Problems require solutions.
In the year 2491, a theory was written by a man named Dr. Elias Carver. This theory could be summarized in a single sentence: "Unless the political situation throughout the Colonies is stabilized (preferably by force), the Government will collapse and civil war will rip Human society apart." The political situation discussed in the theory referred to a problem brewing in the Outer Colonies.
In an era where humanity had, four centuries before, expanded beyond the Solar System and settled several planets in the form of colonies, many such colonists started to seek independence from the Earth government. It was in small efforts that what was to be called the Insurrection began. Over time, the Insurrection grew as more and more grew disillusioned to the government on Earth, believing it to be oppressive and imperialistic. Fighting eventually broke out and the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) responded.
Starting in 2513, the UNSC launched a major campaign to destroy the Insurrection. Open war followed. The battles were long and brutal, being fought on the surfaces of all the Outer Colony planets and even a few Inner Colony Planets. There were many casualties on both sides and not all of them military.
A possible solution to the Insurrection came in the form of a single person: one Catherine Elizabeth Halsey. Dr. Halsey was one of the rare characters of the human race. She was numbered among those who weren't satisfied with meeting the standards. Instead, she crushed the standards and then went on to raise them. She had a brilliant mind and wrote her first doctoral thesis at the age of fifteen. The Office of Naval Intelligence recruited her at the age of eighteen as a civilian consultant in the year 2510. In the year 2515, she became one of ONI's scientific advisors and it was two years later that she helmed the SPARTAN-II program.
As a person, Dr. Halsey considered herself efficient and focused. She lived in a time where humans had had the knowledge and capacity to settle on planets other than Earth. There was much to discover and learn. It was her efficiency that drove her onto the path she was on. She had been smarter than her parents, always talking, reading, and learning. It was her efficiency that would characterize the SPARTAN-II program.
Like the many tests Dr. Halsey had taken in school, she would find the standard of what was expected of her and then blow those standards out of the water. She started with the best humanity had to offer. The subjects would be selected using a gene-candidate pool and would be required to be under the age of six. They would also need to possess superior physical and mental attributes when compared to others of similar age. These restrictions narrowed down the candidates to children who would be raised and instructed in the ways of warfare and military values.
Dr. Halsey's ability to focus on the problem, the Insurrection, allowed her, at the time, to rationalize that what she was doing was for the greater good. It was in the year 2025 that part of her vision came to fruition. Using several biological augmentation procedures, the children taken for the SPARTAN-II program. Already the best of their generation, the children were elevated far beyond any human that could hope to be their peers. What had once been non-efficient children became deliberate, calculating war machines. They became Spartans.
However, the war they were raised to be in would turn out to not be in a war against their own kind, the insurrectionists, but against an alien conglomeration of multiple species called the Covenant. With the covenant determined on exterminating humanity, the Spartans were re-tasked to face this new threat.
Little happened outside of Dr. Halsey's work. Her focus wouldn't allow it. She could count the number of relationships outside of working ones in her life on one hand. However, she watched as the children she had raised in an environment that screamed 'hell' fought for a people they barely knew but did so out of duty. They were truly the best of the best. Their abilities allowing them to aid decisively in many human victories. Yet, as the war grew on, her guilt at what she had done to them grew. It came to a head in the year 2544 when she found herself comforting the leader of her Spartans, John-117.
John had just led a successful rescue mission to retrieve her from the covenant. However, the cost had been high. The rescue force, consisting of five Spartans including John, had left two dead and another two presumed to be dead. It is to be noted that later, they would be reunited with the latter two. But at the time, John despaired at the loss of his fellow Spartans. The war against the Covenant was in its nineteenth year with no end in sight and it suddenly struck Dr. Halsey; humanity was going to lose at its current rate in the war. Sure, they were putting up a valiant effort but it was only a matter of time. And each of her remaining Spartans were going to end up dying one by one.
Dr. Halsey did not like to lose. She had raised her Spartans to be the best in preparation for a war against humans, not aliens. The aliens were an unexpected variable and it was destroying all that she had done. It was strange to worry over the Spartans, but she wouldn't, couldn't let them just die. She had found her next problem.
Dr. Halsey's solution came in the form of ONI's most secret branch, Section M. She had heard of it before. Whispers from those who sought to discover all of ONI. It took her a trip to the dark side of a moon in the system of an Inner Colony to find it. Section M was located in a black site. No communication came out of it. So naturally, she broke in. She found ONI's deepest secret inside: the existence of magic and those who wielded it.
History will tell you that the UNSC was commissioned in 2163 by the United Nations to present a unified force. However, the information Dr. Halsey uncovered revealed another story. Before the UNSC's creation, technology had evolved enough to reveal the existence of another species of human living on Earth. In fact, it was more than just a species, it was an entire world of culture. A culture based on humans who could bend the energy inside of them and release it into the physical world in the form of magic. They called themselves wizards and it was terrifying.
The then leaders of the world held a council of what was to be done. The existence of wizards was growing to be common knowledge in the higher levels of government and it seemed to be only a matter of time before it blew up in their faces. They were already dealing with an overpopulated Earth and experts theorized the sudden appearance of these people into regular society would send the human race even quicker into extinction from the chaos caused. Therefore, the United Nations commissioned the UNSC as a military force with the capability of launching a world-wide attack on the wizards. It would be quick and with propaganda, they could unify the world over this internal enemy. Then the unexpected occurred.
An unforeseen virus erupted among the wizards, tearing through them like a wildfire. It decimated their population to a mere 5% of what it had been. Experts would later trace the origin of the virus back to samples brought back from Mars which had been stolen. Then, when a drone revealed a habitable planet, it seemed an alternate and easier solution had come to the United Nation's leaders. They contacted what was left of their magical counterparts and bullied them into a deal: Agree to leave Earth and be transported to the new system; in return, we will leave you be. Scared of what would happen if they refused, the magical leaders agreed. A few years later, when the first of many starships were constructed to colonize new worlds, the wizards left. They took everything about their culture with them.
With help from the wizards, the UNSC erased any and all traces of their existence from Earth and Section M was established. Section M was designated top secret and designed for storage. The base it was located held centuries of knowledge, copied from what the wizards had taken with them, and millions of samples of magic. Those selected for Section M would serve for life, spending their time protecting and studying the ancient magical culture. It was Dr. Halsey's dream. Here it was, her solution.
0200 Hours. August 30, 2552 (Military Calendar)
Epsilon Eridani System, ONI Underground Facility,
Planet Reach.
The first thing that Spartan-B312 felt when he came to was nothing. It was…unusual. As a spartan, it was a given to feel any number of bruises and aches acquired over the long years of service in the UNSC. It was even more so for himself as the lone wolf of the Spartan-III, Beta Company. Memories suddenly flashed through his head. His last mission. Noble Team. Like a bullet, awareness shot through him. Realization came has felt that he was laying on some sort of surface. A table? It was completely dark and it took him a second to realize that he had opened his eyes. That's when the harsh, white light turned on above him.
B312 sat up and instinctively raised his arm to block the light but the relief never came as resistance appeared came in the form of an armored hand. The hand grabbed his arm and B312 paused. His Spartan armor had been taken off and he realized he was only wearing a pair of pants.
"Easy there, friend."
B312's gaze shot to the being holding his arm. It was a Spartan with the number 081 in a bold white across the front of the familiar green armor. The voice, distinctively male, sounded again over the suit's external speakers. "My name is René. I need you to relax."
B312 yanked his arm out of René's grip and shook his head. "Where am I?"
René only raised his hands in the air and stepped back. "I'm not going to harm you. The Doctor will be here any second now. She was alerted as soon as you came to."
B312 clenched his hands even as a million thoughts ran through his head. He forced himself to concentrate and looked around him. Stainless steel, white walls, rows of surgical tools laid neatly on stands beside surgical tables: he was in a med lab. A door suddenly opened and his attention immediately fell to it. A human, female, walked in. She was wearing a white lab coat and held a data pad. He gasped as he recognized her, "Dr. Halsey."
"Thank you, René. That will be all."
The Spartan in the room with him quickly nodded and walked out. They were forced to move aside as another armored person walked in after Dr. Halsey. B312 couldn't help raise an eyebrow. The armor they wore was a solid black and, from his position on the surgical table, he realized they would tower over him even if he had his armor on. He had to be as tall as Jorge, and bulkier, if that was even possible. Jorge. Emile. Carter. Catherine. Jun. Noble Team.
"Your heart rate is rising, Spartan. Drink this." Dr. Halsey's commanding voice brought him out of his thoughts. A cup was placed in his hands and he quickly swallowed the green-colored fluid. It tasted like lemons and he coughed. The effect was immediate, however, and he felt a calm run through him.
"Spartan, I need you to concentrate. Can you do that?"
B312 nodded, slowly.
"Spartan—Oh forget it. Your call sign was Noble Six? I'll just call you Six. Did you get Cortana to Keyes?"
Questions needed answers. B312, now dubbed 'Six', found himself concentrating. This was part of training. A simple need with a simple solution. He thought back. "Yes, ma'am."
Dr. Halsey visibly relaxed at his reply, "Thank you."
Now he wanted answers. "Where are we Doctor? What day is it? Jun, is he with you? He was escorting you."
Dr. Halsey scratched her neck and turned around. She reached into a desk drawer and pulled out a white shirt. It was a simple t-shirt and she handed it him. "Put this on."
Six pulled the t-shirt on as he watched her scroll through the data pad she carried.
"Your vitals are all normal. All injuries healed successfully. As for your questions; we are currently in the lower levels of CASTLE base. Jun is out scouting with another Spartan."
Six opened his mouth with another question but Dr. Halsey held a stopping hand at him. "Six. I need you to listen. I know you're confused but we don't have a lot of time. First, look at yourself. Haven't you noticed your injuries have all been healed."
Six closed his mouth and suddenly it really hit him. Everything had been healed. No past scars were on him. His body was as perfect as it had been before he had joined the Spartan-III program. Before the countless black-ops he had participated in.
"H-h-how is this possible," he wondered. "I was injured, no dying. On Reach! The Elites! They had me surrounded and were going to—"
Six suddenly found another cup of the lemon-tasting liquid going down his throat and he sputtered. The calming sensation passed through his body again.
"Relax." Dr. Halsey placed a steadying hand on his arm. "Yes, you were dying. Luckily for you, I was tracking you after Jun got me to CASTLE base. We sent an…asset to rescue you.
Six shook his head. It didn't make sense. "You said it was thirtieth of August? It's been only a day max since you had me rescued. That would've happened yesterday. It makes no sense. I wouldn't have had time to heal that fast! And an asset?" Six trailed off. An asset? Spartans were assets. In fact, they were the assets of the UNSC. But why hadn't the doctor just said a Spartan then?
This time, Dr. Halsey smiled widely. "A lot has happened in the past twenty-four hours. What do you know about magic, Six?"
Six's reaction was to scoff and stare disbelieving at Dr. Halsey. "Magic? Like the old Earth stories of woman who ate children?"
Dr. Halsey shook her head. "No, magic." She pulled a cube the size of her palm out of one of her lab coats. "Watch."
Dr. Halsey set the cube down and grabbed a scalpel from a stand beside her. A quick cut and her arm started to bleed. Six found himself halfway off his feet even as he told himself the doctor had gone crazy. Dr. Halsey waved him off and grabbed the cube and proceeded to place it on the cut. There was a flash of light and suddenly where blood had been oozing out, bare unblemished skin gleamed.
Six's eyes widened. "How— "
"This cube is an artifact from before humanity left to colonize planets other than Earth. You see, there was a species of humanity, an entire culture in fact, that used to exist on Earth. This culture consisted of humans who had the ability to manipulate a naturally occurring internal energy inside of them. These humans could channel their internal energy and have it manifest in the external environment around them in amazing ways. They called it magic and themselves wizards and witches! From what I've been able to deduce, this cube artifact was created to heal any injuries. They managed to store their internal energy into another object and imbued it with a specific purpose!" Dr. Halsey exclaimed excitedly.
Six blinked.
"This is what healed you Six." Dr. Halsey said flatly. Obviously unhappy with his reaction.
Six shuffled on his feet until an earlier comment came to his mind, "You said we don't have much time Dr. Halsey, what did you mean?"
Dr. Halsey frowned and put the cube back into her pocket. "As I said, we are in CASTLE base. I told your commanding officer, Noble Actual, or his actual name Colonel Urban Holland, that CASTLE base was a liability. The base was ordered to be evacuated when the Covenant entered the Epsilon Eridani System. However, the base is one of ONI's and it wasn't properly abandoned. Everything should've been properly scrubbed and destroyed but there wasn't enough time and the operatives didn't finish. There's mountains of data still here that we don't want falling into Covenant hands. I told him I'd go to CASTLE and finish the job. That was a lie."
Six internally reeled from her blatant confession but he cocked his head and gestured for her to continue.
"As ONI's chief scientist, I have access to a lot of projects. I also had just recently gotten hold of the cube that healed you and an idea came to me. You're a Spartan-III. With the new program parameters established, there's been a 100% success rate with the augmentations you're put through."
Six nodded. His entire company of three hundred Spartan-IIIs had survived the augmentation procedures.
"Your predecessors, the Spartan-IIs, did not have that luxury. While thirty-three survived and became operational, another thirty died and the remaining twelve were crippled. I do know that three of those crippled were eventually rehabilitated however, there was still another nine left. They were put in cryostorage and hope was held that future technology could be found to heal them. It came to my attention that six of those Spartans were under CASTLE base."
Six knew what was coming.
"Jun found where they were stored and I was able to heal them."
"So we have a veritable army against the Covenant?" Thought made him smile. They would make the Covenant pay.
Dr. Halsey shook her head. "These may be Spartans, but they have no experience fighting the Covenant. It's a miracle they're even up and functioning like they are."
It was getting to be too much. Six's head started to hurt. "So what now, Dr. Halsey?"
"There's more, Six." Dr. Halsey began. "I, myself, kept a special project of mine in CASTLE base. Those wizards I talked about, I found two children who were descended from them."
Six's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"
Dr. Halsey gestured at the being who had walked in behind her. "I would like you to meet Neville."
Six swiveled slowly to face the armored being. He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He was stunned.
"Neville, a demonstration please."
The being, Neville, turned to looked directly at Six. Six fought the urge to...he didn't even know. Here he was, told that this person was a human who could wield magic and he was without armor and he felt exposed. He couldn't attack that was for sure. He knew he wouldn't run. He stumbled as a sharp crack rang through the room and the nearly eight-and-a half foot tall being disappeared and reappeared on the other side of the room. Six grabbed a desk for support.
Dr. Halsey gave him a sympathetic look. "I'll give you an hour. It's a lot to take in." She paused and then continued carefully, "I need you, Six. You hold the rank of lieutenant and the other Spartans will follow you without question because of that. Jun isn't much of a leader as he is a Spartan. I've read your files."
Six couldn't bring himself to answer.
"You have one hour. Your armor is in the next lab over. There's a new MOJLINR suit beside it. Neville's counterpart, Harry, and Jun and the others will be back by then. You're a survivor. And that's what I want to do. Survive. I want to get everyone on Reach to safety."
A/N: Annnnnnd let your imagination soar free with this variant. Currently this will stay a Oneshot unless enough people want me to continue.