But as they pushed into the Temple complex, things went wrong. The Covenant weren’t just defending—they were retreating from something else. Grunts scrambled past the Chief, squealing in panic, not even firing.
“That’s new,” Johnson said, sweeping left. “What scares a Grunt more than us?” halo the master chief collection halo 2 anniversary
The answer came from the deep shadows. A flicker. Not a cloaked Elite—this was different. The air shimmered like heat haze, and then a single, distorted form stepped through. It looked like a Sangheili, but wrong. Its armor was a fractured mosaic: Halo 2’s classic silver mixed with Anniversary ’s glossy blue highlights. Its eyes weren't solid amber—they were static, scanning, as if two different timelines were fighting for control. But as they pushed into the Temple complex,
Johnson fired his shotgun into the terminal. The screen cracked, and the overlapping timelines shattered. The glitched Elite gave one final, silent howl—and dissolved into a clean, modern ragdoll. “That’s new,” Johnson said, sweeping left
The Phantom’s engines whined as it banked over the scarred spires of Delta Halo. Inside, Sergeant Major Avery Johnson braced against the hull, his ancient M90 shotgun across his knees. Beside him, a freshly remastered holographic tactical map flickered—a feature of the Anniversary refit that still made him grumble. “Fancy lights don’t kill Covies,” he muttered.
“Nice shooting, Sergeant,” the Chief said.