Sebastian worked his muscles and flexed his arm to give him his range of motion back. Sebastian was mostly out of it, so he didn't hear the conversation. He did, however, notice all the glances at him. He didn't ask but made a few jokes about it, breaking the tension somewhat. Still, he did know that Faye had run him inside. All he remembers before he died or passed out was the Wraith shot. So Sebastian went right next to Faye, who was avoiding him, "Thank you."

Faye gave off a shrug, but to be frank, she was thinking about what Emile said. 'It seems you got yours' Well, her priorities haven't been straight since Sebastian arrived. There was something there that she couldn't even begin to fathom. Something was drawing her to him. Something else was drawing her to him.

Sebastian let himself fall out of stride with Faye, noticing her body language wasn't the full 'at attention' state. Sebastian flicked his palm out and Dove appeared. With a nod of his head, he let Dove fly free, in the seemingly long and straight hallway. It didn't stop him from checking behind him to see the empty hallway.

"This chamber is sealed, Seven. You do not need to check behind you," Doctor Halsey's voice came through the intercom. Sebastian turned back around, standing tall, totally not embarrassed in the slightest, nope, not at all.

"So, where is the good doctor?" Sebastian asked aloud. As he said that, a door opened, revealing Doctor Halsey hunched over a console. There was something else in the room. Dove immediately pulsed scanned the room. When Sebastian looked over to Dove, she was a little embarrassed then hid right in his hood. "Oh."

"Now that you are here, we can get down to business," Halsey started, walking over to the terminal where a holographic person resides. "When Reach falls, and it will fall, our annihilation is all but certain, unless we can turn the tides against the Covenant. You, Sebastian, are merely the first step."

"This better not be an experiment, Doctor. Not everyone is just selected for this. It is much like your Spartan program. There are certain… requirements. Ones that are not your choice to begin with," Sebastian gently explained.

"Oh?" the Doctor's interest peaked.

"You had to be dead first," Sebastian said, demolishing the metaphorical barrier. "So, yes, I had to be dead before I became what I am now. You don't want that."

"I see," Halsey said, dropping the subject before moving on to a new one, "I need you to deliver a package for me."

"A package?" Emile asked.

"To the UNSC Pillar of Autumn. I need this," gesturing to the holographic person, "to be on that ship when it departs. If it is not, then Humanity is doomed."

"No pressure, right?" Sebastian joked.

What seemed to make Sebastian fidget, was the fact that the hologram was looking right at him, analyzing him. Sebastian looked right back at it, well, her, and continued to do his own analysis. He didn't know what it was. Dove did, of course. Dove floated around the room, keeping an eye on the Doctor, but her eye was drawn to the AI. The AI had also looked at Dove in curiosity.

"Time is of the essence, Noble. She will need a courier," Halsey said. Soon, Halsey pressed a button on the console and looked right at the AI, giving it a small smile, to which it returned. Then, she twisted a handle, and out came a cylinder tube with a blue light. Halsey walked right over to Faye. "Take it, Lieutenant, she has made her choice."

Faye was momentarily stunned, thinking why would an AI choose her of all people. She certainly didn't deserve the responsibility. The Spartan took a fleeting glance at Sebastian, who nodded towards the object which held the AI. Faye reached out and grabbed the handles on each side.

Before Faye took it, the Doctor asked, "Do you have it?"

Without hesitation, "Yes."

"Say the words, please," Halsey demanded. Sebastian raised an eyebrow. He didn't think she would say 'please' in any manner; didn't think it was in her dictionary.

"I have it," Faye responded. Halsey let go and Faye was now holding Humanity's savior. Sebastian silently made his way to the door, to not intrude. Something was nagging him, almost out of jealousy. Oh, my Traveler. Sebastian knew exactly what it was, but couldn't outright say. Dove was taking scans of the object in Faye's hands, making backups of the code, and noticed it was embedded with genetic code. Then, the Ghost scanned Doctor Halsey, much to her shock, it matched. Before she could ask what was that for, the entire facility shook. "We need to leave. Doctor, is everything in order?"

It was easy getting out of the facility, but what wasn't fun, was having Halsey walk next to Sebastian. She was inspecting him, much like her AI. Sebastian continued to walk whilst also ignoring her. "Why did your friend scan me?"

"Blunt or vague?" Sebastian asked. One look to the Doctor said it all. "Alright, she made a backup. Multiple in fact, a failsafe. Which included you." Sebastian already knew that the AI was made from Halsey's mind. Dove knew the ins and outs of all AI creation. The difference between smart and dumb AI was drastic, but this one was definitely smart.

"I see. Do you not trust the Spartans to carry out the job?" Halsey mused.

"No, it's you I still don't trust, Doctor. I trust you more than before, but not enough to sit down and have a tea party," the Guardian shrugged.

"What about Noble Six, you certainly have gotten closer." Sebastian paused his thoughts. He would have to tread carefully. Halsey continued, "The Lone Wolf smitten by you, ironic."

"Comes with the time fought on the same battlefield, Doctor. You have to learn to trust those who fight alongside you, otherwise, you die," Sebastian said casually, twirling a knife in his off-hand.

"What of you? What happens after?"

Ah, the philosophical question. "Don't know. I'll drift to wherever and whenever. Who knows what might happen? I certainly have people missing me back home."

"Where is home? Certainly not here, in this universe," Halsey emphasized.

Sebastian smirked under the helmet, "Correct, I have my mentors and other friends. Yet, if I leave, I couldn't help but feel sad."

"Because of how you feel for Noble Six," Halsey predicted.

Sebastian already knew she knew. She's a Doctor, one who takes great pride in analyzing actions, words, and everything else. So, he didn't have to come up with an excuse. So, he stayed silent. Dove was worried about what he would say, but Dove got the feeling he was smiling. His heartbeat slowly crept up, probably thinking about her. "I have a question for you Doctor."

"Hmm," Halsey grunted.

"When?"

"I've had eyes watching you," the Doctor said simply.

Sebastian's voice hardened, "That doesn't inspire confidence in me, Doctor. I assume you already heard of my Covenant escapades."

While this conversation was happening, Faye was walking far ahead, giving them privacy. She was right next to Jun and Emile. Carter and Kat up in front. Everyone was walking in silence, this dark tunnel, the only lights on were from the AI, the Spartans' accents, and Dove; who was up here with them, mostly by Faye.

"Dove, what are they talking about?" Faye whispered.

"They are having a somewhat normal conversation, surprisingly. I honestly expected him to give her the silent treatment. Then, the topic shifted," Dove said uneasily.

Faye got curious, "To what, Dove?"

All Dove did was look at her with that look that had Faye close her mouth, look away, and blush. Emile chuckled from next to her. Jun was also laughing at her expense. "Told you Six, you have your priorities." Right before Faye could glare at him, he continued, "I didn't say it was a bad thing. It actually is good for you. So why not chase it?"

"Hate to admit it, but the knife-wielding maniac has a point, Six," Jun stated.

"I do not need an existential crisis, you two," Faye huffed.

Emiel shrugged, "Just stating the obvious. Better nab the chance before it slips away. Regret is a thorn that no matter how many times you pull it out, it always comes back."

Faye didn't comment as they made it outside where two Pelicans were waiting. Carter waited for everyone else to come outside before he spoke, "Jun, Kat, escort Doctor Halsey to Castle Base. From there, do whatever you need to do to keep her safe."

Halsey interrupted, "I require no escort, Commander."

Sebastian interjected, "Take it and don't complain, Doctor. Would you rather have no one, then get shot down, captured, and tortured?" While no one else caught it, it just about described what Sebastian went through a few weeks back. Faye nudged him harshly. He didn't flinch. Sebastian went right up to Kat and patted her on the shoulder and gave his good luck, and gave his goodbyes before backing up.

Jun nodded, "I'll do what's necessary, sir. Good luck."

"You too, rifleman," Carter said. He turned towards Emile, Faye, and Sebastian, "You three, with me. We have a package to deliver."

Right before they left, he turned to Doctor Halsey and grabbed her datapad, "Dove, upload it." Dove appeared and pushed in the data that she had collected outside their normal conversations. It was the highlights of what he could share. It would prove to be useful to Humanity in the future. "Don't waste the opportunity, Doctor. Take care." With that, he walked away.

Faye went right up to Kat and did something she hasn't done since she was a child, hug. She embraced Kat, if only for a moment. Then, with a last gesture, she drew an imaginary smiley face on Kat's visor. Kat returned the gesture before they departed.

Sebastian was waiting on the Pelican, Carter in the pilot seat, Emile was openly gaping at the two females. "Did she just…?"

"Something the matter?" Sebastian asked, not noticing what just transpired. He was too busy watching Halsey's facial expression change. Then, she looked at Sebastian with a thankful expression. He gave her a thumbs-up before retreating into the Pelican.

Faye brushed by Emile, but he stopped her, "You know what you did?"

She pulled her arm free, "Of course I did, who do you think taught me what it meant?"

Emile laughed, "Of course he did."

As much as Sebastian wanted to know what she did, he decided he's pried enough information and let that one little secret be buried. After all, everyone has a reason for keeping a secret. Now, the most important thing they had to do was get the package to the Autumn.

Once everyone was in their respective Pelicans, they dusted off. Everything was starting to feel normal. Being separated from some of the team shouldn't be too bad, but it wasn't what Sebastian was worried about. No, he was worried about the Spartan talking to the pilot.

Faye asked how long it would be and if he needed anything. Carter told her to sit down, but be prepared. The Covenant will most likely try something. Hopefully, it is not too oppressive.

Turns out, they sent about four squads of Banshees. They were mad, of course. Emile managed to get a Grenade Launcher and started EMPing the Banshees. Sebastian got Gjallarhorn out, and let's just say, for the sake of simplicity, the Banshees weren't a problem. However, one of them was peppering the cabin. Dot's voice expressed a warning, "Warning: Vital signs dropping. Sierra Two Five-Nine, seek medical attention."

"No can do, Dot. Six, that AI chose you, and she made the right choice. Emile, Sebastian, go with her, it's a ground game now. I'll keep them distracted," Carter said. Even from the back, Sebastian could see the blood on the windshield, and knowing this would be the last time he probably would ever see him.

"Commander, it's been an honor," the men said. Emile and Sebastian looked to each other before nodding.

"Likewise. Deploy on my mark," Carter held up three fingers. Faye holstered her weapons and held on to the AI chamber. Emile was holding on to the railing before the exit. Sebastian was on the other side, holding the opposite railing. Well, the home stretch awaits. "Mark!"

At that, the three members of Noble Team jumped from the Pelican and fell to the ground. Sebastian used a jump to stop him from hitting the ground. Faye had to, unfortunately, tumble down the cliff face as she went, clutching the AI like it was her baby. Now, that's a thought. As she was falling, her shield broke, as did Emile's. Sebastian had already landed and they were laying on the ground.

Faye groaned on getting up, "We aren't shock troopers. We need to stop jumping out of things." The Spartan carefully inspected the AI before securing her to her back, just under the small of her back, on her waistline. Emile was silent as he stood up and grabbed his shotgun.

"You two green?" Sebastian asked. Dove scanned them both, looking for any hidden injuries from the fall. When she found none, he helped Faye stand. They locked eyes and they understood each other. They had to talk. If they ever got that chance. It just seems like another day at the office.

"Green, Seven. Let's move, we have to make it to that," Emile pointed to the giant ship. "The Pillar of Autumn."

Sebastian peered over the edge, "Uhm, we have a slight problem with that. Well, not a problem, but an obstacle."

Faye joined him at the edge, and there was the Covenant, already waiting. Emile joined right next to them, racking a new shell into the chamber of his M90, "Well, time to unblock the road. We're in a hurry."

Sebastian elected to take the lead, and jumped down with Nightstalker, using the Tether to snatch all of the Covenant in a generous radius. When he hit the ground, he hummed, "Didn't think it would reach that far," he said before killing a Grunt which set off a chain reaction. "Didn't expect that either."

"There's a lot you don't know about Nightstalkers, Sebastian. Maybe instead of ignoring it, you should have read up on it, two decades ago, just in case you ever got it," Dove said to him. The funny part was, it left a void scarring on the ground and a truck. Naturally, Sebastian touched it and it felt colder than an iceberg in liquid nitrogen.

As both of the Spartan descended from the cliff with minimal falling in the process. "Bout time you busted out the edgy version of you," Emile joked. "Come on, we got to make it double time. They won't be able to wait forever."

Sebastian watched as Faye walked by, subtly grazing his hand, sending a chill up his spine. A low whistle escaped him, "Okay, after this is over. We are going away and having the time of our lives. After all, she deserves it, right Dove?"

"I will not be present for what you have planned, and no I'm not doing that again. I'm glad I deleted it from my memory," Dove's voice shuddered.

"Can't say I blame you. Sparrow, please?" Sebastian asked. Without another word, Sebastian mounted his sparrow and zoomed right next to the Spartans, "You need a lift?"

"No, Seven, we have our own transport, saddle up, Six," Emile said as Faye climbed over the driver seat to a Mongoose. Faye sped off and Sebastian kept pace with them, not making any conversation, but keeping an extra eye out for any Covenant forces.

Safe to say, Sebastian didn't have to keep an eye out for long. As soon as they rounded a tight curve, Covenant drop pods fell from the sky, revealing more Grunts. However, that wasn't the worst thing on the field. A giant metallic leg struck the ground, in the middle of the field, thankfully missing the road. "Mind telling me what that is?"

"Covenant Scarab. Keep moving, we don't have time to fight it," Faye mentioned on the offhand, ducking under a plasma shot, coming perpendicular to her head. Sebastian nodded to himself, hitting his thrusters on his Sparrow. However, that didn't stop him from taking Ironwreath from his hip holster and killing a few Grunts in lieu of not being able to fight the new machine.

Dove scolded him for being antsy. Sebastian grumbled to himself as a Covenant Phantom came to the team's West flank. It seemed to be on a direct path ahead of them, so the only option that Sebastian thought of was Carter. It was going after him, to shoot him down, but that changed quickly when it shot out the bridge in front of them. Thankfully, the blast made a ramp for Noble Team.

Faye, along with Emile, gunned the throttle on the Mongoose, and Sebastian hit the overdrive on his thrusters before clearing the gap whilst getting shot at. Sebastian went for a little flare and did a barrel roll or two, just to show off. Once he landed, he leaped off the Sparrow and threw a knife at the first visible target, a Brute. Poor thing got the knife right between the eyes, and the knife ended up piercing the brain of the Covenant soldier. "Three points," Sebastian whispered to himself.

More Covenant troops were alerted by the explosion and began to fire back, the Spartans taking cover in a side building, while Sebastian took cover in a concrete building with an exposed roof. The thwish ripped through the air before a boom took its place. A Wraith. "We got a Wraith. Ideas?"

"Well, it's a good thing I picked up a Rocket Launcher from where we got our transport," Faye said smugly.

True to her word, she stopped just outside to keep the rocket barrels visible. Two rockets were fired and two explosions were heard. The Wraith was crippled, but not dead. Emile was off killing Brutes that got too close. Sebastian forged a Vortex grenade in his hand. This grenade, he knows, since Warlocks often like to conjure one right in their hands to stare at it. Sebastian knew what this grenade was used for. Area denial, but also used for a big hunkering, slow-moving target, just like the Wraith present on the field. Sebastian looked for an opening and noticed the Wraith turned to his building. Then its thrusters activated.

Sebastian was already running as soon as he heard the boosters, he dropped his grenade right at the base of the wall. The concrete didn't hold up to the Wraith's ramming speed. Hilarious at the fact that they thought Sebastian was going to be caught in it. The Wraith exploded as soon as it hit the walls. Faye wasn't worried. Well, not as worried as she thought she would be. The explosion was violent, to say the least, a little more purple than normal. "Don't ya think that the… Wraith makes for a nice… wall decoration?" Sebastian asked Faye out of breath, and magically appeared at her side.

"How did you do that?" Faye questioned.

"I ran, Faye. What else… did you expect?" Sebastian quipped, still breathing heavy, hunching over on his knees. "You know… that was the fastest I've run from waking the Hive on the Moon."

Faye turned, "Is that supposed to be a joke about your world?"

Sebastian shrugged, "Maybe."

Emile stepped into the room, reloading his shotgun, "Now I was expecting a lot more Covenant. Come on, we have places to be. Oh, I'm fine by the way."

"Lead the way, Noble Hardass" Faye said jokingly, before following the skull-visored Spartan.

Sebastian snickered before following them through the crevice of the rocky wall. Slight rumbling rang in Dove's audio receptors. She dashed away from Sebastian and went to Faye since she was farther up. "What are you doing here?"

"Need to make sure of something about that Scarab. It's close. Too close." Dove said. "I also wanted to congratulate you on using the barricade back at the good Doctor's lab. It seems you have adapted quickly."

"Thanks, I guess?" Faye said with confusion.

Dove sighed into Faye's ear, "Just be happy it worked. There was a chance it couldn't have. Just letting you know, so you don't rely on it."

Sebastian was farther back when he heard Faye's 'What?' and Dove returned to him. "If you said anything that will make her kill me, I swear Dove, I will not clean your shell for weeks."

"I did nothing of the sort, she figured out the Titan's technology, on a whim. I just acknowledged that it wouldn't always work," Dove said with the epitome of innocence. Sebastian could imagine the emote on her optic.

Faye slowly walked to Sebastian, at total ease. "Whatever she said, I plead the fifth," Sebastian raised his hands slightly.

Faye grabbed him and rushed him along, and to be fair, he was further behind. Dove now spoke aloud, "Scarab inbound."

Emile chimed in, "Motherfu-"

Sebastian leaped up to a rock to get a vantage point of, "I see our situation hasn't improved much."

Faye glanced at him with a whole neutral stance. Emile then exclaimed, frantic, "Sir, you can't be serious. We can get past this!"

"..."

"Understood, sir. Hit 'em hard," Emile said, completely doing a personality swap.

"You're on your own Noble. Carter, out," the now late Commander's last words. Sebastian watched on in horror, mouth agape from the inside of his helmet. While Guardians dying is normal. No one is prepared for their final death. So, for Sebastian to witness two, count 'em, two deaths of Noble Team. He was beginning to question everything. The only bright side to this was the Scarab was no longer a concern.

Sebastian was truly at a loss for words. It felt as if his soul was breaking. It only took until now to realize it. "He just…"

"Yes," Faye could see the oncoming signs of grief.

"And he…" Sebastian continued, not being able to form a sentence, much less a single coherent thought.

"Yes."

Sebastian cracked, "Stop saying yes! He just died! Sacrificed himself, for what?!"

Emile rested a hand on his shoulder, "He did it for the mission, Seven, for Humanity. Now do me a favor: Be the badass I know you are and don't let the Commander's sacrifice be in vain, you understand me, Sebastian?"

Sebastian was still at a loss. While he knows Guardians die, he was never there for their final deaths, except one. Faye hit his gut lightly with the butt of her rifle. "Focus on me, Seb," Faye said.

Sebastian shook his head before straightening his posture and nodding at Faye's words. "Sorry, just have to get used to that…"

"You never do get used to death," Faye said understandingly.

Sebastian scoffed, "You would think I would by now, after three centuries, but it just never gets any easier."

"Let's go, you two. The shipyard is another six clicks out from here. We have to go, now," Emile ordered. Both the Guardian and the female Spartan were quick to oblige.

The trio continued along before coming across a bulkhead. A group of Marines was holding out against the Covenant. Once Sebastian rounded the corner, they seemed to be kicked into overdrive. They all roared and immediately disengaged from whoever they were fighting and came for him. "Are they still after me after all this time?! Leave me alone!" Sebastian shouted, pulling out the Energy Sword off his belt and ignited it just as a Skirmisher leaped for him. The Skirmisher became two as the Sword slashed through it, clean.

Faye was taking targets out from afar, "Seems they were really mad about what happened at the Shard."

Sebastian grunted as he took the Sword out of a Minor Elite that attempted to engage in the skewering motion. Sebastian shot the blade beforehand to knock them off target. So, the brawl was over before it started. It might have been actual fun to spar with these Sangheili, but considering his track record, not so much. "Don't make me laugh, Six. You know it was their fault. They messed with things they don't-"

Sebastian stumbled as a needle round struck him in the chest… over his heart. He stumbled as a result, but didn't collapse. Instead, he fell behind cover, gripped the needle and pulled it out of his chest, his blood staining it. "How bad?" asked Faye as she was right next to him, concerned but still taking shots over the cover

"Let's just say be thankful for the one-inch armor plating he is wearing. That was all the difference from it killing him instantly," Dove said unperturbed. "Not the first time he has been saved by the armor, but try not to make it a habit."

When Sebastian looked down, there was a small trail of blood leaking down his chest, the hole in the armor still present. He asked for Hung Jury to be in his hands, and in a second, it was. Then, he asked Dove where the shot he got hit from was. The answer, straight across from him. Sebastian took aim and saw one of the Elites from his time on the flagship. What is she doing here? His finger slipped off the trigger and he saw, from his current position, the slight upturn of the Sangheili's mask, the shoulders too. That ignited something in the Guardian. He opened fire on them, some of the shots hitting and missing, mostly missing. He never really fought with such emotion before, only in the chamber had he ever lashed out as much. His Light burned in him, the slow churning of his anger rose to a simmering boil, so close to overflowing, but just edging below the surface. All the while, the rest of the Covenant in the area were dead.

Even still, Sebastian did not take his eyes away from the spot he saw her. He didn't know which one it was, but it definitely one of the ones who got the sick satisfaction of beating and torturing him. Faye put her hand on his shoulder but pulled it away like he was in the pits of hell. In this case, he was. His Light was preserving his armor, but he felt as if he was hotter than the Sun. Right now, the adrenaline and blood rushing through his head made him look like he was brain-dead when in fact it was the opposite. He was hyper-focused, almost obsessive like, along with the subtle twitching.

Faye rolled her eyes before cuffing him upside the head, snapping him out of his anger-induced trance. When he looked at her, she pointed to the floor. In his spot, which formed a black circle, he could see the metal, twenty feet away, melted. Sebastian saw the marks of his Light. "Did… Did I do that?"

"You did, and you were hot to the touch, my armor would have been superheated if not for the upgrades. You need to get a lid on that anger. It's good that you have it, but not good when it blinds you," Faye chided as she pulled him along. "Dove, back me up here."

"Guardian, she's right. If you had just gotten a tad more angry, well…" she trailed off.

"Well, what? I'm on the edge of my seat here."

"There would have been the chance that this entire scrapyard would not have stood the chance to the power of pure Sol Light," Dove finished her sentence with a low voice, barely audible, but it was picked by the pair.

"Remind me to save that for the Covenant then, take them all out," Sebastian said tonelessly.

Emile picked the perfect time to join in, "You're just all sunshine and rainbows, aren't you?"

"Everything has been a shitshow since I arrived, and only two things have stayed constant." Everyone waited for Sebastian to elaborate, but he didn't. He let the meaning drift off like his cloak does in the wind. "Let's get inside, I think the package is getting antsy."

A silence enveloped before Dove spoke, "Oh, she's not happy with you now."

Sebastian slowed to see the package on Faye's back flash at him. "I'll assume she… is upset. How am I supposed to say sorry? In binary?" he said half-joking, half-serious.

"She says you're welcome to try, but she's currently laughing, as well as she can anyway," Dove was chuckling mid-sentence, and Sebastian groaned.

"At least I can still be entertaining in the middle of a firefight."

The group entered the scrapyard's inner workings. Sebastian had pulled a knife out and handled it with care. It took him a while before he inspected this knife, the one that Rosa gave to him, he looked closer to noticed a very minuscule inscription. Dove noticed this action from her Guardian and took a scan of it and really looked at it. "Guardian," the Ghost's tone made Sebastian snap to attention. "It has your name on it, with her calligraphy. I've checked and checked again, she left a note. A final goodbye."

Sebastian continued to pay attention, but his movements were rough, stiff, compared to mere moments ago. 'What does it say?' he asked his Ghost privately.

"'I love you, forever.' She added a little heart afterward. I'm showing you what I see." No sooner than that, the enhanced image of his knife appeared on his helmet feed. The message displayed flawlessly. When did she do this? When did Rosa have the time? Maybe one day, he'll figure it out. Now wasn't the time to walk down memory lane. He needed to focus.

'Thank you, Dove. Rosa, Ward; you were taken too soon,' Sebastian let his thoughts fade about his past lover, and focused on the here and now.

"-one good on the plan?" Faye's voice cut in. Sebastian shook his head and tried to catch up on the conversation. Apparently, he missed the plan.

"Green," Emile replied.

When Sebastian didn't, Emile nudged him, "Seven, you green?"

Sebastian sighed before looking around the corner, seeing the Covenant in the way. They are insistent. "Nope…" his body flared as he activated Golden Gun, "but I will be after I break the silence."

Without another word, Sebastian stepped into the room, him being the brightest entity in the room. When the Covenant finally noticed him, Sebastian had already opened fire. The first Golden shot hit three Grunts, who stupidly line up. However, his mind went to his instincts. His hand-eye coordination was pristine, quick, precise. The Golden Cannon flipped between both of his hands and fired round after round. A Grunt here, a Jackal there, the occasional Elite sprinkled in. The gun seemed to have infinite ammo, and it could, but Sebastian wanted to push the limits, to feel pain, even after all this time Rosa would always love him, and she would always have a piece of his heart. Yet, he couldn't disregard his feelings for Faye. His step faltered once but quickly recovered, so fast that it was not worth acknowledging. It only made him grip the pistol harder.

One Stealth Elite, who thought he was not paying attention to his flank, went for the quick, merciless kill. It, however, did receive a double-tap to the chest, incinerating in an instant, no physical body to recover. Sebastian turned his focus to the Covenant who were retreating. Sebastian took this opportunity to test a theory. This theory involves knives and Light. He took three of his knives and held them between his knuckles, emblazoned them with Light, and set them on a crash course for a warm fleshy body to dig into. The knives were efficient in their tracking. It was at that moment where the empowerment of Light fell. It didn't just fade, it dropped off a cliff.

Sebastian felt the blood rushing to his head, pounding in his ears, his posture slacking. He couldn't hear anything, but he could feel the pressure of his extended usage of the Gun. Sebastian knew it was a reckless move, but after playing it so carefully for so long, while not making direct light of it, he needed to let loose. He felt his knees hit the ground, and thankfully, there was a wall supporting him. Then it moved. Wait, walls don't move…

He blinked beneath the helmet, seeing something moving in front of him, there was no audible sound. He blinked again, then there was warmth and an annoying ringing. His senses were dull, but he was alive, he thinks, that or the afterlife was pretty shit. Soon after, mumbled garbage was reaching his ears. Then, his helmet was taken off, and he blinked as the sudden change in scenery, and lack of facial protection, caught up to him. He then felt the warmth in his ears, before it cooled. "Th…wa... re...reck…., ...astian." Sebastian winced in response.

"Ugh, I think I know what happened, but oww… Not so loud," he groaned before attempting to sit up when a hand pushed on his chest lightly restraining his movement. Taps on his shoulder redirecting his attention turned to the carnage he left. It looked like that a few dozen bombs were detonated in the room, yet there were distinct markings of melted metal, dripping from the top railing. It was still so hot, it was liquid. "Did I do that?" His vision finally cleared and saw the extent of it, the room didn't look anything like a room. He barely took notice of the blood rushing out of his ears, there were more important things to look at.

Dove brushed against his face, dragging his attention back to her, "Can you hear me clearly? Nod yes or no." Sebastian nodded. "Do you remember what happened in detail?" Sebastian shook his head. "Well, I have an explanation. You prolonged the end of the Golden Gun and that was slowly killing you, drawing from your very soul. While the effects didn't show until the end, your body made that decision for you. You were well on the road of killing yourself, and I wouldn't have been able to save you."

Everything hit Sebastian like a ton of bricks. He sighed before attempting to upright himself. The Hunter only wanted to get them there faster, and he guesses that his instincts completely took over. Then, his arm flashed violet and his eyes burned momentarily before he felt good as a new. "Uhm…"

Dove already was scanning over her Guardian, looking for any inconsistencies. Everything seemed normal, except for his Light, "Did the Void just…"

"...Heal me?" Sebastian's voice was hesitant.

Dove tsked, "Nope, but I hope you like the Void and trust it enough because it looks like you burnt out the Golden Gun temporarily. The Void is taking care of it."

Sebastian didn't say anything for a few moments, but he had his deep thinking face on, "Well, I did want to see what it offered."

"You really are reckless," Faye chimed in, still concerned, but kept minute traces of it in. The A.I. on Faye's back started flashing, only noticed by Dove.

Dove giggled to herself, 'It seems that I'm not the only one who notices what you have.' She said nothing but told the A.I. that this is how they have always been. She noticed the Void slowly repairing Solar, but Dove kept a few extra programs running to make sure that it does not initiate a hostile takeover. There was a record of a Ghost who was trapped specifically to Void Attunements for years, due to an accident. Dove had not followed up on it.

Faye then gently lifted him up, "Come on, Seb, we still have work to do. Oh, and congrats on 'breaking the silence', as if we aren't in a warzone." She handed him his helmet, and she resisted cleaning the blood that slowly dripped from his ears, still.

Much to her surprise, Sebastian laughed, one that made Faye's heart flutter. It was so carefree, something he exerted almost constantly. Faye had to have a look that was soft, caring. She wouldn't mind hearing that for the rest of her life. Something else felt like it spoke to her, also joining in on the sentiment. Faye didn't know what it was, but she couldn't help but agree with the mysterious feeling.

A Titan arrived on the Fields of Glass, Mercury to find a Hunter just sitting and staring at the wall, twirling a knife. "Listen Kaz, you need to take a bre-"

"I can't. It's not fair to him! He's like a son to me-to you-as well! Both Meza and Cahal treat her like a daughter! I can't just abandon them!" The Hunter said to his superior. The superior in this case was his wife. Happy wife, happy life, the idle words rang in Kaz's mind

Verra steeled her gaze, making Kaz rethink his future words, "Listen to me, Kuzaz. We are not abandoning them. Right now, both Sebastian and Dove are somewhere; where that somewhere is, is a different story. We don't know when they are, or if they are in some other universe."

Kaz stopped and thought about it, but he would need, "Where's Sen?"

The smaller Titan looked up at her husband, gobsmacked at the sudden change in topic, but she slowly saw where his mental gears were turning. "You really don't think…"

"We know he didn't enter the Infinite Forest, but it is possible that he is not… here?" Kaz had a glimmer under his helmet, one that held copious amounts of hope.

"Cahal, contact Kex, find Senea and ask if this was actually possible," Verra said with a glimmer in her eyes. "Kaz, we may have found him, and its all thanks to you."

"It's more of a theory, but it's something," a deep sigh emitted from the Hunter, " Je t'aime, mon sucre d'orge."

"Ich liebe dich auch, Mein Jäger."

...

Yes, I know I did the Spartan Smile. Yes, I know what it means. Yes, this is the only time it is used.

So, the French line is, "I love you, my sweet candy." (term of endearment commonly said to women)

German is, "I love you too, my Hunter." (Referencing Kaz's Guardian class)

Anyway, I have news. This story is ending in three chapters! (Including this one, so this and two more) Le gasp! I know, but I got bit hard by the writing bug and over the course of the next few days, I will be uploading and finishing off the story. I will be sad to see it go, but hey. I set out what I wanted to accomplish and more.

So, let's head to this final few chapters together.