Misaka huffed.
"That's not the part that matters. All I want is for you to make sure that everyone who knows about this incident, with the exception of myself, doesn't remember a thing about it."
"Everyone, you say?"
"Except me."
"Even little Miss Shirai herself?"
A nerve was struck. How evident it was by the existence of silence, long as it was uncomfortable. Hers was a question Misaka should have seen coming, and yet she failed to prepare. Frowning, she resorted to a labored sigh. Even when her lungs could surrender no air more, she persisted to huff.
Her answer had long been ingrained in her head, but once delivery time arrived, she fell silent. Her reluctant eyes darted aside, hoping to catch a fleeting escape.
"...Yeah. Including Kuroko."
"That's harsh," responded the voice, feigning a tone of pity. "I understand you're just trying to protect her by doing this, but I wonder if it will do the good you're hoping for. She really loves you, don't you know? The more you continue to deny her the permission to help, the more it's going to tear her apart. Soon enough the concern will push her to stick her nose somewhere it doesn't belong... Alone, at least. It happened once and it can happen again."
A spark briefly lit the darkness between them, granting only a split second of vision. What could be seen of Misaka's expression for that short of a time was best described as uncomfortable fury.
"A place she doesn't belong? Like this business? They're already starting to come after her, and if you want to know how close she is to getting completely swept up into this mess, I can certainly tell you th-"
"That she's overcome the threshold fever? No need to say it; Miss Shirai's had that night on her mind quite a bit." Another snide noise exited her lips, especially as Misaka's cheeks reddened. "Chased by a mysterious criminal, became deathly sick, and kissed by Mikoto Misaka all in one night? That's an awful lot to simply brush off."
Dazed, Misaka froze. Of course Kuroko lingered on that confounded kiss, no surprise there, but why would she linger on it knowing a telepathic esper roamed the campus? Fainting from embarrassment felt mighty tempting all of a sudden. Nonetheless, Misaka maintained a strong composure and attempted to brush the weighty comment off her shoulders.
"Geez, you really do read everyone's minds on a consistent basis. Ever heard of personal space?" She scoffed and turned her head elsewhere. "Never mind. At least it saves me some breath. Since you already know she's overcome the threshold fever, I can't see why you're arguing with me. With that stage out of the way, it won't be long until she starts realizing her powers have evolved." She froze, waiting for a comment. It did not come, and the conversation remained stagnant for too long. With stiffening muscles, Misaka's eyes slowly widened. Her tone, once firm in opposition, softened for submission. "You've become quiet. You know something, don't you?"
The shadow gently nodded.
"She's figured that out sooner than you anticipated. Hers has become a power worth reckoning."
In reaction to a burn that engulfed her chest, Misaka's eyes widened.
"How long has it been like this?"
"No more than a couple of days."
"And she didn't even bother to tell me..." Misaka captured her forehead into her palm. Her nails angrily buried themselves into her flesh.
"No need to worry, she hasn't told anyone at all. Well, except me; indirectly, of course," the neighbor singsonged. Her chipper voice dropped on a dime. "So. How's it feel to be concerned for someone who won't let you in?"
"Don't try to paint me into a hypocrite!" Misaka boomed with the thunder. The lightening that flashed belonged to the sky, however; not her. "I'm trying to protect her! Kuroko loves this city! She loves it enough to dedicate her time and wellbeing to protect it. The truth of Academy City, how its purpose is to commit atrocities against innocent people, would destroy her." Slowly, her frustration died. The threat of its return yet lingered. "I saw a depressed Kuroko once, and I never want to see it again."
The shadow ebbed closer.
"I don't think she would be as depressed as you think. She has you to confide in, after all. Unlike you, she wouldn't push a helping hand out of the way. The whole reason desperately trying to save your Sisters led to your depression was because you were all alone, facing against a force that was more than you could handle. No matter how many times someone reached out to you, you never let them get involved. You were essentially digging your own grave." She sighed. "Besides, Shirai will find out about this behind the scenes stuff sooner or later. I think it would be best if she were brought aboard soon, and it wouldn't just be for her own good. You'll slip up eventually, Railgun, so you need someone who'll be there to break your fall. I can't think of anyone more qualified for the job than the girl who practically worships you."
"You think? Since when did you care about what happens to me?"
"Oh dear, I always care about my friends. That's why I won't comply to this deal... Without that exception I made, of course. If you don't want to agree to that, I wish you luck in finding another way to accomplish your goals."
The thunder took a turn to speak, even though it spoke over them the entire time. It was not who obviously irritated Misaka, for it wasn't who received the papers from her forceful hands.
"Damn you," she growled before turning to reclaim Kill Bear. "Just do what you think you have to. All I want is for this whole ordeal to be buried down a deep, deep hole no scientist can dig up."
The shadow watched as Misaka began to walk away from the gazebo, but a pause was bought with nothing more than a clear of her throat.
"I wouldn't think Judgment is the only one who documented this event." She wiggled the newly acquired papers in her hands. "Even if I did track everyone down and wipe their memory, there are still physical records all over the city. I can't do anything about those. There are observations the school counselor took when Shirai had an appointment, and I wouldn't be surprised if copies have spread. Those would ruin whatever work I've done once they're inevitably rediscovered."
Misaka continued walking. Looking back did not seem to be worthy of her time.
"That'll be something I take care of. Good night."
"Ow... My back..." he groaned, having been freshly knocked to the ground face-first. Frowning, Kuroko lightly stepped off of him, sure to avoid the puddle that settled in the neighboring asphalt.
"Try not running from me the next time you're stopped. Your back will thank you," she suggested while approaching his face. Her caramel eyes, grim, gazed down at him. She remained quiet until he stopped grunting and moving. Only when he ceased to resist did she retrieve the handcuffs from her pocket, and they quickly went towards where they belonged...
...Right before the perpetrator bounced up and smacked her square in the jaw. The impact certainly hurt, but not enough to daze her. The man, who began running down the alley once more, did not escape her vision, nor attention. After a discouraged groan, and a brief session of mothering her cheek, she tore after him.
Such a chase was nothing new. She had seen it many times before, so much so that she could successfully make predictions based off patterns that emerged in the past. This man would likely put up a good run for a while, but the moment he ran out of alley, he would be forced to delve into the public. She would catch him there, as many factors would slow him.
She decided to toy with the mundane situation.
The handcuffs she teleported last week would testify to a likely theory: by some stroke of luck, perhaps a miracle, no longer did she have to be touching something to send it elsewhere. Like the handcuffs, she could summon an article to whichever place she pleased. Had she become something to the likes of that lass that impaled her with a corkscrew? Whatever the case, she could speculate later, as now was a prime opportunity to experiment.
Disappointment became a more common trend, however, for whatever ideas she had would prove no structure. A thought of a bus parked in some sort of yard came to mind. It was of no bus in particular, in no yard in particular, but she was sure there was one out there... Somewhere... There was no denying, though, that a bus would prove useful for her goal. She could teleport it right in front of the man, clogging the alleyway. No room would be left for him to escape unless he could sprout wings and take flight!
No buses came to her aid, unfortunately. Discouraged, Kuroko found herself having to catch up, but a few teleports forward became a quick fix. She found more time to continue brainstorming.
"It would seem that I can't just think of things to beam into the air," she thought to herself. "Disappointing, but I suppose that wouldn't be teleportation as much as it would be omnificence. Maybe I should be thinking of things I know exist for certain. After all, if this new power is an extension of my old one, that would only make sense..." Kuroko, like most people, knew of many things that existed. So suddenly, however, now that she was put under the spotlight, it became difficult to think of a single thing. In an attempt to patch the issue quickly, she chose to concentrate on one of the many dumpsters that watched her pass. A dumpster would be ideal for clogging an alleyway, akin to a bus, and since she had teleported one before, it was logical to conclude she could perform an encore.
Not a single blasted trash can moved either.
"So much for that too. Fine then; I want Sissy right here, right now. I imagine she'd be impressed if I teleported her remotely, and taking this crook down with her would be a cinch. Then, afterwards, we'll pay a trip to Joseph's and I'll buy her a lime soda and she'll swoon and swoon and swoon! She'll tell me, oh Kuroko, I'm so impressed with your talents. Show me what other things you're capable of doing!"
As wonderful as such a thought was (to her), Misaka did not appear.
On the verge of giving up, Kuroko heaved a sigh and started grasping for the lowest hanging fruit. If nothing complicated came to her aid, she wondered if something simple would. Her mind wandered around her room back in the dormitory, looking for any article of interest. The chair resting before her desk came into vision, capturing her attention to an abnormal degree. She remembered bumping into that chair that morning while brushing her hair, which would explain why it would even be remembered in the first place. A chair would certainly alarm the fellow if it were to suddenly appear over his head and give him a good smack.
Wouldn't that be funny...
It happened.
Kuroko was far too busy dealing with bewilderment to possibly laugh.
Just as she wanted, the wooden chair spontaneously appeared in the air and immediately descended, landing directly onto her rushing criminal. The impact packed enough force to land him on the ground once again, where the chair dropped to his side. While slowing her sprint, Kuroko trotted to his side and listened as the man released another groan.
"Mm... What... What the hell?" he grumbled while eyeing the weapon that felled him. While reclaiming the cuffs in her pocket, Kuroko raised a brow.
"Excellent question."
Had she figured it out at last? The secret to utilizing this strange new ability? She did linger upon such for quite a while after delivering the convict to a proper authority. Once returning to her patrol, she kept her eyes on the ground- a forbidden action for Judgment officers, as it would censor surrounding activities. Too deep in thought was she to bother caring, otherwise she would have corrected herself quickly.
"The bus was a no-show, which would mean I have to be specific in choosing my target. That certainly doesn't explain why I couldn't teleport the dumpster or Sissy, though. I knew both existed and yet I could do nothing with them... But the chair, I could. What's so special about that chair..."
A sidewalk cafe caught her eye.
There were chairs there, and people were sitting on them. In the name of investigation, she went out of her way to teleport beyond the small fence that marked the cafe's territory. Many did not mind her, as they were much too busy chatting with fellow diners. There was nothing terribly abnormal about Kuroko anyhow. She was just a Judgment girl on her patrol. There stood no reason for them to pay her any mind...
...Until she began inspecting the chairs.
They were somewhat heavy for chairs, being made from cast-iron. All had been painted white to emit a clean aura. Some coats of paint were fresh, but others had been assaulted by the elements enough to begin shedding the chips found scattered around the pavement. Kuroko made sure to check both species by grabbing the back and sending it a little ways from her. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, for both chairs teleported from her grasp perfectly well. She had to admit: if the evolution of her abilities specialized exclusively in chairs, she would experience utmost disappointment.
A waiter, presumably belonging to the cafe, approached her when many eyes started to take notice.
"Might I help you, officer?" he inquired. He seemed professional, but a part of him obviously could not withhold casual curiosity. Kuroko's frown steepened, for she had not planned an explanation for her behavior in advance. While turning to the waiter, she cleared her throat.
"Not really. I'm only observing these." Even she could not deny that she was acting strange.
"Is something the matter with these chairs? I do recall an incident of a criminal making weapons out of objects containing aluminum, so is there need for concern?"
She was getting nowhere, looking at random chairs in the street. After coming to such a conclusion, Kuroko shook her head again and began taking her leave.
"All is well, sir. Take care."
And she was back to square one... Not that she had climbed to a height so great the plummet caused her harm. Neutrally, her eyes returned to the ground, and her thoughts began to roam again. Every possibility danced across her head, but nothing prevailed. Once or twice she attempted to summon another object, be it living or inanimate, only to have her disappointed for the umpteenth time.
A shoulder ramming into hers yanked her out of her trance. Stone-faced, she turned to meet the reckless walker, prepared to project a comeback. As an officer, she would never know if someone touched her to make conflict or by mere accident. Preparation never hurt.
It was unnecessary at the moment, for her perpetrator turned out to be a schoolgirl no elder than she. Clutching her book bag tightly, the girl stared her down with fright, as if anticipating a storm of malice to rain her way. When Kuroko observed the girl's clothing, an ordinary uniform outfitted for the most average of schools, her cold face relaxed.
"S-Sorry, officer," the girl whimpered.
An accident was all it was. No conflict was bound to arise...
"No need to worry," Kuroko sighed while giving the girl's shoulder a pair of gentle pats. "Just be safe and watch where you're going." Who was Kuroko to talk about watching where one was going- especially when she had her eyes glued to the pavement for the past half-hour? While carrying on with her business, she scornfully considered sucking her pride and returning to the girl to admit her own fault.
Until it dawned on her.
"Touch... Could that be a factor?" She peeked over her shoulder, where the girl was steadily disappearing into a crowd of afternoon traffic. "And the knowledge of my target's exact location..."
She pictured it in her mind: the girl was making her distance from Kuroko. Instead, she willed that the girl was walking directly in front of her.
There she appeared, continuing onward as though she were still delving into the traffic. Having been under the impression that nothing stood in her way just seconds ago, she collided with Kuroko again. Like last time, she released a flabbergasted howl.
"A-Ah! Not again!"
How could Kuroko possibly be upset when she finally solved a puzzle?
"Oh! No need to worry again. I called you back here for the sake of... Um... To say it was my fault you ran into me a moment ago. Sorry to give you the trouble."
She did not care what the girl did; she was far too fixated on her latest, and most miraculous, discovery.
After her patrol, Kuroko returned to the office with a bright expression. Uiharu was bound to take notice and ask for reasons, and Kuroko was prepared to show off some smoking answers...
Until Misaka came to mind.
Then Kuroko became concerned.
Kuroko chose to valiantly uphold the promise Misaka purchased with a kiss. Her mouth was to be glued shut and never speak of that one night, seemingly ages ago, that sent her into a spiral of illness. Of a man she did not know that chased her through an alley infested with darkness. Of how that same man was now a dead man, having been crushed by a dumpster Kuroko did not know she could summon.
If she teleported the dumpster that night, it mingled with the details she was not to unveil. Was the entire extension of her abilities destined to abide by the same terms? Because she did not wish to disappoint Misaka, Kuroko decided to stay on the safe side of the fence. Not a peep came to Uiharu, who welcomed her return with the seemingly mandatory:
"How was the shift?"
She replied with the seemingly mandatory:
"Nothing worthy of interest happened. Just work as usual."
It was for good that Kuroko came about this revelation, as she would need it in little time in the future. Later, in the evening, Uiharu requested Kuroko's company before departing from the office, having still been unnerved by the increase of crime in her neighborhood. A good friend, Kuroko complied as usual.
Teleportation had made the journey across the city a breeze. What not was a breeze was the innocent comment Uiharu made once they arrived at her apartment complex.
"Thanks again for the trouble, Shirai. You know, I couldn't help but notice that you seem to be able to teleport a bit longer of a distance than usual. Been practicing hard lately?"
Having been caught off guard, Kuroko reddened, and her eyes widened to a frightened diameter.
"U-Um... Of course. After thinking my powers were gone forever, I realize how much I take them for granted. Since then, I've made an effort to push myself harder. You know... To make sure something like that never happens again."
Uiharu smiled.
"That's a good idea. So long as you don't overwork yourself, that is. Keeping up that sort of pace'll make you a Level Five in no time, and then I can say I'm friends with two!"
"Right... Level Five... Yeah..." Kuroko's eyes awkwardly wandered to a safer place.
"Sissy doesn't seem to think that's a good idea. But now, after my latest discovery... Does it matter what either of us want?"
"I'll see you tomorrow, then. Be careful on your way back to your dorm." Uiharu kindly bid her goodnights and left Kuroko alone in the hallway, deep in thought. For a while, she did not take her leave from the door. When she did, her brows were furrowed, and her teeth anxiously grazed along her bottom lip.
"And away goes the euphoria. This ordeal may not be such a great thing after all." She checked her surroundings before saving herself from having to descend a flight of burdensome stairs. "There's no doubt in my mind that remote teleportation, at least of this caliber, steps into Level Five territory. There had to be a good reason Sissy told me that I should remain a Level Four. There has to be, otherwise she'd encourage me the best she could. What sort of secrets are revealed to those considered Level Five? The ones she wants to make sure I never come across? Could it be what has driven virtually all of them mad?"
She would receive her answer once she stepped into the realm of darkness, far away from Uiharu's apartment. The landscape was similar to one particularly dire night, except the air was far more grim in the present. When she heard a distant rustle in the blackness, she felt her neck hairs stand.
"This isn't the place to idle." So she left by sending herself into the air. She was not prepared to find what she would find.
Amongst a sea of blue lights, the nightlife of Academy City, Kuroko witnessed a tiny orange dot. So far stood that orange dot she almost considered it to be just another beacon of light, drowning in an ocean. Her careful eyes thought otherwise, however, for it recognized it for what it was: a furious blaze that produced a thick cloud of ominous smoke. Alarm did not come upon her until she realized where that blaze happened to roar: Tokiwadai's campus.
Like a moth, she found herself drawn to that foreboding flame. The closer she found herself, the more her concern inflated. The cloud of rising smoke, as it turned out, was far larger than she had once bargained. It engulfed the school's entire administrative office, and it burned with a vengeance few could quench. Unfortunately, it seemed to be an impossibility to which even the fire department fell victim.
Fire engines decorated the school's courtyard, sirens and lights blaring. Many stood away from the fire, attempting to calculate a strategy, while others threw vain streams of pressured water. Neither seemed to produce any fruit, and Kuroko doubted she could bring anything to the table. She chose to avoid the clique of fire officers, so she landed a little ways from their congregation to pace around the sight that stood before her.
The flame was indeed worthy of being that orange dot in the midst of a sea of blue. Despite standing quite a distance, the heat was nigh unbearable. Even a step closer set her against a heat that drove her back to her previous stance.
The first location for which her mind ran was the concern for the wellbeing of the students and faculty. The flames would not allow her to peer beyond the glass windows of the front. Some had been shattered by the heat while others barely remained intact. Neither kind would allow her to decipher the building's inventory. It dwelled within her deepest desire to see that none roamed within that building, now a remnant of the fiery pits of Hell, for any soul unfortunate enough to find itself trapped within would no longer cling to life.
Once or twice she considered spelunking into Hell for the sake of finding her peace of mind, but once or twice she reminded herself that survival would be a privilege- not a guarantee. Any genius rescue ideas abandoned her to fend for herself, which proved to be a profession in which she possessed little skill- in the midst of a moment of panic, at least. Deduced to nothing but a mere audience to the spectacle, Kuroko started to pace.
The distraction blinded her to all else that conspired around her, including the body with which she clashed. Shaking her head, Kuroko frowned and released a sigh.
"Thus marks the third time I've ran into someone today..." she mused. When she looked up to receive her visitor, however, her attention distanced itself from such a petty issue. Before her stood the Queen, brighter than her usual idle due to the neighboring glow. Her shiny blonde hair reflected the light brilliantly- almost enough to divert the eyes of her every viewer. This included Kuroko, who squinted in attempt to maintain a decent gaze.
"Fancy meeting you here, Shirai." Misaki spoke to a surprising degree of casual, especially when the building right next to her stood aflame. "Didn't you hear the administrators say that students were supposed to stay in the dorms?"
While gathering an appropriate amount of distance, Kuroko crossed her arms.
"I just got here, so everything's news to me. Would you happen to have any details?"
"All of them, naturally." Misaki followed her claim with a sensual wink. "The fire caught around twenty hundred, and it's grown so quickly the officers suspect arson. They've taken countermeasures to make sure it doesn't spread to any near-by buildings, but, sadly, there isn't much they can do for the fire itself. It's gotten so large they have no choice but to let it run its course."
Furrowing her brows, Kuroko briefly returned her gaze to the blaze.
"Whatever their motives, this pyrokinetic means business. This will tally millions in property damage."
"A pyrokinetic, you say? If I'm not mistaken, I could've sworn I overheard the fire chief say this is likely an electrical fire. Any ideas?" Misaki paused to watch Kuroko's reaction as though she had it all calculated. Her expression delighted in the sight of the girl's uneasy eyes and pale face. A dark laugh gently exited the Queen's mouth before she bobbed her head towards the dormitory. Every angle of such an action oozed with insistence. "I don't even have to read your mind to know what you're thinking right now. You ought to go check just in case..."
The way Misaki directed her made Kuroko experience every sort of discomfort she knew, but she had no choice but to fight until her will gave. It was not like Misaka to commit such an atrocity, but with all that had happened up until that point... It truly did leave Kuroko's faith in shambles. For the sake of tranquilizing her restless spirit, she had to succumb to it at least one time. In an instant, she disappeared from Misaki's presence, heading for the building that loomed beyond the reach of the all-powerful flame.
Kuroko left just in time, for a shadow emerged from the flames and arrived at Misaki's side. Said shadow, a girl of medium stature, looked as though she had seen better days. Patches of her skin had been assaulted by the darkness of soot and ash. Strands of her auburn hair, once perfectly straight, had become tangled- some were singed and emitted a curious odor. Her eyes, sharp as they were cold, studied Misaki. Misaki spoke before she had the chance.
"You're quite inclined to take things to the extreme," she observed playfully. "Or am I mistaken to assume this mess is your doing?"
Brows furrowing, the visitor clenched her fists.
"Where is Kuroko headed?" she inquired, voice rough. Strings of static raised what few strands had not been damaged by the heat; its business had not yet been completed.
Misaki began her reply with a snicker.
"I'll take that as a 'yes, I'm guilty', since you aren't denying it." She motioned toward Kuroko's destination, the dormitory, and crossed her arms. "Shirai's searching for you over yonder. There's a chance that she may have come across some, shall we say, revealing information about this nice little campfire here. The dots are going to be connecting in her strange little head soon, Railgun." Without a word, Misaka began walking away, but not toward the dormitory as one would anticipate. Misaki would not let her continue without a final comment. "You might want to follow her."
Misaka turned around.
"I'm in no shape to be seeing her right now."
"But I saw some strange men running in there a little while ago. Strange fellows, I'd say. They were dressed in black like they were trying to stay hidden or something. The dorm's been evacuated since it's too close to the fire, so I guess they were just looters trying to take advantage of the situation..." She smirked. "Or maybe they weren't looters...?"
What Misaki did not expect was a tower of blue lightening that erected from her visitor's head. Like the mouth of a loaded gun, seeing it staring at her so intently was not something that fed her the urge to laugh. In a near-instant, the javelin crashed on the ground and dispersed. Had Misaki not been wearing shoes with rubber soles, she likely would have received a nice shock.
"Even though you knew that, you still convinced her to go there, didn't you?" growled the electromaster. "Those're the guys that want to take her. They're going to ambush her while her guard is down. It's so like you to not give a damn about her safety!"
Misaki gasped with as much phony she could muster, which was not terribly much. Though she knew she was not convincing anyone, which indeed included her threatening partner, the act continued.
"Me? Not caring for Shirai? Of course I care for Shirai! I told her to go look for you so she'd be safe."
"So you sent her exactly where she'll get jumped?" Misaki's collar became the hostage of the angered shadow's fist. Their faces drew near. She felt each infuriated huff escape her nose. "I hope you know what sort of things I do to people that put my friends in trouble, that way you'll understand just what sort of Hell I'm about to put you through."
Despite every threat, not bluff, that thundered her way, Misaki brushed it off with a shrug and a smile. Her eyes narrowed confidently, gazing into the enraged eyes of a bull. She waved her red cape with grace before fluidly moving for a dodge.
"If you're so worried, what're you stalling for? You can certainly help Shirai out of the mess I've put her in. But, of course, if you did that you'd have an awful lot of explaining to do afterward..." The smile transitioned into a sly, almost menacing, grin. "Looks like your secret's running out of time."
Their eyes locked. The bull seemed set on demolishing every fiber of Misaki, but deep down, she knew her words were in sooth. She did have the power to help Kuroko, but that chance may expire should she idle. Roughly, and with a wrinkling nose, Misaki's visitor replaced her on the ground after a grim remark.
"Well played."
Before Misaki could respond, the shadow also fled the scene, heading straight for the same building as Kuroko.
Something was strange about that building, Kuroko noticed immediately upon entering. A wave of uneasiness greeted her as she edged open the door. Strangely enough, not a soul could be found in the lobby, which included the absence of a certain dorm matron she dreaded to face. Despite the action occurring just outside, everything felt stagnant. Cold, even.
Climbing the stairs took guts in such a situation, but one could suppose Kuroko was driven by a need to find answers to her many pressing questions. She arrived at her floor in a timely fashion with the help of her power, and it was there she found even more discomfort from the additional sense of loneliness. Out of curiosity, she paused momentarily to set an ear against the door of a random room. If people were in there, she would at least hear something.
She heard nothing.
Even the room she and Misaka shared granted her no solace. While stepping inside, she solemnly noted the emptiness. Beds had been made tidy. Chairs were pushed in desks. Windows were closed. Though it was such a mundane, if not routine, sight, it made the skin on her back crawl.
And for good reason.
The buzz of a vermin whispered past her ear. If it had been any closer, it likely would have struck the back of her neck. Instead of hitting her, however, it continued on until it lodged itself into the wall. Wait, bugs did not lodge themselves in the wall... Nor were they made of metal.
Kuroko's eyes widened; it was a dart.
Instinct turned her around to meet her potential attacker, but she found nothing. An empty hall stood behind her, and an empty room stood in front of her. As she had been, she was alone... Or so she thought. Frown arching, she responded to a slight shuffle that sounded behind a neighboring door. When she tried twisting the knob, she found the endeavor useless. She instead resorted to doing away with the door entirely. It reappeared in the midst of the hall seconds later.
The lights in the room had been turned on, but her neighbors did not occupy any of its available space. Before prowling inside, a simple recollection of her case of needles, which she knew rested inside her desk back at the office, gave her a feasible weapon. With more confidence, she cautiously invaded the room. First, she scrutinized the most imminent place to hide: the bathroom. A quick ripping away of the curtains told her that her threat did not linger there, so she prepared to step out and look elsewhere.
A slight rustle caught her ear. It glided past her blind spot, away from the bathroom's doorway, and deposited itself into the hall. It's wordlessness owed its thanks to Kuroko for leaving the door ajar. Alarmed, the girl turned and prepared to follow. A growl escaped her lips in the meantime.
"Hold it!"
Before she could leave the room, however, an explosion made her pause. In the heat of the panic, she wondered if such a powerful blast owed its existence to the outdoors, where the fire continued its rage. Too close was such a sound, however, which would ultimately disprove Kuroko's notions. Likewise would appear to the bright flash that appeared before her very eyes.
A spear of lightening boomed across the dorm's hall. The floorboards ripped. Walls crumbled. The ceiling cracked. Many articles from many rooms fell and added to the racket. Though she had not been hit by the blast, the sheer force of its passing was enough to send her flying deeper into the room she had invaded. The scream of a man followed, but was ended short by an agonized howl.
Displaced from hitting the ground, Kuroko found pulling herself up to be a difficulty. She groaned, avoiding crumbs of the ceiling that started to drop onto her face. For fear of the roof collapsing on her, she migrated closer to the doorway leading into the hall. The devastation that had been wrought by the beam stole her breath within moments.
The entire hall had turned black and bore the shape of a tunnel, for, just seconds ago, it once housed a treacherous cylinder of destruction. Smoke arose from patches that began to smolder. In awe, her eyes timidly followed the ditch to the left. The body of a stranger man sat still at the very end, fried and charred beyond recognition.
The crackling of sparks drew her eyes the opposite direction.
There, at the fountainhead of the black ditch, stood her savior: a girl with ballads of lightening dancing between the strands of her hair. Every short inch that sprouted from her arm stood erect. Static glued some of her clothes to her body. Her skin, once fair, was red, littered with bruises of gray and yellow. If her skin could not be made a spectacle, it was because it had been caked in dark chalk.
Most important of all: the fury in her eyes was indescribable.
Author's Note: We're drawing to an end here, folks. The last chapter will be out soon. Until then, please feel free to leave a comment, like, subscribe, tweet, repost... Whatever the heck this website uses.