Author's Notes: Told you all I was gonna try to speed things up a little! Granted, not as fast as I wanted (it never is...), but still reasonably quick, I think, given the hustle and bustle of the holidays. I'm just going to hit reviews in a flash, and then we're gonna keep things moving right along (I have a lot left to do tonight, unfortunately, lol).

OH, and I PROMISE that this chapter is better than the last one. At least, I thought so.

REVIEWS:

Drake S. Hellion: haha! You wouldn't believe the grin on MY face when I finally posted that chapter and got it out of my system. And yes, Gravemind is a professional when it comes to the pulling of emotional and mental strings...and he's far from finished in this book. A couple of people liked the "physics" comment. Not sure why it came across so well, but I'm certainly happy that it did. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! It's much better than the last, I think (at least, from a writer's standpoint). Thanks very much!

killerman83ca: lol, yeah...he'll get a talking-to...sort of. You'll just have to read and find out exactly what goes on. That being said, this chapter should be fun for anyone reading. Hopefully you agree. And don't worry: no matter how long it takes...I WILL finish this freakin' book, lol. Thanks!

FireWolfFred: Hey! Yeah, I feel like Zeke's getting a lot of attention at the moment (I'm biased, so I can't help it), but I do hope to get the others to be more fully realized in time (particularly a couple of them that have been denied what they're due). And don't worry: ONI will get theirs before it's over. I couldn't do an entire story based only on Flood, lol. Merry belated Christmas to you, and enjoy what's to come! Thank you!

Barca: lol...I must agree. It was stupidly long. I hope to never have that again. As for the chapter itself: I know seeing Zeke caught up as he is is strange, but I promise everyone that, given a little rope, I'll explain it better in time (or, rather, he will). You're right in that he is a soldier and he should be able to come to grips with it...he just can't. Like I said, there's a reason. It'll just take me several chapters to explain. And yep, Sam's religious. He's never out-and-out prayed before (unless you count his very short parts in The Last Stand), but it has been mentioned a few times along the way. I hope to be able to insert the Elites into the story at some point, but I don't know yet how it will work with my current plans. Right now, count about 80-percent chance of seeing them somewhere along the way. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you like the chapter!

The Elven-Spear: lol, that's an interesting conclusion, and I could see, to an extent, where it would come from...but nope. For starters, Spartans are implanted with a catalytic growth hormone that suppresses their sex-drives, so conventional "love" is denied to them as a whole. The best you might see is them regarding one another as "family", like Samuel does. However, if it amuses you to see that in the story, I am merely the writer. My intentions are not always the same as what a reader takes away...and I'm perfectly okay with that! Thanks, and enjoy!

ching965: haha, you are very welcome! I'm glad to finally have it out.
As I mentioned to Barca, Sam's faith has been briefly mentioned a few times throughout (mostly The Last Stand), but this is the first time a prayer of this sort has ever been mentioned. It's something I considered before and never ended up doing (which will be edited in The Last Stand), and I decided now was a good time to show the deeper side of the faith.
And as to Zeke: yeah...he hasn't learned yet that confronting Gravemind without a sturdy mental fortress is a poor choice. But I think you might be genuinely surprised by his "reaction" to it all (mostly shown in his moods). Or maybe you won't...really no way to tell.
Thanks very much for reviewing! Hope you like what's to come!

RandomMan: lol, yeah, he's having a time at the moment. And keep holding out hope...he's not finished yet, I promise. Thanks!

xcavars: lol, you hate me? I'm hurt. ;)
1. I am sorry to make you all wait, lol. Trust me, it wasn't what I wanted either.
2. Zeke's not "ruined" just yet. He's showing a bit more "human" side, but trust me, he's far from destroyed. I've got two books left to finish, don't forget. :)
And yes, this is the part where you hate me and I promise you that if you give me some rope, I won't hang myself.
...now, please give me some rope. ;)
Thanks a lot! Enjoy!

Ildina: Yeah, sorry for the wait. As I've said a couple times, I hope never to have that again (no promises, but I will try). And I hope you'll find that Zeke's cockiness, regardless of what you saw in Chapter 8, is still around and ready to meet the day. ;) Thanks!

Suliac Griffin: Yeah, I know! Trust me! "Masterpiece" is the polar opposite of, and does not even begin to describe, the atrocity that I posted a couple weeks ago. Alas, I needed to get it out of my system, and 8 weeks was plenty long enough. I'm glad you at least liked the Zeke VS Gravemind commentary though. That's something, right?
Oh, and BY THE WAY: it's 2009...Not 2011...Not 2010...TWO THOUSAND AND NINE! WHAT...NOW!?!?! ;)

Samus 117: I'm glad you liked the last one (even if I wasn't fond of it). And your words, "calm before the storm" are a good summarizer for that. You're right about Gravemind: mental torment is as good as, or better, than outright killing (particularly when he doesn't feel the slightest bit threatened). And you WILL see Magnus...but it might be a while.
And yes, to some extent, I do like anime. At least, I like a couple of them (really one in particular). What did you have in mind?

armoured-blade: Hey! Why do you think I can't get on MSN anymore? ;) JK! lol. Nah, I just got busy. Didn't check mail other than college email for what seemed like eternity. Stupid papers and projects. Anyways, I figured you might like the part with Zeke and Gravemind. I thought it was an interesting point, and not a good one for him to hear. It sets my plot up nicely for later, lol. Oh, and you are the second person to tell me they liked the "physics" line, lol.
And expect to see more of the Spartans' methods for preparation over the course of the book. It's fun for me to write, and I think it helps with development considerably.
Thanks much! For once, you didn't have to proof this one! ;)

blarg boy: Thank you, for that wonderful tidbit of information, lol.

DoctorG27: Yeah, I know...it's been a while, eh? And you wouldn't believe the amount of research I did on the effects of hypergravity on a human body before writing that...in theory, it would work, and the effects could be dramatic if the technology were applied correctly. I'd give it a shot in a heartbeat, lol. Thanks for reviewing!

The Not-So Addict: lol, you're going to apologize to me for taking a few days to review...when I took eight weeks to post? Seriously? Get out of here. lol. Just leave. ;) jk
But onto the chapter: I'm glad you enjoyed it (it was shorter, you're correct), and I hope that you'll like this one even more (I find it much better). You'll see a few blows like the one from last chapter before the book is done...Zeke will just get a little better at dealing with them.
Anyways, hope you had a merry Christmas! Happy holidays to you as well! Thank you!

Percabethfan117: Thank you very much. I appreciate the compliments, however I can't say that I liked the last chapter. I thought it was poorly done, and I intend to fix it when I have time (seems like I use those words a LOT). I wish you the best of luck on your story, and enjoy the holidays!

NOW, onto the chapter...which I promise is better-written than the last one!

Chapter 9:

– Civil War –

0700 Hours - July 16, 2553

Silhouette Island - Sychelles Islands, East Of Africa

"Everybody up!"

Samuel's yelling was more than enough to pull Stephanie from the peaceful slumber that had overtaken her late the night before. Sleepily, she checked the time on the digital clock near her bunk-

"Ugh!" she moaned, "it's oh-seven-hundred, Sam!"

The steel door at the far side of the room slid open, and blinding light poured in. The Spartan closed her eyes and pulled a pillow over her head.

"We've got toys to hand out," Samuel continued. "So I need everyone up." He paused, then added, "you wouldn't be tired if you'd gone to bed at eleven like I suggested last night."

"You didn't go either!" she protested.

"But I'm still up and ready," he answered. "It's not a day off, you know."

Stephanie rolled her eyes. "Alright," she said, smiling as the tired feeling left her and she sat up, cracking her neck as she did so. "I'm up! Let's see 'em!"

"We're meeting outside." Samuel said. "Armor up."

"These better be some kick-ass toys, to get my ass out of bed at seven in the freakin' morning. Seriously, what the Hell? The damned sun's not even out yet." Blaine's tone was tired, bitter, and irritable; clearly, he hadn't gotten much sleep.

Landon made a mental note to avoid him for the day. Even completely unarmored – which he was – Blaine was still a force to be reckoned with.

"Sam wouldn't have us all out here if they weren't." Stephanie said cheerfully, fully armored besides her helmet. Apart from Samuel, who hadn't come out yet, she seemed to be – by far – the most awake and alert. And she was certainly the happiest.

Of course, between her, Blaine, Landon, and Ze-

The thought only then crossed his mind. "Where's Zeke?"

Blaine scoffed, but said nothing.

"He's probably still out." Stephanie said.

"In the Phantom?"

She shook her head. "Samuel checked this morning. He's home. He just hasn't come back to the Prowler."

Landon shook his head. "What does he do out there?"

She shrugged.

"Okay!" Sam's voice cut the conversation short as he emerged from the Prowler carrying a large metal crate. Landon immediately noticed an enormous handle sticking up out of the top. "You guys ready for an early Christmas?"

"Damn right!" Landon said, trying to keep his mood as optimistic as possible. Jason appeared to be doing better, and his chances were improving, but it was doing very little to ease the other Spartan's nerves.

"Let's see it, Sam." Blaine said. "What's the big deal about our new toys?"

The giant Spartan shrugged lightly. "They're not all flash and bang," he said. "A few are more practical, but there are a couple of convenient little improvements."

"The suspense is killing me." Blaine growled without an ounce of enthusiasm.

"You need to sleep when we're done here," Sam said, shaking his head, "preferably before you hurt someone."

Blaine said nothing. He just kept staring forward with a hint of irritation in his eyes.

"First on the list…" Samuel began fumbling through the crate. "Well, here…we'll just hand Blaine his first and get it out of the box and out of my way." He gripped the handle that was sticking up and yanked it out-

"A Gravity Hammer?" Landon asked.

"Special issue," Sam answered, throwing the giant bludgeon to Blaine, who caught it easily in his right hand and began twirling it round and round.

"What's different from the standard?" Stephanie asked.

"Two things," Samuel said. "First: it has a special set of clamps that will draw power from the excess shield energy in your armor. Basically, it's the last hammer you'll ever need, and you shouldn't have to worry about battery life."

"Always good to hear," Blaine said, now holding it in both hands and eyeing the head of it carefully.

"Secondly," Sam continued, "the amount of power it uses per swing is much lower than the standard, so it won't need to recharge as often as a regular hammer would. In addition to that, the power exerted in each swing is adjustable. You can use as little or as much of the remaining battery as you like in one swing."

Blaine didn't answer, but began toying with some kind of system on the side of the handle.

"What else you got in there?" Landon asked.

"Nothing for you," Samuel said, looking up from the box and right at him.

"Say what?"

"Just kiddin' ya," he said lightly. "Here. Catch." With that, he pulled what appeared to be a heap of mechanical parts from the crate and promptly tossed them right at Landon-

"Hey!" he shouted, recoiling as the jumble of parts hit him with the force of a small car. "You mind toning it down?"

Samuel only laughed, digging through the crate again.

"Now what the Hell is this?" Landon asked, mostly to himself, as he tried to make heads or tails of the technology in his hands.

"It's a reverse-engineered jump-pack, similar to what the Brutes were using during the war, but about twice as efficient." Samuel said, still picking through the box. "I figure you'll be spending the most time in the air of any of us, so this gives you a good way to get in and out without a problem."

"Well, Hell, Sam," Landon answered, "anything that gets me more airtime."

"I thought you might see it that way."

"What about me?" Stephanie asked.

"Nothing too special," Samuel answered. "I've got plenty of ammunition for a pair of Brute Maulers, Fuel Rods for the trip out, and these…" He pulled out two cylindrical steel rings and tossed them to her.

"What are these for?"

"They're mounts for weapon attachments, like the Sentinel Beams that I've been using since the Flood got here."

"Okay," she said, sounding puzzled, "but what exactly are we mounting?"

"I thought you could use a little more firepower." He answered.

"Sam, you know I just love puzzles," she answered sarcastically, "but can we please skip to the details this time?" She flashed a sly smile.

"They mount miniature versions of the M7057." He said.

It took Stephanie a moment to match the identification number to a weapon, but it took Landon no time at all.

"Flamethrowers?" he asked skeptically.

Samuel nodded. "Miniature variants of the defoliant projector, one per arm. The range is cut dramatically – down to only a couple of feet – but they certainly don't lack in effectiveness, especially against the Flood. We've got extra pyrosene for them as well."

"I could get used to this." She said with a grin.

"Zeke's still not here," Landon noted. "He's gonna miss out."

"There's nothing in here for him anyway," Samuel said, glancing up for only a second.

"No early Christmas for Zeke?" Stephanie joked.

"Ezekiel Veron, on the naughty list?" Landon asked, his tone dripping with false surprise. "Never!"

Snickers and laughs erupted around him, continuing for several seconds-

Until Stephanie suddenly stopped.

"Shit," Landon said, sighing and looking at the ground. "He's standing behind me, isn't he?"

No one said anything. Blaine scoffed.

"Hi Zeke."

"Hi."

Only Zeke could make the word "hi" into a threat.

"Just talking about you-"

"I heard."

More threats.

Thankfully, Samuel bailed him out before he could dig himself deeper. "Sorry they didn't really send anything for you, but I figured you wouldn't mind."

Landon turned around to see that Zeke had stepped off to the side. The other Spartan was completely unarmored, but his shirt and shorts were ripped, tattered and, in a few places, bloodstained.

"I've got what I need." He answered coldly. "I'm just here for a bite."

"Take what you want," Sam said.

"He always does." Blaine muttered.

Surprisingly, Ezekiel ignored that particular jab, and stepped without a word into the Prowler.

Landon sighed loudly. "Phew," he said, relieved. "Thanks for that."

Samuel nodded. "No problem. He's been in a foul mood lately."

"If by lately, you mean since we've known him, then yes." Blaine said.

"Forget about him." Sam said. "Let's go give that hammer a test-run. We'll see if we can figure out how the thing works."

Blaine nodded. "Fair enough."

Landon saw Samuel turn to face him. "You checking on Jason?"

"Yeah," he answered.

"Then what?"

Landon shrugged. "I don't know." He lied. "Just hang around and relax. Maybe test this jump-pack out."

In truth, however, he had no intentions of testing the jump-pack just yet. He would go check on Jason, but then he had other plans. They included finding Ezekiel Veron and setting the record straight.

In Landon's mind, they both still had a fair amount to apologize for.

"Any tests for mine?" Stephanie asked, bringing the other Spartan back to reality.

"Well," Sam shifted uncomfortably, "I feel that testing your particular weapons on an island packed with vegetation that hasn't had a good rain in months is a bad idea." He paused. "I could be wrong…but I doubt it."

Stephanie shrugged. "Probably right," she said.

"How you doing, Zeke?" Joseph Wallace asked as the unarmored Spartan entered the Prowler. As usual, the former game warden was a little too cheery for Zeke's liking.

"Fine," he growled. "I'm just here for a bite to eat."

"Not sticking around?" Wallace joked. "I'm disappointed!"

Ezekiel scowled, ignoring the man and moving down the hall, toward the Spartans' miserable excuse for a kitchen. What had once likely been a relatively-advanced food preparation area had been reduced to – for all intents and purposes – a can opener and a stack of plates.

"Need to talk Stephanie into cooking again," the Spartan said quietly, looking around for food that hadn't yet gone bad. He had just started rifling through a large box when heavy footsteps attracted his attention.

And they weren't just heavy.

They were metallic.

"Oh, great," he growled.

"Zeke!"

Landon.

"Damn it." He muttered before turning around. "What?"

"Do me a favor," the other Spartan said. "Stay there for just a minute. I wanna talk to you, but I gotta check on Jason first."

Ezekiel was surprised, but kept it hidden. "Sure thing," he lied with practiced ease.

"Great! Just one second!" Landon seemed genuinely excited when he rushed from the kitchen doorway to go and see Jason.

And as soon as he'd gone, Ezekiel set the can down and calmly began walking toward the Prowler's exit.

Blaine continued to test the balance of the UNSC-made Gravity Hammer, twirling it effortlessly in his hand as he and Samuel trekked further into the wooded parts of Silhouette. The other Spartan seemed rushed, almost anxious, to get to wherever it was that they were headed.

It was strange for Sam.

"You okay back there?" The cybernetic Spartan asked, stopping and turning around.

"Yeah," Samuel answered, "I'm fine." He shrugged. "I'm just ready to get this show on the road. Maybe three days of break-time was too long."

Blaine nodded. "Damn right it was," he said. "We should be in L.A. by now, not screwing off here, wasting time and letting the Flood amass their forces." He gripped the bottom of the hammer in his right hand and swung it hard into a tree only a few feet to his right.

CRACK!

The small, thin tree split straight down the center as an expanding sphere of gravity consumed its trunk and sent pieces of wood splintering in every direction.

Blaine lifted the bludgeon up to eye-level and carefully examined the titanium head, admiring the intricate details that were carved into the metal on one side, and the miniature blade that had been crafted on the other. It was just like a regular Gravity Hammer…

Only better.

"Not bad, Sam." Blaine mused, looking at the energy status on the weapon and noting that the hammer was currently using only two-percent of its maximum battery per hit. That was a fifth of what a swing would use in a standard hammer, and the effects of his last shot were roughly the same.

"Turn it up," the gigantic Spartan answered. "See how you like it."

Blaine grinned, manually changing the power settings on the hammer via a small, delicate-looking touch-screen near the bottom of the handle. When he had finished altering the settings, a piece of solid titanium slid around from inside the handle, covering the screen.

"Just don't hurt yourself." Sam said as Blaine reared back with the hammer. "Or me, for that matter!" He took a pair of giant steps backwards.

"Here goes!" Blaine shouted, using both hands to hold the bludgeon on his right side with the head somewhere several feet behind him. He turned hard to the left and sent the hammer crashing into a tree roughly three times the size of the last one-

CRASH!

Blaine was knocked backwards by the expelled energy as it swelled from the head and consumed everything that happened to be too close. The trunk of the tree where the hammer connected had all but disintegrated on contact, and the stump had been splintered and indented almost a foot into the dirt. In addition, every bit of the tree above the point of impact was sent soaring into the air, flipping end-over-end until it crashed into the ground somewhere deeper in the forest.

"Jeez!" Samuel shouted. "You wanna turn that down a little?"

Blaine shrugged, ignoring the plea and grinning widely. "I think I'm gonna like this thing, Sam."

"Damn it, Zeke." Landon whispered under his breath as he continued sprinting through the woods, toward the cave that he knew the other Spartan was probably already at.

He'd asked him to stay behind, just for a minute. That was all. It wasn't a huge request. And then, to add even more insult, the other Spartan actually agreed to his request before ditching him and leaving the Prowler without a word.

"You can be a real ass sometimes," he growled, shaking his head. "I just wish-"

He stopped.

Up ahead, more than a hundred yards away, was a man walking calmly through the woods with his back to Landon. His hands were in his pockets, and his shirt was ripped in three places.

Zeke.

"Ezekiel!" Landon shouted, speeding up to catch him. "Hey! Zeke!"

The Spartan turned around abruptly. For a split second, Landon was sure that he was going to take off running, but Ezekiel controlled the impulse, because he just stood there, glaring at the incoming soldier until he was within talking distance.

"What do you want?" he growled.

"I just wanted to talk to you." Landon said as he slowed to a stop several feet away.

Ezekiel was a stickler for personal space.

"We have nothing to talk about." He turned to walk away.

"Look," Landon said, taking a step and stopping him. "I know you're upset. I know that, with the news about Vic-"

"Let me stop you there." Zeke interrupted. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about what happened, and I want to help you to get her back." Landon said. "I just wanted to talk about-"

"I'm not talking to you about Jason." Zeke interrupted.

The comment deeply confused Landon. "I was talking about Victoria-"

"And you're going to use Victoria as a window to get into a talk about Jason." Zeke finished. "And I told you: I'm not interested. Take a hike."

"Why not?" Landon asked, now slightly angry. It was true: he did want to talk about Jason. Why shouldn't they? Ezekiel shot him. "Why can't we-"

"Look." Zeke growled, stopping him. "Either you agree with the decision I made and you're here to thank me…or you don't, and you're here to bitch." He paused. "Either way, not interested." He turned around again, but Landon grabbed his arm-

Zeke spun around in a flash, grabbing the extended arm and twisting it forward until the palm faced the sky. Then he put his free hand underneath the elbow, silently threatening to break the limb at the joint.

The other Spartan's words were cold and menacing. "Go. Away."

He let go, and Landon jerked back, but was undeterred. "You're not as tough as you think you are." He snapped.

Zeke scoffed. "If you believe that, then you are as dumb as you look. Maybe you were right." He paused, apparently gauging Landon's reaction. "Maybe it should've been you in that window."

These words were enough to shatter Landon's composure as the memory of watching Jason be consumed by the horde of undead forms consumed his conscious thought. He felt the vertigo of falling out the window and the impact with the ground that rattled the street. He heard the screams of the Flood as they breached the room and stole his best friend-

"At least Jason wasn't completely useless." Zeke added. "But no, he almost went out, trying to save your worthless hide. And for what?" The other Spartan shook his head bitterly. "For what?"

Landon couldn't even find the breath to speak, much less the words themselves. All he could hear were Ezekiel's paralyzing statements that completely destroyed his self-worth. Was he really so useless? Did every Spartan see him this way, or was it just Ezekiel being his typical self? He'd already concluded that it should have been him in that window, because Jason would be more useful in-

"Oh well," Zeke finished. "I guess he found the perfect way to get out of the war without looking like a weakling. The coward's way out without all the insults."

This snapped Landon back to reality in an instant. "What did you say?" he asked, genuinely wondering if he had only heard the words in his own head.

Ezekiel only glared at him, grinning slightly.

Landon knew immediately that the other Spartan was trying to provoke him into a fight he couldn't win. He could feel it in Ezekiel's tone and his stance. He was looking for someone to beat on.

But did it matter? Could he let him talk about Jason that way, the man that had been willing to save Landon's life at the price of losing his own?

"You have no right to talk about him like that." Landon growled. "He put his life on the line for mine!"

"That makes him foolish. Nothing more."

Landon couldn't take it anymore. It took all the self-control he had to pull his punch…but even that was only enough to slow it down. Almost against his own will, he reared back with his right hand and lashed out at the smaller Spartan-

SLAM!

His fist connected with Zeke's jaw hard enough to send the smaller Spartan stumbling backwards, with his head turned tightly to the side.

Landon was still trying to calm his anger when the other Spartan slowly righted himself and turned his head forward. He touched his mouth with his hand and glanced casually at the blood that had gathered there. Then, without a word, he calmly turned sideways and spat onto the dirt.

"That was your free shot." He said coldly.

For reasons that Landon didn't fully understand, this comment only served to enrage him further, and he lashed out again, this time with the other hand-

He caught nothing but air as Ezekiel smoothly sidestepped.

Landon gritted his teeth and struck again-

And got the same result.

"Stop embarrassing yourself." Zeke said, visibly working to suppress laughter. "You're not a physical fighter. Maybe against Brutes and Grunts, but not against another Spartan. Blaine's a fighter. Vic was a fighter. Even Sam's a fighter when he has to be." He paused. "But not you."

Landon knew better, but he couldn't help himself. He threw another punch, and when it missed, he lashed out with his right leg, lifting it up and spinning sideways-

Zeke ducked low and spun as well, and Landon felt his other leg be taken out from under him. A second later, he was flat on his ass, staring up at the other Spartan.

"Don't insult me by getting up." He said. "Just stay on the ground, where you belong."

Landon scrambled to his feet and started swinging again. His skills weren't clouded. He was fighting well, even for a Spartan…but it didn't matter. Ezekiel, like Victoria, was meant for speed, and no biomechanical super-soldier was going to catch him off-guard. Landon hit air again and again, and was only vaguely aware as the other Spartan began to move to the side-

SLAM!

Landon felt the other Spartan's knee crash into his stomach, and he doubled over, holding his abdomen in both hands, coughing hard and struggling not to fall to his knees in front of the already-arrogant prick beside him.

"Remember this lesson later," Zeke said, and Landon watched out of the corner of his eye as the other Spartan clasped his hands together and lifted them high into the air.

The biomechanical soldier knew the shot was coming even before he felt the titanium-reinforced hands crash into his spinal cord at the top of his back, and he was unconscious before his face hit the dirt.

Samuel cracked the door to Jason's room, only to see the injured Spartan sleeping soundly in his bed. Surprisingly, Landon was nowhere to be found.

"Where is he?" Sam asked aloud. He'd checked every common hangout for the biomechanical soldier now, including the kitchen and the Spartans' poor excuse for a weight-room. The leading Spartan sighed loudly. "I can't find him anywhere."

"Who's that?" Joseph Wallace asked as he stopped a few feet behind Sam in the hallway.

Samuel turned around quickly. "Landon," he clarified. "Have you seen him?"

Joseph nodded to the Prowler's exit. "Chased after Zeke about an hour ago," he answered. "Damned if I know why. I wouldn't chase that guy if somebody paid me."

Samuel put his right hand to his temple, shaking his head slowly. He had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, and it was almost always an accurate sign of trouble.

"Crap."

"I still don't see why I can't get an Assault Cannon," Stephanie joked as she and Blaine continued their journey to find a bigger tree for the hammer-wielding Spartan to smash. "His arms aren't that much bigger than mine!"

Blaine laughed at the comment before motioning to his own forearms. "If anyone gets implanted guns," he said with a grin, "it damn-sure better be me. You know what I could do with a pair of HEAT rockets set right in there-"

He stopped abruptly, squinting as he looked straight passed Stephanie and into the woods behind her.

"What is it?" Stephanie asked, turning and straightening up to see what he was looking at. At first, she didn't notice it, but within a few seconds, the shape in the middle of the path that ran parallel to their own caught her attention. "Oh my God! Is that-"
"Landon!" Blaine shouted, pushing passed her and through the foliage. She was right behind him when he reached the other cybernetic Spartan.

"Landon," she said, lifting his upper-body in her arms. "Landon, wake up!"

It took what felt like eternity but, slowly, painfully, the Spartan's eyes began to flutter open as his consciousness returned to him. A second later, he sat up abruptly.

"Oh, Hell!" he moaned, holding his head. "Damn it."

"What happened to you?"
"What do you think?" he asked cynically. "I got my ass kicked."

"Not the Flood," Blaine growled.

"Shit, no!" Landon answered angrily. "Zeke!"

"Ezekiel did this?" Stephanie asked, her voice riddled with disbelief. "Why? What happened?"

Landon shook his head. "My fault," he said bitterly. "I let him provoke me into a fight. I knew what he was doing, and I let him do it anyway. Stupid-ass…"

"That doesn't mean shit." Blaine snarled. "Being able to play mind-games doesn't give him the right to do whatever the Hell he wants. I'm sick and tired of this bullshit." He turned and began to stalk down the path.

"Hey!" Stephanie shouted. "We have to help Landon get back to the Prowler! Blaine! Hey!"

Blaine didn't answer. He just kept walking, oblivious.

"Where are you going?"

The biomechanical Spartan didn't even turn around when he answered her.

"To teach Zeke some manners."

"Be careful!" Landon shouted. "He's not much for warm-ups!"

"No offense, Landon," Blaine yelled back, still without turning around, "but you're much more suited to a cockpit than a sparring ring. Just let me handle it."

"You're no faster than I am!" He shouted back, obviously insulted. "I couldn't lay a finger on him! What do you think you're gonna do any different than I did?"

At this, Blaine finally stopped and turned around to face them. "I'm gonna kick his scrawny ass."

"You gonna be able to keep up this pace?" Demon's voice came from the Phantom's speakers and echoed around the cavern.

"Did I ask for your input?" Zeke growled, continuing his pushups as the purple light from the gravity lift surrounded him. He'd had the AI turn the intensity down slightly, but his body still felt like it weighed a ton.

And that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part of the whole ordeal was that his senses were not accustomed to the greater gravity, and every time he moved vertically, even if it was only a handful of inches for a pushup, his vision blurred and a migraine worked its way into his skull.

"Just thought I'd ask," the AI said defensively. "What's got you so pissed off?"

"None of your concern," Zeke answered. "Now leave me alo-"

"Zeke!"

Blaine's voice reverberated around the cave like thunder, and Ezekiel knew immediately that the cybernetic Spartan must have stumbled upon Landon's unconscious form in the woods. That meant that-

"Zeke! Get your ass out here!"

He was pissed.

"Just what I need," Ezekiel growled, "more distractions." He sighed. "Turn it off, Demon."

The AI complied, and the field of altered gravity disappeared. Ezekiel promptly stood up and – still unarmored – began walking toward the tunnel that would take him out of the cave.

"Come on!" Demon shouted behind him. "Don't I get to watch?"

Zeke ignored him, rounding the corner and walking in total silence as Blaine shouted again. His deafening roar echoed through the tunnel, and Ezekiel grimaced and he was sure his ears would bleed if the Spartan yelled again.

After almost another full minute, he came to the sunlit exit of the cave and – as expected – a very angry biomechanical super-soldier, standing in a t-shirt and khaki shorts.

"What?" Zeke growled.

"You know what." Blaine snapped back.

Ezekiel rolled his eyes. "Let me guess: you're pissed at me too." He shook his head. "Landon got a free punch. You want one too? Will that make you feel better? Go ahead! Take your shot!"

"Careful." Blaine snarled, his tone dark. "Unlike Landon, I only need one." He brought his right hand up, raising his index finger for emphasis.

"Just because you can intimidate the children," Zeke said with a grin, referring to the non-Spartans in the Prowler, "don't expect me to tremble."

"Oh, I don't expect you to be afraid. But that's okay. I didn't come here to scare you."

"No?"

Blaine shook his head, still without a ghost of a smile on his face. He was dead-serious. "I came here to kick your worthless ass and teach you a little lesson in respect for your teammates."

Ezekiel didn't even try to conceal the cool laughter that answered the Spartan's statement. "You're good, Blaine." He said. "But you're a biomech. Landon couldn't touch me. What makes you think you can?"

"I know you better than Landon." He answered puzzlingly.

"So?"

At this, Blaine grinned. "Try me and find out for yourself."

Zeke shrugged. "You want a war? That's fine." He smiled. "But you'll have to throw the first punch, that way Sam will stay off my ass."

The opposing Spartan cocked his head at the statement, staring forward as if he were trying to make up his mind.

"Well?" Zeke asked.

Blaine's answer came in the form of a lunge and a right hook-

Both of which were easily ducked under, and Ezekiel lashed out with his own strike, hitting the other Spartan hard in the kidney.

"Shit!" Blaine cursed, stumbling back and holding his side.

"Told you," Zeke mocked, "too slow." He lunged forward, and Blaine swung again-

But again, he missed. Ezekiel dodged to the left and struck him open-handed at the top of his back, barely jumping in time to avoid a retaliatory swing.

"Damn you," Blaine cursed, turning around to face his opponent.

Zeke smiled wide, jumping up and down casually with his fists raised to his chest, signaling to the other Spartan that he was just warming up.

"You're slower than Landon." He mused.

Blaine said nothing, but his glare told Ezekiel exactly what he was thinking.

"Give up yet?"

"You're a little bitch." He answered. "And I don't care how fast you are. You still don't fight worth a damn."

Zeke felt his face shift as anger crept into his mind. He ran forward and dodged another strike, punching the other Spartan in the stomach before turning on his left foot and sending a strike into Blaine's kidney from his right-

And the tables turned.

"Uh-oh," Blaine laughed, holding the smaller Spartan's ankle in his left hand. The strike was a good one, there was no denying that. But Ezekiel got too comfortable. He let Blaine see the move he was about to make, and the biomechanical Spartan simply pushed through the minor pain and grabbed the other soldier's leg the moment the shot connected.

"What the-" Zeke started, both his voice and face riddled with disbelief.

"I'm biomechanical, dumb-shit." Blaine growled. "Just because you hit me and I say "ow" does not mean that it actually hurt." He paused, smiling. "Now, I think a little payback is in order."

SLAM!

Without letting go of the ankle, he smashed his right fist into Ezekiel's stomach, all but burying it there and listening to the other Spartan coughing violently as he held his abdomen in his arms.

As the other Spartan worked to recover his breath, Blaine grabbed the ankle with his other hand and tightened his grip. "Speed doesn't mean much when you can't get away, does it?"

Before Zeke could answer, Blaine lifted both hands above his head, carrying the smaller Spartan with them as he spun around and brought them down in a rush, slamming Ezekiel into the dirt facing the sky.

"Aw, what's wrong Zeke?" He asked, gripping the other Spartan's shirt collar and pulling him up a couple of feet. When he was high enough, Blaine reared back with his free hand and hammer-punched the smaller soldier right in the face, sending him crashing into the dirt again, gasping for breath.

"Good thing that jaw of yours is reinforced, huh?" Blaine mocked.

Zeke didn't answer. He lied there for several seconds, coughing and spitting up blood as he braced himself on his elbows and tried to get up.

"Here," Blaine said, "let me help you-"

He was taken by surprise as not one, but both of Ezekiel's heels crashed into his chest, sending him stumbling backwards before falling over.

"Little prick," Blaine said, grinning slightly. Even after taking a hit, he felt pretty good. No matter what happened now, he'd made his point. He stood up and turned slowly.

Ezekiel was already on his feet, and he glared straight at Blaine as he indifferently – almost casually – spat a mouthful of blood onto the dirt. "At least babysitting hasn't made you too soft."

Blaine's eyes narrowed. "You left me to do it on my own. We're a team. Not that that ever mattered to you." He gritted his teeth. "Sam might want you for this mission, but not even he trusts you. You've always been an ass, but I used to know that you'd put your life on the line for us if you had to." He shook his head. "Those days are over."

Ezekiel, for the first time in as long as Blaine could remember, seemed genuinely shocked by the statement. He stood there, staring, for almost a full minute before speaking again.

"I didn't leave you to do anything you couldn't deal with." He said, his tone still bitter. "And I already told Samuel: the Flood have to go. Finding Victoria is still my main objective, but I'll be damned if I watch these bastards make it off-planet."

Blaine grinned. "No one doubts that you hate the Flood, Zeke. What they doubt is that you hate anyone else any less."

"That's asinine." Ezekiel answered coldly. "I don't-"

"You knocked Landon unconscious!"

"He struck first!"

"Did he?" Now Blaine was calm, and Ezekiel was the one that was clearly off.

"Yes. He did."

"Why?"

Zeke scoffed. "Fine," he admitted, "I wanted a sparring partner, so I pissed him off. I didn't do any permanent damage. The temporary damage will hurt like Hell, but he'll be fine in a day."

"That's not the point." Blaine answered. "You need to get your mind back where it belongs and remember who your friends are. We don't need you if you're not in this to win it-"

"Of course I'm in it to-"

"With us," Blaine finished, "if you're not in it to win it…with us."

And he turned around, grabbing his Gravity Hammer from the base of a nearby tree and walking back toward the Prowler.

"Are you okay?" Samuel asked, looking Landon over to check for additional bruises besides the most obvious one.

"I'm fine." He answered crossly. "Zeke just surprised me; that's all. He's not strong enough to really hurt me."

Stephanie suppressed a smile. The other Spartan was deeply offended by Ezekiel's attack, and not even by the assault itself, but by the notion that it had proven him inferior in some way to the opposing soldier. It was sad.

But his reaction, no matter how sad the situation was…that was hilarious.

"I could've taken him," he maintained, "if I'd wanted to. I just didn't strike hard because he wasn't armored and-"

"I know, Landon." Samuel said, looking at the soldier's back. A second later, he smiled and shook his head. "No major damage. You should be fine in a day or so."

"I'm fine now," Landon insisted. "He hits like a girl."

"Who does?" Zeke seemed to materialize from nowhere, stepping in through the open doorway without a sound.

"Damn it." Landon sighed. Then he shouted, "every time!"

"Look, Landon," Zeke started, clearly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. I needed to let off a little steam, and you were unfortunate enough to chase after me. That's the reason I left the Prowler: I didn't want anyone around in case I snapped."

Stephanie nearly fell over.

"What did you say?" Landon asked, his eyes wide as saucers. "Did you just apologize? To me?"

"Don't get used to it." Zeke growled. In a flash, he returned to his normal self. "Now get out. I have to talk to Samuel."

"But we were-"

"Now!"

Both Landon and Stephanie looked to Samuel, who only rolled his eyes. "Just go," he said finally. "We'll only be a minute."

"Okay," Samuel said after the two Spartans had gone and the steel door had slid completely shut. "What do you want?"

"I don't know what's wrong with me." Zeke answered bluntly. "And I don't know how to fix it."

"Well," Sam said, leaning back against the far wall. "How 'bout you start by telling me what happened at Mahé last night while you were away?"

"It's none of your business." Zeke snapped, instantly on the defensive.

But Samuel pressed anyway. "Something changed last night. You left here confident and proud, like you had something to live for. And today, you're a mess." He paused. "You try to convince me Gravemind didn't have something to do with that."

Ezekiel grimaced at the mention of the name, and Samuel knew for certain that he'd been right. The black-armored Spartan had gone to Mahé to settle a score, and Gravemind had made him regret it.

"You have to get him out of your head."

"What the Hell do you think I'm doing?" Zeke shouted. "Why do you think I went to that Hellhole last night? I went to get him to leave me alone!"

"What happened?"

Zeke's fists clenched at his sides. "I don't get it. No matter how hard I try to defend myself, how numb I am, he manages to find a way through and finds the only holes in the wall that he can hit me from."

Samuel was puzzled. "In this case…?"

"Victoria," he answered. "Even if I can find her…how am I supposed to face her, Samuel? I killed her."

"We talked about this-"

"And we were wrong!" He shouted. "I didn't know that it was her, and if it had been, it would have changed nothing!" Ezekiel's breathing accelerated, and Samuel knew that it was almost time to end this particular conversation. "I'd have killed her all the same!"

"Zeke, you made a choice." Samuel said, choosing his words carefully. "You chose to help her the only way that we could. I don't care what Gravemind told you. You made the only decision there was to make, the one we all would have made." He smiled. "You did the right thing. You served the greater good."

Ezekiel scoffed loudly. "Then why do I feel like a monster?"

"That's how you know." Sam answered, his voice distant as he remembered bits and pieces of Zulu's history, like the destruction of a major facility in Los Angeles that could have killed countless civilians upon its collapse, or the death of Magnus Daniels when he gave his life to ensure that Samuel escaped and helped to stop the Flood. Then there was the bombing of Paris and the deaths of thousands of innocent people to stop the Flood…

The "greater good".

"That's how you know." Samuel repeated quietly, mostly to himself. A moment later, he returned to the situation at hand. "You need to get your mind right." He said. "I don't care how you do it, but you have one more day before we leave. Even if that means taking the Phantom somewhere, do it. But I don't want you listening to a word Gravemind says if you leave here."

"Where would I even go?" Zeke asked. "Mahé no longer serves a purpose to me."

Samuel shrugged. "You don't have to go anywhere. I'm not exiling you. But what happened today, between you and Landon," he paused, working to stay neutral in the situation. "That had better never happen again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Zeke growled.

"Good." Samuel nodded, satisfied. "Now get your stuff. I don't care if it's food, clothes, medicine…just get it, go to the Phantom, and do whatever it is you do. But get your head straight. I don't expect – or want – to have this talk again."

"That makes two of us." Ezekiel answered, turning toward the door. It slid open, and he stopped. "Thanks, Goliath."

Sam smiled. "No problem. Just promise me that you'll remember it. We're a team. We're family." He stopped for a moment before adding a last comment. "And we have a job to do."

Ezekiel's face was grim at the mention of the Spartans' "job", but he nodded all the same before stepping from the room and allowing the door the slide shut behind him.

Author's Notes: Well, that's Chapter 9. Blaine fans, like I said, should be pleased. He's a tank, what can I say?

I'll start working on 10 here in the next day or two, and hopefully get it done before I have to go back to school in 2 weeks. Happy holidays everyone!

- Raptor