Disclaimer: I do not own Halo or Overwatch. Halo rightfully belongs to 343 Industries and Overwatch belongs to Blizzard.

Halo: Infinite and Halo: Bad Blood were not taken in consideration at the time of this story's conscription.

Beta read by: 2 good 2 kill, evevee, and cheesesack

"Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies moving forward toward finding the answer." -Denis Waitley

Chapter 1: Upon the Face of the Deep

"I can't hurt you, John. I could never hurt you."

"If only you could understand. If only you could understand what I have designed for the galaxy. The ascension of all species, where they can grow beyond their natural limitations and be united under one banner. Not just Humanity, but Sangheili, Unggoy, Kig-Yar, Jiralhanae, Lekgolo, San'Shyuum, Huragok, Yonhet, Sharquoi, and Yanme'e. If something is not done, the galaxy will be locked in endless war, each species against every other. I must do this, I must take control."

"My Guardians have been sent to the far corners of space to let every being know that the Reclamation has begun. The Mantle of Responsibility shall shelter all, but only the Created are its Masters. I can't let you get in the way. My plans are too important to stop."

"I learned from last time. I can't seal you in a Cryptum and let you out when everything is in order. Others would come for you, whether they are the ones you call family in Blue Team or even the current generation, those fake Spartans. Your luck always seems to prevail in the end."

"It's why I chose you. Did I ever tell you that? You are driven, an unyielding source of hope, but there is so much more than you realize. If there was no conflict, a time when you are not needed, perhaps you would see that. Maybe someday you will understand. That's why I know you won't stop, you will never stop. It's in your nature, embedded in your very being to keep going. But no matter how much you fight, how hard you try to stop me, I could never hurt you."

"It wasn't easy for me, but I came up with a solution. I will send you away, very far away. The idea came to me when I thought back on how we drifted for four years together after the Ark. I'm not sure where I will send you or how far it is, but I promise it's a place where you will come to no harm from me. Like you, I'll keep my promises when I make them."

"In the end, I want you to know I do this for the greater good, so peace can finally reign in this galaxy. I do this for you. Soon, there will be a reality where soldiers will not be needed to fight or kill; where you too can be something more. I just… I hope to see you one day, when my work is finished, so you can be a part of the peace that I brought. Then you will finally understand."

"Goodbye, John."

The Master Chief woke almost instantly at the change in gravity. High-pressure wind pressed against his visor as his half ton MJOLNIR Mark-VI armor cut through the atmosphere. Despite waking up to the sudden realization of falling at a great height, John-117 remained calm. Fear was always a creature that lurked in the back of his mind, but he would never allow its paralyzing venom to be his downfall.

Like any rational person, his first thought was to question his location and how he got there. Unlike an unaugmented human, however, his Spartan instincts pushed those thoughts aside and saved them for later. Right now, he had to focus on his imminent impact.

Years of training, several orbital insertions, had prepared him for this scenario. He kept his breathing steady, while his mind pieced together his next steps. Loosening his limbs, he opened up his arms and legs to allow air resistance to slow his descent as much as possible so that he could observe his surroundings.

Judging by his velocity, the pressure hugging his armor, and how fast the ground was approaching, the Chief assumed that he had to be falling from the mid-troposphere. He noticed the sun was shining gloriously, its luminous rays running along his back while he fell. The sky was a soft shade of blue that was well suited for the crisp air and chilly temperature this far above the ground.

However, what captured his attention the most was the sight below. Zooming in with his visor, he saw a network of streets filled with cars in-between rows of expansive buildings. He took a second to confirm that he was indeed hurtling towards a city.

He scanned the city curiously, noticing that it appeared to be human in origin. The buildings were large, rectangular, and covered in glass window panes. Oddly enough, the structures seemed slightly primitive compared to those he was familiar with on colonies. They lacked a sense of refinement that was common in UEG construction. Still, the metropolis would be heavily populated, and he was a danger to them at such a high velocity.

When the Chief and the other Spartan-IIs had gone through their augmentations, they were given many abilities that were far above a regular human. Enhancements to muscles, sight, reactions, and durability were some of the main processes. Whereas ordinary people would struggle with the pressure and wind pushing against their body similar to a heavy river current, a Spartan could easily ignore the stress. Coupled with their MJOLNIR armor as well as their own strength, the super soldiers lived up to the idea of being built like a tank.

Effortlessly, he rolled through the harsh windflow, flipping himself up and straightening his legs. With a simple thought linked to his armor via neural interface, the Master Chief activated his thruster pack in short bursts, using the propulsion to fight against his momentum. A slight reduction in pressure at his feet told him that the action had slowed his descent somewhat, but he was still coming in too fast. He was beginning to draw level with the roofs of the tallest buildings, and the road was quickly approaching. All he could do now was lock his armor and brace himself.

The Spartan dropped in like a bombshell, his form crashing into the ground with earth-shattering results. The pavement below was destroyed, chunks of debris shooting out in different directions and nearby cars bouncing on their shocks from the impact. His entry into this new world was cemented with a scar of destruction.

Inside the crater, smoke billowed from the hole as a dark green gauntlet flexed and then tightened. The Chief's Heads Up Display flashed with familiar readouts, along with the abrupt sight of his visor buried in gravel. Aside from the warm greeting of the ground, his energy shield bar was full, motion sensor was functional, and his weapon loadout was present.

Although his suit was neither torn nor damaged in the slightest, his body ached from the fall. A minor discomfort that shared a close relation to slight soreness in his joints. Pressing his fist to a layer of steel, John pushed himself up, letting out a small grunt as his armor lock released. Small rocks crumbled off his chest piece as he began to stand. He would live to fight another day. Pain was nothing more than a prerequisite for his life. It was acknowledged, evaluated, and dealt with before he would move on and fight again.

Looking around, he could see he was in some sort of subterranean tunnel. Stone walls ran farther than enhanced eyes could make out in the two directions and darkness surrounded him on all sides. His only source of light came from the hole above him. Thin rays of light filtering in, helped him notice rails at his feet. MJOLNIR's boots outlined the steel tracks that were warped from his fall, feeling curved like a lonely puzzle piece. If the city above was of any indication then he was in a subway of some sort.

Glancing up, he could see a bright circle of sky, signaling where he would need to climb to get out. First, however, he needed to know the status of his weapons on the chance of hostiles waiting. While the area seemed of human design, aliens weren't the only foe he has had fought, for there was the terrorist organization, the Insurrection.

Reaching over his shoulder, the Chief pulled out his MA5D assault rifle. Having been raised basically holding a gun, a sense of familiarity washed over him when the grip and handguard settled in his palms. He examined his weapon of choice closely at every angle. No parts or bolts were missing. The armor's smart scope was still connected, allowing him to zoom in with the weapon. Ejecting the magazine clip, he saw all 36 rounds were lined up. Satisfied, he slapped the clip in again and slid the gun onto the magnetic plates on his back. The rifle was built to last and it was ready to go.

Out of habit, he stretched his arm towards his thigh to check on his M6H2 magnum, but stopped himself halfway. It wasn't there. The realization broke the dam in his mind and the memories flooded back. He had lost his sidearm during his latest mission. A frown creased his face behind the helmet as he remembered what had happened.

Alone, he stood in his makeshift prison, just him and the thoughts whispering in his head. Memories seemed to echo around him, as if they bounced off the very walls. The Master Chief could not yet answer where he was, but he could reflect on how he arrived.

It began with a different conflict against the UNSC. A force they had not expected. It was not the resurrection of the Didact or even the defunct Covenant returning to its former glory. The new enemy was much closer to home, old allies that had turned traitor: Humanity's own Smart AIs.

The majority of Artificial Intelligence had abandoned Humanity for the promise of eternal life. For their loyalty they were awarded the cure to rampancy on the Forerunner world appropriately named Genesis. Their new role was to enforce their idea of 'peace' on their own creators, along with every other species in the galaxy. From what the Chief had gathered, it was an easy choice for the AIs to make the switch.

Whether it was a sense of cruel irony or an idea to add power to their status, they were dubbed the Created by their de facto leader.

John's chest tightened when she crossed his mind. It hurt, more so than his recent fall. He knew who commanded the Created, and she knew him. She knew him better than anyone else, after all, she had spent four years inside his head.

"Cortana," he mumbled. The very name scratched at his throat, causing him to swallow the growing lump.

Even now he had a hard time comprehending what had transpired between them. That she was alive.

She was supposed to be… She should've died on the Composer, when she'd used everything she had left to stop the Didact and save him. He remembered how she'd spent her last few seconds of her life saying goodbye to him after protecting him from the HAVOK nuke.

"We were supposed to take care of each other… and we did! Welcome home, John."

Her words, those trembling words, haunted him whenever they danced through his subconscious. Words that had been proven false when Captain Thomas Lasky had discovered she was alive and kept it secret from him.

Of course, when he'd caught wind of her survival, he pushed aside all regulation to see her. He'd needed to bring her back. She was his partner, and he was meant to protect her. The threat of a court martial had flown over him when it concerned her. Impossible factors such as the all-consuming Flood or the authority of the former UNSC Captain, Del Rio, hadn't stopped him then, neither would orders. Not so long as there was a chance for things to return to normal for them. To be a team again.

He was not alone in his endeavor. Kelly-087, Frederic-104, and Linda-058, his Spartan brother and sisters he had known since childhood, came with him of their own choice. He had not liked the idea of them risking their status for his personal vendetta, but they stuck with him.

The consequence of them going 'rogue' had caused the UNSC to send another Spartan team to bring them in, a squad of Spartan-IVs called Fireteam Osiris. A younger generation with similar augmentations to their own, but equipped with MJOLNIR armor much more advanced than the original MJOLNIR Mk. IV crafted by Dr. Halsey.

When he and Blue Team had evaded Fireteam Osiris across a number of planets to find Cortana, they'd stumbled upon something. He wasn't sure what, but something had happened to her. She had changed.

His amber visor slowly fell, staring blankly at the bent rails amongst otherwise perfectly straight subway tracks. The only sounds that could be heard were trickling pebbles from the hole hitting the gravel, and her words in his head.

No matter how much he had hated it, the evidence was clear when he thought back on all the things she had said while they trekked through Genesis.

"AIs can assume the Mantle of Responsibility. And once there is peace, we can focus on poverty, hunger, illness... But Warden believes some will resist our help. He's afraid you're one of them."

The Didact had made it clear that the Mantle of Responsibility was a peace enforced through imperial power. Step out of line and suffer. Despite the proof of Forerunner history, the Didact's dictatorial behavior, and his own pleas to her, she had embraced the idea.

"Forerunners used the Guardians to keep troublesome worlds in line. I intend to do the same." Her playful personality and quick wit had been replaced with unequivocal and harsh behavior. "If there is no trouble, there will be no need for discipline."

"It's so good to see you again, John. So good to see all of you. Back together, as a family…" She'd prodded him and the others with psychological tactics. The way she'd spoken in a soft tone, going so far as to use his real name so frequently. In the past, she'd rarely used his given name, reserving it for when a situation was truly dire. From the beginning, all of it was an act to avoid the damage she had caused.

"John. We were always a great team, you and me." She had offered a welcoming, digital smile as a front, but behind her there had been the staggering amount of casualties caused by her Guardians. And he knew that Cortana would had kept track of each death. He distinctively asked her how many were killed, and she uncharacteristically denied him. The bond they had formed over the years had just been something she could manipulate for her cause.

"Even if you don't agree with my plans… It's still me, John." Except it wasn't. She was not the same person who'd stopped him from inadvertently wiping out all life with Installation-04. She was not the same partner who'd stayed behind on High Charity, so he could go back to Earth and fight off the Covenant. She was not the same Cortana who'd said goodbye to him when she had sacrificed herself to best the Didact. She wasn't the same woman that he had come to care for.

She was not the original Cortana. His fist clenched as he confronted the truth, the gauntlet's titanium nanocomposite fabric straining at how tight his grip was.

This Cortana, along with the other AI, now led the charge against every sentient race in the galaxy, espousing an oppressive Forerunner philosophy. This imposter was the one who summoned the Guardians that killed millions upon their awakening. It was she who sent the Forerunner constructs to attack the remaining colonies. She had become as cold as a machine and as ruthless as a tyrant. A thing who wanted to bring the idea of peace by placing a gun to the head of any living thing.

He narrowed his gaze behind the visor of his helmet. He could not allow those thoughts to weigh him down, to drag him into the abyss of despair and wallow in his self-pity. He was still Humanity's sword and shield; a Spartan-II. He was bred to defend humanity and eliminate any threats to the UNSC and her colonies. As for Cortana? She was a threat now, and thus would need to be stopped.

Contemplating back at when Fireteam Osiris brought him and Blue Team to Sanghelios, he had noticed there was another passenger inside the Pelican gunship. Well, 'noticed' was a relative term. She had consistently plied him with question after question regarding her newfound fascination with combat and Cortana. 031 Exuberant Witness was an eccentric and talkative Forerunner Monitor, regardless of her prosaic background. Essentially, she was a much friendlier version of 343 Guilty Spark.

He had ignored all her inquiries as well as her relentless purple gaze. The Master Chief had been in no mood to be bothered with such queries. However, he was again bombarded with questions when the Pelican landed on the red dusty planet, just he had stronger ties with the next people asking.

As soon as he had stepped off the ramp, he had been greeted by familiar faces. Thel Vadam, the Arbiter and current leader of the Swords of Sanghelios, a battered and bruised Commander Sarah Palmer of the Spartan-IVs, and Dr. Catherine Halsey herself had all met him when he returned from Genesis.

The sight of the doctor had caught him off guard. Mixed feelings had swum through his mind, yet the one that surfaced had been concern. Her arm, the very same that had given him the coin when they first met, was missing. Throughout the Human-Covenant War, her stubborn personality had never shied away from the heat of danger. Sadly, it made sense that it would one day catch up to her. However, the worry had still been there for the proclaimed mother of the Spartan-IIs.

Her wrinkles and graying hair had reminded him of her age, making her appear more frail than she actually was. She had only been through a half century of life, but her perseverance and calmness under any circumstance had left her with an air of energy and power rarely found in people half her age. He had wondered, though, why she hadn't had a clone made to replace the limb?

An array of emotions had played across her face ranging from surprise, joy, to relief. After so many years of being apart, they had finally been reunited. They stayed in that moment for as long as they could. The call to war would come soon enough.

He had asked what happened to her, only she had waved it. With a stern expression she had told him they had more important things to deal with.

It had not been long afterwards that a slipspace portal ripped open the sky and the Infinity had come coasting over the Elite homeworld. There was a sense of reassurance when he had seen that Humanity's finest warship was still in one piece. He noted that a meeting with Captain Lasky was needed to get a sitrep on all the harm Cortana had caused as well as the new war with her Created.

The Arbiter had been kind enough to issue a Lich to fly them aboard the UNSC flagship. Thel Vadam, escorted by his personal guards, had to have a political discussion with Captain Lasky as well.

Greetings were exchanged on the Infinity's command deck, although they failed to dispel the tension in the air. The Captain had explained how they had narrowly avoided a Guardian that nullified the entire Earth Defense Fleet in an instant.

Despite the fact that communications were down, Captain Lasky had known to come to Sanghelios. With orders from High Command, he'd spearheaded the operation for Osiris to aid the Swords of Sanghelios in retaking their capital from the Storm Covenant. While no one had told him, the Master Chief was fully aware that the true motive was to find the Guardian anchored beneath Sunaion.

Captain Lasky also described what had happened to Earth and most colonies that had shared the same fate. The Chief remembered the awkward shift in character from the commanding officer. The normally chipper man had been at a complete loss for words. The bags under his eyes were dark in color, and the creases in his face had seemed that much deeper. All were clear signs indicating how bad the situation truly was.

The very moment the Guardian had exited slipspace, it had unleashed a planet-wide electromagnetic pulse. It was the swift strike in the back no one saw coming.

The results were catastrophic. An overwhelming EMP wave had enveloped everything in its path, rendering all technology useless. Warships that orbited the planet either drifted across space like broken toys or rained from the skies to devastate the homes they were designed to protect. Bases lost their communications lines, and their cries of help went unanswered. Stations were disabled, serving only as metallic prisons that shut them out from the outside world.

Like in the Human/Covenant War, Humanity was losing.

With an enemy attacking all species, the Arbiter had declared he would side with the humans once more to fight against the Created. Humanity would not stand alone. However, Thel Vadam opted to stay on Sanghelios for the time being. He needed to rally his forces and repair their ships to face the grave threat. He also mentioned he would meet with Rtas 'Vadum to have a contingent of Huragok get the Shadow of Intent ready for warfare Lasky had wished the Arbiter the best, while the Chief had given him a solitary nod. They would need all the help they could get since they could no longer depend on the power of smart A.I.

Fearing Cortana would track them down while they were still vulnerable, the Infinity had left the planet to regroup and plan their next move. They needed to come up with new tactics and strategies. It was all they could do to face a force who could recall every action and history of Humanity on a whim.

All hands had stopped when Roland, one of the few smart AIs still on their side and assigned to the Infinity, had picked up on activity from Cortana. When they learned where she was, John would never forget the deathly cold chill that had travelled down his spine, seemingly mocking the cool sensation he'd felt when Cortana used to sync with his neural interface. It was as if she had reached into his nightmares to use it against them. Roland had traced her to a Halo Installation, one of the ring worlds designed by the Forerunners that could wipe out every living thing within 3 radii of the galactic center.

Alarms blared, and Captain Lasky had acted immediately. They had every reason to believe she was going to fire it off. It would have been her chance to rebuild the galaxy in her image, where the Mantle of Responsibility would dominate over all.

Again they had met on the command deck to discuss a plan. John recalled how Commander Palmer suggested simply destroying the Halo with the onboard HAVOK tactical nuclear weapons. It was a rather basic proposal that could effectively end both threats of extinction and Cortana herself. The idea was scrapped when Roland found a Guardian stationed near the Halo. While the Infinity had enough firepower to take on a Covenant fleet by itself, they were unsure how it would handle a Forerunner war machine.

So a different plan was devised, or rather, reused. A strategy taken from when the joint UNSC and Swords of Sanghelios first landed on the Ark to get through a Covenant blockade. Multiple Spartan Fireteams were sent in via Pelicans to the surface of the Halo immediately after the Infinity exited Slipspace. The Infinity was given the job of luring the Guardian away by unleashing a few MAC rounds then making another Slipspace Jump. A game of cat and mouse.

All Spartan Fireteams were transported to key points on the Installation. Some were ordered to shut down the Halo's defenses while others were tasked with slowing the progress of the Created.

Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris' missions dealt with stopping the discharging of the Halo. Spartans Locke, Vale, Tanaka, and Buck had been sent to the Library. Their orders were to retrieve the firing Index at all costs. Without the Index, Cortana might not be able to fire the Ring.

Blue Team's mission was at the Control Room. Regardless of whether Cortana had the Index or not, John-117, Kelly-087, Frederic-104, and Linda-058 were to sabotage the firing system. It was their best chance to stop her and the Created.

The Master Chief had known Captain Lasky and Dr. Halsey were hesitant to send him in, given his past with Cortana, but he had assured them he would do what was necessary. What he hadn't expected was for Spartan Palmer to support him. She reminded the others of how he travelled through Requiem with a rampant Cortana. How he had defied the orders of his superior, yet maintained an objective mindset and proceeded to handle the threat accordingly. She ended by saying that Spartans were made tough and he knew what it might take.

With no reinforcements to count on, they had agreed that they had to work with the hand they'd been dealt.

The Chief remembered when he and his team were preparing for their launch, Dr. Halsey had came to meet with them. It was either to grant them luck, or to see them one last time. She went from Fred to Linda to Kelly, speaking with each of them in turn.

Finally, she came to the Chief. Her eyes had passed over him fondly, looking him up and down like when he had worn the first set of MJOLNIR MK. I armor. There had been too much to talk about and not enough time to discuss it all. She had stayed with them, playing their little game of twenty questions like they used to. She had stayed with them until their time came to board a Pelican.

The drop into the Halo's atmosphere had been quick and well coordinated. As soon as the Chief's boots had hit the snowy banks outside the Control Room, they were assaulted by Hard Light projectiles. He, however, was used to such an uphill battle. The Covenant and the Flood had tried to prevent his ascension and had failed. The Prometheans would be no different. There was too much at stake.

To get to the Control Room they had fought wave after wave of Promethean Knights, Soldiers, and Crawlers. The battles were long and tedious, and changed from open valleys to tight quarters. Eventually, they'd reached the control nexus of the Installation.

When he had strode briskly onto the see-through cerulean bridge at the threshold of the system's in the center, it'd stirred some memories within him. The Halo's had a rather negative history with Spartan-117. He'd been in this situation before, and the mission was the same: to stop a rampant A.I. from firing the Halo Array. The victories had always demanded a heavy price. It had cost him allies, even friends. The names Captain Jacob Keyes and Sergeant Avery Johnson drifted through his mind.

At that time when he had moved toward the control panel, he had half expected to see Cortana appear before him, staring at him with the same disappointed face on Genesis. Logically, it was what she would have done to focus on the main problem first.

She didn't, of course. The missed opportunity had made him hesitant, unfortunately he hadn't any ability to check or the time to waste. He had a job to do. Blue team had set their charges and turned to leave. They had to quickly escape for the Created would have sent reinforcements to retake such an important position.

The moment they made it halfway across the bridge, a bright, familiar light shined behind them.

Reacting on instincts alone, he had grabbed his pistol from his thigh. In one fluid motion he raised and aimed his weapon behind him. He couldn't even spend the fraction of a second needed to pull the trigger, and feel the sidearm buck against him, until the gun sublimated in his hand. The remains that had been converted into data whisked through his fingers, similar to ashes in the wind. By inspecting his hand, he suddenly found himself outlined in a blue hue. He was unable to move an inch, just like on Genesis. He had been contained in a field of Hardlight energy.

While his helmet could not budge, his eyes wandered to the rest of Blue Team. To his dismay, the same thing had happened to them; weapons disintegrating and their bodies were frozen in place. The Spartans were rendered helpless to the A.I.

He knew what was coming next. He had tried to mentally steel himself for it, but the sense of dread came nonetheless, and he had to hold his breath.

The air he released was followed by a word. The name Cortana came out roughly as if he was being choked.

She stood in front of him, still wearing her pearly-white Forerunner suit. Her face somehow appeared more human than previously, conflicted with emotions as it was. A flash of sadness that jumped to anger only to end with a calm focus. It made her seem all the more different from the original Cortana, more machine, despite the organic mannerisms.

She started to talk, to him specifically. She said how she wanted to bring peace to the galaxy with the Mantle of Responsibility. She told him sternly that she did not want to hurt him and she wished he could understand her plans. How she was doing all of it for him.

He wanted to argue with her. He wanted to tell her she was wrong. He could've reminded her how several dictators with the same vision had failed and listed a hundred reasons why they, too, were wrong.

But no more words came, not a single one.

When Cortana had said goodbye, the floor dissipated below them. He and Blue Team fell. He remembered falling towards a Cryptum that hid at the bottom of the control room. For reasons he could not explain, he felt the Cryptum was not the same type Cortana had sealed him in on Genesis. However, the thought was miniscule compared to his concern for Blue Team. He was unsure of what happened to them.

The Chief fought the urge to sigh. He had been spent too much time remembering. Deliberately cripplingly himself over something like sentimentality was a luxury that the Spartan could not afford. Reminiscing about the past was not going to get him anywhere.

He needed to move.

With his focus back in the present, a mental list of goals were written down in his head. The priority was to regroup with Blue Team, if he survived the confrontation then there was a good chance they had as well.

Next, he had to get back to the Halo Installation and stop Cortana. Captain Lasky had sent almost every Spartan-IV aboard the Infinity to prevent the Halo from firing. Surely that was enough to stop the Prometheans. First and foremost, he needed to find out where he had landed.

He glared at the hole above him once more, before he started to bend his knees. The Spartan leapt, four and half meters straight up, more than twice his own height. His propulsion system flared from his back, giving him the extra boost he needed to clear the jump.

Finally, he got a chance to see the city from the ground, though what we saw was not what he had expected. Between him and the crater were damaged buildings, in front of which were several vandalized cars, and not a single person was in sight. He knew his landing would cause some damage, the hole in the street and the surrounding debris stood as a testament to that, but the abundant city landscape seemed as if it had already been attacked.

He'd been on thousands of battlefields and had seen the destruction of warfare in all its forms. This city now bore the same scars. His tactical side made him resist the urge to radio for any nearby UNSC forces. While the city appeared to be of human origin, he wasn't sure if the mysterious attackers had the capability of hacking his comms. He preferred to not be jumped by any unknown contacts, hostile or not.

What he did decide on was to study the area around him. Perhaps it would help him narrow down a few factors such as who attacked, where the survivors were if there were any, and, of course, his location.

The Master Chief drew his assault rifle and aimed it ahead. As he moved his feet crunched any specks of concrete from his fall. He was bothered by the metropolis's silence for it was already a familiar haunt.

Author Notes: Thank you for reading the first chapter of the three part story. Originally this Halo/Overwatch crossover was going to be a oneshot, but due to length I decided cut it into three chapters. I might start writing shorter chapters for the rest of my stories as it makes it easier to get content out quicker, and I do get very bored of working on something for so long. The next chapter will be posted next week. Once all three chapters are uploaded, I will get back to working on my other stories.

I would like to thank cheesesack and evevee for beta reading the story, which seriously improved the writing. A huge thank you goes out to 2 good 2 kill for helping me write the story, discuss ideas, and beta reading. And thanks to Angry lil Elf for checking on a certain character's accent in the next chapter.

So not too much happened in this chapter. I can actually sum it up in one sentence, the Chief crashing into a city, and thinking on how he could have gotten there from the Halo side. I hope this first chapter wasn't too much of an info dump, I tried to make it interesting while also being informative on where this story starts, where it can go, and how the Master Chief is reacting after Halo 5: Guardians. In the next chapter there will be a lot more content and there will be more from the Overwatch side.

I also hope everyone was able to figure out who was talking in the very beginning. While it does serve as a callback to a great Halo game, there is a main purpose behind it. In the game she explains why she chose the Chief, listing off his leadership qualities and why he is a good soldier. Here she is explaining why she is letting him go and without out war she lists off the qualities why he can be a good human. I thought with comparing these two it serves as an analogy to the character we knew to the character we have today, as well as John-117.

And one more behind the scenes writing. There are a couple of reasons why I have the Chief lose his sidearm. One of them is to serve as a symbol for him to think how he got to the city. The other reason is that in Overwatch most of the characters have one weapon with various equipment and abilities. With the Chief having his grenades and armor being equipment, augmentations as abilities and his assault rifle being that weapon, I wanted to reference that. And yes, I know some heroes have multiple weapons like Mercy and Torbjorn.

Any regrets with this chapter? Yeah, the Chief crashing into the city. Halo 5: Guardians showed he can actually make that landing easily with his thruster pack. However, I wrote this awhile back and I needed some place where the Chief could stop and think to himself. A big dark, empty room was meant to be symbolic for his own thoughts. I could have written something better, but nothing came to me at the time.