Chapter 3. The Arbiter.
"Arbiter, it is good to see you again. I thought you were dead." John greeted, holding out his arm.
"As did I you, my brother. It is good to be amongst friends again, even though it is under these unusual circumstances.. ere is unfortunately, the matter of the Banished."
Chief sighed. "Yeah, and I have no doubt that he survived. I battled him just before the singularity opened."
"This is not good news... For if you are correct and he is alive, then we must wipe out the Banished forces before it is too late."
"Okay, I'm sorry... Who is this 'he' fellow you both are going on about?" Kara asked, floating over towards them.
She felt oddly small next to them, even more so than she did when standing or floating next to Jo'nn or M'ggan.
"Atriox." Chief spat.
"The Jiralhanae destroyer of worlds, devourer of covenant and UNSC alike, slayer of demons.." Arbiter added before looking towards John as he said the word: 'demons.'
"You're one of these demon... Guys?" Kara blinked.
"Demon is the name we gave Spartans, it is a tone of endearment, as well as respect." Arbiter confirmed.
'When I get my hands on him, he'll find out why I'm a hyper lethal vector..' John swore mentally, clenching his free fist.
Arbiter put a hand on his shoulder. "Easy Brother, I know how many of your brethren he has slain. But now is the time for calm, he will get what Is coming to him."
John merely nodded, relaxing his fist while silently taking in breaths. He needed to stay calm, he had seen what soldiers had done in the heat of rage and had no plans of becoming anything like that.
Kara didn't need to hear anything more, she understood the pain behind losing family and friends, especially to an enemy you never saw coming.
"Well, what can I and the DEO do to help?" Kara asked.
"What the heck is a DEO?" Private Jenkins asked.
"Oh, I forgot to mention them didn't I. They're basically my earth's planetary defence force, they arrest illegal alien Criminals, find immigrants homes and new identies as well as stop invasions and take down intergalactic criminal organisations." Kara explained.
"So, would they be willing to help?" Private marine asked.
"I mean... I think so? I just gotta explain everything to their boss, not to mention my sister as well, who happens to be the second in command." Supergirl shrugged.
'No need to even ask, I read the minds of the marines you're with. You have the DEO on your team Kara.' Jo'nn told her via his telepathy. Revealing that he was nearby and understood the situation.
"And never mind, that was oddly convenient.. Their boss just gave me the go ahead." Kara muttered.
"Well that sorts out th-ARGH! For the love of everything Frost!" Exclaimed Sgt Porthos.
"Sir, if you keep moving it's gonna hurt. I'm doing my best here but this isn't exactly medical supply heaven." The female Medic retorted.
Arbiter shook his head and John did the same, both never realizing that they were mirroring the other.
"Bogies south!" Yelled Private Ramone.
"FAKE ARBITER, DEMON! WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR DEATHS, COME AND MEET YOUR ENDS!" a brute chieftain exclaimed from behind John and Arbiter. Both warriors turned around before glancing at one another.
"Why Arbiter, I do believe we have have been challenged by a Chieftain." 117 stated, igniting the reddish orange blade he had 'borrowed' off of one of the sword master Banished elites.
"Indeed, it has been some time since we have fought side by side. Shall we?" Arbiter asked, gesturing towards the idiotic Brute who had challenged them.
John merely nodded, and then the two rushed forwards. A duo of otherworldly might and fury.
It may be Another Earth, heck even another universe, but it was the same battles, and the same team.
And so the Master Chief and Arbiter got to work.
"This is going to become a thing isn't it?" Kara muttered.
"Most definitely.." A free Sanghelli warrior nodded, having snuck up next to her while his commanding officer had been talking to Barry.
"How did you? You know what. I'm not even going to ask." Kara sighed, folding her arms as she watched the carnage ahead.
"MOMMY!" The chieftain cried out in agony, realizing the mistake he had made, but it was far too late.
~ - ~
/Crashed Banished Vessel, Somewhere in the Nevada desert./
"Somehow we have ended up on earth, the home world of the humans and their demons. But it is different to what I know.. To what I expected."
"That is because we are no longer in the correct dimension." a digital voice stated with wome exasperation.
"You dare interrupt Atriox!" an unusually tall ungonny exclaimed, pointing its customised plasma pistol at the forerunner AI.
"No, let her speak small brother. Please Monitor, explain." Atriox said, putting a hand on the grunts shoulder as he did so.
The Forerunner AI was happy to do so, and projected a holographic recording before the assembled Banished of their ship crashing into the UNSC:Into The Brink.
"I detected an anomaly in space time as our vessel crashed into the reclaimer's own ship. According to my scans, the resulting explosion from the slipspace drives, paired with the destruction of our precious cargo, Resulted in a tear in reality itself."
"You guaranteed that the artefact would stop such accidents from happening!" Atriox seethed, beginning to get annoyed with the floating sphere.
"Actually, my exact wording was that it would correct such accidents if they did happen. Which is why the tear closed as soon as we were through, unfortunately I detect no forerunner installations in this solar system, my creators may have never stepped foot into this universe."
"Are you saying we are stuck here, on this world, in this new universe, forever!" Atriox asked, beginning to grit his teeth together in anger.
"Affirmative."
Atriox roared before activating his double sided plasma axe, and with a single swing, sent the monitor flying into the nearby wall. The leader of the banished then stalked forwards, cracking the joints in his neck before raising his weapon high-
"If I may.. This may not need be a sad day at all, it in fact could hold a great opportunity." A single elite blurted out. He was wearing gold and black armour with glowing red outlines, it seemed to be made out of a mixture of both Sanghelli and Forerunner technologies.
"Speak, Commander Thawn'ee." Atriox growled out.
"We are in a reality where humans have yet to venture into the stars, their technology was quite primitive beforehand, but here it would be even more so. We therefore have the advantage." The Elite Warrior explained.
"Go on.."
"Think of it great Atriox... A new Banished Empire, a new galaxy ripe for the taking! Once we destroy the Remaining UNSC forces and their allies. This world will fall before us, and upon its ashes you will build a new citadel. A new headquarters from which to rage war from!" Thawn'ee gestued.
"Yes... I see it already, you are right my brother, we need not fret at all. This was perhaps the forerunners final gift." Atriox realized, a grin forming on his grey lips.
"I-I Object! This goes against protocol, I w-will not help you!" The Monitor told them, her chassis sparking with energy.
She was heavily damaged, and her optic lens seemed to be cracked.
"Unfortunately Monitor, we no longer need your help. And all I see before me now.. Is a pile of useless parts." Atriox replied before finally slamming his weapon down onto the monitor, crushing it completely.
"Thawn'ee, old friend, I have a mission for you."
Thawn'ee stepped forward and kneeled before his master, head bowed low.
"I live to serve."
"You know these humans, you have studied their tactics and history, hidden amongst them and even hunted their demons. I ask you to do so again, and when you are done... bring the head of the Master Chief to me." Atriox ordered.
The Sanghelli's mandibles curled upwards slightly before he replied: "It shall be done.. No one shall stand in your way."
Atriox nodded, content that his warrior would do his duty. And so the large Jiralhanae turned around and walked back to his quarters, he had some items to acquire before they abandoned this place.
The Banished shall rise again. And nothing would stand in its way...
(End of chapter 3)
Keith David As The Arbiter.
Robert Davi as the Free Sanghelli Warrior.