Leaving Thel always made me a cranky bitch. I almost felt bad for whoever I first encountered that would have to deal with my shitty attitude.

But when I saw who it was, I didn't feel bad at all. This person had been dealing with my attitude for quite a while and was still around, so they could probably handle it.

Olympia Vale. The only person in the galaxy who's bitchiness could rival my own. A friend I could always count on to jeer at me when I made stupid ass decisions. Someone who would never leave me, because the amusement I brought to the table was reason enough for her to stick around.

"Oh god. Look what the cat dragged in and barfed up." I sneered, walking right past her.

"Don't talk about yourself that way." She sneered back, whacking the back of my head as I passed her.

"Fucking ow, you piece of shit."

"Fight me, asshole. I'll do worse than that."

"No thanks. I prefer to pick on people my own size."

"Fuck off, Adams."

"Why'd you haul your sorry carcass down here, anyway? Couldn't find anyone else willing to listen to your shitty one liners?"

"Nah, I just needed a crash course in shitty one liners and you're the most qualified person for that."

I was mildly impressed. She'd gotten better at throwing shade. Of course, if she was going to throw shade, I was going to throw the whole damn tree.

"Why go for a crash course on shitty one liners when you're already so pro at them?"

Okay, so maybe I threw a small branch instead of the tree. Whatever. It didn't matter. What mattered is that I hadn't seen her in a long time, and she'd showed up out of nowhere.

The fact that she was somehow always around soon after I'd gotten down and dirty with Thel creeped me out slightly, but maybe that was a calculated move on her part. God knows she'd gotten good at fucking with me.

I turned around and waited for her to catch up with me. "Now that we're through with the chain of insults I clearly sent into a fiery death spiral with that last statement, what's going on? Why are you here?"

Vale stopped, and I had taken a few more steps before I noticed, so when I stopped, I was about ten feet away from her. "Vale? What is it?"

She just looked at me. "I...I was just sent here briefly to translate a message between the Separationists and the Covenant Remnant that the UNSC intercepted, and relay it to the appropriate individuals. I'd told Thel about it hours ago, but I've been waiting around until I had a moment to see you. To tell you something in person." She glanced down the hallway behind her, as if someone was coming for her, and she needed to relay the information quickly. "I don't have much time. I told them I had to pee, but I didn't know you and Thel needed that much time to get busy, otherwise I'd have told them I needed to take a shit or something."

"Vale, you are wasting valuable time telling me about your various bowel movement excuses. Please get to the fucking point."

She shot me a dirty look, but continued. "Just get back to Earth when you can. The Greasy Spoon, 3pm."

I looked at her, completely confused. "What? The Greasy Spoon? What the fuck are you-"

"Adams, don't question it. Just do it. I have to go." She whirled around and practically sprinted back down the way she'd came.

"What the fuck?" I wondered aloud. Why the fuck had she told me to go back to Earth and go to the Greasy Spoon at three? I mean, I loved the Greasy Spoon. A better seedy dive bar with great food and drinks filled with people who had made poor life choices you wouldn't find anywhere on Earth, but why the fuck had she wasted time just to say that? What the fuck was going on?

"Was that Spartan Vale?" A quiet, yet awed voice assaulted my confused thoughts.

It was one of the doctors who had been in one of my training classes, a younger one, a white dude, maybe nineteen.

"Yeah, that was Spartan Vale." I said absentmindedly, still wondering about what she'd said.

"Wow. Why was she running?"

"Uh...She really had to poop. You know, strange Sangheili food. Really gives you the runs. Spartans really run majestically even when they're about to shit themselves, right?" I said, looking at the young doctor. Ha. That should get around quick. Look at me, making up for the shitty one liner.

The young doctor gave me a strange look. "Spartan Vale talks to you? Wasn't she part of the fireteam that brought back the Master Chief and his team from Genesis? I can't believe someone like that would talk to you."

"Listen here, you little shit. Vale and I go way back. I taught her practically everything she knows about great one liners." I thought for a second, then added, "But any one liners she throws out that are shitty, I didn't teach her that. That's all her."

The young doctor's brow furrowed a little bit. "People say that you're important, that you're gifted, that there are a lot of really high up people that like you alot. But you're really weird."

I just looked at him. "Yeah. Welcome to my fucking internal dialogue."

"So you're not important?"

"No, I'm important. I'm the literal shit. You have no idea."

He gave me a look that showed me he didn't believe me. "Why would you be important?"

I was taller than him, being a Sangheili/human mutant thing, so I had to bend down a little to get to eye level with him. "Why would I be important? My mother is the UNSC ambassador to this planet. My father was the head of the Separationists. I killed him, about two years ago. Energy sword to the chest. He almost killed me, by slicing into my side with an energy sword. I literally stapled my side in order to survive long enough to get to the Infinity so Dr. Halsey could treat me." I relished in the kid's look of shock. "Yeah. Dr. Halsey. Put me in a medically induced coma for two weeks to keep me alive. Told me my resume was impressive. Captain Lasky thinks I'm one of the best assets the UNSC has. I kick it with Fireteam Osiris regularly. The Arbiter? I'm the most important thing in the galaxy to him. I literally just got done letting him have extensive carnal knowledge of me." The kid cringed slightly. Good. But I'm not done, kid. Not even remotely.

I stepped back so I wasn't in his face anymore. I'd delivered that super awkward line about carnal knowledge while in his personal space, which was fucking hilarious. I regretted absolutely nothing. "I'm half Sangheili, half human. These face scars people keep looking at? Yeah, I had mandibles as a kid. Not anymore, thanks to one hell of a plastic surgeon. But make no mistake: Hand me an energy sword, and I'm as lethal as any Elite. Not only that, but I was the first person to successfully use trepanation in a combat situation to relieve an epidural hematoma."

The young doctor gasped. "That was you?"

FUCKING FINALLY. IT WAS ABOUT GODDAMN TIME SOMEONE RECOGNIZED THE SHEER BADASSERY OF THAT MEDICAL ACCOMPLISHMENT. Fucking motherfucking shit, he was literally the first person to be impressed by that. Holy shit, it was about goddamn time. Holy fuck. Finally. I could die happy. I'd just had a crazy roll in the hay with Thel 'Vadam and someone had finally recognized the sheer magnitude of one of my greatest medical accomplishments. That's it. Adams had officially reached the point where death could take and she'd go willingly. Goodbye, cruel world. I'm ready for the sweet release of death. Everything I've ever wanted has been achieved. Sock it to me.

"You're goddamn right that was me. Who beat the Master Chief in hand to hand combat? Me. Who introduced him to single malt scotch whisky? Me. That's why I'm important. I'm so motherfucking important, you can't even begin to comprehend it. I'm Khase motherfucking 'Nradaman, and I'm fucking important. Bitch." I added that last comment for good measure. It was probably totally unnecessary, but it felt good.

God, I should write that whole little speech down just in case someone else decided to question my importance.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go get my happy ass back to Earth and to a place called the Greasy Spoon. Don't question it. Just scurry along and tell everyone here just how goddamn fucking important I am." I waved a hand at the young doctor.

He actually complied, scurrying away. He'd better fucking tell people. Hopefully he remembered that whole speech. Especially the carnal knowledge thing. God, I love how uncomfortable that made him. I need to say that more often.

I tried to force the sudden thoughts of how Thel could potentially die fighting in the war on Sanghelios that sprang to my head, unbidden. Nah, not going to think about that bullshit. All that would do is drive me absolutely fucking insane.

After watching the kid scurry along like I'd told him to, I made my way to the command center of the makeshift hospital. It was at this moment that I noticed I'd received a message from someone. Good god. You waste an hour in this place fucking around throwing scalpels at a wall to see if you can hit that one spot on the drywall that's brown and no one cares. Leave for an hour to get it on with the Arbiter and suddenly everyone fucking needs you.

I sat down at the console and swiped with my hand to open the message. It was from Lasky. "Hospital Corpsman First Class Adams." He paused in the video message, clearly pleased with himself that he had gotten my rank right. I didn't blame him. My rank was pretty goddamn atypical and most people hadn't heard of that rank. "HIGHCOM needs you. Get yourself to the Infinity as quickly as you can."

Well, well, well. Oh, how the turns have tabled. For once, HIGHCOM needs me, instead of the other way around. Given Vale's cryptic message about the Greasy Spoon and the sudden need that HIGHCOM had of me, things were starting to get real, and quick.

I was heading back to the Infinity. About goddamn time.

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I exited the Pelican into the Infinity's loading dock that was bustling with activity.

"So this is the Infinity." I breathed softly, remembering what I'd said upon arriving on the Infinity for the very first time almost two years ago. God, the nostalgia. It was almost like being here for the first time, except instead of being some wildly underappreciated medic, I was now a wildly overappreciated medic. It's amazing how things can change in a few years.

I quickly made my way up to the bridge, the layout of the Infinity still familiar to me, even after the time that had passed.

I saw Lasky standing with Palmer. God, yet some things never changed, did they?

"Tom!" I called out, walking towards the two of them. "Commander Palmer." I said, nodding at her, trying to keep a grin off my face. The last time I'd seen her, she had been shitfaced and trying to describe to me exactly what her little tryst with both Tanaka and Lasky had consisted of. Ah, good times. Good times. Probably mortifying for her, but that was one of the times that I definitely liked to think about whenever I needed a good laugh.

She nodded at me. "Adams." Her tone was friendly, but her eyes told me not to fucking mention anything. My lips are sealed, Palmer. For now.

"Kasey." Lasky stepped forward and shook my hand warmly. I was aware of more than a few pairs of eyes on the bridge staring at us. Very few people were on a first name basis with the Captain, but I was one of them. Keep staring, bitches. I'm hot shit. Don't forget that.

"Good to see you. It's been a while." I said, lurching awkwardly as he yanked my hand and pulled me in for a hug. Ah, yes. I'd forgotten that hugs were a normal thing between people on a first name basis. I usually settle for awkward shoulder pats.

"It has." He coughed awkwardly. "Uh, someone inquired after you. I hope you won't mind if I tell them you're doing well."

I looked at him, fighting confusion. "What? Who?"

I saw Palmer roll her eyes and turn away. "Just tell her, Tom."

Lasky coughed again. "Someone I've been seeing. He inquires after you quite a lot, but I've had to tell him I don't really know what you've been up to."

I was confused as fuck. Who the hell has been asking about me? Bitches better be keeping my name out of their mouth, or so help me god. "Uh. You can tell him I've never been better?"

Lasky just nodded. "I will."

Palmer just shook her head, looking mildly disgusted. "No shame in telling her about your boyfriend, Tom."

Lasky went fifty shades of red and threw a glance at Palmer. "He's not my boyfriend."

I held up my hands. "Wait one fucking second. Boyfriend not boyfriend? Asking about me?" I narrowed my eyes at Lasky. "Is it who I fucking think it is?"

Lasky cleared his throat. "Probaby. Uh, yes, Karl has been asking about you."

He motherfucking better be. I'd be pissed to hell and back if he wasn't. I relayed such sentiments to Lasky. "He'd better be. Tell that little bitch he owes me a drink."

Palmer turned to me, looking interested. "Oh? For what?"

"For that shot of liquid courage. And I don't mean alcohol, I mean the literal shot of adrenaline I gave him that night he went over to go hit you up in that bar." I said, looking at Lasky.

Lasky opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off before he could get the chance. "Whatever you two are doing, I don't want to know. What I do want to know is why HIGHCOM wants me here."

Lasky cleared his throat again. "Uh, yes. They called you here because they want to send you to this medical facility on Reach. It's a very hush hush project, one they want to pick the right doctor to oversee." He paused, and stared at me, his eyes searching mine. "You can refuse, Kasey. You don't have to go."

I frowned. "Okay, what's the catch?"

Lasky took in a breath. "They need you there to oversee the augmentations of some Spartans."

"They literally have tons of doctors to do that. Why ask me?"

"It's a prestigious position, and they want to offer it to someone important."

"We both know that's the official story, and we both know its officially bullshit. Why do they really want me there?"

Lasky glanced at Palmer, who jerked her head at him. Those two had better fucking tell me what the hell was going on.

"They..." Lasky hesitated. "They want you out of the way. They want you occupied."

"Why?"

"We're not sure." Palmer said, quietly, glancing around the bridge. "All we know is that the position they're offering you seems like a very convenient way to isolate you from anyone and everyone who knows you."

I studied them both for a minute. I knew they were telling me the truth. Because they both knew that if they lied to me, I'd kill them. I'd killed my own father, for fuck's sake. And he was a Sangheili warrior, trained to fight from birth. They'd been out of the fight for a while and were probably wimpy as shit, so killing them would be easy.

"What time is it? Earth time, Pacific Zone time, I mean?" I asked Lasky.

His brow furrowed in confusion. "It's..." He glanced at the console behind him. "It's about 1:53, Pacific Zone time. Why?"

"The why isn't important. How about you guys drop me off on Earth for about five hours?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him. I was having some suspicions. And anytime my bitch ass had suspicions, it meant something seriously weird was going down.

"Of course. Can I ask why? Officially?" Lasky asked.

"Officially? I need some time to get a drink to contemplate this prestigious offer. HIGHCOM knows that I'm more or less a raging alcoholic."

Lasky nodded. Then he put a hand on my shoulder. "Unofficially...whatever it is you're going to do on Earth, will you let me know the why when you get back?"

"Absoluely." I told him.

And I would. I just needed to go find myself a Greasy Spoon first. Because I had one of my classic Adams sneaking suspicions that Vale and her cryptic bullshit would tie into this somehow.

And my classic Adams sneaking suspicions were hardly ever wrong.