Consciousness returned slowly, as though rising from a deep pit. Fatigue clung to her like tar, and the first thing Mikoto was aware of when she opened her eyes was a blinding white light. She hissed, screwing her eyes shut and throwing her arm across her face. Spots danced in front of her vision, bright splotches of color against the black.

"Ah! Sorry!"

The voice was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. Her head was still reeling from the light, and her whole body hurt. The sound of hurried footsteps reached her ears, and soon after she felt the lights above her go out, cut off from their power. Slowly, she removed her arm and opened her eyes.

The room was dimly lit now, only a desk lamp providing light. Her head was still foggy, and she was having a hard time figuring out where she was or how she had gotten there.

"Sorry about that. Is this better?"

Mikoto turned her head, wincing slightly as the skin on her neck stretched painfully. Just what the heck happened?

"Misaka-san?" A woman leaned over her, a concerned look on her face.

"Doctor Kamui?"

A look of relief spread over the woman's face. "Welcome back, Misaka-san. I was starting to really worry about you. You gave me quite a scare yesterday. I honestly wasn't sure when you would wake up."

Mikoto frowned. "Wait… yesterday?" She sat up, groaning. Her entire body felt stiff and sore. It felt as though she was one giant bruise. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you remember?" Doctor Kamui frowned. "Yesterday, during the experiment. That fool, Corrin, pushed you too far and you were injured." Her eyes narrowed and her voice grew cold. "I should wring his scrawny little neck for putting you through that. The man is a disgusting sadist just using science as an excuse to torture little girls."

"That's…" Mikoto winced, the memories flooding back in a painful rush. That's right. She had been in that test chamber, firing her railgun against the real thing. The memory was a blur, but she could still remember the feeling of power, rushing through her veins. Unbidden, unstoppable. What exactly had happened she wasn't sure, but the feeling of that power stood out in her mind, clear as crystal.

Pain flared up her side and Mikoto stiffened with a hiss. Her hand flew to her side, clutching at the spot as it burned in agony.

"Careful!" Doctor Kamui was at her side in an instant, pulling her hand away. "I know it hurts, but don't put pressure on it. You broke a couple of ribs and they haven't quite finished setting." Mikoto bristled and began to pull away, but stopped when she saw the look on Doctor Kamui's face. She let out a breath and let herself be guided into a more comfortable sitting position.

She's just worried, calm down. A few deep breaths later, and her heart relaxed to a more steady beat. The pain in her side was persistent, and her head was starting to throb as well. She was still having a hard time focusing, her thoughts a confused jumble.

"You sustained some rather serious injuries this time, Misaka-san." Doctor Kamui's voice gave her something to focus on, so she turned to face the woman. She looked rather frazzled. Her hair was out of its usual bun, and she had dark circles under her eyes. She looked rather like another doctor Mikoto had some experience with. The thought brought a ghost of a smile to her face, until she realized Doctor Kamui was still talking.

Mikoto shook her head, trying to clear some of the cobwebs. "I'm sorry, but what were you saying? I'm still feeling a little out of it."

The doctor blinked. "Ah, yes, my apologies, Misaka-san. A little confusion is to be expected in your condition. You took more than one blow to the head, and were slightly concussed by the time I got to you. What I was saying was that I've done what I can to treat your injuries at this point, but it could take up to a week before you're fully fit again, even with the medical technology we have on hand here."

"A week?!" Mikoto blurted, sitting up straight. Her side shrieked in protest but she ignored it. "I can't rest for a week! How am I supposed to explain that to my school? Or Kuroko? If I'm not back they're going to start asking questions about where I've been and what I've been doing! Do you know how impossible it's going to be to answer those?"

Doctor Kamui winced. "Well… unfortunately it's probably already too late to avoid it. You've already missed a full day of school, and your phone has been buzzing practically nonstop. I'm afraid your absence has already been noticed."

Mikoto's eyes widened and her throat tightened in rising panic. Doctor Kamui handed her phone to her with an apologetic look. She flipped it open, scanning more than a dozen unanswered messages. Texts, emails, missed calls, several of them from last night and early that morning, but a couple from a number she recognized as the number for Tokiwadai's enrollment office were from only a couple hours ago.

"Damnit." She clenched her teeth as she cycled through the messages.

'Onee-sama, it's almost curfew. If you do not hurry you'll be late again!'

'Are you planning to be out all night again? Please, just tell me.'

'Onee-sama? Where are you?'

'Why haven't you come home yet? I'm worried, Onee-sama. I have to leave for some Judgment work. Please, just let me know if you're okay.'

Her grip tightened around the phone, a lump forming in her throat. Kuroko… I'm sorry. The messages went on in that vein throughout the day. The emails were no different. It hurt to read them, but Mikoto forced herself to go through each and every one while Doctor Kamui stood in uncomfortable silence.

The last messages were from Tokiwadai, informing her that the Dean wished to speak with her regarding her latest truancy. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably. Things were starting to spiral out of control. She'd been trying so hard to keep everything together. Was it really going to fall apart now?

Doctor Kamui coughed, breaking the silence, and Mikoto turned her attention back to her, setting her phone aside for the moment. "Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done about your school at the moment, but there's a chance the Director can pull some strings for you." Mikoto didn't miss the uneasy look on her doctor's face. "In the meantime, I have some spare clothes for you. They're nothing special, but they should fit you reasonably well."

"Oh. Um, thanks." The shirt was a dull grey affair, long-sleeved, for which Mikoto was grateful, and the pants were a simple pair of jeans that looked like they'd probably fall off her slim frame, despite Doctor Kamui's assurances. Gingerly, she stood from the bed, ignoring her body's protests, and pulled them on.

"Do you want me to help you with that?"

"No. I can do it. I'm fine." Despite her tough talk, by the time she had finished dressing her legs were shaking and she was starting to sweat.

She sat back down with a shaky breath. What's wrong with me? Am I really hurt that badly?

"Misaka-san."

Mikoto looked up, meeting her doctor's eyes. The woman had a stern look on her tired face.

"Doctor Kamui? What is it?" She was breathing heavily, and it was beginning to be a struggle to focus again, but she kept her eyes on the older woman.

For a moment, Doctor Kamui's sever expression faltered, and she bit her lip. "Misaka-san, tell me honestly. How do you feel?"

That wasn't what Mikoto had been expecting. "What do you mean?"

"These experiments. I need to know what you think of them. Right now, you can barely stand. You have burns over seventy percent of your body. I don't know if you've noticed, but you have eighteen stitches running from your forehead to your left ear."

She hadn't noticed. She ran her fingers along her hairline, and flinched as she touched tender skin. Sure enough, she could feel a row of prickly stitches. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably.

Some of her discomfort must have shown on her face, because Doctor Kamui nodded gravely. "Yes, exactly. In addition to your external wounds, you received a concussion, three broken ribs, and a hairline fracture to your right wrist. Fortunately, that one was fairly easy to treat, but the rest will take awhile longer to heal. Do you understand what I'm trying to say here, Misaka-san?"

"It's fine." Mikoto set her jaw and sat up straight, forcing her body to stop shaking. "I can deal with a little pain. This is nothing compared to what they…" She shook her head. "This is nothing. I can take anything as long as I get stronger."

Doctor Kamui's eyes narrowed. "I see. Misaka-san, would you mind looking at something for me?" She walked over to her desk and retrieved a tablet, tapping it a few times before handing it off to Mikoto. "Tell me, Misaka-san, does this look familiar?"

Mikoto frowned, taking the tablet and looking at the screen. It was a picture. At first, she couldn't make heads nor tails of the image. It was a room, probably from a research facility, but it was an absolute wreck. The steel panelling along the walls, floor, and ceiling had been ripped off and scattered. The reinforced glass window separating the observation deck appeared to have been shattered, and there were black scorch marks littering the room.

The most startling part of the image though, was the large apparatus that lay in a pile of scrap in front of a massive, glowing crater. With a sudden, blinding clarity, Mikoto realized what she was looking at. This was the room she had been in the day before, where they had pitted her against the railgun. The weapon had been reduced to a pile of melted scrap, and that crater in the wall behind it…

"Did… did I do that?"

"You did. At the end of the experiment, you lost control of your ability. We had to evacuate the observation deck when you started tearing the room apart." Doctor Kamui paused, an uncomfortable look on her face. "Your ability went so far out of your control that… Misaka-san, most of your injuries weren't caused by the railgun. Your body couldn't handle the strain. It was killing you."

Mikoto barely heard her. Her eyes were glued to the incredible destruction depicted on the screen. It was incredible. She knew she was strong, incredibly strong. But those rooms were designed to host esper experiments. During her ascent to Level 5, she had done enough exercises in rooms like it to know just how sturdy they were. And that crater in the wall… her railgun had never been that powerful before, not with something as small as the discs she'd been using.

Her lips curled into a smile. "It's working."

"I'm sorry?"

She handed the tablet back to Doctor Kamui. "These tests. They're finally working. I thought… no, I was worried that maybe all this was going to be pointless. But it isn't! I could never have done that when we started."

Her doctor looked troubled. "Misaka-san… I know you want to get stronger but, well… I think you should stop these experiments."

"W-what?" Mikoto could hardly believe her ears. "But I just said they were finally working! I can't stop now!"

"That's precisely the point."

Mikoto blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Doctor Kamui sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I can't say I fully understand your desire to grow stronger. I've been treating your injuries for months now, so I know it must be important. I've watched you push yourself past your limits and endure things no young girl should have to. But this can't continue." She gestured to the image on the tablet again. "This… this isn't what you're looking for, I promise you. This power, it's outside of even your ability to control. Can you even remember what happened?"

There was some truth to that, though Mikoto hated to admit it. Her mind was having trouble piecing it together. All she could remember was a rush of light and sound, and a feeling of intoxicating strength. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before. "No but—"

"Exactly! Misaka-san, you can't control this power. It's too dangerous."

"Well then I'll learn to control it," Mikoto growled. She stood from the bed and took a deep breath before meeting her Doctor's gaze. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but really, everything is fine. I can handle this."

"Please, just think about this, Misaka-san." Doctor Kamui wrung her hands together, pleading. "This… your body can't take these experiments. Corrin and the Director, they're just using you for their own ends, don't you realize that? They don't care about you at all. They'll keep pushing and pushing until they break you. If you keep this up, you might really die!"

Mikoto smiled. "Don't worry, Doctor Kamui. There's no way I'll die. I can feel it working. I am getting stronger." And she could. She still felt woozy, but the power coursing through her veins was palpable. "They might be using me, but I'm using them too. If they push me too far, I'll just push back."

"Misaka-san…" There was an unreadable expression on Doctor Kamui's face. She looked almost pained.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." Some of the tension dissolved from her expression, and Mikoto stretched her arms above her head, trying to loosen her stiff muscles. Her body shrieked in protest, but she managed to keep the pain from registering on her face. "I really do appreciate your concern, and you taking care of me. So please, just trust me on this, okay? I won't be stopped by something like this."

For a moment, her doctor was silent. "I… see. Can I really not change your mind?"

"There's really nothing here to change. I've made up my mind."

At those words, Doctor Kamui seemed to deflate, and Mikoto was once more struck by just how tired the woman looked. "You should get some rest. It looks like you've been working hard."

"Yes. I suppose you're right."

Mikoto's thoughts returned to the time, and she grimaced. "I really need to be going. If I'm not back at the dorms tonight, then I'll really be in trouble."

Doctor Kamui blinked in confusion. "Ah… Misaka-san?"

"Sorry, but I'll see you again soon." With that, she strode from the room, leaving an anxious doctor fumbling with her words behind her.

She walked down the hallways, keeping her posture straight and her gait even. A few of the passing researchers looked at her curiously, and she noted with some satisfaction that the majority of them were giving her a rather wide berth. It seemed like her performance had garnered her a bit more respect. Good.

When she finally exited the facility, the evening sun greeted her and she squinted against the light.

"Damn sun," she grumbled as she made her way off the property. It wasn't until she'd rounded a corner and knew she was out of sight of the facility that she allowed herself to slump against a wall, her body trembling in pain and exhaustion. Everything ached, and she could feel her sides burning as her ribs knit themselves back in place. Her vision swam and beads of sweat ran down her brow.

"I can… do this." She forced herself to stand, wiping the sweat from her face. "I'm getting s-stronger. Just have to… push a little more."

A few deep breaths later and she was walking again, trying her best to ignore the pain. Doctor Kamui didn't understand. She had always known they were trying to use her. That was practically a given. But she needed this, needed to be pushed to her limit and beyond. Otherwise… otherwise she'd never be strong enough to keep those important to her safe.

Lightning danced along her body, unbidden but not unwelcome. It dulled the pain and cleared her thoughts.

Yes, she was getting stronger now. She was so close to achieving her goal she could practically taste it. They could try and make her dance like a puppet all they wanted, but ultimately, she was in control. When the time came to cut the strings, she'd be able to stand on her own feet, under her own power.

If they wanted to stop her then, well, they were more than welcome to try.

Doctor Tomoe Kamui stared at the door for several long minutes after Misaka-san had left, her thoughts a confused and anxious jumble. It wasn't until she heard a knock and the door slid open that she snapped out of her daze.

"Ah, Doctor?"

A young man with short black hair and a gentle expression, carrying a tray with two separate meals was standing in the doorway, giving her a confused look. Tomoe blinked, before she remembered where she was.

"Oh, Ibiki-san. I apologize, I was a thousand miles away." She took the tray from him and gave him the best smile she could manage. He was technically a member of the staff, but he was really only responsible for housekeeping. Still, he had been kind enough to provide meals for her when she'd stayed long hours in the past. She'd almost forgotten she'd asked him to prepare something for Misaka-san as well.

"That's alright. I know how hard you've been working lately. Everyone's talking about Misaka-san's latest test. I hear it was quite the spectacle." He looked around the room, and a small frown grew on his face. "Where is Misaka-san, by the way? You had mentioned yesterday that she wouldn't be fit to leave for at least a week."

Tomoe's smile became forced, and she set the tray on her desk. "Ah… I'm afraid Misaka-san had something she needed to attend to. She recovered much more quickly than I thought though, so I'm sure she's fine. I do apologize for making you go out of your way though; I had expected her to stay longer."

"Oh, well, I suppose that's okay." Ibiki looked thoughtful for a moment, before shrugging. "I guess she probably knows what she's doing. Besides, she'll be back soon anyway, so there's probably nothing to worry about."

"Yes, I'm sure she will be." Tomoe couldn't help but grimace at the thought. "Until then, I suppose I'll just review her records and prepare for the next experiment. Thank you for the food, Ibiki-san."

Ibiki nodded and gave her a little wave before turning to walk out the door. "Sounds like a good idea. Best of luck, Doctor Kamui. I hope you get a chance to catch some rest soon." With another wave he disappeared and the door slid shut.

Tomoe sighed and rubbed at her eyes. Ibiki wasn't the smartest man, but he was well intentioned enough. He also seemed able to recognize when he was being dismissed, for which she was grateful. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy his company; she just had rather more pressing matters on her mind at the moment.

Misaka-san… there was no way she really understood what was happening. Level 5 or not, she was still going to kill herself if she kept this up. But she sounded so confident, so assured. Tomoe could practically feel the static lingering in the air from when Misaka-san had assured her that she would be fine. That smile, those words… it was as though in that instant she had become another person, someone dangerous and without fear.

Tomoe could only imagine what might have happened if she hadn't backed down. She didn't think Misaka-san would hurt her, but in that moment she had been afraid.

She sat on the edge of the bed, holding her head in her hands and trying to think of anything she could have done differently. She refused to believe there was nothing she could do, no way to convince Misaka-san that she was being reckless. Misaka-san may not have believed it, but Tomoe had been there when she'd lost control, had seen the damage first hand. If she lost control like that out in the city, there was no telling what could happen. If that happened, it would be more than just Misaka-san's life that was at risk.

And it would be just as much your fault as anyone else's, wouldn't it?

Something tightened in her chest, and Tomoe took a deep breath, determination flaring in her eyes. No, she had been passive for too long. There had to be something, anything, she could do to help avert the disaster she could feel approaching.

A strange ribbiting broke the silence and startled her out of her thoughts. It took her a moment to realize what it was. She blinked, looking at the cute green frog shape of Misaka-san's phone. She must have forgotten about it in her hurry to leave. It buzzed again, and Tomoe was struck by a flash of insight.

Perhaps she couldn't convince Misaka-san, but there might be someone else who could.

"So you've heard nothing from her at all today? You're certain she hasn't left you a message and you simply missed it?"

"Yes. I am certain." Kuroko's jaw tightened. "If it would satisfy your curiosity, you may look through my phone."

"Ah, well…" The Dean exchanged a look with the Dorm Mistress, whose expression was as stern and unreadable as ever, before turning back to Kuroko with an apologetic grimace. "No, I don't think there's any need to do that, Shirai-san. I certainly don't think you would lie to me."

"Absolutely not. I'm sorry to tell you that I am currently ignorant of Onee-sama's whereabouts." It stung to have to admit that. The truth was, she would have been willing to lie, had she any idea what the truth was. Unfortunately, she was as ignorant as the rest of them.

Why, Onee-sama? Don't you trust me?

She had been intending to head straight to the Judgment branch office once she got out of class, desperate for something to distract her from the anxiety gnawing at her stomach. There was still no word from Onee-sama, and she had been whisked away to the Dean's office the moment she left class. That Onee-sama hadn't shown up for class today was not a surprise, but it still weighed heavily on Kuroko's mind. Just what could she be doing? Onee-sama might have been a bit childish at times, but she took her education seriously. This was completely unlike her.

The Dorm Mistress shifted and the Dean sighed, steepling his fingers and looking across his desk at Kuroko. "Shirai-san, I am sorry to bother you with this, but as Misaka-san is your roommate you're one of the first people we can turn to in cases like this. As I'm sure you know, our students are allowed a certain amount of leeway in regards to caring for themselves. But Tokiwadai is still a middle school, and as long as you attend this school, you are all our responsibility."

Kuroko fidgeted in her seat. "I understand."

"Shirai, Misaka's behavior of late has been a subject of some concern," the Dorm Mistress spoke up. "Being a Level 5 does not exempt her from the rules of Tokiwadai. In fact, we must be even more strict with her in many cases because of her status."

The Dean nodded. "Very true. Misaka-san has lately shown a disregard for the rules of this institution, and we are growing concerned. Truancy is one thing, but there have been concerns for her health as well."

Kuroko felt a stab of ice in her heart at that. All she could do was nod.

A weary expression crossed the Dean's face. "Well, I am sorry to have taken up so much of your time. You may go, Shirai-san."

Kuroko rose from her chair and offered the Dean a deep bow. "I wish I could have been of more help."

He nodded. "It couldn't be helped, I suppose."

With another bow, Kuroko turned to take her leave.

"Shirai."

She stopped, turning back to face the Dorm Mistress. Her usual stern expression was still in place, but her eyes had softened. "Misaka is a precious friend of yours, is she not?"

Kuroko hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Yes. She is."

"Then take care of her. Even if she does not ask, she may need her friends."

A lump formed in Kuroko's throat, and it was all she could do to form the words, "I understand."

The Dorm Mistress inclined her head slightly, and Kuroko took her leave, practically sprinting down the halls and out into the city streets. The instant her foot hit the sidewalk, she disappeared, taking to the rooftops.

She was nearly to the branch office by the time she managed to fully calm down. The Dorm Mistress's words had caught her off guard. Of course Onee-sama was important to her. She was probably the most important person in her life. The fact that she was carrying some unknown burden all on her own was a crushing weight on Kuroko's chest. But so far she had kept her distance. Onee-sama was her own person, and a Level 5. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself, and Kuroko needed to be able to let her have her space when she needed it.

But maybe the Dorm Mistress was right. Maybe Onee-sama needed her right now. Asking for help had never been her strong point, and if there was something wrong, it would be just like her to try and handle it all on her own.

She lighted upon the roof of the branch office and teleported down, landing in front of the door. She could hear voices behind it. Uiharu must have arrived before her, and it sounded like Saten-san was there as well.

A few deep breaths and a slap to the cheeks helped Kuroko to compose herself. The next time she saw Onee-sama, they would have words. But for now, she needed to get a better handle on the Power Pox case. They were close to a breakthrough, she could feel it.

"Ah, Shirai-san!"

Uiharu waved at her from her seat in front of her array of computer monitors. Saten-san was seated backwards on a chair next to her, arms folded over the back. "Hey, Shirai-san!" she said, glancing over her shoulder with a cheeky grin. "Glad you made it!"

"Of course." Kuroko dropped her bag off in her chair before joining them at Uiharu's station. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I was summoned to the Dean's office."

"Oooh, did you do something naughty, Shirai-san?"

"Saten-san! Just what are you implying?!"

"Nothing~"

Kuroko sighed and shook her head. "No, nothing like that. They just wanted to know if I had heard from Onee-sama. She didn't show up to class today, and she won't answer her phone."

The jovial atmosphere cooled a bit, and Saten looked rather chagrined. "Ah… sorry, Shirai-san. Do you have any idea what she could be doing?"

"I'm afraid not. I haven't' heard from her since yesterday, and she won't return any of my messages."

The room was bathed in an uncomfortable silence for a moment before Saten spoke. "Well… I'm sure whatever she's doing, she's fine. I mean, she probably just got caught up in something, you know how she can be."

"That's right!" Uiharu joined in. "Just wait, Shirai-san. I'm sure she'll be at the dorms when you get back tonight."

Kuroko nodded. "I certainly hope so." Her eyes narrowed, and she frowned. "Even so, the next time I see her. Onee-sama is going to have to answer some questions. I've had enough of being in the dark."

Saten-san chuckled. "I guess even the mighty Railgun will have to look out when Shirai-san manages to track her down."

A small smile worked its way onto Kuroko's face. "Yes indeed." Something on one of Uiharu's monitors caught her eye, and she leaned in for a closer look. "What's this, Uiharu?"

"Ah!" Uiharu started, and turned her attention back to the monitors. The frozen screen resumed and Kuroko watched as people crossed an intersection. The screen above showed a section of sidewalk, and still other screens showed different angles. "Well, Saten-san said she had something she wanted to tell us, but we thought it would be better to wait until you arrived, so we've been reviewing the security footage from Wannai's incident."

Kuroko quirked an eyebrow at Saten, who simply grinned in response, before turning her attention back to Uiharu. "Where did you manage to find this footage? Judgment doesn't usually have access to traffic footage. That goes straight to Anti-Skill in the case of a criminal investigation." Realization hit Kuroko as soon as she finished speaking. "Uiharu…"

"I just wanted to look!" Her partner was red in the face, and Saten seemed to be trying her best to keep from snickering. "Really! It's fine, right? We're just trying to help with the investigation, and we probably know more about it than Anti-Skill right now anyway, so I thought—"

"It's okay, Uiharu. I don't mind, really. I just wish you'd tell me the next time you plan on breaking into Anti-Skill's secure database. That is rather illegal, you understand?"

Uiharu mumbled something and fiddled with her skirt while Saten finally broke down and laughed.

This is what happens when I leave them alone, I suppose. Kuroko sighed. "In any case, I don't suppose you've managed to find anything out from this footage?"

"Well, not really, although it really does look like it happened suddenly. With this, I don't think Anti-Skill can really form much of a case against her if they were going to try and blame the incident on Wannai-san." The image on screen had progressed and Kuroko spotted Wannai just as she collapsed to the ground, her hands clutching her head and her mouth opened in a scream. Uiharu shivered. "She looks like she's in so much pain."

They watched in silence for a while longer, Kuroko's sharp eyes searching for anything out of the ordinary. Her heart clenched in her chest as whatever had happened to Wannai reached its peak and the ground beneath her exploded. It wasn't easy to watch a girl she considered a friend suffering like that.

The excitement died down, but there was nothing new to be seen. "Is this it?"

"It goes on for a while longer, but I didn't see anything of note when I watched it before." Uiharu hit a button and the image accelerated. People scurried around the scene, and as Anti-Skill arrived and cordoned off the area, something caught Kuroko's eye.

"Stop! Pause it there!"

Uiharu hurried to comply. "Here?"

Kuroko nodded. "Back it up a few frames."

The image backed up, and her eyes narrowed. Standing behind the barricade was a rather familiar pair.

"There." She pointed at the screen and clenched her teeth. I knew it. "Those two. I've seen them before."

"Eh? Where?" Saten asked.

"I interviewed them this morning. They were victims from the most recent Power Pox incident, the one with the Level 4 high school student."

"Ah!" Uiharu let out a surprised gasp. "But then, wouldn't that mean…?"

"Yes." Kuroko stood up straight, glaring at the screen and biting her thumb. "Those two have something to do with this. Damnit! I knew they were lying to me at the hospital, but I couldn't do anything about it."

Uiharu frowned, looking at the screen. "But who are they?"

"Well… I'm not sure. All I have right now are their names: Shou and Youko Numakura." Kuroko bit her thumb. "I need to try and figure out if they have any connections to the victims. Uiharu, we'll start with the most recent and work our way backwards. What was the name of the victim from last night?"

"Nakano Eri."

Uiharu and Kuroko both blinked, before turning to Saten. "How did you know that?" Kuroko turned to Uiharu. "Did you tell her?"

"No!" Uiharu shook her head. "I mean, I didn't even really have time, and then we were at school all day and I didn't really ever think to say anything, so…"

"Actually, I read it in this." Saten held up a small, grey phone. Or at least, it looked like a phone. "This is what I wanted to show you guys. I found it this morning when I was sneaking around the scene of the most recent incident."

"You were doing what?!" Uiharu looked stunned. "S-Saten-san, you can't do that! Do you have any idea how much trouble you would have been in if you'd gotten caught? What were you thinking?!"

"Calm down, Uiharu! I didn't get caught, so it's fine! Besides, finding this thing was totally worth it."

"That was rather reckless, Saten-san. You don't always have a great track record when it comes to sneaking around those kinds of places." Not that Kuroko was terribly surprised. Saten-san was rather persistent, and she had a certain disregard for rules.

Saten's cheeks puffed out. "Well, whatever! I was tired of just sitting around letting you guys do all the work. Besides, it worked out for the best this time! This thing is a huge breakthrough!"

"What is it, exactly?"

"Ahhh, well I'm not sure. But it's got a list of all the Power Pox victims!" She handed the device to Kuroko. "Here, check it out."

Kuroko began to flip through the device. She felt motion behind her, and turned to see Uiharu looking curiously over her shoulder. Some of the menus appeared to be locked, but it was Just as Saten said; there was a complete list of all the Power Pox victims to date, and several people that hadn't been identified as victims. Kuroko was willing to bet if she looked those people up, she'd find them involved in similar incidents.

"Saten-san… where exactly did you find this?" Kuroko's heart was pounding in her chest, and behind her Uiharu was wearing an expression of shock.

"It was in the bushes on the side of the road in the blocked off area." Saten shrugged. "Really, I only found it because I was trying to hide from Anti-Skill."

Something tickled at the back of Kuroko's mind.

"Ah, Saten-san. Why did you bring it here instead of handing it over to Anti-Skill?" Uiharu asked, and Kuroko couldn't help but wonder as well. It would have been the logical thing to do, after all.

Saten flushed. "Weeeeell, they sort of spotted me and I took off without thinking. Then when one of them grabbed me I kicked him in the knee."

"You did what?!" Kuroko and Uiharu shrieked in unison.

"I didn't mean to! I was just acting on instinct, honest!"

"I can't believe you would do something so reckless! Saten-san, you really have to work on controlling yourself or you're going to get in serious trouble!"

Kuroko opened her mouth to interrupt the pair, but her phone began to ring. Without thinking, she fumbled for it, tossing the device to a near-frantic Uiharu before flipping it open.

"Onee-sama?!"

"Eh, what? Sorry, Judgment girl, but I'm no Onee-sama." The voice on the other end of the phone sounded amused, and Kuroko flushed.

"Ah, sorry about that. I was… I was expecting someone else." Uiharu and Saten had stopped bickering and turned to regard her with curious expressions. She mouthed the words 'Anti-Skill' and the pair nodded in understanding.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you. But I thought you might like to know your favorite pair of patients just got cut loose."

"What? But I thought you said you could keep them there for awhile!"

"Hey, I said I would keep them here as long as I could, and I did. They were supposed to be released this morning but I managed to keep them here all day with some bullshit about needing a closer look at their medical history." Kuroko could practically hear the woman shrug. "They did just leave though. They probably haven't even finished checking out downstairs, so if you're planning on doing anything, I'd do it fast."

Kuroko's mind raced. The hospital was more than three miles away. If she teleported, she could be there in under five minutes. "Alright, thank you. I appreciate your help. I'll let you know if I manage to uncover anything."

"No sweat. You've got my number so just call me if there's anything else I can do. Ciao for now, Judgment girl."

The line went dead and Kuroko growled in frustration.

"What's wrong, Shirai-san?"

"Our lead just got released from the hospital." She glanced at the device Uiharu held in her hands. She needed to look more closely at that thing, but time was of the essence. If she didn't leave now, she might not be able to track down the pair that represented her best lead.

She took a steadying breath. "Uiharu, do you think you can break the encryption on the files on that device?"

"Eh? W-well I think—"

"Of course she can!" Saten interrupted. clasping Uiharu on the shoulder. "Uiharu is our wizard! She can do anything with computers! You just focus on tracking down our mysterious suspects, Shirai-san. Leave this to us!"

A small smile wormed its way onto Kuroko's face, despite everything. "Alright. I'll be counting on you two." She grabbed an earpiece and placed it in her ear, flicking the switch on. "Do some investigation into those two as well. I'll be in touch so let me know as soon as you find anything."

"Roger!"

"Yes, Shirai-san!"

The pair was looking at her with matching looks of determination. This is it. We can finally put a stop to all of this. With one final nod, Kuroko disappeared, pursuing her prey into the growing twilight.

A/N: Well I did say this one would come out a little faster, didn't I? And look! Here it is! It is, as they say, a Christmas Miracle.

Things are starting to progress at a more reasonable clip, which is good since I have an idea of what is actually going on in my head now. I also sort of know what's happening with the story. Not that I didn't before, but there are all these bits of filler that have to happen and those are always a challenge. But I'm having more fun with it again, so that's a plus.

In terms of what's actually going on, I hope it's becoming a little more clear. Transparency is a bit of an issue in writing for me as I don't want to insult the readers' intelligence by spelling everything out for them, but then I remain a little too vague sometimes. It certainly makes sense to me but then I have more information than you. So we'll see I guess. Also more cliff-hangers for you're reading pleasure.

As always, please review and let me know what you think! It really does make me feel special. And it helps with the writing too.