Authors notes: ok, this and several other things I'm currently working on will be the current things I will be working on from now on.
I do not own halo, nor do I own worm. Wildbow owns worm, microsoft owns halo.
and due to the nature of this fan fic, this is of course a slight AU.
A deal with a precursor
Today was not a good day for me... at all. First, there was me waking up late for work and getting fired for it. Then, I made the wisest decision of going to the bank... only for it to get robbed by generic bank robbers, the most generic looking bank robbers in fact. And finally, on my way home, I got ran over by a drunk driver, who was driving a train and they somehow managed to derail it in the first place, because you guess what happened after that? I DIED! That's what happened.
Now, I'm in a void. I'm calling it the "eternal void", that's what I'm calling it alright. I'm in the eternal void, left to my thoughts and imagination. I looked back on my life, remembered a web serial called "worm". A dystopia world with superheroes, kaiju, mentally unbalanced teenagers and an entity that was in a depressed state. Then I remembered halo, the lore and gameplay of the series.
'Maybe this is eternal void is just me on my way to getting reincarnated... because anything would beat this.' I commented in my thoughts. I kind of liked the idea of reincarnation, because it allowed one to relive life all over again. But by this point, I felt as if I had some sort of body... but I didn't really know what was going on.
As time passed, I lost track of time about... I think... nine hours? The important thing is that I've lost track of time. I frequently lapsed back and forth into consciousness, and I soon realized that I wasn't alone anymore.
In front of me, under a spotlight- 'where is that light coming from?' I mentally commented- was a crustacean-like alien. That's the best of my ability that I could describe it. Then it began to speak.
"Well, that's mighty rude. This 'it' you're talking about is a woman, thank you very much." she judged me, narrowing her eyes at me. At that moment, I felt kind of embarrassed, as I didn't mean to judge at all. Also, I had mentally said, 'wut.'.
'Sorry, mam' I apologized, knowing full well that I didn't have a mouth.
"Apology accepted..." she accepted my apology. It was by then I was able to get a closer look at her... and I then started to realize that she looked just like the artistic depictions of the primordial... only slimmer and more human looking.
"Oh, please, I'm not like that pompous know it all. He's all about revenge, but I moved on from hating the douche runners. Now, I have new sights, new rivals, and new goals." she spoke, as if she was giving a speech, but I felt like she felt insulted by the comparison I made.
'So, I'm face to face with a female of a fictional alien species... wait... what do you mean when you speak of new goals and rivals?' I commented. By this point I had realized that she was, of course, reading my mind.
"By new rivals, I mean those entities, infesting an alternate earth, one of which you call earth bet." she informed me, before continuing, "That's why I'm here, I'm here to make a deal with you." she said, looking creepily at me.
'Ok, a deal then... what does this deal entail?' I mentally asked. For what reason did she have to pick me of all people to make a deal with?
"Oh, the deal is simple, I send you to earth bet, and you must kill the entity known as Zion, and I gift you new life... as a member of my species. Complete with all the bonuses of being a precursor." she told me, surprising me.
'So, you want me... to go to earth bet, and kill Zion?' I asked.
"Oh, not just that, but make the life of the human named Taylor Hebert happier... and safer. Which Include's solving the other problems Earth bet is dealing with. So, do we have deal?" She asked me.
'Hold up, why don't you go to earth bet and do it yourself? At least tell me your name before you send me to bet, alright.' I asked.
"Oh, it is quite simple really, I did try to go there myself. Buuuut then there was that car accident, and my human husband believes that I was on my phone at the time... which is true, I was entranced in phones. He didn't know everything about me, of course. Oh my, I have gotten ahead of myself, my name is Atonement. Or, as you know my human name as, Annete Hebert... Annete was a name I came up with, if I must be honest." she explained.
'So, Taylor is half precursor?... ok so I'm going to an AU then.' I asked her.
"Sadly yes, she is half precursor." she confirmed my suspicions.
'Ok, two questions, isn't that like, beastiality or something for your people? And second off, is Taylor connected to the Queen Administrator shard?' I asked.
"Ok, first off, no... just no. Just because my species created the humans of my universe, doesn't mean we can't fall in love with the members of said species. To answer your second question, yes, she is, I managed to trick the shard into bonding with it, if I must be honest. But my sweet little owl has not undergone metamorphosis just yet. Unfortunately, the day she undergoes the process is also the day she triggers. So yes, she is still connected to the shard." she spoke with disdain in her voice.
'Ok... that just brings up more questions now. What the hell is metamorphosis?' I asked.
"It's where a young precursor undergoes a physical change to the point where they shed their juvenile skin, reveal their true self. Though, not all precursors look alike. You yourself will have to undergo the process as well... but it will be much... much... much more painful for you then it will be for my little owl. You'll have to undergo it twice, first to transform yourself into the true juvenile state of a precursor, what you may call, the centipede state. In this state you can only shapeshift into one state, one of which is going to be the human state." she informed me.
'Okay, that's all my questions...' I told her.
"So, do we have a deal?" she asked.
'Yes, you have yourself a deal.' I replied.
Then out of nowhere, a piece of paper popped out into existence.
"Ok sign here. Here and here." she guided me towards signing the contract.
'Ok, let me read some of the contract, ok.' to which she nodded.
Ok, so it says here that, I will have the ability to construct a tinker tech precursor technology that will free any one endbringer of my choosing from eidolon... the simurgh, poor thing is essentially a child or something. Zion will be blind to my presence, but cauldron will somehow soon have heard of me, whether I made a move or not just yet. I will be unable to tell the protectorate or anyone, anything on the precursors, as it will 99.99% chance guarantee suicide among members of said organization, or any person, who isn't a precursor or half precursor. And this tiny line here that I can't read... eh, I'll just sign it-
"YES, GRANDCHILDREN!" Annete the precursor proclaimed, as I finished signing.
'Whut?' I stated. That had caught me off guard.
"Didn't you think I wouldn't sneak that in there, did you? I'm one of the few precursors left and I am a mom who really wants grandchildren." she asked my naivety.
'That- that isn't how relationships are formed! She might not like me! She might even despise me, I'm not the most likable person if you got to interact with me!' I yelled at the ancient mother.
"It seems that you don't appreciate everything about yourself... all you see are negatives. In truth, if one were given the chance of knowing you, they would find that you are a nice and caring person." she analyzed me.
She's reading me like a book, and I don't like it at all.
'Fine... so what now?' I asked.
"Oh, you know... a painful metamorphosis that will knock you out, as I send you to earth bet." she quickly explained.
'Wait wha- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!' I screamed in pain, as my nonexistent body painfully transformed, then I fell unconscious.
By the time I woke up, I found myself in a forest... at the dead of night. I then looked at myself... 'Yup, centipede like creature. This is my life for some time...' I thought.
"Ok, now I have to find out how close I am to the day Taylor triggers..." I spoke, hearing my new voice... then I heard a voice at the back of my mind... Annete's voice to be exact.
'It should only be four days from now, but I'd hurry up if I were you.' she informed me. That almost scared me.
'I thought you weren't going to be in my head!' I mentally yelled at her... only for her to laugh at me.
'Dear, you're a precursor now and precursors have an innate ability to communicate with one another through the mental space duh, even if you're in another universe.' she explained to me.
'So... like the flood... wait a second, does that mean I can communicate with the gravemind or the primordial?' I asked, only to realize that it wasn't just Annete that I was connected to. How did I realize that? Simple, really.
'This one would be correct, but do not be afraid. We are here to teach.' A low gravelly voice, confirming the worst... the gravemind was connected to me.
Then another voice chimed in... 'Yes, this will of course be your first time as a precursor. So, Atonement thought you needed some tutors.' the voice spoke up... and it was at this... I realized that this was the primordial that was speaking.
'Ok, first off... aren't the two of you the same person? second off... doesn't Anne- I mean Atonement despise you primordial?' I asked, as this has gotten so absurd.
'To answer your question, one must look back on the exact nature of the flood. We have the same memories, but we are separate curses.' the gravemind spoke with poetic lines.
'To answer your second question, Atonement and I... are siblings, yes, siblings. It is typical sibling rivalry as always. But I am the oldest of the two.' the primordial proclaimed.
'YOU'RE NO OLDER THAN ME BY JUST A FEW YEARS, IDIOT!' Annete yelled at the primordial.
'OK, OK, calm down! You're all giving me a headache! What exactly is it do you need to teach me?' I asked.
'Ok, the primordial is here to teach you how to use the star roads that I managed to sneak in here, as well as the logic plague. The gravemind is here to teach you how to shapeshift as well as create life forms. And I will teach you on the basics on the development of young precursors.' Annete informed me.
"Great, I have two sadistic eldritch beings and a mom that's desperate for grandchildren, as my teachers on how to be a precursor." I spoke out loud.
Note to self... never make a deal with a precursor... unless you want to have a headache.
Authors notes: And there it is, this chapter is now out, finally...
I hope you all enjoy this, and feedback is appreciated.
