After the storm had passed, the Spartans had sallied forth, managing to break the crew out from the underground of the AO. Chief and Sam pushed together alongside Ludmilla, with the lead Spartan(eldest of the pair) pushing his way past a pair of Raptures while dropping grenades at their feet. Alice's sniper rang out, taking out another that was right beside him.
Chief utilized the thrusters in his armor to propel himself forward, cocking his fist back and striking the leg of a Thermite. That threw off its aim, sending two bolts of plasma flying skyward instead of at him, Sam or Ludmilla. Ludmilla herself followed up by clambering on top of the machine and kicking its armor plate until it collapsed. She shoved the barrels of her weapon in the opening and opened fire, hot spent casings flying out of the ejection port as the high-cal Nikke-standard rounds tore through.
The machine's sole green eye dimmed, then went dark. Multiple of its kin returned fire, forcing Ludmilla to move faster while also keeping up with the Spartans. Sam, meanwhile, pulled his pistol out and snapped off several shots at the machines, nailing a couple and causing them to fall over. Beside him, Ludmilla pushed forward again, hefting her MG and opening up. Twin bursts of bullets raked another machine's body, only for her to feel the full brunt of another slamming into her.
She flew into a pile of snow with a huff, then murmured, "Damnable Kamikaze drones..." as she stood up. She gasped as a second burst through from behind the corpse of a larger brother and prepared to roll to the side. She paused, however, when a blade of energy split the machine in half, then again. The four bits of the beast fell to the floor as a highly-advanced Nikke touched down and spotted the Commander, Chief and Sam.
She smirked behind her mouthpiece and radioed, "Counters, Luckies! Good news! Commanders have been found!"
"Roger! We're on our way to you!" Rapi's voice echoed over the com, followed up by a sigh of relief from Shifty. The Spartans and Alyosha greeted the flying Nikke with nods and a smile, respectively, while Alice let out an awed 'woah' at the sight. Rusty swiveled about and drew her assault weapon, firing a burst at a missile launcher Rapture before dodging its rockets.
Chief and the others turned and focused fire, with the Commander radioing, "Alice, hit them!"
She smiled, "Roger, Rabbity! Go down!" then snapped off several shots. Her rifle's semi-automatic setting helped deliver a volley of fire on the smaller Raptures that attacked the Spartans while they themselves shot back. Each bullet struck true, staggering or killing one of the machine-beasts while the two supersoldiers laid waste to the rest. Still, even with that, Chief's armor's integrity was going down.
"We're down to around 67 percent, Chief... Maybe we should disengage and let Sam handle it for now..." Cortana murmured as flakes started peeling from the Titanium layer alongside the paint, revealing a dark-grey coat underneath. Chief sighed and nodded, noting some warnings that were blaring before taking a step back. Cortana told Sam, "Keep yourself mobile and watch out for the enemy's beams, Sam. The focused particle emissions will chew through your titanium plating."
"Roger!" Sam replied, rolling off to the side as a burst of energy struck right beside him. Chief pulled extra magazines from his belt and pouches and threw them to the Spartan, who caught them and slotted them in place of his empty ones. Chief sighed as he walked to Doctor Halsey's side. The woman stopped him and started looking over his armor and clicked her tongue, disappointed.
"I knew I should've added extensive radiation shielding..." She murmured to herself, scraping a bit of the fused materiel with her fingers and looking at it. She cleaned it off on the snow, then told John, "I'm afraid that, at the current extent of damage to your armor's titanium protection layer, you're heading for an untimely demise, John. Wait until I can either fix this, or until I get you new armor parts..."
"Yes, ma'am..." The Spartan replied, though the slight dejection the doctor heard in his voice was rather surprising. Enough for the good doctor to crack a smile. She patted him on the chest, then side-stepped him to watch Samuel and the Nikkes engaging in combat. She watched Samuel dance with far more agility than she'd have expected, only for her mind to recall just how young the man was when he passed. She blinked, carefully wiping away a tear that had almost slipped down her cheek, before licking her lips and rubbing her shoulders, trying to keep herself warm.
Cortana's voice played in her ear, "... Surprised as we are to see him?"
"Yes," Halsey didn't even hesitate, "... And oh so incredibly happy..." And her voice cracked.
Cortana smiled as she appeared in her glasses' HUD, "Yeah. You wouldn't believe how happy Chief was, too. I mean, his heart-rate skyrocketed..." then she took a moment of silence. Just how many more of their own would arrive, both women thought, and how many more ghosts would they need to confront? Cortana hummed, remembered, then spoke, "I know this... May be a bit of an odd time to mention it, doc, but... Miranda's here, too..."
A momentary alert played on Halsey's HUD, vanishing a picosecond later. The doctor asked, "... Do you mean to tell me...?"
"She's being turned into a Nikke... Her body was put in Cryo aboard the Dawn and the Pod somehow wound up here. Guessing automatic jettisoning protocols and maybe something Forerunner related from near Requiem," The AI explained, trying her best to make this sound okay, though she, too, knew just how important Miranda was to Halsey. She continued, "Brain survived, meaning she gets a second lease of life as a cyborg supersoldier, funnily enough..."
"... I see..." Halsey sighed. Despite the conflict within her heart, she simply stated, "... It's good to know someone like her gets a second chance. Especially one where she's much less likely to die..." and she choked up. Swallowing empty, she watched as the Nikkes that had come to their rescue rallied up with John's and Sam's personal squad, as well as that of Commander Harris.
"Yeah," Cortana gave her a nod, probably wanting to comfort her.
The Lucky Strikes, Chief's squad, stepped toward the Spartan, with Delta noting, "Your armor doesn't look so good, Chief. Maybe we can get a replacement when we reach the Base..."
"I will do my best to assist with that," Halsey spoke as she approached, "Greetings, ladies. I am doctor Catherine Halsey... One of the Chief's allies. We should probably proceed to the Base at best speed, John. There is still valuable materiel there that we can use to find your Pilgrim and Linda..." to which the Spartan nodded. He stood to his feet and rallied the teams, only to pause as he saw Anis, Neon and Rapi happily greeting the Commander, the former two with smiles on their faces. Rapi concealed a smile, though.
"Didn't know we'd have even more people we'd meet here," Delta quipped, looking to Chief. He nodded, then showed the team to push forward, calling over radio for possible Evac for the civvies. Halsey listened in on the conversation, walking with the rest of the group toward the base, before stopping Delta and holding her at the back of the group. Delta looked, confused, at the doctor and asked, "Can I help you with anything, doctor?"
"Just wanted to talk to someone else who has been working with John," She replied warily, "You are?"
"Delta, ma'am," She nodded, "A Nikke from Elysion."
Halsey gave the woman a once-over, then looked over some of the other present Nikkes, mainly focusing on Rusty and maybe Anis. She commented, "You and the young-looking girl over there," pointed at Signal, then continued, "Seem to be the most properly dressed for the type of weather and environment we're facing. Though she," she then pointed at Rapi, "Doesn't seem that far behind. Am I right to assume you're military?"
"Affirmative, ma'am," She nodded, "Us and Soldier EG, 'Sammy', are Elysion. The ones wearing heavy armor with actual added fur and heating are Product 23, 'Pinne', iDoll Sun 'Layla' and Product 12 'Niner'," and she pointed each girl out specifically. She smiled and said, "We're the Lucky Strikes. Me and Signal are the Scouts squad... We usually deal with what another of the Spartans, Kelly, is doing right now."
"I see," Halsey nodded, "A pleasure, then, Delta."
"Pleasure is all mine, doctor. It's good to meet another of Chief's friends," The girl replied with a smile. Polite, Halsey pondered, for what was supposed to be a war machine the likes of the Spartans, just easily more mass produced. The group continued their trek to the target area, with Delta turning to the concerned doctor as she bundled herself up in her parka. She asked, "Do you need warmers, doctor? We brought some."
"It would be appreciated," Halsey nodded, only to receive a pair of said warmers:Quick-acting bags that created a thermic reaction within upon being shaken thoroughly. Halsey shook them and slotted them beneath her undershirt on the sternum and between the shoulder blades respectively, then sighed in relief as the radiating warmth began to spread across her body. She sighed, letting the relief of warmth wash over her, before speaking, "Many thanks..."
As they continued their trek toward the base, Halsey hanged back a little, speaking to the AI, "Cortana... Are you well?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm alright, doc. Why?" She asked, a bit surprised.
Halsey hummed, then spoke softly, as if trying to tread carefully, "It's been eight years..."
"Yep," Cortana seemed jovial, smiling at her, "Rampancy isn't there anymore doc... I don't know how or why. We can probably study it when we get back to the Outpost, alright?" to which Halsey blinked. Was it really that easy to solve an issue like this? Or had their revival simply allowed Cortana to return to her pre-deployment self? Eight years was such a long time for an AI. Seven was the maximum limit and, yet, here she was.
The doctor sighed and replied, "I'd like to conduct a thorough investigation when possible, but... As the saying goes," and she smiled, "Never look a gift horse in the mouth..." before she rejoined the group, walking between John and Sam, while their Nikkes spearheaded the advance. She stopped, however, when she saw the small communications specialist of the Scouts looking back at her through the round lenses of her glasses. The shy girl quickly turned away, to which the doctor hummed, "I suppose people still have to get used to me..."
"Heh. Give it time, doc," Sam chuckled, patting her on the shoulder, "We'll get you set up."
"IFFs, coming in from the left," Chief called out, drawing his rifle. He pushed forward and motioned to the Lucky Strikes to follow along, before cresting a hill. The group watched a platoon of Marines approaching. Soldiers from the Dawn. Chief recognized several of their names due to having operated together on the Ark. Their cryopods were right beside his.
Most of them snapped quick salutes at the Chief and stared with confusion at the Nikkes present around. Seeing two Spartans, however, quickly put the men and women at ease, each of them hefting their bags of gear and rifles onto their backs, with one of them stating, "Least we ain't dyin' alone in this tundra Hellscape..." as they joined in with the group.
Eden
Six had decided to wander the wider expanse of Eden. Met by the gazes of the dozens of people and Nikkes living and working here, the Spartan couldn't really complain. At least, the place seemed to actually be like its name suggested:a small Paradise. Proceeding, the man reached the center of Eden itself, a sprawling area of gardens and beautiful architecture that seemed to soothe him. The distant hum of the optical camouflage fields filled his ears.
He entered the gardens and looked around, amazed at the sight of such lush greenery, beautiful flowers and the tall fruit-bearing trees, not to mention the various livestock and wild animals wandering the place, grazing or simply existing within the controlled environment. He could just barely make out the items keeping the place as it was amidst the foliage and life, but they blended so well, it almost didn't matter.
Approaching a bench and sitting down, he took a moment of self-reflection, though not before thanking the lord Nikkes weighed nearly as much as a Spartan in a full MJOLNIR set, meaning the benches were made to support that extra weight. He stared out at the place once more, the rising peaks of rocky hills, covered by green instead of an orange red like the desert outside, teeming with life, bugs and the likes.
It was almost serene.
Almost. Six noticed the other humanoid being in the place. His eyes locked onto the woman sat at a distance, admiring the calmness of the place as well. With bubblegum pink, straight hair and purple eyes, the face of an angel and a white, frilly dress, stockings and heeled boots, the young woman before him seemed to simply be relaxing from her daily work. She, too, seemed to be a Nikke, though. There was just a slight sentiment of Uncanny Valley about the way she looked. Her skin was porcelain-perfect, glimmering in the light.
Sat by a small creek, she held her hand out. A colorful butterfly touched down on the tip of her fingers. She cast a quick glance his way, her eyes, though seemingly normal, focusing like mechanical ones. She was a seemingly perfect representation of humanity in a mechanical body. Of course she'd have noticed him. To that, he simply gave a lighthearted wave, though his face remained impassive.
Seemingly taken by surprise with the offered olive branch, the woman turned to face him, then started walking toward him. "I haven't seen you here before... Are you, perchance, new? She spoke, her voice surprisingly soft, though hiding a sharp undertone only someone as trained as Six would hear. Even the smile felt a little fake, to be quite honest.
"Yeah," He nodded, "Dropped in half a day ago, or so."
"Dropped in?" She blinked, "People usually seek Eden out. They don't just appear out of thin air..." and she crossed her arms to her chest.
The Spartan shrugged, "Death has a funny way of doing things, it seems..." then saw he piqued her intrigue. Trying to maintain his stone-cold facial expression as much as possible, the man told her, "Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy. I got cornered by a few 'friends'," with an added, spiteful sarcasm to that last word, before continuing, "And then I died and woke up in the desert outside your little haven. Several plasma bolts to and an energy dagger to the neck did me in."
He looked away for a moment, rubbing his throat. Behind the strange black undersuit he wore, she could faintly make out the cut, amidst other things, such as the penetration marks on his armor's plates and the carbon scoring that marked impact points on the rest. With mental notes made, she spoke, "It certainly doesn't sound like a pleasant way to go..." her voice low.
He shook his head, "Doesn't matter right now, I guess. Happened upon this place and got intercepted by two of yours... One of which was freaking weird. I really didn't appreciate her whole 'hunt' test, much less her behavior after I won..."
"Everyone goes through a test in order to be allowed into Eden. Yes, Isabel is a bit off when it comes to her test, but-" The girl started, arms crossed. Honestly, the more she thought about it, Isabel's strange obsession to be the perfect hunter didn't help her make any friends. Though that wasn't why she cut herself off, the Spartan did, in fact, do that, quite quickly.
"I meant the moan she let out when I pinned her to the floor..."
The short, one-second laugh that escaped the woman's mouth caused the Spartan to blink. The woman managed to compose herself, then cleared her throat and said, "Good luck trying to handle Isabel, then," before tugging at her sleeves with a smirk. Sure, there was certainly something strange about her, the Spartan thought, but she seemed the sanest out of the lot.
He shook his head, "Handle her? I'm not going to within ten feet of her."
The woman smirked a little, almost seeming to enjoy having to burst his bubble with the statement, "I'm afraid you're now part of Inherit due to beating her at her own game. Anyone else who beat her test managed to hide until she grew bored, but you beating her?" then she tilted her head a degree to the left, "Well, let's just say you might've just made her incredibly interested in you."
The Spartan blinked, staring at the woman, "So, what you're telling me is I have to sleep with my handgun under my pillow now," before patting said handgun to emphasize his point. Though, with that in mind, he was not exactly fond of the idea of having to share a base with someone like that woman. Rather obvious to the other one... "Come to think of it, I didn't get to ask. Who are you?"
She took a moment to realize that introductions had, in fact, not occurred, stating, "My name is Dorothy. I'm also a part of Inherit and Eden, though I mostly spend my time in these Gardens when off-duty..."
"I see..." He hummed, "What planet are we even on?"
"... Earth...?!" She seemed stunned, "What do you mean!?"
"... We're on Earth? Damn," He blinked, "Place must've gone to hell and a handbasket if they have weirdoes like that Isabel girl as soldiers... Or even that stuck-up commander of yours, Johan."
"Oh, you met the Commander, then," Dorothy quipped, chuckling with a little air of superiority, "Yes, he might seem a bit brash, but he does have the skills to back up his abrasiveness toward new arrivals. Unless you manage to knock him down a peg or two... Don't tell him I suggested that, though," and she pushed some strands of her pink hair out of her eyes.
"You seem to be enjoying this," He sighed.
"Oh, I am. You're quite the breath of fresh air after how stale this place has been. Fairly straightforward and not as eccentric as the rest of Inherit, plus Johan's superiority complex was also getting grating, so..." She replied rather jovially, "What's your name, then? You already have mine, soldier. Feels only natural we complete the pleasantry of introducing ourselves to each-other."
"Call me Six," He replied, looking at her, "What can I do to keep Isabel away, then... Dorothy?"
"Heh," She nodded, then greeted with what seemed to be genuine warmth, "Well met, Six," only to take a moment to consider his request. She shrugged and told him, "As for how to keep Isabel away, I'm afraid that's on your prerogative. Once she's settled onto a target, she will pursue it indefinitely, until either it, or she, falls. And she hasn't lost a hunt of hers so far..."
The Spartan rubbed his face and murmured, "Wonderful... I'm gonna have to put a leash on her, aren't I?"
His Nikke companion replied with a quick jab, "I'd bet she'll enjoy that~..." before cracking a rather sly smile. A sigh escaped the Spartan's lips as he rolled his eyes. She chuckled, then shook her head and said, "Ah, a little normalcy..." murmuring a quiet, "How I've missed it..." as her expression suddenly turned a little sad. Or, if Six didn't know better, he'd say it was both sadness and anger.
He shrugged, "Yeah..." then looked up at the dome. He cupped a pouch on his armor, then his eyes shot wide open. He softly whispered, "No, no, no, no, c'mon..." as he felt for them. Dorothy looked confused at first, before her worries became a little exacerbated as he saw the Spartan frown. He sighed, gritting his teeth, "Must've dropped them when I fell into this place... My team's dog tags."
"We can send a recovery drone to where Isabel met you," She offered, "See if they can't be located..." and that was the most serious he'd seen Dorothy up until now. Six realized immediately that something about her had changed. And indeed, Dorothy thought, something had changed. From the reaction, she quickly realized those tags must've meant a lot to him. His team's tags, the same kind of tags she would have carried with her in the name of keeping her squad's memory alive.
He spent a second registering that, then said, "I'd appreciate it..."
"I'll send the message to Ce-" She started, only to pause as Six's own com device pinged. The Spartan pulled the newly-given smartphone out of his pocket and looked at the message. From what Dorothy could peek, it was her calling him about his helmet being fixed. She nodded to him and said, "If you want to go retrieve your helmet, be my guest. I'll just stay here, tell them to deploy a drone to see if it can find the tags."
He took a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright. Thanks... See you."
"See you, Six," She nodded back. Watching him walk away, the Nikke could only think that this was rather entertaining, if not surprising. She hadn't considered anyone else worth her help beforehand. So, why did she choose to help this one specifically? Was it because he didn't seem to be from the Ark, or was it some other reason of hers? For whatever reason, she couldn't quite put her finger on it. But if he did actually humble Isabel, maybe he could humble their 'beloved' Commander. Grab him off his high horse for a change.
Meanwhile, as Six walked into Cecil's lab, the man was greeted by the young woman offering him the helmet with a calm smile. He tilted his head forward, looking at the repaired visor and a few attachments and gently took it, murmuring, "Thanks..." as he looked it over. He tried to ignore the faint red blush on the doctor's face as he slowly slid it back on and let it connect to his neural lace. Hearing it click into place eased his mind.
Cecil spoke, "I added layers of goddessium reinforcement to it and rewrote the firmware in order to ensure that you'll be able to better control it, as well as for future upgrades. Provided you'll let me repair the rest of your armor's alloy plates and the likes, I can potentially slot some quite powerful experimental tech in there, such as the thought enhancement system the helmet now has when linking to what seems to be your neural lace... Though the upgrades come at a cost..."
Six wanted any edge he could, so he asked calmly, "Okay, what would that cost be? I'm a little strapped for credits..."
"... Do you mind going for a cup of coffee with me?" The doctor asked, fidgeting a little.
Six blinked. What-