"My, my, this is certainly a predicament you've found yourself in." Pearly whites stretched cracked lips as a sickly old man rubbed his chin in thought. With the pale lighting flickering briefly, it illuminated his dull eyes which were without gleam or light. The space he occupied was unsightly with crumpled papers, metallic parts, and wrappers strewn about, undoubtably in one of the many rampages of its occupants. Paired with the many damages accrued upon the walls and machinery, it paints quite an ugly picture of unadulterated rage. Still, his crooked smile never once left his face and his eyes were creased in amusement. It is quite unfortunate that his interlocutor doesn't seem as nearly as pleased.

"It's really time to put you in a crib, old geezer. Stop snooping around my business, dammit!" The younger man hissed as he slammed his fist onto a nearby desk, splintering the wood and completely disfiguring aluminum parts that laid upon the surface. Despite this, his skin did not break and blood did not pour out. A strange phenomenon but this was Academy City where virtually anything is possible. It could be an Esper ability or it could be genetic splicing or it could just be a prosthetic – ironically, that is the least likely, given the skin-like texture and seemingly human flaws that covered his arm. Basically, it was just too imperfect, too human, to be robotic.

Alas, the show of rage is no use as the old man, Kihara Gensei, completely ignored it. Instead, he hummed happily, wandering about and inspecting the crumpled papers with intense interest. His nephew, once removed, heaved with rage but stayed silent. Truth to be told, he was scared. The Kihara family may be one of the upper echelons within the city of science but they were a large family, numbering in the hundreds. Think of a typical pyramid hierarchy – the majority of the Kiharas hold prestigious positions of power in the numerous facilities across Academy City but they were completely outclassed by the top dogs. And Gensei? He's one of them. So despite being related, albeit distantly, Shoji might as well have signed a death warrant the moment he failed to protect Gensei's interests. Now, he was just hoping that this bold display of defiance might just save him.

(It won't.)

After a tense moment of pure silence, Gensei broke out in mirthless laughter as he turned to face his nephew, once removed. He grinned, smile jagged and mocking, "An absolute failure in every single avenue and expenditure… how is it that I'm related to you at all?" He absent-mindedly thumbed at a stack of papers, failure all but written on every page. Truly, a disappointment. It would be sad if he cared at all. Fortunately, all his attention has recently been wrapped up in his favorite, someone who defied all expectations and rose to the very top against all odds. Resilient and determined yet all too broken to be truly fixed – his favorite type of toy. A truly sickening smile spread across his face at the thought of all the new experiments he's been devising to play with her.

"I – What do you expect?!"

With his thoughts rudely interrupted, his façade almost faltered but thankfully, he managed to compose himself. Still, the use of this nephew has long expired and now, it's time to replace him as one does with broken tools. Yet…? The words that come out of his mouth are completely contrary to expectations, "I don't know. That will be for you to figure out. But this will be your last chance. My graciousness does not extend forever." To be honest, graciousness doesn't exist in Gensei's vocabulary. The fact that he even extended an olive branch is completely uncharacteristic… perhaps it's one last ditch attempt by Gensei's last vestiges of humanity?

As if. Even that's too much to expect, isn't it? After all, it's Kihara Gensei. He never had any humanity to begin with, much less any to lose. Rather, you should pity the poor researcher who follows a nauseating and revolting smell, only to stumble upon this abandoned office and find a mangled corpse collapsed upon a splintered desk, staining pristine wooden floors a crimson red. Their expression will be painted with horror, traumatized forever by the sight. But pity the poor janitor more as they are delegated to removing all evidence of the crime, only to be paid minimum wages, barely enough to live off the scraps of the elite. Alas, this story is not about them. By design, they are too unimportant, too insignificant to even think about.

No, this story is about the brilliance brought about by the ignorance and greed of corrupt adults, coalesced into a single child. Unfortunately, absolute power absolutely corrupts.

Will this be an exception or the rule?

…

Scampering footsteps and screams echo in an endless maze of concrete, black streaks whizzing through hundreds of twisting corridors with pinpoint accuracy, quick to chase their target. By the time the last Esper topples over, the entire facility is blanketed by a fearful silence. The researchers could only swallow their awe as they stumbled to record the data.

"Haha!" A girlish laugh escaped Mikoto's mouth, her lips spread in an impish smile. "That's a new record, right?!"

The long-standing record had been 12.389 seconds and she hadn't even won because one managed to escape. Now, it's a whopping 3.769 seconds, completely shattering the previous score. This time, it was a complete victory. Glaring red lights displayed her score and Mikoto could only squeal with happiness, shocking blue flashing about in her fervor. The fruits of her labor were finally showing!

Some of the newer researchers could only stand in shock. After all, such an impressive display of power and accuracy by a teenage girl could only a sobering experience. It's not like this is an easy game, not at all. The maze is humongous, with a radius of around 200 meters, designed to test accuracy and specifically made for the Railgun. (You'd be surprised at the amount of money Academy City is willing to dump on the girl.) The rules of the game are surprisingly simple, yet exceeding difficult to actually execute.

The main player stands in the middle of the maze and is not allowed to move from the spot. They utilize their ability to chase down the other players but they aren't allowed to damage the structures of the maze. On top of that, they aren't even privy to any previous knowledge regarding the other players, including location or ability. With others are spread out throughout the maze, this is a game of information too. Plus, the other players' only goal is to find a way out without getting 'tagged', making it extraordinarily difficult for the main player.

Of course, in this case, Misaka Mikoto is the main player. The others consists of twenty Level 4s, each with either movement or information-based abilities to aide in their escape. Twenty! Level 4s! Sure, Level 5s were known to be the pinnacle of power within Academy City but Level 4s were nothing to scoff at either. Yet not a single one was able to escape. They weren't given the time to even try.

The fight was over before it had even started. Iron sand seemingly materialized out of nowhere, zipping through the maze with enough precision to navigate at extreme speeds without damaging the structural integrity of the maze. They were like honing missiles, locking onto their individual targets immediately, taking on the shortest possible route and shocking their targets upon contact. With the short amount of time, only one Esper was able to make considerable progress. Should it be any surprise that such an Esper is a teleporter? With considerable speed, they were able to avoid the missile for a short period of time while moving towards one of the exits. Unfortunately, Misaka had already 'tagged' all the other targets by that time and was able to turn her full attention on the pesky teleporter, making quick work of them.

By the time it was all over, Mikoto had not moved a single inch and there was no noticeable amount of effort on her end. Instead, she sported a cocky grin, staring right into the camera lens and mouthed, "How'd you like that?"

The recording stopped then but it was instantly replayed from the beginning as researchers rushed to note down any and all observations. They were trying their best to find a discrepancy, especially in comparison to past attempts at the same game. In the mad rush, a lone white-coat was still gaping in awe and disbelief, only to yelp when he was slapped on the back.

"Stop hanging about with your mouth open like a fish. You need to get used to this. You'll be working with her every day, after all." One of the older researchers half-heartedly scolded her junior, a teenage intern. "We need to get the Level 4s out and recovering. They still have school tomorrow."

He flushed with embarrassment, "Sorry ma'am! I'll get to that, now."

She sighed with exasperation but her jaded eyes remained on the lithe figure flickering on the camera. Up until recently, the Railgun's power had been growing slowly but steadily. But now? This jump in power is completely unheard of, at least from Mikoto. Of course, her ascension to Level 5 had been quick and furious but her growth had been leveled out afterwards. She should be happy, she really should. Still, she can't help the sinking feeling in her stomach, telling her that something is awfully wrong.

It's probably nothing. Most likely. Teenage hormones throw predictions off, sometimes. It's probably just that. Hopefully.

Letting out another sigh, she stared at the live feed and watched Mikoto saunter out of view with suave, still glowing with happiness. However, even flickering screens and flashy powers cannot hide dull eyes that bore into her own.

"Hey, you really should do your duties, y'know. Especially after scolding the intern, and all." Instantly, she snapped out of her daze with a gentle nudge and soft chuckle from a fellow colleague. She rolled her eyes in exasperation and walked towards her equipment.

Well, when the Railgun eventually seeks revenge like all the other Level 5s had, at least they'll go out with a bang. (Unlike those at Project Dolly… they're all mindless vegetables now…)

…

Shirai Kuroko holds many titles within the City of Science but of the many, she truly only values one.

The Angel (read: Demon) of Judgement.

It is the one she has earned without a doubt, one that exemplifies her talent, her passion, and her ability in one activity, one that some love and one that others hate.

As a Tokiwadai student (and the heiress to a massive convenient store chain), there are many things expected of her, both by her family and by others as well. Judgement is the one activity that she sought outside of those expectations and succeeded at. Yet it is not the reason for her good mood today.

The skies are painted brilliant hues of blue and orange, layered behind thousands of petals whirling about in the wind. Breathing a happy sigh of relief, she hums a happy tune to the sway of the trees as she meanders her way home, nestled within the heart of the School Garden. The short walk home is elongated by constant stops to appreciate the golden specks of light bouncing off glass buildings and basking in the warmth of spring.

Do not mistake this as her normal character. Usually, her face is far more staunch and serious, as if she was an adult. After all, she's a member of Judgement, the organization in charge of keeping order within Academy City. One cannot be childish on the job, nor can they mess around in a life-or-death scenario. Yet today, she's uncharacteristically childish and joyful, going as far as to taking the time to enjoy the scenery.

The reason was simple: She met her idol today.

As a high-level Esper, she is often granted opportunities that others are not privy to. It certainly helps that her ability tends to be on the rarer side – there aren't many teleporters hanging around Academy City. When an anonymous message was sent through Judgement, she was certain to discard it. Such requests were common and if she fulfilled each and every one, she wouldn't even have time to sleep or eat. Still, she dutifully skimmed through the request and one word just happened to catch her eye.

Railgun.

Level 5s are the cream of the crop, the best of the best. And amongst them, Railgun is ranked 3rd. Even so, she remains the most popular, the most esteemed. When people think of Academy City, they think of Railgun. She is the goal of all aspiring Espers, the poster child of the city. Of course, it goes without saying that she is the most prestigious Esper that Tokiwadai has ever had the honor of having.

Despite going to the same school, Kuroko had yet to meet her, even once. Even so, she has heard rumors, whispers in the hallways and the cafés of her beauty, her intelligence and her power. That she was sought out by every facility in the city, that she seldom even has the chance attend classes. That, despite her busy schedule, she always treats everyone with kindness and joy, akin to a naïve child.

One cannot blame Kuroko for being curious, especially since Kuroko herself had been saved by the mysterious Level 5 when she was still in elementary. So it should be no surprise that the Railgun eventually became her idol.

Now, imagine her ecstatic reaction when she was formally invited to participate in an experiment with Railgun. Actually, that might be a slight understatement. She was completely overjoyed, jumping and squealing like a young child. Of course, she accepted the invitation immediately.

Despite her initial excitement, the whole ordeal had been incredibly stressful. Everyone knows the saying, "Don't meet your heroes." What if Kuroko was let down? What if the Railgun didn't live up to her expectations? Obviously, Kuroko knew that it wasn't fair to expect so much, not from a celebrity. But emotions cannot always be harbored by logic and so, she places her expectations anyway.

This morning had been on the cooler side but that hadn't impeded Kuroko at all. She made quick work of the distance with rapid teleports, blinking in and out of existence in succession. Upon arrival, there had been security checks after security checks after which she had been finally escorted into a conference room. A variety of other Espers were already there, fidgeting nervously.

"Alright! It seems that everyone has arrived now." A woman clapped her hands together, beaming. Confused, Kuroko tilted her head as she scanned the room for the person she was searching for. Nope. Railgun was not there. Had she been duped?

The woman laughed at everyone's expressions, "Don't worry, this is legit. Misaka will be here soon, she's just running a little late. There's been a little… accident at her other appointment. I just figured that this would be the perfect time to brief everyone on what we're doing today." Kuroko hummed, finding that a reasonable explanation. "Let me introduce myself. I am Masaki Aoi and I am the head researcher of this project. I hope that today will be an interesting experience for everyone involved."

As she spoke, a security guard began to hand out thick wads of paper to each individual and at the sight, Kuroko couldn't help but groan. Contracts were expected yet she couldn't help but hate them. "You might be intimidated with the length, but I assure you that it is just a simple NDA that ensures that any confidential information given today will not be leaked." Masaki smiled, clapping her hands together.

Being a naturally distrustful person, Kuroko made sure to study each and every detail, eventually ascertaining that it was indeed, a simple (for her) NDA. Thankfully, it seems that the researchers had anticipated this and thus, had given them ample time to review the contract.

After a long silence filled with rustling papers, Masaki Aoi finally continued, "In front of you is a map of a maze. It'll be the location of today's experiment. You can think of it as a combination of hide-and-seek and tag. Your only goal is to escape the maze without getting tagged by Misaka Mikoto."

Kuroko could only think, What kind of goal is that? How is this even an experiment? What's the point? The others seemed to share similar feelings of discontent as they began to mutter with confusion or even anger.

Before chaos could fully break out, Masaki continued, "Since this facility is dedicated to Misaka's power development and her subsequent contributions to the advancement of science, we are monitoring her advancement more closely. As such, the goal of the experiment is to test Misaka Mikoto's precision and power, similar to a System Scan that is typically performed annually."

If Kuroko had been a little less biased towards Misaka, perhaps she would've felt a twinge of annoyance or even hatred at the blatant favoritism but alas, she is not. Instead, she could only fidget in anticipation of the Railgun's arrival. Everything else was self-explanatory and with the compensation quickly paid and NDAs signed, all they did was wait. And wait. And wait.

After almost half an hour, people were undoubtably becoming restless. Hushed whispers and agitated movements filled the room and despite Masaki's best attempts to calm the room, one cannot control twenty Level 4 Espers at once. Thankfully, much to her relief, her savoir came at the perfect time.

Sauntering into the room was a brunette, lithe in stature and confident in prose. A smirk painted her face and while arrogance is seldom attractive, Kuroko couldn't help but think pretty. Truly, Misaka Mikoto met and exceeded all expectations. Despite her casual attire, (which is definitely against school rules) everyone could see her lean musculature through the thin sheen of clothing she wore. And god, was she pretty. Did Kuroko mention that already? She's very pretty.

"Heya, sorry for being late. You guys know how it is, right?" Her joyful laughter was melodious and her voice was silky smooth, melting any and all tension from the room. Seemingly unaware of any lingering discontent, she draped herself over Maki-chan, giggling, "You guys ready yet? I hate it when you make me wait." If it was any other person, Kuroko would've certainly rolled her eyes but instead she laughed in disbelief.

While her childish behavior seemed strange at first, Kuroko chalked it up to being a simple quirk of the Esper. That much was not unnatural, so it was best not to question it more. Rather, she basked in the sunlit personality of the Railgun, enjoying each and every moment as they made their way to the maze. For some reason, she caught Railgun's eye and she certainly isn't wasting the opportunity.

"Kurokooooo, you attend Tokiwadai, right?" Heat crawled up Kuroko's neck at Railgun's casual closeness, using her first name when they just met mere minutes ago.

Trying desperately to hide her flushed demeanor, she retorted, "You couldn't tell from the uniform?" Then again, it wasn't like the other girl was wearing the uniform either but she was the exception, not the rule.

Misaka only laughed in response, "Well, who knows? Maybe you're just a cosplayer. I've met a lot of those." Strangely, her eyes had flashed then, "'They're really fun to play with."

Kuroko blinked in confusion but by the time she formulated a response, they had already arrived at their destination. In the blink of an eye, Misaka left her side, swinging through the air with practiced ease.

Huh. What was that?

Regardless, she had no time to mull over the sentence as she, along with the others, were quickly ushered into position. Daunting gray walls surrounded her on all sides, with seemingly no end in sight. Despite knowing her relative position in the maze and memorizing the layout, being inside the structure was a different feeling altogether. Still, she's the Angel of Judgement. She, if nothing else, was confident in her ability to 'win', her affection for Misaka be damned.

The countdown on the speaker began, the seconds eerily ticking down. Since she's an avid Railgun fan, she was certain that she was aware of most of Misaka's abilities. It was obvious what Misaka was going to use: Magnetism. Given the rules and stipulations, Misaka Mikoto could only utilize her extensive control over metallic objects to track them down. Plus, Kuroko was certain that Misaka could likely sense the location of all organisms within the maze due to the unique bioelectrical signature that each one emitted. With this much information, Kuroko clearly was at an advantage.

That's not always enough, though.

As soon as the countdown ended, she could hear a distinct buzzing in the air. However, she didn't have any time to waste on analyzing any new information – if she didn't stick to her original plan, she had no hope at all. With the layout of the maze burned into her mind's eye, she calculated safe zones to teleport to, sporadically, with no pattern at all. That was her only hope at avoiding Misaka. If there is no pattern to analyze, then she would not be able to predict the next location that Kuroko would teleport to. However, since her down-time is around ½ second, she would have to teleport backwards at times in hopes of avoiding Misaka.

She blinked.

New location, same walls. If not for her extensive Judgement training, it's likely that she would've gotten lost in the insanity of doubt.

She blinked again. (The buzzing was louder.)

And again. (And louder.)

And again. Yet before she could formulate the equations to jump again, she is surrounded by a mass of black, growing by the second. It sizzles and crackles with brilliant sparks of blue, the sharp twang of ozone ever so present. Before she could even think, everything went black.

While it might've been a massive blow to her ego, it was a lesson well-learned. Basically, under no circumstances, never, ever target a Level 5. Still, the fact that Kuroko even had the opportunity to talk with the girl is a blessing, one that causes her to smile, even now.

The soft hues of gold are slowly melting away into a midnight blue and Kuroko begins to hurry, hopping through dimensions to speed her way back. There's no way in hell she's going to catch the ire of the dorm supervisor, not now. A good day will not be ruined by cracked bones and endless scolding!

Thankfully, she finds herself in the lobby of the dorm right before curfew begins. Other students are mindlessly milling about, chattering about the latest gossip such as political news abroad or new developments in science or the love lives of one another. Kuroko has no interest in eavesdropping on her peers and makes her way to the elevator before she is inevitable stopped, as she always is.

Golden blonde hair fills her peripheral vision and honey-scented perfume clings to her clothes like koalas to trees. Starry eyes and rosy cheeks, only one dares to approach Shirai Kuroko so shamelessly.

"Queen."

…

A/N

Misaki has always wanted Kuroko so I'd figure that would be fun. But Kuroko still has a very minor obsession with Mikoto, so it's push and pull. Also, I'm really not sure how big a circle with a radius of 200m actually is, but it needed to be bigger than Kuroko's teleport range without seemingly absolutely obscene for one person (but then again, its academy city) so I don't know.

Originally, I had plans to have Saten and her pesky little rumors in this chapter but things got shifted so look forward (?) to that in the next chapter. Oh, and I'm very excited to write a Russian Mall power demonstration with Misaka, so that will definitely exist.

As for Misaka's power, I am almost certainly pulling things out of my ass but I swear I have some basis for it. Some being the keyword. Don't ask me what, I'm still figuring that part out.

Thank you for reading! Please give thoughts regarding plot but don't be too harsh my ego is fragile :(