After this chapter things are going to skip around through the games.
I'm playing back through the games to get
more in depth.
And because it's been a while since I played
and don't really remember key points
other than killing the infected Keyes.
Six looked down at the little holographic man standing in front of her.
He had black hair, and was wearing a UNSC standard issue marine uniform. He didn't have any scars, and held a pistol in his hands. Blue and green lights ran along his being.
" So you're my AI?" Six said, looking down at him. " Little scrawny aren't you?"
" Hey" Holo-Keyes said, pointing his pistol at her. " I may be small but I can still whoop you."
" yeah, yeah, yeah." she said, pulling the AI chip out of her helmet. " that may be but get in here already so we can see just how compatible you really are."
Holo-Keyes looked at the chip, then up at her. After a moment, he turned to his full size self. Captain Keyes looked down at the AI in front of him, and nodded. The little man sighed, and jumped into the AI chip.
" How long until we get to our coordinates?" Chief asked, walking up behind Six.
" about a week." Keyes answered, walking to the door. " but before you both enter cryo-sleep, Six you we need to test to make sure both of you are workable in the field."
Six sighed. She really hated tests.
" Alright." she said, putting her hand to her head. " let's get this over with."
" just to let you know." AI- Keyes said, an echo-like feeling going through her head. " i'm not thrilled with this."
Six walked out the door, and followed Keyes to a holo-chamber. He beckoned her through. Six looked into the darkened room, and resisted a shiver. Then walked into the room.
The room was spacious, with crisscrossing lights. Her steps echoed around the room, and after a moment it shimmered and turned into a lush flat expanse of land.
Tears filled her eyes, as she recognized the field that Michael had died in.
She registered steps behind her, and turned quickly. Master Chief stood there, his olive armor glistened slightly in the fake sunlight.
" time for your test." Chief said, throwing her a DMR. " there are blanks in there."
" what they think I'll kill you?" Six said, grabbing the gun, and checking the sight.
" Nope." Chief said, walking over toward her. " I'm your test. Beat me, and you can keep the AI."
Six smiled in her helmet.
" Let's get started Hotshot." She said, moving away from him.
" Let's." Chief said, following Six.
The two Spartan's circled each other, looking for weaknesses.
Six lunged first, sending off three short bursts with the DMR.
" Just to let you know, Six." Keye's voice came over her helmet com. " Master chief is just as lethal as you. He doesn't let his emotions cloud his judgments. From his body movement, he won't go easy on you."
Chief dodged, throwing himself to the side.
Six ran forward, " Good. That means I don't have to hold back either."
She tackled Chief, raised a fist and punched him on the left side of his helmet.
Keyes looked in the mirror in his bathroom. His eyes were shallow, his chest ached, and his head felt like it was on fire.
" Cortana." Keyes said, pushing away from the sink and walking out to his bed. " send in Andrews."
The room was sparse with only two pictures next to his bed. The first was of an older woman, her gray-blond hair falling over one shoulder, and a smile brightening her face. Her green eyes were scrunched, helping to show her dimples. She sat surrounded by the flowers in her garden on Earth. He smiled at the picture of Maggie, his wife.
The second was of a younger woman. She stood straight as an arrow, in her UNSC uniform. Three medals hung on the left side of her chest. She stared straight ahead, with her brown hair brushed back from her face. His daughter looked beautiful in that picture.
" of course sir." Cortana's mild voice floated over the PA, breaking him out of his reverie.
She watched him through the cameras stationed within his quarters.
Keyes skin was pale, and he looked like he was going to be sick. She scanned him through the camera.
His pulse was racing. His temperature was over a hundred.
She alerted the good Doctor Andrews, and within a few moments he was in the room.
Keyes did as Andrews said, everything he said. He took every exam that the doctor told him to. Keyes even turned his head and coughed.
" well." Andrews said, look at his lap-pad. " the stress from the AI creation process put a strain on your heart and brain. The chest pain is because when you were in the Cryo-tube, you must have had a mild heart attack. So mild that it didn't register on the monitors. The same goes for your brain. You can't put yourself through undo stress."
Keyes laughed. " We're in the middle of a war." he said, still chuckling. " Isn't that a little un-needed stress?"
Andrews smiled, " yes that is just a little bit stressful."
Keyes smile left his face. " what will happen if I do succumb to stress?"
Andrews looked down at the man in front of him. Fear was in Keye's eyes along with fierce determination.
" two things could happen." Andrews said, putting his hand on Keye's shoulder. " you could experience a major heart attack, or a major stroke. I can put you on medication in case that happens, but it's not the best way to go."
" oh," Keyes said, sitting up. " what's the best way?"
" taking you to a planet with the resources to get you fixed correctly."
" well that ain't happening." Keyes said, looking at him.
" just take it easy, sir." Andrews said, looking at him. " we don't need you dropping us out of the sky because you've had a stroke."
"yeah I know." Keyes said, waving his hand at him. " you're dismissed."
Andrews gathered his gear, and began out of the room, when Keyes said " bring that medication to my quarters discreetly. I don't want the crew to know about any of this. Do you hear that Cortana?"
" of course sir." She said, showing herself in a wall panel. " and sir, the Spartans are almost ready to leave the chamber."
" Alright." he said, getting ready to leave with Andrews. " Lets' go see how our Spartans are doing."
Six looked at the Chief and pulled off her helmet. Sweat had matted her hair to her scalp.
Chief looked at her, and removed his helmet too. She had been careful not to break his helmet this time, but that hadn't stopped her from breaking his wrist guards and his shoulder plates.
" thought I told you not to break my armor anymore." Chief said, pulling off the broken parts.
" thought I told you not to underestimate me." Six said, wiping the sweat from her brow. " I beat you once, I can do it again."
" you got lucky that first time." Chief said, launching himself from the small rise he had been on. She hit him square in the face, braking his nose, and letting blood flow down his chin and lips.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down, forcing his knee into her stomach. The breath left her lungs in a whoosh, and she fell to the floor. He looked down at her, then she grabbed his ankle.
With a grunt, she pulled his leg out from under him. He fell onto his back and she scrambled up on top of him.
She raised her fist, preparing to hit him for the last time.
When she looked down, blue eyes starred up at her. Panic filled her mind, and she slammed her fist down.
Chief looked up at Six. This was a different person whose fist was imbedded in two inches of steel next to his head.
Six stood up, and held out her hand to John.
" you're done." she said, as he pulled himself up. " that would've been a killing blow."
She dropped his hand, walking over and putting her helmet back on.
John stood, starring at her. Her whole demeanor had changed again. She closed herself off, and now stood in a defensive posture.
" Alright." Chief said, picking up the two training guns. " let's get around for Cryo."
They left the room.
" let's meet back here at 0900 hours." John said, looking down at the shiny visor of Six's helmet.
" Fine." Six said, turning from him.
She began down the hall, leaving John standing confused and annoyed.
"What was that?" Keyes asked.
Six ignored him, choosing to continue in silence.
He followed her with his eyes, then turned away.
" She's got nothing to give," he thought, putting his hand flat on the wall, and covering his face with the other. " and I've got nothing to offer."
He dropped his hand, and walked a few steps, before stopping again.
John grimaced.
Then turned and started after Six.
Six stood starring at the removed MJOLNIR armor.
Memories ran through her head about herself and Michael. Memories that were like an open wound in her chest, and brain. The need for them was almost as bad as her need to be rid of them. She closed her eyes, and shook her head.
Six needed a shower, and something to cloud her brain. But seeing as the latter was unavailable, she entered her bathroom intent on putting the past behind her.
Six turned the water blast as hot as possible, before stepping under it. Her skin burned at the water running over her, and her hair matted in a hot mass on her head. The darkened skin of her plasma burns ached dully from the water. She touched her side, feeling the hardened mass that ran the length of the scar. It barely registered anymore. But to her it was a memory in itself.
Six moved her hand away, not wanting anymore memories to cloud her focus.
She caught movement in the corner of her eye.
John moved quickly down the hall, he had a notion that something was up.
He walked quickly down the hall toward Six's room.
As John reached Six's door, he heard a muffled yelp. He grabbed the knob, turned and pushed. Nothing happened.
Another yelp sounded.
John didn't make a sound. Still in his MJOLNIR armor, he raised his foot and slammed it into door right next to the knob.
The metal bent with a groan.
He kicked again, anger and adrenaline fueling him.
The lock on the knob wasn't anything that could withstand the force used for a second time, and the door shot open banging loudly against the wall.
" Six" he said, moving into the room. No one was in the room. Her bed was made, and her Armor stood on it's mannequin.
Whimpering came from the bathroom.
John turned to it, and kicked open the door. He starred at the scene before him.
Dave, the ODST officer, was huddled in the shower stall, water flowing over his uniform. His face was bloody and he held his arm close to his body like it was broken. The bandage on his broken thumb was bright with blood. Blood was on the tile around him.
Six stood in front of him, her fist were clenched. Blood dripped to the tiles even as water ran down her. She was naked. When she turned to look at Chief, He saw pure rage and hatred as clear as day in her eyes, but as Six looked straight at him, the rage and hatred left her eyes. She turned back to the man, and kicked him one last time in the face.
Dave whimpered, again.
" Master chief," she said, grabbing Dave by his broken arm. John followed her, as she threw him into the hall for anyone to find. She turned around and walked past Chief, who still starred at the damage that had been done to the man.
Chief didn't pity him. He couldn't.
He closed the door on the sorry sight.
Six stood in the bathroom, looking at the blood washing down the drain in the shower.
She remembered every detail that had happened.
After seeing the movement, she had half turned only to be hit in the head by a fist.
Then his weight had pushed her to the back of the shower, her face flat against the tiles, and the whisper in her ear.
That whisper had set her off.
Now he had a broken arm, at least three broken ribs, and blood loss to add to that. It scared her to think that she would have killed him, and if John hadn't walked in she would have.
" You're bleeding." John's voice said, making her turn. " you're head."
She reached up and touched the side of her head. Looking at her fingers, Six saw blood.
She turned and walked into the stream of water to wash the blood off of her body.
" I'll clean that when you're done." John said, closing the bathroom door.
" John's actually very sweet." Six thought as she washed blood from her hair, and then slammed her fist into the tiles. " No he' s the Master Chief, not John. I won't lose another person I care for. So I won't care. Not about him."
Six finished and walked into her bedroom.
Chief was sitting on her bed, with a medical kit on his lap. His brown eyes starred at her, as a blush colored his cheeks. His hair flopped on his forehead, and she found herself in awe of the man in front of her.
Then She broke herself out of her reverie. She walked over and sat next to him, not daring to look to John.
" can you do it quick?" she asked, looking across the room. " we do have to be put to sleep in a little while."
" That's true." Chief said, pouring peroxide on a gauze pad and sticking it to her wound. " So what happened? I know you beat up that guy, but why? Why was he here anyway?"
" to get revenge." Six said, still not looking at him. " he still held a grudge against me for breaking his finger. He wanted to hurt me, evidently didn't think about the fact that I'm a spartan and could kill him. I think my scars made him hesitate."
" Some ODST can be a bit big headed." Chief said, pulling off the gauze and looking closer at the cut. " This isn't deep. I can just butterfly it, and it won't even leave a scar."
" wouldn't be the first," she said, waiting patiently. " won't be the last."
" well those scars give you distinction." Chief said, putting the butterfly in place. " it shows at least part about what you've been through."
John turned her, showing her back.
The dark scar was such a contrast to her milky white skin. He ran his fingers down it, pausing at each vertebra peak. Six sat with chills running down her. But there was a fluttering sensation deep within her, that no other man had ever touched.
She stood, pulling the towel closer around her.
" thanks for patching me up." She said, pointing to her head. " but I gotta get dressed, and get down the cryo-bay."
" of course." Chief said, starring up at her. " I'll leave you to it."
He stood and walked past the her. She held the door open until he got past, then began to close it.
John stood there gathering his courage.
His hand stopped the door from closing the whole way.
" one last thing." Chief said, pushing it open slightly.
" what is it?" She asked, letting him push it open further.
" This." He leaned down and kissed her.
It was a firm, needy kiss. She put her hands on his shoulders, meaning to push him away. But her body had other ideas. She wrapped her arms firmly around his neck, and passionately kiss him back.
They stayed that way for a moment, before Chief pulled away, a queer smile plastered on his face.
Six closed the door, even as John began to walk back to his quarters.
John leaned against the wall, a corridor away from Six's room. His heart was pounding in his chest, and his brain was clouded. One question kept going through his mind.
Could two Spartans truly love each other in the middle of this war?
He wasn't sure, but it seemed to be happening.
John continued to his quarters to clean up, then he would head to the Cryo-bay.
Six stood with Chief as two Cryo units opened for them.
Being in they're MJOLNIR armor was going to sting like hell when they got out. She had removed Keyes from her armor, to help Cortana to run the ship. Not like they would actually get along well.
" ready?" Chief asked, looking at her.
"Always." Six said, starring straight ahead, the kiss still running through her mind. " Let's do it."
Six walked up to the unit on the right. Stepping in, she put on her helmet.
" Okay, ma'am." an attendant said, looking at the pad in front of him. " you'll be woken when we get out of slip space."
" Of course." she said, leaning back, and closing her eyes.
The pod door closed.
Gel began to fill the unit, making her body chilled. She calmed herself, the sudden panic welling up inside of her. Six pushed it away, refusing to succumb to it.
Eventually the gel filled past her head, and the panic left her.
She slept.
John watched Six go into the deep sleep. He felt empty, and tired himself.
" you're turn Chief." the attendant said, turning to the new unit.
Chief stepped in. It wasn't the first time he had been in the sleep.
He leaned back and slowed his breathing.
The darkness of Cryo-Sleep enclosed him.
Hope everyone liked.
Not sure what i'm going to do for the first
Halo but we'll figure it out.
I'm thinking about doing a one-shot
about Six and Jorge or
Six and Emille.
Tell me what you think.