A Certain Ability Anomaly

10 - A Certain Psychopathic Railgun, Misaka-san

"Nee-san's gonna be an esper? How cool!"

"Ruiko... You know I don't agree with this..."

"Hahaha...Your mother worries too much, that's why."

"I'm afraid what they'll do, tampering with your head and stuff."

"They won't do anything like that!"

"Here, a good luck charm. If anything happens, you can always come back. Your body is the most important thing after all."

My mom's always so superstitious. That's why I have this good luck charm with me. There's no way something like this could protect you, right? It's not a barrier or anything.

What else? Not being able to do anything while a robbery is taking place. Shirai-san and Uiharu are both taking their roles as Judgment. Maybe if I join Judgment, even if I don't have powers, will I become as useful as them?

"It's too dangerous to leave the plaza." That was Uiharu trying to hold onto a woman.

"But I have to!" She said.

"What's wrong?" Misaka-san interrupted. Isn't it wrong to interrupt when you have no authority over something? Then that would mean you can't help with something. This is so confusing!

"There's one boy missing! He said he forgot something and went back to the bus." It seems that this woman is a chaperone to a children's trip around the city. They were stopping by for a crepe I guess.

"Then let me and Uiharu..."

"Let me help too!" I decided to join them rather than not doing anything. Seems like everyone agreed.

So we did our search while Shirai-san tries to capture the robbers as she is doing a while ago. Shirai-san is always so awesome when she's fighting. After all, she is a Level 4.

I think I found the kid who went missing. He was being tried to be taken hostage by one those robbers. Even I can stop them right?

"Let him go!" I hugged him tight in hopes that the bad guy would release him. As I thought, he was freed but at a cost of me getting kicked in the face. Ouch! Do you know how much that hurts?! Well it's not like I can do anything since now I'm laid on the ground.

"Saten-san!" I can hear the cry of Uiharu calling out my name. She must be worried about me after what just happened. I'm sure she's the only one worried about me right now. She is the closest one with me after all. There's no way you would worry about some stranger you just met for one day, right?

"Kuroko!" I think that's Misaka-san's voice. "This is my personal fight now. Sorry but I'm stepping in." What? How can it be personal? It's not like she was hurt in any way. Could it be..? Is she stepping in for my sake?

The bad guy was already in a car facing Misaka-san a couple of meters ahead in the middle of the road as I raised my body to a comfortable position.

What I'm about to witness right now is the famous Railgun made specifically by the strongest electromaster of Academy City. I was awed by the posed Misaka-san was doing and the coin that was flipping through the air before landing on her finger.

The moment it landed a powerful beam of orange and white soared out of her stretched out hand. It was then I realized Shirai-san was caught in the beam before it hit the car. I'm sure Misaka-san was surprised too. She wasn't there a while ago. But how?

Turns out there was a forth bad guy hiding somewhere and pushed Shirai-san into the path of the Railgun at the right moment where Misaka-san fired it. All of us - Me, Uiharu and Misaka-san is speechless. We dashed in when the sparks and other stuff cleared up to check on signs of life.

"Kuroko! Don't you dare leave me!"

"Shirai-san, please don't die."

"Shirai-san!"

"Kuroko!"

All those cries can be heard as we crowd around Shirai-san. Cries after cries after cries, there is no sign of life from Shirai-san. I can see teardrops running through Misaka-san's cheek. Uiharu's the same too. Everyone else except me is crying. I think that's understandable. Given I've only met her in one day. It was then we concluded - Shirai-san was railgun-ed to death.

There was this long silence. The chirps of the bird, the bustling crowd; it was as if they were respecting her death. Not until one point of time.

I can hear a sadistic laugh. Who? Who is sadistic enough to laugh at the death of a human?

I turned around at the source. To my surprise - it was Misaka-san. The laugh gets louder every minute.

"Hehehe....Kuro...he...ko.....dead..hehe"

"Hahaha....I'm gonna get you...hahahah....."

"Who ever killed her...hehehe...I'm gonna get you....hahaha"

Right now I am witnessing something I shouldn't have witnessed. Misaka-san is now not Misaka-san. She is now crazy. Uiharu and I wanted to calm her down but that seems impossible as Misaka-san is shooting her electricity here and there. There is no way we can approach her without being hurt!

The people around were running away. It was chaotic. Screams can be heard here and there. I don't know what to do. As what a normal civilian would do, I tried to escape.

"Saten-san, what are you doing?" I tried to bring her with me. It's safer for her to escape too.

"Let's escape! There's no way we can handle her!"

"If we don't do it nobody will!"

"But just look at her! Do you think you can face that monstrous Misaka-san?" I pointed towards Misaka-san. Buildings torn apart; people running in fear; her apathetic look; everything about that is out of our control. "Are you trying to kill yourself?" Good thing Uiharu looked to where I showed her. Moments later she looked at me.

"It's not about whether you can or cannot. It's about whether you should or should not."

"But you'll get killed! Just like Shirai-san." Of course, I don't want to lose her. I just can't say it quite right.

"Do you think Shirai-san would be happy if you ran away? Do you think Shirai-san would forgive you for leaving her lovely Misaka-san at loss? Do you think this is what Shirai-san wanted?"

"Shirai-san is not my friend, she's yours!" I raised my voice.

Uiharu was speechless. I think she wouldn't expect me to say that. To be honest, I myself didn't expect I would.

"Fine, if you say so! Let me go! I'll save my friend's friend" Like that, she forced her way out of my grip and into the chaos.

"Fine! Do what you like! Don't go blaming me on your death!" I was angry. She left me. I left the scene. Of course, I was crying. I don't know what she felt for me after that.

=Author's Note=

Argh! It's been a long time since I wrote a chapter. This chapter is a bit different than the other chapters before because of the point of view. Also, to differentiate what the previous chapter is and what this chapter is about, I deliberately cut it into half part long than the original length. Don't worry, it'll be back in 2000 words long once this subplot resolves.

Also, I like to dedicate this chapter to @JessicaTam4 because this chapter is based on her book
"A Certain Psychopathic Electromaster" and therefore named this chapter in reference to that book. Also I took a bold move by including a reference of her work. Get it? Bold!
Anyway, go on and check her out!

J-senpai, please don't be mad at me. (^_^;)

Anyways, I'll be writing from time to time but I don't know when. So keep waiting and look forward to the next one!