She saw the Spartan in the green armor jump through her window. He'd shattered it. She raced towards it and jumped through the hole he'd made. She landed on a rooftop and spotted him further down the row of them. She easily dashed after him, leaping gaps. She watched the Spartan trip and tumble in between two of the buildings and them spotted him running through the streets. They made a right turn, though she stayed on the roof.

She glanced to make sure that she was still holding something she'd grabbed just before she spotted him leave. She still had it. It was a sedate. She smiled. When she glanced back, the Spartan was laying on the ground, heaving in exhaustion. She leapt off of the roof and walked up to him, ignoring the crowds nearby.

"Nice try, Chief." She narrowed her eyes at him.

The man didn't respond, but instead kept trying to catch his breath.

"I'm sorry, John. I really am." She continued, reading herself to stab the sedate needle into his neck. With a jolt, she realized that the neck armor of his suit was on.

Master Chief had turned to look at her. "You're a bad liar, Cortana."

He staggered to his feet as he finally caught his breath. Then, he threw a punch at her. She caught his fist and twisted his arm, shoving him backwards. The man let out a groan as he straightened himself up. He kicked at her, but she caught his leg. She pulled iit towards him and punched him straight it the side of the jaw as his face got close. She let go of his leg and shoved it, watching him collapse on the ground.

"Goddammit, Cortana." John turned to glare at her.

"You're the one who attacked me, John." Cortana replied. "Looks like you've gone rusty in the two years you've been unconscious."

He let out a grumble of frustration and threw himself at her, though she dodged it. He landed on his stomach and rolled over, only to have Cortana sit on top of his stomach. She reached towards his head and latched her fingers onto his helmet. Her other hand grabbed the other side of his helmet. She pulled it off of his head. This was the first time he'd ever had his helmet off around anyone.

Cortana held back a gasp of awe as she was what he looked like. John had reddish brown hair formed into a medium length crew cut. He had medium facial hair around his mouth and on his chin. He had normal white skin.

"Let go of me, Cortana." His voice was different without his helmet on.

She picked up the sedate again, from where she'd set it down and slowly began moving her hand towards his neck.

"Shit." John muttered, trying to pull free. "You've got to be kidding me. So much for jumping through a goddamn window."

Cortana pulled down the neck armor and poked the needle into a vein. She pushed down on the top piece, making the liquid substance push into his bloodstream. Then she pulled it back, watching him as his eyelids began to drop.

"I'm sorry." She repeated.

"No, you're not." His voice was a whisper now.

His eyelids closed and his breathing slowed as he drifted into sleep. Cortana slid his neck armor back up and then put his helmet back onto his head. She got off of him and began to drag him back towards her tower of a house. She reached it and unlocked her front door, dragging John through and lying him on the floor. She locked the door and put her key away. Then she dragged John up to her personal bedroom. She laid him on her bed.

Then she went out to the local store, bought a sheet of replacement glass, came back home, and then replaced the broken window. She threw the pieces of the shattered glass into her dumpster.

Knowing the sedate would keep John knocked out for a few more hours, Cortana left and bought a twin bed for a dark empty room that sat just under her own. She had it installed and bought an antique lamp for the corner of the room. Then she took the Chief's armor off of him and threw it in an old storage room. The only thing he wore now was his black civvies. She laid him on his back on the twin bed in the windowless room.

She kissed the unconscious man on the cheek before leaving the room.