Warning: Fanfic rated M: for Moody Mikoto. Please mind the rating and genres.
Fall into the Depths
CHAPTER 7:
Kuroko's eyes flickered open.
The gentle morning light streamed in through the open window and brightened the dormitory room. She breathed in the fresh breeze of a new day that drifted through the aperture. The pleasant fragrance of the spring season tickled her nostrils. She blinked blearily, and yawned. It felt like she had just woken up from a very deep sleep. Despite the remnants of grogginess, she couldn't remember the last time she had awoken feeling this well rested.
Kuroko slowly pushed herself to sit up and cringed forward at the sudden pain. Her body was still sore all over from the injuries she had sustained yesterday. A long breath shuddered out like a sigh. She supposed it was only natural since she had taken quite a beating. She had to be patient; her body needed time to heal.
Her back shot up straight when she realised something strange. Why was she on the floor? Kuroko glanced at her bed, just an arm's reach away, and blinked in confusion. Had she fallen off while sleeping? A frown crumpled her forehead. The crevice between her legs felt strangely damp and sticky.
Kuroko stared at the white bed covers with a blank expression as she slowly began to remember. That's right… She had a really strange dream last night. She couldn't quite recall the details, but she was certain it had involved Onee-sama. Her head grew light as hazy memories flashed through her mind and an echoing warmth began to throb deep within her stomach. It had been an erotic dream about Onee-sama. She hadn't had those for a while now; her latest dreams had all been nightmares that she did not care to remember. She recollected the intense heat, that passionate voice, the amazing feeling of soaring beyond pleasure. Kuroko smiled sadly to herself, and pondered over the images her mind had conjured up so artfully. As her friends liked to say, she really must be a pervert; the real Onee-sama would have never behaved in such a manner. It was probably all the thinking and hearing about Onee-sama recently that had produced such an unexpected dream. The sleeping pills she had taken had most likely only added to the result. Side effects were always a pesky thing when it came to medications.
Kuroko breathed out a light sigh, and tried to recall the ghostly touch that had lingered on her skin. It had felt so real. She was startled to find she could remember the pleasant sensations with extraordinary clarity. Her chest constricted as desire sparked anew, and she shook her head to clear her mind. That had just been a dream, although she wished it had been a reality. There was a fresh hole in her chest now, dug out by the truthful knowledge that something like that could never actually happen. Still, whatever the trigger for the sudden dream had been, Kuroko was grateful for it. If she couldn't have the real Onee-sama, an illusory one was better than no Onee-sama at all.
Kuroko moved to stand on her feet and almost stumbled back to the floor. She grimaced. Her burnt foot was extremely sore. She took a tentative step forward and winced when pain rippled up her leg with scorching vehemence. It looked like she was going to be limping for a week at least. That fact bothered her more so than the actual pain. She was never going to hear the end of it from Konori-senpai until she got completely better.
She was about to head to the bathroom to wash up when something strange caught her eye. There were small, dark stains on her maroon-coloured pajamas. Kuroko frowned. What was that? She curiously sniffed at the black patch on her sleeve, and caught a faint but distinctive whiff of a metallic scent. Startled, she drew her face back and stared at it, eyes wide.
Was that blood?
She looked around. She hadn't noticed it earlier, but dark crimson smudges were on the small spot of the wooden floor she had just vacated as well. For brief moment, a sudden image of an ominous grin swept through her mind. She clutched her head. Was that… Onee-sama…? No… No, that had been a dream, a really good dream she had last night.
Kuroko shuddered out a long exhale, and tried to calm herself. She had to think logically. These bloodstains were most likely from her own injuries. Kuroko didn't exactly know how so much of the blood got everywhere, but she figured she had probably moved around a lot in her drug-induced sleep and had fallen off the bed, which reopened her wounds. She checked her bandages. Yes, they were quite bloodied.
She groaned at the mess. She had to clean these stains up before the Dorm Mistress had any chance of seeing them. If that fiendish woman did, Kuroko was certain she was going to receive more than the usual twisted neck as punishment. Even if she shoved her injuries to the woman's face, she doubted they would be received with any kind of sympathy. The dormitory rules were absolute according to the Dorm Mistress, and that included keeping the rooms tidy and clean without a fleck of dust in sight. Apart from a potential broken neck, Kuroko also really didn't want to acquire a week's worth of detention.
She limped around slowly to tidy up the room. She scrubbed the floor with wet and dry pieces of cloth, the dried blood soiling the rags with crimson blemishes. They weren't exactly easy to wash off, and she strained her smarting arms with gritted teeth. She thanked the heavens that Tokiwadai Middle School dorms hadn't been furnished with carpet – she would have really been in trouble then. By the time Kuroko finished cleaning up, almost an hour had already rushed past. She wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead with a sigh. It had taken longer than expected, because her stiff and bruised body had continuously needed intermittent breaks.
'Urgh… I really need a shower.'
She peeled off her dirty pajamas and eyed the burns all over her body. Some of them criss-crossed and formed unusual patterns of angry red on her skin. Had Minami Takeshi's explosions really caused all of these injuries? Kuroko hadn't even noticed some of them yesterday, but maybe she had just been too exhausted to realise the extent of her wounds. No wonder Konori-senpai had been so worried. Looking into the bathroom mirror, she did appear to be an absolute mess.
Kuroko briefly considered going to the hospital, but then chased the thought away stubbornly. She stared determinedly at her own reflection. Going to the hospital was definitely not an option. That would be equivalent to giving in to the pressures Anti-Skill was enforcing on Judgement. She was going to track Minami Takeshi down and finally capture him next time. She had to end these terror attacks for good herself. Kuroko was not going to give up, no matter what.
XXXXXXX
Everything was dull.
A thick grey haze had settled over her vision since she had woken up a couple of hours ago. It was gloomy in the small, dingy room that was her residence. The single, uncovered light bulb that was supposed to illuminate the space had blown out a few weeks back. Mikoto hadn't bothered fixing it, because it really wasn't important. She had that tiny barred window high up on the concrete wall, which enabled her to estimate what time of the day it was. At the moment, only a thin beam of light flared through the opening and dissolved through the metal bars on the other side into the shadows, indicating that it was morning.
Mikoto stared up at the cracked ceiling with listless eyes. The ancient, dirty mattress she lay on sagged uncomfortably under her weight. The euphoria she had experienced from the drugs yesterday had worn off over night, leaving her completely drained. She felt hollowed out. Empty. It was as if something had scooped out her insides with thorough precision. Her limbs felt alienated from her body, and she didn't want to move.
Events from yesterday swirled in her chaotic mind. That familiar face struck by moonlight, contorted by the bliss of synchronous pleasure and pain. Those auburn eyes had enlarged with shock when they had met hers. Her own actions were a blur, and Mikoto couldn't make sense of some of the memories. What had she done, really? She had hurt Kuroko, she was certain. Made her squirm and twist and groan on the hard floor. The sight had been absolutely delicious, too glorious for words…
Ah… What was she thinking? Kuroko was her friend! Her best friend… whose face had scrunched up in a really cute way to stop herself from screaming. Had the pain not been enough for that perverted teleporter? Maybe next time she could go a few steps further… Give her even more and push her to her limits…
Next time? No… She couldn't see her again…! She really couldn't! But she so badly wanted to. Kuroko had been freshly cold and heavenly against her feverish skin. The way she had moved, the way she had felt, Mikoto wanted to experience it all over again. Last night, they had… they had… What had they done?
Fucked. There was no other word for it. It was pure and simple. Lust had hurtled them over the edge and into the realm of endless pleasure beyond. Disgust and desire swelled in her chest as Mikoto shuddered. Why was she thinking such things? She didn't want to, but she couldn't stop. It kept tapping on her mind like an obsessive woodpecker. She lifted a shaky hand and covered her face.
Huh… that was weird. She lightly traced her finger along the edges of her lips. They were curving upwards. Why was she grinning? What was there to smile about? It was really, really weird. She barked out a short laugh.
No, she definitely couldn't see Kuroko again. If she did, she was afraid she would lose control once more. Her friend would only get hurt… and she would enjoy the charming way her expressions would twist…
Mikoto turned over on the bed and screamed into a worn-out pillow. The sound became muffled and she almost gagged at the foul tasting cloth in her mouth. That damned old geezer! What was he doing to her? What had he given her this time?! She clutched at fistfuls of her hair with her hands and pulled in frustration. Her body felt tense all over, her muscles strained with the distress she felt. Mikoto gritted her teeth and grinded her jaws together.
It had to have been that drug; there was no other explanation for it. She had no idea what it was. She wanted to know, but at the same time, she didn't want to know. It didn't matter what it was called; it had felt so, so goddamn good. Liberating. Was it wrong to feel this way? Was it so wrong to want more of it if it made her feel that good?
Her body slumped on the mattress and lay still. Mikoto heard her own harsh breaths resound heavily in her ears. She had to calm down and wait out for this low point to pass. It was always difficult, but she had done this before, a countless number of times. She just had to hold on… Hold on until…
When was her next meeting with the old man again? Maybe then, he would give her more of that substance, whatever it was. Hadn't he said he was working on something even better and stronger? Her grin renewed at the thought. The old geezer was a genius; his methods always took time, but she had to admit he had delivered every one of his promises thus far with impressive flair. She hated his guts, but she was glad to have him on her side. She really couldn't wait for him to get that final product done…
Mikoto slid to the edge of the bed and stood. Using the bedside table for stability, she gained her balance after a few wobbles and slowly began to walk. She wanted to wash her face with cold water in the bathroom. It might help flush away all of these stupid, chaotic thoughts. She just wanted to get some more sleep in peace.
She made her way to the metal bars and pushed open the unlocked door. The place was an old research facility, now no longer in use after the company had became bankrupt years ago. She was at a hidden corner of the lowest level, where traces of illicit activities that had taken place still remained. Something like this was pretty commonplace in Academy city though, she understood it now. The city Mikoto had once loved and protected had ended up being nothing but a shattered dream full of hateful lies.
Kihara Gensei had shown her this place three months ago, when he had finally allowed her to move outside on her own. After being mostly shut away in his personal lab base for more than a year, Mikoto had grown extremely sick of it. She figured he had also finally become tired of her constant, brooding presence, especially after she started causing more trouble for him by destroying his personal belongings. It had been necessary to get her point across with a more… direct approach. The method was evidently effective too, considering how she ended up with the freedom she had so badly wanted. Anywhere was actually better than being stuck in that stupid lab of his.
Even if that place was a prison cell within an abandoned research centre.
Mikoto had moved into this secret base as soon as Gensei had shown her. The corridor she followed now had multiple lockable cells with the bare necessities for a person to live. Years back when the facility was still in function, they were probably used to hold test subjects the scientists had illegally kidnapped for human experimentation. There was a tiny sink and toilet in each room, but Mikoto preferred to use the larger common bathroom at the end of the row. This place was completely empty after all, and the entire place was basically hers now. The old man had given it to her as her hideout.
Since then, Mikoto had explored every nook and cranny of this entire facility. It wasn't exactly big, but she had found some interesting tools and machinery. Some of them she had no idea what they had been used for, but her mind could conjure up some creative ways they could be utilised on humans. When she was bored, she destroyed these objects for entertainment. It was rather pleasant to see Academy City's expensive equipment crumble and break to pieces under her wrath.
Every night, she returned to that particular small cell she now called home. It was the room she had selected out of the others, and it was her personal sanctuary. She could find comfort nowhere else.
Tiny squeaking sounds brought her out of her thoughts. Mikoto stalled with a smile. She crouched down next to a small metal enclosure that had been set on the ground. Her shadow loomed over the five black rats inside. They huddled together in alarm and stared up at her with beady eyes. She had stolen them from the researchers in Gensei's main lab, and she liked to think she had rescued them from a terrible fate. Now they were here, safe in their cosy cage along with her. They probably worshipped her as their hero.
Mikoto's smile grew wide at the thought as she poked a finger between the bars.
"Hey, how's it going?"
A spark of electricity flared from her fingertip and the rats scattered with high-pitched sounds of fright. One got hit by the blue tendril and fell, its tiny body convulsing. Her eyes lit up as she observed how its whiskers and paws twitched frantically.
"Don't worry, I'll look after you. I'll make sure those sick scientists never touch you again."
She had promised herself she would protect everyone. Saving these rats had been a good start. She dug out a half-squashed cashew snack bar from her pocket and unwrapped it. Taking a single bite for herself, she threw the rest of it into the cage. The rats scuttled away. One brave rodent sniffed at it curiously and began to nibble. Soon after, the others followed suit. Mikoto stared as she chewed and swallowed the stale-tasting food in her mouth. It was kind of gross. After losing her sense of smell months ago, her sense of taste had become slightly warped as well. It was more obvious with certain types of food, because particular flavours weren't the same as they used to be. Still, the fact that her gustatory sense remained intact was something she was grateful about.
Mikoto stood back up and resumed her slow progress to the bathroom. She had nothing scheduled today, so maybe she could kill off some time with entertainment. She wondered what she should do. Play with her rats? Destroy some more equipment? Go hunting for idiotic delinquents? Perhaps she could knock out another facility. Which one should she target this time around? She would have to check the records again for any newly established ones that might have popped up since last time…
Mikoto suddenly stopped, staring at her bloodstained shoes. Ah…
She had killed Takeshi-kun yesterday; she had almost forgotten. A frown crumpled her forehead as she chewed her lower lip anxiously. What was she going to do now? Even amongst espers who were into shady business, it was hard to find a willing thug who was as capable as he had been. Mikoto's promises of hefty monetary sums had originally attracted many potential candidates, but all of them had bolted from the job once they realised who they were dealing with. It was often a pain, that her reputation preceded her.
Mikoto shook her head and continued on her way. She now wished she hadn't made Takeshi-kun kick the bucket. Damn that Gensei. She blamed him and his drugs for her loss of good judgement. Of course, she could always do the work herself, but where was the fun in that? Besides, she really didn't want the old man finding out about her recent hobbies. It was nice to be able to move around the way she wanted for a change; she didn't want him taking that freedom away from her again.
She finally stepped into the bathroom and turned on the rusty tap of the sink, allowing the water to gush out. Mikoto caught the liquid in her open palms and washed her face. She spluttered and shivered at the refreshing, icy sensation. That was better, she felt like she could think more clearly now.
Mikoto wiped her face with an arm and looked up. As usual, her eyes met with her reflection's on the cracked mirror. Fragments of herself twisted in her vision, and her palms curled to fists. She looked a mess. Strands of her brown hair stuck out, and there were dark circles around her dull eyes. Thin scratches ran across parts her skin. The fractured pieces of her reflection snarled back with bared teeth. Her shoulders shook as Mikoto fought to control the urge to smash in the shattered glass again. She had already abused the mirror enough, and bore the scars on the back of her hands as proof.
Tearing her eyes off the mirror, she leaned forward onto the sink and stared at the drain without really seeing it. Her shoulders heaved. What was she doing? How had it come to this? Everything had spiralled downwards since that nightmare, and one horror had led to another. If she really thought about it though, all of it was very much her own fault. If she hadn't given those bastards her DNA map when she was younger, none of this would have happened.
She really hated herself.
Memories from the past kept haunting her.
XXXXXXX
"Who exactly is the ring leader of this twisted project?! Tell me where they are hiding!"
Mikoto stood over a fallen scientist, her expression clouded in anger. The others had already fled the burning site, but Mikoto had managed to corner this woman for questioning before she could escape. There was a nametag on her white lab coat, which read "Kimoto Naomi". Mikoto didn't really care who she was, as long as she gave her the answers she wanted.
It appeared she had caught the wrong person to intimidate though. While the woman named Naomi looked a little unnerved, she glared back at Mikoto with a defiant expression on her squarish features.
"I'm not telling you anything, Railgun," she said firmly.
Mikoto gritted her teeth. She lifted a hand, and tendrils of electricity sparked from her fingertips.
"I'm running out of patience, Kimoto-san," she seethed out her name like an insult between clenched jaws. "Tell me what I want to know now, or I'll burn you to a crisp."
Naomi only smiled wryly. She made a zipping motion across her mouth with a hand. The action caused Mikoto's fury to double. She was in no mood for games after everything she had gone through. She had spent the last sleepless three weeks hacking into and destroying facilities to no avail. Even her plans to sabotage the Tree Diagram had gone awry after finding out it had already been destructed by an unknown cause. No matter what she did, the horrible Level 6 shift experiment involving her clones kept continuing. It was evident the project was supported by someone extremely powerful, but she needed to know who it was in order to confront them directly. The information was heavily guarded, and Mikoto was no closer to finding out the answer than she had been when she first began on this quest.
"I'm not kidding around!" Mikoto shouted. "Give me the answers!"
Lightning burst forth from her outstretched hand and whipped through the woman. Naomi screeched and thrashed on the ground. The ghastly sound and the acrid smell of burning skin made Mikoto's stomach churn. This was more current and voltage than the usual she ever used on a powerless non-esper, but she told herself she had no choice. This scientist was pushing her, and desperate situations called for desperate measures.
The last crackles of electricity died away and the woman slumped, breathing hard. The edges of Mikoto's eyes tightened. The woman pushed herself up to a sitting position with shaky arms.
"Do you get it now? Cough up what you know if you want to live!"
Naomi suddenly laughed. The sound was so startling that Mikoto almost stepped away. She felt cold sweat drip down her back. Were all scientists this crazy? Maybe they were; she was yet to meet a single scientist who retained their sanity. Mikoto shivered at the numbing sound of Naomi's misplaced amusement resonating between the walls of the corridor.
As her laughter died away, the woman spoke with a cunning glint in her eyes. "What do you intend to do with such a knowledge, Misaka-san?"
Mikoto's lips thinned. As much as she hated to admit it, she didn't have an answer. She was actually charging ahead without any kind of plan at all. She had thought she would work out what to do when the time came. Still, she understood what the scientist was asking, because the question nagged constantly at the back of her mind. The most logical course of action would be to wipe the nasty project clean by eliminating the sick cowards who were giving the orders. The greater part of her really wanted to do it too. After all the pain they had caused, Mikoto honestly believed they deserved it. But every time she tried to settle on this answer, something stopped her. The thoughts of a certain power hungry monster who had no qualms about killing kept coming to mind the more she dwelled on it. Her sense of morality hung in the fine balance and didn't know where to swing.
When Mikoto gave no answer, Naomi rolled her eyes. "I knew it," she muttered. Mikoto tensed as she glared at her.
"Even if you do find the person responsible for this project, you'll be able to do nothing, Railgun," Naomi continued. Her mouth curved up into a shark's grin when Mikoto flinched. "You're not willing to go all the way, are you? Don't think we haven't noticed. You've been attacking various facilities related to the project for weeks, but you haven't actually killed a single person."
Her palms curled into fists. Mikoto's lungs constricted as Naomi continued ruthlessly.
"You talk big, but that's all it is. Words! You wouldn't actually ever kill me despite your threats."
Mikoto's fists shook. Did this woman actually want to get killed? She was definitely asking for it.
"With that kind of half-assed attitude, you'll only end up losing everything, Misaka Mikoto."
"Shut up!" Mikoto screamed. Lightning streaked out from her bangs and burnt a hole beside the woman's head on the ground. Naomi flinched, but there was a victorious look on her face.
"What would you know?! You people are the kind of sick bastards who allow the deaths of thousands of innocent people – how could you possibly understand?!"
Sparks sizzled in the air. Mikoto let out a shuddering breath as she tried to calm herself. It would do no good to lose her head here. This scientist was luring her into some kind of trap.
"That's true," Naomi said. There was a vicious gleam in her eyes as she stared at Mikoto. "Let's see now… What number were we up to?" She made a show of intense contemplation before slapping a hand on the floor. "Ah yes, 10,746. We decided to really speed up the experiments since you started bugging us like an annoying pest."
Mikoto's eyes widened. 10,746…?!
She really hadn't wanted to know that. Her sole focus thus far had been stopping the project. She hadn't wanted to know how many had died while she continued to fail.
"You're fighting a lost cause, Railgun. Those clones were made to be killed. Even if you do somehow end up halting the project, they are going to die anyway."
Mikoto jerked away as if slapped. "What do you mean?!"
A wicked grin spread across Naomi's lips. "Their bodies are not made to last – even if they do not get killed for the experiments, they will die within a couple of years. Even as we speak, their bodies continue to deteriorate due to the forced accelerated growth from the drugs and hormones during their development."
Mikoto's expression crumpled. She stared at the floor, her chest suddenly feeling empty. What was this…? Was there really no way she could save them after all? Even if she rescued them, they would just die anyway?! It had to be some kind of bad joke.
"You…" Her jaws grinded. "There has to be a way to save them! I won't give up!"
Naomi laughed again. "Keep trying, Railgun. You might be some fancy Level 5 ojou-sama, but there's no way you can win against the darkness of this city!"
The blazing fire in her veins flared. A snarl of frustration and anger ripped from Mikoto's throat as lightning exploded out like a bomb. Her head, her chest, everything hurt. She heard a long, drawn out scream echoing between the familiar crackles of electricity that enveloped her like a protective cocoon. At least she had her electromaster abilities. Who was this powerless woman to tell her what she could and couldn't do?!
The final sparks faded, leaving Mikoto breathless with heaving shoulders. She stared at the crumpled form of the scientist and felt nothing. Naomi's skin was burnt raw and blistered where the electricity had bit into the flesh with savage fury. There was a slow and laboured rise of the woman's chest. She was alive, but no feelings of relief came upon this realisation. Instead, Mikoto only felt disgusted by her own weakness. The scientist had been right.
The truth hurt.
She battled with herself silently, but she could not bring herself to do it, not when her prey was completely defenceless like this. No matter how she tried to place the situation, it simply felt like mindless slaughter. She damned her own sense of justice, the fine line of morality that held her back.
A choked laugh trickled out of her throat and Mikoto wondered if she got it from the woman. Maybe insanity was catching? Despair tugged at her heart. There was so much pain in there, she didn't know how much longer she could last like this. How was she supposed to beat a project that was backed up by the entire city? There was simply no way this project was going to end… not unless… unless…
The entire city was destroyed.
Mikoto shook herself out of her thoughts as the smell of smoke assaulted her nostrils stronger than before. She swerved her head to observe the bright flickers of flames curl around the bend in the corridor. The fire from all the destruction she had caused was starting to snake towards them. There was no more time to waste; she had to escape from here before the smoke overwhelmed her.
Mikoto turned back and stared at the unconscious woman on the floor. She wanted nothing more to do with this crazy person. If the woman got caught in the fire, it wasn't her fault. It wasn't like she was killing her directly.
'I don't care what you said. I'm not going to lose. No matter what it takes.'
XXXXXXX
Mikoto stumbled back into her dank room, and leaned against the creaky bedside table. She inhaled deeply. The consuming void in her chest wasn't going away. She couldn't stand it any longer. She wanted – no, needed – to feel something. Everything was meaningless if she couldn't.
Her eyes trailed along the rows of bottles before her, and settled on the one Gensei had given only yesterday. She stared. She had already taken the prescribed amount for the day earlier this morning, but it didn't seem enough. Hadn't that old bat said it was meant to be stronger? Had he lied to cover up his incompetence? Was he losing his touch? It was doing nothing to fill the hole in her chest.
Mikoto picked up the bottle and glowered at the label. "Two tablets are to be taken per morning", it read. The old geezer had given her so many, so why was he telling her to only take a couple at a time? The stuff he was giving her wasn't enough; they weren't effective anymore. Surely it wouldn't hurt to take some extras as supplementation?
She shook out the pills onto her palm. She didn't bother counting how many there were, but tilted her head back and cupped the amount over her open mouth. She snatched a bottle of beige-coloured liquid and took a long swig of that to wash down the mouthful of pills. They tasted extremely bitter in combination. An intense wave of dizziness suddenly swept through her and she slumped sideways onto the bed.
Her stomach churned and she cringed. It was painful, but it was definitely better than nothing. Mikoto squeezed her eyes closed. The colourful dots were marching into her world again. Perhaps she could count them, kill them off as usual, and they would provide her with a flashing display as she drifted into tranquil sleep. It was a consoling thought.
A familiar, harsh laugh abruptly filled her ears, and her eyes snapped open in shock. No… It couldn't be. But there was no mistaking that sound. Her heart raced as she whipped her head up to stare at the newcomer.
He leered at her from only a few steps away. His pale face looked alight in the darkness, contorted into an expression of genuine glee. She trembled as those strange red eyes stared at her with unrestrained obsession. His black and white shirt was splattered with red stains.
Accelerator. He had come to visit her again.
Her pupils dilated. Fear pumped into her system, rushing through her bloodstream. Every muscle in her body became tightly wound and rigid. What did he want from her now?!
His grin stretched from ear to ear. "Hey, third-rate. Let's play like last time, eh?"
Mikoto hurriedly scrambled off the bed and twisted around to face him. Her legs tangled and she fell onto the floor with a crash. The room spun. Her heart felt like it had risen up to her head, pounding like a frantic drum. She tried to stand up again, but her legs moved too sluggishly. Her jaws clenched as she scowled up at the albino.
"Get away from me!" She shrieked.
He only stepped closer. Mikoto scooted away. Her back hit a wall and she shuddered at its coldness.
Accelerator leaned over as Mikoto cowered against the concrete. "It'll be fun, don't you think?" he chuckled. His eyes glinted with malice in the gloom.
Electricity zapped out and snapped towards the albino. The blue tendrils went right through his grinning face and sizzled against the opposite wall. Not a single mark was left on her target. Mikoto's lips trembled. Why, why did her attacks never work against him? Why was she not strong enough?!
He barked out a laugh. "I'm the strongest, remember? Even though we're both Level 5's, you and I are miles apart in power."
He crouched down, and shifted his lips close to her ear.
"Besides," he whispered mockingly, "I'm just in your head. You could never touch me, but I can torture you all I like, Railgun."
Mikoto screamed. The desperate urge to negate his existence off the face of this universe was almost palpable. No matter where she was, no matter what she was doing, he kept haunting her. She kicked out and punched wildly. Her attacks went right through his pale form. Accelerator lightly moved away, lithe as a ghost. Laughter was alight in his crimson eyes. He grinned widely, exposing his uneven, yellowish-white teeth. Red liquid dripped from them.
"Guess what I was doing before I came here. I'll give you three guesses to match your pathetic rank."
Mikoto snarled and charged at him once more. She went right through his form and fell hard onto the concrete ground. Accelerator turned to face her and smiled.
"Fine, since you're acting like a brat, I'll just tell you."
Mikoto twisted her neck to face him. Her vision swirled, making his features look distorted. Her shaky arms and legs refused to listen to any of her commands. Sweat was running down her forehead and back. Her heart felt like it was going to pop open and burst out of her chest. She could hardly make sense of what was going on. She just knew she had to get rid of Accelerator somehow, before he slaughtered her.
"I had lots of fun with another doll of yours, third-rate. Do you want to hear about it?"
In a panic, Mikoto shook her head. Accelerator ignored her and continued on relentlessly.
"First I ripped off each of her fingers, nice and sloooww. See? I have proof right here."
He took out a bloodied object from his pocket and waved it in her face. She felt him stroke her cheek with it. It was soft and wet. Mikoto flinched away and squeezed her eyes shut. She wished she could close her ears too.
"Next up were the arms. I pulverised them. Like minced meat."
Mikoto plugged her ears with shaky fingers. It didn't help at all. She could still hear everything Accelerator was saying, each word crystal clear, as her mind conjured up sick images to accompany them.
"The doll was begging so stupidly, it was really funny, Railgun. She kept whining about how painful it was and how her Onee-sama wasn't there to save her. It was hilarious! Hahahaha!"
Iron flooded on her tongue as Mikoto bit harshly into the insides of her cheek. In the distance, she thought she could actually hear the clone's pleading shrieks to save her. Hot tears squeezed out from her closed eyes and dripped down her cheeks.
"And then, I crushed her leg. It was simple. I just had to step on it, like this!"
Mikoto's eyes shot open as a scream tore out from her throat. A horrible pain flared from her right leg. Red flashed across her vision. That was blood. Her blood. He was ripping her apart again! He was going to kill her for sure this time! She shrieked in agony and fear, and curled up into a ball on the floor. She whimpered. It hurt… It hurt so much…!
"After that, I got bored and snuffed her by smashing her head in. It's a shame you missed it, Railgun. I think you'd have enjoyed it too."
Mikoto groaned, her jaws locked against the hot pain. Accelerator's words grated in her ears. She wanted to deny them, because it couldn't be true. She would never enjoy something like that. She wasn't like Accelerator at all!
"Don't be such a liar, Railgun." Accelerator's voice was smug. "You've killed so many people already, you might even catch up to me some day."
Mikoto shook her head frantically.
"Huh? You're still denying it? Let's see now, what about all of those nameless scientists you killed simply because you were bored? And all of those delinquents you hunted down and tortured because you thought you were so superior? Oh, you had fun skewering Minami Takeshi last night, didn't you?"
Mikoto sobbed and choked.
"Of course, the dolls I've done in stained your hands too. You might not be so far off from my record after all, third-rate. You're really starting to achieve my respect."
The feelings of despair burned into her heart. It grew and grew into a fiery anger. The hot rage fuelled strength into her limbs and Mikoto shakily pushed herself to a sitting position. Her eyes drifted down to her legs and stalled in confusion. Her right leg was still there, completely unharmed. She was bewildered. Hadn't he crushed it earlier? She had even felt the pain too; it had been intense. Then why was it…?
The realisation slowly dawned and Mikoto chuckled. Ah, of course. She had forgotten again. This Accelerator was a hallucination, nothing more. He was just a spectre drawn from her drug-overdosed mind. Despite his threats, he couldn't really harm her at all.
She looked up at him. If she squinted, she thought she could see how his pale figure was almost transparent. See-through, insignificant, fake. She chuckled again.
"Go away, bastard," Mikoto hissed. "You're not real! You don't exist!"
Accelerator sneered at her. "Oh? Very good, Railgun. Even so, I'll keep tearing apart your precious Sisters."
Mikoto laughed. The sound filled the room and rebounded off the walls to create a crazy cacophony.
"Shut up, you fucking illusion! I'm protecting them!" She snarled. "They're safe! So you can't hurt them anymore!"
She stood up slowly on shaky legs and glared. He simply stood there with a knowing smirk.
"There are still some left out there. I wonder if you can get to all of them before I can?"
"SHUT UUUUPPP! Die, die, die, you bastard!" Mikoto hollered. She rushed up to him and struck out with her arms. "You're not reeeaaaaal!"
Accelerator shattered to tiny pieces.
Her legs shook and she sank onto the floor. Laughter bubbled out from her chest again. This was proof she was going to win, no matter what. She had killed him again. Mikoto stared at the space where he had been standing and grinned. How convenient, how very thoughtful the bastard was. She never had to clean up after their sessions, because the albino never left behind any mess.
Other common bastards she killed were usually not so considerate. They left behind their foul blood and littered her playground with useless bits of flesh. And she had to be the one to clean up after them. It was annoying.
A thought suddenly occurred in her and Mikoto froze. She wondered if she had cleaned up properly after her time with Takeshi-kun last night. She couldn't really remember… What if she hadn't? What if someone saw the mess? What was she going to do now that Takeshi-kun was dead? Mikoto fidgeted nervously with the hem of her shirt. She would have to find someone else if she wanted to destroy more facilities…
There was a click in her thoughts, and her expression brightened. Of course, she still had that left to do. Gensei had reminded her, Accelerator had kindly reminded her too in case she forgot. It would keep her entertained, and it was extremely important. She still had the leftover strays to catch.
A memory pieced together in her cluttered mind. She laughed. There was no reason to be worried, she recalled now. She had cleaned up Takeshi-kun's muck after visiting Kuroko last night. On top of that, she had even taken the effort to leave a special gift for her junior as a thank you present.
Mikoto cackled. She really hoped that Kuroko would like it.
XXXXXXX
Kuroko sighed as she leaned against the railing and half-dragged herself up the stairs. She wanted to curse whoever it was that had designed this building with so many of these goddamned things. Well, she supposed it was only the second floor; it could have been a lot worse in this five-storey building. Usually, she would have teleported, but she didn't want to waste any strength if she could help it today. Her body needed every bit of energy to heal.
She limped up the final leg of the staircase and paused to take a brief rest. Her throbbing foot complained. She had decided to wear a normal shoe this morning, although Konori-senpai had suggested keeping it a secure cast. If anyone saw her today, Kuroko didn't want them suspecting she had significant injuries.
Raising a palm to her face, Kuroko groaned to herself. Who was she trying to fool? Her arms were covered in bandages and her skin was marred with burns. Anyone who wasn't blind could notice that she was hurt.
With another sigh, Kuroko walked up to the Judgement office door. She supposed it was unlikely she would see anyone much today anyway. She had plans to track down Minami Takeshi for good and do some more research on facilities that could be potential next targets. There had to be further effective ways of fighting against his explosive power. Now that she had a better understanding of how his ability worked, Kuroko felt more confident that she could come up with some new tactics to surprise him the next time they met for a showdown.
As soon as Kuroko unlocked and pushed open the door, she knew something was terribly wrong. An awful smell hit her, and she staggered backwards, covering her nose. She grimaced. A metallic scent hung thick in the air, mixed with the pungent aroma of something burning. Her gut churned, and she fought the unpleasant urge to gag.
Her heart thudding anxiously, Kuroko stepped forward. Her eyes scanned over the dark room with caution. There was no movement that she could detect. She slinked forward as quietly as she could and fumbled for the light switch. Her trembling finger found the knob. Taking a deep breath, she pressed down on it.
As her eyes adjusted to the sudden flood of light, Kuroko immediately found the sources of the smell. Her legs quivered and she stepped back against the wall to prevent herself from falling at the sight. She cupped her palms over her nose and mouth in disgust. As much as she wanted to, she found she could not tear her gaze away from the bizarre, gruesome scene.
There was blood everywhere.
Parts she vaguely recognised as human lay scattered across the Judgement office in pieces. The blue carpet soaked up the crimson liquid, which had saturated the material and pooled over it in puddles. Strange looking objects were slung lazily over some chairs and desks like odd displays of artwork. It took her a long moment to identify exactly what they were – heavily mutilated arms, legs and hands – all separated from the torso, which lay dispersed in segments of shredded flesh on the ground. A lump grew in Kuroko's throat and prevented her from breathing properly. She felt really sick. She closed her eyes and fought the nausea until she felt she could somehow keep it under control.
Pulling herself away from the support of the wall, Kuroko shakily moved forward with clenched jaws. Whatever had occurred here, she was a part of, especially as the Chief of this Judgement branch. She couldn't run away, no matter how disturbing it was. Her hardened gaze travelled around the defiled room and landed upon an object on her desk. Her chest constricted as she stepped closer. She didn't want to believe what she was seeing.
Bulging eyes full of pain. Mouth gaping open in horror. Blood pooled underneath, and slowly dripped off the edge onto the carpet.
There was a decapitated head on her desk.
And she knew that face, because she had fought with him only yesterday.
Minami Takeshi.
Bile rose up to her throat and lingered in the back of her mouth. Tears prickled in her eyes. Just what had happened here? What had happened to him? Who did this…?
There was a bloodied piece of paper next to the head. With a quivering hand, Kuroko picked it up and unfolded it, trying to avoid touching the bloodstained parts. Her eyes widened as she read the words scribbled haphazardly on the note:
"I trust you too, Kuroko."
Kuroko doubled over and vomited.
