AN: The last short chapter! I think it'll be short... really its all about perspective for you guys. You may see it as long, and I'll see it as short. Either way, if this is short for you guys... this will be the last one. If you're wondering why they're so short, think about it like how Red vs. Blue have short episodes that really mean nothing to the plot. These short chapters mean something, but also don't? I'm explaining this horribly, and yet... I'm not deleting any of this. Anyway, on with the story...
Disclaimer: I don't even know, just read the other 11 chapters... they sum this up already.
Rated: M because I can do shit like that.
Church's POV:
After I ported out of John's room I started heading to Carolina. I think she's still in the Mess Hall. I didn't want to between John and Cortana while they talk. It would only make things awkward. I ported right by the corridor Cortana and I talk in. I still can't fathom our relationship, how its lasted over 6 years. She was my friend, as well as Kalmiya. Whom I don't remember as well. I try to jog my memory, I know she and I were close. I just forgot how close. We had things in common, I still need to remember. I port into the last corridor that leads to the Mess Hall.
It's all so... amazing.
D: "It all makes sense."
G: "Indeed."
Guys stop it.
I hate it when they talk in my head. It hurt my head, like AI headaches. Which isn't really possible. I think.
[][][][]
"Guys, you know it hurts my head when you do that!" I shout as I port right outside of the Mess Hall.
D: "Sorry, I wanted to talk." Delta forms his AI model.
T: "This news is awesome! It all makes sense!" Theta cheers as he appears.
"Guys, you need to chill with the talking in my head thing. It's hard to focus."
G: "We have the right to speak." Gamma appears.
T: "Either way, it still is pretty crazy."
"Yeah... it's amazing how I was involved with Cortana creation." I smile. "Its nice to know I was apart of something big in her life."
T: "Yeah it is!" Theta cheers once more.
D: "Well, it certainly is interesting. I wouldn't say it is the most amazing thing ever."
"Oh please, you wouldn't say anything is the most amazing thing ever." I chuckle. Theta walks near the Mess Hall entrance and peeks inside.
T: "Hey, Carolina's in here!"
"Oh that's great! I'm gonna chat with her." I respond as I walk to Theta.
T: "But, I thought we were gonna play poker..." Theta says almost deflated like.
"Aww, sorry Theta. When Cortana and John are done, Cortana and I will play with you... definitely." I smile at him.
T: "Okay... I'll see you then." He waves goodbye.
[][][][]
The AIs fade, and I look at Carolina. She's standing in front of a huge, metal shipment crate. She puts on her helmet and gets in her stance.
Is she gonna spar with the crate?
Nah, that doesn't seem like-
"Ha!" Carolina grunts as she throws a right hook against the crate, putting a dent in it. She does a spin kick hitting the crate in the side and pushing it slightly to the right.
"Jesus!" I shout, causing Carolina to turn around. "You alright?"
"I'm FINE!" She grunts as she takes a left swing at the crate, causing another dent. "What do you want, Epsilon?"
She takes three swings at the crate, alternating arms each swing, she still causes dents in separate areas of the crate.
"Eh nothing... just left Cortana and John." I lie.
I don't want to share any beef about Cortana...
That is, without her consent.
She stops, turns to look at me and takes off her helmet. She shakes her head and reveals a slight grin on her face. "Okay, what's the real reason?"
Shit.
Can I lie to anyone here?
"It-it's nothing." I smirk. Carolina glares at me. "Fine, Cortana and John have to settle something... I don't want to intrude." I shrug, almost unsure if that's the proper answer.
"Pfft. You and Cortana have really hit it off, huh?" She grins.
"Yeah, well..." I stop myself.
No, not the time...
Nor the place.
Our shared history is another story, for another day.
"I guess." I finish my sentence grinning.
"Hey, what time is it?"
I pull up a panel, revealing the time to be 0500 hours. "0500 hours. Why are you up?"
"Couldn't sleep." She responds as she turns back to the crate.
"So, how is beating an inanimate object make you feel better?" I chuckle.
"It just does!" She quickly responds. "I'm sorry... didn't mean to lash out."
Whoa.
"Carolina, I think there's more to this." I respond. "Are you having nightmares?" I ask softly.
She looks like she has some when she sleeps.
It's as if she is afraid of something.
"No." She replies flatly.
"Carolina... I've been monitoring your vital signs. They're most active whilst you sleep. You've developed fears during your sleep." I inform her slowly. It's hard to keep her up to date with what's happening when she barely understands me.
"Church... I've had nightmares." She says quietly.
"Yeah, I know. I just said that." I said.
"Epsilon!" She growls. "Let me finish."
"Sorry... geez."
"I've had nightmares about... Sigma."She sits down at a table. She looks to the floor, as if she's ashamed. Either ashamed of the fact she showed weakness or she showed even she has nightmares.
"..." I try to get a word out, but nothing comes to mind. "Oh..." All I can really think of.
Wow.
The AI I've rid of my mind, or more so locked up in my mind.
The bastard.
I've kept him away from Cortana, the AIs, me.
I don't want him near us.
He can't speak to me, I like it that way.
I look at Carolina, who is just sitting with her head facing the floor. She hangs her head in shame, upset of what she just said. I haven't really spoken, I should change that.
"Wh-what happens in theses nightmares?" I ask nervously, knowing she seems enraged.
"*Sigh*" She shakes her head.
"Keep in mind, talking about it is the best way to understand." I smile.
She looks at me and smirks slightly, trying to stay happy. "Okay Epsilon." She grabs her helmet, which was next to where she sat, and looks at the screen.
"They all are the same... sort of. I am in the Mother of Invention, in my room. The Director sends someone to get me, it's Texas." I cringe at the thought of Tex. Can't handle her. "She tells me the Director needs me. I head to the bridge and he's there... with agent Maine. He tells me..." She chokes up.
Damn...
This must be really something.
"Carolina, what does he say?" I press slowly. I don't want to agitate her.
"He says, 'Carolina, I've grown fond of you. You are my greatest agent... I am proud.'" Carolina tears up.
She wipes away the tear, holding it back. "Then, Maine pulls out his brute shot... and stabs him." She shakes her head.
"Carolina, it's okay." I reassure her.
She takes a deep breath. "He throws away the Director's body, and then the Mother of Invention is gone. We're suddenly on the peak of a icy cliff. Where he... threw me off. I have the AIs chips in my hands, and they all turn to dust and get blown away. Then, Maine kneels in front of me, handing his weapon to me. Sigma appears behind him, whispering to me; 'He has wronged your team, wronged the agency, killed your father, he must die.' I comply afterwards, and... kill him." She says coldly. " He dies, his pain echoes in a painful agony. Sigma smiles, and then steps aside. Behind him, is the rest of the Freelancers. They kneel in front of me, and as before... Sigma tells me to kill them." She chokes up once more. "One by one, they all die. The worst part is... I didn't feel remorse, I felt... relieved. Sigma tempts me, he makes me slaughter all of them. I complied with all of that. AFTER EVERYTHING! I COMPLY TO THAT-THAT MANIAC!" She shouts.
She throws her helmet to the floor, growling whilst she does so. She punches the crate, causing a massive dent. A dent bigger than before. She breathes heavily. Aggression continues grow inside her, like a burning furnace.
"Carolina, remain calm." I tell her slowly. "What happened in those dreams? They aren't real. They are only what your subconscious thinks about your past. Your subconscious thinks you're guilty of all of it, you need to accept that you aren't."
She takes a deep breath. She turns to me and shakes her head. "That's thing, that was my fault. They all died because of me! Every single one, dead. All because I wanted him to be..."
"Proud?" I ask.
"I-I... yes. I wanted to show him I was destined to be the best. That I was like... Tex. Better than Tex. I sacrificed everything, just to be by his hand. A hand that drives me away. That directs me into danger, rather than into his arms. Never once he... showed any signs of care. He left me to fight battles, while SHE got his attention... a shadow." She says coldly.
"Carolina I'll admit, there was some fault of yours involved." She frowns. "BUT, that doesn't mean its not some burden to keep upon. You are an exceptional soldier Carolina, you need to realize that there will always be fault. It's only a matter of how you own up to it. You think of it as if... you were the one who did all of this. You were responsible for everyone's misfortune. But really, the damage you've done was small. Everyone had a part involved. You only wanted to be cared for, you wanted him to be proud. But that's just it, there's no wrong in that! You did what you thought was right-they all did! What you need to do-especially for yourself, is look past the past! What you've left behind you is only the starting point for who you'll become." I port in front of her. "Some wise words... sound familiar?"
She chuckles quietly. "That isn't what I exactly said." She smirked.
"Yeah well, I wasn't quoting. I was... making it into my own words." I smile.
"Yeah, okay." She smiles. "Thank you Church... I needed that." She nods at me.
"Well... I'm not just your partner, I'm your friend." I smile once more.
She nods in response. She stands up, grabs a magnum from the table and aims towards some small crates.
"If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to get back to training." She smiles.
I laugh. "Eh, I'll stay this time. Maybe it could be entertaining."
"Pfft. Of course it'll be." She chuckles.
She turns back at the crates and fires. A direct hit, shattering the box. She takes five more, all hitting the crates.
"Nice shot, but I've seen you do better." I tease.
"Oh really? Challenge accepted." She chuckles, then reloads her magnum.
Bing Bing.
"Oh hang on, something has come up." I pull up a panel, revealing a blinking icon. "Whoa."
"What?"
"I think... we've been found."
Cortana's POV:
"John... I'm sorry." I say softly.
"What? What for?"
"I'm sorry for being so... distant." I sigh. "I was just... afraid."
"Cortana, what are you talking about?" He asks confused.
"Over the last 2 weeks I've been avoiding you. Ever since our..." I pause, choosing my next word carefully. "Argument."
He freezes up. "Oh. I'm-I'm sorry about that."
"No, don't be." I respond immediately.
"Okay." He states confused. "What do you mean you were afraid?"
"I-I... I was afraid of what you'd think. Me dating Epsilon, what happened to me during the 3 years, if I'm... going rampant." I mutter, whilst listing all possible factors of what he's thinking.
He sighs heavily. "Cortana..."
I look at him. He's frowning. He stands up and places his helmet on the table. He shakes his head as he sits down on his bed.
"I..." He pauses. "I'm having a hard time understanding what's going on. You run off to hang out with some other AI-who you suddenly become best friends with, who you then date! I don't understand any of this. And-and when you went crazy back in that hallway? What happened there? Cortana, what is going on?" He pants slowly, being exhausted from his rant.
"I'll start slow. From the beginning. When I was created, Dr. Halsey flash cloned her brain. Her first 18 flash clones were failures, the last two... weren't."
"I know. You and Kalmiya." He nods.
I nod back at him. "Yes. But Dr. Halsey had help with me and Kalmiya. In order to create us she used... another AI."
He looks at me surprised. "What?"
"She used the Alpha, the Director of Project Freelancer's AI. And who Epsilon is a memory of..." I say slowly.
He looks at a lost for words. He doesn't understand this.
"The Director needed an AI for his research so Dr. Halsey flash cloned him one. His result was much better than Halsey's... mainly because the Alpha wasn't like the Director. Dr. Halsey wanted me and Kalmiya to be like her, the Director just wanted an AI. So, it was a trade. His AI's intelligence for my birth."
"So the Alpha, is Epsilon?" He asks.
Ugh.
I hate explaining things to him.
"No, Epsilon is only a memory of the Alpha. Anyway, when Kalmiya and I were created, Dr. Halsey tasked Alpha to help educate us. To train us and make us unique, smarter. He became our friend. My friend." I smile slightly.
John looks at the floor, revealing a blank expression.
Damn it.
Cortana don't mention him.
"That's why he and I are so close. The Director had to hide the Alpha from the UNSC so he erased our memories of each other. Kalmiya and I didn't remember him, and vice versa. This is why I'm close to him John. He molded me into the AI I am today." I smile at him.
He looks at me and smirks. "Guess I have him to thank then."
"Yeah... guess you do." I chuckle. I frown about what I have to explain next. The rampancy. "B-back in the corridor, when I... went insane. I was angry. I wasn't going rampant, I was just... mad."
"Why?"
"I don't know! At the time you just seemed... unreasonable." I grumble.
"What!" He responds defensively.
"At the time I said. It was me who was unreasonable. It's just that... over the 3 years I missed you." I say softly.
"Oh..." He says.
I bite my lip. "I felt so... lonely. I had nightmares of rampancy. I wanted to talk to you. But you were just there, in front of me. I talked to you, but it still didn't feel the same. The worse part is, I was upset when you awoke because you reacted so... unreasonably. I was upset because... you were so closed off. You were still a hardened soldier. I didn't want that, I wanted my friend... my partner." I smirk slightly.
"I'm sorry Cortana." He replies almost reserved like. "I... I'm not used to... this." He frowns.
"Yeah I know. Sorry there any brutes heads you can bust open." I chuckle.
He laughs. "Well, times change. Guess you have to." He nods, smiling at me. "Guess I should too."
YES!
Finally!
I got this off my chest and resolved it!
I smile at him. "If you want, we could talk for a bit."
He bites his lip, nervously he says, "Um, wouldn't you prefer Epsilon?"
"What? No, we should catch up. Let's talk." I port in front of him and smile.
"Okay. If you're sure." He scratches the back of his head. "I'm just not good with... feelings." He chuckles.
"Don't worry, I'll do the talking." I smirk.
"Okay." He responds cautiously. "Go ahead."
"Okay, so I'm having problems with Eps-and it's not like, 'should we break up problems?' Because we're totally fine... right? I don't know if I'm a problem to him, he doesn't show it. I mean sure, he likes to be... affectionate." I blush. "But still, I'm not sure if I should be affectionate as well. You know? You see, I feel a little embarrassed when he... kisses my cheek and such. I don't know if I should tell him to stop-but I don't want it to stop. I feel like his goal is to make me feel loved, but also he just wants to love me. I don't know, you know? I absolutely love Eps, I've started to remember more about our past together, and he was amazing! But also, I'm not sure if everything is alright. You know? What if he starts to lose interest-no, what if he starts to lose interest because I'm not affectionate! Holy shit, that's totally the reason right? I'm not sure. I don't know, you know?" I ask John, who is at a lost for words.
"John?" I ask once more.
He laughs. "Oh Cortana, you're too funny." He smiles at me. "I didn't understand any of that."
"What's so funny then?"
"Cortana, it's clear you both love each other. He must be affectionate because he loves you. You don't have to be affectionate. You've got nothing to worry about." He chuckles.
Damn.
He is good.
"Pfft. And you said you don't get 'feelings.' Liar." I chuckle.
He shakes his head. "Well, I try." He smirks.
"Okay then, tell me about you." I smile.
"What?" He asks.
"I mean... you and Carolina. Any sparks?" I ask.
His cheeks form a small, light blush. "What!" He responds defensively.
"I'm sorry." I laugh. "Church asked me if I think there's any connections between you two. I'm just confirming."
"No. She and I only have a respective partnership. If she and Epsilon join the UNSC I'd be happy to have her as a partner." He nods.
"Oh okay. Whatever you need to tell yourself." I smile.
"Cortana! I don't like her! She and I are just good friends." He responds angrily.
"Okay, sorry." I laugh. "Didn't think the great Master Chief could be embarrassed." I mutter.
"Stop it." He frowns. "I... don't like her in that way."
"You sure about it? I mean. She's beautiful." I respond.
He stays silent. He looks at his helmet. Probably wants to put it on so I can't see his reaction.
"What? Tell me you haven't noticed her beauty." I tease him.
"I have."
Yup.
Still keeping it short.
"Oh? And what do you think of that?"
"I'm agreeing with you." He responds quietly.
"Oh John please. Tell me you don't think she's attractive."
"Okay fine, she's beautiful. Okay! You happy?" He shouts.
Someone is defensive.
"~Looks like somebody hit a nerve.~" I say in sing song.
"Can we change topics?"
"John, you like her. Don't you?"
"I-I... I don't know. She and I are soldiers-"
"Which is exactly why you're perfect for each other. You both are hardcore soldiers, incredibly skilled and accurate." I smiled.
"I... don't want make things weird. She is a really great soldier. She has great accuracy, skilled in combat, knows her equipment." He smiles.
Oh, he sure is enjoying this.
"You like to talk about her, huh?" I smile.
He freezes up. "I walked into that didn't I?" He smirks.
"Yes, yes you did."
"Cortana, be honest. Should I go for it?" He asks.
This must be weird for him
John is a man of few words.
Not the type for this.
"Yeah! Totally, she'd go for-"
BOOM!
An explosion occurs in the distance. The hallways lights up for a brief moment. Fire is cackling in the distance.
"What just happened?" John asks. He reaches for his helmet and puts it on.
"I don't know." I comm Church.
Bzzt Bzzt
"Church, Church! Damn it answer me-"
"I'm here! I'm fine..." He responds.
Oh thank god.
"What happened?"
"We've been found. Carolina and I went to the docking bay to investigate, we were ambushed."
"What!"
"Cortana, they're not a rescue team. They're pirates."
Bzzt Bzzt
"Church! CHURCH!" I shout. "Damn it! They're jamming our fucking signal!"
"Cortana, we need to rendezvous with them!" John says.
"Right... right. We need to help Church and Carolina." I calm myself.
Brring Brring
A megaphone activates in the distance. "Attention crew of the Forward Unto Dawn. Surrender now, or we'll forcefully take you into custody. My bosses don't care about prisoners, so your lives are on the line either way." The pirate shouts.
I look at John and smirk."Oh, these idiots don't know who they're dealing with."
AN: Bam! Things are going to kick off. I hope this chapter explained more of Cortana and John's relationship. If it didn't, ask away! If I get enough questions I'll do a Q & A chapter. But most likely, your questions have either been answered or will be explained in later chapters. I pulling a Roosterteeth and doing an everything will make sense later on shit. This will be the last short chapter, so next one should be longer. Pls review and shit,, you know the drill. Until next time...
