Different Galaxies Same Fighting Hearts

by BeeSamusnChief

After losing Cortana, and gaining his team back. Master Chief would have never thought of himself to become a father figure. Sent to investigate an unkown alien planet, the Covenant have invaded. Chief, and the rest of Blue Team, are put in a situation they've never been through in spartan history. Link to the full cover /art/Different-Galaxies-Same-Fighting-Hearts-Cover-569152729

21. Human

Just as a precaution as those who have been reading and following this story. You are all well aware that I do not follow the exact time lines of these games/books events. I know that there were about 3 or so years that went by before Halo Infinite, but I will specify the actual amount of time that passed in this story in this chapter.

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"Well, we're not going anywhere without a ship. This Condor is no better than the Pelican we crashed and left behind." Weapon told the three humans.

"Let's see what we can muster up from this graveyard then. I'm sure we can put something together." Samus mentioned as she went to touch one of the crashed ships.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Echo 216 quickly deterred the girl from touching the crashed ship. "Should you even be touching anything here?"

Samus retracted her hand as the man hopped in front of her. "Excuse me?" She cocked her head confused.

"Whatever power is left in this does not need to be drained." The Pilot nervously laughed.

"I... I'll go look for parts..." Samus sighed heavily, walking further down the hill into the ship graveyard.

"I didn't expect her to look so, human." The Pilot mentioned as Chief walked up beside him. "She is human? Some sort of mutant Spartan, right?"

"From what I gathered she's not exactly human. But a human alien hybrid..." Weapon replied while Chief followed the teen's movements with his eyes.

"Is she okay by the way? The girl looked pretty beat up." Echo 216 questioned with concern, remembering the horrid image of the bloody, scarred, and bruised teen.

"She had endured six months of gruesome torture from the Banished, after we lost the Infinity. And has obtained battle wounds along our exploration of this Ring." Weapon answered the concerned man. "Though my scans indicate a lot of her scarring and maiming are from previous battles prior to us meeting her."

The Pilot shivered at the AI's reply. "I don't know whether to fear her. Or trust her. What is the kid? You said she's an alien hybrid? Is the UNSC trying to mutate Spartans with the blood of the Covenant?"

"Samus, is a warrior." John said keeping his gaze forward. "A very young warrior. Although she has not told me all of her past bounty missions and battles in detail. Samus is still learning, despite all the impossible battles she's fought and won."

"Samus. That's a beautiful name. You seem to know her well there, big guy." Echo 216 commented after finally learning the hybrid teenager's name. Observing the said teen with the Spartan.

"Samus, is Chief's, daughter. He knows her the best." The AI replied in her bubbly voice.

Echo 216 was appalled by that information shaking his head in disbelief. "Did I hear that correctly?! I did not know Spartans had time to procreate."

"Adopted. Rescued from an alien planet. My team and I have been raising her for over 6 years." The Spartan quickly corrected the Pilot's assumptions. In all the chaos they had endured over the last day. It was almost soothing to have such a human conversation with another person. "It was our mission to take care of her. To protect her from harm." How the tables have turned...

With a smile Echo 216 nodded in understanding. "That mission will never end for guys. No matter how old she grows. A daughter is a beautiful gift." He folded his arms with a heavy sigh. "They'll challenge you until the end of time. And I'm sure being a teenager, your daughter is putting you through hell." The Pilot snorted with a laugh.

John didn't give the scruffy man a response. Watching his bioluminescent teen scavenge the graveyard. While listening intently to the experienced father's words.

With a sigh, and a smile, Echo 216 cupped a hand on the Spartan's arm. "Promise me that you'll cherish her, Chief. For in a war, you'll never know when you might lose them." He gave an encouraging squeeze to the Spartan's arm before making his way to one of the crashed Condors.

Echo 216 be an experienced parent. The man must have a family. Chief thought to himself. It would make sense as to why the man was so adamant about returning home. But there was no doubt that the Pilot was correct, Samus had been the biggest challenge in his life since losing Cortana. And she continued to be a challenge, John didn't expect that to change. But as much as he tried to shelter Samus from the terrifying parts of war. Chief was starting to discover that he could not protect Samus from everything. Especially when she continuously challenged his protection skills. Echo 216's advice was worth it's weight in gold. John did cherish Samus. Nothing in the universe meant more to him personally, than his adopted daughter.

The sun was once again going down, the hours had seemed to have flown by. Samus tiredly sighed with a groan. She wasn't finding anything worth salvaging. Walking across large pieces of a UNSC vessel's destroyed and weakened titanium plating. A metal panel collapsed under the teen's weight. Causing her to violently tumble down 15 feet until she hit the dirt. Encased by the darkness below. The only light entering in the cave made by the fallen vessel, Was the from the pink Chozo symbols that glowed on what was left of her zero suit, and the hole where she had fallen through.

"Agh!" The girl hissed in pain after moving her left leg. Sitting upright on the ground she could see her ankle was in a very unnatural position. "This... this is why you wear your armour, you fucking idiot..." Samus crudely scolded herself.

"Samus!" Chief's voice called from above.

The bounty hunter gazed up watching the light in the metal cave grow larger as Master Chief ripped what was left of the broken panel away, before leaping down next to her.

"Are you hurt?" The concerned Spartan knelt down beside his teenager.

"Yup, I'm fine..." Samus replied attempting to hide her pained tone.

Master Chief rolled his eyes at that reply. As Samus attempted to get up, he caught sight of the displaced ankle. "Samus stop!" He quickly moved over to the injured ankle activating his flashlights to get a better view in the dark.

"I landed on it funny. It's probably just a sprain. Ow!" The teen hissed in pain as the Spartan examined her wound.

"It's broken." Chief shook his head.

Fucking great... Samus mentally shook her head at herself. She felt incredibly drained, too exhausted to deal with yet another injury.

"You're going to stay with Echo 216, until your ankle is healed." John told the girl as he scooped her up off the ground.

"No no no no. Not a chance. There's a price on your head, there's no way you're going back out there alone." Samus refused Chief's orders.

John sighed placing the girl on a nearby crate. "I'm not giving you a choice, Samus. You cannot mobilize properly with a broken ankle."

"I can, if you just twist it back in place so it heals properly." The teen replied simply.

"It will still be broken." Chief replied, confused as to why Samus was thinking unintelligibly.

"Yes, but I heal quickly. And if I put my armour back on it will work as a splint, and hold my ankle in place. I will just be a bit sore. But mobile." Samus explained to the confused Spartan.

"Anything to keep you going..." John sighed, lifting up the stubborn girl's left leg.

"You wanna fuel that argument? How many injuries have you gotten, and continued on battling with?" Samus retorted, wincing as Chief lifted her leg up.

"...This is going to hurt." The Spartan ignored the good point his teenager was giving. Taking the broken ankle in his hands. "3... 2... 1..."

Samus stifled her cry of pain, bitting her bottom lip as Chief quickly set her ankle back in place.

Gently placing his teen's leg back down. Chief made sure Samus was alright. "Are you okay?"

"Ffffucking... peachy..." Samus hissed through pain, standing up hovering her left foot in the air. She activated her armour. The alien armour did as she expected, holding her ankle in place.

"Maybe we should put you in some sort of shielded bubble. You keep getting injured." Weapon commented on how accident prone the teenager was.

The bounty hunter groaned rolling her tired eyes behind her visor. "I don't need to be coddled. Or put in a bubble. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. We're constantly in conflicts, we're going to get badly injured, it's just the nature of being in a war. This was an accident, a fluke injury."

"You've been reckless in almost every one of our recent conflicts..." Master Chief mentioned, earning a sharp glare from his teenager.

"I've been reckless? No, I've been efficient. We've been able to accomplish tasks ten times faster, because of my efficiency." The young warrior argued with the Spartan.

"You've been efficient, and quick with your work, yes. But you've been overzealous, and reckless. I've watched you get caught off guard multiple times. Have you forgotten all the training Blue Team, put into you?" Master Chief spoke sternly to his adopted daughter.

"No, I haven't forgotten my training!" Samus hissed at her Spartan. "I've just... I-I'm..." a sudden odd sensation diverted her attention from the conversation.

"Is everything alright down there. Do you need help!?" Echo 216 called from above.

"Everything is okay. We'll find an exit in a moment. Samus, is currently distracted by something." Weapon replied as Chief observed the bounty hunter limp further into the dark.

"Samus?" John called the girl as he cautiously followed her.

"We've got to get moving, Chief! I think I can get one of the Condors running!" The Pilot continued to call from above.

"Samus, we need you to find a way out of here." Chief turned the teen around carefully, facing her towards one of the titanium walls that was trapping them.

Forgetting about the disappearing sensation, Samus reluctantly charged her storm missiles firing them at the titanium plating. Weakening the wall, she fired a super missile creating an opening for them to escape through. Exiting the metal cavern, Samus stared up the hill they had to climb up to get back to the Condor.

"I can carry you back up." Chief offered, waiting for his stubborn daughter to deny his help.

Samus smirked under her visor at Chief's offer. "I can walk back up myself. Thanks though." She replied as she began sorely walking through the uneven ship graveyard.

"Aren't you going to walk with her?" Weapon curiously asked the unmoving Spartan.

"No." Chief replied emotionless.

"No? Why?" The AI was thoroughly confused by Master Chief's reply.

Master Chief cocked his helmet thoughtfully as he watched his stubborn teen sorely take a rest, sitting herself down on a metal panel. "That's why. She's stubborn. Not invincible."

"Oh, I see. You predicted that Samus would need your assistance." Weapon thought aloud.

Samus gave an exhausted sigh, her HUD read that her suit's energy tanks were nearly depleted. Along with her life force being equally drained. Looking up after a large shadow cast over her. Locking visors with the Spartan that was blocking the fading sunlight. "I don't want to be carried."

"We don't have time to take breaks every five steps. Echo 216, needs our assistance." Chief wrapped an arm around the teen's waist. "At least let me assist you on your walk up."

The girl hobbled awkwardly next to her adopted father as they carefully ascended the hill. The further they walked the more exhausted Samus got. "Can we please stop!" She almost cried out, the awkward angle of her tall Spartan crutch becoming too much for her to bear. "You're too tall..."

Before Samus could finish her sentence, Master Chief hefted the girl into his arms with little effort. Carrying his adopted daughter up to the Condor.

Samus was far too drained to argue. She hadn't had the chance to tell her adopted father that her Metroid instincts were getting the better of her. She had begun to realize she had become more prey driven, and reckless, since her escape from capture. It was getting harder and harder for her to keep control of her Metroid powers. Just like Master Chief had feared.

"Sit, stay. Do not move from this seat." John sternly told his daughter after sitting her in one of the Condor's passenger seats.

Samus would've replied with a sarcastic remark full of attitude, if she wasn't trying to reserve her energy for the battlefield.

"How much longer until we can get in the air?" Master Chief asked the man working on a control panel under the floor.

"I don't know, big guy. Hopefully under an hour. These Condor's are pretty beaten up, like I said. They're gutted. Just give me a a bit to make sure this beast is capable of getting in the air with the parts we can scavenge, then we'll see. Unless you can conjure up a working ship." Echo 216 gave an uncertain sigh as he popped his head out from under the floor. Taking note of the dozing off armoured teen in one of the seats behind the Spartan. "How's your daughter doing after that fall?" He gestured to the girl.

"Injured. But she recovers quickly." The Spartan replied glancing over his shoulder at his adopted daughter.

"That's good. We need all the fire power we can get." The Pilot nodded, as another thought crossed his mind. "Look I'm sorry for insulting her earlier. I was just frustrated, and scared. She's very different, I've never seen anything like her before. And the fact that she took the Pelican offline with a simple touch of her hand, still terrifies me."

"Samus, was right. People do fear her because she's unknown." Weapon cheerfully thought aloud.

"Understandable. You have a right to fear her. Samus, could out do any Spartan in the UNSC, myself included." The Spartan mentioned to the Pilot's surprise.

"If you, as a Spartan legend. Believe your daughter is that powerful, she must truly strike fear into the hearts of many." Echo 216 mentioned as he took apart a metal panel.

"I recognize that the UNSC fears Samus. Along with many others in the universe. Samus can be... Strong headed, and occasionally reckless. But she's extremely compassionate, and protective." Master Chief told the Pilot who hesitantly worked on repairs while intently listening to the Spartan's words. "Most fail to understand her empathy, and care for others. Samus would lay down her life to protect those in need of saving. Human, or not."

Echo 216 climbed out from the floor, gathering more of the scavenged ship components he had salvaged from the graveyard. "Well, I will do my best to try and understand you both. I am barely getting used to you, with your crazy antics of jumping straight into danger. Adding your deadly daughter into that mix is just... it'll take a while."

"Understood." John replied emotionlessly, turning in the direction of his adopted daughter.

"Your very existence poses a grave threat to the galaxies..." Samus gasped waking up to the touch of a large hand on her shoulder. The voice of her possibly destroyed AI shaking her to her core.

"Sorry. I didn't think you were asleep." Master Chief apologized for startling his apparently snoozing teen.

"I wasn't, I was uuuhhh..." Samus tried to find a valid cover up for falling asleep.

"Echo 216, says the Condor should be ready shortly." Chief took gestured his helmet towards the working man, before turning back to his armoured teen. "How's your ankle?"

"It-it's fine." The bounty hunter replied getting up from her seat. Her ankle bone had sharp pains, but it was healing and fusing back together nicely.

"Scans indicate the ankle is still injured. But has significantly healed in the short amount of time. It is merely multiple fractures now." Weapon gave a more informative reply to the Spartan.

"You know, it's not a competition to see who can spew out the most detailed answer, Weapon." Samus scoffed sarcastically at the AI.

"No, but I appreciated hearing the real answer." Master Chief said as he turned to go back over to the Pilot.

Samus's hand ignited with a ravenous surge, causing the teen to uncontrollably lunge for the vulnerable Spartan. Struggling to regain control, it took all of Samus's might to close her viciously lunging hand. Once in a tight fist, the girl was able to suffocate her deadly urge. Collapsing to the floor in a weakened heap.

Hearing a loud thud from behind, Master Chief pivoted back around to find Samus on the floor. "Samus?!" He immediately went to aid his teen off the floor.

"Don't! I'm alright, I'm alright!" Samus scrambled backwards to get away from the Spartan that was trying to offer her help.

Chief stood dumbfounded by his teenager's erratic behaviour.

"Is everything alright? What happened?!" Echo 216 leapt out from under the floor.

"Uncertain." The Spartan replied watching as Samus got up to her feet.

"I'm fine, I just tripped." The bounty hunter lied to the two men. "When are we getting this bird in the air?" Samus quickly changed the subject.

"I'm going to need more time. Sorry, big guy. If you two want to get a head start on me I will try to get this Condor up in the air." The Pilot replied to the bounty hunter's inquiry. His voice was reluctant, but he knew he couldn't delay the warriors any longer.

"We're not leaving you vulnerable to the Covenmant..." Samus scoffed at Echo 216.

"Banished." Master Chief corrected his teenager.

"Same shit, different story. They broke off from the Covenmant didn't they?" The girl rolled her eyes behind her visor.

Echo 216 cocked an eyebrow at the Spartan, a bit confused by the teen's mispronunciations.

Master Chief kept his heavy sigh internal as he turned to the Pilot. "Samus, is right. We can't leave you here, vulnerable. I said I would help you search for parts. Let's look for them, together."

Echo 216 smiled at Master Chief with a nod. "Okay. I will give you the list."

While Chief, and Echo 216 conversed. Samus went back to the scene of her fall. Around the outside of the chunk of the crashed vessel, there were tiny four legged creatures scurrying around. The teen's hand lit up with enthusiasm as she located the easy prey. Samus was reluctant but even with her injury, she captured several of the innocent creatures, siphoning the life out of each one of them. It was something that she would've never done, as she did not kill creatures that did not aggress or act hostile towards her. If it weren't for the Master Chief, and Echo 216's safety on the line during her uncontrollable cravings. She would have not sacrificed the innocent wildlife.

As Chief began to search for the ship components with the Pilot. He took note of Samus's disappearance. Watching Echo 216 descend the hill, the Spartan quickly located his missing teen further down the hill, in the area where she had fallen. As long as he knew where she was the Spartan continued his search for ship components.

Unfortunately finding functional ship parts was harder than they had though. Hours later, Samus was cautious to not climb on any fragile plating as she moved around the massive piece of a crashed UNSC vessel. Narrowing her eyes following the moonlight rays, she could swear she could make out a violet hull.

"What are these?" The Pilot gasped gaining the attention of the Spartan and bounty hunter.

Master Chief calmly made his way over to the scruffy man. Following his line of sight to the brittle husks of the alien wildlife.

"Poor little buggers probably got fried in the crashes." Echo 216 barely touched one of the blackened corpses, having it disintegrate to the slightest touch. "Yeesh... glad I am not them. Although, flying around with you has almost gotten me fried a few times." The man joked at the Spartan, as he returned back to his searching.

As Echo 216 moved on, Samus came into Chief's immediate view.

Samus cringed behind her visor, lowering her head as she slunk away. "Shit, shit shit..." the girl thought hearing heavy footfalls approaching her.

"Why did you kill those animals?" The Spartan asked straightforward, knowing only his adopted daughter could kill a creature like that.

"I... they attacked me." She lied hoping her adopted father would buy the fib.

"Those particular creatures are rather docile, and skittish. Every encounter we've had with them has been uneventful. They usually scurry off if they hear Chief's big feet stomping around." Weapon mentioned, only irritating the teenager.

"Thaaaanksss..." Samus rolled her eyes with a groan.

"Samus Aran..." Master Chief glared at the girl until she revealed the truth.

Samus reluctantly gestured for Master Chief to come closer to her, leading him out of the Pilot's earshot.

"I'm... not in control..."

Master Chief didn't even question his daughter's response. He knew exactly what Samus was going to say to him. "You promised me you had it under control."

Samus could hear the angered edge in Chief's tone. She felt as if she had betrayed his trust. "I thought I did..."

"How long?" Chief sharply glanced over his shoulder to make sure Echo 216 was still occupied.

"Dad..."

"I don't want excuses. How long have you been out of control, Samus?!" The Spartan's tone was stern and in disbelief.

"Since escaping my imprisonment..." Samus shamefully replied, turning her shameful gaze to the ground.

Master Chief shook his head in disappointment. "You didn't trip behind me on the Condor..."

The bounty hunter shook her head no. Attempting to lock visors with her adopted father, but she could not bring herself to do so.

The Spartan took a step away in a huff, turning his back to the girl. "You've put us at risk with your carelessness."

"Dad, I'm trying..." Samus argued, as shame filled her heart.

"You didn't try hard enough!" Chief spat spinning around to face his daughter. The Spartan was short tempered. He had a million different stressful situations already weighing heavy on his shoulders. His daughter's dangerous abilities were now rampant, and everyone around her was in danger.

Samus coward as her adopted father raised his voice at her. Fearing anything she would say to defend herself, would anger Master Chief further. "But I am... I didn't think I would get this far out of control!"

"Samus! You lied to me!" Chief hissed approaching his teen as he scolded her. "I could've tried to help you during your early stages of your lost control."

"I'm sorry... I know. I shouldn't have lied to you." The bounty hunter shamefully apologized as tears began to well up in her turquoise eyes. "But you were so stressed, and preoccupied with the fact that Cortana died... I just didn't want to add to your worries."

The Spartan shook his helm "Your irresponsibility has put us in danger. You put Echo 216, in danger as he's the most vulnerable to you. There's a high possibility of you grounding us again once this Condor takes flight. Do you not see the high risk you've put us in?" The Master Chief continued to scold Samus.

Tears silently streamed down the teen's face as she tried to contain her overwhelming guilt and shame. Chief was right. She put everybody at risk. The dangers of her powers had eluded her. They were so powerful, and effective, it took over her ability to think rationally, and morally. "I'm an idiot... I'm a monster... I should've restrained myself..."

"Chief, why are you being so cruel to Samus?" Weapon asked, confused by the heated conversation.

Weapon's question brought Master Chief out of his rage. Hearing his daughter's quiet sobs, and mumbles of how she was stupid for not fighting her Metroid instincts. Chief took a deep regretful breath before approaching his daughter.

Samus flinched when a gentle hand cupped her shoulder. Hesitantly gazing up into the Spartan's golden visor.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Master Chief began to apologize to the bounty hunter. "I am worried for everyone's safety. And instead of scolding you for something you can't control. I should be asking how I can help you cope."

Samus didn't respond, dropping her gaze to the ground.

"I know I cannot stifle your powerful abilities. Thus far you've been able to use your Metroid powers... controllably. Take a step back, try to recognize what caused this break of controlled concentration."

Samus was incredibly upset with Master Chief. But mostly she was upset with herself. "I should've listened to you. I was expending my energy more than I was absorbing it. Now I'm basically starved of that unique energy. I put everybody around me at risk, because you're all potential prey."

"I know it won't come to that. Because as a Chozo warrior, you're stronger than your deadly Metroid instincts." Chief replied as Echo 216 began making his way towards them. "I really wish that you were honest with me earlier, but I'm here for you. We need each other."

"Is everything alright? I thought I heard you shouting." Echo 216 questioned as he approached the two.

"We got into a... disagreement. But we have solved the issue for now." Master Chief replied.

"Okay. Well I gathered what you managed to pile up over there. And I was able to fire up the Condor. I am ready when you two are." The Pilot mentioned to the duo, before making his way back to the mentioned Condor.

Samus and Chief followed Echo 216 back to the Condor. Echo 216 went to the cockpit while the two warriors stayed in the back

"Alright, let's move." The Pilot said as the aircraft lifted from the ground.

"Dad?"

Master Chief turned his helmet in the direction to his adopted daughter standing next to him.

"Do you ever wish that you were just human?" The bounty hunter questioned.

Chief cocked his helmet thoughtfully for a moment. The teen's inquiry didn't exactly relate to him. He was only human. An augmented super human. But still human.

"Ugh, I know you're fully human. Do you ever wish that you were just a normal human being? Not a Spartan." The teen corrected her approach.

That thought hadn't crossed his mind for decades. It wasn't something he had time to think about in his busy Spartan career. Master Chief knew that Samus was projecting her own thoughts to him. But to think about it hard enough, they both had no say in their futures.

"We both didn't have a choice."

Samus wanted to find the words to reply to the Spartan's response, but could not muster any words to say at all.

"We are who we are due to unique circumstances that were out of our control. Unfortunate that your unique circumstances happened due to tragedy..." Chief began to explain. Trying to avoid going into his deep journey of how he became who he was today. Knowing Linda, and Kelly, had told Samus, many stories about how the Spartan 2's came to be. "In order to survive what laid ahead us, we both had to endure life altering training, and augmentations. It's a part of us forever. Even though your augmentations were alien in nature. There's nothing anyone can do to change that about you."

"I just don't feel human anymore..." Samus sighed taking in the beautiful view of the valleys.

"Well... you're not."

The teen snorted with a scoff. "Thanks..."

"Not entirely human. You... as much as you don't like this title... you are a bioweapon. A deadly human alien hybrid." Master Chief was treading on thin ice at this point.

Samus glared at Master Chief. She didn't know whether to dryly chuckle at the Spartan. Or punch him.

"You're a bounty hunter. And I am a Spartan. Fate caused us to cross paths. And because of that, we've become more than just a Spartan, and an alien hybrid bounty hunter. We're now family. We may not share the same blood, or alien genetics. But we share the same fighting hearts. Even if we are in different galaxies at times."

"I think that's the most sentimental thing I've ever heard you say." Weapon chimed in awe at the Spartan.

Samus chuckled in agreement with the AI. Master Chief's moving words made the bounty hunter think deeply. The Spartan was being very sweet, and sentimental. Trying to support her in her moment of self loathing.

"How long has it been since I met you guys? 12... maybe 17... hours. It's been... eventful."

"Raven Beak, told me I was a threat to the galaxies..." Samus sighed after the Pilot threw in his Comment. "I'm getting out of control again, I even lunged to attack you! I'm a threat to everyone around me." The teen was in fear of being the one to destroy everything around her.

"Six months on my own. Surviving. Barely... Seems like a dream now. This on the other hand, mostly feels like a nightmare." Echo 216 commented as he could not help but over hear Chief and Samus's conversation.

Master Chief kept silent, trying to think of a reply, his daughter was now a threat amongst the Banished, and the Harbinger. Possibly the biggest threat, having her constantly working next to them. And he still had no clear answers as to how Cortana perished. There were no answers. Feeling as if any possible answer was being pushed further out of reach.

"Chief?"

The AI's voice brought the Spartan out of his thoughts. Holding out his hand so the AI may join them in standing.

"Are you alright?" Weapon glanced over at Samus before focusing on Chief. "What you said back there. About Cortana. You let her down? I don't understand. Your mission was to..." Weapon changed the subject as she had too many questions swarming her.

"Destroy her." Chief replied.

"But you didn't. What happened?" The AI wanted answers.

"Halsey initialized you. I was supposed to deploy you." The Spartan explained.

Weapon curiously gazed. "And you did, right?"

"Yes." Chief nodded glancing at his silent daughter sitting on the floor.

"So what happened?"

"Atriox came for you. He attacked the Infinity. We fought. He won." Master Chief explained to the curious AI.

"He won?" Weapon asked in disbelief.

Chief turned his gaze to the view outside of the hatch. "Atriox beat me. Surgically. Precisely. Brutally."

In Chief's explanation his tone was defeated, yet angry. To Samus, it seemed as if he were disappointed in himself. She was grateful for the subject change. But she did not want to see Chief to beat himself up.

"The next thing I remember, I was being woken up in a Pelican."

"You want to know who killed her. You need to know. She was important to you. Very important." Even Weapon could see the emotions Chief thought he could hide behind his armour.

"She's..." Master Chief turned to his now standing teen. "This Ring. It's not like the others. There's something else here."

"And that's why I'm still here?" Weapon asked, before Chief put her away visibly.

"That's why we're all here right now. As much as Cortana turned evil and dark. I believe she did something good. We just don't know it yet." Samus finally spoke. Attempting to add some optimism to the subject of Chief's lost friend.

"You truly believe Cortana, in the end, did the right thing?" Master Chief asked. His tone mutual. Inside he wanted believe his daughter was correct. But a part of him remained skeptical.

"Darkness is just the absence of light. It only takes one strand of light to illuminate the shadows, Chief." Samus replied. "Sometimes you need the dark to see the light."

Those words... they were different. Chief understood that Samus was trying to be encouraging. Even though her only meeting with Cortana was a negative one. Samus still somehow found the light in the darkness. His adopted daughter understood that his friendship with Cortana was deep. Samus would never attempt to break that friendship between them, even though Cortana attempted to break their strong bond.

"Second spire coming up. Where do I drop you guys off?" Echo 216 came over their comlinks.

"Close." Samus was eager to get off the ship. Not knowing when her next uncontrolled siphoning powers could flare. She didn't want to risk draining the power from the aircraft again.

"Close it is. Call me when you're done, Chief." The Pilot replied as they descended.

Leaping out of the aircraft both Spartan and Bounty Hunter landed side by side.

"Wow look at the spire. It's so... new. Evolved. Different. Not like the last one." Weapon commented as the two approached the said spire.

"And you're sure this is the one?" Chief questioned the AI.

"It's acting as a command spire. Coordinating the repair operation." Weapon replied.

Chief followed his teen as she tried to find an access into the spire. "Can you shut it down?"

"Hopefully. We just need to find an entrance."

"Think I found it. Unfortunately the door service doesn't look so inviting." Samus mentioned as they approached the Banished guarding the door.

"Weapons free." Master Chief commanded opening fire on the surrounding foes.

Samus hardly used her cannon. Her arm igniting with fury. She took down Jackals, Elites, and Brutes. Siphoning the life from each and every one of them.

John didn't know whether to comment to withdraw Samus's deadly powers, or say nothing and let her continue to siphon the life from those who threaten them. If she did not feed her parasitic hunger with the Banished forces, she would possibly turn and make them her new victims.

Once Chief placed Weapon on the pedestal, both bounty hunter and Spartan aimed their weapons at the door ready for it to open. But the door never budged.

Samus looked over her shoulder to see the AI standing with a confused expression.

Master Chief approached the terminal where the AI stood confused. "Is there a problem?"

"No. I don't think so." After a few more attempts to open the sealed door, Weapon admitted defeat. "Okay there may be a problem. Something, and I think we know who, has modified the sequencing needed to access the spires."

"Plan B." Chief replied to the AI, and Samus obliged switching to her super missiles.

"Are we only at Plan B? Seems higher." Weapon scoffed as a sonic frequency emitted from a structure up on the cliff side not far from them. "Okay... plan B." She replied allowing Chief to collect her. "Those Beacons are part of a Ring-wide communications network. They can adapt to any frequency. Any purpose. It's quite incredible really. Get me inside and I should be able to use the pulse to reconstruct a pure version of the sequence."

Samus shrugged her shoulders mildly confused she followed Master Chief, who walked away from the locked door.

"Should?" Master Chief replied skepticism in his tone.

"I'm making this up as we go along." Weapon responded to the Spartan's skepticism.

"So are we not blowing shit up here?" Samus questioned as they journeyed further away from the door.

"Not everything needs to be blown up. We've got some ground to cover. Come'on, Samus." John encouraged his teen to catch up with him.

Most of the travel was silent with the occasional conversing between Samus and Weapon. While shooting down stray Banished forces along their path. Chief kept quiet. Keeping a close eye on his adopted daughter at all times. He felt as if he had been thrown back into the beginning of Samus's raising. It was as if he had just found this powerful young teenager that needed his guidance. He was once again in the uncharted territory of 'parenthood' he supposed. It was him and Blue Team who came to the decision that no normal human could possibly take care and raise, Samus. But now John was alone. His team, his family, missing in action. No one was there to back him up, to aid him with this new hurdle he had come across with raising his adopted daughter. He was the only one who could possibly help keep Samus under control.

"Chief, you've been quiet. Are you alright?" Weapon's voice brought the Spartan out of his deep thoughts.

"I'm fine. I do not care to indulge in your conversation about the fauna and flora." Master Chief replied with a sigh.

"Why not. I always scan all that crap to make sure I know which plants are going to spit, poison, eat, shoot, or jump out at ya." Samus replied making Chief shake his head at her.

"Look, I don't know what planet you're talking about, Samus. But I have never had an issue with the flora on a Ring." The Spartan scoffed, almost with an inaudible dry chuckle.

"Don't count the plants out, Dad. You said it yourself. This Ring is different. You might just get shot at by a flower today." The teen retorted with a laugh.

"May I just say, your bounty adventures, and missions, seem incredibly terrifying. And intriguing." Weapon commented with a shiver of interest.

Samus snorted with a laugh at the AI's comment. "That they are. Once I'm on an alien planet I am on high alert, not only for the possible local sentient species that could be hostile. But because usually the literally the whole damn planet is trying to kill me. Hence why I can't even trust a simple flower."

"You are a complicated young lady, Samus. I don't know how you continue to thrive after each close meeting with death."

"Thanks. I will take that as a compliment." The bounty hunter replied taking point position.

Sarcastic moments from his teen, reminded Chief of Kelly, and her quick witted sarcasm. Though he did not voice it. He truly hoped that his team was alive and surviving.

"Chief... I'm sorry about back there. I-I didn't want to run... I couldn't stay." Echo 216 spoke over their coms as the two approached the structure.

"It's okay." Chief replied calmly watching as Banshees circled them overhead.

"No it's not okay. It was like I was back there, back on the Infinity. Hiding. Trying to keep out of their way."

"What did you do on the Infinity, where were you stationed?" Samus asked curiously, as she fired a storm of missiles into one Banshee, blowing it up.

"I worked as an engineer. Civilian contract. Well... volunteer. I just wanted to help. But I couldn't even do that." The Pilot replied to the curious teen.

"It's over now." Weapon mentioned, probably attempting to sooth the man's thoughts.

"Once Chief was down... I knew we we'd lose. I had to run. I had to" Echo 216 sighed shamefully. "I found that Pelican and just went. I'm sorry. I never looked back. I was on my own."

Chief rolled out of the way as Samus easily grounded the second Banshee. What Echo 216 said. That battle with Atriox was still brewing in his mind. Bubbling over as he wondered what he could've done better.

"Not anymore." Weapon replied encouragingly.

Echo 216 scoffed with a laugh. "You don't know how good that feels."

As much as Chief and Samus only fully trusted each other. They understood that they had dependents with them. Both the AI, and the Echo 216, were depending on them. Just like they were depending on the AI, and Pilot, to aid them through this horrid journey.

Within moments Samus had both Banshees down and the surrounding area of the Forerunner structure cleared.

"That was easy." Weapon commented as Chief activated the door.

Master Chief didn't comment, turning he waited for his teen to regroup with them at the entrance. As Samus approached he took note of her sickly glowing arm, and sizzling cannon. Yet no brittle bodies lay around them anywhere. She must've been forcing herself to use her weapons instead of giving into her cravings? Chief thought, and hoped that tactic would not overwhelm his teenager's parasitic abilities into a ravenous rampage.

"Let's see what's inside." The AI encouragingly said as the Spartan began to lead the way.

Closing her fist, Samus silenced her parasitic hunger. Following Chief through a series of long hallways until they reached a room with a terminal.

"Okay let's do this." Weapon cheerfully said after Chief placed her on the terminal. Going straight to work. "You know, this might actually work... or maybe not..."

"What is it?" Chief asked.

"I can't construct the sequence. Well, not all of it. I don't have enough data." The AI reported.

"Then we just get you some more." Samus said which Chief seemed to agree, mostly.

Finding another unoccupied Warthog, it took no time for the trio to travel across the land to collect the necessary data for the Weapon. Another cleared structure, Chief strode down the narrow hallway to the doorway towards the single room. Samus lagged behind a few moments after making sure no more reinforcements were inbound.

"Wait, stop. What's that?" Weapon asked, after Chief passed by some some glyphs on the wall of the hallway.

The green armoured Spartan halted turning towards the wall. The glyphs were recognizable, yet he had know clue as to why.

"Interesting..." Weapon pondered.

"Forerunner?" Master Chief guessed.

"No... something different. I can't seem to translate it." The AI replied confused.

Samus cocked her head curiously, rounding the corner to see Chief staring at the wall. "Something shiny catch your eye, or something?" She joked as she approached the paused Spartan.

"Humorous..." John sighed at his approaching daughter. "Weapon caught sight of these... symbols. We can't translate..."

Samus strode towards the wall, causing Chief to take a step back so she could get a better look.

"We thought it might be Forerunner..." Weapon mentioned.

The teen shook her head no. "It's not Forerunner. It's Chozodian."

"Chozodian..." Weapon pondered. "Oh, those are the aliens you're associated with!" The AI thought aloud.

"Weapon... you really don't have to announce that every time you talk about me." Samus grumbled through a laugh as she read the glyphs.

"Samus, what does it say?" Master Chief asked, refocusing his teen.

"Forerunners have deemed the Xanalyn a threat. The X grow stronger..." Samus read the Chozo glyphs that were written on the wall aloud. The sentence was inconclusive.

"Xanalyn, is that the proper term for the X parasite?" The AI questioned the girl right away.

"No... well... I don't think so." Samus replied, turning to her adopted father.

"You don't have any data on them?" Chief questioned the teen as well.

"Not to my knowledge. Like I told you before, the Chozo were a well travelled ancient race. Even I don't know all of their history. Until recently, I barely remembered my own Chozo heritage. But this definitely confirms that the Chozo were on this Ring." The teen replied to the Spartan. Now all she needed to know was which Chozo tribe explored the Ring. Not that it mattered at this point. But maybe this particular Chozo had a different name for the X parasite.

"Is Xanalyn, a Chozo name for something? Possibly something you may have missed on your recent bounty?" Master Chief asked as he stepped towards the glowing glyphs.

"I don't know. I didn't exactly have time to ask Ashkar... Raven Beak, about our bloodline's travel history. With his insanity, and the fact that he was trying to murder me, to use my DNA to conquer the universe. I forgot that probably would've been the perfect time to ask him about ancient Chozo lore!" Samus hissed with a heavy amount of sarcasm.

"Samus, I don't appreciate your sarcasm at this time." Master Chief shook his head at his frustrated teen.

"At this time? Or most of the time?" Samus continued to tease her adopted father with her sarcasm.

"Most of the time. Now that's enough, Samus. Stop being so immature." John scolded the girl.

"Don't be so immature? Look, I'll do my best. During my training, the Chozo weren't focused on teaching me about their every piece of history. I'm just saying at this point this is all unknown to me. I am just a translator at this point." Samus rolled her eyes behind her visor. "Let's just get Weapon into the system." She gestured for Chief to go forward towards the terminal in a small room.

Being placed on the terminal Weapon went to work. "Well, let's see what we have here." The AI worked, playing with the invisible frequency. "Done. But we're going to need to get two more samples. Sorry, I thought it'd be easier." She apologized to the two.

"It's fine. Are you okay?" Master Chief replied noticing the AI seemed a bit concerned.

"I'm... it's nothing. I just felt like someone was... I don't know, watching me." Weapon replied.

Samus had felt the same way the entire time they had been on the Ring. Scanning the room with her eyes. She had a sickening feeling that they were being monitored wherever they went.

Chief did a brief visual scan of the area before collecting the AI. As they left the beacon, Weapon notified them that they needed to find more data at the other beacons.

"It's going to be a long journey over to the next beacon. We might want to call Echo 216, and ask for transport." Weapon mentioned to which Chief declined her suggestion.

"Too risky. Enemy forces have taken to the sky. I don't want to risk another take down." The Spartan shook his head no.

"Are you sure? It would be a lot quicker than the Warthog." The AI argued.

"More efficient, but high risk. Not taking the chance." The Master Chief continued to refuse Weapon's suggestion. He didn't want to put Echo 216 at anymore risk. Keeping Samus away from their needed aircraft was also something important in her unpredictable state.

"Dammit, I wish I had my ship. Then we could just go wherever, whenever, without putting Echo 216 at risk." The teen cursed as she followed Chief back outside to the Warthog.

"Yes, that would be great. But we don't have time to search for it right now. Or repair it if need be." The Spartan gestured for his teen to climb into the vehicle.

"I know. I was just saying..." Samus sighed as she sat in the passenger seat.

"Even if we do take the Warthog, we need to get across a ridge. And I'm pretty positive the Warthog can't fly." Weapon commented to the two.

Samus laughed with a scoff. "I mean we could probably make Warthog fly."

Master Chief sighed as they drove. "We can walk when we reach that point."

The first half of the drive was rough. Banished forces in the surrounding area swarmed them at all angles. Chief was thankful that he had Samus as his passenger, as the Warthog's turret would not have sufficed. Once they were in the clear the ride was quiet. Driving through a very open plain, Samus continued to scan the skies every few minutes, to make sure no Banshees or Banished air forces were in pursuit of them.

"We're clear. For now." The bounty hunter announced sitting down properly in her seat.

Chief nodded as he shifted through the Warthog's gears. "Take a rest Samus. Weapon, keep scanning the perimeter for incoming Banished forces."

"On it." Weapon eagerly complied to the Spartan's orders.

"The Banished seem to be retreating to focus their attention on protecting the beacons." Samus thought aloud, scanning the plain with her eyes.

"They want the Ring to be operational." Chief replied as he got an alert on his HUD.

"What's this alert on your internal calendar..."

"Echo 216, what's your status?" Master Chief quickly interrupted the AI from questioning the alert that appeared on his HUD.

"Laying low, tracking your movements. Following the best I can." The Pilot replied to the Spartan.

"Good. We're on our way to the next beacon, we will update you soon." The Spartan ended the transmission. Switching to his internal communications to communicate privately with the AI.

"Why'd you interrupt me?" Weapon asked as soon as the Spartan switched communications.

"It's just a reminder. I do not need the reminder, I am well aware of the date." Chief replied to the confused AI.

"June 12th. What's so important about it?" Weapon's curiosity continued to grow the more secretive Chief was.

John did not reply, switching back to his normal communications. Side glancing over at his teen. Her armour's acid green highlights dimming as the sun began to rise over the horizon they were headed towards. "How are you feeling?"

Samus held up her cannon to block the sun in her eyes. "I'm fine. Sun is just really bright."

John snorted with an inaudible laugh. "How's your ankle?"

"Perfectly fine. It's not even sore anymore." The girl shrugged in reply.

"How about..."

"My out of control parasitic instincts?" The teen finished the Spartan's sentence. Getting a nod in reply. "Driving me fucking crazy. But I'm able to contain my urges so far..."

Master Chief gave another small nod, followed by a sigh. "You mentioned a long time ago, that someone told you that you were granted control. Quiet Bird... I think... But you would have to unlock it."

"Quiet Robe." Samus softly chuckled correcting her adopted father. "And yes, I know. That was over 9 months ago. He also told me in a vision that my mission wasn't complete."

"Maybe unlocking your ability to control your urges is your mission." John stated to his young teen.

Samus gave an unsure nod along with a shrug. "Maaayyybe..."

Weapon listened contently to the conversation between father and daughter. It was a confusing one. She clearly had so much to learn about the Spartan and Bounty Hunter's relationship, and past.

"You've grown a lot over those months though." Master Chief encouragingly mentioned to his teen.

"Have I really? I was ignoring those powers while we evaded Cortana, and did those missions for Halsey. I was also tortured for 6 of those 9 months." Samus replied very doubtful in herself and her abilities.

"I know. And I am sorry for that. Part of that is my fault for not focusing on your abilities when we had the time." The Spartan replied sympathetically, shifting through the gears as they climbed a hill.

"We didn't really have the time to do anything..." Samus muttered. During their constant missions, while evading the Created. There was no time for her to practice her new abilities. "If I stayed away from everyone, and kept to myself as a solitary bounty hunter. I wouldn't be putting anyone at risk. Metroids were eradicated for a reason."

"Samus, I believe you would've been a higher danger if you didn't return to human kind." John replied seriously to his teen.

Samus turned her gaze to the valley. Chief was right. What would she be if she hadn't returned to Blue Team? Wondering if she would've been completely over taken by her Metroid DNA. Would she have become a feral hunter, a parasitic nightmare. Samus had never fully used her power as a Chozo warrior, until her near death experience with Raven Beak. An overwhelming amount of power erupted out of her, she took down Raven Beak, and his sky station. Anything that came into contact with her died. She was untouchable. Many craved such an untouchable, invincible, status. Samus, dreaded it.

"Samus. I am very sorry for yelling at you..." Chief began to apologize, his gaze fixed on the valley ahead.

"You already apologized. It's fine." The teen sighed heavily.

"Through all the chaos, and challenges, you prevailed through in these months. I am... proud of you."

Samus gave an insignificant smile behind her visor. Allowing a few moments of uncomfortable silence to pass after her adopted father spoke. It was warming to hear that Chief was proud of her, even though she felt she was a very large danger to everyone around her. It was very uplifting to hear someone still believed in her.

"Happy Birthday..."

Samus blinked, gazing over at her adopted father. "What?"

June 12th. The day Blue Team discovered Samus Aran. Since she was adopted by the Chozo, as a three year old, Samus had forgotten what date her actual birthday was. She didn't care too much about it. But Blue Team had decided to make the anniversary date of when they discovered their foundling, her birthday. A very human moment for them all.

"Happy Birthday, Samus." John repeated himself to his daughter.

The teen gave a small sheepish giggle. "Thanks, Dad..."

"Sorry, no cupcake this year." The Spartan leader teased. Blue Team had always dragged their foundling to the mess-hall on this date, for a single cupcake. Fred was the one that usually gave the chefs the odd request for a single orange and green cupcake. Onlookers in the mess-hall would often watch the Spartan family moment in amazement. Saying it was the most human moment they have ever witnessed with the Spartan 2's.

"Uh, duh! I don't expect one, I didn't even know what day it was!" Samus playfully punched her adopted father's shoulder.

"Oooh! It's Samus's birthday! The alert just said best day of my life. With a title like that I thought it would've been your birthday, Chief." Weapon cheerfully thought aloud.

John exhaled deeply, trying not to regret wishing his adopted daughter a happy birthday. He didn't want to present himself with an overly sweet exterior. The last thing he needed was to not be taken seriously.

"Chief's birthday was in March. He spent it passed out floating in space. Happy belated Birthday by the way." Samus scoffed with a chuckle.

"Thank you..." John thanked his teen. He didn't exactly care about his birthday as it was just reminder that he had been fighting wars for far too long. But Samus always made it a point to say happy birthday to him.

"Best day of your life, huh?" Samus cocked her head at the Spartan that didn't reply, keeping his serious composure, focusing on driving.

To John, finding Samus was the best day in his life. Besides Cortana, Samus, was the only one who had majorly changed his life. Making him a bit more human inside.

"That's sweet you care about Samus so much. I didn't think you had a sweet side, Chief." Weapon commented in her playful tone.

"More like sentimental." Samus snickered, hearing a groan sigh emit from her adopted father. "Today isn't my actual birthday, Weapon. I don't know when it is. So Chief, and the rest of Blue Team, decided the anniversary of when they found me is my birthday." The teen explained to the AI.

"Aw, that is a very sweet thing you, and your team did." The AI cooed making Chief roll his eyes with a head shake.

"Happy birthday, Samus. I believe that was the most human moment you've ever had there, big guy." Echo 216's voice chimed in on the conversation.

"Enough." Chief ordered, having enough of the cutesy comments. "How far are we from the next beacon?" Changing the subject as he pulled the Warthog up to a very large ridge.

"That's Annex Ridge, a research outpost. We're as far as we can go by land vehicle. And judging by the strong Forerunner frequency I'm picking up, a pretty successful one. I suggest we start trudging up this ridge on foot." The AI replied to the Spartan's question. Snapping back into work mode.

"What do you think they found up there?" Samus questioned, following Chief up the ridge.

"Let's find out." Master Chief replied, making sure his weapon was loaded.

The beacon was quite heavily armed with Wraiths, Banshees, heavily armed Elites, and Brutes. Samus took down the largest targets, the vehicles. While Master Chief covered her, taking out the surrounding ground forces. As the teen leapt onto the Wraith to fire missiles at the operator, she witnessed as a blast from the Wraith hit near the Spartan, tossing Chief across the dirt.

"Chief, Chief? Are you alright?" Samus panicked over the coms as she destroyed the Wraith in a fiery explosion.

"I'm alright, meet me at the entrance." Master Chief replied leaping off the ground to punch a charging Elite. Using his combat knife he plunged it into the Sangheili's neck, purple blood splattering the green Mjolnir armour.

Samus had taken notice that Chief had been letting her take on most of the enemies, mostly without argument unless it put her in imminent danger. He had been efficient during combat, but slower. The bounty hunter hadn't been bothered by the extra workload, it was a breeze to her. But her concern for adopted father was growing infinite.

Master Chief finally took down the last enemy, joining Samus at the door. He activated the terminal next to the door.

"Give me a second..." Weapon said as she unlocked the door. "There we go."

Samus gestured for Chief to first, which was a first for her as she usually took point with Kelly. But Master Chief didn't argue, walking into the structure first. Finding more Chozo hieroglyphics.

"Flood have ended. Halo was the Forerunner's terrible and ultimate solution to the parasite's relentless advance. Killing off all sentient life. We were sure that nothing would survive. We were wrong." Samus read the glowing glyphs on the wall aloud.

"Ominous. This must be a reference to the Endless." Weapon though aloud as Chief and Samus moved to the next terminal. "This won't take long. Just one more to go, right?" She said as she went to work on the beacon's controls. "This... will... work." Weapon collapsed in pain.

Both Chief and Samus took defensive actions lifting their weapons as they swept the area around the terminal.

"Status?" Chief asked keeping his gaze forward with his gun raised. "Status?" He turned his full attention to the struggling AI.

"What happened?" Samus asked Weapon with concern.

"Something... Something pushed back. Scanned me. It's gone now." Weapon replied as Chief approached.

"Are you sure?" Dropping his gun to his side Master Chief questioned the AI.

"Yeah. Probably just some sort of security protocol. It's nothing. Let's go get the last one." The blue uniformed AI replied to the Spartan.

Chief retrieved the AI leading Samus out of the structure.

"Are you three okay? What happened in there?" Echo 216's voice came over the comlinks.

"I don't know. Something scanned me." The AI said to Echo 216.

"Some... thing?" The Pilot repeated.

"Probably fine." Weapon replied she would've shrugged if visible.

"Probably?" The scruffy man replied uncertain.

"Or not." Samus shrugged replying casually.

Echo 216 sighed heavily. "Really?"

"Don't worry. We can handle it." The bounty hunter replied reassuringly.

It was another long trip to the last beacon. Descending the ridge back to the Warthog. Samus leapt into the drivers seat before crawling over into the passenger seat.

Master Chief climbed into the driver's seat firing the Warthog's engine. "You couldn't have walked around the vehicle and climbed in properly?"

"Are you really asking, me. If I could do something normally?" The teen glared at the Spartan.

Chief shook his head with a snort. "Let's get to the next beacon."

"I've marked it, waypoint set." Weapon announced to the two.

Silence fell over the two warriors as they drove through the vast valley. Samus had questions swirling in her head. Chief was functioning at 80% she was trying recount what would cause such a deficiency in the Spartan.

"Chief?"

"Yes, Samus?" John replied keeping his focus on driving.

"Your head injury repaired during those six months in recovery mode. But I believe you aggravated that old injury during that encounter with the Harbinger." Samus expressed her concerns to her adopted father. "A head injury is a..."

John sighed heavily, his daughter was correct. "Samus, you are not wrong..."

"Are you going to be okay?" The teen asked with even more concern. Remembering Chief's head injury from Atriox was serious enough that it practically knocked Chief unconscious. The Harbinger's attack reigniting the injury was not what the Spartan needed right now.

"I will be okay Samus. Thank you for your concern." Master Chief replied. Knowing he wasn't being as efficient on the battlefield. Letting Samus take on the brunt of the battles they fought. He was beginning to feel guilty for being part of the triggering factor for his daughter's uncontrollable powers.

There was nothing more Samus wanted to do than to protect her adopted father. Repaying him for all the times he had protected her. "Don't hurt yourself further if you can prevent it. I got your back. And so does Weapon."

Master Chief was happy to have Samus have his back. But something inside him still left him wary of the AI.

Another kilometre of silence went by. The teen occasionally firing at the few Grunts that were running around in the valley.

"What are you turning today, Samus?"

Samus cocked her head in confusion repeating the Weapon's question under her breath. "What am I turning?"

"Sixteen." The monotone voice of the Spartan leader answered.

"Oh how old am I! Yeah, Chief is correct." Samus laughed at her own confusion.

"Sixteen... wow. Just a youngling. Incredible." Echo 216 spoke over the comlink.

The teen rolled her eyes with a smirk, hearing the comments on her age was nothing new to her. But it always made her feel a little demoted. "Did you always get comments like that when you were my age, Dad?"

"No..." John replied, he mostly had other soldiers challenge him. Spitting hate comments because they did not want to follow a young teen into battle.

"Ugh... is it really that astounding to have a young teen on the battlefield?" Samus complained, not wanting to be seen as just a child on the battlefield.

"Yes! Do not take my comments the wrong way, Samus. I respect you deeply. Get yourselves to the last beacon. I will be standing by." The Pilot quickly reassured the teen that she wasn't being seen as weak.

Arriving at the next beacon Samus easily tore through the Banished forces guarding it. Master Chief beat down another Brute, throwing the body into a charging Elite. The Spartan fired rounds into the fallen Elite's head, ending it's life.

Activating the door to the beacon Weapon cheered. "We did it. We actually did it!"

Samus and Chief exchanged looks after the odd cheer from the AI.

"Not that I thought we wouldn't. It's just... it's nothing." Weapon sighed.

"It's been a little rough along the way. But we're getting things accomplished." Samus encouragingly said.

Master Chief thought the AI's comments were ominous. Was something wrong? Was Weapon hiding something from them? Entering the room with the terminal, Chief placed the blue AI onto the terminal.

Weapon turned and smiled up at the Spartan. "Last one." As soon as she began to play with the sequence something was wrong. "No no no no..."

"What is it?" The teen questioned.

"This is a trap. She's trying to find out what I am. Trying to use me to break the deadlock. Start the spires. My routines, plus the Monitor's... Not good." Weapon replied with concern.

John glared at the AI suspiciously. Circling the terminal. "Then we stop. Stalemate."

"For now. She's close. Eventually she'll find a way." The blue uniformed AI replied to the Spartan.

"Then we have no choice." Master Chief replied stopping next to his daughter. He had a backup plan if the AI became corrupted. "I've got you."

Samus furrowed her brow behind her visor. Chief's body language was off. He seemed tense... Skeptical... Suspicious...

Weapon gave a trusting smile. Giving a nod, she went back to her risky work.

While the AI went to work. Master Chief began countermeasures. Activating the deletion protocol. "Red Flag." Chief said the pass phrase, activating the protocol.

"Red flag...?" Samus muttered under her breath, narrowing her eyes wondering what her adopted father was mumbling about.

"Hmm... nothing happened. Sorry. Maybe I'm going crazy. Or just paranoid." The blue female AI turned to gaze up at the Spartan. "Did you say something back there?"

"It was nothing." Master Chief replied reassuringly. But Samus wasn't buying his act.

"Okay. We've got what we need." Weapon shrugged waiting to be retrieved.

Chief collected the AI. Turning around to face the door where his teen waited, glaring at him suspiciously. "I was informing Echo 216 of the potential problems ahead." He lied as he led his teen out of the room.

"Sure..." Samus replied, attempting to believe the Master Chief.

"Let's head back to the spire. We should be able to bypass the security now." Weapon said as the two ventured out of the beacon.

The drive back to the spire was uncomfortably silent. Samus was suspicious of her adopted father's behaviour, but not wary enough to question him.

John was concerned. Terrified of what was happening to Weapon, concerned that she was hiding something from him. He was prepared to delete her now. It was just a matter time. He could delete her at any moment. He just worried about the repercussions he would receive from his young compassionate daughter. She already had an outstanding friendship with the AI. There was a high possibility that his young teen would not understand his abrupt decision.

Hopping out of the Warthog, Samus immediately released a storm of missiles on the surrounding enemies that were guarding the door. Making quick work of the surrounding enemies.

"That's a neat weapon. That must be your favourite you use it a lot." Weapon commented on the teen's weapon use.

"One of my favourites. It's just efficient enough to be used on multiple enemies in a single area. Or to weaken a strong opponent. I have different weapons for different situations." Samus shrugged in reply to the Weapon's comment.

The Spartan leader made his way over to the door as Samus destroyed the last enemy.

"They never stood a chance." Weapon thought aloud as Samus joined them at the door.

Activating the door it opened promptly this time with zero issues.

"It worked. Obviously I never doubted it for a second. The structure under the Ring calls itself the Nexus.

"The Harbinger?" Chief questioned.

"She's here." Weapon answered.

"Good. Let's go say hello." The Spartan said before Samus could make a sarcastic remark.

Following Chief through the structure, it was a series of hallways and corridors.

"Where now?" Chief asked as they strode through a narrow hallway.

"Down... I guess." The AI and Samus replied at the same time. Except the teen's tone was sarcastic.

"You guess?" The Spartan didn't except that reply coming from the AI.

"Yeah. This is all new. Fresh. The Nexus appears to be below the gravlift. Into the spire. We need to find it." She replied as the teen and Spartan ran into more Banished forces.

Tearing through the Banished attempting to halt their progress. The two warriors made their way further into the structure.

"Darkness had stretched its colour. Deep blue across the pane." The whispers began again. "No cloud to make night duller. No moon with its tarnish stain."

Samus didn't dare speak her opinion on the whispers. They were haunting, chilling, they shook her to her core. The further they dove into the depths of the spire the more haunting the whispers became.

"Now in this hour of waking from under the brows stone-a new pale day is breaking and the deep night is gone."

"Chief..." Samus nervously called the Spartan.

"It's alright. Let's keep moving." Chief encouraged his shook daughter to continue moving forward. He knew the haunting whispers of Cortana made his teen a bit uneasy.

Leaping down into the next room, Samus and Chief were both greeted by a pair of aggressive Hunters. Both Samus and Chief leapt out of the way of the two rays of deadly burning green from the fuel rod cannons.

"Shit, these guys are really unpleasant...!" Samus flash shifted away as a Hunter tried to bash her with it's massive shield. "In small places!" Flash shifting behind the Hunter she unloaded a storm of missiles into the Hunter's back. It roared in pain swinging it's shielded arm viciously.

"Agreed!" Chief rolled grenades under the other Hunter's legs, the multiple grenades exploding making his attacking Hunter equally as angry as Samus's.

The teen leapt out from behind her Hunter. Flash shifting closer to Chief's attacker. She fired multiple super missiles into the Hunter's back until it dropped dead.

"Samus!" John shouted as the Hunter behind the teen charged her with vicious intent.

Once again the girl flash shifted out of the way. Putting the Hunter's attention onto Chief.

The Spartan rolled out of the way of the fuel rod cannon blast. Sliding underneath in between the Hunter's legs to the other side, Chief peppered the Hunter's back in a spray of deadly bullets. A heavy thud confirming his kill.

Samus jogged over to the center of the room with Chief in tow. The pillar in the middle of the room lifted revealing a hole.

"Well... that's different. What now?" Weapon commented as Chief and Samus examined the chute.

"Down." Samus replied leaping into the hole, infectiously giggling on the way down.

Master Chief didn't hesitate to follow the teen in tow. Listening to his daughter cheer and giggle as they slid down.

"Woohoo!" Even the Weapon cheered with a playful giggle. Joining her friend in the fun.

"That was fun. Wanna do it again?!" Weapon said in her bubbly voice as they landed at the bottom of the chute.

"Yeah!" Samus exhaled through a chuckle.

"Where now?" Master Chief tried to refocus both girls attention. Leading them through the room they landed in.

"It shouldn't be far now. Let's look around." Weapon replied to the Spartan.

Samus gestured for Chief to follow her through the door she found. Turning to the right she led them further down the hallway, having the whispers start up again.

"Boundless spaces of night contract. And in your opening eyes I see. Night born in day and in in time eternity."

Making their way further down, Sentinels made themselves apparent. They were scanning for something...

Finally finding a beautiful bridge to cross. It showed just how massive and amazing this Forerunner structure was.

"Hmm... that's not good. We're going to need to find a way over this chasm." The AI mentioned as they reached the end of the bridge.

Samus glanced over at Chief, who returned the look. He was well aware that Samus had the ability to go on ahead while Weapon found a way to get across.

"Can we use that gondola?" Chief asked, gesturing to the platform ahead of them.

"Yes. Yes we can. Get me over there." Weapon replied. She wasn't as quick and observant as Cortana yet, but still an efficient AI. She was only programmed to do one task then be deleted after all.

"Shit, what's a gordilla? It blends right in with the structure." Samus retorted as they stepped onto the gondola.

"Gon-dol-la, Samus, gondola. Not gordilla. Do you have your translator activated?" The Spartan corrected his teen's mispronunciation.

Samus rolled her eyes at the Spartan. "I had it off when we were searching for ship parts... Whatever... Gon-dol-la..." the teen groaned correcting her mistake.

"Gordilla. That's funny." Weapon laughed as she activated the gondola. "Okay, the gondola is active." She announced as the platform shifted.

Samus stood at the tip of the gondola. Waiting for the far away platform to connect to the vacant space in front of her. Standing quietly as the gondola travelled smoothly. The teen suddenly had cloud of sadness and concern wash over her. As they travelled down the bridge she realized this entire time they still had no attempted contact from Blue Team. Samus wondered if at this point, if it was even a possibility.

"The Nexus is close by." Weapon announced snapping Samus out of her deep thoughts. "Just keep heading this way."

As the two warriors walked through the door entering another narrow hallway faint humming could be heard. Exiting the short hallway there was a deactivated bridge surrounded by Sentinels.

"Well, I could grapple you from the other side. And pull you over. Or find the power button." The teen suggested, just before the bridge lit up for them. "Huh... never mind."

Entering the large room, the duo scanned the room With their eyes. Samus walked down the ramp towards the middle of the room, with Chief in tow.

Master Chief held out his hand for Weapon to see the room for herself.

"Look at this place." Weapon said watching as holograms of the Halo and Spires appeared in the centre of the room. "All the Spires... interconnected. Just waiting to become something more. So much potential. It's exquisite."

"It's dangerous." Master Chief reminded the AI.

"Of course. I'm not suggesting we change the plan. But you can see it, right?" Weapon gestured to the holograms.

"I see the potential, absolutely. Still dangerous though." Samus agreed there was potential here, but it was incredibly deadly.

"All I see is a problem." Chief said as he gazed at the holograms.

"I don't believe that. A part of you must recognize the grandeur of this achievement. You're not a machine... you can't be that closed off." Weapon retorted with a chuckle.

Even Samus saw the potential in this place. Weapon knew it was dangerous, it was something that should absolutely be shut down. Turning back to the silent Spartan she could feel concern brewing within the green armour.

"What will it take for you to trust me?" The blue AI looked straight up into the golden visor, hoping for an answer.

"I... Spire first." Master Chief was tense, that question was not something he felt that he could answer at this moment.

Weapon was hurt that the Spartan she had been working so closely with could not give her an honest reply. "If you say so..." with a disappointed nod Weapon disappeared and went to work.

Samus was shocked that Chief could not give the AI an answer. Watching as the Spartan went over to the terminal attempting to activated it.

"Hmm... would you be surprised if I said it wasn't going to be that simple? Don't answer that." Weapon sarcastically spoke to the two.

"What needs to be done then?" Samus sighed heavily, resting her hand on her hip.

"The lift's been disabled. Presumably to slow us down. We're going to need to power it back up." The AI replied to the teen.

As the girls chatted with each other, Master Chief initialized his countermeasure protocol. Isolating the AI.

"Let me guess, another scavenger hunt for stupid batteries." The teen groaned examining the four powerless consoles.

"You are correct!" The AI replied to Samus cheerfully.

"Of course..." Samus sighed going up to the first console.

"Samus, don't. Don't drain yourself." Chief placed a hand on his teen's left arm.

"Look, we don't have time to scavenge for batteries, while listening to creepy whispers from floating data. When I can just power this lift myself. I'm going to do it whether you trust in my abilities or not." Samus argued, taking her arm from the Spartan she powered the first conduit.

Master Chief allowed the teen to power the first consoles. Hearing lost memories whispering through the air. He observed as Samus gave her own power to ignite the lift. The more she gave the weaker she grew.

"Did anyone else make it?"

"No, just dust and echoes. We had no choice."

Samus looked to her side, watching as a hologram of Master Chief and Cortana spoke right next to her, before dissolving into thin air.

"Dust and echoes? Weapon repeated what Cortana said.

"We destroyed the first Ring. We lost a lot of good people." Master Chief replied, as he observed Samus walk to the next powerless conduit.

"I don't know how you keep doing this." The AI replied in amazement.

"I don't have a choice." Chief replied approaching his teenager. "Maybe it's my programming."

"It worked. You did it. Just like you always do."

Samus gazed up from the console watching the holograms of Chief and Cortana speak. It was interesting to see her adopted father's past.

"I'm not coming with you this time. We were supposed to take care of each other, and we did."

Samus turned to face her adopted father who watched the holograms disappear. "Chief?"

"She saved me... but I couldn't save her."

"You blame yourself." Samus recognized that the Spartan blamed himself for what happened to Cortana.

"Yes." John responded turning his gaze to his daughter.

"You shouldn't though." Weapon mentioned. And Samus nodded in agreement with her.

John didn't respond to the comments from Samus and Weapon. He still felt he failed Cortana, he pushed her until she fell apart, instead of following the expired AI protocol. Cortana wanted to create a perfect universe, but in the end she created more chaos... Chief knew that when the time was right, he would not make the same mistake twice.

"That was the last one." Samus sighed tiredly, leading Chief back to the terminal. She was drained from all the power she fed into the consoles. But she didn't dare to falter in front of Chief.

Master Chief placed Weapon onto the terminal. The AI stepped onto the terminal without question, turning back to face the Spartan.

"You sure about this? She'll know I'm here. I'll be vulnerable to her. This could go spectacularly wrong." Weapon warned the Spartan leader.

Samus was worried for the AI now, nobody knew what the Harbinger was fully capable of. "Maybe we should rethink it? Before we go further with this."

"I'll take care of you." Master Chief reassured the AI.

Samus cocked her head at the Spartan she felt like her adopted father's reassurance was hollow. Something was off about him, he seemed certain yet, uncertain about everything that had happened in the last hour.

Weapon gave a trusting smile to the Spartan and bounty hunter, replying with a simple nod. "Okay then." She turned immediately going to work.

Chief paced around the AI, placing himself in between the AI and the bounty hunter.

"It's okay. False alarm. She's not..." Weapon suddenly disappeared in a burst of golden light.

"Weapon?!" Samus frantically scanned the terminal for the AI.

Chief scanned around them for any sign of Weapon, or the Harbinger. While the Harbinger's voice echoed through the room.

"Why do you fight the inevitable? Order approaches. The reformation is but a new beginning." The Harbinger spoke as she held Weapon prisoner.

Samus gazed up at the large golden hologram of Weapon crying out for Chief to help her.

"Help me! Chief... stay!" Weapon continued to work even in the Harbinger's torturous prison.

"The Auditorium will spill it's secrets. The Endless will walk this world once more." The Harbinger continued to torture the Weapon.

"Chief, we have to do something! Weapon's getting hurt! Pull her from the terminal!" Samus hissed at her adopted father. Watching every painful jerk from the AI hurt to witness.

Master Chief had a difficult decision to make, everything was being put into jeopardy. Weapon had served her purpose, she was now a risk. He to go through with the deletion sequence.

"I can't fight it! Please!" Weapon begged for the Spartan's help.

"Dad!" Samus cried out wishing she could rescue the AI herself. But she risked destroying the terminal and Weapon along with it, because of her ravenous Metroid powers.

Master Chief stood stern ignoring Samus's begging. Watching the AI cry out for his aid. The deletion systems ran across his HUD all it needed was his activation passcodes. "Red flag."

The bounty hunter turned sharply to the Spartan. There it was again. Red flag. It wasn't a precautionary call to Echo 216...

The failsafe protocol was no more, passphrase accepted. Now for the initialization code. The numbers 034, an old friend, a fallen brother.

"What are you doing?" Weapon questioned moaning in pain as she continued to work through pain.

"Samuel." The code was processing.

"What are you doing Chief?!" Samus hissed in frustration.

"You said... I thought we were a... team?!" Weapon said as the realization of what was happening finally hit.

"Why aren't you helping her?!" The teen shouted at the unmoving Spartan.

"Samus, enough!" John snapped at the girl.

Deletion override was active the countdown initiated. 3... 2... 1... Activated. The sequence beeped and alerted.

The atmosphere suddenly fell dead silent. Weapon no longer screamed in agony begging for help.

"I thought we were a team?" Weapon's golden hologram dissolved into nothing.

It was silent. Dark. Agonizing. Hollow...

"You deleted her..." Samus turned to her adopted father who scanned the room with his eyes. "Why?"

"She was going to put us all in jeopardy." Chief replied to his daughter.

"Weapon, was our teammate. Our friend!" Samus spat at the emotionless Spartan.

"She was an AI, Samus." John replied emotionless.

"What...?" Before Samus could argue further, Weapon appeared behind the Spartan on the terminal where he had placed her.

"Take care of it?!"

Chief spun around shocked to see the AI still active.

"Weapon you're alright!" The teen greeted the AI, relieved to see her friend still active.

"I am..." the AI replied glaring at the surprised Spartan. "You said you'd take care of me?!" Weapon hissed.

The teen glared at Chief with confusion and anger. "When you said take care of her, I didn't think you meant wipe Weapon from existence!" Samus scoffed in shock.

"You were trying to delete me!" Weapon stated what the teen was trying to actually say.

"And you stopped me. You put us all at risk." John argued. He knew his daughter would not understand.

"No. I saved us. No thanks to you." Weapon continued her argument. She was appalled. Her partner, who refused to delete her when her original mission was complete. Tried to rid of her, sneakily, in the most dirty way possible. After all they've went through together. Not even a dignified, wholesome, goodbye.

"The Reformation?" Chief attempted to change the subject. Not changing his rude, irritated tone.

"Yeah, yeah. It's begun. So what? Look what I have." Weapon retorted pulling out the odd holographic device. "Infiltration program. Remember?"

"You broke protocol." Master Chief continued to scold the AI.

"What is wrong with you? She was trying to help us!" Samus argued against her adopted father in disgust.

Weapon gestured to Samus in agreement. "It was worth the risk." She looked at Chief, waiting for a response, receiving awkward silence.

John went to retrieve Weapon only for her to snap her fingers pausing his retrieval. "It doesn't matter." The AI activated the gravlift.

"There's your gravlift. Let's get this over with." The AI gave the Spartan her most disgusted look before vanishing as Chief retrieved her.

Samus shook her head in disbelief watching as Chief strode by her to the gravlift.

"Are you staying here?" Chief turned to his unmoving teen.

"Don't even talk to me." Samus held up her hand to the Spartan walking past him into the gravlift.

Chief gave a heavy sigh. Both the AI and his teenager nearly had the same personality. Both were disgusted in his choices. Samus was just upset because she didn't understand the dire situation they were in. Weapon was now being the reckless one. Chief knew the next few hours with the two were going to be incredibly insufferable.

The gravlift ride was a long float up, it was massive and the height was incredible. Awkward silence following them on the float up.

"Do you have any idea of what you're interfering with?" The Harbinger's voice broke the tension filled silence. "The Monitor's Encephalon has served it's purpose! The Reformation has begun. Nothing can stop it. They will be found."

Reaching the top of the lift. Master Chief didn't dare ask the AI for guidance on where to head next. Scanning the room with his eyes he located a terminal. Using his grapple hook he quickly reached the terminal, where he went to activate the terminal.

"Those Sentinels aren't going to kill themselves, Chief." The AI thought aloud, refusing to activate the terminal.

Master Chief was confused, looking around the room. Not a single enemy in sight. He tried again, getting an even more sarcastic remark from the AI.

"I don't think the Sentinels are going to allow that. Maybe if you ask them nicely." Weapon retorted as the Spartan once again attempted to activate the terminal.

Before Chief could reply to the sarcasm, Samus opened fire on the floating machines surrounding the room. Jumping back down next to his daughter. Lifting his rifle he joined Samus in taking down the surrounding enemies.

"Get me to that terminal and we can end this now."

Both Samus and Chief went up to the terminal. Placing Weapon on the terminal, she gave the Spartan an unsure look before activating the terminals controls.

"The Spires are all now active. Oh..."

"What is it?" Chief questioned the AI's uncertainty.

Weapon glared over her shoulder at the Spartan. "I wasn't talking to you."

Master Chief lifted his head taking in a deep breath. If his teenage daughter's attitude wasn't enough. Now he had the AI giving him an equal amount of attitude.

"The Reformation is being focused on a specific area." The AI continued to read the information she was receiving.

"Where?" Samus asked curiously.

"It's called the Silent Auditorium. Interestingly... all the records of its purpose are missing." Weapon turned to the teenager barely acknowledging the Spartan's existence. "The only way up is through there." The AI pointed to the ceiling. Both Samus and Chief following her gesturing.

"Let's get this over with." Weapon said, waiting for the Spartan to retrieve her.

Chief went to retrieve Weapon but was very hesitant. The AI stared at him as he went for her, he could feel her distrust burning through him.

Samus had already leapt down back to where a supposed gravlift would be. Waiting for the Spartan to retrieve the AI.

Master Chief had to think to himself. Get her quick. Rip it off quick like a band-aid. He did just that. Jumping back down to his adopted teenage daughter. Approaching the burning orange and gold energy waves surging upwards.

"I wouldn't get to close to that. Unless you want to die. That beam will incinerate you." A grim but valid warning from the AI.

Samus walked around the burning plasma, looking up she knew it was an easy climb if she used her screw attack. Chief would have to use his grapple to climb.

"Is anyone going to talk about what happened back there?" Echo 216 asked as the two scaled upwards.

"Ask him." Weapon retorted.

"Chief?" The Pilot called, waiting for an answer. Getting no reply. "I guess not."

Samus snorted with a laugh of disbelief. As Chief finally reached the top, where she stood with her arms folded.

"Well from what I saw something bad happened. She... you were stuck. In pain. Trapped." Echo 216 described what he had witnessed through Chief's live feed.

"Funny how only Samus, and you recognize that. And he was going to delete me." Weapon replied with a scoff.

"What? Chief? Really?" The Pilot asked appalled by the AI's information.

"He doesn't talk much. He's more of what you might call a man of action. Especially when it comes to killing things. Right, Chief?" Weapon's tone was dripping with sarcasm and venom.

Samus was almost shocked by the usually bubbly AI's venomous responses. But she was still in agreement that Chief was incredibly unfair to her.

Taking the gravlift beam up with his teen, Chief did not respond. He would not stoop down to the childish levels. The sarcastic remarks were easy to brush off. But the venom stung. He was treading on thin ice. And he didn't know how to possibly make it up to both the AI and his daughter.

Samus led them into a corridor with a large window, facing a massive room filled with a fiery orange hue.

"The Spire is active." Weapon announced. "And yes... before you say it. I know it needs to be shut down. But... look at it. It's accelerating the Reformation. Creating raw materials and sending them out."

"To repair the Ring." Master Chief stated.

"Obviously. Or something more specific." The AI replied. As Samus and the Master Chief engaged in battle with the Banished and the Harbinger's Skimmers.

"Something dangerous?" Chief asked amazed he didn't get chewed apart for his statement five seconds ago.

"Probably. Everything has the potential to be dangerous. Right?"

There it was, the venomous remark Chief thought he had escaped.

Samus sighed defeatedly, Chief had been shooting down most of the enemies. Barely giving her the chance to replenish the devastating amount of energy she had spent on activating the gravlift. No words were exchanged between them as they battled on through the building. Finding themselves running across another bridge, the Pilot began to grow impatient.

"Are you guys done yet?"

"Totally." Weapon responded.

"I meant with the Spire." Echo 216 groaned.

"So did I. Mostly... We're nearly at the top." the AI scoffed.

"Good, because something is being built... well... rebuilt." The Pilot informed the three.

"What is it?" Master Chief asked as they approached a large door.

"Something big."

"We need to keep moving, quickly." Samus said gesturing for Chief to speed up.

Entering a massive room, the teen leapt across the small gap to the centre of the room. Where Adjutant Resolution rose up with the centre pillar.

"Be warned, this configuration is superior to my last." The armoured Monitor warned the teen and Spartan.

"Oh good... him again." Samus groaned flash shifting out of the Monitor's firing laser beam.

"Same plan as last time?" Master Chief asked his teen as he fired at the attacking Monitor.

Samus furrowed her brow, as she fired missiles at the floating machine. Chief was being excepting, not trying to argue that she shouldn't put herself into danger. He was either trying to win back her trust. Or suffering from his head injury. "Yup, I guess so. He's going to be after me for taking him down the first time, anyway." The teen replied just merely missing being roasted by the deadly laser beam.

"I have no choice but to destroy you here, and now!" Adjutant Resolution threatened.

Firing at one of the vulnerable arms of the Monitor's armour, Samus dodged yet another deadly shot. "I haven't been able to replenish my energy, so I guess I will fucking devour this floating idiot instead!"

Master Chief rolled out of the way as the Monitor firing a warning shot at him. "I guess that'll work."

"Yeah, I'll keep his attention on me, I'll destroy the armour. You damage him when he's off guard. You're good at that." Samus told the Spartan as she fired at the Monitor's vulnerable core.

"He really is!" Weapon chimed in as Chief attempted to ignore their comments.

Two arms damaged the Monitor's frustration was growing. Sentinels quickly came to his aid against the two warriors. "Hello Friends. Quickly, help me."

"Oh look. He brought friends." The teen sarcastically remarked. "Deal with them please."

"Chief will deal with his friends, Samus." Weapon pointed out to the Spartan leader. "Did you hear me, Chief? He. Has. Friends."

Besides getting fired at from each and every direction from the Sentinels. Chief was getting hit the hardest by the two partners he had with him.

"Agh!" Samus yelped in pain after being hit by the Monitor's deadly beam.

Master Chief promptly scooped up a Sentinel beam off the floor. Using the burning weapon to blast the last arm off the Monitor.

"How dare you! I was going to use that to kill you!" Adjutant Resolution gasped in pain.

"Samus, he's vulnerable!" Master Chief shouted.

Samus took the vulnerable opportunity to hop onto the machine. Latching her hand onto the Monitor's optic. Using her starving parasitic powers to siphon the energy from the hostile machine.

Adjutant Resolution cried out in agony, trying to shake off the girl. As circuits and fuses popped and exploded inside the machine. The Monitor's armoured body crashed into the ground in a fiery demise.

Samus jumped back from the exploding machine, regrouping with the Master Chief.

"That's him dealt with." Weapon said as the duo made their way over to the terminal that appeared in the middle of the room. "This should be the elevator that will get us to the top."

Samus hesitated to step on, scanning around them, feeling as if there was something watching them.

"Samus." John gestured for the teen to get onto the lift.

The teen stepped on, looking over her shoulder as she did so. She could've sworn she saw an odd sheen flare in the distance.

Reaching the top of the lift. They were met by Phantoms, and Banished forces. Master Chief made quick work of the Banished that attacked them head on. Samus fired multiple super missiles at the Phantom until it shattered in a fiery explosion. Transforming into her morph ball, she planted bombs behind all the Banished being shot by the Spartan. Finishing them all.

"Well... I guess that's done. We're safe. For now." The AI said as the Spartan made his way over to the terminal.

Master Chief placed the AI onto the pedestal. Immediately walking to the side of the terminal, waiting for the heated comments.

"Are you sure it's alright if I do this?" Weapon sarcastically gazed up at the Spartan.

"If it's safe." Chief walked past the terminal, keeping his back to the AI.

"Or you'll delete me, right? Good luck with that." The AI was incredibly bitter with the Spartan.

Master Chief closed his eyes momentarily. Opening them, he kept his gaze over the vast beautiful valley, while Weapon went to work.

"Yes it worked. No there's not a problem. Three, two, one." Weapon emotionlessly reported as she shut down the Spire.

Samus sighed, walking past the AI. Standing next to her father. She could feel he was secretly very upset with himself.

"We're done." Weapon said.

"It's never done." John turned away from Samus.

Samus took that as a need for space, backing up she stood next to the terminal with Weapon.

"Explain this to me. I waited for you for six months. Did everything you asked. I was supposed to be deleted." Weapon followed the Spartan's movements as he once again turned his back to her. "You're the reason I'm still here! You! All of this? You could not have done it without me! None of it! I trusted you. Why can't you do the same?!"

John spun around sharply, taking a step towards the AI. "You don't understand."

"Try me!" Weapon wanted answers from the Spartan no more uncertainty.

Samus turned her head seeing the odd sheen of light out of the corner of her eye. Scanning the room for any sign of possible enemies.

"Cortana." Master Chief said.

"Is gone! Dead! All that's left are echoes! And sooner or later they'll be gone too!" Weapon hissed in frustration.

"Will they..." Chief walked away frustrated. Taking note of Samus's odd behaviour.

"Are you three still alive? All the Spires are shutting down! You did that right? Did we win, or what?" Echo 216 asked on approach.

The whirring of the Condor's engines on approach turned the Spartan's attention to the approaching Pilot.

Samus watched as the sheen danced across the room, onto the nearby hovering Condor. Completely disappearing. "What the fuck...? Chief there's something wrong."

"He's ready for pickup." Weapon told the Pilot. "You can leave me here." Turning her back on the Spartan, Weapon no longer had a desire to assist the Spartan.

"Chief, something's going on here." Samus continued to attempt to gain the Spartan's attention.

Master Chief pivoted stomping back to the terminal. "I can't do that."

"I'm not giving you a choice." The blue female AI argued. "Try not to get him killed, too." Weapon gestured to the Pilot in the aircraft.

With his back turned to the Condor, Master Chief exhaled heavily, turning his gaze away from the AI.

"Okay, let's get out of here... ah!" Echo 216 said to the three.

"Dad!" Samus cried out in panic as the odd sheen became the Blademaster. Who immediately sliced at the Pilot's dashboard.

Chief spun around, finally seeing the Blademaster attacking Echo 216. Quickly jumping into action, Master Chief leapt off the platform onto the Condor's windshield. Punching the glass it began to shatter, but not fast enough as the out of control aircraft caused the Spartan to lose balance, tossing him back onto the balcony.

"Dad, that's the Blademaster! The Spartan Killer." Samus cried as the Condor flew away.

"A Spartan Killer? He doesn't stand a chance, Chief!" Weapon warned the Master Chief.

"Track it." Master Chief commanded immediately.

"Already doing it." Weapon didn't argue. She was already tracking the failing aircraft.

"Open a gate. Find somewhere close." Chief ordered as he turned to face the centre of the room.

"It's not that simple." Weapon replied, trying her best to do what she could.

"Why?" Chief questioned.

"Okay, it's kind of simple. But risky." The AI warned the frantic Spartan. She did still care about the Spartan.

"Weapon, the risks don't matter at this point." Samus told the concerned AI.

"We save him. Or die trying." Master Chief sternly told Weapon. There was no time to waste trying to be safe.

"There's a pretty high chance that could happen. It's hard to lock down the coordinates." Weapon explained to the concerned Spartan.

Samus mentally cursed herself, wishing that her ship was available for them to use.

Chief thought about the risks, but they had no choice either way. He had betrayed Weapon's trust in his ability to take care of her. He was not going to fail Echo 216. "Do it."

Weapon did so without question. "Portals open!"

Master Chief collected the stubborn AI. Giving Samus a reassuring nod. Before they both rushed into the portal.