Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto Or Halo
(In Orbit, Planet Earth, Year, 2558)
Dressed in only in the standard Marine BDU Naruto stared out at the fleet of ODPs guarding Earth. The Orbital Defense platforms still had the same look as they did before but this time they were larger and instead of just humans on board he could see Hugarok and Forerunner Sentinels floating around the station closest to Frigate he was on.
Two months had passed since he had been found on the Ark and one month had passed since he was transferred to the unnamed ONI Frigate he was aboard now. And being stuck in the lower decks running simulations and having doctors poke and prod him had delayed his first view of Earth since the end of the war...until now and it was as magnificent as the first time he saw it. The UNSC had colonized hundreds of worlds and yet no matter how many he had seen only a few came close to matching the majesty of Earth."The place where it all began."
"Impressive isn't it, Captain. We got at least fifty of these at almost every major world now. The Covenant Loyalist won't know what hit them if they try glassing any more human-controlled planets." Serin said as she stood beside him eying him carefully. To anyone else, it may have looked like she was checking her subordinate out but both occupants of the bridge knew what she was really looking at. He was the peak of human perfection and that was something that intrigued her and at the same time infuriated her.
All the test she had Naruto do and the medical scans she had the doctors run on him all confirmed his story. There was nothing in his blood or anywhere else on his body that pointed to him being augmented in any way. The Doctors who had not been told the real reasons for the tests and were under the impression it was to make sure Naruto had not been infected by the flood during his time on the Ark and each one had congratulated him on keeping up his healthy lifestyle even during the war. According to them when she asked about it anyone could be as in shape as Naruto but only if they started training at a young age. And that was too bad since the Spartan-II and III programs had come to light the UNSC had been cracking down on ONI to make sure nothing like that happened ever again despite how effective the super soldiers were. Training child soldiers was never going to be allowed to happen again.
"As you already know the doctors didn't find anything out of the ordinary during your tests so you are being transferred back to the Ark to run security for the research teams," Serin explained handing Naruto a data-pad, pushing her thoughts on the matter away for the time."But before then we still have a few things to get done."
Reading what was listed on the data pad Naruto brows furrowed together in confusion. "Is this really necessary?"
"You're the only one left of Project Rebirth Captain, having you run around in ODST armor is just asking for you to be killed. And you're too important of an asset to let die."
"I'm just one soldier Admiral," Naruto said softly. He had heard the whispered rumors behind his back when some of the other crew members didn't think he could hear and the awe in their voices when they spoke about him, was disturbing, to say the least. All he had done was uphold the oath he took when he joined the UNSC. "I don't want medals or praise for doing what was expected of me."
"You're a good soldier Captain," Admiral Osman admitted. "That is why your being transferred back to the Ark. With the Infinity's reports on Prometheans being on Forerunner worlds HIGHCOM is worried there may be some dormant on the Ark. We can't afford to lose the Ark with it being a portal to Earth. I don't have time to wait for normal channels to approve sending more military in and then we have to wait for the Arbiter to decide if he wants' to send any of his troops with since the Ark is jointly owned by both UNSC and the SOS. I'm sending you now just in case any of them do wake up and start attacking. Black Box has already sent Isabel the orders putting you in charge of ground forces since until further notice."
Nodding in agreement to the plan Naruto tucked the data pad into his pants pockets before asking the obvious question. "Won't the ships guarding the portal notice ONI trying to send a ship through?"
"Not the one you'll be in. It's a modified tart cart with stealth panels. No one is going to see you go through. Your mission is to protect the Ark if need be until back-up can arrive. Don't fail." Serin ordered sternly. She wanted to send more of her agents in but with Jul'Dama, the insurrectionist and now Prometheans to combat ONI was being stretched thin enough.
"The data pad holds the information the Infinity have gathered about the Prometheans on Requiem so you might want to read through it when you get planet side."
"Yes, Ma'am."
(On Board the UNSC Infinity)
"Chief, what's going on?" Admiral Thomas Lasky demanded as the Master Chief followed by Blue Team and Spartan Locke stepped into the bridge of the UNSC's biggest ship. "I'm getting reports from a dozen different colonies of giant spaceships floating in orbit before the comms go dark."
"It's the Warden Admiral." A distinct female voice sounded from the Master Chiefs helmet before the Spartan-II could plug his A.I data-chip into the Infinity's main holo-table.
Appearing on the table the naked blue form of Cortana only covered in running lines of code immediately began pacing. "This was why I called to the Chief. Because the destruction of Requiem and the death of the Didact months ago the Warden Eternal doesn't believe Humanity can't live up to the Mantles responsibility so he has taken it upon himself to do it. He's going to try and take over the galaxy."
"Do you have a way to stop him," Lasky asked immediately. "I knew the Chief had a good reason for going awol."
No more than two weeks had passed since Sierra-117, and Spartan-II Blue team had been labeled absent without leave and the UNSC had Spartan Locke and his team hunt him down. The Arbiter had warned them that if the Chief had left the fold it was for a damn good reason. "The SOS!"
"Cortana, get me a line to the Arbiter, we need to warn him. The Swords Of Sanghelios have other Colonies with Forerunner artifacts on them."
"Already on it Admiral."
Lasky turned to face Blue Team and Spartan Locke hunter team as Cortana began attempting to contact Sanghelios. "What can you tell me about this Warden Eternal. Weakness, his strengths anything that can help us."
First the insurrectionist, then the Covenant and after that the flood and the Didact. It was times like this that Lasky missed the simplicity of his life at Corbulo academy. All he had to worry about back then was his next test or training exercise, not if another alien race or an ancient empire trying to wipe humanity from existence.
"Sir, the Warden Eternal according to Cortana is a Forerunner A.I that has millions of Identical bodies but only one mind. Trying to pin him down won't work." The Master Chief explained stepping forward as the holo-screens lit up displaying the Arbiter in full golden armor.
"Arbiter."
"117? It seems Spartan Locke found his quarry." Arbiter Thel' Vadam said nodding to the Chief in a show of respect before addressing Lasky. "What is the purpose of you hailing Admiral. I have pressing matters to attend to at the moment so we must keep this talk short."
"I agree, Arbiter. The Infinity picked up numerous mayday signal coming from multiple human colonies right be the Colonies communications went dark. We haven't heard from them since. The distress signal mentioned what we believe are the Forerunner Guardians appearing in Orbit above the worlds. Cortana believes a Forerunner A.I called the Warden Eternal is controlling them in an attempt to uphold the Mantle Of Responsibility himself. And I'm inclined to believe her."
"As am I Admiral. Sangheili colonies have also reported ships of the same description as the Guardians above their planets before they went silent. I have dispatched ships to all locations but I fear another war may be arising."
The Infinity's bridge went silent as all those aboard let the Arbiters words sink in. Admiral Lasky could agree with the Arbiter sentiment and he was sure HIGCOM would as well. Deploying ships above their worlds was already an act of war by the Warden and the death count when the Guardians were activated was still unknown but reports put it in the thousands and still rising.
"Arbiter I believe it would be best for the UNSC and the Sword Of Sanghelios to extend our make a few changes to our alliance agreement."
(Same Time, The Ark)
"Isabel status report." Crawling to his feet being careful not to set his hands on the broken glass covering the floor Sergeant James looked around wincing as the bodies of his fellow Marines laying unmoving just feet away.
"Isabel?" He called again when the logistics A.I did not answer.
"Fuck." Looking out the window to where the portal to Earth could be seen, a view that he had enjoyed every day since being deployed on the Ark only filled him with dread now as the portal was nowhere to be seen.
"Isabel report." He said for a third time, failing to keep the fear out of his voice. Without everyone on the Ark was stranded cut off from the rest of the UNSC. It would take moths for even the fastest of their ships to travel the two hundred light years needed to reach the Ark.
Raising his assault rifle James started forward the crunches of glass breaking underneath his boots every step doing nothing to relieve him of his growing anxiety of the situation. One minute everything was fine and then the next a loud boom followed by a shockwave that had sent everyone flying. The shockwave and explosion had most likely occurred as a side effect to the portal collapsing. Or at least he hoped it was that and not an attack on the Ark.
Which was actually probably what was happening. Someone had shut down the portal somehow to cut them off from reinforcements so they could take the Ark.
"James... can... you...hear me.
James sighed in relief tapping the side of his helmet. "Isabel, do you know what's going on? The portal just collapsed."
"Jamesss...easssssh."
"Isabel? Isabel! Dammit!" James kicked the nearest thing to him sending a foldable chair sailing across the room. If things hadn't been bad enough now the comms were down.
Gripping his rifle tighter James stepped out of the outpost scanning the destruction outside for any survivors. Inside the walls had done little to stop the force of the shockwave and but that was still more than the guys out here had gotten. Warthogs were flipped over, some having unlucky mechanics squished underneath them. The bodies of scientist and soldiers alike scattered the ground covered in dirt and some trees had been sent flying into the camp from the nearby forest.
Pressing a finger against the side of his helmet James tried the comms again hoping the other outposts hadn't been hit as hard. "This is Sergeant James, does anyone copy? I repeat this is UNSC Sergeant James, does anyone copy?"
"James!"
"Shit, McMillan? Status report on your outpost Corporal." James knew he had to keep a strong front for anyone who had survived the shockwave and if the other bases had been hit as hard as his any survivors were most likely just as terrified as he was.
"Oh god, Sarge, there dead. Everyone's dead!"
"Calm down Corporal," James demanded despite the sympathy he felt. Poor kid wasn't old enough to have seen combat during the Great-War and this was probably the first time he was seeing death on this big of a scale. Still, he was a Marine and the UNSC needed them to be soldiers right now.
"Listen up Marine. I just lost contact with Isabel moments ago. Her data-chip is at the Eastern out Post so pack up what you can and get moving. We don't know what caused the portal to collapse but whatever it is it can't be good. Our top priority is Isabel, she holds too much information about the Ark."
"Ok, ok. Copy that Sergeant. McMillan out."
(Pelican Crash site)
"McMillan out."
Standing in front of the downed drop ship Naruto smacked the side of his helmet as the microphone inside wouldn't work. He could hear but anyone talking wouldn't be able to hear him. "So much for ONI upgrades."
Placing the now half working helmet over his head Naruto shouldered his assault rifle beginning the long jog to the East outpost. Serin had said his new armor was Semi-powered armor usually reserved for Spartans but she figured the only hyper-lethal ODST in the UNSC deserved the best.
"Not that she meant it." Serin just didn't want him to die because he was still useful to her in some way or another. He just wasn't sure what she wanted yet."
What he was sure of was that the Admiral had to be pissed the second she sent him through the portal without back-up it collapsed stranding everyone on the Ark with no way off. That worked both ways. though. The Ark is so far away no Covenant loyalist could get there with months of travel so it was still safe unless the Prometheans Serin had told him about were actually on the massive station. Which he was hoping they weren't.
Flicking his eyes up to the marker on his HUD he sped up his jog the trees around him blurring before his visor adjusted when he saw the two green markers of James and McMillan closing in on the East outpost faster than him. "Must have found Warthogs that survived the crash."
(Miles Away from the East Outpost)
"Kill the humans...
...and bring me back anything useful."
ONI File
Project Rebirth: The Good Becomes Great
Enhanced Intelligence: Subject's mental performance has been greatly enhanced to the very peak of human potential thus allowing his mind to operate in the most efficient and rapid manner possible. Subject has demonstrated the ability to quickly process multiple information streams (e.g., threat assessment) and rapidly respond to any changing tactical situations, by creating winning strategies rapidly.
Enhanced Strength: Subject's strength is immensely beyond that of the regular person. His immense strength allows him to physically overpower combatants, including Covenant Elites and some Brutes. Subject has shown to effortlessly bend metal bars, slam through solid walls and reinforced glass, and pry open steel doors.
Enhanced Durability: Subjects bones and muscles are vastly denser and harder than a regular human's, at the highest level of human potential, which has made him incredibly more durable than any human being, capable of surviving extreme blunt force trauma and keep moving.
Enhanced Speed: Subject can run and move at speeds at the peak of human potential, moving into the early levels of enhanced human condition. He can keep up with most standard vehicles and cover a small area such as city blocks within a short period of time. Subjects 13-mile run clocked at less than thirty minutes at subjects fastest time.
Enhanced Stamina: Due to strict training Subject's musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than the musculature of an ordinary human. Subject's body eliminates the excessive build-up of fatigue-producing chemicals in his muscles, granting him exceptional endurance and lung capacity, greater than of normal humans. Subject has been shown to be able to function at peak capacity for hours before showing fatigue.
Enhanced Senses: All five of the subjects natural senses have been enhanced. He can see, hear, smell, feel, and taste things imperceptible to humans. This allows him to see further, hear with amazing clarity, detect specific persons, objects, substances with his smell, etc.
Analysis: Project Rebirth unsuitable replacement for Spartan Program. Due to the amount of time needed to train subjects.
2nd chapter complete. I hope you guys like it.
P.S: The Warden controlling the Guardians is how I would have done Halo 5 instead of having Cortana turn evil. Which in my opinion was still a dumb thing to do. It just doesn't make any sense. She was cured of Rampancy so she turns on the Chief? Roland didn't turn on the Infinity when offered immortality and Chief and Cortana were way closer than most humans and their A.I.
Anyway, not hating. The game was still fun and all, I'm just saying the story could have been handled better is all. Like all they had to change was instead of Cortana being evil she wasn't. Spartan Locke was fine and Chief going AWOL to save Cortana who rejoins him would have made more sense than her being evil.