DISCLAIMER: I do not own A Certain Scientific Railgun or Halo
A/N: Whether than just Ruiko's trailer, this is pretty much half Ruiko and half Jul. After I wrote it, I wasn't sure about it as "Ruiko's Trailer" (not referring to the title), but after thinking about it as part of it's Ruiko and part of it's Jul, it looked better to me.
So, here we go.
Important A/N at the bottom...
I want to do something; whatever I can do. I don't want to be a burden; I want to help my friends! So, I have to do this. I'm not going to quit! I'll keep training until I'm tougher than these marines!
Ruiko forced herself to keep going, sweat rolling down her body as she ran another lap. She had been at it for awhile now, and she was panting for breath, but she wasn't going to quit now. Her legs were on fire, but she only had to do a little more.
I have to keep running.
So, one more lap!
She finished the lap, but she didn't stop.
I need to build up my stamina.
I have to keep up with everyone else!
Just one more lap...!
She couldn't keep going after this one, but she made it to the end, where Lieutenant Wayne and Corporal Maverick were waiting for her. She didn't collapse, but she was bent over and holding onto her knees, panting for air. "Never seen someone run so hard before, except during a retreat." Wayne joked in English, tossing her a water bottle. She barely caught the bottle, and took a few sips from it, careful not to drink too much too fast.
After she had a little, Ruiko tossed it back and stood up, taking her helmet off and handing it over.
She had been running in full gear.
"I'm ready for target practice." She told Maverick.
"You don't want to rest first?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't have time for that." She said, walking past him and heading for the range, her mind made up.
I'm not going to back down from this. I'm going to give it my all!
"Who's in charge?" A marine asked, looking around at the others with him, including Ruiko. "Blair, you're the highest rank here with the most time, right? That makes you in charge."
The other marine shook his head, his eyes cast to the ground. "I'm only a private first class. Besides, I... I can't lead."
"What about you, Kraft? You're a first class too." Another marine asked the one who'd spoken.
"No, no!" Kraft refused, shaking his head.
"Well someone's got to be in charge! We have no idea where we are!" The marine shouted at him.
"Then you take command!" Kraft rebuked.
"I'm only a private! It's the job of those of higher rank to take charge! Your job, Blair's job!"
"I can't lead! I can't deal with that responsibility!" Blair responded, and Ruiko could tell if this went on there was going to be a fight.
"Stop fighting!" Ruiko yelled at them, and all four sets of eyes landed on her. "Our enemy is the Covenant, not each other!" She scolded them, and then stepped forward. "I'll take command." She announced out of poor necessity. She didn't know just how she was going to do that, but they needed someone to do it!
"You're just a kid!" Kraft exclaimed.
Ruiko's eyes narrowed and she stepped forward, grabbing him by the chestplate. "Then you take charge."
He glanced around, alarmed, before setting his eyes on hers. "Y-you're in command, m-ma'am. What are your orders?" He relented, and she released him.
"We're going to find our way out of here. Form up and follow me."
"Y-yes ma'am!" The marines said and grabbed their rifles, falling in with her.
I'm just a kid... How did I get put in charge of a bunch of marines!? Ruiko asked herself, realizing that these men were looking up to (or down to) her to get them out of this mess, but she's just as clueless as they are! She didn't know what she was doing, but she had to do this. There wasn't any other way!
"Get Amerson back!" Ruiko shouted, opening fire as grunts swarmed up through the door leading to the roof that they had come out on. Blair helped an injured Amerson behind cover at the far edge of the roof as she and Kraft laid down suppressing fire. "Kraft, throw a grenade!" She ordered, and the marine complied, hurling a grenade into the middle of the grunts, but Jackals followed up, hiding behind their shields as they advanced.
"Blair, Amerson, covering fire! Kraft, fall back!" Ruiko and Kraft started for the crates near the edge of the roof as Blair and Amerson covered them, but Kraft took a plasma bolt in the back and went down.
We can't hold on! Ruiko thought, but she wasn't about to panic. She had to keep shooting! "Does anyone have a grenade?" She asked loudly, looking over at the two men. Amerson nodded, and Blair took his grenade. "Take out those jackals!" She shouted, and he threw it.
The frag landed with two jackals on the right, who both shifted their shields to face it but got shot in the back by the marines. The four jackals on the left were smarter, and with a bark of command from one of them, they formed a shield wall and hunkered down right before it blew up.
An elite came up the stairs followed by more grunts, and the fire around the marines intensified as the Covenant continued to advance.
I... I failed them.
Ruiko realized, tears running down her eyes as the aliens got closer. But, suddenly, they stopped firing, and that's when she heard something familiar. Looking behind her, there was a Pelican dropship with its gun pointing directly at the enemy. The gun came to life, cutting down the jackals, the elite, and several grunts.
The Pelican rotated around, presenting its troop bay. "Blair, get Amerson up there, I'll cover you!" Ruiko shouted, taking aim as the grunts regrouped and started to press forward. One of the two marines at the edge of the troop bay added his assault rifle with her magnum, keeping the grunts back as the other marine helped Amerson and Blair up into the dropship.
"Ma'am!" Blair called out, and Ruiko turned around to see him extending his hand towards her. She rushed forward, taking his outstretched hand, the man pulling her up as the Pelican pulled away.
We... made it?
Ruiko stood there, breathing heavily as she looked down at the ground. "Ma'am..." She turned to look at Blair, and there was a weary smile on his face. "We couldn't have made it without you." He said.
I lost three men... Ruiko thought, her eyes somber. But...
I saved two of them...
With that, she collapsed on top of her knees, relief washing over her.
They made it, despite everything.
Jul 'Mdamaee stood on the bridge of his battlecruiser, his eyes looking far off into the distance. Humanity is a threat to the Covenant, to the Sangheili. Though primitive, they are cunning and use absurd tactics to fight us, even when all hope is lost. They have no honor, and they are stubborn creatures that spread like a plague. How many worlds have we burned, how many have we yet to find?
I never thought much of them; they are nothing like us. I've heard how some warriors start to respect these humans, but I never understood it.
But... Perhaps I do now.
Ruiko ducked down as carbine rounds slammed into the rock, moving to the other side of the rock and taking aim with her battle rifle before firing three bursts at Jul. Five rounds slammed into his shields and he moved behind his cover. She took this chance to run up to a closer rock, diving behind it before he knew she was in the open. As Jul sprinted for a smaller boulder with a better shot at her, she fired another two bursts at him before he ducked down behind the rock.
Immediately he raised up and fired, the round glancing her armor and forcing her behind cover. She pulled the pin on one of her frags, held it for a second, and threw it before he got the idea to charge her. Jul dived to the side as she took out another grenade and then threw it to the right of his new cover, hoping two grenades would catch him off guard. As it sailed through the air, she popped up and they exchanged fire.
Two full bursts hit his shields, but a round went through her shoulder piece and glanced her shoulder. She bit back the pain and ducked down just as Jul noticed the grenade to his left. He barely had the time to run before it detonated, cracking his shields and throwing him to the ground, the carbine falling out of his hands.
Ruiko rushed forward, and was over Jul before he recovered from the explosion. His eyes widened in alarm as she took aim, and he quickly activated his energy sword. The pronged blade was at the edge of her chestplate, and the two combatants stared at each other. She had fifteen rounds left, and his arm wasn't fully extended, the look in her eyes stopping him.
She didn't want to kill him.
Jul deactivated his sword, accepting his loss. The human lowered her rifle and stepped back, allowing him to stand up. They stood across from each other, observing the other, before Jul moved. He undid his left plasma dagger, and took out the memory chip that 'Koramai had given him, and handed them over without a word.
It was her victory. They were her prizes.
He turned around and walked away without a word.
He lost.
Ruiko looked up in alarm as a black armored elite rounded the crate she was using for cover inside of the hanger, his repeater aimed at her. A figure dashed past her, Jul's sword cutting through the assassin's gun. But the elite grabbed his wrist and slammed his elbow into Jul's head, knocking him back. As the elite activated his own sword, Ruiko rushed forward and slammed her plasma dagger into his abdomen, giving Jul enough time to ram his sword through the elite's chest.
"Stay down." Jul growled at her, the two combatants backing up against each other as an elite came from Jul's front, and another from Ruiko's front.
"I no understand Elite." Ruiko replied slowly, drawing her own sword.
He growled in frustration at her English, not understanding a bit of it. With verbal communication not possible, he nudged her shoulder to get her attention, gestured to the door leading to the rest of the ship, then gestured to the enemy, and finally shook his head.
Ruiko nodded, setting her eyes back on the elite in front of her. I know. If they get past us, Misaka will die. She locked eyes with her opponent, steadying her breathing as he approached. I can handle this. I'm not just a kid...
She grinned.
I'm a marine!
They rushed forward.
Jul looked down at the vial in his hand, eyes narrowed.
...Preposterous.
But, as much as he wanted to deny it, he had to admit that that human had made an impact on him. He wouldn't say he respected her... but, he couldn't deny it either.
With his mind made, Jul headed off of the bridge and went looking for one of his Huragok. He had a task for them.
A very... special task.
A/N: Chapter 6 of Railgun has been updated, the first section of chapter 7 was replaced with a more fitting version of the army troopers' section (Jeremiah's surname changed to Clark as well), the fight between the chief and the Ultras was changed (Only six Ultras. It's worth reading over it again, starting where she snipes the general). And chapter 8 was proofread (just fixed a little mishap with the passage of time).
Basically, the rewrite is finished (finally). Now I can continue with the story. Yay!
(Will post a notice in the story soon, for everyone who doesn't read the trailers).
