July 12, 2561.

4:50 AM

Darkshore - Desert Plateau.

(System Update complete, Spartan V.25 functional)

The ancient power suit awakens, as Vraedyth was thrown out of safe sleep mode and was put back on duty. Well. Where's everyone

"Hello? This is Spartan-VZ389, i'm intact. But in need of an extract, anyone else out there?" Zero spoke as he saw the long coast at a distance.

All he hears, is distorted static. Then as he turned off comms, there was energy related gunfire and normal bullet fire to a town hust about 200 feet west from his position. He lost all of his weapons. So it's the knife game for this situation.

At the village, the area was modified in some sort of a Forerunner material and with normal Covenant material, colored black with the building metal with red lights.

There wasn't any signs of Horde, but instead. More Elites under a different banner and with several feminine figures similar to them. There was also the local rebels fighting them, with weapons dated back to the pre-UNSC warfare development. But its ammo still does damage to anyone, no one can explain why. But it does. And how did they get UNSC uniforms?

"Who's that?" The female elf spoke as Zero came in, blasting the first elite in sight with a shotgun.

"Now where's the rest? Are you the rebels?" Vraedyth sees that elite was the one left standing. The other troops got killed.

"I'm the part of the main rebellion, are you the UNSC? Were you followed?" A elf quickly spoke out.

"Its just me alone. Who are these guys? Horde or that Alliance group?" Zero had to look at the place and the corpses, all of it were different.

But as he opened the helmets, they were the nearly extinct Draenei, with their face originally intact from before the Old War. And the other troops similar to their form were just normal elites.

"Those people are the L'Karian Kingdom. Made from the shattered remains of the previous empire." The elf commented.

"They lied to many, they said to discard and destroy the bones from Mannoroth, promised the people of this world freedom from our old mistakes But it was no different, they hid it on the edge of Azeroth's oceans. Using the remains to create an even more powerful version, and there's an even worse fate if we're to fail. And that's what we are trying to figure out." He continued.

"So if you had known the UNSC, is there a base nearby?" Zero asked.

"Its in a cave system at the coast, but due to concentration of those hostile troops, you won't be able to get across the area." And the answer from another was received.

"Mara. Any tactical options?" Vraedyth asked again.

(The update has included a disguise optics system. Face over the corspe of a target and rest your hand on the head, and your appearance shall be the one who had copied it) The computer spoke to him. He put his hand over it, didn't work.

(Oh wait. The status of the suit is not up for that function) Mara replied.

"Wow. Just wow." Zero had one thing, sneak the way through the area.

(Six Months ago)

"For my time through the war between the Forerunners and Humans. I've realized that the Precursors had saw the ultimate demise, if the Forerunners had stolen the Mantle. They would destroy every being that doubts their strength and knowledge through those Halo rings, and or imprison all sentient life."

"Our race had been under their protection, we had the Conduit. One of the untapped powers we had from the Precursors, and that power was passed on to V'Miaar kind for us to create new galaxies. But the Forerunners' kindness was a trap to steal it again. Time had answered, the Forerunners are the greatest enemy along the Flood. I followed the Didact's word, it simply told me to never trust mortals, just our people and them. We had the objective to destroy the Legion, we never did, but I've sealed their planet, and I've broken his rule."

"But it brought me back to my original roots. The V'Miaar cares for all that doesn't challenge them, but the Didact's followers desecrate everything in their path without concern or revolt, except the Librarian. The Promethean Machines aren't for war, but to spread truth, enlightenment and knowledge. The rings provide more than erasing organic life, but to shelter wonderers from the Flood. But the Didact's doctrines had induced corruption, but there's a light to it."

"And there's one more entity that blocks my path." Prime spoke after six months of silence to Doctor Halsey.

"So. You're different, seeing that not all of the Forerunners' creations can be used for war. But for many other purposes." Halsey replied as she saw his armor and ten-feet body. With half of his head covered in dark stone.

"Just simply look at their thoughts when they were creating these machines. It was reflected from their gluttonous and prideful spirits, feeling disgraced after losing the mantle. These creations are made for other purposes, but yet again, just to prove their supremacy that came from corrupt emotions. Humans were just balanced as we looked into their future, their fate was a choice for individuals to live out their lives, either for good or dark intent. But the Forerunners' success wasn't worked for, and if they had the choice, all other lifeforms would be subjected for genocide and imprisonment."

"Time had given us a chance to change the Forerunners' image, for us to never pose harm in the name of pride. But to pose as the guardians of justice, walkers of knowledge and enlightenment." Prime spoke back.

"You speak of these deeds, but did you act under his rule? To kill without giving people a chance?" She questions him still, but he hesitates on speaking it.

"To our purpose, we're on the same power as them. We're only allowed to kill if they pose a threat to us, but the Didact pulled us in and caused our culture to change. That's what happened." He spoke back, remembering the great genocides of the Forerunners' crusades.

"Sounds the same as me. Using those kids that i've took as the last line of defense against the Covenant." Halsey had also reminded herself of the Spartan II program.

"You had to choose a dark path, but its outcome had awarded you, then another had cursed you too." Prime spoke of two outcomes, the program had formed Master Chief to be the hero, and the other to had went wrong in the long run.

"That's Cortana isn't it?" She referred that mistake to the John's AI.

"She's now corrupted within the Didact's remaining will, and with her experience shed from you and learned from the journey. She had formed a challenge for me, if I could just find a way around her. I could take back the control of all of the Forerunners' installations, and use them for good at last." Prime had this plan since he was a kid.

"But it may never be simple to finish the mission, there could be many others who can use the installations for evil." Halsey spoke back.

"That's what i've thought about it, and i'm prepared for the long war." Prime replied.

"Either Cortana must change, or suffer punishment."

Northern Darkshore, Excavation Site.

2:34 PM.

"You again? Wonder what happened with you?" Prime spoke to the Marine while the UNSC was carving out the cave, possibly for mining purposes.

"Dunno, stupid birds kept pecking at us." He patched himself up as reloaded the rifle.

"The only thing you should worry is those Draenei troops. Get back out there and keep an eye out." Prime had teleported him out.

"Is that you again?" He was surprised as Zero came back.

"Yep. And why's my voice sounds like a Promethean?" Zero's suit was changing his vocal cords.

"That's the materials in your suit reacting to the body. It seems that Forerunner tech is changing you, and at this point. I don't know what is going to happen." Prime spoke.

"That's really a joke." Vraedyth had laughed, the usage of Spartan programs using other alien tech is closely monitored, so any faults or other major malfunctions are kept in line.

"Just wake up tomorrow, and you should see what he's talking about." Halsey suddenly appeared from a door outside, how did she get

"Wha... Halsey? Weren't you supposed to be arrested?" Zero replied.

"I'm still under that same status, but however. I need to work with Obsidian to fix something." Halsey spoke.

"Something even more cryptic from ONI? I'll keep an eye on you. Just to make sure, because i'm one of them as well." Vraedyth walked away to sleep.

"Sounds quite stupid. Do you have anything from Crater HW-31 in the Eastern Kingdoms?" Prime spoke as another chief engineer came in.

"Going well. But there's some sort of radiation field under the surface. We've gathered data, and it's the corpses. Their scent shouldn't be emitting radiation like this." He spoke, reviewing what went down last week.

"Clean it out quickly. Those corpses are the Twilight Dragonflight, and we can't risk the entire cadre of workers and artifacts going missing or destroyed. Tell Palmer to lead a Demolition Ops to dispose any radiating remains." Prime had replied and walked away.

Eastern Kingdoms - Former Homeland of Gilneas.

2:30 AM.

Just a single day later. The excavation site was completely abandoned because of the increasing amount of radiation. The demolition teams found that the corpses had vanished and soon to be killed by something or someone that powerful. Command has authorized the Spartans for the mission, then they authorized Master Chief to take on high-profile operations, and that's why he's with this team. Now the UNSC hopes that Chief didn't end up AWOL after last time.

How did the land of Gilneas fare after the orbital destruction and the 400-year war? The place had barely changed at all, except the metal hatch located right where the city was. The Citadel of the old capital was destroyed long before the war had began. But the hatch was made from the Forerunners, however. The Titans weren't aware of any of these structures. Nor did the Five Dragon Aspects, except Obsidian, who was already a Forerunner descent to begin with.

"Okay. What's going on here? There's the Flood, but now there's a hatch opening up. Doesn't this remind me of New Mombasa?" Spartan-I357 speaks as the hatch opens.

"It does, but that won't stop us from finding out." Chief replied.

"How are we're going to do that? I don't see an opening inside." Linda from Blue Team said as she looks at the place, overgrown with parasitic growth on the vents. And touching the growth isn't an option due to having some sort of acidic reaction.

"There's one straight down. Figure that we may scale down with the mag boots?" Said Spartan C35. Then he was pushed off the cliff by an unknown force along with the entire team.

And again, sorry with the delay. Been unto random stuff, then the Division kept me busy.