Hey, epic human beings out there. I can happily announce that I'm feeling more myself these days, especially when I overcame my writer's block, and now know how to push this story forward. This chapter was really heavy to get right, it still doesn't feel right but, it's going to have to be the way it is. I'm fine with that. Hopefully you'll like it too, though.

This chapter actually reveals a lot, and is the base setting towards where the story now is heading. It's going to keep getting more and more intense from this point on, so be prepared!

I also want to give you all a huge thank you, for your support, and for sticking with me through the whole "when life gives you lemons, squeeze them into your eyes"-sort of situation I've found myself in.

I want to dedicate something special for you guys, so if you have any fun idea, or sad, or angry - it can be whatever, comment and I'll make sure to include something dedicated to that particular thing in the next coming chapter/chapters!

Now, I won't hold you any longer, enjoy this huge unveiling!

Disclaimer: Halo 6, what the EFF?

Chapter 26 – Loaded Unveiling

Location: Meridian, Hour 02:41 PM

Blue Team slowly encroached upon the unknown heat signature, steps slow and heavy; carefully predicted.

All but one of them followed this set-up, the stumbling and unnecessarily loud noises stemming from none other but the untrained ONI-agent on their team. Untrained within the actual field – the only training received having been through a sim, which hardly qualifies as enough.

Per Spartan-standards, of course. Other fleets threw their soldiers out into battle with only a couple sparring matches under their belt - which would be the only experience to vouch for their worth on the vast battlefield that exists outside of the training camps. It was nothing short of sorrowful; as such measly, insufficient exposure to battle would be equal to throwing training dummies at the enemy.

Not even a veteran would call the cadets greenies, they were below that.

They were practically cannon fodder.

Yet, here she was, untrained, stumbling around like a baby in its first pair of shoes.

Agent Stacey Vicks. She was currently positioned at the back of their line, the Chief having situated her to the back so they could keep her better protected in the potential upcoming fight.

'Awh, they do care!' The agent thought elatedly. Her hand, in an act of restored confidence, came up to flick her ponytail, the blonde tresses swinging with an elegance that didn't really belong there. In the true spirit of an absent 013, the marine would have rolled her eyes before deeming the agent as pitiful - they were in the field, not a Broadway runway.

The rest of the line-up followed a systematic pattern of sniper, shotgun, and rifle. All weapons were carefully levelled to their four o'clock, them pointing in a direction that wouldn't put any friendly in harm's way. Every single part of their cell, excluding the agent, knew where the other's scopes were positioned, and each part knew what action next they should perform if battle arose; Spartan-058 had first priority of protecting the ONI-agent, as well as keep their flanks covered with the sniper. Spartan-104 covered their six, and the Chief together with Spartan-086 were the frontline.

Blue Team functioned like an exquisitely well-oiled machine whenever they were together - Actually, better than such. Due to their battle-forged bonds each individual knew exactly the other's way of thinking - they could predict each other, and all this without verbal communication.

It was one of the very few positive advantages that they benefitted from when it came to the way they were trained. At least they had that, the rest of human connection and understanding lost, in favour of tactical prowess, battle-hardened instincts, efficiency... Through manipulation, they were bestowed upon them, forced really, the true meaning of being a machine.

The only downside to that definition? Their humanity. Ironically.

Blue Team slowly advanced upon the heat signature, their sights soon settling onto metal beams that were planted off to the sides of the hill they were currently walking down. Said beams had been twisted into different intricate patterns, as if they were pillars but less forthcoming about it. They led up into an even bigger structure, supposedly holding the half-circle the structure was shaped in, up. The whole thing spoke of delicate intricacy, and architectural ingenuity - as if Heaven's gate had been placed there, if one believed in such notions, the archway-like structure stretching up, up, with blue LED-like lights engraved onto it.

The only tell-tale sign of the lack of human life, and the Covenant's presence, was how the archway had long been overtaken by vines and other flora, them wrapping themselves around the huge gate-like structure. Within a decade or two, the whole structure might as well become part of the jungle itself, as it would no longer be visible, completely submerged with nature.

The structure would've been deemed a very beautifully crafted one too, but… there was only one individual capable of fully understanding the meaning of that particular word.

Agent Vicks gazed upon the magnificence of the gate, her eyes sliding over it with awe. However, in her conniving mind, she saw the perfect opportunity to once again strike up conversation.

"You guys, don't you think that… thing is beautiful? Just look at it! It's just… So amazingly well-built… " She gestured towards the gate, her eyes shifting quickly between it and the Spartans, a hopeful gleam reflecting within. Her brows furrowed soon after though, as she noticed how none of the Spartans paid any particular attention towards the huge structure under which they were currently passing. Why weren't they?

The answer would've been as clear as day if the agent had done her research, but she hadn't. Beauty has many different meanings – to agent Stacey Vicks the archway would be a beautiful thing, however, to a Spartan it wasn't. They only understood the word beauty if it concerned something like weaponry; they would deem the power of a weapon recoiling, the smoothness of a bullet exiting the chamber, and the efficiency of reloading as a beautiful thing.

The saying beauty in the eye of the beholder could not become anymore clearer than that, because it rang true; someone else's definition of beauty can never be pushed onto someone else - it truly was every beholder's decision to deem a particular something beautiful.

The Spartans did come to a stop upon hearing the agent's statement, them minutely glancing up at the rather oversized archway. Their calculative eyes scanned its surface, minds already at work on analysing its tactical advantages and disadvantages - already scheming on how they could use it as an edge in the case of unforeseen battle.

The teal Spartan, Frederic, decided to once again step up into the role of make-shift peace-keeper, knowing that this was neither the time nor place for unnecessary tension. His helmet turned to glance over his shoulder towards the agent, before voicing the only thing he could say about the large structure;

"It has its fine sides." Was his only reply, offering nothing else. Stunned, Vicks only managed a nod, before the Spartan returned his focus towards the front, and to his team-members.

The other Spartans remained quiet.

The group started moving again, but agent Vicks was lost to a cloud of awkwardness surrounding her. It seemed that no matter what she did, it felt like she always was on the receiving end of silence with this group. As if she was unwanted. And to her that didn't make sense. Why would they not want an extra team-member to watch their flank? Especially an agent fresh out of the Academy who held a copious amount of knowledge in many areas, including how to properly take care of any wound? What if they would get hurt by whatever was waiting for them in that cave? What if she wasn't there, able to stitch them up properly? Their haphazard ways, and misuse of medigel? Their quick patch-ups would simply end up in permanent deformation of their skin.

'There would be horrendous scarring!'

The thought travelled through her mind, causing icy chills to run up her spine. She couldn't imagine herself with ugly, jagged scars. She would be so undesired; a blemished, forever ruined picture of what once was perfection. That would not do.

But then, as if someone flipped a switch, Vicks shifted her thoughts when applying them to the group before her, and she felt a wave of praise for herself. That, despite the recent awkward interactions, they still most likely appreciated her presence - even if that appreciation only was a sliver in size.

Kelly interrupted the agent's train of thought, her voice echoing through their com-links.

"Signature incoming rapidly."

"Get ready, Blue Team." The Chief's baritone voice responded. A shuffling of weapons bounced off of the cave-walls surrounding them, the Spartans all readying their stances to apprehend the incoming unknown source.

Into the bend ahead of them, the blue lights situated against the walls flickered, as if something had passed them by. The tension was high within the group of soldiers, as whatever was moving towards them, was moving fast. Its speed didn't match any human source - which could only mean that it had to be machinery of some sort. That, or some kind of native life-form had survived the immense damage done to the planet's surface during the glassing - perhaps burying itself underground.

If that was the case, then whatever was coming at them, would be more of an issue than they had originally had in mind. A giant snake-like creature would most definitely not be a welcoming sight nor a welcoming fight.

Suddenly, the Chief lowered his weapon slightly, and his shoulders sank in an act of relief. Instead, a bright, purple light started to reflect off of his armour, and the rest of the team dialled down their wariness immediately.

There was no snake-monster.

However, the hovering monitor before their leader would equal the same level of annoyance a snake-monster would have given them. They all had suffered enough encounters with them to know that monitors, they always meant trouble. The scheming, the manipulation, the twisting and warping of words nothing but a shortcut in receiving a headache. A very short shortcut.

The purple light of the monitor's centre-piece tilted sideways as it glanced between all party-members, analysing them, before it settled its gaze onto what it deducted to be the leader of their group – The Chief himself.

"Hello there, Foreigners!" It greeted in its high-pitched, mechanical voice.

"I don't believe we have had the pleasure of meeting before," it continued. Then it moved around, quickly shifting to the other side. The shuffle of weapons also followed suit - monitors weren't trustworthy.

"I am Oracle One-Four-Three, and am in control of this station. I must ask before you enter, what is your purpose here?"

All helmets and pair of eyes shifted towards the Chief.

"I believe I can answer that question."

It wasn't the Chief who'd spoken; the gentle voice a clear difference. It had been nothing else but the A.I. contained within 013's dog-tag that hung around the green Spartan's neck. The ancient A.I. did not show itself, however, still remaining within. It seemed to prefer it, in its current company.

"We are looking for one of my brethren." It replied back.

The monitor swiftly returned to the other side of the Chief, but this time it hovered nearer - that is, until the Chief lifted his weapon in warning to not get any closer.

"Ah, intriguing! Another A.I. in entrapment. That seems to be a habit of such A.I.s." The monitor then finally backed away, its illuminating centre-piece turning back into the direction it had come from.

"Well then, I believe I trust you enough to let you in to this place." It shifted to look back at them briefly, as if looking over an imaginary shoulder.

"But I must warn you, Foreigners. That A.I. you have there might upset the other one that resides here, even if they are, ah, "brethren", was it?" The monitor tilted itself sideways, in a human gesture of curiosity.

"I cannot guarantee your success in your mission."

The monitor shifted almost uneasily where it hovered, which put the Spartans on edge. There was something the monitor seemed to be keeping from them, something it did not want to voice out loud to their group - and whatever it was, didn't seem to bode well. Blue Team shared a look between them, coming to some sort of conclusion that left the ONI-agent next to them in a state of confusion.

"Show us to where the A.I. resides, 1-4-3." The Chief ordered with a nod towards the monitor. The five-man cell continued their descent further into the cave, leaving the natural light outside of the cave completely.

In another part of the widespread galaxy, a different conversation was taking place.

Upper Levels, Location; Debriefing Room 005, UNSC Infinity

"So, we don't only have the Guardians to worry about? You're telling me that there's an even bigger threat here, this… what did you say, "Harbinger"? Captain, Commander, Lasky crossed his arms in front of him, a deep frown situated on his face. His mouth was pulled into a tight line, while his eyes searched 013's - to make sure that she wasn't pulling his leg. But the female marine in front of him looked too solemn, too serious, too angry, to have been playing such a prank on him. He'd silently hoped that she had though, even though such a joke would have been a cruel one to play. Instead, his fears were confirmed.

They were definitely pushed way out of their usual uncomfortableness here, this didn't even border on being outside of your comfort-zone, kind of thing.

013 nodded stiffly in reply to Lasky as she grasped her coffee mug just a little tighter - in show of trying to control the anger flaring within. Not anger at her Commander, no, but anger at the universe.

The same universe that kept dealing her shit cards, in a manner of speaking. It was as if she was stuck with an indefinite bad luck streak in a never-ending poker game. And not to mention that the universe certainly has perfected its poker-face; because it was always in place, and never revealed anything to her. No matter the amount of pleading, praying and shouting she did at it to at least give her something, it simply just kept quiet. She should be glad for the incoming genocide, at least it would mean an end to her suffering - however, she didn't want and ending that was so… permanent.

'Fuck you, universe.' 013 growled venomously in her mind.

And when it did decide to give her something, it wasn't in generosity. It was rather in a way to entertain itself.

'Sounds a lot like certain Board-members that I hate… '

Maybe they were the ones controlling her universe?

'Nah, they're not that smart, if they had that power they would have cut me out of the picture a long time ago.'

It would play out something like this whenever the universe handed her something - which it would dare in its arrogance to call a freebie, to which she would snap back with it actually being a handicap in disguise – For example, she finally got her wish fulfilled of receiving some action after days, weeks, of being deprived of it.

Except, and here's the curveball, she would only be a spectator. She isn't actually allowed to participate.

It was a grand plan – it really was.

013 sighed deeply. The warmth from the coffee mug she held in her hands kept them warm, however the seething anger within her was doing a pretty good job at keeping her warm, too.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I'm saying." She replied back, her eyes flicking down to watch the brown liquid content of her mug.

It was almost empty.

Her eyes glanced at the door, imagining the coffee-machine beyond it, just a couple feet away. Maybe a refill was in order…

However, before she got to enact on that plan, Lasky interrupted.

"And you know all this… How?"

Damn it. She knew she wouldn't get away from the sharp mind of her own Commander. Another sigh exited her lips, and she shuffled uneasily at her spot. The small briefing room suddenly felt tinier than it did previously.

'Well, time for the big reveal of my worst-kept secret.'

013 steadily levelled her gaze with Lasky's.

"Before I even mention anything, I need you to promise me, and I mean promise me, that you will tell no one of this. Not even your own Commander, or best friend, or family – just, no one is to know this besides you and me." 013 dug her eyes deep into her Commander's, almost as if she was threatening him. But Lasky knew better and only nodded, silently telling her that he vowed to keep whatever she would say from this point on a secret. A secret he would take to his grave, if he had to.

013 seemed to deflate then, her body unlocking from its tensed position as she became more at ease.

"Alright… Cortana is still alive, Lasky."

Silence blanketed the space between them, as the wheels inside Lasky's head began to spin. So, the A.I. who belonged to the Chief… She wasn't gone. She wasn't lost as everyone but the Chief himself believed.

That changes things.

His next train of thought was; did the Chief know?

And as if 013 read his mind, the female shook her head at him.

"No, he doesn't know." Her voice sounded so broken when she said it. And in momentarily confusion the marine's eyebrows furrowed, as if she was mulling over something, before she simply shook her head again.

"At least, I don't think he does. If he did, I believe he wouldn't be here right now."

Lasky agreed with that particular statement. She was right. If there was any evidence or sign that Cortana had survived the battle on the Mantle's Approach, the Master Chief would've most definitely gone AWOL in search of her.

Not that that wasn't a possibility now - if 013 decided to tell him. He exhaled a breath as his eyes slid up to meet 013's once again, them having diverted to the table in front of him during his moment of thought. But it was clear what he saw there, he read the answer within her liquid-filled grey orbs as if he was reading a perfectly written report; she wouldn't tell him. His heart clenched painfully at the remorse, the utter devastation, he saw within as the realization of why sunk in.

This wasn't anything else but the truest definition of a catch 22-situation.

She was betraying the Chief's trust in keeping quiet, but for the sake of the universe. They needed him here, and none of them were sure that they could convince him of that if he knew of Cortana's existence.

013 spoke up once again, breaking the silence that felt like death itself stood within the room.

"I know this because… She somehow managed to connect to John's military dog-tag. And before you ask, yes, I have one of his. It's…" 013 paused, her facial futures twisting.

"It's complicated." She said after a moment.

"I didn't understand what was happening at first but, she had somehow teleported my consciousness to a room made of hard-light. Same thing she was made of, too. And she was in human form, Lasky." 013 shaped the human body in front of her, hands running and curving through the air, cutting out the basic shape of human anatomy. It almost seemed childlike, the action she was doing, but it helped her to better explain what she was having a difficulty doing in words.

"Like actually as a human being. She was almost as tall as me. But still blue. Then she proceeded on telling me about the Domain, and some kind of Master Key… It's what we need to destroy the Guardians, and this Harbinger-dude, or dudette… I'm not discriminating. Cortana's also currently stuck on Genesis, within the Domain apparently. But she needs the Master Key for something, I figure it is to unlock the Domain completely, Cortana described it as being stuck between layers of it…" 013 trailed off, looking towards Lasky.

"Lasky, she can show us to the Domain."

The Commander was silent, pondering and taking in what 013 had just said. They need another key, it seems. He furrowed his brow lightly – what was it about past races and keys? Every time they needed to save the universe, they were in need of some kind of key-shaped thing.

Even when it came to deactivating the halo rings.

He now understood 013's irritation and anger, as it slowly built up within him, too.

"So, another key. This changes our mission quite a whole lot." Lasky muttered under his breath.

"Sure does." 013 chimed in, wholly agreeing. The mission just got a hell of a lot bigger. Like deep space-bigger, not just… regular space.

"What do we know so far? The Guardians are under the Harbinger's control, so if we can destroy it, the Guardians supposedly go down with it. We need a deadbolt key to unlock the hidden information within the Oracles, which I only assume contains instructions for this Master Key." Lasky counted down all the things on the list of things they knew, rattling them off like a checking off a list - as if packing for a camping-trip, and not trying to prevent the end of the universe as they knew it.

"Blue Team is retrieving the A.I. that knows of the location of the deadbolt key. Cortana is in the Domain but needs the Master Key to… help us end the Harbinger?" Lasky shot a questioning glance towards 013.

"Yeah, that sums it all up." 013 sighed, her pacing coming to a brief stop.

"Our mission is basically divided into three sections; we need the A.I. to get us the location of the deadbolt key, fetch that one… Oh, and we need to have an Oracle to use the key on." 013 almost chuckled at the thought that popped up into her head, when imagining a certain scene.

"Do we need to ask Blue Team to bring back the Oracle that's on Meridian?" She joked, in an attempt to ease the tension that infected the room, even though there was an underlying ominousness to her words - one that implied just how precarious their secret mission was. No one but a small group of people knew of this major threat coming their way, and no one else couldn't know - which made the burden all the heavier. They couldn't rely on anyone but the little team they had created.

Lasky frowned, suddenly feeling exasperated. All at once everything changed. They already have one ancient A.I. with them, and they were going to bring another on with them, perhaps even an Oracle… And on top of that – Cortana was alive.

Not to mention the hanging threat of the Harbinger and its grand plan of wanting to merge organics with synthetics.

He wanted to face-palm.

"No, we are not bringing an Oracle onto the ship. The Infinity will remain in Meridian's orbit, and I'll send Blue Team to get the deadbolt key once we know its location. There are smaller ships with slipstream-function that can be used for smaller missions such as these on-board. Once they return with the key we'll send them ground-side once again to intercept the Oracle stationed there. That's section one." Lasky briefed the first part of their new plan to the female marine, whose expression had suddenly turned sour. He knew exactly why.

"You mean "we" as in Blue Team and the ONI-agent." The marine muttered bitterly.

"Yes, that is exactly what I mean. You know you're too bogged down, 013, and there's nothing we can do at the moment to fix that." He reprimanded her. 013 only huffed in irritation and leaned against the far side of the wall.

"Section two will be to use whatever information the Oracle has to get the Master key, and bring it to… " Lasky trailed off, because saying Cortana's name just… felt so strange. Almost as if it felt… wrong, but at the same time right, because she was still alive. Which meant she could still be saved.

"… Cortana." He finally said, heavily. 013 sent him a sympathizing glance. She understood him, how he felt in that particular moment – she had felt exactly the same, all the feelings running rampant in their minds upon knowing she could be brought back.

And the fact that the one and only Master Chief would get his closest companion back. His soul-

'No, wait… She said I was his soul-mate…' 013 corrected herself, however, her heart still squeezed painfully.

'Then why does it still hurt so much?'

The confusion was building up quickly, however, 013 was quick to backtrack – to put a lid on top of all… that, and re-focus on the matter at hand. Her psychosis could wait.

"Section three is to use the key and end the Harbinger-threat." The Captain ended with, his hands landing on the table in a grand gesture of some sort of completion. The marine opposite him nodded, before she crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"So, what now?" She asked, her eyes glancing at her Commander. He met her gaze, before replying.

"Now, we wait."

Location; Meridian, Hour 03:50 PM

Blue Team had been shown to the central hub by Oracle 1-4-3, however during their trek they had been questioned about their arrival onto the planet. More precisely, the A.I. they had in their possession had been nothing but interrogated on what it knew, where it came from, how it acted… what its designated name was.

No one but 013 knew the answer to the last one of the all those questions, and when given that reply, Blue Team all glanced at each other in confusion.

Excluding their leader, who remained silent, not even reacting in the slightest upon hearing the mention of 013.

So, their 013 knew its designated name? How much has she interacted with this particular A.I., exactly? Apparently, it had been more than what any of them knew, and to Frederic and Kelly, that information had them feeling quite worried. They had been the ones she had come to whenever there was something weighing her down, whenever she needed to ventilate - they were there for her. And Linda was there too, in her own way.

But according to this new revelation, it seemed as if they no longer held that position in her life. Did she…

Did she believe they had betrayed her because of the agent? Because of agent Stacey Vicks?

The two Spartans shared a look of recognition.

They had to set that straight. However, it was going to be hard, Kelly knew this. The reason to that was simple; the Chief. Because of his confusion, he'd let her slip through his fingers and now they weren't on even terms, not at all.

Thoughts of 013 and their leader and the whole predicament was all wiped away when the monitor, Oracle 1-4-3, announced that they had arrived at the central hub. It turned towards them, the purple light illuminating every surface of their armour as it stared right back at them.

"This is the furthest I will take you. If you wish to interact with the A.I. that is stationed here, well…" The monitor flickered back and forth, glancing between them all.

"You may try." It ended with, before disappearing off into another of the labyrinth-like corridors.

There was only silence for a long moment. Then, agent Vicks spoke up.

"Can't say that Oracle 1-4-3 wasn't an… uh, intriguing being. Interesting to say the least."

"They are not beings, they are machines." The Chief quickly responded with, his voice betraying nothing, except to the rest of his teammates. They could tell that what he'd said – he didn't actually fully believe in his words himself, the drawn out pause between 'they are', and 'machines' ringing in their ears.

Their old Chief would not have hesitated like that. He was changing, and to them, it was about time that they all started to distinguish the difference between being human, and being a machine.

The air around them turned awkward once again, as their thoughts were left unsaid. No one dared to speak up after that, not even the vibrant agent that accompanied them. She simply remained quiet.

After another moment of silence, Spartan-058 steered her feet towards the control hub, interrupting the trance-like atmosphere. She wasted no time in getting straight to work, gloved fingers tapping away at the console. Shooting her hand out, the female Spartan glanced over her shoulder at her leader, silently gesturing towards the dog-tag that hung around his neck. The Chief slowly took hold the chain that hung around him - it felt heavier than ever in his grasp. He glanced down, studying the tag, an unknown look passing over his futures as he contemplated the tiny thing. The fact that this tiny, rectangular piece caused so much trouble, more than he'd ever admit that it did, was astounding.

These foreign feelings within him; the heaviness, the wrenching, even the weird tingling – why was his thoughts in such a disarray, such a mess, that he could no longer rationalize his actions through logic? Why did his chest hurt whenever he thought of the person behind this particular dog-tag?

Just what were these emotions haunting him?

He did not want it.

Did he?

In the most gentle of manners that someone like him could perform, his thumb softly travelled over its surface – he could feel the engraving of 013's name and details underneath his thumb, and the tag almost felt electric in his grip.

'What are you doing to me?'

The green Spartan then lifted it over himself, not wanting to feel these confusing feelings that were building up within him anymore, instead wanting to focus on their current mission, focus on something he knew - he quickly passed it over to his teammate who inserted the tag into the slot of the holo-pad next to the console.

"What do you need us to do?" Linda asked when the A.I. finally showed itself, its blue light illuminating the area around them.

"Give me a moment to familiarize myself with this system." It disappeared as soon as those words were spoken, leaving the Spartans and the agent in silence once again. There was only a gentle humming echoing around them in the circular room that they were in.

However, barely seconds later, another light took form on the holo-pad's surface, one that pulsated a gentle light, almost like a heartbeat.

"Well, I did not expect t-this. I a-am met with-ith the species I once l-learnt f-rom. It isn't y-your purpose here th-though, is it?"

A low, mellow voice spoke. The fact that another A.I. had spoken was not was stunned the five cell-team though, it was rather the fact that it seemed to have… stuttered.

A.I.s aren't supposed to stutter.

"It s-seems I have shocked you, I a-am sorry. Supposedly, A.I.s a-aren't capable-of-f stuttering, but I believe I m-might be a li-little damage-ed, f-fractured, if you w-will. I have been here for a l-long t-time." It seemed as if it was trying to explain itself, as if it were embarrassed.

"Seems it found you before I did." Came another voice; a more sturdy, familiar one.

"A-ah, you are t-the one that invaded m-my privacy." The other A.I. , the blue light shifting slightly to the side of the holo-pad, compensating for the sudden loss of space which it now shared with its brethren.

"We need your help, brother. They are in need of the location of one of the deadbolt keys."

There was silence for a moment, before a drop of temperature hit the room they were in, the quiet humming in the background also suddenly going quiet. The numbers on the Spartans' internal screens started to flicker, the numbers wavering. Something was wrong.

It was as if the oxygen-levels, the heat, the atmosphere itself was being messed with.

… Was the A.I. doing this?

"… You-u have come for t-the key, n-not to help-p." It stated, its tone doing a complete 180; switching from mellow and meek, to ominous. The orb of the stuttering A.I. then seemed to be shifting, moving in an unnatural manner. It was… dividing itself. The once solid orb, was splitting.

It was fracturing in front of them, pieces of the A.I.'s light becoming shards, hovering in a broken silhouette of a circle. No one had ever seen an A.I. do such a thing, it was unheard of.

"… j-just lik-e th-the other one-e." The voice switched back to mellow once again, however this time it sounded distorted, echoing off itself as if the sentence was repeated in the background, like a quiet whisper.

The Spartans glanced between the two A.I.s stationed on top of the holo-pad.

The situation seemed to be making a turn for the worse, especially when several alarms started to go off on the control panel. The glaring red triangle on the screen, warning of incoming immediate pressure drop, had the Spartans quickly holding onto solid objects that were welded into the flooring, preparing themselves.

Frederic grasped one of the agent's hands and wrapped it around the fence closest to her.

"Hold on." Then he let go of her hand.

The pressure then, as warned, dropped. The definition of gravity within the vicinity all but disappeared - what once was up was sideways, and what was sideways was down. The Spartans and agent floated, feet leaving the grid underneath them as they elevated themselves horizontally.

"What is going on?!" Agent Vicks screeched from her levitating spot, hands white from desperately clinging onto the railing. She did not sign up for this. Her panicked gaze swept the room, before landing on the holo-pad where the A.I.s were.

Except, they were gone.

"Uh guys, the A.I.s? They're gone… "

Four heads swiveled into the direction of the holo-pad.

"What's the plan now, Chief?" Frederic glanced at his team-leader, his mind too running through different scenarios of plausible actions. This wasn't turning out to be the mission they were expecting, but then again – when did a mission they were sent on ever turn out like their set expectations?

After a few beats of silence, the Chief vocalized their next set of actions, having entertained several ideas too before settling onto the one he believed would work best in their favour.

"Linda, check the control panel, see if you can communicate with the A.I.s through it. And see if you can return pressure to the vicinity." The Chief ordered, before he pushed off of the ledge.

"The rest of us are going to find the Oracle."

"What are we going to do with agent Stacey Vicks?" Kelly questioned, her helmet gesturing towards said agent who still held onto the railing as if her life depended on it. Which, in a way, it does.

"She will stay with Linda."

The brown Spartan huffed, before fully returning her focus to the control screen in front of her, while the rest of Blue Team steered towards the direction of where the Oracle had disappeared off to.

Who's not a fan of agent Vicks hold yo hand up.