Max POV

Max B312 was currently walking along the hard light Light bridge that led to the Forerunner Composer along side John 117, the spartan he fought alongside during the whole Human-Covenant war ever since he escaped Reach on 'The Pillar Of Autumn', and they made what he thought personally was the greatest two man team in galactic history. Max was a little bit of a better shot, while John was luckier. In all other aspects, their skill sets were almost identical, and were both the only Spartans who were Hyper - Lethal Vectors.

"You persist too long after your own defeat" said the evil and all too familiar voice of the Didact, with clear hatred in his voice.

Both Spartans turned around instantly but were met nothing but silence. John gave Max a quick glance, and Max simply responded by nodding backwards to their destination, and they turned around.

The Spartans continued walking forward side by side in careful stances until they heard the voice of the Didact right behind them. "Come then, Warriors. Have your resolution."

Their Huds showed that one contact was behind them, and the duo turned around and aimed their battle rifles at him to fire, but with a wave of his hand the Spartans were pushed back. And the warhead flew off of John's back as well.

They quickly recovered, and Max said "Get the nuke John! As he rushed the ancient Forerunner, letting John get the warhead. The Didact simply pointed his palms at both Spartans, lifting them with a force unknown to the duo, and said calmly "so misguided" as his helmet retracted, showing his face. He then slowly moved them both over orange swirling abyss and then simply said with anger " Humanity's imprisonment, is a kindness" He clenched his fist's, and both Spartans were sent into a pain that was worse than the after affects of the augmentations they received to make them true Spartans.

Soon after, all around the didact emerged fifteen hard light avatars of Cortana and each one said in a mocking tone " In that case, you wont mind if we return the favor"

"Your compassion for Mankind is misplaced" he replied with disdain.

"I'm not doing this for Mankind" Cortana retorted. Each avatar of herself then jumped at him, and restrained his legs, then arms to the hard light bridge, forcing him to drop the Spartans.

They were both now hanging on the the bridge with one arm, when Max pulled out a pulse grenade and showed John, prompting him to do the same.

"Lets save Earth for the second time John" he said with humor. They then pulled them selves up and ran at the last Forerunner, and were able to plant the grenades in his chest right before he smacked them down, and pulled them up again with the the unknown force, as he tortured them for the second time.

However, he was cut short by two explosions in his chest, and Max saw what he could have sworn was orange blood come out.

He fell into the orange slip space rupture below, and both Spartans started walking towards the warhead, before they collapsed on the ground from the sheer pain they received mere moments earlier.

When they got to the nuke via crawling, Max primed it and looked up at Earth, then John. Preparing to make the ultimate sacrifice, Max was about to say something to Chief when he beat him to it.

"Max, its been an honor, and a privilege to fight alongside you"

"Likewise, John, likewise" Max said, somewhat mimicking the words Carter said to Emile in Aszod.

The Spartans gave one last look at Earth, and Max detonated the HAVOK Nuke as he let out his last breath. Or so he thought.

Max opened his eyes to find that he was no dead, and John was beside him. They both called out to Cortana, but to no effect.

Their Huds showed that one friendly contact was behind them, and what they saw made their eyes almost fall out of their skulls. A human sized hard light figure of Cortana was walking towards them, smiling.

"How...?" Max and John asked at the same time.

" Oh, I'm the strangest thing you boys have seen all day?"

"But if were here-"

"It worked. You did it. just like you guys always do."

That reassured both Spartans, and John got back to business quickly.

"So how do we get out of here" Chief said as he looked around.

"I'm not coming with you guys this time"

"What?" The Spartans said in sync for the second time.

"Most of me is down there. I only held enough back to get you off the ship"

"No, that's not- we go together" Chief stuttered out.

"It's already done"

"We are not leaving you here!" Max said.

Cortana sighed and simply closed her eyes as she put her left hand on John"s chest plate, and and her right on Max's.

"I've waited so long to do that" she said with sadness evident in her voice.

"It was our job to take care of you" John said.

"We were supposed to take care of other,and we did"

"Cortana, please" Chief begged her one last time.

Cortana touched them once more, and she slowly backpedaled.

"Wait" Max said.

She gave them one last smile, as she said her last words.

"Welcome home, Spartans" and she faded into the blue surrounding them, leaving two devastated, shocked Spartans.

Twenty minutes later

Max was now floating around in space, with debris from 'The Mantles Approach' everywhere. Max managed to see John about fifty feet from him with his super human eyes,floating aimlessly similar to himself. Then all of the sudden, he was temporarily blinded by a pelicans front light, then it turned around and its doors opened, allowing him, then John to get in as well. When they got to the 'Infinity', they were greeted by Spartan IV personal, as well as marines. They watched with respect, admiration, and maybe even awe as they saluted the two legends. They Then proceeded to give Captain Lasky a debrief of what happened, with John talking more, as Max was the silent one of the two. They then proceeded to go to the command deck to get a good look at Earth, neither Spartan said a word, as they were still shell shocked from Cortana's death an hour earlier.

"Mind if I join you Spartans?" Said the voice of Thomas Lasky behind them.

"Chief turned around, and said "of course not sir"

"At ease Chief, feels kind of odd for you to call me 'sir'"

"Beautiful isn't she? I don't get to see her often enough"

"I grew up on New Harmony. Attended Corbulo Military Academy. Never saw Earth in person until I was an adult but... I still think of her as home."

"*sigh* you don't talk much do you? Spartans I wont pretend to know how you feel, I've lost people i care about but... nothing like you guys have gone through. Especially you Lt." He said referring to how the Spartan III's became Spartans.

Chief decided to break the silence and say "Our duty, as soldiers is to protect humanity"

"What ever the cost" Max finished for him.

"You guys say that, like soldiers and humanity are two different things. Soldiers aren't machines, we're just people".

Those words hit the Spartans hard, like a Spartan laser to a grunt's face, type hard. It made them come to a realization about how much that being brought up as a walking death machine ever since they were kids distanced them from being human, and how distancing themselves from almost everyone they knew distanced them further from being human.

"I'll let you have the deck to yourselves" Lasky said, and he walked off.

"She said that to us once, about being machines"

The next day

The two heroes of the Human - Covenant war, Max B312, and John 117 were on board Cairo station, about to receive medals from Fleet admiral Terrance hood for their actions during The battle of Earth, the Battle of Installation 00, and their most recent actions against the Didact. The two Spartans were in their MJOLNIR armor, as they felt naked without it. They walked up to the Admiral, and saluted, as Hood did the same.

"Spartans, thanks to your efforts long ago and recently, this ceremony wont have to be rushed like last time"

There were many crowds of marines, and the all of them were cheering loudly for the legends, only stopping when Hood would start talking.

"Lt. Max B312, and Master Chief Petty Officer John 117, as you might already know", He said with humor. "The Colonial cross is awarded for singular acts of daring, and devotion. What you Spartans did four years ago, and yesterday, Saved Earth, the human race, and the Galaxy itself. the Human race, Earth and every other species in the Galaxy is in your debt."

After that, the whole station became as loud as a concert with cheering.

"I know these medals aren't anywhere near what you deserve, and that's why i was able to pull some strings to get you the MJOLNIR Mk VII. It is the most advanced armor ever made by the UNSC, and is much, much better then what your wearing right now. And, I'm giving you an order to take a break from Military Operations. And Lt., after your RaR, I'll be assigning you as a leader to A Spartan III Team from gamma company, as they are the best of their class, and Master Chief, you'll be reassigned to Blue team, but don't worry, I'll make sure you two do joint operations together. Dismissed Spartans"

One week later

Max had just been called up to the bridge of the 'Infinity' for what Captain lasky called 'a gift' and was wearing his new armor for the first time. To him, it was the greatest thing he had received besides being offered to join the Spartan III program. It looked almost identical to his old mark V armor, but there was more plating, leaving less of the gel layer exposed, and much more protection. The titanium plating was upgraded, to the point where it could shove off small arms fire, plasma and projectiles alike with ease. He was also allowed to customize it, and got The recon chest (A shitton of ammo pouches on his chest) The helmet was the commander variant, with The UA/FC |[2] upgrades. His knee guards were the grenadier variant, the right shoulder was the EVA, and the left was the Security variant. His utility was a tactical soft case, and his wrist a tactical tacpad. he also managed to get another ammo pouch on his back, and would always have plenty of ammo because of his well picked chest,utility, and back. The color of his armor was a Very deep shade of blue, with white stripes on his shoulders, and his visor was metallic black. But not even that was the best part of the armor. It was the shields. not only were times two times stronger then the , but there was no recharge delay, so when you weren't getting hit, the shields were recharging. The last thing was that in both of his wrists, there were energy daggers that could be called upon mentally, and instead of the iconic blue, they glowed black, with a white outline. 'Damn, i love this armor' Max thought as he walked up to captain lasky and saluted.

"Sir, you requested my presence?"

"Indeed Spartan. Meet your new companion"

And right after that, an AI that would have looked like Cortanas clone, if she didn't have way longer hair, showed up on a holotank.

"Hello Spartan, my name is Kimbra" she said in a happy voice that sounded oddly similar to Miranda Keyes, but not exactly.

So your my AI huh? Quite a surprise Lasky" he said with humor.

Lasky then pulled out the chip from the holotank, and handed her to Max. Max took it, and slid it into the AI slot in the back of his helmet. He felt a cold, tingly sensation go down his spine that made him shiver.

"Tingly"

"you will get used to it Max" Kimbra replied.

Max then asked Lasky " Any thing else sir"

"Actually yes Spartan, today's the day you meet your new team, their on one of the our 'Autumn' class cruisers escorting us, and I've had a pelican prepped for you in the hangar bay so you can go there, dismissed Spartan"

Max then went to Hanger bay, and saw the pelican prepped for him. After getting in, he proceeded to head towards the 'Autumn" class cruiser that his new team was on. The flight was relatively smooth until

"Max, why is the slip space drive on?" Kimbra asked him in a worried tone.

"I didn't turn it on"

"Well it kind of is on anyways M-

She was quickly cut off when the pelican started nose diving towards an extremely large slip space portal.

"I don't wanna find out whats on the other side Max!"

"Agreed!" Max replied, and jumped out of the pelican as far and fast as he could. It wasn't enough however, and he was still heading towards it. He tried to use the build it in thruster's in his armor to get away from it, but even that couldn't get him away from the portal, and as he was sucked in, his whole world went dark.