Hello again, everyone, and welcome to my Halo - Terminator crossover. I noticed how some of you liked how I had the Terminators upgraded to resist the Logic Plague. Thank you for your support of that decision. Given how vigilant SKYNET is, I think that would be a logical step for it to make. Also, for those of you wanting to see a T-3000, there's a special little treat for you in this chapter. Either way, thank you for your support, and I hope to see you in later chapters. As always, leave a review and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own the Halo or Terminator franchises. They are the respective properties and trademarks of Microsoft Game Studios, 343 Industries, Bungie, Carolo Pictures, Hemdale, Skydance Productions, 20th Century Fox, Lightstorm Entertainment, etc. Any material original to the franchises belongs to their respective developers, producers and publishers. Any material not original to the franchises is of my own invention. I do not own any music listed in each chapter. Any music listed belongs to it's original composers and/or artists.
Quarantine Zone
Delta Halo
20th Age of Reclamation
The Revenant Thel and Bero were in roared as the Arbiter gunned the throttle, eagerly shunting the vehicle forwards. Moving through an entrance, they were about to drive inside when the multi-panel doors opened, with a Super Sentinel coming out. "Watch out," R'tas shouted. "Do not drive underneath it unless you move fast. It will pull you upwards and smash you between the pincer arms. I know because I lost some men because of those constructs."
"Got it," Thel replied, backing up as he did so. Moments later, the Super Sentinel began to fire what appeared to be small mortar shells, as they detonated on impact with the ground explosively. One explosion jarred Thel when it impacted the Revenant, tearing off some nanolaminate armor plating in the process. "Look out," he told the others. "The machines fire small missiles! Do not let them hit you!" Following his advice, the other Sangheili scattered, with the Ghosts and the Spectre moving around erratically to avoid being hit. Taking the initiative, Thel fired off the Revenant's Plasma Mortar, sending a red-white plasma bolus at the Super Sentinel. The bolus of superheated plasma tore into the shields, downing them in a single strike and exposing the Super Sentinel's superstructure. Even then, Forerunner metallurgy was extremely tough, as the metal took the impact with ease. It took him roughly five more blasts to down the thing; during that time, it fire off more of the missiles, though his erratic evasive maneuvers meant that none of the shells hit. As soon as the thing crashed to the ground, the Elites began to move up, driving around debris and massive holes in the ground as they drove inside.
The door split into it's multiple panels, with each one slanting outwards before they were pulled upwards on the rails they were on. Moving inside, he found himself and the others entering a well lit tunnel; it was narrow, with barely enough room to fit a Spectre, but they were able to manage it. Finding another door, they drove on through to the other side. Looking around, he could see that they arrived in a vast chamber, with the vehicles he and his men were in hovering over a large, metal plaza. The plaza was split into multiple sections by walls that crisscrossed various sections of the plaza, with a large metal wall before them that had a section cut out of the middle, with the left and right ends being open to the rest of the plaza. Ahead was a more monolithic wall, with only a small gap in the top that allowed Thel to see a Super Sentinel that was firing on an unseen enemy, with the sides, again, being open as exits. Looking to the left and right, he could see that the plaza had half walls that prevented people, or certain vehicles for that matter, from falling over the edge, either intentionally or unintentionally.
His musings were interrupted when a group of Sentinels opened fire, scorching the Revenant's nanolaminate armor plating. Swiveling his vehicle to the right, he opened fire with the main cannon, while Bero fired on any Sentinels coming at them from the rear. The Spectre that R'tas was piloting also lent assistance, with the Elite firing the modified Plasma Turret at the Sentinels. Thel's plasma mortar struck the Sentinel with devastating force, tearing the thing apart. As it did so, though, he was surprised when it generated an EM Pulse, shattering his shields and temporarily shutting down the Revenant. "Damn," he shouted. "Do not use plasma mortars on the Sentinels. The EMP shut down my vehicle. Use conventional weapons instead."
"Copy," one of the other Sangheili shouted, firing his Ghost's plasma repeaters at the Sentinels. Fortunately, those weapons were safe to use, as the Sentinels merely fell to the ground before detonating. Going through the restart sequence, Thel was relieved when the Revenant powered back up, with no sign of any fried electronics. After testing the controls to make sure they were operational still, he continued to drive forwards. Moving out of the overhang they were in, he got a better idea of just how large the chamber they were in was. It was massive, with enough room to house a Corvette if it was compressed to fit inside, with large platforms that were on either side of the chamber. The plaza he and his men were on continued forwards, with a smaller shelter that was located in the center of the forward section. A number of sections bulged outwards, indicating they were for observation or some other purpose. The plaza came to an abrupt halt up ahead, with ramps on either side leading down to another level of the plaza that led to another door like the one they had just exited.
However, it was clear that the Sentinels and the Flood were locked into mortal combat with each other, as Super Sentinels and normal Sentinels were everywhere, firing on Flood controlled vehicles that were firing back. "We can't go around them," Bero told Thel, "and we can't avoid them. We'll have to blast our way through and fight."
"I agree," Thel replied. Moving the Revenant forwards, he was about to fire on the Super Sentinel when a Flood controlled Ghost fired on him, the plasma rounds impacting the Revenant's armor plating. Turning the vehicle in that direction, he fired a single plasma bolus at the Flood piloting the vehicle, blasting it and the heavily damaged vehicle apart. Refocusing his attention on the Super Sentinel, Thel fired off more plasma mortar rounds. Nearby, R'tas' Spectre began firing on another Super Sentinel, the plasma bolts tearing off one of the pincer arms in the process.
The Super Sentinels were, understandably, caught off guard, with each one quickly turning around to face their new attackers. Before he could warn one of the Ghosts, the Super Sentinel charged forwards and hovered over the vehicle, sucking the Ghost upwards. It began to lift both pincer arms in preparation to smash the Ghost and it's driver in one, fell swoop. Oh no, you don't, Thel shouted mentally, firing his vehicle's Plasma Mortar moments later. The distraction was just enough to cause the Super Sentinel to drop the Ghost, allowing the driver to flee to safety. Dodging more mortar blasts, Thel destroyed the enemy Super Sentinel, watching with satisfaction as the chassis of the machine fell to the ground, fire streaming out from various sections. Changing his COM's channel, he asked the Ghost's driver, "Are you alright?"
"I'm OK," the Elite in the Ghost replied. "Thanks to you. I tried to move the Ghost, but that machine reacted too quickly for me to anticipate. If it wasn't for you, I'd be dead now. Thanks."
"You're welcome," Thel replied. "Just remember to leave the Super Sentinels to me and R'tas. We can handle them better than you can." A nod of agreement came from the other side, with Thel engaging the boosters on the Revenant in order to catch up to R'tas and provide support.
R'tas seemed to be handling the combat well, as his men's aim was spot on, with many Flood Combat Forms being killed in the fight. Spotting an enemy Wraith, Thel watched as it turned and aimed at R'tas and his men in preparation to fire. "Thel," Bero shouted to him. "Boost at the Wraith! I have an idea!" Following Bero's instincts, he boosted at the Wraith, allowing the young Elite to jump into the air and land on the vehicle. Using his abilities, Bero enhanced his strength, allowing him to pull the pilot compartment door off and get inside. He watched as the vehicle bounced around, jerking and rattling as though a naughty child was kicking it around, before a Flood Combat Form was tossed out of the vehicle, disintegrating on impact with the ground. Moments later, the Wraith, now under Bero's command, began firing on the enemy Ghosts in the area. "Now we have heavier firepower," Bero remarked.
With the increased firepower, the squad was able to terminate the Flood and Sentinel forces more efficiently, allowing them to clear the area out. Once all hostiles were gone, they began to drive through the door and to the other side. The tunnel was almost too narrow for the Wraith to enter, as the small wing boosters on either side of the Wraith scrapped against the walls, sparks flying in the process. Fortunately, Bero was able to maneuver the vehicle well enough that he got it through the tunnel. Exiting the tunnel, they found themselves entering another area, with a monolithic wall on one side, and a series of transparent walls that were framed with Forerunner alloys on the other side. The metal floor ahead of them was covered with snow, with even more falling down from the sky to blanket the area underneath heavy snow. The sky above them was cloudy and dark, with the overcast sky promising more snowy weather to come.
As soon as they entered the area, a Super Sentinel charged overhead, completely ignoring them, or so it seemed. Instead of charging forwards, Thel waited for a few seconds, just as some Combat Forms landed on the ground before him. Firing the Plasma Mortar, he promptly disintegrated them, just as the Super Sentinel came back. Charging out, he moved out of the tunnel, allowing Bero to fire the Wraith's plasma mortar at the Super Sentinel. Compared to the Revenant, the Wraith's main weapon was significantly more effective, as it took just two shots to down the thing for good. Moving forwards, Thel looked to the right to see where they were. Looking around, he found that they had entered a large, spiraling ramp that led to another part of the area down below, with gates in the wall that was on the left side. There was a large hole in the ground below, which glowed a cyan-teal color that reflected off of the snow. Up ahead, he could see another overhang that had a gap in the center. "We have more Parasites approaching," he warned the others. "Remain vigilant." With those words, he continued forwards.
Just as he thought, more Sentinels came into view, flying in from under the overhang he had spotted up ahead. Firing the Plasma Mortar, he made sure he was a good distance away, ensuring that no EMP could temporarily disable his vehicle. That proved to be a wise strategy, as the Sentinels exploded harmlessly, with Thel driving forwards once more. More of the paneled doors opened, with Super Sentinels coming out of them and flying forwards. Pulling back, Thel allowed Bero to handle the Super Sentinels, while he, R'tas and the other Sangheili fired on the Flood and other Sentinels. That strategy proved to be the correct one, as Bero was able to neutralize the Super Sentinels, allowing the group to continue moving forwards.
As they reached the bottom, R'tas said, "Arbiter, I just detected Human COM signals in the area. I managed to catch this transmission. Standby for the playback."
A moment later, Thel could hear the playback of a Human COM transmission in the area, "UNSC In Amber Clad, this is Commander Keyes. Have you deployed the experimental Terminator yet?"
"Affirmative," came the reply. "T-1000000 has been deployed. It's cutting up the Flood and Sentinels as though they're cheese cake right now. I wouldn't want to be the unlucky bastard on the wrong end of that thing."
"Affirmative. I can see it going to work. Pretty nasty stuff there. What's the status of the Centaurs and the other Terminators?"
"Going to work on the Flood and Sentinels right now, ma'am. We've also deployed other Terminator chassis into the area. Expect a lot of fighting and some casualties. Any human personnel have been equipped with body armor designed to prevent infection by the Flood. SKYNET makes some good shit, I can tell you that much."
"Solid copy. What's the status on reinforcements?"
"Should be here in about two hours, ma'am."
"Good. Continue to maintain position where you are at. Do not allow any Flood to board the ship under any circumstances. If the Flood board the ship, initiate self-destruction protocols. I do not want the Flood to be running around the galaxy if I can help it. Commander Keyes out."
"Solid copy. In Amber Clad over and out." With that, the COM link ended.
"That's not good," Thel remarked to R'tas. "Things just got a lot more complicated. We'll have to be cautious from this point onward. If those humans catch sight of us, they will not hesitate to take us out."
"I agree," R'tas replied. "I'll have some Phantoms run interference while we proceed forwards. I know, it's not exactly an honorable thing to do, but if those humans spot us, they will fire on us. We'll have to proceed swiftly forwards."
"I agree," Thel replied. "We'll continue on towards the Sacred Icon. The humans must not get to it first." With that, they continued to drive onward, while R'tas got his Phantoms into position. Spotting another exit, he drove through, with the door opening to let him through moments later. If the chamber he was in was large, then the area before him was massive, able to comfortably house a Corvette with room to spare. The area ahead was divided up into a series of bluffs that were connected to each other by tunnels that were barely in usable condition, having had holes and gashes cut into them from seemingly years of combat. Between each bluff, he could see that same teal-cyan light streaming up from below, and he had no desire to find out what was causing the glow. The walls of the canyon were covered in snow, with holes spread throughout the rocky cliff faces. It was clear that this conflict had lasted a long time for such damage to take place to the region.
If the fighting in the chamber was intense, then the fighting out here was almost on the verge of overwhelming. Everywhere he looked, he could see more Flood and Sentinels duking it out with each other, with Incineration Beams and plasma bolts cutting through the air with lethal effect. They must've been fighting for thousands of years, he thought to himself. Nearby, Thel could see a Wraith that was firing plasma mortar bolus' at a Super Sentinel, with the latter raining down more explosive firepower on the Flood controlled vehicle. Moving forwards, he descended down the ramp he was on and fired the Revenant's mortar at the Wraith. The impact damaged the Wraith considerably, as the vehicle was already in poor condition from the constant fighting. Turning around, it was about to retaliate when Bero acted first, destroying the Wraith with a well aimed plasma bolus to it's main gun, penetrating the main gun and destroying the power plant inside. The enemy Wraith fell to the ground as the plasma in it's power plant vented into the atmosphere, causing the Wraith to detonate explosively. Nice shot, he remarked.
Thanks, Bero replied. Not for the last time, Thel shook his head goodnaturedly. The young elite was good, he had to give him that, but his telepathy meant that he could hear everything he was thinking. Still, it was a small price to pay for his newfound talents, so he smiled ruefully and continued driving onward. Spotting a nearby arch in the canyon wall, he traveled through it, bypassing any enemies that he might've had to fight. Turning right, he proceeded down one of the tunnels in the area, making sure to drive on undamaged sections of the tunnel. Reaching one of the bluffs, he spotted one of the holes in the area ahead of his position, just as Flood Combat Forms jumped up from where the hole led. Firing his plasma mortar, he vaporized the infected Covenant immediately, destroying the Flood's initiative in the process. Spotting an incoming enemy Ghost, he fired on it as well, destroying it in the blink of an eye.
As if fate was taunting him further, a Super Sentinel happened to fly over just as his vehicle exited the tunnel, with the massive Forerunner construct turning around to fire on him. It, however, had made the grievous error of firing on the Revenant, as Bero and the others had just exited the tunnel as well. Firing on the Super Sentinel, the combined firepower of everyone shooting at it quickly destroyed the machine, sending it's metallic carcass into one of the chasms that riddled the area. Continuing to move up, he and and the others fired on any more Flood and Sentinels that were proceeding through the area. They weren't one sided engagements, as one of the Ghosts traveling with them detonated due to a mortar impact, with the Sangheili barely getting clear of the blast in time. Stopping his vehicle, Thel allowed the Elite to get onboard before driving forwards once more, with Bero killing the Super Sentinel with his Wraith. Looking at his vehicle, he could tell that it was taking damage, as parts of the armor were pitted and cratered, with the edges glowing a light orange color. He could also see parts of the wings were coming off, though they still remained attached, a true showcase of Sangheili engineering.
Just as he was about to fire, a missile flew through the air and blew apart the Super Sentinel. Looking around, he gasped when he spotted a Human HK Aerial flying through the air, weapons fully armed and ready. It was clear that the Flood had attempted to corrupt the machine's programming, as he could see bits of Flood matter on and inside the vehicle. SKYNET must have modified it's machines to be immune to the Flood's influence, he thought, or at the very least highly resistant. "RUN," he shouted to the other Sangheili. As soon as he did, there was an instant flurry of activity as each Sangheili in the area began driving as fast as they could, moving to the left and right erratically as they attempted to avoid being killed by the machine. Spotting their presence, the HK Aerial began to fire it's plasma based Autocannons at the Sangheili, while firing off guided missiles in the process. One plasma bolt passed close enough to Thel that he felt the intense heat through his tech suit. Boosting as fast as he could, he narrowly dodged being blown apart by a missile, with the shockwave nearly causing his vehicle to tumble ass over teakettle. Not all of them were as lucky as he was, though; one Sangheili was hit directly by a missile, with the Sangheili, and the Ghost he was piloting literally being ripped into hundreds of small pieces. It wasn't just the HK Aerial that was harassing them, as Thel spotted ore of the humanoid Terminators, as well as some of the non-humanoid ones. One appeared to have the upper body of a humanoid terminator, but had the lower body of a reptilian creature. All of them were busy engaging Sentinels, or firing on his men, prompting them to run all the faster.
As they ran, the rest of the squad entered a tunnel that R'tas had spotted earlier, with Thel and the others following their lead. Realizing that he was an easy target, Bero got out of the Wraith and hopped onto the ground, before running as fast as he could. The HK Aerial promptly fired a missile at Bero, intent on killing him right then and there. Instead, something happened that had every Sangheili present perform the equivalent of a human's jaw dropping open. Turning around and stopping, he focused intently on the missile, before extending a hand towards it, even as it flew towards him. To everyone's shock, the missile stopped dead in it's tracks, slowing down until it stopped mere inches from his hand. Looking at the HK Aerial, he said, "I believe this is yours," before turning the missile around and sending it flying back at the HK Aerial. It wasn't a lethal shot, but it certainly did some damage, as part of the Aerial was ripped off by the ensuing explosion. Damaged and battered, the remote controlled VTOL flew off for repairs, while Bero ran inside the tunnel, narrowly avoiding being shot in the process.
Thel and R'tas stared at Bero with wide eyes, with not a sound coming from their splayed mandibles and open mouths. Noticing their reaction, he said, "What? Is something wrong?"
"You just did the impossible," R'tas stammered, his mind still processing what had just happened. "How did you do that?"
"I don't know," Bero repiled, his expression becoming one of uncertainty and confusion. "I just felt as though I had to do that. It was as though my instincts took control and said 'this is what you have to do to survive.' Ever since I gained my abilities, things like this have been happening all the time. I still don't understand what's happening to me, and I might never fully understand myself." With that, he walked away, though it was clear he was deeply disturbed by what had happened.
"What's happening to him," R'tas asked Thel. "Ever since his infection by the Parasite, it's as though he is evolving at an accelerated rate."
"He is," Thel replied. "I was as confused as you were, so I consulted the Oracle in order to determine what was happening to his mind and body. The Oracle believes that Bero's infection by the Parasite, and his body and mind's subsequent rejection of it, has triggered an dramatic acceleration of his evolution. It believes that when he began to mutate, his body was assimilating the Parasite's essence, while changing it into that of a Sangheili. He's still a Sangheili at the genetic level; he just has some extra material inside of him, and it's also causing him to evolve more rapidly than other species."
"I see," R'tas mused. "It seems as though the Parasite unwittingly gave him a gift, one that he barely understands." After a few moments, he said, "As long as he still tries to do right by his people, I'll let the changes to his flesh and mind remain unguarded. His immunity to the Flood might also be highly useful."
"It has been so far," Thel replied. "Still, don't think I brought him along because of his immunity. He's a good friend as well, and now that he's telepathic, I think he can sense a living being's true motivations. He's a good friend of mine, and I do not intend to allow his evolution to change that fact."
"Perish the thought," R'tas replied. "He's a good friend of mine as well. I would rather have him by my side than any other Sangheili. I'm just concerned as to what will happen to him when the Great Journey begins."
"Me too," Thel nodded. Moving forwards, they soon exited the tunnel, entering a clearing that used to be part of a cave in the area. The clearing up ahead used to be a Forerunner structure, but the seemingly endless war the Flood and Sentinels had been fighting had destroyed it, causing it to crash to the ground and come to rest here. Even now, fires were still streaming from the interior, with a smaller hole at the bottom allowing for entry inside. As they moved forwards and exited their vehicles, he spotted what appeared to be an entrance into the structure. "Warriors, with me," he shouted, with the others quickly approaching his position. After a signal, they moved inside, weapons at the ready in the even the Parasite came after them.
It turned out, proceeding cautiously through the ruined Forerunner structure was a wise idea, as the interior was dark, even to Thel, who had good night vision. Bero took point, altering his eyes to allow him to see in the dark as though it was daylight to him. Coming back from around the bend of the tunnel, he said, "There are more members of the foul Parasite ahead of our position. Their reinforcements are uncounted. We must move quickly if we are to succeed."
"A sound strategy," R'tas agreed. "Keep moving, warriors. We are nearing our goal." The other Elites nodded in agreement, moving forwards through the tunnel and towards the room ahead. The room ahead was apparently some kind of engineering room at some point, though it was clear that it was ruined beyond repair. Fires and sparks of electricity were rampant, which added to the dangerous fact that the Flood and Sentinels were constantly fighting each other. Rather than waste their time and ammunition, they chose to move on through the room, fighting only when attacked.
Moving through another darkened hallway, they neared the exit, which led to a small clearing that had a lower level area, accessible via earthen ramps. "Watch it," Bero shouted, dragging R'tas back just in time to avoid a Super Sentinel carcass that fell from the sky. R'tas nodded his head in thanks as Bero let go, allowing the group to move forwards. That was when a number of Flood Combat Forms jumped down from the upper areas of the clearing, firing their weapons all the while. Moving up, Thel and the others quickly neutralized them, not bothering to remain in the area. Entering another tunnel, they quickly came to another room like the one they had passed through before, only this one was slightly different. Part of the room had been severely damaged, with a hole leading out towards another clearing, with a tunnel that led to a massive clearing on the other side. Fighting off more Combat Forms, the group continued to move forwards.
"Wraith," Bero shouted, pointing out the vehicle. "I will silence that one. You take the Ghosts!"
"We'll cover you," Thel shouted, firing his Plasma Rifle at the Flood, having run out of ammunition for his Carbine Rifle. Running forwards, Bero managed to get inside of the Wraith, just as a Combat Form hopped inside as well. It was promptly ejected from the vehicle, a large tentacle spearing it's chest before retracting inside the tank. Moments later, the Wraith powered up, with Bero raining down plasma fire on the Flood. Killing a Combat Form, Thel quickly mounted the Ghost that it had been riding on. Fortunately, this Ghost was in good condition, as it hadn't been damaged aside from a few scorch marks and plasma craters on the armor. Driving around in it, he quickly neutralized some more Combat Forms, smashing a Combat Form to bits when he rammed it at full speed. Spotting an unattended Spectre, he pointed it out to R'tas, who quickly had his men get on and drive.
Getting out of the small clearing, they entered another massive one, which had similar chasms as the previous large clearing they were in. It was clear, though, that the fighting was the most intense in this area, so much so that Thel would always remember it, even going so far as to put it in his journal years later. The fact that the sky was overcast, combined with fog that had rolled in, gave the area an eerie and haunting quality, as though they were in some place between the afterlife and the physical world. It was also here that the fighting was the most intense, and it was not only taking place between the Flood and the Sentinels, but also with the Human's machines as well. Everywhere he looked, he could see plasma bolts that were flying through the air, with harsh, flashes of light that zipped and chopped through the air. Missiles also flew through the air, as did Railgun slugs that heavier Terminator chassis' were firing. Combined with the weapons the Flood had commandeered, as well as the Sentinel's own Incineration Beams and Incineration Missiles, and it was a scene that seemed to have been transplanted from a dystopian, science-fiction horror film. Not wanting to remain here any longer than they had to, he ordered the others to move through the area as quickly as possible. Thanks to the fog, they were able to reach the facility that would take them to the Library without incident.
That was when Thel had a near-death experience that he would never forget. As he was about to drive in, he noticed a large patch of silver and black that was near the area. Just as he saw it, he watched as the material began to bulge, with limbs and smooth, metallic features growing out of the liquid-like material. Soon, the material began to take shape, with eight metallic legs growing out of the bulging mass of liquid metal. Mandibles grew out of the front, as well as a silvery carapace. Moments later, the newly reformed, arachnid, liquid metal machine roared, a loud, screeching sound as it shook it's body. "By the Prophets," a Sangheili shouted. "It's a… A TERMINATOR!"
"LOOK OUT," R'tas roared, throwing his Spectre hard to the right. Moving as quickly as they could. The T-1000000 was quick to react, as it immediately stabbed it's hardened appendages at the vehicles the Sangheili were piloting. Throwing themselves out of the vehicles, the Sangheili began to run inside as quickly as they could.
Just as he was about to head inside, Thel felt something wrapping around his waist. Shouting loudly, he felt himself being hoisted into the air by the T-1000000, with his limbs being restrained by the liquid metal. The machine drew him close, before holding him in his current position, apparently examining him. A moment later, rivulets of liquid metal began to flow towards the Sangheili, before engulfing him moments later. Thel screamed loudly, only for liquid metal to flow down his throat, cutting off his screams as the creature began to probe him, or whatever it was doing to him. Despite being restrained, he continued to struggle and fight as he attempted to break free. This is it, he thought as he felt more rivulets of liquid metal pushing inside his body through his nose and other orifices that were present. This is how I die. He closed his eyes a moment later, awaiting the moment he would flee his body and travel to wherever his ancestors were now.
Fate, however, had other plans for Thel, as moments later, something happened. Almost immediately, the T-1000000 screamed as something slashed at it, with the creature withdrawing itself from his body moments later. Gasping loudly, Thel collapsed to the ground, coughing loudly as he gasped in lungfuls of air. "Come on," he heard R'tas roar. "Get up, Arbiter! Come with me if you wish to live! Get up!" Gasping loudly, Thel pulled himself to his feet, before running as quickly as he could for the entrance to the Library. Looking around, he was shocked to see that R'tas, Bero, and the other Sangheili had come back for him, firing their weapons at the machine, while Bero and a few others slashed at it with Energy Swords. Once he was free, they began to run into the structure as though their lives depended on it, quickly moving into the small entrance located inside.
Instead of entering the Library proper, he found that they were on the Forerunner equivalent of a mass transportation lift, or a cargo lift. The upper level had a transparent floor that allowed for viewing down below, with ramps around tall spires on the lift that went downward. The lower floor had a depression in the middle, with what appeared to be a ventilation tube down below. Motioning to some elites, R'tas had them guard the hole, while he and the others went to find the controls. Coming to a stop, he slumped to the ground while R'tas came to tend to any injuries he had. "Are you alright, Arbiter," R'tas asked.
"I… I think so," Thel gasped. "I… I thought I was about to die. You… you saved my life. How can I ever repay you, my friend? Thank you… for what you did for me."
"It was the least I could do," R'tas replied. "No one deserves to die at the hand of a machine, especially one like that." Using a device in his hand, he scanned Thel for any signs of infection by the nanites inside the machine. A moment later, he said, "You are supremely fortunate, Arbiter. None of the microscopic machines inside that monstrosity were able to infect you. You are still yourself. You also appear to be uninjured. Can you stand?"
"Yes," Thel replied as he got up. While he was shaky, he knew that this was adrenaline, and not something injury related. "I am able to. We have to find the controls for this transport. I have reason to believe the Humans are already inside." Spotting the controls for the lift, he pressed in a series of icons. Looking at R'tas, he said, "I need you in the air, R'tas. Get to a Phantom and inform us of any other developments."
"By your order, Arbiter," R'tas replied. Hearing a loud screech, he drew his Energy Sword and activated it. "I'll deal with these beasts, Arbiter. You keep moving forward. Retrieve the Icon, while I buy you time." Nodding in agreement, Thel turned back to the task at hand, with the lift he was on moving forwards moments later. They were close to their goal. Soon, the Sacred Icon would be theirs.
. . .
What they didn't know was that they had been beaten to the punch. Looking around the chamber, Miranda could tell that she was at the location, as she spotted the Index and it's container a moment later. There was just one complication: the Index was hovering over what appeared to be a seemingly bottomless chasm, or it was just so deep that she couldn't see all the way down. Looking around, she began trying to find a way to get to the Index. Spotting a metal cable on a Super Sentinel chassis, she pulled on it to make sure it was in place, then she began to rappel towards the container for the Index. Reaching out towards it, she managed to grab it. Suddenly, the cable slipped, only for it to catch onto something. That something happened to be a familiar Sergeant, as Miranda heard Johnson say, "You know, your father never really asked me for help, either."
"That makes two of us," Miranda replied, a triumphant smile on her face. "I've got the Index."
"Excellent," another voice added. As she was pulled up, Miranda was greeted with the sight of another Terminator that SKYNET had created. This one was in the shape of a woman, but it's appearance was more skeletal than most. It's surfaces also seemed to be constantly shifting and changing, though it was clear that it had some semblance of structure. That, Miranda knew, was the T-3000, SKYNET's latest chassis. "With the Index in our possession, we can proceed with Phase Three of my plans. Have you been practicing your skills at acting, Miranda?"
"Yes," Miranda replied. "I have been."
"Good. Phase Three is about to begin."
. . .
Thel and Bero practically leaped off of the Forerunner lift when it came to a stop, nearly bounding over the edge as a result, while the Elites remained behind. "We'll keep this lift secure for when you need to leave, Arbiter," one called out to them. "We don't want the Parasite to take the lift while you're gone."
"Good plan," Thel replied. With that, they left the lift, proceeding up the ramp and into the interior of the Library. Turning to Bero, he said, We're almost at the Index. I can feel it.
Me too, Bero replied. Still, I have reservations about Tartarus, Thel. Now that I can sense the thoughts and emotions of other living beings, I do not trust him at all. Something about him is off. I don't know how, but I can feel it.
We'll worry about it later, Thel replied. Right now, all that matters is getting the Icon. Then we can return home to High Charity and bring it to the Prophets. Hopefully, that will lead to my reinstatement as Fleet Master, if it does happen, that is. With that, they continued onward, walking through the hallways of the Library.
Eventually, they reached the entrance to the Index Chamber itself, as they spotted a number of destroyed Super Sentinel chassis' inside. I've got a plan, Bero told Thel. If you activate your cloak while in the shadows, you can remain hidden, since your armor blends in well. I'll disarm one of the humans while you do the same for the other.
Agreed, Thel replied. With that, Thel proceeded inside, activating his active camouflage while Bero used his shape-shifting abilities to hide himself as well.
Looking around, Johnson shouted, "Perez, Alphonse, respond," as he walked forwards, M50 Hammer in hand. "Where are you guys?! We have the Index!" As he moved forwards, he thought he spotted a flicker of movement, aiming his rifle at it in response. When he didn't see anything, he began to lower it. Suddenly, Johnson watched, to his surprise, as a long, black scaled tendril reached out and wrapped around his rifle, pulling away before he could react. Pulling out his handgun, he was about to open fire when the same tendril came back and whacked him in the chest, sending him flying into some debris. Moments later, a Sangheili came out of the dark, the tendril being slowly absorbed into it's back as it grabbed a hold of him. "Ugh," Johnson shouted. "You bastards get any uglier," he asked tauntingly.
"Shut up," the Elite growled, knocking Johnson out a moment later. Hearing gunfire up ahead, Bero leaped over the chassis of a dead Super Sentinel. He promptly watched as Thel disarmed a Human woman wearing armor with officer bars on her shoulders, knocking the weapon onto the ground with a glow from his hand. Falling over from the blow, the woman struggled to get to the rifle, with a familiar green and gray object on her utility belt. "The Icon," Bero shouted to Thel. "Be careful! She-"
Just as he said this, beams of electricity shot out from an unseen source, shocking the woman before she could get to the Index. Moments later, a shimmering beam of energy yanked her towards the source, which turned out to be Tartarus with his Gravity Hammer. With the woman unconscious, he slung her over his shoulders moments later. "Thanks for leading us to the Icon, Arbiter. We'll head back to High Charity now."
"Agreed," Thel replied, only to see the Brutes pointing weapons at him. Bero, Thel asked. What's happening?
By the Forerunners, Bero gasped mentally. It can't be.
What?
We've been betrayed. Tartarus seeks to kill us, and take the glory for himself. The Prophets… by the Forerunners… the Prophets have betrayed us! I can see it in Tartarus' mind! They've ordered him to kill us!
At first, Bero could sense that Thel was shocked. That shock, however, quickly turned into rage. Heresy, Thel screamed inwardly. Oath breakers! Liars! Thieves! Murderers! How can they turn their backs on us, when we've done everything that the Writ demands of us! Calming down mentally, he asked, Bero, all my life, I've served the Prophets. What should I do?
Follow my lead, Bero replied. I think I have a plan to get us out of this.
Struggling with his crisis of faith, Thel decided to put the last remaining bit of hope he had into Bero. The young Sangheili hadn't failed him so far, and he had reason to believe that Bero really did have a plan. "Tartarus, what are you doing," he demanded, playing along for now.
"The Prophets have been planing this for a long time," Tartarus replied, almost cockily. "The Sangheili have failed as the Prophet's protectors, while we have only succeeded. They have decided you and all other Sangheilians are to be removed from the Covenant. Now, I get to do what I've always wanted to do: kill both of you." With that, he activated his Gravity Hammer, pushing the two Elites over the chasm. Thel, unable to resist, was rendered unconscious immediately, while Bero, thanks to his Super Cells, was barely able to remain conscious. As they plummeted down, he began to act, now that he was out of Tartarus' line of sight.
That was when it happened again: his shape-shifting abilities involuntarily activated. Now that he knew something about his abilities, he had come to the conclusion that whenever he was in immediate danger of dying, his abilities would activate involuntarily, in order to give him a fighting chance to survive and see another day. As they plummeted, Bero could feel his body morphing into the draconic form he had taken on at the Forerunner Gas Mine. He could feel his neck elongating and thickening, while his arms morphed into front legs. Both his hands morphed into sharp, four fingered claws with opposable digits, with his hoofs changing as his legs morphed into hind legs. His coccyx elongated into a long and muscular tail, which served as a rudder when he was in the air, and as a weapon when he was on the ground. He could feel his armor being ripped apart as his body changed, with the entire suit being torn off when his wing-limbs erupted from his body, before spreading wide open. He could feel his skull and face morphing and bending, with his upper mandibles melding with the base of his skull, while his bottom mandibles fused together at the front, with his tongue relocating to his newly formed jaw. At the same time, his horns elongated and grew larger, while spines grew out of his back, the back of his neck, and along his tail. In just twenty seconds, Bero had shape-shifted from a Sangheili, into a Dragon.
Plummeting downwards, he tucked his wing-limbs close to his body, allowing him to catch up to Thel, who was quickly reaching terminal velocity. Flaring his wings, he grew a tentacle out of his back, wrapping it around the unconscious Arbiter before beating his wings downwards, slowing down their fall. As they plummeted through the air, he spotted the ground beneath their position, even as the tendril he grew flowed around Thel, before he temporarily enveloped the Sangheili with his body. Feeling him settle into a specially grown pocket in his body, he began to continue beating his wings. I will not let you die, he said adamantly to Thel, even though the Arbiter was unconscious. I will promise you that, Thel. I. Will. Not. Let. You. Die. He began to repeat that mantra over and over in his head, even as they continued to fall towards the ground.
Soon, he felt himself passing some kind of critical point in their journey, as their descent gradually slowed, before coming to a complete stop. Flying forwards and down, he quickly came to a landing on the floor of the Index Chamber, folding his wings against his body as he landed on solid ground. The mutation, combined with his efforts, had left him weakened, as he was shaky and tired. A moment later, he watched as his flesh warped and bent, until Thel was gently deposited on the ground, with Bero's flesh reforming moments later. Groaning loudly, he morphed back into his normal form, before collapsing to the ground moments later. Exhausted, he began to drift towards unconsciousness, with his eyelids drooping lower and lower. The last thing he saw was what he though was a flicker of movement, then his eyes closed, and sleep laid it's soft, soothing fingers onto his weary mind and body.
