Chapter 4 - Realisations

Misaka exits the waiting room and makes her way out into the hallway, still thinking about what happened. Ruiko knew Frenda – Frenda who is currently lying in intensive care from the warehouse explosion that killed Mugino. Pretty strange day, although not the strangest, Misaka thinks. There are still unanswered questions about today's events, though. Frenda seems the most likely to have destroyed the building, but then why would Mugino be dead as a result? Some sort of in-fighting, maybe?

Lost in thought, Misaka does not notice the approach of the familiar face of Kinuhata Saiai. "So, this is super awkward."

"Kinuhata-san? Why are you here? What do you mean, 'awkward'?" Misaka inquires, confused. She'd met Kinuhata before, during the Indian Poker incident. They were both looking for a certain… dream.

"Well, I suppose there's not any point in hiding it, not now – not anymore. I'm here for Frenda," the brown-haired girl responds. "Mugino got wind that Frenda had let slip some information to escape from SCHOOL, and decided to treat her as a traitor and deal with her. And I'm guessing you already know how that went for her."

"So you're with ITEM, then?" The electromaster's voice is inquisitive, but laden with a bit of anger and betrayal. The emotions were understandable, having spent the time with Saiai and not learned of the same thing that Ruiko just did about Frenda. "What, have you come to finish the job?"

"Would you stop me if I was? I saw Mugino's report from the Level Six Shift facility." Misaka hesitates for a few seconds, before giving an unsure nod. "Really? I suppose she has friends after all, or at least non-enemies. No, I'm not here for that. Mugino's attack on Frenda was deemed rogue by the remaining members before they even met up." Misaka looks confused at the statement, and Saiai clarifies, "Despite what you might think, we're not going to execute a member for their actions under duress. It's not like the operation that got exposed was that critical anyways. I'm here to make sure she recovers – there's been more than enough death among our members." Saiai's face conveys the same idea, that she's hoping for Frenda's recovery. "We don't like that Frenda killed Mugino, but Mugino had it coming. In my view, everything that Frenda did was self defence."

"Understood, I'll take care of it. Thank you sergeant," Shirai switches off her earpiece, having been talking directly with Anti-Skill. "I've managed to get Frenda placed in my custody for now, at least until the TRU finishes their investigation and she's recovered. I'll need her to answer some questions once she's no longer unconscious. Anti-Skill also stated that a blast forensics team determined the buildings were destroyed by internal explosions – the one we found Frenda by and they found Mugino in was likely destroyed by a massive gas explosion, given the uniformity indicating a single large explosion." Still in the waiting room, Kuroko had been on call with everyone you can think of: Uiharu back in the second branch, the chief at the Anti-Skill Headquarters, and just now the field sergeant from the scene where they found the still-unconscious blonde-haired girl.

"Thank you, Kuroko," Ruiko responds – slightly relieved, slightly puzzled, and slightly curious. "I still can't believe she's with an organisation like that. I guess that would explain her fighting ability when she fought that one girl who tried to kill her, that one time."

"Don't thank me yet. Depending on what the investigation turns up, it's likely I'll have to turn her over to Anti-Skill once she's recovered fully. She doesn't have any warrants out though, so if she's cleared, she'd likely be let free," Kuroko answers solemnly. Ruiko nods. "I do hope everyone works out though. I'd hate to be the judgement officer who took someone to the hospital, only to put them in prison right after."

"Speaking of that, when you teleported us four here. Can't you usually only carry two people while teleporting?" Ruiko asks, confused and slightly in awe. It was indeed the first time she had seen her friend teleport four people.

"Huh, yeah, I should. I don't know, I guess I wasn't thinking about my weight limit – kinda hard to think when you're staring at a dying girl on the ground. Maybe my abilities have gotten stronger, though I can't think of anything that would have caused that. My training hasn't been helping with that much, and believe me, I've tried," Kuroko answers, clearly as confused as Ruiko about the whole thing.

As the two keep talking, Misaka and Saiai enter the room.

"How is she?" Saiai asks Ruiko, clearly recognizing her.

"Eh? Who are you?" Ruiko asks, puzzled about the new girl who walked in with her friend, asking her a question about Frenda despite Ruiko not having seen her before.

"Oh, Frenda has spoken about you, Ruiko," Saiai answers the question. "I thank you for helping her."

The electromaster answers for the ITEM member, still with a bit of contempt in her voice. "Allow me to introduce Kinuhata Saiai, one of Frenda's associates. She's here to check on Frenda, and make sure of her recovery." The atmosphere between the four in the room becomes tense, only to be broken when Dr. Heaven Canceler enters the room.

"I can answer your question, young miss,” the doctor explains. “Miss Frenda is currently conscious, and is stable enough to speak to you. She's particularly interested in speaking to you, Miss Saten." Addressing Saiai, he adds, "If you're an acquaintance of hers, you can also speak to her if you wish – though I will need your name and relation to Frenda for our records. I'll have to ask for it to be one at a time, and for you to keep it brief – she still has a long way to go, and needs her rest."

"I'd also like to speak to her," Kuroko adds, showing her judgement armband. "I have some questions I need to ask her about the incident that occurred where we found her."

"I understand, but again, keep it brief. She's had a rough day, and this is a hospital, not a police station, and she's not in any shape to be interrogated. Not on my watch, " the doctor finishes. He leads Ruiko into the room where Frenda Seivelun is lying, awake and hooked up to various machines and an IV. Her eyes are barely open. She fails to draw a smile when she sees Ruiko enter. The doctor points to a button above Frenda's head. "If you need anything, that button will page me immediately." Dr. Heaven Canceler then leaves Frenda and Ruiko alone in the room.

"Hey, Ruiko." Frenda's voice is quiet and raspy. She clearly has a long way to go before being in top condition again. "I was hoping you'd come."

"What happened? I got a call from you asking for help. We found you unconscious on the ground by a collapsed building, near death," Ruiko asks her recovering friend.

"Would you believe me if I said ‘training accident’?"

Ruiko shook her head. "Two buildings were destroyed by explosions. Anti-Skill is investigating. They already found Shizuki Mugino dead in one of them, near where we found you. And you were almost dead. It's been eight hours since you called, and you're just now awake. I know it wasn't an accident – you aren't that careless."

"I beg to differ, I clearly am that careless – I overestimated how much time I had. I suppose if it was an accident, it would have been easier." Frenda pauses for a few seconds and winces in pain, but then continues: "All told, I got the good end of the deal. I only mostly died. Far better than most people can say after Meltdowner wanted them dead." Frenda starts to chuckle but then starts coughing. Ruiko reaches for the button but Frenda stops her, coughing a few more times before Ruiko nods.

"Mugino – that's who you mean by Meltdowner, right? – wanted you dead? Why? Does this have anything to do with ITEM?" Ruiko's question causes Frenda to wince, and not from pain.

"You know about that? I was hoping you wouldn't find out – would be easier on you." Frenda looks genuinely sad while responding.

"Misaka is one of the people who helped bring you here – she told me everything," Ruiko answers with a matter-of-fact tone, not really with a tone of betrayal.

"Suffice it to say, I betrayed ITEM and Mugino specifically, to save myself. I knew she'd be after me – I even thought about giving up. But I couldn't do it, not after thinking about you. I did the only thing I could to fight back, and set a trap. All told, the trap worked." As Frenda explains what happened, Dr. Heaven Canceler returns.

"Alright, time is up. We should let the others have a chance to speak with her," the doctor says.

"Wait," Ruiko says to the doctor, then turns back to Frenda, "You said I was the reason you couldn't give up. Why is that?"

"Despite hiding my past, I genuinely enjoyed the time we spent together. If I just died, you'd be sad, and I didn't want that. And…" Frenda stops for a moment before continuing, "I couldn't just disappear without telling you the truth."

"What truth?" Ruiko asks, still with the doctor tapping his foot.

Frenda waits for a bit, before gathering her courage. "I think I'm in love with you," she answers before wincing in pain again.

"Come on, Miss Saten – Miss Frenda needs to rest." Dr. Heaven Canceler finally escorts her out while Ruiko is left with a blush on her face, thinking about the last thing Frenda said. He then escorts Saiai in, leaving Ruiko with Shirai and Misaka, the latter of which tosses her a wrapped protein bar.

"Here, I figure you haven't had anything to eat since we got here." She pauses, seeing a contemplative look on Ruiko's face. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, just something Frenda said. It's given me something to think about," Ruiko answers, and then starts eating the bar tossed to her, continuing to think about Frenda's last statement.

A few minutes later, Saiai comes back out and Kuroko goes in, and then a few minutes after that comes back out along with Dr. Heaven Canceler.

"Frenda is asleep now,” says the doctor. “Hopefully she'll continue to recover and she'll be back up within the week. You four should probably leave now – she won't recover any faster by you all neglecting sleep."

"I'm the officer responsible for Frenda right now, so I need to stay here. I wouldn't mind getting some sleep though, after I've written up my report," Shirai responds, "I'm already excused from curfew at the Tokiwadai dorms, which is good because we busted it hours ago. Turns out that helping someone to the hospital and being deputised by Anti-Skill for custodial surveillance is enough to satisfy the Dorm Mother." She addresses Misaka, "I've gotten you excused as well, Misaka."

"I'm not leaving right now either, " Ruiko insists. "Not to mention, I don't have a good way to get home at this hour. "

"Neither do I – and if I'm cleared, I might as well stay," Misaka agrees.

"I understand. Although I must ask you to vacate the waiting room for the time being. We do have some rooms you can stay in for now. What about you, Miss Kinuhata?"

"Unfortunately, I must be getting back to ITEM. With Mugino dead, I'm the de facto leader. And with Frenda here, we're kinda in a chaotic state," Saiai says before leaving.

Dr. Heaven Canceler escorts Kuroko, Misaka, and Ruiko to a room they're able to sleep in. Ruiko lays down, and falls asleep with her mind repeating the same phrase over and over again: Frenda saying, "I think I'm in love with you."