Chapter 3 is here! Enjoy.

A Chance to Live Again

03

Level 5

"Oi."

I flinched at the sudden noise from behind me. Quickly spinning on my heels, I ended up looking at the face of my 'roommate'. You couldn't really say we were mates, so it'd be more fitting to just call her my 'room'.

Wait, that doesn't sound right...

"Idiot, are you just gonna stand there and block the hallway or are you gonna move?" Her voice was clearly agitated.

"Well," I started, "You could always walk around me."

This was a rather wide hallway, after all. If you were to do so, you'd probably be able to fit at least eight students if you lined them up from one wall to the other.

Her fist rose up into the air, quite white at the knuckles, "The hell did you just say?"

I wasn't planning on resorting to violence, but when her fist enveloped itself in fire, I had no choice. A bluish-white spark cackled from my bangs as I shot a low voltage spark at her hand. I could see her muscles tense up from it, though the fire didn't go away. Since the voltage was low, it didn't take any time for her to shrug off what little effects it had.

"THAT'S IT!" Her flaming fist flew forwards, aimed directly at my face. I responded instantly with an electrified fist of my own.

Neither connected, however, as I found myself unable to move as both our arms were forcefully halted mid-swing.

"What the-?" It seemed that my 'roommate' was having the same problem.

"Now, now," A familiar voice cooed, "No need to fight."

Since I couldn't turn my head to see who it was, the best I could manage was looking out the corner of my eyes. All that I could make out was that she worse black clothing of some sort.

"After all," The girl continued, "The System Scan's coming up in a few hours. You don't want to waste your energy now, do you?" Her tone of voice was a strange mix of commanding and soothing. It was kind of scary.

"Just..." My roommate interrupted, struggling to move her mouth, "Just let me hit her once!"

"If that's how it's going to be..." This person was really starting to scare me.

I felt her grip loosen around my wrist, and she let go of my roommate completely. Her charge suddenly started back up once more, but I was unable to move even the slightest. All I was able to do was brace myself for the incoming impact.

It never came, with my roommate suddenly disappearing from sight and being replaced by the woman in the black suit. Now that she was in full view, I could tell that this was probably a teacher; she was too... mature for a student.

Well, excluding her, that is...

She turned to face me, her countenance carrying a questioning look. I tried to speak up to answer the question that would obviously be asked, but the only thing that came out was a sort of squeak. It felt as if my jaw was locked up, though there wasn't any pain that was usually associated with it.

Her looked evolved into a confused one, followed by realisation as she looked down to the hand that held onto my wrist, "Oh! Sorry," She exclaimed, letting go and taking as step out of the way.

The whole of my previous movement started back up, my fist instantly regaining the momentum it had lost. It connected with air and I took a few steps to keep up with it, stopping about a metre ahead of my original position.

"Heh?" Was all that was heard as I spun around to face her, "Wha... what was that?"

"What was... what?" The confused look returned.

"That! You grabbed us and we froze up completely!"

This woman seemed to enjoy bouncing between facial expressions, bearing a look of realisation once more, "Oh, that."

I waited a moment for her to continue, but she didn't.

"What was it?"

"What was what?"

A spark of frustration rippled across my bangs.

"Ah, just kidding!" She brought up her hands, "That's my ability."

"Your ability?" I repeated for confirmation.

She nodded, "It restricts the muscle movement of anyone I touch. I think the scientists refer to it as 'Motion Stop', or something."

"Motion Stop..." Nothing came to mind when I said the name. But then again, it was a certainty that I'd eventually encounter an ability that hadn't been shown in the actual series.

Since this was the case, I felt a need to learn more about it. Starting with a simple question, "What Level are you?"

The woman placed a finger on her chin, as if she actually had to remember what Level she was, "Level... 4," She finally responded, a short pause in between the word and number.

I wasn't wrong with my guess of her being around Level 4. The ability to stop someone from moving was certainly a strong one, and since she was able to do it with more than one person at once, she was definitely strong.

"Is it active or passive?"

"Active," She answered this one fairly quickly, "I have to want them to stop for them to stop."

"I see..."

"Before you get to asking any more questions, I'd like to know what you two were doing," She stated abruptly.

Knowing that she'd just changed the subject, I inwardly waved good-bye to my chance to learn more about her power.

I hesitated, "Well... I don't really know what just happened."

That was probably the most honest answer I could have given.

She examined me up and down with her brown eyes, "Right. If that's the case, I'll ask your friend."

When the woman turned to where my 'friend' had flown off to, I couldn't help but follow her.

What we had expected was the 'friend' of mine to be standing up by now; maybe even moving, but instead we were welcomed by the sight of an unconscious body. She was awkwardly strewn out across the floor with her limbs in the sort of position you had when starting a snow angel. Except, this was more like...

... Like a pain angel.

I chuckled at my crappy wordplay before receiving a slap to the back of my head.

"Ow!"

"Don't laugh at other people's pain," The woman stated firmly. Her annoyed expression softened and she sighed, "Look, you should probably be heading to class right about now."

"Huh?" I gave her a bemused look, then she tapped the watch on her right hand.

10:59...

It took a few seconds to click, "Ah!" I shrieked, quickly picking up the dropped briefcase and running off to where I was meant to be.

"All right, Misaka Mikoto," The female scientist drawled, "You said that you wanted to show us this 'Railgun' of yours."

I nodded enthusiastically.

After all, this was the day that the old Misaka became a Level 5.

This would be the day that I became a Level 5.

Though, this would also be the day that I first try the railgun.

Old Misaka had probably put in a lot of practice at this point, and I had not even once tried it.

Why?

Well, mostly because I was afraid of messing it up a blasting a hole through something important. I had planned to try it at least once before today, but I had completely forgotten to do so. Until it was too late, that is.

I really hated my memory some times.

The slightly damp floor was cold against my bare feet. Currently, I was in Tokiwadai's P.E. uniform, as System Scan was technically a sporting event. I wasn't wearing any shoes because it was against school rules to wear them next to the pool; even the scientists were prohibited from doing as such.

I took a deep breath, reaching into my skirt pocket and pulling out the sole arcade coin I had. If I screwed this up, the entire storyline of the series would change drastically. Something I simply couldn't afford to happen.

"Are you ready?" There was a complete lack of excitement in the scientist's voice, as if she had seen everything the world had to offer a million times over.

I nodded my head.

"Then proceed."

I moved into the stance that the old Misaka usually did; right arm extended with the body facing the side, and flicked the coin up into the air.

My eyes closed with an intense concentration as a cackling sound filled the air. My brows would have been beading with sweat, but the heat of the electricity instantly evaporated any form of precipitation. I began to focus all of the electricity into forming parallel currents on both sides of my arm.

Opening my eyes, I aimed my arm downwards to the pool and it felt as if time slowed to a stop as the coin reached my thumb.

This is it... I thought, If I screw this up, I screw everything up.

With a subconscious smile making its way onto my lips, I had one final thought before flicking.

I guess I just won't screw this up.

A loud bang, and an orangey-yellow light with water flying countless metres into the air was the spectacle that played out before my eyes.

Huge waves rippled through the length of the pool while the downpour of pool water drenched me, along with any teachers or scientists in the area.

It took a long time for the water to settle, and even longer for anyone, myself included, to react to what I had just done. I was frozen in the firing position. Not because of an ability, but because of the sheer amazement of the destructive power I had just unleashed onto the pool.

"T-that right now..." The scientist spoke with a wavering voice, "What...?"

"I..." Ended up being the only thing I could say.

Probably the entire population of the school had gathered around to find out just what had happened, some wet even though they were nowhere near the pool.

"F-for now," She'd walked right up to me and continued with a tone that just felt out of character for her, "I'll... class you as a Level 5."

"... 5?"

I'd finally regained control of my body, and turned to face her properly.

"With what has just happened, there is no way I can write you off as a Level 4," She too had seemed to regain some composure, "I'll come back in a few weeks with a proper evaluation of your 'Railgun', but for now you shall be known as the Number Six Level 5."

She quickly collected her equipment and scurried off to wherever, leaving me to not realise that I had just become a Level 5.

In fact, I hadn't comprehended just that until I received the card telling me I was the next day, which was pretty sad if you ask me.

When the 'proper evaluation' came, I received an official classification of the third ranked Level 5 of Academy City with an epithet of the Railgun.

It left me happy for quite some time.

I had just taken a huge step in maintaining the storyline, after all.

So, how did this chapter go?

It took so long for me to write it because I just didn't know how to go about writing it. I eventually managed to get it done by basically forcing myself into sitting down and actually thinking about what I wanted to do.

With that being said, I don't know what else I should put here.

See you in the next chapter!