A/N: Back by popular demand, you sick freaks.
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Mikoto wasn't sure where the rest of the day went, but by the time she came back to her senses it was nearly dark. Her legs had carried her far from the park in the hours she had been lost in thought, running through the events of the past week over and over again in an attempt to think of some way to keep history from repeating itself. Try as she might, she couldn't imagine why Kuroko had been so distant. It was painful and infuriating all at once, and her fingers twisted into her brown locks as she growled in frustration.
Wasn't protecting her friends what she was supposed to do? Was there something she was missing? She'd been growing more and more aggravated over the last several hours as she ran through it again and again. She'd felt such clarity back in the park. Where had that feeling gone?
Around her, people cast nervous glances in her direction, moving to give her a wide berth. Mikoto loosed her fingers from her hair and took a few deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. Maybe she wasn't thinking about this in the right way. Kuroko was always telling her she shouldn't be interfering with Judgment business. Maybe that was why she was giving her the cold shoulder lately. She did always seem rather inflexible on the subject.
The more she thought about it, the more right it seemed. It would also explain why Kuroko was spending every spare moment at the Judgment office. Mikoto felt a stab of pity for her roommate. She must be thinking she'd failed in her duty. That was, of course, ridiculous; no one was more dedicated to their work than Kuroko. She'd have to set the girl straight on that the next time she saw her.
Some of the rage that had been building in her chest dissipated, and she felt lighter, more relaxed. Kuroko wasn't abandoning her. She had overreacted. A small chuckle escaped her lips as she strolled down the sidewalk, feeling a lightness in her chest that hadn't been there for days. Maybe she would treat Kuroko to something nice. She could even get Uiharu-san and Saten-san to help. They would jump at the chance to help their friend.
Her stomach rumbled, and she stopped. The last time she'd really eaten anything was at breakfast, and now that she thought about it she was famished. She pulled out her phone to check the time. It was still more than an hour before curfew; plenty of time to grab some food from a convenience store. Maybe they'd even have those peach teas Kuroko loved so much.
She kept walking, heading in the general direction of Tokiwadai and keeping her eyes peeled for anything that looked like a convenience store. Despite her hunger, she wasn't in any particular rush. It was a beautiful night, after all.
The last rays of light receded from the sky, and as the streets cleared out Mikoto became aware of a presence behind her. More than one presence, actually. A small frown formed on her face and her muscles tensed slightly. Aggravation tickled in the back of her mind, threatening to overtake the delicate sense of ease she had achieved. How was it that she always managed to attract the attention of scum like this? Didn't they have anything better to do?
Mikoto kept her gait steady and her eyes forward, not wanting to alert her stalkers to the fact that they'd been noticed. Slowly, they were closing in on her. The closer they got, the more anger built in her chest, pushing the tentative calm that she'd been cultivating.
The streets were almost deserted now, leaving her alone with the small group that now was only a few paces behind her. There was no sense playing dumb anymore. She turned her head and favored the lead figure with a furious glare. He hesitated for a moment, stopping in his tracks as the grin slipped from his face. But it was only for a moment, and in that time the members of his gang had moved to surround her. His confidence returned and he held himself a little straighter. He stood a good foot taller than her, and held himself with a confidence that spoke of power and authority. Almost certainly an esper, then.
"Well hello there, little lady." He took a few strides towards her, forcing Mikoto to crane her neck to keep her eyes on his. "Couldn't help but notice you were all on your own out here tonight. That's not safe, you know?"
A few of the other gang members snickered at that, and Mikoto bristled.
"I'm sure I'll be fine." Her voice was cool, controlled. In truth, power was boiling just beneath the surface of her skin, clawing at her, screaming to be unleashed.
She'd be only too happy to oblige.
The ring of hoodlums closed around her, and their leader sidled up next to her. He slid his arm over her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. She stiffened, but still restrained the flood of energy swirling inside her.
"Yeah, you look pretty capable." The man began walking, tightening his grip on her shoulder and leading her towards a nearby alley. Mikoto had to fight to keep the smirk off her face. "That's a Tokiwadai uniform right? That means you're at least Level 3, so I bet you can take care of yourself. Thing is, there's some espers running around these parts that you really don't want to run into at night. Even someone like you would probably be in trouble."
"Someone like me?" They were in the alley now, and Mikoto could practically feel the anticipation of the men around her. She may not have been a mindreader, but their thoughts were clear as day.
The leader shrugged as he led her further into the alley, the rest of his gang following closely behind. "Well, I mean you're an esper, probably pretty strong right? It's only natural you'd be confident. I'm a Level 4 myself, but you know even then there's some pretty nasty characters running around. I prefer to rely on numbers. Most of my boys here are Level 2 or 3, and I haven't found an esper yet we couldn't handle." His mouth twisted into a grin and he pulled her closer. "So no worries, little lady. You'll be safe with us."
Mikoto stopped suddenly, and her escort looked down at her with a slight frown. The blood that had been pounding in her ears died down, and the furious anger building in her veins gave way to a new, clearer feeling, and she grinned. "What was that you said just now?"
"Eh? What are you talking bout, girl? Come on let's go."
A spark leapt off her body and cracked against his hand, scorching the skin. He recoiled with a hiss, leveling a glare at her. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"
"You don't understand yet, do you?" She turned and favored each of the men around her with a feral grin, lips pulled back and teeth exposed. The hoodlums behind her had moved so as to cut off any potential escape, and another pair had moved up to flank her. It was a good tactic for trapping prey.
But she wasn't the one being hunted here.
"You must think I'm pretty stupid, huh?" She turned her attention back to the leader, who was looking decidedly less confident, the skin on the back of his hand an angry red. She chuckled, taking a step forward. "You think I'm stuck, trapped here in this alley all on my own." Electricity arced off of her body, curling and twisting, lighting up the dark alley. "Do I really look so defenseless?"
A few of the men had stepped back when she had let loose, and there was a look of horrified recognition in the eyes of their leader.
"No way. Are… are you…?"
Mikoto said nothing, the hum of static building steadily in the air doing more than enough to answer the question the man had almost been able to ask. She took a deep breath, that strange feeling of serenity washing over her again. Maybe this was the answer after all.
The energy that had been building and building ever since she'd encountered that cat in the park thundered in her ears, blazing through every nerve is her body. It was time to let it out.
XXXXXXXXX
"Ahhh, I really thought I was going to find something tonight."
Hands locked behind her head and eyes gazing up at the stars, Saten Ruiko walked lazily down the sidewalk. It was a pleasant night, at least in her estimation. A light breeze blew through her hair, and in the still silence, it was possible to believe she was the only person in the city. It was a fun thought, but rather lonely. As much as she enjoyed the silence, in her heart Ruiko had always loved the hustle and bustle of life in Academy City. The people, the sights, the incredible technology, the urban legends that seemed to pop up one after another, she loved all of it.
Even if she did sometimes feel left out.
She heaved a sigh, stretching her arms over her head. I can't believe it was all a wild goose chase. I even had Uiharu look into it for me and still nothing!
It had been a rather dull week, all things considered. After Shirai-san had been assaulted in the course of her Judgment work, Ruiko had rushed to the hospital to check on her friend. She shivered as she recalled Uiharu's frantic call. Her friend had been rather sparse with the details, and so she had feared the worst. The bus ride had felt almost unbearably long.
Fortunately, Shirai-san's injuries hadn't been as severe as she'd feared. Her relief had been short-lived though; Shirai-san's expression had been haunted, almost fearful. Ruiko had never seen the spirited, hard-working girl with that kind of expression on her face. It made her wonder just what that monster had put her through.
It hadn't surprised her in the least to hear that Misaka-san was responsible for Shirai-san's rescue. Misaka-san always seemed to have perfect timing when it came to those things. Fortunately for us, she thought, with a trace of grim humor. This wouldn't have been the first incident that would have ended much worse without Misaka-san's intervention. Ruiko was eternally grateful to have befriended someone so incredible.
But Misaka-san had been oddly scarce lately. Ruiko chalked it up to the Level 5 feeling guilty about not arriving in time to prevent more of Shirai-san's injuries. Shirai-san herself had been throwing herself back into Judgment work, spending an alarming amount of time at the office. Something was still bothering her, that much was clear, but Ruiko wasn't sure she wanted to confront her about it, at least not right now. The last time she had seen her, Shirai-san had been wearing an almost frantic expression, and had seemed incredibly tense. She definitely needed to deal with what had happened, but now simply wasn't the time.
With Misaka-san absent and Uiharu spending most of her time making sure Shirai-san didn't keel over, Ruiko had been left to her own devices, something which usually led to boredom. After nearly a week without seeing her friends, she'd decided to find something to fill her time, and had even managed to cajole Uiharu into helping her look into a new urban legend. It hadn't amounted to much, but she was still grateful for the distraction.
Ruiko checked the time. It was just past midnight. "Ahhh, I can't believe I stayed out this late! I can't oversleep again!" She abandoned her reminiscing for the moment, breaking into a jog. The sound of her shoes slapping against the concrete echoed through the empty streets. She continued until her legs began to burn and the streets became more familiar.
She slowed her pace, spotting something curious. Up ahead, she could make out someone seated at a bus stop. Her mouth turned downwards in a curious frown. The buses had stopped running more than an hour ago. As she got closer, the figure started to look rather familiar, and Ruiko blinked in surprise.
"Misaka-san?"
The girl raised her head. Confusion flashed across her face before it was replaced by a wide smile. "Saten-san!"
Ruiko smiled. "Haaa, fancy meeting you out here! What are you doing out so late, Misaka-san?"
The other girl leapt up off the bench, closing the distance and pulling a surprised Ruiko into a hug. After a moment, Misaka-san released her, leaving her feeling bewildered. "Nothing much, really. Just some boring stuff, how about you? Urban legend hunting again?"
Ruiko forced a laugh, trying to hide a blush. "Uh, yeah. You know I can't resist a good rumor!"
Miska-san laughed, patting her on the back. "That does sound like you. But why are you out so late?"
Her friend's behavior was making Ruiko feel a little uneasy, but she shrugged it off. It was late, after all; Misaka-san was probably just tired. "Well, you were right about it being an urban legend. I was hot on the trail of a good one, but it ended up being a wild goose chase. I didn't even realize how late it was until a few minutes ago actually."
Suddenly, Misaka-san's hands were on her shoulders, gripping tightly."That's no good! You really need to be more careful, Saten-san. It's not always safe out here at night." Ruiko flinched, taken aback by her friend's serious tone. Misaka-san was looking at her with an intense expression. Concern mixed with anger, perhaps?
"Ah, y-yeah, you're right. I really should be more careful. Sorry, didn't mean to make you worry, Misaka-san."
The older girl let out a shuddering sigh, and loosened her fingers from Ruiko's shoulders. "That's alright. Just… be more careful, okay?" She turned to gaze off into the darkness. "There are some really nasty people in this city. They would do such… such awful things to you."
A memory of being dragged by her hair and forced up against a wall bubbled to the surface of Ruiko's mind, and she shivered, the warm summer air suddenly feeling a lot colder. She'd never felt more powerless than in that moment. If Shirai-san hadn't come along when she did, there was no telling what might have happened to her. She still had nightmares about it sometimes.
She was broken out of her thoughts by a deep sigh. Misaka-san was staring up at the sky, an expression of deep thought on her face. Looking closer, Ruiko realized for the first time just how ruffled her friend looked. Her hair was a mess, and her uniform was wrinkled and stained in patches with something she couldn't identify. She had bags developing under her eyes as well. Ruiko felt her concern spike. It had only been a few days since the last time she had seen Misaka-san, but the change in her appearance was drastic.
Ruiko chewed on her lip, unsure of what to say. In the time they had known each other, Misaka-san had become a very important part of her life. She looked up to the electromaster, and at the same time appreciated the way she treated her as an equal. She did her best to live up to those expectations, attempting to be there when Misaka-san needed her. But in all the time she'd known her, through all their ups and downs, she'd never seen Misaka-san look this… worn.
"Hey, Saten-san?"
Ruiko nearly jumped, Misaka-san's voice breaking the silence that had been stretching between them. "Y-yes?"
Misaka-san turned towards her, and Ruiko could see her hesitate. After a moment, she sighed. "Do you ever feel like… like there's something wrong with this city?"
For an instant, Ruiko's mind flashed back to the day she had arrived in Academy City. She had been so happy, so eager to find out what her esper power was. Then she had been labeled a Level 0. Worthless, nothing. Since then, she had been tolerated, one of the cast offs in Academy City's great experiment. Barely worth a mention. She tried her best, but no matter how much effort she put forth, she never got anywhere.
It wasn't fair.
"I…" She stopped, trying to gather the courage to speak. When she did, her voice was little more than a whisper. "Sometimes... sometimes I think I do. But I also love it here! I met all my friends here, and I don't know where I'd be without you guys. But… sometimes I do hate how powerless I am. I can't help but feel like it's somehow this city's fault for getting my hopes up." She chuckled. "I guess that's sort of silly though huh?"
"No, I think you're right." There was an intensity in Misaka-san's eyes, something that hadn't been there moments earlier. "This place… it preys on the weak. It draws them, like moths to flame. All the tests, all the experiments. What is any of it even for? To make more Level 5s?" She laughed, a bitter sound that didn't suit the normally spirited, youthful girl at all. It sent chills down Ruiko's spine. "Ridiculous."
The air was thick with tension, and for a moment Ruiko felt almost afraid. But the moment passed, and the glint left Misaka-san's eyes. Ruiko let out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. "Are you… are you alright, Misaka-san?"
For a moment, there was no response from her friend. They stood in silence, and she was starting to wonder just what was going on. Misaka-san had never acted like this before. Was this all because of what had happened with Shirai-san?
Before she could ask, Misaka-san straightened up, taking a deep breath. "Yeah. Yeah I think I am. Thanks, Saten-san."
Ruiko blinked, taken aback. "Oh, uh, no problem?"
Misaka-san stretched her arms above her head. "It's getting late. We should probably get going." Her expression turned thoughtful. "Hey, would you mind if I stayed at your place tonight? It's closer than the dorms, if I'm remembering right."
"Um, yeah it is," Ruiko replied, momentarily caught off guard. "And sure, I don't mind. I don't know if my pajamas will fit you though, and I don't have a ton of extra bedding."
"That's fine, I'm sure I'll manage," Misaka-san said, the bright smile Ruiko had become accustomed to on her face. "Thanks again, Saten-san. You're a good friend."
Ruiko's cheeks flushed, but she smiled. The tense atmosphere from a few minutes ago had all but evaporated, and her concerns were pushed to the back of her mind. "Of course! What kind of friend would I be if I turned you down?"
Misaka-san laughed. "That's true. I can always count on you, can't I, Saten-san?"
"Yep! Now come on, we can have a midnight snack when we get to my place!"
"Sounds great," Misaka-san said, and her face lit up with a smile. "Maybe then you can tell me what crazy scheme led you out here in the middle of the night."
"Maaaybe." Ruiko grinned, leading the way back to her dorm. "But in that case, you're going to have to tell me what you were doing prowling the streets so late."
"Ah, it's a bit of a dull story, actually." Misaka-san chuckled, and Ruiko was relieved to see some humor return to her friend's face. "I guess you could say I was teaching."
XXXXXXXXXX
Takuma cursed his luck as he sprinted down the dimly lit alleys, trying to find his way back to the main road. The only light he had to go by was the faint glow of the city lights overhead, and he stumbled past garbage cans and bits of detritus invisible to him in the dim light. That damned witch had shorted all the lights that normally illuminated the alleys, so he was running blind.
There was a flash of blue light from behind him, accompanied by an agonized scream as the girl he had at first pegged as an easy mark took down another one of his gang. The scream cut off abruptly and he shuddered, trying to ignore the memory of her lashing out with a fury he could never have imagined on such a frail looking girl.
Half of his gang had been down before any of them knew what was happening. One moment she was standing there with that little grin on her face, and the next the entire alley was alive with coiling blue snakes of deadly power. His men had scattered as soon as the screaming started, and she'd picked them off with a cool, terrifying efficiency. Bolts of lightning had leapt from her fingertips, shattering the air and leaving her victims convulsing on the ground, clothing singed and smoking. Their silence chilled him even more than the screams.
He tripped over an empty box, crashing to the ground in a heap. "Fuck!" His hands bled from several small scrapes, but he paid them no mind and stumbled back to his feet. He hadn't seen a trace of the girl for a few minutes now, but something told him she was still out there, coming for him. There had been something in her eyes, something alien and dangerous. It was like staring into the heart of a storm.
He'd never felt so powerless in his entire life.
The lights flickered, and he bit back another curse. She was definitely around here somewhere. That girl, Tokiwadai's Railgun. It had to be her. A girl wearing Tokiwadai's uniform, an electromaster with that kind of power? There could be no doubt. He just wished he'd noticed sooner.
The flickering lights died again, and the alley seemed even darker than before. Takuma slowed, breathing heavily, and tried to take stock of his surroundings. After a moment, he was able to make out a little of where he was.
The alleys in Academy City could be like mazes, splitting off in every direction with no outlet back onto the street. They were supposed to be used primarily by the cleaning bots, but people inevitably used them as shortcuts. It wasn't uncommon for those unfamiliar with them to get lost for hours at a time.
Fortunately, Takuma was rather familiar with this particular set of alleys, and now that he'd managed to calm down a little, he had a pretty good idea of where he was. Now he just needed to hope that bitch of an electromaster had managed to get herself lost somewhere behind him.
The sound of panicked footsteps broke his concentration, and his head snapped up just in time to see a large shape emerge from the darkness. He could just make out the panicked face of one of his men before the man crashed into him, sending them both tumbling to the ground.
The man screamed and Takuma had to wrestle himself free. "Toushi! Get the fuck off me you fat bastard! What are you doing?!"
"T-Takuma-san? Is that you, Boss?"
Takuma managed to shove the heavier man off and get back to his feet. "Yeah, it's me. What the hell do you think you're doing?" His eyes searched nervously in the darkness, looking for any trace of Toushi's pursuer. He took a few deep breaths as Toushi struggled back to his feet. In the darkness, Takuma could just barely make out the terrified expression on his face.
"W-we gotta get outta here! She's coming, she was right behind me when she got Shinji!" Toushi was clinging to him, shaking like a leaf. Takuma had always pegged the man as a bit easy to scare, but he'd never seen him this shaken up, and it was starting to bring his own fear back to the surface.
"Just calm down!" He grabbed Toushi by the collar, pushing him back. "What happened to Shinji?"
Toushi shook his head. "I-I don't know exactly, I didn't see. But the way he screamed… and the smell… h-he's gotta be dead, t-there's no way, Boss, we gotta get outta here now!"
"Look, we're gonna be fine. Just get your shit together and-"
Before he could finish, something whistled out of the darkness trailing blue sparks. Almost as if in slow motion, Toushi began to turn, eyes wide with panic. Before either of them could react, it slammed into Toushi's back with a sickening crunch. His eyes bulged and his mouth opened in a silent scream as his body folded unnaturally. Takuma watched with horror as the large man crumpled to the ground without a sound, his lower body limp and twisted.
Whatever had hit Toushi fell to the ground with a clang, and Takuma felt the impact in the soles of his feet. Toushi writhed on the ground, saliva dripping from his mouth as his body twisted and turned.
Takuma's blood ran cold when he realized Toushi's legs weren't moving.
"S-shit." His legs shook and he stumbled back. Toushi was still moving, looking up at him with pleading eyes. Takuma didn't know what to do. There was no way he could help him. Even if he could manage to carry Toushi, there was no way they'd get away. A low groan that turned to a whimper passed through Toushi's lips. His hands scrabbled against the ground, but it was obvious he wasn't going anywhere.
Blue light, blinding in its intensity and shrieking with fury, illuminated the alley. The lights snapped back on, surging with energy, and Takuma had to shield his eyes. He grit his teeth and took a few more staggering steps backwards. His whole body felt numb, and the hair on his arms and neck was standing on end.
Is she doing this? It was a terrifying thought. There was so much energy in the air, more than he would have thought possible for one person to control, and it was making it nearly impossible for him to move. Fuck! I've gotta do something or she'll get me too!
Takuma began to gather his strength, preparing to make a break for it. His muscles tensed against the oppressive force of the electricity in the air. Then, as suddenly as it had started, the surge of energy disappeared. He stumbled forward and fell to his hands and knees, the sudden loss of resistance making him overcompensate and lose his balance.
The sudden silence was almost eerie, and for a moment Takuma was overcome by the frantic hope that the girl had decided to leave. Maybe she thought that attack had been enough to get both of them?
The light show had made his vision rather spotty, and he blinked as he pushed himself back to his feet. His clothing was singed, but overall he was unharmed. He shook his head, trying to get rid of the lights dancing in front of his eyes.
His vision returned just in time to catch a bright flash. He was struck in the chest by a bolt of lighting and flung backwards down the alley, a scream tearing its way out of his throat. It felt like someone had shoved liquid fire straight through his sternum. He hit the ground hard, his head smacking against the concrete with enough force to make him see stars.
"Ahh, looks like I found you, Leader-san." The voice cut through the haze of pain and Takuma stilled, blood turning to ice in his veins.
"Good thing too. I think you're the last one left." Soft footsteps approached and the lights surged again. There was a horrible screech of metal on stone as something heavy was pulled across the ground.
Takuma pushed himself up on his elbows in time to see the girl, the Railgun, stop in front of him. The thing she had used to break Toushi's spine hovered in the air behind her, spinning lazily. It looked like a manhole cover, and the thought of that thing cracking into his back made him shiver.
"I think it's time you stopped trying to run, Leader-san. After all, you did say you'd take care of me, right?" She looked almost casual, hands on her hips and a bored expression on her face. It was a far cry from the fury that he had seen hints of in the moments before she'd struck. Her lax posture didn't make him feel any better, but his own anger was bubbling up through the fear.
"You… you bitch. What the hell did you do to my boys, huh?" Toushi lay unmoving on the ground behind her, and he recalled the screams he'd heard earlier. This… this monster had done that, maybe even killed some of them.
"You… you think you can just wreck my gang and walk away, is that it?" Her expression remained calm, and Takuma grit his teeth in fury, energy building in his palms. "I don't give a shit who you are. No one does that to my boys and gets away with it you miserable little whore!" His hand lashed out like a whip, light lancing through the air towards his target. He noted her surprised expression with a sense of grim satisfaction before her fist struck the incoming attack, batting it aside as if it were nothing. The beam slammed into the wall, cutting a long groove before fizzling out.
"W-what the hell…?"
The girl shook her hand. "Well, can't say I was expecting that. I was starting to wonder just what your ability was. Never would have guessed something like that though."
Takuma was speechless. No one had ever deflected one of those blasts before, least of all with their bare hands. She was less than ten feet away, how had she even managed to react in time? "H-how… how did you do that?" It should have been impossible. His ability allowed him to focus and compress light and direct it like a laser. What she'd done should have been impossible.
Her lips curled in a condescending smile. "You look surprised. It's not that strange; your ability operate on a fundamental principle that's not too different from my own. I've actually run into this little issue before, though you're not nearly as much of a problem as she was." A thoughtful look crossed her face. "Huh, you know that means if you were stronger you might be able to redirect my attacks too. Guess it's a good thing you're so weak."
Anger overcame his shock and Takuma bristled, his skin prickling with energy. "You stupid little brat, I'm gonna kill you!" He lashed out with both hands this time, white light illuminating the darkened corners of the alley brighter than day. The girl didn't even flinch; the instant before they made contact, both beams arced around her, crashing harmlessly into the walls of the alley. Takuma kept it up for as long as he could, sweat dripping down his forehead and into his eyes with the strain. Come on dammit! Just a little more, just a little more power and he'd be able to wipe that bored look off her pretty little face and then he'd show her who was weak.
The light shone brighter and brighter, banishing all the shadows and blinding him with its intensity. It felt like his insides were burning up, but he didn't want to stop until she'd been reduced to a pile of ashes.
Finally, he reached his limit and fell backwards, landing hard and gasping for breath. His body was covered in sweat, and he felt like he was going to pass out.
"Oh? Is that it then? I'd really expected a little more from a Level 4." Takeru grit his teeth and glared at the unscathed electromaster. That had been everything he had, and she'd shrugged it off like it was nothing.
She resumed her casual stride, closing the distance between them. Her hair didn't even look ruffled. "I mean, I have some friends that are Level 4, and they all could kick your ass easy. Really, are you sure you're not Level 3?"
A growl tore its way out of Takuma's throat. "Fuck you!"
There was a crack of thunder, and suddenly he was staring up at the sky. He could hardly breath, and the smell of something burning stung his nostrils.
"That wasn't very nice." The girl planted her foot on his chest and glared down at him. The bored expression she'd been wearing since beginning her attack was gone, replaced by a mad gleam that terrified him more than anything he had seen from her yet. There was something truly, terribly wrong behind those brown eyes.
"You know, I was thinking. I really was just going to scare you lot off. Send you scurrying home with your tails between your legs like I usually do. But then it occurred to me: if not me, then you'd just find some other girl, right? I'm not stupid, I know what you were thinking." Her face twisted into a snarl, and something floated over her shoulder. Takuma's eyes widened in recognition, and his heart thundered in his chest.
Lightning coiled around her, and her whole body seemed to tense for a moment before she let out a breath, her expression calm once again as the electricity dissipated. "I know what you were thinking. So I thought rather than just putting you in your place, I'd teach you a lesson you'd never forget."
Faster than Takuma could blink, the heavy metal disk hovering behind the girl shot forward, slamming into the ground hard enough to crack the concrete. Takuma stared, terror-stricken, out of the corner of his eye. A few more inches to the side and his head would have been cracked open like a coconut. A vision of his head, split in two and leaking blood and other, more vital things flashed in his mind's eye, and he whimpered.
"I pulled this off one of the manholes near where I dealt with most of your crew." The disc groaned as it was levitated back into the air, floating in slow circles around the electromaster. "You know, they're actually not all that magnetic. It takes a fair bit of control just to do this. Of course, at my level it's not a problem. It is rather heavy though."
Takuma barely had time to register the glint in her eyes before she sent the disc crashing down with a flick of her wrist.
For a moment, everything seemed to stop. He saw the world in almost crystal clarity, but his eyes were locked, wide and disbelieving, on where the edge of the disc had slammed into his wrist. That frozen moment seemed to last an eternity, but then it was gone and with it came the pain.
"Gaaah!" His screams echoed off the walls, breaking the silence. The electromaster took a step back, pulling her foot off his chest and watching as he writhed in agony. Tears spilled from his eyes and saliva dribbled from the corners of his mouth as he clutched at his shattered wrist with his good hand. Blood gushed from the torn flesh and ruptured veins, and white shards of bone jutted out of the skin.
The disc was pulled back, and Takuma was able to see the full extent of the damage. He whimpered as the pain seemed to increase in intensity. His wrist had been completely crushed. The edge of the disc had almost completely severed his hand, a few strands of skin and muscle all that was keeping the appendage attached.
"I did say it was heavy, didn't I?" Takuma's eyes rolled towards the teasing voice. The electromaster grinned down at him, the manhole cover floating behind her. Bits of skin and blood still clung to its edge, and that more than even the pain surging through him made his stomach twist. She sauntered towards him, bringing the disc to hover over her hand with a gesture. "Well? Have you learned your lesson yet?"
Takuma bit back the bile rising in his throat. His eyes burned with fury as he stared up at the little bitch that had ruined his hand. "Y-you bitch… I swear… I'm gonna fuckin'... kill you."
The girl's grin twisted into a frown. She knelt down next to him, fixing him with a glare. "You know… that really wasn't the answer I was looking for." There was another flash, dimmer this time, and Takuma shrieked. His mauled hand shuddered, the fingers twitching involuntarily as the exposed nerves were cooked by the lightning leaping from her palm.
His fingers kept twitching even after the lighting cut off, yet all he felt now was the burning pain radiating up his arm. Takuma gasped for air and tried to ignore the smell of his own roasting flesh.
She stood, and the disc swung around, rotating on its edge and swinging like a pendulum, ever lower. "So. I guess that means you're ready for round two."
Takuma was ready for it this time. The second she moved her hand, he rolled, biting back a scream as his broken wrist protested at the motion. Good God it fucking hurt. The disc slammed into the concrete inches from where his knee had been half a second earlier, and he struggled to push himself through the pain and to his feet.
"Ah ah, no running!"
Every single one of his muscles tensed as a tremendous shock racked his body, sending him back to the ground. His body fell on top of the mangled mess of his right wrist, and stars exploded in his vision and white hot pokers of pain lanced through his arm. The pain was so intense he didn't even manage a scream, his mouth open in silent agony.
Soft laughter broke through the cocoon created by his pain. Takuma craned his neck until he could just barely make out the silhouette of the electromaster standing behind him, hands on her hips. His stomach did a flip at the expression on her face. Her grin shone with a mad light that pierced the veil of agony around his mind and filled him with terror.
"I really wish you wouldn't try to run away when I'm in the middle of trying to reform you." She paused for a moment and giggled. "Heheh, sorry, I guess you probably didn't find that all that funny, huh?"
It was becoming difficult for Takuma to see straight, let alone listen to the electromaster. She sounded far away, like he was listening to her through a tunnel. His heart pounded in his ears, and all he could think about was the way his hand lay folded underneath him, crumpled and useless. She spoke again, but this time he could make out nothing but a distant babble. All thoughts of vengeance had evaporated, leaving him feeling cold and empty as blood leaked from his shattered limb. Through the darkness, he could see her, and the last thing he knew before sweet oblivion took him was her hand reaching out to him and the gleam of her terrifying brown eyes.
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A/N: Well here's another one of these. Damned if I didn't have a blast with this one. Mikoto is really pushing against the wall that separates her from the truly insane. Of course, internal justifications are not exactly a hallmark of only the mad, so perhaps she's still treading water. She'll sink soon enough though.
On the theme of justifications, I have to say I don't really have one for this chapter, other than I just wanted to make someone hurt, and Mikoto agreed. She's such a team player. Of course, she can be stubborn too. She's such a good girl. And look! Ruiko is in this one. Let's see where that goes.
In the interest of not being boring, I tried to give this one some interesting visuals. I doubt our friend here will garner as much sympathy as poor dog, but, well, not everyone Mikoto disables can be an adorable little kitty. Really though, the cat got off easy.
As always, your reviews are much appreciated, especially for a story like this where reaction is the name of the game. I love you all.
I mean it.