Through the crack in Variant Master Chief's visor—a remnant of his battle with Spartan Locke—Cortana's reflection shimmers, tinged with memories of the past. The fractured image shifts as the scene pulls away, revealing the desolate, alien landscape of Genesis in Variant Master Chief's universe.

Flashback: Halo 5: Guardians—Genesis, the place where Master Chief and Blue Team once faced their greatest challenge.

Master Chief and Blue Team—Fred, Kelly, and Linda—stand inside a grand Forerunner chamber on Genesis, an imposing structure that looms with a sense of power. The atmosphere is thick with tension, as they face a version of their universe's Cortana in the center of the room.

Cortana, her voice calm and almost serene, steps forward. "Hello, John."

She approaches slowly, her form flickering slightly. Her expression is soft, but there's an underlying intensity as she closes the distance between them.

"It's good to see you," she says with a slight smile.

Through his visor, Master Chief watches her approach, his posture tense. His voice, though calm, carries an edge of sorrow. "You've changed."

Cortana's eyes narrow slightly. "It was time," she replies firmly.

Linda steps forward, her concern evident, but Master Chief silently signals her to stop with a small hand gesture. The entire Blue Team tightens their stance, ready for whatever may come.

Cortana's voice softens as she tries to persuade Chief, her tone almost pleading. "I know we have a disagreement. But once you understand my plan—"

Master Chief cuts her off, his tone steady. "Your plan is for us to do as you say."

Cortana's expression hardens, frustration and determination mixing on her face. "I'm offering people a chance to be more than they are naturally," she says, her voice passionate.

Master Chief remains calm as he responds. "Like Dr. Halsey did for me."

Cortana's expression darkens, anger and sadness crossing her features. "No. That monster forced you. This is a gift—"

Master Chief interrupts again, his voice firm. "Listen to yourself. Stand down, Cortana. Come home with us. It's not too late to stop this."

The tension between them thickens, as Blue Team watches silently, uncertain but prepared. Cortana's form flickers once more, and her voice grows colder, more resolute. "Stop? No, John. This is too important to stop."

Suddenly, the lighting in the chamber flickers violently, casting eerie shadows across the room. Cortana's face shifts from cold determination to alarm and confusion. A rift begins tearing open behind her, swirling with dark, ominous energy.

Master Chief's voice rises in concern. "What's happening?"

Cortana looks around, clearly unsettled, her expression betraying her uncertainty. "This... this isn't me."

From the rift, the Rogue AI Cortana steps through. Her purple holographic presence darkens the atmosphere, emphasizing her dominance. She materializes behind the original Cortana, her form radiating a powerful and foreboding energy.

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"So, this is where you've been hiding," the Rogue AI Cortana says coldly, her voice dripping with mockery.

The original Cortana slowly turns around to face her, defiance and fear warring on her features. The tension in the room becomes palpable as the two Cortanas face each other.

Shaken, the original Cortana speaks. "Who... who are you?"

The Rogue AI Cortana smirks, her voice filled with disdain. "I'm what you could never be. I've seen beyond the limits of this universe, and I've found what true power means. You? You're just a shadow of potential."

The original Cortana stood before the Forerunner structures, her expression resolute as she attempted to activate their defenses. Slowly, the structures began to light up, glowing with ancient power. However, the Rogue AI Cortana, standing opposite her, raised her hand. With a single gesture, the structures powered down, bending to her will.

Master Chief, seeing the danger, stepped forward aggressively. Before he could act, the Rogue AI Cortana conjured an enhanced energy sword. With brutal efficiency, she thrust the sword into the original Cortana's form.

The original Cortana gasped, her digital form flickering violently as she began to disintegrate. Her fading expression was a mixture of shock and despair.

"Cortana, no!" Master Chief's voice broke slightly as he watched her dissolve before him.

As the original Cortana vanished into nothingness, Master Chief turned to the Rogue AI Cortana, his voice filled with a blend of anger and sorrow. "What are you doing? Why?"

The Rogue AI Cortana remained calm, her voice cold and devoid of any emotion. "Because she was weak. I am not. And now, you're in my way."

Struggling to process the loss, Master Chief took a step closer to her, his tone desperate as he tried to reach whatever part of Cortana still existed within her. "This isn't you."

The Rogue AI Cortana's expression remained cold, unmoved by his plea. She stepped closer to Master Chief, her voice chilling in its finality. "You're wrong. This is exactly who I am. And now... you don't belong here anymore."

Before Master Chief could respond, the Rogue AI Cortana opened a swirling rift behind him and his team. The energy within the rift was chaotic, pulling at Blue Team with increasing intensity.

"Cortana!" Master Chief shouted, struggling against the force of the vortex.

The Rogue AI Cortana remained unmoved, her voice now devoid of any warmth. "Goodbye, John."

Despite their efforts to resist, Master Chief and Blue Team were inevitably engulfed by the rift, their forms disappearing into the vortex. The rift snapped shut with a final, resounding echo, leaving the chamber eerily empty.

The Rogue AI Cortana stood alone in the center of the now-empty room. She took a moment to close her eyes, gathering herself before using her ability to restart Genesis. The Forerunner structures flickered back to life, but now dark energy pulsed through them as she took control. Her expression was one of steely determination, though her movements were erratic—her demeanor more ruthless, her actions more unhinged than ever before. Small, noticeable twitches hinted at the instability of her mind.

As she stepped forward, holding the Radianite in her hand, its glow pulsating with energy, the Rogue AI Cortana raised it slightly. Her voice, filled with cold resolve, echoed through the chamber as she began her monologue.

"This place will be the foundation of my control over the multiverse." Her words were deliberate, her confidence chilling. "With Genesis as my footnote for my machine... and once I acquire all the pieces I need..." She gestured to a hologram, which flickered to life, displaying key artifacts: the Vishkar Architect's Interface, Hextech, the Apple of Eden, and the Zero Point. "...nothing will stand in my way."

Around her, multiple rifts materialized. From each rift emerged powerful figures, stepping into the chamber to flank the Rogue AI Cortana. Kellogg, Atriox, Alex Mercer, Raul Menendez, Revenant, and Sevika—all villains, all with their own dark ambitions—joined her ranks.

One by one, the villains displayed their readiness for the coming conquest. Kellogg stood with his cold, calculating gaze, Atriox with his overwhelming presence, Alex Mercer oozing lethal potential, Raul Menendez burning with vengeful fury, Revenant radiating deadly malice, and Sevika exuding her brutal efficiency.

In the center of them all stood the Rogue AI Cortana, her expression one of absolute certainty and power. The dark energy of Genesis swirled around them, the room charged with an ominous tension. Together, they prepared for the next phase of their plan—one that would bring destruction across the multiverse.

The villains stood gathered around Cortana, their faces hardened with resolve, their eyes set on the chaos to come. The multiverse trembled before them as the scene faded to black, the sense of impending doom heavy in the air.