Chapter 3 - Critical Condition

"Thanks for letting us tag along on your judgement rounds, Shirai," Saten Ruiko says, following just behind the red-haired girl with the judgement armband, "Needed something to get me out of the house."

"No, thank you, Saten-san and Onee-san, for coming. Wasn't much that happened today," Shirai Kuroko responds to her friend. Indeed, not much had. A single person had foolishly attempted to attack the group, and was swiftly incapacitated by Kuroko. "Although more could have happened if Onee-sama wanted."

The third member of the group gives Shirai a glare that could have fried Kuroko on the spot, "You know I don't want what you wish could have happened." Misaka Mikoto's glare continues to pierce through the salmon-head. Yep, she could have fried her if she really wanted to. The Level 5 is generally unimpressed with Kuroko's antics, having to deal with them for as long as Ruiko's known the pair.

Ruiko's thoughts are interrupted by her phone ringing. Taking it out, the caller ID shows a name she knows well: Frenda Seivelun. "Frenda? It's not like you to call…" Her question is interrupted by a rasping voice, which she can nevertheless identify as her friend, stating "Ruiko, I need… help… Come find me."

The call ends abruptly and a map suddenly shows up on her screen, showing her exactly where the blonde girl is. The distress in her voice caused the black haired girl to panic. She shows the map to Shirai, and says with desperation in her voice, "Can you teleport us here? I think my friend might be in trouble there. H-her voice—it didn't sound good. It sounded like she was hurt, badly."

Kuroko looks at her incredulously for a second, but sees seriousness in Ruiko's eyes. She activates her earpiece to call up the 4th member of their group, Uiharu Kazuri, at the 3rd Judgement Branch's Headquarters, "Uiharu, can you pull a sat scan of Sector 2-16B, in the Warehouse District? We got a call, potential medical emergency. I'd like a visual on what's going on. We're going in." She then holds out her hands to each of her two friends who are present, "grab on, this will be a few teleports."

The girl on the other end of the earpiece responds to the call from Kuroko, "There seems to be some building damage in that area, but the satellite image isn't clear. I can't give you anything more specific. Do you need EMTs sent?"

Kuroko had already begun teleporting, so took a few seconds to respond, "No, I'm already teleporting there, so I'll be there faster. Get Anti-Skill on standby, though, I don't like the sound of that building damage." As she finishes speaking, they make the final teleport to where the map pointed. Taking in the new scenery, she finds the source of the 'building damage' Uiharu had mentioned from the sat image. An entire warehouse had collapsed, and another behind it. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees something out of place against the grey and beige rubble.

Ruiko's heart skipped a beat as her eyes locked onto her friend's limp figure sprawled on the ground. As she rushes towards her, both Shirai and Misaka follow. The blonde haired girl now fully in view, Misaka pauses — the face quite familiar — while Shirai continues forward and places her fingers along the girl's neck, feeling for a pulse. Finding one, albeit quite weak, she sighed briefly and called the Third Branch again "Uiharu, call Dr. Heaven Canceller. Tell him I'm coming in with an emergency patient, critical condition. Then call Anti-Skill's Terrorism Response Unit to 2-16B. Two warehouses were destroyed very close together, that's the building damage from the image."

The girl in the office responded promptly, "Understood." With the comms still open, she addresses someone at the office, "Kotori, call in a TRU force to 2-16B, non-active threat, one CI." Addressing Kuroko again, she finishes speaking, "I'll let the Doctor know you're coming. Out."

Kuroko grabs onto the girl and prepares to teleport. Ruiko grabs onto Shirai as well, and she extends her hand towards the remaining member of their group, still stopped and staring at the scene in front of her, "Come on Misaka, we have to go. She won't survive much longer." Misaka pauses for a few more seconds, then hesitantly grabs the teleporter, who immediately starts her chained jumps towards the hospital.

When they reach the hospital half a minute later, the doctor and several nurses are already there, ready for their arrival. "Is this the patient?" he asked, pointing to the girl still lying down and breathing quite shallowly.

"Yes, it seems to be some kind of concussive force injury and burns." Shirai assists one of the nurses, getting her up onto a stretcher. "Her pulse was fading when I got to her."

"Understood, take her to intensive care." The nurses leave with the girl, and both the doctor and Ruiko follow, leaving Kuroko with Misaka. Misaka is still hesitating, and hasn't said a word since they'd arrived. Kuroko, noticing this, goes back over to the electromaster, "Onee-sama, are you ok? You haven't said a word. Do you, perhaps, know this girl?"

"Yes, Kuroko. Her name is Frenda Seivelun. She tried to kill me once." Misaka responds.

Ruiko was not allowed into the ICU with Frenda, so she sitsoutside in the waiting room. After a few hours later, Dr. Heaven Canceler comes out of the room and speaks to her. "Your friend is recovering fine. She's not entirely in the clear yet, but she's out of critical condition. The burns on her back and arms were 2nd degree. They'll scar but they don't pose any danger anymore. The impact trauma, however, is more serious. Do you have any idea of how this happened?"

"No, I just got a call from her, asking for help, and Shirai teleported us there to find her in that condition beside a collapsed building. Anti-Skill is investigating it," Ruiko said, only slightly failing to hold back tears. As this is happening, Shirai comes to get Ruiko. The doctor gives a similar status report to her as well. The two of them leave, and meet back up with Misaka, who has a somewhat sour look on her face.

"So. Where and when did you meet Frenda?" Misaka asks Ruiko, who looks confused at the sudden interrogation. A tense atmosphere fills the room as Ruiko realises that Misaka is being serious with the question, almost accusatory, but not quite.

"We met at a grocery store. We were both after the last two cans of canned mackerel. I ended up making her mackerel curry, and we became friends. Then she kinda saved me from being kidnapped and stopped an assassin," Ruiko answers, then asks a question of her own, "Why, do you know her?"

Kuroko answers, "Yes, Frenda Seivelun is a member of the underground organisation ITEM. She's a suspect in a number of murders, attempted murders, and quite a number of conspiracies. Her primary weapon of choice is explosives, and it's entirely possible those two buildings were her doing. For what reason, we won't know until Anti-Skill finishes their investigation." Ruiko is shocked by all of this information being unloaded at once. Could Frenda have been this person? The same Frenda that liked Ruiko's curry? She had handled that Assassin fairly skillfully. Those skills could have been obtained from fighting as a member of the underground.

Ruiko was about to respond when Uiharu called in on the coms, "Kuroko, Anti-Skill has given us a preliminary report on the collapsed buildings. Apparently they found a body in the rubble, dead, burnt to a crisp. They've positively ID'd the body as Shizuki Mugino, the 4th ranked level 5 Esper – Meltdowner – leader of ITEM. So far, no other casualties. Early theories are either a targeted attack by a rival faction, or an accident."

Now it is Misaka's turn to be confused. If it was Frenda who collapsed the buildings, why would her ally, Mugino, be killed? Maybe it was an attack by one of the other organisations. But then where were the rest of them? The train of thought was yet again interrupted by the appearance of Dr. Heaven Canceller. "I have some more good news for you all. Your friend is no longer in danger of dying. She's not awake yet, and she still has quite a bit of recovery to go, but she is alive and will stay that way."

Ruiko looks relieved, but still confused and concerned about what she had heard. She'll have to ask Frenda about it when she wakes up. Misaka excuses herself from the group, and leaves the room. Kuroko and Ruiko are left alone, and they return to the waiting room outside the ICU.