This came later than I wanted it to. School is a hindrance to writing fanfiction, surely. Haha.


Touma sat as still as a stone in the waiting room of the hospital. He was shooed away when he tried to find Misaka after his wounds had been attended to. Apparently, his were not that bad. Just numerous enough as to make him sore for a couple of weeks. Misaka Mikoto had not been so lucky. Her wound was not only a third degree burn, but the force had caused internal bleeding. She had just come out of surgery.

Touma clenched his fists.

He could have prevented this. Only if he were just a little more firm. But if Misaka had not assisted him, would he be dead right now? Would Index be dead? No. It was not good enough. That was no reason for Misaka to be hurt. He could have prevented this. If he were stronger. He wanted to protect everyone from danger. From harm.

He positioned his hand in front of his face. Why else would he have this Imagine Breaker if it were not to protect the ones he loved...Loved. Did he love Misaka Mikoto?

He shook his head and folded his hands together. There was too much else to think about. Stiyl, for one matter. What type of enchantment was that?

Touma flashed back to the image of Stiyl with crazed eyes and his barcode glowing red.

Index. They said that she would be fine, and that she had just inhaled a little smoke. They had put her on oxygen for the time being, and she was asleep.

Touma looked out of the window...shadows seemed to cover everything in a blanket of darkness. The stars shone brightly. There was no moon.


"Ahhhh...where is my precious Onee-sama!? It's way past curfew." Shirai Kuroko, a level 4 teleporter, flounced onto Misaka's bed. "Well now is a good time I suppose...he he he...to take advantage of her absence? Yes...I think it is." She rubbed her hands together mischievously and settled on her bed.

"What shall I do first...hmm? Sort through my Onee-sama's things? Nah." Kuroko brushed that idea away with a gesture of her hand. "I have already done that today."

She got up and walked over to the electromaster's desk. She bent over and picked up Misaka's trash can.

"I haven't done this today yet." She began rummaging through the trash with a gleeful smile.

Nothing unusual showed itself. The usual free Gekota item fliers along with some crumpled papers with notes scribbled on them.

"Onee-sama need a calligraphy lesson. Her handwriting is getting worse!" Kuroko scoffed. "I could give it to her...he he he...and that means more time together."

She tossed the crumpled piece of paper back into the trash and set it down. She turned to go lay back down on Misaka's bed when a doodle caught her eye.

There in the trash that she had just set down was a piece of paper with a doodle...a heart?

"Onee-sama doesn't doodle. Phah!"

Kuroko quickly grabbed the piece of paper out of the bin and un-crumpled it to the best of her ability. Her eyes widened.

Misaka Mikoto had doodled hearts all over the page of notes. They seemed day-dreamy. Something that she had done without thinking. Kuroko quivered with anger.

"Who could have made my Onee-sama so...so...absentminded! This fool is influencing her work! She is mine!"

Kuroko was so furious. She held the piece of paper in her hand with laughable disgust and marched into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Paper still in hand, she marched back into the room to get her things. She slammed the paper face down on her desk and paused. There was a name written on the back of it! It was nearly illegible. But master stalker Kuroko saw the name in a heart beat.

"Kamijou Tou-" Her face grew red with anger. Her eye turned red as well. It would have been like looking into the fires of hell.

"THAT APE! She is socializing...No. SHE IS FANTASIZING?! About that...that...that APE!" Kuroko tore the the paper up with a few quick rips with an evil, yet furious, smile. "She is probably "socializing" with him now. I must protect my precious Onee-sama's virtue from that pretentious ape!" She had thrown the ripped paper in the air, celebrating her decision, hands above her head.

The door opened just then with a slam.

"Shirai Kuroko!" The dorm supervisor barked.

Kuroko dropped her hands and pulled them up into a cringe, or rather, a defensive position.

"Sorry Miss supervisor! I did not mean to be so loud!" Kuroko said with a frightened expression.

"Do you know where Misaka Mikoto is?" asked the headmaster.

"Onee-sama would get into trouble if I said that she had not come back yet. I shall not be the reason for her downfall. I must lie...hehe..."

"In the shower," Kuroko said simply with a small smile, thanking herself she had turned it on.

The supervisor took on a slightly pained expression. A grimace, perhaps.

"Miss Shirai, I know where Miss Misaka is. I am asking if you knew." The usually emotionless face of the headmaster held the pained expression...No! It was sympathy. Something must have happened to Onee-sama!

Kuroko, despite the rules, teleported to the dorm supervisor.

"What!? What is wrong!? What is wrong with my precious onee- With Miss Misaka?! Where is she?!" Kuroko demanded.

"She is at the hospital. There seems to have been an accident in which she was involved in. She is staying there tonight and maybe for a few more days than that." The supervisor paused. "Me telling you this does not! I repeat, DOES NOT! Mean you have permission to go see her tonight. You must wait until tomorrow morning in which I have given you leave of your first two classes."

Every word struck Kuroko like a blow to the head. Onee-sama? Hurt? Hospital? Can't see her right away? Well...that last one was clearly not applicable.

"MY ONEE-SAMA NEEDS MEEEE!" Kuroko screamed in her head.

The dorm supervisor gave Kuroko one last stern look and shut the door. Hard.

Kuroko, knowing the drill, went and sat in her desk and pretended to study. She could almost feel rather than hear the dorm supervisor trying to open the door soundlessly to see if Kuroko was heeding her words.

The second the door closed again Kuroko was outside the building, teleporting as fast as she could to go see her hurt and precious Onee-sama.


After Kuroko left a small creaking noise was heard. The dorm supervisor once again peeked into the shared dorm on Miss Shirai and Miss Misaka. A paper was left drifting that Kuroko had disturbed with her teleporting. She sighed and went to turn off the shower, the door was open and steam rolled out.

"Why did I even tell her?" the dorm supervisor said in an exasperated tone and shut the door on her way out.


At the hospital, Touma had leaned his head against the wall. His eyes were closed and his breathing, even. There was no doubt he had fallen asleep.

Just then, Stiyl walked up to a chair across from Touma, cloak billowing. Despite probably being up longer than Touma he showed no signs of weariness. He sat down with a slight thud.

Touma jerked awake. Then jumped again when he saw Stiyl sitting across from him with his usual bland expression on his face. Stiyl leaned forward.

"Tell me what happened."

Touma, unsure of how to proceed, nervously scratched his head.

"You went crazy. AGGH! There must have been some sort of enchantment or something! I don't know...your barcode was glowing and...and...you hurt Index!" Touma whispered loudly. Stiyl had moved almost silently and held a small a tiny flame with his index finger near Touma's neck.

The red-haired magician retracted his flame, and sat down.

"You must tell me, amateur."

Touma relaxed a little.

"You set fire to my dorm building. You threatened to carry off Index. You set Innocentius on both biri-bi...Misaka and I. You conjured a whip of fire and whipped me multiple times and whipped Misaka, causing internal bleeding..." Touma stopped abruptly. His hands had gripped the arms of the chair fiercely and his teeth were clenched. His expression was pure hate and he looked at the floor.

Stiyl coughed and Touma saw him shift his feet.

"I don't remember any of it..." was all he said.

"You said...you said that you had orders from...lower down."

There was a small evacuation of breath. It sounded as if someone had punched Stiyl in the stomach.

Touma looked up and was surprised to see that Stiyl had stood up. He stood ridged.

"This...this is not good. There are other things in this world...and not of this world that would kill to get their..." Stiyl made a small gesture, implying that he could not find a better word, "...hands on the 103,000 grimoires that Index has stored in her memory."

"What are you saying."

"I'm saying demons are real, amateur. We do not care to talk of them much in the churches. Even one of the most powerful magicians can not come back from a fight with a demon." Stiyl took out a cigarette, and Touma immediately gestured to the no smoking sign on the adjacent wall to the wall he was against. Stiyl hesitated, and put the cigarette away.

"Ano...demons...are real. Really out there? Capable of possession...all that creepy stuff?" Touma said, bringing the conversation back.

Stiyl flinched at the word possession. "Yes."

Touma let out a long breath. There was a whole other side of the universe that he had to protect the people that he cared about from. Everyone he knew was in that much more danger.

"But. I suppose that they are not in any more danger as they were before I knew. Perhaps it is better than if I did not know." Touma reasoned within himself.

"There are some who would say that your Imagine Breaker is of evil." Stiyl spoke abruptly. "I, on the other hand, do not hold an opinion on it yet."

"Evil?!" Touma had yelled this.

A few loud "shushes" were uttered from the direction of the desk. Touma took this opportunity to both check the clock as he walked over to the desk and ask if any of them knew the current status of a Misaka Mikoto. As well as to walk away from the barcoded magician. It was nearly 21:00.

"Misaka...Mikoto. Misaka Mikotooo...Misaka Mi-Ah! Here she is. She is in room 289 sleeping no doubt, so please do not try to find her." The desk clerk smiled sweetly in a threatening way, warning Touma.

"Thank you." Touma said as he backed away. He walked back to Stiyl, who was thinking deeply, and motioned for him to follow. Stiyl broke his normally expressionless face for a small look of confusion, and followed.


Kuroko teleported into the major hospital of Academy City and made a beeline for the front desk. She suddenly felt a pang of regret as she realized this could go much smoother if she had brought her judgement armband with her. She shrugged it off.

"Hi!" the teleporter said brightly to the lady at the front desk.

The lady answered back a polite hello.

"I was wondering if I could get some information about a current patient." Asked Kuroko. "Actually I mainly just want to see if she is here." She gave a small laugh and brushed one of her ponytails over her shoulder, attempting to make the matter seem light.

"Of course. Can I have the patients name?" the lady asked.

"Misaka Mikoto."

The lady made clicking noises on the keyboard as her long, lacquered nails hit against the keys. "Yes, that patient is with us, but visitor hours have passed." She motioned to the clock.

"Thank you. Could I..uh...have the room number, please? I will come back tomorrow but I would like to save some time." Kuroko winced at her own lame excuse and hoped the lady wouldn't notice.

The lady looked at her for about five seconds without speaking, clearly doubting what the teleporter had just said (thankfully, she did not know Kuroko was a teleporter, as Kuroko later notes in her mind).

"Room 289."

"Okay, thank you!" And with that, Kuroko strode out of the Hospital.

It was dark outside, so Kuroko could not see very well.

"Dammit! I should have asked the floor number. I am guessing second floor. Reasonable enough, yes?" She nodded to herself. She focused on a lighted room and prayed that it was a break room.

VSHHH*

She nearly yelled for overwhelming joy when she discovered that, thankfully, it was.

"What good luck I am having tonight." She suddenly grinned mischievously. "All the better to see my Onee-sama. He he he."

She opened the door and peeked out. Clear.

She stepped out and began walking up the down the hall, checking room numbers.

275

277

279...

She was on the right track. Up ahead, she spotted a red haired guy in long black, what seemed like, robes. She became fearful as she neared her Onee-sama's room number. He was sitting right outside her room! She decided that it was best to walk past him and then to turn the corner. She could devise a plan there.


Inside room 289 Touma sat next to a sleeping Misaka in a chair that he had pulled up. The curtain was pulled halfway around as to hide the bed from any curious people from looking in the open door. The door, however, was closed.

Touma held Misaka's hand as an internal battle waged within him.

Did he love her? He looked at her face. His heart sped up and he gripped her hand tightly. He cared about her deeply, surely. But was it love...?

"AHAH!" came a loud voice outside the curtain that had accompanied a whooshing sound.

Touma turned slightly and jumped as the curtain was noisily pulled back.

Shirai Kuroko eyes turned evil. "THE APE!"

Touma immediately recognized her as the crazy girl who worship Misaka. And let go of Misaka's hand quickly.

"Ano..." He began. But was cut off. Instead a powerful force between his shoulder blades forced him to the floor with a loud noise and an emptying of the lungs:

"MMMPHH!"

Kuroko did the only thing that she could think of in this situation. An all time famous of hers: the drop kick.

"You ape! Have you come to steal my beloved Onee-sama's virtue! She is mine! Mine, I tell you! MINE!" Kuroko yelled.

"Who do I belong to?" Misaka said blearly, woken up by the yelling.

Kuroko changed personalities quickly. "Onee-sama! I was so worried! I heard you were in the hospital from the dorm supervisor! What happened! Oh my poor Onee-sama!" She cuddled up against Misaka. And was instantly pushed off by Misaka's powerful arm.

"Get away! Pervert!"

Touma, who had previously been trampled into the floor, picked himself up.

"Onee-sama! Have you invited this gentleman to come to your room." Kuroko demanded.

"Gentleman?!" Touma puzzled.

"Well...no, but..." Misaka began, turning red as usual.

"Then out he-ONEE-SAMA! Are you blushing?!" Kuroko asked.

Misaka blushed even further. Even through the clearly seen weariness she looked embarrassed.

"Anyway, out." Kuroko gestured to Touma.

"Kuroko...you get out." Misaka said simply.

Kuroko's head turned creepily back to Misaka with a fixed grin. "What?" asked the level 4.

"Out. Now. Please."

Touma held his hands up in the innocence position as Kuroko's eerie gaze turned towards him. She marched forward and whispered menacingly in his ear. He turned slightly red as she finished up and she marched out of the room with an air of superiority.

Touma stood in place for nearly a minute after that looking at Misaka. Misaka looked at him. They did not speak.

"Why?" Touma suddenly asked.

"Why...what?" Misaka inquired.

"Why do you...love me?" He became flustered. "I am nobody. With no talent. I am literally years behind you intellectually and socially...and yet..."

Misaka looked stunned. He did not know? He did not know how brave and courageous and selfless and humble and kind and caring and amazing he was. He thought that he was less than her. She was stunned.

"You..." she began. "You idiot. You don't know how many lives that you have saved or how many lives you have helped or touched. Including mine. Multiple times. You cannot disregard all you have done for others and think that you are...less!"

It was Touma's turn to be stunned. He leaned his weight on his left foot.

"I love you, too." He finally said softly.

Misaka was so happy, so blown away. Touma didn't know where that came from. He did love her though. He wanted to always protect her. To always be there for her. He never wanted to see her hurt ever and never wanted to see her cry. He wanted to save her from everything.

Misaka's red face did not waver. "Touma..." she said with a caress. She began to cry. Misaka Mikoto, the level 5 electromaster, began to cry with happiness.

Touma, walking over to her, sat on the bed and put his arms around her.

"Don't cry, please." Touma said, not entirely sure of what was happening. Misaka laughed and buried her face in his shirt.

And there, in his embrace, she fell asleep.


*the Vsssh noise was her teleportation. Thank you all so far for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.