It feels cliche to say this, but it feels as though he was being pulled by invisible strings. As if he was part of a game, a chess match, where the pieces are moved without his consent, without him even knowing that they're there. And yet, here he is, playing a game he's never wanted to play, with rules he's never been taught.

Kuroko, Ruiko and Uiharu; three of his friends. Three people that he's closest to aren't part of his family. All three in a state he'd never thought they'd ever find themselves into. Kuroko, in the ICU. Ruiko, comatose. And worst of all, Uiharu, kidnapped by a scientist.

Half the thing inside Hirano's mind is trying to puzzle everything together, like pieces in a game board, each with a particular role, a purpose, while the other half, the less dominant half, is slowly fading. The constant dull throb, the nagging ache that has plagued him since that day is only making matters worse, eating him alive. He tries his best not to think of it, but it keeps creeping up, pushing its way to the surface.

If worse comes to worst, he'd have to face the facts. He'd have to accept the reality. That he's in a game, a cruel, twisted game. A game where he can't afford to lose. Not if he wants to keep everyone he knows alive.

But what can he do? What choices does he have? How can he possibly navigate this mess?

The words swirled all around inside his head like a whirlwind, drowning him in their endless questions and uncertainties. He tried to focus, to find some sort of clarity amidst the chaos, but it was like trying to catch water in his hands. There was no easy answer, no clear path to follow. All he knew was that, this is people he's cared about. People he can't just leave to fate. He had to do something. Anything.

His heart hammered against his ribcage. His throat, lungs, felt cold. The adrenaline pumped all over his veins. His legs hurt, his sides even more. He'd been running for several minutes. Something that he'd never done before. Out of shape as he was, it was a wonder how he'd even managed to keep up this pace. But he didn't care. All that mattered was reaching the hospital.

He felt lightheaded from the massive intake of cold air. His nose was starting to sting. Tears welled up in the corners of his eyes. His cheeks burned with heat. But still, he kept going. One step after another. Faster and faster. The cityscape blurred into a mess of lights and shapes. People hurried past him, some giving him curious glances, some even yelling when he'd nearly stumbled upon them. He didn't notice any of it.

At this point, he wondered; why didn't he take a bus? Why didn't he just use his power? He's the city's strongest. Vectors moved at the mere graze of his finger tips, space was his playground through the use of scientific laws and mathematics. The very world is a chessboard to him. He's capable of things far beyond what normal people can do. And yet, here he was, panting, wheezing, barely managing to keep his body moving forward.

Flesh and blood. Fragile and weak. And right now, more than anything else, he just wants to be that. A human.

Flashes of faces; dirty blond hair, tattoos on the side of his face. The most prominent of them all. He nearly became that person. So very close to being molded into a monster. He'd murdered people because of him. Dozens upon dozens. One of them bears a face that resembles that of a person whom he considers as a friend.

Just thinking about it momentarily forgot what he was running all the way here for. The bloodlust, wanting to rip the face of his tormentor off. His heart thumping so hard against his chest, he thought he might have a heart attack right there on the street. Until he'd seen that familiar, ominous building.

There was no glory to it, no sudden surge of determination. Nothing that makes him want to just barge in and rescue his friends. Just a cold, hard knot forming in his gut, telling him that they might not make it.

After nearly falling face first on the side of the road, he entered the building. The receptionist doesn't even have to take a second to recognize him. Just telling him the number of the room and which floor. It was hard to forget, when most of the most dramatic scenes happened in this place because of him and his friends.

The stairs up was hell. Even with the adrenaline still pumping through him like a madman, the burning in his legs still aches. The hallways blurred past him as he tried to keep a hold on his sanity. Each door he passes by feels like a second of his precious time slipping through his fingers.

When he'd stop by that door, looking inside, did the cold feeling in his chest become any less. When he'd knock, did the pit in his stomach become any less. When he'd hear a faint, raspy voice calling out for him, did the tightness in his throat become any less. When he'd finally entered the room, did the tears that had threatened to spill out any less.

Ruiko looked peaceful, laying on the bed with a look of utmost serene that only someone who's passed on could ever have. The machines around her, however, spoke of something far different. Beeps and hisses. The constant rhythm of her heart, the gently rising and falling of her chest. And in the corner of the room, Kuroko, pale and drawn. Sitting on a wheelchair that does not befit the strong, capable girl that he knew she was.

When her head raises, her amber orb looking into his crimson red ones, he knew that she wasn't okay. There were bruises on her face, cuts on her forehead. She doesn't look okay. Not at all. Hirano's throat tightens, but he swallows past the lump forming there. He takes a tentative step forward, the pain in his legs and side momentarily forgotten. Kuroko's eyes narrow slightly, her expression tightening, and he realizes that she's waiting for him to do something. To say something. Anything.

He takes another step, then another, until he's finally standing before her.

"What happened?"

She didn't look away, pressing her lips into a thin line, she spoke. "I was reckless." Hirano winces slightly at her words. There's an unshed tear in Kuroko's eye, and it's clear that she's fighting back everything she is. He knows that the only way she's going to make it out of this is if they both do.

"Where is Misaka?"

At that, her head dipped a little. "Taking care of everything."

He didn't respond. Kuroko is one of the strongest people he'd known. Misaka, even stronger. The girl was Ranked third in this city. Railgun. Though separated by ranks, he felt like the girl deserved his spot more. She has shed blood and tears. He didn't do anything noteworthy to obtain the rank that he has.

He took a seat beside Kuroko's beaten body, wincing at the sight of the bruises that marred her usually pale skin. "What about you, what happened to you?"

Kuroko looks away for a moment, her eyes darting to Ruiko, then back to the floor. "What does it look like...?" She'd sounded hurt, Her words ring true. She'd taken a lot of the brunt force from her attacker. Her bruises, the cuts, are testaments to that. It was painful for him to look at.

He murmured an apology, one that wasn't sufficient to convey how badly he felt. It was Kuroko's turn to feel guilty now. She didn't mean to sound so harsh, but the words had escaped her lips before she could stop them. She'd been hurt, physically and emotionally. And she was tired. So very tired. And she couldn't control her own anger and frustration. Not when it comes to this. Not to him.

Neither of them spoke. Every once in a while, they'd shift uncomfortably in their seats, occasionally glancing at each other from the side of their eyes. It was an unspoken conversation, one that both of them knew would not end well. Not when they were both feeling this way. Lest they say something they regret.

Hirano already knew what that could do. Right now, and the past 6 to 7 days, Kuroko had been giving him the cold shoulders for reasons that he couldn't comprehend. It was only earlier, about half an hour ago with Frenda, that he'd understood, maybe only a fraction, of the possible cause that might've warranted the sudden change in Kuroko's attitude. And the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if maybe, he was the one who screwed up. Badly. Maybe he did something to hurt her without realizing it. The thought made him feel cold and sick.

Finally, after a lot of consideration, Hirano musters up the courage to ask, "If you don't mind me asking, Kuroko," The girl's twin tail bobbed when she nodded slightly, the motion barely visible from his peripherals. "Back at the mall, a week ago," She's tensed up, if her shoulders raising were of any indication. "Have I upset you somehow?"

Her mouth twists into a frown as she looks down at her lap. It took a lot of her to even think of answering, let alone admit it, but... yeah. She'd been angry. Angry and hurt, and she didn't know how to deal with it. And when you'd tried to reason with her... it made her angrier. Made her feel more useless and pathetic. And somehow, that anger... It simply wouldn't dissipate.

Her gaze slid over to him briefly before looking back down, "I'm not upset." She says finally. "I'm angry." The comment doesn't come unexpected; more so hurt at the admission, more than anything. But he keeps himself from reacting immediately.

He swallowed the lump that had been building up at the back of his throat, trying to release as much tension from his neck and shoulders as he asked, his voice only just above a whisper, "Whatever is said. I'm sorry." It was hardly something he hadn't seen before. People acted recklessly and got into conflicts all the time. He is not immune to that sort of thing. No one is.

"I never said I was angry at you," There it was again. That sliver of hope. "Even if I am, it's not exactly something that I can blame you for. You weren't even aware of what happened." The comment isn't delivered without hesitation, with more conviction than one might have expected. She was trying to reassure herself just as much as she was trying to reassure him.

But something still felt off. Off-kilter. Maybe it was the pain she was in, or maybe because the fact that was certain that he'd been 'unaware' of the fact that he'd even hurt her in the first place. That was what had him feeling so conflicted. There was no way that he could possibly know about something that he hadn't been made aware of, and yet... The weight of that knowledge still felt like a lead ball lodged in his chest. He wanted to make things right between them again, but he didn't know how.

To do that, he first needed to understand what he'd done. Looking her in the eyes, trying to convey all his remorse and guilt, Hirano speaks. "If there is anything I can do... to make it better. To help you with the pain, with everything that's happened. You only need to say."

There was so much sincerity and earnestness in his tone that it made Kuroko's heart hurt even more. "Don't..." The girl is beginning to crack. He's pushing it. She wants to push him. But didn't want to hurt him either. He wasn't the one who's heart was being beaten to a pulp. But she wasn't the one who's being deprived of knowledge either.

She doesn't want to experience that same heartbreak again, simply because he doesn't understand what it means to feel romantic attachments. Yet he was being ripped apart knowing that he'd hurt his best friend, and was being refused the opportunity to make it right.

This is an impossible choice, one where each path only leads to more and more pain. No matter where you look at it, Both Kuroko and Hirano are only gonna end up hurting. And she's beginning to resent it. She doesn't want to feel this way, but she can't help it. All she can do now is to try and distance herself, to keep her emotions in check, until it passes. It won't be easy. It never is. Not when you're in the middle of it.

But she owes it to him to try. The look in Hirano's eyes at Kuroko's rejection tells her that her words have only made the situation worse. He wanted to understand, to make things better, and her attempt at honesty seemed to only drive a deeper wedge between them. She didn't know what else to say.

They sit together in uncomfortable silence, the air between them heavy with tension and the weight of their unspoken words. God is cruel for giving humans the ability to feel something so profound and yet making it so difficult to express, for pitting them against each other, when all they truly want is to comfort one another.

"Will you ever forgive me?" It was a whisper, barely audible above the beating of their hearts, but it carried with it all the weight of his anguish. Hirano's gaze remained fixed on the floor, his fingers nervously picking at a thread on his pants.

Her reply comes out just as quiet as his question. "Of course I will," she said, her voice slightly firmer. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Gosh, you two are just so cute." The door had been opened. They didn't even notice it even though it was directly in front of them. Standing on the doorway was someone that the twin tailed girl hadn't seen in so long, that she was surprised to even see her now. Her former senior back in elementary school and close friend.

"That's not nice of you, Hirano, running off and leaving a girl on her own like that." The blond girl added. The guy in question doesn't answer as the girl waltzes in, a big paper bag in hand. The other, raised, holding his phone. "Anyways, you dropped this."

She'd plop the device onto his lap, dropping it along with the paper bag. It smelled really nice. He hadn't had lunch, so it was rather appetizing; something that he welcomed very much, since he was sure he wouldn't be eating much today. "Oh, and by the way, you should add passwords to your phone. Don't you have something in there that you'd want to hide?" The blond sounded playful.

Kuroko knew that Frenda was just like that. She'd known the blond for a long time. But prior to this, they'd lost contact; she hadn't even thought of the blond in, like, one whole year now? But the way he was talking to him, when he was directly beside her, Kuroko does NOT like it.

He raised an eyebrow, pocketing the rectangular object. "What is there to hide in my phone?"

She giggles. "Maybe not much. Just wanted to give you a heads up." Kuroko scoffs under her breath. Which unfortunately for her, was heard by the two. She cringed when they turned their attention to the twin tailed girl, who promptly averted her gaze and went quiet. "Kuroko-san. Long time no see. Don't worry about it, I'm just here to return his phone."

Hirano looks up at the intruder, smiling brightly as if she wasn't in a room where two of his best friends are hurt; Ruiko, in the state of comatose, just 5 feet on his left, laying on the bed, her breathing machine doing most of the work.

"Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood. Don't mind me," The blond tried to wave off her attempt at levity, falling flat in the tense atmosphere. Hirano nodded in understanding, the awkwardness of the situation far too palpable, even for the charming blond. "So," Frenda started after setting herself down at the foot of the bed Ruiko is laying on. Her hand could be seen idly touching her friend's ankle as she spoke. "Would you two like for me to leave or...?"

"It's fine. You can stay as long as you like," Kuroko responds, her voice somewhat wooden. She's not quite sure how to process the presence of their girl, given the circumstances. Frenda, for her part, seems to be picking up on the tension in the room, but she's not one to back down easily.

The answer though only brought a smile at the blond's face. "I guess Ruiko was telling the truth," She'd sounded soft. The smile quickly breaks into a grin. "You really are starting to act like him."

Kuroko's cheeks flush slightly, partly from embarrassment and partly from annoyance. "I'm not," she protests weakly. "Just because I'm tired of dealing with shenanigans and the immaturity of others, doesn't mean I'm turning into someone else."

"Sounds like him from our elementary school would say," Of course, Frenda counters with making a heart with her hands. "Right?" She turns onto him now, leaning in with a massive smile on her face. He shrugged. Neither denying nor accepting her statement. It was a futile gesture. Frenda let out a laugh. "Come on, tell me." Her voice dropped to a teasing purr, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "You remember how much fun we had back then?"

"You squeezed me for my money. A lot."

"Hmm..." Frenda feigned considering his words for a moment, her expression remaining teasing. "Perhaps I did do that, but you remember, it was all in good fun. And we all got something out of it. Right?" She flashes him a knowing look. "Besides, I think it helped shape you into the responsible adult you are today. Just a little bit, at least."

Hirano huffed, feigning indignation as he looked at Frenda. "You make it sound as though being extorted was some kind of character-building experience," he said, absentmindedly fiddling with the sleeve of his school uniform.

"Hey now, I never extorted you! Besides, you're one who gave me your money without complaining. And it's not like I didn't give you anything in return. Like that time I helped you with your homework, remember?" Frenda's voice took on a playful tone as she reminded him of one of their past interactions.

It was Kuroko who raised an eyebrow at that. "You mean, copying his homework?"

Frenda playfully acts as though she'd been punched in the gut. "Now you two are just ganging up on me!" She feigned being hurt, but a laugh still escaped her lips. "Fine, you got me there. I did copy his homework once or twice. But that's only because he was so good at math!"

Frenda was slowly dissipating the tension in the room, chipping at it with her playful banter. Kuroko was visibly relaxing, the corner of her mouth curling into a small smile as she listened to stories from happier times. She could recall many of them herself. She didn't think that there was a single moment where Frenda hadn't been involved in some form of mischief or another. And yet, despite all of that, she'd always had a way of making them feel better about themselves, even when they were the ones at fault. Perhaps that was just who Frenda was.

That was exactly the reason why she was the most popular girl in Hirano's class back then, maybe even in the entire school. Nobody had any bad blood with the blond. Not a single bad thought was ever attributed to her. Kuroko, back then, the innocent, happy-go-lucky girl who's imagination couldn't stop flowing with fantastical stories and dreams of things that most children do, had looked up to Frenda as well.

The blond girl was like a ray of sunshine, making everyone around her feel brighter and happier, even when she was causing trouble. It was an enchanting quality, one that Hirano himself couldn't help but not hate, even back then.

How times have changed. But as it has appeared, the girl's charm was simply just as potent as it had been back then. Maybe this girl, Frenda Seivelun, was exactly what they needed back in their life.

15 minutes or so had passed, and Frenda still couldn't stop giggling and teasing. She was enjoying the reactions of the two. Ruiko was still in a coma, but at least she was getting a reaction out of them. It was more than she could ask for.

As she continued to talk about their childhood antics, Hirano was smiling and chuckling. It was like a breath of fresh air in this somber room. Even nowadays, the white haired boy rarely ever shows much emotion. It was nice to see him smile. As for the blond, who had been absent for, maybe 2 years now, this was the first time she'd seen him showcase something so sincere.

And when he first allowed himself to let loose, letting out that warm laugh, enough that his tooth was showing, the blond was grinning from ear to ear. She once thought that it was impossible. Well guess what; the impossible just happened.

Just as the tense atmosphere had fully vanished, it crashed back down at a force millions times worse than it had initially vanished. There was the sound of commotion in the hallway, distant but growing ever closer, accompanied by voices shouting in alarm. The first thought that ran through their minds was of the attack.

Frenda's smile faltered, her eyes going wide with terror as she shouted the other two's names. Their attention snaps towards Ruiko. The ravenette had looked peaceful earlier. And now, she had started convulsing for no apparent reason.

Kuroko shouted the girl's name, nearly jumping off of her wheelchair before winching from a sudden sharp pain threw her off balance. The twin tailed girl nearly collapsed on the floor, her hand reflexively reaching for the now useless breathing machine.

Hirano, his expression pale and eyes wide, moved swiftly to Ruiko's side, his eyes scanning her body, looking for any sign of injury or pain. Frenda, on his right, mirroring his movements. They both exchanged worried glances, their hands trembling as they searched.

But for the white haired boy, he could feel something else that no one else in this room can. There was a frequency of some sort, electrical in nature, surging through the room. Not just Ruiko, but on the outside as well. Something is latching against it. Like a virus that feeds on a weak computer. It's strong and invasive.

In the distance, out of the window, he could see something, could hear something. Loud, distant snaps and cracks, popping and sizzling. They were faint but unmistakable. A battle was raging outside. Whatever is causing Ruiko's condition is something that was unleashed outside.

Hirano tries to ignore the commotion outside and focus on Ruiko. He places a hand on her forehead, feeling her skin grow clammy and her pulse race. Frenda's eyes flicker to the window as the sounds of commotion grow louder.

"I need to go," He'd had enough of ignoring whatever was going on. His fingers danced across the ravenette's temples, feeling the familiar yet foreign presence in her. It's different now. Stronger, more invasive. Frenda's attention flickers from the window to Hirano.

Not given the chance to even voice their concern, he had already started climbing out the window, jumping off from the third floor. His landing was anything but clean, yet his knees nor bones took no damage. Not even a scratch. No dust or dirt stuck to his clothes. It was as if he was weightless.

He ignores the surprised shouts from the onlookers below, concentrating on the source of the disturbance. He wasn't gonna be reckless like he was when he got here, and he certainly is not gonna start running like he had earlier.

He could imagine the static in the air around him, the currents flowing and rippling like water. Like winds, they shape themselves into a familiar form: the world.

When he had touched Ruiko's forehead, he had read through her entire brain's neuron map, trying to find where it had gone wrong. And now, as he stands, he could feel the connection with the world, with reality itself. It was almost as if he could sense the presence of everything that exists, like a shadow that follows its source, only to become one with it.

It was a familiar sensation, one that he'd had before. Aiho had something similar, only difference is that it connects her to a computer that they had back home, helping her with her motor functions and keep her from falling yet into another pit of inescapable coma. The one Ruiko got latching onto her was something similar.

Only difference; there was no mediator, only Ruiko herself and her body. It's stronger, more invasive. It's more than just a mere infection. It was as if something was taking over her mind. And from the commotion outside of the room to indicate anything, she wasn't the only one.

As he watches the invisible trails in the air slowly becoming visible, becoming a greenish hue of trail, he finally sees just how many of them were there. There were thousands, probably more than 5 thousand trails covering the very sky of Academy City, heading for a direction that is inconclusive. He couldn't see them before, but now that he could, it was like opening his eyes to a whole new world. He couldn't see the end of the trails, at least not on the streets. But up top...

The gravity that is keeping him from flying off disappeared like dust. He was the only one who'd felt this, zero gravity, defying the very science that defines the nature of reality. Then the air behind him starts to shift, gathering onto several spots behind him. The angular velocity of air turned the gaseous medium into a propeller. A mini F5 tornado sticking close to his back, wrecking nothing yet sending him straight flying into the free air. Thus is the power of the strongest Level 5; absolute control over his surroundings, even the very air that he breathes.

Even with the tornado lifting him up, his feets not touching the ground, he still feels the static connection with the world, like a tether. His speed was invisible to the naked eye. When you travel at that speed with no protections, most of the time you'd be- either blinded by air resistance or disintegrated from sheer force. Neither of which happened. Vectors factored in even the tiniest of air currents and resistance, allowing him to calculate his trajectory down to the millimeter. With such control, he can travel across the world in mere seconds with so much dust on his shoulder.

At the height he was at, he could see higher than the tallest building in all of Academy City. The vantage point allowed him to see the invisible trails in their full glory, their numbers stretching up across the buildings. They wove around each other in intricate patterns, shifting and flowing with a fluidity that seemed almost organic.

At the centre of it all, was the thing that had his eyes bulging wide in surprise. So much so that his mouth gaped open like a fish. 'A fetus...?' Hirano thought with utter confusion and disbelief. It was a fetus, floating in the air, surrounded by the trails. Its features were still indistinct, but it was clearly in a state of distress. The trails seemed to be drawn to it, almost as if it were a beacon.

Unlike normal ones, this fetus is massive in size. Almost as large as several of the buildings surrounding it. The other distinctive feature is its colour; bright, static-like blue. There were tentacles protruding from it, wreaking havoc throughout the area. Anti-Skills can be seen from where he was, doing everything they can to stop the beast, yet failing miserably. It was destroyed over and over again, yet it just kept on regenerating before getting larger each time.

The noises the thing made sounded like a screech, a cry but of physical pain. The consciousness of every Level Upper user in the city, lumped into a single, terrible thing. The sight of the fetus, so distressed and massive, caused Hirano's heart to ache. The trails that surrounded it, weaving and shifting like a living tapestry, only added to the surrealness of the scene. The static connection he felt with the world seemed to hum in sympathy, a quiet harmony with the anguish emanating from the floating mass.

When it regenerated for the third time, his mind started conjuring up theories. The thing was the collective unconsciousness of people. And seeing as how it was capable of using multiple sets of Esper abilities, i.e telekinesis, hydrokinesis, and cyrokinesis, etc., it meant that there must be at least three separate minds at work within the fetus. But looking as it feeds off the trails, there's probably 10,000 in it.

With each regeneration, it grew stronger and more defined. Meaning, its sucking off of the trails was not just for feeding, but also for strengthening its connection with the world, the more it takes on a physical form. He wonders what would happen if it completely absorbs all the trails, all the minds of the people. Would it achieve sentience? Would it become a god?

Then, all he needs to do is sever its connections. Simple enough.

The equation that eliminates gravity from affecting him is erased. The vortex behind him redirects itself from downwards, to upwards, angling the sole of his foot directly at the fetus. The sheer kinetic energy that was released with the impact, the sudden shift in momentum, sent ripples through the air. It was as if the very air itself had been torn, disrupted, like a pebble thrown into a pond.

The force was tremendous, powerful enough to shatter the tallest building in the city. The fetus was caught off guard, blown away by the sudden onslaught of force. Popping like a balloon describes it perfect, its massive body shattering into a million pieces.

The supersonic speed that he had travelled in creates a shockwave that spreads outwards from the impact site, shredding the trails that surrounded the fetus. The sudden shockwave creates an intense change in density and pressure, causing the frequency of the trails to scatter, dampening the connection between the severed minds and the source.

To the people around him, he'd just appeared out of nowhere, standing in the middle of the road where a battle had just taken place. Where their ears ring from the supersonic shockwave, and where they see the airborne debris slowly descend back to the ground, they see something that could only be described as odd. The wind from his movement, now cut off, leaves his clothing untouched. He stands there, not the slightest bit disheveled.

He'd turned around and found a familiar face. Several of them. Misaka Mikoto, crouching on a pavement, clutching the sides of her head. He could hear her sniffling. He raised an eyebrow at that. 'Is she crying?'

Not only that, Tessou Tsuzuri, one of the few older females he knew that he'd look up to, standing up from a spot, patting her ear whilst 'MAWP'-ing or whatever it is called. She wasn't the only one, but several others that were surrounding the battlefield that were still alive, slowly getting back on their feet.

All of them had something in common. That being their ears were bleeding.

As it had appeared... in him trying to take out the monster, he'd inadvertently caused a few eardrums shattering.

Mediocre chapter imo. Kinda short. New chapter next week!