Chapter 13: Cortana and Church

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Halo, Red Vs Blue or Any of their Respective Characters

A/N: Someone close to Church will return in this chapter. Also, Doc is going to be joining the character roster in this chapter! Read on!

"I'm sorry," the Chief heard a voice. It sounded so far away. He had no idea how long he had been out. He wanted to move, but he couldn't. "He's very lucky to be alive," a voice said, whom he didn't recognize. "We're all lucky to be alive," he heard Washington say. "I can't believe we survived that carnage." The Chief tried to move his fingers, but failed. He could feel himself breathing, but his breaths were strained. "What carnage?" Tucker asked. "All that happened was, the Chief was shot, the Flood pushed us out, and the Noble Six, that monster, and the mad doctor escaped." He heard someone clear their throat. "Shove it, dick sniffer!" Church said.

"Will you guys shut up?!" he heard someone say and sob at the same time. It was Cortana. "The Chief could die!" The Chief wanted to comfort her, but all he could do was listen to his breathing. "Die?" the unknown voice said. "I performed surgery on him! He couldn't have died! The old scarring tissue from his previous surgery saved his life!" The Chief felt Cortana's fingers running through his short hair. It must feel so good for her to be human, and partially remember her past. "Shut up, Doc!" Church said. "We just payed you to help him! And how are you alive?! You disappeared in the teleporter nexus or some shit!"

"To be honest, I don't know how I'm alive." Doc said. "Well, I'm happy you're alive!" Donut and Caboose exclaimed at the same time. "Why thank you." Doc said. "How come Doc is the only fucking medic we ever get?!" Simmons said. "What," Doc said. "Are you unhappy about that?" Simmons let out a sigh. "No, just surprised, I guess." he said. "Why isn't he awake yet?" Carolina asked. "He just had surgery!" Doc screamed. "Yeah," she said. "Three hours ago!" The Chief heard someone clear their throat. "Everyone calm down!" Mendez said. "John-117 will be perfectly fine!" Really, he thought. Why haven't I woken up yet, then? "True, he just had surgery," he said. "But there's only one reason he's alive, and it's not the surgery. Well, it's a part of it. But not all of it."

"Then what is it?" Doc asked. "Well," Mendez said. "We, or I, know that his armor locked down when the bullet penetrated him." He should have expected the next thing. "Bow-Chicka-Bow-Wow!" He heard someone get hit with a gun. "Ow, geez the back of my head!" Tucker said. "As I was saying," Mendez said. "Dr. Halsey installed the armor lockup function to his armor, and if she did know what would happen, she obviously might have saved his life, so she might not be a total traitor." He heard Tucker clear his throat. "But you're still mad at her, aren't you?" he asked. "Well yeah, but we just can't kill a traitor. Who knows, she could have just done that to stay alive." Mendez replied.

"I have a question." a female said. "What?" Church asked, acknowledging the person. "Why the fuck did you have to wake me up again, you fuck?" she screamed. "Because, Tex," Church said. "We, I mean I, needed to have you back. You were Leonard Church's girlfriend. Or the counterpart you were based on. And so technically you are my girlfriend. And I was starting to go insane." Tucker cleared his throat. "Church, you were already insane." he said. "Shut up, cockbite!" he said. "So," Grif said. "You admit that you still love Tex?" Church sighed. "Yes..." he said.

"How cute." Tex said, sarcistically. The Chief forced open his mouth, and let out a slow breath, not wanting to be noticed. "Uh, did the Chief just open his mouth?" Donut asked. Fuck, he thought. "No, Donut," Sarge said. "You've been in the sun to long." He heard Grif sigh. "Yeah, go take a swim!" he said. "We don't have any wa-" Donut started. "Wait, we do. Nevermind." He continued breathing, slowly starting to gain control of his body. "How were you convinced to bring me back?" Tex asked. "Cortana gave me advice." Church said. "How?" Carolina asked. "She wasn't here a few weeks ago!"

"Well, I uh, might have possessed the Chief while he was asleep one night." Church said. "That son of a bitch." the Chief whispered quietly. "Guys!" Cortana exclaimed. "I think he just talked!" He heard someone walk over to him. He felt skin barely touching his nose. "Yes," Doc said. "He's breathing. The surgery was a success." Cortana cleared her throat. "How's his heart beat?" she asked. He felt Doc touch his neck. "Average," he said. "He'll be fine. Continue Church?" Church cleared his throat. "Anyway," he started. "When I possessed the Chief, I came into contact with a fragment of Cortana."

"That's impossible!" Mendez said. "Her data chip was destroyed!" Cortana cleared her throat. "No," she said. "He did come into contact with me. Or a fragment of myself that I left in the presense of a backup chip. I knew that the Chief would end up in Blood Gulch. I convinced Church to attempt to revive Agent Texas, or Allison again, so he could be happy again." The soldiers must have stayed quiet for a while until Caboose broke the silence. "We are not in Blood Gulch now?" he asked. "No, idiot! We're in Valhalla!" Tex said. "Not to mention the place I died. For the third fuckin' time!" she screamed.

"Calm down." Tucker said, as calm as he could. "But how did we get here again?" he asked. "We teleported!" Church said. "Oh, and we found a black armored robot, and infused a backup Beta AI, also known as Allison/Tex, and she helped us escape!" The Chief continued to breath, and his eyes began to open slightly. He let out a groan, wanting to be noticed this time. "He's awake!" Cortana said, with excitement. "No," Doc said. "He's just stirring a bit." The Chief cleared his throat. "For one, Doc," he said. "I have been awake for a while now, I just couldn't move. For two, I am awake!" He opened his eyes, and slowly sat up, grunting in slight pain.

"Are you ok?" Church asked. "I'm fine." he grunted, getting up. "Just dandy. Who are our new arrivals?" Church cleared his throat. "The purple one is Doc," he said. "A medic who disappeared a while back. And the one in black is Tex/Allison. My former girlfriend." Cortana cleared her throat. "Are you sure you're ok?" she asked. He nodded. "I'm fine," he said. "Why are we here?" Grif cleared his throat. "That's a big question isn't it?" he started. "Are we the product of some cosmic-" Sarge interrupted him. "He didn't mean that, meatsack." he said. "We're here because we randomly teleported here. And we're holding ground here until you're better." The Chief cleared his throat. "I am better." he said, grunting in pain once more. "John," Cortana said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You need to try to take it easy a couple days." He stared at his former AI, now a human. "Yeah," he said, calmed down by her words. "Okay."

He sat back down on the guerney, and rested himself. "Okay," Washington said. "Everyone back to your individual bases. Doc you want to stay a while?" Doc looked at him. "No, no, no." he said. "I'm a pacifist." Church sighed. "I think he means as a medic." he said. "Oh," Doc responded. "well in that case, yes. Okay." The Reds packed up, or whatever, and took off north. The Chief didn't need help knowing they were at Blue Base. Wash, Carolina, Tucker, Tex, Caboose, Church, and Doc all looked at each other, and walked into the Blue Base.

Cortana sat down on the guerney next him. "Are you sure that you're okay?" she asked. He looked at her, and brushed his gloved hand across her cheek. Across actual skin. She is real this time. "I'm fine," he said, as he continued touching her face. "I'm just lucky to be alive." She looked surprised, and happy at the same time. "Why are you touching me?" she whispered. He suddenly stopped, and took his hand away. "Do you not like it?" he asked. She looked even more surprised. "No, no, no!" she said. "I do. It's just surprising." He gave her a sad look. "I just want to say," he said. "That I'm sorry."

She raised her eyebrow. "Sorry for what?" she asked. "For not getting you back to Earth," he said. "I promised I would, and I failed." She laughed. "John," she said. "You didn't fail me. No one failed me. Dr. Halsey just cloned herself, and moved my 'mind' into the nervous system." He looked at her. "How long have you been human?" he asked. She looked like she was thinking. "Uh, since the fall of Reach, I think." she said. "So, technically you've been human for 11 years. Is that correct?" he asked. She looked at him. "I guess." she said, obviously struggling to remember. "You're having a hard time remembering aren't you?" he asked.

She nodded. "If you want advice," he said. "I guess you should go see Church. He told me about the time that he was destroyed, and resurrected through a monitor system. He claimed that he didn't remember anything." She nodded. "I kind of remember that," she replied. "When I, er, my AI fragment came into contact with Church, he told me about his time in a monitor." The Chief looked at her. "So, what do you remember?" he asked. "I just told you!" she exclaimed, frowning. "I'm having a really hard time!" He nodded. "So," he said. "Where are we again?" She looked up at him, and got up. "According to Sarge, and Washington," she said. "We are in a outpost they call 'Valhalla'."

"You mean like the Norse Mythology area?" the Chief joked. "Am I dead?" She lightly punched him. "Goofball," she said. "No, this is the bases of a few KIA Reds and Blues who killed themselves, and/or were killed by the Meta." He raised his eyebrows. "The Meta?" he asked. "What the hell is a Meta?" She looked at him, and sighed. "You have a lot to catch up on, Chief." she said. "Anyway, not a Meta. The Meta. He was a AWOL Freelancer, A.K.A. Agent Maine. He was driven insaneb by his AI Sigma, and went around capturing Freelancer AI's. He captured the Omega, Theta, Gamma, and many other Freelancer AIs." The Chief nodded. "If he's so bad," he said. "Then where is he?"

"Dead. K.I.A." Washington said, walking up to them. "When he betrayed me, and took the Beta AI, or Tex out of her robot body, we were forced to kill him, by attaching a hook to his chest, and pushing a Warthog of a cliff." He stared at Washington. "That sounds painful." he replied. "Yeah," Wash said. "I bet it was." The Blues walked out of the base. "We can't stay here forever." the Chief said. "Why not, Chief?" Carolina asked. "You've gotta be fuckin' kidding me," he said. "Did you not see what happened back on Earth?" She stared at him. "Oh. Well yeah, but-" Cortana interrupted her. "Yeah, but nothing," she said. "He's got a point. We have to kill Noble Six. Again. And we have to ensure that the Flood doesn't spread." He looked at her.

"What about Doctor Halsey?" he asked her. "I don't think she's a problem, John." He stared at her as if she was five. "What the hell?" he asked. "What are you insane? She attempted to kill me!" She laughed. "Yes, she did," she said. "But I don't think she wanted to hurt you. I think she just had to find a way to keep herself alive. And I don't think she's a total bad person." He rolled his eyes. "So, we teleported here randomly?" he asked. "Yeah, that's right." Tucker said. "We're just cooling our heels here." He looked at Washington. "Wash," he said. "Is there anyway to track Noble Six?" he asked. He shook his head. "Unfortunately, not." he said.

"I have no idea where he could have gone." Carolina said. "Would he be interested in any Freelancer equipment?" he asked. Carolina shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "And besides, the main Freelancer facilities are destroyed." He thought for a moment, stumped. "I don't have any other ideas." he said. "Well," Cortana said. "The important thing is for you to get some rest." He turned to her. "Yeah," he said. "I guess so. But I can't sleep long. We have to find Noble Six, and we can't waste time." He laid down on the guerney, as Cortana moved, and closed his eyes to rest.

A/N: I'm sorry if this chapter was not satisfactory. I wanted to add few more characters to the story. Also, since I didn't add a A/N to the previous chapter, I'd like to know what any of my readers think about Halsey's sudden betrayal. I don't know if she's going to be a villain in the story yet. Also, Specimen 789 is the result of the UNSC's final attempt to clone a Covenant Brute/Elite, or you can call it the Brelite, if you want. So, next chapter, I don't know what's going to happen. Well, wait for the next chapter, and I'm out.