A/N: Hello, everyone! Here's a short story that's been the making for about 6 months. I had the idea but didn't really know how to proceed, but here it is, finally done.

While it's not canon, it was just an idea that came to me. Hope you enjoy!

"Only One"

Location: Unknown Covenant Vessel
1st September, 2552

Noble Three was rudely awaken when he heard something collide with the ground of the cell opposite him. As he attempted to lift himself off the floor, he was met with a jolt of pain running through his chest. He winced just a little, refused to show his captors any weakness, as he glanced forward to see the unfortunate soul the Covenant picked up and tossed into this dungeon.

What separated them was a translucent barrier, which glowed in a transition between pink, purple and white and it appeared as if the colors were travelling in waves. It was normally what the Covenant would use as shield doors or barriers. But right now, it was keeping the two Spartans from each other.

"… Jun?"

"No…" He exhaled, his ribs hurting like hell, preventing him from walking over to the shield barrier. "Six? It can't be! What are you doing here?"

Misha's eyes began to water as she began to walk towards the shield. "Jun… What happened to you?"

That was obviously in reference to the blood seeping from the multiple cuts on his head and one on his right cheek, as well as it trailing from the corner of his mouth. Parts of his sage-colored armor above his waist had been removed crudely, with the body suit torn to pieces and she could see the plasma burns on his tanned skin. It looked as if the Covenant were working on the armor on his legs.

"Well… I think my body speaks for itself," Jun faked a little smile, watching her worried eyes. "I tried to give them a reason to kill me but… I guess they saw the worth in a Spartan." So saying, he let his hand slid down the side of his torso and fall onto his lap. "But Misha, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be with the rest of the team, onboard the Autumn! At least, I think you should be, after delivering that AI."

That was when her hands slid down the barrier and collided with her own thighs. "Jun, I…"

Misha's sudden change in expression meant the worst. "Misha. What happened? Tell me."

"The pelican… was pretty beaten up," She started out, unsure of how to even string the words together to tell him the whole story. He was going to be so disappointed. "Carter was injured but he knew that getting the AI to the Autumn was top priority so..." She attempted to fight back her tears the best she could. "So he ordered us to proceed by foot while he'd distract the Covenant aerial forces."

"Then what happened?"

"A Scarab happened…"

"Misha…"

"Emile told him," She returned to making eye contact with Noble Three. "He told him that we could get past it! But he didn't listen… He said he had enough mass to take the Scarab out with one shot."

That spoke volumes to Jun. He let out a heavy, pained sigh. "I don't believe it…"

"I tried raising him on the COM… Over and over and over again but there was just… static. Emile practically had to drag me to our location."

"Where is he?" Jun straightaway questioned upon hearing his friend's name. The two of them had known each other for years. They would banter and argue but in the end, they trusted each other with their respective lives. Jun had always thought Emile was untouchable so there was no way… no way that he could be…

"Jun," She placed her hands on the barrier again, as if to take his hands in comfort. "I'm so sorry…"

He swallowed a painful lump in his throat as he tried to mask some tears. "No…" He buried his face in his hands. "No, no!"

"I was right there but I was too far away….! I'm so sorry, Jun," Misha began to sob harder. "I'm sorry!"

"Misha, please," He told her softly. "You couldn't have saved him. We're in the middle of a war. Look at me,"

She obeyed, and lifted her head enough to see a single tear streaming down his left cheek.

"He went down fighting, didn't he? Defiant?"

She managed a smile. "Until the end."

"What better way to go than with a warrior's death?"

"But he didn't have to die," She pouted, holding back new tears. "None of them had to."

"All of us are living on borrowed time. We always have been."

"I suppose…" There was some through to Noble Three's words. Yet, why the people she considered her dearest friends? Why them? Why couldn't have fate been just a little kinder…? "I… want to tell you something."

"What is it, Six?"

"I was always ice cold. Didn't want to get attached. Didn't want to feel the things I left when my parents died as they protected me. But Noble… Noble Team turned that around. Reminded me what it felt like to be human again. To smile and laugh. These last few weeks have been the best," With a tearful smile, she ended it with, "No matter what happens here on out, those memories are all I'll ever need."

A smirk came to the sniper upon hearing her words. "That's nice, Misha."

Suddenly, the door to the detention chambers opened up. A bulky Brute accompanied by two more Brute minions stormed in, glaring at the Spartans. "Open up this one." He bellowed at the Elite standing guard at the control panel.

"Hey..." Jun first called out softly, before witnessing the shield door on Misha's cell dissolve. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

Jun was pretty sure that the punch delivered to the Brute by Misha broke its ugly nose. The Brute retaliated with both of his hands to her throat and threw her against the wall of the cell behind her. Jun heard her shrill cry, the stab wounds she sustained from the battle with the Elites back on Reach not having any time to heal.

"Take your hands off her!" With a pained grunt, he struggled to his feet, feeling his lungs burn.

"You have tested my patience long enough, Demon." He finally addressed the sniper.

"You're giving up on trying to get information out of me? After what I can only assume has been a day or two? Your issue is with me, leave the lady out of this." Jun almost growled, taking about 4 steps toward to the barrier.

The Brute already had a grip at the back of Misha's neck, forcing her to her knees, her own combat knife to her neck.

"I said leave her alone!" He ordered with a punch to the shield wall.

"I grow tired of this. You will tell us what you know," The Brute then pointed the knife at Jun, which cause him to stop hobbling over. "Information. Or the female. Make your choice, Demon."

"Let her go! I'll never tell you anything!" He countered, his mind racing.

The Brute huffed quietly, seemingly relaxing his armed arm. "I know."

Misha continued to grimace in pain, especially when that Brute tightened his grip around her neck after saying those two words.

She knew what was coming.

"Jun…! Don't look!"

The Brute ran the combat knife from one end of her neck to the center in a tortuously-slow fashion, with her gasping in pain.

"NO, STOP!" He shrieked, running up to the wall and bashing it repeatedly, whilst calling her name. "Misha!"

Without the Brute even dropping her like he had intended, she slipped away from him like butter and connected with the floor, desperately attempting to cover her neck with one hand while the other reached out to the Sniper.

"Misha, hang in there! Hang in there!" He looked at with the Brute, pure rage flashing in his eyes right now. "You bastard! I'LL KILL YOU! Do you hear me?!" He swore, before returning to the maimed Misha. "Misha, it's okay! It's okay, nothing's going to happen to you!"

But he could only watch as the last of her life ebbed from her eyes before she finally laid motionless, her gaze strictly on Noble Three. "Misha, come on! Don't do this!" Jun was running out of energy with his repetitive hammering on the shield wall and he fell to his knees. "Please don't…"

"Please don't let me be the only one left…"