Chapter 12
To anyone else, it appeared that Takeki was trying to analyze his sundae. In actuality, he had forgotten about the dessert completely and was lost deep in his own head. He was so frustrated that he wanted to hit something. He was so depressed that he wanted to cry. And he was so mystified that he couldn't help but sit there and do nothing.
I can't believe I said those things. What was I thinking? I knew she would react that way. Well, maybe not quite like that. Either way I knew what I was getting into.
But still, what else was I going to do? What if I was wrong? What if she was speaking openly because she wanted me to comfort her? Despite what I think I couldn't possibly have known for sure at the time.
Still, I overstepped my position. I should have let her break off the conversation. Instead I pressed her. I spoke to her so arrogantly. What the hell was I thinking? I'm not going to be in this city much longer. Honestly, what was I going to do? Take her with me?
Well, that's not such a bad idea.
But there's no way she would have done that. She said it herself, didn't she? She loves this city. She loves her friends. There's no way she would give up everything she has for some guy.
Not like I even have a chance now.
That thought ignited the anger in him, boiling away the murky depression. He wanted to put his arms around something and just squeeze it with all his strength. Just unleash all this pressure he was feeling in his chest- all this anger, all this grief- just scream and let it all go. But he couldn't.
That's right. It's over. To her I'm just some creep now. Some testosterone-driven, impulsive jerk. She was right, too. Who do I think I am? I really was acting like I was something to her. We had only met the other day. There was nothing between us. Everything she said was true.
"I'll be there in time?" Ha! Even if I knew her exact location I probably wouldn't make it. I would show up moments too late and be completely useless. I would be absolutely worthless yet again and I would look at her, all bloody. Just like Onee-chan. How could I possibly live with myself after that?
The anger slowly ebbed away. He felt bitterness tainting the tears that welled at his eyes.
"There's no point crying over a melted sundae, nya."
Takeki whipped his head up and saw Tsuchimikado sitting in the seat across from him. His smile said that he was enjoying the view.
Musujime's self-loathing found a new target as he glared at Tsuchimikado; flames nearly scorched through his corneas. He quickly wiped the tears away with his sleeve.
"What do you want?" he growled.
"That banana split if you're not going to eat it, nya," Motoharu returned, fearless arrogance exuding from him.
He reached for the spoon. Before he could grab it, Takeki scooped his arm around the sundae and pulled it towards him, huddling over it like a dog defending its food dish.
Motoharu sighed and put his hands up, "Oh well. Hey, relax a little. You're looking like some suspicious person. If I didn't know any better I would think you were the one perpetrating all those assaults on the Level 5's."
Takeki had no intention of obeying the onmyouji but a waitress appeared abruptly from behind him. Startled, Musujime put on a smile and ate his dessert while the mahou shoujo-esqe maid took Tsuchimikado's order. Rather than fear another surprise from the magically-appearing maid, Takeki continued with his congenial charade.
"Do you have any more information for me?" Takeki inquired without looking up from his slowly-disappearing ice cream.
"I wonder how many people have seen the Mage Slayer cry before, nya."
"Keep it up and you'll be wondering how many breaths you can take with your head imbedded in concrete."
Motoharu just grinned. "Seems that The Queen has been taken off of the streets, nya. She hasn't been to school and she hasn't returned to her room since the attack on Mugino, nya."
"So where would I find her?"
"How should I know, nya? Chances are she's been taken into protective custody by Anti-Skill. Worst case scenario she's under the protection of one of the city's secret organizations, nya. And not like ITEM or GROUP. We're talking one of the Board of Directors' military groups, nya. Well, worst case scenario, anyway."
The maid returned with a glass of water and a banana split and placed them in front of a smiling Motoharu. After she left Takeki continued the conversation.
"It's all the same either way. I was planning to go after Accelerator today."
"Ooh. And why's that, nya?"
Takeki glowered at him for prying. "Because I'm in a bad mood, that's all."
"And because you're in bad shape, nya?"
Takeki narrowed his eyes. "So you were watching?"
"Not at all. I don't have the time right now for entertainment, nya. Our good friend was concerned about you and mentioned it to me, nya."
Takeki let out a breath. If it was Kamijou, he wasn't going to hold it against him.
"So, what research facility do I find Accelerator in?"
Tsuchimikado laughed. "You really haven't been around in a long time, nya. They let him out of the lab years ago. Up until a while ago he was living out of a cheap apartment, nya."
"They let that thing out? What were they thinking?"
"Oh, don't worry. For whatever reason he calmed down a bit, nya. He only killed thugs that attacked him and some experimental targets. Believe it or not," Motoharu gave a dramatic pause, "he was actually defeated, nya."
All the energy left Takeki's limbs. He lost his hold on his spoon and it clattered into the glass dish. His eyes lost their edge and his facial muscles loosened. He had been beaten to the kill. What would he do now? His revenge on Accelerator was one of the driving forces in his life. There were others, sure, but Accelerator had been at the top. And suddenly the pinnacle was gone. That couldn't be possible.
"Who?" Takeki whispered.
"Huh? I can't hear you, nya."
"Who beat him?" Takeki didn't speak any louder, but Tsuchimikado responded nonetheless.
"Our good friend, nya."
Musujime's eyes were the size of moons. His heart stopped beating; his stomach dropped out; his skin grew clammy. He had heard that Touma had a powerful ability. But he hadn't realized just how powerful it must be. To be able to defeat Accelerator, a seemingly invincible Esper, it had to be godly. And Takeki had been staying in his house. He had been lying to this god from the very moment he met him. What if Touma knew already? What if he was just going along with it because he didn't consider anyone a threat? If he was that powerful…
Takeki hadn't realized how violently he was shaking until Motoharu spoke.
"I know what you're thinking, nya. He's not that powerful. Think about it, would the Church leave him unattended like this if he was really that much of a threat, nya?"
Takeki looked at him, eyes still wide with fear. "But you're here, right?" His voice was weak and panicky. "Aren't you watching over him? Your room is right next door, after all."
"You know my mage name, nya. 'Backstabber.' Do you really think the Church would put me in charge of something like that, nya?"
Musujime began to settle down. He gripped his hands together under the table in an attempt to stop the shaking. That was true. The Church wouldn't let Motoharu handle a bomb like that. The Church probably wouldn't have even let Touma continue living once they found out.
"Then how did he kill him?"
"'Kill?'" Motoharu scoffed. "When did I say 'kill nya?' He beat him, but all he hurt was Accelerator's pride, nya. Granted, another person managed to shoot Accelerator after that and put him into the hospital. But he's still alive, nya."
Still alive. Those words lifted Takeki's spirit. Accelerator was still alive. He could still have his revenge.
"What happened after he got shot? Is he still in the hospital?"
"Nah, he's out, though he goes back for checkups from time to time, nya. What I heard is that he's only an Esper from time to time. Evidently he has to switch it on, like a robot, nya. Even so, he's just as powerful as he was before when it's on, nya."
Takeki was getting excited. If that was right, he could beat him. "So where-"
Motoharu held up his hand and Musujime stopped talking. Someone other than their waitress stepped up to the table.
"I am Shirai of Judgment," she introduced herself and gave her armband a tug. "I noticed that you frequent this place."
"That's true…" Takeki replied slowly, all smiles.
The girl was short with twin tails. Her high-class speech heralded her social status just as readily as her Tokiwadai uniform. Though she held herself with authority, the bags under her eyes detracted from the overall image. She produced a photograph and held it up to them. The person featured was obscured by shadows, but both Takeki and Motoharu could tell who it was.
"Have you seen this person?" the girl questioned them.
"Wow, what an ugly guy, nya!" Motoharu cried out. "Don't you think, Takeki-kun?"
Too tired to be bothered by the exaggerated outburst Kuroko simply gave the boy a skewed glance.
"Well, I don't know if you can really tell from this photo. I think he might actually be pretty good looking," Takeki replied with a polite smile.
"Are you kidding, nya? Just look at that jacket!"
"What's wrong with the jacket?"
"No one wears those things anymore! Has he been living in a cloister?"
"A cloister?" Kuroko interjected, surprised by the choice of words.
"Back home in England that style is plenty normal!"
"England?" Kuroko turned her sleep-deprived face towards Takeki.
"He doesn't look like a foreigner, nya."
"That doesn't mean he isn't."
"Like you, nya?"
"Well, I'm not a real foreigner."
"So that could be you in the picture, nya?"
"What? I. Um. That person doesn't have any hair!"
"Maybe it's just stuffed under that beanie, nya."
"I can't stuff all this hair into a hat like that!" Takeki gave the hair by his shoulder a tug to indicate its length.
"Maybe that's a wig, nya."
"What do you want that person for, anyway?" Takeki broke the dialogue and looked up to Kuroko with a polite smile.
Shirai sighed and finally put the photo back away. "He was observed at the scene of a crime."
"What kind of crime?"
"I apologize, however I cannot disclose that information."
Motoharu turned back to Takeki and said, "I bet it was one of those attacks." He grinned as Kuroko jolted upright.
"What attacks?" Takeki ignorantly asked as obliged.
"You know: those attacks on the Level 5's." Kuroko's eyes bored into him. He ignored her and continued talking to Takeki. "I hear that whoever it is got Gunha last night."
"Oh, how scary." Takeki seemed genuinely frightened.
"How do you know about that?" Kuroko snapped.
"The attacks? Everyone has been talking about them, nya." Motoharu smirked at Shirai.
"No, about Gunha Sogiita," Kuroko narrowed her eyes.
"What can I say, nya? Word gets around quick."
She studied him for several moments and he simply continued smiled. Finally giving up, she turned from the table. "If you two should happen to see him, please contact Judgment or Antiskill immediately."
"Yes ma'am, nya," Motoharu drew the phrase out as an apathetic student would respond to his teacher. As soon as she was out the door he smirked again. "Oh, wait. Here he is."
Takeki couldn't help but chuckle in response. After a moment Takeki pointed down, still smiling.
"It's melting."