Halo: Magicka

A/N: Mb gang, I missed yesterdays upload since I was at work. But here's the two uploads back to back now. With this, arc 1 has been completed. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. If you have any ideas that you'd like to see implemented- comment it. I was thinking he maybe makes some Witcher-esque Spartans eventually and maybe... at the end... Space Marines. but yh, you guys tell me if thats something you'd want to see.

The sound of the Pelican's engines roaring to life drowned out everything else as the massive craft lifted off from the helipad. I held my little brother close, his small body trembling against mine, still in shock, still not fully understanding the danger we were in. But I could feel his tiny fingers gripping my shirt, a silent plea for safety that made my chest tighten.

The city below seemed to shrink with every passing second, the fires from the ground casting long, distorted shadows. Through the glass of the Pelican's side, I could see the wreckage, the burning remains of what had once been a thriving city—our city. The world outside had become unrecognizable, consumed by fire and smoke.

I turned my head just in time to catch one last glimpse of my father. He was standing at the edge of the helipad, his posture rigid, watching the Pelican rise into the sky. His face was a mask of determination, but I could see the pain in his eyes, the knowledge that this might be the last time we saw each other.

I raised my hand, my throat tight as I fought to hold back the wave of emotion threatening to break over me. I saw him nod in response, a silent acknowledgement. Then the Pelican banked sharply, and the city vanished from view.

The cold weight of reality hit me like a wave.

We might never see him again.

I looked down at my little brother, his face buried in my chest, his small body clinging to me as if I could somehow shield him from everything. I felt the heaviness of the moment sink in. This was it. The world as we knew it was gone. And we were all that was left.

"Don't worry, lil bro," I whispered, pressing my cheek against his messy hair. "We're going to make it. I promise you that."

I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince—him, or myself. But I held him tighter as the Pelican soared higher, the roar of the engines a constant reminder that we had survived... for now.

As we ascended through the smoke-filled sky, my thoughts lingered on the city below, on my father, and on what was still to come. We had made it out, yes, but the war had just begun.

...

Sometime later,

I and my brother were standing in a doctor's office, the quiet hum of medical equipment drowning out my own thoughts.

I glanced over at my little brother, who was clutching my sleeve, his wide eyes darting nervously from one corner of the room to the other. His body was still tense, his mind clearly processing everything that had happened—everything we had lost. But he didn't speak. He hadn't spoken much since we left the city, and I was beginning to wonder if he even fully understood the gravity of what had happened.

The doctor, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and a calm demeanour, finished scribbling something on her datapad. She looked up at us, offering a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, kids. It's just a routine check for people coming from the outer colonies," she said, her voice smooth and soothing. "You'll be completely fine. We just need to make sure there's no lingering exposure to toxins or injuries from the escape. Nothing to worry about."

I nodded, trying to reassure him as much as myself, "It'll be quick, just a few scans, a couple of tests, and then we'll be out of here."

But my little brother didn't respond. His fingers curled tighter into my sleeve, his gaze focused on the floor. I could see the strain in his tiny shoulders, the way his body seemed to fold in on itself, trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Hey, kid," I said softly, crouching down to meet his eyes. "We're safe now, okay? No one can hurt us here. This is just a checkup. You remember how we did this back home, right? Just a quick scan and we're good to go."

He gave a small, silent nod, but the way his bottom lip quivered told me he wasn't convinced.

Before I could say anything else, the doctor stepped closer, gently taking a device from the counter and showing it to my brother. "Alright, sweetheart, just a quick scan, okay? It won't hurt. You're going to do great."

I could tell she was trying to be kind, trying to make the process easier for him. But I also knew that nothing would make him feel okay again—not after everything we had been through.

As the doctor moved to start the scan, I kept my focus on my brother. His eyes were still glued to the floor, and his breath was shallow like he was holding something back. I wasn't sure what, but I didn't press him. Not yet.

I placed my hand gently on his shoulder, trying to offer him some comfort, even if I didn't feel comforted myself. We had survived—yes. But survival was only the beginning.

The doctor finished the scan and looked over at me, nodding. "No exposure to toxins, no sign of any injuries. You two are in the clear."

I gave her a grateful smile, but it didn't reach my eyes. The relief of the moment felt hollow. We were alive, yes, but the journey ahead was still uncertain.

"Thanks," I muttered, standing up and taking my brother's hand. "Come on, kid, we're getting out of here."

But as we walked toward the door, my brother tugged gently at my sleeve, his voice small, almost too soft to hear. "Eli… are we really safe now?"

I stopped for a moment, crouching down to meet his eyes again. His face was pale, his eyes searching mine for an answer he probably knew deep down was impossible.

I hesitated, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I don't know, kid. But we'll be alright. As long as we're together, we'll make it through."

He nodded, his grip on my hand tightening just a little, but the uncertainty in his eyes didn't fade.

As we left the doctor's office and entered the bustling hallways of the evacuated Starcraft, I let out a sigh of relief.

Hopefully, we'd find somewhere to stay once we got to the inner colonies.

....

"Kids I'm so, so sorry," A voice cut through my thoughts.

My father...

"It seems your father's pelican was shot down by covenant forces on his way to this evac point, we don't know if he is dead for definite but he has been determined to be MIA," the man in uniform clarified, "I'm so sorry for your loss."

My brother began bawling his eyes out as he started hitting the walls, his small fists pounding the cold metal surface in frustration and pain. I froze, the words slicing through me like a blade. MIA? No. It couldn't be. Not him. Not Dad. He couldn't be gone. Not like this.

My little brother's sobs cut through the silence, each one raw and painful. The sound reverberated in the sterile hallways, filling the air with an unbearable weight.

I knelt beside him, my hands trembling as I tried to pull him close. "Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay," I murmured, my voice unsteady, barely holding it together myself. "We'll find him, okay? He's strong, he'll be okay. They'll find him."

But my words felt hollow. Empty. How could I say that when the chance of him being alive was slim? When every part of me wanted to scream that I couldn't live through another loss, not after everything we had already been through?

The soldier standing at the door looked uncomfortable, shifting his weight from foot to foot, unsure of how to comfort us. He finally spoke again, his voice softer. "We'll send a recovery team as soon as possible, but for a man that is MIA, he's in a good spot since he was on the last transport with the Spartans."

I turned to my brother, who was still crying uncontrollably, his small hands grasping at my shirt, pleading for answers that I couldn't give.

"Eli... I don't want to be alone," he sobbed.

I pulled him closer, holding him tight as I fought the tears threatening to break free. "You're not alone, kid. You're never going to be alone, okay? I'll make sure we get through this together. I promise."

....

Four months later,

"I guess this is goodbye for now then, old friend," I sighed as I held my hand out.

Grasp.

Jameson nodded as he grasped my hand, shook it and pulled me in for a hug.

The hug was brief but meaningful, a silent promise passing between us. The weight of the last few months hung over us, but the bond we shared hadn't changed, even though the world around us had.

"I'll see you again, Eli, I wish you could come with us but my mum just wouldn't be able to take care of three children, let alone herself in the state that she is," Jameson said, pulling back and looking me square in the eye, his voice steady despite the undertones of grief. "We'll all find a way out of this. Your dad, my family… we'll survive this."

I nodded, the words echoing in my head. Survive. We will survive this. It was all we had left now.

"Where will I find you in the next couple of years?" I asked him.

We had been through hell together, but things had changed. The world wasn't the same anymore, and neither were we. The faces we once knew, the homes we once had—they were gone. But still, there was something in Jameson's eyes, something that gave me the faintest flicker of hope.

"Probably in the UNSC, if I could become a Spartan..." He thought, his gaze wistful, "What about you, where am I gonna find you?"

I clapped him on the back. "Don't worry about it, I'll find you, trust me - you can't escape this friendship. Just stay safe, alright? I'll do the same."

I turned toward the exit of the safehouse, the echoes of the conflict still fresh in my mind. Our path forward wasn't going to be easy, but it had to be walked.

I heard him sigh as he shook his head,

"Always has to be Mr Mysterious eh? This goddamn wizard."

I glanced back at him, one last time and smiled before walking away. Jameson gave me a firm nod, his face set in a determined line as if he was already preparing for whatever came next.

I stepped out into the cold night air. It had been three months since the attack, three months since my father's disappearance, and still, the world had not stopped spinning. The Covenant hadn't relented. We'd entered slipspace and just got out, having reached a place that I was all too familiar with.

"Kids, you're going to go with that lovely lady over there, Get some peace in this inner colony world and ah, welcome to New Alexandria," A UNSC personnel spoke to me and my brother, my little brother held my hand as we began walking over.

It was March 2533 and I and my little brother were getting put in an orphanage. At least being on this planet, I knew more about it, after all, Halo: Reach is probably my favourite Halo game.

But even then, this planet only has 20 years till it gets invaded. I needed to get to the elite rank before then at the very least.

...

"Hey, Eli?" My brother's voice broke through my thoughts, his wide, wet eyes gazing up at me. He still had that look in his eyes—the same look he'd had when he first found out about our father, the same look he had when the world turned upside down. "We're safe here right?"

I knelt down, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead, "Yeah, Jon. For now, we're safe."

But I knew, deep down, it wasn't a guarantee. The universe wasn't kind, and neither was the war we'd found ourselves caught in.

The orphanage was a short walk away, tucked into a quieter part of New Alexandria. The building was modest, nothing extravagant, but it looked safe enough. The lady guiding us gave us a polite smile, but I could tell she wasn't used to the war-torn children she'd likely had to take in recently. No one was.

Inside, the orphanage was quiet. Too quiet. Most of the kids here were younger than my brother, and they had an air of uncertainty about them. It was all too familiar—too close to home.

"Welcome, my name's Susan," the woman said, guiding us down a long hallway, "This will be your room for now. You'll be fine here. You can get a good night's rest, then we'll start the registration process tomorrow."

She ushered us into a room with two small beds. The place was sterile, impersonal, but functional. My brother climbed into one of the beds immediately, exhaustion taking over. But I couldn't sleep—not yet. I couldn't rest when there was still so much to do.

As soon as I sat down on the bed though, my body begged to differ, within a few minutes - I'd fallen asleep.

Well, that's exhaustion for you I guess.