-AN

I hold no stock in and take no credit for the fantastic Halo universe, otherwise I would be filthy rich living it up in some beautiful and isolated part of the world. I simply stake claim to my characters and plot.

Be warned, this story is rated M for morbidity, containing strong violence, blood, swearing and macabre themes.

Though the same base universe has been retained from the original TLYWTML. This story follows a distinctly different path. Thus, it's kind of a rewrite but not simply a rehash.

Enjoy.


Chapter 1: When Paths Intersect


"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." The woman's feet were pounding against the ground in repeated dull scuffs as she sprinted; yet, with each progressive step, the energy available for the next was diminished significantly. She was constantly reminded of the bullet embedded in her calf by the sharp, throbbing pain emanating from the region.

Eventually, she slowed, her right leg visibly crumpling with each further impact against the floor until her run became distinctly lop sided, resembling a fast limp. She turned a corner into the next street. The cold, bland light of the world's local star landed on her dark features as she exited the shadow of the empty road she had been traversing prior. The tall woman was now clasping her injured leg, clearly acknowledging her inability to keep up the pace. Her hasty but controlled green eyes flicked back and forth across the scene before fixating on the glass door to a shop, situated slightly ahead of her.

"Good enough." she muttered through rows of grit teeth as she hastily shuffled over and barged the unlocked portal open.

Moments later, two disheveled men burst around the same corner and slid to a stop. They paused, looking around for a moment. "She's bleeding. Come on. Help us find the trail." announced by one of the men in an undeniably course voice.

Unfortunately for the subject of their pursuit, the two quickly sighted a small spatter of the unmistakable red fluid through the transparent shop front. The spotter tilted his head in the door's direction and pushed it open. Within a short amount of time both men were sweeping the aisles in search of the injured individual. The shelves were empty, looted, except for a few random food items in attractive packets and bags. Of course, they would have been attractive if their contents hadn't been years past their sell by date.

Behind one particular, fairly inconspicuous metal door stood the individual of interest. Surrounding her were various bleaches and disinfectants, along with total darkness. Her eyes were focused intently and unwavering on the entrance – her hands tensed into firm fists, her face bathing in a thin film of sweat but simultaneously relaxed into a calm, neutral expression.

Footsteps sounded from beyond the egress. They increased in volume steadily until it was evident someone was directly outside.

The woman waited.

The passage of time slowed.

The handle turned.

The door exploded open from the force of the woman ramming it with her full body mass.

Completely taken by surprise, the man behind was thrown against the shelf opposite; although, this likely hurt significantly less than being kneed in the face with an equivalently large amount of force. He was left wholly unconscious after the latter, and perhaps with a broken jaw, nose... face.

The woman turned to run but quickly halted this motion as she was met with the second man pointing a magnum at her from the end of the aisle. He fired twice, hitting the intended target both times. The target spasmed left and then right as she was struck, losing her footing and falling onto her front across the legs of the incapacitated man. She was still. The atmosphere was unmoving. The air resonated with the sharp, distant boom of the gunshots.

Approaching the woman cautiously, the man brought the gun to bear on her head, with the intention of ensuring her demise.

However, never did the final shot come. Instead, the weapon clattered to the floor as massive, black clad arms wrapped around his neck like the colossal branches of some ancient tree. His limbs extended outwards as he was lifted several feet above the ground. He clawed at the immutable vice clamp contracting around his airways before he was shaken violently in one fast lateral motion. The vomit inducing snap that accompanied the movement confirmed that his neck had indeed been broken, if the fact that his entire body had gone disturbingly limp did not evidence this enough.

At this point the woman's eyes snapped open and she released several hoarse coughs, followed by large gasps of air. Pushing herself up and turning around into a sitting position, she first noticed that she had been consumed by a dwarfing shadow. Still breathing deeply, her emerald eyes traced along the shadow to its source: a huge, ebony armoured, four fingered alien figure. Triflingly insignificant against his bulk was the corpse he held in his arms, which he dropped by opening out the extremities. The body gave a weighty thump as it collapsed to the ground, but this went largely unnoticed as all attention was focused on the considerably proportioned sangheili – its sharp and pointed helmet, its wickedly curved shoulder pauldrons, its heavy and reflective armour.

The behemothic entity stepped over its kill and encroached towards the prone, stolid faced and comparatively small woman. She simply remained still, measuring the creature's features, positing as to his intentions. Her neck was forced to the limit of its rotational axes in order to see to the top of the huge alien's form.

The woman's gaze flicked rapidly to the figure's left hand as it extended downwards in front of her. It switched between the hand and the helmet once or twice, while the owner of both stood completely unflinching.

Having reached some kind of resolution, she grabbed the hand with her own left. Thick muscles corded and pulled her up to a position of verticality once more. She was forced to bounce her leg several times on the way in order to reach an equilibrium which would not cause pain in her injured side. Once standing, and still with her eyes fixed to her saviour, she hopped over to the adjacent shelving and leaned on it.

The figure's head turned to track her as she did so.

Tiring of the silence that continued to permeate the air, the woman stated "Hi." Her voice was deep and somewhat rough by her gender's standard.

The shop's other occupant moved his full body to face her and responded "Greetings female." The air itself almost shook with the bass of the alien's voice, and it was muffled slightly behind his helmet. "Are you alright?"

Seemingly confused, she leaned her head forwards and released a questioning "Hmm?"

The head of the larger individual pulled back slightly. "You... you were shot twice."

The woman gave a dismissive upwards nod, her long black hair shifting with the motion, "Three times. It's cool." She patted her chest with her right hand "Armour vest."

A pause ensued.

"So what's the deal?"

"Deal?"

"You saved my life. What are you asking for in return?"

"Could I not have helped you simply out of compassion?" The alien's tone was questioning.

For several moments he stood under the intense yet neutral gaze of the short human, while she considered her answer.

"Unlikely." stated in a dead pan which seemed to cut off any prospect of further argument. "So, state what you want."

"As you say human." He took in a deep breath through his mask "I am very tired. I've been awake for the passing of at least two cycles of day and night, during which time I have been set upon by all manner of man and woman. I'm hungry and dehydrated." The sangheili began pacing now, heavy feet producing surprisingly small thumps on the smooth, dusty floor. "I have acquired a persistent migraine. Additionally, I seem to have some form of amnesia, because I have no idea what I'm doing on this world... or who I am." He stopped, looking towards his company for a response.

Throughout the whole exchange she appeared not to have moved once. Sensing the alien's hesitation, she cocked her head "I'm not seeing the request here. Blood is also slowly fucking off out of my leg right now."

With a reflexive rub of the head (or helm, since the former was thoroughly covered up) the sangheili redirected his words towards his point "Do you have a place I could rest up at, and if so, may I?"

Some expression finally crossed the woman's face in the form of a considerate movement of the lips as she gave a nod. The activity was only temporary, however: her features reverted to neutrality as she spoke up again "Are you a rapist?"

The being in question recoiled at the very mention of the word and a disgusted, guttural stutter escaped between the slits in his head gear.

"Is that a yes?"

"No!" one could have sworn the shelves rumbled with that statement.

"No that's not a yes?"

"Yes!"

"So presumably it's a no."

"Yes."

"Are you a paedophile?"

"Fuck," the word sounded odd in the sangheili's mouth, as though it was not familiar to its tongue, "no!"

"Hmm. Cannibal?"

"No, what is wrong with you woman?"

"I'm simply ascertaining whether there's anything wrong with you."

"Ahhhhhh."

Both heads in the room snapped towards the unconscious man that lay beside the human. He appeared to be rousing.

The woman raised her index finger to the alien "One moment." She reached into an internal compartment of her black trench coat and removed a Swiss Army knife. Flicking out its blade she turned and embedded it into the side of the man's neck before forcing it through almost 180 degrees to the other side. He released a few sickening gurgles of blood before his life force gave way. The visceral ejection of fluids was gruesome, and some of it painted over the human's dark skin.

"Lehhh." the woman pulled back her hand and wiped it against the man's clothes. "I hope you don't have AIDS." She then drew the flat of the knife along the deceased's trousers, leaving behind a streak of red. The weapon was closed and stowed away into a different compartment by the woman, who stood up – shakily, on account of her leg.

Turning back to the sangheili she found him motionless, not pacing or shuffling but motionless.

"What?"

"One cannot simply kill in cold blood."

"One can. One does, when the subject is a cannibal, if not a rapist or paedo. I don't see the relevance of whether someone's armed as to the worth of their life. The end result is the same either way."

The assuredness with which her words were spoken chilled the alien. "That is a rationale." he conceded.

"A solid one."

The woman shook her head. "Anyway, I'm injured, the day's dragging on and there's a distance to walk, which is an issue." She gestured to her leg. "Though I don't know you, your actions have highlighted you as trustworthy enough." The woman's two eery orbs bore down on the sangheili for a moment, their otherworldliness sending mild shudders along his spine. "Don't fuck around with that."

"I will not." He tilted his head alongside this. "You have my word."

"That's productive. Now help us loot these fuckers and let's be off." The disconcerting human pushed off from the shelf and knelt to search the pockets of her most recent piece of handiwork. "How should I address you by the way?"

The tall figure gave pause momentarily before answering "Call me Apex. What do you wish to be called by?"

The woman turned her deep green eyes to Apex. "My name is Rachel Taylor."