It had been several days since our run in with DeMarco, my augmented body healing in no time flat. DeMarco was still in the infirmary with four broken ribs, a broken jaw, fractured skull and internal bleeding in the stomach. Thorne really laid a beat-down on him. Lilith had recovered even quicker than I, her dislocated hip no problem at all to a SPARTAN once it was reengaged.

I stood facing the CQC training arena, the weapon racks filled to the brink with simmed out weapons. Thadeus stood upon a pedestal not to far away, tapping away.

He turned to address us as a unit, "Alright Crimson, welcome, to the Team Analysis on Confined Tactics and Invasive Combat Scenarios. Better known as the T.A.C.T.I.C.S. test. I will be assessing your abilities to think, maneuver, communicate, and effectively eliminate enemy threats in close quarters environments."

I looked just beyond him at the polymer walls set up to resemble an urban office building, "in there are 8 hostiles. They will be controlled by no other than; your own A.I.s." Thadeus said, a slight bit of surprise coming from each of the respective team members.

Lilith stood off to the side to watch, just as soon as Thadeus turned to her, "You will be joining them." he said.

Lilith visibly recoiled at this, though she quickly walked down to the staging area on wobbling legs, the excitement filling her to the brink. She slowly got her legs to stop shaking as Thadeus returned to look at us, "Any questions?" he asked.

No one answered, "Good, well then, let's get started shall we?"

I saw Sarah flash me a brief smile before jumping to the console in which she would control from. I walked forward into the weapons room which had been stocked with simmed up versions of our weapons. I grabbed my Battle Rifle and my DMR from the rack, grabbing a magnum from one of the tables and loading it with sim rounds. Stocked on ammo I looked at everyone else shuffle with their weapons. I saw Athena place her sniper on her back and grab her auto shotgun. Meteor disassembling his lightrifle to load it. I watched curiously as Lilith grabbed a gravity hammer and a spare knife. Strange combination. She went with no gun, being that her other was a sniper and I assumed she wasn't a trained marksman. As I went to look around more, I noticed everyone was geared up, making small final adjustments before they embarked into the training arena.

I cocked my rifle before walking to the arena's double doors, checking behind me to see my team up and ready. I pushed open the pock marked safety glass doors, gun up in my right hand as I swept the room before letting my squad through. I watched them file by me one by one until Lilith came out. Her arm twitched slightly in what I assumed was fear.

"Hey, you been through worse than this, no problem alright?" I said encouragingly.

Her arm twitched again, her head never turning to face me. I watched her carefully as she walked off, knives drawn. I made a mental note to keep an eye on her before falling in behind them. They had come to a wooden door to the next room.

"Give me a sec." said Phoenix, digging into the containment units on his thighs. He pulled out a small wire and stuck it under the door. He then flipped up his tacpad and moved the snake like wire back and forth under the door.

He stood, replacing the device, "All clear." he said, motioning to the door with his left hand.

I nodded, Phoenix creaking open the door and sticking the barrel of his rifle through. We filed in behind him as is standard in these situations. We approached the next door, but just as Phoenix went to digging once more, Lilith twitched. Her head flicked to one side for a moment or two, an arm spasming.

"Are you alright?" asked Crow.

She looked at him with her violet visor as it slowly deteriorated, eaten away by crimson flakes until her visor matched the color of blood.

A robotic voice came over my comms, "Early warning system active. Kikyo Kudo is now active." said the voice before disappearing.

I looked at her as well, her body unmoving until she slowly turned her head back to the wooden door. Phoenix stood frozen in silence, hand still in the containment unit as Lilith-or Kikyo, approached him. She stood in front of the door for a moment before raising her foot and bashing the door open. The room exploded in action as bullets whizzed through the bottlenecked doorway. We all took cover in the room as Kikyo ran straight into the hail of bullets.

As I peeled around to provide cover fire I saw Kikyo dodging, weaving, ducking, and jumping bullets. She pushed off the wall on the left, sending her airborne, drawing fire towards her. I pressed forwards into the room and saw the embodiments of our A.I.s, standing at human height. I hesitated for a moment as I saw Kikyo land on top of a lime colored enemy and dug both knives into his throat. The green, facial features, and clothing faded away as a black endoskeleton fell to the floor, sparking.

As I turned to shoot one of the hostiles Kikyo was already there, snap kicking the old man in the side and throwing a knife, hitting him square in the forehead, the red fading away. I lowered my gun as she moved on to the next A.I., one I was not familiar with, the one that must have been her own. She batted the gun to the side, slicing upwards with her remaining knife and leaving a gash in her simulated throat before another husk fell to the floor. She was grabbed from behind by a silver SPARTAN, to which she slammed him against the wall whilst still on her back, then grabbing his head and flipping him over her, stabbing the back of his neck as he landed. Her head snapped up to focus on an unarmed A.I. clad in a karate gi. He held out his hands in a fighting stance and Kikyo charged. She threw a chair that sat in the room at him, to which he sidestepped. kikyo slid to a stop and went to face him. The man threw a punch.

Lilith outstretched her arm and caught his fist in her hand, bending it backwards and forcing him to his knees before kneeing him in the face, the armor on her knee sticking out and bashing his skull in. The broken skeleton fell onto the floor similarly as all the others as her shield sparked. She wheeled around to face a purple man in a trenchcoat, a smoking magnum in his hand. She stared at him with an intensity unknown even without a visor on.

"Well I'm f-" he said before a knife was shoved up through the bottom of his chin and into his skull.

Kikyo left her knife and drew her gravity hammer as low caliber rounds pinged off of her armor. A maroon colored female let out a battle cry and walked slowly towards her, spraying her down with everything she had. Kikyo simply took a stutter step towards her before bringing the gravity hammer across her stomach. Felicia was sent sprawling through the air, crashing into the wall and putting a large hole in it.

I took a piercing round from a sniper to the chest as my shields flickered empty. I staggered backwards, raising my rifle. Before I could get on target Sarah had gotten locked in a fight with Kikyo. She had the rifle between her and the maniac, wrestling for dominance. it was obvious Kikyo was toying with her as she slung her wherever she deemed necessary.

She must have finally been tired of her game because she spun Sarah to face me, a look of what seemed like genuine terror on her face as two hands wrapped around her head and pulled in two opposite directions. Her neck snapped and her head loosely flopped back into position as she fell. Her color fading away. I hadn't realized I'd dropped my rifle for a few moments before it registered in my mind. I shakily bent down to pick it up, holstering it on my back before looking up at the panting Kikyo. Sarah reappeared in my visor, a look of shock on her face.

"What just happened?" I asked her, my voice slightly shaky.

"Running diagnostics now." said Sarah.

"Seems to be a spike in all of the parts of a brain that deal with aggression, strength and pain tolerance, while all that deal with compassion, logic, and cognitive thinking have been dulled. I've seen it before, says here that this is actually a common side effect of Multiple Personality Disorder." she said, "and when a SPARTAN gets a bit too aggressive…" she said, not needing to finish the sentence.

"Vitals returnign to normal, Lilith Kudo now active." came the same robotic voice from earlier.

Lilith suddenly went weak legged and fell to the ground onto her stomach. She groaned before pushing herself upwards and standing on still wobbly legs.

I went to talk to her, but as I reached her she went to grab my shoulder and ended up falling into me. I caught her, but soon handed her off to Meteor, who lately was having his job cut out for him.

I would get answers later, but either way I was going to get them.

Sorry for the late chapter people, but y'know, writing is hella hard. Anyways, glad to finally be able to have an MPD character like me on the team!

Till Next Time,
TheLooneyBin