Halo: Magicka

A/N: Another third person ibr.

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P*treon: /Djini

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In Kurt's office, the faint hum of the ventilation system filled the silence as the holographic display replayed Serpent Team's run from multiple angles. The bell's clang echoed faintly from the speakers before the feed froze on Eli gripping the rope at the top of the tower, his team regrouping below.

"That was the most efficient run I've seen out of the lot, Sir," Mendez said, his voice carrying a note of rare approval. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his sharp eyes fixed on the paused display.

Kurt Ambrose leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable as he studied the image. His hands were steepled beneath his chin, and his eyes glinted with something between pride and calculation.

"They adapted," Kurt said finally, his voice low but firm. "They recognized their disadvantage immediately and turned the terrain into a weapon. Dirt, rocks, distraction tactics—it was raw, but the only other way apart from face tanking the stun rounds."

Mendez nodded. "Eli is a curious trainee. It seemed he immediately knew how to impede the instructors."

Kurt's lips twitched into a serious face, "You do not repeat those words to anyone outside of this room, Mendez, I don't care if an admiral asks you, you keep those thoughts between us."

Mendez nodded. Before Kurt continued,

"But yes, he's playing a longer game than most of the trainees. But it's not just him. Owen kept them moving, Roland adapted under pressure, and Jonah—well, brute strength and ferocity has its place when paired with determination."

Mendez crossed his arms, glancing at another paused frame of Jonah grappling an armoured instructor, "Jonah's stubbornness borders on reckless, but it worked."

The two men sat in silence for a moment, watching the frozen frames of the team's triumph.

"Serpent Team is shaping up to be something special," Kurt said. "But they're not invincible. They made mistakes—small ones, but enough to exploit if someone like me was paying attention."

Mendez raised an eyebrow. "You're thinking of putting them under more pressure?"

Kurt nodded slowly. "They have the potential to be the best spartans I'll ever witness. I want them to make it to graduation—and survive what comes after—for that, they need to be tested beyond their limits. No safety nets, no do-overs."

He turned off the holographic display, the room plunging into shadow except for the faint glow of the desk terminal.

"Prepare the next phase, Mendez," Kurt said firmly. "Serpent Team has potential. Now let's see if we can turn that potential into something the UNSC can rely on, and activate Project: Chrysanthemum for the teams that have passed. Also, bring me B-312 and B-313."

Mendez gave a sharp nod, "Yes, Sir."

As Mendez exited the office, Kurt sat back in his chair, staring at the darkened screen where Serpent Team's success had been frozen in time.

"Let's see if they can handle what comes next," he murmured to himself as he awaited the brothers' presence.

The glow of his terminal flickered softly, casting faint shadows across his stern features. Outside, the faint sounds of drill instructors barking orders and the distant clang of equipment filtered through the reinforced walls.

Minutes later, the door slid open with a soft hiss. Jon Howl, B-312, and Elysius Howl, B-313, stepped into the room. Both boys stood at attention, their postures sharp and disciplined despite their contrasting demeanours—Jon with his usual stoic expression, and Eli with a faint, knowing glimmer in his eyes.

"Reporting as ordered, Sir," Jon said firmly.

Eli simply gave a respectful nod, his sharp gaze meeting Kurt's for a fraction of a second before flicking away.

Kurt studied them for a long moment, his sharp gaze piercing through them as if he could see every thought running through their minds.

"At ease," he said, his voice carrying the weight of authority. Both boys relaxed slightly, though not entirely.

"You two have exceeded expectations in your respective teams," Kurt began, folding his hands behind his back. "But what lies ahead is not something your talents alone can carry you through."

He stepped around his desk, approaching them with slow, deliberate steps.

"Your basic augmentations are now in effect for all passing teams. You will both undergo the augmentations along with your peers. However…" He paused, letting the word hang heavy in the air, "You two are different. You're not just assets to your teams—you're their wildcards, whether you recognize it or not. And you'll be tasked with objectives others could not complete in future."

Jon's jaw tightened, his posture straightening further. Eli, however, tilted his head slightly, as if already piecing together what was being said.

"This next phase will push your bodies and minds to their absolute limits. Some of you won't make it." Kurt's voice dropped an octave, his eyes sharp. "But those who do will become something greater—something the Covenant will learn to fear."

He turned his back to them, staring out the window at the sprawling training fields below.

"Jon, Eli… I expect you both to not only survive but to thrive. Your teams will look to you when the world begins to crumble around them. Do not let them down."

"Yes, Sir," Jon said immediately, his voice steady.

Eli hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. "Understood, Sir."

Kurt turned back, fixing them both with a look before his gaze landed on Eli,

"Does he know?"

"Of course, Sir," Eli nodded.

"Very well, I can speak frankly then, Deep Winter, lock down the conversation that is about to be had" Kurt whispered as the AI flickered in confirmation, "Did you know about the twist in the test?"

"I did, he only got hints from me," Eli spoke calmly.

Kurt's eyes bore into Eli, his posture unwavering as he leaned forward slightly, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the desk. The air in the room seemed to thicken with anticipation as he finally spoke, his voice lower than before.

"You're still holding back, Eli, though not as much as you used to," Kurt said bluntly, his gaze never leaving the younger Spartan's face. "And I need to know what it is. Your abilities go beyond the typical enhancements, don't they? Your... trait, as you like to call it. I've seen glimpses of it in the simulations, and now, I need you to tell me everything. How far can you push it, and how can it be used against the Covenant?"

Eli remained still, his expression unreadable, but his thoughts were anything but calm. He'd known this moment would come, and he'd been preparing for it since his arrival at the camp. Kurt was no fool; he could see through the surface. Still, Eli had to be careful, so he decided to offer a branch of trust,

"Sir, If I may, Could I request that you swear on your soul that this will never leave your lips or be used to harm me or those close to me?"

The room felt colder now as Eli extended his hand, the walls closing in as Kurt weighed his options. There was no room for deception, not with someone like Eli.

"Fine, I swear on my soul that what you tell me will not exit this room, nor will it be used to harm you or those close to you," Kurt grasped Eli's outstretched hand.

[Soul Contract]

Finally, Eli spoke, his voice steady, but with an underlying tension, "It's not just a 'trait,' Sir. It's an ability—something I've been born with. Something that sets me apart from the rest of humanity," He paused, glancing briefly at Jon, who remained quiet but alert, standing off to the side.

"It's magic, Spartan-051," Eli said as he laid all of his cards out.

Kurt's grip tightened for a moment, his eyes narrowing in a mix of scepticism and curiosity as he heard his previous designation. The words echoed in the room, and for a second, everything seemed to stand still.

"Magic," Kurt repeated, his voice flat. He pulled his hand away from Eli's, stepping back as if he needed a moment to process what had just been said, "And here I thought I'd heard it all."

Eli didn't flinch. He knew this moment would come—knew it would take more than just trust for someone like Kurt to believe in the kind of power he wielded.

"Yes, Sir. Magic," Eli's voice remained calm, but there was a raw honesty in it now. "It's not like what you read in stories. It's a natural part of me, something I've been able to tap into since I was a child. It's not some trick or illusion. It's real—and it's not something I can hide forever."

Jon shifted slightly, his eyes flickering between Kurt and Eli, but he stayed silent, letting Eli take the lead. His brother had always been the one with the answers, and this time, he was laying everything out on the table.

Kurt let out a sharp breath, pinching the bridge of his nose as he processed the information. Magic wasn't something he had ever believed in—not in the way Eli was describing. But there were things about Eli that didn't fit the mould, things that had been increasingly difficult to ignore.

"So, you're telling me you've got... magic," Kurt said slowly, his tone sceptical, but a glimmer of something—either disbelief or intrigue—lurking just beneath the surface. "And how does it work?"

Eli's eyes didn't leave Kurt's as he answered, his voice carrying the weight of years of secrecy,

"I think it would be easier to show you."

"[Remote Manipulation]" Eli uttered as he opened a desk and lifted a pistol that Kurt kept in it, swirling it around the room.

"Well, I'll be damned."

Kurt stood frozen for a moment, his eyes locked on the pistol floating in the air, the weight of the situation crashing down on him. The weapon rotated effortlessly in the air, controlled by Eli's will as if it were nothing more than a paperweight. His jaw tightened, but he remained silent, trying to process what he was seeing.

Eli lowered the pistol gently, placing it back onto the desk with a soft thud, "I don't control it the way you might think, Sir. It's not telekinesis or simple manipulation of physical objects. It's more... complex than that."

Kurt leaned forward, his elbows resting on the edge of his desk. "Then explain it to me. What exactly are you doing?"

Eli hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "It's like... accessing the fabric of reality itself. I can alter things, and even influence the laws of physics, but it comes with limits. The more I use it, the more it drains my magicka. The longer I push it, the more it takes from me—physically, mentally, emotionally. But at this level, it's quite simple to keep a singular gun floating for days."

Kurt stood frozen for a moment, his eyes locked on the pistol floating in the air, the weight of the situation crashing down on him. The weapon rotated effortlessly in the air, controlled by Eli's will as if it were nothing more than a paperweight. His jaw tightened, but he remained silent, trying to process what he was seeing.

Kurt's eyes narrowed, his fingers tapping a steady rhythm on his desk as he processed Eli's words. "That's a hell of a thing to have in your arsenal, Eli. And I imagine you've kept this hidden for a reason. How does it all work and who else can utilise this 'magicka' that I assume is the fuel?"

"To begin with, Jon can also use magic. But he's at a much lower stage than me, having only solidified the basics," Eli began, "but the way it works is as such, every being has a core of Magicka in them. I'm talking microscopic. Only those with a significant Magicka core in them have any hope of learning magic, let alone getting past the basics. If I were to compare me and Jon at birth, He could be said to have an A-rank talent compared to my SSS-rank talent."

"So what, a 1000-fold smaller core than you?" Kurt asked, his mouth agape.

Eli nodded,

"His was about the size of a small pea at birth whereas mine was the size of a golf ball."

"and at this point?" Kurt asked.

"Mine's the size of a football," Eli confirmed.

"Mine's about the size of a golf ball now," Jon followed.

"Jesus Christ on a Tri-wheeled bike," Kurt spoke, "We've got fucking wizard spartans before beating the covenant."

We both smiled.

"So how does magic work? Do you just wave your hands, say some bullshit and then cast the spell as you demonstrated?" Kurt continued.

"It takes a bit more than that for me, sir, I have to utter extended phrases but for Eli... That's about right, he can cut down the cast to just the spell name" Jon grinned.

Eli sighed as he slapped his younger brother's shoulder,

"For anyone else that would have magic talent, it would take time to study the spell formula, have enough imagination, will and belief in magic as a fact. For some with weaker talent, it might even take specific catalysts like wands, ingredients, etc. just to cast the spell that I did."

Kurt nodded and sighed in relief,

"So you're the exception, not the rule."

"Pretty much," Eli nodded.

"Want me to expand on anything else sir?" Eli asked.

"Informally, you two can just call me Kurt, Eli seems to know a lot more about me than my own self," he laughed, "I guess there are only two more types of questions, firstly, what types of spells can you cast?"

"I've managed to break them down into a couple of schools of magic: Alteration, Conjuration, Restoration, Destruction, Illusion and Mysticism. Apart from the main schools, there's also Enchanting and Alchemy."

"Eh? We can make potions and magic armour as well, Eli?" Jon asked with incredulity. Eli sighed at his brother's antics,

"Yes, but it's a bit above you right now, get to apprentice and I'll tell you more."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at the brothers, leaning forward with genuine interest, "Wait, you said Illusion, right? Now that Spartan report makes sense, he reported that two Jackals seemed to fall out and...kill each other, that was you right?"

Eli's eyes widened,

"Ahh, you're referring to our escape from Jericho VII? If so, that would be correct. Although I hate using Illusion school magic, it had to be done, I would appreciate you not bringing that memory up anymore, sir."

"I apologise for bringing up bad memories kid," Kurt intoned before moving on swiftly, "so you're telling me you have control over all those schools of magic? Sounds like you're a walking arsenal."

Eli gave a small chuckle, the weight of the conversation shifting slightly. "Well, I'm still learning, Im only at the peak of the apprentice rank, below that is the novice rank - the one Jon is at. Above that are the adept, expert and master ranks. Right now, I specialize in Mysticism, Restoration, and Alteration. Mysticism allows me to manipulate the flow of magic itself for sensing purposes among others, Restoration is more about healing or enhancing physical states, and Alteration is about changing objects or environments. The others are more... experimental for me, although I'm solid in all schools."

Jon leaned in, adding with a grin, "Destruction? Eli can make things set alight or freeze, he just likes to keep it low-key."

Eli gave his brother an exasperated look but didn't bother responding, instead turning back to Kurt. "I can cast most spells from the schools I mentioned, but it's more about understanding the theory behind them and having the talent to handle it as well as affinities for certain schools over others. Some spells take more out of me than others."

Kurt absorbed the information carefully, his eyes narrowing as he processed the implications,

"I assume you cast a binding spell when I swore on my soul, right, that would be mysticism if I'm understanding correctly? My final question is, has there been anyone that you've seen who's had a talent for magic? Or is there any other way to apply it to non-wizards?"

"You're correct, we're all in the same boat now. To answer your latter question, I haven't been checking as much as I'd like to have been, I don't think I've seen anyone with the necessary level of talent. Your core is about the size of mitochondria, if that is what you were referring to, but that is the average for normal humans anyway," Eli gave Kurt the bad news, "although I could probably start making enchanted weapons and potions when I get to the expert rank."

Kurt nodded as he began imagining the applications of this new knowledge,

"Jesus Christ, we could have an entire company of magic sword-wielding Spartans gulping down strength and speed potions charging straight at the enemy."

"Yep," Eli confirmed, popping the p.

"But it would be much easier for me to just cast the spells on them directly before any engagement. It would only benefit Gamma company in future, well, also the Spartan-IVs and Blue Team," Eli continued.

"Spartan-IV's?" Kurt asked confused, "You can see the past and future? Is that also a spell?"

"Nah, that's a unique trait to Eli, Sir," Jon confirmed.

"How much do you know Eli?" Kurt asked.

"Pretty much everything from the beginning of the first Orion project to the next 50-100 years," Eli explained, " I know about the Spartan-IIs, specifically your danger sense as I like to call it. Also, your thoughts on John are correct, he definitely has luck on his side - quite literally."

"And in that time, do we defeat the Covenant?" Kurt asked, his eyes hoping for the answer that he wanted.

"We do," is all that Eli said before spewing some bull, "I can't say any more than that unless I wish to risk the future changing any more than it already has."