I have so much love for you guys.

For a couple of the reviews I've gotten for last chapter, a few of you pointed out some things to me which you thought were important.

Notice that in the first chapter of the story, I told you to do exactly that.

Hunters Cannot get infected. I'm not entirely sure if I'm getting the spelling right, but their species, Leckgo or Lickgo or something similar, are not one being, therefore not one host, so it is not possible for them to be infected. I'm still going to keep the Goliath in the story, though, if not with too much logic then with badassery.

Firebomb/Incendiary Grenades were not in the first Halo. I am aware of this. However, I personally think that it is awesome to burn things to death with those things, and since they were only in Halo 3 and MAYBE Halo 2 (I honestly can't remember), there really isn't much proof that they didn't exist yet, as weapons from Halo: Reach, armor abilities, and a Vehicle or two off of the top of my head don't exist in CE, and Reach is obviously the prequel, as you all know.

Regardless, I love you guys for noticing little details like those, and it warms my heart. But, honestly, if both of those items create a goddamn badass fight between two several hundred pound super soldiers and a six metric-ton parasite with swords for hands, and you guys enjoy it, then I don't see why I shouldn't.

Anyways, future Husky from when I wake up is writing the story, not the one who's writing this part. It's 6:30 in the morning, I need my sleep. Think of this like Husky from the past.

Whoa.

Happy reading, Wolfgang!

~Husky

"...which means that any organism of sufficient mass and cognitive capability is a potential vector." Guilty Spark said. He had teleported the two Spartans and himself out of the room and back to Halo's control center, where John and Six were before they had gone underground.

"So animals, plants... everything can be infected?" Six asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." Guilty Spark replied.

John stopped walking for a moment, raising his hand to his head. Something flashed across Six's visor, but he didn't have a chance to see what it was, as it moved too fast.

Guilty Spark turned to look at John. "Is there something wrong, Reclaimer?"

John shook his head and lowered his hand back to his side. "No... Nothing." He said.

"Splendid. Shall we?" Guilty Spark said, floating towards the terminal in which the Index was to be inserted. "Unfortunately, my usefulness to this particular endeavor has come to an end. Protocol does not allow units with my classification to... perform a task as important as the reunification of the Index with the Core. That final step is reserved for one of you."

Guilty Spark released the Index back into its sheathe.

"You want to do the honors, John?" Six asked.

"Sure. If you're offering, I don't see why not." John replied.

John took the Index's sheathe, now with the Index inside, out of Six's hand and slipped it into the socket on the control console. He stepped back as the console started to light up, and a loud whirring sound emanated from deep below.

But, just as suddenly as it started, it stopped.

"Oh. That's... odd. That wasn't supposed to happen." Guilty Spark said.

Cortana's avatar popped up over the console. "Oh, really?!" She shouted at Guilty Spark. She raised her hand, and he fell to the ground.

"Cortana!" John said, surprised.

"I've spent the last 12 hours cooped up in here, watching you toady about, helping that thing get set to slit our throats!" Cortana yelled.

"Hold your horses, Cortana. This thing is friendly." Six said, pointing to Guilty Spark.

"Oh! I didn't realize. He's your pal, is he? Your chum? Do you have any idea what that bastard almost made you do?!" Cortana asked angrily.

"Yes, we do. We were going to activate Halo's defenses, and destroy the Flood, which is why we brought the Index to the control center." John said.

"You mean this?!" Cortana asked. She raised her hand and a hologram of the Index appeared in it.

"This... this is outrageous!" Guilty Spark said. "Why is there a human construct in-

"Sod off!" Cortana said, cutting him off.

"Why you little... what impertinence! I have no choice but to purge you at once!" Guilty Spark said.

"Do you honestly think that's a good idea?" Cortana said. The Index's sheathe opened up and the Index went into her, much like it had went into Guilty Spark earlier.

Guilty Spark turned red. "Damn you! Why, I'll... I'll..."

"Do what? I have the Index! You can just float and sputter!" Cortana retorted.

"Enough! The Flood is spreading. If we activate Halo's defenses, we can wipe them out."

"But don't you understand? The Installation doesn't kill the Flood!" Cortana yelled.

"Then what does it do?" John asked.

"It kills the Flood's food!" She said.

The statement blew Six off of his feet. "What!?"

"We're all equally edible. Human, Covenant, it doesn't matter. The only way to stop the Flood is to starve them to death. And that's exactly what Halo is designed to do; Wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life. And if you don't believe me, ask him!" Cortana yelled, pointing at Guilty Spark, who was as mad as could be.

"Is this true?" John asked Guilty Spark.

He sighed, slowly turning blue again. "More or less."

"You little son of a bitch!" Six shouted, raising his magnum.

"There is no need for fighting, Reclaimer." Guilty Spark said. "We have followed outbreak containment procedure to the letter. You were both with me each step of the way as we managed this crisis."

"But you decided to leave out the little detail that once we activated the damn thing, every living organism would get disintegrated!?" Six shot back.

"Technically, this installation's pulse has a maximum effective radius of twenty-five thousand light years. But, once the others follow suit, this galaxy will be quite devoid of life, or at least any life with sufficient biomass to sustain the Flood. But you knew that already, did you not?"

"No, we didn't!" John said.

"Uh, Chief? I'm picking up movement above us!" Cortana said.

Suddenly, an orange laser shot down from the ceiling and hit the magnum out of Six's hand. He clutched his good hand in pain as several of the robots from the forest floated down to Guilty Spark's side. "John! Grab Cortana!" Six yelled.

John yanked the chip from the console and inserted it into the back of his helmet.

"We need to leave!" John said.

"But you cannot leave. Why would you hesitate to do what you have already done?" Guilty Spark asked. "Last time, you asked me, if it were my choice, would I do it? Having had considerable time to ponder your query, my answer has not changed."

"What are you talking about?!" Six asked.

"Forget it, Six. We need to leave! Now!" John said.

"Fine. If you are unwilling to help, I will simply find another." Guilty Spark said. "Still, I must have the Index. Give your construct to me, or I will be forced to take her from you."

John stepped forward. "Sorry. That isn't going to happen." He said.

"Tsk, tsk. A pity." Guilty Spark said. "Save the green one's head..."

...Dispose of the other one."

What a bundle of joy that Guilty Spark is.

I have a forum up on the story now, by the way. Put this after the dot net part of the url:

myforums/RichardHusky/5637288/

Have a great day, Wolfgang!

~Husky