Warning: some coarse language/concepts/themes a bit later, meant to explore a side of the IIs we don't get in the canon verse. Please do review! I love reading good reviews, heehee.
Chapter 10: Getting Up to Spar
Carter gave up trying to make the armor fit Lucy and stood back, staring at the young woman with a hand on his chin. "You're too damn small," he told her, inviting her to share a chuckle. She just shrugged. "Alright, let's try a bodysuit on. Maybe that will bulk you up enough."
"What's the problem?" John asked, coming over.
"Lucy's just too small for our armor," the IV answered, handing the woman their smallest body suit.
"Our own armor is good enough," Tom said from where he was working with Naomi trying on boots. Thankfully, they had a few pairs of those, so at least his feet would match.
John, however, shook his head. "Not against Brutes, it isn't," he replied, glancing at the III's stacked armor. "That's light-combat rig. We'll get to Earth two weeks after whatever is happening has started, which means we could very easily come up to a burned planet." They were all silent. "If that is the case, we're going to need to infiltrate any ships left – if there are any – and figure out what happened."
"They have the Orbital Defense Grid," Carter said quietly.
"Which wasn't much good last time," John pointed out. "And whatever is behind the Brutes is at least as advanced as anything we've seen before, possibly far out-stripping even the Forerunner tech we've got."
"We'll just have to trust the Admiral that he wouldn't send us to a hopeless situation," Linda said from where she was watching L'eto take apart her armor's power pack.
John nodded slightly, not mentioning what a captain had said to him once. The conversation hadn't lasted long, but it had been one of the first in which John has felt the loss of his siblings sharply.
"Son, you were created to do the impossible. Your brothers and sisters did it – you've done it. We're asking you to do it again."
John also recalled his response. "Yes, sir." At the time, he had been given orders to extract a high-profile target from a Covenant-infested planet. He had succeeded, but his entire support platoon had died.
Naomi noticed his lapse in attention and tossed a rag at the Chief's head. John caught it and glanced at her reprovingly; she smirked slightly and he nodded in thanks.
Kelly noted the silent communication and glanced at Linda, who caught her eyes. The other II had noticed the exchange as well, but she shrugged faintly, unaffected.
It took the rest of that "day" to outfit the IIIs in a set of mismatched armor that made all the IVs snicker when it was completely assembled on Tom and Lucy. It was very easy to tell that the armor had been scrounged – most of it was brand new and all in various shades of green.
The IIs received all the upgrades they could handle, including to their neural interface with Dr. Halsey and Cortana's help. John had cleaned his armor, as had the IVs.
"We'll practice and train in our armor tomorrow," John told the assembled Spartans once all the kinks had been worked out. "For now, get used to moving in your new armor for the rest of the evening." They all struck careful salutes; he dismissed them and went to the bridge.
Cortana greeted him. "I have sent off the message, but there is no reply," she told him immediately. "We will be in the Sol system in fourteen days, but we'll arrive with a dead ship."
"We need to drop out in the asteroid belt," John told the AI and pilot. "Can we ride an asteroid in-system or shadow a comet?"
Cortana brought up the necessary charts and John examined them with her, though she was much faster at finding their ticket than he was. "There," she said, highlighting a particular asteroid. "This one is unstable and likely to be headed in-system soon enough. We could give it a nudge and shadow it past Earth. When we get there, I'll know more – but I assume we're assuming someone or something hostile is taking or will have taken over Earth by the time we arrive?"
"Yes," John answered. "Probably the latter," he added grimly.
"I have tried contacting Earth – nothing is out of the ordinary that I can detect." Cortana's voice was quietly anxious. "If Admiral Hood knows something's wrong with Earth and is sending us to save it, why haven't we received at least a distress signal?"
"Could something be blocking all communications and making dummy comms?" John asked.
"Yes, but I traded handshakes with AIs I know personally," Cortana argued, clearly a little miffed that the Chief suspected her ability to spot a cover-up.
John frowned. "But if we are facing whatever was behind the War Chieftain, they may be able to replicate an AI," John pointed out. "Did you not get a human contact?"
"I'll try again," Cortana said by way of answer.
"Thank you, Cortana." John left N'hamee in charge of the bridge and checked in on the IIs and IIIs. They were running back and forth in the largest room on the ship, the docking bay, to get used to the movement of their new armor, spotting problems and correcting them before they went into training or battle. The IVs watched, a flock of colored armored birds perched atop the Peliship where they could be out of the way.
John joined the IVs in their observation; Naomi scooted over to make the Chief a spot up front and knocked shoulder armor with him. "Kelly's faster than anyone I've seen before," she said lowly, in tones of awe. "You're a smidge faster than us, but… Damn."
The II smiled; he could tell Kelly had heard the praise by the way her nose twitched. She liked being remarked upon for her speed, just as she liked being the fastest human in the universe. It was a mark of pride, but it had never hurt her, and encouraged her to constantly improve her time.
"We haven't had a chance to settle down and get to know each other since we picked 'em up," Carter said. He scratched behind his ear, his helmet resting on his knee.
John coughed warningly at the slight smirk on the IV's face. "Remember, Carter, IIs aren't used to your sort of… interaction."
Naomi snorted, nudging the three males sharply. "No flirting!" she translated.
"Aw, Naomi, you know I couldn't have eyes for any gal but you," Carter gushed, grinning foolishly at the younger woman.
"I'll gouge your eyes out if you try anything," she assured him with a laugh.
John grinned slightly. He was well used to the false flirting the IVs practiced – it was very Marine-like, though they tended to take it to extremes he hadn't witnessed in thirty years of warfare – but he knew it would catch his Spartan brother and sisters by surprise. The sexual drives that had been trained out of him and the rest of the IIs – and the IIIs, likely – was present in the IVs in what he considered almost unhealthy amounts, but without much comparison, he was unsure if he was simply inexperienced.
"Yeah, next to them, you're practically one o' us," Landsmen was saying to the Chief when he tuned back into their banter. John raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Yanno, you get that we're just jokin' and aren't actually interested in fuckin' – least, not on a mission. And Rebecca's got her claim on ya, so there's that."
Now John was completely unsure; he hadn't realized he had been a target of flirtation. Or that Rebecca had any kind of claim on his… what? Clearly, the IVs read his expression correctly and all burst into laughter, which made the IIs and IIIs turn to look at them.
Naomi covered her face. "Oh, lords, you didn't realize, did you?"
"Uh…" John shook his head. "No."
Lazlakovic even grinned and patted John's head like a good dog; since she was sitting behind him, on a taller portion of the Peliship, she had to reach down to do it. "You're so innocent in some ways, John," she told him mock-severely. The Chief shook his head slightly. It was the first time any of the IVs had referred to him by name; it made him feel kind of strange. He decided to examine that later and turn back to the topic at hand. Much as he would have liked to ignore it, if he was missing something vital in his interactions with his soldiers, he needed to know about it.
"Hell, Chief, I thought Rebecca might've at least…" Naomi threw the closest object, which happened to be John's helmet, at Landsmen, who ducked it with a hearty laugh. Carter, behind him, caught the helmet so it didn't get injured. "…prepared you," Landsmen finished.
Now John was really confused. The IVs knew about his stint as a civilian – he had shared amusing stories about trying to fit in during their long training sessions, between spars – and knew who Rebecca was, but the Chief hadn't expected them to draw that conclusion.
"I'm sure he can handle himself when it comes to Rebecca," Naomi told Landsmen severely. The Chief looked to his IIs for backup, but Fred, Kelly, and Linda were just staring at them in confusion. "Right?" she turned back to the II.
John motioned for Carter to toss his helmet back. "Rebecca is an excellent friend and helped me adjust to civilian life," he said to cover his confusion.
Both Lazlakovic's and Naomi's eyes widened; the three males snorted. "Wait, wait, wait. She never…?" Naomi stared at John, who was getting decidedly uncomfortable. "You didn't…? Jeez, Chief."
Lazlakovic smacked the Chief lightly; the II blinked in confusion and no small amount of frustration. "Would you stop bouncing around the subject?" he growled.
"You and Rebecca," Naomi said, as though he was a slow child. "Rebecca and you. How much clearer can I be?!"
"Are you asking if we engaged in a relationship?" the Chief asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Exactly!" the IV agreed, nodding.
"No," he answered, shaking his head.
"Seriously?" Now it was Carter's turn to pry; John frowned, decidedly uncomfortable. He was their commanding officer, after all, and his civilian life was really not something he wished to dwell on, especially as it concerned Rebecca. "You had a whole year and, yanno, Rebecca's a beautiful woman, and you were fresh out of the military…"
"Would you shut up?" Lazlakovic smacked her fellow Spartan slightly harder than necessary. "It's none of our business."
John nodded in relief and agreement.
"What'd they do, remove your sex drives?" Naomi asked. Apparently her curiosity – and prying nature – couldn't be curbed by Lazlakovic's warning.
"Of course," Kelly answered; she was standing nearby. At this, all five Spartan IVs straightened, looking from John to the other IIs in absolute amazement. Fred, Kelly, Linda, and John shared a glance.
"Wait, seriously?" Carter asked, sitting up in surprise. "I knew y'all were trained from six years old, but… really?"
"Yes, really," John answered, frowning. "What does this have to do with Rebecca?"
Naomi and Landsmen glanced between each other and blushed furiously. "Um… Never mind. We really stepped into that one."
"Wait, then, you're all virgins?"
Four Spartan IVs immediately threw something – their preferred method of telling someone to shut up – at Landsmen, who was struck by three helmets and a wrench, all of which bounced off his chest harmlessly.
"Hey! It's an honest question!" Landsmen protested.
"It's not polite to ask," Naomi shot back. "'Specially since they're not interested."
John sighed. He had had this talk with his doctor while a civilian, when explaining parts of what his augmentations meant in the medical realm. He turned to the IIs with a shrug. "It's never been an issue before," he told Landsmen, a little testily.
"Yeah, but…" Clearly, the IV wasn't getting it. "What about puberty? Being teenagers? Part of growing up is getting caught somewhere in the act."
Kelly shrugged. "We never had time or inclination," she answered truthfully. John, recalling their whispered conversations late at night when they'd escaped the training complex, knew she was exaggerating slightly. "Still don't."
"You have time now," Carter pointed out. John reached over before Naomi could do it and whapped the IV gently on the back of the head.
"Ow, Chief," the younger man protested meekly.
"We'll have none of that on this ship," he ordered.
"But you know about all of it, right?" Naomi asked curiously, jumping down from the Pelican. "Wait, do you have menstrual cycles?"
John and Fred snorted; Kelly and Linda shared a glance. "No," they answered in unison. "It would interfere with our function as Spartans," Kelly explained.
The two male IIs exchanged glances. They hadn't exactly asked what had stopped those periods of hormone-driven insanity in all the female Spartan IIs. John had assumed they were given a medication to halt them, but something Rebecca had said about "getting rid of the baby-maker" to relieve her own week of painful cramping suddenly made the Chief wonder.
"So jealous," Naomi muttered.
"What about when you left the service?" Landsmen asked curiously. "Wouldn't you want to have kids?"
John and the IIs looked at him like he had grown a third head. "We'd never leave the UNSC," John answered softly, glancing at his fellow IIs. "I had no choice at the time, and I won't be making that mistake again."
"We weren't supposed to survive past our mission," Tom chimed in, coming closer with Lucy. They looked like children dressed in their parents' clothing, with the mismatched pieces and slight hesitation in their movements, as though they could trip over their own toes any moment.
John nodded; he had read the action report about Pegasii Delta. However, the IVs frowned in unison.
"Once we're done with this Brute invasion, I'm slated to be released," Naomi said with an air of near guilt. "Go back to Earth and see my husband." John started; he hadn't known the younger woman had a husband. She grinned slightly. "He's a good 'un, Chief, you'd like him. Former ODST himself. He'd be here with me, 'cept a Grunt shot off his foot in action."
"We're all on our last years," Lazlakovic said, gesturing around. "That's why they wanted us for the IV program. Figured, if they can't take us out with suicide missions as ODSTs, they'd do it as Spartans. And we're vets. We knew the risks goin' in, we've got experience, the instincts. We just didn't have the muscle and stamina to do what you did." She tilted her head to the IIs and IIIs. "I've been feelin' that nesting instinct myself. Might just find me a willin' man when I get out, have a few kiddies. Lords know we need to rebuild our population."
John glanced at Kelly and Linda, wondering if they had any of the same inclinations. He certainly didn't feel the need to have children of his own, though he couldn't deny that he had enjoyed helping Rebecca with the class that had come to her farm on a field trip.
However, Kelly answered his mental question immediately by shaking her head. "Kids tie you down," she argued. "They're liabilities."
Lazlakovic smiled slightly. "And how many kiddies have you been around, Kelly?" she asked teasingly. Shrugging, Kelly admitted she'd never really been around them. "Children… The whole world is new and wonderful and bright to their eyes. Their first reaction is curiosity; their second is wonder."
"It's a moot question for us anyway," Linda said quietly. "We'd never leave the UNSC. This is all we know."
"But they might not be able to support four Spartan IIs and two IIIs without a war to fight. The budget cuts that saw the Chief out will be back. This war with the Brutes means the brass is rolling in the dough 'cause no one wants a repeat of the war we just finished, but that'll end when the Brutes are no longer a concern," Carter pointed out seriously.
John snorted softly. Human nature was to war; there would always be dangerous missions that a Spartan could pull off without high causalities. The budget cuts were very short-sighted.
"For now, we need to focus on getting to Earth and assessing the situation," John said after a moment of thoughtful silence. "We'll worry about what's to become of us after the war if it becomes an issue."
"Yes, sir," all the Spartans said in unison.
"Cortana says she can't detect anything hostile around Earth now, which means either there is nothing or something is powerful enough to block all signals going in and out, and provide the proper counters to our hails," John continued. "We'll take up training tomorrow."
The Spartan IIs and IVs saluted and headed for the mess hall; John was about to follow when Tom and Lucy stepped forward and came to attention. He returned their salute quickly, but they were still edgy even as they relaxed slightly into rest stances. "We were wondering what kind of fresh supplies are on board, sir," Tom said. "Prince needs to be fed once or twice a week, something preferably fresh and about as large as Ripper."
John suddenly wondered where the koala, wolf, and bird were – probably in their owners' rooms. He hadn't seen them since the last evening. He frowned thoughtfully. "We don't have fresh supplies," he told them. They were in space, after all – everything was at least dehydrated. "However, I'm sure we can find something that will suit. If we rehydrate some beef?" he suggested, leading the way to the supplies crates.
"I think that would do," Tom said. "He's used to eating cooked and uncooked meat." All their meat was pre-cooked. John let the two IIIs take thirty pounds of beef cuts with them and then joined the other Spartans in the cafeteria.
"We'll need to get some more meat on your bones," Lazlakovic was telling the IIs, handing them heaping trays of food. They didn't complain but set to the food with a will. "What're your specialties?"
John sat next to the IV with a tray of his own; Naomi wiggled into a spot on his left, facing Kelly, Fred, and Linda.
"I'm fast," Kelly said.
Lazlakovic laughed. "We saw. I assume you have basic training in every field, from what I've seen of what the Chief can do. And you're outstanding soldiers."
"I've been trained as a sniper," Linda said quietly.
Fred shrugged slightly. "I'm best at close combat," he answered, touching the knife that never left his hip.
"We've all got training in cartography, cryptography, all forms of martial arts, heavy weapons combat, piloting… There isn't a lot we can't do," Kelly added with a touch of pride in her voice.
"What's your specialty?" Naomi asked John, glancing at him.
The II shrugged. "I was trained to lead groups of Spartans on missions."
"Luck!" Kelly objected immediately. "John's always had an incredible amount of luck."
Lazlakovic grinned slightly. "Well, sniper's not something we've trained for, but we probably won't need to improve your skills in that specifically," she said to Linda. "All three of you really just need to improve your wind and speed, overall. Get used to getting hit and hitting back, wouldn't you say, sir?" She turned to the Chief, realizing that he was technically in charge.
John nodded. "And we'll need to do it with and without armor," he added. "We can't risk breaking anyone's armor – we don't have many spares."
"So, starting without armor?" Lazlakovic asked. The Chief nodded. "Oh, this should be fun." The IVs grinned; the three IIs on the other side of the table smirked in return.
"Don't think we've gone soft just because we've been on Solstice," Kelly warned the IVs. "We've fought off critters bigger than a dozen Brutes."
"But you aren't used to organized fighting anymore," the Chief reminded them. "You won't need to learn all of our new maneuvers anymore – at least not yet – but fighting with the IVs and IIIs will be different."
"Where are Tom and Lucy?" Linda asked, looking around.
"Feeding Prince," John answered easily.
"Oh, good," Carter joked. "I was afraid that snake would find one of us and decide on a meal."
"More like a snack," Kelly quipped. The IVs chuckled.
"How did you tame all those creatures?" Lazlakovic asked curiously. "We haven't heard about your time away."
"It's a long tale," Kelly said warningly.
"Then start talking," Lazlakovic ordered, leaning forward in anticipation.
The three IIs took turns talking, describing the countless – well, Dr. Halsey had counted – days spent repairing the Pelican, escaping the Dyson Sphere, and then living on Solstice. Linda explained how they had met Keen Sacrifice and what he had done for them – when John noted that several planets existed that met the conditions the ancilla had told them, closer to Earth, she frowned in confusion and told him that Dr. Halsey had chosen their destination.
Tom and Lucy joined them eventually, eating quietly and then leaving straight away. By the time the three IIs had finished relating their adventure, weariness had set into every Spartan and they agreed to meet the next morning at 0600 to begin training.
John retired to his room, head buzzing. Cortana's voice drifted from the intercom as soon as the door shut behind him. "I have a brief prepared for you based on Dr. Halsey's notes about their years in the Dyson Sphere and then on Solstice, but I think you got the full report from Kelly, Fred, and Linda."
John nodded, removing his shirt and going to the small washbasin. "Anything they left out?"
"Only details about some of the flora and fauna that likely wouldn't interest you anyway," the AI assured him. "I have received confirmation from Earth that nothing has pinged their sensors yet – but they will stay alert."
"Keep in touch. I want to know the moment they get attacked. Even if we are too far away to do anything…" He frowned slightly, rubbing a wet washcloth over his face to clean it. "Will we have enough juice left to make our entry undetected when we get to the asteroid belt?"
"Yes. N'hamee and I have done the calculations several times over. Unless we get knocked out of our path again, we should arrive without tripping any alarms, and we'll have just enough "juice" to kick that asteroid I pointed out towards Earth."
"Just make sure we don't actually send it on a collision course."
"I think I can manage that," Cortana replied with a slightly acidic undertone. John raised a silent eyebrow at the tartness in her tone, unable to respond with his mouth full of toothpaste. He spat it out and paused before continuing with his brushing to reply.
"Is this about the audio code?"
Cortana sighed. "Yes," she admitted. "How useful can I be if I don't know things? I'd never heard of pig Latin before, and I'm supposed to know everything about humanity's history. And I'm the foremost expert on Covenant and Forerunner history."
"You didn't go to school," John pointed out. "Neither did I. I didn't know about it, either." He swirled a bit of water around in his mouth to clean out the taste of the dry toothpaste. "We couldn't possibly fit every bit of our culture into your chip, Cortana. Some things are beyond us both."
Cortana huffed, but in agreement. "Dr. Halsey explained the significance of pig Latin to me, but I still think it was rather… childish…"
"That's the point," John reminded her. "It was a code used by children. It had to be easy to remember and replicate."
"But sending us a code like that… Wouldn't it have been simpler to use one of the UNSC's encryptions, or even a current Sangheili one? Even something personal to you, John, would have worked."
"I wasn't trained extensively in cryptography," the II answered. "I am operating under the assumption that something has gone wrong with the fleet. Perhaps the Brutes were farther along on their fleet than anyone could have known; perhaps they were already gone by the time Admiral Hood came into range to probe the planet with our recon drones. Without further communication, we simply cannot be sure. We have our orders."
"'Return to Sol,'" Cortana repeated. "Which we are doing with all haste."
"It will take two weeks to bring the Spartans back up to fighting trim," John added. "Keep trying to hail Admiral Hood and the Arbiter, and keep in touch with Earth. If something changes, no matter how small, wake me." He lay down on the purple gel bed and the lights automatically dimmed to a pleasant twilight. They would darken completely over the next few minutes, mimicking a natural sunset.
"Goodnight, John. Sleep well."
"Goodnight, Cortana." John closed his eyes and was asleep almost immediately.
~~Elsewhere in the ship~~
Kelly folded her clothing neatly. The cool air of the ship – drier than she was used to – was comfortable on her skin as she lay down on the bed. The lights dimmed and slowly reached full darkness. She waited for that complete darkness, counting her heartbeats and thinking about the day's adventure.
Something was wrong with Earth. From what John had said, the defenses were mostly stripped – a preemptive strike on the Brute home world had taken all of humanity's defenders away from their last planet. But if the Brutes didn't have a fleet, how were they threatening Earth? What was behind the dumb beasts that made John so wary?
Wondering would get her nowhere, she knew, but her mind refused to shut down. The IVs comments about retiring – John's mention of his own stint as a civilian – scared her. She wasn't too proud to admit it. The thought of being useless, of returning to a life like the one on Solstice but by choice rather than force, made her shudder. She was a Spartan, a soldier. It was all she had ever known.
Peace had never existed for the Spartans. Even when not technically at war, the UNSC always had missions to go on, things or people to retrieve – or kill. Even exploration missions would be preferable to a dull and dreary civilian life.
Just look what had happened to John, and that in the space of a year! He was much more open now, prone to laughing and joking as much as he had when they had been children together, taunting the trainers. He had clearly connected with the IVs, who held him in some sort of awe. Especially Naomi; Kelly disliked that IV's cheerful attitude the most. Despite their age – probably ten years younger than the IIs – and experience, they acted like nothing more than green Marines on their first milk run.
Kelly sighed. It wasn't up to her; if John had made new friends, she wouldn't begrudge him their attention. Though she hoped he would not forget that they were still IVs, not as powerful, swift, or strong as the IIs. Well, Kelly amended to herself, not when we're at the top of our game. Comparing her movements to John's, she knew she had slowed down.
The II silently promised herself that she would rise thirty minutes early in the morning and take a run through the ship, both to stretch out tightly-wound muscles and get a head start on the training. With that in mind, she forced herself to relax and simply concentrated on listening to her heartbeats. She was asleep within moments.
~~Still elsewhere~~
Lazlakovic knocked gently at the door and it slid open quickly, revealing the doctor in a clean set of fatigues, the only clothing available on the ship. Her slender frame, thin grey hair, and muted grey-blue eyes marked her as clearly as the cane leaning against the doorframe.
"Come in," she said invitingly, stepping back. Lazlakovic followed her into the room; the door hissed shut behind her. "We haven't really been introduced. I'm Dr. Catherine Halsey."
"Miranda Lazlakovic," the IV responded, taking the seat the woman indicated. "Spartan IV."
There was a strange light in Dr. Halsey's eyes as she sat facing the younger woman. "Spartan IV," she repeated, smiling slightly. "Tell me, Miranda, what kind of augmentations were you subjected to?"
Lazlakovic shifted slightly, shrugging. "I don't know all the fancy words, ma'am. I just wanted to be a better soldier, and when they asked for volunteers, I signed up. I'm sure Cortana has the records."
"Yes, but since my clearance is no longer what it used to be…" The doctor sighed, shaking her head slightly. "But, never mind that. I suppose you didn't come just to let me interrogate you about you and your team." She tilted her head slightly, a move the IV had seen John imitate many times.
"Well, no, ma'am," Lazlakovic admitted. "As you know, I'm second in command here – and usually, I'd know my CO better, but I've only worked with the Chief for a few weeks, and most of our time has been spent training up the Double Trouble troops. He's not one for chitchat."
"No, he never was," Dr. Halsey said quietly to herself.
"And now that he has Kelly, Fred, and Linda back, I am worried…" She paused, unable to articulate exactly what she was trying to say.
"Are you worried he will forget that the IVs are not as powerful or integrated as the IIs? Or that he will abandon your team for his own?"
Lazlakovic shook her head, then nodded. "Kind of," she admitted. "More, I'm worried he'll revert to the same mind set from before his stint as a civilian. He is a superb soldier and an excellent leader, but he's better now than I think he could have been without that year as a civvie. He connects with people now; anyone who's trained with or under him can see a difference."
"You knew him before?"
"Only rumors, ma'am, from my fellow Helljumpers. But I'm not exaggerating when I say that the DT troops would disobey orders if he asked them to. I don't know if he understands just how much power he holds in the UNSC now."
"But John wouldn't disobey orders," Dr. Halsey said. "Unless he has changed more drastically than I have perceived thus far, and the changes I have seen are… startling."
Lazlakovic grinned slightly. "You helped raise him. I'm just wondering if I need to have a chat with him about the changes he's made."
Dr. Halsey tapped her lip in thought. "Kelly, Fred, and Linda have changed as well – as have Tom and Lucy. But the openness I sense in John is something I wouldn't have thought possible, knowing him as I did."
"If I may break in…" Cortana's voice sounded from the intercom. "I couldn't help but overhearing."
"By all means," Dr. Halsey said. "You've been with him throughout his… transformation."
The AI sounded slightly defensive when she spoke again. "And it's for the better. Without certain… interventions… I am unsure if we would have gotten him back." That made both women in the room sit up a little straighter. "All Spartans have received training to minimize PTSD, but given long hours with nothing but his memories, I began seeing the first signs of it in John when he was first retired. And you know how Spartans deal with problems."
"They remove them," Dr. Halsey said quietly.
"This new John is another layer of defense," the AI continued. "He needed to fit in – so he emulated successful civilians. Rebecca was foremost among them. Given enough time, John would have become comfortable enough to establish a more… meaningful… relationship, but we pulled him out before that new him could firmly take root. You're right to be worried, Lazlakovic. He will revert if you give him the chance, especially with Kelly, Fred, and Linda being here. He wants to reconnect with them - badly. They're the only family he's known."
"Then they'll have to open up to meet him; if he closes back up, I don't know how well we'll work together." Lazlakovic shook her head slightly. "We may seem immature and empty-headed, but that's how we interact. I'm not expecting the Chief to be completely informal but… The occasional joke, roughhousing… We've gotten used to that interaction with him, and I think it builds a better team."
"I would not have agreed with you forty years ago, but now I have seen how well John and your team work together, and I cannot help but consider my own methods as being flawed," the doctor sighed. "When training the IIs, we gave them an enemy to band against – constantly. There were some friendships that sparked, like between Kelly and John, but they were mostly bound by training and necessity, not true friendship."
Lazlakovic nodded. "In my lesser experience, people fight harder for those they love."
Dr. Halsey murmured agreement. "Then I believe we will have to force Kelly, Linda, and Fred into opening up – and Tom and Lucy, as much as possible – to meet John's new leadership style. It should not be as difficult as you may think; they have an example in John, and your team seems especially well-equipped to… enlighten… them."
Lazlakovic smiled slightly. "We like to include people," she admitted. "We're kind of outcasts among the IVs, really. That's why we teamed up."
"Just be careful," the older woman warned. "Kelly, Fred, and Linda aren't used to interacting with soldiers. They usually stayed in cryosleep for long trips. You could scare them off if you try too hard."
"I'll tell Landsmen he can't flirt with them."
"Warn Naomi as well." Lazlakovic snickered. "Am I merely getting old and protective, or is Naomi singling out John for more attention than I sense is usual?"
The Spartan IV tilted her head slightly. "I think she holds him in awe – you know, he is the Master Chief. She's married and not looking to substitute anyone for her man."
"And yourself?" The doctor pierced Lazlakovic with her gaze. The Spartan IV shook her head.
"The Chief's a great man, but I don't go for the strong-and-silent type," she said, grinning slightly. "I'm attached to romantic strolls on the beach, candlelight with my dinner – total sap."
"None of the IIs have had any sort of relationship beyond their siblings," the doctor continued seriously.
"Don't worry, ma'am. Inter-team fraternization isn't allowed. Carter and Naomi pretend to have a thing because it's fun for them – but everyone knows it's nothing."
"Hmm."
"Thank you for the advice, ma'am." Lazlakovic rose. "Have a good night."
The older woman smiled slightly. "Good night, Miranda." The Spartan IV slipped through the doorway and was gone. Dr. Halsey leaned back in her chair, shifting automatically as her hips protested.
"Well, Cortana, maybe I'm just getting old and sappy, but I think they're going to be just fine." She had been harboring worries about her Spartans' reintegration. They were still not out of the woods – who knew what was waiting for them on Earth – but at least she could be sure someone cared for John and understood him.
"Yes, doctor."
"Now, I believe we were discussing the Gravemind's fleet."
~~The next morning~~
John rose all at once, but lay in bed for a moment gathering his thoughts. "Good morning!" Cortana's cheerful voice came from the intercom, recalling his wandering mind. John sat up and crossed the room, the lights coming up slowly to avoid blinding the occupant of the room. "I was about to wake you up. Kelly is already 'up and at 'em' – she's run the length of the ship several times so far, at a sprint. I calculate that she is 64% below her fastest recorded time over that length, and approximately 31% below her average, without armor. Her speed improves every lap, however."
"Good to hear. Where is everyone else?"
"Kelly is close to being done. Fred and Linda are already in the shower. Dr. Halsey is not quite awake – we stayed up late talking last night – and Tom and Lucy are about to get to the showers. The IVs are all in the cafeteria, as is L'eto. N'kane is going over engine reports, and N'hamee is finally asleep."
"We'll be in the docking bay if you need us," John told the AI. He had finished brushing his teeth and cleaning his face in the time the AI had reported. He left the room and headed straight for the cafeteria, eager to get some breakfast.
The IVs greeted him with grins. Lazlakovic had already set out a tray of food for the Chief, and waved him to it. "Ready to get started on retraining the IIs and IIIs?" she asked.
John nodded, sitting down. "Kelly's been running the halls for the past half-hour."
"Yeah, I heard her tromping by a few times," Naomi said.
"We'll start with strength training – that'll be one of the biggest areas where they've lost power. Then stamina. Since we don't know have a lot of weapons with us, we'll likely be going in with minimal firepower – so let's stick mostly to hand-to-hand, martial arts, stuff like that."
Lazlakovic nodded. "I thought about how we could make something heavy enough without being awkwardly bulky, but we didn't exactly bring the gym with us."
John shook his head. "We'll have to manage somehow."
"If nothing else, they can bench-press the snake," Carter chuckled. "I just hope he stays happy and full."
"He will," Tom promised as the two IIIs came in through the sliding purple doorway. "He's fat and happy. So long as we don't startle him, he'll stay full for a few days."
"Good morning," Carter replied, waving at the crates of supplies. "Help yourself. We'll letcha eat and digest but then your asses are ours." He grinned wickedly at the two IIIs; Lucy went straight to the supplies but Tom smirked back.
"Don't count us out, old man," he teased gently.
That won a round of laughter from the IVs, who were happy to see Carter taken down a notch and to hear the III crack a joke. It much better fit his voice and youth than the serious brooding that Lucy was stuck in.
Kelly came in next, hair still wet from the showers, followed quickly by Linda and Fred, who was supporting Dr. Halsey. The comfortable beds, plentiful food, and warm atmosphere had certainly helped with the obvious arthritis attacking her joints, but she still limped a bit. N'kane was the last one to the table, excusing the absence of N'hamee and L'eto.
They all sat around the squared tables, eating their fills. Those who finished joined the conversation as the Spartans decided how they would handle the training for the day, setting up a schedule to keep everyone occupied and working with a new partner at least every couple of hours.
~~A few hours later~~
"Faster, Kelly," John ordered, striking again. Kelly's block and counter-strike were sloppy, unlike her usual, and slow – if John wanted to, he could easily have pushed aside the block and connected his punch.
The female Spartan II growled in frustration and did the block, but any watcher could see that it simply wasn't fast enough. John swatted her and backed away, inviting an attack. Kelly followed him further into the room. "Keep your eye on the target, but don't forget to watch your back," he warned. "We've fought Brutes before; they're not the brightest of the bunch, but they know how to ambush and they work well in pairs and packs."
"I'm not a greenhorn, John, I know," Kelly snapped, temper fraying quickly. She lashed out, a vicious back-handed swing that could have broken a person's jaw if John had allowed it to land.
"Don't fight with your anger, Kelly," he said, standing down. She leaned over, hands on her knees as she breathed deeply. "Recover your breath and go run some laps with Fred until you're cooled down a bit." She waved him off and nodded in agreement; John looked around.
Lazlakovic and Carter were teaming up on Linda, trying to improve her blocking. Lucy was working with Naomi and Landsmen; Tom, with L'eto and Basky. Fred was running, as he had been for the past two hours, working on rebuilding his stamina. Kelly matched his rhythm, jogging when they couldn't possibly run another step.
John decided to join Naomi and Landsmen in helping Lucy relearn several complicated throws, blocks, kicks, and punches that her body had forgotten. All of the Spartans were moving more smoothly, and everyone in the room was soaking with sweat. The docking bay was the largest room available, so they made sure to work around the Peliship without damaging it.
After a few more hours, everyone was exhausted, hungry, and sprawled out on the floor like the casualties of a battle, after cooling down and ensuring no one would cramp up or stiffen.
Lazlakovic groaned. "I haven't worked this hard since boot camp," she complained. "I'm too old for this." John snorted. "And you're way too ancient, Chief." He huffed.
"Who's up for lunch?" Carter asked.
"I would be if I could move," Kelly responded.
"Ditto," Naomi agreed. "Carter, you're a spry guy, why don't you get us all something to eat. And drink."
"I don't want to move again," Carter complained. "Chief, will you carry me?"
"In your dreams, Carter," John grunted.
"Awww, I have a chance!" the IV crowed, laughing with a groan. "Gods, Lucy, you killed my ribs with that last strike."
John sat up, surveying the damage. "Alright, let's get moving again. I think we all need showers before we eat."
There were various groans of agreement and unhappiness as the Spartans began sitting up; even L'eto and N'kane, who had joined late, made several displeased remarks.
They trooped to the showers and stripped; each of the humans had new bruises, and the Elites sported slightly darker patches of hide where hits had gone through. "It has been too long since I have fought without armor," L'eto remarked ruefully, touching a dark patch on his shoulder.
"I didn't know you guys bruised like that," Naomi said, standing on her tiptoes to stare at the darkened patch of hide.
"How often have you had the chance to examine them naked?" Carter asked curiously.
"Oh, you know, whenever I caught one in the showers," Naomi replied teasingly, smacking Carter on the back of the head as he wiggled his eyebrows.
"You can catch me in the showers any time you want," he said suggestively, eliciting a snort from Naomi as she turned on the showerhead of her choice and stepped under it.
John scrubbed at his hair under the water, feeling the sweat and grime of the morning's workout fade away under the stream of hot water. The heat soothed his sore muscles.
"Last one to the cafeteria gets the food!" Kelly called, already out of the shower and putting on fresh fatigues. John grumbled but followed suit, as did the rest of the Spartans and the pair of Elites.
Carter, after a vicious slap on the ass from Landsmen as he passed, was last, and served everyone trays of food with a very exaggerated butler attitude. They ate slowly, taking their time to discuss everyone's faults and achievements over the morning's workout.
They repeated the drill that afternoon, though more time was spent on running and playing games of tag throughout the ship than lifting heavy objects or sparring. By dinner time, all of the Spartans and the pair of Elites were exhausted, but happy with the day's work. They would all be sore in the morning, of course. After eating, John released everyone to attend to his or her own armor, and then have some free time. He reported to the bridge and discussed the ship's capabilities with N'hamee, who showed him the engine reports. They tallied up their supplies as well, though most of what they were carrying was food and armor.
The next two weeks followed much the same pattern, with the three IIs and two IIIs improving rapidly, though the II's lack of youth told against them when the younger Spartans compared themselves to the older. However, by the time the anticipated announcement from Cortana indicating that they were close came, John knew he led a team of possibly the deadliest warriors humanity had yet to field.
Thus, when they exited Slipspace with the precision only Covenant stealth ships could, he thought he was ready.
