The UNSC Autumn drifted silently through the vast expanse of space in the Earth-217 universe. Stars twinkled in the distance, a calm disrupted by the blaring of alarms and flashing red lights. The ship was on high alert. This wasn't the usual state of affairs for this alternative version of the Halo: Infinite universe, where the UNSC Autumn was still fully operational, Captain Keyes alive and well at the helm. Master Chief, under Captain Keyes' command, worked alongside the Arbiter, who had long since severed ties with the Covenant. Echo 216 operated smoothly under the Captain's orders, ready for the battles that lay ahead. In this reality, Cortana was not a threat but a vital ally, offering tactical support for Master Chief.

It was a typical day for the Marines on board—until it wasn't.

Captain Keyes gestured to the holographic map in front of him. "Our outer defenses are in place, but we're facing a heavy assault. We need to strengthen our perimeter and prepare for a multi-front engagement."

At a nearby console, Fernando Esparza typed rapidly, his voice urgent. "I'm coordinating with engineering to bolster our defenses and request additional reinforcements. We're setting up interceptors and increasing patrols."

The Arbiter, calm yet serious, spoke in his deep, resonant voice. "If it's the Banished, they will likely employ multiple tactics. We must be ready for both ground and space assaults. I'll coordinate with the ground forces."

Avery J. Johnson entered the room with his trademark swagger and confidence. "Captain, Chief, Arbiter—good to see you all."

"Johnson," Master Chief acknowledged with a slight nod.

Captain Keyes returned the gesture. "Good to have you here, Johnson. We'll need every hand we can get. Your team will reinforce the outer defenses and focus on holding key choke points."

Johnson smirked, his voice full of bravado. "You got it. My squad's ready and itching for a fight. Just make sure they don't get too close, or they'll regret ever stepping foot on our turf."

"We're going to need your expertise on the front lines," Captain Keyes continued, his tone resolute. "We're expecting a multi-front assault, so be ready for anything."

Johnson nodded confidently. "Always ready. We've been through worse, and we're gonna come out on top. Let's show these Banished scum what we're made of."

Suddenly, Cortana's voice echoed through Master Chief's visor, calm but urgent. "Chief, I'm picking up encrypted signals. They're planning a coordinated attack, hitting us from multiple fronts."

Captain Keyes addressed the team, his voice commanding. "We need to be prepared for any scenario. Increase our readiness and keep communication lines open. Everyone, stay sharp."

Esparza focused intently on his console. "I'll finalize preparations and make sure all systems are operational. We can't afford any slip-ups."

The Arbiter, standing tall and imposing, nodded in agreement. "I'll assist with preparations and ensure the ground forces are equipped and ready for combat."

Johnson pumped his fist with enthusiasm. "Let's get this done, folks. Time to give those Banished bastards a proper welcome. They picked the wrong day to mess with us."

Captain Keyes stood with unwavering authority. "Alright, let's move. We have a fleet to hold off and a mission to complete. Make sure everyone knows their roles and understands the gravity of the situation."

Just then, the room was interrupted by a sudden rift tearing open. A brilliant, swirling vortex of energy appeared, its edges crackling with raw power. The room fell silent as The Foundation landed gracefully in the middle, maintaining perfect balance. Agent Jonesy followed, stumbling through the rift and crashing to the floor with a loud, comedic thud.

"Whoa! That was one heck of a landing," Jonesy groaned, struggling to get back on his feet.

Esparza's eyes widened in alarm. "What the hell is that?!"

Captain Keyes's expression shifted from confusion to readiness. "What just happened? Where did they come from?"

The Arbiter drew his Energy Sword, his voice filled with caution. "They don't look familiar. Are they a threat?"

The Foundation stood calmly, brushing off dust. "We're not here to cause trouble. We're—"

Captain Keyes cut him off, his voice firm and commanding. "Hold it. We need answers. Now. What's your business here?"

Jonesy, still shaking off the disorientation, tried to explain. "Look, I know this looks bad, but we're not here to fight. We're... kind of lost."

Cortana appeared on a nearby holographic display, her virtual eyes scanning the newcomers. "I'm detecting anomalies with their presence. They don't match any records in our system. It's as if... they're not from here."

The Arbiter remained skeptical, his Energy Sword still drawn. "Lost? In our briefing room? Explain yourselves."

The Foundation attempted to clarify. "Yes, we're from another reality. We're here to—"

Captain Keyes wasn't having it. His voice hardened. "Whatever you're going to say, I won't buy it. You've entered our ship unwelcomed and now pose a possible threat to us and this ship!"

Jonesy raised his hands defensively. "We're not a threat! If you give us a chance to explain ourselves, we can—"

Captain Keyes made a decisive move. "Master Chief, Arbiter—take them into custody until we understand what's going on. We can't afford any risks."

The situation escalated quickly. The Foundation, realizing they were out of time, deployed a bubble shield, preventing the UNSC personnel from advancing.

"Jonesy, run!" The Foundation shouted as he activated the shield and pushed back the Marines.

Captain Keyes immediately activated the ship's comms. "Dammit! All units, we have intruders on board! Master Chief, Arbiter, find them and take them into custody—unharmed."

As Jonesy and The Foundation sprinted down the corridors of the ship, alarms blared, and the chase began.

"What are you doing?" Jonesy panted. "We were supposed to persuade them to join us!"

The Foundation replied with determination. "They didn't seem in the mood for diplomacy."

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The two continued running, navigating the maze-like halls of the ship as the tension mounted. Stopping briefly in a hallway to catch their breath, The Foundation turned to Jonesy.

"Rift us out of here," he ordered.

Jonesy fiddled with the device and pretended it wasn't working. "It's not working!" he lied.

The Foundation's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "You're lying."

"No, I'm not! It's just... malfunctioning," Jonesy insisted.

Frustrated, The Foundation reached for the device. "Let me see it."

Jonesy pushed him back. "Back off, Foundation! We need to stick together."

They struggled briefly, but the sound of bullets ricocheting towards them from the other end of the hallway interrupted their argument. Marines had caught up and were shooting.

"Over there! Take them out!" one of the Marines shouted.

The Foundation grabbed Jonesy by the arm. "Give me the device! This isn't the time for secrets, Jonesy!"

"I'm not hiding secrets!" Jonesy shouted back. "We still have a chance to persuade them!"

Dodging gunfire, they continued running through the labyrinth of the ship.

In the command room, a personnel officer informed Captain Keyes of the situation. "Sir, shots have been fired."

Captain Keyes frowned in frustration. "Who fired?"

"The Marines, sir. They engaged the intruders in the south hallway," the officer replied.

Captain Keyes's voice was sharp with anger as he spoke into the comms. "I gave strict orders to take them into custody, not shoot at them. Hold your fire immediately!"

Captain Keyes turned to another officer. "Get me eyes on Arbiter! If there are any updates, report them to me immediately!"

As the personnel rushed to convey the orders, Captain Keyes took a deep breath, watching the monitors displaying various parts of the ship. "We need answers... and fast."

Meanwhile, Jonesy and The Foundation found themselves trapped at a locked door in a large hallway.

"The door is locked," Jonesy said, breathing heavily. "If we go back, they'll catch us."

With quick thinking, The Foundation started hacking the door. "Move aside. I'll get us through."

As The Foundation worked on the door, Jonesy turned and saw Master Chief sprinting towards them at full speed.

"Captain, I have eyes on the targets," Master Chief reported through his comms.

Jonesy's eyes widened in fear at Master Chief's incredible speed. He shouted in alarm...

Agent Jonesy stumbled forward, breathless, his heart pounding in his chest as he cast a nervous glance back over his shoulder. The sound of heavy, armored footsteps echoed behind them—Master Chief was closing in.

"Uh... Foundation, hurry it up!" Jonesy called out, panic rising in his voice.

The Foundation remained focused on the door in front of him, his fingers deftly working to unlock it. "Quiet, Jonesy," he replied calmly. "I'm almost there."

Jonesy's eyes widened as he saw Master Chief, like a relentless freight train, barreling toward them.

"Hurry!" Jonesy screamed. "He's moving like a freight train!"

Finally, with a satisfying click, the door unlocked.

"Got it, let's move!" The Foundation shouted as he pushed the door open.

The two of them rushed through, only to be met by two Marines waiting on the other side. Without missing a beat, The Foundation swiftly disarmed and incapacitated the Marines, ensuring no harm came to them. Jonesy ducked instinctively as the skirmish unfolded in front of him.

Once clear, Jonesy sprinted to the console, his fingers fumbling over the buttons in a panicked frenzy. The door behind them started to close—just in time.

"Come on, come on... close!" Jonesy screamed in desperation.

The door slammed shut just as Master Chief reached it, causing him to collide with the metal with a resounding thud. The impact was enough to make him fall momentarily, and Jonesy couldn't help but celebrate.

"I can't believe I just did that to Master Chief!" Jonesy cheered, a mix of disbelief and exhilaration flooding through him.

The Foundation remained focused. "We need to keep moving."

"Foundation, you won't believe it! I just—"

Master Chief was already getting back to his feet, unfazed by the collision. Cortana's voice chimed in, adding a light-hearted note to the tense atmosphere.

"Well, that was unexpected," she remarked, amused.

Master Chief, ever the stoic, didn't respond. He simply scanned his surroundings and turned to find another way to catch up with Jonesy and The Foundation.

Meanwhile, Captain Keyes was attempting to get a status update from his personnel. His voice crackled through Master Chief's comms.

"Chief, have you apprehended the targets?"

"Negative," Master Chief replied evenly.

Keyes frowned. "What happened? Did they escape?"

"Complications, sir." Master Chief's reply was clipped, matter-of-fact.

Keyes took a deep breath, suppressing his frustration. "Understood. Don't worry about it for now. Arbiter may be close to their location. Focus on containment."

As Master Chief continued on his mission, Cortana chimed in again, this time with a hint of humor.

"Maybe you should have told Captain Keyes the whole story," she teased.

"I'd rather not," Master Chief responded calmly, maintaining his pace, his focus unwavering.

Meanwhile, Jonesy and The Foundation slowed to catch their breath.

"So what's the plan?" Jonesy asked, still panting. "Just keep running and hope they don't find us?"

The Foundation shot him a look. "We wouldn't be in this situation if you'd give me the device."

"We can still persuade them!" Jonesy insisted. "If we can get Master Chief to believe in the threat that's coming—"

The Foundation cut him off. "We don't have the time for that. There are other Master Chiefs out there we can find."

"I disagree," Jonesy said firmly. "This Master Chief can help us if we can just make him understand."

Determined, Jonesy hurried toward a closed door. He reached for the handle, believing this might be their best shot at escape.

The door slid open—and standing directly in front of them was Arbiter, his imposing figure blocking their path.

"Oh... uh... hello," Jonesy stammered nervously, his heart skipping a beat.

Without hesitation, Arbiter grabbed Jonesy and hurled him aside as if he weighed nothing. Jonesy hit the wall with a heavy thud and crumpled to the ground, dazed and stunned.

"Surrender now!" Arbiter demanded, his voice a deep, menacing growl.

The Foundation stepped forward, hands raised, trying to reason with him. "We're not your enemies. We're here to help."

Arbiter glared at him, his distrust palpable. "Help? Intruders do not help. You speak of deceit." He lunged at The Foundation, launching a fierce attack.

The Foundation barely dodged the initial punch, countering with a swift kick that Arbiter easily blocked. Arbiter grabbed The Foundation's leg, attempting to throw him off balance, but The Foundation used the momentum to flip backward, freeing himself.

"We don't want to fight you!" The Foundation insisted, trying to de-escalate the situation.

"Prove it!" Arbiter spat. "Lay down your arms and surrender."

The Foundation countered with a series of quick jabs aimed at Arbiter's midsection. Arbiter blocked them with ease, his strength and skill evident. The fight escalated, each combatant pushing their limits.

"We have a common enemy!" The Foundation called out. "We're on the same side!"

Arbiter paused, his eyes narrowing. "A common enemy? What enemy would have us fighting together?"

The Foundation took the opportunity to explain as they exchanged blows. "Cortana. She's gone rogue and threatens the entire multiverse. We need your help."

Arbiter scoffed, disbelief evident on his face. "Cortana? Impossible. Why should I believe you?"

The fight continued fiercely, both showing signs of wear but neither backing down. Finally, The Foundation saw an opening.

"Think about it, Arbiter," he said, breathing heavily. "Why would we go through all this trouble if we were enemies?"

Arbiter hesitated, the logic slowly sinking in, but his stance remained defensive. "Your words mean nothing without proof."

Just as they were about to clash again, Jonesy, still recovering from being thrown, reached for his rift device lying on the floor. His fingers brushed against it—only for a heavy foot to slam down on his hand. Jonesy froze, his breath catching in his throat. Slowly, he looked up.

Standing over him was Master Chief, his visor reflecting Jonesy's terrified face.

"If you're still upset about me closing the door on you earlier," Jonesy stammered nervously, "I'm really sorry—"

Master Chief cut him off, speaking into his comms. "Captain, targets apprehended."

The fight between Arbiter and The Foundation came to a halt as a squad of Marines stormed into the room, their weapons aimed at The Foundation.

"Stand down! Hands where we can see them!" the Marine leader barked.

The Foundation glanced at Arbiter, then at the Marines, considering his options. Slowly, he raised his hands in surrender, his chest rising and falling heavily.

"You have to believe me, Arbiter," The Foundation said as he was detained. "You have to trust us."

As the Marines led Jonesy and The Foundation away, Arbiter stood still, his mind racing. He had heard The Foundation speak his name. How could this intruder possibly know him? He stood there, pondering the strange encounter, as the weight of the multiversal threat began to take root in his mind.