Co Authors Note:

Hello everyone, Ignorant One here, and thank you for reading last chapter of Echo Halo: Run Alive Through the Light and thanks for all of the reviews. :D

Anyways, this is Part 1 of the final chapter, and Syxx Fox, if you read the note at the beginning of the last chapter, has given me the honor of writing the last few chapters. So I am trying my best to give the story an exciting conclusion worthy of the previous chapters.

I asked you last chapter how you thought I did, and well, I haven't really heard from a lot of you…please review! This story isn't mine, its Syxx Fox's, but it feels like I am a part of it, so for the love of God, review!! XD

Well, here is part one the "season finale" you have all been waiting patiently for.

Enjoy.

Editor-in-Chief (and part-time co-author),

Ignorant One

Ch. 36: The Demon

1725 Hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar) Great Fox Infirmary, Orbiting Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

A quick cough echoed through the sterile air of Great Fox infirmary, bouncing off of the walls before entering in a certain vixen's ear. Krystal opened her eyes slowly and lifted her head off of her arms. Has the corpsman already started bringing in the wounded? She thought for a moment, looking at the eleven empty gurneys before looking at the door; shaking her head slightly from side to side.

Krystal yawned and brought a paw to her muzzle to stifle it, rubbing her cheek with the other hand as she looked over Fox. How long was I out? She wondered as she stroked the red vulpine's cheek, a small smile sliding across her face as his chest rose and fell in a timely and consistent manner. It was nearly a minute later and she laid her head back down on the side of the last McCloud's gurney, eyes flittering shut, nearly lulled back to sleep by the soft beeping of the vulpine's heart monitor.

The blue Cerinian was nearly asleep until a sudden spike in the monitor disturbed her. The beeping sped up as the heart rate started to rise; the unconscious fox's breathing steadily getting louder as the seconds passed. Krystal stood up quickly to call for a medic, but a hoarse cough brought her attention back to the only occupied gurney in the med bay.

The vixen's eyes widened when the fox on the table opened his eyes. Krystal immediately leaned over the gurney and took a closer look. "Fox?" She whispered carefully, trying her best not to speak to loudly; not wanting to aggravate the vulpine's concussion.

The red fox's eyes fluttered for a moment and he winced, green orbs slowly sliding over to lock with Krystal's cerulean ones. He opened up his muzzle, but what escaped his throat first was a dry squeak. Krystal lowered her ear to his muzzle, and Fox tried again to speak.

"Not so loud…please." He wheezed; his mouth dry and throat hoarse.

Krystal's eyes widened as she moved back to her seat. "Thank Goodness."

Fox turned his head and managed to fully open his eyes. Krystal wasn't surprised to find out that his eyes were blood shot and weary; his eyes moving slowly from side to side before he closed them. "My head is throbbing…and the light is too bright…"

Krystal immediately got up and walked to the illumination panel and lowered the brightness of the overhead fixtures. Fox sighed in relief. "God damn this hurts."

Krystal tsk'd but didn't reply, only walking over to the chair and sitting back down, grabbing a hold of his free hand and rubbing it. "So…how do you feel?"

Fox hissed slightly when he shifted, his collarbone flaring in pain and bruised ribs groaning in protest. "I feel like I got run over by the LandMaster…" He answered painfully. Then there was a hiss and the automated medication dispenser released a perfectly measured amount of painkillers into his system, quickly nullifying the pain. Fox took a pain free breath and looked at Krystal. "Where are we? Where is the Spartan?"

Krystal took a deep breath and closed her eyes before opening them. "Fox," the blue vixen began, rubbing his paw in earnest, "You have been taken out of the fight to receive immediate medical attention here on the Great Fox."

The Cerinian watched as the Cornerians facial expression changed from one of a hazy, painless bliss to a shocked and disappointed expression. The first stage was denial. "You have got to be kidding me. What about Halo!?"

Krystal firmed her grip on his hand, "No. A corpsman has just listed you as 'Unfit For Duty', and… you won't be going back to Halo. In fact, none of us will." She said, pausing a moment before adding, "We are going to destroy it."

"Destroy it!? What about everyone else!? We haven't been given orders to evacuate yet! We just can't leave them there!" The Fox said, wincing in pain despite the pain medications.

Krystal's ears flattened at the volume of his voice but she placed a paw on his leg. "Fox…we've removed everyone from Halo to both the Great Fox and the Horror Frost. We're full in the hanger, and there is barely enough room for Falco and Slippy to land their Arwings… everyone is present and accounted for. We're good to go."

Fox looked at her in disbelief. "Everyone? What of the Spartan? Where is he?"

"He's with Falco and Slippy…their already on their way. I think they're heading to The Ripper….but I wasn't given any information at all." She said as he crossed her arms, a slight pout marring her muzzle and ears flattening against her skull; reminding Fox of a child who didn't get the ice cream they wanted.

Fox nodded slightly, wincing at the throbbing in his skull despite the pain medications. "And where are-"

Krystal frowned and placed a finger to his lips, silencing the red fox. "Shhhh….Fox." She cooed, stroking the visible tips of his ears, "You need to stay down and relax. Its all been taken care of….the rest is all up to the Spartan and his AI companion. We'll know if he succeeds…and we won't live long enough to know we've failed. All in all…there is nothing more we can do other then sit back and watch how it all turns out."

Fox gave her a helpless look, his good arm tightening; his fist clenching. "I know that…it's just I don't like not being apart of it. I've made it too far to be taken out of the game in the "overtime" round…its just not…" He looked away from her for a moment, letting out a loud sigh, "It's just not fair."

The blue fox let out a rich laugh, her hands moving to cradle his good one. "My dear, Fox McCloud has enough fame to make him live in the hearts and minds for generations. You've outgrown your father's shadow…maybe its time you stepped aside and let someone else have a little of the glory. Everyone knows that the Spartan has been pulling the load of not only his troops, but since we joined forces, our troops as well…accomplishing things no one else could with the best of both our forces!"

Krystal giggled a little when Fox rolled his eyes, attempting to pout and cross his arms. "Oh come on Fox! I'm not saying that you aren't worthy of the spotlight! You took out nearly all of Andross' entire offensive capabilities and you stopped the Aparoids from invading… It's just that letting the Spartan have the spotlight among our troops could help ease tensions between our combined forces. Besides," She said, squeezing his hand, a little smirk curling across her lips, "I need you here…not there."

Fox looked at her, a small smile sliding across his muzzle. "All right then…but I want to be on the bridge when the ring blows…could be a great show of fireworks."

Krystal nodded. "All right…but you'll have to make it up in a wheelchair."

1725 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", The Ripper, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

Despite the weight of the Mark VII armor, John's steps were extremely quiet; metal soles barely making a sound as he carefully treaded down the narrow corridors of the Cornerian warship The Ripper. "It should be about thirty-three meters down this hallway and then there should be a three-way intersection. Take a right when we get there and it should lead to a more open area... some breathing room."

The Spartan nodded and held his MA5C against his shoulder, eyes trained on the open doors and multiple vents lining the walls; weary and carefully watching his motion tracker for the slightest movement. The hallway he was walking down reminded him a Covenant's ship, the layouts similar and the automatic doors; the Chief noting the purple hues of the lighting throughout the ship. There was one obstacle though. A thick, green fog permeated the area, blocking out most of the light and obscuring his vision past thirteen feet; the smells of decaying flesh making its way past John's air scrubbers and into his helmet. "Looks like the flood have been here for a while, Cortana…how come we have yet to spot any?"

"They could be elsewhere…this is a lot of ship to just infest…Flood need bodies to increase their ranks. Also, since the Covenant started burning their dead to prevent their corpses from being used by the Flood, the Gravemind can only get his hands on living bodies…and since we moved everyone off of Halo…it can't get anymore."

Master Chief nodded and continued walking. A door opening up to his right caught his attention and he stopped; dropping to a knee and placing his reticule right over the opening of the door. His breathing increased as his body poised itself to inject adrenaline into his bloodstream…but nothing happened. The door shut slightly before opening again four seconds later. "Just a malfunction…Cortana…"

The AI grinned as she began to work on shutting down power to that door, "Way ahead of you Chief…"

Immediately the door stopped opening and shutting, the Spartan resuming his standing position and walked to the crewman's quarter, scanning the room from the doorway with his floodlight and assault rifle before stepping through. "Cortana…can you get some lighting in here?"

John smirked when she ran an audio file of knuckles cracking as she stretched out in his mind, "Of course…you do know who you're dealing with right?"

Two seconds later, the lights blinked on and were incredibly bright for a moment; the Mjolnir armor's helmet visor darkening to avoid disorienting the Chief. John quickly looked around the room and grabbed a journal off of the table next to the open door; opening it. Inside the front cover was the name and a rank of the owner. Ensign Martin Everest. Curious to know a little about this person, John read a few lines; being careful to watch his tracker...

'January12th: It's amazing! I've finally earned my engineering degree and I have successfully joined the Cornerian Navy! Mom was so proud on graduation day…I wish dad could have been there to see it…he would have been happy to see me carry on the family tradition while continuing my dreams…'

'January 23rd: This is so cool! I get to serve on the new Solace class war vessel "The Ripper" on its maiden voyage! I mean…how many people get to say that they get to work with one of the system's greatest military and naval achievements!? Not many. That's right, this Ensign gets to work with the best tech junkies in the entire navy… if I work hard…soon I could become Lieutenant Junior Grade Evrest…'

'March 17th: We have received orders to report to the outer rim of the system to investigate an attack on a small mining colony…for some reason it doesn't sit well with me…if its just to check it out, then why is there a full battalion of Marines here? Something about this is sending alarm bells ringing in my head…I have a bad feeling about this…'

'March 23rd: We were attacked today at 1328 hours! I don't know what hit us or why…it was a large, shiny purple craft…that's all I know. We're turning tail faster than 23 rd Androssian Expeditionary fleet did when StarFox came blazing through the Venom Air Defense Zone! Considering we don't know the enemy or their capabilities…other than to nearly vaporize two and a half meters of reinforced Allinium-carbon alloy…so I guess it's better for us to leave. Oh! I better get back to work or the Lieutenant Commander will chew my tail off for sure! Besides…there is a pressure valve leaking on deck four in the armory that could use a little TLC…I'll get my boys on it right away.'

John opened the next page, and two pieces of paper fell onto the floor. The Spartan cocked his head to the side a little, bending down to pick them up. The first one was a picture of a lanky German Sheppard wearing a naval uniform, white cap on his head and a big, goofy grin on his face; a beautiful female feline wrapping her arms around his waist. He looked at the picture a little longer and then looked at the other photo.

This one was just a little different. It featured the feline in the other picture except for one big difference. In this picture however, she was wearing nothing but a robe; the front half open, revealing a lot of shapely thigh and a generous amount of cleavage. There was a lip imprint made with red lipstick and a handwritten note in neat cursive on the back. 'You stay safe and stay true…this little picture is to remind you what lies behind the front door of our new home. Mrowl…come home soon and I'll show you just how well cats and dogs can really get along…your love, Jennifer.'

Cortana giggled, "I think we found the quarters of a newly wed naval officer Chief. But let's take the journal and the pictures and….according to the casualty records I've just pulled up, he's still alive and aboard the Horror Frost…he might appreciate it if we brought it back."

After a little debate, John placed the pictures in between the pages of the journal and set it in a little nook in the back plate of his armor; Cortana tightening the armor to hold the notebook in place. "Come on John…we've got a war to win…let's get moving. Besides, this fog gives me the creeps…"

"Affirmative." Was all the Spartan said, picking up his MA5C and stepping out into the hallway; his assault rifle poised and already sweeping down both sides of the corridor. He carefully stepped out and surveyed the area, the fog seeming to dissipate slightly; offering him a few more feet of precious visibility. "How far are we from the Engineering block?" He said as he double checked all of his equipment, running a quick diagnostic on his armor while they had a moment of no action. He waited for an answer.

"We're about halfway there Chief…and your suit diagnostic reports that your armor is fully functioning. We need to head out about fifteen more meters and then we'll get too that three way intersection I talked about before."

John nodded and flicked on his helmet flood light, carefully stepping forward with his assault rifle leveled, sweeping the barrel of the automatic weapon from side to side and up and down; making sure to check each little nook and cranny in the corridor to expose any would be Flood Infection forms that might be lurking beyond the piercing gaze of his floodlight. It took him less than a minute to reach the end of the corridor, his sweeps not picking up any Flood movement, and he now gazed at a wall with two different paths; one branching off to the left, and the other heading to the right.

The Spartan noticed two signs with arrows pointing in either direction. There was writing on both of the painted signs, but they were written in blocky lettering that neither Cortana nor her updated translation software could. "Well…" The AI quipped, "They can speak our language…but they certainly can't write it…when we blow this ring, I'm gonna' want their version of a dictionary so I can write a program because these block letters are giving my sub routines a migraine. By the way, just turn right Chief…"

John quirked and eyebrow at her comment, raising his MA5C back to his shoulder once more as he slowly plodded down the murky green, mist filled hallway. "A migraine?" He said, a grin tugging at the edges of his lips.

Cortana huffed and crossed her arms in his mind, "I was speaking figuratively. Just because you're an anti-social killing machine doesn't mean I have to be too. Unlike you, I actually socialize with people and other AI."

John kept his eyebrow arched and smile quirked, "Unlike you, I don't have sub routines to micro manage every little thing…besides, I'm always busy…saving the galaxy and all."

The AI smirked and shook her head. "Touché'."

The heroic duo had made it about ten more meters down their newest hallway when John started comparing the differences in structuring between Covenant and Lylatian capital ships; noting that apparently both races liked to use darker lighting along the hallways, which he attributed to their above average night vision. He continued with his mental comparisons when Cortana took on a worried tone, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Chief….stand still…whatever I'm detecting isn't showing up on motion tracking…but there is definitely something here…"

Over their travels into the warzone together, Cortana had this uncanny ability to keep the Chief safe from threats he couldn't see or hear; and she's been right every time. So with that in mind, the Spartan stopped dead in his tracks and immediately began to search every inch of the corridor he could see. He turned around and ran his floodlight along the walls until a loud creaking noise made him spin around and bring his MA5C to bear down the hallway. It took him half a second to realize that the creaking was coming from the ceiling; the metallic paneling bowed nine feet in front of him.

The battle hardened warrior leveled his assault rifle at the dent in the ceiling and held his stance; his body tightening and finger against the trigger as the metal paneling creaked again. John narrowed his eyes and watched intently, his superior focus kicking in, watching in what seemed slow motion as the ceiling buckle and cave in; metal hitting metal in a loud screeching. Through the green mist the Spartan could see a figure drop down from the newly made hole in the ceiling.

With slow, careful movements, John reached over his shoulder and pulled out his shotgun and stuck the MA5C in its place; the magnets in the armor holding the automatic weapon in place. He couldn't see much of the unknown assailant, but its stature and size indicated it to be a Flood Warrior; but it was unlike any of the kinds he had seen before. With a single thought, his floodlight turned on, the powerful beam cutting through the noxious green fog and doused the single Flood Warrior in a bright, white light; exposing the opposition. To say that the Flood Warrior was different was an understatement: it was an entirely new breed of warrior; a breed freshly inducted into the Gravemind's ranks.

John could tell almost immediately that what an Infection form had twisted was a Lylatian; a feline to be exact. Unlike the other versions of Flood Warriors, the human and elite monstrosities, this Warrior lacked the tell-tale five foot long tentacles that usually jutted out of the right arm socket. Instead it maintained both of its arms intact, its claws nearly two feet long and looking wicked sharp; the same story with its teeth, the entire beast reminding the Master Chief of a mutated Saber tooth tiger from Deja's (1) lessons.

Its most eye catching feature though was the feline Flood's tail…or what was once its tail, but was now a thick bundle of muscle covered with patches of fur and green, molting flesh.

John eyed it for a moment and leveled the twelve-gauge shotgun at it, using the fluorescent markers to easily line up the iron sights; his barrel holding steady at the newly discovered Flood's chest. "I've never seen a Flood like that before…I'm going to record this Chief…we might need the information if the Flood escape."

The sole known surviving Spartan didn't reply, he instead tensed when the Flood Warrior spun around and faced him, its toothy maw opening to let out a short growl before it crouched low to the ground on all fours; the creature's long tail swinging behind it from side to side. John expected it to leap forward at him, but he was surprised when it dashed towards him at an astonishing speed; bringing its claws in front of it as it quickly closed the difference between it and the Spartan.

It would have speared John were it not for his intense concentration and honed reflexes, the visual information entering his brain five times faster than a normal human's made it appear as if the Flood was moving in slow motion. He narrowed his eyes at the quickly approaching Flood and pulled the trigger.

1723 Units (Covenant Military Calendar) The Ripper data core, Covenant designated "Vengeance Plateau", Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

In a dark room with no one else but yourself, a partner, and a soft blue light providing the only illumination… tensions can run quite high while you are surrounded by enemies. This is especially true if you have been sitting duck for nearly twenty minutes. This is even truer for Ship Master Yanni, the intensity of his burning gaze and the tone of his deep voice seemed to pierce through the helmet of his subordinate. "Zuterio, what in the name of the Prophets is taking so long!?" He growled, turning around and walking purposefully towards the Spec Ops elite who was currently sitting on the ground next to an opened panel; quickly tapping away at a holographic panel. "We've been standing here as a prime target for the Parasites for nearly twenty cycles!"

The younger Elite winced slightly at his superior's tone, but he knew that the commanding elite was right; gross miscalculations in timing during any operation immediately spelt death for the entire team almost all of the time, and this situation was no different. Every future offensive operation hinged on weather this team of Special Operations Elites could recover important data. Adding onto the fact that he had completely underestimated the defenses of the Cornerian firewalls for sensitive data irked the Cyber Warfare elite to know end.

"My apologies Ship Master, but my AI is the most advanced and adaptive in the fleet, and it was cutting through their barriers in the beginning, but as my program sifted through the files, security became tighter. If the mission fails, I will accept it as my responsibility that we were not able to secure the information-"

The grey armored elite was interrupted when the AI chirped, drawing Zuterio's eyes; soon the Spec Ops operator beamed with pride as he looked up at gold armored commander. "I take that back Ship Master…I have found it. It turns out that their firewalls were not getting stronger, but they were hiding their important information better by forcing my AI to shift through thousands of files…only one of the AI's I designed could be aware enough to try different search methods."

Yanni growled and gave the inexperienced elite a disapproving glare. "Don't boast, it is not the horn that powers the Ghost."

The grey elite just chuckled, "Yes Ship Master…Lusitia is downloading the requested files now."

Yanni huffed, "You named your AI after your mate?" He asked, but the Cyber Warfare specialist didn't reply, the younger elite quickly engrossed at the volume of the data that was being downloaded from the Cornerian battle networks. Soon everything was quiet except the humming of the Spec Ops' equipment and the occasional shifting of the Sangheli Ship Master. Then a muffled thump reverberated through the ceiling of the room.

"What was that Ship Master? It sounded like a Mauler…" The grey elite stated. The gold elite narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, his hands tightening around his weapons. "It can't be us, none of our troops carry Mauler, and our teams were the only ones authorized to be in this area…it has to be human weaponry. Contact the other teams and warn them…the Demon might be in our midst, and tell them to expect significant parasite activity; 'Where the Demon goes, the plague shall follow'…just as it is written in the Prophet's writings."

Ten cycles passed, and Zuterio had just gotten the warning sent when both elite's motion trackers started to fill with red blips; twenty five meters in all directions. "This isn't good Ship Master…" The Spec Ops operator murmured as he readied his plasma rifle, double-checking its charge before re-attaching it to his thigh plate; eyeing his motion sensor wearily. "We're quickly being surrounded!"

Immediately both Covenant soldiers' eyes darted around the sparsely illuminated room, each searching for any soft points that the Flood could get through. While Zuterio scanned the walls, Yanni immediately searched the floors and the ceiling. As the blips started closing in around their position, the Ship Master heard the skittering and fleshy sounds of Infection forms emanate from all around them; his eyes started searching frantically. "The vents!" The gold armored elite roared, "Seal the vents damnit!"

Immediately Yanni and Zuterio swept the walls and the ceilings, each searching for any vents that could be overpowered by the inevitable tide of Flood Infection forms swarming through the Lylatian cruiser's ventilation system. Whenever one of the two would find a vent, they fired four shots at the corners of the hardened metal grates; the intense heat of the plasma weaponry fusing the grate to the girder. All in all, they had eight vents sealed within seconds. There were two in the ceiling and two in each of the three walls, and as soon as the metal grates had cooled and hardened, Infection forms pounded on the vents; the collective intelligence of the Flood not expecting them to offer any resistance.

Yanni gave a brief sigh of relief, "That should buy us some time….how far along are you to downloading the package? Also, double check your charges and shields." He said, readying his plasma rifles and focusing them on the door and keeping his eyes on his motion detector; watching for any frontal movement amidst the swarm of Infection forms crawling around the vents. During the intense yet edgy lull in the action, he double checked the charges of both of his custom gold plated Plasma rifles and ran a quick diagnostic on his armor, deciding to redistribute power from his shield projectors to his shield capacitors; instead opting for a faster recharge time over shield strength.

Zuterio started his diagnostic check and eyed his charge using his HUD. It read '98' and he nodded slightly as he turned his eyes back to the screen located on his forearm; the bright blocky lettering of the Covenant combined language could almost be seen reflecting off of the eager Spec Ops elite's eyes. "I am nearing seventy-five percent Ship Master…and I am also downloading specifications on enemy weaponry…"

Yanni growled deep in his throat, "Take only what information is required for the mission. You won't live to make the rank of Major Sangheli if you do more than what is required; heroics more often than not get you killed." He shifted his stance a little and adjusted his grip on the weapons that seemed to be apart of his armor; eyes looking over their handy-work and satisfied that the parasites were still on the outside while they were on the inside. "Let me offer you some advice youngling."

Without even seeing the Cyber Warfare specialist narrow his eyes or grit his mandibles, the older Ship Master knew it was how the grey armored elite was reacting; he knew because he was once the same. "In our line of work, it is not how much you do that gets you recognized… it's the amount of successful mission you have completed. I was once like you…young, eager, strong, and intelligent…and through and through I went above and beyond what was needed of me."

The younger Sangheli didn't respond, so he continued. "I accomplished my objectives and then some, sometimes taking a fellow warrior's missions in order to further my reputation; often taking exorbitant risks to Covenant personnel and equipment just to hound the glory. That did not get me recognition that I had craved. It got me recognized as an overzealous troublemaker and a fool no matter how wildly successful my assault had been." The gold elite sighed lightly, "It took me four mating cycles to realize why I wasn't getting the promotions the peers from my graduating class were attaining… no matter my impressive kill records or successes…the Hierarchs were looking for levelheaded commanders who could lead their squads smartly."

"We have reached seventy-five percent Ship Master." The Spec Ops elite said, his voice low and mind trying to focus on everything but the elder elite's advice. Yanni nodded, "So it was at that point in my career I realized that I needed to show a sense of self-control and restraint; something I hadn't know of since I was a whelp being bent over my mother's knee. At that moment I became what was expected of me…not an overachiever, but a soldier. After that point I started to do my job, accomplishing my objectives and helping other Minor Sangheli in succeeding in their mission without doing the job for them."

The Spec Ops elite listened halfheartedly, mildly interested in what the experienced soldier had to say and focusing on the progress of both the initial 'package' and the weapons data that were being downloaded. The Ship Master continued, "I learned to lead, and others soon followed my example. I then started earning the promotions I once thought I had a right too…I gained command of this battle group while my brethren were getting their seats on the Council or brandishing their silver armor as fleet commanders…being an individual got me nowhere."

He turned briefly and faced the Spec Ops elite crouched on the floor and made eye contact. "What I'm saying is that going beyond completing the mission will get you killed or nowhere. Listen, you are an exceptional warrior, but we are a squad, and there is no 'iltak' in 'squad'…but if you threaten the success of this mission for your own gains, I'll leave your sorry hide here for the Flood to feast upon…do I make myself clear?"

The grey armored elite gave a brief nod before returning his gaze to his instruments, tapping a few buttons in order to streamline his downloads. Yanni growled, but a hissing behind him made him spin around quickly; the elite's weapons expertly trained on the door. The metal pocket door slowly slid off to the side, revealing a Flood Warrior neither elite had ever seen. Everything froze as the two Sangheli surveyed the expanse of the newest abomination assimilated into the horrific ranks of the Flood.

The new Flood Warrior was shorter in stature compared to the human and elite forms the two had seen in multiple engagements. Gone were the tentacles commonly associated with combat forms, and it maintained both of its limbs; the mutation instead opting for the acceleration of bone growth which added monstrous length to the claws and teeth of the host; the new flood's tail was a fleshy mass of muscle and bone all covered in the green flesh shared with all beings Flood.

"It seems that parasite has mutated to suit the new hosts…" Yanni remarked, placing his sights over the enemy combatant just as the combat form dashed. It moved with a surprising speed, sprinting towards him along the ground instead of taking to the air as most Flood Warriors have done in the past; the parasite quickly covering the distance between itself and the stunned Ship Master.

Yanni gritted his mandibles together when he realized that he had only managed to squeeze off four plasma bolts and changed his stance to withstand the impact the Flood warrior would surely cause. The Ship Master didn't blink when the parasite impacted against him, his shielding taking the brunt of the kinetic energy and dispersing it around the entire armor to minimize the stress on his body. The Lylatian flood wrapped its arms around his waist and opened its powerful jaws around his right arm and bit down; the elite surprised at the strength when the jaws activated the shielding and started to drain them at an astounding rate.

"Their jaws are powerful, don't let them bite you!" The Sangheli roared, bringing both of his arms down on the Flood's spine, satisfied with hearing it snap before shoving the beast to the floor and firing a single round into the back of the monstrosity's skull; letting a grin grace his mandibles as the superheated plasma melted through the flesh and bone before fizzling out and releasing a foul odor into the air.

The grey armored elite looked at the corpse, "I've never seen anything like it…" He murmured, taking in all of the notable features the newest addition to the Flood ranks had to offer. He then heard the doors open again, and he looked past the Ship Master to see nearly a dozen combat forms of all different species packed against the doorjamb; all of the mindless warriors trying to get into the door at the same time.

Yanni laughed and reached towards his belt, placing his Plasma rifle on his gold thigh plate before reaching back and plucking one of the twelve plasma grenades he brought with him. "You foolish parasite, you think you can take us!? You will have to try harder than that to take down this Ship Master!"

He held the plasma grenade in his palm and looked back at the grey elite with a wide grin, "I may have changed significantly from who I once was…but there are times the old me shine through this orderly exterior. I have tamed myself…but a good fight is what I've been craving for lately!"

With that Zuterio watched as the gold Ship Master primed the grenade and threw it towards the hodge-podge of Flood combat forms; the sticky grenade adhered to the forehead of an elite flood packed in the third row of warriors. Three. The grey elite counted down the three seconds with a morbid fascination. Two. He watched intently as the flood mindset didn't change at all as they tried to get to the elites inside; arms and tentacles flailing about in poorly coordinated attempts to storm the doorjamb.

One. The bright blue sphere of plasma grew incredibly bright as collapsed on itself and then exploded in a brilliant flash of purple and white. The intense heat incinerated all of the Flood surrounding the stuck warrior, and those who weren't incinerated were dismembered in an amazing display of gore; spraying the walls with green and purple blood along with molted, rotting flesh.

The display was satisfying the Ship Master decided as he readied his plasma rifles and stepped to the side to give his grey armored comrade a full field of fire against the next wave of flood. Then when the smoke and bloody mist dissipated, he saw a result he didn't count on. He has seen the damage cause by plasma grenades on both Covenant and human ships, and after the explosion, the structures of the ships remained largely unchanged…but this was different. The intense heat and the explosion had actually widened the doorway; the heat making the metal doorjamb more pliable and the explosion forcing the metal apart.

Zuterio looked at the Ship Master in disbelief at his actions; destroying their chokepoint and only chance to hold off the Flood. The gold armored elite snorted loudly and shook his head, looking back at the grey Spec Ops Sangheli. "And now you know why I try to keep myself from getting out of hand. I sometimes make things harder than they need to be."

Both elites shook their heads and pointed their weapons at the door and waited for the next wave of Flood; the download of the package seeming to take ages. This was not good.

1731 hours, November 2, 2554 (Coalition Military Calendar), Coalition Designated Plateau "Echo-Papa 07", The Ripper, Echo Halo, Linksis Dawn System

The flash of light emitted from the barrel of the 12 gauge shotgun caused John's visor to dim slightly and the sound dampened to avoid any disorientation that could have had an adverse effect on the warrior. The Spartan disregarded the suit's built in safety mechanisms and watched intently as the buckshot streamed from the tip of the large bored weapon and chew through the rotted flesh and bone of the Lylatian Flood warrior. The heavy lead and titanium shot blend easily split the combat form in two at the waist, and John ducked slightly as the upper half of the incapacitated warrior soared above his helmet; straightening up and leaping over the lower half as he started sprinting down the hallway.

Everything in his mind sped up to incredible speeds and the information entering his system made everything seem surreal and altruistic; every sound became more intensified despite the suit's dampeners and the visuals became crisp and clear. He could hear each and every mechanism inside the shotgun engaging and disengaging as he pulled back on the fore-grip of the weapon, opening the action and ejecting the spent shot shell; time seeming to slow down as the plastic casing soared away from the ejection port.

This spontaneous burst of focus, which many who had worked on the SPARTAN-II project dubbed 'Spartan Time', ended quickly as John pushed the grip forward and sliding the action shut; the topside magazine dropping another shell into the chamber. Immediately as he started running, his radar began to fill with an innumerable amount of red dots; each identifying every being within a twenty-five meter radius a threat. He took off down the hallway at top speed, hitting sixty kilometers an hour in the blink of an eye, desperately wanting to get to a more open area; he needed space to maneuver, and this narrow corridor wasn't running him any favors.

"Chief!" Cortana yelled at him, "Slow down! We're about to hit that open area! And it looks like there is a door at the end!"

"I can't do that." John huffed as oxygen filled his lungs and carbon dioxide exited, eyes watching carefully as the doors to the individual crew quarters on both sides of the hallway rattled and bent as Flood pounded at them in an attempt to get into the hallway. He heard a loud groan as a couple of the doors burst open and vents lining the hallway popped off and turned his head briefly to survey exactly what was happening; combat forms streaming from the quarters and Infection forms from the vents. His eyes widened and he started to run faster, but a creak from in front of him brought his attention back in the direction he was running.

Two Flood combat forms had tore open a large portion of the ceiling and leapt down, confronting John with weapons he had never seen before, but he knew that they would most likely cause damage if he were hit. The two armed warriors opened fire just as the Spartan started to bob and weave from side to side in an attempt to throw off their aim, but they managed to track him; the weapons spewing forth thin bolts of red energy. The super soldier managed to dodge the brunt of them, but when a few stray bolts did manage to connect, he realized at how weak the bursts of energy were; the damage against his shielding was negligible, barely even scratching at the overall strength of his armor.

As John closed in on the two Flood warriors, he noticed that their fire began to get erratic; their already poor aim becoming even more askew. Once he was in spitting distance of the pair of enemy combatants, he brought the barrel of his shotgun to bear at the nearest Flood and pulled the trigger. The buckshot tearing through the warrior's chest cavity and shredding the Infection form within; the power of the blast knocked the incapacitated combatant off its feet. As he drew closer to the other flood form, he lowered his shoulder like the football players of old, and one thousand pounds of flesh and armor moving at nearly sixty kilometers per hour slammed into spongy flesh of the combat form; the immense impact squashing the Infection form pulling the strings within.

John shrugged off the warrior and operated the action, the spent shell exiting as a fresh shell replaced it; smoke pouring out of the ejection port as the plastic casing lazily fell to the ground. "John, there are more Flood up ahead! From the crew billets!" Cortana yelled, doing her best to help the Spartan navigate through the waves of Flood.

The solider didn't reply, he simply kept his eyes ahead of him, 'Spartan Time' kicking in when a combat form, this one another Lylatian, stepped out from the doorway, tail poised to send a powerful blow the Spartan's way. John pulled the trigger and watched as the buckshot spread out just right so that it cut through the molting flesh, the lead and titanium easily forcing through green skin and tough bone to nearly dismember the Flood warrior entirely.

"John, you need to take care of what's behind us if you want me to be able to open the door in time!" Cortana reminded, already extending the wireless range her sub-routines as far as they would go in an effort to open the encrypted door. John nodded, "I know…" He murmured, pumping the action on the shotgun and loading a fresh round into the chamber from the magazine above the barrel. "I'm taking care of it right…" He reached for his belt and detached a fragmentation grenade, pulling the pin with a finger and dropping it behind him. "…Now." The explosive sphere clinking along the metal floor as it lost its fight with gravity and slowed to a halt, its three second timer expended and it exploded; the furious cloud of heat and shrapnel engulfed multiple combat forms.

"See? I told you so." John grinned, "So you work on the door while I keep us alive, deal?"

The AI held back on scolding the Spartan, promising herself she would save it for later. "Yeah, I read you…but you might want to do that trick again 'cause that didn't slow them down very much."

The Spartan turned his head back, chancing a glance, and through the smoke poured more flood, this time the infection forms outnumbered the combat forms. Not as outright threatening, but no cake walk either; a dozen infection forms could be more dangerous than a combat form. John kept running for a couple more seconds before he dropped off another grenade, and a few seconds later it exploded, achieving the same results by destroying a good-sized portion of the Flood behind him. "How much further? Also, how much longer until that door is unlocked?"

"I'll have the door unlocked in five seconds, and you'll have to turn here!" The Ship board AI yelled, painting a marker on a corridor in John's Heads Up Display; a bright yellow triangle pointing him to a turn-off thirty feet from his current position. In order to not pass the turn, John slowed down immediately; the suit absorbing the negative effects of decelerating from sixty kilometers per hour. Once he slowed enough, he changed his direction and took off towards a door that would be just large enough for him to fit through.

"Cortana! Open it now!" John's baritone said sternly, his calm voice detracting from the urgency of his words. The super soldier's arm was reaching back to grasp another grenade to see if his fragmentation grenade trick would work for a third time, but a large ceiling vent in front of him burst open, and a combat form, this one of a Sangheli warrior, hopped down in front of the Spartan.

"I've got it open!" Cortana exclaimed, and John brought his hand back up to grasp the polymer pump of his shotgun; his finger wrapping around the trigger. The loud bang from the weapon was dampened by his helmet, and the buckshot nearly dismembered the flood warrior; only its left arm and head remained attached to the body. With a quick hiss, the once locked door in front of John opened, and the Spartan charged through the green, smelly gore and entered the newest room. The sights and sounds of the new area caused John to freeze in place.

Guttural roars of Elites and Hunters, and the squeals of both glee and terror from Grunts charged through the speakers in his helmet; the sounds of hundreds of plasma rounds being discharged from the Covenant weaponry echoed around the enclosed area. The large mess hall looking area was teeming with Flood Infection and Combat forms, and a large pack of Grunts, Elites, and Hunters fought back with a fierce and disciplined tenacity that could only be accomplished by the Special Operations branch of the Covenant. "Chief! They don't know we're here! Get behind cover and stay out of sight!" Cortana barked at him.

The super soldier did as he was told and leapt over the edge of a large table and flipped it on its side before quickly dragging it to barricade himself in a corner of the room; the screeching of the metal along the floor lost in the symphony of death and valor. With John out of the line of sight, the Elites and their charges were focused on fighting the Flood already in the area, and they were doing a fine job if the Spartan could say so himself. "The Flood that was following us should be-"

When Cortana was about to finish her statement, dozens of Infection and Combat forms piled out of the hallway he had just come into, and with the Covenant troops fighting in the middle of the area behind overturned tables; the Flood shot towards the troops like a moth to a flame. John winced as the Combat forms began to throw more firepower towards the Spec Ops troops, "That was devious, pawning the Flood chasing us off on the Covenant."

"You do what you have to too survive. Your being alive is the whole reason why the human race still exists…we've gone too far to be killed in a cross-fire." The AI grinned, scratching the back of her head, plotting another route while closely monitoring the battle through John's helmet camera and sensors. Behind that metal table the pair sat for the better part of three and a half minutes, Cortana checking, double checking, and triple checking their established routes and escape routes while John made sure that the ammo count he had was accurate; being sure to make sure his grenades and weapons were still in place.

During those minutes, John had more than his fair share of scares, like when a plasma grenade came and landed a little too close to the table for his liking, but luckily there were a couple of Combat forms volunteering to shield his hiding place from the blast of the plasma based weapon; the table warping with the intense heat instead of evaporating. However, the fighting slowly died down as the immediate numbers of combat worthy Flood were cut down until there were none left, but the Covenant troops were no worse for wear; having lost both of their Hunters to a swarm of Infection forms and a large portion of their Grunts to the kamikaze Combat forms.

The Elites were a little better off, having only lost two of their brothers to the Flood, but the damage sustained was more than enough to cripple the Spec Ops detachment. "Damage report!" A Major Elite barked his breathing ragged and coarse, the red armored warrior hopping over the group's half-melted barrier to secure any left over weapons and ammunition.

The Elites sounded off their group losses, each Sangheli giving accurate reports as they too started to secure the area. John poked his head out a little bit from his warped cover and watched as the Major Elite stalked to the doorway he had just come out of not five minutes before. "Ragh! This access was sealed before, who locked this down!?"

"It was Rezkash'r, Major. Unfortunately he has fallen to the Flood." A grey armored elite responded, picking up a Combat form's Plasma pistol and checking its charge, "I saw him seal it…and all of us were too busy fighting…it couldn't have been anyone here. There are very few things that can breach our code systems, and one of them is-"

"The Demon…" The major elite hissed between his closed mandibles, readying his weapons and swinging his view all around himself; beady eyes checking for anything out of tg that it wouldn't be entirely impossible for the Demon to be onboard The Ripper. It was, however, a loud hissing sound followed by a loud roar that made all of the surviving Covenant turn around. They saw the Major Elite howling in anger as a blue ball of light adhered to the side of his thigh plate, and that howl was the only thing able to escape his maw before it exploded in a brilliant flash of blue and purple light. It was a plasma grenade.

Immediately the Elites snapped into action and looked around frantically for the source of the assault. "By the Prophets! Where did that come from!?" The next highest ranking Sangheli shouted, pointing both of his newly acquired Needlers in two separate directions.

It was with those words that Spatan-117 rose up from behind the metal table that was once his cover, and pointed both of his SMGs at the nearest elite and fire; the 5mm rounds shimmering off of the Sangheli's already weakened armor.

"It's the Demon!"

#1. Deja' was the AI created by Doctor Hasley to teach all of the children in the Spartan program everything from Military History to basic and complex mathematics. She was designed to look like a roman goddess, complete with scanty clothes and thin silk.

CoAuthor Note: Phew! 8,657 words and 17 pages! Get this, this is only part 1! I am sorry it's taken me so long to get this out, but I've moved twice since I started writing this, and I'm sure all of you know how hard it is too move.

Anyways, thanks for being so patient with me, and part 2 is on the way, but don't expect it before Thanksgiving…I have exams and projects to work on, but have no fear, I will be working on the next part. It will be hard since I lost my spiral notebook that had how I was going to finish the next part…but I think it is at school, so I will find out wont I? ;)

Thanks for sticking with me for all of this time and thanks to SyxxFox for letting me write the finale'! Don't forget to review!