The Great city

Chapter 5: Interlude: The Great Spear

Dodge, left, back, right! They're coming from everywhere. Another feather flies at me and my teleport is almost too slow. Why are there so many of them! "Behind you!" I turn too slow, when I see the zealot his knife is already inches from my skin, my brain is running the calculations to teleport me to safety but even before that I feel heat on my skin as my attacker is vaporized in front of me. I use my teleport to land back to back with my savior. Mugino Shizuri, lieutenant of alpha squad, around her are the bodies of several of the more fortunate enemies that we've encountered. Fortunate meaning that there are actually remains to be found. "Cutting it close eh, pip squeak? I think we've done our part, let's take a break and let the boys take over."

From the rafters of the church I look down at the battleground. There are still maybe twenty enemies left amongst the scattered pews. "There are still too many of them though! I can't just sit back and watch."

Just as I'm preparing to go back down Mugino puts her hand on my shoulder. "Did you forget just who we are? For alpha, this is nothing. Watch, they're here."

I hear a deafening crash and look down to see a huge blue explosion, then a green one on the other side of the room. I see a black blur zip across the room knocking our enemies all over the place. At the same time I notice screaming from the other side of the room as a barrage white swords scatter in every direction piercing every enemy in sight. Less than five minutes after our arrival at the cathedral and every enemy is dead. Sometimes I forget what level fives are capable of. With Mugino's hand still on my shoulder I teleport the both of us to the floor.

Mugino is the first to speak, walking over the bodies that litter the ground without a second look, dressed in a black dress with red tights underneath "Bout time you fuckers got here! What took you so long?"

Sogita is in front of her in a second, he runs his hand thorough his messy black hair as he answers, "There was a… complication."

Mugino raises her eyebrow. But before she can even ask Kakine answers, using a white spear to stab any bodies that might still be breathing. "I think we found something. Something big. There was a monk we ran across on the way here. He had this spear, and he was strong enough to give me this." He lifts his black button V-neck shirt and I can see a large piece of his dark matter covering what must have been a massive spear wound. "He got away, but he's more hurt than I am."

He actually managed to hurt Teitoku? The only other person I know of that could do that is Accelerator. We need to find out who this spear monk is. I step forward in my black shirt and khaki shorts "We should report this back to camp. Maybe we can get some Intel on the spear?"

Mugino nods her approval. "Pipsqueak is right, besides I need a bath, because you two were late some of them actually got close. I've got blood all over my dress." Her eye twitches in annoyance. Sogita looks amused as his grey shirt and black pants covered in blood. "Ready to go brat?"

I narrow my eyes a little at being called brat again, but put my hand out anyway. Mugino layers her finely manicured hand on top of mine, followed by Sogita's blood covered fingers, Kakine's hand on the top of the pile. I close my eyes and think of our base, my brain runs the necessary calculations for teleportation and in a little over a second the four of us are pulled into imaginary space through eleven dimensional space, then back to three dimensional as we re- appear back in the Alpha squad barracks.

If one were to stumble on our current base of operations it would look like a normal campground. About twenty log cabins surrounding a large fire pit, bordering a naturally running stream. Several natural hot springs conveniently serve as open air baths. As it's impossible to mount a full scale offensive against the mages, as they have no centralized location our unit focuses on guerrilla warfare, as a part of this we need to be able to move around quickly and disassemble and reassemble our quarters at a moments notice. For this we have a team of dedicated telekenetics who are in charge of camp upkeep.

There are three main branches of our attack force, Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie squadrons. Charlie is the largest force and they are mostly information gathering as well as camp upkeep. Telekenetics to build the camp, psycics to information mine as well as border clean up, also the chefs, maids and anything else that needs to be done so we can function. Secondary is Bravo squad which are the support combatants. Bravo primarily consists of healers, medics, or accurate long range ability users, anyone who can support our front line safely. Alpha squad is the front line, they are our big guns, Alpha squadron is Mugino Shizure level five meltdowner, Sogita Gunha level five attack crash, Kakine Teitoku level five dark matter, and me.

I honestly have no idea why I was selected to join Alpha seeing as I'm a level four. I was running support for Alpha squad during an operation, doing my normal job of teleporting in supplies and teleporting projectiles at the enemy. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, however after the mission was over.

[Flashback]

I lick the envelope closed and plant a kiss on it hoping for Onee sama to feel my love. When I stand up out of my chair and turn to the door I'm surprised to see that I'm not alone. Leaning against the doorframe is Sogita Gunha, one of the strongest espers in history, but Shirai Kuroko isn't one to freak out over celebrities. "Can I help you Gunha san?"

He chuckles a bit, "Shirai san right?" I nod looking at him warily, "I want you to join Alpha squad."

I blink, then blink again. "Alpha? Aren't only level fives are allowed in Alpha?"

He shrugs nonchalantly, "It's not really an official rule or anything. Really we just want the best of the best in Alpha, and I think that that's you."

I set down the letter as I sit back down to take a breath. "Me? I have my Judgment training and my teleportation skills are fairly accurate, but I don't' have the fire power that you level fives throw around, are you certain? What about the others, Shizure, and Teitoku san?"

He just smiles at me pushing him self off of the doorframe holding his hands behind his head nonchalantly. "I didn't just decide this, I brought it up to the others and we voted. You may think that we don't pay attention to Bravo squad but you'd be wrong, we've all witnessed your talent. I've never seen a teleporter who can take a guy down from almost fifty meters away. The others noticed too, the vote was unanimous. There's a spot for you on Alpha, if you want it."

For a second I think about what my Onee sama would say. She'd probably tell me to turn them down, say that the front lines were too dangerous. But I didn't come out here expecting a picnic. After what those zealots did to my city I came for blood, everyone did. "Let me just get my stuff, I won't disappoint you."

He just laughs as he turns around and begins walking back, "I know, I'm looking forward to working with you Shirai san."

[end]

Wiped from the mission I immediately head to the room that Mugino and I share and teleport to my top bunk. I can hear Mugino enter behind me and start grabbing things from her drawers. Now that were home her voice isn't quite as harsh as before, "Jeez Kuroko, how can you sleep in those filthy clothes?"

I rollover a bit and groan when I notice some blood on my sheets, "I honestly forgot."

"Well," Without moving I can tell that she's standing in the doorway about to head out. "I already told the boys we call first bath so I'm heading over there, you've got thirty minutes to get washed before you have to wait until tomorrow." And with that she's gone. I'm so tired that I want to just close my eyes and drift asleep; but that's disgusting. I run a hand through my hair and can feel the matted blood stained locks. With another groan I sit up and teleport my sheets into the bag on the ground that's serving as my laundry basket, I grab a towel before teleporting my clothes to the basket as well. A skirt that's left hanging on the rim is evidence that I'm too tired to calculate accurately. I take my time with the next calculation and there's a splash around me as I displace the water in the bath. Mugino splashes on the other side in surprise. "What the fuck! A little warning next time, jeez I thought we were under attack for a second. She lowers her arm and the electron waves she had gathered to obliterate me dissipate.

Despite her annoyed tone she tosses me a bottle of shampoo and I eagerly rub it into my scalp, feeling the strands loosen. "Thanks."

She looks surprised that I said anything, "Don't worry about the shampoo, it's-"

I shake my head, "Not for the shampoo, you saved my life today. I didn't get a chance to thank you earlier."

She waves me off nonchalantly "Oh that? That was nothing; I always look after my underlings. Besides I'm sure anyone in Alpha would do the same."

"But could I?" Despite my calm the same thing has been bothering me ever since I was inducted into Alpha. "I know that I'm the only one who can get in and out of places undetected, I get that I'm not useless so I don't need you to tell me that. But still, I'm not on the same level as you, or Sogita and Kakine! I don't understand why I'm here." I gesture to the Alpha only bath, the largest hot spring in the valley. "And not back in Bravo! You said anyone in Alpha would save me but could I return the favor? I can't blast holes in people, or make explosions, all I can do is runaway!"

I feel a hand on my shoulder and look up, at some point during my rant Mugino crossed the bath and is now standing right in front of me. "You don't believe that." She's staring at me intensely, the conviction in her eyes reminds me of Onee sama. "In Alpha we are the commanders of the entire attack force. We choose our own members, but this isn't some club or clique. We don't choose the people we like; we choose the best, because we can't afford to let anyone else in. Whether you asked for it or not you're a leader here now. When you walk around camp others look up to you. You can't afford to be unsure of yourself. I promise you that one day soon you will completely understand why you were moved to Alpha, until then can you please just trust me. I know that you don't know me vey-"

"I trust you." I wipe the tear that was forming in my eye and smile. "I'll trust you for now. I know this might sound weird but you remind me of my Onee sama."

She smiles a small smile and turns to lean against the side of the bath next to me. Her eyes down, "You remind me of a friend I used to have." From the look in her eyes, I can tell it's someone she's lost, probably in the war. We all have our reasons for being here. Saten, Uiharu.

[The next day]

Mugino and I walk into the Alpha briefing room after Kakine's urgent summons. Sogita and Kakine are looking over a tablet when we arrive. When Kakine notices us he places the tablet face up on the round table in the center of the room and presses a button activating the hologram feature. Several images and documents show above the tablet. Before either of us can ask Kakine expands a picture of an old looking painting and begins talking. "This is Saint George. In the legend of saint George and the dragon he attempted to kill a dragon with a spear and sword but when he struck at the dragon his spear shattered into a million pieces and he had to kill it with his sword. Apparently they've rebuilt his spear."

Sogita expands the image to focus on the spear and continues where Kakine left off. "We got in touch with Index in Academy city last night. After the spear broke seeing the strength of the dragons scales saint George apparently re-built it with the dragon's scales. According to Index its power is so great that only a few people could actually wield it, almost all of them other Saints. In the right hands, it's been told that it is 'an unstoppable force'. It's definitely what we ran into the other day."

Mugino speaks next, "If you really ran into a Saint then why did he let you get away?" Sogita shrugs. "Well we're going after him right?"

Kakine smiles an Accelerator-esque grin and clutches his side. "How else would I get to pay him back for this? We got a hit from Motoharu, we know where he is."

A saint? We're really going after a saint? I take a deep breath and remember Mugino's words from the other day. I can do this. Despite my apprehension a nervous grin works it's way onto my face. "What are we waiting for?"

There's a loud and sudden chime as a message appears on the tablet. "That's what we were waiting for." Kakine presses a button putting the tablet to sleep. "That was from Bravo, healers and psychics are already in place around the mission location. We leave now, don't forget that the target is the spear."

I hold out my hand and everybody stacks their own hands on mine. Sogita pulls out his phone with his other hand and shows me the text from Tschimikado with the longitude and latitude of the location. Luckily it's not too far, I think I can make it there in just a couple of short jumps, although to my passengers it'll probably seem like one since the majority of our time will be spent in the eleventh dimension where time stands still. Just before we go Mugino looks at me like she did yesterday, "You gonna be okay Kuroko?" I nod back, my smile becoming more confident.

"Let's go." I make the three jumps as fast as possible only stopping a second in between each one to make the necessary calculations. Within four seconds we've arrived at our destination, in front of us is an old dilapidated cathedral. "This is the place right?"

Teitoku motions for Mugino to follow him and begins walking toward the entrance. "Psychics in Bravo have already confirmed that the target is inside. Mugino and I will attack him from the front, and while I plan on killing this bastard, first we have to separate him from that damn spear of his. This guy is fast and damn near unstoppable. Kuroko and Sogita have the best chance of getting the spear from him, but you're probably going to only have one chance to do so. While he's attacking us look for your opportunity." He gestures to our surroundings. "This entire town has been abandoned since a black plague outbreak almost a hundred years ago. That means there's no body to get in our way. Mugino if you please."

She grins raising her hand, I can see the accumulation of energy around her finger tips the ball of bright green light grows bigger than my head and continues expanding. She turns her head towards Sogita and I, "What are you waiting around for? Get clear! When I let this baby go the monk is gonna come straight for us! Stay out of sight!" Sogita nods and vanishes I can feel the wind from his hyper speed movement. I quickly teleport to the second floor of a run down building nearby, just close enough to see the cathedral.

The blast that Mugino releases is at the very lest on par with Onee sama's railgun, the beam carves the landscape between her and the church, it destroys the entrance before inexplicably stopping. I squint and can just barely make out what could be inhibiting a force of destruction like that. I think it's a man; he's wearing a brown cloak so it's hard to tell. In his hand is a silver looking spear for the most part. However about halfway from the handle to the tip the material changes to something purple, could those be the dragon scales? Whatever it is Mugino's electron waves splinter when they hit it dissipating. After the second the entire wave dissipates and the church is mostly undamaged, as is the man with the spear.

They talk for a minute but I'm too far away to hear what they say, I can only guess that they're not talking about settling this nonviolently. Right before my eyes the man disappears, he suddenly appears behind Mugino and she covers herself in a ball of her own energy before it breaks at contact with his spear and she's sent flying back. Kakine strikes at the monk with a spear of dark matter yet somehow the man turns fast enough to block it with the spear. They struggle against each other for a few seconds before the monk disappears as a blast from Mugino goes through the spot where he once was. I lose track of him for a second but then notice an explosion mid air and see Sogita plummeting towards the ground 'Damn he must have failed in retrieving the spear!' Kakine catches him and the three of them stand together as the monk lands with unnatural grace. Mugino raises her hand aiming a laser at the enemy, when my heart freezes. Inexplicably the monk is behind her thrusting his spear at her back, Oh no! No no no no! I begin the calculations for the teleport; Kakine is just now noticing what's going on, he's not going to be fast enough! So I have to be! I have to save her! No more of my friends are going to die! "MUGINO!"

I bounce through the eleventh dimension and appear right next to the assailant before he can stab Mugino. But something is wrong. It was the early morning, just a second ago the sky was a bright orange with the morning sun. But now it's black, pitch black without a star in the sky. Not only that every thing is just slightly off, I can tell where Mugino is aiming her laser but I can't see it, Kakine's dark matter is invisible too. Oh and also I've been noticing this for about a minute and no one has moved. This space isn't natural, I've never been able to spend time here before but I know this place. "The eleventh dimension." This is an imaginary, theoretical space that exists outside of time, and as far as I know I'm the first person to be here longer than an instant.

I reach out to touch St. George's spear and it slides out of the Monk's hands easily. The entire time I keep my eyes on his face just waiting for him to move and attack me. But the moment never comes. I turn the weapon around and stab him in the gut, the spear pierces his flesh but there's no blood. I think about how he was about to stab my friend and stab him again, when I think about how I'm forced to be away from home because of people like him I stab him a few more times. Hmm. Even without his spear from this position he could still hurt Mugino. I push him and he slides from his orientation as if there was no force keeping him there. I set him on the ground a few feet to the right. "Now to get back to three dimensional space."

I focus on teleporting while maintaining my position. All at once the sky and colors return to normal, Mugino's laser fires and Kakine's shield goes up. But they're ineffective as the Monk is now coughing up blood on the ground. Slowly my companions stand up straight as they realize that we've won. Sogita notices the spear in my hands. "Kuroko? How did- did you do this?"

I look at the dying man on the ground with little sympathy, "I don't know how I did it but I was able to permanently anchor myself in eleventh dimensional space. While I was there I took his spear and stabbed him."

Mugino's hand covers her mouth and she looks at me shocked. "You mean you actually stopped time?!" I did didn't I? "Kuroko you know what this means right?" What it means, what does it mean? Well we accomplished the mission and if I can do this again this will make future operations much easier. Mugino runs over and embraces me in a very un Mugino like hug. "It means, that you are the eighth level five!"

My eyes go wide. "You can't really mean that?"

I drop the spear in shock and Kakine walks over with a smile to put his hand on my shoulder. "It was hypothesized that if a master of spatial movement were to reach level five, chronological manipulation would follow. I didn't actually believe it but; we all knew that you were made of tougher stuff than any ordinary level four. Welcome number eight."

Happy tears run down my face as I hug Mugino back. I can't belive I actually did it. I always told myself that I would be as good as Onee sama one day but to have it actually happen. Sogita pats me on the back grinning g ear to ear. "Told ya you belonged in alpha! But I don't' agree with calling you number eight. Stopping time that's amazing! I bet you could at least be number two."

Kakine takes his hand off of my shoulder to grab Sogita's shirt, "Slow down there buddy you know we don't even have the authority to rank. So until we get word from the director she's eight."

Sogita put's his hand to his ear, "What was that? I didn't quite catch that number three!"

"Why you!"

Mugino let's go of me and laughs at the boys antics. I can't help but giggle as well. She bends down to pick up the dropped spear. "Ready to go home?"

Home. We can't go to academy city but for now, Alpha barracks will do. "Yeah, I need to get started on another letter."

So what did you think? Like don't like? The next chapter will be back with Touma and Misaka but I really wanted to write a chapter about Kuroko in the offensive division. Be sure to tell me if you want more like this.

Thanks for Reading