Chapter 2

As Accelerator neared the hospital bed, the girl turned her head to face him. A bandage covered half her face, and another was wrapped around the gunshot wound on her shoulder. A wan smile touched her pale face when she saw him.

"I never got to say thanks for rescuing me. So, thanks. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

"You barely know me, and you already want to repay me?" Accelerator's lips twitched up into a half-smirk.

The tips of the girl's ears turned red. "It's the least I can do for you since you saved my life."

Accelerator was silent for a while. And then the conversation with Yoshikawa in the ambulance came to him. "Actually, there is one thing you can do to repay me. Tell me your story."

"Story as in my life story?"

"Yeah."

"Well, there isn't much to say. You probably know my name is Hakutsuki Haruka already, but it isn't my real name. That's the name the scientists gave me. I don't remember anything from before I was 10 years old. For some reason, my esper ability was naturally element manipulation. I think that's why the scientists took me in, to study my genetics and to train my powers, which basically means experimentation. A few days ago, they did some experiments on me and that gave me my telepathy ability. It's not normal telepathy. I can communicate with other people's minds, and I can read their minds as well. Fearing my power after that, they tried to kill me. The nullifying device wasn't finished, so they set off a bomb in the room I was kept in. Unfortunately for them, I read their thoughts and escaped just before the bomb went off. After that, I blasted a hole in the building and ran off. I hid in alleys and crowded places for a few days until today, where the two guys snuck up on me. And you know the rest."

"How did you know about me, then?"

"I was never allowed outside of the lab, but information was implanted in my head about Academy City. A lot of information seemed to be devoted to you."

"Me?"

"About the Level 6 Shift project, your ability, and your current condition."

"So you know I killed over 10 000 clones in cold blood to try and achieve Level 6?"

"Yeah. But you still rescued Last Order and took a bullet to the head to save her, hence your condition right now."

They sat in silence for a while. On the bedside table, the clock read 5:00 AM. Already, faint vestiges of pink light were painting the east side of the city, chasing away the dark night. Suddenly, the silence was broken by a cell phone ringing. Cursing under his breath for not setting the phone to silent, Accelerator fished the phone out of his pocket and pressed the "Answer" button.

"Are you still at the hospital, Accelerator?" It was Yoshikawa.

"Yeah."

"Well, mind staying there a little longer? Yomikawa isn't back yet, and I can't leave Last Order alone. I can pick you up at 9, or you can take a taxi home right now."

"I don't have enough money on me right now for a taxi."

"Well, I guess you have to stay at the hospital for 4 hours, or you can walk home."

"Fine." With that, Accelerator hung up. He got up from the chair and stretched, before retrieving his crutch. "Well, I might as well go home. I've got nothing to do here for 4 more hours. See you around, Haruka. I'll visit.

"Bye, Accelerator." With that, he walked out of her room, closing the door behind him.

***

Accelerator unlocked the door of the apartment and stepped in, quietly closing the door behind him. Removing his shoes, he walked over to his room, taking a look inside. To his chagrin, Last Order was right in the middle of his bed, sleeping peacefully. I can't sleep in my room without waking her up. I'll settle for the couch then. Closing the door, he stepped carefully over to the couch where he lay down and folded his arms behind his head, falling asleep in a matter of minutes.

***

Accelerator woke to the sound of a very energetic Last Order.

"Good morning, Accelerator-san! Wake up!' Says MISAKA as MISAKA shakes him awake."

"Stop shaking me, you brat. I'm awake." Accelerator sat up and pushed Last Order off him.

"Had a nice sleep, Accelerator?" Yoshikawa asked.

"Better than the first half of the night."

"Well, I still have some files I need to organize, and Yomikawa is at work. Why don't you take Last Order out for breakfast? After that, you two might as well go grocery shopping. There's barely any food left in the fridge."

"'MISAKA wants to go to the underground mall later to look around,' says MISAKA as MISAKA looks at Yoshikawa-san pleadingly."

"Don't I get any say in this? I wanted to go back to the hospital and visit Hakutsuki. I wanted to ask her more about her abilities."

"Fine, I'll work at the restaurant. I'll take Last Order to the mall after that and you can visit the hospital."

"'Yay! Yay! MISAKA can go to the mall!' yells MISAKA as MISAKA jumps with joy."

"Shut up, you brat. I don't get why you have to go to the mall today." Accelerator grumbled. "Not like you've heard about some new store being opened or anything."

"'MISAKA just wants to go to the mall,' says MISAKA as MISAKA pleads with Accelerator-san."

"Fine. But if you disappear again, I'm not going to go find you."

"Alright then, let's go. We'll take the car."

***

"'Wow, look at all the items on the menu!' Say MISAKA as MISAKA look at the menu."

"Accelerator, are you going to eat anything?" asked Yoshikawa.

"I'll take coffee."

The waiter came, and they ordered. A few minutes later, the waiter came back with steaming plates of food, which Last Order dug into eagerly. After a few minutes of silence, Last Order stopped eating, and looked up at Accelerator with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Why are you looking at me like that, you brat?"

"'When we were back at the apartment, MISAKA heard Accelerator-san mention someone called Hakutsuki. Who is she?' Asks MISAKA as she stares at him seriously."

"Just a girl I rescued off the streets. She has two abilities. Her full name is Hakutsuki Haruka."

"'Accelerator-san met the Spring Flower of the White Moon?' asks MISAKA as MISAKA stares at him in surprise."

"You know the girl?"

"'All the MISAKA clones know her. Information about her has been inputted into the MISAKA network.' says MISAKA as MISAKA gives Accelerator-san a matter-of-fact look."

"What do you know about her then?"

"'There is very little information on her. Her abilities are telepathy and element manipulation—"

"I know that, " muttered Accelerator.

"—and her code name is Spring Flower of the White Moon,'" continued Last Order as if she never heard him. "'Which is just her name that she was given. It is suspected that she may be another Level 6 candidate. That's all the MISAKA network has to say.' explains MISAKA rather seriously."

Yoshikawa let out a soft whistle. "Another Level 6 project. I never knew everybody was that desperate for a Level 6."

"You never knew this and you say they were a branch of the scientists that worked on me?"

Yoshikawa looked up from her laptop. "Accelerator, it's complicated. They are a branch of the original group, but they formed long before we even considered you a test subject for Level 6. They had plans of their own and their own candidate, which they put into plan years before we started the Level 6 Shift Project."

"And that candidate is Haruka?"

"Yes. It seems like a coincidence, actually. Before we took any of you in, you two—" At this, Yoshikawa stopped, with a look that said I've said too much flitting across her face.

"What were you going to say?"

"Nothing important."

"What were you going to say about Haruka and me? Is this about my past? Tell me, Yoshikawa!"

"You'll know soon."

"Don't give me this bullshit!"

"Language, Accelerator. There's a child here." Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Yoshikawa said, "In truth, it's just a tiny piece of information. But, it has great importance to both of your pasts. It's not in my place to tell you, but you will know soon."

"Soon as in how long?"

"Your eighteenth birthday. In a few days, I believe."

"Fine." Accelerator snarled. Why was everybody keeping information from him? He drank down the last of his coffee and slammed the cup down. "I'm leaving now."

"Which means we'd better head off as well? Last Order, hurry up and finish."

"'Actually, MISAKA doesn't want to go to the mall now,' says MISAKA as MISAKA finishes her scrambled eggs."

"Then where do you want to go? Back home?"

"'MISAKA wants to go to the hospital with Accelerator-san. This could be a good opportunity for more information of Hakutsuki Haruka to be spread across the MISAKA network.' says MISAKA as MISAKA states a fact."

"Alright, alright. I hope you don't mind us coming along, Accelerator."

"I do mind very much," Accelerator muttered under his breath, but he got his crutch and strode out of the restaurant. After paying the bill, Yoshikawa and Last Order hurried after him into the parking lot.

***

The frog-faced doctor met them in the waiting room. "I suppose you're going to visit Hakutsuki?" Accelerator nodded. "Well, come along. She just woke up. She's pretty much healed up now. Amazing what can happen in a few hours."

They followed the doctor down winding hallways until he opened a door and ushered them in. Haruka was standing at the window, gazing outside at the city. At the sound of the door opening. Her face showed clear surprise when her eyes landed on the trio. "Hello. What can I do for you three?" It was a flat introduction, but really, there wasn't much to say.

"Sorry for coming in without letting the doctor tell you that you had visitors, but Last Order and Yoshikawa want to ask you a few questions." Accelerator didn't sound very sorry, as he pulled out the chair from the table and sat down.

"It's alright." Haruka went back to her bed and sat, drawing her legs up under her chin. She nodded at Last Order and Yoshikawa. "I suppose you want to know everything about me."

They nodded. Sighing, Haruka explained the exact same facts she had said to Accelerator earlier.

"I knew it. Another Level 6 project. What I don't get is why you don't remember anything from before you were 10. Do you know yourself?" Yoshikawa asked.

"The scientists said it was amnesia, but I suspect they erased my memories upon taking me to the lab."

"'MISAKA thinks Hakutsuki is very similar to Accelerator-san in some ways,' says MISAKA as MISAKA states an opinion."

Accelerator glanced at Last Order with a barely concealed look of surprise and opened his mouth to reply, but Haruka beat him to it.

"How so?"

"'Well, both Hakutsuki and Accelerator-san were both candidates for Level 6. They also have unique and powerful abilities, and both seem to be missing memories from their pasts.' states MISAKA as MISAKA lists down all the facts."

"I remember my past, brat. I never did find out my real name, though. Not that I regret it, though."

Haruka let out a small sigh of dejection. "I just realized I have nowhere to go or live after I get out of the hospital."

"'Can she stay with us?' Asks MISAKA as MISAKA looks pleadingly at Yoshikawa-san."

"I don't think Yomikawa will object. Luckily, we have a spare bedroom."

"Oh, thank you so much!"

"Just what I need, another girl. I'm surrounded by females." Accelerator complained. Everybody else in the room ignored him.

"Well, I'll get everything ready, and we'll pick you up when you get out of the hospital. When is that?"

"Two days. Thanks again."

"No problem. We should go now."

"See you all in two days, then."

The trio left the room, with Accelerator still grumbling about being the only boy in the midst of females.

Haruka watched their retreating backs and the door closed. She lay down on the bed and gazed at the ceiling. "When will you know the truth, Accelerator?" She whispered in the silence.