A/N: Chapter 2 took less time than I thought it'd take. This one centers on two of the Spartans of Black Team, and how they came to be part of the SPARTAN ll program.

Chapter 2

July 15 2517. Mars Colony: 1200 hours

Sean sat on a low branch, smiling as two security officers entered the garden sector.

"Found him!" one declared, rushing at the child, who dropped off the branch, rushing forward. Sean dropped below the mans legs, sliding on his knees. As he passed under the man, he drove a fist up, into the guard's groin.

Sean came to his feet about the time the first guard hit the ground, clutching his groin. He ran toward the door, which the second guard was blocking. Sean moved right, tripping the man as he passed through the doorway. "He's heading for the docks!" the first guard yelled into his communicator. "Cut him off there!"

"Doctor," Cheif Petty Officer Mendez began as the Pelican dropship landed on the Mars Colony docking bay. "any particular reason you requested a squad of ODSTs, much less myself, to come with you to get this kid?"

"034 is a troublemaker of sorts, Officer Mendez." he cracked a smile. "I have a feeling he'll need our help, if we want to take him off this planet."

"You suspect he'll just let us?" Mendez's face contorted into a question. "We had to abduct all the other cases."

"We place him in military custody until the flash-clone is completed, and-"

"Make the switch." Mendez finished.

"Precisely." The Pelecan's loading ramp opened.

Sean rushed into the docks, searching for a way out, when an arm came from behind him, lifting him off the ground by the back of his shirt. "You're not getting away this time."

"Let me go!" Sean protested.

"Not gonna happen." The guard shook the child roughly.

"Release the child." a large man Sean had never seen before said, walking briskly over to the guard. He was a man Sean hadn't met before. Why would he come to help? From his outfit, he looked like he was from the military.

"The UNSC has no right to mettle in the affairs of the Colony worlds!" the guard tightened his grip. "He's a delinquent!"

"That boy is to be placed in UNSC custody for the time being." another voice said, from behind the military man. He was accompanied by four armed men in helmets and thick armor.

"Doc!" Sean said, shocked to see this particular man again. He'd come to Seans school, to talk with him about why he kept running away from detention, but by the end of their conversation, the doctor seemed more interested in the 'how' rather than the 'why'.

"Hello Sean." Chang smiled. "What is it you've done this time?"

"He stole food from the Market sector for the third time this week!" The guard shook him again.

"And you delegate this much man power to catch him?" the military man chuckled. "How organized. Hand him over." Sean could hear muffled laughs from under the helmets of the four armed men.

"Why's the UNSC so interested?" The guard made no move to release Sean.

"I've been working with him on a special project. Recent developments require our obtaining custody of the boy." the doctor said. "We are authorised to use force, if need be." He cupped his hands behind his back.

"What project?" the guard asked.

"You ask entirely too many questions for your own good." Chang smiled. "The boy."

"No way."

Chang's shoulder twitched.

The next sound Sean heard startled him. One of the helmeted men had shot the guard in the leg with their sidearm, apparently on cue. The man screamed in a mix of shock and agony as he released Sean, and gripped his wound, doubling over on the metal dock flooring.

"You should come with me, Sean." Chang led the boy to the Pelican.

"You're all crazy!" the guard said, as a small croud of dock workers surrounded him.

The ODST who'd shot him knelt next to the guard. "Be thankful we're not permitted to kill." he whispered. He turned to the small croud. "Nothin' to see here, folks. Back to work."

"Get on the ship, Sean." Chang said. "Everything will be explained in a short time."

"Yes sir." Sean obeyed and sat.

"Take off. I'll radio you when I've got the next subject." he said to Mendez, and walked away, toward the medical center.

Garrett walked, if it could be called that, into the medical facility and down the hall to the 'stretching room'. He had to be here six hours a day doing painful, nearly useless excersises that made it hurt to move. When he arrived, however, he saw his therapist speaking to a man in a white coat, who turned to him when he noticed.

"Hello young man." the strange man said. "My name is Doctor Chang. I work for the UNSC. I'm a scientist." He walked over to shake Garrett's hand. "What if I told you that you've been selected for a special procedure, designed to cure you of your Palsey completely?"

"Why was I picked?" Garrett seemed skeptical.

"Because of the remarkable feat you prefored thus far in your life. Most people with your problem are stuck in chairs until they die. You fought that." Chang smiled." You're special."

Garrett thought.

"What do you say, young man?" Chang asked.

"Okay. I'll do it." Garrett smiled.

"The drawback is," Chang paused. "You'll be in a bed for a few weeks." He furrowed his brow. "But while you're in your bed I'll make sure you get lots of ice cream. How does that sound?"

"Great!" Garrett exclaimed.

"Good." Chang turned, and left the room, signalling Garrett to follow. "Mendez," he said into his communicator. "I've got him. Have you breifed Sean?"

"Yes, we have. We ended up telling him about the program. We told him he'd become a super hero." Mendez said.

"Good. He will." Chang turned off his device, and led Garrett to the docks, where their transport would arrive shortly.

"Who's Sean?" Garrett asked.

"He'll be company of sorts while you heal. Tell me, what do you know about super heroes?"