Chapter Eight

The sun was still well above the horizon when Touma and Takeki entered the reception area of the Hospital. It was a large area, polished white and gleaming with the promise of advanced, professional care for its patients.

"You really know the Railgun, Kamijou-san!?" Even though Takeki was a little taller than Touma, at that moment he seemed like a little kid looking up at Touma in wide-eyed wonder.

"Well, yeah."

"When did you meet her?"

Touma scratched his chin. "I don't really remember." Unfortunately, that answer was truer than Touma wished it was.

"Wow, so you've known her for a long time. Is that how you met your girlfriend?"

"I don't have a girlfriend." Touma's voice was slightly on edge from the continued badgering.

"Don't tell me," Takeki began cautiously, "you really did dump your girlfriend for the Railgun?"

"I told you that's not true!"

Takeki shrunk back a bit, features dropping solemnly from the rebuke. "I see."

Touma sighed and tried to fix his mood as the two walked on in silence. He wasn't quite sure what was getting under his skin. Aogami and Motoharu always harassed him. It had never mattered before. Maybe it was because Takeki was the one insisting. Because it was Takeki, maybe Touma was taking it seriously for the first time. But what did that mean? Did that mean that Touma seriously considered Misaka as… Then what about Index?

Amidst all the other concepts and theories that were ricocheting off the walls of Touma's mind a stray thought came to his attention; it was entirely alien, novel, and yet had no basis.

Was it Takeki himself that was the problem?

Musujime stopped in front of a door. "I need to use the bathroom," he told Touma pointing at the stick-figure sign.

"Okay."

Touma sat down in a nearby chair. He stopped thinking- it wasn't getting him anywhere. Instead he leaned back and took in the view. Everyone around him was in a good mood. That there was so much happiness in a place that was supported by the sick and the grieving may have been an amusing paradox for some. Instead, Touma viewed the place as a haven that would exist even without pain and death. It was a place that sought out peace and healing not for monetary gain, but because it wanted to grant those things. Because, outside this sanctuary, the rest of the city was a duplicit façade of ingenuity and technology, masking the corruption and decay that lurked the side streets, back alleys, and street corners at night.

"Hey."

Touma turned his head. Standing there was a young man in a light, gray jacket, jeans, and a baseball cap. Under one arm he carried a gift-wrapped package.

He looked to the side and rubbed his jaw with his free hand. "I, uh, overheard your friend saying that you know the Railgun."

"That's right…" Touma confirmed. Given the package, he was pretty sure he knew where this was going.

"I'm a big fan of hers and I was wondering-"

"Sure, I'll give it to her," Touma sighed.

"Really? Thanks a lot!" The guys smiled and handed the box over to Touma.

Touma's stomach shuddered. There was something weird about that smile. "No problem," he slowly replied, suspicion lurking in his eyes.

Touma watched as the young man walked out the front door, pausing when it opened to turn and give him a little wave farewell. Once the fan was out of sight, Touma walked over to a trash can and took the wrapping off the package. It wasn't the bomb that Touma expected. Instead, it was a rather large frog plush doll. The packaging was labeled "Gekota!" and it had a gold "official merchandise" starburst-shaped emblem. It was still factory sealed.

While it was possibly a very elaborate trap, Touma decided he was just being paranoid. He wasn't sure why he had felt so strangely about the fan's smile, but it didn't really matter at this point. He would probably figure it out later on.

With a smirk he thought to himself, I'll know I'm really losing it when I start practicing my baseball swings.

"What's that?" Takeki asked.

"Huh?" Touma was pulled abruptly from his internal musings. "Oh, some fan of Biri-biri asked me to give it to her."

"Biri-biri?" Musujime brought his eyebrows together as he tried to understand.

"Oh, I mean Misaka-san."

"I see. So that's her nickname?"

"Well, that's what I call her, but I wouldn't suggest doing it unless you can dodge lightning."

Takeki cocked his head to the side. "You must be pretty close to her if she lets you call her that."

Touma was caught off guard by that observation, but quickly composed himself with a laugh. "Not at all," he shook his hand to wave the assumption away. "She's always trying to kill me. Every time she sees me she'll chase me until I stop running."

"Hmmmm…" Musujime hummed to himself. "Lots of people know of her and she has probably met lots of people. Just remembering you is pretty impressive, but she puts that much effort into it…"

Touma stared at Musujime. What was he saying? Since when was he so forward? Why was he-

"Well, I guess we should get going!" Takeki chirped, his patented smile on his face. "I'm not sure when visiting hours end."

Touma was at a loss for words. "Uh, yeah, I guess so."

They walked down long hallways for several minutes. Takeki changed the subject to school. He asked Touma all sorts of questions about the school's curriculum, about the power development process, and about other ESPers Touma had met. Touma indulged him with all the answers he could give, slowly settling back into his rhythm.

Approaching a nurse station Takeki took the initiative to ask directions. His natural charm and good looks got him directions without any further questions. Touma could only imagine what the experience would have been like if he were to ask.

Takeki held back as they approached the door, letting Touma take the priority. Touma knocked on the door.

"Come on in," came the reply. To Touma's surprise he was disappointed to confirm that Misaka was in the room. Evidently a part of him was hoping that Takeki had been wrong.

Touma opened the door and stepped inside.

"You!!!" Misaka cried out. Her arm was pointing at him and her eyes were wide. "What are you doing here?"

"Um… I heard a rumor that you were in the hospital and really didn't believe it…" Touma scratched the back of his head. "But here you are," he smiled and interjected a little laugh. "Looks like you really did get beat by someone other than me!" He continued to laugh awkwardly.

"You idiot!" Misaka snorted indignantly. "I've never actually lost to you. If you want to fight I'll-" electricity was already sparking from her head.

"Misaka-san!" A girl that Touma had never seen before put her hands on Misaka's shoulders. "Now now, he's just teasing you," Saten said gently. Misaka calmed down. "I'm Saten Ruiko. Nice to meet you," she gave a slight bow. "I see you're an acquaintance of Misaka-san."

"Ah, yeah. I'm Kamijou Touma. Nice to meet ya." Touma glanced behind him. "Hey, it's alright to come in."

Takeki kept his head low. "Um. I'm sorry for the intrusion. My name is Musujime Takeki. It is an honor to meet you." He bowed deeply as always.

"He wanted to meet you so I brought him along," Touma explained.

"I'm Misaka Mikoto. Nice to meet you," she gave a slight bow from her seat on the bed.

"I'll make some tea," Ruiko offered.

Mikoto slumped back in her bed, closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened the one closest to the visitors. After watching Touma and the shy man accompanying him for a moment, she bolted forward and stared with eyes wide.

"What's that!?"

"Huh?" Both Musujime and Kamijou jumped. Realizing what had caught Misaka's attention, Touma walked over to the bed and relinquished the box, "Oh, here."

Mikoto quickly snatched it up. "This is the super rare Gekota Max plush!" A cat's smile was spread across her lips as she chattered. "There's only, like, 50 being produced for the whole world and it's not even supposed to be out yet." She broke the factory seal with her nail and quickly yanked the doll from the case. She turned it over and spun it around, energetically examining it. She suddenly stopped and looked up, embarrassed. "Not that I'm into kiddie stuff like this!" Her entire face was red. "I-i-it's just that I know this is a super rare item and I'm kinda… surprised is all!" She then became indignant and turned her head away. "A-and what's with you bringing me a present? It's not like I expect you to bring me anything!"

"Oh, that's not from me," Touma smiled. "It's from one of your fans."

Misaka's heart unexpectedly plummeted. For a moment she felt like she might cry at the dissolution of her assumptions, but the feeling quickly turned to anger. "You idiot!" She yelled and hurled a pillow into Touma's face.

"Eh!? What's that for!?"

"Just shut up you idiot!" She shouted back, sending a bolt in Touma's direction.

At such a range Touma barely had time to react. "Hey! You shouldn't use your powers in a hospital!" he cried out as he stumbled backwards and slapped it away in time.

"Kamijou-san! Are you alright?" Takeki inquired, eyes darting between the two unsure of what he could possibly do in the situation.

"Misaka-san, you shouldn't be pushing yourself like that," Saten reminded her.

"Well if that idiot-!"

"What did I-?"

"Alright, alright. Let's all just relax and drink some tea," Saten declared, ending the argument. Stepping over to Takeki, who was the closest, she held out a cup. "Here's some tea."

"Thank you for the drink," he replied and took the cup from her.

As he did so, their hands touched. Takeki's heart skipped. He stood there dumbfounded for a moment, at a complete loss for what to do. Noticing that he was staring, Saten tilted her head slightly.

"Yes?"

Her voice jumpstarted Takeki's mind and he reflexively drew back into his timid persona. "Uh, no, um…" he broke eye contact and looked down at his tea, an act that felt a lot more natural to him than it usually did. "Thank you for the drink," he repeated. He gave a slight, subconscious bow, rotated the cup in his hand, and sipped it. This seemed to amuse Saten a little.

Touma was seated against the window staring across the room uneasily at an unpleasant Mikoto. Saten served him first, receiving a quick "Thanks," and then crossed over to Misaka's bed where she sat down on the edge. Takeki took a seat by the door.

"So, it seems like Misaka-san and you get along rather well." Ruiko began the conversation.

"What are you saying, Saten-san!?" Misaka nearly spilled her coffee and the blush rose again. Touma, meanwhile, was having a coughing fit.

"Well, the only other person I've seen Misaka-san zap without hesitation is Shirai-san, her kohai."

Touma gave a little chuckle and raised his hands in uncertainty, "Well if Biri-biri shows her affection by zapping people, then she must be head-over-heels for me."

To Touma it was a pretty good joke.

The lightning bolt struck his hand with enough force to rock his chair backwards against the glass window. For a moment Touma was afraid that the window might shatter from the blow and send him toppling to the ground. Fortunately for him the windows in the hospital were an advanced, bullet-proof fiberglass.

"Oi oi! That was danagerous!"

Misaka ignored him, put on an air of superiority, and gave her hair a brush with the back of her hand. "If you thought I was head-over-heels for you then why didn't you bring me a get well gift?"

"But you just said-"

"You're a rather pathetic guy not to think of such a thing. And you run away from every fight you're in. Aren't you a man?"

Oh boy, she's really mad, Saten sighed with a half-smile at her mouth.

"Hey now, I don't have some super power like you," Touma said defensively. "I'm a Level 0 after all!"

"Oh will you stop lying about that! You have to be a Level 5 with all the stunts you pull!"

"I'm a Level 0," Ruiko chimed in. "I've never heard of a Level 0 with such a powerful psychic ability before."

Touma sighed and slumped forward, his head falling into his left hand. He scratched his head, unsure of how he could convince them he was a Level 0. As he was thinking he glanced at Takeki. The boy seemed transfixed on something- the tea in his hands was either well forgotten or already empty. Following his gaze, Touma found Saten at the other end. A list began falling into place in his head: black hair, good control over conversations, she seemed rather polite…

Hmmm. A plan was forming in Touma's head and a smile crept over his face.

As he was plotting, Ruiko turned her attention to Takeki as well. "Do you have a power?"

Takeki jumped, his eyes locked on Ruiko's for a moment, and then he looked away again. His bashfulness was at full power. "I, uh, I do have a power…" Takeki blinked at his own statement.

He wasn't supposed to have a power.

"Really? What kind?" Saten asked with enthusiasm.

"Oh, um, well, it's not much. According to the tests I'm a Level 0, but I can stop people from reading my mind."

Takeki was appalled, but he hid it well. What was wrong with him? He had worked as a spy and assassin for years. His acting should be flawless. So why was he-

"That so?" Touma asked. "Then why aren't you staying in the city with your sister?"

"Oh well, it's not much of an ability, so my parents didn't want to continue paying for my tuition here."

"I suppose that's understandable," Touma nodded. He glanced at Misaka. "It's not like all of us can be wealthy enough to attend a school in the Garden District."

"Listen, you-" Mikoto began to retort, sparks escaping from her head before the words even did.

"But still," Saten redirected the conversation, "that's pretty amazing." She looked down at the hands holding her tea. "I can't do anything, after all," she whispered.

Takeki's heart broke with empathy. He didn't know why. He couldn't even begin to theorize. Logically speaking, she was just some random person with no importance to his mission. Why was he feeling so bad for her?

The words left his mouth without him commanding them, "Don't worry! I'm sure that you're just a late bloomer. They say the last sakura bud to bloom is the most beautiful!"

What the hell? Takeki's eyes went wide. Everyone else's eyes were on him.

"Ah… I mean…" he blushed, which again was easier than it should have been, and looked down at his half-full tea cup.

As he kept an embarrassed facial expression up, his mind roared. His thoughts were a mix of panic and anger. Don't tell me! Don't even tell me it finally happened!

Touma was smiling as he mentally commented, This is going to be easier than I thought.

Touma broke the silence and made his move. "So, tomorrow's Sunday and I have a bunch of homework and housework to get done. It sucks because I was really hoping to show Takeki around town, but sadly I cannot!" He put his hands up in melodramatic defeat.

Misaka saw a connection to her own situation. "Is that so? Saten-san knows the streets really well. I bet she even knows where to find the best food!"

"Um, Misaka-san-" Ruiko started to object.

Touma wasn't going to let her. "Really? In that case would you mind showing Takeki-kun around for me, Saten-san? It would be a great help!"

"But Misaka-san is-"

"Oh, don't mind me, Saten-san!" Misaka reassured her. "You've done so much for me; you deserve to relax a little!"

"I haven't really-"

"You've been taking care of Biri-biri?" Touma asked.

"The whole time I've been in the hospital!" Mikoto informed him. There was no physical reaction to the nickname this time.

"Wow!" Touma exclaimed, awestruck. "That's so commendable!"

"It's not really," Saten blushed. "Misaka-san has-"
"If you're worried about Misaka-san, then leave it to me. I'll stop by tomorrow and make sure she's alright."

"Ah, well…"

Touma decided to seal it. "Thanks so much! You're a life saver!"

"Um, no it's…" Saten looked around the group, ending with Takeki.

He was blinking, unsure of what just happened. His lips moved, producing stunted words before he finally landed on, "I'll look forward to it."* He bowed but didn't take his eyes off of Saten's.

(***)

"So, did you enjoy it?"

Mage Slayer was standing in the corner, next to the curtains. The orange dawn was shining directly through the window, silhouetting what the shadows didn't already obscure.

By this point Misaka was neither surprised nor worried. She could tell that the mysterious man wasn't going to harm her anymore. She still didn't know what he wanted, though.

"Do you think I would be happy receiving stolen goods?" she turned her head away and sniffed obstinately, yet she didn't let go of the frog she was hugging.

Mage Slayer smiled for a moment, and then recomposed himself. "Well if you're worried about that, I purchased it properly. But it doesn't really matter to me if you like it or not." He gave Misaka a second to think about that before concluding, "I wanted to know if you enjoyed seeing your boyfriend, Migoto-dono**."

Misaka turned red from ear to ear. "H-he's not my boyfriend, geez! Where did you-"

"Migoto-dono," he interrupted.

"It's Mikoto!"

He stared at her sternly, "It is absolutely necessary that you continue to be on good terms with Kamijou Touma."

Misaka was taken aback for a moment. There was an intensity in his eyes and an undeniable urgency to his tone. She recovered herself quickly, donning the confidence and authority that came with her status as a Level 5.

"And why, may I ask, is that."

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Is that why you're here?" Misaka pressed the point.

"Yes," Takeki answered without hesitation. "I'm here to clear the way. My job is to ensure that everyone will be safe."

"You're making it safe by hurting people?" Misaka mocked. "What you're doing is terrorism."

"I don't expect you to understand, that's not your job."

"Then what is my job?"

"To protect Kamijou Touma with all the power you can possibly muster."

"Why?"

Mage Slayer shook his head. "We're going in circles," he sighed.

"And we'll keep going in circles until you tell me!" Misaka reassured him.

Takeki was no longer standing in the corner of the room. He landed on her bed with a slight thud, kneeling before her with his face inches from hers. This surprised her.

"If I told you what you were protecting him from," Takeki voice whispered to her gravely, "you may lose your will to continue living. Your mission is the most important, yet it is an honor that no one in the entire world would want. Take your days and your opponents one at a time and steel your resolve to protect your precious person. This is the only advice I can give you now."

Misaka was speechless as he sat back on his heels.

"I'll see you on the other side," he promised her before vanishing.

*- I'm using "yoroshiku" here, not "tanoshiminisuru". I couldn't really think of a good way of putting that in English.

**- Takeki is teasing her. Migoto means something along the lines of splendid or magnificent. One way of writing it uses the same character as Misaka's given name: 美