Thank you so much for the review in the first chapter, guys. It meant a lot for me you know. I love you all!
Here comes the next chapter. Hope you like it!
Chapter 2: The Guardian Angel
"So this is Railgun, the third ranked of the level five esper. Really, without any power that she used to have, she was nothing but a trash."
Misaka Mikoto was lying on the lifeless blackness, not knowing which one was the upper or lower side. It was as though everything that surrounded her body was nothing but darkness, the only one which kept her in company, the only one which would never cease until the second time the world faced the apocalypse. It was void, it was vacant, it was nothing, it was empty, and it was death, bringing an odor of the hell, as the blackness kept pressing a certain pressure that was hard to be controlled, hard to be born. As the surge of darkness kept pushing her, she felt as though she had fallen to an endless ocean trench, as the gravity would never stop itself from making her felt the impact and characteristic of a fall. She was frightened, she was scared, she was alone, and she was nothing but any other garbage which was thrown to the ocean.
"My friend was killed by this electromaster."
Another voice was heard; vibrating the Railgun's eardrum as the voice of the previous leader of Skill-Out stimulated her brain to react, dilating her pupils as her eyes widened in fear. Without her knowing why, her sweat gland began activating her previous job, which appeared to be forgotten for about a fraction of second, drenching her forehead with the equivalence of the ability of a waterfall. Even though the fact that Misaka hated to hear the voice which appeared to stab her fragile heart, the voice didn't seem to cease in a matter of second, as it continued its torture of crushing Misaka's brain. Although the covering of ears should be able to solve the problem, but it couldn't, with a proof of Misaka's action to do so. It was frightening, it was torturing, and also, it was suffocating, as her throat appeared to be blocked by the voice, stopping her from breathing fluently. It was a punishment, no longer anything than whatever it was.
"Boy, if you wanted to blame someone, in heaven or hell, where you ascend or descend, blames that girl! She was the cause of this commotion. She was the one who created hatred and pain. She was the one who was proud of her ability, but just crushing someone's life with it. She was lowest than any other insect in this world!"
Misaka really wanted to scream as hard as she could, releasing any pain that she had as the same voice, with different words began penetrating her crazy brain, somehow making her sensory receptor for pain becoming more and more sensitive, without anything for a release, only allowing a tortured expression that was too unhealthy for her, who should be able to enjoy her youth with nothing but friends and happiness. The sound kept spreading her body, repeating it simultaneously as her emotion started to be panic, and she really wanted to cry as loud as she could, disregarding any sense of dignity that she used to be proud of. The voice of the Skill-Out's leader then became louder and louder, being happy as its effort was more than enough to drive her crazy, and without her intending to know what will happen, without her caring for anything other than death rather than facing this kind of experience, Misaka's body disappeared to the lifeless darkness, sinking into an endless blackness, and she was gone.
She woke up.
Not allowing any moment to keep lying on whatever she lied on, she sat with the speed which could even shock a sprint runner, with both of her palms on the 'thing' she previously lied on, the only pedestal for her to support her weight, with her head faced upwards, shooting dagger at whatever that was placed there. Her breath was heavy, as though she was freed from an experience of suffocating, and it really was what she felt. As her brain began taking a glimpse of things that surrounded her, she finally realized that the 'thing' was a bed, and the ceiling was glaring back at her. The room was white, so much different from the place she used to experience, spreading an amount of comfortable aura as the odor of drugs and medicines began filling her nose. It was a hospital room that she was so familiar of, as the amount of her visit here couldn't defeat anybody than a certain spiky haired boy.
Misaka began surveyed the time and space that she was thrown into. It was a day time, as the window on the left side of hers allowed a certain weak light from the sun to the floor, coloring it with its golden hue, as eternal as the sun itself, mixed proportionally with the sound of chirping birds which could drive someone to an eternal peace just by hearing it. The wind was not dusty, but rather, it tried to fill the room with natural smell other than medicines and drugs odor. In front of her was a television on a wooden table that was set there to be the only sight of entertainment for any patient that couldn't leave the room. Nevertheless, nothing could beat and shock her rather than the sight of her right side.
On her right side was the presence of a spiky haired boy, sitting on the only armchair in the room, with closed eyes which appeared to cure his drowsiness and tiredness. He was a peaceful and kind being, as though he had been trained and carved by Mahatma Gandhi himself. He was the source of life in the room other than Misaka, as he slept on the armchair with a peaceful expression, as though he had nothing to fear, nothing to be afraid of. White bandage could be seen covering his forehead, blocking the bang of his usual spiky hair, and he didn't appear to have changed his uniform at all, and still, it was full of dirt and dust.
Not three seconds could be given for her to have a time together with Kamijiou Touma as her ears began sensing the footsteps of a light leg, and it didn't need more than another second to find who she or he was. It was a beautiful woman, maybe a few centimeters taller than her, an embodiment of a mature female. Her purple hair was disentangled only to her shoulder, just like Misaka's, giving a sense of similarity between the two females. Her eyes gave the room a calm and kind aura, as the purple orb of hers began finding Mikoto's stare. A sleeveless pink T-shirt covered her slender body, which appeared to be too tight for her big breast, much to Misaka's jealousy. Her legs appeared to be strong, covered by the jeans that seemed to be old. Her hands were holding a cozy blanket, which was folded very neatly, that could even make a veteran housewife jealous.
She gave a gentle and kind smile to Misaka and began speaking with the sweetest expression and tune that she could have, releasing any ability of hospitality that appeared to have been perfected since her youth. Her voice was low, much different from Misaka's tomboyish voice.
"Ah, you have woken up, are you feeling all right?" the purple haired girl, as she smiled brightly to her, giving her usual enchanting smile that she appeared to be able to give to anybody that she cared for.
"Ah, yeah, I'm feeling great," Misaka lied. "By the way, who are you?" she continued to ask with the most polite tune that she could use, as she faced someone which seemed to have a motherly figure for her, but in a fraction of seconds, she could feel that her sweat had gone to nowhere, as though her usual talk with this stranger was far better than ever. Having a usual talk was so much more different from talking about grief and sorrow.
"My name is Itsuwa, I served as Touma's previous guardian and one of his friends," the girl said as he introduced her name, still with the sweetest smile implanted on her beautiful face, gathering so much attractiveness and charm, which was enough to attract the rest of the high school male students. "It's very nice to meet you, and by the way, who are you? I think I have met you somewhere," she continued and accidentally, maybe without her knowing why, she tilted her head a little.
So this girl was Touma's guardian? This beautiful girl, with a weak outer appearance was his guardian? Misaka looked at her with a blank look began masking her face. Until now, she couldn't comprehend anything at all. How could there be so many girls who surrounded him? Was he a… woman attracting machine or something? Even as his guardian, he got another woman that Misaka Mikoto barely knew, and as his guardian, it meant that she was always be by his side, and somehow, a spark of jealousy began lifting its power, as she looked at her with a vacant, yet shocked expression.
Smile began leaving Itsuwa's face, fully eventually realized that Misaka didn't reply her question before. She looked at her with a confused face as the replacement of her gorgeous smiling one, with his fingers began moving to her cheek, tapping it with the company of other words that was flown stutteringly from her tongue. "Umm… Is there anything wrong?" she said worriedly.
Misaka finally came back again to the reality that she must face now, as her head jerked backwards, thoroughly surprised by Itsuwa's sudden question. "Ah, there is nothing wrong!" she said unconvincingly. "My name is Misaka, Misaka Mikoto to be exact. We have met before?" Misaka continued, asking herself and her eyes found something intriguing on the ceiling of the hospital, as though it could provide some answers that she needed. "Sorry, I forgot," she smiled at Itsuwa as a smile found its place, beautifying her face. "It is very nice to meet you!"
Itsuwa smiled again, and then, her eyes found themselves implanted on the spiky haired boy. Then, she slowly approached him, who was appeared to be unaffected to the noise that circled his ears, a sign that he was as tired as he could be. Itsuwa's flawless hand then moved to Touma's bandage which took its presence on his forehead, rubbing it with the greatest softness and gentleness that she could release, somehow preventing the spiky haired boy from waking up. After some amount of checking with eyes which were full of concern to her, as her connection and relationship toward Touma was something that she always considered as precious, resulting the greatest affection that she could give to him, she managed to form a smile on her lip, showing that the certain boy had no any more bad injury or else.
Misaka watched the scene in jealousy, getting more knowledge about another girl who was given by excessive blessing, appeared to care deeply about the spiky haired boy, showing a good relationship betwee them, which appeared to be more than friends, or at least it was what Misaka had in mind. But this time, she didn't scream at her or anything, as her body was still not in a its full form, preventing her from releasing any other spark of electricity or anthing harmful, let alone, this was hospital, a place where anyone could get the best treatment from the morning until the next sun arose, being noisy here was unacceptable.
Then, Itsuwa looked at her calmly, being unaffected by the look of jealousy that began covering Misaka's face. Itsuwa took the blanket from her hands, unfolding it, then, she covered it to Misaka's body neatly, as though it could give better protection and comfort. Misaka looked at her with a somehow, a bit surprised expression at the sight of the purple haired girl.
"This is for you, you may need it," Itsuwa said, giving her famous smile to Misaka as she covered her body with the comfortable blanket. Indeed, the blanket was very oh so comfortable that Misaka didn't demand it to be removed, displaying the greatest piece of gratitude that she would always do to anybody who was nice to her.
"Thank you," Misaka said, being clearly happy that she met a nice girl like her. This Itsuwa person was a very good person, as if there was no any tiny bit of guilt and mistake that couldn't be directed to her, with an addition of innocent look which resembled a child, and the inner behavior that was as gentle as kitten, but could give a great effect in anybody's mind and thought. She was really someone was granted with too much blessing, given by the hand of God himself, as the angelic seraph from the heaven above granted her with so many things, even something that she didn't ask. Nice, kind, beautiful, and innocent; every positive behavior appeared to be present in her, giving a perfect image to her.
But somehow, for that, Misaka really wanted to be like that, as the spang of jealousy that used to cover her mind was changed with a sense of admiration, as the individual which was standing in front of her had a peaceful aura that demanded nothing but peace and happiness. She was a good friend to hang out with, or maybe it was the image that Misaka caught in her mind.
"Ah, that's no problem," Itsuwa replied, giving a type of smile that deliberately would close anybody's eyes, being happy as the 'thank you' words from Misaka was something that she didn't need, but nevertheless, she said it anyway. To Itsuwa, even though she didn't know much about this Misaka girl, but it appeared that she was far stronger than her, with no look of shyness as she was as brave as ever, a disposition that Itsuwa really wanted. Let aside, it was as though Misaka could have a conversation with anyone, aside the difference in background or anything else, or the fact that she was talking to a stranger like her. Even a magician like Itsuwa knew about the fame of Tokiwadai Middle School, a school where all the richness of the world was directed in one place. Itsuwa could tell that Misaka was not an ordinary girl, in monetary capability or even anything. Nevertheless, she was having a conversation with her without any mockery tune that she hated. Misaka Mikoto was a very nice girl, she must say, showing no sense of distrust at all. She was someone that she could treat as 'friend' everywhere.
The silence began covering the two of them, as the comfortable aura was spreading aroud them. The two smiled each other, being reluctant to leave each other's face to show any sense of hospitality that they had. The snoring sound of Touma's sleeping figure was tangible, being unaffected by the conversation of the two, with the sunlight began entering the room with greater intensity, together with the company of calm breeze which brought the odor of tree barks.
"You were a very lucky girl, Misaka-san," she said, breaking the ice, genuinely honest as the calm aura began penetrating Misaka's brain, something that she could only get long time ago, when Misaka Misuzu still had her motherly figure in her brain. "You have this boy saving you, even protecting you with all his strength. If he and I weren't around, I didn't know what will happen to you and to your friend. Nevertheless, you should give your greatest gratitude to this boy when he had woken up," she said, facing the sky which was up there outside the window, as though it was something to keep her more and more comfortable and charming. It was not a lecture, but rather, a simple remainder which was conveyed with the greatest softness, finding it hard to not listening to it at all.
A thousand of memories and images began entering her head, as though Itsuwa's last statement was a stimulation to bring the memory back. She and Kuroko were leisurely strolling around the Academy City, they found themselves in a dark alley which Kuroko considered as a shortcut, a group of thugs began confronting them, even attacking them, and the arrival of this boy, as he fought the Skill-Out with all his strength…
And after that, she couldn't remember anything at all, other than her shout to the leader of the Skill-Out, pleading him not to attack Touma again. What she remembered last was a great energy that she suddenly had, as she felt something suddenly appeared on her back, and what she saw back then after that, was just blackness.
But somehow, what she saw from that images that time was not a torture again anymore, but rather, a heart melting scene, as she was touched by the action of the spiky haired boy, who kept his promise back then for protecting her with all his strength. His bravery was something that could even make the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse cried in shame, let alone, despite the great difference in strength, he kept fighting with the greatest wisdom and courage to make him went all through that. Misaka looked at the boy with a softened face, planting her expression with all her affections that she could release for the boy. Her brain began trying to find a good word for his action. Strong, brave, cool, awesome, fabulous, great, impressive, superb, wonderful, remarkable, incredible, but whatever it was, there was something that she could only whisper, to herself, as her voice found it hard to reach Itsuwa's ears.
"Idiot…"
Yes, he was an idiot. Even though what he said, really, there was no any hero that could do something like that. He was the one who found the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. He was a selfless one, who was generous in spirit, who just tried to give back as much as possible and help people. He was the one who had justification for his action that was convincing for him. He was the one who understood the degree of responsibility that came with his freedom. He was a hero for all, her hero.
"And until now," Itsuwa began speaking again with the same serenity, as Misaka found herself looking at her once again, "he was the one who waited for your awakening. You had slept for one day, you should know that," Itsuwa said.
But then, without any alert for Misaka, she suddenly mumbled loudly to herself, making Misaka looked at her with a confused expression. "Ah, I must go, to give a report to my master!" she gasped at herself, realizing something that appeared to be her obligation. She took a thousand steps forward which seemed to be reluctantly, with a company of a glance to Touma with worried and affectionate look. Nevertheless, whatever it was, she managed to move her legs to leave, even though Misaka knew, that she didn't want to.
Itsuwa finally left, leaving Misaka alone with the spiky haired boy who was sleeping peacefully. Somehow, just right after she eventually realized that she was in the same room with Kamijiou Touma, with a proximity that she would always dream of, she blushed, raising an amount of fresh blood to her cheeks, reddening it with a color which could resemble the setting sun. After a slight moment of shaking head and bringing himself to the reality from any further delusion, the cheeks ceased to show their red color, changing her expression to a softened one, bringing peace just like a gift from heaven's sun. In a moment of time, words began flowing from her mouth, not with a fancy or poetic one, but a modest one, together with the softest tune that she could release.
"Thank you Touma..."
She took the blanket that Itsuwa previously gave to her, and with the touch of the blanket, her mind began wandering everywhere, forming a delusion of the knight saving a princess, as the thought of Kamijiou Touma waited for her to see her awakening touched her soft heart. The thought of Touma waited for her was something that she needed so much, showing the care that the spiky haired boy deeply had for her. With some moments of thinking, she took the blanket from her body, as she began leaving the cozy bed on which she lied on before, and approched Touma, wrapping the comfortable blanket to her, with a softened look on her face, as the gentleness that she did was far different than anything, blending a sense of affection, love, and sincerity. After that, after a small moment of smiling and little blushing, she was back in her bed, yawning loudly, being exhausted for anything that happened today. Then, she took another glance to her idiot hero, who was soundly asleep, and words began flowing from her mouth as her eyes were closed in exhaustion gracefully.
"Good night, dummy..."
The calm breeze suddenly entered the door, holding its warm atmosphere that appeared to be taken high from the heaven, enjoying the sight of the two teenagers who finally survived from the pit of death, bringing life to anyone around them.
Ruiko Saten was having a good day after one hell of supplementary class, just until she got a call from her friends, Uiharu Kazari that her fellow member of Judgement and her senior, Misaka Mikoto were attacked by the member of Skill-Out and an awkward explosion which created catasthrope around the peripheral area occured. Behaving as a good friend just like she must do to anyone, together with loyalty and a sense of solidarity which was very needed by a single fighter, she took a step forward, changing her destination from her school dormitory to the hospital, with a great worry that began surrounding her usual cheerful disposition. What she had in mind was just to ensure the health and condition of the two friends that she had so much faith on, as she knew that despite their superiority in power, Uiharu said that they were injured badly, which meant that the culprit was really strong. Just thinking about that made Saten increased her amount of worry.
At the moment, she was walking in the corridor of the hospital which was full of white hue and strolling nurses, with some of doctors rarely. Her steps was made to be as calm as possible, but her heart thumped so hard that she afraid it would be able to wake the other patients up. She was as worried as she could be, as the images of her two injured friends began crossing her mind. With her usual attire, the Sakugawa middle school uniform which had covered her body from the first time the sun was alive in the Academy City, she walked as fast and as calm as she could, disregarding any doctors and nurses who were jeering at her for her hasty manner. Her eyes, which were oh so black and pure, covered slightly by the bang from her long black hair, began surveying the rooms, trying to find the number of the room where her friends stayed.
As she eventually found the room with the door on which a paper with the name 'Shirai Kuroko' placed, she entered, and without a matter of seconds, finding her best friend, Uiharu Kazari, was sitting on a chair. Uiharu's eyes were directed to a lying girl which was snoring soundly, a sleeping figure of Shirai Kuroko. Bandage could be found on her cheeks, forehead, and arms, and Saten couldn't know how many more which were hidden beneath the blanket that covered her body. The calm aura of the white hospital room appeared to be oh so contrast with the appearance of Shirai Kuroko. It was as if they were differentiated with the words 'death' and 'life'.
Uiharu Kazari was wearing the same attire as Saten, the Sakugawa Middle School uniform. Her black hair, which was not even reach her shoulder, appeared to be so messy that it was enough to make Saten gasped in that sight. Her flower band was still taking its presence on her head, but it appeared to be as sad as her owner be. The worried expression that Uiharu had was far worse than Saten's as her face didn't show any happiness just in the time Saten looked at her. Nevertheless, finally, as though realizing the side of another friend that she needed the most, she looked at Saten with a sad expression, something which Saten hated to see.
"Welcome Saten-san. It is very nice for you to come," she said, showing her worried and sad tune that was too rare for Saten to hear, as if she was thrown in into an endless trench with the whisper of the devils, and she had no opportunity to escape, but whatever it was, she managed to give her a simple smile, as her lip began to curve to an angled line that seemed so fragile, being the only thing to reassure her.
"Of course I came, Uiharu," Saten said with a cheery tune which was very clear to be fake and made just for the reassurance of her friend. "How's her condition?" Saten asked, as her curiosity began building up in her mind.
"It was very horrible, Saten-san. Bruised body, swollen forehead, broken ribs and legs, severe cut on almost every part of her body. It appeared that the culprit of this commotion was nothing but a sadistic, cold mannered one," she said as she sighed in agony and sorrow, finding it hard to tell the condition of her dear friend, resisting an urge to cry in process, even though she did not want to be a cry baby which was always be her usual characteristic. "I will never want to imagine what would happen if that woman didn't bring her here," she continued painfully, as if the sentence was enough to deplete her remaining strength.
"A woman? Stranger?" Saten's frowned. It was very rare to see a kind and good stranger which appeared to began leaving the Academy City, let alone, facing an opponent who was as fierce as ever. "Who was she?"
"Oh, she was a beautiful woman with a purple hair with the same style as Misaka's," she said. "She was the one who took Shirai-san here, it was all because of her, Shirai-san could get better treatment, or else, I don't want to know," she continued, facing Saten with a expression that resembled a kid who lost her toys.
Saten smiled genuinely. The knowledge of hers for being in Academy City for more than a year had given her a sense, a belief, that most of the students in the city was not a caring one, whose ego won other than anything else. They usually would prioritize their life and safety more than anything, as something which was oh so precious for them, or maybe even laughed on the sight of a cornered person. It was not as though it was their fault, but rather, they indeed didn't have any much power that they needed the most. Nonetheless, this stranger, a woman too, helped someone, and moreover, her friend, protecting her from any further harm. The amount of people who had the same characteristic as this stranger in the Academy City could be counted by her fingers, just like Misaka Mikoto, one of her other friends.
Out of the blue, another thought of a certain scientific Railgun crossed her mind.
"Speaking of whom, where is Misaka-san?" Saten said, as another worry began constructing itself in her mind, even though the fact that Misaka was far stronger than Kuroko should be enough to reassure her, but still, she was worried. The reality that Misaka couldn't protect Kuroko could summarize two things. One: Misaka was too cruel, resulting her reluctance to protect her junior, and two: she was also injured that she couldn't help her. The first summary was so unlikely to happen, so the second summary must be the one.
"Oh, she was far better than her," she said giving a sweet smile of relief as she did so. "Her bandages were far less in number. She was also taken by another person, a spiky haired guy," she continued.
Saten frowned again for the second time. Another person? Just what had this Academy City been? She couldn't comprehend if there were two good people, who dared to face other's problem, stranger to be exact, in the same incident. It was not as though she was a pesimistic type, the one who thought about something from the negative side (in fact, Saten was the complete opposite), but it was somehow just strange. They must be the luckiest one in the world. But whatever it was, she began smiling, as the luck, the fortune, or whatever had happened, had just saved her friends that she cared of the most, the one whose tears she didn't really want to see, the one who had always been on her side until now, no matter what circumstances she had faced.
"So where's Misaka-san now?" Saten asked. If she were totally okay, then she didn't need to stay in this hospital right? Perhaps she could meet her and ask her about a thing or two about the accident that they had faced.
"Oh, she was taking a rest in the room just a few meters from here," Uiharu said. "But I'm afraid that you can't visit her. There were another person who was staying with her," she continued, and this time, somehow Saten could see a glimpse of an amused smile, something which was very rare to be seen from Uiharu, whose honesty and kindness could even surpass a charity worker, meant that something interesting had happened. Nevertheless, Saten wondered who was the person that stayed with her. As long as Saten could know, people that Misaka knew and had been her closest friend could be counted by fingers, and all of them were now in Kuroko's room. So who was this kind person? In the midst of calm breeze who entered the window, with the light from weak sun which gave a golden hue to the room, a phrase was flown from her mouth, joining Kuroko's snore in process.
"Another person?"
Uiharu's lip began to be curved, forming a Devil May Care grin that half population of Sakugawa Middle School found to be rare, whilst in the moment, Saten had sworn that she had seen Uiharu in another personality; not a usual shy Uiharu Kazari, but rather, Uiharu was just like her, Ruiko Saten.
"That spiky haired guy," Uiharu said. "I heard that he never leave Misaka-san's side."
At one of the most crowded districts in Academy City; District 7, Aleister Crowley, the wickedest man in the world, the founder, leader, and general superintendent of Academy City, the one whose plan appeared to never fail, the one whose power even surpassed the board of directors, or any other name that you could call him, was still residing to his transparent tube which was filled with a great number of fluid, as he was placed upside down in it. He and his tube were protected by a certain massive building called 'Windowless Building', a building whose structure could even beat the defense of a tank, being the only building in the world that could resist even the most dangerous attack from anything. It was a white colored structure, soaring high to the sky above, with the change of outer appearance from the dawn to the dewfall, somehow creating an eerie feeling that was hard to be ignored, but also, hard to be detected. Despite of the windowless characteristic, the interior part was much chilly than the outer one, as the oxygen kept producing itself, promoting a life in the body of Aleister Crowley.
With the usual lifeless expression that he always wore as a mask, Aleister stood upside down in a tube which was placed in the center of the quadruple space, being the only room which existed in the building; a room which was dominated by black and yellow color, together with the golden hue which materialized, as the only light source of the room. Numerous screens were present in the room, no matter it was at the top or the bottom, floating or sticking, the screens were everywhere, as if the room defied the law of gravity itself. But whatever it was, the screens were the only thing that could connect him to the outside world, as the tube resisted him from any further moving, forcing him to remain immobile.
Out of the blue, but even though it was a sudden thing, but still, within Aleister's prediction, a screen materialized in front of him, as his face didn't show any shock on it. Then, a figure of a man, with combed brown hair and beard, with the face that was oh so determined and brave; a face that could be only seen from someone who had managed to escape from death numerous times, appeared in front of Aleister's nose. The man was wearing a white T-shirt which was partially concealed by a black formal suit, not so fancy of fashionable, but it looked good in him. Aleister looked at him with his usual facial; a face which resembled a living corpse, so cold, yet oh so intelligent. Then, without waiting for the man to speak to him, Aleister greeted him, only for formality, not for anything else, as his mouth began to be opened.
"Misaka Tabikake, it is very rare for to connect with me, what's with the call?" he said, with his usual flat voice, but somehow, it could give chill to any child who wasn't prepare for it at all, something that had been Aleister's way of speaking for only God knew since when.
The man, Misaka Tabikake, faced the general superintendent of Academy City with the same facial that he always had to anyone, ignoring the fact that here, just right in front of him, limited by the perennial smooth screen, standing (upside down) the once greatest magician in the world, the one who could kill him within a fraction of seconds. He appeared to be somehow furious, even though it was hidden beneath his calm and phlegm disposition, but everyone could know, by the way he looked at Aleister, the man was not in his good mood.
"Cut the courtesy, Aleister Crowley," Tabikake said, with the calmest tune which appeared to be hard to be released in his current state, and it was very great of him for not shouting at Aleister at that moment, but whether it was for the sense of politeness or anything, nobody would ever know. "I heard that my daughter must stay in the hospital, and I believed it was not because of sickness or something usual," he continued.
Aleister looked at him with a pitying look, as though he felt sorry for Tabikake for being worried about his daughter too much, but at least, it was something written on his face; nobody could ever know what was in Aleister's mind. "Ah, yeah, your daughter… Misaka Mikoto, right?" he asked, as though he didn't know about the relationship between Mikoto and Tabikake.
"Your sense of humor always amused me, Crowley," Tabikake said, clearly pissed and fed up by Aleister's reply, showed by the sudden pressure that he gave to the last two syllables. "I bet that you would know that Mikoto was my daughter even though I didn't inherit the name Misaka to her," he resumed his sentence.
"That's perfectly true, Tabikake," Aleister said, fully teasing the father of the Railgun, with a manner that could even piss a priest off. "And how could you know that your daughter must stay in a hospital?" he said, asking, not as a part of his curiosity, because he had known the answer, but rather, for more about formality and avoiding.
"My wife told me just now," Tabikake said, as he appeared to be very eager to stop the stupid talk that began blowing his mind, frustrating it as his hasty needs were more than essential for him. "I didn't need more joking or courtesy from you, Aleister. Since when did you become a jerk? Since you were born from your mother's womb?" Tabikake snorted, humiliating him in order to bring the topic back to the usual one. "Care to explain?"
"Ah your wife, Misaka Misuzu," Aleister said, fully ignoring the way Tabikake mocked him. "She is as beautiful as the last time I saw her, I presume?" he said, still with his usual facial as his tune was as chilly as the interior temperature of the room.
"Explain. It. To. Me," Tabikake said, not wanting to be further swallowed by Aleister's further stupid talk, which was very unbecoming of him. He gave each word the pressure that he could give, as if it was something that resisted his urge to shout at him, the proof of pique as his important problem which was related to his family was in the verge of being forgotten. Tabikake didn't want it to happen, because his family was far more essential than his own neck.
Silence began spreading around the perimeter, filling the room with uncomfortable aura as the two men began shooting dagger at each other, as though they were trying to defeat each other in a glaring contest. The sound of water bubble was the only one which showed its presence, together with numerous other that followed it in Aleister's tube, creating a harmony, somehow a heart thumping one, as the water bubbles were the only thing that could even invent a sound in the room which was full of tense and suspense, keeping the pressure as the two men glared at each other.
"What do you want to know?" Aleister said coldly, as his tune transformed from a teasing, somehow stupid one, being the last thing that Tabikake wanted to hear. "You shouldn't worry about it at all, you should know that," he continued.
"I believed that though I asked you what happened to her, you would lie, Aleister," Tabikake said. "Your sense of honesty took the lowest grade in my dictionary, if you would like to know. So, this time, I just take my chance to tell you. If you say I don't have to worry about it, then fine; after all, I can't trust what you say in the first place. But there's one thing you need to keep in mind: if you do anything to my wife or daughter, what do you think will happen once I find out? Do you know what it means to make an enemy of a mere father? Think about those things," he said fluently, reciting his own fear and threat to him, as he believed that he would never give up in making his family happy.
Aleister just smirked for the first time, and somehow, Tabikake could sense that his call was nothing but another thing that Aleister would always forget. "You must destroy this building and destroy my tube if that were what you really want, Tabikake. If that were what you want to say, then fine, I will bid you farewell."
And the screen was gone in front of Aleister, leaving nothing but vacant space in front of him, as he resumed his activity of watching the important activity that he had done for a long time.
Three hours, including four trains changing and a hundred meters of walking, were the amount of time that showed a great distance between the university which Misaka Misuzu studied in and the hospital which her daughter, Misaka Mikoto, stayed in. Despite of the difference in distance, once Misuzu received a call which informed that her daughter was injured, she treated it with any hastiness that she had, with the blinding velocity that could only be seen from a mother and a daughter, showing a great bond between the members of Misaka family. Being a good mother she was, it was no longer a need, but rather, an emergency, as Misuzu's priority was nothing but the sake of her daughter, Misaka Mikoto, as the one whose life was something that she was concerned about, and thinking about her fighting the danger by herself was something that she hated. It was not as though she didn't admit the superior power that she had, but whatever it was, Misuzu Misaka was a mother, and even though Mikoto was known as the Railgun; the Ace of Tokiwadai, or whatever it was, she was still her fragile daughter who needed so many education before she was released to the trial and tribulation that the world had.
And for you to know, Misuzu Misaka never thought that Mikoto was prepared for that.
Misuzu Misaka finally reached the hospital, and now, she was running in the corridor which seemed to be endless, as her mind didn't stop thinking about the daughter who inherited her outer appearance. Her mind didn't stop concerning about her, with countless images of Mikoto's face began forming in her brain one by one, from the good memory to bad, from the time when she was smiling wildly to the time when she was crying like a baby, from the time when she was mad at her to the time when she hugged her with the proximity that could only be felt by the close relationship within mother and daughter. She dashed along the white corridor, with the loud steps that didn't cease sounding, disregarding the fact that she was in the hospital, and there were so many populations in the hospital, whether it was doctor, or nurse, or the other patients, who were glaring at her, simply annoyed by the noises that she caused. Nevertheless, whatever it was, she didn't care, as the flashing images in her mind didn't stop, causing her to grit her teeth in remorse for not being able to protect her. Just what kind of mother she was? What kind of mother would allow her daughter to lie on the dirty concrete with no protection, and even now, must stay in the hospital?
She felt as though she was the most useless in the world. She could do nothing but hoping for the survival of her only daughter, putting the greatest faith to Mikoto's friends that should be able to protect her, but until now, she couldn't stop thinking about what happened when they failed, what happened when they didn't succeed in guarding her way to adulthood. She didn't want to imagine that, she couldn't, and in fact, she would never try to imagine herself if that were happening.
Eventually, she found the room where Misaka Mikoto stayed, after so much running as though it was for eternity, as she finally realized that sweat had drenched her body, which was covered by her usual white clothes and blue jeans. Her brown hair was becoming hot because of the long-time run which had drained her power. Without any further care about anything, she opened the door with excessive power that she shouldn't do, and entered the room without any permission, but what was waiting for her inside the room was so different than the thought that crossed her mind since the last five minutes.
There, displayed in a room that wasn't oh so isolated, together with the blend of weak sun that penetrated the floor with its perennial seraph which seemed to be peaceful, the presence of her daughter and a certain spiky haired guy could be seen. They were both sleeping, oh so peacefully as though the incident yesterday didn't affect them, as they were ready to be painted by Leonardo Da Vinci himself. It was a breath taking and heart melting one, a kind of scene that would always make people smile in calm expression, seeing the two people held their silent vigil as the nature united them as one. In the midst of horrible incident yesterday, the two seemed to be happy, as they would eventually see each other's face with a broad smile, adorning their lips with nothing but bliss.
Misuzu smiled at the sight of the two, closing her hazel eyes which became Mikoto's devisee, with the curved of satisfaction smile that decorated her face. Her eyes took the sight of her own daughter, and she swore that she rarely saw Mikoto in that expression since her childhood, a kind of smile which expressed full gratitude and joy, which could only be got from someone who had taken everything around her in success. Their snoring appeared to be perfectly matched, gathering some amount of reluctances in Misuzu's brain.
But one of them indeed woke up.
The sharp black eyes of Kamijiou Touma fluttered open slowly, but still, whatever speed it had, it was enough to signal his awakening. He yawned loudly with the sound which could resemble the moaning of a bear, bringing another difference of voice in the room's space, and stretched his arms upwards. His hair appeared to be messy, and some amount of tear could be seen from his eyes, showing the good sleep that he had experienced. His hand rubbed his eyes slowly, and his vision began spreading as his head looked at all the corners of the room, finding another individual that he knew, standing in the room.
"Ah, you are Misaka Misuzu, right?" he asked Misuzu, still in his current sitting state. Then, he finally realized that it was not polite for him to do so, and stood up from his previous state, giving her a greeting as he scratched his head a little; a good hint of embarrassment. "Visiting Misaka-san?" he continued.
"Of course I am, Kamijiou-san," Misuzu replied with a grin that expressed her usual cheerful character, somehow lightening the atmosphere in the room, making it more cheerful. It was a magic from Misaka Misuzu to gladden the aura around her circumstances, no matter who resided in it. Let alone, her young appearance made her easier to do it.
"How's Mikoto-chan?" Misuzu asked, thoroughly curious and concerned about the state of her daughter, not allowing Touma to say anything. Perhaps, it appeared that Mikoto was in a good state, but, who knew? Don't judge the book from its cover, right?
Touma smiled. "She was okay, only a little bruise on her forehead, but aside of that, she was fine, maybe just a little bit exhausted," Touma said, still with a smile that had adorned his face. He looked at the railgun who was sleeping soundly with the most innocent face that she had, and no matter how many times Touma would deny it, she appeared somehow cute in her current state.
Misaka smiled knowingly, being clearly relieved as her daughter was just taken a slight bruise and nothing at all. Knowing Mikoto, she would treat her wound as if there was nothing on her forehead, maybe even hitting it to the wall to ensure its health. Nevertheless, what she head was that the explosion occurred, an explosion that was of so strong that it could even cause a massive blackout. If Mikoto didn't get so much injury, then…
"You don't look okay by yourself. Are you hurt?" Misuzu asked to Touma, who faced her as a reply, managing another grin on his face. She observed Touma's state, which apparently bad enough with the comparison to her daughter's. "You look… terrible."
"I'm perfectly okay with it!" Touma answered, even though it was not so convincing. "Look, it is perfectly fine!" Touma continued, moving his arm, punching and making a fist, trying to ensure his condition to the female that looked at him worriedly. But it was not so fine, as Touma could feel a jerk of pain in his arm, making him to take his words and arm back and massaging it in pain.
"You sure are not okay," Misuzu said knowingly.
"Such misfortune," Touma answered.
Silence began covering the two of them; with the snoring sound from Mikoto's throat as the only one that surrounded them. The two individuals in the room looked at Mikoto dearly, as the one who became the center of these entire incidents, and right now, the center of the attention. Her chest moved up and down very normally, as though she slept without acknowledging the presence of incident before, but somehow, it was heart melting to see, making the two deliberately smiled in an amused manner, looking at Mikoto who slept with the equivalence of a kitten.
"I'm very worried about her."
Misaka Misuzu, unbeknownst to even her, began speaking, expressing her concern for her daughter just in five essential words. Even though her voice was not so audible, but Touma managed to hear it, making his head moved towards Misuzu's direction. Touma could see the eyes of concern and worry began filling her face, with her usual cheerful appearance became so contrast with her current facial. Touma frowned a little bit, but he stayed silent, letting the mother to continue her monologue speech.
"She is so strong, yet so fragile, an emotion which appeared to be uncontrollable, a girl who still needs so much direction and education from adult and her friends, someone whose recklessness can create a mess. I am really tempted to bring her back home," Misuzu said.
Touma frowned as his forehead began forming a small wrinkle; not because of the old age, but because of his confused state. Touma knew that Misuzu wanted to bring Mikoto back from Academy City, but she said that she wouldn't do it anymore. Nonetheless, Touma didn't know that she still thought about it.
"What do you think, Kamijiou-san?" she asked Touma with a face full with agony, something that could only be seen from someone who was concerned greatly about someone he or she loved.
Actually, Kamijiou Touma didn't know what to say. He believed that his decision about Mikoto Misaka was not so essential. But, seeing the expression that Misuzu wore, he must say, that right now, his opinion about the best thing for Misaka was something that could even change her fate and destination, as the mother of hers in front of her seemed to be very frustrated, or maybe puzzled for the best decision that she should make as a mother. And so, following his ideal, he must give the best answer that he could, helping the person in front of him.
"I don't think you should," Touma said, finally making a decision. "Almost all her life was spent here; this was maybe the only place where she can be accepted. A place where she can be herself," Touma said, with the gentlest tune that he could release, trying to convey his opinion about the problem.
Misuzu's lowered gaze, not looking defeated, but rather, another bitter smile could be seen. Perhaps it wasn't something that she wanted, but she appeared to know, that Touma was right in any case. Academy City indeed was a place where Mikoto could feel so many experiences about happiness and joy, grief and sorrow, love and hatred, being the only place for her to have the mix of emotions, eventually led her to a strong individual that Misuzu would always hope from her.
"That's true," Misuzu said, replying, not allowing herself to look at Touma. "But in case anything happened to her, would you like to help her?" she said pleadingly.
In return, Touma faced the sun which began to set, with the beauty of the landmark which could never be beaten by anyone, coloring the environment with reddish hue which was oh so impressive to be seen, guarding the color with its persistence in shining, being a good example of God's creation in the world. His eyes looked at the setting sun with a serene expression, enjoying its warmth it provided, as though it could help him answering the question that Misuzu asked. But whatever it was, he had known the answer, something that he had repeated for countless time in the world, and it never changed.
"I will protect her, even though it is the last thing that I can do."
And Misaka Misuzu smiled, giving her utmost smile that beautified her face, thoroughly acknowledging that her daughter would not be hurt anymore, as her guardian angel descended from heaven, in the embodiment of Kamijiou Touma.