At the Jungle Temple, Locus and Felix meet up with one of the scientists. 

"What has your team found?" Locus asks. 

"This is...huh well, where do I even begin?" 

"Well, you could start with what it is." Felix snaps. 

"A central hub. Some sort of...device connected to the rest of the temples on the planet, that's our best guess at least, but this energy source in the center is...something else." The scientist explains. 

"Can it be weaponized?" Felix asks. 

"No, no no no no. The energy here is reminiscent of the teleportation devices we studied to make the cubes. We think it's a gateway." 

"To where?" Locus inquires. 

"Well, that is the question of the day, now isn't it?" 

Felix looks around at the other Space Pirates surveying the area. "So...anyone care to take the first step?" 

"I would...not advise that." The scientist warns. "We've been doing our best to decipher the text inscribed on the temple walls. It's all very biblical in tone. Lots of symbolism, but it does seem this gateway has some...well, rules." 

"Rules?" Locus questions. 

"The text is very specific. "Only a true warrior may enter; a being of great strength and mental clarity."" 

"And what would happen to a man, who failed these requirements?" 

"We don't know." 

Felix kicks the escorting Space Pirate into the beam and is gone with a flash.

"Guess we'll find out." Felix shrugs as if nothing happened. 

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

Sharkface is busy gearing himself up at one of the towers with Counselor Price speaking with him. 

"Are you finished?" Price asks. 

"Almost. But you can't rush art, Counselor." Sharkface picks a spray-paint can sprays red paint on his helmet. 

"You find working with tools to be therapeutic?" 

"Therapeutic?" 

"Relaxing. Does it help to cope-" 

"I know what "therapeutic" means. And no, not really." Sharkface says spraying some more. 

"Let's change the subject. I trust you've reviewed the reports on Agents Arizona, Washington, and Carolina?" 

"Yup." 

"Excellent. Did you have any questions?" 

"No." 

"(Sigh) Good. Then why don't we go over the mission briefing again?" 

"The mercs want the Freelancers dead, so they got me to do it. Briefing over." Sharkface replies angrily. 

"There is no need for hostility." 

Sharkface turns around and growls, "I beg to differ. See, those super-soldier freaks dropped a building on me. Arizona messed up half of my face with that Grav-Hammer. They left me for dead, and then they killed my friends. They took away the only family I ever had while I was in physical freaking therapy. There's plenty of need for hostility here, Counselor." 

"Then perhaps you should do your best to channel that energy." Price suggests. 

Sharkface snorts before grabbing his helmet, only to put it back down. "You know, I do have a question." He turns around and points at Price. "How did you end up on a ship full of killers? You don't look like a criminal to me." 

"Let's not get off topic." 

"I wanna know." Sharkface demands. 

"I believed in the wrong people. By the time I realized it, the damage was already done." Price states. 

"And what would you do, if those people were here now? Would you kill 'em?" 

"If it meant getting my life back, I would." 

"Hmph. Well then..." Sharkface puts on his helmet. "I guess you belong here after all." 

Price looks down ashamed while Sharkface meanwhile up his assault rifle in front of him on the desk. 

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

Back at the temple, the Space Pirate Felix had kicked into the gateway returns. 

"Oh God! I'm back! I'm back!" He says breathlessly.  

"Guess I owe you fifty bucks." Felix mutters to the scientist. 

Locus walks up to the Pirate. "What happened?" 

"I saw...terrible things...people I've killed..." 

"Oh man, if we're gonna meet every person we've wronged or some bullcrap, it's gonna take forever." Felix groans. 

"Quiet." Locus snaps. 

"Seriously dude, I'm talking weeks!" 

"Well, aside from his scares his vitals seem perfectly normal." The scientist says examining him. 

Locus looks at the gateway. "Then I'm going in." 

"What, now?" Felix says stunned. 

"We're already low on time. I can get what we came for." 

"Oh, bullcrap! I know what this is about! How do you know I'm not the true warrior?" Felix inquires. 

"Because you're you." Locus states. 

"Yeah, and being me is awesome!" Locus stares at him. "(Sigh) Alright, look, why don't we both go in and let the giant alien thing decide?" 

"Fine." Locus and Felix walk up to the ledge. 

"Good. Just don't cry to me, when you lose." 

"I won't." Locus realizes his statement. "Lose. I-I won't lose." 

"Too late, messed it up." Felix chuckles before walking into the beam and disappears with a flash. Locus rolls his eyes before entering. 

"Felix, come in." Locus ends up on some form of space platform. He is alone. He tries to cloak, but the module malfunctions and he is thrown out of stealth. Locus walks down a nearby ramp.

"Felix, I've made it through the gateway, equipment is malfunctioning. If you can hear this-" 

"SHALOUKUUAA. SURAKIE SUTO YOH?" 

"I don't understand." Locus says to the voice. 

"WHO ARE YOU?" 

Locus is suddenly surrounded by a squad of four UNSC soldiers wearing Aviator, Warrior, Recruit and Scanner armor. All of them have their weapons trained on him. 

"Freeze!" The Aviator orders. 

"What?!" Locus says shocked. 

"Don't move!" 

"Don't you freaking move!" The Warrior commands. 

"Lower your weapon or we will shoot!" The Recruit warns. 

"Put the weapon down!" 

Locus lowers his shotgun and another soldier walks up wearing Officer armor. 

"What do we have here, men?" 

"Caught us a monster, captain. I think it understands what we're saying." The Aviator replies. 

"Really? Then how about you tell us what you're doing here?" The Captain then questions. 

"I...came through the gateway." Locus explains. 

"Speak English, freak!" The Warrior soldier orders. 

"What?...Wait... I know you." Locus says with widened eyes. 

"Why is it looking at me?!" The Warrior says nervously. 

"Maybe you're just its type." 

"Why, must you always make it awkward?" 

"No..." Locus looks up and sees Felix and Raptor come up. Felix is in tan and green armor and Raptor is wearing standard Spartan V armor that's the same color. "Felix...Raptor...?" 

"I say we blow its brains out." Felix suggests. 

"That's your answer to everything." Locus then sees himself walk up in tan and green armor. 

"Impossible!" Locus mutters. 

"Hey! You quit eyeballing my men and give me some answers. Are you alone?" The Captain demands. 

"I-I don't understand. You're all supposed to be dead!" Locus cries. 

"What's it saying?" The Aviator asks. 

Locus looks up at his former self. "You're me." 

"Sir, I think it's trying to surrender." His past self says. 

"Bullcrap, I think it's stalling! Sir, this feels like a trap." Felix put in. 

"Why don't you recognize me?" Locus asks. 

"Private, I did not ask you for your opinion-"

"Listen to me!" Locus pleads. 

"Hey, watch it!" The Warrior warns. 

"It's getting hostile!" The Aviator states. 

"Sir, this thing's wasting our time and we're in no position to start taking prisoners." 

"(Sigh) Fine." The Captain looks at Raptor and Locus's past self. "You two, move into one of these buildings and take it out. Quietly." 

"What?" Locus says shocked. 

"Sir, it's scared." Raptor states. 

"If it's smart, it should be." 

"If we could restrain it, we could-" 

The Captain back hands Raptor to the ground and looks Locus's past self. "Son, you listen here!" 

"No." Locus's growls. 

"You're a soldier! In this war, you are nothing but a suit of armor and a gun! So when I give you an order you better follow it! Do I make myself clear?!" 

"NO!" Locus raises his shotgun on the Captain. 

"Drop 'em!" Felix yells before all the soldiers open fire. In a flash, Locus sees he's back at the temple. 

"Locus! It's about freaking time- Hey!" Locus holds Felix at gunpoint, Felix raises back his DMR at him.

"What did you see?!" Locus demands. 

"Calm down, asshole, you're fine. It was an illusion, a trick!" Felix states. 

"What did you see?" 

"Hmph. Well, if you must know, I didn't see a thing. I passed the test. Turns out I'm a true warrior." 

"What?" Locus says in disbelief. 

"Kidding. It was rigged. Saw crap straight out of my nightmares." 

"Do you think this is a joke?" 

"No, but intel says we're out of time, so you can complain about this later. Right now we need to move to Plan B. Everyone, pack it up! Leave no trace we were here. I mean it, if I catch one thing left behind, someone's getting thrown off the Pelican!" Felix shouts. 

Locus looks back at the gateway. 

"Hey!" Locus looks back at Felix. "Get it together. True warrior." Felix snorts at the gateway. 

Locus looks at the gateway once more before leaving. After a few hours, the Blues, Zone, and Dr. Grey arrived at the temple. 

"Holy crap!" Tucker says shocked. 

"I think it's safe to say we're here." Zone states. 

"And not a moment too soon." Carolina adds.