The lone figure trudged through the vast desert, his heavy cloak protecting his body from the pelting sand blowing off of the dunes.
Looking up, the cloaked man saw the sandstorm brewing, but he continued on, thoughts on what she had said so long ago.
Before this is all over, promise me you'll find out which one of us is the machine...
He was filled with regret, since he hadn't made the promise, just listened to her request. Even if he had made her that one promise, he wouldn't have been able to keep it, as he honestly didn't expect that either of them would return home.
The figure stopped at the top of the dune, looking out across the desert to view the surrounding desert. He sighed at the memory of the Didact's ship exiting slipspace over Earth, and the new found hope the he had had when he saw the planet.
He continued walking, until he abruptly stopped in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly, the ground in front of him caved in, making a massive crater right in front of the figure.
Slowly, a large machine, Forerunner in origin, rose from the massive hole. It was huge, and the ground shook as it flew into the air.
The cloaked figure raised his hand, and the tattered robe slid down from his arm, revealing a green gauntlet. In his hand was a chain, attached to something still in his closed fist.
The figure slowly opened his hand and glanced down at the UNSC AI chip that rested there. It wasn't her original, as that had been destroyed along with the Didact's ship.
The Forerunner machine spread out two wing like arms, giving it the appearance of a giant metal bird.
The Didact took her from me, the figure thought, as he stared up at the huge metal bird. The Forerunners took her from me.
The Forerunner bird thing unleashed a shockwave from its body, sending up a massive cloud of sand.
The figure stood his ground, but the wave knocked his hood off, revealing the green Mark VII MJOLNIR helmet beneath it. The Master Chief only had one thought.
Payback time.