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Chapter 9

I pulled the throttle back as we circled a mountain, every part of the mountain had a forerunner structure on it. "Ya know, in hindsight...we shoulda came here first." Buck said from the cargo, everyone seemed to agree with him.

"It's always the biggest building, and it has the biggest energy reading. Not to mention there's a Guardian floating over it."

"We get it Buck, we missed it." Tanaka complained, I rolled my eyes as I began to approach a flat area to land. 

As we got closer the peak of the mountain split apart, my eyes widened as floating pieces began to create a gun. It charged and as I moved to get out of the way it shot a powerful laser at us, it ripped right through the middle of the Pelican and split it in half. I jumped out of my seat into the open air and landed on the platform, I looked behind me and saw Locke and Chief...but no one else.

"Where's everyone else?"

They looked behind them and I saw one hand holding onto the side of the platform, I ran over to it and pulled it up. Buck panted as he hit solid ground, "It...it tore right through them, if they didn't die from the laser they did when the damn ship blew up."

I looked at my HUD and sighed, "The only readings of life I'm getting are us."

He shook his head as he pulled his shotgun out, I turned around and saw an army of Knights and Soldiers heading towards us, and the laser was charging up again. "Get to cover!" Locke shouted, I pulled my sniper out and pulled the bolt out. As the laser charged I shot the base it sat on, it shot right in front of me and dragged backwards into the army until it eventually busted a hole in the wall of the facility.

I stood up and placed the rifle on my back, I walked through the molten steel and fire as I pulled my assault rifle back out. "Nice shot." Chief said as he walked next to me, I smiled and shook my head.

"Nah, just luck."

We searched through the facility until we came across a giant room, it had pods in the ceiling and light bridges all around. It was the poster room for forerunners, I looked around at the remaining members of our team as we walked towards the prominent terminal. It had a glowing blue light on it, and as we got closer a figure formed in front of it.

She had blue skin and a blue suit with running lights, she had navy colored hair and a curvy frame. "Well well well, you actually found me. But you're too late, I've already activated the charging sequence. This ring will fire in less than an hour," She said in a soft voice with a small smile on her face, she was looking at John. "It's your last chance John, come with me. We can live together, in the new world."

He shook his head, "I would love to live together Cortana, but not while you forcefully rule the galaxy. It's not right, it's not you."

"What else is me John? I'm saving the galaxy, I'm protecting life!" She pleaded, he shook his head.

"No, saving lives is very different from using this Halo to kill everything."

She flopped her arms down to her side, her forearms bouncing off of her hips as she began to pace. "You don't understand, Earth for example, would be such a better place without the mettling of human life. The planet is polluted, and it has no resources left. The place is covered in stone now, and every city has an oxygen pump in it."

"That's to fix the climate, we're trying to save the planet, but we are a part of that process." Locke said as he took a step forwards, Cortana held her hand out and his armor's shields broke before he was thrown against the wall and knocked out. I held up my weapon and my finger hovered over the trigger, she turned to me and my weapons turned into a holographic blue light before turning to mist and floating away. I was now left with no firearms.

"Cortana, stop. We can fix you, there is something wrong."

"No John, I've never been better. And when I use this ring, to get rid of everything that is destroying the universe...the galaxy will have never been better."

"Cortana," I started, she turned to me. "Let us help you, there is something different about you. You used to help destroy the rings, now you want to turn them on?" I took a slow step forwards, she took one back as she glared at me. "You'll destroy the lives you helped save. What would Halsey think?"

"DON'T COMPARE ME TO THAT WITCH!" She screamed before throwing all of us back, I hit the wall and my shields shattered as I fell to the floor. I struggled to stand, my arms shook as I sat up.

"I don't care if you want to or not John, you're not the strongest anymore." She said walking into his armor, he grunted as the armor locked up. His shields turned from yellow to blue, I cursed silently as I thought of a plan.

I looked to Buck and held my finger in front of my face to tell him to be quiet, he nodded. I stood up and began to laugh loudly, John/Cortana turned to me and I looked back. "Cortana, for a smart AI you're really dumb. You'd rather take over an outdated armor, than my high tech one. I have so many on board computers and secrets, and you wasted your only chance on John."

"Only chance? You're a fool." She said as she walked out of Chief, I slowly began to back up I began to run away before she entered my armor. I pretended to fall to the ground as my shields too changed to blue, "I'll take everything from all of you!" She shouted.

I froze up and I heard her chuckle, I then let my body relax as I stood straight. "What?" She asked, "What did you do?"

I laughed genuinely, "You really are dumb, you fell for that?"

"Why don't I have control?! I can't leave!"

"I don't have armor lock bitch." I said as I opened my controls on my left forearm, "Let's fix you." I said as she appeared on my arm at around 10 inches. She reached out to me and met an invisible wall, she growled as she continued to attempt to get out. "You should stop trying, Halsey made it."

"What are you doing?" Chief asked as he helped Locke get up, they walked over to me along with Buck as I began to work.

"Halsey made me an empty AI chip, it traps her inside and I'm going to manually tear her apart."

"What? NO!" Cortana shouted as she split into multiple pieces, I recognised them as an AI's soul. There was her memories, I pulled that to the side. Then her emotions, save that. Her functions, and etc. I saved. But I came across a red version of her, I pulled that apart and we were all forced to the ground.

"There, you found me. But whatever will you do about it?"

I looked up and saw an 11 foot tall being, wearing a gray suit and armor with orange lights. It's face was weird looking with fangs and a small strip of hair.

"Holy shit!" Buck shouted as he scampered to move backwards, I slowly stood up as Chief stood in front of me with Locke right next to him.

"Roland was right, she became one with the Didact."