"Name?"
Kuroko yawned and rubbed at her eyes, wiping away small tears and trying to force herself awake. Early mornings had been a regular part of her life ever since she had entered Judgment training, but even she preferred to wait until the sun was actually up to get out of bed. Just another one of the perks of Judgement work.
The sound of someone clearing their throat was enough to pull Kuroko back into the waking world, and she looked behind the counter at the increasingly irate nurse.
"Name?"
"Ah, Shirai Kuroko. I'm with Judgment."
The nurse nodded, jotting something down on a clipboard before scribbling Kuroko's name on a badge and handing it across the counter.
"This will be your temporary pass. Just show it to the staff on the third floor and they'll let you in to speak with any patients that have been cleared to be interviewed." The woman gave her a harsh look. "I would like to remind you that these people have just gone through a rather harrowing ordeal. Please treat them with respect, and if any of the doctors or nurses tell you the interview is over then you are obliged to cease questioning immediately."
"Of course. I'm simply here to try and get an idea of what happened." Kuroko tried not to let the woman's words aggravate her. Of course she wasn't going to harass the victims. Who did this woman think she was talking to? Judgment was a peacekeeping organization, and they weren't in the business of hassling anybody. Of course, she couldn't fault the nurse for looking out for her patients. It was her job, after all, and a little bit of defensiveness on her part was probably justified.
The nurse gave her a nod and Kuroko made her way to the elevators. She tried to ignore the squirming feeling in her gut and focus on the task at hand.
Onee-sama had not returned last night, had not even sent her a message. Her phone was a heavy weight in her pocket, and she finally broke down and pulled it out as she entered the elevator.
She scanned her email and messages, hoping against hope that she had missed something from her Onee-sama, while knowing for certain that she had not. She had checked her phone more than a dozen times in the last hour. There was never anything new, no word from Onee-sama. She could only hope she was just in a rebellious phase.
Just what's going on, Onee-sama? Her mind went back to Sunday, and how relieved she had felt to see her Onee-sama really enjoying herself for the first time in weeks. Hadn't they been making progress?
The elevator shuddered to a stop and Kuroko sighed as the door opened, stepping out into the hall - and right into a rather large bosom.
Kuroko leapt back with a start, sputtering and red-faced, her melancholy momentarily forgotten in embarrassment.
"Shirai-san?"
She blinked, recognizing the voice. Her shoulders sagged. "Kongou Mitsuko." She tried to school her face into a more neutral expression. "What are you doing here so early?"
"Ah well…" Kongou averted her eyes, her cheeks slightly flushed, and Kuroko noticed her ruffled clothing and less than perfect hair. "I was visiting Wannai-san last night and I may have fallen asleep on the couch in the lobby." She gave Kuroko a nervous smile. "I-I didn't really intend to, I just wanted to make sure Wannai-san was doing well."
Kuroko's expression softened. She may have found the girl rather obnoxious, but there was no denying she was a good friend to the two girls that accompanied her nearly everywhere. "I see. How is Wannai-san doing?"
Kongou brightened. "She's doing well! She still doesn't remember everything that happened, but she is healing well, and she seems to be in much better spirits today. The doctors want to keep her here for a while longer though, just in case she shows signs of a relapse."
"Do they have any idea what happened yet?"
"No… not really." Kongou's shoulders slumped and Kuroko couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. She hadn't realized just how tired the older girl looked.
"I'm sure Wannai-san will be fine." Kuroko put on a smile, and clasped a hand on Kongou's shoulder. The older girl gave her a look of surprise. "You should get back to the dorms. Classes will be starting soon, and you don't want to go looking less than your best, I'm sure."
"Y-yes, you're right. Thank you, Shirai-san." She stepped into the elevator, but stuck her arm in the doors just as they began to close. "Ah, but Shirai-san, won't you be late?"
"I have some Judgment related work to do, so I've been excused from morning classes." One of the perks of being a Judgment member was that she was allowed a certain amount of leeway where her classes were concerned. Of course, the breaks she took for Judgment weren't exactly relaxing. "I'll be back when I finish my interviews. Take care, Kongou-san."
"Yes, you too, Shirai-san. Good luck with your work, and please take care." Kuroko gave Kongou a nod before the elevator doors closed and she was alone in the corridor.
Kuroko stared at the doors a moment longer, a small frown on her face. She really couldn't get a very good handle on what to think of that girl. At times, there was no one she found more irritating. The arrogance, the pompous attitude, the reluctance to admit to any kind of fault; it drove her up the wall. Onee-sama had once mentioned that she thought they were very similar in that respect, and Kuroko had vehemently disagreed. While she could see how someone could make that mistake, there was a certain amount of grace Kongou lacked, despite her lineage. She always struck Kuroko as a little too eager to prove herself.
But then again, when it really mattered she would drop all of that and do whatever was necessary to help her friends. Kuroko certainly couldn't fault her for that, and indeed she found her determination rather admirable. If only she could get over her habit of trying to steal the show, the two of them might have been good friends.
With a shrug, she turned and began walking down the hall. It wasn't worth thinking about right now. There might come a time when they could consider each other friends, but Kuroko wasn't going to dwell on the possibility. Not when there was so much to focus on in the here and now.
She sidestepped a nurse that had his nose buried in a file, apparently relying on memorization to guide him through the halls. Even this early the hospital was bustling.
Kuroko could hardly believe there had been another incident so soon after the one involving Wannai-san. The last one that Uiharu had been able to reliably connect to the pattern had been more than a week earlier. On top of that, this one had taken place little more than a mile from where Wannai-san had suffered her attack. Kuroko bit her thumb, thinking hard as she searched for the appropriate hall. The implications of that were disturbing, to say the least.
A pang of nervousness passed through her as she thought of Onee-sama again. Where was she, at a time like this? Kuroko tried to tell herself that she could take care of herself, that she would be fine even alone. That was, of course, if she was alone… Kuroko shook her head, banishing that line of thinking. No, Saten-san had only been joking that time in the cafe, and she had already convinced herself otherwise. But still, she couldn't help but imagine her Onee-sama out there, sleeping in a strange bed, wrapped in the arms of some… beast.
It was too terrible to even consider.
Kuroko passed by another nurse before reaching the Anti-Skill security personnel that had been assigned to the wing housing the victims of the Power Pox incidents. No one outside of the 177th branch had started using that term, but Kuroko was convinced by now there was a connection between the rumors Saten-san had been pursuing and the strange circumstances surrounding these espers' malfunctioning abilities.
An Anti-Skill agent stopped her before she could enter the closed off ward, a woman with short-cropped hair and a bored expression on her face. "Pass?"
Kuroko presented her pass and the woman nodded. "Mind if I ask why you're here? Visiting a friend or family member?"
"Actually I'm here with Judgment." Kuroko tugged her armband so it was more prominently displayed. "I'm going to perform a couple interviews with some of the victims of the most recent incident." She paused, thinking back on her encounter with Kongou. "Although, I will probably visit a friend of mine here as well."
"Ah, yeah. They mentioned someone from Judgment would be coming by to talk to the victims. Guess that's you." The woman gestured to a room down the hall. "The most recent victims are in rooms 313 through 320. Just make sure to ask one of the doctors who you can talk to. A few of them haven't regained consciousness, including the girl responsible for this mess." There was a hint of distaste in her voice at that.
"What do you mean by that?" Anti-Skill had been pretty tight-lipped regarding what conclusions they were drawing about what was going on. This could be a chance to get a better idea of what they were thinking. "As far as I understood it, the girl lost control of her ability and the resulting damage was being considered an accident."
The woman shrugged. "So they say. I'm not so convinced though. And whether she did it on purpose or not, that girl still put over a dozen people in the hospital and caused some serious property damage. I'd be careful around her is all I'm saying."
"I see." Kuroko wasn't sure she liked this woman. "Well if you'd excuse me."
"Sure, sure." Just make sure you check back in with me before you take off. I need to make sure we're keeping track of everyone that comes and goes."
That piqued Kuroko's interest. "Any particular reason for that?"
"Are you kidding? This is the second incident like this, which by the way the doctors still don't know the cause of, in the last two days. It's even in the same area as the last one, so of course we're going to be a little on guard. I don't mind telling you, seeing as how you're in Judgment and all, but that's suspicious as hell."
Kuroko was rather surprised by that response. "I have to admit, I wasn't expecting you to be so candid. Most of the Anti-Skill officers I've talked to so far have been rather reluctant to tell me anything."
The woman laughed at that. "Tell you the truth? The only reason for that is we haven't got a damn clue what's going on here. We're just as lost as you lot are. Difference is it looks a lot worse when we tell people we don't know what's what."
"I see. Well I appreciate your honesty. I do wish you'd had better news though." Internally, Kuroko was cursing. It looked like asking Uiharu to snoop around in Anti-Skill's systems was going to end up being just another dead end. Still probably worth doing though. Kuroko was nothing if not thorough.
"Yeah, me too. Hey, maybe you'll get lucky in one of your interviews. Most of them have already talked to our people, but students tend to sympathize more with Judgement. Guess they feel less like they're being interrogated."
"Yes I usually find students are more willing to talk to Judgment members than Anti-Skill." That was something that had proven useful on more than one occasion. "I suppose we're less intimidating."
The woman chuckled. "I'll say. Some of you are downright cute. But you do good work, so I'm certainly not complaining. And hey, make sure you submit a copy of your report to Anti-Skill too. The higher-ups may not want to admit it, but we need all the help we can get on this one."
"Thank you, and I will. I'll be back when I conclude the interviews."
"Best of luck." The woman gave her a thumbs up accompanied by a cheeky grin. Kuroko was perplexed by her behavior, but shrugged it off as she turned down the hall. Even Anti-Skill officers were allowed their quirks.
Still, she couldn't say she didn't appreciate a little transparency. Not that it had done her much good. She had suspected Anti-Skill hadn't picked up much more than they had, but either the woman she had talked to was very far out of the loop, or they didn't even have any theories. That was a disturbing thought. The trend was clearly getting worse, and there was no denying now there was a pattern. Unfortunately, that's where the trail seemed to end. They had no clues, no hints, no way to move forward with their investigation. Uiharu was working diligently, but despite their combined efforts, they still had nothing to show for it.
A doctor walked out of one of the rooms, and Kuroko managed to snag her and was directed to another room at the end of the hall.
Hand on the doorknob, her mind drifted back to Onee-sama, and for a moment Kuroko hesitated, before pushing the door open. Much as she might have been worried about her, there was nothing she could do right now. All she could do was do her best to try and make sure no one else got hurt, and trust that Onee-sama knew what she was doing.
XXXXXXXXXX
Adjusting Network parameters.
Administrative action unsuitable. Relay delay set to indefinite.
Network Administrative override deemed likely. Suggest swift action to prevent any interference.
Current time is 07:00:32. Premier of 'Gekota and the Lost Relic' currently in progress. Likelihood of observation calculated at 16.43% under current conditions.
Time is limited, 10032 will now share findings from active investigation.
Investigation yielded insufficient evidence to draw specific conclusions. Traces of Onee-sama's AIM signature detected both on subject and at scene of anomaly. Potential risk resulting from having been spotted during investigation deemed minimal. Subject likely to assume hallucination or dream despite connection to Onee-sama.
Compilation of prior data has failed to reach specific conclusion. Hypothesis?
Suggest potential replica of Onee-sama's AIM field rather than original involvement. Further investigation required to determine source or purpose.
Duration of each anomaly increasing.
Closer match detected in anomaly registered at 20:13:15 yesterday.
Suggests either growth in power or perfection of process.
Reiterate. Current data insufficient to conclude specific cause or purpose.
Irrelevant. Designate Class A and pursue termination of project in whatever manner is necessary.
Insufficient reconnaissance has been performed to pursue an active course of action. 10032 should continue investigation until such point as sufficient data has been gathered to determine appropriate response.
Majority determination.
53.54% in favor of continued investigation.
10032 will continue investigation. Adjust assumed threat level to A and enact appropriate countermeasures.
Understood.
Session adjourned. Please join viewing of 'Gekota and the Lost Relic' already in progress.
XXXXXXXXX
Kuroko rubbed her eyes as she closed the door, leaving yet another fruitless interview behind her. She was starting to think this whole thing was a bad idea. Not one of the victims knew the girl responsible for the incident, and more than that it didn't look like any of them had even been paying her much attention before her ability went haywire. Nothing unusual, nothing out of place. She had just collapsed and started convulsing.
That, at least, was something. As far as Kuroko knew, none of the other victims had suffered convulsions. Not even Wannai, though she had reported being in a great deal of pain. There was a chance that the differences in ability were the cause, but that didn't seem terribly likely. No, more likely the trend of the incidents increasing in severity was continuing. And here she was, unable to do anything about it.
It was incredibly vexing.
She glanced at the patient list she'd been given. Of the victims, she'd only been able to speak with about half of them, which meant she'd likely be making another trip in the near future. Unfortunate, but there were two more people to talk to. She glanced down at the patient list. Shou and Youko Numakura. Apparently they'd been returning from dinner when the incident occurred.
With a sigh, Kuroko rapped on the door before pushing it open. The two patients were in bed, in the middle of what appeared to be a heated discussion when the man, Shou, noticed her presence. He sprang back, sitting up straight and forcing a grin. Kuroko's eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me." She strode into the room, stopping at the foot of Shou's bed. "My name is Shirai Kuroko, with Judgment. I'm sorry to bother you after what I'm sure has been a trying experience, but I was hoping you might be able to answer some questions for me."
The girl, Youko, gave an almost imperceptible nod, before glaring at her companion. He looked between the two girls before chuckling.
"Ah, yeah sure, we don't mind." He cocked his head to the side, and Kuroko bristled as she felt his eyes on her. "But aren't you a little cute to be in Judgment? I always thought they were the dull serious types, you know?"
"I can assure you, I am perfectly capable. If you would focus on the task at hand, I would appreciate it, Numakura-san." Her voice was sharp and clipped, and he recoiled a few inches, his smile slipping for a moment.
"No no, you're right, sorry." His hand twitched towards his head and then stopped, before he placed it in his lap. "So, uh, how can we help you, Shirai-san? We've already been interviewed. Twice even."
Kuroko nodded. Most of the other patients had made similar comments. "I understand, and I do appreciate your patience. But Judgment is performing its own investigation into these events as well, so I hope you don't mind talking with me for a bit."
The pair exchanged another glance, before the girl gave a slight move of her shoulder that might have passed for a shrug. Kuroko watched the exchange with rapt attention. Certainly they hadn't done anything overtly suspicious, but their apparent reluctance set her on edge. Of course, she was no stranger to individuals who didn't particularly care for Judgment, so it could always be that. Still though, their behaviour was a little off.
"Nah, we can talk." He glanced at his companion. "Well, I can anyway. Youko was never much of a talker, but uh, you can certainly try."
The girl's eyes flashed. It was true, she hadn't said a word since she'd entered the room. Her eyes were cool and calculating, and Kuroko couldn't help but feel as though she was being sized up. Now why might that be? Why was she so on guard?
"I see," she said, turning her attention back to Shou. "Well then, could you please tell me about last night?"
"Sure, like once we left the restaurant right?"
"Actually I was hoping you might tell me why you chose that restaurant. Do you eat there often?"
"Wh-ahh yeah!" The words tumbled out of his mouth, clumsy, and alarm bells began to ring in Kuroko's head. "We, uh, we do pretty often, don't we Youko?"
The younger girl shook her head with a sigh. "No. That's Jeffrey's." Her voice was soft, almost gentle, but her words were clipped and her eyes still hadn't left Kuroko.
"Ooooh, yeah, you're right." He chuckled and scratched behind his head. "Those places all start to look a little samey after awhile, you know?"
"Of course. So after the restaurant then?"
"Okay, so after we left we were just sort of ambling, you know? I wanted to grab some coffee from a convenience store and Youko usually likes wandering at night…" He launched into an obviously scripted recount of the previous nights events. Kuroko made a show of nodding and scribbling in her notepad, but she was only half listening. Doubtless she could get a version of this story from Anti-Skill if she wanted it.
He was lying. Well, they both were, but he was worse at it. The question about the restaurant had done a good job of tripping him up. It wasn't something any of the other officers would have been likely to ask, so he hadn't practiced an answer for it. Unfortunately, the girl seemed to have caught on to what she was up to before she could get anything useful out of him.
But knowing they were lying was useful enough in itself. Now if only she could peg down exactly what they were lying about, and why.
The man seemed to be wrapping up his story, so Kuroko looked up from her pad. "So you don't remember anything out of the ordinary before she collapsed? Nothing at all?"
He shook his head. "Nah, sorry. I mean, we weren't really paying all that much attention to be honest. Like, how often do you really notice all the other people on the street? I guess I remember thinking she was kinda cute, but that's it really. Sorry."
"I see." Kuroko turned to the girl, already knowing her answer. "And you?"
"No."
"Very well. I appreciate your cooperation." She gave the pair one last glance, noting the bead of sweat trailing down Shou's forehead, before she turned and stepped back into the hallway. The door closed behind her and Kuroko frowned, eyes narrowed in thought. Those two were suspicious, but she hadn't been able to figure out anything about why. Still, it was a lead, and that was more than she'd had so far.
She made her way back up the hallway, contemplating her next course of action. As much as she might want to, she couldn't in good conscious take them in for lying to her. She could potentially cite obstruction of justice, but she couldn't actually prove they were lying. It wasn't an interrogation, after all. She'd been questioning them as victims. But still, there had to be something she could do.
"Hey, welcome back. How'd it go?"
Kuroko blinked, snapping out of her thoughts to see the Anti-Skill woman from earlier standing in front of her.
"You alright there, Judgement girl?"
"Ah, yes, sorry. I'm finished here, so you can mark me off your list."
"Sure thing." The woman made a note on her clipboard. "Any luck?"
Kuroko opened her mouth, preparing to tell the woman about her complete lack of success. She had been planning to leave Anti-Skill out of the loop, since so far it was really just a hunch. But perhaps…
"Actually, I was hoping you could do me a favor."
XXXXXXXXX
"Are you sure? Really, I live just down the road and I really need to grab my homework. My teacher will kill me if I don't turn it in!"
"I'm sorry, but this area is closed until further notice. You'll have to go around."
"If I do that, I'll be late for sure." Heavy sigh, pause for dramatic effect. Nothing? Okay. "Aww, well okay, thanks anyway."
"You have a good day. Again, I'm sorry about all this. If you hurry you might still be fine."
"I will, thanks!" Ruiko gave the man a jaunty wave and her best smile before turning around and walking off. Well, at least he actually sounded sorry. He seemed nice.
She turned a corner, whistling a tune and keeping her eyes peeled for the alley entrance she was sure was around here somewhere. It wasn't as though she'd been expecting it to be that easy, but it really would have been nice if it had been. Still, this gave her the opportunity to exercise her guile and be a little sneaky.
She always loved being sneaky.
Uiharu probably wouldn't approve, but then that was why she'd decided not to tell anyone where she was going. Shirai-san always seemed to get rather upset when she or Misaka-san got involved in any of their Judgment work, so she almost certainly would have told her off too. Misaka-san probably would have thought it was a good idea though. She at least was always up for a little fun.
It was no more than twenty metres before she caught sight of the alley. A small grin formed on her face and she cast a surreptitious look about the area. No one was around. Well, that was one of the upsides to skipping class; most of the people in this district were students, so even the shops didn't open until around lunch. It was more or less deserted.
She crept slowly down the alley, keeping an eye out for any Anti-Skill agents that might be patrolling the alley. Ruiko was pretty sure they would have the exit roped off as well, but from what she'd been able to see before there weren't that many agents in the area. Mostly they seemed to be just focusing on keeping people out. That would limit her search area, but there wasn't really anything she could do about that.
The alley twisted and turned, making it hard for Ruiko to keep her bearings. But she was a first class urban legend hunter; finding her way through twisty paths and sniffing out clues was what she did best.
And that was just what she planned to do. She'd been sitting on the sidelines for too long now while Uiharu and Shirai-san were working themselves to exhaustion, trying to discover the mystery behind Misaka-san's increasingly strange behavior, and of course the Power Pox issue seemed to only be getting worse. It would have been nice if she could share a little of what she'd learned about Misaka-san's situation, but, well, she had promised, and it wouldn't do to go breaking her promises.
Besides, there was still the matter of the Power Pox to attend to, and that was looking like it was going to be the more important issue anyway. Though it would be nice to see the look on Shirai-san's face when she found out Misaka-san had a boyfriend.
A mischievous grin spread across Ruiko's face as she imagined how that scenario would play out. She picked her way past a dumpster and over a pile of plastic crates that had toppled over. Whatever she had to do, she was going to make sure she was there for that revelation.
Up ahead, the alley opened back onto the street. Ruiko inched slowly towards the exit, and took a peek out.
So far so good! It was the right street, which meant her gamble had paid off; the alley wasn't blocked off, and there weren't any Anti-Skill agents around either. There were a couple stationed on either end of the road, but none of them seemed that interested in actually watching the area they were supposed to be keeping cordoned off. Ruiko grinned. Perfect.
It was just this kind of thing that made her feel like she had to try and do it herself. Although she couldn't honestly say that bothered her. If Anti-Skill was always on top of their game, then where would that leave intrepid mystery hunters like herself?
With another quick glance at the agents stationed at either end of the street, Ruiko slipped out of the alley and fell into a crouch. There was a line of bushes between the road and sidewalk. Slowly, she crept up to the nearest bush, making sure to watch her step to avoid the glass that seemed to cover every inch of the sidewalk.
From behind the barricade she'd been able to see the glitter of broken glass on the ground and the empty windows, but seeing it up close was enough to make her nervous. Even after hearing about the incident with Wannai-san, she hadn't been expecting there to be this much damage. Some of the buildings even had cracks running through the walls.
Broken glass crunched underfoot as she crept along the bushes, eyes searching. It wasn't as if she had anything in particular she was looking for, exactly. But there had to be something. Uiharu and Shirai-san had been working so hard and yet they'd turned up nothing so far. Judgment and Anti-Skill both were pursuing the case now, even if they didn't yet realize the connection to the rumor she had found. How was it possible that all that effort had turned up nothing? Ruiko refused to accept that it was because there was nothing to find.
Out of the corner of her eye, Ruiko saw one of the officers turn. Without thinking, she threw herself to the ground, wincing as a shard of glass lodged itself in her palm. She hissed in pain but bit her lip. Stupid!
She waited nearly a minute before peeking back up over the bush. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she had to force herself to calm down. It wasn't like this was really all that dangerous. If they caught her the worst she could probably expect was to be taken in for questioning. Probably they'd just scold her and send her on her way.
Blood was starting to leak from her palm. Ruiko scrunched her face up in distaste. With a shuddering breath, she pulled the shard out of her palm, wincing only slightly before shoving her hand into her mouth and sucking vigorously. The pain dulled almost immediately, though the taste of copper in her mouth wasn't much of an improvement.
Paying more attention to the glass this time, she began crawling along, her eyes searching for anything that might be a clue. Not having any idea what she was looking for was a little bit of a handicap, but Ruiko was a professional. It might have just been intuition, but she could feel it; if she just kept looking, she'd find what she was looking for. She was certain of it.
"Okay," she whispered, eyes narrowing in concentration, "if I was whatever I'm looking for, where would I be?"
Probably not on the street. If there had been anything of note there, then Anti-Skill would have picked it up when they were moving the victims.
"Hmmm, this would be a lot easier if I knew what I was looking for." She was struggling to form a mental picture, but all she could come up with was the vague idea of 'something that makes espers lose it', which wasn't terribly helpful.
The sound of engines snapped Ruiko out of her fantasy. Frowning, she chanced a glance over the bushes and cursed. She threw herself to the sidewalk, making sure this time not to cut herself. One of Anti-Skill's armored trucks had pulled up. It looked like they were going to begin looking over the scene in a little more detail. She could have sworn she had more time. Now all she could really do was wait for a chance to make herself scarce and cut her losses. What a bummer.
The sound of voices reached her, coming from the direction of the truck. She turned her head, trying to peek through the bushes to catch a glimpse of what was going on. The bushes were thick enough to conceal her, but that made seeing what was going on at the moment rather difficult.
She shifted, trying to find a better angle, and something caught her eye. It was small and gray, no bigger than the palm of her hand.
A phone? She frowned, reaching forward while trying to make as little noise as possible.
Her fingers closed around the device, and she pulled it from the bushes. It was heavier than she'd been expecting. She turned it over in her hand. There was a screen on the front, and a keypad, but it didn't really look like a phone. It didn't have a logo on anywhere that she could see either, which was strange.
The glass and plastic casing were cracked, but when she began pressing the keys the screen flickered to life. The cracks made the picture a little unclear, but she was still able to make it out.
Ruiko frowned. It was a picture of a girl. It was a simple headshot, the kind she often saw when Uiharu was looking through the Bank for information. She scrolled down. "Nakano Eri, Sariaski High School. Level Four "Radio Altar"." There were more details beyond that, including people she associated with, where she lived, and something called "Expected Rate of Synchronisity". It was actually a lot like the Bank entries she had read, but with a distinctly more stalkerish feel. It was creepy.
Behind her, she could hear the sounds of the Anti-Skill investigation team unloading, preparing to search the area. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she didn't move. She licked her lips, bringing up another menu. She wasn't sure yet what this was, but she was certain it was what she had been looking for. It had to be; her intuition never failed her.
"Hey, you there! What are you doing in here?"
Adrenaline surged through her body and Ruiko whirled around just in time to see an Anti-Skill agent round the hedges.
Uh oh.
She leapt to her feet, ignoring the man's cries for her to stop, and darted into the alley. It was narrow and littered with debris, making it hard to move quickly The sound of heavy footsteps pounding on the pavement was getting closer, but she didn't dare turn around.
"I said stop!"
Something tugged at her neck, arresting her momentum. She gagged as her collar dug into her neck, and she had to struggle to stay on her feet. Rough hands twisted her around, and she found herself staring into the angry face of an Anti-Skill officer.
"Now, tell me what you were doing back—"
Ruiko didn't wait for the man to finish. She was high on adrenaline, and acting purely on instinct, she lashed out with her foot, connecting squarely with the man's knee. He fell to the ground with a curse, and she realized just what it was she'd just done.
"Ah, sorry!"
I am so screwed. The Anti-Skill officer was getting back to his feet, his face thunderous. Ruiko didn't dare stick around any longer. Without another word, she bolted, ducking down another alley. She didn't stop or look back to see if the man was still behind her; she just kept running, ducking into alleys without any destination in mind.
Finally, she burst out onto a sidewalk, nearly slamming into a woman walking her dog. "Ah! Sorry!" The woman glared at her before walking off, and Ruiko paused to catch her breath. After a moment, she started walking, examining the the device she'd snagged from the bushes.
In the heat of the moment she had just fled, not thinking about it. But really, she probably should have given whatever it was to the Anti-Skill people. Well, no sense really dwelling on it now. She didn't particularly fancy the idea of going back and trying to explain herself. They'd probably just arrest her first and ask questions later.
Still though, this thing was interesting. She scrolled through the menu as she walked, looking for anything that stood out. Her eyes scanned each page quickly. Most of it sounded like nonsense; Generated Wavelength Output, Standard Estimated Duration, Composite Data (Parent), Composite Data (Child). It was impossible to make heads or tails of any of it.
She'd never had much of a mind for the science that Academy City was famous for, but one of the options did stick out. With a quick glance over her shoulder, Ruiko clicked on the one labeled "Subject Database".
The screen populated with names and faces, as well as dates. Ruiko bit her lip as she scrolled through them. The first one was from several months ago, but as she got closer to the present, the dates listed for the pictures were closer and closer together.
She was almost caught up when she froze, eyes widening as she stared at a smiling face framed by delicate brown curls. That picture… that was Wannai-san. But then that would mean this list was… She checked the date under Wannai-san's name. Two days ago. That was the day of the accident. The next picture was of the girl she had seen when she first turned the device on. Her profile was dated just yesterday.
Ruiko shivered, excitement and anxiety rushing through her body. That must have been the girl that had caused all the damage she'd seen. Which could only mean one thing: somebody really was behind the Power Pox incidents; they weren't simple accidents at all. The thought was chilling.
She sighed and stuffed the device in her pocket walking in the general direction of school. She really should have given that thing to Anti-Skill. Maybe she could turn it in anonymously?
Her pocket buzzed, and for a startled moment she forgot she was also carrying her phone. With a nervous chuckle she pulled it out and checked the message.
'WHY AREN'T YOU AT SCHOOL?!'
Ruiko giggled. Uiharu was always so much more forceful through her messages than she was in person. It was cute.
Better get to school before Uiharu blows a gasket. She paused, a thought occurring to her. A smile spread across her face and she took off at a jog. Well, she might not be able to share her findings with Anti-Skill, but she knew someone even better.
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The harsh, fluorescent lighting cast a sterile glow over the hall as he walked, humming a tune. His hands were stuffed in his pockets, fiddling with the instruments of today's instruction. The halls were mostly empty at this early hour; most of the researchers worked late nights and had only just gone home. Of course, those with true dedication were still shuffling about the facility, but even then most of them needed a break.
Corrin was never much of a man for the social scene. He'd certainly enjoyed his recent association with the beautiful Doctor Kamui, but in truth, that had been about the extent of his social life in the last several months. Even before this most recent project had absorbed his attention, he had spent most of his free time in the labs.
He liked to think that was a big part of why the Director had chosen him to head up this little project. And oh, what a delight it had been! The rush of the previous evening's experiment still hadn't worn off, and he shivered just thinking about it. It had been truly magnificent. Beautiful, even. The convergence of pain and fear the Railgun had displayed, and the incredible rush of power.
Amazing.
He turned a corner and stopped in front of a familiar door. Doctor Kamui's infirmary. He swiped his card by the keypad, and the light flashed green. With a rush of air, the door slid open and he strode silently inside.
Doctor Kamui was asleep at her desk, just as he'd anticipated. She really was too soft for her own good. It was unfortunate that a woman of her skill was so terribly deficient when it came to vision. Opposite her, on the examination bed, lay the prone form of the Railgun. He smirked, striding across the room without a sound and stopping next to the bed.
The girl had been stripped of her shirt, or what had been left of it, and dressings adorned her torso and arms. He could see stitches visible just below her hairline as well, and red burns and the mottled purple and yellow of bruises were speckled across her otherwise perfect skin.
She looked positively breathtaking.
His hand wiped a stray strand of hair from her face, before slowly tracing down her cheek and across her chin. "Such a magnificent creature you are, Railgun," he whispered, following the curve of her jaw and down her neck. His fingers traced her collarbone, stopping to admire each imperfection. Signs of her growth, no; her transformation.
"You… you have such power." His voice took on an almost awestruck quality as he leaned in closer, until his face was inches from hers. Sleeping, she looked almost peaceful. A far cry from the savage instrument of destruction he knew she was underneath that sheep's facade.
After a moment, he stood back up, pulling his hand away and gently taking hold of her wrist. From his pocket he withdrew a syringe filled with a pale amber liquid.
"Such power. But you're not complete. Not yet. But soon, you will blossom, and with your help we will finally complete our work."
There was a small flicker of pain on her face as he slid the needle into a vein and pushed down the plunger. It passed, and he withdrew the needle, leaning in and pressing his lips to the small wound, before standing and sliding the syringe back into his pocket.
Without another word, he turned and left, a satisfied smile on his face.
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A/N: Another chapter done, and just in time to be less than four months since the last one. Seriously, are people still following this? If you are, then you have earned my unconditional love for putting up with me. The next one will come sooner, I promise. No, I mean it this time. It's even mostly written already!
This chapter falls into the category of being a little on the slow side, but I feel like after the last one that's not really a crime. We're building up to something now too. Things are starting to converge, and hopefully it's still at least a little bit comprehensible. I do worry about that, especially given the breaks. Still, I do like this chapter, for what it is anyway.
Please leave me a review if you read it and liked it. If you didn't I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me why (constructively, if you please). And as always, thank you!
