Chapter 12: Coming Home
If you are wondering what happened to Linda then go see the new version of chapter 11!
Kelly walked forward in the DX dropship, Fred was driving as she was injured. They were able to escape but had no word from Linda, John and Thel. Fred's hands moved across the holo-graphic display. "I am getting an inbound signal…it is from Thel and Linda!"
"What about John?"
…
Rebooting…
Shields online…
Health Bars online…
Grenade counter online…
Weapon counter online…
John slowly opened his eyes "There is only so many times I man can fall from such heights before he breaks" he slowly rose up. He felt like death and this time he meant it…
Pieces of MJONIR armour scattered the field he had landed in. Re-entry had nearly melted through his chest plate and his legs and pretty much everything. He lifted up, biting back the pain "I think I broke a rib" said John rolling his shoulder "And I think an implant came loose" he limped over to what was left of his shoulder pads. He looked up and took a sniff, broken glass entered his nostrils "Ah" he snorted it out before ripping his helmet off.
He had left a trail of destruction from the top of a hill all the way across a road and into the small plain of grass. He sat down cross legged holding his helmet close. He spat blood into it when he heard "A car!" he stood up and ran into the middle of the road. "Hey!" a red car stopped in front of him. Inside was what appeared to be a middle aged couple.
"Ah monster!" shouted the woman the car rammed into him knocking him over. They kept trying to run him over. "Kill it! Kill it!" the wheels burnt away and popped as they tried to run over his MJONIR.
"What the hell! I am not wearing a helmet!" shouted John. He sighed lifting the car up before dropping it allowing it to speed off. The wife looked back at him and John just roared like an animal. "Drive faster! Faster!" John sighed and went back to the side of the road.
…
Cortana looked at her screen in shock "Cortana…" Selene was worried about her BFF she seemed barley fazed.
"This is not the 1st time John has fell from orbit" she looked at Selene "Or blown up, he has survived worse and after all the times I have got worried for no reason today…well what is the point" she went back to her computer "I need to lock on to his transponder"
"Ma'am incoming transport" the man stopped wondering why he called a civilian ma'am "It is the Arbiter and Spartans!" Cortana set the computer to decode and left to ask what the hell had happened.
…
I…am…so…bored! Thought John. He had taken the remains of his weapons apart and back together twice and one was covenant so it was not easy. He sighed and checked his comms again "Nothing" and by nothing he meant it was broken. He sighed "That is it! Chances are my transponder is broken and I am not waiting anymore!" he stood up and walked back along the side of the road.
He unlatched his helmet and held it in his hand. He groaned in pain thinking back on the last few month's. A ruined marriage, a suicide mission…he wondered if those things together were a sign. It had been hours and was turning dark "How long is this road?!" shouted John, he had passed a gas station…that was out of business
He heard a loud roaring sound "Huh?" he looked ahead to see a mass of army trucks coming towards him "Hey!" out of the front one came his Fiancée.
"John!"
"Cortana!" they both embraced eachother in a big hug.
"John 117" said an older man as he approached them.
He saw the man's rank "Admiral!" he saluted the man
"At ease"
"What do you want Admiral" asked Cortana as she hugged him
"I have a proposal"
"I have left the military thanks" said John
"Actually I believe you were given leave until a new threat
"Which has been neutralised"
"Don't worry" said the Admiral "I won't make you go head first into hell but…we have commissioned a new Spartan program…the Spartan IV's"
Cortana looked appalled "Again?!"
The admiral shook his head "No, no, no child abduction. Already trained solders but we need someone to train them"
John looked confused "You just said they were"
"Well yes as solders but no Spartans, they need to learn from the best"
"Thanks sir but no sir"
Cortana grabbed John by the arm and walked him over to the front of the SUV "What are you saying"
"I am retired, I have you to think about…possible future kids"
Cortana gave him a look "Adopted kids!" shouted John remembering what happened last time he mentioned biological kids.
She rubbed his armoured arm "John…I know ever since I became human…I" she looked up at him "I have put a lot of pressure on you…to…to leave the army but it is in your blood" there is still plenty of time to retire" she smiled "Plus it isn't like you will be on the front lines. I can visit…hell technically I am still a U.N.S.C A.I! I could work with you…John please if you want to do it…for me and yourself"
John went back to the admiral "Yes…but on one condition"
…
"We are here to today to see the marriage of John" he checked for his last name but didn't find one "And Cortana…" again no last name. The hall was filled with the same audience as the 1st but one but with a few more military officials and guards. A military base was not one Cortana had imagined but it made sense now she thought about it. Linda passed Selene a tissue when she started to cry "I John take Cortana to be my lawfully wedded wife, I will love her and respect her for the rest of my life until death do us part"
Dr. Halsey sat on the first row, she never thought when she first created Cortana that she would get married and especially not in a human body. She realised Cortana was based on her own brain which…was kind of disturbing given Cortana is marrying a guy under half her age.
"I take John to be my lawfully wedded husband, I will…" she stopped as she started to cry "Love him and…respect him for the rest of…" she waved away her tears "Until death do us part"
They had now exchanged rings and the ceremony was almost over "I now pronounce you husband and wife"
John and Cortana both kissed each other in a loving embrace"