-Overview-
The idea here is that after the end of the war, Master Chief is idolized as a hero and a martyr, taken as a symbol of hope that Humanity can rebuild and reclaim what they once lost. The player would initially control a new character (I cant decide between them being player-created or a set character, male or female, etc. So from here on I will refer to them as “Thorne” and as a male for ease of writing), the first of the Spartan-IV’s, created to raise morale and lead the charge during the expedition.
The game would follow Thorne as they explore Forerunner worlds, until about a fourth of the way through, Chief is revealed to be alive within the Shield World. The story would jump back and forth between the two until they are united, and then they remain together for the rest of the game. (Having Chief gone for so long would have the player believe he is truly lost, making his reappearance have more impact.)
-Thorne’s Story-
“117-The Hero. That’s how the world saw him. A ‘Grand Savior of Humanity’, he was hailed. Amidst the raving crowds of endless praisers, I was young, conflicted, and had lost everything I had ever known in what seemed like an instant; so for me, it was hard to see this ‘Savior’ in the same light…”
Thorne was left as an orphaned teenager after the siege and subsequent destruction of New Mombasa, and felt the UNSC had failed to protect his city and his family. He grows up with a warped perception of Chief after learning of his involvement in the incident.
“I’d directed all of my sadness, all of my anger and confusion toward the same man the world now called ‘Hero’ while I was left alone to stand over the graves of my loved ones. I vowed one day to truly earn the title of a hero; to serve better, to BECOME better…and in time, that opportunity presented itself.”
Thorne volunteers for service in the UNSC following the end of the war and the beginning of the crusade to find Forerunner artifacts. Showing great promise as a soldier, Thorne is selected to undergo augmentation in the then top-secret Spartan-IV project. He and an elite few others became part of the first class of next generation Spartans, created to spearhead the journey into the dark unknown.
"But soon I’d learn that being a hero is no small task. Not all decisions are black and white, not all orders should be followed.
Not every person can be saved.
I’d also learn that sooner or later, I’d have to face my Demon…"
-Chief’s Story-
“Lost on an unknown world after years of solitude and endless slumber, hunted by enemies I’d thought I’d left behind long ago. I found myself truly alone for the first time since I was a young boy, and it was unclear if I had actually awakened or if I was trapped in a nightmare…”
While Thorne is across the galaxy decommissioning a Halo Ring, the Chief awakens after the Forward Unto Dawn is taken into a Forerunner Shield World. this side of the story would play out largely the same as the real Halo 4, however Cortana has already succumbed to rampancy and shut herself down. Before doing so, she kept logs of her thoughts and memories, saving them onto the chip she’d faded from long ago.
These recordings would chronicle her decent into madness while Chief is left alone to deal with his conflicts both internal and external. She guides him as he explores through gathered information and insightful musings about the nature of humanity, heroism, etc. recorded before her end.
“I pushed my grief to the depths of my mind as I had done many times before, focusing only on the mission at hand. What I didn’t know was that I’d end up faced with the realities of losing family, and that I’d be forced to finally wake up.”