DISCLAIMER: I do not own anime series A Certain Scientific Railgun and A Certain Magical Index, it's characters, setting, story lines or plot. I only own Taisuke Tarumi (OC) and any other OC Character found in this Fan Fiction.

Chapter 01: Zero

I've always stayed zero and I've never went higher than that.

Smoke.

Thick black bellows of the stuff surrounded me, blocking out my senses, disorientating me and making each step a labor. It stung my eyes till they watered, and with every breath filled my lungs with poisonous vapors. It dried my throat and fouled my nostrils.

I was sweating, both from running and from the heat emanating my surroundings, making me light-headed and dizzy. All around me I could hear the crackling of materials as they overheated and failed as the temperature increased.

'Please let me make it in time' I thought to myself as I ran up the flight of stairs, taking it two at a time despite the overwhelming urge to just stop breathing, to stop moving, to do anything to get out of this hellish place, but I forged onwards, panting and coughing all the way.

I had to.

Dimly I realized that I'd reached another floor. Out of the corner of my eye, on a blacked white wall, was the equally blacked husk of what used to be yellow paint. Still, through the roaring flames and the collapsing debris I could make out the words [4F].

Fourth floor.

I began frantically, as much as the situation permitted me to, searching down the corridor with my sight, looking for the door, for the well crafted, plain wooden brown entrance that was the third door to the left...

And saw black smoke emanate from my sister's room.

'Please! Don't do this to me!'

My thoughts continued to race through my head as I had no other concern than for my sister while I fought through the smoke. I opened my little sister's room quickly, only to find her on the floor with tattered and slightly torn clothing with black stains which could have been the bomb and/or smoke as it quickly the whole room.

"Onii-chan..." her voice sounded very weak but I heard it clear as day; she weakly lifted up her head as she looked up at me and extended her trembling hand towards me but trembled. It looked liked she was holding on to a tiny thread of her life which was still keeping her in this world.

'Thank god I made it in time!' I rejoiced in thought as I immediately reached for her hand but then it suddenly fell down to the ground, her eyes closed and she ceased to breathe. I grabbed her hand but it felt cold and my mind went blank; I couldn't comprehend it! My eyes, face and body language expressed one thing, and one thing only: disbelief

"No, you gotta be joking... Yukinaga... Please..." I cried, holding her hand tightly Tears spilled from my eyes as I began to cry, clutching her hand tightly.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

"Yukinaga!"

"YUKINAGA!"

Peripheral Academy, District 9

"Taisuke Tarumi!" my Science Teacher shouted furiously

I woke up with a jolt and looked around the classroom, only to see everyone staring at me.

"Taisuke Tarumi!" She shouted again, now tinged with annoyance as it echoed through my ears.

"Are you listening, Taisuke Tarumi!"

"Yes Sensei!" I replied with as I gritted my teeth in annoyance

'She snapped me out of it. That teacher's annoying voice woke me from my terrible dream.' I thought

"It was a rhetorical question, please remember that you are freshman here at Peripheral Academy. Act like one for once!" She demanded.

I shrugged her request in frustration and leant back in my chair as I watched her continue to teach the class, 'I bet she doesn't even care one bit about her students' I thought bitterly as I glared at the back of my sensei's head.

…

It's been two years since that incident.

...

The bombing that took my little sister's life and the thought of it had always brought me into a depressing mood and nothing seemed to helped me forget what happened. I stared down at my desk and just played with my pencil with my fingers as I watched it spin clockwise, my mind is consumed of the incident that still plays very vividly in my head.

"Ding - Dong - Ding - Dong" the school bell rang indicating that is was the end of this boring class.

"That will be all for today" the science teacher said as she left our classroom.

I placed my stuff back into my bag before getting up, clicking my neck to the left because it was starting to feel stiff before leaving the classroom. I walked down the hallway that was filled with groups of students and overheard conversations.

"Hey, did you hear about Zero?" a student asked his friend

"What about him?"

"Hey, are you going to ask for help from Zero?" a male student said teasingly to his friend

"I dunno... it's kinda scary to ask"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Haha..."

"Zero can beat level four espers!" a female student announced to her friends

"He's so cool right even if he doesn't have a power"

"Yeah!" her friends said in reply

"Is it true he can beat both espers and skill-outs?" another male student asked

"How come he doesn't have a power yet?"

"Those are just urban legends. I wouldn't believe it at all." one male student said

I passed classrooms and clubrooms till I stood in front of a wooden door. I slowly placed my hand on the handle and opened the door of the school library. I walked half-heartedly towards the technology section of the library and just picked a random book about electronics. I held it and walked towards an unoccupied table and sat down. I placed my bag on top of table and shifted myself to a relaxed position and opened the book and started reading.

I soon realized that this book could be useful for my next creation, it tells you all the conductors and non conductors of electricity. It even has vivid illustrations of electrons; ions, how certain elements react to electricity positively and negatively. Especially how to create; store electricity from scratch. Then again the title of this book is "Electricity For Dummies." I yawned as I flipped the next page.

'What are you looking for' a voice in my head asked me

'Something' I replied

I'm searching for an answer. I don't know what I'm exactly looking for, but I'll know when I get it. I don't care if the answer is good or bad, I just want an answer. Although this all sounds stupid because I don't even know what I'm actually looking for. I have done many outrageous things to discover that answer. I have gotten into many fights inside and outside of school for the sole reason of finding an answer that just seems unobtainable.

I glanced at my watch and noticed it is '5:15 PM'

Peripheral Academy

One of the top schools in terms of creative and industrial arts, home to the most creative minds in Academy City. Over here we learn by getting our hands dirty, not by sitting and listening. We dedicate our time being innovative. Majority of our exams are practical but we occasionally have written exams. Every student here shouldn't be underestimated, esper or not.

I closed the book; placed it back on the shelf, got my bag and walked towards the exit. I noticed a female student walking towards the door as well. I placed my hand on the handle; pulled it inwards to let her pass. As soon as she passed me, I walked out of the library and closed the door behind me.

I proceeded to walk down a flight of stairs, but stopped halfway. I looked out the big window in front of me, the sun setting in the distant had illuminated the stairs in an orange glow. A female student was walking up the stairs and tripped.

"HYAA!" as her arms broke her fall before the floor could make contact with her face.

"Ow..." I heard her mutter to herself.

I glanced at the female student and decided to walk a few stairs down and ask her.

"You okay?" I asked in a monotonous tone.

"Yeah, help me up please?" she asked as she held her arm towards me, I froze as the simple action triggered one of my memories. That one painful memory of my sister as she extended her arm towards me in order to be saved. I shook my head off and looked at her for a brief moment. For a moment it seemed like she was my sister asking my aid.

"No? Ok"She got up on her own and brushed the dirt off her skirt "Thanks a lot" She said sarcastically before continuing up the stairs.

I clenched my right fist as I stared at the floor. "It's all the same... just like that incident" I whispered with a hint of fear in my voice. There was no way for me to save her. I shook my head and proceeded to go down the stairs. Finally I made it to my shoe locker.

Shoe Locker Number #12

I opened it and swapped my indoor shoes with my outdoor shoes. I realized after placing my indoor shoes inside the locker that a letter was inside. I took hold of the letter as I closed my locker

'What could this be?' I thought as I placed my bag on the floor for a moment and opened the letter. On the top of the letter were words written in a neat hand:

Dear Zero,

"I hear that you get requests from the students here at Peripheral Academy. I mean everyone is scared to ask Zero for help after all. Anyway, I really need your help Zero. A lot of people on campus are bullying me because my power is useless. They say that my power won't benefit anybody and that I'm just a waste of time here despite me getting good grades to allow me to stay in this Academy. I really just want to cry because I really can't do anything against them but I want to stay strong. Please Zero I really need you, if you can please meet me at 5:45 PM at the park today. Hoping for your hopeful response."

From: Concerned Student

I sighed, I couldn't save my sister but I could atone for weakness by doing deeds such as this. I refolded the letter and placed it in my back pocket. I heard the most infamous rumor that had originated here in Peripheral Academy, so infamous that everyone in Academy City practically knows it. This rumor popped up alongside the time that I became Zero and did deeds in order to atone for my moment of weakness.

This rumor is about Zero.

—

-Flashback- Two Years Ago, April 5.

"Thank you very much!" The student said, running off.

I scratched the back of my head and smiled softly. At least when I do this I…I can help.

"Unlike that moment." I said wearily, touching the wristband on my left wrist. I recalled the horrid bombing incident that occurred in the hospital my sister was being hospitalized. I held my left wrist tighter, and looked at the ground.

As I stared at the ground, I could image my sister on the floor…extending her hand towards me.

"Onii-Chan" my sister. I shook my head in shame, shame of not being able to help my sister when she needed to the most.

I couldn't stop the fire.

I couldn't save my sister.

I couldn't do anything.

… But I can at least do this.

I raised my head up and decided to walk around town. I walked down the endless streets of commercial buildings and hear conversations of others. I got the letter from my back pocket, and opened it. "What's the next request about?" I said to myself.

-Flashback Over-

—

I picked up my bag and glanced at my watch and saw it is "5:25 PM". I gazed at the school gate which was not far from here as it is illuminated with the sunset light. "Onii-Chan" I heard my sister's voice echo in my head. I've constantly heard my little sister's voice after the incident, I just couldn't let go of her and accept that she was gone, I wanted to keep hearing her voice as she called out to me, for now it kept me sane, it's definitely a hallucination but I'd rather not live without it.

I passed the school gate and walked towards the park. I looked at my watch as it stated that it is "5:31 PM". Well, I'm almost there...as soon as I can cross the road then pass a few commercial buildings then make a right turn, I should be in the park in no time. I looked directly ahead as I continued to walk towards the park. I looked at my watch again "5:37 PM". I'm almost there now, just a few more buildings then a right turn to make it on time.

As I reached the park, I began searching for the person who asked for my help, I remembered it is a student from my school. So I am looking out for students wearing the Peripheral Academy Uniform, both male and female. Although, it seems like I can't find the said person. I let out a sigh and strolled towards the vending machine before leaning against said machine. I checked my watch as it read "5:45 PM" the designated time and I couldn't find anyone in particular, I sighed once again and was contemplating on whether or not I should leave until I heard a female voice call me

"Um.. Are you.. Zero?" She asked timidly

I looked at the person who called me and I saw... oh wait... this is the girl I met a while ago. A 5'4 foot girl standing in front of me. Her -indigo- eyes enveloped me and her -chocolate brown- hair made me flutter for a moment, she's also wearing the Peripheral Academy uniform and it immediately donned on me that this could probably be the person who asked for my help.

"Um... Are you the concerned student in the letter?"I asked

"Y-yes..!" she stuttered as she avoided eye contacted with me

"Don't worry, I'll help you out."I said in a nonchalant tone

She let out a sigh of relief, "I thought I was going to get turned down"

"Turned down? Why would that be?" I asked curiously as I tilted my head to the side

"Huh?, uh...it's nothing" She said as she played with her skirt.

"I'm Zero" I said as I extended my hand to her "I look forward to working with you."

"Me to-!" She was about to shake my hand but withdrew

"Y-you're the guy I met at the stairs!" She pointed at my face ignoring my personal space

I looked at her finger and pushed it away with the back of my hand.

"Is that a problem?" I asked

"Yes it's a goddamn problem! You didn't help me up when I tripped!" She pointed at my face again

I felt really annoyed that this girl did not understand personal space or personal area or whatever you want to call it. I call it personal space. I pushed her finger away from my face with back of my hand again.

"Bullying's a bigger problem than tripping on stairs right." I said

"Well, they're both a huge problem! NO sense of chivalry at all! How can I expect you to help me in my bullying problem?!" Once more, she pointed at my face again practically touching my nose, it's that close...

I think I know why she is being bullied in the first place. It must be not knowing this term called "Personal Space". Probably she gets too close to others, whether they be male or female and the closeness isn't kind of invited. I let out a sigh and held her hand, in an effort to stop her from pointing at my face.

"I can't solve your tripping problem, but I can solve your bullying problem" I said

"If you can't solve a tripping problem, what more a bullying problem?" She pointed at my face again with the other hand.

I held her other hand with my right, in an effort to restrict her for pointing at my face ever again.

"What's your power?" I asked

"My power works if you look up in the sky" She said without hesitation

I looked up at the sky, wondering if my sister would be happy for the things I have done. Then the clouds became dark and rain started pour slowly, but it got stronger and faster every minute.

"It's raining." I pointed out

"Actually, I was supposed to hit your balls right there" she said quietly

I started to get wet as each drop of rain fell on top of my face and traveled down to my shoulders. I guess some shade is in order. I looked back at the young girl but she was no longer in front of me. I looked around and found her marching towards bus stop, with her bag on top of her head. As soon as she was under the roof of the bus stop, she turned around and waved at me, however I couldn't tell whether she was saying goodbye or telling to go there.

I sighed and pondered in thought, wondering who's disgracing my intentions to help in place of my weakness, two number twelve-shoe lockers exist after all.

Author's Note: Review, Follow or Favorite if you please. Chapter 2 to come out soon