SECTION I: REVELATIONS

Chapter Three: An Explosive Personality

1310 Hours, February 21, 2557 (Military Calendar) \
Office of Naval Intelligence Research Station 054323-45 "Prometheus", Location Classified

Commander Atwood was relieved to see that Onyx Four's file was nowhere nearly as redacted as the previous one. It took Black-Box less than a second to prepare the CSV for reading. "Are you ready, sir?" Atwood nodded.

"Spartan Xing Huan, service number 88326-46655-XH. Born on August 10, 2526 on the colony of Actium. Enlisted with the UNSC in 2544, resulting in her being one of the lucky citizens off-world when the Covenant invaded the following year. She lost her entire family to the Covenant as a result of the campaign." Black-Box almost sounded compassionate as he read, but Atwood knew it was a front. The AI was incapable of empathizing with anyone.

A picture of Xing Huan flashed open as he spoke. She's pretty enough, but not like the last one. Whereas Yasmin was short and still somewhat curvaceous for a Spartan, Xing was taller, with more of an angular beauty. Her short hair, the same black as Yasmin's, was pulled up into a bun behind her head. Looking at her brown eyes, Atwood could sense an inner fire not seen in Onyx Five. Clearly, Xing Huan was not to be trifled with.

"Served two tours as a member of the 14th Mechanized BCT in the uprisings of '47 before being pulled into the UNSC Army Airborne." A file flashed open, highlighted text popping out at Atwood. Taking a closer look, the commander saw why the young woman had been recruited. Numerous reports from commanding officers and trainers confirmed the same thing: her supposed wizardry with explosives.

One commander had this to say: On one patrol, Specialist Huan's platoon was pushed back by Insurrectionist forces. They were corralled into a six-story building, where they prepared defensive fortifications. The platoon was ill-equipped, with no remaining heavy weapons or specialist support. When faced with insurmountable odds, Specialist Huan, acting against orders, expertly placed homemade explosives on an adjacent building. As soon as the entirety of the Insurrectionist battalion entered the kill zone, Huan detonated the explosives, killing nearly three hundred enemy soldiers. She ended up receiving the Legion of Honor for her feat, but was demoted to Private First Class for insubordination.

"Huan spent four months training at Camp Washington on Reach before being shipped out to almost a dozen worlds to delay the Covenant advance. Deployed as part of the 14th Airborne Regiment, she quickly rose in rank, making Staff Sergeant by 2551. Her squad took heavy casualties in the Battle of Meridian, with Huan receiving a Bronze Star. Following Meridian's glassing and the effective destruction of the 14th Airborne, Staff Sergeant Huan was brought to Reach by the UNSC Hatteras. Due to her extensive experience with Covenant explosive devices, she was selected to train new recruits in basic EOD."

Atwood grimaced: it seemed that every soldier in the UNSC was sent to Reach just to be turned into glass during the planet's destruction. He could still remember watching the planet burn below him, Serin's strong arms wrapped around him as he sobbed. He could still hear the cries of civilian ship captains over the radio as the victorious Covenant fleet blasted them out of the sky. Even now, his chest tightened at the loss of his adopted homeworld.

"The Staff Sergeant was called into combat following the declaration of WINTER CONTINGENCY on Reach. Huan participated in Operation: NIGHTWING, dropping into the enemy-held Viery Territory as the pathfinders for the UNSC counteroffensive. Operating alongside members of the renowned NOBLE Team, she distinguished herself with her extensive use of Covenant explosive weapons." Atwood opened the after-action report from the battle, noting an addendum from Sierra-A239. She's fucking crazy. Going after a Brute Chieftain with a jury-rigged explosive launcher? Woman's got balls.

Atwood smiled: not many people could elicit such high praise from a Spartan, especially Emile. The assault specialist of Noble always had a tough time interacting with non-Spartans, but one thing was clear from his praise. Even before her augmentation, Huan had a Spartan's mentality. Never retreat, never surrender.

"Following the destruction of the UNSC Grafton, Huan was pulled back by HIGHCOM brass. Her unit was selected to run civilian evacuation out of the Manassas Spaceport until the main Covenant fleet arrived on August 14th. The 19th Airborne Regiment, Huan's temporary unit, was almost completely wiped out by a concerted Covenant ground offensive. Three days after the Covenant's arrival, Staff Sergeant Huan and fourteen others made it aboard evacuation transports before Covenant cruisers began to glass Manassas."

Commander Atwood took another swig from his water bottle. The display now showed a clip from an Army trooper's helmet cam, one "Pv2 K. Hufker." The timestamp was [2:21:45], from the final battle of the 19th Airborne. The screen suddenly flashed alive, showing the tarmac of the Manassas spaceport. No audio was playing, but it was clear from the visuals that a pitched battle was going on. Plasma fire was flashing from behind, and two Banshees flew over the trooper. Hufker was running towards a wall of sandbags in the distance, where a squad of troopers was hunkered down.

Airborne troopers were essentially the ODSTs of the Army: an elite unit capable of both conventional large-scale warfare and small high-risk operations. However, due to military priorities shifting from the Army to the Marine Corps after the start of the Great War, their armor was pared down compared to the ODSTs. Instead of sealed battle suits like the ODST armor, they wore a simple variation of the Army Battle Dress Uniform. They sported an armored vest, shoulder pauldrons, thigh armor, shin guards, and an Air Assault helmet. The helmet was based off of the ODST helmet, equipped with VISR technology and with a bluish-silver faceplate.

Hufker continued to run towards the wall of sandbags, the helmet cam shaking from the movement. As he approached the squad, his helmet began to identify IFF tags through its VISR system. Of interest to Commander Atwood was a tag that read "SSG X. Huan." Huan's faceplate was depolarized, so Atwood could see the sergeant bellowing orders. She held a M6G Magnum in one hand and a M363 sticky detonator in the other, firing off the magnum at unseen Covenant forces.

It was clear that the UNSC forces had been fighting for a significant amount of time. Rifles and empty ammunition cartridges littered the ground, as did a great number of human and alien corpses. At this point, audio kicked in.

"Come on, Hufker! Move your ass!" Huan fired off two more shots, the bullets zipping past Private Hufker. A pained grunt came from not far behind, indicating the shots hit their intended target. At this point, Hufker clambered over the sandbags, taking cover just as two more Banshees flew overhead. Explosions reverberated from down the line, followed by pained screams to Hufker's right. The private took a quick glance: the Banshees' fuel rod cannons had blown apart a sandbag wall thirty meters away. The squad behind them either died instantly, leaving behind only carbonized bones, or fell to the ground screaming at their third-degree burns. Hufker shuddered and stood up to fire off a three-round burst from his MA37 assault rifle.

The burst felled a Grunt in red armor, who crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes. The blue-armored Elite leading the squad let out a roar and opened fire on Hufker. Swearing loudly, the private ducked behind the sandbags again. When he peeked his head over the sandbags, an audible gasp was heard over the helmet recorder.

Staff Sergeant Huan had charged the Covenant squad, firing off four shots from her Magnum. The Elite's shields flared, but held. Huan holstered her pistol and raised the sticky detonator to fire. However, the weapon didn't fire, likely due to battle damage. Yanking the magnetic explosive off the firing pin, the Staff Sergeant closed to within melee distance of the Elite, who fired off a burst from his plasma rifle.

Huan hit the ground, sliding behind the confused Elite's legs and popping up behind the saurian. Acting quickly, she brought the explosive down on the Elite's back, arming it with the force of the impact. Leaping backwards, she typed in a command to her TACPAD mounted on her right forearm.

The sticky grenade flashed red before detonating. The Elite died instantly, its torso turning to indigo-colored pulp from the force of the explosion. Its legs fell backwards, still twitching. Its head, detached from the torso by the detonation, landed two meters away, covered in blood and gore. Commander Atwood whistled in appreciation as Huan sprinted back to the human line, plasma fire roaring around her.

The helmet cam footage cut out, replaced by Huan's CSV once more. Black-Box continued to narrate. "Once Huan and her unit reached Earth, they were reassigned to the 9th Airborne Regiment based out of Hong Kong. She received a Silver Star for her efforts on Reach, being promoted to Sergeant First Class accordingly. During the Covenant invasion, they were deployed against Covenant encampments across East Asia, with Huan receiving two Bronze Stars and the Purple Heart over the course of the month."

Pictures of Huan flooded the display. One showed Huan firing an assault rifle full auto at a charging Brute, another showed her firing a rocket launcher at an incoming Ghost. It was clear from the pictures and the earlier video that Huan was a brave, if somewhat foolhardy, soldier.

"After the remnants of the Covenant fleet retreated through the Portal at Voi, the remnants of the 9th Airborne were deployed around the Portal. They held position until New Year's Eve, when the war was declared over by the UNSC. Huan was later cited by the military police for drunk and disorderly conduct and fraternization with a superior officer. She was kept from court martial by a general pardon, but was forced into a training role by a superior."

The Commander interrupted the AI for a brief moment. "When was she recruited to the program?"

"It appears she was first given the offer in January 2553, although she did not accept until July of the next year. Odd, but not unusually: many, including the renowned ODST Edward Buck, deferred their offers to become Spartans until the second class was approved in 2554." Black-Box finished his narration, with his avatar now replacing the files on the display. "So, what are your thoughts?"

"She's… interesting. A bit wild for a Spartan?"

"You don't know the half of it."

Spartan Xing Huan stalked out of the barracks, fury evident in her expression. I need to run. Luckily, the station had a track on Deck L, along with other PT facilities. The Spartan walked towards the elevators, breathing in and out. Just like those shrinks told me to.

Stepping into the nearest elevator, she was greeted by stares: ones of terror from the civilians, ones of awe and respect from the military types. Xing rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, blocking them out. Eventually, the civilians filed off the elevator at random decks, and most of the soldiers and sailors had departed by Deck I. That left only two Helljumpers in the elevator with Huan, and they simply continued to talk amongst themselves. Good.

The elevator dinged as the doors slid open. Xing stomped out the door first, immediately breaking into a jog. The ODSTs followed her, seeking occasional glances as she jogged to the PT facility's entrance. The door read her IFF tag and slid open to welcome her, a light flashing green as it happened. The Spartan stopped dead in her tracks: this is amazing.

Even though the UNSC contingent was relatively small compared to other stations, the PT facilities on Prometheus were light years ahead of anything else Xing had seen. There were dozens of machines which, she delightfully noted, were all rated for Spartan use. The track was actually an access tunnel that ran around the length of the station, wide enough to fit four Warthogs through it. It ran over 25 kilometers for just one lap!

Xing needed to burn off some steam, so she decided to run the whole 25 kilometers. Much to her surprise, the Helljumpers lined up beside her, grinning at some stupid joke one or the other had made. They, like her, were wearing standard UNSC PT gear: a simple green T-shirt and black shorts. However, even she towered over the two, at six foot six, and was over one hundred and ten kilos of pure muscle. She made the Helljumpers look like a bunch of chumps out for a fun run.

Without a word, she broke into a "light jog." By Spartan standards, it wasn't fast, but by normal standards, she had to be pushing twenty-five kilometers per hour. The jaws of both ODSTs dropped as they watched the woman speed off into the distance. Eventually, one spoke: "Fuck this, I'm lifting today." Without a word, the other nodded. Both stepped off the track and walked towards the bench press, determined to keep their dignity.

Meanwhile, Xing had covered over half a kilometer in less than thirty seconds. Her simmering rage transformed into motivation, pushing her to go faster and faster. She settled in at around thirty-five kilometers per hour, a somewhat hard run for the distances involved. This is gonna hurt like a bitch tomorrow. With her pace now set, the Spartan put her body on autopilot and allowed her mind to wander.

Inevitably, it drifted back, as it always did, to her first interaction with the Spartan program.

2356 Hours, December 31, 2552 (Military Calendar) \
Cairo, United Arabic Republic, Earth

Xing giggled softly as she plopped down in bed, naked as the day she was born. This is so stupid. That serious voice was back in her head, but she paid no attention to it. She was going to have fun tonight, screw the consequences.

The man lying next to her was a baby-faced Lieutenant by the name of Arnold Jenkins. He, like many new recruits, came from Earth. As the Covenant had encroached into the Inner Colonies, the UNSC found itself scraping the bottom of the barrel for officers, even drafting some out of their first year of college. Arnold was no exception: born in Boston, the redhead was called into service two months after the start of his freshman year at the University of Songnam. His skills in engineering were not even considered by UNSC recruiters, who stuck him in an accelerated OCS program for Army units. He graduated just in time for the Covenant fleet to arrive at Earth in late October.

His unit, the 4th Infantry, had served alongside Huan's own regiment during the battles for Shanghai and Tokyo. The young lieutenant, while only a little over 18 years old, had distinguished himself in both engagements, eventually winning a spot as Huan's platoon leader when Lieutenant Adams fell in Tokyo. Xing was assigned as the platoon sergeant, and even though she was seven years his senior, she managed to somehow fall under his spell. I mean, he's handsome and we could have died. Where's the harm?

The first time they… conducted a liaison was November 15, just two days before the battle of Voi. After the Covenant inexplicably concentrated all their forces in East Africa, the 9th Airborne was ordered to move to Diego Garcia to assist in the retaking of Kenya. The two got drunk at the O-Club and did some things neither came to regret. After Commander Keyes and the Master Chief went through the Portal on the 17th, the 9th were assigned as part of a Quick Reaction Force to respond to any threats that could come through the mysterious slipspace conduit.

The two continued their affair as soon as a ceasefire was called into effect on December 23, and now both were lying exhausted in Jenkins' bed in a hotel in downtown Cairo. Following the ceasefire, the 9th were moved to Cairo for R&R. The officers were put up in a nice hotel, while the enlisted set up camp in Tahrir Square. Every night, Xing would sneak away to meet with Arnold, tempting fate every time. Tonight would not be their night.

"Should we go again?" His voice was too deep for someone of his age, she decided. She propped herself up on an elbow, lazily tracing circles on his chest with her finger. His eyes greedily scanned her body, eager for another round. She put on her best sergeant face and placed a hand on his chest. She could feel his pulse quicken, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Of course, El-Tee. Orders are orders, right?" While her face was tightened into that terrifying visage she wore on the battlefield, her voice was low and husky. Jenkins shivered as she began to climb on top of him. "Just do it, already." Xing bared her teeth in a wild smile before kissing Arnold passionately.

Suddenly, someone began to thump on the door very loudly. Both Xing and Arnold started, Xing flinging herself back onto the bed. "MPs! Open up!" Shit. Xing leaped out of the bed, throwing on her bra and underwear in a flash. Arnold was shimmying into a pair of pants when the door lock clicked. They must have a copy of the key.

Two fully armored Army MPs walked into the room, carrying loaded MA37 rifles pointed at the ground. A third figure, bathed in the light from the hallway, stepped into the room. Her cold blue eyes narrowed at the sight of Huan dressed in nothing but a bra and underwear. "Sergeant Huan. Why am I not surprised?"

Xing sighed audibly. Just my luck. I get this bitch. Lieutenant Hudson shifted her gaze to Lieutenant Jenkins, who for his credit did not flinch. Guess staring down a rampaging Brute is enough fear to last a lifetime. The blonde lieutenant strode up to her shirtless counterpart, their eyes locked in a silent duel. His wiry frame grew taut as he drew himself up to his full height.

Unintimidated, Hudson waved the MPs forward. One, a "PFC Jones," walked up to Xing. "Ma'am, if you would please get dressed." Her voice was quite melodious, which was odd compared to the soldier she was. Xing nodded and threw on a pair of jeans and a green blouse. She tied her hair back in a bun and turned to the private. She nodded and did an about face, marching towards the door.

Compelled to follow, Xing shot a glare at Lieutenant Hudson, whose lips were turned upwards in a sneer. She's not even a fucking MP. Goddamn prude. Hudson was the commander of 2nd Platoon, and due to a certain incident in Shanghai, hated everything to do with Sergeant First Class Xing Huan. I've seen more combat in one day than she did the entire war.

Huan followed the MP to the elevators, where she jammed the down button. Settling back into a ready stance, the young woman glanced over at Xing. To her shock, she realized she was checking her out. Kid hasn't been laid in a while, probably. Seeing a half-naked woman must have gotten her engine running. Her mouth twisted into a wolfish grin at the thought. No regs against that Hudson. Plus, she's not bad looking.

As the elevator doors dinged open, Huan heard fireworks outside, followed by loud cheers. Looking down at her chatter, Xing noticed that it had just turned midnight. New year, no war. No wonder people are celebrating.

Without thinking, she grabbed the young private by the shoulders and pulled her in for a kiss. Rather than pull away, Jones deepened it. As the two broke apart, both breathing hard, the elevator doors slid shut.

0921 Hours, January 4, 2553 (Military Calendar) \
Cairo, United Arabic Republic, Earth

Xing woke with a start, crying out softly. It had been another rough night, terrors from her past resurrecting themselves in her dreams. She shook herself awake and glanced over at the woman sleeping beside her. She's pretty good for a kid who just graduated high school. The sergeant reached over to grab something to wear, her hands latching onto a robe. Sliding the garment over her arms, she pulled her hair back in a bun as she walked into the kitchenette.

Following the events of New Year's Eve, Xing languished in a military jail… for all of three hours. A general pardon was issued by Lord Hood himself, excusing members of the military for all non-violent crimes. So every soldier and sailor arrested for drunk and disorderly, or in her case fraternization, was free to continue tearing up the rulebooks.

Xing had learned her lesson though. Officers were off limits. Luckily, according to Airborne regulations, nothing could be done about two enlisted personnel fraternizing. So as soon as she got out of that tiny jail cell, the sergeant went out for a drink with the MP who had brought her in. The next night, she had booked both of them into a motel on the outskirts of Cairo. Thank you, years of hazard pay. You've made me a very happy woman.

The young sergeant went about making breakfast, turning on the stove and rummaging in the fridge for anything edible. She settled on the relatively easy-to-make meal of eggs and bacon. While the bacon sizzled in the pan, Xing turned on the small television in the kitchen. Might as well catch up on the news.

After a brief moment of static, the TV turned on. It was displaying some reality TV show rerun from thirty years prior. Rolling her eyes, Xing turned it to Global News, the only UNSC-run news channel still operational after the Covenant invasion of Earth. The face of Gary Buscemi, the renowned anchor and war correspondent, filled the screen.

"In other news, the reconstruction of Kenya has commenced. With help from the Elites, the UNSC has pledged to terraform the glassed section of Africa. Most of East Africa was laid to waste by retreating Covenant forces who were driven away by the valiant efforts of the men and women in green." Xing rolled her eyes. Oh how little you know.

Thanks to ONI Section II, the events surrounding the Excession at Voi were highly classified. Any talk of portals or Forerunner artifacts would get you locked in an ONI prison for treason. All military units were still being monitored until the information was released to the public. Which will be the day after never.

"The Master Chief, the legendary Spartan, was last seen deployed in Voi against the Covenant menace. Images from the front show our champion battling it out against the last remaining Covenant forces. The Spartan had disappeared from the spotlight after the Covenant's initial incursion in late October, but he returned in glorious fashion to finish the fight." A clip of the Master Chief striding forward into battle, followed by a squad of fully armed Marines, played over Buscemi's narration.

Xing watched with rapt fascination as the Master Chief went hand to hand with a Brute Chieftain. Dodging a gravity hammer strike, the Spartan threw two quick jabs at the alien's face, retreating quickly afterwards. The Brute growled and prepared to charge, only to be blown back by an explosion. The Master Chief had dropped two primed frag grenades at the chieftain's feet.

The Brute's shields flared as the shrapnel ripped into them, but somehow they still held. The Spartan pulled his assault rifle off of his back and fired full auto at his enemy. In a matter of seconds, the stunned Brute was dead, blood leaking from a dozen bullet holes in his upper chest and neck. The Master Chief stepped over the Chieftain's corpse, assault rifle sweeping the room for his next target.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Xing spun around to scan the room. Standing at the threshold of the kitchen was a mysterious man. He was dressed in a Navy service uniform, but it wasn't the one worn by line officers. It was darker, with ONI's logo plastered on both shoulders. Fucking spooks.

"Sorry to scare you. Lieutenant Commander Richards, ONI Section III. We'd like to make you an offer."

1341 Hours, February 21, 2557 (Military Calendar) \
Office of Naval Intelligence Research Station 054323-45 "Prometheus", Location Classified

Xing could still remember the look on the spook's face when she said no. Chuckling to herself, she wiped some sweat from her brow. Checking her watch, the Spartan realized that she had already been running for thirty-two minutes. Time flies when you're having fun. She grimaced at her own dark humor, a bad taste filling her mouth.

She passed yet another access tunnel, this one marked "M-09." The whole track was lined with them: either to shield generator nodes, mini-MAC turrets, or a variety of other systems mounted on the surface of the asteroid. In times of emergency, the swarms of engineers operating in the station could access the systems manually for repairs or even operate the weapons by hand. ONI plans for every contingency.

A beeping reminded Xing that she had reached the halfway point of her run. Shutting off the watch alarm, she picked up the pace.

As she sped past more access tunnels and bulkheads, Xing reflected on her life before the Spartan program. Before, she was arrogant, foolhardy even. She acted on instinct and gut feelings, often outside the military chain of command. Xing had slept around a lot, angering not only her superiors but also her enlisted brethren. They believed that she treated them like either weapons or sexual objects, not people. With all of these negatives adding up, it was a wonder that she wasn't the victim of friendly fire.

When looking back, Xing quickly realized something. She was just a normal human when she accomplished those feats. It wasn't augmentations or powered armor that helped her survive, but her wits and brawn. Only a combination of skill and extreme luck had allowed her to see the end of a war that claimed billions like her.

Following the war, once she became a Spartan, everything shifted. She was a warrior, reborn from the ashes of her previous life. For the first time in her life, Xing felt as if she had a purpose. She could finally fill the void left by the loss of her loved ones. All those men and women she had slept with had just been placeholders for her true calling: the Spartans. I was born to do this. I was born to be a Spartan.

"Interestingly enough, Xing Huan's genetic profile matched that of many SPARTAN-III candidates. She could have served in Alpha Company, been one of the best damn Spartans you'd ever seen." Black-Box sounded almost in awe of the Spartan's genetic profile. To his credit, Atwood was impressed too. A sixty-two percent match with the original Spartan-II genetic protocols? That's almost unheard of among the IVs. Not to mention a positive match with CHRYSANTHEMUM procedures.

"Yeah, but instead she got to know her family. Not a bad trade in my book." Atwood closed Huan's file, satisfied with what he saw. Xing Huan was a warrior, reborn from her previous life. It seemed that the members of Fireteam Onyx were far different from the rumors he had heard about the SPARTAN-IVs.

SPARTAN-IVs were far different from their predecessors. They were loud, abrasive, and acted like common soldiers. Some even derisively called them "ODSTs in Mjolnir." Atwood knew the reasoning: the SPARTAN-IVs weren't Spartans, not in the true sense. Sure, they had augmentations and powered armor, but what truly makes a Spartan is the training and discipline. The IIs and IIIs would always be better than the IVs because they knew nothing but war. They were warriors, whereas the IVs would always be just soldiers.

But from what Atwood could see, Onyx wasn't like the rest. All its members seemed professional, a detached, cool air about them. Even Four, with her famous temper, managed to stow it away for the sake of the mission. They were all veterans of the Great War, trained to operate at peak human levels before being enhanced. Atwood could sense the potential for greatness inside of them: it just needed to be unleashed.

With that in mind, he called up the next file and spoke. "Black-Box, if you would."

Author's Note:

What, another chapter? And so soon? I know, it's crazy right. Well, these chapters are a bit easier to write, what with the basic narrative structure in all. Besides, I love, love, love character backgrounds, and Black-Box's narration coupled with "documentation" from ONI provides a great tool for character development.

Anyways, I really want to thank everyone for the support this story has received. I honestly just wrote it to appease the little creative devils in my head, but I have to say I enjoy providing a good read (hopefully) for people.

Right now, I have the first arc planned out: seven chapters of straight character development and plot background. After Section I is complete, the story will move into the main part of the story. I haven't figured out a target length yet, but I do know that the present day narrative (Halo 4 era) will be supplemented by flashbacks to Onyx Team's formation and their adventures prior to the main story. The story is about Fireteam Onyx and their lives, especially the contrast between pre-Spartan and post-Spartan. Also, the Battle of Malurok (which I've teased several times) will be a major plot point at some point in the story.

For some context, the "present day" will stretch from February to July 2557. Flashbacks will start around November 2554 and end around July 2556. The Battle of Malurok takes place in late May, 2556.

Also, just so you're aware, I'm not writing sex scenes into this story. I tried to do my best to keep the sexuality to a low here, but it was necessary for plot. But it probably won't happen again (too much).

Stay tuned for the next chapter, "The Titan of Reach." Until then, see ya!