Okay, I don't own Halo. I wish I did. I don't own Linda, MC, or any other SPARTANS and Marines, but my own. However, I do own this plot.

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Linda dreamed.

She hadn't dreamed peacefully in several years, since the SPARTANS were put into action. Linda had loved her sleep, back before she had been recruited. There were only two times when she was peaceful now, when she was in her cryro chamber, and when she was sniping the idiotic little Grunts in the battlefield. She had seen too much, too bear if she was normal. She had seen things so traumatic it would make a normal human go blind. Not to mention what nightmares you would have.

So is it a blessing, or a curse?

The dreams were of her home way back when, back when she actually had a life. Her family lived out in a peaceful little town, in the same as Jo—

No. It's the Master Chief now. There was nothing personal about being a SPARTAN. Absolutely no feeling, except a sense of duty.

Still...

She remembered it like it happened yesterday. She wasn't the type to say hey, I win, you don't. She was more of a fine, sure thing kind of person, but not exactly laid back. In fact she was kind of shy person, not the type to draw attention to herself.

The perfect stealth fighter.

The Chief was out on the hill over by the schoolyard. King of the Hill was his specialty, even though he was Group 24's best chess and Gravball player. He also was exceptionally smart, hence chess championships.

When they came for them, nobody knew her. She was in Group 30, several classes away from the Chief's. Kelly and Sam were in Group 19.

In her subconscious, Linda dreamt about normal life. In the pocket that existed between that and death, reality stood crumbling fast like her armor when she took the hits for the Chief. In that pocket, she heard whirs and clicks, followed by a series of beeps and buzzes. The crumpling rewinded, making a tower rebuild itself like a robotic set of children's toys that stuck together with bumps and grooves. Soon it was all that filled her mind.

Linda awoke.

"Welcome to Halo!"