What an unlucky day. Kamiyou Touma thought whilst running from a group of goons.
Why he was chased you ask? Because he just couldn't ignore a damsel in distress even if the girl in her baseball jacket and pants looked more than capable of taking care of these guys. But as it stood he always helped others who looked to be in danger.
Which was the other reason he had an unlucky day. Today he had to at least help four other girls with their over attached boyfriends, two of whom had their own gang members and one who was actually a Lv4 Pyrochinesis which resulted in Touma running from goons, again, and trying to prevent the Lv4 from actually lighting up the district.
That happened in the morning.
After that he help an elderly researcher lady reach her office from district seven to five. Doesn't sound like much right? Wrong. He had to carry the lady on his back while running from a group of goons the elderly lady upset with her motherly advices. Seriously what was wrong with the thugs in Academy City?
Maybe it was the fact that it was the city of science? Maybe it was because there were approximately 2,8 million people living here in isolation from the world. Or it could be that it was a given that these thugs as well as himself were just lab rats for the researchers in Academy City. You heard right. Academy City was the largest research facility in the world dedicated in creating and developing supernatural abilities.
That's right, superpowers. Academy Cities ultimate purpose was to create Espers, supermen and specimen alike, with the consent to experiment on them. Therefore children from outside the city were "imported" into the city, hence consent. Yes, the parents of these children let them live in a city were said children were experimented on to create abnormal powers that set them aside from normal society.
You see once these children develop their powers, they cannot return to their everyday life, considering that they are constantly taking drugs and undergo special curricular aka brain massages, it would be quiet understandable that these thugs who still couldn't develop their abilities would lash out uncontrollably. Mostly because they were neglected by the higher authorities.
It just happened that this day the researcher he was carrying just happened to be an elderly women tasked to educate and give consultation to theses "uneducated kids" as he liked to put it.
At least he got that old lady safe, escaped the thugs and made a run to his a family restaurant close by to his house to allow himself a delicious hamburger...but then just had to see another group of punks trying to pick up a girl with short messy brown hair with more than cliched pick up lines. So Kamijou did as he usually does and pretended to be a friend who said girl promised to meet and then they'd make a run for it.
But when he did it, said girl looked up at him with apologetic eyes and sympathetic smile "Sorry but I can take care of myself." He had looked at the girl dumbfounded before panicking when more goons came from the toilet.
It wasn't necessary to explain that they were pissed and started to chance him around town. Which now brought our friendly hero to a nearby bridge, looking around and behind him first before allowing to catch his breath. He breathed heavily his body remembering now that it was tired. Until he heard it.
The clacking of a metal pipe on concrete.
He turned his head around once more, capturing the shadow of a figure slowly walking towards him. Upon seeing brown flocks he frowned and relaxed.
"What did you do to them?" he asked the figure seeing that it was the girl he intended to save in the restaurant and watching how she waved that steel pipe in her hands.
"I thought, maybe I should help you so~" he didn't need to hear more.
"I wouldn't have needed help if you had just played along"
"And miss that incredibly hilarious face when I rejected? Yeah as if!" she laughed, childishly but with a hint of hidden maturity, strange enough for Kamijou but he didn't question her character. More like he questioned her morality.
"I know that you're a dangerous fella, I knew it the moment I saw you. Also that scar is a dead give away." he said, half to reassure that maybe he was mistaken and half out of admiration. The girl however only smiled, making Kamijou wonder what laid beneath that mask of hers. She had short brown hair parted at the side and wore a black baseball jacket with white sleeves, tight jeans and regular sneakers. But what stood out was her face. Or more noticeably the scar that was dominating the left side of her face. It was large enough that he wondered if maybe she had an artificial eye.
"Why thank you, but you are also quiet famous, Mr. I-help-out-anyone -in-a-pinch. You've even become somewhat of an urban legend."
At that he had to scratch his neck "Isn't it normal to help out those who need help?" he asked her but again only received that sad smile "And maybe I can help you too, if you have a problem that I can help with." maybe he was able to reach her.
"Don't need it, but thanks for the consideration." but got rejected instantly. "By the way, shouldn't you get going? The special sales day is almost over and you don't get eggs that cheap in Academy City for a long time, right?"
Instantly he got his phone out to check for the time. Upon realizing that she was right – and needed to buy eggs - he became frantic "Oh sh*t! Sorry but I need to hurry!" he called out to her before turning around and sprinting towards the next shop. She looked at his retreating form in silence and wanted to go back herself when she heard his voice calling out to her "But seriously, if you ever need help, just call I'll try to help then!"
"No worry. No worry." she said back with a smile.
Once he was out of sight, the girl turned around and walked back to the main street "Quite the odd one. At least he was one of the more friendlier Lv0's." she mused walking in blissful silence to her next destination...which would a the small apartment she had rented close to the garden of education.
Until she felt a familiar sensation from the electric grids. She looked at the nearest one closing her eyes to feel and to get informed. Once done, she ran to the nearest curve of Academy Cities personal transportation systems aka. a regular tram. she jumped onto the nearest street pole before reaching for the closest incoming train.
She briefly gripped the side of the vehicle before catapulting herself upwards. Turning in mid-air she landed on top of it. The lights of the night shining onto the city of science. The cities light however greeting the dark of the night with warm and cold speckles reflecting and refracting on any surface and twisting into every direction.
Sometimes she just enjoyed watching the lights of night and city merging and parting while the train she hopped onto speed away towards the more urban areas. Here the only light that shone was from street poles and from the occasional window of an allnighter study course.
Following it's line the train ,and those inside of it, speed up unaware of its newest passenger. However the girl solely focused on what she had felt. Yet she knew when the next curve came. Taking a few steps back she ran towards the edge of the train and jumped into the dark uncertainty in front of her.
No one saw her, yet the night was witness. Stretching into eternity a single spark resounded, cushioned, pushed and soothed the surface of the office building before the girl with her brown flocks of hair smashed into the apartment building with her left fist. Fragments of glass and steel flew into the air but only little dust was formed. A single moment passed before she stepped onward, along the intact surface of the buildings exterior.
To others it might look strange or bewildering, seeing a human being walk vertically along a building but to her directions and senses, gravity and force weren't of any importance. It was a well kept secret.
She walked as if she took a stroll, knowing that sooner then later her feelings would reveal the origin of that presence. In the night sky was new moon, she wasn't used to these perspective yet but she sure appreciated that no one would see her strolling at the edges of what was possible in this city. And she liked the view on the stars she received. But that soon was exchanged for the top of that buildings roof.
She waited for a few seconds to see if maybe she had been mistaken but saw the approaching white figure in front of her. Internally groaning the girl walked towards the figure, who hadn't seen her until they were a few steps apart. The figure was a girl with long silver hair and forest green eyes, dressed in the formal white wear of nuns. The girl had been running from a man with red hair dressed in black who shot instead was running from a green haired man in a white suit firing sword like projectiles at both the man and girl. So the brown haired did what was natural and kicked into the pavement, breaking the ground, and shot debris at the incoming objects.
Once they weer dispersed the ran past the nun into the dark clad figure. The man stepped back when she approached him but he could react fast enough when her left fist dug into his abdomen and send him flying against the green haired assaulter. 'Putting a little more force behind it than necessary' she remarked against herself but stopped these thoughts when she turned around to meet the nun's confused gaze.
Brown eyes met green ones briefly, coming to a stop with a good distance between them, before the brown haired girl averted her gaze. She wasn't used to such honest eyes. They reminded her of someone dear to her. Shaking her head she turned to face the silver haired one with a friendly smile.
"Are you alright?" she asked the nun who took wary steps backwards.
Realizing that maybe she had appeared a little too sudden and without giving any explanation the brown haired one took out both her hands from her pockets and motioned a friendly gesture by presenting her palms while saying the same words as before in English, as she had spoken in her native language.
Seeing the gesture the girl relaxed and gave a weak nod. Once the brown haired saw that she was understood, slow steps were taken towards the nun "I happened to have seen you being in danger from down there, so I thought of helping you." she explained offering a hand, which was accepted, and walked towards the nearest exit on the roof. An eye followed them but its main body didn't move as it laid with spasms in the abdomen atop another.
During their walk both of them didn't say anything, the nun probably had more than enough problems on her mind, the brown haired thought but stopped that train of thoughts when a loud growl erupted. At first she thought that maybe the knocked out guys were chasing after them but as she slowly looked back, the corner of her mouth twitching when another even louder growl was coursing through the staircase. And her eyes landed on the silver haired girl and her hands that tried to cover up her stomach which let out these horrendous noises.
"Are you...hungry"
The nun nodded. And whilst another growl erupted both of them hurried out of the building. The night outside was unsettingly still, worse her brown eyes couldn't make out anyone in that normally overpopulated street. The brunette accompanied the nun as far away as possible from the attackers, from the building and from these spooky streets, to a twenty four hour family restaurant.
"Wait over there, I'll get you something to eat." she motioned to a nearby seat and waited for the nun to arrive there first before going to the counter and placing an order directly to one of the waitresses. The addressed lady smiled and took the order. She did a motion with her hand in which she placed her middle finger against her ring finger and let the pinky touch the thumb. At that the brunette smiled and headed back to the still growling stomach of that already predatory looking silver haired girl. Apparently you should let someone with a stomach growling as loud as a lion roar starve right in front of food.
Once the food arrived, the nun attempt to converse with her "Thank you for coming to my aid earlier, and treating me to such delicious food" the girl nearly screamed with tears in her eyes and her mouth half filled with food. She just smiled and let the girl know that she took it as natural. "Still you took the risk to climb up an entire building just to come to someone's help" apparently that girl had to have seen insane stuff, otherwise she wouldn't have understood why the nun was so okay with the situation she was presented with.
"By the way, I am Index. Index Librorum Prohibitorum." she told her out of nowhere and the brunette eyed her a little strangely.
"Index of the forbidden books?" she let her whisper get carried away since the silver haired one looked with big round curious eyes at her, and while the girl started to continue the brunette immediately shot out her hand to stop her.
"Yep, It's because-"
"No, it's okay. You don't need to tell me why you're here or why you're chased, it's easier for both of us to know less than to know too much." her eyes darkened a little which the nun noticed, then silently resumed consuming large amounts of food without even gulping.
After their meal – though only the nun ate – both of them were out on the street again. "I'm going to lead you to a place that will keep you safe for a while, okay." she stated without looking back, knowing fully well that the silver haired girl was trotting behind her. She got a little angry since her wallet was know a lot less heavy then it should have been that night. But as always the night was just to welcoming and the streets slowly filled themselves with people.
Many who lived here at the place the nun was lead to have lived for a long time in solitude and poverty, and most of them knew that Academy City would purge them out of its borders sooner than later. The people however looked at the brunette with something akin to admiration and honor, making way for her and her company. The city around these parts was slowly falling apart and the same went for the authority which should have kept this place clean. The cleaning robots were scattered around the place, unusable and mistreated as chairs or made playthings by the children unaccepted by the City.
The brunette stopped, in front of her a path filled with orange light. One of the underground tunnels beneath Academy City. Once they were meant to transport migrants from outside when it was established, children without parents or from war zones, but it was left unkept once the City started its own airline.
"Just go that way, it's the nearest refugee center, but please be aware that not all of them are victims of political corruption or have fled their countries. Most of those guys are still green behind their ears and are only out for trouble, those are the students expelled from the faculties because they didn't manage to successfully develop their abilities. There are also many unwanted children. But otherwise they are really friendly once you greet them first." she said with a friendly smile and started to let herself get carried away by the crowd.
"Wait!" she heard Index yell after her, glancing back over her shoulders she meet the grateful eyes of the silver haired nun "You still haven't told me your name!"
She gave the girl a sad smile "Sorry, but you would be better off if you didn't know." she started but stopped when she saw the disheartened look on the girl's face. A smile formed on her lips genuinely and said before disappearing in the crowd "Tell you what, when we meet again, that'll be the first thing I'm gonna tell you."
She was grateful for her rather boring looks, that way she didn't stand out among the residents in District 13. A crowd filled with color and individuality, free from the clutches of the useless scientists who only saw them as genuine pigs from above.
A frown settled on her face when she walked along the crowd and past them, it only disappeared when she got closer to the district where her apartment was. It was just a small flat in a district that would have normally been far to expensive for her living expenses, but a good friend of her got her this place. Really, how did she end up here anyway.
When she arrived at her apartment building, her eye immediately saw that the light in her room was on. A sigh escaped her lips and the frown came back. She knew exactly who it was that trespassed into her living quarters. And when she oped the front door a girl with long wavy auburn hair and matching eyes greeted her.
"Good evening" the girl said smiling and bowing slightly, she wore a beige vest with a white shirt beneath it and a green skirt – the Tokiwadai school uniform – but slightly beneath it one could see the belt with spikes attached to it. The brown haired always wondered why the other girl flashed them like that, but she didn't press the matter.
"Shouldn't you be at the dorm? Curfew is cutting close you know." she took off her jacket and shoes and stepped into the room that was occupied by the other girl. The student stepped sideways, allowing the older girl to come inside. Even thought the brown haired's tone was harsh, the smaller one knew that she just said it that way because she looked out for her.
"Really now, have you forgotten what my ability is? Certainly I could get to the dorms within a few seconds, and thanks to you living so close that wouldn't even be a joke." She said to the older one one eye closed while the other peeked from under the lid. A smile accompanied her words and the brown haired had to wonder.
Not caring that the other girl was there she simply stepped into the room and started to undress while she walked towards the bathroom. Letting first the pullover she wore drop before stepping out of her pants and underwear. The auburn haired girl took this as a token of trust and started to collect the pieces of clothing that the older one left. But stopped when the older girl slipped out of her shirt.
Auburn colored eyes sadly watched the scarred skin beneath the shirt and averted her gaze because it was increasingly more difficult to control her emotions.
"Say Kuroko, could you wait for me after I take a bath? I accompany you back to the dorm. The mistress will understand it if you're late when you're with me." she said as she took off her left arm and entered the bath room.
It didn't take her long to finish her shower though she didn't bother drying herself up when she got out just as bare as before.
The girl Kuroko was still standing where the older one left her, which made her wonder if she had done something again. So she stepped closer and closer until she was in reach of the other girl, her body already dry. And she stood there observing the sad expression on Kuroko's face and how the girl held her left arm tightly.
"Please, don't make that face" she whispered, touching the auburn tresses with care. The girl however didn't look up but held onto the arm more tightly so the taller girl was inclined to push the others chin upwards to meet her gaze. What her brown eyes saw in the others was silent, compassionate, and afraid.
"You are the only one I don't want to see that face on" she said leaning her head onto the shorter girl's shoulder. And was embraced with one arm in return.
"I could never get used to seeing it" the girl whispered against her ear "And it hurts to know that it's something I can't do anything against...I can't even relieve you of the pain." and arms tightened.
She looked down, listened and felt Kuroko's heartbeat. It calmed her down. It was something... different. Whenever this girl said something like this, she didn't feel pity in those words but hurt and pain, and she knew that that too wasn't something she could do something about.
"C'mon I'll get dressed and we get you back to your dorm, okay?" she whispered against the girl's hair and attempt to grab her left arm that was still in Kuroko's iron grip. Where it remained as the shorter girl shot her a glare that froze her up.
"Uhm..."
"At least let me do this." the auburn haired whispered and held the limb against her left shoulder where it reattached. She tried to step back and thank the girl but was stopped mid-way by a tight embrace and the words remained unmuttered.
"If nothing else..." she heard her friend whisper "If nothing else … let me stay like this a little." and she was let, met with a loose hug and a warm hand stroking her back.
The way to the Kuroko's dorm was indeed not far away, to be more honest it was just a block away. It was one of Tokiwadai's separate dormitories. As one of the three most prestige girls schools in Academy City having one or two dorms was quiet a rarity. Normally the bid and "rich" schools only allowed high IQ's and/or a certain level in ability. In Kuroko's school's case the minimum was Level in ability was 3. But that school also had a high attendance rate which wasn't surprising since all those who didn't go would get punished by the infamous dorm mother.
She cringed a little when she remembered the day she first met that woman. The lady was known for being strict to the point of being absurd and always knew if something was going on in the school. And she was quite famous for her neck snapper.
Streetlight barely lit the path, shadows dancing here and there forming grimaces and showed scenes of sadness and pain. But even considering that, the night didn't change and was still looming above them. It was silent most of their way, safe the occasional barking of a stray or the cries of infants in the hospital not far from here. In her mind she thought, Maybe she shouldn't have saved those people, that way Kuroko wouldn't have waited for her and they could have had more time to themselves. But something within her, funnily enough in Kuroko's voice, scolded her for even thinking that It's never wrong to be just.
They walked for another minute and already saw the dorm house. It was a regular five store building with a surprisingly high number of rooms, one of them belonging to the girl beside her. It was custom that each first year had to share a room with a classmate but Kuroko's year was uneven which was the reason why she got into the room of a senior student.
Though she would have liked to catch up with her friend, the brunette knew that she shouldn't be near here for much longer. "You are thinking about some kind of nonsense again, right?" the smaller girl said to her, held her hand and let the warmth seep into her skin.
Sometimes she wondered if her friend could read her mind. She squeezed the hand in hers and mutter to Kuroko to get going. Right on cue the figure of a strict looking lady was passing by one of the windows with still lit light. That's my sign the brunette thought whispering a short "Take care" before she let go and walked away from her friend.
And the night welcomed her.
The younger girl still stood there, watching the retreating back of that scarred girl "Good night" she whispered before trying to make up excuses as to why she was late, and if possible leaving out most about her friend, she would shoulder the responsibility.
Just one story above the auburn haired girl, inside the room where the dorm mother was to be, said woman sat in her arm chair, with crossed arms and an annoyed expression on her face. She looked over the rims of her glasses and watched the retreating form of the girl that had accompanied the auburn haired student.
"A~nd, do you know who that is?" a girl with long blond hair and sparkles in her eyes leaned against the armchair of the dorm mother. The woman just stared annoyed at the girl behind her and let out a low growl. Both of them watched the retreating form of that girl with brown hair, the papers concerning her identity laying on the coffee table in front of them.
.
Misaka Mikoto
Age: 16
Family: -
Note: Extremely Antisocial, Troublemaker
Ability: Lv2 Electromaster
Further Notes: … … …
… … …
Toaru no Railgun
by Sha Yurigami
… … …
to be continued
… … …
As you have probably noticed, this author here really loves throwing out random ideas, even though the author should be more focused on finishing the other stories waiting for completion. For those who wait for me to get my ass in motion, I apologize.
But at least be generous enough to tell me if this story interests you, or if I just chewed on an old idea.
For those interested in a continuation, here something to look forward to:
Accelerator vs Mikoto rematch
Kamijou Touma only partly existing
Kanzaki Kaori in a Certain Student Getting involved with the Magic side (yes you read that right)
Kazakiri Hyouka vs Aiwass
and much much more, except that was what will happen in the first trimester of the story XD
Until next time,
Yours dear
Sha Yurigami
