Disclaimer: Halo and the Wolfenstein series DO NOT belong to me. They're owned by their respective owners and the only thing to my name is possible OC's and this story.
Author's note: Turns out I can only have TEN saves so that may be a problem though I going to see if I get a work around.
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Anyway, enjoy.
"Internal monologue"
"Regular speech"
"Foreign language translated"
... (Scene break and switch to another scene)
- (Scene break, but revolves back to the same scene - or character - if that makes sense)
The green gauntlet pried the steel grey lid open, the forth hub of the day. A flash of blue going into the panel and returning back. The remains of the lid closed over it, it creaked in retaliation slightly ajar. The spartan didn't give it and the destroyed turret another thought as he left the room and closed the door behind him. The commercial building's silence welcomed the spartan.
All the workers have already left for the night, giving him free reign. Looking out one of the windows, the lights of the city shone brightly. Illuminating banners, buildings, and checkpoints throughout the city. Now that's interesting... a nondescript black van with darkened windows drove down one the roads and disappeared behind one the buildings. No other vehicles were in sight, and any checkpoint it came across didn't stop them for identification.
"Track it."
A yellow outline of a van drove further into the city. A good thing he had just handled the hud. He sped up to the staircase to the roof, careful not to leave any evidence to his existence. He recounted the situation. It's simply unreal, it being 1960. The Nazi have won, the United Nations never came to be.
The whole world under German domination with Africa being a work in progress. Reinforcements already came to the hotel from before, bounding up the stairs with teams going into each floor if the stampede of boots were any indication. By the time they reached his floor, all evidence of the Spartan's whereabouts was a broken window. Without eyes in the city, they had no way to pursue the green blur and watch the manhole cover slide back into place. He pushed the door open, the roof giving a splendid view.
The target became smaller and smaller as it went deaper into the city. Launching himself off the edge, Chief conducted all forms of acrobatics such as jumping onto other roofs, vaulting over obstacles, and launching himself further with his grapple; making sure to remain out of sight and stick to the shadows. The better part of the previous day was spent on exploring the underground tunnels of Berlin, mapping it out along with finding a possible location to make base of operations. He'd come across a fairly large concrete cavern, roughly the size of a few football fields with pillars spaced out supporting the thirty meter high ceiling - a sewage drain. The walls sported tunnels leading to elsewhere. Strategically, the place was a poor choice in Chief's opinion other than having cover for him thanks to the pillars.
Other than that, it would become a death trap for the sole defender with enemies having the possibility to swarm in. Though the place still had it's uses, it only being illuminated by his helmet lights. There was no source of light, artificial or otherwise, bathing the place into darkness. The place did, at the very least, gave him a moment to rest. From there, he had to explain the situation to his digital companion.
"So...?" The AI rocked on the balls of her feat, on the unsanitary water pooling in front of the green legend's feet. She gave a questioning shrug at the spartan as he finished sitting down.
"We're on Earth... just not on our Earth." Her face contorted in confusion. No doubt her processing power is working overtime to just understand what he was saying.
"There are two Earths now..?"
"...Maybe. Those forces we encountered..."
"Yeah?"
"...they're human, but not the UNSC. They appear to be Nazis." On a mental command, a hologram of the swastika materialized on his now open palm. She studied it, curiosity flashing across her eyes.
"Nazis?"
"Yes, the National Socialist German Workers' Party who rose to power and took over Germany in the 1930's. Germany is a country on Earth as well as... this Earth." An Earth materialized around the swastika, it being nested onto Germany; the country's borders bolded.
"Were?"
"Yes. They were one of the main combatants in World War Two and lost in 1945. This led to the United Nations, the predecessor of the UNSC, creation. There may be a few people that still follow their ideals, but the group essentially faded away into history." The swastika shattered and disappeared in bits of light that reformed into the insignia of the UNSC that took half of the face of the Earth.
"If that is true... what are they doing here? Isn't it suppose to be 2560?"
"Should be. It isn't. According to our first contact and the surrounding environment, it's the 1900s and that the Nazis won. We'll have to confirm this ourselves and gather intel."
"Before, you mentioned their ideals." She must have picked up on his tone referring to them.
"What were they?"
"To simplify, they are similar to the Banished" The AI's eyes widen at the comparison.
"How...?" She became more visibly stressed, her bubbly demeanor still present.
"They're arrogant and believe themselves superior to certain groups of humanity based on their religion, ethnicity, and values. They committed genocide on these same groups through a variety of ways... from mass executions and prison camps to experiments and torture. Make no mistake, they can be smart and deadly as the Banished."
"Lives wasted..." The ghost sensation of the dead spartan weighed heavily on his arms, heavier then it was at that moment. Real similar to the Banished indeed.
"...but how can humans... do that to each other?" She became more somber, her musings indicting to darker places. Why would she - ah Cortana... No, that wasn't Cortana; not the one he knew.
"...Anyone and anything can be cruel. Humanity can be cruel as they can be merciful, the same holds true for the other alien species. Am I cruel?" The living code looked alarmed.
"Of course not!"
"Yet with my abilities and skills, I can easily become cruel to any Banished I come across and succeed. You wouldn't have stopped me if I was when we met would you?" Her eyes found the puddle more interesting.
"...True on both accounts."
"There can a variety of reasons for people to become cruel. They could have been subjugated and wanted payback, it could be a part of their persona, or that person is simply unstable. Our actions as of the moment define us and reflects our character. Neither of us are cruel, correct? ... Or is there something you'd like to tell me?"
"Yes..." A smile formed, showing off her pearly blues. "You're still funny." She craned her neck to keep eye contact with his visor as it towered over her.
"C'mon. We have a lot of work to do." A palm reached out, one she gladly took.
He loomed over the parked vehicle, it being parked on the side of the pavement, joining the line of cars. It had stopped earlier before he caught up to it, his helm displaying a recording of what occurred. As soon as the van parked, the rear doors opened revealing four armed soldiers sporting gray-green uniform, two sporting submachine guns with silencers while the other two only had their handguns holstered. One with a holstered tool carried a tool that looked like a combination of a torch and a wielder. All of them carried vests of a variety of tools and only sported helms that covered their faces with a tear gas mask, tiny black slits covered where their eyes should be. They formed up single file with a gunner leading, the one with the tool second, holstered third, and the final gunner.
As they entered, the front passenger of the van appeared from the side and entered the back; closing the doors. Interesting... Dismissing the feed, Chief peeked is arm over the edge and at an angle. A threat sensor latching onto the wall of the building before expanding, its sphere of influence popping into existence. Half of the blue ball disappeared inside the building to show multiple blue prone forms humanoid forms, an apartment he realized, the line of red soldiers climbing the staircase -
"What are they doing?"
His eyes flicked over to the nav point she set up -
"I'll tell you when your older." The sound of her balking filtered through his helmet's internal speakers.
"What do you mean-?!"
"Focus on the mission." Looking back at the soldiers, he attempted to rid the image of intertwined bodies out of his mind, but damn his own augmentation. Nearly perfect memory really was a double edged sword. They formed up around in front of a apartment, the sole occupant prone; sleeping he presumed in a connecting room. The tool man stepped in front of the entrance, made a vertical slash, and returned to his position. Gunner one on the other side of the door went in followed by handgun with gunner two acting as rear guard, standing in place. Tool man slung the tool on his back and entered unholstering as the rest of the team cleared the apartment.
A team member signaled towards the occupant's room. The lone figure's head rose a fraction and stilled before scrambling. The reds quickly hastened their movement breached the door. Blue grabbed something, and pointed it towards its own head before being tackled by the leading red. The rest of the reds piled in while one grabbed the suicide weapon and set it on nearby furniture. One red stuffed something in blue's mouth, shoved a bag over its head, and quickly bounded blue's hands and legs.
Tool and handgun carried their captive as the gunners led them out and down the stairs.
"What's going on?" The spartan stood at the edge.
"An 'unknown' disappearance as their called. A tactic used to control a population through fear and take out dissidents in the populace. For us, a trove of intel." The soldiers came out, carrying the still struggling man. A gunner knocking the door. The passenger opened the doors and got out to the passenger seat.
"What's the plan?" The doors slammed shut of the back and passenger seat.
"Shock and awe." The engine hummed to life. He dropped, his heels colliding with its van right after.
A/N: I've always read stories of where AIs with Spartans always explain situations to the spartans or other characters. Similar case with other characters explaining things to spartans. I happened to look at the relationship between Chief and the Weapon and thought it was refreshing that it was a spartan explaining the situation to the AI for a change. I figured the dialogue fits the Chief well because he is a man of few words and he can only infer on what happened while the weapon is inexperienced so she doesn't know any better unless she had data which she doesn't. Finally, the relationship between the two is kinda like... father and daughter which I'm kinda into and seemed to follow that troupe. Anyway, leave a review!