Author's Note: Thank you all for sticking with me so far. 400+ views already, and counting! Thank you for those who reviewed, followed, or favorited. I receive great inspiration and happiness from your support.

There will be one or two more chapters left, depending on how I decide to end the story. Read on!

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The warehouse seemed as empty as the neighboring warehouses, with rust-eaten walls and shattered windows. Mikoto and Kuroko faced the rundown front door, anti Capacity Down headphones switched on and senses on high alert. There was no sign of anyone around, but Mikoto could sense hostility radiating from within. She took a deep breath, nodded to Kuroko, and walked forward.

The door opened easily, but the two were confronted by complete darkness. A cold draft rustled Mikoto's hair and she suppressed a shiver.
We have to find Uiharu-san first. Retribution can come after that.

Mikoto used her ability to probe the spacious room. Just after analyzing the first half, she stopped, and grinned. The lights in this room were operational, just turned off. It was an easy matter for her to send a spark of electricity into the metal walls, up into the circuitry… and voila, the lights snapped on, bathing the interior of the warehouse in a stark white light.

So you're the ones who kidnapped my friend, huh?

Mikoto and Kuroko surveyed their enemies. Ten green power-suits armed with machine guns stood at the head, backed by around twenty men with various weapons ranging from handguns, bats, and even some riot shields.

They don't look very strong. If Mikoto faced them with her full powers, it wouldn't take more than a few minutes to knock them all out. However, depending on the strength of their Capacity Down, which was yet to make itself known, Mikoto and Kuroko might have a hard time against these people.

"Misaka Mikoto." A strong, masculine voice echoed from the power-suit in the middle. "Turn yourself in peacefully, and we will release your friend unharmed." He gestured behind him, to the corner of the warehouse.

Mikoto gritted her teeth. Uiharu was roped to a chair, seemingly unconscious as she was slumped forward as much as her constraints allowed. She seemed unharmed, but at this distance Mikoto couldn't tell for sure.

"Onee-sama, maybe I can teleport her out before Capacity Do-" Kuroko whispered, when suddenly, an ugly, high-pitched screeching sound erupted from speakers set in various locations around the room. Mikoto felt the noise clawing at her brain. It hurt, but the headphones made it possible for her to keep her feet with relative ease. She was sure she could also use enough of her ability to keep Kuroko and herself safe from bullets for a short time. Kuroko seemed to be having a slightly harder time, a bead of sweat running down her face.

Alright. Saten-san and Touma should be in position by now. It's time.

Mikoto strengthened her resolve, and shouted out. "Who are you working for?"

A chuckle. "You do not need to know. Surrender now, or else." He pointed his weapon at Uiharu. "She dies."

Mikoto grimaced, but shouted confidently. "Come on, I'm the one you want, right? It's thirty against just two of us, why don't you come get me? Oh, I get it. You're scared, aren't you? Even using Capacity Down, and military grade equipment, you don't think you can take me." She laughed loudly. "You guys make me laugh. What a joke."

"You…" A voice filled with rage. A sudden clatter of machine gun fire, and dozens of bullets flew toward Mikoto and Kuroko. At the last possible moment, Mikoto jolted the bullets off course, sending them crashing into the walls behind her.

"That's the best you can do?" She laughed again. "Who do you think you are, to go against me?"

That did it.

The power-suits hissed, and threw themselves forward, guns raised aggressively. They split into two groups, coming at Mikoto and Kuroko from two angles. The men on foot broke into a run after them in frenzy, shouting in rage.

"Okay, Kuroko. This'll be tough, but let's get through this."

"Of course, Onee-sama."

Together, they faced their opposition and fought for their lives, and the life of their friend.

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Ruiko knelt down at where she thought the middle of the warehouse should be. She and Touma were behind the warehouse unobserved, while Mikoto and Kuroko distracted the enemy from the front. The plan was simple.

Resuce Uiharu while they're busy fighting Misaka-san and Shirai-san, and get out. The clatter of gunfire and the smell of ozone was enough to deduce that the fight had already started, and the enemies inside should be focused on Mikoto and Kuroko.

Touma knelt beside her, and drew out a laser cutter from his bag. Carefully, quietly, he cut open a small hole in the wall. Big enough to crouch through, but small enough to hopefully remain unnoticed. As soon as the cutter had finished it's job, Ruiko pulled the section of the wall out and crawled through, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the bright light inside.

She first saw Kuroko and Mikoto fighting as a team, Kuroko keeping a hand on her Onee-sama as Mikoto deflected bullets and struck back with lightning. The two would blink from one place to another in staggered intervals of time, confusing the enemy and landing surprise attacks.

I guess Kuroko was more powerful than she herself had expected, Ruiko thought, remembering that Kuroko had said she probably wouldn't be able to teleport herself. Mikoto's hair fanned out as she blasted power-suits and footmen alike, gritting her teeth as she fought against the toned down yet still significant effects of Capacity Down.

She's beautiful. Ruiko thought, and immediately chastised herself. What are you thinking? Find Uiharu first, besides, Misaka-san has Kamijou-san…

Clenching her fists, she glanced around the room, and found Uiharu strapped to a chair only a short distance to her left. She ran toward her, crouched down to avoid detection, and immediately starting hacking at the ropes with a knife she had had the foresight to bring. Touma appeared beside her as well, keeping Uiharu steady so that she wouldn't fall as the ropes were loosened.

After a minute or two, Ruiko cut through the last of the strands. Uiharu fell into Touma's arms, and together they high-tailed it for the hole in the wall. Ruiko dove through first, and with a combined effort dragged Uiharu through. Touma came out last. They had succeeded undetected.

Ruiko breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, if Misaka-san and Shirai-san can make it as well.

She glanced into the warehouse. Kuroko was obviously drained, unsteadily clinging to Mikoto as she teleported the pair a short distance every few seconds. Mikoto was in a similar condition, sweating profusely as she tried to save energy by only deflecting bullets as much as necessary, and aiming to disable with one strike. The number of enemies had vastly decreased, leaving only four power-suits and a handful of men standing.

They can make it.

However, even as Ruiko watched, Kuroko collapsed to the ground, gasping.

She's out of energy. The Capacity Down system is too strong.

"Saten-san, stay here with Uiharu-san. I'm going to go turn off the sound system." Touma said in a determined voice.

And before Ruiko could say anything, Touma swung inside the warehouse.

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He had already spotted what seemed to be a control room in the rafters of the warehouse. A thin, rickety ladder led up to it. Fortunately, it was on the back wall, right beside the hole they had made. He sprang up, climbing as fast as he could. Taking a quick glance over his shoulder, he saw Mikoto standing over Kuroko, protecting her with an electric barrier as the remaining power-suits focused their fire on the now immobile pair.

Hang in there.

Touma doubled his efforts, and found himself inside the control room. A single guard was glued to the front window, watching the fight from above. He had obviously not noticed Touma standing a few feet behind him.

Quietly, Touma stepped forward until he was right behind the guard. He must have sensed something, because he started turning around, but it was too late. Touma threw a hard punch into the guard's jaw, knocking him out in one blow.

Phew.

But there was no time to admire his handiwork. Touma desperately looked around the controls.

Capacity Down, or sound system… There!

He found a switch labeled "sound system on/off", and flicked it with baited breath. And sighed in relief when the high-pitched noise stopped.

He raced to the window.

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The effect of silencing Capacity Down was instantaneous. Mikoto threw off her headphones and ferociously blasted lightning in a wide radius. The remaining footmen went flying, and one of the four remaining power-suits shuddered and collapsed. Kuroko was still on the ground, eyes closed, obviously drained from her exertion, but Mikoto looked determined, and more importantly, energized. Touma sighed in relief.

Biri-biri can take care of the rest.

He started clambering down the ladder, when suddenly he saw Ruiko sprinting toward the fight.

"Wha-… hey, wait!" Touma yelled, and jumped down the remaining distance. It wasn't a huge fall, but he faltered as he landed. Looking up, he saw Ruiko running straight toward the middle power-suit.

What the hell is she doing?

Touma started dashing after her as fast as he could, premonition tickling his spine.

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A few moments ago.

When the high-pitched noise stopped, Uiharu woke up. The first thing she saw was the anxious expression on Ruiko's face, which immediately brightened up on seeing her friend open her eyes.

"Uiharu, are you okay?"

Oh no.
"Saten-san, where is Misaka-san and Kuroko-san?" Uiharu asked sharply. Ruiko looked surprised, but she answered.

"They're fighting inside there. Don't worry, Capacity Down just stopped, so they'll be fine."

A cold hand of dread clutched Uiharu's heart.

"Saten-san, you have to get them to run. They have a plan, and it's going to kill Misaka-san." Uiharu tried to get up, but drained as she was, fell back to the ground. Worry clouded Ruiko's eyes.

"What do you mean? What plan?"

So Uiharu explained what she had overheard while pretending to be asleep. When Uiharu was done, the last thing she saw was the horror in Ruiko's eyes, before exhaustion took over and everything went dark.

.

Mikoto felt the Capacity Down noise die away, and she immediately flung off her headphones. She felt her power return. Lightened by the lack of machinery on her head, more so in spirit rather than physically, she sent out a wide arc of lightning that swept the rest of the footmen into unconsciousness, and one of the four remaining power-suits to the ground. Mikoto smirked. Although Kuroko was out of commission for the time being, she could handle the three power-suits easily. As she prepared for a final burst of energy, she spotted Ruiko sprinting toward them.

Wait, what… No, focus.

Undeterred, Mikoto brought up her remaining energy to douse the remaining power-suits in lightning, when suddenly, everything went white. A loud high-pitched noise burst into her brain, scattering the energy she had pooled and driving her to her knees. It lasted for only a second, but it was enough to accomplish what had been planned.

A portable Capacity Down?! Even as Mikoto realized what had happened, she knew it was over. She couldn't see, nor feel her Personal Reality. In the next second, bullets would tear her and Kuroko apart. She had failed.

I'm sorry, Kuroko. I'm sorry, Uiharu-san, Touma. But most of all, she felt regret at not figuring out her feelings for Saten-san.

I'm sorry.

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But her end did not come.

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After a few seconds, her vision and power came back to her. And Mikoto stared in dread.

Ruiko was grappling the middle power-suit with her bare hands, keeping the barrel of the gun pointed away from Mikoto. The other two power-suits were pointing their guns at Ruiko, but with their leader also in their line of fire, were unsure of what to do. Mikoto could only watch in horror. If she tried to fry the power-suit, it would undoubtedly hurt or even kill her friend. Mikoto saw Touma racing towards them, clutching a riot shield.

But in the next moment, the power-suit twisted Ruiko off, slammed a kick into her abdomen that sent her flying back, and let off a burst of machine gun fire at the hapless girl.

No… Mikoto screamed silently. She watched as Touma dove in front of Ruiko with the riot shield, protecting them both from the worst of the spray. Yet, Mikoto instinctively knew that Touma had been a split second too late.

Something snapped inside of Mikoto. Electricity crackled, and the burning smell of ozone filled the air. The lights flickered; the walls sizzled with stray voltage. The power-suits turned toward her, and edged backward, but it was pointless. Mikoto let out three bolts of lightning at the power-suits with a yell, her fear and anger adding to her energy. The remaining enemies were blown back, smoke wafting from the destroyed circuits in their power-suits.

But Mikoto didn't care. She sprinted toward the figure of Touma leaning over a prone Ruiko.

Please be okay. Please, Saten-san. I need to tell you that I…I think… I have feelings for you.

But Mikoto's hopes were dashed to pieces when she saw the spreading pool of blood around Ruiko and her blood-drenched shirt.

No… Tears sprang to her eyes as she threw herself beside the still girl. Ruiko was still breathing, but her eyes were closed and her breaths uneven and labored. Mikoto counted four holes in her friend's shirt. Four bullets had found their mark.

Despair came over her, and she screamed. Touma was hunching over Ruiko, likewise trying to hold in his tears but failing. His mobile phone lay open beside him; Touma had called an ambulance the moment Mikoto had electrified the remaining power-suits. But it wouldn't get here on time.

Mikoto sobbed, desperately trying to stem the flow of blood with her hands.

Don't die. Don't die. I love you. Please, don't die.

But Ruiko lay there unmoving, silent, the interval between each breath becoming longer and longer, until she stopped breathing altogether.