I just wanted to be clear that I will be posting as often as I can but with school and other life things going on, I may be posting only once a week. Just want to also note a couple things to, italics before or after the chapter are A/N but if in the chapter then it's the character's thoughts. If there are multiple talking at once then the thought is of the person that spoke last unless specificed otherwise.

The story is told from the point of view of a Spartan. For this chapter, anything italics is his thoughts.

Chapter I: Introduction

For a cold night, after all that has happened, there is still silence in these halls. It seems almost too silent. Despite being cliche and everything, I'm not kidding, it definitely feels that.

I'm on the UNSC Infinity. I have been for the last few days due to my team and I being reassigned to a different mission as the last one was...let's just say it didn't go well.

Currently just sitting in my room, on my bunk. It's clean with white sheets and black pillow and seemed not at all special as if I was alike to the UNSC soldiers. I mean, not trying to sound like I'm any different but I'm a spartan and signed up for experimental procedures in which was given to very few. I am one of many that survived it but...most of those that survived experienced effects. I guess it's part of the job, I could always deal with that.

I heard a banging on my door in which startled me due to just being lost in my thoughts. My mind was roaming the flashbacks that came frequently from the last mission.

"Wretch! Come on!" A voice yelled out. I knew who it was and I laughed.

"I know I know! I'll be out in a minute! Just collecting m-my bearings." I said, feeling that stutter in my voice. It's the first time ever in my life that my mood has changed from one thing to another if that makes any sense.

I put on my clothes as I realized I was only in my undergarments. I put on black jeans along with a white T-shirt. I took my dog tag in which was on a silver string-like material. It was...a parting gift I should say. In which brings up the mission reassignment again. I put the dog tag around my neck and wore it. It had "Niq" embedded into the dog tag with a gold lining around the dog tag itself.

I looked in the mirror and looked at myself, making sure I looked okay and not a mess. My hair is black, not dyed which means I'm still sane, in which doesn't mean I have dyed my hair before. I am Caucasian, still me obviously. My hair a bit messy but that's ordinary I guess. I have an average muscle build, in which says a lot considering that I'm a spartan for the UNSC.

I pressed a button on the top side of the door frame in which opened the door that my friend had banged on and apparently was still waiting there.

"Finally, you take so long. Come on!" They said. I smiled in which was the wrong move because this is what happened next.

"Why are you smiling? A burial is nothing to be smiling about."

"I'm sorry. It's just, I keep seeing happiness on the outside but realize that the sad is still there." I said, I could feel myself being softer. I hated it but I let it be.

She sighed, "Look, Carter? What we all went through? It was bound to happen, one of us dying to one of those things. We thought we could trust the covenant but they gave us another reason to not trust them. You can't blame yourself. The team doesn't blame you. I don't blame you."

I sighed, I think I could feel a tear but I mentally told it to march right back into my eyes.

"Thank you Siena. But it still doesn't help with the death of John." I said.

"It'll be fine, Carter. We've been through a lot, I'm surprised myself that we lasted this long." Siena said. Both her and I laughed.

"Now come on, we have a burial to get to." She added.

"Yeah, don't want to miss that." I said with a smile. Don't want to miss it, especially if it was your own best friend.

We reached the room where the burial took place. John's body laid out on a coffin of some sorts. He had his hands folded together on his stomach and his favorite weapon beside him in which was a Dragunov SVD. A sniper like the rest of us except he had a fond liking of the rifle. Even though there were better versions.

John had a black suit and white tie along with black pants. His hair is black and combed and apparently his past-large beard had been shaved

"You know that if John saw what they did to him, he would track down who did it and kill them right?" I whispered to Siena. She laughed silently and I continued watching people giving off their farewells to John before they send his body off to space.

Siena went and then I went. I could feel a tear going down my face.

"You were always my friend. You supported me even in times that you knew that I was wrong. You only did so because I needed to learn the difference between right and wrong. You did really well with that over the years. You're the one who taught me to be my best self that I can be even when I thought I couldn't for both myself and others. And for that, I thank you. You're the best friend I've ever had." I rested my hand on his chest. He was the closest friend I've ever had and he was gone.

I sighed quietly in sadness and went back with the group as spartans and soldiers alike began leaving to get back to their assigned duties. I looked at Siena, now just realizing what she was wearing. She had a dark blue gown on along with her black hair being smooth-looking. Her face seeming a bit dim but clearly white. She walked towards me as I was speaking casually with a friend who was a soldier of UNSC.

"Hey, how you holding up?" Siena asked.

"Doing fine, just wish that John could be with us." I said.

"I know. You can't be drinking too, you know that right?" She said as she raised an eyebrow at my small glass of wine.

"My best friend just died, I think tomorrow's big mission can survive one drink. I have plenty of time until it happens." I explained to her who sighed in disappointment at what I said. As if on cue, a UNSC soldier ran over to me with full-on UNSC gear on with a standard-issued assault rifle in his hands. I was about to yell at him for bringing a gun to a burial but I didn't because of what he said next.

"Mission has been moved to be sooner. There was an incident that occurred. The director wants you two and the rest of the team briefed for the mission. Meeting in the conference room." The soldier explained.

"When?" I asked.

"Now sir." The soldier replied.

I looked over to Siena who was confused and then the two of us looked back to the soldier. looks like my night break just ended.