NMPD HQ (level)

NMPD HQ is a Halo 3: ODST level. It is played from Romeo's point of view.

Summary
Chronologically the fifth flashback level, NMPD HQ begins at 19:14, three hours after the squad's insertion into the city. Buck and Romeo have made their way to the top of the NMPD Headquarters building to be picked up by an NMPD Pelican dropship. With Dutch and Mickey already onboard, the Pelican is shot down by Banshees and crashes on another landing platform. Buck and Romeo didn't make it onto the pelican but make their way across the top floors and roof of the building, and eventually defend the Pelican's crash site to fend off oncoming Covenant Phantoms and Banshees. Finally, a Brute Chieftain drops off from a Phantom, and severely wounds Romeo before the rest of the squad manages to kill it. After this, Buck decides to evacuate the squad through train tunnels leading to the old city, and the squad starts moving out to Kikowani Station.



Transcript
Black screen, text appears:

ROMEO

NMPD Headquarters

3 HOURS AFTER DROP

The cutscene begins,:

''The cutscene begins with a door in the NMPD Headquarters opening. Buck immediately takes point while Romeo watches his back.''

Buck: Clear?

Romeo: Yeah.

View changes to one of the Superintendent's cameras as he watches Buck and Romeo exit to the outside landing pad.

Romeo: We're good.

Buck: (Activates his comm.) Hey Rookie. You out there? Respond. That's an order!

Romeo: (Following Buck.) Give it up, Gunny. Even if he ain't dead he's lost in that soup. Our comms can't cut through that.

Stops and turns to Romeo.

Buck: Oh give up, huh? What if it were you down there?

Romeo: Just sayin', (Shrugs.) I ain't dead.

Buck shakes his head at Romeo as he walks past.

Buck: You're a piece of work Romeo.

Mickey's and Dutch's NMPD variant Pelican Dropship comes in for a landing as Buck flags them down.

Mickey: Welcome aboard ladies! First stop, anywhere but here!

Just as the Pelican Dropship prepares to land, two Banshee fighters come into view and open fire on the Pelican.

Buck: Banshees on your six! Hit the deck!

Buck and Romeo drop to the floor and cover their heads while the Pelican takes a hit from a Banshee's Fuel Rod Cannon.

Dutch: We're losing her! Watch out!

The Pelican spins out of view as Buck and Romeo fire at the attacking Banshee fighters.


 * AAAAAAaaaaah!

Romeo looks around for any other enemy aircraft while Buck activates his comm.

Buck: Mickey! Dutch! Status!

Buck de-polarizes his visor, and puts his hands on Romeo's shoulders.

Buck: Alive or dead,

{Gameplay}

Buck: We're pulling them out! You hear me?

Turns away from Romeo and pulls the charge handle on his Assault Rifle.

Buck: Make some noise. I got your back.

The two go back indoors.

Buck: Back inside! Let's find that Pelican!

Romeo: What about all those Covenant we side-stepped on the way up?

Buck: Now we get to kill them.

Romeo: Thanks for picking such a tall building. I'm really digging all these stairs.

Buck: Do you ever get tired of bitching Romeo?

Romeo: You ever get tired of busting my balls?

Buck: Point taken.

Romeo and Buck sneak outside to the first courtyard.

Buck: They haven't seen us. Pick a target, take it out.

Romeo fires.

Buck: That did it! Shoot and scoot!

After a moment of fighting, a Phantom flies overhead.

Buck: Romeo! Phantom landing on the pad!

After another moment of fighting,

Buck: C'mon, Romeo! Push through these doors!

Romeo and Buck fight their way to the second courtyard.

Buck: Jackals with carbines up top. Watch yourself!

If Romeo delays with the Jackals,

Buck: C'mon, Romeo. We gotta kill those Jackals.

After another firefight, the two make their way inside again.

Dutch[RADIO]: We're down, Gunny. On a rooftop North-East of your location.

Buck: Stay put Dutch. We'll come to you.

Inside the next room, there is spare ammo and Med-Packs laying around, as well as several dead NMPD officers.

Buck: Grab some ammo, Romeo. These boys won't need it.

''Romeo grabs some more ammo and heals up if needed. Then rejoins Buck outside in the third courtyard.''

Buck: Sniper. Up high. Make your first shot count.

After the first shot is taken,

Buck: More of 'em! Romeo, get to work!

After the two make their way further into the courtyard,

Buck: Jet-Pack Brutes! Don't let 'em get behind us!

After the firefight,

Buck: Keep pressing, we gotta get to that crash site!

The two make their way into the fourth courtyard and dispatch all of the Covenant forces and get back indoors.

Mickey[RADIO]: Gunny, we've moved one of those construction cranes - made a bridge to our location.

Buck: Affirmative. We're almost there.

''Romeo and Buck fight their way to a landing pad, Mickey's and Dutch's Pelican can be seen on the rooftop of a nearby skyscraper. There is a bundle of long girders being held up by a crane that appears to be the only way across.''

Romeo: That's the bridge?! You have gotta be kidding me!

Buck: What? You afraid of heights? Get going.

If Romeo stalls,

Buck: C'mon Romeo. Follow me.

Romeo progresses over the make-shift bridge, two Banshee fighters fly low overhead and shake the bridge.

Romeo: Banshees!

Buck: Let's get the hell off this thing!

Buck and Romeo get off of the make-shift bridge and rejoin Mickey, Dutch and a couple NMPD Officers on a rooftop littered with various heavy weapons.

Buck: What's our situation?

Dutch: Bird's wasted. Lost the pilot on impact. Rest of us are okay.

Mickey: Not for long, Phantoms inbound!

Romeo: Why am I not surprised?

Buck: Pick a turret, Romeo! Conserve your ammo. This is gonna get hot!

Dutch: Lookout! Banshee!

Buck: Phantom coming in left!

''The squad fights a few waves of enemy aircraft consisting of Banshee fighters and Phantom dropships. One Phantom drops off infantry.''

Buck: Hostiles lower levels! Clear 'em out!

After the enemy infantry is dispatched and a couple more waves of enemy aircraft are fought off,

Buck: Phantom! Dead ahead!

More waves of Banshees and Phantoms are fought off.

Buck: Step back! Take 'em down!

More waves are fought off.

Buck: Pour it on, boys we're almost through this!

''The final waves of enemy aircraft are fought off. Only one Phantom Dropship remains.''

Dutch: We got one more Phantom, Gunny!

Buck: Look out! Chieftain!

{Cutscene}

The Phantom dropship swoops down and drops a Hammer wielding Brute Chieftain.

Buck: Scatter!

''The Chieftain kills an NMPD officer with his hammer and Romeo fires at the Chieftain with his Sniper Rifle, downing it's shield. A shockwave from the hammer sends the sniper back into a barrier and the Chieftain, using its hammer's bladed end, brings it down on Romeo's chest. Romeo's sniper rifle (Mission Beacon) gets caught on the Chieftain's hammer and it throws it off, sending the mangled weapon to the streets below.''

''Giving out a victorious roar, the Chieftain prepares to finish Romeo, but Buck jumps on it's back and stabs it in the neck with his combat knife. As the Chieftain chokes and gurgles while stumbling around the landing pad, Mickey tries to get a clean shot on it with his shotgun, but is unable to. Thus, he tackles the Chieftain to the ground and Dutch tackles it again, finishing the Brute.''

''Dutch celebrates his hit while Mickey gets back up. Buck, who is still under the dead Chieftain, waves his hand out.''

Buck (Muffled): Get. This. Thing. Off of me.

''Dutch and Mickey exchange looks and help Buck with the dead Brute. Buck takes his combat knife out of the Brute, shakes some blood off, which hits Dutch, and cleans it off on his arm. Romeo begins to struggle for air and Mickey immediately tends to him.''

Buck: How bad?

Romeo de-polarizes his visor.

Romeo: Ahh, not good.

Mickey: We're gonna get you outta here.

Dutch: Not by air, we're not.

Buck: It's alright.

Buck helps Romeo up and uses himself as support for him.

Buck: I know another way.

Switches to the Superintendents camera, he is watching the ODSTs help their injured squadmate.

Fades back to the Rookie.

Trivia

 * Completing the levels on Normal or above unlocks the NMPD HQ achievement, as well as the Romeo character for Firefight mode.
 * There is also an achievement named Dome Inspector, which requires you to score 15 direct headshots on this level in order to be unlocked.
 * Some display screens on the level show a seismic survey of the Great Rift valley, authored by Dr. Endesha, Sadie Endesha's father. This is referenced in Sadie's Story, where her father tells Sadie about an unusual object below the region, discovered by a survey made by Vergil.
 * In the ending cutscene, the NMPD officer that is thrown into the air by the Brute Chieftain's Gravity Hammer has a Battle Rifle, even though it isn't obtainable by the player in the game.
 * Occasionally, a Banshee will fly into the crashed Pelican at the end of the level during the fight, and become somewhat lodged there. Players can melee a Brute out of it, without destroying it, but it still can not be flown.
 * When the player goes over the bridge, it appears that Romeo is hesitant, possibly because he is afraid of heights. Buck also notices this.
 * Just before the level ends and the final cutscene takes place, Buck will announce the arrival of the final Phantom yelling "Chieftain"! In the theater, when the player is in free roam mode, they are able to go near the Phantom for a few seconds. If on the right angle, the player can see inside the Phantom and see that there is no Brute Chieftain on board.
 * On Legendary difficulty, when Romeo moves his hand away from the wound after Buck asks him how bad it is, a large amount of blood squirts out of it.
 * When started by the beacon, if you have subtitles on, when overhearing the flashback conversation between Dutch, Mickey, and the Cop. When the Cop says "Affirmative" the subtitle reads it as a Marine saying the word. This may be an unnoticed error.
 * The beginning of this level is shown in the ViDoc:Desperate Measures.
 * This is the first time in a Halo game that a Brute is seeing using the blade side of the Gravity Hammer, during the final cutscene of the level, although the first time it is seen being used is in Halo: Landfall.