"Onee-samaaaa!"
A brown-haired blur tackled Mikoto around the waist as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, knocking the wind out of her and sending the both of them to the ground.
"Ah! Careful, Shirai-san!"
"K-Kuroko! Get off! We're in a hospital!"
"I was so worried, Onee-sama!" Kuroko nearly bawled, arms locked tightly around Mikoto's waist. "How could you run off and get involved in something so dangerous without even telling your devoted partner what you were doing?!"
Kuroko's voice rose to a fever pitch. Mikoto grappled with her while the people around them started to stare. She growled and eventually managed to get Kuroko at arms length. She stood up and hauled the teleporting menace up by the neck of her hospital gown.
"Honestly, don't you have any shame? We're still in the hallway! And you're barely dressed!"
Kuroko huffed, standing under her own power, and straightened her gown. A quick glare shot over her shoulders had most of their observers quickly averting their eyes or ambling away. She turned back to Mikoto with a shake of her head.
"Honestly. Here I am expressing genuine concern for my beloved Onee-sama, and that's all you can say?" She gave Mikoto an all too familiar look of disapproval. "At this point I really should know better than to be surprised by the messes you manage to get yourself into when I leave you alone. You'll make my hair go gray by the time I'm eighteen at this rate, Onee-sama."
For once Mikoto had to concede that Kuroko had a point. Although this time she hadn't even been trying to get into trouble.
"Sorry," she said. "I guess I really caused you some trouble this time, huh, Kuroko? I'm glad you're okay though. When Uiharu said you were in the hospital, I thought…"
She tried not to dwell on some of the things that had run through her head when she'd heard. Kuroko was here, and she was fine. That was what mattered.
Kuroko's cheeks flushed slightly, but she drew herself up. "You should know better than to worry about me, Onee-sama. I am an officer of Judgment, and as such it is my duty and privilege to see that order is kept in Academy City. A few simple injuries like this are nothing to someone like me."
"Are you sure, Shirai-san?" Uiharu asked. She stepped up to her partner and poked her once in the ribs. Kuroko let out a strangled 'eep' and pulled away.
"W-well I suppose I will need a few days to recover. But I'll be back to one-hundred percent in no time, just you watch!"
"Yeah, sounds like you'll be fine." Mikoto grinned. "I'm glad. When things got crazy, I thought maybe you were caught up in it too."
"Ah!" Uiharu's eyes were wide. "I didn't even think of that! How did you manage to avoid being affected again, Shirai-san?"
For once, Kuroko actually looked a touch sheepish. "Ahhh… well, I was able to recognize the effects, the second time. I managed to sedate myself when the staff refused to do it for me." She scratched the back of her neck. "I suppose I really should apologize to that nurse."
She coughed into her hand, some of the pink returning to her cheeks while Mikoto chuckled. "A-anyway, I'm glad to see you're both safe. When Uiharu left to look for you, I was rather distraught."
"I bet," Mikoto said, then smiled. "But I guess you didn't need to worry. Uiharu-san handled everything. She even came to my rescue."
"W-w-well I just did w-what I could to help!" Uiharu stammered, face the color of a ripe tomato.
Kuroko paled. "I-I see. Uiharu… yes, well done. You managed to save Onee-sama where I could not." She sank to her knees. "Perhaps… perhaps I truly am unworthy of being your partner, Onee-sama. Uiharu has clearly demonstrated that she is the one who deserves to stand by you and I… I should simply fade away."
"S-Shirai-san!" Uiharu looked frantic. "T-that's not true! I'm sure you would have done a much better job than I did!"
Kuroko toppled onto her back, arm outstretched towards the ceiling. "Do not grieve me, Onee-sama, Uiharu. I will always support you from the shadows."
People were staring again. Mikoto's face grew hot and she grabbed Kuroko's outstretched hand and hauled her back to her feet. "Enough with the melodrama, already," she grumbled. "You know we need you too, so stop pouting."
"Onee-sama…" Kuroko's eyes glistened and she pounced once again. "You really do care!"
"Agh! Dammit, Kuroko!"
"Ahh… excuse me, you're Shirai Kuroko, right?"
The voice pulled Kuroko out of whatever frenzy had possessed her, much to Mikoto's relief. She didn't particularly want to resort to shocking her, given that she was exhausted and Kuroko was still technically injured, but that didn't mean she wouldn't do it if she had to.
"Yes, I am Shirai Kuroko, of Judgment's 177th branch," Kuroko said, rising with all the grace and poise of someone who hadn't just tackled her roommate - twice - in a crowded hallway. "How can I help you?"
The nurse appeared rather flustered, the dark circles under his eyes accentuated by the hint of color in his cheeks. Mikoto frowned. Kuroko really needed to learn that there was a time and a place for her antics. Namely that the place was in private and the time was never.
"I'm sorry, but you weren't in your room so I was sent to find you." Now that both Mikoto and Kuroko had gotten back to their feet he seemed to have regained some of his composure. "I've been told to ask you to return to bed and to inform you of the most recent development in your friend's condition."
The trio tensed and Mikoto cut in before Kuroko could reply. "What development? How is she?"
"She's awake."
"God damn my hands hurt. All pins and needles and it's been like an hour." Shou rubbed his wrists where the rope had dug into them and cut off the circulation. Man, that girl really hadn't been messing around. "This keeps up I'm going to have to see a doctor, and you know how much I love that."
At his side, Youko simply sighed and shook her head. Her gait was still slightly uneven, and she was clutching his arm like a lifeline. Was she still feeling the effects of when her ability had backfired on her in the alley?
"Hey. Going to see a doctor might be a good idea, actually." He touched a hand to her head. "You're still warm. And you're a bit pale."
"Always pale," she muttered. Concise as always, but her voice lacked its usual crispness.
"Paler than normal. You know what I mean." They turned out onto the street. It wasn't particularly crowded, but there were enough people milling about for him to feel uncomfortable. No sign of Anti-Skill, or even Judgment. Just a bunch of confused and scared people rushing off to who knew where.
"I'm fine. Just… tired."
"Yeah, me too." Shou kept a grip on her and tried to get an idea of where they were. It looked a little familiar… ah, yeah, there it was. He was pretty sure he recognized that coffee shop.
Well, they weren't too far from home, at least. "We'll rest as soon as we can. Gotta get home and grab what we can first, though. I think we're gonna need to lay low for a while. Crazy girl let us go, but I'm not gonna trust that she's the only one who figured us out, especially if Anti-Skill is gonna be sifting through whatever mess the Railgun left behind."
He cast a surreptitious glance over her shoulder. "Better keep an eye out though. I don't feel like getting snatched off the streets."
They were still about twenty minutes from the apartment. It was a little more than a hole in the wall, barely big enough for one person, let alone the two of them, but he'd been rather fond of it. Staying wasn't really an option though. They'd have to find something new, and if he had to call in the last of his favors to find them a place to stay for a bit, then that's what he'd do.
"What a mess this all turned out to be." He couldn't help whining a bit. They were no strangers to hardship, but this was pushing it even by his standards.
Still not as bad as things could have been, though. He'd thought he was dead for sure when that girl had levelled her gun at him. Weird she certainly was, but that hadn't made her less dangerous. You didn't have to be sane to pull a trigger.
"I wonder why she even bothered to cut us loose."
"Told us why."
Shou gave a start. He hadn't realized he'd said that out loud.
"Yeah." He frowned. "I guess she did."
"You're what?"
"'This MISAKA is letting you go,' Misaka says, stating the obvious while keeping a firm grip on her weapon. 'Onee-sama is safe, and Academy City is no longer under threat. There is no longer any need for you to be detained.'"
She cut the yellow cord she had used to bind him, then moved to do the same for Youko. "'Would you prefer that this MISAKA do otherwise?' Misaka asks, preparing herself to remove the witnesses."
"No! Totally fine with being freed, thank you. You uh, you just go on about your business, no need to see us out."
The girl stood, visor glowing in the dark cellar she'd stuffed them in. He staggered over to Youko and attempted to help her up despite the feeling only just starting to return to his legs. She stood, though Shou had the feeling that he could have knocked her over with a sneeze. But her eyes were sharp and focused, fixed on the other girl.
"Why?"
Their captor tilted her head. "'This Misaka does not understand the question,' Misaka says, clearly not understanding the question."
"Caught. You know what we did. So why?"
Shou didn't feel any pressing need to hear the answer - he'd just as soon get the hell out and ask questions later - but he held his tongue.
She was silent for a long moment before she spoke again. "'It is the duty of the Network to do our best to defend against threats to Onee-sama with minimal interference in her life,' Misaka says by way of explanation. 'As such, we observed you prior to our engagement, in order to assure our victory should a confrontation become necessary. In the process of our observations, we attempted to locate any information that we could relating to Subject: Shou Numakura, and Subject: Youko Numakura.'"
Youko flinched. It was barely noticeable, but he'd felt it.
"'This MISAKA wishes to make it clear that she does not condone the actions you have taken,' Misaka says, making sure her tone is sufficiently severe. 'However, this MISAKA understands the ways of Academy City. Taking advantage of its citizens and discarding them when they no longer serve any purpose is common.'"
"And what's it to you, huh?" He was probably pushing his luck now, but he was starting to get angry.
"'The Network understands what it is like to have your purpose taken away and to be unsure of how to live,' Misaka says, exercising empathy. "We do not wish for you suffer further because of the decisions of others. The Network also believes that were she here, Onee-sama would demonstrate mercy. She has shown that character. It is the decision of the Network that in order to best adapt to the world we have found ourselves in, we should strive to emulate Onee-sama wherever possible.'"
Shou stared. "You… lost me there."
She regarded them for a moment longer, then turned and began to make her way up the steps leading outside. "'This MISAKA has spared you under the condition that you make no further attempts to engage in any activity that could threaten Onee-sama or the Network. Refraining from endangering anyone else is also advised,' Misaka says, making her position clear. 'Be good.'"
"I still don't really get it though." Shou rolled his neck until it popped. "What a weirdo."
"Doesn't matter. She let us go."
"Yeah, I guess." They kept walking and soon they were nearly alone on the streets, wandering through the midday sun. It was warm and bright, completely indifferent to the brush Academy City had just had with tragedy.
"So what's next? Gotta imagine it's gonna take the bigwigs a while to sort this whole mess out." He kept a close eye on Youko as he spoke. "We could disappear again, if you wanted. I could probably even get us set up with new names and all that spy jazz. I'd have to grovel a bit, but I know people."
Youko stopped walking and her grip on his arm tightened, forcing him to a stop.
"I'm… tired."
She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "Don't want to run again."
Shou's response died in his throat. Youko's face was as expressionless as always, at a glance, but her eyes were filled with a determination he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Are you sure?" He asked once he'd managed to regain his composure. "There could be trouble if we don't. You know what will happen if Anti-Skill catches us."
"Probably. But I've had enough. Of this."
"Yeah. Yeah me too." He let out a heavy sigh and then smiled. "Well, it's been a long time since I've tried holding down a normal job, but I bet I could manage it. Probably. And hey, maybe you can actually get back to school again." He tugged on the sleeve of her uniform. "Maybe use this as more than just a disguise. Though you're gonna have to get that gloomy look on your face if you wanna make any friends."
Youko frowned. "Rude."
"I just call it like I see it." They started walking again. "We'll still probably need to move though. Too many people know about our old place, but that shouldn't be too hard. And I'll start looking for work. I can probably hold down two at once if I need to while you finish up high school." He rubbed his chin, fingers grating against unshaven stubble. "Ooooh, maybe that restaurant we were in last week is hiring. Man, that waitress was so into me. And her ass was really- ow! Dammit, what the hell?!"
Youko's fingernails were digging into his arm and she had fixed him with a glare. "Lecher."
She removed her fingers and he grumbled. At least she hadn't drawn blood. And she seemed to be in a better mood. There was almost a spring to her step now. As much as there could be with the limp, anyway.
Heck, this might all work out for the best after all. Maybe now they could finally live the kind of life they'd been chasing all these years.
That attitude of hers though. Kid needed to learn to take a joke.
The clock ticked, the only sound in a room silent as a tomb. The blinds were open and sunlight streamed in, though it felt out of place in the tense air. Mikoto shifted her weight to her left leg and focused on the bone-deep ache and the fatigue that threatened to push her to the ground like the hand of an invisible giant. It wasn't pleasant, but it was a distraction.
She blinked away dizziness and took a deep breath. Focus. Be calm. Don't run. That's what she had promised herself, and no matter how unpleasant something was, she didn't run away. It was just… well. It was one thing to tell herself she needed to own up to her mistakes. Being forced to look another of them in the eyes and admit how completely she had made a mess of things was something else entirely.
It was a really nasty burn.
"Soooooooo. Are you just gonna stand there?"
Mikoto blinked and met Saten's eyes for the first time since Kuroko and Uiharu had left the two of them alone, bracing herself for the accusation she was sure she'd find.
Only it wasn't there. Saten's eyes were the same as always. Bright, and almost laughing, with that hint of shrewdness that had let her see through her bluster on more than one occasion. Mikoto fidgeted with her shirt. No, they weren't exactly the same as usual. Laughing, yes, but also… concerned?
"Helloooo?" Saten waved a hand. "Man, you really are out of it. Maybe you're the one that should be in bed, Biribiri."
Mikoto felt her face twitch and her mouth was half open before she could stop it, heat in her cheeks, and Saten grinned.
"There we go! I knew you were listening, even though you've been doing a pretty good impression of a mute."
She exhaled a shuddering breath and averted her eyes, fists clenched. She could almost feel the energy that lingered in Saten's body, a tangled mess that played havoc with her nerves even now. Her energy, even half-imagined.
"Misaka-san?"
"How can you talk to me like this." Mikoto licked dry lips and looked back to Saten. "Like… like nothing happened. Like I didn't… I didn't…"
"Oh. That." Saten shrugged, and hid a wince that sent a dagger into Mikoto's gut. "Well, you know me. I've got maybe one or two good heart-to-heart conversations in me a year, and I think I used mine up with Uiharu already."
She paused, eyes on Mikoto as if waiting for a response, but Mikoto didn't know what to say.
"Look," Saten started with a sigh, hands folded in her lap. "I don't have a great idea of what's been going on. I only woke up a little bit ago, and before that all I remember is… you know. But from what I've been able to gather from Uiharu and the nurses? Things got pretty bad. And you were in the middle of it, right? That's what I figured, anyway."
Mikoto hung her head, a strange numbness spreading through her. She felt so fragile, like she might tip and fall forever if no one caught her.
"I… was."
It hurt to admit that. Before, when she could do something? Yes, it had been bad. Horrible. But she'd been able to act. Now? The storm had passed, and all she could do was look at the damage it had left in its wake.
She bowed her head. "I'm so sorry, Saten-san. I can't apologize enough for what I did, and I know there's no excuse-"
"I'm sorry."
Mikoto swallowed the rest of her words. Sorry?
"W-what?" she stammered. "But… but I'm the one who should be… sorry. What would you even need to apologize to me for? You didn't do anything!"
"That's kinda the point." Saten's smile was still in place, but now it was more somber. "Misaka-san… I know we haven't been friends for that long. I mean, it feels like a long time, sometimes. We've been through a lot." She laughed. "Man, I never knew being your friend would be so interesting! I think Uiharu probably did, but you know how she is. She really idolizes you, you know?"
Despite herself, Mikoto blushed. "Yeah, she… she sorta told me that. When she came to rescue me." It was still so strange to think about. Sure, she'd known Uiharu had a bit of a thing for ojou-sama types, and she adored fancy things, but she'd never have associated herself with either of those things. But looking back... "I don't know how I missed it for so long."
"Me neither. She wasn't exactly subtle about it." Saten snickered. "She told me that Shirai-san once asked her what her intentions were with you. You can imagine how that went."
If she'd been blushing before that made her face turn scarlet. "S-she what?!"
"Yeah, Shirai-san's a real piece of work, isn't she?" Their eyes met. "But she's a reliable friend, too. You should have seen how worried she was."
Another pang of guilt, but Saten kept talking. "We all were. Like I said, we haven't been friends that long. But I like to think I'm good at figuring people out. And this time I wasn't, I guess." She leaned back into her pillow, fingers pressed together. "It's weird, I thought I had it all figured out when I saw you with your boyfriend-"
Mikoto choked.
"but I should have seen there was something else wrong. I just... it can be hard to imagine anything could bother someone like you. I mean, I'm a Level 0 - basically powerless. So when I look at you, sometimes I think that there's nothing that could ever cause you problems." She took a deep breath, eyes closed, and Mikoto could sense her unease. "So I'm sorry, Misaka-san. I should have thought about it more. You're a Level 5, sure. But you're also not that different from the rest of us. I should have realized what that meant."
There was a lump in Mikoto's throat and she had to struggle to speak past it. "That's… that's not your responsibility," she managed at last. "You shouldn't have to do that. I should be able to take care of myself."
"Maybe." Saten tilted her head back and looked up at the ceiling. "But you know, even if that's true, if I'm going to be the kind of friend I want to be then I'm going to have to be better. I need to look out for you, even if you think you don't need it." She looked back to Mikoto with a smile, mischief in her eye. "And if sometimes you don't want to listen, then I'll just have to get creative to make you. I'm sure Uiharu and Shirai-san would looooove to help."
Mikoto shuddered. That was a terrifying thought. Level 5 she might be, and stronger than ever. But she didn't want to be on the receiving end of anything those three might cook up if they worked together.
She chewed on her lip and tried to process everything Saten had said. It wasn't easy. Before Kuroko, she hadn't really had many friends. It had been… not lonely, exactly. She'd been so focused on pushing her ability as far as she could that she hadn't had much time to think about it. But there had been times where she'd thought that it would have been nice to have someone else around, just to talk to.
Was that what Kuroko had wanted to do? Was that what Uiharu hadbeen doing, when she'd come to her aid? Was that what Saten was doing now, despite everything she had done?
"Does it still hurt?"
Mikoto winced as soon as the words left her mouth, but Saten's smile didn't falter.
"Yeah, a bit." She touched her chest, fingers gingerly probing. "It's weird. Sorta like when you burn the roof of your mouth. You can tell that something's off, but it doesn't hurt so much as feel weird, only with this it's on the inside." She shook her head. "Sorry, it's a bit hard to describe."
"I'm sorry, Saten-san." Mikoto repeated, forcing back tears. "I never… I didn't want this to happen."
"Hey, don't worry about it. You didn't do it on purpose, right?"
"Of course not!"
"And whatever was going on that caused it is over now?"
"Y-yeah. I mean, as far as I know."
Saten's smile lit up the room. "Then there's nothing for you to worry about, Misaka-san! We're friends, and that means I forgive you. Just try a little harder to keep your head next time and we'll be good, okay? Besides, chicks dig scars, and this is gonna be one heck of a story!"
Mikoto felt numb. Saten… forgave her? Just like that?
"Although… if you're really feeling bad about it, then I suppose there is something you could do to make it up to me."
There was a trap in those words. She could see mischief in Saten's eyes. But if nothing else, she at least deserved this.
"Anything you want."
Saten held up a pair of fingers. "Two things. First, we wanna know what happened. Me, Uiharu, and Shirai-san. We worked our butts off trying to help you, and we deserve to know what was going on."
Mikoto nodded. That much she'd expected. "And the second thing?"
Saten grinned a jack-o-lantern grin. "You need to introduce me to your boyfriend!"
Mikoto nearly fell over while Saten cackled.
"H-he's not my boyfriend!"
"Are you sure it's okay for you to be out of bed, Saten-san?"
"Nah it's fine, Uiharu!" Saten grinned and gave them a thumbs up. "They said I'm not at risk for anything too serious. It's mostly just tissue damage. Although I guess I'll have to stay here a bit. But I'm not so bad off that I can't get out of bed, as long as I've got a chaperone." She grinned. "Right, Misaka-san?"
Mikoto smiled and pushed Saten's wheelchair up to one of the only free tables in the bustling cafeteria. "I guess I should keep an eye on you then, huh?"
She cleared some crumbs from the table while Kuroko and Uiharu took their seats opposite them. Saten's grin widened and she said, "Man, sure is crowded in here though. I almost can't hear myself think!"
"I imagine there are many people with friends or family that have been admitted today," Kuroko said, eyes scanning the room. "Every hospital in the city has been inundated with injuries resulting from the earlier excitement."
"Guess so. Well as long as we're here maybe I can get something to eat. They haven't fed me since I got here!"
"Ah… Saten-san, you've been unconscious since you got here."
Saten shrugged. "Well yeah, but that's all the more reason for me to be starving!" Her face scrunched up. "I just hope the food is better than I remember. Last time I was in a hospital it was super gross."
"I wouldn't count on it," Mikoto said. She'd made the mistake of grabbing something from the cafeteria the last time she'd visited the Idiot. That was not something she was looking to repeat. Not that she'd have much choice. She'd been given strict instructions not to leave the hospital until she could be given a more thorough checkup. It was only the lack of free rooms that allowed her the freedom to move around without having to ask a nurse for permission.
"Ah well, guess I'll just have to make do. I'm hungry enough that I could eat just about anything."
Kuroko sighed and shook her head. "The whole city was thrown into chaos and you were laid up in the hospital, yet all you want to do is eat."
"Yep! Bring on the grub!"
A smile tugged at the corner of Kuroko's lips and Mikoto giggled. It really was a relief to see that Saten was just as she always was. It kept them all sane. Maybe that was the reason she was going to such great lengths to act normal. Or maybe that really was just the way she was.
"First things first though, I wanna know what you were doing in the middle of all that, Misaka-san."
Saten flung a pointed finger in her direction and Mikoto almost swallowed her tongue. "W-what?" she said, coughing. "Y-you want to do that now?"
"Sure, why not?" Saten shrugged. "You did promise, and I'm suuuuper curious. You'd been acting so weird and then all this crazy stuff happens all over the city? Come on, spill!"
"W-well, I don't know if now is a good-"
"I'd be curious to hear about that as well, Onee-sama." Kuroko's expression was serious, though the way her lips pressed in a slight frown was more thoughtful than angry. "We put forth a great deal of effort into trying to unravel the mysteries behind the Power Pox outbreak. I cannot describe to you just how surprised I was to find out that you were involved."
"Not that we think you were doing it on purpose or anything!" Uiharu hastened to add. "We just… it was just a shock to see your name listed in the database we found. I- we know that you would never hurt anyone on purpose. We just want to understand what happened."
Mikoto had to force back the urge to stammer out some excuse. That was what she would have done a month ago. Even a few days ago she probably would have found some way to keep them in the dark. But she had promised herself she wouldn't do that. She owed it to them to tell the truth. Even if she was still terrified that knowing might put them in danger. Not telling them had gotten both Saten and Kuroko hurt, and put Uiharu in a situation she never should have had to be in.
No, she wouldn't lie. She wouldn't deflect them. They deserved the truth, and besides - they'd probably just throw themselves right back into danger trying to help her the next time things went bad, whether she told them or not. The least she could do was make sure they would be prepared.
And that, she realized, was what she had been missing all along. Saten, Kuroko, and Uiharu… they were her friends, and she would protect them without a thought. But each of them was their own person, and they were just as willing to put themselves at risk for her sake as she was for theirs.
"It's… kind of a long story." She licked her lips, picking her words carefully. Her heart was pounding and there was still a voice in the back of her head that said this was a terrible, terrible idea. "I guess it started about three months ago…"
She laid it all out for them, trying to remember as many details as she could. Searching for somewhere she could train outside of the ability development curriculum. Finding the Director and his lab. Corrin's experiments. Kamui and her attempts to warn her. Her own determination and the feeling of her power, growing stronger yet at the same time harder to control. And finally the events of the last few days, with her slipping grip on reality and ultimate confrontation with Corrin.
Her friends remained silent throughout her explanation. It was difficult, explaining to them what had happened. Harder still to listen to herself say it. It had all seemed like such a good idea, but to hear it like this… how could she have been so oblivious?
"I'm sorry for how much of a mess things became. I never… I never meant for things to get so out of control." Her voice was barely a whisper and she was resting her head in her hands by the time she finished. "I just wanted to get stronger. I thought... if I was strong enough, I could keep the things - the people - I cared about safe." She snorted and lifted her head. "So much for that. I got tricked into causing one of the worst disasters in Academy City's history."
"Man," Saten said after a few moments of silence. "How the heck do you manage to get mixed up in something like that? You've gotta be like, some kind of bad luck magnet!" She paused. "Then again, I guess you did kind of go out of your way to find some sketchy types, so maybe it's not super surprising. Still though."
Kuroko chimed in before Mikoto could reply. "Honestly, Onee-sama." She was rubbing her temples as though trying to fight off an oncoming headache. "This is exactly the reason I always say that you shouldn't get involved in Judgment matters. Whenever you get an idea in your head you just keep going with it without even thinking about what might happen." She let out a long-suffering sigh. "Honestly. And you're supposed to be our senior."
Mikoto flushed. Okay, maybe she deserved that one. Not thinking about what she was doing was definitely one of the things that had gotten her into the most trouble over the years. But… "You're not… not mad?"
Uiharu piped up, a warm smile on her face. "You said you were sorry, Misaka-san. And… I was there with you, underground. I know how much you regret what happened, and you've done everything you could to make it right. If Saten-san forgives you for what happened, I can't think of any reason why I should be mad at you. Right, Shirai-san?"
"As much as I would like to give you a good, long lecture on the importance of being responsible, Uiharu is correct. I may not have been there, but I know you, Onee-sama. You wouldn't do anything without at least thinking you had a very good reason. As long as you're willing to make amends, that's more than enough for me."
"You already know how I feel," Saten said, propping her chin up on her hands. Her grin widened. "Just remember to keep your other promise, and we'll be good, okay?"
"Hm?" Kuroko looked back and forth between them. "What other promise?"
"It's nothing!" Mikoto's cheeks suddenly felt very warm. "Just don't worry about it, okay?"
Saten burst out laughing while Kuroko and Uiharu simply looked confused. The heat in her cheeks was spreading down her neck, but despite the embarrassment Mikoto couldn't help but smile. What had she been so afraid of? These were her friends. They'd stood by her side through thick and thin. They'd always been there for her, and they always would be, wouldn't they? No matter what happened, the three of them were with her.
"O-Oi, Index, stop pushing- agh! The pain! I'm injured, you know?"
Mikoto cocked her head, listening through the crowd while Saten diverted Kuroko's questions.
'Oh no way.'
"No! You got involved in something dangerous again, and you made Sphinx worry!" There was a flash of familiar blue in the crowd, there only for a moment, but it was enough. "You have to buy us whatever we want to eat to make up for it!"
Mikoto snickered, and before long it grew into a full blown laugh.
Well, it was nice to see that some things didn't change.
Other things though - well they certainly weren't going to be the same.
"It's not really as bad as it looks," the dorm mistress said, guiding Mikoto past a large hole where the wall seemed to have been blown outward. "I've been assured that the structure is under no risk of collapse. Considering the damage to the cafeteria and the interior dormitory, we should count ourselves lucky. Of course, we can't allow students to stay here until it's fully repaired. Will you be able to find accommodations for yourself, Misaka?"
"Ah…" Mikoto turned away from her investigation of a scorch mark that marred the floor for the entire length of the hallway. "Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem. I'll just get a hotel."
"Good. Tokiwadai will reimburse you the cost once everything has been sorted out on campus." She pushed her glass up, all business, and Mikoto couldn't help but smile a bit. It was nice to see something normal amidst all the chaos that she had caused. "We apologize for the inconvenience, but the administration is doing everything it can to maintain order among the Tokiwadai student body."
They stopped in front of a familiar door. "Take your time and gather anything you may need from your room. I will be down in the lobby assisting other students." She fixed a stern glare on Mikoto. "I hope that I don't need to tell you to be careful."
Mikoto shook her head. "No, I understand. I will be." She bowed. "Thank you very much. This shouldn't take long."
"See that it doesn't." The dorm mistress paused. "Oh, and don't think this means that we won't be having a detailed discussion about your recent absences."
Mikoto paled. "O-of course not."
"Good." With a curt nod the dorm mistress turned on her heel and stalked back down the ruined hallway.
'I changed my mind, I wish she would change, at least a little,' Mikoto thought, unlocking the door to her dorm and stepping inside. Discipline was all well and good in a school, but that woman took her job way too seriously. She'd take Corrin and his creepy gadgets over her stern glare any day.
She slung her bag onto her bed and rubbed her shoulder. She was still sore, but fortunately none of her injuries had been severe enough to require an extended stay at the hospital. Saten and Kuroko were still stuck there, unfortunately. Uiharu had offered to go to Saten's place and get anything she might need, and Kuroko had said she had enough spare clothes stashed at the Judgment office that she didn't need anything from the dorms.
Mikoto glanced over at Kuroko's dressers and suppressed a shiver. Just as well. She really didn't relish the idea of going through Kuroko's things. Her impression of her roommate was tarnished enough by her usual behavior that she had no desire to find out what she kept in her wardrobe.
She forced her mind off of whatever Kuroko might be keeping out of sight and began going through her own drawers, pulling out clothes and setting them on her bed. It might be a while before they came back, so it would probably be better just to grab everything she might need. Anything she forgot she could just buy later.
Socks, underwear, bras, a set of uniforms, some casual clothes. Toiletries. Computer and chargers. She tried her best to focus on what she was doing, listing off each item as she laid them out, but despite her best efforts her mind wandered as she packed.
All the students were accounted for. That's what Kuroko had said. Plenty of injuries, but so far it looked like everyone at Tokiwadai would recover. Her relief at hearing that had left her feeling weak-kneed, but seeing the damage first hand had tempered it. Despite what her friends had said, it was hard not to feel the full weight of responsibility for what had happened. And with Corrin locked up and evidence of his crimes mounting, there was nowhere for her to direct her anger except inward.
She was trying to get over that, but it was hard. Especially with how drained she still felt. Physically she was on the mend, but mentally she was still exhausted.
But being here was helping, in a way. It was hard to look at the damage to her school, but confronting it head on was the only way she knew to deal with it.
"Ah~ so you are here after all. I was starting to wonder when you'd show, Misaka-san."
Mikoto whirled, hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Dammit, she knew that voice-
And there she was, standing in the doorway, hair and makeup as impeccable as ever and that same smug smile on her face. It set her teeth on edge. Especially the way those star-filled eyes seemed to always be laughing at her, and the way her stupid big chest was so-
"Eyes up here, Misaka-san."
Mikoto flushed scarlet and snapped her head up. "W-what are you doing here? Get out of my room!"
Shokuhou laughed, light and musical and yet still grating. "My my, Misaka-san~ I never knew you were that kind of girl." She swayed her hips and leaned forward ever so slightly. "You should have said something. I always thought you hated me. To think that these were your true feelings."
She winked and Mikoto felt the steam pouring out of her ears. "Shut u-up! What the heck do you want? Did you just come here to make fun of me? Because I am really not in the mood!"
There was a flicker of something in Shokuhou's eyes - almost like… wariness? But it was gone before Mikoto could get a closer look. The psychic straightened and crossed her arms, back against the doorframe.
"You take the fun out of everything, Misaka-san." She gave her head a dramatic shake, blond locks dancing around her head. "You should really work on developing your humor ability. It's not healthy for someone your age to be so uptight."
"You're the same age as I am," Mikoto grumbled. She turned back to her bed and started throwing things in her bag. This was so notsomething she wanted to deal with right now.
"Perhaps, but the difference in maturity is quite clear." A pause. "As well as development in certain other areas."
"That's it!" Mikoto turned on her heel and stalked over to the smirking blonde. "Why. Are. You. Here?"
For a moment Shokuhou didn't answer. She simply gazed down at her with those golden eyes - dammit, she was a bit taller, wasn't she?
Mikoto kept her eyes fixed on Shokuhou's. No sense getting any more worked up about… other things.
Shokuhou sighed, and the teasing light in her eyes went out. "Honestly, Misaka-san. Did I not warn you about what might happen if you kept going like that? You caused me a great deal of trouble, I'll have you know."
That… wasn't what Mikoto had been expecting. "What?" Something clicked and her eyes widened. She hadn't even considered it, but Shokuhou was an esper too. "Your ability. Did you…?"
"No, thankfully." She tapped her temple. "My mind is not so easy to manipulate, Misaka-san. On the other hand, your little stunt caused almost every member of my clique to lose control of their abilities. I had to use my Mental Out to force them into unconsciousness. Had I not, the results could have been much worse."
Mikoto flinched. "How do you even know what happened?"
"I don't, not fully." She shrugged. "I know enough, though. I know you were involved - I've tried getting into your head enough times that I know what your AIM field feels like, even if I didn't realize right away what it was - and I also know that I warned you there was a risk if you kept pushing yourself."
The accusation in Shokuhou's voice stung, if only because Mikoto knew she was right. She had warned her. And she hadn't listened. Which wasn't a big deal - listening to the other Level 5 about anything was generally a bad idea - but she hadn't even bothered to think about it. She'd just kept pushing onward, convinced she was doing what was right.
"So what, did you just come here to make me feel guilty?" Mikoto stood firm. She wasn't going to back down, even if Shokuhou was right. "Well I do. But I'm doing what I can. What, exactly, do you want from me?"
Shokuhou's lip curled in a mock pout. "Always so suspicious of me. Whatever makes you think I want anything from you, Misaka-san?"
Mikoto blinked. "But-"
"And by the way," Shokuhou continued as though Mikoto hadn't spoken at all, "I didn't simply come here to make you feel guilty. But you shouldunderstand that this is something you could have avoided if you'd simply bothered to think about it."
Kuroko had said more or less the same thing. Uiharu had sort of hinted at it too, though she'd been a lot less direct about it.
Another sigh. "Believe it or not, I am not out to get you, Misaka-san. I know we've had our differences, and I would hardly call you a friend, but that doesn't mean I'm going to make you miserable on purpose. Much." She tapped her chin. "Okay maybe a little, but all in good fun, you understand."
Mikoto rolled her eyes. "Sure. Don't be surprised if I come and kick your ass for it then."
"Hmm, but you'll have to find me first~."
The conversation paused and Mikoto leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, eyes cutting sideways to keep Shokuhou in sight.
"So. If you didn't just come to tease me and you didn't come to make me feel guilty, why are you here?" Her eyes narrowed. "You still haven't answered that question, and you hardly seem like the type to make a social call. And I doubt you were just so worried about me that you had to come make sure I was alright. So what is it?"
"You're right about that. I wasn't terribly concerned with your safety. I assumed you could take care of yourself." Her lips quirked in an almost smirk. "But if you want to know why I'm at Tokiwadai, it's because I organized the emergency relief efforts and they wanted me around in case anything happened while they were allowing students back in to clear their rooms. You being here was just a bonus."
That wasn't what Mikoto had been expecting at all. "You did?"
Shokuhou clicked her tongue. "You must think I'm some kind of monster. Did you really think that in a situation where if I failed to act my fellow students would be hurt that I wouldn't do everything in my power to prevent that?"
"Well… honestly, yeah." Shokuhou's eyes narrowed and Mikoto held up empty hands. "I'm not saying I thought you'd try to hurt people on purpose! Most of the time. I just sort of figured… well. I thought you'd probably find a hole to hide in and wait things out."
"So you believe me a coward, Misaka-san?" There was an edge to her voice now, and Mikoto noticed her hand was brushing against her shoulder bag.
"No, that's not really what I meant." Mikoto blew out a breath and ran her fingers through auburn hair. "Look. You never went out of your way to give me a good impression of you, you know. So I just thought, if it came down to it, you'd look out for yourself first." She shrugged. "I wouldn't blame you for that."
Shoukuhou relaxed, if only slightly. "I suppose I can't fault you for thinking that. Well. Perhaps this will help you realize how great I am. And that perhaps you don't have to always think of me as the enemy."
"Maybe if you'd stop antagonizing me all the time I'd be more likely to consider that suggestion," Mikoto said wryly.
"Hmmm. That doesn't sound very fun at all." Shokuhou pressed the tips of her gloved fingers together. "You're simply too much fun to tease, Misaka-san!"
"That's what I thought." Mikoto shook her head and returned to her packing. "Well? Did you get what you wanted? I sure hope I kept you entertained."
"Hmm. You know, I think I did." There was humor mixed into Shokuhou's voice again, but it didn't quite grate on Mikoto's nerves so much this time. "Oh, and if you do ever find that you simply can't control yourself any longer, do come find me. I'll be sure to teach you all about a mature woman's body."
Mikoto's incoherent shriek echoed down the halls.
"Is here good?"
"Let me see… yes, I think you've got it, Misaka-san! Just lower it down right there and it should be fine."
"Gently this time if you please, Onee-sama. We don't need you collapsing any more buildings."
"I got it I got it, jeez. You act like I can't handle a little cleanup."
"Well, I dunno if I'd call this a little. Pretty big mess out here, huh?"
Mikoto rolled her eyes and let the twisted chunk of metal and concrete drop to the ground. The impact kicked up a cloud of dust and shook the ground beneath her feet, but otherwise didn't disturb the pile of rubble that had once been part of a parking garage.
"Perfect! Good going, Misaka-san! You're a natural! Is there a foreman's hardhat in your future, perhaps?"
"Yeah right." Mikoto smiled and wiped the sweat from her brow. The midday sun was beating down on them and the air was crisp with the promise of cooler weather to come. She hopped down from the pyramid of tarmac that was jutting up from the road and accepted Uiharu's offered water bottle with a word of thanks.
The sound of machinery moving and roads being ripped up reached her from a distance; it sounded like the cleanup efforts were in full swing all over the city. In the two weeks since what was now being officially referred to as the "Mass Esper Delirium Event," things had fallen back into something of a routine, and the city was starting to patch itself up.
Saten wheeled herself over with a grin. She certainly seemed to have gotten used to the wheelchair, though she hadn't quite achieved the mastery Kuroko had when she'd been stuck in one.
"You sure? You've got the attitude for it. Though I think Shirai-san has you beat in the bossiness department."
"Hey!"
Mikoto laughed. "Thanks, I think. By the way, you know you guys really don't have to be here, right? I'm the one who got stuck with community service."
Which was getting off pretty easy, as Kuroko had pointed out. All things considered she probably should have been sitting in a cell in Academy City's most secure juvenile detention center - not that it could have held her if she'd wanted out, her prideful side pointed out. But apparently Kamui-sensei had advocated hard for her, and she was being considered an unwitting accomplice to the events that had taken place; a severe enough offense to be punished for, but not so bad that she was really being considered at fault.
She wasn't sure really how she felt about that. A part of her was relieved, but another part felt she deserved to be punished more for her part in the whole mess.
'Don't be ridiculous,' Kamui had said when she'd voiced those feelings. 'You're fourteen, Misaka-san. I know that you hold yourself to a high standard, but it's completely unreasonable for you to expect yourself to bear the weight of this disaster, no matter what part you played in it. And I will point out - again - that the actual responsibility you bear is not nearly so great as you seem to think. So stop complaining about not being punished enough and do what you can to help.'
So she had said, anyway. All good points, sure, but it was still hard to change how she felt about the situation. She was trying, though. She just hoped Kamui-sensei was going to be alright. She hadn't been able to visit her in the last week - apparently she was cooperating with Anti-Skill to root out anything they might have missed on their first pass through the remains of the facility. Which was good news, really. Hopefully Anti-Skill would go easy on her since she was being so cooperative.
"Do not be ridiculous, Onee-sama," Kuroko said, pulling Mikoto back to the present. She teleported another chunk of concrete into the back of the massive truck they were using as a dumpster. "Uiharu and I are members of Judgment; it is our duty to assist in keeping order in Academy City, and that includes assisting in the relief efforts." She smiled. "It is simply a wonderful coincidence that we happened to be assigned to the same district as you."
Uiharu blushed.
"Yeah, and you know I'd just be bored sitting around at home by myself," Saten said with a toothy grin. "I hate sitting on my thumbs, so I'd rather be out here cheering you on. Can't say I'm sad I don't have to move rocks with you guys, though. I don't think I'd be very good at it."
Mikoto stretched her arms over her head and cracked her elbows. "I guess so. I didn't expect such a mess though."
"I don't think it's quite as bad as it looks." Uiharu sat back down on the blue folding chair she'd brought along and pulled her computer back onto her lap. "Most of the buildings that actually collapsed were already derelict. A lot of them were slated to be demolished soon anyway."
"Hmm, but I thought most of those were in Skill-Out territory," Mikoto said. "They'd have been hit less hard since it was espers that were affected."
"True, but the borders aren't really consistent," Kuroko pointed out, one eye closed in thought. "I think Konori-senpai said something about it."
"Oh yeah." Uiharu looked up from her laptop. "She was talking about the first generation of Academy City buildings being phased out and updated, wasn't she?"
Kuroko shrugged. "Something like that. Anyway, it isn't terribly important. What is important is that we get back to work, or else we'll be here all day."
Mikoto cracked her knuckles. "Now that's an attitude I can get behind. Alright, I'll handle the big stuff. You grab the little pieces if I miss anything, Kuroko."
"You do not need to tell me how to do my job, Onee-sama." Her words were sharp but there was a smile on her face, and Mikoto grinned back.
This was how it was supposed to be. The four of them, working together. If she'd only been able to see that from the beginning, then maybe things would have been different. Maybe Saten wouldn't have been hurt, Kamui wouldn't be facing jail time, and the city wouldn't be such a mess.
She pushed the thought deliberately aside. It was in the past now, and all she could do was learn from it and keep moving forward. Like Saten had said, they all made mistakes. The important thing was learning from it. A lesson she wished she'd taken to heart the first - or second - time, but well… Kuroko always said she was stubborn, and it was getting harder and harder to deny that claim.
'Third times the charm. Just hope I can actually get it right this time.'
"Misaka-san, can you get that piece out of the way? I think it's the last big chunk and then we can focus on clearing the small stuff."
Mikoto looked to where Uiharu was pointing and nodded. "Yeah I got it. Kuroko, stand back for a minute."
The teleporter blinked away and Mikoto reached out with her senses towards the giant slab of broken concrete. Hm. Bigger than anything she'd moved that day so far - about the size of house, lengthwise, and pretty thick. It had survived the collapse mostly intact and had settled on a pile of smaller rubble. Rebar and other metal supports crisscrossed the inside though, and she grasped them with ease.
The ground rumbled and scattered bits of concrete and metal tumbled from the pile as she lifted the massive slab up. It had to weigh tons, but she hardly felt it. It could flatten them all to pancakes in an instant but it felt no heavier than if it had been made of cardboard.
'I could probably rip a skyscraper in half.'
An idle thought. She had no intention of actually following through on it, but... well, it was interesting.
She'd felt different ever since coming out of Corrin's machine. At first it had frightened her. Her ability had always obeyed her. It had been years since she'd had to exert any real effort to control it. Even when she'd been exhausted, hunting down the labs being used for the Level 6 Shift, she had been able to control it with ease. Now though, it was as if it had a mind of its own. It was growing all the time, constantly pushing, and she had to keep focused if she wanted it to stay leashed.
It was scary, in a way. Especially after she'd seen what it could do to her friends, if she lost control.
Her eyes cut to Saten, who was watching the floating piece of parking lot with open awe. Mikoto smiled. Nothing ever seemed to keep Saten down, even though Mikoto knew she carried her own demons. But she did her best not to let that be anyone else's problem. Something she herself hadn't managed - or indeed, had ever really thought about. So much for being mature.
She had feared she'd ruined their friendship forever in one moment of madness, but Saten had forgiven her almost out of hand. As if it was barely even worth mentioning. Friends got into fights, she had said, and sometimes people got hurt. It wasn't anyone's fault.
That didn't stop Mikoto from feeling responsible. Because she was. But she got what Saten was saying, and that helped.
"Alright, it's coming down."
"Everyone's clear!" Kuroko called. "Let it drop, Onee-sama!"
Mikoto exhaled and the slab listed before crunching to the ground hard enough to send a ripple through the road and a shiver up her spine. Yeah, no matter how light it felt she really wasn't in a hurry to get underneath it.
"Nicely done, Misaka-san!"
Mikoto smiled and gave Uiharu a thumbs up. Electricity wrapped around her fingers and she let it snap at the air before she reeled it back in. It pushed at her, but it obeyed.
Strange how this whole mess had gotten started because she had thought she wasn't strong enough. And now she was, and that was the least she had gained from the experience.
'Was it worth it?'
"Alright! Way to go, team! I think this calls for a break, what do you say?"
"Saten-san, you haven't even done anything."
"Yep! And I'm totally beat! Come on, let's get a snack or something. We've been here all afternoon!"
"That not a bad idea, I suppose." Kuroko teleported back over to Saten and Uiharu while Mikoto walked over to join them. "Will you get in trouble for taking a break, Onee-sama?"
"Nah, it should be fine as long as we finish by the end of the day."
"Great! Now we just need to find something that's open-"
Mikoto looked towards the sky. A gentle breeze gusted through the buildings as the sun began to dip lower. The air was cool against the sweat on her face and arms, and she leaned into it.
Things hadn't gone exactly as she'd planned. She'd made mistakes, and there had been consequences. More severe than she ever would have thought, and she would do whatever it took to fix things. But beyond that, she had learned. She'd grown, and not just in power.
She glanced at her friends, not quite whole, but happy, healing, and most of all here. Together. That was what mattered, in the end, and what she'd been so slow to appreciate. Well, that was going to change. There wouldn't be secrets between them, and she would make damned sure she protected them. And this time, she'd let them protect her, too.
And speaking of no secrets…
"Hey."
Her friends stopped talking and turned towards her. Mikoto grinned.
"Do you guys want to meet my sisters?"
A/N: This is it, the actual finale. There's more I could write for this I'm sure, but if I kept going now I don't think I'd ever stop. It's well contained, and I think it tells a complete - and perhaps even cohesive - story. Mikoto has grown, and as she pulled me along for this journey so have I. It's been an incredible experience. This story came so close to dying so many times, but here it is, finished at last.
I can't thank my readers enough for sticking with me through this. Some of you have been here since the start, while others are more recent. I appreciate the feedback I have received, and I hope I've managed to improve along the way.
Special thanks have to go out to the following people: Cun, Digeridoodler, Roadmart, 61Wisampa, TPKTheStoicTPK, ReaperLuca, and Skarlashka. All of these people were directly involved in getting me to actually write the damned story, and between beta reading and brainstorming have helped shape what it became.
Is the ending satisfying? Perhaps not. I understand the impulse towards wanting to see the girls meet Mikoto's clones. I thought a lot about it. But the fact of the matter is, it didn't need to be in this story. I started with the intention of that being a pivotal event in the plot, but it never really came together that way. I'm not upset about that. It just didn't belong. Perhaps I'll write a mini sequel of sorts someday, so keep your eyes peeled!
Once again, thank you to everyone that has been through this with me. I'm not done with these girls yet, so I hope you'll look into my other ongoing Railgun story, Screwed Up! It's a little… different.
It's been incredible. Thank you all so much.