Hey! Jaz here, I wrote the the last part of this chapter while watching the VGAs... uggggh why do I do this to myself. Spike why do you do this!

Anyway, Disappointment aside the songs for this chapter are Rain by Breaking Benjamin, Welcome To The Masquerade by Thousand Foot Krutch (Thanks Jass!) and This Is War by 30 Seconds To Mars (Thanks Guardian!)

Spoilers for the VGAs: ...Claptrap?! -facedesk- I love borderlands though, so don't kill me, but seriously... Clap...trap...


She remembered him muttering once that he hated the rain, now in the swamp she could almost agree with him.

"It makes things...difficult. To fight I mean, things are wet, they slip."

"That's not what I asked you John, I asked if you like the rain?"

"What's to like?"

"So no then? Interesting, you like the stars, but you hate the rain."

"How did you... Never mind, AI magic. But your wrong, I don't hate the rain."

"But you just said-"

"Tactically, It's a liability, like what I thought of you at first."

"You thought a super intelligent AI was a liability? You really are crazy."

"Next song." Cortana was shaken out of her thoughts by Chief's voice. It wasn't the abruptness of his request, but the flat tone of his voice that shook her. Without even checking she threw a song on, still thinking of a different time and place.

"Right...How's this?" Cortana asked timidly, while a slow beat started up. She knew what he liked, but he normally didn't mind her tastes.

"Too slow." John said, all while backing up to look up toward the massive fallen tree.

"What, really? Ok let me- careful!" Cortana yelped when John climbed up the foot of the tree. He slipped, dropping a clip for his pistol and nearly diving after it.

"Damn...everything's wet..." John said while standing carefully.

"Rain does that..." Cortana answered, lightly joking. John didn't laugh back, but she felt some of the tension lift, which to her was a good sign.

"Is it raining really? Hadn't noticed." John asked while glancing up, Cortana could see that his visor was speckled with droplets of water and knew he was lying.

"Since when does a Spartan miss something as obvious as rain?"

"Since his AI pisses him off so much that he doesn't notice."

Cortana laughed out loud at that, catching the teasing tone in his voice.

"Well that brings back memories." She joked back, thinking back to another conversation that had in the rain.

"Does it now..." John crouched low on the tree, not spotting any enemies nearby. He crept forward, going slow as to not slip on the makeshift bridge.

"Oh definitely. Right down to soundtrack."

John stopped for a moment, then started moving again, as slowly as before but with a fluidness she hadn't noticed before.

"Remind me of it, with the song." John asked, his voice held something she couldn't place.

"You hate the rain." She answered carefully, not seeing where this was going. He had to remember it, after all. Regardless, she picked the same song that was playing then and put it to play.

Take a photograph, It'll be the last. Not a dollar or a crowd could ever keep me here...

"Why?"

Thinking back, he never actually said why, did he?

I don't have a past, I just have a chance. Not a family or honest plea remains to say...

"Thought we had established that? But aside from that, besides it being a liability, which you're not by the way, it's calming."

"So you like it?"

Rain, rain go away, come again another day. All the world is waiting for the sun...

"No wait...you don't hate the rain, its calming right?" Cortana amended. She remembered him being especially mysterious that day, and it annoyed her to no end.

"Right, remember what I said after that?" John asked while standing up, he had reached a part of the tree that was dryer then the rest, so he figured it was safe to walk normally.

Is it you I want, or just the notion of a heart to wrap around so I can find my way around...

"On occasion...It makes me think of you in a way."

"How so?"

Safe to say from here, Your getting closer now...

"It's sad."

Cortana always wondered what he meant by that, they're conversation had been interrupted by Captain Keyes and she'd never gotten to ask him.

We are never sad cause we are not allowed to be...

"You said it reminds you of me, because It's sad?"

"Tell me you're sad about not being human, and I'll tell you why it doesn't matter."

Rain, rain go away, come again another day. All the world is waiting for the sun...

Cortana wished she could feel the rain for him once, now she knew she felt it all the time.

"It matters John, to everyone, it does." Cortana answered quietly, letting her sadness drip into her voice.

Rain, rain go away, come again another day. All the world is waiting for the sun...

"Does it matter to you? Since when do you think of yourself as anything less?" John asked skeptically.

"I don't. You know that." The indignation in her voice was clear, and she did nothing to hide it.

To lie here under you, Is all that I could ever do. To lie here under you is all...

"Exactly, so why care about anything else." John said with the same tone as her.

Cortana could practically feel his smugness over proving his point.

To lie here under you, Is all that I could ever do. To lie here under you is all...

"I...guess I shouldn't then." Cortana said after a moment, her own mood lifting.

"Right, now I can stop being mad at you." John said while continuing his walk. Cortana laughed silently to herself after realizing this was all just to get her to feel better.

Rain, rain go away, come again another day. All the world is waiting for the sun...

"You mad at me? Never." She said while mentally nudging him.

"Well, Don't pull the self deprecating thing again, that's my thing." John said whit a smirk. Just as he was about to hop off the tree bullets began slicing the air around him. He ducked, and sprinted into cover while readying his gun.

All the world is waiting for the sun, all the world is waiting for the sun...

"Not watching the radar, Cortana?" John said through gritted teeth. he leaned out of cover and fired a few shots, knocking off the shields of a few jackals and killing a few grunts.

"Yeah well, my Spartan was bothering me so I didn't notice." Cortana answered innocently.

John huffed, and rolled out of cover to engage the remaining enemies.

After defeating the few jackals, Chief climbed up he hill in front of him and was greeted by a clearing.

"So, I've seen you've made a friends with the marines." Cortana said conversationally. she was back to shifting through the playlist, looking for a song both he and herself would enjoy.

Taking cover behind a tree, chief leaned out to assess the area of any enemies. He saw none, but his radar said otherwise, it blipped with at least fifteen red dots just at the edge of the spectrum.

"Stevens?" Chief asked while going back to ducking behind the tree.

"Yep. What's his deal? Not replacing me are you?"

"Aside from the fact that the kid would most likely die in the first firefight solo with me, no, he's just the most talkative of the bunch." John said while switching to his pistol.

"I noticed that, think you Have a fan." Cortana knew john hated to draw attention to himself, aside from doing everything to win which lead to him being somewhat of a showoff.

"Ugh... I don't think he's like the other soldiers who think I'm some sort of god. He at least puts forth the effort of acknowledging me being human." Chief said with mild annoyance, if there was one thing he disliked, it was being looked to as anything other than a Spartan, winning is what they do.

"Tired of wearing your mask?"

"Tired of the masquerade we Spartans go through. We're just soldiers. Really good soldiers."

"Oh that reminds me of a song, and the ODSTs would have something to say about that." Cortana said while searching for the song, finding it, she put it to play. She figured John would like this one.

We've got the fire, who's got the matches. Take a look around at the sea of masks...

"The ODSTs...yeah let's leave them out of this. And good choice." John said while preparing to jump from cover. The blips on his radar were converging in the clearing, and one stray dot caught his attention.

Come one come all, welcome to the grand ball, where the strong run for cover and the weak stand tall...

"Think you can get him?" Cortana asked lightly, pinging the stray.

I'm not one to scatter ashes, but there's some things that melt the plastic...

John grinned slightly while zoning in on the grunt.

Try and dig down deeper if you can...

"Give me a count."

I'm not afraid, I'm not ashamed, I'm not to blame, welcome to the masquerade...

"Three seconds until he moves, quarter turn to the right, 2 steps."

I'm not ashamed, I'm not afraid, I'm not okay...

John sprung from a tree he had moved behind and grabbed the grunt, digging his hand into its mask and pulling it forward until its head connected with his knee, stunning it. Pulling out his knife he finished it off with a clean jab to the base of its skull.

Welcome to the masquerade, welcome to the masquerade...

"Next." John spun around to hide behind the nearest tree, sure none of the other covenant had noticed their fallen.

We've got the power, who's got the action. Break it down till there's nothing but a mere fraction...

"Two jackals, seventeen steps to your left, heading northeast."

Out of the fire, rise from the ashes, reject your doubt and release the passion..

John waited until one of the Jackals moved behind a tree, and rushed forward. The first he surprised with a punch to the side, then grabbed its head and smashed it into a tree. It's shield fizzed with its death and the second Jackal raised its weapon at John.

Let's get on it, believe if you want it, step into the realm where the real ones flaunt it...

Using the tree as cover, John looped around and dived while making a grab for the jackal's foot. He twisted its ankle making the jackal fall to its knees. Taking advantage, John pulled the jackal toward him and with a trill of terror from the jackal, planted a swift kick to the back of its neck, killing it.

Come back, rewind, another time on it. Reach out, take that, but now step on it...

"You're especially brutal today I'm noticing. Something on your mind? Also grunt, ten o'clock."

I'm not one to scare the masses, but there's some things that melt the plastic...

"Maybe I'm always brutal. Think I can use this mist to my advantage?"

Try and dig down deeper if you can...

"You know you will. Thicker in the trees then on the ground. No visibility thirteen point five feet out."

I'm not afraid, I'm not ashamed...

"Perfect."

I'm not to blame , welcome to the masquerade...

John waited till the grunt was just within visible range, then skirted past him while sprinting.

I'm not ashamed , I'm not afraid...

"Demon!" The grunt screeched, all while panicking, just like John thought it would. He took cover behind some rock outcroppings, then rushed at another grunt who was on high alert.

I'm not okay, Welcome to the masquerade...

The grunt shot blindly, killing two others that had been behind the Chief in the mist. Smirking, John turned and threw his knife perfectly into the grunt's eye socket, killing it. He retrieved it, and turned scanning for his next target.

Welcome to the masquerade...

"Clever, as always. Three jackals, closest twenty feet out, quarter right turn and you're on top of him."

I'm not afraid, I'm not ashamed...

John sprinted at the jackal, and once he got to it, deftly kicked it in the side, then retreated toward the other two. The jackal recovered quickly, and fired its needler toward Chief and its comrades. John grabbed the nearest jackal and used it as a impromptu dart board for the incoming spikes. Tossing the dead jackal aside, he rolled out of the way of the fire from the third jackal's plasma pistol, and took off toward the first jackal who hadn't followed him.

I'm not to blame, welcome to the masquerade...

This time it was ready, and it quickly shot at John once he came into view. John zigzagged and glanced at his radar to make sure the other jackal had followed him.

I'm not ashamed, I'm not afraid, I'm not okay...

With a howl of pain from the jackal behind him, John sprang onto the first jackal, who had been frantically firing its clip into the mist and unknowing its comrade. The jackal made a swipe at John's visor, nearly hitting, but John grabbed its head and twisted, ceasing all movement from it. John stood and tossed his knife at the still breathing jackal, putting it out of its misery with a knife to the back.

Welcome to the masquerade, welcome to the masquerade...

"You've got incoming, one elite, twenty feet out and coming in fast. Six grunts about a hundred feet out."

Welcome to the masquerade...

"Tell me when he's 5 feet out."

I'm not one to scatter ashes, but there's some things that melt the plastic...

John bent to pick up his knife, seeming distracted. The Elite came into view and immediately rushed Chief, not bringing up it's weapon.

Try and dig down deeper if you can...

"Now Chief."

I'm not afraid, I'm not ashamed...

John turned and side stepped the elite's charge, while placing a kick to the back of its leg. The elite roared and turned, firing its weapon while staggering a bit. John dogged, and rolled into a crouching position.

I'm not to blame, welcome to the masquerade...

The elite pulled out a plasma grenade and John pulled out his knife, all while counting in his mind the seconds until the grunts came into play.

I'm not ashamed, I'm not afraid...

The elite threw his grenade, and John threw his knife at it with just enough force to send both it and the grenade spinning back at the elite. With a dull thud, the knife hit the elite squarely in the chest with the plasma grenade stuck to its handle, the surprised elite looked up at John with a expression of shock while John turned away to face the grunts. They had formed a perimeter around him and the elite, each standing directly across from another aimed at him. Perfect.

I'm not okay...

The explosion behind him caused the grunts to fire, and with specks of blood raining from the elite John hit the floor at just the right time.

Welcome to the masquerade...

Each grunt hit his teammate, making them all yelp in surprise and pain. Standing, John watched the wounded grunts all fall from shots from their comrades.

Welcome to the masquerade...

"No more hostiles. You know, they were really good shots." Cortana quipped while John retrieved his knife from what was left of the elite.

He laughed quietly while heading in the direction of the facility.

"Thirty Seconds to Mars? Predictable."

"What? I like them."

"Of course you do...This is war?"

"You just try and say that isn't a good song, Cortana."

Cortana digitally rolled her eyes, all while putting the song to play. They had made it through some of the facility, and while it did give her a uneasy feeling, it wasn't hard to get through.

"I'll just say your luck isn't as good as your tastes."

A warning to the people, The good and the evil...

"Someone doesn't listen to lyrics." John said jokingly while walking through a door. Movement caught his eye, and before he raised his gun a shot hit him.

This is war. To the soldier, the civilian...

"Stay back! Stay back, you're not turning me into one of those things!"

The martyr, the victim. This is war...

John jumped back, behind the doorway back into the hallway.

It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie...

"Is that a marine?" He asked Cortana while slowly leaning out to get a better look.

The moment to live and the moment to die...

The Marine was up against a wall, muttering to himself with his pistol pointed at the door. Cortana knew he was insane probably. Attacked by...something and left here to die it seems.

The moment to fight, the moment to fight...

"I don't think he's OK, Chief..." Cortana said cautiously.

To fight, to fight, to fight...

"Marine! This is Spartan 117 here to assist. Are you injured?" John called out to the marine while leaning out of cover. He turned down his music so it was just a whisper while the marine spoke.

To the right, to the left, we will fight to the death...

"Sarge? Mendoza? Bisenti? Oh, God... the things took them, oh God, I can still hear them...They're gone! Get it? GONE!" The marines shouted frantically, his screaming chilled something in Chief.

To the Edge of the Earth, It's a brave new world from the last to the first...

"What took them solider, was it covenant?" John stepped out slowly, holding his hands up. The marine looked at him fearfully, and began shaking his head.

To the right, to the left, we will fight to the death...

"Monsters..." The marine sobbed at him, clutching his gun to his chest and shaking his head pitifully. The sight hurt John's eyes, and he knelt down in front of the marine.

To the Edge of the Earth, It's a brave new world...

"What monsters marine? Are they still here?" The marine started at his words, clutching his gun painfully tight to his chest while looking around panicked.

It's a brave new world...

"They...they...took...played dead. That's what I did... played dead. They took the live ones... oh God, I can still hear them!" He whispered frantically at him while clawing at the blood he was covered in. Cortana guessed it was his squads.

A warning to the prophet...

"John...I don't think we can help this one..."

The liar, the honest...

"What happened to him..."

This is war...

"Something he most likely won't recover from, I think we should..."

To the leader, the pariah...

"What are you suggesting exactly?"

The victim, the messiah...

"We can't leave him like this."

This is war...

"You know me, I don't leave people behind."

It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie...

"Marine, do you think you're safe here?" John asked while leaning forward. The path back to a extraction point should be clear, but if the marine could wait for him here...

The moment to live and the moment to die...

"They won't get me! Oh God... oh God I don't want to be like them, please, please no, nooo..." The marines began to move away from Chief, trying to get to a corner to huddle into. John grabbed the marines hand and took his gun away, setting it down beside him. While the marine clawed at Chief's gauntlet uselessly, Chief removed his helmet.

The moment to fight, the moment to fight...

"Hey, listen to me, listen." The marine looked at chief, eyes still frantically looking around the room. John snapped his fingers, and the marine focused on him, trembling slightly.

To fight, to fight, to fight...

"I'm...I'm listening..." The marine stuttered, still trembling.

To the right, to the left. We will fight to the death...

"Good, there is a way out of here, all clear for you. Do you think you can make it out alone?" John asked slowly, while pointing behind himself. Cortana was already writing up directions back for the marine.

To the edge of the earth, It's a brave new world from the last to the first...

"I-I can leave?" The marine asked shocked, while looking at the Chief to see if he was lying.

It's a brave new world...

"Yeah, you did good soldier. Made your squad proud." John replied, while standing and pulling the marine with him. The marine stood uncertainly, then looked to the Chief.

It's a brave new world...

"You'll kill them, those things?" John was putting back on his helmet, and Cortana was already displaying a map for the marine. He looked at it, shaken, but more solid then before.

It's a brave new world...

"It's a Promise."

I do believe in the light, raise your hands up to the sky, the fight is done...

Watching the marine turn to leave, John thought about his chances, if he were to run into any stray covies he missed...

The war is won, lift your hands, towards the sun...

"Wait!" The marine turn back to Chief, confused and scared.

Towards the sun, towards the sun, towards the sun...

"Here, It has full ammo... Just in case." Chief said while handing the marine his rifle. The marine took it, and stared at it for a second.

The war is won...

"Don't you need it...for those...things?...Spartan?" The marine asked his while John turned away.

John skipped over the song, fast forwarding it to a quieter part.

"Master Chief, and I'll be okay, Just get to the opening of the facility, there will be a pelican there in 5 minutes." John said after receiving confirmation from Cortana.

A brave new world, the war is won...

"OK, and sir?"

The war is won...

John turned to look at the marine, who was holding his rifle and standing a little taller than before.

A brave new world...

"Thank you... for not just shooting me. I...didn't want to die in this room, there's still some fight in me. It's...been an honor, you helping me." The marine ended with a salute, and turned, walking quickly out of the doors while they shut.

John closed his eyes for a moment, hoping the marine would make it to the pelican. He turned and walked toward the exit and up the ramp. He quietly began singing along to the rest of the song, while Cortana silently recorded it. He walked slower than normal, mulling over the last few minutes.

I believe in nothing, not the end and not the start...

I believe in nothing, not the earth and not the stars...

He wondered whether Cortana was originally right, if it was humane to just kill the marine rather than let him live with his monsters...

I believe in nothing, not the day and not the dark...

I believe in nothing, but the beating of our hearts...

For him, it seemed cruel for him to survive all that, then have someone walk in and deem him unworthy of the chance to live another day...

I believe in nothing, one hundred suns until we part...

I believe in nothing, not in satan, not in god...

Maybe others would see it as pointless, the marine would probably run into something along the way, and the chances of him surviving that...

I believe in nothing, not in peace and not in war...

I believe in nothing, but the truth of who we are...

But for John, dying while on your feet and trying to survive was more of a soldier's death then anything he could think of. Maybe that was the Point, and he wouldn't leave anyone he knew he could help. as the song ended, Cortana spoke up.

"Think He'll make it?"

"I hope so."

"And if he doesn't, was it worth it?"

John steadied himself before activating a light bridge. Taking a step, he blew out a breath before answering.

"Yes."

"That's my Spartan. Now let's go get these monsters and show them what a real demon is."

John smiled to himself and picked up his pace, he would keep his promise to that marine.