Halo: Magicka

"Apologies if this is overstepping, but how will that be carried out sir?" I asked.

"Like this," The large screen behind Kurt and Ackerson flickered on as the voice of a woman echoed in the hall, the faces of fifteen individuals appearing in front of him.

At the centre of the display was Admiral Margaret Parangosky, head of the Office of Naval Intelligence. Her piercing gaze settled on me immediately, and I felt as though she was dissecting me with her eyes alone.

"Spartan Howl," she said, her voice firm and icy. "You've caused quite the stir."

I straightened my back instinctively and saluted, letting some of my knowledge slip, "Ma'am Parangosky,"

"Let's not waste time with theatrics kid. We saw… your capabilities. What we need from you now is clarity. Honesty. And most importantly—a proof of concept."

Ackerson folded his arms and stepped back, giving me the floor.

I took a breath. Time to put on a show.

"Acknowledged, ma'am." I closed my eyes briefly, channelling my focus. My magicka flared through my body—a rush of heat, energy, and light.

[Portal Creation]

A swirling vortex of shimmering blue light erupted into existence in front of me, edges crackling with raw magical energy. The portal hummed, stable and precise, its interior showing a perfect reflection of the assembly hall—only reversed, like looking through a mirror into another world.

The officers on the holo-screen leaned closer, some of them visibly startled. A few muttered to each other, though their mics were muted.

"If you all step through the portals behind you," I said calmly, holding the vortex steady with one hand outstretched, "you'll find yourselves right here—on the UNSC Hopeful. I've trusted you with knowing my abilities, now it's in your hands. Will you trust me?"

The silence that followed felt heavier than any firefight I'd ever been in. Every second ticked by like an eternity.

Parangosky's expression was unreadable, but her piercing stare was locked onto the portal, analyzing every detail. Then, without a word of warning, Parangosky stepped forward.

The other officers visibly tensed. Even Ackerson flinched, his stoic façade momentarily cracking.

She approached the swirling vortex with calculated steps, her sharp heels echoing across the assembly hall floor. Her cloak of authority wrapped around her like armour, unyielding and absolute. As she reached the portal's shimmering edge, she paused briefly, as if assessing the boundary between the impossible and reality.

Then, with unwavering confidence, she stepped through.

The portal flared slightly as it accepted her passage, and in less than a heartbeat, she materialized on the other side of the room. Her boots hit the floor with a soft thud, and she stood tall, her shoulders squared and her posture as rigid as steel.

I turned to face her, and for a split second, I caught something in her eyes—something that looked suspiciously like respect.

"Stable. Controlled. Remarkable." she said, her voice quiet but firm. She turned back toward the holo-screen, where the remaining officers watched with wide eyes and hushed whispers.

"Admiral Hood, Vice Admiral Cole, Rear Admiral Drake—you've seen it for yourselves. This isn't smoke and mirrors. It's real, and he's under control. Spartan Howl, I hope you take into consideration any decisions in future with the knowledge that I trusted you first."

One by one, the other officers began to nod in agreement, their hesitation slowly melting into cold determination.

"This changes everything," one of them muttered, his voice barely audible.

Parangosky's sharp gaze shifted back to me, her voice cutting through the murmurs like a knife, "Spartan Howl, you are now an Alpha Priority Asset. You will be operating under ONI's direct oversight, and your capabilities will remain classified at the highest levels."

"Hold your horses there, ma'am," I interrupted her causing her pupils to narrow.

"I will not be scrutinised by your ONI for the rest of my life, I can tell you that much. If you disagree, then I guess we've found ourselves at an impasse, eh?" I spoke as I cast another spell.

[Enthralling Presence]

Yes, that's why I wanted them all in front of me.

My words hung in the air like a loaded weapon, and I could feel the slight tremor ripple through the gathered officers. Parangosky's sharp eyes bore into me, her expression a mask of calculation.

For a brief moment, no one spoke. Then, slowly, Parangosky clasped her hands behind her back and straightened her spine.

"You've made your point, Spartan Howl," she said, her voice measured but firm. "You are not a tool, and you will not be treated as one."

She glanced at the holo-screen, her icy gaze silencing any objections before they could be voiced.

"However," she continued, her tone taking on a steely edge, "you will cooperate. You will serve the UNSC to the best of your abilities, because despite whatever… gifts you possess, you are still a Spartan. And Spartans don't get to walk away from their duty."

I crossed my arms, my stance firm. "I'll fight this war, ma'am. I'll fight harder than anyone else you've got. But I'm not property. If I'm going to stand on the frontlines, I do it on my terms."

Parangosky stared at me for a long moment before letting out a sharp exhale, almost like a faint laugh.

"Very well, Spartan Howl. You've earned your freedom—within reason. But let me be clear: you step out of line, you become a liability, or you compromise the mission even once, and all the magic in the universe won't save you. For now, though, I leave you in the capable hands of Colonel Ackerson. Ackerson, I want the full brief on whatever Kurt knows by the end of the afternoon on my desk."

"Fair enough," I replied, shrugging, "although speaking freely, ma'am, it would be interesting to see you try."

Closing the portal, I decided to give them a warning.

"My concluding remark on this topic to you all. I do not mean this as disrespect, nor as a threat," I continued, my voice calm but carrying a weight that pressed into the very marrow of their bones, "This is a warning—to those of you whose greed or hubris may currently be trying to get the better of them. Firstly, I can give you an army of spartans wearing enchanted MJOLNIR armour within the next five years, I'm better off as a live asset than something you'd rather chop up."

I let my eyes drift across the room, even lingering on the now-dark holo-screens where the faces of UNSC high command had been. They weren't here physically, but I wanted them to feel this message reverberating wherever they were.

"Secondly, I'm not some prototype for you to replicate. I'm not a resource to be extracted, nor a miracle to be reverse-engineered. You can't do it, trust me, I've tested it. The only other person able to utilise magic is my younger brother and that's purely because he got the womb after me. The moment anyone thinks they can cage me, dissect me, or manipulate me directly or indirectly… will be the moment they realize just how wrong they were."

My magicka pulsed faintly through the room, just enough to make the lights flicker.

"Because if you force my hand, you will not face just a Spartan. You'll face something far, far worse. And no amount of warships, Spartans, or technology will be able to stop me from getting to you."

The silence was deafening. Even Kurt, ever the steady rock, looked slightly uneasy at the sheer finality in my tone. Parangosky's face was unreadable, though her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Ackerson, for once, seemed at a loss for words.

I released the faint magical pressure in the air, letting the lights stabilize and the oppressive weight fade away as I placed my hands behind my back and stood to attention.

"But," I said, softening my voice, "if you respect the boundaries I've laid out, if you allow me to fight alongside you as an equal, you'll find no one more loyal, no one more capable, and no one more willing to do whatever it takes to end this war."

[Portal Creation]

I placed my hand through the portal, resting my hand on Parangosky's shoulders causing most of them to go as pale as a sheet. Not her though. I knew she'd understand - she was the most sensible here.

"Am I being clear?" I concluded.

"Crystal," They all replied except Parangosky who simply nodded before I retrieved my hand and closed the portal.

Parangosky tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into something that could have been either approval or amusement.

"Well, Spartan Howl," she said evenly, "I believe your point has been made."

Ackerson cleared his throat and nodded stiffly. "Let's hope everyone listening took that to heart."

Kurt let out a low chuckle, though it was more out of tension release than humour, "Alright, Eli, I think they get it. Let's not scare everybody into cardiac arrest today."

"How 'bout tomorrow then?"

Parangosky's face nearly broke into a smile but the screen turned off before I could witness it. I knew I got her to smile anyway, she didn't need to try that hard to save face.

"Kid- No, Spartan Howl, You've got the biggest balls I've ever seen on a man and frankly, that last moment had me terrified," Ackerson spoke frankly after seeing that display," I don't think I've ever heard of, let alone seen anyone threaten UNSC Highcom and live to tell the tale."

"No need to be terrified Sir, from now on, that's for the Covenant," I smiled, although deep down, I was exhausted after that display. My core was running dangerously low, with approximately 5% of my magicka remaining at this point.

Who knew portals would be so taxing to build?

"Well Spartan Howl, I think we're going to have to come up with a new codename for your classified records now," Ackerson continued.

"Sir, Could I perhaps recommend Spartan-ODIN?" Kurt spoke freely.

"The king of the Aesir, God of Magic and War?" I spoke aloud, "It has a nice ring to it, to be honest."