Long shot of Halo's Control Room, the Chief, Doom Slayer, Jeff and Gary were teleported in with 343 Guilty Spark. Obviously in the middle of a conversation, explaining about the Flood.
"Which means that any organism of suffcient mass and cognitive capability is a potential vector." Guilty Spark explained to the group while the Master Chief starred silently at the end of the walkway. Sensing something is not quite right which made Guilty Spark curious.
"Is something wrong?" He asked.
"No. Nothing."
"Splendid. Shall we." Guilty Spark replied as he moved up to the control panel. "Unfortunately, my usefulness to this particular endeavor has come to an end. Protocol does not allow units with my classification to perform a task as important as the reunification of the index with the Core. That final step is reserved for you, Reclaimer." Spark explained, handing over the Index to the Chief.
The Master Chief inserted the Index into the control panel. Lights and holograms appear along with a howling noise is heard, until it came to an abrupt stop.
"Odd. That wasn't supposed to happen." Spark said before being tossed back as Cortana appeared, yelling; "Oh, really?!"
"Cortana!" The Chief yelled.
"I've spent the last twelve hours cooped up in here, watching you toady about, helping that thing get set to slit our throats!" Cortana yelled.
"Hold on now, he's a freind."
"Oh! I didn't realize. He's your pal, is he? Your chum?" She mockingly replied before angrily responding "Do you have any idea what that bastard almost made you do!?"
"Yes... activate Halo's defenses and destroy the Flood. Which is why we brought the Index to the Control Center." The Chief calmly responded.
"You mean this?"
"A construct?! In the Core?! That is absolutely unacceptable!" Guilty Spark angrily replied.
"Piss off!" Cortana argued back.
"What! I shall purge you at once!"
"You sure that's a good idea?" Cortana mockingly smiled back as she removed the Index from Halo's Core. Transporting it to her body with a snap of her holographic finger, making 343 Guilty Spark outraged even more.
"How... how... how dare you! I'll..."
"Do what? I have the Index! You can just float and sputter!"
The Master Chief wasn't having any of this as stood by and watched both AI constructs argue between each other. "ENOUGH!" He yelled, bringing his hands up between them before turning back to Cortana. "The Flood is spreading. If we can activate Halo's defenses, we can wipe them out."
"You have no idea how this ring works, do you? Why the Forerunners built it? Halo doesn't kill Flood, it kills their food. Humans, Covenant, whatever. We're all equally edible. The only way to stop the Flood is to starve them to death. And that's what Halo is designed to do. Wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life. You don't believe me. Ask him?" Cortana explained before pointing over at 343 Guilty Spark to where everyone turned toward him.
"Is it true?" The Chief questioned.
"More or less. Technically, this installation's pulse has a maximum effective radius of twenty-five thousand light years. But, once the others follow suit this galaxy will be quite devoid of life with suffcient biomass to sustain the Flood... But you already knew that... I mean how couldn't you?" Guilty Spark complained with confusion, feeling the sense of betrayal.
"Left out that little detail, did he?" said Cortana while hearing rifle safety clicks from Jeff, Gary, and the Doom Slayer afterward. Who aimed their weapons at 343 Guilty Spark.
"We have followed outbreak containment procedure to the letter. You were with me each step of the way as we managed the crisis." Spark spoke directly at the Chief with increasing anger.
"Uh oh. Blue droid has fallen to the dark side." Jeff snickered, aiming his DC-15A blaster rifle at Guilty Spark.
"Guys! I'm picking up movement!" Alarmed Cortana.
"Why would you hesitate to do what you have already done!?" Spark angrily questioned.
"We need to go right now." Cortana urgently whispered as four Sentinels hovered up from the bottom of the shaft, surrounding the squad. Forcing Jeff, Gary, and the Doom Slayer grab cover behind a thick glass wall.
"Last time you asked me.. if it were my choice, would I do it? Having had considerable time to ponder your query. My answer has not changed. There is no choice. We must activate the ring." Guilty Spark replied as the Master Chief grabbed Cortana from the console, inserting back into his helmet.
"If you're unwilling to help. I will simply find another. Still, I must have the Index. Give your construct to me or I will be forced to take her from you."
"That's not going to happen."
"So be it. Save his head. Dispose of the rest." Guilty Spark ordered his Sentinels to attack before teleporting away.
"Look out!" Cortana yelled, as Spark's Sentinels attacked the squad.
The Master Chief grabbed for cover behind the thick glass wall to give time to recharge his shields. Gary fired his plasma rifle at one Sentinel feeling the vibration as it finished firing it's last plasma bolt before sputtering out of energy.
"Dammit, I'm out!" Gary yelled, tossing his plasma rifle quickly switching to his backup blaster pistol.
"See. I'd told ya it'll run out." Jeff laughed. Firing his DC-15A at the third to last sentinel not knowing he's on his last blaster clip.
"Yeah, yeah. Keep laughing. Soon or later you'll run out of ammo." Gary argued back, destroying the last Sentinel with his blaster pistol.
"We can't let the Monitor activate Halo. We have to stop him, we have to destroy Halo. According to my analysis of the available data, I believe the best course of action is somewhat... risky. An explosion of suffcient size will help destabilize the ring and will cut though a number of primary systems. We need to trigger a detonation on a large scale, however. A star ship's fusion reactors going critical would do the job. I'm going to search what's left of the Covenant battlenet and see if I can locate the Pillar of Autumn's crash site. If the ship's fusion reactors are still relatively intact, we can use them to destroy Halo." Cortana explained, while the squad quickly mopped up a few Covenant guards and Sentinels with ease as they made way towards the main exit.
"I haven't located the crash site yet, but we need to buy some time, in case the Monitor or his Sentinels find a way to activate Halo's main weapon, without the index. The machinery in these canyons are Halo's primary firing mechanisms. They consist of three phase pulse generators that amplify Halo's signal that allow it to fire deep into space. The power levels are enormous. I can't even begin to calculate the pulse's range. So, if we damage or destroy these generators, the Monitor will need to repair them before Halo can be used. That should buy us some time. I'm marking the location of the nearest pulse generator with a nav point. We need to move in and neutralize the device." Cortana explain their current situation to the Chief while he and the Doom Slayer were taking care of the Covenant security down below.
"Oh hello baby..." said Gary, picking up a SR99 Sniper Rifle from the ground. He brushed dust off from the rifle then ejected out the clip to see four .50 caliber armor-piercing rounds inside. "Blast. Four rounds and no ammo in sight. I guess I can use this for a recon scope till I find more."
"Hey guys? What's the plan?" Gary asked while approching the group.
"Oh hey nice rifle bro, where'd you find it?" Jeff asked as he eyed Gary's new toy.
"Found it up in that tower along with some ammo and frag grenades. I brought the ammo along with me if anybody needs it." Gary replied.
"Good thinking trooper and since you're here. You can help us on our plan. You'll provide recon while Jeff steals the Wraith. Once he grabs it, the Chief and Doom Slayer will begin their main assault." Cortana explained.
"Copy." Jeff and Gary replied while the Chief and Doom Slayer silently nodded in agreement.
Using the shadows, Jeff stealthly slid down the side of the pryamid. Reaching the icy snow down below to see the Wraith parked nearby a snow covered pine tree. Gary recon the area down below from his position at the top of the pyramid. Covering his buddy, Gary moved his scope over to observe a Elite Minor leaning on the front bumper of the Wraith. He zoomed in closer to see the Elite reading a book with large numbers labed '1984' on the front cover.
"Uh-oh! Goldie is walking over! What should I do?" Jeff asked Gary through the radio while hiding behind a large boulder.
"You're fine bro, just stay where you are. I think he's more interested in the other guy." Gary calmly replied, observing the unfolding argument.
"Hey! Where did you find that?!" The Sangheili Zealot yelled at the Elite Minor.
"I've found it!" The Elite Minor replied.
"Found it?! Reading unholy human relics are forbidden! Give it to me!"
"Whatever! Make me!" The Elite Minor yelled back at the Zealot.
"So be it!" The Zealot yelled, aiming his plasma rifle at the Elite Minor.
"Wait! Look! In the sky! It's the Flip-yap Blimp!" The Elite Minor yelled, pointing at a random shadow in the sky.
"Wow. I can't believe that actually worked." Jeff whispered as he quickly boarded the Wraith while the gold armored Sangheili starred up into the sky.
"Jeff is in. Go! Go!" Gary said, giving the word to both the Chief and Doomguy to unleash hell upon the Covenant below.
"Hmm... Is it this button?" Jeff wondered pushing a random button on the console in front of him. He felt the rumbling down below and heard the hum of the engine starting up. The Zealot heard the hum from behind and turned to see the Wraith hovering few inches off the ground.
"Hey! Out of the Wraith! I'm not done talking with you yet!" The Zealot yelled, striking the Wraith with the butt of his plasma rifle.
Jeff heard the bang and looked up at the hologram screen to see the Sangheili Zealot. Finding the controls, Jeff grabbed them unknowingly pulling on the trigger that controlled the main plasma cannon. A plasma motar was launched into the sky, landing ontop a group of Grunts, killing them along with one Hunter. The Sangheili Zealot noticed what is going on and immediatly began firing on the Wraith. Jeff panicked inside, pushing down on the controls, feeling the bumps underneath running over the gold plated Sangheili Zealot with the tank. Jeff drove the wraith tank around, running over any surviving Covenant forces to secure the area for both the Master Chief and the Doom Slayer.
"Area secured." Jeff spoke into his helmet communicator.
"Copy. Moving down from my position. I'll be there in a few." Gary replied, switching his sniper rifle to his M6 Magnum.
"Thank you, troopers... Good. Grab those Banshees, we'll need them to get to the first Pulse Generator." Cortana ordered both the Chief and the Doom Slayer once they both jumped down to the last floor of the pyramid. Rushing over towards their Banshees, jumped in, flying towards the first pulse generator, leaving Jeff and Gary behind.
"Shit. There they go." Gary said, watching two Banshees flying away into the winter sky. Hearing the hum of the purple tank from behind shut down.
Jeff opened the canopy hatch, releasing a large amount of pot smoke into the icy wind. "Sooo... what now?" He asked, lighting another joint.
"I don't know... We could try getting those parked hoverbikes through that entryway?" Gary suggested, shrugging his shoulders.
"That sounds fun." Jeff said stumbling out of the Wraith, landing face first into the snow.
"Hey? What the hell is a sofa doing here?" Jeff questioned, pointing to a dusty old sofa covered in snow, sitting nearby a tree.
"Wait... What? Really?" Gary questioned, driving over his Ghost to where Jeff is pushing snow off the cushions.
"Forget the hoverbikes, we're taking this." Gary said, getting out of the Ghost. Walking over to pick up one end while Jeff picked up the other.
"No, no. Gary! Wedge it!" Jeff yelled, walking backward.
"Where? Your right or mine?" Gary asked.
"My right, your left." Jeff replied.
Jeff and Gary settled the sofa onto the middle of the lift and rode it all the way to the second floor of the Forerunner facility. Picking up once more, slowly shuffling towards the exit. Halfway through the facility, Gary drops the sofa onto the hard floor making Jeff scratch his head.
"Dude. What are you doing? We're halfway there!" Jeff yelled.
"Do you have your mini-tool kit?"
"Uhh, yeah... why?" Jeff questioned.
"I'll... be right back." Gary replied, running back the way from which they came.
While Jeff chilled on the sofa, he heard a loud crash followed by cussing and the screeching of metal being dragged across the floor. Gary peeked his head out from behind the wall. "Hey bro? Can ya help me with somthin?" Gary yelled out to him. Making Jeff very curious of what his very stoned friend is up to. Jeff looked over to see Gary dragging several strange componets with blue lights glowing on the side of them.
"...And done. Alright start it up." Gary said after sliding himself from under the sofa.
Jeff pushed a few buttons on the armrest of the sofa. Hearing the hum from below as the power source that was gutted out from the Ghost turned on. Making the sofa hover a few inches off the ground.
"Fuck yeah! It works!" Gary yelled high fiving Jeff in celebration before lighting up another joint after plopping down onto the cushion near Jeff.
"Let's get outta here." Jeff said before grabbing the controls. Flying the hovering sofa out of the facility.
Rushing towards the guarded door with high speed, they were met with incoming plasma fire. Flying past the Covenant soldiers as they went through the open door into the strange and very familiar facility. Reaching the double bridge, Jeff and Gary watched the ongoing infighting between the Flood and the Covenant. Watching plasma and ballistic fire being exchanged over the bridge.
"Bro, we can seriously plow right through them. They're so busy with each other we're not going to matter much to them." Gary pointed out.
"True..." Jeff replied, then looked over towards the edge of the bridge.
"So tired. Me need nap nap." A Grunt sighed while walking away while a Sangheili Major stood still to observe the foward patrol base defend the canyon from another Flood assault. Walking along with his head down, he heard a loud crash from behind. He turned around to see the smashed and mangled body of his commanding officer and purple blood dripping from a strange vehicle that is being piloted by two scary humans in white. "Feet! Don't stop me now!" The Grunt screamed, waving his arms in the air as he ran for cover.
"Wheelman!" A male voice announced, confusing the troopers.
"Did you hear that?" Gary asked.
"Yeah. It sounded like it came from the sofa." Jeff replied, looking over the arm rest.
"Hmm, I'd say we run over that guy and see what happens next." Gary said, poiting to a Sangheili Elite patrolling along the rocks.
"Hell yeah!" Jeff yelled, driving the sofa over the Sangheili Elite.
"Hmm... I didn't hear anything this time." Gary noted.
"Maybe it only happens once in a while. Let's go run over some more and see what happens." Jeff suggested.
They continued running over more Covenant soldiers while narrowly dodging another plasma motar as Jeff piloted the sofa off the cliff. Flying it into the adjacent canyon with lightning speed, running over two unsuspecting Jackals with their sofa.
"Double Kill!" The mysterious voice announced.
"There it is again! Where is this voice coming from?" Gary questioned before taking another hit from his pipe. He continued searching around his seat just as Jeff drove the sofa into the next adjacent canyon after running over more Covenant soldiers who we're patrolling along the ciff edge. Driving under a snow covered pine tree and powered down the sofa.
"Dude what are you doin?" Gary asked.
"Remember what Cortana said about there being three pulse generators?" Jeff questioned.
"Yea." Gary replied.
"By the looks of that Covenant air patrol. I'm betting there is one here." Jeff explained.
"Hmmm? How are we going to get up there anyway?" Gary asked, looking up at the top of the monolith then back at Jeff for a answer.
"There's several Covenant Banshees parked by that hill we can use...but we have to find a way to get pass the guards." Jeff noted.
"I don't think they're not going to notice us anyway." Gary stated while zooming in closer with the sniper scope on his rifle. Observing two Sangheili Minors who are ontop of a hill, talking with one another.
"What do you mean they're not going to notice us? What are they doing?" Jeff questioned him.
"Honestly, they're just standing there and talking. That'll give us the advantage to sneak in along the canyon wall and make a clean getaway." Gary explained, swinging his sniper rifle over his shoulder before grabbing his blaster pistol. "Let's move."
"Copy. You take point and I'll cover your six." Jeff whispered.
Jeff and Gary quietly snuck up towards the banshees that were parked by the canyon wall. While Jeff quietly settled inside one, Gary peeked out from behind the banshee to see the two Sangheili Minors still talking amongst each other as they stood ontop of the hill by a shade plasma turret.
"Dude. How the fuck do they fly these things? There is no fucking seat to sit in." Jeff complained.
"Well it ain't no TIE Fighter bro. If we want to get up there, these will have to do." Gary replied.
"Nevermind. Let's go." Jeff grumbled, grabbing the controls to fly away into the snowy night sky with Gary following right behind.
The Covenant forces ontop of the monolith ignored the two banshees flying in the sky. Jeff and Gary kept radio silence as they parked their stolen banshees at the landing pad that extended out from the canyon wall. Following the arrows on the ground they found the second pulse generator located in the middle of the facility.
"Hmmm? How are we going destroy this?" Jeff wondered, crossing his arms as he starred at the blue beam of light.
"I'm guessing this is the pulse generator? Kinda looks familiar to one of the laser tubes back on the Death Star." Gary said.
"That's what I was thinking too. There has to be some sort of flaw we can exploit to destroy it." Jeff wondered while walking around the pulse generator.
While Jeff casually inspected the phase pulse generator. Gary grasped for his canteen to drink some water to quench his dry chapped lips. While drinking his canteen Gary inquisitively starred at the pulse generator, placed his eyes back at his canteen. He walked up towards it and tripped, splashing water onto the energy beam by accident and watched the phase pulse generator flicker for a bit before shutting down.
"Wow... didn't think that would work." Gary said, twisting the cap back onto his canteen.
"What did you do?" Jeff questioned.
"I tripped and splashed water onto this thingy." Gary replied.
"Oh, just like how we drunkenly destroyed Vader's suit voice box with our slushies." Jeff laughed.
"Oh yeah. He sounded like a Jawa for a week and strangled anybody who laughed." Gary replied laughing.
"Yep. Boy that was the day. Now we're the badass elite unit who kicks ass and takes names... Hmm, I wonder if there's any other universes we can fuck with?" Jeff wondered.
"I don't know. There's a lot other universes out there." Gary replied, then searched around his utility pack. "Crap. My weed is gone."
After hearing Gary's comment, Jeff replied; "Where'd you leave it?"
"In between the sofa's cushions. We have to go back." Gary frantically complained, sprinting towards the exit with Jeff running after him.
After the door opened, the duo came across a large battle with dogfighting Banshees flying in the snowy sky and the Doom Slayer engaged in a sword battle with a gold armored Sangheili Field Marshall ontop the monolith. Jeff heard the wail of two Banshees and quickly pulled Gary into cover as two Banshee's rushed past them. Noticing a third Banshee firing a lob of green at one of the occupied Banshees, destroying one and continued to chase the other around the monolith while dodging lob after lob of blue plasma being fired from one lone Covenant Wraith in the canyon below.