[SS] Intensify

“Yamato… san? Why am I…?”

Trystan allowed himself a small breath of relief as Mikoto regained consciousness. So long as she was still conscious, then the wounds themselves have not injured her to the extent that serious medical attention was required. However, this moment of tranquility didn't last long. Trystan started as Mikoto suddenly jerked upwards, forcing herself into an upright position. Scrambling to his feet, Trystan's brows furrowed as he tried to prevent her from standing up. However, given that she was injured, he wasn't exactly sure just how much force he should have exerted to keep her down. In the end, all he did was hold his hands at the ready as she shakily stood upright while clutching her side.

“Where… the hell… is she?”

Even if her voice was raspy and uneven, the furious expression on her face was more than enough to tell him the intentions behind her question. The rage was understandable, as she was probably worried about the fact that one of her underclassmen might have been kidnapped or tricked by Skill-Out. However, neither the woman nor Mikoto appeared to be in good enough shape to have at each other again within the next few moments.

Even if Mikoto still had strength to electrocute the woman to within an inch of her life, they still needed her for the information that she might have; it would do them no good to have an incapacitated Skill-Out on their hands. If she was the one in charge of such a large group of Skill-Out, then she should have some sort of rank within the group itself. Also, while it was unlikely that she would reveal the secret, the fact that she was able to throw them around like earlier marked her as one who had the ability to control and manifest a Personal Reality. What was she doing with Skill-Out in the first place? What about his skill cancelling out earlier? Why was Touko unaffected? With these thoughts in mind, he stepped forwards, putting himself between the woman and Mikoto.

"Misaka-dono, the woman is behind us. Touko-dono is with her right now, but the fighting is over, for now; this one implores your understanding. Please use this chance to recuperate...after finishing here, we must be going after your honorable acquaintance."

"It's not like I've got much choice, is it?"
"And what is it you want to know?"

Touko sat back with a sigh. Come to think of it she wasn't exactly sure what they were looking for. She looked towards Trystan and Mikoto with a questioning look.

"Actually I was going to let them do the talking." She shrugged, gesturing to the two disgruntled looking Espers behind Naoto. Hopefully that would make her more cooperative.

"Actually I was going to let them do the talking."

Naoto glanced up to see Mikoto and Trystan on their feet now. She smiled grimly.

"So, throwing me to the wolves are you?" She laughed bitterly. "Well, I guess you're no different. Still, don't think I'll give you the pleasure of begging for my life." Her lips twisted into a sneer of defiance and she stared into Touko's eyes, almost daring her to make her move.

***

“Don’t you get it?! Did you not see what that esper guy did?! What your precious Railgun friend did?! They don’t fucking give a shit about hurting us lower levels with their powers. If we’re going to fight them on equal ground, we have to be just as cruel as they are. If you can’t understand that, then go, You don’t really belong in this world anyway.”

Mai cowered slightly as he approached, stepping back as his eyes flashed with red light like a laser in the dark. She stopped herself short of running, though the thought never strayed far from her mind as he spoke.

"No..." She muttered. "It's not right. Hurting more people isn't the answer." Her protests sounded weak in comparison to Karl's strong and impassioned argument. "Maybe now they can't bully you... maybe now they'll have to listen." But even she knew how naive that sounded. And as her words trailed to silence she couldn't meet his eyes. Those terrifying, intense eyes. Instead her gaze settled on the small speck of light that glimmered, just beneath Karl's skin.

It looked like a star.

"No...It's not right. Hurting more people isn't the answer. Maybe now they can't bully you... maybe now they'll have to listen."

Karl simply stared at her, as if he could not believe his ears. Mai was stubborn, all for the wrong reasons.

“Listen?!” His voice was full of incredulity, “Do you think a powerful esper would care to sit around and listen to someone who is supposedly a pathetic level 0?! You’re absolutely deluded, aren’t you? But then, you ARE an esper yourself...”

Suddenly, he let out a bark-like laugh.

“Oh I see... It’s the Railgun isn’t it? You’re friends with her, I’ve seen it.” He cocked his head to the side mockingly, his red eyes glinting in the dim light in a terrifying way. “What makes her such a good friend, hmm? Her power? Her celebrity status?”

Noticing Mai avoiding his eyes and looking away, Karl abruptly became angry. His emotions seemed to be on turmoil, fluctuating up and down so fast even he did not know what to make of them.

“Look at me, dammit!” Karl yelled in his fury. His fists were clenched tightly and shaking as if he were only a few seconds away from destroying the entire place.

***
"Misaka-dono, the woman is behind us. Touko-dono is with her right now, but the fighting is over, for now; this one implores your understanding. Please use this chance to recuperate...after finishing here, we must be going after your honorable acquaintance."

A hand reached up to hold the side of her head gingerly as Mikoto let the news sink in. They had already defeated woman? She felt disappointment at missing the action and relief at the same time. Finally, they would be able to get some answers.

“I’m fine. I don’t need to recuperate.” Mikoto said stubbornly to Yamato. She somehow managed to keep her voice steady. “Now’s not the time…”

Her wandering eyes found Touko and Naoto and her speech trailed off. Naoto was glancing at them, smiling grimly.

"So, throwing me to the wolves are you?" The woman laughed bitterly. "Well, I guess you're no different. Still, don't think I'll give you the pleasure of begging for my life."

Anger swept through Mikoto at seeing the woman’s sneer. How dare she mock! There had been casualties on both sides because of her actions; did she not care? Surely, any sane person would stop struggling and finish off this violence quickly. But maybe it was different for the Skill Outs. Perhaps the woman trusted her comrades more than Mikoto thought. Perhaps she was just that confident in her own beliefs, whatever they were…

Mikoto limped over to Touko and Naoto, her angered eyes never leaving the woman’s face.

“I don’t undervalue loyalty, but if you truly care about your comrades, you should just give up,” Mikoto said. She stood before the captured woman, the other hand placed upon her wound and staring at Naoto with distaste. The brown haired girl paused, not knowing where to even begin. Her own swirling mess of emotions immediately wanted to ask about Mai and Karl, but she knew that was not entirely the point of this interrogation. That would have to come later, she decided. From the beginning then…

“There was an explosion yesterday in district 15. The remains Judgement found were concluded to have been those of a Skill Out member named N-…” Mikoto frowned, trailing off. The name of the victim escaped her throbbing brain. She looked towards Yamato to continue, feeling drained. He was the Judgement member after all, she suddenly realised. Perhaps she should let him talk.

“I don’t undervalue loyalty, but if you truly care about your comrades, you should just give up,"

Naoto scowled, aggravated at Mikoto's presumptuous attitude. She struggled fruitlessly under Touko's weight. Even if she were to launch a punch it would lack any sort of force, especially after the beating she had taken.

"There was an explosion yesterday in district 15. The remains Judgement found were concluded to have been those of a Skill Out member named N-…”

The Skill Out girl frowned, already beginning to piece things together in her mind.

"Norio..." Her steely expression slackened in realisation. Remains. Her eyes creased in genuine pain. "You dumbass..." She uttered quietly.

***

“Listen?! Do you think a powerful esper would care to sit around and listen to someone who is supposedly a pathetic level 0?! You’re absolutely deluded, aren’t you? But then, you ARE an esper yourself...”

She flinched again at his harsh, mocking laughter.

“Oh I see... It’s the Railgun isn’t it? You’re friends with her, I’ve seen it. What makes her such a good friend, hmm? Her power? Her celebrity status?”

She clenched her eyes tight to block him out. Memories of their meeting at the arcade flashed in Mai's mind. Those memories were swallowed, drowned out by the recollection of Mikoto's 'unprovoked' attack on them.

“Look at me, dammit!”

She opened her eyes, barely risking a peek through her shielding hands. She was trembling.

“I’m fine. I don’t need to recuperate. Now’s not the time…”

After a moment of letting her words sink in, he finally nodded and stepped back, allowing Mikoto a clear path towards Touko and the woman. While he couldn't help but wonder just what was keeping her small frame still standing, he at the very least had her implied agreement not to let the fury she had expressed earlier get the better of her. As he turned around, the woman began speaking, apparently towards Touko.

"So, throwing me to the wolves are you? Well, I guess you're no different. Still, don't think I'll give you the pleasure of begging for my life."

So we're the wolves, huh?

By now, he was beginning to understand why she could only think in such black and white terms. Of course, on the other hand, he thought at least half of it had to do with how she had approached them to begin with. Who wouldn't have reacted the way they did if they had suddenly been assaulted from all around? However, bringing any attention to this now was rather counterproductive. After all, it was clearly something she had said out of spite of her current condition. Pushing these thoughts out of his mind, Trystan returned his attention to the Skill-Out before him. Before he could speak, Mikoto began speaking, her voice trembling slightly from what sounded to him as something other than fatigue.

“I don’t undervalue loyalty, but if you truly care about your comrades, you should just give up. There was an explosion yesterday in district 15. The remains Judgement found were concluded to have been those of a Skill Out member named N-…”

Trystan met Mikoto's gaze as she turned around. Was she waiting for him to continue? Or had she just forgotten the rest of the details? In any case, she had pretty much already summarized what had needed to be said. He turned towards the woman as she uttered a few soft words. The expression on her face was obviously pained. Perhaps he was someone whom she knew well. Not knowing how to handle this sort of emotion, Trystan turned his head away slightly, and scratched at his head.

"Norio...You dumbass..."

After a short moment, Trystan turned towards the woman, meeting her gaze, before he began speaking.

"This one is...sorry for your loss. Sadamitsu Norio...His body was turned to ashes by the explosion... This one does inquire, do you have any idea what was going on? A mere delivery truck does not instantly incinerate everything in a sizable radius, burning all traces of itself and all bystanders up in flames from an unfortunate traffic accident."

Karl’s chest was heaving, his red eyes glowing menacingly in the dim light. The crimson dots were fixated on the girl’s trembling form, unblinking. For a long moment, there was a heavy silence as the raven-haired guy focused on steadying his breathing. As the rise and fall of his chest fell into a steadier rhythm, Karl slowly blinked as if broken from some out-worldly trance. He then spoke in a much calmer voice- the tenor sounds startingly contrasting from earlier, almost soft and gentle as they vibrated in the small space.

“I was like you, you know,” Karl said, trying to hold her eyes with his hypnotic gaze, “Working hard at school, trying to be the best student, wanting to be a great esper… And I really wasn’t a bad student academically, if I may say so myself. But levels? I soon realised that’s all there is to it in this city. No matter how hard I tried, I remained a fucking level 0 and that number defined me wherever I went. The higher levels took advantage of this fact. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen that kind of oppression and aggression from espers. All because they got lucky and obtained some power...”

Fists now clenched tightly and shaking, Karl took a deep, shuddering breath and continued quietly as if there had been no pause.

“I thought I could hold on… I kept believing that if I continued to try my best I would someday reach my goals. Be like them.”

He took another deep breath as the growing anger brimming in those intense orbs of crimson became on the verge of exploding.

“She fucking killed him!” Karl suddenly yelled. A lone tear escaped from an unblinking red eye. The other glinted and sparkled strangely in the low light. “He had a weak heart from birth, and she’s the kind that goes around firing her power everywhere! I just know it was her!”

His quietened his voice again, but the fury seeping out of it was almost palpable.

“My younger brother, Marco…” He choked on the name and stumbled on, “A couple of years ago… he was hanging out with his friends and… something happened. His friends later told me that they had just been having some fun when a teenage girl attacked them. The description fits… Electrocuted them….”

The sparkling eye released another tear that traveled down to his cheek. Karl wiped it away furiously.

“He had a weak heart,” he mumbled incoherently, “He stood no chance… He was a great person. Always there for me… Why did it have to be him? He was already dead by the time they got him to the hospital,” Karl’s voice was beginning to rise again, “They didn’t even investigate into it properly! One hint that it may have been her, they just let it pass because they probably didn’t want to interrogate a fucking level 5.”

Karl sneered. Tears were now freely rolling down his cheeks. He didn’t even know why he was telling this story to the teenage girl. He didn’t want sympathy, and he hadn’t even told this to most of his Skill Out friends. He was showing a vulnerable side that he didn’t want Mai to see, but somehow… It felt good to release what he had bottled up for so long inside.

He wiped the final tears away with the back of his hands, looking up to Mai. There were only tiny traces of anger left, and the crimson eyes opened into a soul that was completely lost and betrayed by the world it was trapped in. His appearance was now pitiful, a pleading expression on his features.

“I just want justice,” Karl said finally. His voice sounded strained. “Is that too much to ask?”

***

"Norio… You dumbass..."

"This one is...sorry for your loss. Sadamitsu Norio...His body was turned to ashes by the explosion... This one does inquire, do you have any idea what was going on? A mere delivery truck does not instantly incinerate everything in a sizable radius, burning all traces of itself and all bystanders up in flames from an unfortunate traffic accident."

Mikoto remained silent, content with Yamato taking charge for now. She wanted to save her energy for the questions about Mai and Karl she would surely get the chance to ask. She was impatient to get to that topic, but had an instinctive feeling this was important and all somehow related. Still, with every passing minute, the brown-haired girl felt more and more anxious.

Her head was throbbing badly and the electromaster wanted nothing more than to lie down and rest her aching body. But that was wishful thinking, and Mikoto shook her head clear of such unnecessary thoughts.

Now was not the time.

"So, throwing me to the wolves are you?"
"Well, I guess you're no different. Still, don't think I'll give you the pleasure of begging for my life."

Naoto's words stung and while the others spoke she looked into the Skill Out girl's eyes with a troubled expression. Naoto's words had shaken her. She kept her hand pressed to the other girl's chest in case she tried to use her ability again.

It wasn't as though she was unsympathetic to the Skill Outs. She understood them well enough. Like them she was classified as a Level 0, practically discarded by the Power Curriculum. However, unlike them she had an ability, as inconvenient as it was. She couldn't count the times her right hand had saved her.

Seeing that Naoto intended to remain tight lipped, Touko spoke up.

"Look, we're not here to hurt you." She realised how flimsy that must have sounded coming from her, the very person whose punch had knocked Naoto to the floor. "But unless we know what happened to your friend, it may happen again." She tried reasoning with the delinquent pinned beneath her. "We just want to stop anyone else from getting hurt." She looked to Mikoto, who was by far the most aggressive of their trio right now. "Isn't that right?" She paused, noticing the Electromaster's bleeding arm for the first time.

"Hey, you don't look so good." She said as the Level 5 wavered on her feet.

"This one is...sorry for your loss. Sadamitsu Norio...His body was turned to ashes by the explosion... This one does inquire, do you have any idea what was going on? A mere delivery truck does not instantly incinerate everything in a sizable radius, burning all traces of itself and all bystanders up in flames from an unfortunate traffic accident."

Naoto's eyes narrowed, not with the hatred that one would expect, but rather from pain. She blinked back tears and frowned. Turned to ashes? She never should have...

"Look, we're not here to hurt you. But unless we know what happened to your friend, it may happen again. We just want to stop anyone else from getting hurt. Isn't that right?"

Had she been thinking clearly Naoto would likely have taken that as a threat. But she had lost the will to fight. Not that it would have done her any good. She looked up to Mikoto with a grim smile. She recognized that look. She had worn it herself enough times. Resigned to her fate she let out a bitter laugh.

"That idiot." She muttered again, more clearly this time. "I told him using that stuff too much would end badly." She took as deep a breath as she could manage, her chest tightening with grief. "But he wouldn't listen." For a second it looked as though she was about to weep, tears coming freely to her eyes but she calmed herself. "This..." She fished in her pocket for something, producing a small pen like object. The same kind that had been retrieved at the crime scene. "...is probably what you're looking for." She tossed it to the floor in front of Trystan. It was empty, the pulsing blue light of its contents gone from the hollow tube.

"It's supposed to give anyone who uses it powers equivalent to a level five." She explained. "Do you get what that means?" Her eyes widened and she barked angrily. "Anyone! Not like that fake, Level Upper bullshit! This was real!" Naoto's body shook, losing the battle with her emotions. "No more being afraid. No more being pushed around." Her voice grew quiet, trembling. "No more being treated like trash. People would have to respect us." She cursed quietly, looking away for her shame. At least her comrades wouldn't see her like this.

"But Norio..." She continued after a moment. "He wouldn't stop." Her face slackened, eyes glazing over as she recalled their many arguments. "No one can tell us what to do now, he said. But the rest of us could tell something was up. He started to act weird, started to have headaches and hallucinations..." She stopped, realising she was pouring her heart out to the very people she called her enemies. "Last time we saw him he melted a wall over a game of cards." She shook her head, In retrospect it was all so obvious. "That was last week."

***

“He was already dead by the time they got him to the hospital,” Karl’s voice was beginning to rise again, “They didn’t even investigate into it properly! One hint that it may have been her, they just let it pass because they probably didn’t want to interrogate a fucking level 5.”

Mai was silent as he related his story to her. Partly from fear, but partly because she wanted to understand. She needed to understand him.

“I just want justice, Is that too much to ask?”

It took a few moments for the Tokiwadai girl to gather the courage to speak. And when she did it was with a meek whisper.

"But hurting people... killing people. That's not justice. It won't help your brother." Deep down she knew her words wouldn't reach his ears. So she stopped.

"Look, we're not here to hurt you. But unless we know what happened to your friend, it may happen again. We just want to stop anyone else from getting hurt. Isn't that right?"

Trystan nodded his agreement to her statement as Touko shot Mikoto and himself a gaze. It was rather strange, really, how inefficient he was with words. His speech often seemed to take longer than most to get to a certain point, but even then, he wasn't sure if his point was made. Touko had managed to say what he had wanted to convey, with only a few simple, honest words. Perhaps it was this simplicity and earnestness that had finally broken through and touched the woman's heart. An expression of emotional pain gradually made its way onto the woman's face; after a brief pause, she began speaking.

"That idiot. I told him using that stuff too much would end badly. But he wouldn't listen. This...is probably what you're looking for. It's supposed to give anyone who uses it powers equivalent to a level five."

Trystan picked up the object, flicking the tube lightly; it was empty. The pen-like object looked exactly the same as he had seen being passed around earlier, and was, as far as he could tell, identical to the one they had found at the scene yesterday. If the suffering expression on her face was to be trusted, the fact that she had said the exact same thing as the ones who had escaped earlier about the ability to give or boost existing powers was probably correct. There was no more of whatever it was in the tube to test this, but it was probably true. However, despite these muddled thoughts in his head, his attention was brought violently back towards the woman as her voice erupted in a violent, emotional outburst.

"Do you get what that means? Anyone! Not like that fake, Level Upper bullshit! This was real! No more being afraid. No more being pushed around...No more being treated like trash. People would have to respect us. But Norio...He wouldn't stop. 'No one can tell us what to do now', he said."

Trystan listened in silence as the woman gradually poured her heart out to them. He was an outsider; the term 'Level Upper' held no significance to him, though he presumed it was something that did what the name obviously implied. He couldn't even particularly identify with the fear of being one of the downtrodden, simply because of his early isolation. To be perfectly honest, the life he had lived, while hard, wasn't harsh. The only ones who had ever made their way up to the top of the mountain they lived on had been close friends of his parents, and as such, even if he couldn't match up to their martial prowess, it would only ever be treated as a friendly competition. He couldn't even begin to fathom just what kind of life this woman and her companions had to live before, under the constant fear of being punished for being powerless simply because of not having been born with the ability to use Scientific powers. The only thing he could do as she spoke was simply listen on in silence; it was the only way in which he could, as one of those who was able to use the powers she could not, respect the overflowing emotions she was baring to them.

"But the rest of us could tell something was up. He started to act weird, started to have headaches and hallucinations...Last time we saw him he melted a wall over a game of cards. That was last week."

After a moment of silence, Trystan began speaking.

"This...un-named substance sounds more than slightly dangerous; is it easy to obtain? This one assumes that it was also the source of your power from before..."

"Hey, you don't look so good."

Mikoto merely grimaced at Touko’s worrying words and looked away, not wanting to look weak. She caught Naoto throwing her a grim smile and felt her irritation increase. Her pride could’t stand pitying looks.

"Do you get what that means? Anyone! Not like that fake, Level Upper bullshit! This was real! No more being afraid. No more being pushed around...No more being treated like trash. People would have to respect us. But Norio...He wouldn't stop. 'No one can tell us what to do now', he said."

Mikoto frowned at the words “Level Upper”. It sounded familiar, and it took her a moment to realise that Ruiko had mentioned it sometime in passing during her eager discussions of district rumours.

‘Is it really true then?’ Mikoto wondered. After all, if such drug like what Norio was describing could actually exist… Her head spun wildly just thinking about the possible implications.

"But the rest of us could tell something was up. He started to act weird, started to have headaches and hallucinations...Last time we saw him he melted a wall over a game of cards. That was last week."

Silence. It was obvious everyone needed time to digest what Norio was saying. Trystan broke it first:

"This...un-named substance sounds more than slightly dangerous; is it easy to obtain? This one assumes that it was also the source of your power from before..."

“What was your power anyway?” Mikoto asked before she could stop herself. “They say Multi-skill is impossible, but from what I saw…” She stopped, not wanting her statement to turn into a compliment for the woman’s prowess.

***
"But hurting people... killing people. That's not justice. It won't help your brother."

Karl just stared blankly at Mai, lost in his own thoughts.

He should have realised that this girl woulnd’t understand someone like him. He had been foolish in trusting her and telling his story. The story he hadn’t told anyone for a very long time.

This was stupid.

He turned away, burying his face in shadows.

“I don’t expect you to understand,” Karl finally croaked. His throat felt dry all of a sudden. “You don’t owe me anything. You saved my life after all.”

His voice abruptly changed to one of cool detachment, as if nothing of significance had ever transpired between them.

“You should go now, Kashiwagi-san. Forget about all this. This is no place for a lady such as yourself.”

His face was a stone mask.

"This...un-named substance sounds more than slightly dangerous; is it easy to obtain? This one assumes that it was also the source of your power from before..."

She laughed harshly. "No, it's not exactly easy to come by. I got my contact through Kurama." She dropped that name in casually. "A Skill Out who used to run the show around these parts." Naoto explained. After all she had no loyalty to Kurama, especially not now. "Well, he used to be, until he got himself arrested." Her chuckle was husky and dry. "I hear he got himself caught trying to beat up some kids a few weeks back." Naoto's lyrical tone made it apparent she found amusement at the thug's fate.

"There's only one person in the entire city who produces the stuff. At least as far as I know. But I've got nothing else for you." She said with a half-hearted shrug. "Everything was handled by dead drops and unmarked trucks. Real shady stuff." She seemed more than a little hesitant revealing any more.

“What was your power anyway? They say Multi-skill is impossible, but from what I saw…”

"I don't have a fancy name for it like yours, Electromaster." Her lips pulled back into a half sneer as she said that word. "But it allows me to control gravity." She clenched and unclenched her fingers as though recalling the sensation of the power running through her fingers. "Whether it's my own body or someone else's. Even inanimate objects." She shrugged under Touko's weight. "Don't ask me how it works. I have no idea. I just know that it does." She said innocently. "Heavier, lighter, it doesn't matter. And with a good grasp of physics, well..." She looked at Mikoto's ribs, no doubt still sore from her kick. "You felt the results."

***

“You should go now, Kashiwagi-san. Forget about all this. This is no place for a lady such as yourself.”

Mai's shoulders sunk as Karl made it clear she wasn't welcome any longer.

"Karl..." She whispered. Mai turned to leave, casting one final glance behind her. "I'm sorry." Her voice was so quiet it barely reached her own ears. She closed the metallic door shut behind her with a loud clash.

The mention of that boy, Kurama caused Touko's grip to fighten around Naoto's collar. It all made sense. That was how he had gained an ability so suddenly. To go from a Level 0 to a Level 5 like that... had he also been lured by the promise of power? She shivered, recalling the harrowing bloodlust in his glowing red eyes.

"If all this is true, then we need to do something before anyone else uses this stuff." She looked Naoto in the eye as she stood up, taking the chance of removing the Imagine Breaker from her chest. Standing over her she frowned seriously. "If you still want to protect your friends, then help us. Or what happened to Norio could happen to someone else." She reasoned simply. She had never been the most eloquent of people, but her conviction lent her words weight.

Touko extended her hand to Naoto.

"Karl... I'm sorry."

Karl remained still for a long time after Mai left. A part of him could not believe she actually left. But then, he had offered and she had rightfully taken it. Who wouldn’t?

He stared up at the ceiling, where spider was spinning its web, laying a trap for its prey. He studied the arachnid, not really paying attention to anything in particular. Its spindly legs moved this way and that, each movement carefully calculated and efficient.

After a little while, the beautifully crafted web was finished and the spider lay waiting in a corner, ever so patient. It never moved, never complained. Just waited.

A loud buzzing and sounds of struggle. An unfortunate insect had fallen into the trap. The spider crawled over towards the helpless fly, relishing in its feast.

A slight smile curved at Karl’s lips. This time, he would be the predator and they the prey. He would be the one with all the power, and they would be at his mercy.

"If all this is true, then we need to do something before anyone else uses this stuff. If you still want to protect your friends, then help us. Or what happened to Norio could happen to someone else."

Naoto stared at the spiky haired girl with an expression of surprised bafflement. She regained her wits with a nod and grabbed Touko's hand, hauling herself to her feet. With no time spared for niceties she reached into her pocket for her phone.

"Listen." She said with the clipped tone she used for delivering orders. "I've got something very important to tell you..."

***

The door to the safe house swung open and the three boys barged in urgently.

"What the hell's she thinking?" One complained, his head sweeping from left to right, eyes probing the dark recesses of the gloomy building.

"Who knows, but are you gonna argue?" Another silenced him. "Just do as she says, round up all'a that stuff an' burn it." Eagerness was plain in the second boys voice.

Mikoto remained silent as Naoto gave them information. She tucked the name Kurama into her memory, perhaps it would come in handy later. She also noted that the woman appeared to feel no loyalty nor obligation towards this person whatsoever. Instead, she seemed… almost amused.

Touko asked no questions about this person called Kurama and something about the way she next spoke made Mikoto wonder if the spikey-haired girl knew more than she was letting on. Perhaps she would remember to ask later. Now though, the unexplainable feeling of urgency that had been slowly growing over the course of this interrogation was beginning to make her feel restless.

The electromaster was briefly surprised when Naoto so readily agreed to Touko’s offer, but then decided it wasn’t so unexpected after all. Behind the hardened exterior, the woman seemed to truly care about her comrades. As long as she kept that in focus, Mikoto felt they could all readily trust her.

"Listen. I've got something very important to tell you..."

After the set of instructions and Naoto snapped her phone closed, Mikoto decided she could wait no longer.

“That green-eyed bloke. Miura Karl, I think he’s name was.”

Her head suddenly felt light, but she plunged on.

“Kashiwagi Mai... She... What do you know about what happened?”

Mikoto’s voice was somehow calm, but the sparks of anger in her eyes were being relit.

ooc:...much ado about nothing, sorry for long inner monologue/rambling/filler post @.@'

"No, it's not exactly easy to come by. I got my contact through Kurama, a Skill-Out who used to run the show around these parts. Well, he used to be, until he got himself arrested. I hear he got himself caught trying to beat up some kids a few weeks back. There's only one person in the entire city who produces the stuff. At least as far as I know. But I've got nothing else for you."

Kurama. The way that the woman had said this person's name clearly indicated the lack of respect she was giving him; it was obvious that she did not, and perhaps never had considered this individual as one of her comrades. In any case, this was probably a name that he'd have to check with either Mii or Kuroko once he met up with them once more. If this Kurama individual had gotten himself arrested, and used to be a high-ranking Skill-Out on top of that, there was little to no chance that Judgement hadn't at least caught wind of it. On the other hand, while it was a start, they still hadn't managed to bring much of it to light. However, as frustrating as it was, Trystan thought that for something kept under so many wraps, even confirming the existence of it was probably a good start. Besides, his gut told him that everything she had said thus far had been sincere; that was reason enough for him to trust her words.

“What was your power anyway? They say Multi-skill is impossible, but from what I saw…”

Multi-skill...?

"I don't have a fancy name for it like yours, Electromaster, but it allows me to control gravity...Whether it's my own body or someone else's. Even inanimate objects. Don't ask me how it works. I have no idea. I just know that it does. Heavier, lighter, it doesn't matter. And with a good grasp of physics, well...You felt the results."

Trystan's brows furrowed. It was truly a versatile, and dangerous ability. However, the truly dangerous part in this whole equation was the fact that a mere injection could cause someone to gain such a degree of power in such a short amount of time. It was no wonder that the woman believed that this was a key for them to unlock their shackles. However...

"If all this is true, then we need to do something before anyone else uses this stuff. If you still want to protect your friends, then help us. Or what happened to Norio could happen to someone else."

After a moment's silence, the woman nodded, then grasped onto Touko's outstretched hand and pulled herself up. Without missing a beat, she pulled out a phone from her pocket, before dialing and placing a call. The woman's earlier sentimental tone was replaced with that of a commanding one. Her voice was relaxed, but firm; Trystan could tell that she was used to, and was well suited to being the one in charge.

"Listen. I've got something very important to tell you..."

As she hung up, Mikoto started speaking. Despite the calmness of her tone, there was an underlying sense of anger and urgency to her voice.

“That green-eyed bloke. Miura Karl, I think he’s name was. Kashiwagi Mai... She... What do you know about what happened?”

Trystan remained a silent observer, turning towards the woman to hear her response.

“That green-eyed bloke. Miura Karl, I think he’s name was."
"Kashiwagi Mai... She... What do you know about what happened?”

Touko looked at Mikoto with a curious look.

"Huh? Do you know the two of them?" She didn't want to guess at why someone like Mikoto would be familiar with members of a Skill Out gang, but she had an idea.

"Come to think of it, didn't he take one of those?" She pointed at the empty syringe that Naoto had shown them. A flash of realisation made her head snap to stare, wide eyed at Mikoto.

"Wait, you don't think he'd..." She didn't want to finish that sentence. If the side effects were as severe as they suspected then it was impossible to tell what could happen.

“That green-eyed bloke. Miura Karl, I think he’s name was. Kashiwagi Mai... She... What do you know about what happened?”

Naoto looked to Mikoto as she hung up the phone.

" I don't keep track of everyone who comes around these parts." She matched Mikoto's glare with her own. She looked away after a moment and she sighed with resignation. "Yeah I know him. But I've never heard of a 'Kashiwagi' or whatever." She said dismissively.

"Come to think of it, didn't he take one of those? Wait, you don't think he'd..."

"Either way we need to find him, fast." Naoto said, already starting for the entrance to the alleyway. "We have a few places close by. He's probably gone to ground somewhere close by."

"Huh? Do you know the two of them?"

Mikoto ignored the spikey-haired girl’s question, only looking at Naoto expectantly. It was too complicated to explain- a waste of energy. There would be plenty time for that later.

"I don't keep track of everyone who comes around these parts,” Mikoto held her gaze steady as Naoto returned a fierce glare, “Yeah I know him. But I've never heard of a 'Kashiwagi' or whatever."

The last sentence was said so dismissively, so uncaringly, the electromaster’s anger automatically spiked up. Before she could seize Naoto’s collar and threaten her to spill the beans completely however, Touko said something that startled her.

"Come to think of it, didn't he take one of those?"

Mikoto’s eyes followed the girl’s pointed finger to the empty syringe, and widened at Touko’s implication. What? But that meant…

"Wait, you don't think he'd..."

"Either way we need to find him, fast." Naoto said. The woman was already starting for the entrance to the alleyway. "We have a few places close by. He's probably gone to ground somewhere close by."

Mikoto followed without hesitation, her mouth set in a grim line. She still didn’t know how Mai got involved in all this, but in the end did it really matter? No, she decided with absolute finality, Mai was her friend and she was going to get her out of this mess.

***

"What the hell's she thinking?”
“Who knows, but are you gonna argue?"
"Just do as she says, round up all'a that stuff an' burn it."

Karl’s eyes swerved to the side, taking in the voices with narrowed eyes. He slowly stood up, and found himself face to face with Skill Out members he recognised. The glowing red eyes pierced through the shadows.

“What the hell are you guys doing here?”

His question came out as a growl.

"This is the last one..." Naoto said between deep breaths. An hour of running had taken its toll on her sore muscles. She pressed open the door to the safehouse and peered inside.

She wasn't prepared for the sight that greeted her.

"What the hell?" What remained of the interior bore the scars of a brutal struggle. Chunks of concrete and corrugated iron were torn from the walls, thick gouges rent like claw marks.

The gloom made it difficult to see clearly, but no fewer than five bodies lay scattered through the ruined building.

Touko stopped behind Naoto and looked inside. Her eyes took a few moments to adjust in the low light, but she soon saw them. The bodies of Naoto's men, she assumed. She couldn't tell from where she was whether they were dead or simply unconscious.

"What happened here?" She asked, a cold shiver down her spine making her wary. "Do you think they were too late?"

The idea wasn't a pleasant one. A crazed Level 5 running amok in downtown Academy City. And worse, one that had a grudge against them in particular.

"What the hell?"
"What happened here? Do you think they were too late?"

Familiar voices vibrated in his eardrums as two glowing red dots stared out at the intruders from behind a stack of cardboard boxes in the corner. His nostrils flared. Enemies and traitors. How dare they!

A battered male figure crept out from the shadows, the red eyes unblinking. There was an aura of crazed anger enveloping him, and the darkened facial features were wildly twisted by an unidentifiable expression. His lips were pulled into a beastly snarl, teeth glinting like a demon’s in the low light. Feet wide apart, the stance he took was distinctly comparable to a predator’s, and the way he moved would remind one of a terrifying monster that could stalk the very shadows of fear.

In such a state, Karl was almost unrecognisable.

“What are you doing here?” Contrasting to his looks, Karl’s voice was calm and cool. His eyes glanced at them each in turn, twisted thoughts having no difficulty imagining how he would take them out with his level 5 powers. The spikey-haired girl. The esper who had given him a thorough beating earlier. Railgun.

He licked his lips in anticipation at the thoughts of carnage. Slowly. Painfully. That’s how he’d carry out his revenge for the three of them. Just as those espers would do it. Just as they deserved.

His eyes swiveled to the final person in the group, lingering on Naoto longer than the others. Finally, the anger erupted out to the surface.

“You traitor!! You betrayed us!!” Karl screamed. He glared furiously at the person whom he had always looked up to.

“Fine!” He gritted his teeth, not even giving a chance to hear her explanation. “I don’t need anyone! I can do this by myself!” An abrupt grin exposed his canines, just as a fast as the anger had exploded.

“Onee-chan, see? I’m a Level 5 now, aren’t you proud of me?!” Mocking laughter rang out loud and clear, echoing maniacally.

Karl suddenly let out four quick punches in succession without moving a single step. He didn’t need to. His power allowed him to “portal” forces to another point within a 10 metre radius and direct it at different angles. He could even modify its shape, intensify it, change its vector, focus it into a single point... He felt invincible.

In the space of time what humans would label as a few “milliseconds”, the four separate forces had been “teleported” to the front of each of the four intruders. These blunt forces were directed at their torsos, with enough power to make them fly back, but not enough to kill.

He wanted to play.

**

Mikoto felt herself go numb with terror at the sight of him. The guy called Karl was now unrecognisable, replaced by some horrifying transformation. His red eyes alone gave her the shivers.

‘Is this what happens… when they use…?’ She shuddered silently.

The air in the room seemed to drop a few degrees in temperature, but perhaps that was only her imagination. The girl’s breath was coming in quick gasps and her head was feeling light, but the Electromaster firmly told herself it was only from the hasty running earlier. The makeshift bandages around her arm that Trystan had made for her was now completely stained red and no longer functioning properly, but she refused to dwell on it or even look at it. Every time her lungs filled with air, a sharp pain rattled her ribs, but she refused to dwell on that either.

Mikoto had a job to do, and that was to save her junior and friend from this obviously crazy man.

Her eyes quickly scanned the darkness for any signs of Mai as Karl spoke, but she found nothing. The pumping adrenaline was loud in her ears. The badly beaten body of a Skill Out caught her attention and she briefly wondered if they had even managed to successfully carry out Naoto’s orders before they succumbed to their fate.

“Onee-chan, see? I’m a Level 5 now, aren’t you proud of me?!”

Sensing a sudden change, Mikoto turned her head to face Karl in alarm, only to find herself airborne just moments later with a familiar pain exploding on her front.

She crashed into a wall with a yelp, her torso on fire. Tears swam in her vision as she desperately fought to keep her eyes open.

‘What the-?! Just what was that?!’

Mikoto immediately struggled to a stand, leaning on the wall heavily as she hugged her stomach. Her already exhausted mind was on high alert as she focused on her electromagnetic perception to try and detect any forthcoming attacks from all sides. She was confused, for the guy hadn’t moved and yet… She had only detected something coming at her the instant the attack had hit.

“You traitor!! You betrayed us!!”

“Fine! I don’t need anyone! I can do this by myself!”

“Onee-chan, see? I’m a Level 5 now, aren't you proud of me?!”

Naoto didn't flinch in the face of his accusations.

"Listen, kid. You're not thinking straight. We're here to help, so let us." She tried reasoning with him in her own way, her clipped tone. The red light of his eyes flared up suddenly. Naoto wheeled to face the others and she opened her mouth to bellow a warning. But it was already too late.

The invisible force sent her sailing through the air like a paper doll and she landed beside Mikoto against the wall.

"Heh. Little brat..." She coughed weakly. "Little brat... thinks he can take us. What do you think, Electromaster?" The trembling smile on her face betrayed her bold words.


***

Mai stood, wracked with indecision. Torn between the urge to run home and hide for days and the nagging doubt that swelled in her mind every time she thought of Karl she had found herself circling those same few blocks over and over again. Eventually she had come to rest on the corner of

The crash and thud as the fight nearby spilled out into the streets jolted her back to reality. Fearing the worst, she had already started to run before she had realised her feet were carrying her back to the safe house.

She peered around the corner to find Karl face to face with the three espers from before. And that female Skill-out.

She watched, transfixed as the exchange unfolded. Even as she did so she gripped the syringe tight in her hand.

Touko was flung back with the rest of them, gritting her teeth as the impact shook her body. She gasped, winded from the attack and struggled to keep upright. Her legs threatened to give out underneath her. She clutched at her chest. It felt like she'd been hit with a sledgehammer.

Balling up her fist, Touko charged towards the boy without a second thought. She couldn't afford to hesitate. Not when the boy in front of them was wearing that bloodthirsty look. At the very least she needed to buy time for Trystan and Mikoto to form a plan.

With a yell she ran at the boy with glowing red eyes...