Buildings rushed by the window, a seamless progression of light and color. Mikoto watched with unfocused eyes, her head resting against the cool glass. She was tempted to let her heavy eyelids drift closed and surrender to the fatigue that had been her constant companion lately. With an effort, she forced her mind back to the present banishing the tendrils of sleep that had been creeping up on her. Now wasn't the time to lose focus.

The scenery slowed and finally stopped as the bus pulled up to the curb, letting a pair of girls and a young boy off before pulling away again. Mikoto rubbed at her eyes as the buildings resumed their march. She squinted against the glare of the sun reflecting off the polished glass of the windows, turning away from the glare.

After the near-disastrous conversation with Ruiko the night before, she had spent the evening buzzing with tension. It had been a blessing that Kuroko had received that Judgment call; she just hadn't had the necessary mental fortitude to deal with her roommate's antics.

Kuroko had called right when she'd finally been able to start calming down, and the news of Wannai-san's accident had made all the anxiety she'd been feeling return full force. She'd had enough interactions with the kind brunette that she thought of the girl as a friend. She had never been anything but kind to her, even going so far as to put herself in danger for her sake. To hear that she had been injured was enough to send her rushing out the door… and straight into the waiting dorm mistress, who had proceeded to express her sympathy by threatening Mikoto with disembowelment if she left the premises.

She'd been forced to wait until school was out to go to the hospital. By then, Wannai-san seemed to be doing well, and the tension that had been building in her shoulders all day had eased, at least a little. She was so used to receiving the worst possible news that it was a relief to see a bad situation working out alright.

But it could have easily ended in tragedy. From what she could tell, no one really knew what had happened. Wannai-san could have been much more seriously injured, or worse. Mikoto clenched her hands into fists. Another one of her friends had been hurt, and she had been powerless to do anything about it.

'I need to be stronger. Strong enough to protect them. From anything.'

Mikoto shook her head, pushing the thought back to the recesses of her mind. That was a dangerous line of thought. She had seen where that kind of thinking led. A pale leg, illuminated by moonlight and splattered with blood. A mad beast reaching to swallow the moon. The memory was enough to make her feel chilled. No, she had no desire to follow in those footsteps.

'But… still...'

She pulled her phone from her pocket, glancing again at the message she had received while visiting Wannai-san.

'Renewing experimentation this evening. Do not be late.'

She flipped her phone shut with a growl. Kuroko's disapproving expression as she had made a clumsy excuse and left the hospital was still fresh in her mind. It burned her to leave a friend when she was in need… but she had to do this. She had to. Wannai-san had seemed understanding, but Mikoto could tell she was disappointed. But as much as it hurt, they wouldn't have understood if she'd told them the real reason. So she had lied to her friends.

Again.

Mikoto's hand tightened over her chest and she screwed her eyes shut tight. It burned in her veins, boiling in her stomach and pounding in her head. The lies, the secrets, everything. It was becoming too much, but she would be damned if she gave up now. It wasn't enough, not yet. Sure, she'd had a bit of a scare over the weekend, but the weakness was just a sign it was working. She was pushing herself harder than she ever had in her life. It had to be working. There was no other way.

That she might be doing all this for nothing was too horrible a thought to even consider.

Soft laughter sounded from behind her, and she glanced at a pair of girls wearing uniforms she didn't recognize. They looked to be about her age. Something in her chest tightened at the carefree way they talked, smiling and playfully jostling each other. Again, she was reminded of her friends. She wasn't so blind that she didn't see what they were trying to do. Even if they hadn't explicitly told her, she had been able to see the effort they went through to help her feel better.

One of the girls whispered to the other, and they both dissolved into a fit of giggles. Mikoto grit her teeth as a sudden, fierce rage filled her. Those girls, they were laughing without a care in the world while her friends were in danger, suffering. They didn't know anything. Her friend was in the hospital, her sisters hid themselves in fear, and these two were laughing. It was almost as if they were mocking her.

One of them pulled the cord to request a stop, and Mikoto glared at the pair as they departed. One of them seemed to be able to feel her gaze, and gave her a nervous glance before hastening off the bus. The anger pulsing through her veins began to fade once she was alone again, leaving her feeling slightly drained, and more than a little confused. Just where had that come from? Those girls hadn't done anything wrong. They were just laughing, but she had been furious with them. No, more than that. She had wanted to hurt them.

She still did.

The realization was chilling. She looked down at her hands, and realized with alarm that she was trembling, her hands squeezed into fists so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. She took a few deep breathes, forcing herself to calm down. A few minutes later, the last of the inexplicable anger drained from her, and she was finally able to stop shaking.

The sun crept behind the massive skyline, and Mikoto forced the disturbing incident from her mind. Focus was what she needed right now. She could worry about what had brought that on later.

She sat in silence until the bus reached the end of its route, before disembarking with a nod of thanks to the driver and making her way down the nearly deserted streets that made up the outer edge of district 7. Most of the schools were located in a tight cluster, separated by stores and shopping centers. The dorms made up the middle ring, and out here it was mostly storage and vehicle depots. Most of the more prestigious research facilities and manufacturing plants were located in other parts of the city.

That made it ideal for someone looking to avoid attention.

The first hints of darkness had begun to creep into the sky by the time Mikoto made it to her destination, walking past the guard booth housing a man that looked less like a professional security professional and more like a bored rent-a-cop stuck guarding an empty warehouse, which was of course the whole point. He ignored her as she passed, and Mikoto made her way into the rundown lot.

The roads were cracked and overgrown, and much of the building had fallen into disrepair. Broken windows, cracking paint, and a rusted fence gave the impression of a building long abandoned.

Mikoto wasn't fooled. It might have looked like a rarely used warehouse to any random passerby, but to someone with her sensitivity to electromagnetic waves, the whole place was practically a beacon. They could disguise themselves all they wanted, but there was no hiding from her senses.

Gravel crunched beneath her tennis shoes as she made her way through the overgrown weeds around the side of the building, to a rusted metal door that looked like it hadn't been used in years.

Mikoto stood in front of the door in silence, her limited patience dwindling quickly as she waited. That same anger she had felt on the bus began to creep back up on her, and she let out a frustrated growl. Her eyes shifting to an air duct just above the door. She began tapping her foot in irritation before finally pointing at the camera she could feel hidden in the corroded metal.

"I didn't come here to waste time." Her lip curled in annoyance. "I can just let myself in if you don't feel like opening up."

A crackling of static sounded from nearby, followed by a laugh. "Sorry, sorry, Misaka-san," came the unmistakable voice of Doctor Corrin, distorted slightly by the hidden equipment. Despite the interference, Mikoto could still detect the amusement in his tone, and she bristled. "I didn't notice you there. Really, I get so easily distracted these days. Maybe I'm just getting old?" He let out another bark of laughter and Mikoto forced down her growing anger. As much as she didn't like it, she needed to be able to work with him.

Her mind drifted back to Wannai-san, putting on a brave face when it was clear as day she was still terrified. No, she couldn't stop just because she hated the man. Despite what he put her through, she needed this.

"Let's just get on with this already. I have other things I need to do today."

"Right, right. We do have a lot to cover today, so come in, please." There was a muted click, and Mikoto opened the door.

The interior of the facility appeared vastly different from the outside. The halls were immaculate, polished white tile floors and gleaming metal walls. Overhead, bright lights hummed with energy, and all around her Mikoto could feel the pulsing energy of millions upon millions volts of electricity coiling through the walls.

Mikoto followed the familiar path down the hallway, knowing the twists and turns by heart after more than a dozen visits. Finally, she reached another door, and it slid open to allow her entrance. She walked in, not bothering to announce herself. They were expecting her, after all.

Researchers sat at glowing terminals, some frowning in thought, others chatting excitedly. Mikoto tuned them out. She neither wanted nor cared to know what they were up to. Her attention was focused squarely on the man standing beside a bank of machines, talking to a woman Mikoto was surprised to recognize as her assigned physician, Doctor Kamui.

The pair looked up as she approached, and Corrin smiled. "Ah, Misaka-san, thank you for coming on such short notice. I trust you had no trouble getting here?"

"I know my way around," she replied, her voice clipped.

"Oh, I imagine so." His tone was light and jovial, but his smile never reached his eyes. "I didn't mean to imply otherwise, my apologies."

"How are you feeling today, Misaka-san?" Doctor Kamui cut in, stepping forward and giving Mikoto a smile that was far more genuine than Corrin's.

"Oh, I'm fine, I guess." Mikoto tried to form a smile of her own. "I'm sort of surprised to see you though. We usually don't meet until after the tests."

"Yes, well, I thought it would be a good idea to take a more active interest in your health, since you don't seem too interested in managing it yourself."

Mikoto flushed. "Ah, yeah, sorry." She averted her gaze. She couldn't really argue with that. The incident from the previous weekend was still fresh in her mind.

"Don't worry too much about it, Misaka-san." Doctor Kamui waved off Mikoto's apology. "I was your age once, you know. I'm not so old now that I've forgotten the feeling of indestructibility that comes with being young. Just try to remember you're not invincible, even if you are level five."

"Doctor Kamui has been pestering me all day to let her observe tonight's exercise, so I invited her to watch with me from the observation deck today." Corrin cut in. He favored Doctor Kamui with fond look that was horribly out of place on him. "I'm always eager to help a colleague satisfy their intellectual curiosity."

Doctor Kamui's eyes narrowed slightly. "Thank you." She gave Mikoto one more glance before stepping away. "I'll leave you two to it. I'll be watching you today, Misaka-san, so please try to be careful. And please try not to be too hard on my patient this time, Doctor Corrin."

Corrin barked with laughter. "I'll certainly do my best! No promises though, Doctor. Our little Railgun has some lofty goals. I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate me going easy on her just to save you the trouble of patching her up. Isn't that right, Misaka-san?"

Mikoto had to bite her tongue to keep at snapping at the man. "Little Railgun"? Who the hell did he think he was? "Of course." She managed to get out through clenched teeth. Corrin didn't seem to notice.

"There, you see? She'll be fine. Misaka-san is made of rather stern stuff, as I'm sure you know."

Doctor Kamui simply rolled her eyes before taking her leave. "I'll be watching from the observation deck. Good luck, Misaka-san."

The other workers seemed to have completely ignored the exchange, and Mikoto was struck by the sudden impression that they were as inanimate as the machines around her. More, even, since she could feel the machines with a greater clarity. It wasn't a pleasant thought, so she pushed it down.

"Well, we wouldn't want to keep your lovely physician waiting, now would we?" Corrin led her through another door and down a hallway to a room that was reminiscent of the one she had been in the week before, though without the domed ceiling. Mikoto could see a massive set of steel doors in the far wall, easily thirty feet high. Her stomach tightened slightly, and she flexed her fingers. She was ready to get started.

A few technicians were working on a panel built into the door. One of them approached Corrin and handed him a small metal case. "I was rather impressed with your performance last week. We were able to get some good readings based on your efforts, and I think we've come up with a suitable follow up based on those results."

A large window was built into one of the walls near the ceiling, Mikoto could see Doctor Kamui behind the glass. That must have been the observation deck Corrin had mentioned.

"Today, I thought we might try something a little different, though it does share some similarities with the exercise we went through last week." Corrin opened the case he had been handed and pulled out a small metal disc. "Here, Misaka-san, I wonder if you wouldn't mind giving one of these a try?"

Mikoto took the disc from him. It was heavier than it looked, and very dense. "What is it?"

"Well it's nothing special really. It's actually modeled after those arcade coins you're so fond of." Corrin held up one of the discs, turning it over in his hand. It appeared to be metal, but it lacked the usual lustre she associated with most metals. It appeared almost like rubber. "These are composed of a special alloy that is particularly resistant to heat, and very dense. They should hold up significantly better than your coins when used as ammunition for your railgun."

"And I suppose I'll be using them today, then?"

"Quick on the uptake as always, Misaka-san." He handed her the case. Inside were several more of the discs, each slightly bigger than her usual coins, as well as a belt to fit them in. Mikoto fastened the belt around her waist. The discs made it heavy, but she found she rather liked the way it felt. They felt more substantial than the coins she usually used. More powerful.

More dangerous.

A rumbling sound filled the room, and the large doors began to open. The other scientists vacated the room as something massive emerged from the darkness beyond the doors.

Mikoto's eyes widened. "What the hell is that thing?"

"Ah? I'm rather surprised you didn't recognize it, Misaka-san. I would have imagined you of all people would know a railgun when you saw one."

"Man, you sure picked a nice place for a stakeout."

The restaurant was abuzz with activity, students enjoying an evening out with their friends crowding the tables. Happy laughter and conversation filled the packed room, and servers bustled from table to table, wearing strained smiles and looking rather the worse for wear. It was a fairly typical scene, even in a place as out of the ordinary as Academy City. For his part, Shou wished they would just shut up. He glanced across the table at his companion, her black hair pulled back in an immaculate ponytail and her features as composed as always. Even her uniform looked immaculate. It was rather annoying, given how much of a challenge it was for him to even get his hair to lay down flat.

"I mean, its got everything. We should come here every day. This place is perfect, Youko."

"Trying to concentrate."

"Really? Oh, I didn't mean to distract you. I know you chose this place specifically for the calm and peaceful atmosphere. I should have known better than to open my big mouth."

"Shou."

Shou's mouth snapped shut. The early signs of annoyance were clearly visible on Youko's otherwise calm face. He sighed. "Fine, fine, I get it. I'll be quiet, you do your stalker thing."

The corner of Youko's mouth curled in a slight frown. "It's not stalking. It's tracking."

"Oh come on, it's not like there's a real difference." Shou stretched his arms above his head. "I mean, I'm pretty sure Anti-Skill wouldn't bother to make the distinction if they caught us."

"They won't."

"Are you sure?" Shou's expression turned serious. "This is dangerous, Youko. I know they're pushing on their end to finish the project, but two days in a row? Anti-Skill was on that water girl in five minutes, and they still have the scene roped off. Hell, she's probably not even out of the hospital and we're out here again? It's bad news."

"That's enough." Youko's voice was sharp and her eyes serious. "Not the place."

Shou flinched. She was certainly right about that. He was rather familiar with his mouth getting him into trouble, but if anyone were to take an interest in that conversation, then they'd likely get a little more than just a slap on the wrist. Academy City may have been designed as one giant petri dish, but he knew all too well that the general public didn't take kindly to being treated like guinea pigs.

"Right. You're right, sorry."

The two settled into silence, Shou fiddling with his utensils while Youko scanned the room, her eyes searching for something only she could see.

Shou was starting to wonder just how long he was going to be forced to sit there, sitting on his thumbs, when a harried looking waitress approached. She was young, probably younger than him but not by much. His eyes roamed over her body, and he grinned a bit at the blush that formed on her cheeks when she noticed his gaze. He felt a little sorry for her; waiting tables for a bunch of noisy, entitled brats couldn't be fun.

"Welcome!" Her smile was spread to the breaking point, her voice thick with false cheer. "Anything to drink for you two?"

"Yeah, do you serve alcohol?" Shou hadn't actually bothered to look at the menu, but he could really use a drink.

The waitress seemed momentarily taken aback. She was probably new. "Um, well yes, we have a small beer selection. Did you know what you wanted or - "

Shou found her flustered behavior rather adorable. "Nah, nothing like that. I was hoping for something a little stronger. Hey, when you're done with your shift I could show you a nice place and we could get something, whaddya say?"

The waitress fidgeted in discomfort, her cheeks a lovely shade of pink. "I-I don't know about that."

"Ah, come on, it'll be fun. Listen - "

"Shou."

He blanched, catching Youko's disapproving glare, before heaving a sigh and slumping back in his chair. "Uh, nevermind. Just a couple waters, I guess."

The woman thanked them before scurrying away. Shou cracked his wrist, grabbing a bottle of ketchup from the condiment display and spinning it on the table.

"Way to ruin my fun, Youko."

"You're underage anyway," was the frosty response.

Shou snorted. "Barely. And no way she would have checked. Did you see her? A little bit of flirting and she's red as a tomato."

"Not the point." Youko's eyes scanned the room. "We're working."

"So you keep reminding me." Shou shrugged in defeat. "Well, not like I'm any good to you right now anyway. The only reason that creepy asshole tolerates me anyway is because they think you need a handler."

The expression on Youko's face told him exactly what she thought of that idea. He didn't blame her really. She'd always been more mature than him. The idea that he was supposed to be her babysitter was laughable. 'Then again,' he thought, noting the slight fatigue that was just barely noticeable in the corners of her eyes, 'it can't hurt.'

Youko went back to surreptitiously observing the other patrons, and Shou leaned back, eyeing the menu mostly out of boredom as the silence between him and his companion dragged on. A few minutes later, the waitress returned, setting two cups on the table and wiping her hands on her apron.

"Have you decided on anything yet?" she asked, the tip of a pen hovering over the notepad she had procured from one of her pockets, and her eyes carefully averted from Shou.

"Eeeh," Shou said, scanning the brightly colored pictures of popular western dishes. "I guess I'll have the hamburger. You want anything, Youko?"

The girl shook her head, keeping the majority of her focus turned outwards.

"Yeah, just that." The waitress repeated his order back to him before nodding and rushing off.

He ran his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit he had picked up at some point in the last few years. The din around them seemed to grow, and Shou felt the beginnings of a headache prickling behind his eyes.

Places like this had always bothered him. Even as a child he had never really been the kind of person to seek out other people, whether for assistance or friendship. It wasn't that he considered himself a cold person, far from it really. He just preferred his own company to that of others, and being forced into such close proximity with so many mewling little brats made him want to rip his hair out.

He glanced over at Youko, her eyes sharp as they continued to traverse the room. It must have been even worse for her. Crowds may not have been his thing, but avoiding them had always been his choice. He'd considered the pros and cons, conducted a few experiments on the subject, and decided it wasn't for him. Youko... she had never even had the option. It would have broken his heart if he felt like she was missing out on anything.

A gaggle of girls rose from a nearby table, laughing as they made their way to the exit, and Youko's eyes took on a new intensity as they tracked the group. Shou knew what that meant.

"Game time?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Their eyes met briefly, and Shou frowned, seeing the strain in her face. Before he could comment though, she was on her feet. "Time to go."

With only a trace of reluctance, he stood to follow her. "Damnit. Guess I'm eating at a convenience store again tonight." He spotted their waitress across the room, catching her eye and giving her an apologetic shrug as he pointed at Youko. She was halfway out the door, and the waitress merely shook her head, and Shou got the impression she was rather relieved to see him go. Such a shame.

Youko was already half a block down from the restaurant when Shou exited the restaurant, and he had to sprint to catch up with her. When he did, she didn't even bother to acknowledge his presence. He rolled his eyes before turning his attention back to the task at hand.

The girls walked in a group, apparently in no particular hurry to get anywhere. They stopped by shop windows, bought drinks at a vending machine, and just sort of ambled around the city with no particular destination in mind. Shou couldn't particularly begrudge them their desire to enjoy the pleasant evening, but he was starting to get rather irritated with it all the same. It made him wonder if his life was that boring from the outside.

The simple observation was starting to make him antsy. He reached into his pocket and fumbled for a cigarette. He pulled a lighter from another pocket, and Youko favored him with a disapproving glance as the flame hovered near the tip of the cigarette. He cocked an eyebrow in response before taking a long drag and blowing the smoke out through his nose.

"What?"

She said nothing, simply shaking her head and resuming her quick pace and keeping her eyes fixed on the group of girls ahead.

"Will you stop giving me that look? I'm nineteen years old, no one cares if I smoke. Honestly, it's not like I'm a kid anymore." The cigarette dangled between his fingers as he jogged to catch up.

"It makes the apartment smell bad," was the muted response.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You're practically never there anyway. I'm the one who has to clean it and deal with the landlord, so what do you care?"

"It's unhealthy."

"So?"

"It makes me worry."

He stopped short. Blinking, he looked down at the smoldering tip of his cigarette. "Damnit," he muttered, tossing the glowing butt to the ground and grinding it into the concrete with his heel. He turned his attention to the girls they were following, trying to pick out the most likely candidate based solely on appearance. It was a little game he had been playing ever since they had started this project a few months ago.

His rate of success was abysmal, though he had at least managed to pick out the brunette from the day before.

They followed at a distance, blending into the diminishing crowds and being careful not to alert the group to their presence. Shou doubted they needed to bother with the subtlety. They didn't particularly stick out, and the girls they were following looked like your average group of high schoolers, albeit superpowered. Still, kids were kids, and for as much attention as they were paying the people around them they might as well have been alone.

The gaggle of girls pause to point in another window, giggling to each other. Shou groaned in growing frustration. "For God's sake, don't they have anything better to do?"

Beside him, Youko simply shrugged, her carefully passive expression not changing in the least. It was an impressive mask, but he could see the intensity in her eyes, the focus and the wear. She had always been the driven one, but lately he feared it was starting to border on the obsessive. Something seemed to be eating at her, driving her more than usual. He just couldn't figure out what it was.

He let out a sigh, reaching into his pocket out of habit to retrieve a new cigarette before stopping himself. Youko would probably give him that look again, and he didn't want to distract her right now. His body ached for the nicotine, but he shoved the temptation aside. Instead, he pulled a small mobile device from his pocket, barely bigger than a cellphone and colored a sleek grey. Might as well try to justify his presence on this little excursion.

"Which one?"

"Second from the left."

He frowned, looking down at the device and zooming in on the group, snapping a quick picture of the girl in question. "Ah, yep, you're right. Damnit, I was thinking it was the blonde." He shook his head. "I still don't know how you do that. Must be an esper thing."

The device beeped and pulled up a file. "Yeah, looks like you were right. Let's see… Nakano Eri, attends Sarayashiki High School. Fifteen. Ability is "Radio Altar", level four. Yep, looks like everything checks out. Think we might want to take a few steps back? Level four is getting into pretty iffy territory."

Youko was silent, the casual mask discarded in favor of a gaze of such intensity Shou was surprised the girl on the receiving end wasn't able to feel it. It made him glad she'd never had any reason to look at him like that. He could practically feel the energy radiating off of her, and the air around her started to waver ever so slightly. It wouldn't be long now.

They continued to stalk the girls as one by one they said their goodbyes, splitting off to return to their own homes. When the group was down to three, Eri bid her companions farewell with a wave and walked off alone down a side street. Shou and Youko followed behind, and Shou's shoulders began to tense in anticipation.

He stole a glance at Youko, and faltered when he noticed the sweat building on her brow and the labored pace of her breathing. "Youko… are you alright?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off and kept walking.

"I'm fine. Keep your focus, it's almost time."

His hands clenched into fists. "Bullshit." He picked up his stride, coming up alongside her. "This is too soon, isn't it? It's only been a day since the last time you did this, and this girl is a level four. You're pushing yourself too hard."

Youko shook her head. "I'm not. We need to finish this."

"Why? Youko, I know this is important, but why the sudden goddamn urgency? I know we need the money, but I don't want you getting hurt for the sake of these assholes." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Let's call it a night. We can find her again in a couple of days, when you're rested. Finding them the first time is always the hard part. Come on, Youko, you're going to get hurt if you keep at it like this."

Youko turned to glare at him with such ferocity that Shou stopped in his tracks. "No. You can go home if you want to, but I'm going to complete the assignment." She turned on her heel, picking up her pace. Whether it was to catch up to their target, or to put more distance between them, Shou wasn't sure.

"Fine then," he said, more to himself than to Youko. "Guess we're doing this your way. Like always."

Youko's pace had slackened, she was pale and sweating, but her expression hadn't changed in the slightest. "It's time. Prepare to record the results. I might also need some help standing."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Shou fiddled with the device in his hands, and a moment later he felt a tingle on his skin. Youko was staring with eyes that were as wide as dinner plates at the girl that now stood roughly fifty yards ahead of them. The tension in the air seemed to grow, the pressure building until Shou felt as though the air was about to be crushed out of his lungs. And then, all at once, the tingling and the pressure disappeared, and Youko staggered to her knees. Shou knelt to support her, keeping his eyes focused on their target.

"AIM overlay… complete."

For a heartbeat, the street remained still, the air almost unnaturally calm. Then the girl collapsed to the ground, her body wracked by spasms and her mouth open in a silent scream. Shou frowned, feeling a twinge of sympathy for the unfortunate girl. It looked like she was having a seizure, but nothing else was happening. The reactions had always been rather sudden. Had something gone wrong?

He opened his mouth to ask Youko, when the air around the girl seemed to bend and shudder, before pushing outward all at once.

An earsplitting shriek rent the air. The ground beneath her began to vibrate and crack, and all around them windows shattered, exploding under the invisible force of her rampaging ability. Street lights shook and the few people still on the street fell to the ground with their hands over their ears. Shou screwed his eyes shut, grinding his teeth together and smashing his palms against the sides of his head in an attempt to drown out the noise.

They'd miscalculated. Usually they did their research on their targets beforehand, but they'd been in such a rush that they had opted to forego the usual cautionary steps of analyzing their target's ability and determining the potential damage. With the new time crunch they were suddenly under, all they'd managed was a summary of her ability and level.

'Stupid!' He could barely hear his own thoughts over the noise, and it was only getting worse.

The noise increased in intensity, until Shou was sure he could feel his very bones vibrating. Something warm and wet dripped from his nose, and he cracked an eye open. Beside him, Youko didn't appear to be faring any better. Her arms were wrapped around her head and her face was buried in her knees.

Higher and higher the pitch built, until it felt like it was coming from inside his head. The pain was excruciating, and it was becoming nearly impossible to think. The only thing that kept him focused was the sight of Youko's trembling body lying on the sidewalk.

'If this keeps up it's going to kill us.' The realization hit him like a bucket of ice water, and he grabbed Youko around the middle, struggling to his feet and half-dragging her as quickly as he could away from the source of the terrible noise. The sound grew and grew until Shou was certain his entire body would be ground into dust by the incredible vibration, and then, as suddenly as it had started, the sound vanished, leaving only a dull ringing as a faint echo of the piercing shriek that had preceded it.

He collapsed to the ground, Youko's dead weight dragging him down as all the strength left his body. His whole body ached. He reached up to wipe his nose, and his hand came away bloody.

"What was that?" He could barely make out his own voice. The words sounded garbled and strange to his damaged ears. Youko tugged at his sleeve and pointed at her ear. Shou could just make out a thin trail of blood trickling down the side of her head from beneath her hair. He felt a surge of panic, and made to grab her before she held up a hand, once again shaking her head. She mouthed something, but he couldn't make out the words.

With some effort, Shou managed to get his legs underneath him. He stood, trembling from the strain, before his legs failed and he crumpled back to the ground. Youko didn't even bother trying to get up.

All around them the other people caught in the scope of the young girl's ability seemed to be in similar condition. A few of them had yet to rise from the ground at all. Shou could only hope that they were just unconscious.

If the day before was anything to go by, it wouldn't take long for Anti-Skill to arrive in force, and Judgment wouldn't be far behind. Shou's stomach tightened and his heart began to hammer in his chest as the reality of the situation began to set in.

"We need to get out of here," he said, forming the words carefully and slowly to allow Youko to read his lips. She nodded, but when she made to get up she stumbled and fell back to the ground, wincing in pain. Shou grimaced. Youko couldn't walk, and even if he managed to stand himself, there was no way he was going to be able to carry her. Things were starting to look pretty bad.

The ringing in his ears was starting to fade, if only a little, and he sat heavily back down on the sidewalk, holding his head between his hands and trying to will the pounding behind his eyes to go away. He knew he needed to get to his feet, to grab Youko and get the hell out of there, but he couldn't even bring himself to stand.

A moment later, something grabbed roughly at his arm. He tried to pull away turning to face his attacker, and was met with the sight of a concerned paramedic, her eyes running over his frame, taking particular note of the blood leaking from his nose. Shou had to fight to keep himself from trying to pull away again. That wouldn't send a very good message.

The woman shouted a question at him, but he just shook his head and she started bodily leading him towards a nearby ambulance. Shou let himself be led along. It was probably better to go along with it for now. It wasn't like he was in any condition to make a break for it, and he couldn't leave Youko behind . Out of the corner of his eye, he was able to see her, still on the ground. Another paramedic was kneeling next to her, holding up his fingers in front of her face.

The woman leading him helped him into the back of the ambulance, and then began to fuss over him while Shou tried to figure out just what they were going to do next. If the emergency responders were there already, then Anti-Skill and Judgment wouldn't be far behind, and they would want to question the witnesses. That was them.

'Well shit.'

There was a certain mythology associated with level five. While there were those with either the ambition or outright lunacy to pursue the fabled level six, for most of the researchers in Academy City, level five was still the holy grail. Out of the entire population of espers, over the entire course of the ability development program, only seven individuals had ever reached level five. What made them so special? What was it about them that had let them reach this pinnacle of power so far beyond the realm of even other psychics? It was a question that many were still struggling to answer.

Tomoe Kamui wasn't immune to the draw of this mystery. That had been a large part of the reason she had agreed to be Misaka-san's physician in the first place. She had wanted to gain a better understanding of what made the girl tick. She had never before actually encountered a level five, and like most people in Academy City she had just assumed that being level five made one nearly untouchable.

These last several weeks had forced her to reassess her opinion. Misaka-san's power was incredible, awe-inspiring even. But she was not invincible. Tomoe had come to realize over the course of the time Misaka-san had been in her care that, though her power made her a force to be reckoned with, she was still human. She could hurt, and bleed, and become fatigued. She was a proud girl, and Tomoe could tell it hurt her to show those moments of weakness, even to a doctor.

A part of her admired that determination. It was refreshing to see such focus and drive in one so young. It was probably that very drive that had allowed her to surpass her peers and reach level five. But whatever it was that was pushing her now, it was different, even she could see that. There was something dangerous about this Misaka. Tomoe couldn't claim to know the girl well, but she could already see that she was changing. Her focus was bordering on obsession.

She watched as Corrin finished his explanation and took his leave, leaving Misaka alone with the massive railgun. A part of her hoped that Misaka would reject the idea. Really, it was insane. But another part, the part that had seen first hand just how far this girl was willing to go to achieve her goals, knew that hope was futile. Misaka wouldn't stop, even if it killed her.

At this rate, it just might.

The door behind her slid open and Corrin walked in, all smiles. Tomoe didn't even bother to force herself to smile for him this time. She kept her eyes locked on the girl in the chamber below. Even from here, she could see the determination burning in her eyes.

"I know it's pointless at this point, but I have to once again voice my objections to this test. If something goes wrong, you could kill her."

Corrin strode up next to her, gazing down into the test chamber with a glint in his eyes. "Yes, yes, I know you're concerned, Tomoe, but really, this is a golden opportunity." His lips split in a smile that sent shivers down Tomoe's spine. "Last week was a goldmine. Those readings we were able to pull from her were even more than I had hoped for. The Director was most pleased. he even congratulated me personally on the results, and you know how he is with compliments."

He turned to face her, and Tomoe had to fight to keep her expression neutral. "But despite that, it wasn't quite enough. You remember what we discussed during dinner the other night, I trust?" Tomoe nodded. It wasn't something she was likely to forget. Misaka's ability had a peculiar quirk, increasing in power the more she was pushed. Her heart sank as her eyes focused on the massive weapon below. She had a better idea of just what it's purpose was now.

"You're planning to push her past her limit to try and force her power even higher?"

Corrin nodded. "That's it exactly. If we can push her even further than last time, we may just be able to complete a full AIM template of Misaka-san's ability. Can you imagine?"

Tomoe frowned. This was the first she was hearing of this. "To what end? I thought you simply wished to observe the unusual spikes in her power?"

"Well, that's certainly part of it. But there's more to it than that." he spoke quickly, with growing enthusiasm. "I have another project I've been working on that's of personal interest to the Director. It combines the research we're doing on the unusual behavior of Misaka san's ability with something he started back before he took over this facility. We've only really begun to move past the theory stages recently though. I'm afraid I can't share many details, but suffice it to say that a complete template of Misaka-san's AIM field is exactly what we need to move on to the next phase."

He was practically shaking from excitement, and Tomoe had to fight not to shy away from the mad gleam in his eyes. "I wish I could tell you more, but if tonight's experiment is a success, I imagine we'll be able to move to the final stages. Then I'm sure I'll be able to tell you all the details."

Tomoe had stopped listening, her mind racing to figure out what he could possibly be talking about. Try as she might, she hadn't been able to find anything on what the Director had planned to do by encouraging Misaka to participate in these tests. She had nearly been ready to believe the crock he had fed her when she had confronted him the week before. But if what Corrin said was true, there was something even bigger going on. She needed to figure out just what was going on before it was too late.

For now though, she needed to do what she could to protect Misaka. "Do you really think this will work?"

Corrin chuckled darkly. "Oh I imagine so. Watch closely, Tomoe. Tonight you're going to bear witness to Misaka Mikoto's true power. Even if we have to drag it out of her inch by inch."

"Increasing power output to 70% of maximum. Misaka-san, please assume the ready position. Firing in ten, nine, eight…"

Mikoto listened to the countdown. Her muscles tensed in anticipation even as her body screamed at her to move. Every one of her survival instincts was telling her to flee, but she forced them down, staring down the massive ballistic weapon. Her arm trembled only slightly as she raised it, her thumb pressed firmly against a heavy disc of metal.

"... two, one, fire."

The monstrosity buckled and before she could even register the motion, before her conscious mind could ever react, she fired. The motion of her thumb was a mere afterthought as her railgun shattered the projectile that left even sound trailing in its wake. The resulting wave of concussive force was enough to push Mikoto back, and she stumbled, falling to the floor as the heat from the collision washed over her. She picked herself back up, breathing heavily and wiping sweat from her brow.

The exercise as proposed by Corrin had seemed simple enough: use her railgun to shoot down projectiles fired at high speed. In so doing, she would have to focus on using her ability to detect them, rather than trying to track them with her eyes or other senses. It was something she had done before, though never intentionally. Trusting her ability had always come naturally to her.

"Very good, Misaka-san." Corrin's voice sounded over the speakers, echoing off the metal walls. "An output increase of 10% and the projectile still only made it three millimeters further than the last one. Your reflexes are almost frightening, I have to say. Shall we push it up a little further, this time?"

Mikoto nodded, stepping back to the tile that marked her starting point. It was a dangerous exercise, she knew. The railgun fired projectiles at several times the speed of sound. She was intimately familiar with just how powerful the weapon was. One slip, a millisecond of hesitation, and she would be dead. Her lip curled in a slight smile. She could certainly appreciate the irony of that.

A part of her wanted to quit. It was madness, by far the riskiest exercise she had ever taken part in. But at the same time, there was something exciting about it. Relying on her ability exclusively, tuning everything else out. No sight, no sound, no touch or taste or smell, nothing but the vague tingling at the back of her mind, the clarity that cut through her consciousness like a knife and told her down to the nanosecond when to fire. As much as she hated to admit it, it was a rush.

"Alright, 80% output." The railgun whined with increasing intensity. "Let's try a couple back to back, shall we?"

"Firing in three, two, one, fire."

Mikoto's first shot was fired with perfect timing and precision, splitting the air with a shriek and meeting the rapidly approaching slug with explosive results. The shockwave knocked her back several paces, but she managed to remain standing. Her ears were still ringing when she righted herself, her heart hammering in her chest as she hastened to ready her next disc. Her reload time had always been her most limiting factor. She shifted to the side and the barrel tracked her movements. Panic began to build in her chest, and she struggled to fight it down.

"And firing in three, two, one, fire."

The massive apparatus buckled and Mikoto let out a scream as electricity arced from her body, sending the heavy disc howling through the air at impossible speed. The impact this time was much closer, and she was thrown several meters back into the metal wall. She collided with a gasp, her head snapping back to impact with the unyielding material. For a moment, she saw stars, before sinking down to the floor and holding a shaking hand against the back of her head.

"That one looked rather painful, Misaka-san. Are you quite all right?"

Mikoto ignored the voice, standing on legs that were struggling to support her weight. She was panting heavily, sweat dripping down her face and staining her smoking clothes. That one had been too close for comfort. If she had been any slower, by any measure, she would be dead.

"Well that one was a bit closer, but you're still performing brilliantly." Mikoto gave a start, Corrin's voice cutting through her thoughts. "Upping output to 90% percent of maximum. Good luck, Misaka-san."

It took a moment for Mikoto's brain to catch up with the words, and when it did she was hit by a wave of panic. "W-wait! Give me a minute to - "

If anyone could hear her, they ignored her pleas. The hum emanating from the railgun built in pitch, until it was practically screaming, and Mikoto fumbled with the unfamiliar metal discs. She fired on instinct, not even waiting for the now-familiar tingle in the back of her mind. The air in front of her burst into flames and she was slammed backwards once more, hitting the wall hard enough to make the world turn momentarily black.

Her vision was swimming, and Mikoto felt something warm and sticky running down her neck. She pushed herself to her feet, grunting in pain as her charred fingers left bits of flesh behind on the floor.

"... output at one-hundred per… looks like she's rea… have to give her anoth…"

Mikoto heard Corrin's voice again, but it was different this time. Her addled mind puzzled over that thought for a moment, before realizing that he hadn't been talking through the speakers.

"...at's enough! Sh… take another like th..! Pull the plu… make you!"

This time is was Doctor Kamui's voice. Absently, Mikoto wondered why she sounded so angry. A voice she didn't recognize responded, though she couldn't make out the words. Just what was going on? Corrin's voice came again, angrier this time, and the responding voice said something before disappearing, and Mikoto finally realized what had happened. She had been picking up a conversation they were having through a separate radio channel.

"Wh-what's going on?" Her voice came out as little more than a whisper. How was something like that even possible? Her ears were still ringing, and she could feel the blood running down the side of her head, but she reached out with her ability again. She groped for the familiar signal she had felt moments ago. However, the growing pain in her hands, as well as the throbbing building in her head, made it nearly impossible to concentrate. She fell to her knees, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

The speakers crackled, and Corrin spoke again, his voice as cheerful as ever. In the background, she thought she could hear Doctor Kamui shouting something. "On your feet, Misaka-san. One more now, I know you can do it. How about we go out with one on full power, shall we?"

Mikoto tried to stand, tried to shake her head, tried to tell him that she couldn't do it, but she was unable to do anything but sit there as the railgun began to vibrate. It was gathering more and more energy, building towards a crescendo that would end her life if she didn't do anything. Fear paralyzed her, rooting her feet in place as the last seconds before the weapon fired ticked away.

'Am… am I going to die in here?'

The thought ignited something deep in her chest, and the numb fear that had paralyzed her was burned away as an increasingly familiar rage consumed her. Mikoto grit her teeth, and the air around her began to hum, the very molecules trembling as energy poured from her body. Her eyes focused on the barrel of the weapon aimed at her tattered, beaten body, and she felt the rage building to an inferno.

She would not die here. She was Misaka Mikoto, ranked third amongst the tens of thousands of espers in Academy City. No matter what she faced, she would not yield.

"Firing in three…"

Power surged in her veins and she let it out with a scream, the blood dripping from her wounds sizzling and boiling away as massive arcs of lighting coiled from her body, reaching to the ceiling and pulling the heavy metal panels from the walls. No, this toy would not be her end. She would break it, and anything else that got in her way.

"...two…"

The energy in the air built ever higher. Mikoto felt like her entire body was on fire as energy rolled off of her in waves. She could feel the power building in the railgun opposite her, but it suddenly seemed so small. With a snarl, she raised the final disc and aimed it directly at the opposing railgun. She would show Corrin just what that word really meant.

"...one…"

Metal shrieked in protest as it was ripped from the walls and ceiling. Up above, the observers scrambled away from the windows as giant metal tiles smashed into the reinforced glass. Mikoto stared with narrowed eyes at the weapon facing her, and time seemed to slow to a crawl. The weapon inside the energy released. In the same instant Mikoto could feel the maelstrom of energy in her body coalesce, and with a feral scream the world exploded in fire.

The floor was littered with loose debris and shattered glass. The observation deck had been abandoned moments before the blast in order to prevent any injuries amongst the staff, but much of the monitoring equipment had been destroyed.

Corrin couldn't have cared less. He smiled broadly as he surveyed the wreckage. It was all he could do to keep himself from whistling a jaunty tune.

Doctor Kamui didn't seem to share his good mood. A pity, that. He watched as the woman fussed over the unconscious Railgun. She was in a panic, tearing apart the first-aid kit she had ripped from the observation room wall before sprinting down to the test chamber. It would have been impressive if her concern wasn't so misplaced. Really, she was getting far too attached to the girl. Trying to pull the plug on the experiment simply because the test subject might get hurt was downright silly.

He was going to have to bring that up again the next time they went out after work. Dedication was all well and good, but they were scientists, and scientists did not form such connections with their subjects.

He turned away from her just as she began screaming insults at the medical staff that had only just arrived. While he may not have shared her concern, he couldn't help but echo the sentiment; showing up late like that was simply unprofessional.

He advanced with careful steps, avoiding the sharper hunks of what had once been the wall and ceiling. Let the good Doctor tend to her patient. He had something far more interesting to study.

The railgun was completely unrecognizable. Misaka-san's final blast had turned the expensive weapon to slag, leaving the casual observer to only guess at its original function. Behind it, the steel door had been shredded like paper, as had the thick metal plates of the wall in the room beyond. The stone behind it was still molten, a glowing red crater carved into the earth. It was completely unlike the results of her previous attack, and Corrin couldn't help but be impressed.

"Well, Misaka-san." His grin turned predatory. "It looks like we're finally beginning to drag you out of your shell."

A/N: Bit of a shorter wait between chapters this time. I'm going to shoot for keeping this trend going, so hopefully the next one will be out in a similar time frame or even more quickly. It really depends on how motivated I can stay, though I'm feeling pretty good about it at the moment.

This was a challenge to write. It might have been the hardest chapter to do so far, given how much needed to get done. Your personal experience with the chapter may vary, but from a technical standpoint I think it's the best one yet. I have to thank Cun again for providing beta reading and helping me really get a handle on how this chapter needed to play out. I tried quite a few different things with it, and ultimately I think this is the best version that I could have gotten.

I did want to address something one of the reviewers last chapter brought up. It was pointed out to me that I was being critical of my writing, and as the reviewer found the chapter to be rather good, they took issue with my stance. I would like to apologize if anyone else found this irritating as well. It's easy to be dissatisfied with my own work and to see it as imperfect or even bad. I also think those sorts of statements are a way of hedging my own expectations of what other people will think of the story.

As much as I would like to claim that I do this entirely for my own satisfaction, I can't deny that I love getting reviews. I love hearing what people think and having the opportunity to talk to them about the things they liked, or didn't, or would like to see in the future. With all of that comes a great deal of insecurity as well, and I think it has shown, at the very least in my notes. I will try to work on that.

Also, this chapter is the tits.

Please read and let me know what you think!