Traces of your Tears
CHAPTER 6:
Mikoto's fists clenched tightly, the skin over her knuckles turning white as fingernails dug furiously into the already bruised and battered palms. The pain was hardly existent however, her emotions overruled by raw anger. A fierce growl ripped from her throat, the burning hatred rising like a bloodthirsty beast from slumber.
"What are you doing here, Accelerator?!"
He stepped out of the shrouding darkness, his pale figure illuminated by the growing silver radiance of the peeking moon. A dark navy cloak was draped over his shoulders and shadowed his face. Something bulged from his back, covered by the soft material. He pushed the hood away with a slender hand to reveal a sour scowl contorting those sharp features, the shaggy white strands of hair looking luminous under the darkening sky.
"What, you're still trying to tell me what to do?"
Mikoto quickly stepped in front of Hyouka, blocking the confused girl from Accelerator's view. Every muscle was tense, defensively flexed on the ready for action. Her fists raised into a fighting stance, promising a ruthless retribution if he dared to step closer. The large purple bruises on her neck caused by Accelerator's strangulation attempt days ago suddenly ached, as if they knew their creator was nearby. It almost felt as if his hands were still upon them, caressing them in his deadly grasp. Mikoto gritted her teeth, and her eyebrows knitted together more closely.
"I hope you haven't forgotten already. I beat the crap out of you last time we met, remember? As long as we are both stripped of our abilities, I've got the upper hand here. I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you!"
The albino's scowl instantly grew darker, and the hard edges of his flaring eyes crinkled as canines flashed in fury.
Mikoto smirked, her confidence already swelling at his open display of frustration.
"Heh, you're no match for me like this at all. What was it that you said?" She tilted her head as if in deep contemplation. "Oh, that's right…" The persistent smirk slowly spread into a humourless, yet mocking grin. "'What's with the suicide wish?'"
A guttural roar of rage rumbled from deep within his chest, and his blood-red eyes enlarged at the Railgun's ridiculing reflection of his past words. Jaws crunched together and grinded audibly, the albino's frame madly shaking from an impressive fury that clawed viciously at his mind.
'How dare she?! How dare she?! HOW DARE SHE MAKE FUN OF ME?!'
Mikoto's grin quickly faded into a frown at Accelerator's increasing agitation, and she crouched further into a defensive posture. The mere sight of his pinprick pupils told of his unstable mental state and she silently wondered if she went a step too far and crossed the forbidden line. While she was confident she could take him on in their current disposition without much trouble, she didn't want Hyouka involved. A quick glance confirmed the younger girl's wildly shivering form, eyes widened in terror at the presently occurring discord. Just seeing Accelerator working himself up into such an intense rage was probably traumatising in itself for the naïve girl. Whatever the case, Mikoto didn't want another innocent bystander getting caught up with the likes of that monster. Her fierce eyes focused back on the albino, an arm stretching out protectively before her newfound friend.
The pale figure suddenly stopped trembling, his clenched fists dropping to open by his sides. His shoulders were slumped forward, heavy strands of white hair falling with the gravity to hide his expression. Like a puppet whose strings have been detached, he stopped moving altogether and stood limply. Only the shuddering breaths ringing in the cold air indicated that he was still alive. Mikoto's eyes narrowed, pondering what was going through that twisted mind of his as she anxiously anticipated his next move.
A gurgle sounded, resonating into a chuckle and then a laugh. Mikoto looked on in perplexity as Accelerator's shoulders began to shake. This time, it was not with anger, but with pure amusement. His head tilted to face the dawning night sky, pale lips parted wide open as his throat roared out his deranged laughter. The horrible sound grated against Mikoto's ears as the widened crimson eyes shone madly with glee.
"Ahahahahaahah… AhahahahahaAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
It bothered Mikoto that she didn't know what the maniac found so funny. Although she hated his guts and hated the very idea of any further involvement with him, she couldn't help but wish she could have a peek into his mind. Just once, just to see what made that insane mind tick.
"Tch, what a lunatic," Mikoto complained through gritted jaws.
The laughter abruptly stopped, leaving a dead silence hanging as the last echoes of twisted merriment died away. With a thudding heart, Mikoto wondered if he had heard her as those gleaming eyes of red steel swivelled in her direction. His lanky body straightened to his full height and his long neck twisted carelessly to face her. A wide grin that elongated his pale lips remained icy upon his features, sending a cold tingle down the electromaster's spine.
"What's so funny?" She spat at him, unwilling to show how much his misplaced display of amusement had thrown her off.
He barked out another short laugh, as if she had just cracked a worthy joke. Mikoto's frown deepened; the unpredictability of his actions was starting to grit on her nerves. She glanced back momentarily to check on Hyouka's still trembling form, determined to protect her should Accelerator decide to pull a reckless attack. He seemed unstable enough to take significant risks, and there was a possibility he may do so even while knowing that Mikoto had the advantage.
"Hmm~?" He craned his neck towards them, emanating a predatory aura enhanced by the wide sadistic grin still pasted on his lips.
"Ah~ I get it," He chuckled airily, "Khkhkh, I'm not gonna waste my energy on that pathetic wench cowering behind your hide, so don't get your panties in a twist, third-rate."
Mikoto's eyes narrowed into slits. As much as her charged up fists desired to fly some punches and knock her enemy around senseless, she restrained herself for Hyouka's sake. She simply stood with barely suppressed anger, refusing to back down or relax in his presence.
He was never to be trusted.
"What do you want then?! If you're just here to blow air from your lungs, I suggest you go somewhere else. We're not interested."
In the blink of an eye, his expression darkened, the stretched out grin abruptly pulled back into a neutral position. Stormy red eyes dulled over, those deadened orbs staring at Mikoto with bone-chilling apathy.
"I wonder… Would you still say the same thing if I told you something interesting about this place?"
"What was that?!"
"…"
Teeth gritted as her impatience edged on the verge of explosion. "Stop messing around and tell me what you know!"
Mikoto refused to back down, viciously glaring into those intimidating emotionless eyes, dark and soulless. It felt as if she was demanding information from the devil himself. A long silence passed before those pale lips moved.
"District 7."
"What?"
"District 7. The Windowless Building." his bored gaze never left hers. "We're supposed to go there; can't you tell?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Just what I said." The cold eyes suddenly look distant, as if they could see something Mikoto could not. "It's the only way to get out of this shithole!"
The Windowless Building. Of course, Mikoto had seen it many times before, since the tall building without any windows was located within her home area of District 7. Not much information about the place was available to the general public, and she hadn't ever taken much interest in it either. She knew next to nothing about what that place was.
Cold sweat dripped from her forehead, and down to her chin.
"I don't know what you're going on about, Accelerator."
His eyes refocused, mouth drooping into a leery frown as they rounded on the electromaster.
"Then shut up and listen to me, you little fuck," he growled. "As soon as the sun rises tomorrow, I'm going to head that way. It's the only way to get out of this shitty mess."
"And how do you know that?"
"Because I say so!" The albino snarled. "While you were lazing on your butt being all cosy with your lover, I actually used my eyes!"
A spark of irritation frizzled as Mikoto's cheeks flared red. "I was not! And stop calling her my lover!" She huffed, tossing back a loose lock of hair with her nose pointing to the sky. "I don't particularly care for the way you're addressing me either."
Accelerator swatted the air carelessly with a hand, his pale face smoothing into a look of utter boredom.
"Yeah, whatever, princess."
Mikoto's nose crinkled in distaste at his nonchalance, and her eyebrows knitted tightly above brown eyes full of mistrust.
"Why are you telling me this anyway?!"
"Maybe you want to spend the rest of your pretty life here in this shithole, but I'd rather not."
"Wait," Mikoto's voice lowered an octave in disbelief. "You're actually inviting me along to your excursion?"
He stared at her with those bland eyes, unbothered by the lengthy hush between them. He clucked his tongue in disapproval, drawling the next words slowly as if she was intellectually challenged.
"I've got nothing to lose, Railgun. It matters not to me whether you decide to join or not. I couldn't fucking care less."
"I don't get it." Suspicion oozed from the very way Mikoto stood to face him. "Why are you even offering?"
"I may have nothing more to lose, but that doesn't mean I don't have a brain." His thin lips twisted into a grotesque sneer. "We're in the same situation. Any dimwit would realise that it'd be better to stick together to solve this crap."
"Huh?!" Hot anger spiralled like a tornado, sweeping out in a rage as Mikoto's brows renewed their furrowing. "Why the heck should I trust what you say?!"
"I'm not asking you to trust me." Venom dripped from every word, and the white figure cloaked in darkness took a threatening step forward. "And I certainty don't trust you. Don't get the wrong idea, third-rate. I don't want you getting all lovey on me like with that wench."
Sharply glinting eyes flickered over to Hyouka and the girl whimpered loudly in fright. She tucked in closer to Mikoto, trembling arms wrapping around her torso and seeking comfort from the older girl. Mikoto's eyes rounded in surprise at the contact, but when they next met Accelerator, they were filled with renewed determination.
"Wait just a second. Are you saying you can cross to another district?"
Pale eyebrows shot up.
"Didn't I just say District 7? Did you lose your IQ as well as your ability?"
"Just spit it out already! I'm asking you a serious question here!"
"Do you fucking not have ears? I just said so, didn't I?"
"But that's impossible!" Mikoto exclaimed, her arms spreading out into a gesture of disbelief. "I already tried crossing into another district two days ago! I couldn't do it! There was some kind of barrier."
Accelerator's eyes narrowed, his lips thinning into a straight line.
"I see... So you're being watched too."
"What are you mumbling about?!"
His voice was a low growl. "There are eyes everywhere, Railgun. I suggest you be careful."
"… Are you threatening me?!"
"Tch, forget it. This is pissing me off." A slender hand gave another nonchalant wave in her direction, and Accelerator moved to turn away.
"You still haven't answered my question!" Mikoto ground out thunderously between clenched jaws. She took a step forward, intending to pursue him until she received a satisfactory answer. The cloaked figure spun around from his retreat.
"I already told you what I know." There was a dangerous edge to his tone now, bordering on growing impatience that rivalled hers. "Do you have better ideas, Railgun? Because you can rot here for all I care, but I won't let you pull me down."
"Then why?! I still don't get why you're telling me all this."
The frown on his face deepened into a fierce scowl. A set of spidery fingers combed through his white hair. "Don't try to figure me out."
"You have some ulterior motive right? Tell me why you're doing this!"
"God, you're so fucking annoying. Listen up brat, you know nothing about me and I intend it to remain that way. I'll say it once more and never again: don't try to figure me out."
Mikoto stared at the lanky figure as he turned away. Something in her mind suddenly whirred and clicked together. With that thought, the edge of her lips slowly curved upwards.
"Heh~" Her snide smile grew into a smirk. "I get it~. You're holding up the white flag because you're scared aren't you?"
"What?!" Accelerator's head whipped back towards her, fury and disbelief pushing his white eyebrows together.
"You realised I'm stronger than you without our abilities, so you want my protection or something, right?" Mikoto flashed him a toothy grin, regarding him mockingly. "Big strong Accelerator, seeking cover from the "third-rate" Misaka Mikoto, huh?"
His pupils dilated, his jaws snapping together in raw anger.
"Shut up!"
"So, what do you think is out there?" Mikoto taunted without missing a beat. "Monsters? Big scary things? Hairy insects with lots of legs?" She threw back her head and laughed, her brown eyes glinting viciously.
"Why youuuu-!"
The albino charged forward, too filled with rage to think about the possible ramifications.
"No, don't!" The loud scream that abruptly cut between them stopped Accelerator in his tracks.
Mikoto looked in astonishment at Hyouka who had suddenly flung herself in front of her with arms outstretched. Dark brown bangs shadowed over her eyes as she spoke in a trembling voice that shook with her body.
"Stop this… Please… I don't like it…"
"Huh?" Accelerator regarded her with impassive eyes, raising a fine white eyebrow.
"Don't fight!"
Hyouka raised her head, revealing tears that were on the verge of falling. Her voice hardly suppressed her fright, but the honest conviction with which she spoke was almost tangible.
"Stop fighting! I don't like it!"
A heavy silence hung between them all. Mikoto stared at Hyouka, wondering what was going through the younger girl's mind. The timid girl's sudden display of courage had been surprising in itself, never mind the way she was glaring at Accelerator while shielding Mikoto.
The albino clucked his tongue in irritation.
"Whatever, I'm tired of this crap."
He turned and began to walk away again. He waved his hand dismissively.
"If you want to survive Railgun, come to the entrance of the last retail store near the District 9 border down the road. 7am sharp, otherwise I'm leaving you to rot here. Your choice."
With those words, Accelerator vanished into the maze of buildings, his pale form consumed by darkening shadows.
"That bastard-!" Mikoto fumed, glaring after the other Level 5 and shaking an angry fist in the direction he had faded. "Coming out like that with threats and nonsense and trying to tell me what to do-!"
A loud thump made the electromaster focus her attention back on Hyouka who had suddenly slumped onto her knees. She was staring at the ground, shoulders heaving for breath. Mikoto's eyes softened as she laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, are you alright?"
Hyouka nodded slowly. "I just… I've never done that before," she said. Although she was still trembling, the girl's voice was filled with wonderment more than anything else. "Nobody has ever noticed me until today, so this is the first time I…"
She trailed off, looking down at her own hands with wide eyes.
Mikoto smiled.
"That was really cool of you, Hyouka." She offered a hand to help the younger girl stand back up.
Shining golden eyes stared up at her, awestruck wide and filled with light. "Th- that's what friends do… Right?"
"Right," Mikoto agreed.
With a big smile gracing her lips in return, Hyouka reached out to take the electromaster's hand. Mikoto felt the other girl's warmth touch her fingers briefly before it suddenly faded into the cold night air. Her widening eyes blinked in surprise, finding nothing but empty space where Hyouka had been, as if the girl had been but a figment of her imagination.
"What…"
Slowly, she lifted her face to stare upwards at the sky.
When had it become so dark? Only the single street lamp above now dimly lit the area. Having Accelerator appear suddenly like that had completely thrown off her sense of time flow.
Her jaws clenched with an audible crunch.
'Dammit, I guess Hyouka was telling the truth.'
Somehow, triggered by something unknown, the mysterious girl must have gone into the other dimension – the "real" world, wherever that was. Mikoto had hoped to follow by being near her, but obviously the solution wasn't going to be that simple.
"As soon as the sun rises tomorrow, I'm going to head that way. It's the only way to get out of this shitty mess."
Glaring at the dull moon peeping over the clouds, the electromaster thought over Accelerator's words. It frustrated her to no end that she couldn't read his line of thinking. Having an ability like Shokuhou's would have been perfect in this kind of situation, no matter how much Mikoto despised it. Only one thing was certain: Accelerator was up to something, and it couldn't be anything good.
'What should I do?'
She could ignore the meeting altogether, find out the secrets of this place on her own and get out by herself. Or she could play along with this farce proposed by Accelerator, and try to find out what he knew.
She nibbled on her bottom lip, considering both options.
While her pride hated to admit it, three days had already passed and she was no closer to finding any help of worth. On the other hand, Accelerator sounded like he knew something… although, that could have been a trap to lure her in. It was not her style to wait around for answers that may or may not come. Already, Mikoto was itching to move forward and charge ahead to discover the truth elsewhere, just as the albino had suggested. However, there was simply no way they could work together - there was too much foul history between them, too many negative feelings.
'But… If I can outsmart him…'
If she could think ahead and take advantage of the situation, there might be something to gain from the other Level 5. Without their powers, Mikoto was confident she could easily subdue Accelerator in a physical confrontation. Whatever he was planning, she would shut it down with all the brutal force she possessed at the slightest hints of foul play.
She would be the stronger one, she would be more dominating.
After all, there was no way she could simply ignore an obvious challenge like this.
A smirk twisted upon her lips.
'Bring it on, Accelerator!'