Disclaimer: The author of the fanfiction (babbler) does not, in any way, profit from the story and that all creative rights to the characters belong to their original creator.

Thunderstruck

Mikoto Misaka paced the small waiting room of the hospital. You might say her mind was cluttered right now because she was unable to distract herself, yet, also unable to do absolutely anything about her predicament. There were the same leather chairs, enamel floor, and small uneven coffee table as there were forty minutes ago, and looking at them harder did not change that. The coffee table in particular she had examined thoroughly. The legs and top were scuffed from reclining patients resting their feet against it and held exactly three magazines; two of which were in English and the other was six years old. Try as she might, she could not decipher the magazine though a few words here and there she could make out.

She picked up the Japanese magazine, a current affairs magazine for September 2004, and tried reading an article...she found herself reading the same line over and over unable to comprehend it. Her stomach was now empty and acidic from not eating since lunch and it was close to 9:00 pm. She was jittery from the soda she had drank earlier; possibly dozens of soda because she hadn't kept track.

There were two anti-skill guards watching over her at the end of both corridors that led from the room she sat in. They had met her at the entrance to the hospital and they had directed her to this waiting room. They didn't say why but Mikoto imagined it must have had something to do with the accident.

"If only I had turned around," she mumbled sinking into the worn leather chair and thinking back to a few hours earlier....

Tōma was about twenty-feet in front of her and running at the same pace as he was an half hour earlier; if she didn't know better she'd swear that was his power...either that or annoyance.

I wonder if he runs like this whenever someone chases him or if it's just me? Dammit! Why won't he just stop and have a sensible battle!

Tōma made a sudden turn into an alley and Mikoto followed. At the end of the dark wet alley was a 90-degree turn and it was the only way for him to go. Tōma turned for a second to look back at her and then jumped backwards as what looked like a blue laser flew past him, a shower of sparks cascading from it.

"Don't you have homework or something to do?"

"Just use your full power and this will be all over." Mikoto moved her foot forward as she prepared to electrify the small stream of water running from the puddle at her feet to the drain below Tōma's.

If I can distract him I can zap him good before he moves and then I'll finally get to see what he's hiding.

She noticed a shadow moving towards her, hard to see in the dark alleyway, but moving towards her none the less.

Clang!

The garbage can, being metal, Mikoto deflected almost automatically...but the trash was a different story as banana peels, take-out boxes, and a wide assortment of gooey and gross bits hit her square in the face.

"Sorry," Tōma yelled, darting out to the main street.

Mikoto didn't know what to do; crying or screaming still left her in a dark alley covered in garbage so she tried both.

"Tōma!" she screamed running out of the alleyway, tears dripping down her face, but he had already disappeared. There were far more people on this street and even if she did see where he went, it would be hard to run after him without smacking into everyone. She raked the garbage and slime from her hair and turned around to take the scenic route home along the river.

The wind had picked up and dark grey clouds were forming above Mikoto's head. No one was around now and she liked these solitary walks. A drop of rain splashed against her face and she instinctively wiped it away, but there was something slimy stuck there. It was sticky and she had trouble pulling it away...she closed her eyes and thought about tossing it away, but decided that not knowing was worse than knowing. She opened her eyes...It was a band-aid.

Mikoto moved her arm to fling the slimy gross disgusting moist band-aid as far as possible put it remained stuck to her finger. This was followed by spinning around in a circle and flailing her arms as much as possible but still the band-aid stayed there taunting her with its infectious charm. Finally she rolled it up in a tiny ball and tossed it as far she she could. Electricity arced out from her like a Tesla coil, and she concentrated all that Tōma frustration into a blue surging energy that crashed from the heavens with a roar following soon after.

Something warm and heavy hit her from behind and she found herself sprawled on the pavement.

"That better not be you Tōma!" She felt her face filling with blood. Whoever it was smelled like flowers and she doubted any man living alone spelt like flowers ever, though she remembered he did have two girls living with him. This only made her blush harder as she squirmed out from under the weight.

Kurokol ay on her stomach with her face to one side, her eyes were closed. One of her shoes was missing.

"You scared me Kuroko. Now cut it out." She nudged her friend.

"Oh no! Kuroko's dead! Whatever shall I do!" she said in a stilted manner, touching her fingers to her throat as she felt for a pulse. Kuroko would alway make some crack at her acting skills...but no insult came this time.

"This isn't funny!" She tried harder to find a pulse.

"I suck at this. You know if this were for real you'd probably be dead." Kuroko didn't laugh. Mikoto desperately tried her wrists but there was no bumpity bumpity where there should have most definitely been bumpity bumpity.

Mikoto, tears dripping down her face for the second time that day, rolled the tiny girl onto her back and began chest compressions.

She could see now that Kuroko's hair was frazzled on the right side of her head and her blouse was blackened and full of holes running from her neckline down to her skirt. Something was burning. There was no way she was faking this. She didn't know how she could be so blind...there was still steam coming from her body.

"What's the ratio for this Kuroko! Is it 30:9 or 30:15? Was it 30 at all? I don't remember!"

What number was I on again? Crap...she tilted Kuroko'shead back, looked into her mouth, pinched her nose, and then began doing the breaths. What am I going to do?

"Look Kuroko, I'm groping you! I bet you like that if you weren't....come on say something!"

The misty rain had caused everyone to run for shelter and there weren't that many people by the river anyway. How am I even going to call an ambulance like this?

Her arms were already getting tired. What set is this? 15th ? 30th ? She didn't rmemeber but she knew she was now soaked. She looked at her watch while doing compressions...it was 7:49, she remembered she had given up chasing Tōma around 7:20. Had she been doing this for nearly thirty minutes. There wasn't much chance of survival after thirty minutes.

"You look tired! I'll take over." A msaculine voice nearly pushed her off of Kuroko. Mikoto sat their stunned as she watched him contining the chest compressions while counting under his breath. She immediately dialed for an ambulance.......

"You look like crap." Saten said putting her arm around Mikoto...she was a little weary of the electricity crackling around her but the girl looked like she needed comfort so she risked it.

"...How's...how...how?" She stared at her friend hoping they would know what she was trying to say.

"Uhm..." Saten and Uiharu looked at each other briefly.

"The doctor said she'd be okay in a few days," Saten said clenching her teeth.

"Really?"

"Yeah," Uiharu continued, "lots of people get hit by lightening but they get better. Kuroko's awake now but she's all disoriented and delirious and you have to talk really loud or she can't hear you...she has a high fever too and..." Saten elbowed her friend to shut her up.

Mikoto pulled her two friend into a hug. She was already crying again.

"Go home and take a shower...man you stink," Saten said nudging Mikoto gently. Mikoto got up and with a long sigh and walked down the corridor to the anti-skill officer that had suddenly appeared.

"Why did you tell her that?" Uiharu whispered.

"This entire room smells like garbage and wet dog."

"Saten, that's not nice."

"I just mean she should go home and shower. It's not like stinking this place up will do anything. By the way...did you ask her what happened?"

"She was crying too much when I got here. Why did anti-skill make her sit way over here?"

"I heard one of those anti-skill guys say they were going to arrest her."

"For what?"

"Kuroko got electrocuted...do I need to say more?"

"She wouldn't do that to Kuroko!" Uiharu grabbed Saten's cheek.

"UI'm jusst ssayin!" Saten pulled her face away. "It was probably an accident. Mikoto's always shocking Kuroko." They both noticed one of the anti-skill officers turn their way.

"You think she went too far?" Uiharu whispered.

"Which one? I can't see Kuroko going far enough to get..." Saten thought back to all the times Mikoto had overreacted...even blasting their dorm door to splinters not that long before. "Hahah it had to be an accident."

"Can you tell me about the accident?" the anti-skill officer asked Mikoto.

"She was hit by lightning."

"We find that a little hard to believe coming from a Level 5 electromaster. There haven't been any other recorded lightning strikes during the rain storm. Would you like a chance to amend your story?"

"Not really," Mikoto said meekly," she was hit by lightning."

"We're going to need you to come with us to the detention center until we get this straightened away." His partner led Mikoto down the three flights of stairs to the van where it was waiting with doors wide open.

Mikoto walked dejectedly into the back and sat on the hard metal seat. The vehicle began to rumble and than lurched into gear.

I can't believe I'm in one of these things. Didn't Kuroko and I just watch two crooks get into one of these two days ago? Now I'm on my way to a detention center and she's....

How the heck am I going to get my way out of this one? No matter what I say it'll be either a misuse of my powers or inability to control them! Maybe if I say I went a little overboard and she's always tormenting me...that will go over well. I struck her with freaking lightning for trying to hug me. She is always trying to sexually harass me so...that will probably end up being my misuse of powers and her ending up in a detention center even though she didn't do anything. I should just say lightning hit her. I'll make it up to Kuroko somehow.

The van stopped and the doors immediately pulled open. Four nervous looking anti-skill officers with batons were lined up on either side of the door. Mikoto couldn't look them in the eyes has they escorted her up to a tiny room and left her with a glass of water. She didn't see much of the building as she was staring at her feet the entire time, except for their very clean floors, but this was a building she didn't want in her memories.

A woman with grey hair and a folder came into the room and sat down across the table from her. Miktoto looked up for the first time half expecting an interrogation room like in one of those police procedurals, but it looked more like a lunchroom. There was even a fridge and hot water percolator on the counter to her right.

"So Kuroko Shirai was hit by lightning," she smiled oddly.

"Yes."

"Standing next to a level 5 electromaster? How do you expect us to believe that? Do you want to change your story?"

"No. I was walking along and she teleported behind me and then I heard a loud crash and when I looked back she was lying on the ground."

"There's been some mischief around town lately that I think an electromaster has had an hand in. Do you know anything about some damage to a bridge? Witness say they saw some bright flashes of light coming from that area a little while ago."

"No."

"We also know, from your headmistress at the dorm, that you and Ms. Shirai have been known to fight. Are you two having any problems relationship wise?" She paused for a few seconds. "If you don't feel like talking about it with me I can direct you to a relationship councillor."

"We...we... don't have that kind of relationship." Mikoto said shrilly her face burning red.

"I see. I won't keep you but you're still under suspicion so I'm going to put you under the care of your headmistress. As of right now, I want you to stay away from Ms. Shirai. The guards at the hospital have been notified." ..........

Mikoto never imaged she'd one day be taken home (her dorm) in the back of a squad car. If anyone had tried to see who they were transporting, only some locks of hair would have been visible. If she could have fit, she would have happily climbed under the seat or even gotten in the trunk. Now all she had to do was, she peaked out the window as the car came to a halt...

The headmistress was staring at her soul. She'd never seen her this mad before and Kuroko had an habit of bringing out the worse in her. The usual barely suppressed anger was no longer barely suppressed. The officer opened the door and she gingerly got out. There was a big o'vein popping out of her forehead and her face was nearly purple.

"Your headmistress will be supervising for now."

There was a black cloud around the women who stood at the other end of the walk from her. "GET YOUR THINGS. GO TO THE SUB LEVEL."

Mikoto couldn't quite explain the time from getting out of the car to packing her suitcases in her room. It was almost like she had flown. Maybe for a brief moment she had become a level six and obtained powers beyond comphrension. Maybe if they had the headmistress glowering at them during the system scan they would all test a level higher; even those not on the curriculum.

Mikototucked her blanket and pillow under her arm and with two heavy suitcases, began descending the stairs. She could feel her headmistress's eyes burning into her through several floors and partitions. The sub level had the laundry facilities on it but she didn't know what else. She had never set foot there until she opened the stairwell door.

This floor was no dungeon and the walls were freshly painted and stuccoed. The lighting was quite bright which made it even easier to see the headmistress staring at her with arms folded. If she didn't know better, it would appear the elder lady was smiling slightly.

"This will be your room for the next little while."

"But..."

"No buts. Your new curfew is 8:00pm until I say otherwise." She handed Mikoto the key.

"Yes ma'am."

"Don't think that I haven't noticed what time it is right now." She watched her headmistress march off with a evil glint in her eye. She seemed to have calmed down quite a bit in only a few minutes.

Mikotoslipped the key in the lock and opened the door. Other than the lock it looked similar to all the other rooms she'd seen. She picked up her other suitcase, having put it down while her headmistress was talking, and pushed the door open with her foot.

Bang! Her hip hit the door knob and she wedged herself between the wall and the half open door with her suitcase. Pushing as hard has she could, she couldn't get the door to open any wider.

"What the heck could this thing be stuck on?" she asked out loud as she squeezed into the room. There was a chest of drawers immediately behind the door that prevented it from opening. Next to it, sitting lengthwise, was the bed and it was pressed tightly against the outside wall. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a desk and it left just enough run to squeeze between it and the bed. Across from the drawers and next to the door was a closet with its sliding doors closed.

"Hmm..." Mikoto squeezed back outside to get her bags. Sometimes she wished her powers were more practical. If she were Kuroko she could easily teleporter bags into the room but she couldn't electricity them in. She picked up the narrower of her bags and with a running throw jammed it into her room. The second bag was more like a duffel bag and much wider than her suitcase. She looked at the opening, then her bag, and then the opening again but she knew it would not fit.

She would have to take the things in a few at a time. She reached into her bag and pulled out some clothes. "Gwah!" They were all panties so she dropped them back in. Nervously she looked up the long hallway and down the other, but luckily there was no one. She half expected Kuroko to come out of nowhere and... a couple stray tears dripped down her nose.

"I'm so glad no one ever comes down here." She wiped away her tears and began shovelling her clothes into the room as fast as she could. Onlookers would have seen a girl, nose first in her suitcase, with a blur of pink and blue flying between her legs like a dog digging a hole.

She swept some clothes into the room with her foot and closed the door. It was pitch black...so dark it was disorienting and she had to feel her way around for the door she had just used. The door was snug with the door frame and no light came through. She opened it a crack so she could see what she was doing.

She hopped on the bed and opened the curtains to her tiny window. All she could see was darkness outside but if she craned her neck she could just make out some sky above. Isn't this against fire regulations? There's no way I'd be able to crawl out of this window if there were a fire! I'd have to stand on the headboard to even reach the latch. I can't electricity away fire!

She turned to look at her tiny dark room, clothes strewn on the floor, and she'd had yet to find the light switch...it would be a long night...but she bet Kuroko was going through worse.

All reviews are greatly appreciated.

Next chapter should be up in about a week...I hope.

P.S: My spell checker stopped working for some reason. I spell checked it with another program but a few things might have slipped through. Sorry.