocket sadly spoke. " I could have done something right..."

" It's not your fault, Rocket, " Mantis answered. " We're all trapped into this mess. "

" So, that thing is? "

" Let me reiterate this, " Chris-77 replied. " Atriox and his Banished raided Covenant resources, cutting a swath across the galaxy. Growing in strength with each attack.Gathering killers and mercenaries to his side. The Covenant had two targets in those years. Humanity and Atriox. They almost got us. But Atriox? They never came close. The whole damn Covenant couldn't contain him at the height of their power. Now, you're seeing them right away. "

" Who's Atriox? " Tengfei asked.

" Leader of the Banished, what we're seeing right now, they caused another attack. Aside from the Covenant which they attacked this base first. "

" Now, what are we going to do? " Gamora asked. " How are we going to save Peter? "

" That's how we can find out, " Tengfei answered.

The team had left the facility and headed their way to the Ceres Galliot.
To their surprise, they saw more attackers. The other side was an army of the Banished and the other was a troop of tall dark skinned skeletal aliens, holding their energy blades. Gamora and the others exchanged glances and realized they got stuck in the middle of the war.

" This reminds me of the Human-Covenant war, " Chris-77 muttered. " Now, we need to fight! "

" But what about those Grim Reapers? " Drax asked. " Are we gonna fight them? "

" No, they're our allies, " Anna answered and held her rifle.

" Look guys, how am I gonna fight?! I haven't taken anything from the arsenal, " Rocket shrugged.

" I am Groot, " Groot handed him a blaster gun.

" Heh, that's more like it! " the furry being received it and smirked.

" Well, this is for our future, " Tengfei determinedly said and illuminated both his hands for the second time.

The soldiers began attacking some of the Elites or Sangheili which they were struggling to take down. Gamora took her daggers and instantly pinned the Banished's head and fell down, ending it bathing by its own blood.

Mantis got stuck with the other armored brutes when she turned around. The Banished warrior instantly grabbed her neck, chocking the insect lady. She was struggling to break free.

" Let me go... I can't breathe! "

" How is it like to get into our trap? " the soldier asked. " Now, Die!! "

Drax was still bashing more heads with the Banished and sparing a Sangheili trooper. Then, he saw Mantis facing her near death.

" Thank you for saving my life, " the Elite said. " As a reward, I should repay you. "

" Look, pal. I need to save a friend. Can you help me? "

" Certainly, take my blade first. "

" Thanks, " the muscular one smiled and borrowed the Sangheili Energy blade, but still the radiance was color bluish-white. He remembered a challenge from Chris to turn it yellow. For him, it was too impossible to do it. This time, he had to save his best friend from death.

Drax immediately rushed to the trooper who held Mantis. He angrily yelled and pinned down at the back. The Banished warrior dropped Mantis down and thought of fighting back. The bald muscular alien slashed his legs down as the enemy instantly fell down. Then, he was after for more Banished using the Energy Blade and pinning down any attacker.

Mantis saw him fighting and stood up as she instantly grabbed another armored brute's hand. The Banished soldier evilly grinned at her, but he felt drowsy and instantly yawned. The insect lady made him dozed off to sleep.

" Now, who's next? " she smiled.

Turning to her, a group of Elites got stunned to see her power and murmured. Mantis's antennae glowed and read their minds.

" So, you need our help then? " she asked. " Let's do this. "

Rocket Raccoon yelled and kept shooting more armored brutes to meet their demise. The other remaining Banished warriors were fleeing away from him which they got terrified in seeing a trigger-happy and gun-totting furry being.

" Run, you cowards! " he exclaimed. " You better leave this place at once! "

" Atriox doesn't like this, " the trooper whispered and saw the little talking creature.

" We'd better end his life for good, " his fellow answered and took his weapon.

" Oh, no...you don't! " Rocket instantly shot them down. " Now, who's next? "

Tengfei illuminated his both hands and aimed at the Banished spacecraft. He instantly blasted them as the others failed to escape. Then, he threw another Void Energy to the incoming wave of the attackers. Letting them exploded to his powerful blast, the Kree Voidwalker sighed in relief.

On the other hand, Chris-77 and Anna-26 aided some of the injured Elites back into their fleet. Suddenly, there were remaining Banished soldiers who made a surprise attack to them. Anna thought of fighting and took her weapon.

" Let me handle, this. " the Spartan-II said.

" Chris..." she muttered.

" Just take them out of here. "

Anna had no choice, but to lead the injured in exile. Chris confronted the brute and took his blaster gun. The Banished warrior took out his spear and closely looked at him.

" Prepare to receive your final judgement, human..." he said.

" Well, not on my watch, " Chris-77 sternly replied.

The attacker readied himself to bring the Spartan-II down. Chris fired his weapon and struck down the armor. It was ineffective as he was darkly laughing at him. Anna and the others were retreating. Chris never gave up, still shooting the attacker down. The Banished instantly grabbed the soldier's weapon and broke it down into halves.

" How is it like to lose, human? " he taunted.

" Still not giving up, " Chris replied.

" Try me! "

The warrior punched the Spartan-II's gut as Chris felt pain from that blow. Then, he kicked and stomped Chris's legs. The Spartan-II was yelling in pain and seeing the attacker readied himself to pin down. Chris took out his Sangheili Energy blade and struck down at the Banished's chest. The opponent widened his eyes and felt bleeding. Finally, he ended another attacker to its demise.

" Now, that's what you call a dead A-Hole, " he said.

Suddenly, another attacker coming to them. Chris thought of taking it down, but it was being trapped and choked by the wooden roots and tendrils. Anna-26 was surprised to see them. It happened to be a tree looking being who was responsible for it.

" I am Groot..." the creature smiled.

" Well, I'm glad you saved us here, " the Kree woman praised him.

" We are Groot..."

" This is for the people of Corbulo, " Cortana sadly spoke.

" I know, " Chris said. " But we need to rescue a friend. We won't let him suffer from Atriox. "

" We are Groot..."