Emotional Fallout

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Chapter 1: The Raven

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I wonder where Uiharu is? She said she'd meet me here half an hour ago. The Child Errors are going to give us hell, not to mention our Dorm Mistress. She was very… forceful, in insisting I came along today. "Stood up in the freezing cold. Grr." I mutter to myself and reach for my phone.

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"Uiharu, whe-"

"Ahh, Onee-sama, it is I, Kuroko. Uiharu asked me to answer for her." the fiery twin-tail surprised me.

"Oh. … So what's keeping her, she was supposed to meet me at the Seventh Mist Monorail Stop …umm…Thirty. Six. Minutes ago."

"Sorry Onee-sama, we've been doing Judgment work... It's most curious. A flurry of reports of arson damage, except it doesn't seem to be by pyroma-"

"Kuroko!" I interrupt her 'vocation'.

"Sorry. Uiharu-san mentioned nothing about meeting you. Maybe she forgot. ..I'll go remind her, ok."

"Thank you, Kuroko" I exhale in frustration. Hell, is it cold! Seriously, I know Judgment work is pretty vital to keeping Academy City safe and all- "GYAHH!"

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"KUH-ROH-KOH!" I spark in angry shock as Uiharu and that damned idiot teleporter appear out of thin air right in front of me. …Oh, that timetable ticker was broken before, right, yes, heh heh… "

Onee-sama! I do wish you'd be more careful. Academy City already has an anomalous rate of electrical and electronic equipment failures. Buuut, as it happens, I always have something of greater priority to handle."

I concentrate on focusing all my energy into only a lethal scowl as she smirks back at me.

Oh, but yes. "Uiharu."

"My utmost Apologies Misaka-san! I got absorbed in my work and forgot the time."

"And my humble self was merely trying to assist my colleague and my beloved senpai" adds my smug stalker. I return momentarily to scowling before deciding to apologise.

"Thank you, Kuroko. You just surprised me. Maybe you could …materialise, slightly further away in future." She bows and makes yet another of her comments that simultaneously creeps me out, seems unnecessarily groveling and, well, makes me feel… - Another flash arcs off me and grounds on a tree with a hiss.

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~ o ~ Cypress Park Child Welfare Facility ~ o ~

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"Raven?, I'd like you to meet Misaka-san, she's one of my pupils. I think you two might get along." my Dorm Mistress introduces me in a most underplayed way. Guess I'm overly used to Kuroko's grandesse and swooning. The girl, can't be more than 10, sat on a beanbag in the corner of the room, furthest from the Christmas tree. She looks up, nods and goes straight back to her reading. Compared to the other child errors her response came across as just plain rude and disinterested. In spite of this, my Dorm Mistress motions for me to sit at the table and then promptly abandons me! "Well, I'll let the two of you get acquainted. If you need me I'll be organising the decorations."

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After a minute or so I notice what was on the tablet computer she's browsing; it's ME! What the fff-! Why's she reading about me? Me, why me? Crap, crap, crap, I'm blushing! She finally smiles, at my damning reaction. "Misaka Mikoto. Level 5 Electromaster. Ability to manipulate the flow of electrical charges. Also known as 'Railgun'. At a young age had her DNA us- ….Ehehehe, you're blushing, Mikoto"

"Well wouldn't YOU be too! If you just found a stranger, reading about you!" I blurted out. Urg, looks like one of those stupid gossip boards Uiharu and Saten love.

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Sensei says I spend too much time reading physics. She said I should read something…. more… …like others do! Except I guess I saw some science in there." I begrudgingly excuse her, sidestepping my outburst. Before I could say anything more she starts flailing and grumbled in a most strange manner; trying, I guess, to clear her jet black hair from around her neck. "Un-yuu? It just irritates me beyond madness." I ponder lending her my hair slide. Except last time I did that, my hair went and stabbed my eye! Oh, and I only have one so she'd still be maddened by the other side. But then a pile of decoration pieces catches my eye. Fishing around, while there's plenty of ribbons, there's only one that'll be of any use, although it is rather wide.

"Here."

"Unyu?"

"For your hair"

"Unny-"

I sigh in frustration. "Let me do it" I say standing up behind her and tying the rear half up high.

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I'd barely sat down before Saten, who was protecting the presents from the children, lets out a cry "Suuuugoiii! That green bow looks beautiful on you!"

"Unyu, you think so?"

"Yes, definitely!" Raven beams in response, springing up and doing a twirl. And I think Saten's right, it really does suit her, both the colour and that wide bow.