Master Chief
The simian possessed an overwhelming air of superiority--the robotic ally it had obtained was much the same. These weren't Chief's thoughts, but rather, Kalmiya speaking to him through their neural link, something nobody else could hear.
"I'm not with him because I have to be!" Kalmiya called through Chief's helmet. "We're partners, built on a foundation of experience and trust!"
Chief turned away from Specter and Metal, the latter of which made his brain itch with a memory he couldn't quite describe. As though... nah. Couldn't be.
"Hey, I was going to put them in their place," the AI told the Spartan, who shut off the external speakers with a thought.
"They're distracting us from what needs to be done," he stated. "Have you been scanning the Host like I asked?"
"Yeah, I've been running diagnostics in the background. He's made of a composition of hard-light, neurons, and spatial uh... let's call it spatialplasm. It's that stuff the Didact used to control you with his mind. Well, it's not exactly the same, but it's also similar to what scruffy Revan over there uses. Think it's something we can exploit?"
"Maybe," Chief answered, a frown besetting his face behind the visor as he looked toward the Generic Host, who was starring back at them. Starring directly into John's eyes with a knowing smirk.
"Is- is he starring at us?" Kalmiya asked. Before either of them could do much, Frank Horrigan had stomped up to the Host, putting a barrel in his face. The Host gave the barrel of the weapon a disgusted look, before he waved his hand at Frank as though shoo-ing him away.
"Go away, you're bothering me," he said.
At the movement of the Host's hand, Frank's weapon crumpled, seeming to plunge painfully up his own arm- before his arm did much the same, folding and imploding in on itself to plunge into his chest. His other limbs followed suit before all that remained of Horrigan was his torso and his head.
"Oh-" the Host's eyes lit up as he looked over at the noisy commotion of Frank being imploded on himself. "Totally not my intention, but my, that's quite fun~" he chuckled dryly before he reached over and gently removed Frank's head from his torso. With the wave of his hand, the torso popped like previous contestants had. "Excuse my bluntness, but I'd love it if you could be a decorative ornament for me," Host winked at Frank, who remained completely alive as just a head through wonky space magic, though entirely unable to speak without his vocal cords. "What's that?" the Host leaned into the helmet, pressing his ear against the visor. "Oh, you'd love to be my decorative ornament? Aw, you're so much like me! Heh heh..."
The Host closed his free hand, and Horrigan's head disappeared--before it reappeared above the arena, hanging on a plaque like a trophy someone might mount a Buck's head on. The Host stared up at it for a moment, tapping his chin. "Hm... when it's Christmas time we can make you look a little prettier- you're pretty lame as just you, so," he chuckled to himself, muttering some nonsense under his breath, before he returned to his place as Frank Horrigan's name, which had appeared on the loser's bracket, was quickly wiped off, effectively eliminating the mutant, who could do nothing but watch everything unfold, entirely conscious for everything.
"... that... that was... yikes..." Kalmiya spoke John's thoughts as they turned away from the scene. "Do you think he knows what we're planning?"
"Without a doubt," Chief answered. He could deduce that the Host could actively alter his body using the hard light Kalmiya had mentioned. So others could simply phase through him, or so he could physically interact with the world. His composition was also of neurons, meaning his creator was highly advanced. Kalmiya had pointed out he was more advanced than Forerunner tech, but so far, he seemed to be of a similar design in composition. Then there was this "spatialplasm", as Kalmiya called it. Chief had heard Revan refer to it as "the Force", which seemed fairly accurate. If there was a way to exploit these, Kalmiya could find it, though that would probably take time.
"Well, that's... comforting," the AI didn't sound comforted in the slightest. "I also ran a few scans on Specter and Metal Sonic, and that ape's chair thing doesn't have the greatest security. Want me to tap into it?"
John glanced toward the host, then toward Specter. "No," he replied, "his malware could detect you and cause a scene in the lobby. Save it for if and when we face him."
"If you say so," Kalmiya replied, and he could practically hear her shrugging. "I will say, the same goes for Metal Sonic, he has a back door program that allows an exchange of data. It seems closed right now, but with enough force you could open it and I could play my part- if and when we face him too, I know."
Chief's eyes wandered toward the brackets, staring at the fights yet to conclude. Next round, he'd either be facing a "Shroom" or a "Kirbobot". One glance at the remaining battles on screens was enough to tell him who those individuals were. They didn't appear to be as threatening as Frank or Rebellio had been, though he was sure to make a mental note not to underestimate their abilities, as per usual. "You were right, by the way," Kalmiya told the Chief. "About nobody deserving the power this being can grant. If it landed in Specter's hands, only devastation would follow. Much the same can be said for Metal Sonic, though I'm under the impression he's a bit of a simp for Specter."
Revan
His eyes flitted over the rabbit he was to slay once more. The shrewd creature certainly seemed to think he was on a level of "cool" nobody else could obtain, walking with a gait, his nose turned high at others, acting as though nobody had anything to say that would interest him. Revan had glimpsed his fights. He had nothing. It would not be a fight, but a slaughter.
That made the force user feel a twinge of pity for the creature. He knew he would win, for he had glimpsed into his near future. Not for the results of that fight, but for who he would be facing after.
Metal Sonic.
Not all predictions could be trusted extensively, but he was aware that his attunement to the force was greater than most. He knew not if they would face in the winning bracket or the losing, but either way, he would be facing the smaller droid, and soon. It was a being designed on the idea of power, and seemed to have forged an alliance with Specter. While Revan could not peer into the mind of Metal, he could easily do so to the biological simian.
Or so he assumed. Upon attempting a glimpse, Revan was met with resistance. The head piece Specter wore was protecting the ape against outside forces. It would require a more delicate approach.
Revan's thoughts were interrupted as the skeletal form of "Death" descended upon them. It had lost in its conflict against a strange droid, much different from the one he would eventually face. Death wasn't so powerful, it seemed, and perhaps it realized this, for it provided its aid toward the rebellion they were forming, something Revan himself hadn't pledged toward.
He was aware that the Host was watching. That his master was listening.
Revan turned from the others, and made his distance. Their alliance would come undone in the coming battles as more dwindled away through elimination. All the gray Jedi wished to do was to return to his world, and destroy the Emperor. To end his reign of tyranny so that he could no longer control the will of others. To free Revan's apprentice from his control.
To do so might require an alliance of his own. Not a rebellion, but a pact. To exchange information to prepare for an upcoming battle. The holographic being within the super soldier would be ideal, but their motives were clear. They would be a hindrance.
His future opponent Metal, alongside the psychically guarded Specter, however...
The Force told him they would be his better chance to return home with his prize.
Approaching the pair of quite obviously evil individuals, Revan left his mask behind. Once, it had been a symbol of hope, but now he knew what it had become. Under the Emperor's control, his mask had become a symbol of fear and destruction. He would leave it behind.
"You speak of power like you know it," he greeted them. "I have experience in such things. Perhaps your alliance should expand where it needs to."
