AN:Based on JPDE's story slightly, but with a different story arc where John-117 helps the fight(AND NO OTHER UNIVERSES MIX IN) welcome to the rewritten, refurbished and more beautiful RWBY:Spartan Assault! (Spartan Siege Rewritten!)

Earth. 2556. On the Mantle's Approach.

A hail of Assault Rifle fire struck the advanced hardlight shielding of a resurgent Ur-Didact. The Forerunner raised his hand to greet Spartan-117, the Master Chief as, above them, the UNSC home fleet poured hellfire down onto the Mantle's Approach's shields. The scarlet energy emanating from the Composer shook the ship, the beam from the Forerunner weapon falling down onto a part of the Earth that Chief didn't know. Gritting his teeth, the Spartan wanted to push through the powerful, focused gravity field that the Didact sent at him, to keep him pinned onto the hardlight bridge, but little could he do.

He watched as the black hulls of UNSC ships flew overhead, with artillery pouring down onto the shields, but to no avail. No shot could pierce the nigh-invisible barrier that protected the massive Forerunner ship. Their only hope now was that the chief utilized the HAVOK nuke he'd brought with him to destroy the ship... Stop the Composer from destroying anymore cities. John felt himself hoisted up as the field the bastard created pushed him over the edge as he held one of his long-winded, annoying speeches... He listened little, eyes focused on the Havok that now lay on the ground.

He heard Cortana's voice... "Then you won't mind if we return the favor!" as her Clones emerged from the hardlight bridge, forming holographic shackles for the Didact, one of which wrested his control over the Chief. Grabbing onto the ledge of the Bridge, he climbed... Climbed... And took out a Forerunner Field Grenade... He watched as the Didact tried to fight, then slammed the bomb into the bastard's chest.

With an explosion knocking the Didact off before he could utilize that damned gravity field, Cortana let go of him... The Didact fell into the Composer's Abyss, a swirling whirlwind of energy and darkness... Not to be seen by the Chief again. This left the Havok. Chief crawled. He crawled toward the WMD with all the strength left in his upper body. Grabbing onto the device, he looked up... The UNSC Navy fought, still. Cannon fire, MAC rounds, Missiles, all disappeared, sent off by the unseen walls. He took one last look at Earth... Then looked at the bomb and slammed the detonator without hesitating...

A white light overtook him. The flash from the explosion, even though his visor was polarized to the max, was blinding. He inhaled, but felt no burning. He tried to move, but he felt held in place. He couldn't look around, his armor had locked. With a grunt, he wanted to speak, but failed to do so. The Spartan relaxed. Perhaps this was how it was just after death. Complete paralysis. Just nothingness... He closed his eyes... And darkness came...

Then, a voice...

"... n! ... ohn!"

It was faint. But familiar.

"John! John!"

She was calling out. Cortana?

"JOHN! WAKE UP!" She then yelled, this time loud and clear. The Spartan gasped for air and gripped tightly onto something hard. Opening his eyes, he saw space spinning all around him. Glimmering white dots surrounded him in a sea of inky blackness. He felt his joints mobile again, so he moved them, feeling what he gripped locked to his boots. He looked down at what he was settled upon and found a piece of Forerunner alloys, inscribed with all sorts of symbols and torn from the Mantle's Approach. The nuke did that. Radiation pinged off the singed metal like it did back during the Kurt event.

"Cortana, I'm up. Give me a status report." Chief asked as calmly as he could, returning to his stoic military demeanor... Something was off, he felt. He shut that feeling in the back of his mind, then looked at the Armor status. The MJOLNIR set was holding off Cherenkov Radiation, resembling more and more the event where Kurt went MIA. He breathed in, to steady himself, then fired his armor's Thrusters to steady himself on a calm trajectory.

"Thank God..." He heard Cortana breathe out in relief. "John, you woke up just in time."

"Where are we?" He asked, looking around.

Cortana nodded, then said "Above a planet, John, just not Earth. Our current course has us crashing directly onto its surface." bringing up a 2D map showing their descent through to the planet's surface. Ahead of them, a debris field. Asteroids. And half a moon... The Chief would ask a load of questions about this, but for now, they needed to survive the Crash Landing.

"We're going through a debris field. Can you adjust?" John asked.

Cortana hummed, then said "A moment." then flashed a few calculations in a corner of the Spartan's HUD. She hummed again, then said "Got it. Mind if I drive for a bit? I'll lock down your armor, so you won't feel a thing as we go through." as she set up a map on John's HUD. The descent map with the added course corrections. John sighed, then nodded. He hated Armor Lock... But would live with it for now, if it meant surviving a fall from outer space.

He watched as the debris appeared ahead of him and felt the jerk of Thrusters firing as Cortana made course adjustments, whilst also keeping hold of the piece of debris they needed for re-entry. This felt oh-so-eerily familiar. The last tour of duty on Earth started much the same way, with him falling out of space. Except this time he went through some strange version of Slipstream, as far as he could tell. Only Slipstream gave off this much Cherenkov Radiation.

A dodge to the left, a veer to the right, a sudden spin to avoid a really big chunk of rock and that was the debris field. Whatever held those rocks in place, they were tidally locked to the Broken Moon in the sky. He huffed when he felt a sudden deceleration, as the forward thrusters were fired. He watched as the sun of the solar system appeared from the horizon and the continent they were gonna land on materialized from the darkness. Grassy fields, plateaus and mountains. John also saw faint lights somewhere on the planet's surface.

"ETA until we start burning?" John asked... His visor automatically polarized as the fire overtook the plate below him, flaring his shields as the Spartan and his makeshift heat shield entered the atmosphere. John sighed, then said "Nevermind." as he heard a sly giggle from Cortana. He watched as dawn hit the unknown planet below him and heard a ping in his Radio.

"We just passed in contact with a Radio wave of some sort. It was powerful, so the antenna transmitting it is close." Cortana said, trying to pinpoint it "Found it... We're landing in the middle of a compound, Chief. Brace yourself. I'm detecting automated defenses currently active within it." She then warned while making the adjustments for landing.

"This is gonna be interesting... Might I suggest clenching your teeth?" Cortana noted rather jovially as the Spartan saw the quickly-approaching ground lit up in an orange hue. He sighed, then gritted his teeth and felt the armor harden further. A sudden deceleration and a nauseating feeling of an almost instant, not to mention harsh impact with the ground, sent Chief tumbling away from his makeshift heat shield. He heard thunder crack as he smacked through what felt like two trees, then felt himself grind to a sudden, slightly painful halt as his shields almost instantly burst and the warning alarm blared in his helmet.

He tasted a coppery liquid in his mouth as the armor lock was soon gone, freeing him to move. He lay there for a few seconds, trying to get his bearings. He opened his eyes and let out a breath he had been holding onto for long enough and felt pain in the right side of his chest. Exhaling, painfully, he then spoke "Cortana, give me a damage report."

"The armor's a little scratched." She said dismissively, then turned to a more serious tone "You, on the other hand, are lucky... As usual..." John heard her add under her breath, but with relief to her voice. "You've got the right rib number 10 broken and it just missed your right lung by inches. Armor lock helped soften the blow, but you can't really protect that well against almost ten thousand PSI of impact force. Add to that that we lost the makeshift heat shield after slamming into the dirt and, well, you can tell the results. Does it hurt?"

John managed to stand up without much fuss, answering Cortana's question mutely. He sighed, then asked "Cortana?"

"Yeah?" She asked, a slight bit worried.

"Do you actually believe in God?" He then asked mockingly as he patted off the dirt, dust and wood chips that had embedded themselves into his armor. His shields flashed, then reactivated, covering him once again in the invisible blanket of Hardlight energy. He swallowed the blood and bit back a grunt, stowing the pain away as he started walking. The sun lazily rose ahead of him, due East, lighting up a strange, conical antenna a few hundred feet away from him. It lay on a reinforced concrete tower and John now saw what he had slammed so hard against. Walls made of similar concrete mounted anti-air and anti-infantry turrets resembling of Gatling and Auto-Cannons. He watched as the weapons snapped to and fro, aimed at only the outside of the wall. Dozens of them lined up the wall surrounding the compound, laser scanners active, sweeping outside.

"It was spur of the moment." Cortana answered him in amusement "We made a pretty nasty crack in the wall behind us. The turrets are busy with other things, it seems. None of'em bothered to shoot at us. Probably because of our reentry speed and direct trajectory, but someone within this compound must've noticed us." She then added, rebooting John's HUD. His visor flashed, lit up cyan and then showed all information necessary once more, including the Motion Tracker, which showed only him.

"If they did, they aren't in a hurry to send anyone after us." John commented dryly as he started walking toward the Antenna. Cortana hummed in agreement.

"John. The Antenna doesn't only work as a Radio source... As far as I can tell anyways. I've examined its patterns now. Television, a planetary Intranet full of info... Et Cetera. Could be helpful if you got me into the system." Cortana explained to the Spartan. He agreed. They needed intel and damn well lots of it. This place didn't feel like any Colony or Insurgent World he knew of. Not this advanced to have everything outsourced through one Antenna.

He saw a console at the base of the antenna and moved for it. The closer he got, the more details he could make out, including its seeming operating system. A holographic console with several screens and a port for chips that, as luck would have it, fit Cortana's chip. She chirped in "Yank me." to which the Spartan removed the chip from his helmet, then locked it into the console. He swiveled about and drew his M6 Magnum(Which was still somehow attached to his hip) and aimed it around. He heard Cortana calmly hum as she looked through the Data...

Then heard her say "Well... This is interesting. Chief, yank me and let's get out of here. Looks like I tripped a little failsafe protocol that may or may not have us walking out to a fight. There's a rather massive settlement close by you can... I was going to say 'blend into', but considering you're wearing a MJOLNIR set..." She sighed "Just follow the NAV Point."

Somewhere within the Settlement...

"Headmaster."

"Yes?"

"Someone attempted an unauthorized access into the CCTS Network. From a nearby Signal Station Antenna. Residential Sector 02."

"I presume a Huntsman Team was dispatched?"

"Yes, though it may take them a while to reach it. This coincides with that meteorite strike in the same area, funnily enough."

"I see... Keep me updated, Glynda. And go into Vale... Our mysterious Alien may already be in-town."

"Will do, sir."

Back with the Chief.

The Spartan moved stealthily(As much as his armor allowed him to) through and out into the surrounding wildwoods. His pistol still drawn, the man dashed through, past trees with high enough speed to be compared to a moving car. He utilized his Thrusters to move faster, keeping an eye on his Motion Tracker as he jumped over and slid under fallen trees. The Spartan had moved so fast, he'd already reached the outskirts of a town as it seemed.

Several European-style buildings appeared, alongside paved streets and a road leading into the forest. High-rises, highways in the far distance and open, clean streets. John sighed, then said "You never mentioned it'd be a city, Cortana." as he walked in toward the side alleys, trying to stay hidden. Cortana hummed. It was clear that she was working on the Data she pulled off the planetary Intranet. Meanwhile, it was best to keep an eye out and lay low...

"Uh, John..." Cortana noted... John felt himself halt suddenly as he bumped into something.

"What was..." He looked down.

"I was just about to say... There was a strange device or... I guess Person walking toward us." Cortana noted. As John looked down, he saw a petite girl, with flowing, shoulder-length ginger hair, emerald eyes, freckles and a cute, but confused expression, staring up at him. She had clothes that perfectly fit her style. Cute, frilly, but not too much. The two were in the middle of a rather wide alleyway. Trash bags lay piled in a corner, a dumpster in the far back and of course, an exit to the main street on the other side. John, however, was kind of stuck.

"Oh, hello!" The girl said cheerfully, her voice as sweet as honey and her smile as pretty as few John had seen. W-wait, what was he... He shook his head, then said "Hello to you as well? Who are... Who are you?"

"My name is Penny. Who are you, Sky Man?" She spoke calmly, smile withstanding. John paused for a moment...

"Sky Man?" John asked. "I... Did you happen see my re-entry?"

"Into the Atmosphere. Yes. It was quite a steep angle, at almost ninety degrees, nearly perpendicular to the surface." The girl denoted rather smartly "I presume you at least had a makeshift Heat Shield? Even with your Armor, you probably would've burned up in-atmosphere otherwise. I was wondering why a Meteoroid would fall so close to Vale, but then I realized it must've been something entirely different."

"What a smart girl!" Cortana exclaimed in John's helmet, probably smiling with her non-existent lips. John smacked his helmet, only to see Penny look weirdly at him, then heard Cortana say "Sorry... You should probably introduce yourself, John... I went through some data and, please, do listen to me here, You may need a cover name. This place has no idea who or what the UNSC is, or anything even remotely relating to our lives, worlds, colonies, et-cetera. I'll tell you more when we're somewhere safe, but for now a Cover name may... Well be needed."

After Cortana told him a quick surname and family name(Which he'd memorized within seconds), the Spartan said "Forgive me, I didn't introduce myself... I am Dylan Braun." reluctantly having just given the fake name. The girl examined him, then with a smile, extended her hand and exclaimed in an even more cheerful demeanor "Sa-lu-tations, Dylan! A pleasure to meet you!"

"Uhm... Likewise, Penny." Chief then said. He hated lying... But then again, he needed to keep his ID a secret. He disliked being called John by people he knew nothing of. Cortana, doctor Halsey and his fellow Spartans were the only ones he would trust with his real name for now. But a family name? It was... odd to have. He was so used to his rank by now, that hearing himself be called by a family name was going to be weird...

A thundering Roar made him uneasy, but the rumble in his stomach told him what it was. Oh, for the love of God, his last meal had been almost a week ago. What did his stomach need from him now? Penny paused for a moment, then looked to him and said "You're hungry. Let me go bring you some food!" to which the Spartan's eyebrow raised...

"Take off your helmet, John..." Cortana sighed. "Do I have to be the voice of reason here?"

The Spartan did as asked, removing the helmet and revealing his nearly shaven brown hair. His blue eyes peered toward a surprised Penny, who seemed to blush for a moment... Before she also noticed the scars on the handsome young man's face. She dashed to and checked them, awfully close and moving his head with her hands, checking side to side.

"These wounds are old! What caused them?" She asked with concern.

"Err... W-What...?" John actually stuttered for a moment. She backed off, then scratched her chin. It was like a lightbulb went off above her head in a nearly comical pattern. She showed him to wait, before dashing off. John heard Cortana giggling like a giddy schoolgirl in his helmet, then slammed it against his thigh almost to hard. She didn't stop, the giggle turning into full-on laughter. The Spartan rubbed his forehead, trying to also wipe away the embarrassing blush. He muted Cortana before it went too far, watching as Penny appeared with what looked like a tray of Fast Food(Two burgers, a pack of large fries and a soda? Chief had seen these foods before... Never ate them, though)

"Here you go. Eat up, Dylan. You're probably famished." She then said, handing John the tray. He nodded, then said "Thank you, Penny, but, you shouldn't have bothered... I went weeks without food at times. A small hunger like this, I could've easily dealt with." to which Penny gasped. She looked at him curiously, both worried and waiting for him to take a bite...

He sighed, rolled his eyes, then sat down next to a wall, leaning himself and setting his helmet next to him, before he started eating. He took a bite out of the burger first and... Well, fucking froze. His eyes wide, the Spartan looked at the piece of defrosted and fast-cooked food like it was a little slice of heaven. Trying a fry next, the Spartan had to pause for a moment. He inhaled, then said a quick "Thank you, Penny." Before diving in. Penny sat down next to him and smiled, watching him eat...

He looked to her, then extended to her the second burger. She waved it off and said "No thanks. I..." She paused, then chuckled awkwardly and said "I just ate..." before she hiccuped. "Anyways! What is with those scars? What caused them?" to which the Spartan paused. He looked to Penny once more, a look of seriousness in his eyes. The girl didn't get the cue, but still, the look made her turn away... John's stare was so intense.

"It's a long story. One I don't trust a lot of people to tell to, much less a... Forgive me for being tactless, Penny, but, you're still a complete stranger to me. I wish to thank you for the food, however." John said, then turned to another side... He looked at a puddle of water next to him, that reflected his view of a young man, much younger than he was. Scarred, wounded, young and strong. With a jawline... He paused for a second, eyes wide, but his expression unchanged. He straightened up as he realized...

That was HIM!

"Are you okay, Dylan?" Penny asked, looking at him. He nodded quickly, turning back to the food. He'd have to ask Cortana about this later... Still, he looked to Penny, who then said "Don't worry. I understand. And don't worry about food..." She then looked to the floor "It's the least I can do for a fellow person." to which John paused. He wanted to thank her with more than words. He'd worry about his sudden de-aging later.

"Is there anything you want, Penny? I wish to repay this in some way at least." Chief then said, looking at the girl with the same dull face he usually had. Penny's eyes widened and she blushed, shaking her head, before she said "No no, you don't need to bother, Dylan!" to which the Spartan sighed, then said "Of course, I do. I don't leave debts unpaid. And I want to know if there's anything I can do for you now... That does not involve money, since I've sadly got none."

"Uhh..." Penny blushed... She looked away. God damn it, she was cute. Chief got it. No need to rub it in his face... She then looked to him and mumbled something incoherent, even to John's advanced hearing. John deadpanned "Say again, please?" to which she looked at him with the most 'kicked puppy' look out there. One that made even John's stone heart slightly skip a beat. The words that came next, however...

"Would you be my friend?" She then asked... The Spartan paused, then said "Is... That all?" as he stood up to throw the remnants of the tray to the trash, with the tray to follow. Penny looked at him, then nodded and said "Well, you see, I don't have that many friends. One of them is in a school nearby and for the others in her team, I'm not so sure we can consider friends so..."

Well, that certainly was heartbreaking. If a girl like her, who was kindness incarnate from what John could tell, wouldn't get a friend, how the hell had John gotten his team? Aside from being basically forced to live together, that was. He sighed, then, bringing an actual, genuine smile to his lips, said "Penny, I believe that we already are Friends... At least from my point of view, I owe you that much for you helping me with food."

Penny's face immediately lit up as she jumped to her feet and asked "Really!?" to which John nodded and said "Yes. Really." and saw her smile, before raising her hands in the air and screaming at the top of her lungs "SEN-SATIONAL!" so gleeful it made the Spartan keep the smile. At least... Well, until she bodyslammed him so hard it actually made him fall. God, what was this girl made out of? No matter, her incoherent babbling of 'thank you's and everything else made it worth it. It still knocked the air out of John's lungs somehow. And dented his armor, slightly.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Cortana could only help but laugh... "THIS IS GOING TO BE A FUN TRIP, I CAN JUST TELL ALREADY!" and she continued laughing aloud, despite neither John, nor Penny hearing her. A laugh, hearty and loud. One that hopefully predicted only good things going on within the next few weeks of their lives. She just had a feeling. A good one...