Looking back on it, the whole chain of circumstances that has brought Mikoto Misaka to this moment could have been avoided,
simply by refusing to partake in the project.
Outside the wind was raging and the cold was desperately searching for a way inside the little house where the two girls have taken refuge for at least this night.
"How about a little heat?" Misaka opted as she noticed the fireplace in the corner of the cold, dark living room.
She could feel the girl next to her nod lightly.
Careful not to hurt the girl any further, she helped her to the couch and laid her down, before collecting some of the logs that were stacked up near the fireplace.
The logs were big, but dry.
And so, with the proper equipment, one could make a fire without much effort.
And as was the case, the electromaster didn't even need a lighter to get the fire going.
The flames she created happily licked on the dry wood that was being supplied, and within only a couple of minutes, the tiny room began to feel warmer.
The next order of business was trying to get some electricity going.
Since this house was obviously only for summer vacations, the people who owned it, completely shut off the power in the winter.
As said before, the house wasn't big, and consisted of a small hallway with one door on the left side which lead to the living room, and three doors on the right side, that housed a toilet, a bathroom and a small cleaning cabinet in between.
This was also where Misaka found the fuse box and turned the two switches placed in them on.
Almost immediately a couple of lights turned on, which made it possible to see exactly where the two have taken up refuge.
As expected, the decor was almost entirely made out of wood.
But this was actually what gave the house a cozy, comfortable feel.
The girl walked back to the living room and looked around.
Next to the door, a steep stair gave entrance to what seemed to be the sleeping area.
The bed that was placed up there was rather small, but was definitely meant for two people.
And just like the rest of the house, it was comforting and felt soft and cozy.
Misaka shrugged.
They'll just have to share.
In the right end corner of the living room, the hallway made place for a small kitchen which, to Misaka's surprise, was stocked to the max with all kinds of canned, dried and even frozen foods kept in a small freezer.
Apparently the freezer was, just like the lock, connected on a separate network so that it would keep running all year long.
Now Misaka made the connection as to why she could feel this house.
They could hide in here for weeks if necessary!
Even the tab worked! And since this country had drinkable tab water, they didn't have to worry about a thing.
A light snore interrupted Misaka's thoughts and she slowly turned toward the source of the noise.
There, on the couch, exactly where Misaka left her, enjoying the now comfortable heat from the ongoing fire in the fireplace, she was, vast asleep and without a care in the world.
How did it end up like this?
How did Misaka ended up lost with this one particular person?!
The person she tended and cared for and now trying to save them both from freezing to death?
How come, of all people, she ended up here with Mental-Out Misaki Shokuhou?!
{-}
7 years have passed since the end of world war three, and in those years a LOT has changed!
Misaka graduated, top of her class and almost best of her school that year.
The only one who did better was the Mental-Out herself.
But Misaka has always suspected her of manipulating her way through these exams.
Speaking of the mental esper, she and Misaka buried the hatchet and even though it didn't stop them from being fierce rivals, they did form a special bond that held middle ground between friends and something more.
Of course they didn't see eye to eye on a lot of subjects, but they both realized they're a formidable team, and they both aren't exactly popular with the other level 5 Espers in the city, save for Gunha with who Misaka became quite close to due to his unlikely relationship with Ruiko Saten.
Both Mikoto Misaka and Misaki Shokuhou clang on to the idea that only they knew how lonely it could get at the top.
Taking comfort in the idea that they could confide in each other when they felt the world on their shoulders.
Another factor that deepened their bond was the realization they were both chasing the same boy, who didn't even consider them both as more than 'just' friends. Touma Kamijo pretty much was the densest person one could think of, and when he did finally cought feelings for someone, they both knew they didn't even stand a chance!
The spiked haired boy got married last week.
And even though Misaka is still a bit jealous, she likes Itsuwa and wished them nothing but the best!
Speaking of someone who got married, Misaka's best friend finally gave up on pursuing her and fell in love with the person who was supposed to be her enemy!
Apparently they bonded over the fact that they were both master teleporters and both Awaki and Shirai are nowadays what can be described as the standard publicly affectionate couple..
It has something to do with the thrill of the hunt.. or so Kuroko says.
Misaka was happy for her best friend, but it was hard seeing them so affectionate towards each other..
Maybe she is jealous because she misses the attention? Or maybe it was because she wanted what they had for self?
As for herself? She kept studying.
All of her friends had their future's pretty much secure, with Uiharu even securing a job at homeland security! It was impressive to say the least.
Shame she had to move out of the city for it though. She misses Uiharu.
Misaka didn't really know what she wanted to do with her life yet.
But whatever it was, it had to be so she could help others like she's always done.
Occasionally assisting Yomikawa and Anti-Skill in cases where her particular electric abilities are coming handy, the esper kept forfilling her role as the guardian of Academy City.
As for her current study, she chose Esper development, as she remembers all too well how her friend caught up in the AIM burst incident by using the level upper and maybe this was a way of finding out why Satens powers lacked.
This study spread across a range of topics.
Varying from actual Esper development, to Cell generation, to Human biology to Human evolution.
And exactly that last topic is what caused her so much trouble.
It was required for all students to pick one out of three assignments in order to advance them into the world of science.
One option was to do research on the expansion from Africa to the rest of the world in Tanzania.
Choice number two was an exchange with an American doctorate and get experience in the medical field.
And then there was this project about micro-organisms and their evolution to the creatures that live today in Austria.
For some reason, out of all three projects, Misaka chose the last project.
And just like that, she got a call a couple days ago that she was to board the plane!
Within 48 hours she was feeling the cold Austrian winter breeze on her cheeks.
"Why would they do this in the middle of the winter." She muttered.
The group she was traveling with was small. About 14 people.
Which included the teachers, guide and the driver. And to Misaka's big surprise, not one but three familiar faces!
To cut the cost on some expenses, it wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibilities for multiple schools to co finance the same projects.
And this wasn't anything new.
This was, apparently, no exception to that rule and it shocked Misaka to see both Index and Miss Komoé appear behind her at the airport.
Misaka had asked them if Index had the same assignment that she had, but miss Komoé had quickly answered that question.
"Just because the schools are splitting the costs of the trip, each school gives out its own assignments and even though we will have some group activities, you will have to keep to your given schedule."
She also noticed, in the plane, only a couple seats before her, a certain Blonde female from about her age, was fully invested in a movie she was playing on her screen.
'what the hell is Shokuhou doing here?'
The thought had crossed Misaka's mind even before she realized that the study the blonde was doing, wasn't that far off from her own study, and had apparently chosen the same assignment that she had, which should make things at least a bit more interesting to say the least.
The electromaster looked around. The resort was actually gorgeous.
A hotel that was build in the middle of the mountain ridge with an accessible road to the nearest village, a skiing area within only a couple hundred meters and mountains with snow everywhere!
One of those mountains even had one of those old fashion medieval castles build on its side, majestically overlooking the snow covered mountain range!
"So this is where I am gonna spend the last couple days of the year."
She said to herself as the realization kicked in that it has already been December for about almost three weeks and within only a couple of days it would be Christmas!
"Not the worst place to celebrate the new year is it?" the voice came from behind her.
"Not at all.." Misaka answered.
"I just wished I had my friends with me."
Her ears caught a giggle which made her eyes follow the noice.
"I'm with you." The voice said, moments before Misaka laid eyes on the slightly taller figure of Shokuhou Misaki.
Her voice was soft and if there even was some form of mockery in her answer, it went right over Misaka's head.
It was genuine and truly meant as encouragement. Misaka forced a smile.
"Thanks."
Misaka didn't see it, but it was at that moment Misaki Shokuhou's cheeks turned slightly red, causing her to turn her head a little.
"Can I ask you something?"
Shoukuhou let a sigh slip out. A small cloud of steam escaped her lips, showing all the more how cold the temperature here actually is.
"Why did you come here?"
The question kept lingering in the silence as Shokuhou tried coming up with an answer.
"Honestly Misaka, it's Europe. Who doesn't want to go there."
Her answer was filled with the usual amount of egotistical selfcare Misaka has come to know from the mental esper next to her.
A little annoyed she now turned her whole body towards the blonde and quickly closed the distance between them.
Now getting a good look at the girl, Misaka noticed she, just like herself, was a bit underdressed for the cold and didn't count for the temperature to be this low.
Even though she was wearing a long blue winter coat with a hood that was fully coated with a furlike material, it clearly wasn't enough to stop the cold from nibbling her ears, turning them red.
Her hands were as naked as her own were, and her shoes were, even though quite stylish, not very suitable for these kind of environment.
As usual, style has won it from common sense.
But that was her problem. Misaka grabbed the girl by her shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes.
Immediately it became clear that, even though her face was smiling, her eyes didn't express the same joy.
In fact, they looked sad and lost!
The once lively and enjoyable light in her eyes had become dark and now that she noticed it, Misaka felt her aura wasn't quite right!
A flash of worry entered Misaka's heart.
They may be rivals, and fought a lot over the years, but their rivalry has dimmed down and even though the two level 5s could be stonecold towards each other, she doesn't want the girl to die!…
In fact secretly Misaka has become quite fond of this girl and she won't be deny that she's her friend anymore.
"Shokuhou, are you okay?"
She tried to look as deep in the blondes eyes as she could, trying to find any hidden messages hiding in there but she got nothing.
Except a tear.
A single tear that filled the girls left eye and tried running down her cheek before gently being wiped away.
"And here I was thinking I would be the one to cheer you up."
Shokuhou says trying to break the sudden tension between them.
Misaka didn't answer. She kept looking.
There's a reason for this all. Maybe she's worried for her? Is that a possibility?
Should she even be asking this? What is she even doing?
"I'm here for you!" Shokuhou interrupted her thoughts.
"there's something you should know." Shokuhou sighed and Misaka noticed how hard it was for the girl to say what she was about to say.
"Dolly is sick. The doctors say there's a chance she might never get better!"
Even though it was the truth, is wasn't exactly what Misaki Shokuhou wanted to say.
Dolly had broken a leg during a skating incident and since she's a clone, the doctor doesn't really know if the broken bone heals itself.
The reason she was here had to do with something much more personal.
For shokuhou, a couple of things prevented her from what she wanted to achieve in the future.
Having a clique in high school is fun but once you graduate it doesn't really mean anything anymore.
Heck, most of those girls Shokuhou doesn't even see anymore.
Even Junko Hokaze, who apparently got married and now lives halfway across the world.
Not far from where Shokuhou and Misaka currently were actually.
Her Study on the human brain and brain development wasn't exactly smooth sailing either and she was about to fail class.
The only constant factor in her life was her rivalry turned friendship with Mikoto Misaka.
For her, it was a moment she came to cherish, and could actually count on.
As time progressed and both girls found their own ways in the world, Misaki Shokuhou became more and more aware of her affections towards the Railgun and she slowly started to understand that she was developing a crush on this stubborn, dense, dimwitted girl.
But to keep it a secret for the brunette was horrible.
She wanted to tell someone.
She wanted to tell her..
but the chances of blowing up the bond she had built with Misaka over the years were practically one hundred percent!
So she had decided on another decision.
She wanted one last week with Misaka before moving to New York.
To not ruin her friendship with the railgun, she had to move far, far away from the her.
And she came here to tell her that.
But the way her crush looked so worried for what might be wrong, she just couldn't do it.
This girl standing before her was driving her crazy in more ways than she wanted to admit.
But even though she fought her feelings for the brunette for a long time, in the end she accepted the truth and realized what was happening.
She wanted to be open with this girl!
Truly!
But she just couldn't! now was simply not the time!
sometime later this week she will tell Misaka what was truly on her heart.
But not now...
For now, she had to enjoy the moment.
Because basically she came here to say goodbye.
These last couple of days would be that last time they'll see each other for a long time.
Unless something unexpected happens but that's unlikely…
Deep inside Shokuhou hated herself for making up an excuse as lame as the one she told Misaka.
But she just wasn't ready to tell her the truth just yet.
Now Misaka and Dolly were acquainted with one and other, and with Dolly being a clone of Mikoto Misaka, she knew the brunnette cares for her and they see themselves as basically sisters.
And that showcased itself in this moment as well!
Misaka started to worry over the clone and immediately starting to panic over how she has to get home so she could be with her.
"Will you calm down!"
Shokuhou's voice barely managed to come through as Misaka glimpsed at her in an expression that formed a combination of fear and utter confusion.
"I'm sorry..?"
Shokuhou kept silent for a moment so Misaka could get her grounding again and calmed down.
"Look, for now you, or I can't do anything for her except hoping she'll get over this. So let's enjoy the few days we got here and trust that she'll get better."
Her voice softened. "I am just as worried as you are, but she's stronger than we'd like to give her credit for."
A sad smile ran over Shokuhou's face.
A fragile attempt to cheer Misaka up. And it worked.
Her words found meaning in the back of Misaka's head and slowly but surely her panic disappeared and a weak smile started to part her lips once more.
"Thanks." She said.
"You always know what to say don't you."
Misaka turned to face the beautiful mountain range once more and for the first time in a long time she enjoyed the silence between herself and the blond next to her.
'You have no idea…' Shokuhou thought to herself.
{-}
The night turned into morning and soon enough the first day went by without much effort.
Indeed Misaka noticed her schedule differed from that of other scholars.
But that was all right.
It was nice to do things on her own and she even stumbled upon the opportunity to do some recon of the terrain she was in.
The Austrian Alps were such a vastly different world from the confines of the city she was used to.
Even with her phone at hand she almost got lost in this world of ice and snow.
Her dinner got served and since it was already getting dark at around 5, it wasn't much use going outside anymore, so she stayed in her hotel room and in a spontaneous moment, she decided to call Ruiko Saten, who could help her track down Dolly, and to make sure she's Allright.
And so the second day arrived, and a group excursion to an ice cave was planned.
'It's almost as if they want us to suffer..' Misaka thought to herself while envying everyone still asleep back at home.
She took a seat in the bus and didn't even notice Index taking the seat beside her.
"Why would they make us do this in the middle of the winter." The girl immediately started to complain.
She was covered from head to toe in hot winter gear, making sure there not an inch of skin left that wasn't unprotected against the cold.
Except for her face of course! Misaka had to look twice in order to make sure it really was her and not some student who just looked like the girl.
Misaka giggled.
"I guess summer's too expensive."
Both girls knew exactly why this trip had to be held in the winter, but that didn't stop them from complaining about it.
In fact the longer the doors of the bus remained open, the more they started to complain.
She didn't care that it was childish. It was fun and it's exactly what she needed to keep her mind off of dolly.
She had learned to embrace the childish side of herself a long time ago and nowadays she didn't really care how other people thought about it.
"Can someone please turn the heat up?! I'm freezing here!" Index shouted to nobody in particular.
"You decided to put on your entire wardrobe and you're still cold?!" Misaka reacted in extravagant surprise.
"Well I'm sorry but we can't all be as cold blooded as you zapper!"
"Maybe not but at least I'm not living inside of a vulcano!"
"Oh yeah?! Well I'd rather live in a vulcano than that swamp they pulled you out of!"
"Gee that's a good one. Did you come up with that by yourself or did you had to look that one up on the internet?!"
"Someone of my level of intelligence has no need of such intricacies. Leave it to people like you to resort to options like internet to get you're comebacks up order"
"Did you just call me stupid without calling me stupid?!"
Even though the bickering seemed to get more heated with every line, Misaka actually enjoyed it.
She and Index were both used to these arguments and they did have a mutual respect for one another even though their relationship started a bit rocky with both of them being mister Touma Kamijo's charity charity cases.
Index grinned "Hey, all I'm saying is that when you've got blinkers on, and they fit…."
A short figure with pink hair stepped in the bus and grabbed the microphone that was attached to the speakers installed in the bus.
"Good morning everyone" she began while trying to get everyone's attention.
"Welcome to our field trip to the ice Caves of Werfen! I hope you're all as excited as I am because we are in for a treat!"
Miss Komoë said as she tried to make her words be as enthusiastic as possible in an attempt to get everyone's attention.
"Today is Thursday 21th of December and the weather will be rather good! The temperature will be C. -5 and it'll be sunny the entire day so don't forget to bring sunblock!"
The bus was almost fully loaded and the little person with her pink hair had to do her best to become visible for everyone.
"The trip to Werfen will take about 45 minutes, after which we'll also have to hike for another hour, so you've got plenty of opportunity to get yourselves warm."
A wink made sure nobody misinterpreted her.
"Especially since it is more a climb than just a simple hike."
"Wait, a climb?!" If eyes could roll out of their sockets, Misaka would have lost them then and there!
Her eyes spread open and she had trouble keeping her tongue inside.
"Why are we doing this?! Wouldn't it be better is we went there by bus?"
"Unfortunately the bus can't get that high so we have to walk a couple of kilometers before we get to the cave. But not to worry, the snow and ice is the most challenging part of the hike so for someone with your physique, this shouldn't be any problem whatsoever." Komoë told Misaka before taking her place in the bus.
The bus ride to the location was pretty, but quite boring really.
The road took the bus through typical Austrian scenery, through mountain gabs there houses were built against walls, mountains with castles on them, creeks that filled the gabs in between mountains and of course the never ending beauty of a winter wonderland.
The moment the doors of the bus opened and the familiar cold again started to surround Misaka's person, she understood why that bus couldn't go any further than where it was parked.
Immediately her fingers started to tingle and in a hurry she took her backpack and took out her snow gloves and the woolen scarf she took with her just in case.
Moments like this show how these attributes are more a necessity than a luxury item, and she let out a happy sigh when she felt the warmth of her body gradually warming both items. Other students, Index and indeed Miss Komoë and the other teacher all did the same thing.
Misaka's eyes holted at a certain blond that was just now making her way to where she was standing.
Her eyes locked into the other girl as she smiled and waved at her while walking towards the brunette.
{-}
This time better packed against the cold, Shokuhou couldn't resist giving the brunette a hug, and as she put her arms around Misaka's neck, she felt the arms of the other girl find their way around her waist.
The soft pressure against her breast and the firm grip Misaka embraced her with, made Shokuhou's cheeks burn up.
For a moment, she considered herself the luckiest person alive. Her head pressed against the shoulder of the railgun, and vice versa.
Even though this hug lasted at most a couple of seconds and was no more then what friends would consider a greeting, for the blonde, it meant the world.
For index, who was still at Misaka's side and partnered up with her for the duration of the trip, this sudden display of affection between these girls was a little bit of a shock. The three of them all went after the same boy once and she didn't really know both girls any other way.
Now that this boy was taken out of the picture, it changes things.
But Index never really thought about how it would affect the relationship between the three of them.
And now that Shokuhou's uncomfortable yet longing demeanor in combination with her burning red cheeks clearly showed affection towards the Railgun, she realized that this girl is harboring romantic feelings for Misaka.
A grin appeared on her face!
She didn't know how yet, but she could use this!
{-}
Everything that was supposed to be nature, was covered in snow, and even though this had it's own charm, Misaka couldn't help but think it was a shame they didn't see any of the nature as they started their hike to the top of this gab where the ice caves are suppose to be.
She could tell the nature would be breathtaking!
Now al they saw was white snow, with specs of green where leaves and grass were desperately trying to find its way through and find the sunlight to warm itself.
The world seemed as if ice and snow was all there was.
"As the domain of the Ice queen herself." She mumbled to herself.
The higher they got, the colder it seemed to get.
Maybe it was psychological, but Misaka wasn't willing to make a bet on that since the clothing she had with her definitely felt colder and colder the higher they got.
A gondola brought the group from the lower mountain into the higher mountains, from which the caves were only half an hour away.
The climb was intense and the snow covered paths didn't made it any easier.
it directed them directly into the middle of nowhere and Misaka realized that when one gets lost here, or falls of a cliff, one can be truly lost!
It was a scary thought, and Misaka truly didn't know what she would do if she'd ever get stuck in a situation like that.
This thought kept haunting her as the day went on.
Sure, both Index and Shokuhou managed to distract her every now and then, but the thought of what she would do kept coming back to the surface.
Maybe she didn't need to worry so much about it.
Its not like anything is gonna happen. Right?
And because she was so distracted by these thoughts, she didn't notice how it slowly started to snow.
"That's odd." Index said to nobody in particular. "I thought it would be sunny the entire day."
"Now that you mention it, that is what Miss Komoë said." Shokuhou answered while looking up at the sky.
The sun had been covered by dark grey, sky covering clouds that threatened the land below.
"I think it might be time to get back to the bus." Miss Komoë said, notified by the conversation of the former.
The first snow started to descent as the group slowly made its way down to the gondola's who would bring them to the lower mountain on which the bus was stationed.
For now the snowfall wasn't heavy yet, but everyone felt the temperature suddenly dropped drastically, which is usually a sign that in within the hour, this place will get caught in heavy snowfall.
Miss Komoë pushed everyone to move faster and within only twenty minutes or so, they've got their first glimpse of the gondola again.
A small open station housed a construction that held onto a giant construction. this construction, made out of solid iron beams, held a cable that went into the depth below.
"Okay, everyone in!" one by one the group tried to find a place inside the gondola.
this gondola. small and not meant for big groups like this. quickly became overloaded and needed to be rearranged.
That was the moment Index decided to play matchmaker.
Before Misaka knew what had happened, Index had pushed everyone inside the gondola exept her two friends.
"But wait I have to…" Miss Komoë sputtered as Index Pushed her in the gondola before getting cut off.
"Nope! These two have something to talk about in private. Besides, they're two level 5 espers! They'll be fine!"
She turned her head and now looked Shokuhou directly in the eyes.
"Now make sure to tell her what's on your mind okay?"
The door closed and with a light shock the gondola started moving.
Shokuhou's eyes kept focused on the moving device with the white haired girl inside.
'Those last words.' She thought as the meaning behind them started to sink in, turning her face slightly red. 'Does that mean she knows?'
These two didn't know each other that well and if Index knew that she was moving, then maybe Misaka knew as well?
'How?' She had safeguarded this secret and told nobody as far as she knew.
How come this girl knew?! It just didn't make sense!
"What was that about?" Misaka asked, half annoyed, half confused about what had just happened, causing Shokuhou to rip herself out of her thoughts.
'Jee Misaka, you're so dense sometimes.' She thought as a smile run over her lips.
Careful not to turn her head to the brunette, she looked at her through the corner of her eyes.
Misaka looked at her in expectation of an answer. "Misaki, do you want to tell me something?"
Her voice was cautious and firm. Not like the soft, lovable yet sometimes condescending tone she usually spoke with.
Shokuhou said nothing. The debate in her head whether she should tell this girl the truth or make something up again raged in her head.
The silence that followed was only interrupted by the mechanism that kept the gondola running and the slight breeze that found its way into the shelter.
After about a minute, she finally made up her mind.
She needed to tell Misaka everything.
How she was in love with her, how she was moving away because the pain of not being with her was simply too much.
Everything!
But not here. She sighed. "Yeah, I need to tell you something."
She now turned her head and for the first time since they were alone, Shokuhou and Misaka looked each other in the eyes.
She could feel Misaka's gaze almost locking into hers.
She didn't care about the blushes that were undoubtedly appearing.
She couldn't lay a finger on it, but something was happening between them and she didn't want it to stop.
Misaka took a couple steps closer, eyes still locked into hers, and Shokuhou realized the brunette was now right up against her, with only inches in between them.
She felt the warm breath from the electromaster, all while still drowning in her eyes.
'They're dangerous.' She thought as she started longing for the lips of this girl.
And honestly, it could be so easy for her to make her move and close the small gap between them.
And she wanted to.
She really much wanted to!
Without her even realizing it, Misaki moved in closer and closer, slowly closing said gap, caught in this dangerous game where one slight misstep could ruin the whole mood.
"Are you in trouble?" Shokuhou could have slapped Misaka in the face right then and there!
'Seriously!' This moment created a perfect atmosphere between them and this dimwit managed to ruin everything by asking something like this?!
"What?.. no?" Shokuhou stumbled as she was still trying to make sense of the question that has just been asked.
Misaka put her hands on the blondes shoulders, causing the blonde to almost lose it. "Then what is it?"
{-}
To be fair, Misaka's question wasn't all that weird.
When the blonde said she needed to tell her something, the first thing the electromaster thought of was that her friend was in trouble en maybe there was something she could do to help.
Therefore it didn't help that the blonde became confused about it. However, it was quite clear that she was dealing with something!
And now that they were alone, it became evident that whatever it was, she had been dealing with it for a long time.
She felt sorry for her and for some reason, she felt the best thing she could do for her is try and relieve her of the stress it was giving her.
So in an impulse she had turned and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Then what is it?" She responded. "What's on your mind?"
Misaki hesitated for a moment. "Misaka, I think I'm in lo….."
A low rumbling sound disturbed the silence and became louder as it came closer!
Misaka knew a sound like this never came with anything good, and she was just in time to see a giant boulder being launched right over her head and straight into the mast where the gondola was connected to!
This mast exploded into a rain of metal and sparks as the rock tried to make its way through the solid steel!
Within a split second, Misaka assessed the situation!
The gondola was almost at the bottom, but if the mast collapsed, everyone on that gondola would still die! She somehow needed to hold that mast up!
A little sprint took her to the place where she could oversee the mast and the gondola at the same time and she took a little breath.
She felt the metal inside the earth beneath her, the construction before her and she felt the electricity flow through her as she expanded and manipulated it to the point she could even feel the flow of power within the gondola itself.
She felt the metal of the tower bending under the weight of the gondola in the depth and she instantly knew what to do!
With an immense display of power, she magnetized a couple of steel bars from the docking station, causing the little house to collapse in on itself, and pressed them against the tower, exactly on the spot where the metal was about to break!
Then she applied power to the engine that ran the gondola so that everybody inside would land on the lower ground safely.
Bolts of electricity and lightning were flying around in all angles as the brunette exerted all the power she had within her!
This caused a chain reaction as some of the lightning bolts found their way up the mountain, and others to the environment surrounding the two level 5s!
Making the whole Scene a spectacular light show and in Shokuhou's eyes a tremendous display of power!
Due to the spontaneous action, Shokuhou had trouble keeping up with what happened!
One moment she was about to tell this girl how she felt, and the next she was watching her fight the world all by herself!
A little intimidated, Shokuhou ran towards Misaka and even though the electricity was now surrounding her on all sides, she knew as long as the brunette was nearby she would be fine.
As it happens she was just in time to warn the brunette of a couple of small boulders that now came rolling down the mountainside.
As a side effect, the rampant electricity had knocked loose some of these boulders and were now threatening to crush both girls!
"Mikoto!" The blonde yelled, and without any hesitation, the brunette used a fluent motion to break off the metal doors of a power station nearby and firmly plant them right before Shokuhou and herself! Breaking a sweat in the proces because this took everything she's got!
With a loud BANG the boulders crashed into the metal and ricochet into the depth below.
All this sudden violence however, had loosened the snow on the top of the mountain and with a crack, the snow suddenly collapsed under its own weight and started falling down right to where the girls were trying to save the gondola, devouring everything in its path!
Shokuhou saw this happening but didn't really know what to do about it.
Once again she looked at Misaka and jelled out her name.
The brunette turned around once more and was stunned for a second.
What can her powers do against a real avalanche?!
One final look to the gondola assured her that those within would at least survive the fall if she now released her grip of the tower!
She held on one second more while her brain desperately searched for a way out!
Her eyes locked onto the two iron doors that were now being used as shields.
Maybe she could do something with that? But there's no time to use it!
'I need more time to do that..' she thought.
And as she did, she realized there was one way she could buy those couple of seconds.
Her hand reached into her pocket for a coin which she threw in the air!
As she did, she released her grip on the gondola tower, causing it to immediately break and fall into the depth below, following the rocks a couple of seconds earlier.
With that much energy suddenly available, the electro master now focused everything into her left hand and to the coin which was now making its way down.
Her vision started to blur as she focussed on the path the coin needed to make.
Picturing a rail straight through the rolling wall of snow, ice and rocks that rumbled on, getting closer and closer!
The moment the coin hit her thumb, she released all that energy she had now stored up and with a loud BANG and a flash of light, the coin disappeared from sight, creating an opening within the coming avalanche!
Misaka didn't hesitate as she grabbed Shokuhou with one of the iron cables, bound herself to that same cable.
"whatever you do, Don't let me go!"
She warned Shokuhou as she pulled the blonde right up against her and held her tight, then proceeded to magnetize the two solid doors so that they would form a shield on both sides, bending it to the point that they became almost like a cocoon.
As she did, she noticed she was just in time!
The moment she closed themselves in, they both felt a shock as the snow, ice and debris picked them up and now took them with it!
Rolling and stampeding everything in its path!
It took about five to ten minutes before everything calmed down.
But it felt like ten hours for the girls inside the cocoon.
Battered but thankful to be alive, they emerged from the snow, only to find there was nothing left but white.
Misaka was the first to appear.
Except the mess the avalanche took with it everything was gone.
No houses, no roads, no nothing. It almost looked like white snow and mountain was all there was in the world.
Misaka looked around in the hope to find some reference as to which direction they came from. But there was none.
Everything had been swept away and wiped clean.
And as Shokuhou appeared above in the snow, Misaka spoke with a voice that cracked under the realization of their current condition.
"We're lost."