A Certain Mysterious Stranger- Arc 1

There was a frantic knocking on Touko's door.

"Hello!?" Yui's panicked voice could be heard from the other side. "Please open up!" She begged through sniffling sobs. "Please help..." The small girl wiped her eyes. Her feet had carried her so far but now she didn't have the strength to stand and she sank to the cold concrete of the floor, her back pressed against the door of Touko's apartment.

The door swung open.

"Yui?" Touko asked, relieved to see the girl safe and well. Then she noticed the tears. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Yui jumped into Touko, clutching tightly at her shirt as she wept inconsolably.

"Onii-chan..." She bawled, the words barely audible between wails. "They took Onii-chan!" She tried to calm herself, wiping her stinging eyes with her sleeve. "If I don't save him, Kenji will..." She broke down again. "Please help."

***

Yui stuck close to Touko as the two walked through the busy streets of District 15. It wasn't clear exactly where the city's dark underbelly began to emerge but they found themselves leaving the bustling night-life and entering a twisted maze of darkened alleyways and abandoned buildings. Not everything in Academy City was gleaming high tech perfection it seemed. This was the side of the city that few saw, and even fewer embraced.

The characters about them changed just as drastically. From the care free party goers and shoppers of the District proper to the shifty, dangerous looking sorts who spoke alternately in hushed, secretive tones and raucous, aggressive shouts. More than a few of them paid close attention to the two girls, out of place among the alternative venues and their rough patrons.

***

Guy meanwhile was busy making himself at home in the gritty surroundings of District 15's North. It was a haven for those who found themselves on Academy City's fringes, a melting pot of sub cultures that seemed at once hostile and inviting.

A pair of boys loitered around the mouth of an alleyway. Hardly subtle, Guy thought to himself as he approached. They spotted him quickly, their backs straightening and heads cocking in macho posturing. He nodded curtly to them in greeting.

"I'm looking for Kurama Kenji." He said, refusing to elaborate.

"One of those, eh?" The first youth chuckled. "Look, I don't pass business Kenji's way with no reason." The boy's lips curled into a twisted sneer of a smirk. Guy's face dropped in resigned disappointment. This was going to be more troublesome than he had anticipated.

Touko was keenly aware of the looks they were attracting. She held out her hand for Yui to take and smiled warmly at the child. It was only a front though. She felt a knot of tension in her stomach. She still didn't know what she was walking into. The uneasy feeling soon fell away as she felt Yui's fingers around her hand. She was going to help that girl, no matter what. Even if she had to face down all the Skill Outs in the District she'd get Ryo back. Touko's right hand clenched into a tight fist. What she would have given for a useful ability right now...

The little girl led Touko hesitantly through the labyrinthine tangles of the District's disused back alleys. She stopped occasionally, unsure of what direction to go next before tugging on the older girl's sleeve. They stopped at the door to an abandoned looking warehouse. Though it hardly stood out amongst the other derelict buildings it had an unmistakeably sinister atmosphere around it. Yui's hand gripped the fabric of her skirt anxiously.

"Here." She said, her fingers fidgeting in Touko's hand, but refusing to let go all the same. "They took him in here." Her quiet voice trembled.

Touko took a deep breath. What was her plan anyway? She suddenly began to doubt herself. No, she needed to approach this carefully. She circled the warehouse, keeping a tight hold on Yui as they watched for lookouts. Noone. Touko knelt beside Yui.

"Hide here. I'll bring your brother back." She said confidently despite her true feelings.

As Touko approached the old building she spied a broken window on one of the upper floors. A rusted old fire escape led up to it, the rickety structure barely supported her weight as she clambered up and into the window with as much stealth as she could muster.

The inside of the warehouse was gloomy and oppressive. A thick dust hung in the air, making it hard to breathe as well as see. The place was a mess, the rubble, rusted metal and pieces of furniture that lay haphazardly scattered about making it difficult to navigate in silence. Though as Touko entered deeper into the building she would find the rooms cleared of debris, at least partially. There was no doubt that this place was being used as a hideout by someone.

Up ahead the faint, flickering glow of a television bled through the doorway. The muted sounds melted together into a dull roar. Though it was hard to tell how many, several youths surrounded the television set, watching it idly. A little further down the corridor opened up into the large, empty space of the main warehouse. There, among the murky darkness sat a young boy around Touko's age. Ryo had been tied to the chair and sat slouched, his head hung low.

Touko inched forward through the darkness of the warehouse, groping through the darkness with her hands until she found the wall. She peered around the corner of the illuminated doorway. Good. They were distracted. She scurried past the door and into the large room where Ryo sat.

"Ryo." She whispered to him as he stirred. "I'm going to get you out of here." Touko began to unravel the ropes around Ryo's wrists.

He groaned weakly, lifting his head to look at her with dazed confusion. His face was bruised and swollen and every breath was greeted with a sharp pain in his ribs.

"What are you... doing here?" He asked in a whisper so weak that he could barely hear it himself.

When his hands were freed Ryo gingerly rubbed at his wrists. He rose unsteadily, his legs nearly giving out underneath him.

"Thanks. I owe you one." He brought up a hand to his aching ribs.

"Huh. Look what we've got here." A voice drawled from behind the two and there was a cold, mechanical click of a gun cocking. Behind them one of the gang members trained his pistol on Touko. "You've got some nerve sneaking in here, little girl."

Touko's heart skipped a beat at the sudden voice behind her and the cold click of the gun's mechanism made her blood run cold. She raised her hands slowly as she turned.

"Such misfortune..." Touko sighed.

"You may think you've got us cornered..." Touko closed her eyes with a confident smirk. "But this place is surrounded. If you shoot us you'll have hell to pay." She bluffed, locking eyes with the gun wielding thug.

The gunman laughed, keeping his gun trained on the girl's forehead.

"Oh yeah? Do you seriously expect me to believe that bull?" His face dropped. "This is a real pain though. We were supposed to keep things quiet." He frowned, cocking his head and it seemed that he was weighing up his options. After a moment he simply shrugged. "I guess one missing girl ain't gonna cause too many problems." He squinted, lining up the barrel of his pistol with Touko's head.

His arm tensed, bracing for the recoil.

His finger tightened around the trigger.

The hammer of the pistol pulled back slowly...

The shadow came from above. Landing hard on the gunman's back it dragged him to the floor. He crumpled, barely managing a shocked gasp as the gun skipped across the concrete floor. His head impacted on the hard surface with a crack and he slipped into unconsciousness.

Guy crouched over the fallen gunman and rose to his feet, dusting off his clothes.

"Come on." He said urgently. "We need to get out of here."

Touko winced as he prepared to fire. It took her several moments after the heavy thud to open her eyes.

"Come on. We need to get out of here."

Though she was still reeling from the sudden rescue and her mind was filled with questions, Touko decided they could wait. She nodded in agreement, following close behind the boy with Ryo.

Their presence hadn't gone undetected. The gang members in the next room stirred,their attention drawn to the commotion that echoed through the empty, cavernous warehouse.

Guy looked around. There was nowhere to hide in the large open room. The front door was locked tight by a thick chain and padlock and the window he had used to sneak inside was too high to reach from inside.

Their enemy now stood between them and escape.

Touko too was busy searching for an escape route. Nothing. The sounds of the other gang members was drawing closer. It wouldn't be long before they found them and their missing friend. Touko's body tensed, her fists clenching and her teeth gritting as she geared up for the fight that would no doubt be her last.

"Any ideas?" She turned to the tall stranger who had appeared from thin air.

"Any ideas?"

He smiled grimly. There were plenty of ways to approach the situation, he thought. The problem was that none of them were particularly good. He analysed the possibilities, running them through his mind at speed. His preferred option of running and hiding was out of the question at this point. Climbing to the window would take too long and there was no line to the other exit. The pistol wouldn't be powerful enough to break the lock or chain. Any kind of confrontation would be suicide.

He was going to have to improvise this one.

"Just play along." He whispered, reaching for the gun down by his feet. He pointed it at Ryo, who froze in surprise and terror.

The first of the gang members saw them.

"Hold it! Stay right there." The thug trained his gun on the trio.

"At last!" Guy sounded unimpressed. "I was wondering how long it would take for you idiots to notice." He spoke quickly and with a commanding, confident tone that put the gang members on the defensive as they tried to figure out the situation.

The most important thing when it comes to bluffing your way out of a corner is keep the other guy confused. If you only give him your story to go by and keep him from piecing things together then he has to accept it.

"What the hell is going on here?" Guy glanced between the youths with a dark frown. "I come in here to take our asset here and I find this joker's about to take off with him." He prodded the fallen gunman with his foot.

Be confident. Act like you're in charge and most people, especially if they're low level thugs in a street gang, won't put up a fight. No one wants to risk getting in trouble with the boss.

"Wait." One of the thugs finally gathered his thoughts enough to interrupt Guy. "Who the hell are you?"

Guy's head cocked and his eyes slowly tracked across the delinquents to the boy who spoke.

"Who the hell am I?" He repeated the question disbelievingly. "I should ask you the same question." He left a beat of silence between them. "I'm the guy the boss sent to deal with the boy here." He pressed the barrel of the gun into Ryo's neck and shoved the boy harshly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm taking the kid." He continued to push Ryo towards the door. "I suggest you ask your friend there who he's working for once he wakes up." He gestured to the unconscious gunman, still sprawled on the filthy floor of the warehouse. It was a quick, messy cover story, but he hoped it was enough to get them some distance.

"Not so fast." One of the boys spoke up. "Who's the girl?" He shot Touko a suspicious glance. Guy wheeled around, marching up to the suspicious thug, looming over him as best he could. Keeping his attention occupied and intimidated.

Most people lose their nerve under pressure. But the best actors just play their part harder than ever.

"Why don't you worry less about my business and start sorting out your own?" Guy barked angrily. They had a clear line to the exit now, but if they tried to run for it they'd be sitting ducks.

Touko and Ryo inched closer to the exit as the strange boy kept the rest of the gang at bay. The other gang members were standing around indecisively, trying to decide between themselves what to do. They exchanged nervous glances, but none of them seemed to be paying attention to her or Ryo as they slipped into the next room.

Until, that was, one of them asked who she was. Touko knew in that instant that they had been found out. She looked around the cluttered room, with its old television still blinking with static filled images and the countless cans of drink and cigarette remains that littered the floor. Thinking fast she snatched an unopened can and tossed it with all her might into the middle of the group. It exploded in a shower of foamy liquid and a loud snapping hiss.

He knew that the ruse was up the moment they questioned Touko's presence. There really wasn't a good way to explain her being there, after all. His jaw tensed in anticipation of what would come next.

The explosion caught him by surprise and he flinched, turning away just in time to avoid the spray of the can in his face. There were yells as the confused gang members scattered under the 'attack'. Guy ran, coming up close behind Touko and Ryo. He heard frantic shouts and loud pops behind him. And as the plaster wall exploded next to his head in a cloud of thick white dust he realised that they were firing at him. A sudden rush of adrenaline seemed to sharpen the world around him. Colours became brighter even as the sound of cries and gunfire warped into a muted dirge behind him. There was no time for thought.

He pitched forward through the window, arms wheeling.

It was a strange sensation, the second adrenaline rush. His already heightened awareness crystallised in a series of moments, like freeze frames in a movie. He could have sworn he felt a bullet whip past his head, a gentle rush of pressure pulsing next to his temple for the briefest of instants.

His legs buckled as he landed, taking most of the impact and his momentum carried him forward into a roll. Like a cat he was back on his feet in an instant, sprinting away into the cover of the darkened alleys that surrounded the warehouse. He rounded a corner, breathing heavily as he braced himself against a rough brick wall.

Touko grabbed Ryo by the arm, dragging the injured boy behind her as she made for the window. They clambered out hastily, nearly slipping down the fire escape. She could hear shots and as she watched, half in awe, half in disbelief as their mysterious saviour leapt blindly to the street below. The sound of their pursuers growing closer jerked her back into movement and the girl resumed her scramble for cover, diving into the alleyway after Guy and Ryo amidst scattered gunshots.

"This way!" She waved for them to follow, leading them back to the hiding spot where she had left Yui.

He followed without hesitation. Several times Ryo flagged behind, exhausted from his ordeal only to be dragged to his feet and urged on by Guy.

Yui was nowhere to be seen. Even through his half conscious state Ryo felt a knot of worry deep in his stomach and he called out to his sister.

"Yui!?" He repeated her name, searching with strength born from panic. There was movement from behind a nearby dumpster and he wheeled to face the source. He ran faster than his legs could keep up, stumbling forward with heavy steps.

"Onii-chan?" Yui's voice was heavy with emotion, a strange mixture of relief and childish fear. A small tuft of brown hair emerging as she stood, Yui hesitantly peeked from the safety of her hiding spot. As soon as her eyes fell on her brother she broke into a sprint, flinging herself into her brother's weary body.

Guy watched the tearful reunion, a gentle smile spreading across his lips only to disappear at the sound of footsteps fast approaching.

"We can't rest just yet. We need to get somewhere safe." He warned the others.

"It's just too much for a middle schooler..." Kuroko complained again about her workload. Mikoto had been quiet for some time, her thoughts on other matters as they walked back towards District 7. She hummed in agreement, barely listening to the other girl. A flash of movement at the edge of her vision caught her eye and she stopped to watch as Guy and Touko ran past in the distance.

"I mean, I have my grades to think of too. It's hardly fair, wouldn't you agree, Onee-sama?" The smaller girl stopped as well, noticing Mikoto's distracted behaviour. "Onee-sama?" She repeated, trying to catch Mikoto's attention.

"Ah. I've just remembered, there's something I need to do." Mikoto turned to Kuroko with a hasty excuse. "I'll be back before curfew. Don't wait up for me." She smiled sweetly before running off to catch up with the others.

"Onee-sama!" Kuroko called out with worry as her room mate vanished, leaving her alone.

***

Touko slowed down, glancing behind them.

"I think we lost them." She panted, leaning back against a wall.

Guy slowed to a stop behind Touko.

"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be." He laughed, running a hand through his hair. "How are you two holding up?" He asked Ryo over his shoulder. The younger boy looked to be near his limit but managed to gasp out a reply.

"I'm fine. But we can't stop." His voice betrayed his pain. Short, sharp breaths sent jolts of pain through his body. "Those guys know this District like the back of their hands. This is their turf." He had to brace himself against the wall to keep upright. He brushed away a strand of matted, sweat drenched hair.

"Chances are they've already called in backup." Guy added. "Still, it seems luck is on our side."

"I should have known I'd find you two causing trouble." Mikoto declared her presence boldly, standing at the mouth of the alleyway with her hands on her hips. She looked less than impressed. "What is it this time?"

"You..." Touko turned her attention to the Tokiwadai girl. She was about to explain the situation when a raucous shout echoed behind them.

"I've found them! This way!" One of the thugs emerged, closely followed by several more, their numbers lost in the darkness.

"Crap!" Touko ran.

"Looks like I spoke too soon." Guy sighed. "Are you stalking me or something?" He regarded Mikoto with a raised eyebrow. "Just once I'd like some peace and quiet..."

The gang member's shout caught him by surprise. He pushed Ryo in front of him roughly, shunting the boy and his sister ahead.

"There's no time to explain!" Guy snatched at Mikoto's hand, dragging her behind him as he ran.

"Who would stalk someone like you?" Mikoto screamed, incensed by the suggestion. Then all hell broke loose.

"Wha-?" Mikoto managed to splutter as she was dragged along by her hand. Caught off guard and trying to make sense of the situations she didn't even think to shock the boy, instead struggling to keep up with him as they wove their way through more and more of the city's back alleys. "Wait! What's going on?" She demanded.

***

Separated from the others, Touko crept silently through the alleyway. It seemed that most of the gang following them were hot on the heels of Ryo and Guy. She was on the verge of thanking her luck when a figure blocked her path.

"Damn it!" Ryo sounded despairing and as Guy rounded the corner after the boy he knew why. The end of the alleyway was blocked off by a tall chain link fence. He glanced quickly behind them, past Mikoto and into the crowd of delinquents on their tail.

Too close.

They were too close to escape now.

Guy spun and dragged Mikoto behind him so that he now stood between the gang and their prey.

But that wasn't entirely true. He was their pray now as well. And this irritating girl too. There was only one thing to do.

"You can still climb, right?" He uttered to Ryo as he stood defiant. Ryo was dumbstruck. "Get going. I can handle things here." A lie, no matter how you looked at it. Skill Out and the other gangs of Level 0s were well known for their brutal, pack like attacks. It was said that in order to fight with Espers, many Skill Out members trained harder than professional athletes in addition to carrying weapons. For someone like him, a normal person, the situation seemed hopeless.

Seeing Ryo standing there, Guy barked his words again.

"Get going!" He stepped forward.

The first blow took him by surprise and he barely lifted his arm in time to catch it, the dull, hollow thud of a steel bat ringing against his arm. He lunged forward, slamming his shoulder into his attacker and forcing the boy into the wall. The other attackers didn't wait for him to recover, tackling him and striking him with their makeshift weapons. The heavy, meaty sounds of the blows were enough to turn one's stomach and Guy wheeled, knocking his attackers off balance.

One of the thugs lunged for Yui and in an instant Guy was between them, shielding the small girl with his own body. The heavy metal pipe lashed across his back and he felt his spine alight with a flash of hot pain. He grabbed the attacker, throwing him against the nearby dumpster. The boy's head cracked loudly against the metal and he slumped to the ground unconscious.

Guy retreated back to the others, his arms spread wide. Yui cowered in her brother's arms.

"We're not leaving you to die!" Ryo insisted despite the terror that gripped him. Every cell in his body told him to run and not look back, but still he stayed. He refused to let anyone die for his sake.

"Huh." One of the delinquents spoke, approaching the four. He sounded bored. "So you took out two of us. Not bad." He cocked his head. Deep set eyes glared at Guy like a specimen on a slide. "But do you really think you can take out all of us?" He gestured around to the other gang members about him. Their numbers were uncountable in the gloom.

"I'll give it a shot." Guy wiped the blood from his mouth with a wicked grin.

"You're brave. But not that smart."

"I like to think of myself as an optimist." He laughed a strained chuckle.

***

Those cold, pinprick eyes.

That wide, thin lipped grin like the slash of a razor.

Those features which shouted cruel and violent.

Kenji Kurama.

Kenji stood in front of Touko.

"I don't know who the hell you are, but you picked the wrong guy to fuck with." Kenji's voice was low and menacing as he stalked towards his cornered prey. He juggled something in his right hand. Something small.

"I guess I could let you go. It's not like you're much of a threat." He seemed to weight the option insincerely. "But what fun is that when I could just smear you across these walls?" Kenji snatched the small object out of the air and pulled back his arm. His pupils glowed with a thin red light and like a pitcher throwing a baseball he threw his weight forwards, his arm shooting out in an arc.

There was a sound like a cannon. A heavy, booming sound that shook the walls.

The small object, a common pebble, tore the air as it sped towards Touko's head.