Hey everyone, sorry for the irregular posting dates. I am definitely not dead, rest assured. Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter Two

The air seemed to whisper faintly around him, reminiscent of what he expected a ghost to sound like. Had he died? Maybe, yet the throbbing coming from his chest felt very much alive. Jameson Locke creaked his eyes open, pushing against the dry earth as he rose to his knees. The landscape came slowly into view, fuzzy at first. The trunks of dead alien tree's stood against a murky red sky, gusts of dust clouds around him. The sky lit up with flashes of lighting behind the thick clouds, illuminating the landscape further. There was no life here, wherever 'here' was. Even a distant river, purple in color, was stagnant.

A groan from behind. He turned to find his team face down in the dirt much like he had been. Edward Buck was the first to stand, still clutching his rifle as any professional soldier would. His ODST helmet cast light on the ground, his body language one of surprise and shock. The others, Holly Tanaka and Olympia Vale, did the same.

"Where…what is this place," Tanaka asked aloud, her voice jarring in the silent landscape.

Buck grumbled, checking over his gun. "Who knows, that portal could have sent us anywhere."

"We're still on Aether."

The other turned to look at him. Locke retrieved his own rifle from the dirt, placing it on his back. When no one asked for an explanation, he elaborated.

"The files provided to the UNSC by Samus Aran mentioned that Aether had a twin, a copy of the planet in another universe. Aran arrived as the native population was on the verge of extinction, and provided aid. Her report said she destroyed this place, but..."

"But obviously she didn't do her job properly," Buck growled, fingers tense on his weapon. The others reacted in a similar fashion, the mere mention of Samus enough to cause anger. Locke had his own thoughts about the Hunter, but this was not the time to tell his squad about them.

"How are we going to get back?" Vale asked, her words trembling ever so slightly. The Youngest of them, and possibly of all Spartan IV's, her inexperience showed.

Locke placed a hand on her shoulder. "We came here through a portal, we just have to find one back."

He looked to the others "Our orders still stand, Aran is the main target. But we need to secure an exit, as well as try to find the other squads. Ours wasn't the only one caught in the blast."

The sounds of guns clicking was his response. Satisfied, he led on. The clearing the Spartans had arrived in gave way to rocky passages and narrow gaps. His armor scrapped against the walls as they progressed, occasionally forced to duck under low hanging edges. His suit continued to give him information about the environment as they trudged, tactical displays and statistics flashing on his visor screen.

His armor, along with the rest of Osiris, was the latest in a surprisingly huge leap of technological advances. The shielding had been increased significantly without affecting power or charge up, as well as the materials used being both lighter and stronger than standard Mjolnir. A scanning device had been implemented, which provided the user with a constant feed of information around them, from ideal cover to enemy weak points and numbers. Currently, the scans were telling him about the atmosphere. The air here was toxic, to the point of death within minutes. Locke had known this already from Samus's reports, provided to him by ONI. But her reports had stated that the air had affected her armor and shields as well. To Locke, this suggested that whatever she had done to this place had killed it in more ways than one.

The radio suddenly crackled to life. He heard screams, loud enough to make him wince. In the commotion back at the Temple on Aether, he'd guessed other Spartans had fallen through the portal, same as Osiris. But he'd never heard Spartans make this kind of sound. It sent a shiver up his spine.

"This is Spartan Locke on all UNSC channels, respond." He tried, growing ever certain he wouldn't get an answer.

His response was radio silence, white noise filling his ears before that too went dead. He glanced back at Osiris, who had all heard the chilling sounds too. Clearly, something had happened to them, but what exactly he didn't know.

Samus was his first guess, but she hadn't elicited those kinds of responses before. Perhaps some kind of alien life? But this place was dead, a shadow of a shadow, how anything could survive here was beyond him. So, he decided to focus on practicality.

"Get ready," He muttered. Without needing to check on his team, he rounded a corner and entered a dusty clearing.

The clearing gave way to the angry red sky, a flash of lightning briefly illuminating the area. The ground was littered with some kind of black, oil-like substance. It was everywhere, sickly and seeming to ripple in response to their arrival. He saw several silhouettes, unmistakably Mjolnir in design. The Spartans were all down, either dead or beyond saving.

"Geezus…" Buck said, lowering his gun at the sight of the massacre. Tanaka followed suit, her body language more than enough to express her own horror.

Locke kept calm, he had too. As the commander of Osiris, he had to remain composed and set the example. He pulled up the VISR system and began a quick scan. His suit told him that all the bodies had died in a state of shock, implying that they hadn't been killed quickly. Further scans also revealed that an alien substance had been introduced to their bodies just before death. He stepped closer, peering down at one of the corpses without touching.

Sure enough, the Spartans armor was torn open. A gash on his arm and shoulder had been the entry point, an excessive amount of the oily liquid inside the opening. Locke tried to scan the substance but his VISR didn't seem to recognize it as anything. He frowned, stepping over to another body. Sure enough, another damaged suit. This one's visor had been smashed, his face forever hidden under a black slick.

"No one touch anything," He said, turning briefly back to his team.

"Hey man, no need to tell me twice." Buck said, stepping over a puddle.

"We need to move on, nothing we can do for these men." Locke continued. "We need to find a way back to-"

"Locke!"

He spun towards the sound of Vales voice. She was raising her gun, pointing it right at him. Or, something behind him.

His motion tracker a second too late to warn him, he felt something powerful grip his arms and pull. He grunted as he was tugged off his feet and thrown into the dirt. A wave of Black ooze surged over him, climbing up his legs like a living thing. Falling back on instinct, he retrieved his pistol from his holster and fired into the mass. He heard a screech, similar to the sounds on the radio. The ooze retracted, and he was able to pull free.

Around him the clearing had come alive. Puddles that had been still before were now sliding across the floor, rushing to climb onto them. Buck let out a grunt as a black mass latched onto his chest. Locke heard the sounds of metal whining. The thing was trying to crush Bucks armor, find a way inside. He drew a dagger and flung, hitting the blob in its center. It screeched, flinging itself away from the Spartan.

"A little warning next time!" Buck yelled, picking up his shotgun and firing into another blob.

The individual puddles changed tactics. They began absorbing into one another, forming larger blobs and linking up. It wasn't long before the darkness had them surrounded, linked up into a single large monstrosity. Locke ordered them to focus fire, hoping to create an opening in which to escape. But they might as well have been shooting water

Slowly but surely, the Black oil was pushing them closer together. It wasn't long before they were back to back, firing into a sea of darkness. Locke was beginning to run low on ammo, no expecting such a drawn out fight. He heard Tanaka click empty, wordlessly handing her his last clip without looking. He dropped his rifle and pulled out his magnum, firing into the mass around them. They fought well, an effective team with crossfire. But against such a foe, it wasn't enough.

The mass reared up around them, preparing to swallow them whole. Locke drew a grenade, thumb itching on the pin.

There was a sudden flash. The thing screamed louder than before, thrashing wildly. Blinding light began to pierce though it's oily body, cauterizing around the wounds entrances. Another flash, another hole. The Blob tried to retreat, but the damage was done. The sounds of searing flesh reached his ears, as the burning wounds widened.

With a final piercing cry, the creature split into smaller parts which than began slithering towards crevices and cracks within the rocky floor. Some made it, others were destroyed by the mystery weapon. Just as suddenly as the attack began, it was over. Osiris was left standing in the open, the corpses of other Spartans their only companions.

His team were full of questions, of which Vale voiced first. "What were those things?"

"What was that bright light?"

"How the heck are we still standing?"

Locke remained silent even though he'd figured out the majority of the answers. Those liquid creatures had been some sort of native lifeform to Dark Aether, perhaps related to the Parasites Samus had encountered here on her previous visit. Osiris should have been overwhelmed, their fire power no match for something so alien. But they still stood, which led him to the conclusion that someone had saved him. As for the pulses of light…

"You can come out, we won't shoot you. Not yet anyway."

His team looked confused a moment, but movement caught everyone's attention. Stepping out from behind a rocky pillar was a familiar silhouette, an armored human shape. The armor of course was very different to any Mjolnir variant, in particular the large cannon on one of the arms. Next they saw the bright green visor pierce through the murky darkness of this place.

As Locke watched her get closer, he realized that her armor was different from the multitude of photos and images he'd studied. It seemed more streamlined, form fitting. Gone was the bulky shoulder armor and interlocking metal plating. This armor looked like one solid piece, more alien than any of her previous appearances. He made a note to find out more if the opportunity presented itself.

Buck cocked his shotgun.

Samus halted, however the hand on her hip clearly showed she didn't feel threatened. "Why don't you put that down before someone gets hurt."

"Only person getting hurt will be you," Buck shot back. "If you think for one second-"

"Lower the gun Buck," Locke said, stepping forward.

Buck whirled, gun still raised. "Do I need to remind you what she's done? Not just to the UNSC but us just minutes ago?"

"She saved us Buck," Locke said patiently, though he kept his finger wrapped loosely around his own trigger. "Lower the weapon."

Samus however, didn't seem willing to let the statement slide. She stepped forward, earning more weapons pointed in her direction.

"Like those would save you," She said, standing before them unafraid. "I chose to rescue you because despite what you may have heard, I'm not all that bad."

"That remains to be seen," Locke grunted. However, he saw the wisdom in her words. They couldn't really do anything if she decided to attack them. They were low on ammo, and had no idea how to escape this place. Samus however, must have known a way.

He placed his rifle on his back, Tanaka and Vale following his lead. With hesitation, Buck lowered his shotgun, though kept it cradled in his arms. Samus simply nodded, hand coming off her hip. Locke noticed her look down at the ground, more specifically the remaining splotches of oily liquid. He cautiously approached her, coming to stand a distance behind her.

"Any idea what those things were?"

She snapped her head in his direction, almost as if he'd startled her. It was brief, but he definitely noticed. Maybe she wasn't as confidant as she appeared.

"I have a feeling…but it seems unlikely."

Locke waited quietly. With a faint scoff she relented, gesturing to one of the oily puddles.

"On my previous trip here I was confronted by a race or war like aliens called the Ing," She explained, green visor moving from Spartan to Spartan. "They possessed both living and inanimate things, and were close to winning a war when I arrived."

"Against the Luminoth," Locke said, pausing. "But the Ing needed Dark Aether's atmosphere to survive. How could they still be here?"

Samus was silent. With barely a sound she stalked up to him, her helmet a foot taller than his own. He knew she was tall, but this close it was startling. Similar to being face to face with a Spartan II. He heard someone clicking a weapon, but he discreetly waved a hand. No gunfire rang out.

"How do you know all that?" She asked him. Her voice was quiet. It didn't sound angry, but promised violence. "How could you? I never told a soul except-"

"One One Seven?" Locke finished. When she didn't respond, he continued. "Between your shared words and the data you gave to the UNSC, ONI compiled a database of all Ancient Human information, most of it from you. Recordings, surveillance footage and the like. And…"

"And?"

"And I was tasked with learning as much as I could, about you." He muttered. He felt her tense, was sure he was about to he hit. But the Hunter showed remarkable restraint, merely lowering her visor to peer into his.

"Why?" She near hissed, her voice soured with anger.

"Because we needed to capture you, and to do that…we needed to know as much as we could." Locke said, stepping back. Samus didn't move.

Locke continued. "This Fireteam, codenamed OSIRIS, was put together to track dangerous targets and either capture them, or take them down. We're equipped with various new technology, nothing other Spartans are currently carrying."

"I noticed," She near cut him off. Her posture returned to a more relaxed state, hand on hip. "Ever wonder where those upgrades came from? Seems awfully convenient that you would just 'get' powerful new tech."

Before Locke could respond, Buck spoke up again. "I don't like what your insinuating lady."

She didn't even pay him any attention, her visor glued to Locke's, waiting for his answer. Perhaps she could tell what he thought, though he had no idea how. One thing was certain, she was right. Their shields were stronger, armor tougher. Scan visors and various other bits of tech. All of which was very familiar…

"If what you're suggesting is true, that would mean your innocent then, is that what you're implying?" Locke countered, determined not to lose control. They needed her help, but they still had a job to do. Samus was the target, even if the circumstances seemed odd to him.

Vale scoffed behind him. "Oh please! We've all seen the video footage. Your explosive rampage though ONI's Sydney HQ. You didn't just kill soldiers, but innocent people."

Samus for once, hesitated. It took her a moment to speak. "I did...but not without cause. Look, it's complicated."

"Regardless, you're a criminal." Locke pointed out. "And as soon as you don't need us, you'll leave us."

Samus turned her head. "I don't think-"

"What will you do once you're out?" Locke pressed. "The UNSC will be waiting on the other side of the portal. Will you gun them all down too?"

"That's not fair," Samus growled. "Do you think I want too? No, you're all forcing my hand."

"But it doesn't have to be that way," Locke said quickly. "Come with us, surrender peacefully. You'll get a fair trial-"

"ONI will kill me before any trial takes place." Samus scoffed. "Or, do you think they're all good guys too?"

"No, I know ONI." Locke relented. "…We'll take you to Infinity. The Captain wouldn't dare let anything happen without speaking to you, and I know you two were close."

"…Tom?" She said, her voice breaking. He smiled under his visor, letting go of a breath he'd been holding. He had her.

"Captain Lasky will speak with you, I'll make sure of it." Locke affirmed. "Come with us, surrender peacefully, as we'll get to the bottom of this. One way, or another."

He could tell she was thinking it over, but short of gunning them down on the spot and leaving on her own, she didn't have many options. Of course, once they escaped this strange world things could go south very fast, but if his time with ONI taught him anything, it was to think on the fly. Plans never go as, well, planned.

"Alright," Samus began. "I'll go peacefully. But, if I so much as smell trouble I won't hesitate to blast my way through you all."

"Deal then," Locke said with a nod. He offered his hand, but Samus shoved past him. He ignored the gesture. "We need to get out of here, ASAP. Do you know of any exits?"

She nodded. "This place is a warped reflection of the grand temple you all shot up, so its layout is similar. I remember my last trip here, there was a portal right below the temple entrance. That's our best bet."

She began walking without looking back. Locke gestured for the team to fall in, retrieving his rifle from his back. He heard murmured talking behind him, but paid it no mind. They could talk all they wanted as long as they didn't take action from those words. He instead chose to focus on the woman in front of him, her sleek armored form as alien from behind as it was the front.

"Why is your armor so different?" Locke asked, chancing a question. Despite her being his target, he was genuinely curious. He'd been among many to be awed by the discovery of a living human from Forerunner times, as well as her strange technology. "It's usually much bulkier."

She glanced back at him, before looking ahead again. "You sound like a stalker, I bet the ladies just love you."

That got a laugh from Buck behind him, a genuine one. Locke thought that was the end of his probing, but moments later she talked again.

"If you must know, ONI did this to me," She said, staring ahead. "It's a long story, but they tore my suit apart in search of its secrets. What you're seeing me wear now is just its core components, it's damaged."

This all but confirmed Locke's theory, if she was telling the truth. "Our armor upgrades, yours?"

She didn't say anything, but she didn't have too. Her body tensed up, fist clenched. It made sense, all of their upgrades reminded him of things he'd heard the Chozo power suit could do, such as a scan visor and a much stronger shielding system. Of course, ONI would have improved on such things. His shielding charged as fast as any, while he knew for a fact Samus's took a longer cycle period. He was sure that wasn't the only thing ONI had iterated on…

"So you're saying ONI stole your armor?" Vale asked. "How could they even get it away from you, providing this is all true of course…"

"We're here." Samus said, her tone low.

Locke stepped up beside her. Indeed, the place was nearly identical to the arena that they had ambushed Samus in. However, there were some major differences. The floor of this place was mostly underwater, the color a rusty red to reflect the sky. A narrow, rocky path led to the other side. He saw the portal on the other side of the room, a tiny flicker of light in this dark place.

"Single file, move slowly or-" Samus began.

"Hey, I take orders from my commander, not you lady." Buck interrupted. He went to take a step onto the path…

Only for the ground to give under his foot. Locke grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back to safety. Buck hit the ground with a thud, swearing loudly as he landed on his back. Movement in the water caught his eye, a splash. When he looked, the water was still. This place was beginning to play tricks on him.

"Or else you'll fall in the acidic water and die," Samus concluded, petting Bucks head in a condescending manner.

Locke turned back to his team. "Alright, single file as she said. Buck take point, I want Samus next followed by Tanaka and Vale. I'll bring up the rear."

"Don't trust me?" Samus asked.

"No, but that's not the reason. You're our target, we're to bring you alive. I can't have you falling in and melting right away."

"…Well at least you're honest." Samus said, a light laugh following. She looked expectantly at the now standing Buck, who just groaned and advanced again, this time moving much slower.

Locke waited for the team to move before walking out himself. He checked over his shoulder for more of those shadow creatures, but nothing jumped out from behind. They seemed alone, yet Locke couldn't shake a feeling of eyes on him. He observed the team as they paced slowly over the crumbling land bridge. Locke swore he saw water move close by. He went to look, but the water was still. Then he heard a quiet splash.

"OSIRIS, we're not alone out here."

The water beside them erupted as a massive form flung itself toward them. Samus shouted as she shoved down Buck, the creature narrowly missing them both. Locke got a look at it as it splashed down on the other side. It was strange, bulbous. It reminded him of a creature from his Samus files, something she called a Chykra. But it was mutated, malformed. Living in this half world had turned it into even more of a monster.

"Move!" He ordered, all of them now racing across the bridge. The ground under him cracked and trembled as the added strain proved too much for the fragile ground.

Buck and Samus made it across, but the Chykka wasn't finished yet. This time it emerged and beached itself on the bridge like a sickly whale. It let out a cry, the sound piercing. Locke opened fire, as did Tanaka and Vale. Their shots pounced off its hide. It thrashed about, causing the bridge to break. It fell through back into the water.

Locke looked at the gap that blocked their escape. It wasn't too wide, definitely doable on solid ground. But the bridge had given up, the ground beneath them about to give way. Vale leapt first, landing with the others with Tanaka right behind her. Locke stumbled as the path beneath him crumpled and he felt his stomach rise as he fell. He spotted a chunk of land close by, floating on the water. A quick thrust saved his life, and he slammed onto his refuge.

He heard Osiris shouting from above. The creature had seen him fall, and was rapidly approaching his little island. It sunk beneath the water for a fleeting moment before propelling itself upward. It arced in the air, and Locke realized it was planning to crush him. He opened fire, but again his weapon proved ineffective. The monster let out a screech as it flew toward him.

He heard weapons fire. The creature cried out as a large explosion rocked its side. The blow pushed it off course, and it sailed into the water narrowly missing Locke's island. The wave created hit his arms, the shielding flickering. His HUD showed major damage, if he was knocked into the water it would be over. The creature emerged from the water's edge, rearing its head. Its mouth opened as a tongue shot out. Locke hit the ground just in time, the hideous appendage missing. Another explosion collided with its head. It screeched before whipping back under the surface.

"Head's up!"

Locke looked up as Samus Aran leapt down onto his island. She offered him a hand, which he took. "Thanks, though aren't we both stuck down here now?"

"This thing won't relent," Samus shot back, firing a shot into the water. The blast illuminated the creatures form underneath for a moment. We have to kill it. Or rather, I have to kill it."

Locke nodded, he knew he lacked the firepower to take out such a large monstrosity. He retrieved his rifle and stood with his back against her, giving them overlapping view. "It's been trying to push me off the land."

"Of course, a meals easier to catch when it's not able to move." Samus said. "Don't get knocked into the water, it's toxic."

"I'm aware." He shot back. The creature emerged with a large splash, tongue extended. He fired, this time hitting its appendage. This time his weapons had more effect, the gray liquid erupted from the bullet holes. Its body quacked as it sunk back down.

"it's tongue is vulnerable, less armored." He shouted, reloading his gun.

"Nice work!" Samus replied, firing another missile salvo into the murky water.

The arena became eerily quiet. Locke couldn't see their foe anywhere, and it seemed Samus couldn't locate it either. Was it trying a new tactic, or had it given up? Samus had said it wouldn't but perhaps they had gotten lucky. As he thought it, Locke immediately knew it wouldn't be so. He wasn't that lucky.

A massive splash caught their attention, the water near Samus raining down. It rolled off her armor, her shields flaring red in response. Locke heard another, and turned to find a pair of jaws encompassing his vision. He froze.

The monster had created a diversion, using the splash to launch its real attack. Locke went to move, but it had gotten too close. He saw the jaws begin to close around him. Suddenly, he felt a hand yank his shoulder. He was flung backward as Samus Aran stood in his place. He let out a cry, attempting to grab ahold of her as he passed. The monster grabbed her with its jaws before sailing back into the waters.

He hit the ground hard, but was immediately on his feet. He did a quick circle, but the waters had stilled. It was quiet again, but he knew it was out there. And Samus…

The water erupted some distance away. The creature emerged, thrashing in agony. Its mouth opened, and inside was Samus. Locke immediately noticed its tongue was wrapped around her, and her suit's shielding seemed to have failed. She however, was firing both down its gullet and at its tongue. Acid water lingered within its mouth, and Locke realized her armor was failing. It had sparks flying off it, and it was cracked in several areas.

If Locke did nothing, she would die. Chances were the monster was dead regardless, but Samus would have no escape. He considered his options. It didn't take him long to make a choice.

He leapt. His thrusters helped clear the distance, knife out as he plunged it into the things hide. Its flesh was rubbery and thick, and he nearly lost his grip. He stopped sliding just above the water, the waves splashing his leg and causing more damage to his shields. He clambered up with difficulty, his fingers struggling to find purchase on its wet skin.

He made it onto the monsters head before sliding down into its jaw. He held onto the tooth for support as he fired into the tongue, concentrating on the part wrapped around Samus. It screamed, the sound loud enough to make his ears ring momentarily after. Locke managed to do enough damage to the tongue, and Samus tore her way free. She fell to one knee, seemingly struggling to stand. Locke's own shield popped as more water hit him, and his armor began flaring warning after warning.

He knelt down and with one hand hoisted Samus up and over his shoulder. The other, held his last grenade. With a click, he primed it before lodging it between two of the monsters teeth. With very little time left, he turned and jumped, launching off a tooth as he aimed for the island. With a sinking feeling he realized that they were too heavy to make it, and instead began falling toward the water.

He felt the wind leave him as he was suddenly yanked. He looked at Samus, who had managed to fire her grapple at the remains of the bridge above. They swung, now above the little piece of land. Samus seemed to lose consciousness, and the grapple broke. They hit the ground hard, Locke losing his grip as they fell. He groaned as he slowly rose to a sitting position, Samus close by at the water's edge. He heard a roar as the monster began rapidly approaching. His grenade went off just before it reached them.

The explosion blinded him momentarily, his vision white. As it cleared, he saw the damage his explosive placement had done. Its lower jaw, as well as parts of its upper had shattered. Shards of bone and tooth had penetrated the upper part of its mouth and had burrowed though its skull. It hovered a moment, motionless, before it began to sink beneath the water one last time and eventually floating to the surface as a carcass.

He took a breath, not realizing he'd been holding his this whole time. His whole body ached, and he was sure he had suffered burns from the water. Rolling to his side, he was Samus had regained consciousness and was also sitting up, her gaze on their now dead foe.

"A little…over the top." She managed to say, her voice pained despite the humor.

He shrugged, inspecting his rifle to realize it was damaged beyond repair. He let it drop to the ground. "It was alright. Not the most outlandish thing I've done."

She chuckled, before making a pained noise and clutching her side. They sat in silence for a moment, neither one willing to move just yet.

"You didn't have to do that." She finally said, breaking the silence.

Locke looked at her. "I'm sorry?"

"You could have just let me die there, and it wouldn't have affected you at all." She elaborated. "You could have just let it happen, gone home and reported I was killed. Mission complete."

"We need you to get back."

"Bullshit." Samus scoffed. "You don't strike me as the dumb type, so don't act like it. You would have figured it out. I'm the enemy, your enemy. you're going to deliver me into the jaws of ONI. Why?"

Locke paused, her words striking him. "Do you want to die?"

She recoiled. "No, I-"

"I want to give you a fair chance, a chance for freedom. The right way." Locke interrupted, giving her a hard look. Of course, the helmets made that difficult. "You told me you aren't guilty, that there was more to the story than I knew. If you died here, than all the galaxy would remember you as is a traitor."

Samus sat in silence. Locke didn't know if she was actually listening or just mad, but he continued. He felt anger himself, at what exactly he wasn't sure.

"At first, I thought you would say anything to get free. But a guilty person would never throw themselves into the jaws of danger, literally. Especially for the one who's bringing her in. Which tells me, at least, that you're telling the truth. Why else save me from my fate?"

She didn't say anything, just stared at him. Her visor was dimmed, and he swore her eyes were visible. They looked sad, and ancient. Locke retuned her gaze, thankful his own expression was hidden. Samus's eyes flickered slightly, and without a word she collapsed to the ground. Locke sighed.

"I guess I'll get my answer another time…"

"Locke!" Buck exclaimed, Osiris rushing to his side.

Carrying Samus and getting back up to the portal platform had been no small undertaking, but he'd managed. She remained unconscious, her head drooped against his shoulder.

"The target secure. I'll get the portal operational, then we can get out of this hellscape."

Tanaka gave him a look. "Locke, everything alright? That looked intense down there."

"We're alive, aren't we?" He replied simply. He left Samus with the rest of the team, making his way to the portal device.

It was utterly alien, and he wouldn't have known where to begin if it hadn't been for the files ONI had sent him. He'd studied them for an extensive period, every video and every document. One such video had been a recording from Samus's helm during her time on Aether. She'd used an electronic interface to activate the device, one Locke was sure he could use too.

It only took a quick scan from his VISR before the portal whirled to life. It's bright, white light contrasted the dark and eerie landscape around them sharply. Tanaka and Vale went first with Buck following. Locke retrieved Samus's body before entering the portal himself. The feeling made him nauseous, just like last time. His vision warped and twisted, and he felt like his body was both being crushed and pulled apart all at once.

Suddenly his vision cleared. Osiris were back in the arena on Aether, with the full might of the UNSC waiting to greet them. Spartan teams stood waiting inside the ruined temple, including the only Spartan II team on the Infinity, Blue team. Locke spotted 117, his helm visor still cracked. All guns were trained on Locke, or rather on the target he was carrying.

Spartan Commander Palmer came to stand before them, giving them all a curt look before her gaze finally fell on Samus. She have a brief, approving smile. "Well done Osiris."

She turned to the rest of the Spartans, as well as regular soldiers. "Alright, target secured. Let's pack up."

Samus mumbled into his shoulder, talking in her state of sleep. Palmer glanced back, before her gaze fell on Locke.

"Come on Osiris, time to head home."