A/N: I still feel really bad. If you could see me, I would be rubbing my head sheepishly. But that's not the point of this note. I will be making all my own characters now, so if you feel that I am not characterising them properly, please point me in the right direction.

On a side note, I rated this T because I assume that you have played Halo and splashes of fluorescent blue blood do not bug you. However, if you feel that I have rated the story too low, please tell me. I don't want to have the admins freeze my story . . . again. Thanks, and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Microsoft, Bungie, or 343 Industries. This is for my enjoyment and, hopefully, the enjoyment of others. I do not receive a profit.

To Infinity (and Beyond!)

Arianna Pearlman paced back and forth over and over again. Cryo was supposed to be dreamless sleep, but it had never been dreamless for her. The glassing of Madrigal was just too powerful of a memory. Sure, she had been seven, but the loss of the life she had always known was simply too horrid. Arianna could remember glancing out the window of the escape craft she had been crammed into. She had watched as her little town became nothing but a brown dot before the purple behemoth had obscured her vision. When it moved, the landscape was just a reflection of the sky into which she had fled.

Arianna had refused to enter the cryo-pod and watch her life end over and over again for the month long Slipspace trip to the UNSC Infinity so that she and the rest of her new fireteam could aid in the battles of Requiem.

She had joined the SPARTANs not in a fit of anger, but because of grief. Arianna Pearlman knew the chances of getting revenge on the bastards that had vitrified her life were infinitesimal, and the monsters that had ordered the genocide were dead. This was a fight to save others from knowing her grief, although far too many knew that pain.

Arianna was so lost in thought that even with her new augmentations, she didn't hear the doors whoosh open and failed to acknowledge the other's presence until he said, "Up already? You rise fast, considering that the pods opened just a few minutes ago and you already look ready for combat." Arianna instinctively looked at the simple purple and white armour that complimented her almost violet eyes before turning to face the man.

He was wearing only the black, elastic undersuit and had light brown skin that didn't quite match his gruff voice. Heavy brows were underlined by brown eyes the colour of caramel and his thick black hair was cut haphazardly and definitely longer than regulation, but then again, so was Arianna's light, silvery-blonde hair that hung around her shoulders in ringlets. Arianna simply replied, "Without a helmet? That would just be stupid."

This other SPARTAN, who must be part of her new fireteam, Nebula, just smiled and clarified. "I only meant that suiting up takes longer than the pods have been open for."

"Oh. Well, I don't sleep well. Too many bad memories."

"I'm sorry. Name's Raj Kahn. Am I correct in assuming that you too are in Fireteam Nebula?"

Nodding her pale head so that her entire petite form seemed to bounce, Arianna answered, "SPARTAN Pearlman, but off the battlefield, I'm Arianna. Nice to meet you," and extended her hand for a shake, which he enthusiastically returned before dashing off.

Arianna was confused until a different, less gendered, voice behind her said, "Don't mind him. He just wanted to get a chance to put on his armour now that I'm done." Arianna pivoted to see a tall man in black armour, a Gungnir helmet tucked under the arm not extended for a shake. As she grasped his hand, he said, "SPARTAN Reynolds of the newly formed Fireteam Nebula, and you are?"

Even as she replied, with a simple, "Arianna Pearlman, also of Fireteam Nebula," Arianna noticed that despite the white scar in the shape of a claw running from just below his eye to his upper lip on the left side of his tanned face, his smile still reached his baby-blue eyes. Reynolds's sandy blonde hair was almost as messy and long as Raj's, and he seemed quite similar. However, there was military in Reynolds's voice thst Raj didn't have. That much was quite obvious.

"So, what's your speciality?" Raj's voice was still obviously his despite the muffling by his E.O.D. suit with two shades of red. His penchant for red carried over into his Solar visor color. "I'm good with pretty much any alien tech on a battlefield, so the marines made me part of the bomb squad. They completely failed to realize the other uses for understanding technology on the battlefield. Maybe the SPARTAN program will give me a chance at hacking their computers."

It was pretty obvious that Kahn would ramble on if he was allowed to, so Reynolds cut in. "I like heavy weaponry," he said, holding up his Gungnir helmet. "It won't get up if it's blown into a million pieces. And the UNSC Infinty has an AI named Roland for hacking alien tech."

Arianna took the opportunity to inform the others that, "I like mobility and can fly pretty much anything. I wonder if I can be Nebula's air support?"

Arianna was quite clearly loosing her edge because a new voice, this one light and almost ready to burst into song said, "According to our pilot, there are four hundred eighty-one working birds, so I'm sure that you can borrow one on occasion, but you'll probably want another occupation." The pivoting of the three SPARTANs to see the new arrival was perfectly synchronized. The woman decked out in sea-foam green armour with spongy yellow trim held a Venator helmet cradled in her arms. "But you can't have close quarters combat, because that's my job."

"How did you know that? I'm Raj Kahn, the pretty lady is Arianna Pearlman, and Mr. Strong and Silent in the black tux-" At that, Reynolds let out a snort while Raj continued," is No-First-Name Reynolds." Raj held out his hand for a shake, and the mystery woman tucked her helmet under one arm before taking the shake.

Turning to shake Reynolds's hand, the woman said, "My name is Brady, Juliette Brady." As she took the step forward to shake Arianna's hand, she replied to Raj's question. "I know that because the pilot told me to come get you so that we can board one of those four hundred eighty-one Pelicans that Infinity sent over to pick us up." Juliette finished shaking Arianna's hand and then wrapped her dark red hair into a french braid so that she could tuck it into her helmet, which she slid over her dark, pine green eyes, leaving only the memory of her face and its multiple small white scars.

Reynolds jammed his helmet on his head, ignoring how it messed with his hair. He followed right behind Juliette as she led the way to the Pelican. Raj looked over at Arianna as she hesitated before grabbing her own purple and white Air Assault helmet with Sunspot visor off the table. The two of them walked out of the room and followed about three metres behind Brady and Reynolds. As they walked, Arianna fiddled with her hair, trying to fit it under her helmet without resorting to a ponytail. At last, she took her hair back into a single bunch and slid that into the helmet, her head following. She knew this would give her "helmet hair", but Arianna was frustrated and just wanted to vacuum-seal her armour should the Pelican decompress. Her hands itched thinking about it, and Arianna knew the Pelican would make it if she flew it. The mystery pilot, not so much.

Once up the ramp, Arianna and Raj discovered the fifth member of Fireteam Nebula. A figure in ice blue Deadeye armour with turquoise trim and a Midnight visor sat polishing a sniper rifle. "Guess this is our sniper." Raj and Arianna each extended a hand to shake.

The figure didn't even look up. Reynolds, who was sitting directly across from it said, "Pearlman, Kahn. SPARTAN Quin is deaf," and made a flurry of motions with his hands while finishing his explanation. "He can read lips, but not through helmets, so I would suggest taking them off or learning sign language."

Quin looked up. He set his sniper rifle against the wall and took off his helmet, revealing light brown, almost amber, eyes filled with pain in a perfectly symmetrical face the color of a peach framed by gentle brown curls. His lips parted in an almost baby-like fashion, and the carefully formed words matched the young, careful tone he used. His voice was slow and hesitant as he said, "Marcus told me that neither of you can use sign language. My name is Edward Quin." This time he extended a hand which both Raj and Arianna shook.

Raj took off his helmet and said in a clear voice, "I am Raj Kahn and this is Arianna Pearlman. Have you met Juliette?" Quin nodded, clearly uncomfortable with talking. He and Raj put their helmets back on, as per regulations for space flights. Edward returned to servicing his rifle.

Juliette walked into the back from the pilot's and said, "Buckle up, because we are a green!" Arianna slipped into a seat next to Edward, Raj strapped in next to Reynolds, and Juliette sat down on Arianna's other side.

Raj jumped right into a conversation with Reynolds. "Marcus, huh." Marcus just shrugged. "Aren't there implants that allow people to hear?"

Marcus doesn't even sign Edward to ask him. "There are, but they hurt so much that it isn't worth it." Then he mutters so quietly that even with their augmentations, the SPARTANs have trouble hearing, "At least, that's what she said."

But Raj picked up on that sentence. "Who is she?"

A moment of pause before Marcus answers. "Was she. My best friend couldn't hear."

Juliette jumps in. "So that's why you know sign language. But why do you say was?"

A pained expression twisted Marcus's face and he went from happy to sad in an instant. "I was fourteen and she was thirteen when the Covenant arrived in the Epsilon Laundra system. Before we could escape, they had touched down all over, looking for something. Cara and I were at the local grifball court when a squad of Jackals stumbled upon us. There were other kids, some of whom died in the chaos, but a few made it. Cara couldn't hear the commotion and was cornered by a Jackal. I did the only thing I could think to do. I tackled the Jackal and beat it to death, but not before it gave me this." He traced his hand over his helmet, right where his scar ran, like he was lost in the memory and couldn't feel the cool metal of his helmet, just hot blood pouring out the gash. When Marcus started his narration again, his voice, which had gotten steadily closer to breaking, became racked with sobs. "When I turned to lead Cara to our house and a way off our doomed planet, she was gone. No charred remains, no bloodied smear, nothing. Although I know it is likely that she just ran a little ways before the Covenant caught and killed her, I hold on to the hope that Cara somehow survived like I did. It's a foolish habit and I - I try not to think that way."

Arianna leant over and tapped his knee to get his attention. "Hey. It's never wrong to hope. Don't think that she was. Think that she is. I watched my planet get glassed, which is why I can't sleep in cryo. The memories are just too strong, the dreams too real. But don't give up hope. I pray day in and day out that I will somehow be reunited with my neighbors from back on Madrigal. You just need to hope that you will see Cara again."

The Pelican was silent for the rest of the flight.

A/N: Yeah, I know, almost no action. But this chapter needed to be written, and I couldn't think of a way to get the characters set up in a heated firefight.