A/N: Inspired by Heart-Of-Memories' "Of a Construct and a Hero", some random Halo ponderings and one-shots that have been on my mind awhile.

Disclaimer: Halo and all related materials are the sole property of Bungie Studios and its publisher Microsoft. This story is non-profit and written solely for the enjoyment of the fan community of Halo.

Takes Place: Post Halo 3; this is based on the story prompt "Panic" written by Heart Of Memories, it's the way I envisioned this scene playing out when the idea first struck me.


John-117 couldn't remember a time when he'd been more frustrated than he was right now.

He was also firmly convinced that while normal debriefings were tedious at best, a debriefing after you'd been listed as MIA for over two years was perhaps the most painful experience known to mankind.

He'd bid farewell to the Shipmaster Rtas 'Vadum over a week ago. The Sangheili who'd found him on that trading colony in the Gulara Corridor had been more than a little surprised to see him, and had invited both he and Cortana onboard the Shadow of Intent with no hesitation before setting a course for Earth.

John had felt slightly more at ease amongst the Elites now that the war between them was over and done with, but Rtas had warned him that there was still fighting to be done in the galaxy at large. Cortana had summarized their struggles and then started to pick 'Vadum's brain about the galaxy's state of current affairs.

When they'd finally reached Earth, Rtas had packed them into the Elite's version of an ODST drop pod (after he'd assured them that its survival rate was above 95 percent) and dropped them into the ruins of New Mombasa, not far from where John had made landfall after leaping from the Forerunner Dreadnought.

The UNSC had picked them up a week later near the ruins of Commander Keye's temporary base and the arduous process of debriefing had begun. But finally, after being grilled for seven days straight and being routinely chastised for not bringing back even half of the technology that they'd utilized to make it home, the two of them were finally getting a break.

The Chief sank down onto a bed frame that groaned loudly in protest under his weight, despite having been custom-built for him and removed his helmet while waiting for the technicians to come and help him remove his armor.

Cortana was currently in an ONI lab getting her first official 'check-up' in years. Something she'd needed and something that ONI had mandated since she'd been a captive of the Gravemind and then set loose with him for another few years. They hadn't argued the point, as both he and Cortana had been having reservations about how her experiences might have permanently damaged her.

The Chief was almost on the verge of nodding off when the holopad across the room lit up and Cortana's image appeared. Immediately, locks on the entryway door loudly clacked into place and sparks flew from the console. If John had been tired before, he was wide awake now as he watched Cortana look at him with what could only be described as rising panic in her eyes.

When she sat down and hugged her knees to her chest, the little feeling that something was wrong exploded into full-force concern and John made his way over to the holopad, his helmet in-hand.

"What's going on Cortana?" Straight to business as he knelt before her.

When she answered a full two seconds later, it seemed she was in the AI equivalent of shock. As if disbelieving what had just occurred.

"They tried to ERASE me." Her eyes were staring ahead listlessly, like a child's who'd just witnessed their parents betray them.

John's stomach abruptly hit the floor and he felt the blood drain from his face.

"What happened?" He tried to keep his voice even, his own panic from projecting through.

"They told me it was a Defragmenting Program, that it would take me offline while they found enough storage space for all the Halo data. I didn't trust them, so I made a copy of myself and sorted IT into the memory crystal. They IRRADIATED it. If I hadn't suspected something..." She trailed off, the implications clear. She sobbed in despair, and John couldn't help but wish, yet again, that he had some way to comfort her beyond simple words.

But he'd promised her that he'd do all he could to give her a chance at life. And he ALWAYS kept his promises, especially where they concerned his partner.

Suddenly, a loud CLANG sounded at the door and both of them sprang into action.

"Me, inside your head! NOW!"

John was already ahead of her, extending her chip back to her as his helmet clamp sealed and pressurized the suit. Cortana practically leapt into the chip and he slotted it back into his helmet. He immediately felt the cold rush inside his brain as Cortana almost seemed to curl up into a ball somewhere in the recesses of his mind.

He'd barely gotten his shields online when the door practically leapt off its hinges and in poured a security detail in full tactical gear, their weapons all pointed at him. The Chief counted eight of them, with no doubt others still in the hallway. The Chief could have easily taken them all out or subdued them, but that would only make him look guilty and give The Powers That Be a reason to lock him up until they'd gotten what they wanted.

What happened next was enough to shock and sicken him.

A Flag Officer walked through the door, the insignia on her shoulders identified her as a Vice Admiral. His salute was automatic, though perhaps not as crisp as it could have been. It had been a few years after all...

"You will surrender UNSC AI CTN 0452-9 to us immediately." An older woman, someone he'd never met before.

"On what grounds?" His reply was immediate.

"You will SURRENDER her to us or we will TAKE her." The woman repeated, the threat hanging clearly between them. Idly, the Chief noted her nameplate.

M. Parangosky

Regardless of who this woman was, he'd come too far to give up his partner now.

"Over ... My ... Dead ... Body."

"Very well then." The woman produced a controller of some sort and pressed the main button. John momentarily thought about taking it from her, but found that his armor was suddenly entering Lockdown Mode.

"Get the chip. We'll release him when ..."

The Chief's hand abruptly shot out with an adder-quick strike and crushed the controller, shocking everyone but himself and Cortana.

"You think I wouldn't have expected you to have a failsafe like that after that debacle on Victoria in 2531?!" Cortana's voice rang out from the Chief's helmet, referring to the mission where General Graves had incapacitated all but one of the Spartans on Blue Team with prison-issue neural collars.

The Chief could already tell that Cortana's nervousness had left her. Now she was beyond livid, or as he liked to think of it, a woman scorned.

"The Mark VI may not have an interface port, but I figured you'd certainly opt for some OTHER way to guarantee control. Too bad I'm smarter than you."

If the woman's face was anything to go by, then she was seething mad.

"It looks like we have something ELSE to discuss now." John intervened. The last thing either of them needed was for Cortana to enrage the Vice Admiral to the point where she wouldn't listen at all.

To be continued ... ?


A/N: This one took on a life of its own, needless to say. If you guys want to see how this one ends up, review and say so!

A/N2: The incident Cortana referred to really DID occur in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx. The only Spartan who DIDN'T get caught was Kurt-051.