DISCLAIMER: I do not own A Certain Scientific Railgun or Halo

"Onee-sama..." Kuroko muttered, sitting on the edge of the bed as she looked down at the sleeping brunette, her hand on the girl's cheek. This new world they were in now was a dangerous, frightening one. Mikoto, her precious Onee-sama, had fought to protect them and had come back hurt and unconscious, with a scar etched into her skin.

If Mikoto had been killed... what would Kuroko have done?

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she leaned over and cradled Mikoto's head in her arms. "Onee-sama... Onee-sama...!" Why won't she wake up...? How long will she sleep...?

Why did... why did she let her go...!? She should have stayed with her! They're partners! Together forever and ever...

But...

She had failed to protect her Onee-sama...

"I..." Kuroko sniffled, holding Mikoto tight. "Kuroko will protect you, Onee-sama..." She hugged her cheek to Mikoto's own, the tears staining the brunette's skin. "I... I'll protect you...! S-so, please, wake up...!"

The explosion sent the two Jackals flying off the ledge, their screams dying in the sounds of the firefight below. Kuroko appeared on the edge of the ledge, crouching down as she looked over what remained of the Covenant's line. "Uiharu, was that the last of them?" The teleporter, adorned in ODST armor, asked over the radio.

"Yes, Shirai. I'm highlighting new targets on the HUD; Covenant fortifications. Take them out as quickly as possible."
"Understood. I'm moving now."

Kuroko teleported into the air, looking out over the battleground below as new waypoints appeared on her HUD. She was out here alone, fighting without Mikoto by her side and with Uiharu giving her support from back at the safety of the base.

Just how it should be.

She knew Mikoto would have to fight like they all would; but, as much as possible, she could fight in her place, so her Onee-sama wouldn't get hurt like that again... And, when Mikoto has to fight, Kuroko will be by her side. She'll protect her! All of them! She won't let any harm come to her Onee-sama or her friends!

With her mind set, Kuroko pulled the pin off of another grenade.

She failed.

Again.

Mikoto, Saten... they're gone...

Gone!

They won't let her leave; they won't let her rescue them! The Covenant is attacking the city... And she still has to make sure Uiharu is safe, so she has to trust in her Onee-sama... But, she can't think straight... What's the point of all of this? What difference does it make? This isn't their home... this isn't even Earth!

It's just... some planet...

The red minor stood across from her, breathing heavily as Kuroko panted. The teleporter was crouched down on the floor, three needles held in between her fingers. Their eyes locked, and neither moved to attack. Instead, the elite slowly bent down and picked his sword up, placing it back onto his thigh. Without a word between them, he stepped back and jumped off of the Scarab, keeping his eyes locked with hers until he was out of sight.

Kuroko stood up, placing the needles back onto the magnetic plate. Something was different about that elite, but she didn't care. Right now, all she cared about was her friends... and Mikoto.

Nakra 'Losonaee watched the flames rising into the air from atop a tall building, his hand grasping the hilt of his sword. His gaze shifted to the battered remains of the human battalion, and he zoomed in with his HUD to spot the young human he had just fought. Today, he had found a promising warrior, like many others before her.

But just how worthy of a warrior was she?

He would soon find out.

"Shirai?" Kazari asked, walking up to the table the girl was sitting at. Shirai spared her a small glance but didn't say anything. She turned back to her food, but didn't do anything more than poke at it with her fork. Kazari sat down beside her, reached over, and took ahold of her hand. "Are you thinking about Misaka and Saten?"

"Yeah..." Shirai muttered, and Kazari barely caught it.

Kazari's hold firmed and she gave the redhead her best smile. "Shirai, I'm absolutely sure Misaka and Saten will come back alright! Misaka will make sure of that!" Her voice was cheerful and optimistic, and her smile genuine. "You just have to trust in them! In her."

"Yeah." Her voice was without life, and Kazari's smile fell off of her face. The teleporter silently stood up, grabbed her tray, and walked away without another word, giving her tray to the next marine that walked by.

Kazari watched her go, and then looked down into her cup of coffee, her eyes turning somber.

"Saten..."

A tear fell into the cup.

Who would she choose? Her friend, the one her eyes tell me she cares so much for? Or a group of strangers she has never seen before, but who her brothers and sisters fight so hard to protect? Nakra held his blade at the edge of the girl's neck, waiting for the warrior's arrival. Today he would find out. He would find out if she was the warrior he was looking for.

If she wasn't, her blood would justify theirs; and, if she was, he would be forced to spill the blood of this one... and then fight to the end.

No matter how it ended, more than one would die today.

Kuroko sat there in a daze, Uiharu yelling her name as the girl shook her shoulders, trying to snap her out of it. But all she could see were the faces of the dead or dying; all she could hear were their cries of anguish and pain. She saw the faces of the innocent, and saw her friends fighting so hard to protect these people. Just... what had she been fighting for all this time?

What has she been doing...?

Kuroko grabbed onto Uiharu's arms, breaking out into tears as she buried her head into Uiharu's shoulders. She started crying, harder than she cried even when Mikoto wouldn't wake up.

She had finally learned.

"Shirai, do you have eyes on the enemy division?"
"This is Shirai, I see them."

Kuroko stood atop the skyscraper, looking down on the column of Wraiths and Infantry below. There was a look of hard determination in her eyes that hadn't been there before, a look that would strike fear into her opponents. "Permission to engage?"

There was a pause as Uiharu asked the major if the attack was a go. When that was done, she answered Kuroko. "Permission granted."
"I'm engaging the enemy."

Kuroko took a deep breath, grabbed a couple of frags off of her bandolier, and jumped off of the building. Her heart rate spiked as she fell, but her mind remained calm. Calmer than it had been in a long while. It didn't matter if this wasn't their world. Whether what they were doing made a difference or not, it just didn't matter!

As a member of Judgment, as Shirai Kuroko, it's her duty to protect the innocent! Whether they be the people of Academy City, or the people of a different reality!

And she will trust in her Onee-sama.

Nakra placed a fresh clip into his carbine and looked to the disrupted Covenant line. Wraiths were blowing up from the inside out one after another, and they were all panicking, not knowing who was attacking them. But he knew. This is Desecrator's work, and it was fiercer than ever before.

This is the warrior he has been searching so long for.

He raised the carbine and opened fire.

His shot downed an elite major.