Frenda groaned a bit as she buried her face deeper into the pillow. An irritating, droning noise was echoing in her ear.
"Frenda."
Damn that noise. It was disrupting her sleep. She buried her face deeper and deeper into the pillow.
"Frenda, you have to get out of bed."
Frenda groaned as she turned her face, looking up at Ruiko who was standing over her, fists on her hips. She was, unlike Frenda, fully clothed. In fact, she had on a long knee-length blue dress that looked quite formal.
"Why're you so fancy?" She mumbled, her face still half-buried into the pillow.
"Because it's Christmas Eve, and you're going to the Tokiwadai reunion that Shokuhou-sama pulled us into as my… uh…" Ruiko trailed off for a moment before she decided to not finish her sentence, and lunging at the comforter, tearing it off, prompting Frenda to screech out in alarm and curl up into a pitiful freezing naked ball.
"N-n-n-noooo!" Frenda's teeth chattered out as she hugged herself.
"SHOWER AND CLOTHES! NOW!"
Frenda stared at the shower tile of the wall as the hot water poured on her head, sighing with a forlorn, depressed sense of listlessness. She'd practically been cowering here the past few days. Well, no, she hadn't stayed here entirely, she had left every day, gone out, done things. Kept busy. Stayed in contact with ITEM. Kept mostly out of sight of everyone except Ruiko… Though she suspected that telepath always knew.
But… She kept floating back here. Every night. She'd snuck in every single fucking night to sleep next to Ruiko.
Frenda slapped herself across the face, hard, hissing at the sting.
"Come on, get your shit together, you dumb bitch…" She said to herself. "There's only one way… this is going to… end…" Frenda covered her face, that same horrible conflict of thoughts clashing in her mind.
She was going to have to betray them eventually. Give Mugino what she wanted... Even if she didn't know what that was. She didn't know what Mugino wanted anymore.
"What the fuck am I going to do…?"
While emotional turmoil bubbled and boiled at the house unawares to most, medicine was practiced at the hospital of the Heaven Canceller.
Over the past year, the campus had had an expansion of facilities, likely due to the sudden need for specialized care of "problem children". Namely the clones and Mikoto and Kuroko. While attached to the main hospital, it was secure by keycard, camera, and various other more advanced methods from typical hospital visitors and patients.
As Kuroko sat on her seat in the physical therapy room, tragically armless once again after having her arm removed for calibration with her new arm, watching Mikoto going through a variety of tests and measurements to see how her physical treatment was proceeding, her mind wandered.
Initially, Kuroko had balked at the very notion that an entire add-on had been made for Mikoto and the clones, as well as her. She'd even brought it up to the Heaven Canceller. She remembered his words well.
"Why would they make an entire building expansion like that?" Kuroko's tone spoke volumes of her incredulity. Heaven Canceller turned in his chair to face her, giving her a bit of a soft smile.
"Shirai-san… Sometimes I forget that you have not seen a lot of what Misaka-san has. She hasn't blinked at it, because to her, this is one of those things that has happened so often that she has become numb." He gave that warm smile as he looked at his computer briefly.
"...There is much the Board would do to preserve the life of a Level 5. This is a drop in the bucket to them. When I asked them for funding, they didn't even bother to check the bill."
Kuroko shuddered visibly. It was sometimes just outright terrifying how much power the Board wielded. How much funding and influence they could throw around without a care. What's more… she was surprised how little consequences had fallen down on Mikoto's head so far. The Board had to know what Mikoto did. They had to know she destroyed Tree Diagram. She caused Treefall. No matter how much blame may lie at Indigo's feet for his manipulations… Mikoto was not free from responsibility. As much as Kuroko loved her, and did not blame her… she could not lie and say Mikoto was free from all responsibility. However, with all of that in mind...
And Kuroko was not, for even one second, going to entertain the notion of working for Judgement if that meant she might be on the opposing side of her beloved, in service to the Board, if they were just biding their twisted time. Because justice was clearly not followed by obeying them.
Kuroko clenched her jaw. "Because I am not their puppet." She muttered to herself under her breath.
She was stirred from her own dark thoughts by a light poke on the forehead, prompting her to look up at Mikoto, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt over a sports-bra with some gym shoes, mostly in grays and blacks, her finger still held up from where she'd prodded Kuroko on her temple. She looked very, very tired, her eyes somewhat drooping.
"Thanks for waiting around. Few hours until the party at Tokiwadai… gotta talk to the doctor still. Think I'll need a nap." She said tiredly. Physical therapy had clearly taken a lot out of her. Though this particular session had clearly been very intense. Kuroko hopped up and rested her head against the crook of Mikoto's neck, nuzzling it slightly.
"I'm proud of how far you've come…" she said in a tone that was a bit more protective than she intended. Mikoto blinked down at her, before resting her head on top of Kuroko's, appreciating the height different at that moment. They rested there for a moment before they were broken from their stupor.
They both felt it. Staring. Stares. On the back of their heads. It was… Unnerving. They both opened their eyes and turned to find… three sets of eyes on them. Three identical sets of eyes, blankly staring at them.
"How… how long have you been standing there?" Mikoto asked the three identical sets of clones of herself.
"Misaka does not know what you are referring to, Misaka-10032 says, feigning innocence."
"Neither does Misaka, Misaka-19090 says, also pretending to be unaware."
"Misaka has a sports drink for onee-sama, Misaka-10046 says, being a good younger sibling, in an attempt to place Misaka-19090 and Misaka-10032 in a poor light." Misaka-10046 offered a sports drink in a gym bottle to Mikoto, who could only stare on as she felt that familiar flow of tingling in her mind grow more pronounced, words actually forming in her head as the Network stirred to more distinct activity within her.
"Misaka-10032 thinks Misaka-10046 is being a schemer aiming to get on onee-sama's good side, Misaka-10032 accuses angrily." One of the clones pointed at Misaka-10046 accusingly.
"Misaka-19090 agrees wholeheartedly with Misaka-10032, and thinks some action should be taken, Misaka-19090 says in an angry implication of unpleasantness." the other clone joined in.
Kuroko clung on to Mikoto, as best she could with just stumps and no arms, her eyes wide and in shock. She'd briefly seen the clones in passing several times during hospital stays, but this was honestly the first time she'd truly seem them interact extensively. She looked up at Mikoto for some level of stability as the clones continued to bicker in their monotone narrative, and found that Mikoto's expression was mostly one of mild exasperation, rubbing her head.
"I think I feel a headache coming on…" Mikoto said with a slight laugh, uncapping the sports drink and taking a sip.
"Misaka-san? The doctor is ready to see you now." A nurse said as she walked up to them, seeming to have grown just as used to the clones as Mikoto was, if not moreso. Mikoto gave her a smile and a nod, turning to Kuroko and hugging her close, quietly wishing she had a hand she could take.
"Come on… they'll probably be arguing for awhile. I can hear bits and pieces of the argument in my head. The whole Network is weighing in on it now." Mikoto gladly escaped, the clones blissfully unaware as they moved along. Kuroko happily joined her, looking over her shoulder at the young girls that shared her beloved's face.
This city… was so strange sometimes.
Sitting in his office that had become so very familiar, Kuroko pulled in for the ride, Misaka looked at the Heaven Canceller anxiously, awaiting the results.
"I can happily report that you've definitely progressed well, Misaka-san." He said with a grandfatherly tone with just a hint of pride in his voice. Just a small hint beneath his layers of professionalism.
"You have shown leaps and bounds of progress on your balance and muscle strength. Your transplanted organs have, unsurprisingly, suffered no rejection. They are, effectively, your organs." He smiled, Misaka beginning to brighten, but it was clear by her apprehension that she knew there was bad news coming.
"But..?" She cut in, tilting her head. He sighed and nodded sadly.
"Yes, there is a but. We did another scan on your brain, and unfortunately... the copper neurotoxins damage is permanent. I'm afraid those dizzy spells and your ability to fully retain your balance are unlikely to ever fully recover." He said softly, his expression matching his voice as it tried to break the news as easily as he could.
Mikoto leaned forward a bit, taking a long deep breath before she leaned up and smiled. Somehow, as Kuroko sat in her chair, staring at Mikoto, she felt something in her stir, emotions twisting in her gut as she saw that smile.
"If Kuroko can learn to live and adapt after losing her arms and powers, I can figure out how to deal with a little dizziness and balance issues." She said, giving an exhale, as if blowing out her anxiety from her lungs. There was a pause from the other two in the room, before Heaven Canceller gave a smile and nodded.
"Of course… Just let me know if I can be of assistance."
Mikoto nodded, rubbing her head a little and sighing, clearly still nursing a headache. This did not go unnoticed by the dear doctor.
"Onto the next subject. How is the connection to the Misaka Network?" He asked softly, looking at her with concern. Kuroko's eyes darted at Mikoto, trying not to look overwhelmingly concerned even though she very much was. This was a topic she hadn't really pushed on, because she didn't understand it whatsoever. It was so… beyond her understanding.
"Honestly? It's gotten stronger. I catch more words, and more emotions all the time. Though sometimes… It feels like the Network is irregular. Like the total number of minds fluctuates." Mikoto rubbed her head a bit as she tried to articulate her thoughts, rubbing her head a bit as the doctor listened, nodding his head a bit.
"Are you concerned at all for your individuality?" He asked, furthering the conversation. She shook her head in response.
"No, never had that concern. I'm still me."
There was a pause in the air as the doctor filled out the notes, Mikoto answering a few more trivial questions before she looked down at her hands, then turning and looking at Kuroko, who blinked at her and smiled. She softly returned the smile with her own.
"I'm still me." She repeatedly softly.
As the pair were driven home, Anti-Skill having sent a couple troopers to serve as their escort and driver, it hadn't been more than a minute before Mikoto had her head in Kuroko's lap, sound asleep. Kuroko looked down at the almighty Railgun, exhausted and napping, from her long afternoon.
"Oh, Mikoto… Nap well." Kuroko smiled, before letting out a nervous laugh.
"We… haven't even made it to the Christmas Eve party yet."
Kuroko and Mikoto stared at the doors of the large clubhouse owned by Tokiwadai, gulping a bit. Both their phones had texts from their friends scolding them for being very, very tardy. They'd just been so unbelievably tired after their time at the hospital.
"Still…" Kuroko chimed in, glancing at Mikoto, who was dressed in her long, dark orange kimono that she'd gotten for herself as part of the giftset for her and Kuroko. "...It's kind of nice to be back in School Garden." Mikoto gave a nod in return, smiling as she looked at Kuroko, who was dressed in the dark blue kimono of her own. Mercifully, both were in heavier woolen coats.
"Stuck between the cold and not wanting to face the inside of the party." Mikoto groaned out, sighing. Inevitably, both steeled themselves before stepping forward, Mikoto opening the door for them both, and stepping inside.
"Swarmed" would have been an extremely generous term. It did not take long before Kuroko and Mikoto were practically surrounded on all sides by various Tokiwadai students who seemed overjoyed to see them. For the most part, it was a great deal of mundane, polite, well-practiced pleasantries that Kuroko and Mikoto had done a thousand times before.
Mikoto had spotted Misaki on an upper level of the clubhouse that looked down on the floor below, clearly watching them, and clearly doing absolutely nothing to help. Mikoto fixed her with a single venomous glare for as long as she could before she had to revert to her polite visage before anyone noticed.
It had been so long, Mikoto had forgotten just how much of a celebrity she was in her school. To nearly every single student, she was "Misaka-sama". She was revered and respected. It seemed like that had not changed whatsoever, if anything, it had only grown. Gotten worse, in her opinion. She had never really been a fan of star treatment. Glancing at Kuroko… waves of pity flew off of her onto her partner.
Kuroko seemed like she was paralyzed. Kuroko had always been, to the others, her attachee. The inevitable and unsurprising friend that would follow Mikoto around, because why wouldn't Mikoto have someone who would be so unfalteringly loyal to her? But after the news blast and propaganda campaign that the Board had run? That was not quite what was happening. What was happening was that the girls were treating her… a lot more like how they were treating Mikoto.
Kuroko seemed like she had no idea how to respond. She was doing her absolute best to give polite responses and greetings, but the attention was clearly already starting to get to her- she hadn't endured this nonsense for years like Mikoto had.
Mikoto's attention was jerked back as a familiar face managed to part the crowd with her very dramatic entrance, and her very dramatic fan.
"Misaka-san! Shirai-san! Oh, I've been so worried!" Kongou Mitsuko made her flourishing entrance and the other students leaned back if only to avoid accidentally getting hit in the face with the fan. As Kongou launched herself into a long speech that the two could barely keep up with, Mikoto admittedly distracted as dizziness was starting to overwhelm her, leaning on her crutch more and more.
"S-sorry, Kongou-san, but I think I need to sit down." Mikoto cut in apologetically, laughing a little. "It's hard for me to stand in one place for too long these days." She added, tilting her head toward the crutch for emphasis, the various students around giving her looks of pity with their nods that, really, grated on her nerves in a very profound way.
As they made their way to a table for them to get seated, most of the girls having awareness to give them space, Kongou did something that, in retrospect, Mikoto should have realized was eventually going to cause a problem.
"It's good to have you back Shirai-san. I hope you our past rivalry won't cause any problem-" She hugged Kuroko, surprising the young former teleporter. Mid-sentence, the Japanese aristocrat froze. Kongou backed away from Kuroko, her hands moving to her mouth, looking horrified. Kuroko just looked confused.
"U-um, Kongou-san? It's fine, really, I was just surpris-" Kuroko tried to dismiss any awkwardness.
"Your arms." Kongou whispered, her tone sounding just as horrified as her expression. Kuroko blinked several times, and Mikoto grimaced as she had that dawning realization. She looked around and saw that attention was once again coming toward them. Misaki above, still watching, had her amused expression slide off her face.
Right. All of their friends knew. They had all grown used to it. But… Kuroko's loss was not public knowledge, and Anti-Skill kept media away from them.
"O-oh." Kuroko blinked, glancing down at the long, empty kimono sleeves that had been concealing her disability. "It's… it's fine. I've grown used to it."
Mikoto looked around, and saw that others were still migrating toward them, and despite her pride, her love for Kuroko won out, and she glared up at Misaki.
"DO SOMETHING." She mouthed silently to the girl.
Misaki admittedly, deep down, felt a welling of satisfaction as she saw those words mouthed at her. She glanced over as she saw Uiharu walk up next to her, raising an eyebrow. Uiharu was dressed in a rather modest lavender dress with three faded frills toward the bottom around her knees, strapless only because Misaki insisted it made her look cuter.
"Looks like Kuroko and Misaka need rescuing." Misaki grinned widely before turning to her second-in-command, who was never far off from her. Hokaze Junko, the girl with the most fantastical violet ringlet hair that danced down her back.
"Junko-chan… If you'd be so kind." Misaki grinned like a cat that ate the canary. The girl in question bowed respectfully before moving to the top of the balcony that overlooked the main floor of the clubhouse.
"If I may have your attention." Her voice was level, spoken as if at room volume, but it echoed as to be heard by all- a slight crackle of electricity running along the length of her throat for a moment as she spoke.
"I thank you all for coming to our reunion and celebration of the reopening of the school year of Tokiwadai Middle School. Tokiwadai has the great duty to produce leaders and pioneers across all avenues of society, and though tragedy and misfortune plagued our great city and institution, we are very pleased to see that our time as students can once again begin anew."
Misaki smiled as Junko began her speech, as planned, taking Uiharu's hand and guiding her along away from the attention. Misaki liked attention, but not PUBLIC attention, certainly not.
She glanced down at Mikoto and Kuroko, and it seemed her plan had mostly worked. Eyes had been drawn from them and to Junko and her speech. It at least had bought them the time they needed to relax and get adjusted after being swarmed as they had. Mikoto and Kuroko definitely owed her for that one later-
A swat on her nose knocked her out of her scheming mind. She blinked rapidly as she tried to refocus herself, looking down at the shorter Uiharu who had flicked her on the nose.
"Stoppit." Uiharu scolded, pouting at her. "Just be nice. It doesn't always have to be about a scheme or owing someone."
Misaki opened her mouth to respond, but found herself unable to say anything to that pouting face.
"Fine…"
Meanwhile, the two in particular who felt quite out of place watched events unfolding from a corner third floor balcony.
"Wanna make out?" Frenda asked jokingly, resting her chin in her palm as she placed an elbow on the railing, observing the speech being made with slight contempt.
Ruiko didn't quite dignify that with a response, but couldn't help but laugh a bit.
"Feel a little out of place, huh?" She asked, glancing at Frenda, the blonde dressed up in a black sleeveless dress far longer than the others, though it had a long cut up the side nearly to her hip.
"...Yeah." Frenda said quietly, staring out as she watched the speech go on. She didn't notice as Ruiko watched her, her frown deepening.
What had happened to the joyful and energetic Frenda? That Frenda was growing increasingly rare. Instead it was this… trouble girl. This troubled, very secretive girl.
"I'm going to be having a talk with Misaki after the first of the year. I'm going after Indigo's operations." Ruiko said rather suddenly. There was an almost audible pause in the air. Frenda slowly turned to face Ruiko, the expression on her face a mixture of raw disbelief mixed with… fear?
"Are you… that is... what… the… fuck?" Frenda sputtered out, trying to collect her thoughts, though Ruiko decided to continue before she could.
"I wasn't learning everything from you just for fun. That asshole hurt my friends, and he is lurking out there still. I might not be able to hurt him directly, but I'm going to break his stuff." Ruiko said, stepping forward and leaning against the railing that Frenda had previously been using. "Will you come with me?"
Frenda paused, her eyes following Ruiko as she moved to the railing. She stared at her for a long time, Ruiko patiently waiting for her answer. Her mind reeled. What was she going to say? She saw that look in Ruiko's eye. She was determined. That same look she gave her in the hospital when she asked her for training. She was going to do this, with or without her.
"You are fucking unbelievable…" Frenda covered her face, wanting to just fall over, leaning into the railing.
"What if that fucking monster says no?" She says, glancing down where Misaki and Uiharu were making disgusting googly eyes at each other. It made her want to gag. There was less contempt in her voice for Misaki as there was pure raw fear of her. In a way, Ruiko could empathize… but didn't understand quite where this sudden fear was coming from.
"One way or another, I'll be doing something. I'm tired of inaction." Ruiko said, shrugging, glancing down and scanning the room once more. "I've thought about this a lot. I may be just a little Level 0… but this is my decision. So?" She looked at Frenda again.
With a long, forlorn sigh, Frenda rubbed her face. "Fucking hell…" She reached and played at a necklace she had, Ruiko craning her neck a little curiously but couldn't quite get a look at it before Frenda answered her.
"Yeah… someone has to keep you alive, I guess." She finally relented, giving Ruiko a weak, though affectionate smile.
With a grin, Ruiko leaned over and wordlessly kissed the girl. Deep down, as their lips met, Frenda felt an overwhelming guilt weigh down on her.
Why… did kissing her back feel like a lie?
Why did it make her hate herself so much?
Mikoto was increasingly thankful the speech went on as long as it did. Still, Kongou, along with her friends Wannai Kinuho and Awatsuki Maaya, who Mikoto and Kuroko could still happily call their friends as well, were anxiously sitting at the table with them. It was not unsurprising that they were interested in answers of some kind. Wannai, a girl with a dirty-blonde colored short hair style and a shy demeanor, and Awatsuki, a girl with long dark black-blueish hair, were both looking at Kuroko and Mikoto with great concern.
"So… we understand if it is a delicate subject, but…" Wannai began, glancing to the side toward Kongou and Awatsuki.
"It's fine." Kuroko cut in quickly. She glanced around for a moment, mostly out of an effort to avoid a scene before nodding to Mikoto. Mikoto reached over and helped roll up a sleeve, showing the metal-capped end of her limb. The three girls collectively gasped, which earned a slight laugh from Kuroko at, what seemed at this point, seemed quite overdramatic.
"It's a receptor for my prosthetics. They're… in the shop. So to speak." Kuroko explained, smiling softly to the girls. The concern and pity was etched over their faces, prompting her to sigh.
"Please… I've come to terms with it. My arms were a small price to pay to protect this city… and Mikoto." She said softly. She glanced over at the girl in question, whose face had turned a burning brick red, her bangs obscuring her face slightly. Kuroko's heart skipped a beat for a moment, craning her head, but saw that it wasn't shame… just raw embarrassment.
Kuroko glanced to the three girls who were looking at the two girls questioningly, and it was Wannai who seemed to have a light bulb spring over her head first.
"It… couldn't be?" She said with a hint of doubt in her voice. In response, Kuroko grinned brightly and flopped over to rest her head against Mikoto's shoulder, nuzzling it affectionately, and much to the shock of all present, rather than the usual reaction those came to expect, Mikoto only glanced away looking increasingly embarrassed.
"C-come on, Kuroko, w-we're in public…" Mikoto stuttered out, her face increasingly red and flustered at the other girls public displays of affection. Eventually, Kuroko relented, though Mikoto was so unbelievably flustered and embarrassed she couldn't scrounge up the will to look at the other girls who looked almost scandalized the sudden turn of events.
Kuroko looked pleased however and went back to the conversation.
"Like I said. Worth it." She said with a proud, toothy grin.
Uiharu was sitting at a table next to Misaki, her face as red as could be. This was something she was still, after many times of occurrence, and many many months, not used to. At all. WHATSOEVER.
While they showered Misaki with attention, referring to her as their Queen, Uiharu had prepared herself when they had begun dating for spite and hatred and jealousy. What she had received was a kind of sidelong respect and reverence.
"Anyone worthy to be romantically involved with the Queen is worthy of respect."
That was the logic used by just about everyone involved within Misaki's faction, and so, Uiharu sat next to their Queen with some tea, blushing, periodically doted upon by the various members of the faction. "Uiharu-sama" was the name she was referred to by, and her consistent flustered embarrassment was her charm to them.
So now Uiharu sipped her tea while sticking very close to Misaki who grinned down at her.
"Holding up OK?"
"I don't… do well with this much attention…" She said quietly, sipping her tea. Misaki only chuckled slightly, glancing up and admiring the crowd of people around her. Her faction had taken over a small number of tables in one half of the second level of the clubhouse. It was a rather common occurrence during such school festivities.
Hours had gone by during the party, time winding on by, and even Misaki had to admit the night was wearing on late. She only had a couple more objectives she needed to accomplish tonight. Such objectives were presently approaching now.
She rose from her seat as she placed her tea cup down, offering her arm to Uiharu who took it with a flush of shyness. She walked out from the sea of her followers as they parted for her, approaching Kuroko and Mikoto as they got up the stairs, both of them looking exhausted.
"How has the evening treated you?" Misaki asked the pair with a knowing smile. Mikoto gave her a profound glare, though Kuroko looked mostly pleased.
"Well… Eventually, everyone found out about my arms… Wasn't something I thought about keeping secret. And then everyone found out about us~!" Kuroko nearly sang, nuzzling up against a blushing Mikoto, who looked like she could just die on the spot from embarrassment.
Misaki seemed overly pleased at Mikoto's discomfort, but alas, watching Mikoto squirm was not her final objective. She spun as Saten and Frenda approached, her grin widening. There was her objective. As she guided Uiharu toward the approaching girls, she was met by the third party in question.
"Frenda-san, Saten-san, Haru-chan, may I introduce you to someone very esteemed…" Misaki began, turning their attention to a far older figure that had approached the gathering girls, all of whom turned to face her. The woman was well-dressed, formal, more business-oriented than the rest. If the rest were here to have fun, she was most definitely here to chaperone. She was likely somewhere in her early to late 60's.
"May I introduce Unabara-sama, the Director of Tokiwadai Middle School."