Chapter 12
Touma and Mikoto walked side by side back to Touma's dorm. After the fight with Abbondino, they brought him to a hospital where he lied under the care of Heaven Canceller. Both of them were bruised and dirtied from the fight and agreed to get some rest.
It was well past Tokiwadai's curfew, and Misaka Mikoto would surely be caught by the dorm supervisor if she entered at these hours. So she reluctantly decided it would be best if she went with Touma to his dorm and stay overnight. Her face was red and she was completely silent for the entire walk. She was completely immersed in her thoughts.
I'm all bruised and roughed up; I have to change into something. WAIT, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO CHANGE INTO AND THERE ARE NO STORES OPEN THIS LATE AT NIGHT! A-A-AND WHERE AM I GOING TO TAKE A SHOWER!? What if he only has bar soap... WHAT AM I THINKING! Maybe I'll just skip the shower, BUT WHERE AM I GOING TO SLEEP... WHERE IS HE GOING TO SLEEP?!
Mikoto stopped walking and was as red as tomato. Her eyes were open wide and nervous sweat drops fell from her head. Touma looked back at the now immobile Mikoto.
"Mikoto, are you alright?"
"HAAA!?" Misaka snapped out of her haze and shouted in shock.
"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, quiet." Touma ran over to her and covered her mouth with his hand. He looked around at the surrounding buildings and dorms to see if anyone heard them.
Mikoto looked at Touma's hand and was suddenly overwhelmed with anger. She shot some sparks and punched him in the side.
"Geh..." Cringed Touma.
He fell to the floor, curling into a ball while holding his side. Mikoto forgot that Touma had a broken rib and accidently punched him in that area. She quickly realized what her rash actions did and helped him get back up and silently apologized. They walked the rest of the distance in complete silence.
They eventually made it back to Touma's dorm building, which was completely dark. Everything was still, quiet and peaceful. Touma wished that this peace applied to him and everyone around him, but the unfortunate truth was unavoidable. They walked up the flight of stairs to Touma's room and went down the walkway. As they passed Tsuchimikado's dorm, Touma flashed back to the moment when Tsuchimikado used a spell to unlock Abbondino's memory and the bloody aftermath.
Tsuchimikado, you bastard. Why did you push yourself so far? Couldn't there have been another way?
Then Touma felt a small tugging on his shirt. He looked to see Mikoto with an extremely odd expression. He looked at her hand which was pointing in front of them. Touma looked at what she was pointing at and noticed a person with red hair in a pink V-neck t shirt, shorts and flip-flops with a small cat sitting at the railings in front of his dorm. Touma gulped at the sight.
...What is that? Could it be...a homosexual? No, a lost drug addict?
Touma walked closer to the strange person. At closer examination, he noticed that this person was extremely familiar.
"...S-Stiyl?" Asked Touma
Stiyl Magnus raised his head and looked at Touma with extreme embarrassment.
"Stiyl, it is you. Can I ask why you are in women's clothes."
"It pains me to say, so I'd rather not." He replied.
Touma left it at that, but was overwhelmed by curiosity once more.
"Um, Stiyl, I have another question. Why are you here?"
"I ran away from the hospital to escape the Academy City authorities, and I need a place to stay..." Said Stiyl with shame.
"*sigh, such misfortune." Sighed Touma. "Oi, Misaka, it's alright, I know this guy. He's, erm, an acquaintance of mine I guess. Ummm, he's also going to be spending the night over too... "
