"What are you doing there?"
The rain grew in intensity.
As raindrops poured down on the dark streets, a girl's voice filled the ears of Hound Dog and Kihara Amata who crept along the ground and Accelerator who lay collapsed on the wet road.
A white nun's habit stood out within the black night.
She was Index.
She was a slender girl. Even with the habit filling out her silhouette, her small frame could not be hidden. She had waist-length silver hair, large eyes that glowed green, and each individual part of her looked like a delicate work of craftsmanship that would break from even a slight touch. She also held a small calico cat in her arms.
(This is horrible…)
As Accelerator lay on the ground, that thought faintly entered his mind.
She could not be more out of place. This was not an opportunity, it only made things worse. He doubted she could stand up to any of the delinquents crawling through the back alleys, much less that armed Hound Dog unit.
Even Kihara frowned.
He gave none of the thought or analysis one would of a new threat. His expression was that of someone noticing a chick suddenly walking up onto the pitcher's mound during a baseball game.
If that lab-coat-wearing man gave just a few instructions, that nun would be turned to mincemeat in a matter of seconds.
Anyone could tell what would happen to the soft skin and flesh of a human when shot by those submachine guns that were powerful enough to fill an automobile door full of holes.
(What should I do? Should I leave her to die? Should I save her? Or should I use her?)
Accelerator turned his attention to the choker-style electrode around his neck.
He should still be able to use his power.
But the injuries carved all across his body refused to let his body move.
"What should we do?" whispered one of the surrounding men wearing all black.
Kihara Amata gave a disinterested sigh.
"You're seriously asking what we should do?" His answer was brief. "We eliminate her."
(Tch!!)
Accelerator clicked his tongue.
Index had seen Hound Dog at work. They were an unofficial organization that's very existence was a secret. That obviously meant they would have to silence her. Even if she fled, they would work to track her down. It was doubtful she would last even three days.
(Either way, I'll get killed if I do nothing. So I'll do something here!!)
Accelerator's goal was more to get back at Kihara Amata than to save Index, but he gained an explosion of motivation nonetheless.
(I don't really care about this nun, but I won't let him have the last laugh. It's your turn to clench your teeth, Kiiiharaaa!!)
The switch for the choker-style electrode around his neck was still on.
He only had to give the command and his powers would activate.
He checked on everything and everyone's location first.
Three black vans were parked surrounding Accelerator within a 10 meter radius. The Hound Dog members wearing black numbered around 20. Kihara Amata was the biggest problem and he was standing right next to Accelerator, but it was very nearly impossible for him to attack the man. Accelerator's defensive reflection could not block Kihara's attacks, and if Accelerator tried to control the vectors of the air to create a raging wind, Kihara would use special sound waves to throw the vectors into disarray and neutralize the attack.
And…
Index stood about 15 meters away outside the ring of vans.
(I can exterminate them later.)
While lying face down on the ground, Accelerator's fingertips touched the wet asphalt.
He focused on the feeling on the bottom of his fingers.
(There is only one thing I need to do now. I need to escape to somewhere safe. And I'll bring that nun with me!!)
His red pupils dilated.
His power activated.
"Oooaaahhhh!!" shouted Accelerator as he pressed the toes of one foot against the ground and kicked as hard as he could while still collapsed. At the same moment, he controlled the vectors. With a rocket-like burst of power, his entire body floated up from the asphalt and shot towards the back sliding door of one of the black vans with frightening speed.
The metal door broke free from its rails and was pushed inside the van as if it had been struck by a wrecking ball.
Accelerator's body filled the back seat of the van.
"!?"
Before the man in black waiting on standby in the driver's seat could react, Accelerator reached out for the crushed door and tore off a metal fixture from the slide portion. He now held a sharp rod-shaped fragment of metal about 5 cm thick and 10 cm long. He stabbed it forcefully into the center of the back of the driver's seat.
He felt it sink in more than he heard it.
"Ee…Ah!!"
Accelerator spoke to the man who had been physically attached to the driver's seat but was unable even to give a proper scream.
"Go."
He showed no mercy.
He merely told the truth calmly.
"You will die in 30 minutes. If you do not get to the hospital right away, it'll be too late."
From the amount of pain he was feeling, the man had to have known that this injury was beyond what a first-aid kit could heal. Not to mention that he had to know very well how that Kihara Amata would treat an injured subordinate who was now only a hindrance.
"Ee!?"
He made up his mind quickly.
With the high-pitched sound of the engine, the black van Accelerator sat inside took off with hysterical movements.
The men in black standing on the road scattered to the left and right to avoid it.
Kihara shouted something with an annoyed expression.
Meanwhile, they escaped the surrounding men.
Accelerator could tell the men were aiming their guns at the back of the van.
As he stared past the driver's seat and out the windshield, Accelerator noted Index's position.
"Move left to get closer!!" shouted Accelerator as he tossed the unneeded sliding door out the opening it had once covered. He then leaned out.
That white nun stood in the middle of the lane as the van approached.
"Tch!!"
Accelerator reached an arm out of the van.
Index was holding a calico cat in both arms. His only option was to grab her by the upper arm, but he had no guarantee he could reach that far.
But he reached out nonetheless.
A gunshot rang out.
A bullet shot by just past his face, but Accelerator ignored it and grabbed Index's arm. He then manipulated the vectors to forcibly pull her up and into the van.
"W-wahh!!"
Index let out a scream that sounded out of place.
Accelerator shifted his position to hide the back of the driver's seat with his body. He also lightly touched the sharp and deadly piece of metal stabbing into the seat.
"Ee…Gah!?"
The man in the driver's seat gave a large jump.
Accelerator whispered quietly enough so that Index would not hear.
"…Don't make a scene. Just keep driving. Neither of us has much time, right?"
"Wh-where would you like to go, s-sir…?"
"I know a good doctor," replied Accelerator with a tone of relative disinterest. "A normal doctor probably can't handle this. If you want me to lead you to him, do what I say, driver."
Part 3