Unsung Hero

Two Betrayals

Outside the Control Master Chief, Noble Six, Ruby, Asher, and 343 Guilty Spark teleport in, obviously in the middle of a conversation, explaining something about the Flood.

Both Ruby and Rose lean on a nearby wall.

Spark is in the middle of speaking. "...Which means that any organism of sufficient mass and cognitive capability is a potential vector."

The Chief pauses as though sensing something is not quiet right."

"Chief?" Ash questions.

"Is something wrong?" Spark asks.

"No... Nothing" Chief responds.

"Splendid. Shall we?" 

Ash looks over at the two exhausted ODSTs sitting on the ground nearby. He then looks over to Spark. "Let's rest a few minutes.

"But, there's no time!" Spark states. "We must hurry-"

"Just a few minutes, please."

Spark looks between Ash and the ODSTs. "Only a few minutes."

Ash looks at the Chief and nods, the Chief nods back as he walks over a wall and leans against it.

Ash walks over to the two ODSTs. "You got a few minutes to rest, use it well."

"Got it." The twins respond.

"Rose One, Rose Two, please eat and drink before we continue." Auntie Dot asks. "It's been over twelve hours since your last meal."

"On it." Rose says as he takes out an MRE from a small back on his back. 

The two ODSTs take off their helmets and start to eat a quiet meal with some water.

Ash walks off to the side and looks at the snowy landscape around him. "Reminds me of Reach..." He mutters, then he takes out four dogtages from a pouch within his chest armor. "Még mindig harcolok, ne aggódjatok barátaim." [I'm still fighting, don't worry my friends.]

Rose coughs and Ruby beats on his back. "Slow down or you'll choke!" She shouts.

"I'm soooo hungry though!" Rose says.

Ruby rolls her silver eyes.

Rose continues eating and he looks over to Ash. "Hey, Lieutenant?"

"Hmmm?" Ash looks over, he puts the dogtage away.

"How's the robo arm treating you?"

Ash looks at his left prosthetic arm that looks similar to what Kat had. "I like it. I forget I even have it most of the time."

"You can thank me." Xi pops onto Ash's shoulder with a smug smile. "I'm tricking your brain into thinking that your meta arm is still your fleshy one. If I wasn't in your head, your body would mostly likely reject the implant since we didn't go through the proper procedures to put it on you."

Ash opens and closes his left hand and Xi pats the side of his helmet, before disappearing.

Ruby glances over at Ash. "Sir, why were you a Lone Wolf?"

Ash looks over. "How'd you find that out, that's very classified ONI information."

Ruby shrugs her shoulders. "I have my ways."

Ash sighs and looks up to the sky, before looking back at Ruby. "I actually was the Leader of a Spartan Team, Crimson Team. There were five of us. True-068, Baxter-200, Valeria-158, Sheila-065, then me Ash-142. It was the Battle of Miridem, I... was the only one that survived and I left before the glassing of the planet. After that, I couldn't be on a team with anyone, I... just couldn't."