Song for this one is Collide by Howie Day, and Gangnam style (tho less so) by PSY. 1000 Thanks for reading!
Seeing The Master Chief, a Spartan, outright losing it during a firefight was not something the marines expected to see today. They didn't expect him to be completely stoic, but just starting dying of laughter in the middle of a sentence? Maybe a few chuckles at the Covenant, but just laugh at nothing? To the marines, one second he was mowing down grunts while giving orders to hold position, then he was randomly laughing while diving behind a Warthog and just sitting there snickering to himself.
"Hey Chief...you alright there?" One of the braver marines asked over the gunfire. All he got in replay and something like a wave while chief continued to shake with laughter.
Had they missed something?
"Really Cortana? A dance mix?" Chief was still snickering to himself, but slowly regaining his control.
Cortana then huffed in his helmet, just as amused over his reaction as she was over her choice of music.
"You don't dance, I know, You've told me so many times before, Chief. But if I'd known this was all I needed to do to get you to break down in hysterics I would've looked this up sooner...Even though imagining those Elites dancing to Gangnam style was hilarious" Cortana said with a small giggle of her own.
"The video you put up did help." He added with a small chuckle, he had no clue why he found it so funny, but damn if it didn't life his mood.
Peeking out from behind the cover of the fallen Warthog, he gave a exasperated sigh. As amazingly funny as that had been, he was sure he gave the marines he was trying to save a near heart attack with his sudden fit of laughter. He didn't Laugh aloud much, and it sounded odd even to him.
"Now really isn't the time to try and kill me with music, Cortana. The LZ needs to be cleared." The volley of shots panging off his makeshift cover accented his point.
"Don't try and act all serious now, you loved it. Plus you have all this useful help just sitting right there." Chief could practically feel her sarcasm over the last few words. The marines in question were halfway between shooting at the aliens and shooting Chief bewildered looks. It didn't help that only a few minutes ago Cortana had berated a Marine for not taking the mission seriously.
"Funny... I think you just ruined my reputation as a Spartan..." He tossed a plasma grenade over his shoulder while the last of the beat died from his internal speakers.
"No one said laugh." Cortana responded with a bit of humor. "Plus I think a few laughs every now and then would do you some real good, loosen you up a little."
Doing a quick combat roll away from the Warthog, He fired 3 Magnum shots. Two Grunts and a Jackal swiftly dropped to the floor, the last of the targets in the area.
"That's what the shooting range is for." He quipped while reloading his gun.
It had been a few days since he had given Cortana free rule of his music library, and she seemed to think that meant playing songs 24/7, save for when he was sleeping. Which even then he couldn't be sure she actually paused the music or keep going.
Standing up, he saw the Pelican making its decent on his position. At least now he would be able to sit down and shift through the playlist with Cortana without the marines thinking he was going insane. Well, anymore insane then normal he thought wryly with a roll of his eyes.
"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" Cortana said once he yanked the chip out. Chief ignored her for the moment, pulling off his helmet and setting it beside him.
"Well not exactly at you, more in your general area" He said while rolling out his shoulder and taking a seat. The pelican was empty save for himself, Cortana and the Pilot for now thankfully, so they could have the moment to themselves while the marines packed their gear.
"Well fine then Spartan, you pick the song" Cortana motioned to his helmet, which he put back on, and opened up a display on his helmet that showed all her files. There were millions. A little taken aback from the sheer number of songs, Chief ran a hand over his visor to hide his surprise.
"Uh... can we narrow this list down, maybe?" John watched the list shrink to something like a couple thousand, much more manageable.
"There, all down to a single century, the 21st." Cortana appeared to be studying the tips of her holographic fingers, but Chief could tell by the way she was looking up from her lashes she wanted his approval.
"Why then?" he asked lightly, it seemed very specific to him.
"Why not?" Cortana answered just as light as he did, a smile on her face and a gleam in her eyes.
John just huffed, and began looking through the list tentatively. There was just way too many for him to pick a song at random, so he brought up the lyrics along with the song titles. Finding one that looked promising, he selected it, and watched as Cortana pulled up the same information.
"No looking up the lyrics" Chief pointed out to her playfully. She adopted a offended expression.
"I know how to listen to music, Chief." She said with a mock pout.
Before the song could start, A marine who was previously looking at him with a confused expression back by the 'hog called out to him.
"Hey Chief, you ok...uh sir?" The marine had stopped a few feet away, and was looking at chief with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. Looking past the marine, John could see a few more filtering into the cargo bay, all with the same look as the one standing in front of him.
Seeing where this was going, John turned on his internal Com
"Yeah, You handle this"
"What? Those are your Marines!"
"Your better with words then I am."
"How would I be better at explaining why YOU were laughing like a idio-
"Uh...Sir?" The marine was still standing there, only now he was looking over his shoulder at one of his buddies for help.
idiot... Great, now their looking at us funny."
"That's exactly why I'm asking you to deal with it."
"...You are the worst."
The other marines just shrugged their shoulders and motioned for him to try again, but the before the young marine could ask louder Cortana's voice sounded over the Master Chief's external speakers.
"It's a inside joke, boys" She said simply and finally, much to the disappointment of the rest of the pelican's occupants.
"I could have said that, Cortana."
"Then why didn't you? Oh that's right, you didn't."
"Oh... what about? Seems pretty funny, if you don't mind me asking ma'am." The marine looked up at Chief with a hopeful expression, and his buddies on the other side of the pelican looked about the same.
"Don't you dare."
"Scared of a few Marines, Chief?"
"Scared of whatever you're going to say this time."
"I'll deflect, yank me."
Chief pulled Cortana's chip out of his helmet, and held her out to the marine. after a moment she shimmed into view, and Chief could practically feel all the other marines getting a few steps closer. Still holding her in his palm, Chief pulled off his helmet and set it down on the bench, all while leaning against the wall of the pelican.
Cortana looked back at Chief over her shoulder and sent him a purely mischievous smirk, and he suddenly felt a flash of regret over letting her handle this.
"What's your favorite song, marine? Oh and your name would be nice." If the Chief could toss he out a window, he would.
Giving Cortana his best 'how is this deflecting' glare Chief rolled his neck, trying to give the appearance of not caring about the conversation.
"James Stevens Ma'am and...Uh...that would be...I don't know ma'am" The marine said with a look between Cortana and the Chief, wondering where this was going just as much as John was.
"Little hard to pick right? How would you pick, with all the songs out there anyway I mean?" Cortana pressed on, putting a hand to her chin in thought. She looked over to Chie who in turn gave a half shrug, and they both turned back to Stevens who had been looking as if he were completely lost.
"Wouldn't It be a song that describes you!?" A marine on the other side of the pelican yelled over, other nodded and a few walked over to where their friend was standing near Chief.
"Or something you like, right Chief?" Stevens asked, while tilting his head to the side.
Another half shrug was all the Stevens got, and he looked back at the AI.
"Right, see me and the Chief here was just trying to figure out what his favorite song was, I think its Gangnam Style, but I think he disagrees." Cortana said all this with the calmest of voices, even if the man in question was wishing he could sink through the floor of the pelican at this moment.
"I hate you...just so much right now."
"Um...really? Can't say I've heard that one ma'am..." Stevens said, and the other marines all seemed to not know it either.
The wave of relief that hit him was nearly enough to put a huge smile on his face, nearly.
"looks like your luck is still running Chie-
"You mean this song, Chief?" the marines who had yelled before was holding a small device that began playing the song in question.
-ah... maybe not. What was that about you reputation again?"
She just HAD to say something, didn't she.
Before the song could even start Chief grabbed his helmet and shoved Cortana's chip into its slot, and almost sprinted to the farthest corner of the pelican, which just happened to be next to the pilot, who looked up at the Chief in question.
"What's our ETA?" John said through his teeth, trying his best to ignore Cortana's laughter in his helmet and the low beats of the song still playing with the marines.
"Should be there in a 3 minutes, sir." The pilot answered and turned back to his controls with a slight head tilt.
"Just enough time for them to hear the whole song, isn't that lucky?" Cortana quipped as he leaned his back against the wall behind the pilot.
"Not another word, Cortana." She answered with a burst of affection and her ringing laugh.
"Oh come on, it's not that ba-
AYEEEE SEXY LADY
Cortana was interrupted by the one English line in the whole song, loud enough to make the pilot and Chief jump.
"HEY! What the hell!?" The Pilot yelled back to the marines who were currently half laughing and half utterly confused.
"Sorry sir. Just listening to the Chief's favorite song. I'll lower it!" Stevens answered in between bursts of laughter.
At that the pilot turned back to Chief and gave him a long stare before turning around and not saying a thing.
-...at least you made them laugh?"
John had been cringing this whole time in his suit, and before answering he took a few slow, calming breaths.
"I can hear that."
After a few more moments of song and the laughs and snickers of the Marines, the pelican began to make its decent at the base.
"So...is it your favorite yet?"
John silently hit the mute button, and was satisfied by the wave of indignation he felt from Cortana.
In the Silence that followed, Chief and Cortana could hear the marines talking to each other about the song and Chief's sudden departure.
"Did you see how fast he ran out of here?"
"That had to be the funniest thing I've seen all tour man!"
"Yeah, and this song, dude, funny as hell."
The Pelican landed, and the Marines started to grab their gear while heading out.
"I wonder what Cortana's favorite song is, right?" Stevens said while grabbing his pack and slinging it over his shoulder.
"Man she can't have a favorite song, she not a real person."
"Yeah, she's just a computer, when was the last time your computer asked you to play it's favorite band?"
"It's not as if she can actually feel anything anyway."
"Yeah I guess..." Stevens answered, while throwing a glance at Chief and Cortana's spot.
If Chief could go out and punch those marines over the complete sadness he felt from Cortana he would.
The pelican's ramp opened al the marines began filtering out. Stevens gave the Chief a salute before jogging off to catch his squad.
"Okay, everyone out, last stop." The pilot called while getting out of his seat, he gave the Chief a glace, who hadn't moved from his spot, and continued down the ramp with the rest of the marines.
Not really knowing what to do to help the situation, John tentatively un-muted Cortana, who surprisingly didn't have anything to say. He walked over to the benches where he had been previously sitting, and waited. After a few more moments of the uneasy silence John spoke up, hoping to make her focus on something else.
"Hey, let's play that song I was going to show you." John said, while pulling off his helmet and popping out Cortana's Chip. she shimmered into view, her face oddly blank, and nodded at him.
"Okay chief, whatever you want." The way she said it just didn't sit right with him, and he had a idea. Quickly he looked for another song, one he had seen before but had deemed it would be better for a different time. Now was as good a time as any he thought, as he selected it.
"Wait... here, changed my mind."
"Oh, now your picky..." Cortana said with a slight frown as she switched the song. John just looked at her silently, giving her a small shrug.
The dawn is breaking, a light shining through. You're barely waking, and I'm tangled up in you...
Scanning the lyrics quickly, she looked up at him with confusion, before a slight grin appeared on her face.
I'm open, you're closed, where I follow, you'll go. I worry I won't see your face, light up again...
"Trying to cheer me up, Chief?" Cortana asked with that same grin on her face, John couldn't help but want to return it.
Even the best fall down sometimes, even the wrong words seem to rhyme. Out of the doubt that fills my mind, I somehow find you and I collide...
John looked away, out toward the exit of the pelican, and tipped his head slightly toward Cortana.
"Well you know, what you can't say with words..." He glanced at her and gave a small smile.
I'm quiet you know, you make a first impression. I've found I'm scared to know, I'm always on your mind...
Cortana smiled back at him with a gleam in her holographic eyes and followed his line of sight as he turned back to the exit.
"What you can't say with words..." she said with a light voice and quieted, listening to the rest of the song together in silence.
Even the best fall down sometimes, even the stars refuse to shine. Out of the back you fall in time, I somehow find you and I collide...
TheFlamingBlade, thanks, I was thinking some of those XD
