Warning this story is going to further go into family, breaking down Master Chief's relationship with Samus. So yes he is not quiet and solitary about the relationship to his team, although I will have him try and hide it from them. Ok this story is not completely canon to Halo as I am skipping years and whatever. And it is definetely not canon in anyway to the Metroid series. I am bringing in Sylux as a side villan I don't know much about his character so he is pretty much completely made up.
Chapter 7 Part 1: Hearts Of Steel Never Let Go
All of Blue team except one, was calm and silent waiting for the terrible answer they were dreading. Meanwhile Kelly was livid she was not about to listen to the one thing they have accomplished to keep safe for almost five years say she was about to walk out. "I swear to god if you say you're leaving I will beat you." she threatened.
"I've been thinking about going out on my own."
"Aaah!" Kelly pinned the poor scared teen to the wall. "I told you not to say that!" Kelly growled as Fred and John pulled her off Samus.
"Samus are you being serious right now?" Linda asked in her calming voice watching Kelly be pulled off to the side.
Samus watched as the two men tried to restrain Kelly's rage. "I don't know..." Samus found herself unprepared for this conversation with her family of Spartans.
"No no no, you don't get a say in this. You are too young to go out all on you're own forget it Kid!" Kelly shook Chief and Fred off.
"I am not anymore Kelly." Samus simply replied.
Fred stood next to the teen. "There has to be a reason for you wanting to leave kid, what is it?"
"I just think I'm ready to leave."
"You know we were just joking when we talked about wondering around space as a freelancer." Kelly mentioned the previous conversation they had a while ago.
"I wasn't. Ridley is still out there, along with other horrible beings with terrible intensions." Samus replied as serious as possible.
"You can't just go chasing threats around the universe."
"I can't just stand around waiting for him to strike again, causing more devastation. Plus I highly doubt the UNSC is going to chase down Ridley. They seem to have a full agenda of things they want to conquer all on their own." Samus argued with the enraged female spartan.
Chief could tell Samus was already beginning her hunt all in her mind. She was proving her argument to be valid in everyway. He couldn't stand to think of Samus going out all on her own against all odds without someone guiding her. Abandoning the issue at hand, promptly leaving the rec room, John wanted to go think on his own for a while. The world around him was crumbling before him. His missions were being cut short it was as if the UNSC had dismissed him from duty. And now he was once again going to loose something he had grown attached to his life. With this much emotional beating John was surprised he hadn't become a complete mental case over these many years of war.
Kelly stormed towards the door. "You know what kid just go leave be on your own." Kelly threw her arms up in defeat.
Linda nor Fred had anything to say anymore for once they were shocked and had no idea how to handle this situation.
"You know I'm not being unappreciative right?" Samus looked up at the two for a reply.
The two spartans only answered by exiting the room leaving the teen alone and by herself in the rec room. Sighing Samus secretly wished she didn't exist at the moment, she wasn't expecting to cause that much grief to the team. Right now she was more lost then ever. Torn between her burning desire to finally use her full abilities to hunt down enemies through the universe, and staying with the team keeping their anger with her at bay.
"Chief..." the teen knew she would find her favourite spartan in the shooting range.
Chief barely acknowledged the blonde girl approaching him. "I know you're upset with me, you have a right to be. I just want you to know I'm not being unappreciative, I've appreciated everything you've done for me and more. Maybe we didn't start out to well, me being a little brat that had to question everything and get into trouble. Now I'm older and have been through a lot with you and the team, learning my mistakes along the way. I know I've been stubborn, giving you a hard time by avoiding you more offten, and I apologize for that." Samus exhaled looking from the corner of her eye to see if the spartan would nod in acknowledgment. But to no avail the green titan stood frozen. "I feel like I'm in a restraint, always under rules to limit my abilities and weaponry, I know I can do more."
John thought to himself, in some strange way he understood the girls words. Being under command limiting your abilities. Being told what to do, even though you feel you should do the opposite of what you're told, and straight up ignore the order for once.
"I just think I've grown out of being under control by military operations. I need to take things into my own hands, find my own mission to take on. I'm not planning on letting Ridley or any other evil lords continue they're destruction through the universe." Samus snapped John out of his thoughts.
"I don't belong here Chief. You understand what I mean right?" Samus knew if there was anyone that would understand her reasons for her actions it would be Master Chief.
John paused his shooting to listen to the teens words. Mulling over the small speech Samus had given him he kept silent continuing to fire at the target ahead.
Backing away the teen exhaled. "Ok... I'll just... leave you alone..." Samus was heartbroken at the fact that Chief refused to speak to her. Upon leaving the range Samus met the rest of the team as they entered. Trying to give the team a warm smile as they passed by her, they pretty much ignored her continuing their way into the range. Samus had nothing left to give the spartans for approval, beginning to regret her choice of leaving.
Samus exited the range running straight into someone. "Whoa sorry about that. Hey you didn't fall this time." Samus barely recognized the voice until she looked up seeing the mans face. It was that spartan she had run into in the hallway the first day she was brought onto the Infinity.
"Sorry I wasn't looking." Samus apologized with a sigh.
"It's alright kid you've sure grown since I last saw you. I was beginning to wonder if you were still on this ship." Thorne smiled at the teen.
"...Yeah... I'm still here..." Samus gaze kind of wondered past the man in a black jumpsuit.
"So where's your team I'm surprised to see you apart from them?" Thorne chuckled.
Samus was beginning to wonder if the spartan four would ever stopped talking. "They're in the range." Samus began to walk away only to be followed by the spartan four.
"Hey I don't think I ever caught your name or don't remember. Do you remember mine?"
It was official the spartan talked more than she did. "I don't remember sorry." Samus shrugged and kept her reply short.
"Thorne and yours?" the spartan four kept up with the agitated teen.
"Samus Aran." she introduced herself continuing past numerous soldiers in the corridor.
"Well then Aran I was about to head to the sparring mats would you care to join me?" Thorne was too friendly for his own good.
"Don't you have a team you can do that with?" Samus tried her best not to sound cold.
"They're already in there doing the paint simulator." Thorne chuckled not taking offence to the teens tone.
Samus thought for a moment as the training facility doors were quickly approaching. "Why not I've got nothing better to do." Samus shrugged.
In the range blue team was discussing Samus's upcoming choice she has to make.
"Can you believe her. Almost five years, and she's ready to move on without us?" Kelly was still fumming from earlier.
"We might be being a little to harsh on her, honestly it's the kids choice, not ours." Linda felt sympathy for Samus's argument.
"I'm not sure how to take this all in. It feels wierd It's like we're loosing another teammate." Fred was confused at the whole situation.
"She has a choice." the barritone voice finally spoke up.
"Yeah we know, and she is choosing the wrong one." Kelly scoffed.
"No, she is old enough now, to decide weather she want's to be a part of our team and UNSC. Or leave and freelance." Chief shook his head at Kelly.
"John she's already made her choice!"
"Those two choices might change her mind though." Fred agreed with his leaders strategy.
"I agree with John on this one Kelly it's a smart move." Linda reassured the brunet.
"Fine we will try John's way. If it dosen't work we use my method." Kelly grumbled.
"We are not holding her hostage Kelly." Fred shot a pointed look at the speed runner.
"Whatever I'm just trying to keep the kid with us."
On the sparring mats Thorne was getting more then what he had bargained for as Samus held her own winning two of the three matches they had done.
"Ok lets do something else." Thorne exhaled deeply as he stood back up.
"Want to race?" Samus gestured over to the track.
"Running now?" Thorne sighed looking up at the ceiling. "Yeah I guess so fine."
Samus was already at the track waiting impatiently. "Hurry up then!" Samus waved from where she stood on the track.
"On it." Thorne chuckled jogging over.
"Ready set go!" Samus gave the spartan four no time to stop to ask how many laps.
"Hey wait!" Throrne turned his jog into a sprint to catch up to the teen. "How many laps Samus!?" Thorne began to gain on the teen.
"I don't know 10 I guess." Samus slowed her pace slightly for the spartan four to chatch up.
"Fare enough." Thorne began running faster keeping beside the teen now.
On their ninth lap Thorne felt the need to try and bug the teen. "Tired yet?"
"You know you waste more energy talking right?" Samus scoffed,it was someting Linda had said to her one day, when she wouldn't stop talking to the sniper.
Thorne chuckled as they finally began their final lap kicking himself into a higher gear as they closed in one the second corner. Samus began to drop back before the final turn, only to hear Thorne taunt her just as she predicted. "You sure you're not tired? I'm going to win." Thorne looked over his shoulder.
Just as they hit the straight stretch to the finish line Samus unexpectedly bolted by the spartan four in a blue blur. "The hell!?" Thorne wondered what just flew past him.
"I win." Samus stood waiting for Thorne to cross the finish line.
"Really you're going to beat me at everything?" Thorne caught his breath.
"Yep." Samus grined mockingly.
"Those Spartan twos sure trained you well." Thorne stetched his arms.
Samus couldn't agree more with the spartan four. "Yeah they did." Samus turned her head away.
"Hey I know you take disobeying orders to a new level. Chief sure had that incredible patients for you, because you are beginning to listen on missions." Thorne tried to start a conversation.
"Thanks?" Samus didn't know weather that was a compliment or a point to be proven.
Thorne cuffed a hand on Samus's shoulder. "Hey team work isn't for everybody. But when you do listen you connect really well with Blue Team." Thorne watched as his team exited the paint simulator.
"That's true." Samus shrugged watching Chief enter the training facility.
"Trust me I've pissed off enough people to know that." Thorne laughed making Samus chuckle as well.
"I highly qualify for that group." Samus joked while still laughing.
John scanned the place for a moment before finding the bright blue jumpsuit the teen wore with ease, seeing her at the track with a spartan four. Chief tried to walk over as casually as possible, as his hostility spiked, seeing the teen with a spartan she barely knew.
"Ha it's alright though, there's always other teams to try out, sometimes you just don't click with the first squad you get on." Thorne continued to joke around.
Hearing the last sentence from the spartan four made Chief's stride go at a faster pace.
Samus ignored the green armoured spartan that came up behind her. Thorne didn't though as he respectfully saluted the spartan two. "As you were soldier. Samus may I speak with you?" Chief grabbed hold of the teens shoulders as Thorne relaxed.
Samus didn't answer frowning she looked away from both spartans.
"Hey don't be grumpy with a superior Samus. Smile no wait don't smile look serious and give him an answer." Thorne's outgoing personality brought a smile and a small laugh out of Samus.
Chief wasn't impressed by this childish behaviour from both the teen and spartan four. Though he was more irritated about the fact that Samus was listening to Thorne and not him.
"Ow!" Samus winced as Chief tightened his grip on her shoulders.
Chief turned Samus towards the direction of the exit and told her in a firm voice to move. Samus did as she was told moving towards the exit in an unhappy manner.
"Bye Samus, maybe next time we can verse eachother in paint." Thorne called out watching the two leave towards the door.
"Yeah that would be... Bye..." Samus didn't exactly have a chance to reply as Chief glared down at her moving her faster.
When they finally entered the hallway Samus shook off Chief and lept away from him. "What is your problem!?" for once in her life she snapped at John.
"Don't start mingling with other soldiers, they only want to make everything a competition to see who's better." Chief immediately replied in an advisable tone.
"It seemed fine to me, besides, he was more annoying than competitive." Samus replied quirking an eyebrow. "Why are you so hostile about this? As much as you and the team are acting like asses right now, you will always be my number one spartan to follow Chief." Samus gave an honest sigh, noting her interactions must have some how felt like a betrayal to Chief.
Chief was taken back by the words Samus had just said to him. Her words confirmed to him, no matter what the team or him say or do with the teen, she still has an unconditional love for them. "Samus we need to talk about what is going on with you."
Samus snorted. "Now you want to talk? I'm sorry I thought you were to busy shunning me with the rest of the team." she began to walk off down the hallway.
Chief noted that the sweet little comment, was probably the only kind thing to escape the still fuming teen. "Samus we apologize for that. We were in shock, and didn't know how to reply to the news you gave us." Chief followed the angered teen.
"Look." John pulled Samus into his quarters as they passed by it almost.
Samus stood frowning as she was held in place surrounded by the whole team now.
"We need to ask you a serious question now." Chief crouched down to Samus's level.
"Shoot..." Samus sighed staring back at herself in the golden visor.
"You are old enough to decide now. You have a choice to join our team and the UNCS, or become the freelance bounty hunter you want to be."
Samus was silent musing over the choices given to her. Looking up she saw the entire team staring at her no longer angered now they just looked plain scared and worried. Feeling under pressure with all the spartans waiting. "I... I... Just... um..." Samus couldn't find the words for her answer.
"We will honor what ever you chose Samus." John reassured the nervous teen.
After a few more agonizingly long moments. "I'm sorry... I want to be a bounty hunter." The words came out painfully as she felt the whole teams hearts sink.
Chief was going to answer right away but took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Is this what you really want to do?" John finally found his voice.
Hesitantly she confirmed her choice. "Yes." in her heart she said no, but in the back of her mind she knew that she couldn't let evil terrorize the universe forever. And knew she couldn't possibly accomplish that under strict millitary orders.
John sighed standing up. "Ok Samus."
Kelly sighed apologetically. "Sorry for acting so hostile earlier kid, I just really couldn't stand to think that you would leave us one day." The team almost looked surprised at Kelly's apology. "We've all grown attached to you over the years. Now that you've reached your full potential of running with spartans, you are prepared to go out on your own, and kick ass."
Samus smiled at Kelly's acceptance of her choice. "Thanks Kelly."
"You have finally found the patients to be able to cooperate on a battlefield. Couldn't be prouder of you kid." Fred nodded proudly at the teen.
John exhaled deeply trying to find the a way to express how he accepted the teens choice. "Samus I have to be honest with you. You arrived and you changed this team drastically, I thought it was for the worst, and tried to keep our distance away from you. But you proved to put more skill into us than take away. Raising you has taught us a higher level of tolerance, protectiveness, and control on a whole different scale. And that we can finally thank you for." John didn't want to accept the fact that a child he practiacally raised was about to leave him. Considering his team was probably the one and only spartan team to have ever rescue and raise a child on their own, and never was that in their childhood training.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble I put you through. I know I took you completely out of your normale solitary personalities, and made you guys look like completely different soldiers." Samus couldn't help herself hugging her favoured spartan.
"Don't apologize for that. You were just a shock to our systems, you were the one that didn't hate or love us for what we did. You stuck to us like glue, liking us just for who we are, prying our personalities back out of us." Linda reassured the teen she hadn't done anything wrong.
"Plus who knows maybe you will be hired as an asset to the UNSC." Kelly mentioned.
"That's a possibility." Samus agreed.
"Alright you sure know how to turn a normale day into a long day. How about we rest on this decision and see you change your mind when you wake up?" Fred smiled.
"Fred." Samus playfully punched the spartan.
"Ok goodnight kid." Fred patted Samus's head before exiting.
Both female spartans felt the need to hug the teen and never let go. "Kelly I can't breath..." Samus gasped for air as she was hugged by two spartans.
"Sorry kid just letting you know we will never let go of you." Kelly smiled warmly as she exited with Linda.
Samus stood next to the door and watched the three leave, while Chief solemnly walked over to his desk, grabbing something before sitting down on his berth. Samus sighed, turning around to see Chief hanging his head low, fidgeting with something in his hand. Sitting next to the depressed spartan Samus leaned against the super soldiers shoulder. "You're going to be ok, right Chief?" she asked in that innocent tone.
"I think so." John exhaled wrapping an arm around the teen. "I just want to say you have changed my life I really feel accomplished. Raising you was the hardest mission I have ever done. The whole team was unprepared for you but we stuck to it and pulled through raising you through war." Samus laughed at the way Chief explained. "And now... you're leaving..." Samus stared up at him with those beautiful blue mixed coloured eyes. "Know that no matter when and where, you will always be an official member of our team." John said handing the teen something. "Yes you can keep these." he half joked handing Samus his dog tags remebering when the teen grabbed them asking if she could keep them.
Chuckling Samus took the ID tags examining them. "Thank you Chief." After placing the dog tags around her neck she gave the spartan another hug. This goodbye was really beginning to weigh heavy on her conscious as her smile sooned turned to tears.
John no longer held back on his fear of showing his emotions to the girl returning the embrace with sorrow, pain, and love.
After a long heartfelt conversation, Chief finally decided it was time for them to go to sleep. After hours of waiting, John finally fell asleep, after his emotions gave him a break. Samus snuck out of her berth, standing beside the spartans slumbering form, sighing she turned to the table with all of the spartan's armour placing a small object with a note next to his helmet. Samus knew the door would wake the leader up, flashing her armour on she pried off a vent hatch on the floor and rolled through in morphball, exiting into the corridor.
Walking down the quiet almost empty hallway Samus finally made it to the bridge Finding the Captin working hard by himself. "Sir?" Samus called getting the officers attention.
"Samus good evening, it's pretty late for you to be wondering around, is Blue Team still up?" Lasky looked up from his data pads and welcomed the teen into the bridge.
"No sir. I'm just here to tell you that I will no longer be living on this vessel." Samus replied formally.
Surprised the captin stood up. "You wont? I suppose that ship you were building is finally complete?" Lasky smiled.
"Yes sir thank you for supplying me and allowing it's construction. But I am going to be a freelance bounty hunter." Samus replied.
The sound of the words shocked Lasky. "Bounty hunter. Hmm, we will keep you on record if we ever need help then." Lasky was peaceful with the teens choice of lifestyle even though he knew all to well that Bounty Hunting was illegal.
Samus nodded with a smile before turning to leave Lasky followed her in an escorting manner. Watching as she boarded her pristine ship that seemed to resemble the teens armour in colour.
"Safe travels." Lasky called as the teen took off flawlessly out of the hanger.
Morning came harshly, as Chief woke to find no teen goofing off with something in his room, as it was a normale routine in the mornings. Looking on the floor John saw the hatch of a vent laying on the floor. Rushing out the door hoping one of his spartans had Samus he entered Kelly's room. "Where's the fire John?" Kelly asked doing up her hair.
"Samus is gone."
"What!?" Kelly jumped up running with John to the other two team members.
They all regrouped in Master Chief's room after checking the training facilities and the aircraft hanger. "She seriously did not leave already she couldn't have!" Kelly denied as Chief suited himself up.
"She's gone." John confirmed leaning back against the table holding his helmet.
"What's that behind you John something flashed." Linda pointed out after seeing small blue flash on the table.
Turning around John immediately picked up the small chip like device and note. Reading the note in his head it read. Chief this is a long range communication device so we can speak no matter how far apart we are. I'm already programed into the device, all you have to do is plug it into your big head there's one for every one under your helmet, love Samus. John smiled at the quick witted comment in the note.
"What's it say John?" Kelly asked as Chief placed his helmet on revealing three more of the communication chips on the table.
"She left us long range communication devices." John handed the chips out.
Immediately they all placed the chips into the proper slots in their helmets.
Samus finally seeing a flashing blue light down on her control board on her ship, she answered the call. "You finally found the devices." Samus greeted.
"How the hell could you just leave with out saying?!"
"Hi Kelly, I didn't think you would let me when I had the chance." Samus laughed at the angered voice that replied first.
"You're probably right on that one. So where are you?" Kelly sighed in defeat.
"Not really sure I'm sort of following a wierd signal coming from a distant planet it seems to be space pirate related signal."
"Where are you we'll come help you?" John finally spoke saying what was on everyones mind.
"Chief I can do this on my own, I can handle it this time." Samus deeply sighed rolling her eyes. "Plus you don't have permission to leave so ha."
"Don't get smart with us just be safe please." Chief shook his head at his team.
"Don't worry I will be... Oh no I'm under fire got some bogey on my ass!"
That was enough to get the team startled with fear for the teen. "What!?"
"Just kidding!" Samus giggled through the comm.
"Brat you almost scared John straight out his armour!" Kelly growled.
"Says the one who jumped up first." Fred raised an eyebrow at the brunet.
"I can't help it if I'm faster than all of you." Kelly scoffed folding her arms.
"Wow you guys should see this planet it looks really neat. I will send you visuals." Samus transmited what she was seeing through her visor.
Each member of blue team recieved a small screen on the bottum left of their HUD recieving the video footage of Samus's vision.
"Um there's no way you are landing on that planet it's covered in nothing but lava." Linda scoffed watching the planet bubble as Samus entered the planets orbit.
"Uh yeah I am this is where the signal is coming from so I'm going in." Samus scoffed not giving the spartan team a choice. "I will contact you guys later after I've figured out what's on this planet." Samus mentioned as she parked her ship in a firey cavern.
"Negative stay on the line kid." Fred replied gruffly before John had a chance to.
"I'll be fine Fred, I've got all of your guys combat skills and more, what could go wrong." Samus replied confidently before signing off on the com.
"Damn we gave that kid to much confidence." Kelly muttered giving a careless hand gesture.
"I trust her she's a strong girl." John's confidence in his young freelanced warrior was only 50%, as he was still trying to resist the urge to highjack a ship and fly off to find the teen.
"Well, I'm off to go spar. Anyone care to join while we wait for the brat to return her call?" Kelly pushed off the wall she was leaning against.
"I think we could all use a distraction." Fred put a hand on his leaders shoulder gesturing towards the door.
John didn't like the fact that he had to be distracted to ignore the five year mission that ended so abruptly. "Let's do the paint then." John suggested trying to sound optimistic so the situation didn't seem to worrisome.
"Even better." Linda nodded. "A free for all, or teams?" her voice carried over the voices in the hallway.
"We could do teams I suppose, they will be even now that the kid isn't here." Kelly shrugged.
That missing fifth person was something they've had to deal with most of their lives Chief supposed. "Fred and Linda against Kelly and I one round capture the flag, then we can have a free for all." he gave out a list of activities the team could do.
"Thanks for the itinerary sounds good." Kelly smirked giving John a smack.
Meanwhile 9 hours into exploring the planet, Samus Was fighting a large flaming death worm from the pits of hell itself. Samus backflipped out of the way of it's razor filled jaws. Aiming her cannon she began filling it's mouth full of missiles. The creature shrilled in pain thrashing about as it's body began melt and burn from the inside. Watching the beast disintegrate Samus grabbed and tossed a stone across the fire river she stood next to. "Dammit, nothing but mindless monsters!" Samus hissed irritated there was no sign of the evil dragon or his space pirate army. It seemed more like an abandoned pirate research center.
"Oh on the contrary young warrior, not all here are mindless." a sisnister unfamiliar voice echoed from above.
Samus was quick to react to the voice, pointing her cannon to the sky, frantically scanning the area she saw nothing at first glance. Then a figure out of the shadows the fire could not illuminate appeared tall but not dragon like. "Who the hell are you?!" Samus didn't hold back attempting to sound intimidating.
"Clearly you are new to the game of bounty. For I am a very well known hunter, most others only get in my way, such as yourself." the being leapt down a couple ledges reveling it's dark blue armour with green highlights on the faceless hunters armour.
"State your name jackass!" Samus ordered totting her cannon at the possible threat.
"So rude, and yet so young, where are your parents brat? You should not be here alone."
Samus was now overflowing with rage and irritation. "That's none of your business. I am perfectly capable on my own!" she hissed locking onto her target.
"Well as I recall my client seemed to have claimed the lives of your birth givers." The male alien hunter claimed.
"You bastard you work for Ridley!?" Samus spat charging her cannon.
"So you are Samus Aran, I found you, the exact target I need for the generous bounty price." Sylux hissed venomously finally landing infront of the younger soul.
Samus released her charge out of rage, her new foe simply moving his shoulder out of the premature shots way. "What Ridley can't do his own dirty work, he has to hire a stooge to do the job for him?"
"So eager and inexperianced." Sylux muttered ignoring the teens comment. "Though I am baffled, where are your comrades, Ridley warned me you would have company?"
"Chief..." Samus breathed, remembering it had been over 10 hours since she last contacted the team.
"No matter, alone or not, my mission is to reduce you to nothingness. And I Sylux intend to complete the mission." Sylux scoffed releasing a beam from his cannon.
Rolling out of the way Samus returned the shots. This was an unexpected battle Samus was unprepared for. Samus rushed the alien tackling him at full force Sylux was taken aback by the sudden blow, but was quick to react punching the girl in the head hard. Samus's adrenalin pumped so harshly through her body that she could bearly feel the blow to her head.
Sylux struggled under the teens strength, but he had no intention of letting such a young newbie beat him at the game of hunt. Freeing a his hand he clutched the girls throat tightly immobilizing the teens adrenalin rush.
As Sylux regained his standing position, he shot his weapon into the teen, draining her power for his own. Samus could only aim her cannon to the ground as she was loosing energy tanks quickly. Firing a missile at the hunters feet he dropped the her as he was blown back.
Samus had to think quickly being unprepared and inexperianced. She was not going to win this battle if she did not act fast. The planet seemed to be useless to her though touring through the planet she did find chozo technology finding herself some new weapons and armour upgrades. She gasped remembering one of her new beams, looking beyond the blue hunter she gazed at the glowing river of lava. That would surely slow down her opponent causing sever damage so he could not follow her escape. Thinking like Kelly Samus knew a good distraction would give her plenty of time to throw Sylux into the river of hell. Samus smirked as he fired at her she began to run circles around the dark blue hunter.
Sylux began firing prematurely trying to get a hit on the orange blur circling around him. After what felt like twenty minutes he finally got a hit in and the orange blur disappeared. Confused as his weapon could not disintegrate enemies, he looked around checking all his sensors for the teen.
Samus dove for the ground when she had gotten hit firing her ice beam behind Sylux creating a quickly melting ice rink. Turning into her morph ball she rolled fast towards the front of Sylux her colour blending in with the orange rocks he stood upon. Using a new power up she boosted her morphball raming into the blue hunter. He stepped back off balance he slipped on the remaining ice sliding himself into the burning lava behind.
He screamed in agony pulling himself out of the river he was burning alive.
Instead of running and escaping, Samus watched frozen by the tortured screams Sylux cried out.
Sylux aimed up firing at the unstable bolders above creating a cave in. During this he flung what remaining lava was on his hand at Samus hitting her in the same vulnerable spot on her throat. Samus snapped out of her trance as her throat burnt at what she imagined a billion degrees felt like, as rocks tumbled and shook the area. Samus's throat was damaged so badly she couldn't even scream in pain. The lava finally burned off and Samus regained her train of thought, realizing she would be burried alive if she didn't escape quickly.
"Damn you Samus Aran. I will hunt you down and kill you mark my words!" Sylux cursed as Samus began leaping up out of the volcano cavern, the same way she imagined Sylux came in as that is where she spotted him. Samus began calling her ship to pick her up as she surffaced.
Back in Infinity in the range John was sitting watching his team shoot while he was lost in his thoughts. He was worried for the missing teen, she had not replied in over ten hours and that was way over his instincts clock.
The others were worried but seemed more hopeful that the teen was successful in her journey.
Clearing his head of the teen, another thought crossed his mind. The whole day not a word from command came, nothing at all. No missions, no information on the war, they were being kept in the dark. What was happening why were they being kept in the dark like this? At that thought a pained whisper through his com shot him out of his thoughts. The team must have recieved the same whisper as they ceased their firing.
"Samus, Samus is that you!?" John gasped into his comlink.
Samus sunk deep in her pilot seat her suit deactivated. "You... bet... Chief... the... one... and only..." She coughed through searing pain.
"Samus what's wrong!?"
"Why do you sound like that!?"
The entire team began to freak out hearing the pained raspy sound of their teens voice.
Samus coughed through a chuckle. "Let's just say... I was in a... heated battle..."
Kelly with the others gathered around their leader. "Samus Aran get back here now, you need to recover and be treated!" Kelly demanded punching John in the shoulder out of frustration.
John clenched his shoulder and hissed. "Kelly is right Samus you sound in critical condition."
"It's fine... Chi...ef... it's just my throat..." The pained raspy whisper became harder to understand. "I... still... 100%... com...bat...rea...dy..." the pained cough made Chief wince as he could hear the blood being coughed up.
"Samus I don't like you being out there alone with no one to help you."
"That's not what you said earlier." Kelly snorted, causing John to walk away from her.
"Chief... I'm... tired... can we talk... La...ter..." Samus painfully sighed trying to hold back her tears as her eyes began to water from the pain.
"Samus what happened to your voice answer that first." Kelly sighed wanting to know the injury.
"Lava... thrown... onto... my... throat..." The girl harshly wheezed.
"How the fuck do you still have a throat?! If you don't get that treated right away there could be severe damage!" Kelly shouted.
"It's... not something... that can be..." Samus argued.
"Kelly she's right. Even if we treated it, there is not much we could do besides cool the burning, the damage is done." Linda threw in her valid argument.
"No no no, there has to be something we can do?" Fred denied the fact they could not help the teens injury.
"Fred we are doing the damage by speaking with her. If she stays quiet and rests her throat she might make a full recovery." Linda tried to prove to the two spartans there was nothing they could do.
"Rest for now. Message us through text later." Chief advised with a sigh.
"O...k... love... you... guys..." Samus signed off ending the call.
The spartans were baffled by the words. Though Samus had said it many times when she was younger. They have never been told they were loved, nor did they ever hear the word directed at them. "You to Samus..." Chief whispered under his breath doing something completely out of character.
"Wow that kid really means the world to you." Kelly's soft tone shocked John.
Had Kelly heard his whisper? "Of course she does, to all of us." He replied caught off guard. After all these solitary years it's taken a little girl to show him how to use his emotions.
"Samus is seen as our little sister. But to you she's something more."
"Kelly you're blowing the same steam you did a while ago..." John's body was numb, he was sure if his helmet was off he would be red with embarrassment. Though he shouldn't feel embarrassed about the fact that he knew Samus was not by blood, was his daughter in every other way. His embarrasment was probably from the fact he did not want to be seen as a soft pillow of emotions letting himself come undone. No he was still a serious super soldier that knows how to do his job damn well, and will always be taken seriously. He thought for a moment, he was not a robot, and shouldn't have to feel like he had to be one.
"Kelly eveyone knows Samus Aran is John the Master Chief's little girl. And will always be that rescued adopted daughter of the galaxies greatest spartan." Fred cuffed a strong hand on his leaders shoulder. "We don't see you as weak because you have a love for a kid you rescued and pretty much adopted."
"Hell we love her just as much." Linda snorted totting her sniper rifle.
"Thank you blue team." John sighed. "Enough of this, we need to figure out why we haven't gotten any mission or information in the last few weeks." John cleared his throat, regaining the subject to a more serious manner.
Samus reclined in her pilots chair her recent battle replaying in her head. It hurt to breath and talk. Like Kelly, she was wondering how her throat was still there and functional. After a few hours of sleep her throat cooled off, the burning though had lingered. But the constant pain remained, the feeling of burnt flesh and vocal cords. Trying to speak testing out her vocals, she no longer had the will to try and speak. Tasting nothing but the rich crimson blood clogging her throat. As much as she would love to call Chief and tell him how awesome her battle was she couldn't will herself past the pain to speak. Loosing her thoughts in sleep she was begining to plan her next venture, noting she had to be careful. As much as she was a hunter, she was also being hunted.
Chapter 7 Part 2: Never Ending Battle
He wasn't happy, he wasn't sad, was he confused? John was waiting for another order, a mission, any information. He had to much to think about with to much time on his hands. Sitting around waiting for command to command him and his team, like eager little dogs waiting to be fed. Being over a year now, Chief never realized how occupied he was kept, when Samus was around getting into everything. Since Samus's departure, the missions have been steady. Many of them reacon, or taking bases back from the Covenant. Having his team back made things better, but it still felt like he was missing something. Samus was of course the first thing that came to mind, but another was Cortana. As much as he watched her die, he somehow felt she was alive out in the universe somewhere.
"John you ok?" Fred's voice knocked him out of his deep thoughts.
Chief nodded turning to his friend. "Just thinking." he sighed turning his head towards the two female spartans sparing.
"Samus on your mind again?" Fred sat next to his leader on the resting area bench.
"Samus yes..." Chief exhaled.
"Something else on your mind Chief?"
John was not one to speak about himself, bearly speaking his mind anymore, he knew the team was beginning to worry. "No Fred." he replied firmly.
"Is Cortana worming her way back into your mind again?" Fred knew where to hit John's mind.
John didn't answer, standing up from the bench, he didn't want to talk about it at the moment or any time soon.
Standing up himself the other male spartan sighed. "Ok then. Samus hasn't replied in almost a year and you're just fine then?" Fred scoffed stretching his limbs.
"Samus had texted about 14 months ago she said she found another galaxy of interest, with another galactic millitary that hires her often. Samus said she had been in numerous deadly battles with parasites and some old enemies. Something called X parasites, Metroids, and Phazon. Also she has been finding herself some armour upgrades."
"Is that all? 14 months is a long time John." Kelly mentioned as her and Linda approached the two.
"I will try contacting Samus now the..."
John was interrupted by the captain Calling blue team into the bridge.
"Guess it will have to wait." Linda sighed following her teamto the bridge.
In a distant galaxy Samus was busy texting mission complete to the GFS Olympus. Her body finally returning back to it's normale hybrid self, after a terrible internal battle with phazon. Beating her darker clone, ridding the galaxy from her spreading phazon poison.
Samus was finally fed up with the federations constant endless missions. The big ones were fine and interesting, but the charting and escorting was more irritating than interesting, with the exception of when the X Parasite infected her. Sighing deeply Samus thought her on going battles have taken her experience in bounty hunting to greater level. Taking out all the major threats, she now had only the boring jobs to do. Thinking for a moment watching the orange clouds float by, skytowns maintenance steam bots flying around like busy bees. Her last mission was harsh, having to murder corrupted fellow hunters she fought beside. Although she had no history with them, with her friendly demeanor, she thought maybe they could have been friends in the hunter world. But fate said other wise. Bounty hunting didn't exactly qualify as a family lifestyle, internally she missed blue team, and wished they could have joined her. That gave her the next venture plan, hopping back in her ship she immediately began to tap at the keys on her dash board.
In one of Infinity's hanger bays blue team was busy prepping a pelican for a mission.
"Hey John text from Samus, you reading it?" Kelly announced handing a crate of ammo to Fred.
"Reading now." John sighed walking off to the side of the pelican they were prepping.
"She completed her last "awesome" mission and wants to come visit us." Linda read the text out loud as she fired up the pelican.
Fred exhaled placing weapons on the mounts in the aircraft. "Well maybe the kid can join us on taking back Argent Moon?"
"She would have to meet us there, I guess we could send her the coordinates." Kelly stocked the ammo in the storage compartments opposite of Fred.
"We would have to inform the Captain and commander." John sighed not really wanting to contact command.
"We can do it on the way, we got to go the bird all warmed up." Kelly escorted Chief into the pelican. She didn't mind Lasky Kelly though was more than happy to avoid Palmer.
John knew Kelly had no patients for the commander, as she had called the camander a bitch after many encounters with Palmer.
"Plus command probably dosen't want to do the extra data work, when we could when we come back." Fred raised an eyebrow behind his visor.
John noted that the whole team seemingly disliked the commander. He had no opinion of Palmer, and nor did he exactly care if she was worthy of his opinion.
Heading into the cockpit Chief sighed not liking that plan. "Fine lets go." John exchanged looks with Linda, trading places he sat down in the pilot seat. In the back of his mind he was ok with Infinity being oblivious to Samus. As much as Lasky hadn't had a problem with Samus going rogue, bounty hunting was illegal. Legally they could turn Samus in. They could also get court martialed for associating with an illegal hunter.
Samus recieved a transmission moments later, giving her coordinates to a set course the team was heading to. An ONI base that was over run by covenant. It had been quite some time since she had fought covenant. But with new skills and new armour upgrades, the covenant began to sound like a breeze. Considering the enemies she had been fighting most of the mosters were the size of a small armyin one. Locking the course into her ship it jumped becoming nothing but a strand of light.
Coming out of slipspace Samus almost ran straight into a jetpacking blue team in an astroid field.
"Scatter!" John commanded as the team split into different directions away from the speeding ship.
"Dammit!" Linda hissed bearly missing clipping the wing of Samus's ship.
"Well the kids here." Kelly sighed standing on an astroid.
Samus's ship smashed directly into a large glass wall surprising whatever sangheili were lucky enough to get out of the way.
Blue team flying in from behind, as the vacum sucked the rest of the elites out the smashed window. Kelly and Fred caught the unlucky stragglers assasinating them as they gasped for the last breath they could take in the open space.
Walking around the forced parking job, Master Chief was met with a taller stronger still brightly armoured, mature teen.