Karl was sprinting in the rainy weather, he was currently at a training camp in a classified area in eastern Western Canada. He was running as fast as he could towards the enemy flag. He was currently the last one alive on his team, Rogers was sitting out on the sidelines in the large training area in the forest.

Karl had only a magazine left in his training MA5 assault rifle and was going full sprint towards the flag nonstop. The rain was splashing against his body and sliding down his visor as tracer rounds flew all around him, he slid behind a tree trunk that was knocked down and rotting at this point. Gaining his composure and his breath, he was getting ready to make a daring escape with the flag, it was only a few meters away but about 6 enemies were guarding the flag. It was going to be ballsy but Karl quickly formulated a plan in his head. 'It's time to kick ass and take names' Karl said to himself as he stood up and jumped over the log. Charging with a classic marine grade battle cry. Karl charged forward and hip fired about 10 rounds and one of them hit one of the guards in the visor, knocking the man down and he was counted dead. That was when the tracers started pelting the pine trees around Karl and one hit him in the arm, but he kept moving towards the flag. It had disabled his arm, so he made it go limp and dropped his assault rifle choosing to grab a grenade from his belt.

Karl jumped to the ground as bullets were flying around him. He had to get this flag, he had to win, his competitiveness being top notch at his young age.

Karl continued to crawl towards the flag and when he was in grenade throwing distance he was about to toss his own grenade when he heard a plop in the mud next to him. Quickly realizing what it was he grabbed it out of the mud and threw it towards the enemies. He heard a "Holy fuck!" from them before the grenade went off and he saw they were both walking away with their hands up. Karl then threw his own grenade at the remaining enemies, they didn't have time to react as it went off and 'killed' them both.

Karl let out a "Oorah!" and got up grabbing the flag and walking back to his base. He slowly walked back to the base at a good pace, wanting to rub it in the other teams face. He made it to their own pole and tied the flag around it. "Blue team wins!" He heard his drill sergeant say. Rogers ran to Karl and they high fived. "Fuck yeah Karl, you are some prodigy or some shit!" Rogers said as his team gathered around him, considering they were all out and he wasn't. At this point he was just a private trying to earn respect from his superiors.

4 Months later...

Karl was walking around with his knew corporal stripes. He was proud of them now that he was holding a somewhat place of authority, but not much, he was a bitch compared to the sergeants.

Karl noticed a couple of marines chatting, "Yeah it looks like she has good sucking lips," he heard one of them say, "We should go talk to her." One of them said. Karl cringed at the disrespectful comment. He spotted the two marines going over to the surprisingly beautiful women that was sitting with a few other marines just chatting. They were in the recreation room, so it was not unusual to see a lot of marines here. But this girl stood out, she had long blonde hair tied in a military bun and a beautiful smooth face. She had a very athletic body and could tell she was probably a very fit. Not body builder muscular either.

"Hey there hot lips, mind if we have a nice chat." One of the two marines said, "No thanks, I prefer to chat with gentleman." She said in response. "I can be very gentle babe, no worries." He said in response. Karl was already tired of this shit. "Yeah we will take good care of you, very good care." The other one said while leaning in closer. "Well could you care to fuck off?" She said standing up and looking face to face with them. "Wow, feisty too." One of them said. Karl had enough at this point and walked over.

"You boys should leave her alone, this girl doesn't deserve to be talked to like that." Karl said sternly as he walked behind them. "Pfff, with a body like that she does, probably a slut on the inside anyways." One of the two turned around and said to Karl. He could see the anger in her face and needed to defuse this situation. "Look you can either leave her the fuck alone or you won't be fighting her you will be fighting me." Karl said stepping closer, now showing his tall and toned body in full view of the two marines. "What are you going to do about it." That quote alone made Karl smile. "I am going to beat the living shit out of you two." Karl said getting close enough to where he could be hugging one of them. "Okay try, dick." One of them said to Karl. "Okay." Karl said with a shrug and socked the one his was right in front of in the jaw, and he hit the floor with a large smack. "How about you?" Karl said turning to the other one who just backed off and even walked away from his friend and left the recreation room. Karl nodded at his decision and crouched down grabbing the other one on the floor holding his face, grabbing his shirt and pulling him up. "Treat women with respect you piece of street trash, we are all equal, especially in the ODST." Karl said picking the man up and pushing him away. The man just left without a word.

"My knight in shining armor." He heard the voice of the girl behind him. "It's nothing I just hate seeing other marines pushed around." Karl said turning around to talk to her. "Well I ought to say thank you, I was about to make them hurt a lot more than you did." She said as she sat down back on the bench. Karl walked around and sat on the other side. "I have seen you around the platoon, but never got your name." Karl said. "I am Private first class Sarah Brandy, 3rd squad." She said in response. Karl nodded, "I am Corporal Karl Kuhn, 1st Squad. A.K.A your knight in shining armor." Karl joked, which he usually didn't.

They talked the rest of the evening about where they were from, interests, and other things, but Karl was obviously more reserved than she was on personal information.

Karl then woke up. He looked around the room, seeing where he was he relaxed. 'Another dream or nightmare in one night, fuck me' Karl thought as he got up and began doing push ups, after about 50 he put his feet under his dresser on his back and began doing sit ups, after about 100 of those he got up and walked to the fridge, still having to stock up on groceries he grabbed a water and grapes. After drinking the water and eating the grapes he got on some combat pants and put on an advanced armored vest under his everyday shirt. After that he put on a hoodie that had ODST on the front and put on a UNSC cap on his head after that. He walked over to his utility belt and put it on checking the magazine he made sure it was non lethal which it was. He then put on his combat boots and a knife sheathe onto his belt, sliding the knife into it afterwards.

Karl stretched and walked out of his room, ready for the day ahead of him. No need to wear his armor as it was early and he was going to go to the market to buy some food. He walked out of the building and greeted the two guarding the front entrance as usual, walking out into the cool german autumn weather.

He made his way to the market which he was going to buy some fresh produce, which he preferred to fattening foods, after all obesity was an epidemic. But not really anymore with all the protein programs and stuff obesity was at a steady decline, at least Karl hoped so. As he walked to the market he knew people wouldn't know who he was so he thanked himself for that, except for a few people at the bar who would have seen his face. He just hoped it wasn't any of the guys who tried to attack him, then he remembered they got arrested and would serve a while in prison, or so Karl hoped.

It was a nice morning, not all too busy, but it was a monday and people were commuting to work. While he stopped at a traffic light a young man walked up next to him, no older than 16 he thought, probably on his way to school. "Are you a soldier?" The boy asked Karl, to which Karl looked down at the boy, "Yes I am." Karl said nodding to the kid. "Oh, well, I wanted to thank you. For defending our planet." Karl nodded again, "No problem at all kid, that is all over now." Karl said. The boy smiled at him and the traffic stopped and they were able to cross. The boy went a different way though as Karl continued to the market.

Karl finally made it to the market. He was looking around at the fresh meats, such as fish and beef. When he noticed someone in the corner of his eye. It was an interesting figure to say the least, a women. She was also wearing a UNSC hoodie but was covering her face. Karl looked like he didn't notice her and began walking into a secluded area. She did follow him but he kept his best not to notice and went to a secluded fruit stand. She walked up next to him to act like she was in line but Karl acted first, pulling his magnum and shoving her to the ground pointing it at her forehead as her hoodie fell off. Karl stopped instantly, he let them magnum fall to the ground and he did the same, just staring up at the sky. "No it can't be, you were confirmed dead by the doctor." He said to himself as he laid on the ground. "I'm sorry, I told the doctor to tell you that. It was stupid, but I didn't want you to worry." The voice said back. Karl got up and just stared at... Brandy. She was alive, was he dreaming? He didn't know. "Didn't want me to worry! That's all I have been doing Sarah!" Karl yelled at her as she got up. That was the first time he used her first name since they met. "You do not do that to a man, especially someone that loves you!" Karl yelled again, he was angry, she had lied to him. "You had a grave and everything.. What the fuck." Karl fell to his ass and backed against a wall, she walked up next to him and sat next to him. "It is complicated, but I did it and everyone but the UNSC thought I was dead." Brandy said as she put her arms around his torso. Karl didn't move, "Sarah, you made me cry, I don't cry." Karl said as he put his arms around her, "You have so much to explain." He said as he kissed the top of her head.

"What are you here for anyways." Karl asked as he began getting up again after getting out of her embrace. "Well, I came here for the same reason you are, I am guarding an ambassador. But not the same one, it is one a lot less reserved than yours, she is a trip indeed." Brandy said sighing deeply, "And when I saw you there yesterday, I had to find you again and be with you." She said starting to tear up. "It is okay, I am here for you, but I am still mad, lucky I don't hold a grudge." Karl said with a chuckle. "I will even let you stay in my room with me, I can't have a king sized bed all to myself, and we have a lot of catching up to do." Karl said as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her along down the street, completely forgetting he had to buy food, he didn't care right now, especially since he now had his 'dead' girlfriend with him again.'It is like from a shitty movie, god I hate you and love you Sarah' he thought to himself.

Karl didn't like showing affection in public, so he would kiss her when he got back to the embassy, he would kiss her for a long ass time.

They finally made it to the embassy and the guards knew who they both were so they let them in. He was greeted by Dao, "Looks like a dead girl came back to life huh." "Yep I hate that she lied to me, but it was in a much better interest, she will be getting punished for it though, probably a silent treatment for a week." Karl said jokingly. "Well I would much rather not be given a silent treatment but punished a different way." She said coyly. Karl blushed at this and just stared at Dao with an awkward smile. "Well I don't really mind what you guys decide to do, but at least she is alive, hell my wife would kill for a night alone with me after months of being apart." Dao said pretty straight forward. Karl just gulped and sighed. "Welp off we go." Karl said as he walked up the stairs followed by a laughing Brandy.

He hadn't wanted to picture it, but after the dream he had last night he wondered if it was fate or his mind playing tricks on him and his conscious just being a dick. But it had been a nightmare in his mind, not knowing what he was going to do, but he had to go meet the ambassador. He needed to get there before she did.

He walked into his room followed by Brandy and sat on his messy bed that he hadn't made on his rush out this morning. "Wow, what a messy room, you need a maid." Brandy said as she sat next to him. "Well I am a very busy man these last couple of days, speaking of I need to get my armor on and guard my VIP." Karl said as he got up and began to undress, he didn't mind and neither did Brandy, they were marines, they had seen each other naked 100 times over, it was only a little awkward now since they are in a relationship. "Damn have you gotten more in shape then you were before, or is it just me?" Brandy commented on him being a little more fit. "Well when you 'died' I lost all emotion I was regular me and became an emotionless ruthless killer. Karl said putting on his combat shirt and beginning to put on his armor, "As well I got some upgrades after I joined a special operations group. That well does some seriously crazy shit." Karl said as he put on the rest of his armor and turned on the shields. "See? And also the armor is lighter but stronger, but looks the same, pretty badass and it makes my life easier." Karl said as he put on his helmet. "Well that makes you look badass." Brandy pointed to his helmet and then put her hand back down supporting herself on the bed again. Karl nodded, "Well time to go into full guard mode, I will see you this evening." Karl said, "Just find something to do, or are you supposed to be guarding your VIP?" Karl asked as he turned off the shields. "I'm on break been here a couple months, and the ambassador is back on Sangheilios, I have to wait for her to get back." Brandy said, "I could clean your crap room and talk to Dao or something." Brandy said with a chuckle at her first comment. "Oh ha ha." Karl said through his helmet. He then took it off and walked over to Brandy, they shared a long kiss before Karl put on his helmet again and left the room leaving her alone and himself walking to the ambassador's office.

Karl sighed as he walked to the officer, it was mainly out of the stress of his 'dead' girlfriend really being alive this whole time. She had made a mistake she probably truly regretted, at least Karl hoped so. 'She didn't want me to worry about her' Karl thought to himself as he entered the office and walked over to his chair in the corner. 'Did she not want me to stress myself over her being injured, why didn't she just tell him to tell me that she was going to live no matter what and they could save her. Probably because I would worry.' Karl thought, 'I don't get the logic, but it worked, I did forget about her and move on' Karl sighed at the thought that her strategy worked.

After a while Soya walked in, "Good morning sergeant." She said to him and he just nodded in response, playing the quiet guard. A role he was all too familiar with. The usual uneventful day happened other than a few human visitors just talking politics with the sangheili women. He ignored politics, he was a soldier he didn't need to worry, he just tried to keep away whatever politics caused to the human race. It is what soldiers did best.

After another boring and uneventful day Karl got up and escorted her to her room. "Have a good rest Soya." Karl said as he waved her off and walked to his own room. He entered and just found Brandy watching some TV, sitting on his couch, the room was cleaner now. She had made his bed, cleaned all of his clothes off the floor. He thought he would make her life stress free so he walked over to his weapon locker and took off his armor there and put it all into it neatly, he then closed it and locked it. He went over to his dresser and put on his athletic shorts and shirt, what he usually slept in.

He walked over to the couch and sat down next to Brandy. She immediately cuddled up next to him and put her feet up onto the couch and leaned into his chest, Karl wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her close. "Thanks for cleaning my room, I appreciate it." Karl said softly. "Mhm" Was all she said in response and just kept close to him.

They just sat like that for a while. holding each other close which they didn't do since before the base attack. Brandy raised her head and took Karl into a kiss, which he responded back with kissing her back passionately. She pulled away, "Karl, I love you." She said staring into his bright blue eyes. "And I love you Sarah." Karl said and they connected again. This time with even more passion. Soon Karl swiped her up bridal style off the couch, still kissing and they both fell onto the bed. Quickly getting rid of their clothes. Karl was a little hesitant as he finally got a hold of himself realizing his actions. "Karl." Brandy said softly, "It's okay, I'm ready if you are ready." Karl nodded as they went back to kissing, "You know it's my first time." Karl said as they got the rest of their clothes off and Karl got a full view of her beautiful body. "Mine too." She said as they went back to kissing. Soon they were making love into the night, this was a very special moment for Karl, something Karl would savior, as this was the women he was losing his virginity to and hers to him.

After a while they were both just laying in bed holding each other tightly, Karl looked into her eyes, seeing her pant. "Did I hurt you?" Karl asked as he thumbed some of her hair behind her ear, "No, if anything you did the opposite." She said with a smile, and she closed her eyes, soon falling asleep. Karl wish he could do the same but he had too much on his mind, another night of trying hard to clear his mind. He laid on his back with Brandy's arms wrapped around him, 'I will not let her be at risk again, not matter what, she can never come close to death again' Karl thought, 'I will protect her with my life.' Karl finally was able to clear his mind once again and closed his eyes to get a long good sleep.

Personally I'm not comfortable writing a Lemons scene, so this was the closest I could get. And what an amazing cliche plot twist, I hate myself.