Tokiwadai Middle School's reputation as one of the top educational institutions in Academy City was not something the school had earned easily. It had taken a great deal of hard work and discipline on the part of its students and faculty, not to mention a great deal of money. It also helped that Tokiwadai had developed two of the city's seven level fives, an achievement the director was more than happy to remind their competitors of.

Of course, being a school for espers, and high level ones at that, did lead to complications. Super-powered children were even more difficult to deal with than their relatively powerless counterparts, and the abilities the children had developed often led to equally difficult to handle personalities, and when those personalities clashed, there could be collateral damage.

This fact was not lost on the students themselves, and as such, when encountering a grumpy, sleep deprived level five in the hallways, most students knew to leave well enough alone.

Mikoto staggered down the hallways, half asleep. The day after a session at the labs was always brutal, but today she was in a particularly foul mood. It had started the night before, when she had arrived back at the dorms to find that Kuroko had decided to sleep in her bed in her absence. The pig-tailed teleporter had been wearing a most disturbing expression on her face, but Mikoto hadn't had the energy to shock her roommate out of bed. She had felt the familiar anger that came whenever Kuroko invaded her personal space with her perverted looks and roving hands, but instead of the crackle of electricity that normally accompanied the feeling, all she had been able to muster was an exhausted growl before she had collapsed into Kuroko's bed, asleep before her head had even hit the pillow.

Preparing for class had been an ordeal in itself, as Kuroko predictably tried to "assist" her in getting ready. It had taken several powerful shocks to dissuade her, and by the time Mikoto had finally managed to rid herself of her roommate and get ready, she had been late. She absently massaged her side, wincing at the stab of pain. It didn't help that her recovery wasn't progressing as quickly as she had hoped. Despite Academy City's miraculous medical programs, it seemed not even the drugs provided by the ability development facility could heal her over night. She sighed, rubbing her head, ignoring the curious glances she was earning from her classmates. Normally, she tried to be friendly, or at least courteous to the multitude of students that approached her, but today, she couldn't manage more than a simple greeting to anyone that stopped her in the hall.

Two more hours. She just had to make it two more hours and she could go back to her dorm room and sleep. Hopefully, Kuroko would have the good sense to leave her alone. She didn't know if she had enough in her today to zap the perverted teleporter into submission, and she didn't fancy the idea of trying.

The bell rang, and Mikoto groaned as she staggered her way to her class. The halls emptied of students, and soon she was alone. She took a moment, just enjoying the silence. Her head was pounding, and the gash on her leg was starting to burn again. She was going to need to take more of the medication the doctor had given her last night on her way out of the facility. She made a face at the thought. Taking anything they gave her didn't really sit well with her. After everything that had happened with the Sisters, trusting the researchers of Academy City was not easy for her to do. However, after he first night of lying in bed in a state of constant agony, she had relented. There was little she could do on her own. At this point, she simply had to take a leap of faith and do as they instructed her.

Mikoto's eyes snapped open at the sound of approaching footsteps, and she realized with a start that she had begun to doze off in the middle of the hallway. She turned to see who had snapped her out of her daze, an excuse already forming on her lips. Her words died as she saw the newcomer, her lips twisting into a scowl.

"You're pushing yourself too hard, don't you think, Misaka-san?"

Mikoto glared at the blond-haired level five. "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't have time for your games today, I'm late for class."

"Oh please," Shokuhou said, rolling her eyes, "Just because I can't read your mind doesn't mean I don't know where you've been going at night. I do keep tabs on the other level fives, you know. You actually tend to be rather boring when compared to the others, though I have to say things have been getting a little more interesting lately. I never would have thought you'd go this far."

"What, so now you're spying on me?" Mikoto asked, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks. She still hadn't forgiven Shokuhou for toying with the minds of her friends. "Why don't you just leave me alone, I'm sure you've got more than enough to do without watching me like some creepy stalker."

Shokuhou simply sighed, favoring Mikoto with a level stare. "It's not like I'm out to get you or anything. Despite what you may hear from the members of my clique, I don't particularly care that you're two ranks higher than me, or that people call you Tokiwadai's Ace. I couldn't care less about all that; I prefer to work from behind the scenes anyway, so I don't really need the attention."

Mikoto scoffed, turning away, "You could have fooled me. Those girls practically worship the ground you walk on, and you don't seem to do anything to discourage them."

"Oh, it's not that I don't enjoy the attention," Shokuhou said with a smile, idly tugging at a stray thread on her uniform, "I just don't need it. Besides, they have their uses. Some of those girls are from very influential families, and it's nice to be able to ask for favors."

"As if you ever bother to ask anyone for anything. Your clique is nothing more than an army of puppets."

"Hm, that's an interesting way of putting it, especially coming from you," Shokuhou said, tucking her long, golden hair behind her ear. Mikoto bristled at the comment, but said nothing. "Despite what you may think, I do have friends. I don't have to use my power to get people to like me. There are plenty of people who like me for me, just like you, and who would be happy to do me a favor if I asked. I don't run around using my power every time I don't get my way. Just because we've had our disagreements doesn't mean I'm some horrible monster, you know."

"Whatever," Mikoto huffed, crossing her arms. "What do you want, anyway? Are you here to try to blackmail me or something?"

"You shouldn't be so suspicious all the time, it's unbecoming of a lady," Shokuhou said with a shake of her head. "Though I highly doubt that anyone would mistake such an underdeveloped brat like you for a lady anyway."

"S-s-shut up!" Mikoto said, her cheeks flushing beet red as her arms flew to cover her chest.

"Well anyway, to answer your question, no, I didn't come to blackmail you. I just happened to notice you falling asleep in the hallway, and thought I'd offer you some advice: you're pushing yourself too hard, and working with those people won't end well. I can admire your drive, but what do you really think you're going to accomplish at this rate? I'm sure your friends don't want to see you get hurt, and that's all that's going to happen if you keep doing these tests."

"What do you know?" Mikoto ground out, glaring at the blond-haired girl leaning against the wall. "Besides, you're the last person I want to have giving me advice."

Shokuhou merely shrugged, twisting a lock of her hair between her fingers. "I suppose it's not any of my business, but do you really think you're doing them any good by pushing yourself like this? It's not as though you can always be watching over them, no matter how strong you get. I can't imagine they would be too happy to see you in this state."

"It's not about what they want," Mikoto grumbled, slumping against the wall with a heavy sigh. "This whole situation is my fault. They only exist because I was stupid enough to trust those damned researchers, and now they have to live in constant fear of being used in another sick experiment." The memory of how she had given up her DNA map still stung, like picking the scab off an old wound. There was a time when the memory of that exchange had brought her pleasure. She had thought she was helping people, helping that little boy. She had wanted him to get better, and when that man had told her she could help him with her power, she had been so happy. Now though, the memory brought only pain, and a bitter resentment for Academy City and her own foolishness.

"Well, I can't say I really care if you want to keep trying to kill yourself for the amusement of some researcher trying to make a name for themselves. It's not like you'd listen to me anyway. I just thought I'd make the effort."

"What does it matter to you what I do anyway" Mikoto asked, glaring at Shokuhou. Something about the psychic made her blood boil. Maybe it was her aloof attitude, or maybe it was the fact that she was so damned intent on keeping everything about herself a secret, hidden beneath that smug exterior. "You never even told me why you helped during the Daihaseisai, but you made it pretty clear that it wasn't because you were worried about me."

"Look," Shokuhou said, leaning forward, hands on her hips, "you don't need to bite my head off here, all I did was give you some friendly advice. What do you think is going to happen if you keep this up? Look at you, you're a mess! You can barely even stay standing, you're falling asleep in the corridors, and I'm willing to bet you've got more than just a few scrapes and bruises under your uniform."

Mikoto's hand absently drifted to her side, hovering over her wound. "W-what do you know anyway," she stammered, averting her gaze. "It's not like you would understand why I'm doing this in the first place, you've never done anything selfless in your life, so why don't you just mind your own business!"

"Fine!" Shokuhou shouted, her cheeks pink with anger. "I try to show a little camaraderie, and you can't even be bothered to take it seriously! You're just a mopey child too wrapped up in her own problems to even consider the consequences. And before you go calling other people selfish, why don't you take a look at yourself? You act all noble, but I'm willing to bet you haven't told any of your friends what you're up to, have you? You don't know me, Misaka-san so don't go calling me selfish when you can't even admit to yourself that the only reason you're doing any of this is because you feel guilty!"

Mikoto reeled back as though she had been slapped, speechless. She wanted to to shout down the obnoxious telepath, but she couldn't. Deep down, she knew there was a great deal of truth to the psychic's words.

"If you're going to keep doing this, then that's up to you," Shokuhou said, turning and walking away, "just remember that in the long run, you're only going to end up hurting your friends if you keep pushing them away like this. If you keep trying to handle everything on your own, you'll end up all alone."

Mikoto watched Shokuhou until she disappeared around a corner, gritting her teeth as sparks jumped from her bangs. What did she know anyway? Shokuhou never did anything if it wasn't in her own best interest; there was no way someone like her could ever understand why she was doing all this.

With a growl of frustration, Mikoto turned and began walking towards her class. She was almost ten minutes late already, but she was too angry to care. It wasn't like she was putting herself through all of this because she wanted to. An image of the battered and bloody form of Misaka 10032 bubbled to the front of her mind, and she gritted her teeth. She couldn't let that keep happening. No matter what, she had to do to stop it.

Of course, she did feel guilty about keeping it a secret from her friends. She could still remember the expression on Saten-san's face the last time she had tried to take on something big by herself. Mikoto felt a pang of guilt in her chest. It wasn't that she didn't trust them. If anything, she wanted to tell them, to ask for their help even, but she couldn't. This wasn't like the time with Kiyama-sensei's student's, or the level upper incident. This time, it really was all her fault, and she needed to fix it.

Besides, it was far too dangerous to get them involved in this. Kongou-san had gotten hurt trying to help her, and it was easy to see how even that could have ended much worse. No, it was better to do this herself, even if it did mean telling a little white lie here and there. There were some things her friends were better off not knowing, and if she could protect them from delving any deeper into the darkness of Academy City, then she didn't care if she got hurt in the process.

Misaka sat with her head bowed, listening as her teacher berated her for her tardiness. It wasn't unexpected, but she still found the whole thing aggravating. She wanted nothing more than to stand up and walk out, but she restrained herself. There was no way that would end well, and besides, she had broken the rules.

"Not only were you late for class, but you fell asleep halfway through the lesson. Misaka-san, this kind of behaviour is not like you, and frankly, I'm surprised you would let yourself slip like this. You know how important it is for all of our students to be on time and fully engaged in the course material. If you aren't feeling well, then you need to go to the school infirmary instead of disrupting my class."

Mikoto nodded, doing her best not to nod off as her teacher scolded her. She couldn't really blame the woman. After all, it was hardly good form for her to be falling asleep in the middle of class. She had just been so tired, and all she wanted to do now was collapse into her bed and sleep to her heart's content.

"I'm sorry," Mikoto said, bowing her head. "I didn't mean to be late, or to fall asleep in class. I... haven't been sleeping well lately.

The teacher sighed, removing her glasses. "Misaka-san, I don't mean to sound harsh, but you have to understand why I'm concerned. Tokiwadai is rated as one of the top schools in all of Academy City, which as you can imagine is no small feat. We have great expectations of every student that attends this school, but even among the elite you stand out. I know you may not like it, but as one of only seven level fives in existence, your behaviour sets an example for the other students. I don't want them to see you slacking off, especially when I know how capable you are."

Mikoto bit her tongue, trying not to snap at the woman. "I understand. I'll try harder not to set a bad example for my classmates."

"Thank you, and please, try to get some rest. If you're having trouble sleeping, maybe you should see the school doctors. Tokiwadai spares no expense when it comes to the health of its students."

"Thank you, and I will," Mikoto lied. She had no intention of visiting the infirmary. The last thing she needed right now was to have to answer the kinds of questions that her physical condition would elicit. Best case scenario, she would be forbidden from leaving campus, and worst case scenario... well, she didn't want to think about that. It was bad enough having to deal with whatever rogue elements and twisted scientists were out for her blood now, she didn't want to have to start watching her back at school as well.

She bowed as she was dismissed, uttering one more apology. It was hard not to be a little frustrated with the scolding, though she couldn't really blame her teacher. It wasn't like she was being mean, and there was no way she could know about what Mikoto was doing. At least, Mikoto hoped not. Her encounter with Shokuhou had left her feeling a little more nervous about the whole thing, not the least because the psychic had admitted to spying on her. Shokuhou Misaki was not one to do the legwork for herself, which meant she had gotten that information from someone. If she had been thinking straight at the time, she would have thought to ask who.

"Ah, Onee-sama, in trouble with the teachers? How very unlike you."

Mikoto turned at the voice of her roommate, finding Kuroko standing just outside of the classroom. "Maybe if someone wasn't such a pervert and would let me get ready for class in peace, then I wouldn't have to worry about being late," Mikoto grumbled as Kuroko fell in step beside her.

"Onee-sama, you can't be so careless with your image," Kuroko lectured, ignoring the jab. "You are Tokiwadai's Ace! The crown jewel of our school, the unrivaled Electric Princess! What must your classmates think, seeing you scolded by the teacher like that?"

"Leave me alone, Kuroko, I just got this lecture, I don't need you to tell me too. Besides, I don't care about all that stuff."

"Sometimes I wonder how you can be so dense about these things," Kuroko said with a shake of her head. "Honestly, Onee-sama, you need to think about your position here a little more. If you're not careful, the Queen might see it as weakness and attempt to usurp your position as the pride of Tokiwadai!"

Mikoto snorted, "She's the last person I want to talk about right now. I just want to go back to the dorm and sleep, okay? We can talk about this later if you feel the need to keep pestering me about it."

"Eh? Onee-sama, did you forget? We were supposed to meet Uiharu and Saten-san at Judgement headquarters. They invited us to go shopping today. You seemed so excited about it the other day."

Mikoto mentally slapped herself. She had forgotten all about those plans. Saten-san had called her three days ago and invited the pair of them to a new shop opening at Seventh Mist. She stumbled as her concentration lapsed, and she had to brace herself against the wall.

"Sorry, Kuroko, but I don't think I'll be able to make it today. I really just need to sleep, I'm not feeling very well."

Kuroko's expression was one of concern as she moved to help Mikoto. "Onee-sama, are you sure you're all right? Do you want me to take you to the infirmary?"

"No!" Mikoto snapped, pulling away from Kuroko's touch. "I mean, no, that's alright. I just... just need some rest, okay. Tell Saten-san and Uiharu-san that I'm sorry I couldn't make it. I'll be sure to come next time."

Kuroko made to follow her, but Mikoto waved her off, giving the teleporter a cheeky grin. "Don't worry about me, Kuroko, I'll be fine. I just didn't sleep all that well last night, and I haven't been able to wake up properly all day. I'll be back to one-hundred percent after a nap."

She waved at Kuroko as she turned and headed for her room, one hand clutching her throbbing head. The headache was getting worse. She couldn't remember exactly when it had happened, but she had slammed her head into something pretty hard the night before while she had been running from the pyrokinetic and his air manipulating friend. Her doctor at the ability development facility, Doctor Kamui, had assured her that she wasn't concussed, but it still hurt like hell.

Finally, she managed to stagger back to her dorm room, and as soon as she was inside she collapsed on her bed. She'd need to check her bandages later, and take more of the medication she'd been given, but that could all wait until she had had a good, long rest. A contented sigh escaped her lips, despite the pounding in her head. There was nothing quite like the feeling of lying down in your own bed when you were completely exhausted; those few moments before she drifted off to sleep were always Mikoto's favorite. She snuggled deeper into her bed, pulling up the covers and burying her face in the pillow as she began to drift off to sleep.

It smelled like Kuroko.

"Honestly, I don't know what's wrong with her lately, she makes a promise and then backs out at the last minute! Not to mention oversleeping and getting in trouble with the teachers. It isn't like her."

Saten and Uiharu had had been waiting for her when Kuroko had arrived at the Judgment branch office, and after a brief explanation of Mikoto's absence, the three of them had made their way to Seventh Mist. After the bombing related to the level upper incident, several of the stores that had been most damaged had been unable to reopen, and so there had been several vacancies that only recently had been filled.

"Ahh, it's too bad, Misaka-san really would have liked that souvenier shop. She said she was looking for a new strap for her phone, didn't she?" Saten asked, sipping from a plastic cup.

"I think so, doubtless she wanted something childish," Kuroko said with a sigh. "I wish she would act more her age. It's one thing to have an interest in such things as a child, though a frog is far from something a lady should have such a fascination with, but she'll be in high school soon! She needs to discard such adolescent fancies."

"Isn't that part of her charm though? I always thought it was sort of cute how she acts when you tease her about her taste."

A goofy grin formed on Kuroko's face. "Ahhh, I must admit, Onee-sama's expression when she tries to deny that she likes such kiddie things is absolutely delicious! The pink cheeks, the stuttering speech, the quick glance away, it's all too much!" The pig-tailed girl squealed and spun in place, drawing the stares of the other shoppers, many of whom looked more than a little disturbed by the display.

"Y-yeah, uh, hey! Why don't we get something to eat? I'm starving!" Saten said, grabbing her two friends by the arm and pulling them away from the gathering crowd. Uiharu stumbled along behind her, stammering protests, while Kuroko simply let herself be drug along, still lost in her fantasy.

A few minutes later, the trio was seated inside a new cafe, Kuroko having snapped out of her daze. It was a cozy little place, the design reminiscent of the style adopted by the School Garden. It was an aesthetic that Kuroko had always enjoyed. It added a sophisticated air, and she thought it rather suited her. Still, she had to admit it was a little strange to find a restaurant with distressed hardwood floors and brick walls inside the modern Seventh Mist Mall, with all it's bright signs and colorful displays.

"Honestly, Shirai-san," Uiharu said with a sigh, "you tease Misaka-san about her taste, but you're worse than she is sometimes. At least Misaka-san doesn't start drooling in a crowded mall."

Kuroko ignored her fellow judgement member, eyes scanning the menu.

"Hey, at least she doesn't go flashing her panties in public, unlike some people I know," Saten said with a mischievous grin, her hands inching towards her friend's skirt.

"S-Saten-san!" Uiharu exclaimed, clasping her hands over her skirt, her cheeks flaring pink. "I do not show my panties in public! It's you that's always flipping my skirt up!"

A few of the other customers looked over curiously at the sudden outburst, and Uiharu squeaked in embarrassment, shrinking down in the booth as Saten laughed.

Kuroko sighed, closing the menu. "I suppose I'll just have some tea and a pastry. I never know what to order when I go to a restaurant for the first time."

The server approached, quirking a curious eyebrow at the still blushing Uiharu, but taking their orders without comment. Once he had departed the three friends sat in silence.

"I hope Misaka-san is feeling alright," Uiharu said after a moment. "It feels like we've been seeing less of her lately."

"Yeah," Saten agreed. "The group dynamic is way off without her here. There's no one for Shirai-san to fawn over, and there's definitely a lot less noise without her yelling. I miss it. Did she say what was wrong?"

Kuroko swirled the water in her glass with a finger, watching as a speck of dust was pulled down into the miniature whirlpool. "She said she wasn't sleeping well, but I don't think she was being honest with me. She's been staying out late again, and she comes home exhausted. I don't think she knows that I've noticed, I'm usually asleep when she gets back. But she's been out at least twice a week over the past month, and sometimes it seems like it's all she can do to get out of bed in the morning."

"Hmm, stays out late and comes back exhausted? Are you sure she doesn't have a boyfriend? That sounds an awful lot like something she would do if she was having secret rendezvous with some mystery guy!" Ruiko exclaimed, her eyes wide and sparkling.

A certain spiky haired buffoon came immediately to mind, and Kuroko had to suppress a scream of frustration. There was no way her precious Onee-sama could be doing something like that! Sure, she may have stayed out late chasing him before, but that was different! The idea that the oaf had laid his brutish hands on Onee-sama was enough to make her hair stand on end.

"Don't be ridiculous! There's no way Onee-sama would debase herself in such a way as to let that filthy animal do such things, not when she has me!"

"Ah, you say that, but isn't that exactly the kind of thing she would try to keep from you? I mean, you don't exactly have a history of taking those sorts of things well."

A strangled scream escaped Kuroko's lips, and her head slumped against the table, an air of gloom hovering over her.

"Shirai-san, I'm sure you're overreacting," Uiharu soothed. "I'm sure Misaka-san would have mentioned something about that if she were seeing a boy. She's too honest, she wouldn't be able to keep something like that a secret for long."

Kuroko paused, her head inches from the hard surface of the table. That was true. She had gotten to know Onee-sama quite well in the time they had spent together as roommates, and it there was one thing about her character that you could count on, it was that if there was something that she was shy or embarrassed about, she wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. It wasn't that she was bad at keeping secrets, exactly, but rather, she was the kind of person that was simply too shy about certain things.

Her mind drifted back to some of the things Onee-sama had said, coming home so late at night after chasing that spiky haired fool around the city. Kuroko had burned with jealousy at the happiness in Onee-sama's voice as she described the evening's antics. Why did she never sound like that when they were together? Why was that man able to make her smile like that? It made her blood boil, but even as the anger burned inside of her, she remembered a pair of strong arms catching her as she fell, blinded by light. No, he was not all bad, but she still had no intention of surrendering Onee-sama to him!

"You're right, Uiharu," Kuroko said once she had composed herself. "I don't think it could be something like that." She had to force the next words out, so distasteful they were to even consider: "If Onee-sama had a... b-boyfriend, then I would expect she would seem... happier. Lately, she seems depressed, or rather, determined, focused in a way that's taking a toll on her. I haven't seen her this way in a long time."

"Hmm, well if it isn't a boy, then maybe it's..." Saten whipped out her phone, "Power Pox!"

Uiharu and Kuroko simply blinked, exchanging confused glances as Saten eagerly typed away on her phone.

"I came across this while I was searching one of my rumor sites," Saten said, holding up the phone for her friends to see. "It's the latest big rumor floating around. According to this, high level espers have been coming down with a mysterious illness, causing erratic behavior and loss of control of their powers. It also says there's a bunch of other symptoms, like headaches, insomnia, nausea, mood swings, and coughing and sneezing too."

"That sounds like it could be anything then," Kuroko said. "Any high level esper showing signs of illness would fit into those categories, regardless of what kind of illness they have."

"Ah, Saten-san, you really should stop reading those sites; it's not healthy to be so obsessed with rumors all the time. It's also sort of a strange hobby," Uiharu said.

"Uiharu!" Saten exclaimed, her voice full of mock hurt. "I assure you that I have only the noblest of intentions! As our group's resident level zero, it's my duty to do what I can to protect my friends from hidden dangers. Remember the Level Upper? Or how about Poltergeist? Even the stripper lady turned out to be real! If it wasn't for my sleuthing skills, we would have been unprepared for all of them!"

"Hm, but it was Uiharu who ended up doing the real sleuthing, wasn't it?" Kuroko asked, scrolling through the rumor site on Saten's phone.

"W-well yeah, I guess, but she never would have thought to follow up on these rumors if it wasn't for my finding them in the first place, right? I'm more of an idea person, anyway; Uiharu's the one with the real detective skills."

Kuroko sighed, handing the phone back to Saten. "As much as I'd like to dismiss this as just another ridiculous rumor, you do have a history of finding rumors with some merit. I'll speak with Onee-sama more later tonight, as long as she's feeling better."

"You should be careful, Shirai-san," Uiharu urged, her eyes wide with concern. "If Misaka-san really is sick, then you might get it too. You're also a high level esper. If you catch the Power Pox too, then who's going to take care of Misaka-san?"

Kuroko's eyes widened, an eerie smile spreading across her face. Uiharu shifted uncomfortably as the air around them suddenly seemed denser, clinging to them like molasses.

"Kukuku, yes, Onee-sama needs looking after," Kuroko said with a dark chuckle. "She's sick, defenseless, in need of help. Who better to take care of her than Kuroko?" There was a disturbing twinkle in the young teleporter's eyes. "Someone will need to help her change out of her sweaty clothes, help her bathe, stay by her bedside all night as she sleeps. Hehehe, Onee-sama, not to worry, Kuroko will take care of you in your time of need."

"Um... Shirai-san?"

Kuroko snapped out of her fantasy to find Saten stifling a laugh and Uiharu doing her best to smile, while their waiter stared at her with a horrified expression.

"Our, uh, food is here."

"Ah, yes, of course," Kroko said, brushing a hand over her mouth to wipe away the drool. The waiter set their dishes on the table before beating a hasty retreat, clearly disturbed by the display.
"Well then, it's decided: you two will continue to research this "Power Pox" and report back on your findings, and I will tend to Onee-sama and see to it she doesn't get any worse."

"Alright! Uiharu, come over to my place tonight and we can start digging through those rumor sites. With your skills, I'm sure we'll be able to find something in no time!"

"That Misaka Mikoto, how dare she speak to me like that? I was only trying to be friendly!"

Inside one of School Garden's numerous sweet shops, and irate blonde sat cramming cake into her mouth, her face flushed with anger as several other girls sat around her, each of them trying to figure out how best to sooth the raging psychic's temper.

"Q-Queen-sama," one of them managed to squeak out, "y-you shouldn't eat so much all at once, it's not good for you."

Misaki turned to glare at the speaker, a young girl with soft brown curls and bright blue eyes. "Be quiet," she hissed, not in the mood to be taking advice from anyone, not even members of her own clique. None of the girls here were anything more than sycophants, and it wasn't like they'd remember any of this later anyway. Her eyes flashed gold. "Why don't you see how many lemon tarts you can eat?"

A/N: A big thank you to everyone that reviewed chapter one, and hopefully the long intermission hasn't dissuaded you from picking this back up for the second installment. I'm glad those of you that reviewed liked the action scene, as those are hard to write. A quick note here: I tried reformatting the quotes to be more distinctive, but I couldn't find a way to do it that I liked, so they'll stay the same for now.

So, chapter two. Didn't take that long to write, but it certainly took a long time to get started. That's usually the biggest hurdle, and these sorts of chapters can be a challenge. Beginnings and plot points are easy, it's getting from one to another that's hard, especially without making it all seem like so much filler.

I'm not terribly disappointed with this chapter, though I did have a hard time with parts of it. Kuroko is hard to write, since her behavior shifts so quickly, and it's hard to keep Uiharu involved since she's so quiet and subdued compared to the others.

I took a few liberties with Shokuhou's character, since in the manga it's hard to tell what exactly is going on with her. Thus, this story will go with my headcanon. She is fun to write though, since I get the feeling she's got a lot in common with Mikoto, in that they both have sort of childish tastes and are quick to throw temper tantrums. I also thought involving her in the story would make it more interesting, since she's a character with a lot of reach, and writing her isn't that hard, all things considered.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and I look forward to reading your comments.