Hey all, sorry this took so long to upload. I was having problems logging in :( Not my laziness! (for once). This chapter was a lot of fun to write, but doesn't have as much action as the next chapters will feature. Hang tight people! I promise You'll get the Halo fights you want.

Also, huuuuge shout out to all the people who left critiques and words of encouragement. It means a lot, even the one I received with 'Continue!' for 5 lines straight.

Waking up groggily, Amy went to wipe her eyes. The cuffs pinning her arms above her head rattled at her attempt. Right, the chains. Opening them, she saw very little at first, the tears she cried the night before sleeping making her eyes slightly puffy.

"Finally awake I see? Must have been a heck of a night for you" The deep voice came from across the room, and she looked over to see the mans back. She could see a symbol on the sleeve, and the letters ONI below that. He was standing at the table, readying a needle. Setting down and turning around slightly, she saw how many needles were readied.

"That's...Not just taking my blood is it?" Amy strained against her chains slightly, trying not to show her fear. Her movements were small now, not trusting herself to do anything more. Hopefully she could control the shaking.

"No sweetie, this is not me taking your blood." The man in all black strode across the room and stuffed her mouth before she could ask another question. Tying the knot so she couldn't spit it out, he continued his work. Rubbing her arm slowly, almost sensually he smiled. "Your bones are going to go through a lot of pain before you die. I'm sorry you have to go through this. I really am. But I need Dr. Halsey off of the ship, and we can't have you living either. It was a mistake to save her when she isn't in the military, and insistent on stopping warriors from doing their job. This satisfies both of my needs at once. You are doing a service to ONI."

With that said, he strode over to the counter and selected two needles. Coming back, he said not another word as he put one needle in each of her arms, injecting the liquid into her veins. This went on for minutes, large and small needles injecting multiple colors of liquids. The worst was when he held her eyelids open and pushed long needles into both of her eyes. She did her best not to scream and failed.

Then it hit her. Hard. Her whole body tensed and she felt lava erupt from her heart and head. Screaming into the gag and struggling uselessly she tried to protest the growing pain in her body. Her chest, where it had been fractured by the Slavic woman, cracked completely. Cracked outward. Every bone in her body somehow had glass on the inside, cutting every inch of her body. She could feel every bit of pain at once even as her muscles tensed. A vain attempt at diffusing the pain she was feeling. The man turned and left then, not another word spoken.

Darkness threatened her yet again, and this time she put up a fight. But it was a losing battle, and every mental faculty was shutting down one by one. It was all she could do to maintain even a hint of a struggle.

Alarms, like the one she heard when she was transported here sounded. She could vaguely hear yelling, and a man pounding at the intercom controls. The Marine who was supposed to be guarding her. PFC Harrison was it? Amy couldn't remember right now. Everything seemed really foggy.

"She's convulsing, and her body is moving strangely! Chest has taken an odd shape, Doc, we need you here ten minutes ago!" A slight pause. Amy was fighting to hear what all was being said, but could only understand the Marine. "Yes ma'am! I'm on it. See you in thirty"

He came over to her bed, and bent down to talk to her. What he said though, was lost on her. The only things she could understand were pain. Pain and the cuffs were off, leaving her free to claw at whatever she could.

The door opened then, and she kept her eyes open long enough to see three fully armored people and Dr. Halsey run in. Then more pain. And yelling. Someone seemed to be giving her orders, but she couldn't understand it. Her ears were ringing much too hard for proper noise to get through now. The darkness hadn't taken her yet, but it was still there, still waiting for her to slip. Amy tried a new tack then. She turned and looked Dr. Halsey in the eye. As much as she could at least while Halsey pressed in on her ribcage. Moving from one body part to the next in true clinical precision. Amy opened her mouth to speak then, to tell her what she felt, how bad she felt it. More screaming. There was no way to control it. Her head was pinned down then, cold metal in the form of a hand easily holding her.

"Jesus, they gave her the untested Chrysanthemum vials. They tried to kill her with Spartan augmentations. Halsey, she's all but gone, let it-" A pause. The voice was masculine. Deep. She hadn't heard it on the ship before. "Yes ma'am. Of course ma'am, whatever you ask."

The rest was muddled and confusing, and peoples words kept sounding like they were coming from different places. Every once in a while someone would look at her and talk, but Amy had no idea what was being said. Some of the faces looking at her were under metal helmets, dark gray in color, and menacing. She could see her reflection in the visor if she looked hard enough. It wasn't a pretty sight. At some point, she had tried to answer, tried to tell someone she couldn't hear them clearly. She had been gagged again though, by one of the armored people. Probably for the best she thought numbly. She didn't want to die at all, but if she did...It would be nice not to do so screaming.

Minutes passed, maybe an hour or a half a day before she calmed down. She couldn't tell how long exactly, but she knew she hadn't passed out. That was a plus at least. She had been knocked out enough in the past 24 hours to suit her for a long while. The Marine who was in the room was dismissed, and the only people that remained when her hearing and vision came back into focus were Dr. Halsey and the Gray colored armored people. She looked at each one, still holding her down, though she wasn't resiting currently.

"I-I don't think I'm going to claw anyone anymore." Her voice surprised her by coming out relatively strong for all that she gone through and the yelling she had done before the gag "Thanks"

Dr. Halsey had her back turned to Amy, typing something on a computer she hadn't previously noticed. Her fingers were moving really slowly across the keyboard. She didn't look up when she spoke, just kept typing

"A positive thing with these Spartans in the room." Her hand motioned to the armored people. "Jai, Adriana, Mike. You can release her now. We need to see how...effective the augmentations adhered to the subject."

Three pairs of armored hands released her immediately. Moving her hands up, Amy rubbed her arms where the first injections had been administered. She was shocked to see how much...bigger her arms were. How toned they had become. Sitting up quickly, she lifted the blankets and looked at her legs. "What did he do to me?"

The three members of Gray team took off their helmets in unison. She saw the Slavic woman and her hair fall from the helmet. Coming to rest on the top of her shoulder armor. It was she who spoke first.

"He tried to kill you. Apparently it failed." The accent made Amys' skin tingle just a little bit. Her hand went to her chest automatically. She noticed controllable pain, but no break anymore. She was sure she heard the crack.

"Who...Who was the man?"

Another armored man spoke. Jai. His brown eyes trained down at her. "You were the one in here. Not us."

Amy's face went hot then, and she could feel the flush. "I didn't get a good look. ONI uniform, all in black. Shorter blonde hair...He touched my arm."

"Good, that only narrows it down to half of the freakin' ship." Jai looked extremely displeased. Amy wasn't sure why, but this guy seemed to hate her.

Dr. Halsey turned around and looked down at her. "It was the XO* of this ship. The only person who would do something like this. He is expecting you to have died. He expected the Marine protecting you to have died. He failed on two accounts, and will be dealt with properly. His position in ONI was ill gained it seems." She paused a moment to let the facts sink in. "Now. You have been laying long enough. Stand"

Amy stood then, answering the authority this woman was used to having. Looking down, she saw stronger legs. The whole of her body seemed to be more toned, more lithe. She felt stronger too, and saw everything move at an intense perfection. Like it wasn't moving at all. "Why am I not a mountain?"

Mike snickered, and Adriana looked to be holding it in. Amy thought she saw the corner of the Doctors mouth turn up. Then again, maybe not.

"You will not grow as tall as those given the Spartan-II augmentations. The serums you were given did not require advanced thyroid conditioning. They would have been the third set of serums produced. I was working on an updated version before they were administered. Which is why they were originally in my possession."

Amy looked at Halsey for a long time before responding, looking to each of the Spartans in turn. "Will...Will the pain go away? It's not awful mind you...But it is everywhere."

Mike looked down at her, his giant form somehow not a lumbering mass in the metal armor. It almost confused her how graceful they all were. "Pain? After we calmed down from our surgeries we didn't have any pain...He didn't perform surgery on you did he?" Amy shook her head. The details of the process weren't crystal clear, but it was mostly needles she thought. Her memories seemed legitimately fuzzy, like it had been foggy in the room when it happened. Then again, she hadn't remembered seeing things this well in forever.

"The pain is because of your age. This is why he thought you would die from this. Spartans must go through the adaptations younger, so their bones and bodies are still malleable when rapid bodily advancement occurs. Your Ribcage will hurt worse for a while, but it will heal. The break was still healing while the bones grew more dense. It was probably the only thing that saved your life. You can thank Adriana for her quick thinking"

Amy felt like her world had been torn apart. To add to her growing list, she felt all of the change within her body physically now. The vials the XO had given her weren't to just kill her, the variable. They were stolen from the Doctor, a civilian on the ship. Given to Amy to kill her and make Halsey look like a mad scientist, someone who was misusing ONI funding. Government money. Getting rid of two problems at once. That was what he meant by doing a service to ONI. She wasn't supposed to survive at all.

Amy's mind reeled, but kept the information flow moving, her mental faculties in overdrive. Finally, she came full circle to why she was alive again, confused on that part. If she was a pawn, and ONI wanted to get rid of her...Why hurt the person guarding her? Why not stay to make sure it was done properly? Everything seemed really muddled to her. It seemed she still had a lot to learn about living in the future. Remember Amy. Improvise, Adapt, Overcome. Daddy taught you that. Don't you dare lose him now.

"Why did this work then? Other than the pain, why didn't it work? Y'all work for an organization who uses Japanese devils as your moniker. Why the Hell am I still here?" Amy spoke fast, trying not to lose control of her voice. Her accent slipping out before she could quell it. Did she have control over anything these days at all? Her mind came to conclusions quicker than normal, and much more harsh than she would have preferred. No. It's what being a captive means. Be useful or die.

Adriana looked at her then, and slammed her fist down. Fist making a deep impression in the metal beam of the hospital bed. "You are here because Cath- Dr. Halsey kept you alive! Because she knew what to do when you would have died otherwise! Every physical upgrade you have that didn't leave you paralyzed, disfigured or worse is because Mum is a genius and your guardian angel! Why you don't thank her for life right now is beyond me."

Amy looked to all of them and finally to Dr. Halsey. She could feel Adriana still fuming, and almost hear the sneer Jai had on his face. Smell the testosterone of him wanting that fight. It angered her. All of it did. Like she asked to be on a ship 500 years in the future. Like being caught and then put in chains like a rabid animal was good for her. Like she should be thankful the attempted murder didn't work and left her so different she could barely recognize herself. Or her own emotions. She would not be thanking anyone for this treatment, for the life ripped from her. Maybe it was better than being in jail for the murder of some random kid in an alley, but at least she was protecting herself then. Now she didn't even have that choice. Even choice had been taken from her. Anything other than play the pawn now, Amy thought, and you're going against the rules.

Seriously. Screw the rules.

Lunging forward, Amy snapped a fist at Jai's head, connecting with air. Before her arm extended all the way, she pulled in. Out of the corner of her eye she saw two pistols pulled, the others immediately moving back to shield Dr. Halsey. One gun trained on her head, the other on her chest.

She shouldn't have been looking in that direction. Jai came forward, and lunged in with a kick of his own, carried by the armor he was wearing. Damn he was fast. Amy had always been a quick girl though, and the augmentations had made everything physical a lot easier. Jumping back, she landed and took up a defensive position. Fully aware the man who was armored was faster, stronger, and full of killing intent now most likely.

"Jai! Stand down!" It was Halsey from behind the two other Spartans, her eyes trained on both of them, only four feet away from one another and still itching for the fight.

"Sorry ma'am. But she's mine this time. Apparently manners weren't a thing 500 years ago. Adriana. Mike. Protect Halsey, but do not interfere. I called this mark." Jai spat the words quickly, tossing his helmet to Adriana. She caught it before it had even reached the peak of its arc. "Now how about I cut the manners into you?" Amy hadn't even seen the knife jump from his chest armor to his hand.

She should have stood down then, and submitted. She might have egged him forward with a taunt. Maybe she would die quickly and it would all be over. Maybe dying just meant she'd wake up and this was all a dream. But it was all too real to her, and she didn't see a way to win no matter how hard she looked. He had armor, a knife, and probably could shoot her with the pistol before she had even registered it coming out. How the armor didn't make him more encumbered she didn't know, but it was a fact. Her only chance was avoiding the knife long enough to get a hit in on the head and knock him out. Right.

Then an idea came to her, and she dove before the plan had fully formed, her body moving at an incredible speed, pain following suit. The dive took her right beside Jai, who was already twisting to catch her in leap. His knife grazed the back of her leg, but not enough to slow her down. She felt a drop of blood fall into her sock. Step one, jump in close to him and by his ribs, where it's hard to bend without spending time turning. The automatic door opened as she ran out, using the vertical moving door as a hand vault to send her through the exit faster. When Jai came out a half second later, She kicked at the back of his head. Step two, he's right handed. He'll check the left side first on instinct from holding a gun. His left hand came out and caught her ankle there, while she was in mid-air. In an effortless motion he spun her to other side of the door and threw her as hard as could. Amy could feel her body scream in protest each time she bounced and rolled on the metal floor of the vessel. Her new body weight making audible thuds. Getting up, She ran around the corner that she had been thrown to, mildly impressed the throw had taken her half way down a hallway.

The Marine on the other side of the corner didn't have time to react as Amy quickly spotted and relieved him of his pistol. Her hand reaching for his sidearm before he had recognized the blur that was Amy. Spinning around before he could grab her, she jumped back into the hallway and leveled the pistol at Jai's exposed head. He stopped then, feet from her. Knife still in hand and held at the ready. Behind him Dr. Halsey and the rest of Gray team watched, their own pistols trained on her. Both of them had their helmets on. Amy thought she might have heard the soldier she had taken the gun from yelling for her to get on the ground, but didn't pay attention. Eyes trained on Jai's head and his knife at once. She exhaled slowly to half mass, steadying her heart and aim. If she was going to lose, it wouldn't be for lack of focus. Her dad had taught her better than that.

The voice that cut through the tension caught Amy off guard. Sounding behind her, near the man she had stolen a pistol from."Well well. Future girl shows herself. And has even managed to keep a Spartan at bay. An accomplishment to be sure" It was the voice of true authority, a man not used to yelling to get his way. His mere whisper, low and full of gravel, would have made those around him obey. "Stand down Spartan 006"

"Aye, Captain!" Sheathing his knife and snapping a salute, Jai stood at attention. So did his team behind him. Halsey merely looked at Amy.

Turning back to Amy, the Captain of the vessel held out his hand, indicating the pistol in Amys. She eyed the pistol, still leveled at Jai, and looked over to the Captain. He was a tall man for a normal human, with a tanned skin-tone. Spanish by the look of his hair and eyes. He would have been a good looking man to Amy save for the deep wrinkles set in his face, an obvious consequence of running such a large ship for many years. This man had done his time thrice over. By now, Amy reasoned, he was only here for love of country (Worlds?). A second glance and Amy was sure that he would be more than willing to carry out any threat he issued. Not a mean man, but an honest one. Hardened by life in the military and a war he was losing. Four Marines beside him had assault rifles pointed in her direction. Amy reasoned he was a not a man to bluff then. Returning the safety, she very slowly raised her hands and held out the gun, an offering to take it.

"Good! Now that it's all sorted we may continue Amy. I am Captain Borges. The vessel you are on is the ONI super-carrier Existential Robin. You know that you were brought here due to a Slip-Space anomaly, do you not?" His voice still spoke authority. How many years had this been his ship? Amy wondered.

Her hands still raised, Amy answered quietly, the fight from before only now beginning to take affect physically on her body "Yes sir. Something about a destroyed Fore-runner symbol. The rest of the details are...fuzzy"

Borges looked at her appraising like before turning to the four marines still holding rifles pointed to her. "Stand down. You may return to your posts" All snapped a salute and left in turn. He turned back to the rest of them "Spartans, Amy; follow me. We are going to my cabin. Dr. Halsey, if you would also be kind enough to join us?"

When inside the cabin, Amy was sat on the far end behind the desk, an offer from Borges. Halsey also sat, though on the large couch in the room. Borges and the Spartans continued to stand. Almost cramped despite the obvious luxury of the room. For being 500 years in the future, Amy felt comfortable here. Wooden desk, red carpeted floor. This man liked his room old school.

Borges led off the conversation. No attempt at small talk "My former XO should have succeeded in the job he tried to perform, though it was not on my orders. What you are now is expensive. But you are also an anomaly, and something that needs looking into. How would you like to remain alive Amy of earth? In exchange for some requests."

Amy didn't hesitate "I accept Captain." life or death was on the line. Questions were not permitted.

Still looking at Amy, Borges began to speak again, a small smile on his lips. "What information have you gleaned from your tests Doctor?"

Clearing her throat, she said "Captains room: Med display. Dr. Halsey. Code 421F" Instantly a screen popped up on the wooden desk in front of Amy and a large glass panel situated in the middle of the room, suspended to the ceiling my metal support beams and wires. Amy recognized it as her file, small as it was. "I believe she is telling the truth about her past, and the story matches. The radiation was checked, and matched the forerunner object we just destroyed. Whether or not she had this before or after the jump has yet to be determined. Spartan-III augmentations have since lowered those readings."

"And the augmentations were completely successful then?"

Halsey was not smiling now, and looked at Amy instead, eyes downcast. "I believe so sir, with a few exceptions. Bone pain from being older than normal augmentation age. Her chest has yet to completely heal from its break. Getting thrown seems not to have helped. Height is plus 2 inches. Common in Spartan-III soldiers after muscle development. Speed...Effective. She outran Jai in armor and evaded capture in close corridors for five seconds" The only thing that confused Amy was how she had left a door, kicked at Jai twice, been thrown down a hallway and stood again in five seconds. It had felt like an eternity to her.

"So I saw" Borges eyes were still trained on Amy. "Only the best conditioned people can survive these augmentations Amy, never mind the genetic markers that must be perfect upon birth. What did you do before finding yourself here?"

Amy looked at Borges, flashes of her father smiling down at her during a camping trip going through her head. Shaking her head she answered "I was a senior in NYU college as an undergrad. However, my father is a Marine. He raised me like one of his recruits. Single parent" She tried to smile at the irony, if only to keep from crying again. She'd done enough of that too.

"IS a Marine? Even in 2552?" Borges raised an eyebrow

Straightening her shoulders, she answered as strongly as she could muster. "Once a Marine, always a Marine. Devil dogs don't die. They regroup in Hell Sir."

Both Borges and Mike laughed then, breaking most tension in the room. "You will be happy to know that the Marines of today are just as arrogant as the day that quote came into existence. Disregarding the line about regrouping in hell Amy, your answers are very...logical for a 17 year old."

Amy could feel the silence then, and taste her own life boiled down to her next words. Whatever she said next would determine whether or not she would be allowed to survive. She had picked a fight with Jai to die. But this wasn't a way to go, and those words reminded her of her father all over again. Was suicide really her way out of this mess? She could get to the future, so maybe she could return home. She hadn't lost yet. "I'm low on options. Bigger, faster, stronger enemies surround me. Ones willing to chain me up like an animal. In a place and now time I am unfamiliar with. Even my own body is foreign now. All I have left is my logic" As an afterthought she added "Sir."

Everyone looked at her then, and Amy might have flushed from the attention if she wasn't intent on staring down the Captain of this spacecraft. Her hyper sensitive eyes focused in on his pupils, determined not to blink, or even move. Not until he had given his opinion one way or another. Live or die.

He was scanning over the file on the screen, telling the computer when to scroll. Amy saw the notation on her 'extreme dislike of physical binding' high lighted among other things. That was understatement. But at least they had gotten it right.

After what seemed an eternity, he turned to speak to her. "ONI is a secretive military force, and this super-carrier is the only ship this large in ONI's fleet. It is also a secret. In fact, we are so occupied with secrets the rest of the Military believes Dr. Halsey to be confined to an on-land facility since her rescue. So you can see the issues that go through my head when I think about letting you live." Borges looked Amy in the eye. The rest looked at Borges. "However. I remember a Marine quote said long ago, nearer your time. 'I love the Corps for those intangible possessions that cannot be issued: pride, honor, integrity, and being able to carry on the traditions for generations of warriors past.'" He paused to let Amy nod then "You have shown all three of these here today, and even courage. I see the fear in your eyes now, and even this normal human can see you shiver when I speak. But that's courage in itself. ONI can make use of you. I can make use of you."

Dr. Halsey looked at Captain Borges then, and asked "What exactly are you planning on Alvaro?"

"She stays. We do readings on her. You said the radiation levels are low correct?"

"Yes. Since the augmentation." Halsey's mind looked to be racing as she answered, but Amy saw only calm exterior.

"We cannot make another jump if her readings spike again. I won't endanger my crews' lives again for her sake, but if they are low enough to continue travel...School her. Train her. Make a Spartan out of her. Not an Ackerson Spartan, Catherine. I mean a Dr. Halsey-Mendez Spartan. Gray team has managed, even after a year, to keep their armor in good condition. Your current funding on the vessel will be establishing her MJOLNIR." Borges turned to Jai, who looked furious despite his calm breathing. "You. Let it go. I know you're used to doing things without instructions. I know you're used to running your mouth too. But she showed the one characteristic common among every single Spartan. She is still" He said, emphasizing the last word "Looking for a way to win. Even if you are bigger, faster, and stronger. And let's face it. She got the drop on you when you threw her 45ft."

"...Aye sir. At your command" Jai deflated then, and rolled his shoulders, still in attention.

"Good. I'd hate to have to replace Gray team command because you can't follow basic instructions." Turning off the screen with her profile, and walking near the exit he stopped, turning again to Amy. "You understand that if, by the time we get to Gray team drop off point, you aren't ready for both service and field action within ONI..."

Amy stood up and walked around the desk before he could finish, her actions deliberate and slow. Precise. Not only to show she wasn't trying to fight, but also the pain she still felt. "I will be."

"Good to hear it Corporal. It took a Marine to make you survive the injections. Now let's see if we can help you make the Marine Corp. Amy-G311"

"Yes sir!" Amy saluted, knowing nothing else to do. This wasn't what she expected. It wasn't really what she wanted. But it kept her alive, kept her useful. She'd have to search for a way out of the time-zone alone, but it gave her access. She could see a lot of sleepless nights ahead of her. Nights she would live through.

"Your team. Petty Officer First class Mike-323 and Adriana-111. Ranking commander Jai-006. Chief Petty Officer. You are the only Marine Spartan in existence, G311. You now have an honor to uphold, 559 years in the future. Do not disappoint." Walking out of the door, Amy heard the magnets pull it down rather than see it. Her eyes kept flashing pictures of her father at her.

The next chapter will have plenty more action. Also, any help critique or otherwise I do read. I have even been known to adjust the story. Listening to my readers and gaining thicker skin is a useful tool for me. That being said, if you just wanna leave a comment as to whether or not you liked the story...Go for it!

Note: I will be using at least 1 TRUE Marine Corp. saying in each chapter. It adds some realism to an otherwise Sci-Fi heavy story. Plus their fun.

See you all next week! I plan on writing at least 14 more chapters for the story. Amy has some rough times ahead of her.