"Come on, I think there's a spot over there!"

"Wait, Saten-san!"

Saten Ruiko pulled her friend through the crowded interior of Joseph's restaurant, squeezing past a pair of men sidling up to the counter while trying to skirt around a group of hollering children. She squeezed into a booth just as a waitress arrived to clean the dishes left by its previous occupants.

"Jeez, this place sure is crowded. Where'd all these people come from?"

While Joseph's was a popular spot, it was rather unusual for it to be so busy on a Sunday morning. Not that Ruiko minded much, she didn't have any problem with crowds. She loved the activity, and all the people gave the place a lively, excited energy that she found contagious.

"I think there's supposed to be an exhibition going on in the afternoon down at the convention hall," Ruiko's companion said, fiddling with the decorative flowers in her hair and looking less comfortable in the crowded restaurant than her friend. "It's an ability demonstration, I think; those always draw a lot of people, besides just the ones that go for the lectures."

"Ability demonstration, huh?" Ruiko leaned back in the booth they had managed to secure, watching the people pass by the window and keeping an eye out for the other two members of their group. "I remember going to one of those when I first got here. I was so excited to see all the different abilities." She chuckled at the memory. "I couldn't decide on what one I wanted the most, so I just figured I'd get them all. Didn't quite turn out that way."

"Ah… don't worry, Saten-san," Uiharu said. "I know you'll find your ability, you just need to keep trying!"

Ruiko laughed at her friend's earnestness. "Thanks, Uiharu. You're always looking out for me. But you don't have to worry so much. I'm not as hung up on that as I used to be. I'm sure I'll get my ability when it's time, and if not, then, well… I'll still have all the excitement I can handle just hanging around with you guys."

Uiharu's expression brightened at that. "Well, when you do get your ability, then we can be level ones together."

"Ha, as if!" Ruiko replied with a grin. "I'll blow past you in no time! Just you watch, I'll be giving Misaka-san a run for her money before you know it!"

"That's not very nice, Saten-san," Uiharu pouted through puffed cheeks.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Still, I wonder what it would be like to be as strong as Misaka-san. You'd never guess from the way she acts, but she's pretty incredible."

"I can't even picture what my ability would look like as a level five," Uiharu said, glancing down at her hands. "Being as strong as Misaka-san… I just can't imagine it."

Ruiko nodded in agreement. "It's weird how she can be so normal most of the time, but I guess you'd just get used to it after awhile; I mean, for her it is normal - hey!" She stood up from her seat and waved, a bright smile on her face. "Misaka-san! Shirai-san! Over here!"

The taller of the pair turned, her face lighting in a smile as she returned the wave. She tugged at the sleeve of her companion, drawing her attention to their waiting friends. The two Tokiwadai students weaved through the crowd before finally managing to squeeze into the booth.

"How's it going you two?" Ruiko asked.

"Pretty well," Mikoto said, scooting over to allow Kuroko enough room. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt under her normal uniform vest, and Ruiko realized it was only the second time she'd ever seen Misaka-san wear anything other than her regular uniform. "There sure are a lot of people here. It's not usually this busy on Sunday."

"Yeah, Uiharu was saying there's some sort of ability demonstration thing going on at the convention hall," Ruiko said, looking out the window again and craning her neck as a group in rather official looking dress walked past. "Guess that brings out all the people like me who are eager to catch a glimpse of all the different abilities running around out there."

"Ahh, that was today, huh?" Mikoto said, glancing curiously around the room. "I think I remember getting a letter about that awhile back, but I must have thrown it out."

"A letter? What was it about?" Uiharu asked.

"Onee-sama is widely considered to be the most, if not only approachable level five," Kuroko replied before Mikoto could respond. "She often gets requests to participate in these events, but Tokiwadai prohibits its students from participating in any extracurricular activities not sponsored by the school. That is especially true for Onee-sama, since she is the pride and joy of Tokiwadai. It wouldn't do for her to be gawked at like some animal on display."

"Uh, yeah," Mikoto said, her smile faltering. "I mean, I wouldn't mind doing it, I guess, but it's against the rules and all."

Ruiko and Uiharu both giggled at that, while Kuroko simply scoffed.

Mikoto looked between the three, confusion written on her face. "Did I miss something?"

Ruiko had to fight to keep from bursting out in laughter. "Well, it's just, you're not really the kind of person that ever seems all that concerned about the rules, Misaka-san."

Mikoto frowned. "Well, I don't know if I'd say-"

"How many times have I had to clean up after you when I explicitly warned you to stay out of Judgment business, Onee-sama?"

"I guess a couple of times I might-"

"You wrecked a car the first day we met you, remember?"

"I couldn't just let him get awa-"

"Ah, and there was that time with those thugs too."

"Which time?"

"Alright!" Mikoto shouted, her face red. "Okay, so maybe I jump the gun a little every once in awhile, but it's not like I'm some delinquent! I'm just trying to help out, you know?"

Ruiko grinned, sitting back in her seat. "We know, we're just teasing you a bit, Misaka-san. We really appreciate everything you do, even if you can be a little bull-headed at times. Honestly, I'm just glad we get to see you today. It's been weeks since the last time we all hung out together like this. What have you been up to lately that's been keeping you so busy?"

Kuroko's face tightened, her fingers clutching the glass of water in front of her. Mikoto shifted uncomfortably, and Ruiko's face fell slightly in confusion. She had been expecting a more flustered or embarrassed reaction from her friend. Uiharu seemed similarly confused.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Mikoto said after a brief moment of uncomfortable silence. "I've just had some stuff to take care of, you know? Nothing super important, but I guess I haven't been a very good friend lately."

Kuroko looked as though she wanted to say something, but Ruiko waved Mikoto's concerns away. "Hey, it's no problem," she said with a bright smile. "We know you have other stuff to do besides hang out with us all the time. Just try to make a little time now and then, okay? We miss you, you know?"

Mikoto smiled at that. "Yeah, I missed hanging out with you guys too."

Ruiko's grin turned predatory, and the other girls flinched away from the sudden gleam in her eyes. "Well then, let operation 'Reassimilate Misaka-san into the group' commence!"

Three sets of eyes stared at her for several long seconds before turning to regard each other.

"What?"

"The Arcade?"

The four girls had departed Joseph's shortly after Ruiko's declaration of their mission, and had let the enthusiastic girl drag them wherever she pleased. They had followed behind her at a safe distance, not daring to question her. She had adopted the same zeal and focus they had come to associate with her more fanatical urban-legend hunting moments, and at such times it was simply easier to let her enthusiasm run it's course. Despite the fact that she was the only one of the four with no ability, she had a unique energy about her, and it was all too easy to get swept up in her pace. By the time they had arrived at the Arcade, even Kuroko was showing signs of anticipation.

"Of course!" Ruiko said, twirling in place and pointing to the blinking lights of the sign with flourish. "Since it's been awhile since Misaka-san has been able to join us for one of our outings, I thought we could take the chance to go to some of her favorite places. And the timing is perfect, for today the arcade is holding a special event!"

Her friends stayed silent until it became apparent she wasn't going to continue unless one of them asked her what that event might be.

"What kind of event, Saten-san?" Uiharu asked. When the other girl got going like this there was really no stopping her.

"I'm glad you asked, Uiharu! You see today the Arcade is releasing an all new game, one I think you'll agree is perfect for our favorite electromaster." Ruiko cleared her throat, pitching her voice in a manner she hoped made her sound more refined, "Assembled representatives of Judgment and Tokiwadai, allow me to present…" She whipped out a poster from her bag, and Mikoto gasped, "Gekota's Racecourse Rumble!"

The poster depicted the little green mascot, complete with race suit and helmet, driving a green and black race kart and zipping around a corner at high speed, kicking up sparks, while similar pink and blue frogs chased behind.

"A racing game?" Uiharu asked, squinting at the flier.

Mikoto's face was alight with joy as she snatched the flier out of Ruiko's hands. "T-this wasn't supposed to come out until next month!"

"Maybe so," Ruiko replied, carefully pulling the flier back out of her friend's hands. "But some arcades around the city were chosen to host an early release event, and it just so happens that this is one of them."

Mikoto practically squealed with delight. Uiharu looked on with a smile, and even Kuroko, who normally would have chastised the older girl for such behavior, had a small smile on her face. It looked like it was taking all of the electromaster's self control not to sprint into the arcade, and Ruiko decided it was time to move in for the kill.

"Of course, if it they were just letting people get a chance to play the game a little early, then it wouldn't be much of an event, now would it? Fortunately, the distributors have come up with a little something extra that I think you're really going to like."

Mikoto leaned forward as she spoke, until her face was inches away from Ruiko's her eyes wide. "Tell me."

"Please stop winding her up like this, Saten-san. I don't think I can bear the sight of my graceful and dignified Onee-sama behaving in such a manner a moment longer," Kuroko said, and though she spoke with the same lecturing tone she usually used for these situations, Ruiko could hear the smile in her voice.

"Well, since you asked so nicely." Ruiko chuckled, turning the flier over. "The game systems come with a preset high score that's supposed to be nearly impossible to beat. However, if you do somehow manage to beat it, then you can win a limited edition Gekota plushie wearing his racing uniform!"

Mikoto was gone before she even finished speaking, the doors nearly torn off their hinges as she sprinted into the arcade.

Ruiko nearly collapsed laughing. "Oh man, that was even better than I expected!" she said, wiping a tear from her eye.

Kuroko smiled as the three followed their friend into the crowded arcade. "I must admit, this was a good idea. As much as I wish Onee-sama would let go of such childish obsessions, it is nice to see her smiling again."

"Eh? What do you mean, Shirai-san?" Uiharu asked as they made their way over to where Mikoto was vying for a spot in line. "She seemed pretty normal at Joseph's."

"Yeah," Ruiko said, a slight frown forming on her face. Was she missing something? "Did something happen?"

Kuroko shook her head. "I… well honestly I'm not sure. She won't talk to me, but that's just it. Onee-sama has only acted like that once before, and she never did explain what it was all about."

Ruiko smiled, an image of a blushing Mikoto jumping to the front of her mind. "Well, you don't have to worry, Shirai-san. Uiharu and I have been doing a bunch of research on Power Pox, and I think we're close to a breakthrough! Besides, I'm sure she'll tell us sooner or later if it's anything that important. In the meantime, we just need to be there for her when she needs us, right?"

"I suppose you're right," Kuroko said with only a trace of reluctance.

"Great!" Ruiko said, ignoring the cries of protest from her friends as she pushed them deeper into the arcade, towards the growing crowd of spectators. Mikto was among them, oblivious to the world as she vied for position. "Now come on, I want to see if I can beat the high score before Misaka-san!"

"Awatsuki-san, are you ready to leave yet?"

"Just one moment, I need to make sure I have everything. Do we have enough meat?"

"I think so, if it's just the three of us then we should be fine with what we have."

"Alright, then we should go. It's getting late already," Awatsuki Maaya replied, pushing her long black hair over her shoulder as she double checked her shopping basket.

Wannai Kinuho nodded, her light brown curls bobbing as she did, "We don't want to keep Kongou-san waiting. It was our idea to invite her over for dinner, after all."

"She seemed really excited about it too," Maaya said as they made their way through the checkout line. "I can't believe she's never had Nabe before. It's a tradition among students!"

"We'll just have to make sure she enjoys it then," Kinuho replied with a soft smile.

After concluding their purchases, the pair of Tokiwadai girls stepped out into the cool evening air and fell into stride beside one another. They enjoyed a companionable silence as they walked, simply enjoying the sight of the setting sun and the evening bustle of Academy City.

"It's a shame Shirai-san and Misaka-san won't be able to make it," Kinuho said at last.

Maaya nodded. "It was nice of Kongou-san to suggest inviting them though, and Misaka-san really did seem sorry that they couldn't come."

Misaka-san had apologetically explained that she had already made plans with her other friends when Maaya and Kinuho had asked her on Friday. Kongou-san had been disappointed, but understanding.

"Next time we'll have to make sure to invite Misaka-san's friends as well, then we can have a big party with everyone together."

Kinuho's smile grew at that. "That sounds wonderful. I'm sure Kongou-san would enjoy it… too..."

The brown-haired girl swayed on her feet before stumbling, the grocery bag slipping from her fingers as she massaged her temples.

"Wannai-san?" Maaya rushed to her friend's side, concern etched on her face. "Are you feeling alright?"

Kinuho was having a hard time staying on her feet. "Awatsuki-san…" she said, her eyes unfocused as she looked up at her friend. "I… I feel strange." She whimpered and clutched the sides of her head as she sank to her knees.

Maaya knelt down next to her friend, taking hold of her shoulders. "Wannai-san, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" She was trying to stay calm, but that was becoming more and more difficult as it became increasingly evident that her friend was in a great deal of pain. Even at a distance she could hear the other girl's teeth grinding together, and her whole body was tense.

"M-my head!" Kinuho cried. "It feels like it's being crushed!"

Some passersby began to take notice of the pair, and a small crowd of concerned onlookers began to gather around them. Maaya felt her irritation growing as they began to whisper and point. Couldn't they see something was very wrong here?

"If you're going to stand there gawking then someone call an ambulance!" she snapped, causing some of the closer onlookers to flinch and take a step back. Maaya herself was surprised by the severity of her own voice; that was probably the first time she had ever yelled at anyone, but she didn't have time to think about that now.

"Ah, y-yeah," one of them said. A moment later he was explaining the situation over the phone while Maaya did her best to comfort her friend.

"It's going to be okay, Wannai-san, just wait a little longer." Kinuho didn't respond, and Maaya wracked her brain for something she could do to help her friend. The frustration in her chest grew as she was overcome by a sense of helplessness. If she didn't know what the problem was, what was she supposed to do to help?

Kinuoho's condition worsened rapidly while Maaya did everything she could to help. She was just about to ask what was taking the ambulance so long when Kinuho let out a long, piercing cry, and the ground beneath them shook. Maaya's heart leapt into her throat. Alarm flashed across the faces of the onlookers, and several took off running.

"W-Wannai-san, what was-"

An ear-splitting shriek rent the air, like metal grinding against stone, and Maaya covered her ears, trying desperately to block out the sound. It felt as though someone was trying to drive a spike through her ear, and just when she was sure her eardrums would burst, the sound disappeared.

Slowly, Maaya uncovered her ears, looking around. Several of the others that had gathered were doing the same. The sound of ragged breathing drew her attention instantly back to her friend. Kinuho's face had lost all color, her skin pallid, almost gray. Her eyes were wide, staring at the ground. Wordlessly, Maaya followed her gaze. The sidewalk was riddled with small cracks and fissures, and as she watched, something began to bubble up to through the cracks.

'Water?'

Maaya's eyes widened in realization just as Kinuho screamed again, and the world disappeared with a roar.

It was a much less energetic group that left the arcade several hours later, though a certain level five esper was practically glowing as she held her prize high above her head. The fading sunlight glinted off the black, plastic eyes of the plushie, and Mikoto clutched it to her chest with a barely restrained squeal.

"Finally! It's finally mine!"

"It's, ah, it's very nice, Misaka-san," Uiharu said, dragging a haggard looking Kuroko behind her. The teleporter had spent the last several hours running crowd control in an attempt to keep anyone from interfering with her Onee-sama's mission, however much she might have disapproved of the whole endeavor.

For her part, Ruiko was pleased to see that the two Tokiwadai students seemed to be acting normally again. They had done a good job of hiding it, but something was clearly bothering them both. Fortunately, her plan seemed to have worked. At the very least, Misaka-san seemed to be enjoying herself, forgetting even her usual embarrassment in her excitement.

The sun dipped below the tops of the distant buildings, and the street lights flickered to life.

"Ahhh, I didn't think we'd be in there all day," Ruiko said as they walked, "I had a bunch more stuff planned too."

"There were a lot more people there than I would have thought would show up for something like this," Uiharu said, looking thoughtful. "I guess most of them were kids though."

Mikoto finally blushed at that. "S-sorry," she muttered, trying to hide her pink cheeks behind her bangs and shifting her hard-won Gekota so she was cradling it under her arm. "I guess I got a little carried away."

"You do have a habit of becoming rather obsessed over these things, Onee-sama. It's hardly becoming of one such as yourself."

Mikoto opened her mouth to retort, her cheeks turning a more vibrant shade of red, but Kuroko simply chuckled at her. "I'm merely teasing you, Onee-sama, though I do wish you would choose something other than a frog to obsess over, I'm glad that you had a good time."

Mikoto calmed a bit at that. "Y-yeah. Thanks."

They were interrupted by the beeping of both Uiharu and Kuroko's phones. The two checked their phones before exchanging a look and quickly donning their armbands.

"What's up?" Ruiko asked, noting the sudden change in her friends' expressions.

"There's been an accident, and Konori-sempai needs us to go help with crowd control," Kuroko replied, checking her phone again. "Sorry, but it looks like we'll have to cut the evening short."

"Hey, no worries, I've got loads of ideas, so there will be plenty for next time." She gave her friends a mock salute. "It's thanks to hard working citizens like you that Academy City is kept running smoothly. Keep up the good work!"

Uiharu's cheeks colored in a faint blush. "Honestly, Saten-san," she muttered. "You're always teasing me."

"Of course!"

Kuroko chuckled along with her friends before she turned her attention back to Mikoto.

"I'll meet you back at the dorm before curfew, Onee-sama?" That same uncomfortable air that Ruiko had first noticed when the pair had arrived at Joseph's had descended between the two again.

"Yeah… I'll be there." Mikoto replied.

Kuroko's apprehensive expression gave way to one of controlled relief. "Then we will take our leave for the evening. Have a good evening, Saten-san."

"You too. Later, Uiharu."

Uiharu took hold of Kuroko's arm, and the pair of Judgment workers disappeared a second later, leaving Ruiko and Mikoto alone.

"I can never get used to that," Ruiko said after a moment before turning back to Mikoto. "So, what do you want to do now, Biribiri?"

Ruiko wasn't sure she had ever seen someone turn quite that shade of red before.

"W-w-what did you call me?" Mikoto asked in a tiny voice, her face practically glowing.

Ruiko clutched her sides as her body shook with laughter. "T-that's an even better reaction than I'd hoped for, Misaka-san!"

"W-where did you hear that?" Mikoto stammered, sparks dancing along her bangs. "I-I mean, not that you heard it somewhere in particular, b-but what kind of nickname is that anyway?"

Ruiko held up her hand as she tried to get her laughter under control. The look on Mikoto's face was enough to make her double over as she was overcome by another laughing fit. It took her nearly a full minute to regain her composure, and when she did her friend was still staring at her.

"It really suits you though, doesn't it, Biribiri?"

"S-stop that!" Mikoto demanded, stomping on the ground and letting loose a spark. It would have been a much more threatening gesture, Ruiko thought, if she hadn't been so adorably flustered.

"You're so cute, Misaka-san, I bet that's what he likes about you."

Mikoto froze, her face rapidly losing all color as she stared at Ruiko in dawning horror. "You… you…"

"It's not like I was spying on you or anything," Ruiko said, her grin turning mischievous. "I just happened to see a certain electromaster that's been staying out after curfew lately leaving someone's apartment the other morning. Someone that was most definitely a guy. And said electromaster was leaving very early in the morning. What was she doing, I wonder?"

"T-t-that… I… um… ah…" Mikoto attempted to form the words for a response, but nothing was coming. Her brain was too busy trying to comprehend the horror of her situation to acknowledge any requests to formulate speech.

"I thought you looked really cute together, Misaka-san."

That was the last straw. Mikoto sank to her knees, covering her face with her hands and letting out a low groan. She stayed in that position for a long moment, and Ruiko was starting to think maybe she'd pushed the girl a little too far with her teasing.

"Ah, Misaka-san?" she asked, taking a tentative step forward.

"Saten-san."

Ruiko froze as she watched the other girl stand, her body swaying and her head hanging loosely on her shoulders as she closed the distance between them and took hold of her shoulders.

"Y-yes, Misaka-san?"

Mikoto looked into her friend's eyes, her gaze hard. "Don't tell Kuroko."

Ruiko almost collapsed with relief. "Of course not! Can you imagine her reaction if I told her you spent the night at some guy's apartment?"

Mikoto made a choking sound. "That's not exactly what hap-"

"No worries, Misaka-san!" Ruiko interrupted. "I'll keep your secret. After all, what are friends for, right?"

Mikoto's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Thanks, Saten-san… I guess."

"No problem. So, when do I get to meet your boyfriend?"

Mikoto's palm met her face with a groan.

The scene that greeted the pair of Judgment members upon their arrival was chaotic. Anti-Skill was doing what they could to keep order, but between the ever growing crowd of bystanders and the paramedics rushing around in an attempt to see to any wounded, there was only so much they could do.

"This is awful," Uiharu said, taking in the sight of the cracked and broken ground. It looked like a bomb had gone off. The sidewalk was destroyed, and a good portion of the road had been ripped up as well. A nearby fire hydrant was spewing water into the street, creating a sludge that covered the ground and made it almost impossible for the relief workers to move about.

"Uiharu-san! Shirai-san!"

The pair turned in time to see their senior, Konori Mii, run up to them. Her clothes were filthy, and her hands were caked with dirt and muck.

"Konori-senpai!" Uiharu cried, her voice thick with relief. "What happened?"

"We're still trying to get an idea of that," the older woman said, wiping her hands on her skirt. "I'm glad you two were able to make it over here so quickly. I only just got here when I called, and it's been a mess. Anti-Skill is trying to talk to witnesses, but the paramedics are making that difficult. Not that I blame them, taking care of the injured takes priority, but it means we don't really have a clear idea of what happened."

"What is the scale of the injuries reported so far?" Kuroko asked, all business.

"Nothing fatal, at least it doesn't seem like that yet. Three people had to be taken to the hospital immediately, so I can't speak to the severity of their injuries. More than a dozen people are being treated here for minor injuries before being sent to the hospital. We want to get their dispositions first."

Kuroko nodded, looking around and taking in any details she could. The scene had begun to take on a more organized appearance as Anti-skill established a perimeter and had successfully managed to push most of the civilians out of the blast zone. "Any idea what caused it yet?"

"It's almost certainly a case of an esper ability, since there aren't any traces of explosives, but we haven't been able to determine what kind yet. Judging from the damage I'd say it was an explosion, but it looks as if it went off under ground. I haven't been able to take a close look at the crater yet though, so I can't say for sure."

Kuroko tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Have you ruled out terrorism?"

"It's hard to say at this point," Konori responded, biting her thumb. "Without talking to any witnesses I don't even know what we're looking for, and Judgment doesn't have jurisdiction over these kinds of things. That's Anti-Skill's job, we're just here to help control the scene."

"The damage looks to be level four class," Uiharu said, her hand moving quickly as she jotted down notes. "That should help us narrow down a suspect list if we can figure out what kind of ability was used."

"Shirai-san!"

The three Judgment members turned as a voice called out. A girl Kuroko recognized ran up to her, a paramedic following closely behind and calling for her to slow down.

"Awatsuki-san?" The girl was a mess. She looked as though she had been pulled out of a raging river. Her clothes were torn and she was soaking wet from head to toe. Her hair was a tangled mess and she sported several bandages on her face and arms. "What happened, are you alright?"

"It was Wannai-san!"

It took Kuroko a moment to process the words. When she did, her expression changed from one of concern to confusion. "What was?"

"The explosion! I think Wannai-san did it!"

Konori stepped forward. "You mean you know who the culprit is behind this attack?"

"No! I mean yes, but she's not a culprit! Wannai-san didn't attack anyone, it was an accident!" There was a growing note of panic in the girl's voice and Kuroko gently took her hand, trying to calm her.

"Awatsuki-san, calm down. It will be alright, I promise. Can you please explain what happened?"

Maaya took several deep breaths, trying to regain her composure before she spoke again. "We… we were coming back from the grocery store. We were going to meet Kongou-san… oh no! She doesn't know what's going on! I need to call her and tell her what happened!"

"It's alright, Awatsuki-san," Kuroko soothed. "We can take care of that later, but right now I need you to tell me what happened."

Maaya nodded. It took visible effort for the girl to calm herself. "Yes, you're right. I'm sorry, Shirai-san. I… I just don't know. One minute we were walking and the next Wannai-san was on the ground clutching her head. She said it felt like it was being crushed."

She took a deep breath and the three waited patiently for her to continue.

"I… I asked someone to call an ambulance, and then Wannai-san screamed and the ground started shaking. Then there was this terrible screeching sound and when I looked down the ground was cracked. After that… I don't know. All I can remember is a terrific roar and tremendous pressure before I woke up on the ground."

A paramedic approached with a blanket and Uiharu took it, thanking her and wrapping it around Maaya's shoulders. "What makes you think your friend did it?"

"I… Wannai-san's ability is Hydro Hand. When I looked down at the ground after I heard that noise, I remember seeing water bubbling up through the cracks. After that, everything's a blur."

Kuroko frowned. "Wannai-san's ability level is three. Unless she has improved by leaps and bounds, she shouldn't be capable of this. The water main is several feet underground, and the pipes are reinforced at the joints. Even a level four would have trouble creating an explosion like this using just the water in the pipes."

Maaya shook her head. "I don't know, but I know it was her. She… she looked so scared. I've never seen her lose control like that before."

"Ah!"

Uiharu's eyes were wide as the others turned to look at her. "Shirai-san! You don't think…?"

Kuroko's eyes widened in understanding. "Losing control of her ability? That… does seem to fit with what you told me, but do you really think this has something to do with that rumor?"

"What rumor?" Konori asked, looking back and forth between Kuroko and Uiharu.

"We'll explain later," Kuroko said, turning back to Maaya. "For now, we need to talk to Wannai-san. Do you know where she is?"

"They took her to the hospital," Maaya said, tears forming in her eyes. "Please, let me come with you. I need to make sure she's okay."

"Very well," Konori said before anyone else could speak. "You need to go to the hospital anyway, and you can check on your friend while you're there. Shirai-san, Uiharu-san, I'll catch up to you, I need to inform Anti-Skill of what we've learned."

"Understood," Kuroko said, leading Maaya back towards the waiting ambulance, Uiharu following close behind.

"Shirai-san," Uiharu whispered, keeping her voice low. "This sounds a lot like the Power Pox Saten-san and I have been researching. Do you think Wannai-san might have lost control of her ability?"

"It certainly sounds like it," Kuroko replied, her face drawn into a frown. "But something about this doesn't seem right. Wannai-san shouldn't be capable of this level of power."

"Maybe it's part of the illness?"

"Perhaps, but we won't find out until we can talk to Wannai-san."

"Well, that was certainly more of a spectacle than I was expecting. Didn't think a level three would be capable of all this."

"That was the entire purpose of the exercise, if you'll recall."

"I know, she just didn't look like the kind of girl that could do that much damage, you know?"

Anti-Skill had effectively sealed off the area, but there were still dozens of people watching from just outside the barrier. By now, various news outlets had arrived on the scene, each throwing around their own theories as to the cause of the explosion in the absence of any real information. From the sidelines, a man with short, brown hair stood looking out over the scene. A girl wearing a high school uniform stood next to him, her black hair tied back in a short ponytail.

"Hydro Hand allows an esper to control the flow of water. Arresting the flow of water would create sufficient pressure to rupture the pipe."

"Yeah, I know, I'm just saying. Wish we could have gotten a closer look though, sounded like one heck of a blast. Guess that means they were right," the man said with a grin. "How's your head?"

The girl frowned slightly. "I will manage."

"That's good, without your ability this whole thing goes up in smoke, and we could really use the money." He yawned, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm bushed. Got everything you needed?"

She nodded, scanning a handheld device. "AIM field overlay 73% successful. An improvement of 8% over the prior experiment. We should be able to optimize overlay within the next several attempts."

"Great. Let's get outta here."

A/N: Ah, another chapter completed. These are getting easier to write the more of them I do. Perhaps it's because I'm getting better at the writing process, or maybe it's because we're starting to get into the meat of the story. All the wonderful feedback I've been getting has certainly helped too, so keep it up, and a big thank you to everyone who reviewed!

This chapter was the first chapter that I really had fun writing. Don't get me wrong, I liked writing the other chapters, but there were big stretches of those that felt a lot like work, whereas I was having fun pretty much the whole time I wrote this one. That probably has a lot to do with the fact that it's about a month and a half ahead of the pace I've been setting recently, but that can only be a good thing. I've been meaning to write more often anyway, and I'm having a great deal more fun with this now than I was when I started. That's great, as it means my enthusiasm is only growing as I write. Hopefully that trend continues.

As for the chapter itself, it was interesting to write, in that the last chapter was very heavy (at least by my standards), and I wanted this one to be more upbeat while at the same time being a natural progression of what happened last chapter. I introduced a couple of new characters, and soon I'll be reintroducing some of the characters that showed up earlier in the story, so things are starting to move. This chapter is also the first one that I feel really introduces the actual plot of the story, rather than just an extended view of the premise and its effects on the characters. I do have some concerns with how it turned out, as always, but overall I'm pretty satisfied.

Thanks again to Cun for helping with the editing process! And to all of you that have read and formed any sort of opinion on this story at all, please, let me know what it is by leaving a review. I greatly appreciate them, and they certainly make the writing easier.