Back on the Mother of Invention, where repairs were well under way, the Director and Counselor Price were standing on the bridge. 

"This seems like a major setback for us Director." Counselor Price says. 

"Only momentarily, Counselor. We will recover. The Alpha will need to be moved, though. Somewhere far from here. Somewhere where no one knows who he is." 

"He will need a security detail. Someone we can trust. Might I suggest Flowers, sir?" 

"Flowers? You mean Agent Florida?" The Director corrects. The door opens and Florida himself, AKA Butch Flowers, enters the room.

"Ready for duty, sir. And, might I say, I'm pleased as punch you picked me." Florida says saluting. 

"Hmm, we will need a good cover story to explain his disappearance. People will wonder what happened to Florida." 

"Leave that all to me, sir." Counselor Price then taps something on his pad. The three look behind them and see a display of the United States. Several targets lock onto Florida and it breaks apart into nothing.

"Very well, but security is not enough. The Alpha needs anonymity. A place where no one will think to look for him." The Director adds. 

"I believe I know exactly the place." The Director turns to Counselor Price. 

"Show me." 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

A faint voice echoes, "Dr. Halsey, the boy is ready for testing." 

"Very well, bring him in." A woman with brown hair and blue eyes says. Then a boy walks with silver hair and aqua eyes walks in and lays down on a metal table. Dr. Halsey stands next to him on his left. "Are you sure you are ready for this?" 

The boy nods in response. 

"Because this is a path that is not to be taken lightly. Once you are injected with the serum, you will become more than a man, but will have no control of your life." 

The boy nods again. 

"Very well. Prepare the injectors." Four cylindrical like arms rise up from underneath the table with needles and a visible blue liquid is seen in them. Dr. Halsey places a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Brace yourself." She nods to the scientist and he pulls the switch. The mechanical arms then inject in the boy. He begins to shake from the transformation and grunts in pain. Eventually the pain stops. The boy opens his eyes and looks down at his new muscular figure. Dr. Halsey smiles and places a hand on his face. 

"You remind me very much of another young man I once worked with. His name is John, and you very may well be my next greatest creation of Spartans...Rex." 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Zone jolts awake, he feels cold and wet for some reason. He looks and sees he's in some sort of water tank. 

A breathing mask is strapped around his mouth, he looks and sees he is in nothing but his boxers. Zone then pushes his hands against the glass and squints, seeing something. Then two figures walk up to the tank and Zone can visibly tell who they are: Elites. One of them spoke something in Sangheili and the other nodded. The second Elite presses something on the nearby wall and Zone can feel the water exiting from the tank. He looks down and sees the tank becoming drained. 

After the tank is completely drained, the glass slides open and Zone falls to his knees. He rips of the breathing mask and inhales. The first Elite then walks to the Freelancer and pulls him to his feet. The other comes over and they drag him someplace. Zone was still tired and his vision was fuzzy. He couldn't see where the Elites were taking him. Then a door slides away and the Elites enter and put him on something soft. The second Elite leaves and the first one hands him something: his suit undergarments. 

"Take these and dress yourself. When you are finished pound on the door and we will take you to our Shipmaster." Zone hesitantly nods as the Elite leaves. Zone looks down at his torso and sees the giant scars on his abdomen. 

~What did Sigma do to Maine?~ Zone then proceeds to put his undergarments on. When he's finished, he pounds on the door. The first Elite walks in and gestures for Zone to follow him. Zone nods as they leave. The second follows close behind Zone, as if to guard him. Another door opens and Zone sees they must be on the bridge. Zone can see Spec-Op Elites working the controls and Honor Guard Elites with large staff-blades stand next to them. The two Elites and Zone stop when they come to a platform with a chair facing the large viewport of space. The two Elites place their hands over their chests and bow. 

"Shipmaster, we have brought the human." The chair slowly turns around and reveals a red Zealot. The Zealot stands from his seat and walks down the steps towards them. He stops and looks down at Zone. Zone saw the Elite smile and recognized it almost immediately. 

[Maz'rah?] The Zealot then laughs and picks up Zone, holding him in a bone-crushing hug. 

"HAHAHA! Rex my friend so good to see you!" 

[Good...to see you...too.] Zone says trying to gasp for air. Maz'rah then places Zone back on the ground but keeps his hands on Zone's shoulders. 

"I was worried you would perish from your injuries, you'd lost so much of your blood. But by the gods you are alive!" 

[Thank you, Maz'rah, but where am I?] 

"You're aboard my ship. The Absolution of Fire." Maz'rah then gestures to the bridge. "My Elites found you nearing death in the snow on the planet for which we were starting colonization." 

[Wow, how long was I out?] Maz'rah then looks back at Zone with a hesitant look. 

"That will be for a later time, but now for we must celebrate! BROTHERS!" The Elites look at Maz'rah. "This is the human that rescued me from imprisonment! We must celebrate that he is alive!" The Elites then begin to chant in Sangheili with their hands raised. 

"MORG'AZ DU'QUA! MORG'AZ DU'QUA! MORG'AZ DU'QUA!" Zone had learned Sangheili back during the War. It meant, "Rebellious Saviour". 

"Come!" Maz'rah places an arm around Zone. "Let us drink and gorge ourselves." Maz'rah then leads Zone off the bridge. 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Xi was working on some modifications to Zone's equipment in his armor. Suddenly the door opens and in comes a very queasy Zone, clutching his stomach. Xi appeared in front of him and jumped for joy. 

"BOSS!BOSS!BOSS!YOU'RE ALIVE! YOU'RE ALIVE! YOU'RE ALIVE!" 

[Yeah, though I think might puke myself to death.] Zone then sits down on a bench connected to the wall and holds his stomach. 

"Geez you look awful, what happened?" 

[Let's just say that the food and drinks of an alien race don't sit to well with that of the average human digestive system.] Zone then covers his mouth, on the verge of vomiting. 

"I'll be sure to remember that...so how was the reunion?" 

[With who?] 

"MAZ'RAH SILLY!" 

[Oh, yeah went good. Xi, tell me something.] 

"What?" 

[How long have I been out?] Xi stands stunned for a minute before looking away. [Xi?] 

"(Sighs) Promise not to freak out boss?" 

[What do you mean? How long? Two weeks? A month?] 

"Six...years." Zone's eyes immediately become as big as dinner plates. 

[WHAT DO YOU MEAN SIX YEARS?! DO YOU MEAN TO TELL I'VE BEEN IN THAT WATER TANK FOR SIX YEARS UNCONSCIOUS?!] 

"Y-Yeah..." Xi says rubbing her arm. Zone grabs his head still trying to process. 

[Six years...] Zone then looks and sees his armor. [Been doing any upgrades while I was out?] 

"Well yeah, figured it would keep me busy. Plus the Elites were kind enough to give you a cloaking unit. I installed two years ago. Also I've been trying to find what's been going with Freelancer over the years." 

[What have you found out?] 

"Thanks to the ship's satellite, I've been able to pinpoint locations from which various Freelancers have been last spotted. I also found out that some of them are dead through the comms." 

Zone was uncomfortable when he heard that. He swallows and looks at Xi. [Which ones?] 

"York...North...South...Wyoming...Florida...and-" Xi stops. Zone looks at her. 

[Who else Xi?] 

"Rex, I don't think-" 

[WHO XI?!] 

"Carolina..." Zone stands and runs his hands through his hair. He then begins to breathe hard and punches the wall. 

[Let me guess...] 

"Maine." Xi says regretfully. 

[He's not Maine anymore.] Zone looks at his AI before sitting back down. Zone hangs his head. 

"Boss, it wasn't your fault. Whatever Sigma made Maine do, that's on him. No one could've known what Sigma was capable of. He was Alpha's creativity, I guess creativity can have an evil aspect to it when you look at it from a certain point of view." 

[A certain point of view Xi?] Zone says looking at her in disbelief. 

"Look, Rex..." Xi then reappears in Zone's hand, sitting and he holds her up to his face. "Project Freelancer is finished, its only the both of us now. Whatever happens...we'll have each other. For better or for worse. I don't want to replace Victor, I know how much he meant to you." Zone looks away. 

"But let me tell you that the two of us, are all that's left. So unless you have personal vendetta to collect: let's just find the nearest UNSC outpost and find a way to start anew." 

[(Sighs) You're right, I'm sorry I just-] 

"Don't apologize, how you're feeling is nothing to be sorry about. If anyone else was here...they'd feel and react the exact same way." 

[But I shouldn't be feeling this way Xi! I was a Spartan. A modified test subject that was drilled and pushed to become one of the ultimate super-soldiers! It's like a program was written in my brain, that I'm supposed to be emotionless and follow orders. At first I thought that was bullcrap, but then after Victor was killed I became the human machine they turned me into. Fighting and war became the only two things in my life I cared about, then once the UNSC had defeated the Covenant, I didn't know what else to do. I thought the Project was the only thing I had left in my life, but now that's gone too.] 

Xi just stares at the broken man. Zone puts both his hands on the wall and looks down. 

[I look at myself in the mirror and do you know what I see Xi? I see a man that's been bred to become a machine. No control over himself, but with his own written programming of how to live his life.] 

"Then rewrite it! You're not a robot Zone!" 

[I just don't know anymore.] Zone looks down at his helmet and picks it up, staring at the visor. He looks at Xi and smiles. [But you're right, I can rewrite my programming.] Zone then puts his helmet on. [So let's do what you suggested, find the nearest outpost and start over.] 

"There's the Rex I know and love! We're back in business!" 

-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-

Zone had talked to Maz'rah and he agreed to take him to the nearest outpost. Three days later they'd arrived. Zone and Maz'rah were walking to the drop-pod bay. One pod opens and Zone was about to walk in and until Maz'rah tugged his arm. 

"Before you leave Rex, take this." Maz'rah then hands Zone an energy sword. He expected to look blue when he activated it but was the complete opposite. 

"This sword belong to my ancestors, passed down from generation to generation. I want to give it to you, this I see no ordinary sword. This sword has a gift. One which I cannot explain to you. But you WILL know when it happens. Safe travels my friend." Maz'rah and Zone grip each other's forearms. 

[Goodbye Maz'rah.] Zone enters the pod and the door shuts. He crosses his arms against his chest. [Ready Xi?] 

"Let's do it boss!" Zone taps the console on the door and the pod shoots toward the planet. Zone can feel the rumbling of the pod as it makes its descent through the atmosphere. "Zone get ready, we're going in hot!" 

Zone closes his eyes and grips the pod's interior. Then feels nothing.