Night had fallen on the Halsey farmstead like it usually did. The Spartans turned in for the night, along with Cortana, and Halsey had gone into her lab, attempting to crack the latest puzzle that caught her fancy. Everything was winding down…
Except, however, for three. Naomi, Arthur, and Maria made their way over the gate out of the farmstead, since they didn't want to bother actually opening the thing. The three teens walked into the woods, Reach's two moons hanging in the sky, shining like orbs of light.
Maria hummed a few bars of a song to herself, something fit for a walk in the woods under the cover of night, as they walked into the forest.
"So, what are we actually doing out here?" Arthur asked, following Naomi's lead.
The blonde up ahead shrugged, "I saw something curious on waypoint. Apparently there's a monster in the woods nearby. They're calling it the 'Highlands Half-Jaw.'"
"Really?" Arthur questioned, causing Naomi to nod in response.
"It hit waypoint just yesterday." Naomi elaborated. "It supposedly leaves big hoofprints wherever it walks, like a horse on two legs. The marines don't want anybody going into that neck of the woods because apparently, it's one of their training sites."
"Which is bull," Maria stopped her humming, "Because the only classified site in this whole twenty-kilometer area is the farmstead."
"Yeah, that's what I mean." Naomi replied, looking to her. "We've got an opportunity to look in on this like nobody else." She produced a camera out of her pocket. "We get the pictures, and either it's an actual monster or a new species, they hit waypoint, we could become millionaires! All our money troubles, solved!"
"You're dragging us out for this, really?" Arthur groaned.
"Think about it like this, Artie." Naomi spun around to face him as she walked backward. "We do this, we become famous. All the pretty girls waiting to knock on our doors…"
Maria blinked, looking hopeful. "Girls? Really? I mean… Would anybody find discovering a new species attractive?"
"I don't like girls." Arthur deadpan replied. "The only things I feel a sense of affection toward are my weapons."
"You can use the money to buy guns." Naomi retorted, just as deadpan.
"You know, I like this plan, I'm happy to be a part of it!" Arthur grinned, as the trio moved along.
A twig snapped, and the Spartans stopped, looking to each other.
"…I don't suppose that it was one of you guys that stepped on a twig?" Naomi questioned worriedly.
The other two shook their heads, gulping.
Branches ruffled in the distance, and they looked over, seeing the monster of the woods approach them.
Snoring came from Doctor Halsey's lab as the woman herself sat in an office chair, with her head leaning back, the unoptimal sleeping position, to be blunt.
Cortana came running in, huffing, before she stopped, sighing as she walked over. "Catherine." She poked. "Catherine~"
Halsey did not rouse from her sleep.
Cortana frustratedly sighed, rubbing her face. "Jerrod, how long was she up for last night?"
"Until 4AM, ma'am." Jerrod answered immediately. "You were attempting to find the exact cause and subsequent cure for the bone malformation disease known as Vrolik's Syndrome."
Cortana blinked. "Huh. Did she find it- Wait, no, don't answer that. Jerrod, I need you to find me the loudest, most obnoxious piece of music I have saved to my library, and play it as loud as possible."
"Of course, Doctor." Jerrod replied. "Playing When Doves Cry. I advise shielding your ears to avoid hearing damage."
Cortana quickly plugged her ears, but truthfully, the act did nothing, as the music was turned up so loud she could hear it perfectly clear through her plugged ears. It did, however, succeed in jarring Halsey out of sleep.
The scientist spasmed and panicked, nearly falling out of her chair.
"Jerrod!" Halsey bellowed. "Cut that racket off!"
"Yes, Doctor."
The music cut out, as Halsey sighed, rubbing her face, before she looked over to Cortana. "The hell is wrong with you?"
"Sorry," Cortana apologized with an utter lack of regret in her voice, "But we have a problem. Like, a big one. One that goes from the realm of 'ha ha funny shenanigans' to a legitimate worry."
Halsey blinked, paling. "What's wrong?"
"They're gone!?" Halsey screeched, looking around at the table where everyone usually got together for morning chow time. Three Spartans were missing from the lineup…
And had been for quite some time, according to the others.
John nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He, as usual, was the calmest of the lot, taking control of things. "We've combed every inch of this farm. No sign of them, ma'am."
Halsey went red in the face, her mouth struggling to make words… before all the words came out at once. "Questi dannati ragazzini mi daranno i capelli grigi quando avrò quarant'anni!" She cursed settling and willing herself to remain calm. Cortana, the only one there who understood Italian as well, shifted in shame, as Halsey took some deep breaths. "Okay… Calm, we're all calm here. I know you all have been trained to tell, so does it look like a struggle, or like they went willingly?"
"Willingly, ma'am." John answered first. "Three sets of footprints, all walking close together."
"And ONI retrieval teams would need two per Spartan…" Halsey mumbled, going off the Spartans' muscle mass.
"Doctor," John addressed her, "I think they've snuck out. This isn't the first time. But this is the first time they haven't come back before sunup."
"Sneak-" Halsey began, a shadow falling over her face. "Damn it, I thought we were over this bullshit." She sighed. "I don't care if you go places, just tell someone before you go that way in case a situation exactly like this happens, we don't worry!"
"I know, ma'am, and I'm sorry." John shifted, taking the blame. "But I think sneaking out is, to them at least, much more thrilling."
"It doesn't matter why they do it," Halsey shook her head, "We need to find them. All right!" She raised her voice, "Those of you with tracking experience-come with me. The rest of you stay here and hold down the fort."
"Wait," Linda spoke up, "What if they were taken by hostiles?"
"Excuse me?" Halsey questioned.
"We know they snuck out, but they still haven't come back for a reason." Linda outlined. "They could've been captured-or hurt."
Upon processing the mere idea, Halsey's face darkened, and she walked over to a drawer nearby, grabbing an M6 pistol.
"…don't doctors have an oath to do no harm?" Cortana questioned, as Halsey put the pistol in her pocket.
"Not that kind of Doctor." She replied dangerously. "Let's go."
A flatbed truck, a Spade to be precise, tore through the woods. Halsey was in the driver's seat, of course, following the tracks left in the grass from last night. Jorge clung onto the back railing, while John sat in the passenger side, keeping their eyes peeled while they drove.
They must've gone about five miles away, before they began to hear the sounds of chatter.
Halsey stopped, turning the engine off, as she dismounted, silently ordering John and Jorge to keep quiet as they walked forward, towards the source.
"…then there's Cortana," Naomi's unmistakable tones echoed around, "Everybody says John has a crush on her, but I don't see it."
"I… see." A flanged, slightly distorted voice replied, and Halsey peered around the trees to see the three missing teens sitting across from a Sangheili, perfectly fine. "And your group all lives together, in a keep?"
"Farmstead." Naomi nodded. "A keep is like a castle, we're a farm."
"Ah, you mistake me." He shook his head. "A keep, to my people, is the ancestral manor in which we are raised. It could be castle-like in design, but in truth it could be any building that a large number call home."
"Oh, then yeah." Maria nodded, "Then we're a keep."
"Naomi! Maria! Arthur!" Halsey finally found her voice, all heads snapping to her, including the Sangheili warrior's, who shot to his feet, readying an energy sword.
"Wait, no!" Naomi put herself between the Sangheili and Halsey. "She's Halsey, our caretaker!"
"Your Kaidon." The Sangheili rumbled, nodding as he looked the scientist up and down. He deactivated the sword, but remained standing… all eight feet of him. "My apologies," He bowed his head in respect.
"You're not the one I'm looking for apologies from." She retorted, turning to look at the three 'missing' teens. "What the hell were you three thinking!? Disappearing in the middle of the night like that!?"
"We're sorry, Doc-" Arthur began, only to be cut to the punch by Maria.
"-there was this monster we came looking for-" Maria continued.
"-the Highlands Half-Jaw-" Arthur interjected.
"-but he found us first-" Maria explained quickly.
"-and it turns out he's really cool so we stayed here to speak with him!" Naomi finished.
"Okay, okay, stop." Halsey ordered, rubbing her temples. She looked at the Sangheili questioningly. "Who are you?"
"Rtas," He answered with a slight bow, "Of the House of 'Vadum, faithful practitioner of the Great Journey."
"Wait a moment…" Halsey crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. "You wouldn't happen to be related to a Thel 'Vadam, would you?"
The Sangheili's mandibles flared, and he shook his head. "No, my lady. He is of a different house to mine, but we are brothers in arms."
"What are you doing here on Reach?" Halsey questioned.
"The concept translates in your tongue as 'pilgrimage.'" He answered. "I am to… live among your people for a week, and return to the fleet with what I have learned."
Naomi, Arthur, and Maria looked at her hopefully, and Halsey paled.
"No, nope, absolutely-"
"-not." Halsey sighed at her latest attempt to control the Spartans failing as she watched Rtas launch James across the room. For a moment, the others fell silent, before he popped up, yelling.
"That was awesome!"
"I don't understand," Rtas approached, "You are their Kaidon, but they do not listen to you at times. Why is this?"
"Buddy," Halsey rubbed her face, "If I knew the answer to that, I wouldn't be dealing with half the crap I do."