"What are you doing here!?" I shouted.
"Simple; they didn't have a place for me to live, so they housed me here. You're my room-mate, right?" he smiled as he began arranging the few belongings he had into the room.
"Hell no! I'm going to call the Principal and see what the hell she was thinking!" I exclaimed and began storming towards my room. I paused when he waved at me.
"Quick point, Luke: there are girls living downstairs. If you don't want curious girls coming up here, I'd suggest being quiet. Just a hint between friends, nay?" he said in a stinging, mocking tone, as I closed the door softly.
I walked over to my room and walked inside. Closing my door and locking it behind me, I walked over to the phone and picked it up. Dialing the direct line to the Principal, I sat and waited for her to pick up.
She beat me to the punch, as she said. "If this is about Accelerator, don't worry! He's living there temporarily, just like you. He will leave after a new home opens up. And don't worry about him blowing your cover; we already know he can travel by teleporter."
Wow. She had just answered every question I could possibly accuse her of without a single flaw. Damn, she was good at her job. But I still had one concern.
"I'm wondering about the hygiene issue. Where can I...we bathe?" I asked wearily. I knew Accelerator wouldn't ask stuff like this, so I was asking for him.
"Ah...we are still working out that small issue." the Principal said in a weary tone.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Our girls are free to use the shower and bathroom facilities at whatever time they have free. Suddenly banning them from entering at certain times will spark the interest of every girl here. And we can't risk having the girls find out about you two's presence in their dorms. If that got out, there would be a scandal and I might lose face."
"Well, we need to shower some time." I said wearily.
"Well, the Secretary has been going through the times and camera records, and found something interesting."
Camera records...that seemed a little bit illegal, but I opted not to touch the topic too much. "What is it?" I asked.
"No girls go through the showers between the times of 12:00A.M. and 1:00 A.M. It's been consistent through the last sixteen weeks. Do you want to risk it?"
"Fine; I'll take it. I'll go see if Accelerator is interested." I said before hanging up.
"So, you want to take a shower with me? That's flattering, but I'll have to object; I don't bend that way." He grinned at me as my anger flared.
"I was only offering to let you come with me, bastard!" I spat angrily, making sure to keep my tone quiet.
"I know; you are just like Ray, anger flaring like the sun. It's easy to play with." He said as he sat up.
"Shut up. I'm more controlled than Ray." I said while glancing to the side.
"And you are just as bad at hiding being embarrassed. Do you blush like her?" He said, voice suddenly a lot louder. I glanced up and found him standing directly in front of me. I stumbled back and crashed onto the ground, He closed his eyes and winced. "That was well coordinated."
"Shut up. You startled me!" I shouted as I stood up. We heard a creak outside, and both of us immediately turned quiet. Damn, someone was here. I glanced at Accelerator and motioned towards the closet. He needed no prompting, somehow ghosting his way silently into his closet to hide. How he did it, I had no idea. I reached up and pulled off my glasses. I felt time slow as I walked towards the door. I opened it and glanced around. There was no one. I sighed and began to head back in when I sensed something. Glancing up, I saw a girl hanging on the ceiling. Whoa. I shut Accelerator's door and locked it. Then I headed over to my room and walked inside before locking the door. Then I laid down on my bed and fell asleep.
Three hours later I woke up. Glancing at my alarm clock, I realized only three minutes had passed. Damn, I loved my ability. I stood up and walked over to the door. Opening it, I glanced out. The girl was still there, attempting to pick the lock. Wow. I walked over and flipped her skirt. Then I walked over to my bedroom and put on my glasses. I heard a shriek and gasp. Then a sudden burst of steps down the stairs leading to the second floor. Great; the girl was gone. I stood up and walked out. Knocking lightly on Accelerator's door, I waited for a reply.
"Hey, you awake in there?" I asked quietly.
"Yeah, I've been standing behind you the entire time." he said from behind me.
I whirled and went to brace myself on the door. But the door opened behind me and I tripped over a string. I almost fell on the ground, but he caught me before I fell.
"Hah! Your face was priceless! Did you honestly think I was behind you!?" he choked out as he laughed like a maniac.
"How the hell did you do that?" I muttered, as I put up a hand for Accelerator to pull me up.
His eyes widened, but he still grabbed my hand and pulled me up. "You trust me that much? I could instantly kill you by reversing your blood-flow."
"I didn't think of that." I said sourly as I stood up.
"I thought as much. But still, why trust me after we fought over the Sister Project?" he asked. I thought, based on his tone, that he was honestly intrigued.
"Because we are fellow teachers at this 'fabulous' institution. What more of a reason do I need?" I said before sitting down on his bed.
He glared at me but sat down next to me. "I see you still have little respect for a gaijin. But that will come with time. Do you ever want to be on my angry side?" The last question was asked with an odd tone and an off smile.
"If I was?" I asked with an equally level smile.
"The coroners would have a hard time recognizing you. What time were we supposed to go to the showers, anyway?"
"After 12A.M., before 1:00A.M." I replied.
"Fine. Wake me up for the opening. Just make sure not to touch me...it may get ugly." He laughed and I joined with him laughing. Both of us knew how damaging it was for someone to startle a Level 5. Especially when waking said Level 5 up.
It was 5 minutes after midnight, as I rolled out of my bed. I had slept for around 16 hours in my slowed time, and now I was restless. I walked into the hallway and over to Accelerator's room. I opened the door and walked inside. He was asleep in his bed. I pulled a pencil out of my pocket and threw it at him. It flew through the air before hitting his vectors. It spun back, burying itself in the wall next to my head. He sat up groggily, then shook his head, clearing his mind.
"Did you throw something at me?" he asked, glancing at me.
"Nothing. It was nothing." I said with a forced smile. As I turned, I glanced at the pencil. It was buried inside the wall. That would've been fatal, had it been me instead of the wall. Nice. "Gather your stuff and follow me downstairs. I'll be forward guard; you follow in my steps, okay?"
"What?", he asked in a curious tone.
"God, I hate people who don't have basic military knowledge! You've never been in any operation before, have you?" I said with an angry sigh.
"Nope; why would I be in any?" he asked in a puzzled tone.
I realized I had snapped at Accelerator in the exact way I would've to Ray four years ago. Immediately after 'that' incident. Damn, was I relapsing? I shook my head then said. "I'll lead, you follow. If I motion with a fist, you stop. If I wave with an open hand, that means come forward. Okay?"
"Seems simple enough. Let me gather my stuff." he said as he rolled out of bed. He began grabbing his towels and shampoo, throwing them into a small bowl he had. "Ready to go?" He asked.
"Yes. Follow me." I said and then headed for the stairs.
We made it to the stairs before I motioned for him to stop. I took off my glasses then jumped down. The impact was loud, but that was in my time. It would sound like someone sneezing in real-time. I glanced down the dimly lit hallway. No one was out...but that could change at any moment. I began repressing my powers, causing time to speed up. Within seconds I was back to normal time, sweating slightly from concentration. I turned towards Accelerator and motioned with an open hand. He stepped directly on the center of the step, and I winced. It would make noise; it was for sure. But, his foot stopped a breadth above the wood as he ghosted through the air. For the second time, I wondered how much farther along this guy was than me. He could pull out awesome skills, while all I could do was slow down my perception of time. He ghosted up behind me then looked at me with raised eyebrows.
"How much farther?" he mouthed silently.
"I'm not sure. Let's get going...gah!" I turned towards the hall and saw the top of a girl's head. Damn! I let go of my powers, as Accelerator paled in shock. I grabbed him, ignoring the bad feelings running through me, and pressed him against the wall in front of me. Pressed against one another, we were barely hid by the pillar holding up the ceiling. I saw Accelerator's shock, and prayed he didn't decide to kill me. I was still alive, but that could be easily remedied by a slight push on Accelerator's part. I took a deep breath then glanced over the hallway column. The girl was barely onto the floor, frozen in time and moving like melting ice. I allowed my powers to lessen, and she sped up. I watched as she headed towards her room and walked in. I sighed, collapsing against the wall. Then I realized who was underneath me. I pulled away in shock, as I choked out an apology.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-!?" I began exclaiming.
"Shut-up!" He hissed at me as his hand clamped over my mouth. He glanced at the doors, then shook his head. "I'll admit; no guy has had the audacity to feel me up before. Could you really be gay?"
"In your messed up nightmares, maybe!" I spat at him then began walking towards the stairs again.
We made it to the showers with no further 'incidents'. As we walked into the showers, he cast a sideways glance at me and jokingly spoke.
"Wanna share showers? Seeing as how zealous you were when you felt me up..." He grinned as I shot a glare at him. Then he frowned and said. "Do you feel like someone's watching you?"
"No...what do you feel?" I lied through my teeth, remembering the Principal's previous mention of the cameras.
"Nothing, I guess. I'll take a shower on this half of the room; you use that one." He said, proceeding to get undressed. I had to admit, I felt a little awkward getting undressed with another person in the room, even if they were of the same sex. I heard his shower turn on and assumed I was free. I began taking off my shirt when I sensed something behind me. I tore my shirt off over my head then whirled on the feeling. There was a girl, dressed only in a towel. There was an entourage of girls behind her, dressed in approximately the same amount of clothing. I could feel my heart sinking as I realized they had all seen me. My hands began wandering towards my glasses, as the girls stared at me. Suddenly, all the girls' gazes got distant, with the exception of the girl in the lead. She was now holding a remote. I realized instantly who it was as I got a look at her face.
"Shokuhou-san!" I exclaimed, as she smiled at me.
"Hello, sensei! I was just coming to take a shower with my friends, and what should I find except you and Accelerator-sensei in here. That's against protocol, I might add." She said with that nice little smile on her face. Made me want to punch her, to be honest.
"So, what do you want?" Accelerator said. He was still taking his shower, undaunted by the group of girls. He was forged of steel, obviously.
"I want you two to represent me in the upcoming Underground." She said in a triumphant tone, as if she was rewarding us. Silence reigned as Accelerator turned off his shower. He stepped out, dressed only in a towel, to stare at Shokuhou.
He suddenly spoke. "What do you want, Mental-Out? If you just wanted us to obey you and attend the Underground, you could have ordered us with your ability."
"That's true, Accelerator. But, I want both you and the Breaker to willingly follow my request. You see, I can't replace fighting strength mentally, What's yours must remain there. And I don't want to disrupt you two's ability to fight."
"What's in it for us?" Accelerator asked, crossing his arms.
"Easy; you get a chance to battle Ray in a one-on-one free-for-all. She's already signed up for Tokiwadai, along with Misaka. That fills the two-person quota any private group can submit. That's why I'm requesting you two to fight for me."
"I'll admit...that's very tempting." Accelerator said with a small smile.
"What's in it for me?" I asked with a weary sigh.
"Do you remember Dante? He'll be there, to fight the Champion." She said with a small smile.
I suddenly flew forward, picking her up by the throat and slamming her into the wall. Her towel fluttered to the ground as I shouted. "Where the hell is that damn bastard!?" My anger was causing my blood to boil. She struggled to breathe, and the girls began waking up and looking around. Suddenly, something slammed into my side, and I flew across the room. I slammed into the tiles, and they cracked and then broke from the pressure of the impact. I fell out of the hole in the wall, and coughed twice before spitting out blood. Accelerator stood there, handing the fallen towel to the gasping girl.
"What the hell were you doing, bastard? She's one of your own damn students!" he shouted, forgetting where we were.
"I'm sorry; it's my fault for bringing up the name. He's had a huge traumatic shock in the past. I shouldn't have..." She stopped as she coughed a couple times, then resumed speaking,"...said anything. But that man will be there. This is your chance to prove to the world that he is real and did kill your friends. Do you want to take it or not?" She stopped speaking and looked at me, waiting for an answer.
"I can't say no...you know that, don't you?" I muttered as I stood up shakily. "I can't let him continue to live; he was and still is an abomination."
"What's the deal with this person?" Accelerator asked, anger lining his voice.
"He's an old acquaintance of mine. One I intend to erase. That's all you need to know." I muttered as I walked over to my stuff. "I'll fight for you; but only so I can fight Dante."
"In order to do that, all you need to do is win!" She said enthusiastically and then coughed.
"If he's in, I guess I'll go as well. I can't let the gaijin one-up me in anything." Accelerator spat as he turned to get dressed.
"Will you leave now so I can take my shower?" I asked quietly as I turned to face the showers.
"Of course. I'll adjust the girls' memories so there will be a reason for the hole in the wall. I'll also make them forget this meeting. I'll give you a paper with the address of the location for the Preliminaries later." Shokuhou said as she turned. She paused and then added. "Call me Misaki-chan, you two. After all, we'll be getting closer as time passes, right?" She grinned as she led her friends away.
"Wow, that was weird. Do you think the Principal will let us have the days off for the Underground?" Accelerator said as he finished dressing. He wrapped a towel around his white hair to absorb more of the water.
"It was...it was..." I muttered as I began undressing. Her words had brought back terrible memories I would have preferred to keep inside. Dante...that name still filled my entire mind with fear. I lashed out at those people in the therapy center when they mentioned his name; a defense mechanism I myself had gained somehow. But, I finally had the chance to prove he was a real person, with real abilities. Finally, my comrades had a chance to rest in peace. I turned on the shower and stood under the cold water. I let it run over my face, allowing my thoughts to flee. I quickly finished showering and dried off. While I was getting dressed, Accelerator spoke.
"About this 'Dante'...want to tell me about him?" He asked in a curious tone.
"I don't want to talk about him, Accelerator." I muttered as I pulled my shirt on over my head.
"On a different note, you know martial arts, right?" Accelerator said as he lifted his hand to the ceiling.
"I do...why?" I said as I began gathering my shower items together.
"I want to learn some martial arts. You beat me with some pretty fancy moves; I want to be able to use them. I learned abilities aren't everything in our little fight. So, would you be willing to teach me?" he asked as he picked up his bag.
"I can't see why not; I'll show you some basics...but you'll need to turn off your ability while we do it." I said as I headed towards the door.
"I can do that easily enough. When would you be willing to teach me?" he asked as he followed.
"Sometime later this week?" I mumbled then motioned up with my hand. "Silence now; we need to make it back to the rooms."
We made it to the rooms with no further problems. He headed to his room to rest up more while I walked over to my room. I had slept a long time, so now I was barely tired. I laid out the papers from the previous day and began checking papers by the light of my lamp.
The girls here were well educated; I found few mistakes. One of the only times I had to take the cap off my red pen was when I was checking Ray's paper. Unfortunately, she was as bad at English as she had been before. I sighed and shook my head as I wrote her score down. Barely passing. I had her scoring better when she had been under my tutoring. I'd probably need to do it again. Not that I would mind; after all, she was my dear friend.
I finished checking papers and glanced at the clock. 4:00AM. Drat. I still had three hours before school started. I might as well head to the Principal's office to talk about the Underground...