AN: Not much to say. Enjoy.

Chapter IV- Light Bulb Kid

Laughter fills the air.

I see the faces of people as soundless screams escape their gaping maws; I see their bodies spasm as red electricity takes away their ability to control their muscles; I see the muzzle flares of the firing guns and the flaming torches in their hands, but I cannot feel.

I am nothing more than a silent watcher in a body that I cannot call mine.

Then I feel it. A horrid, burning agony stretching across my face, piercing my bones and digging into my brain. The tar-

It was then when I realised that I am the one laughing.

When I came to, the sun had risen. My limbs felt too heavy to lift, but I could tilt my head around, even if just a little. I'm lying on a sofa- on the roof? It's hard to tell, my vision's all blurred.

I managed to shift the blanket strewn over me and looked down at myself. Are those bandages-?

Then the memories of last night brought me back to earth.

I found myself short for breath, gasping for air, hyperventilating as I realised what I'd done. The people I killed- this was worse than setting off the Ray Sphere. Because I-

"Kyon has awakened," Nagato's flat voice broke me out of it as three shadowy figures approached me. I squinted, all I could see was shadows and strange blurring lights as though I'd been looking at a light bulb for too long.

"Try this," Koizumi's voice sounded, and then I began to feel an approaching source of electricity. I managed to lift a hand and drain it.

My vision began to return, the pain began to subside, my body restored. I realise I'm draining one of the backup batteries we keep up here, and quickly enough, it's empty, but I'm full of life.

I sit up on the sofa, as the three of them surround me. For a moment, I find myself flashing back to having the Anti-SOS Brigade surround me, and I feel Kyouko's telekinetic palm smash my head against the kerb-

"Don't blame yourself, Kyon," Asahina started weakly, as she exchanged glances with the others.

"I analysed the tar," Nagato stated. "It exhibited effects that of a hallucinogenic and a mind control agent. You were not in control of your actions last night."

Really? That's what happened to me?

But it felt much more than that. It felt like I just gave into the darkness inside me. The bits of yourself you close off to the world. The rage, the frustrations, the fears, my own selfishness-

I lifted my hand, and brought forth a current. Back to its usual blue colour. Am I really innocent, then? It feels like I'm a criminal who's escaped their sentence through a legal loophole.

"Where's Haruhi?"

Did I scare her? No, she's Haruhi, nothing scares h- did I hurt her?

"She went downstairs, I think," said Koizumi. "She was beside you most of the time you were asleep. Quite worried about you, I'd say, but she'd never admit it."

"I'll get you something light to eat, Kyon," Asahina said.

Asahina's angelic concerned look for once doesn't distract me from my thoughts, and she bustled away, while Koizumi walked over to another sofa, picking up a magazine to occupy himself with.

Nagato stands with me as I climbed off the sofa. There was a foul taste in my mouth and I tried to keep looking away from her, not wanting to accidently expose her to my morning breath.

"It was nearly too late for you last night. You came closer to death than you ever had before; closer than at the blast, closer than at the hands of Asakura. I was…concerned."

"I wouldn't have expected otherwise, Nagato," I replied.

"You still blame yourself."

You know, it's annoying enough when Koizumi guesses what's on my mind.

"I apologise. But you should try not to broadcast your feelings so clearly."

…where exactly are you going with this?

"You cannot be faulted for the results of last night if your mind was controlled," Nagato said. "It is both illogical and dangerous to continue to pile blame upon your shoulders."

As much as I appreciated Nagato and what she was trying to do, it didn't help.

"I can't help it, Nagato. I still killed innocent-"

"Some were under influence from the tar, and could be considered innocent. Many truly wished to kill you and nearly killed Haruhi."

"But I could've-" I trailed off, not sure where I was going with this. All the little factors that had resulted in what had happened, what would I have done differently? Saved Haruhi and run off? Not split up? Avoided being hit by the tar? Never gone to the school building in the first place?

"Kyon. This town has already blamed you for the activation of the Ray Sphere that killed so many. If you blame yourself as well for every mistake you make, what will happen to you then?"

And then I remember. Despite this, all of this, this isn't going to stop the various organisations that are ordering me to retrieve the Ray Sphere for them. Neither will it stop the threats they're sending me.

I've killed Karite thugs. I chose to kill them.

And there are the innocents who have died as a result of my actions.

But as Nagato says, I can't bury myself in guilt. I don't want to kill, but I'm practically in a warzone with powers that electrocute people. People are going to die.

I'm not a superhero. But that doesn't mean I can't try and save lives as well.

"Thanks, Nagato. I needed that."

An hour later, after I'd gotten the usual morning rituals out of the way (brushing the teeth, changing, breakfast, etc.) as well as taking off the bandages I didn't need, the phone rang. I'd already been expecting it.

I wasn't looking forward to this.

Haruhi perked up- she'd come up to the roof a while ago, and while she seemed as upbeat as ever, she seemed oddly distant, especially to me. She didn't even get remotely interested in my powers when I used them to charge up another battery.

"Who is it, Kyon?"

I answered it. "Hey Rin."

"Don't "hey" me, what the hell did you do last night?" I probably shouldn't have put that on loudspeaker. "From what I've heard, at least twenty or thirty people dead! Well over fifty injured! How on earth does that qualify as "minimum civilian casualties"?"

"You don't understand-"

"I don't understand? No, you don't understand! Do you know what'll happen to you and your town if I'm not believed to be in control of this situation? Soldiers start coming in! Bombings start taking place!"

Well, I'd hope they wouldn't start bombings after they've sent their soldiers in.

"Are you seriously trying to joke with me now? You listen to me. You are going to follow my orders exactly from now on. If you ever cross me again, I will throw you into a hole so deep that you won't know up from down-"

And then the phone was snatched from my hand. I turned to see Haruhi, sporting a look similar to the one I expected Rin had on her face.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Haruhi shouted down the receiver.

She switched off the loudspeaker as she walked away, leaving us to watch as Haruhi got in a shouting match with a PSIA agent.

Huh. Well, I think we all knew, deep down, that Haruhi would get arrested at some point.

"How dare you threaten Kyon! That's my job! ...Yes, he's mine! I mean, my subordinate! …He'd been hit with a mind controlling substance you idiot! …Of course he will, he's got superpowers! … Yes!…Really?..." Haruhi suddenly broke out into giggles and sent a quick glance at me.

Okay, I'm guessing the shouting match is over. Haruhi was just chatting rather animatedly with Rin. What they're talking about, no idea.

"…yeah, yeah, sure! We can do that. Of course! My SOS-Brigade are ready for anything! Okay! Laters, Agent Rin! Haruhi Suzumiya reporting out!"

What the hell just happened?

"Kyon! Get suited up! We've got a job to do!"

What? Suit? Job?

The rest of the Brigade (barring the blank faced Nagato) looked just as confused as I was.

"She had a mission for us!" Haruhi's grin stretched from ear to ear. "Something for all of us!"

What? What? Now, I can't see into Rin's head, but surely making me work with Haruhi would be something rather detrimental to the whole effort, due to the risk of maybe- but then again, I haven't exactly been trained for this either.

"Kyon, you're coming with me!"

…don't we have to draw straws first?

"We have to investigate this tar! The Karites are pumping it into the water supply and Rin wants us to start by checking out a fountain downtown. Yuki!"

Nagato looked up.

"I want you to offer phone support due to your knowledge on- hang on, how did you know that the tar could control people's minds?"

Nagato didn't miss a beat. "It sounded like something I read about in a story."

For a moment, there was dead silence on the roof. My eyes travelled to the faces of the others, and like me, they wore an expression of "What".

I mean come on Nagato, Haruhi can't know about your powers- but that's your cover?

"Weren't you using manga and comics to demonstrate your point about mysterious allies and villains approaching?" Nagato asked. "I felt this fitted into the same scenario."

"Good point, that makes sense," said Haruhi, turning away. "Okay, so Nagato will remain here and offer advice. Mikuru!"

Mikuru jumped to attention like a shaky army cadet in front of their drill instructor. "Yes?"

"Since we're all going to focusing on small missions, you will have to focus on the main goal of obtaining the Ray Sphere! Go out and find us clues, Mikuru!"

I sighed. Haruhi, how's Mikuru going to just "go out and find it"? Besides, looking around for it will just place her in danger-

"I'll do it," said Mikuru.

What?

"Kyon, don't worry. I'll be fine."

How can I say no to that little smile?

Haruhi twitched for some reason and turned to Koizumi. "Koizumi, I need you, as the Vice-President of the SOS Brigade to do me a real favour. Agent Rin has been tracking strange signals coming from satellites in the town. She wanted Kyon to check them out but he'll be coming with me. So I leave it to you. You'll have to find them and download the signals onto your phone."

"Of course, Miss Suzumiya." Koizumi's smile is bigger than usual. Maybe it's because he'll get a chance to fly around while looking for these satellites.

Haruhi grinned back. "Excellent. Come on, Kyon!"

I nodded as I walked over to the edge of the roof- only to feel Haruhi pull the back of my shirt.

"Juuuust one moment." I felt her grin on the back of my head as she-

-hey, what? What are you-?

Haruhi climbed onto my shoulders, forcing me to support her legs so I was carrying her piggyback. "Jump!"

Are you out of your mind? Get off me!

"Hey, watch it," she said, swatting my head. "Just jump already."

What happens if I slip or stumble and you fall off and break your neck?

"Now you're sounding like my parents," she said. "I'll hold on. Besides, you owe me."

For what?

Her hand reached down and pulled my nose. "Because you lied to me last night! You said you could glide. I should give you a penalty for lying to your Chief, but fortunately for you, I am merciful! Now jump!"

"I'll take the penalty."

Haruhi sighed and leaned down towards me, whispering. "You know, I took photos of Mikuru when I made her dress up in superhero costumes."

Look-

"Ever heard of Catwoman or Starfire-?"

Haru-

"-or Wonder Woman?"

I jumped.

I mean, did I say jumped? I meant tripped. Yes. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Haruhi screamed with glee as the ground rushed towards us. As for me, I couldn't enjoy it as much as I could as I had to focus a bit more on preparing for my landing.

I landed with bent knees, the pavement cracking from the impact. I lurched forwards, nearly throwing Haruhi off, but she managed to cling on.

Haruhi hopped off my shoulders. "That was so fun! We should do that every time from now on! In fact, how about we go back up right now and go for one more round before we-"

I stared at her.

"Fine. You never let me have my way, do you?"

What? What! You always get your way!

"I'll agree that's true if we do go again."

Can we just go?

"Kyon, have you reached the fountain?" Rin's voice sounds over the speaker.

Haruhi and I had cut through a couple of alleys to make it here while trying to avoid most people, but it didn't seem like that many people recognised me, or even cared, instead too busy with trying to focus on survival.

"Yeah, it's not looking good Rin," I replied. "The water's turned black and there are sick people all over the place. How did this stuff get in the water supply anyway? Haruhi said you were saying something about the Karites."

"They've been pumping that tar into water supplies all over the area they control," said Rin. "As you've experienced, it's not ordinary tar. It's the cause of the plague that's been breaking out, and too much exposure seems to…change people."

I've heard rumours- mainly from Haruhi babbling about stuff the Voice of Survival mentioned, talking about things like plague zombies but that seemed to be nonsense.

But then I thought back to what I saw under the mask of the Karite thug in the building before I fought Fujiwara. Now that I think about it, it didn't make sense as to how many Karite thugs there suddenly were when they'd barely been a notable organisation before. Could it be? Were people transformed into the Karites?

I relayed my thoughts to Rin, but if anything, she seemed unsurprised by the idea.

"If that's the case, the need to stop them only becomes greater," she said. "There should be a series of pipes around with several valves. One ought to shut off from wherever the tar is entering the fountain- and any other water supplies near here."

"Alright."

People lay around the fountain in droves, their mouths wet with tar, clutching their sides in agony as it burned their insides, as it had burned my face last night. All of them forced to drink that polluted water to survive. I thought back to the person I healed before, could I-?

Well, I tried.

On my first patient, I nearly overdid it. He puked up a lot of tar, and passed out. Still, his pulse, which was irregular before, was starting to feel more stable.

The second person was a young woman. I did a better job with her; she managed to climb back up to her feet.

While Haruhi looked for the valve, I worked on reviving the numerous sick people. Maybe it was to seek some form of atonement after what I did, or maybe I was actually trying to be a hero, I don't know.

But just as I finished on the last person, Haruhi called me over. "Kyon! Found it!"

I came over to her, and really, she wasn't that far from the fountain at all. The valves were mostly concealed by some bushes and shrubbery, but they hadn't grown over them and it couldn't have taken her all that time to find. Unless-

No… Haruhi didn't find it earlier and just waited till I finished healing everyone, did she? Huh. Miss Suzumiya, are you chipping away at your heart of stone to reveal gold?

"What are you grinning at?"

"Nothing."

"Hm. Well, stop looking like an idiot and shut this valve."

The valve had nearly rusted to the point it was impossible to turn, but no match for enhanced strength. Mind you, I think Haruhi could still probably have a decent chance of doing this herself.

With a great effort, I turned it, only for one pipe to suddenly give me a blast of tar in the face.

My eyes shut by reflex as I fell back. Great, time to go insane again- well, luckily, Haruhi had quickly realised that letting the tar get to me again would be a bad idea.

She tore one of the sleeves off my shirt, and started wiping the tar off my face.

"Ew, it's all over your eyes. Can you open them?"

"No-"

Haruhi helped me to my feet. "We need to wash it off somehow. The fountain's still full of tar but- hey, there are a couple of stores nearby; maybe the looters haven't got all the bottled water yet. Come on."

She took my hand and led me. Through my barely opened eyes, the world would tint red every so often, and I'd see- Karite thugs, gigantic ones. As we walked, we'd walk through them and I'd realise they weren't there, but-

"I've been watching you, Kyon." The woman's voice was back. "Waiting for this moment, anticipating it."

Damnit, who the hell are you?

"She hates you. Loathes you. Your powers frighten her now. She'll never love you. I can make you forget her. Everything you shared. Gone, like a whisper. No more pain."

You know what? Given my experience with women, it wouldn't surprise me if this was all down to the hallucinogenic as well. This isn't real.

"You are mine," her voice said, louder than ever in my head. "And you're all alone, Kyon. No one cares about you. Not the girl. Not the alien. Not the time traveller. Not the esper. Only I love you. I've always loved you. Always and forever-"

For God's sake, get out-

And then I awoke from my hallucinations as water splashed over my face.

"I knew we'd find some!" Haruhi waved a half-empty bottle of water in front of me. We were outside some small store with the front windows smashed. The visions were strong, I hadn't even noticed when Haruhi let go of my hand or when I even stopped moving.

My phone rang again, and Haruhi grabbed it from my shirt pocket as I recovered from the effects of the tar. "Hello?" She said, putting it on loudspeaker.

"Have you shut off the valve by the fountain?" Rin asked, in her usual to-the-point way.

"Yep," Haruhi said. "What else should we do?"

"There's another valve somewhere in the nearby park. Shut that off as well. Once you've done that, I'll call again with further instructions. I think I have a lead on where the tar is coming from."

I looked around as Haruhi gave me my phone back. It looked like Haruhi's search for that bottle of water had brought us just outside the park.

Oddly convenient.

We entered the park, walking side-by-side, both of us looking off our side of the path to try and find the pipes.

"You know," Haruhi said, after a few moments of searching. "I've been thinking, what's making this tar? The Karites were just dumb Yakuza wannabes, what gave them mind control tar?"

No idea.

Although mind you, Fujiwara was working with them for a short while, so he's suspect. Although I doubt his conduit abilities include something like this.

That's it. Somewhere, there's got to be a conduit at the end of this, and that's the person creating this tar- or is it? Nagato seemed to figure out what it was with no problems, was it related to the Data Integration Thought Entity or the Sky Canopy Dominion?

I find myself hoping for the conduit. Sure, I didn't actually fight Kuyou yesterday, but Fujiwara was my equal after developing powers at the same time as me, and Kyouko utterly annihilated me.

Plus, I remembered what Nagato and Asakura's fight was like. Sure, Nagato said something to me about how my data was harder to change, but there's no way in hell I could possibly take on a fully-fledged interface.

Now that I thought about it, what happened to the interfaces as a result of the blast? The espers got stronger, the time travellers were rendered unable to travel through time due to…chaos or something, and as for the interfaces?

"Kyon, are you spacing out again? Did I miss some of the tar?"

"What? No, its fine," I said, before looking away to try and find the valve.

"Let me check-" Haruhi grabbed me, turning my head around so she could look at my face. There was a bit of water still left on my face, and she touched it, only to recoil as it suddenly caused a small spark.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," she said. There was something strange in her eyes as she continued peering at my face, a sort of distant look. "You know, we didn't talk about what happened last night, did we?"

No. No, please don't bring it up, I-

I didn't say anything, but she guessed my thoughts as I froze. "I'm not going to talk about them. I wanted to ask you- why did you split us up?"

What?

"You couldn't have gone inside the school," said Haruhi, "because you made up that glide thing. You were heading to the front of the school where we thought most of them were. Were you trying to use yourself as bait to distract them from me?"

"I, uh-"

"Well?" She asked, tilting her head, still not breaking eye contact.

"Erm, look, the valve's there!" I said, pointing over her shoulder.

She span around, and true enough, just off the path there were a set of pipes. As I approached, and I saw the setup of the pipes and valves was just like the other one. And then I remembered what also happened last time.

I saw a few people walking by. I could force one of them to shut off the valve, and avoid the blast of tar, but they might not be able to-

"I know!" Haruhi picked a stick of the ground and jammed it into the pipe that would release the tar. "There!"

I'm not sure why I didn't think of that before.

I turned the valve while Haruhi kept the stick wedged in the pipe, and although a small amount of tar oozed out, it was kept away from me.

With the valves done, I picked up my phone, calling Rin. "Kyon. I know where the Karites are pumping the tar. They have a tanker in the underground tunnel that passes under the park. Get down there and destroy it."

"Alright."

"Unlike these valves, the tanker will be guarded. Be ready for anything."

I ended the call, only to see Haruhi standing there, her expression unreadable, her arms folded.

"You want me to stay behind again, huh?" She said; her voice flat.

"It's safer that way," I said shortly. "It hurts to be shot."

Haruhi scowled, but then in an instant she was grinning. "Fine. I'll let you go off this once on your own if you let me make you a costume."

…what? What kind of costume?

"It's a secret! Do we have a deal?"

Yeah, even if I don't agree, she'll go ahead and make it anyway. At least this way I can get her to stay behind without having to get in a fight about it.

"Fine."

"Great! I'll wait for you back at school! Don't take too long!"

"I'll try not to."

"And Kyon? Some time soon, I want an answer. Next time there won't be a convenient set of pipes for you to try and change the subject." She grinned at me before rushed off, humming the classic Spider-Man theme under her breath. Mere moments after she disappeared, my phone rang again.

"Where's Haruhi going?" Koizumi asked.

I turned around, wondering where the hell Koizumi was to be seeing this. God, is he stalking me?

"I finished my task quite some time ago. So, what's causing Haruhi to run off?"

Well simply put, Koizumi, I need to go beat up some Karite thugs in the tunnel that runs under the park and then blow up a tanker. Obviously I can't bring her with me.

"Oh, so you convinced her to stay behind?" Koizumi said. "I'm impressed. Tell you what, I'll join you. Might be fun. I'll wait for you at the tunnel's entrance."

I switched my phone off as I headed out of the park.

You see, the park itself was quite large. The centre was built on raised ground, and under it was a road that – I think- led to a car park at the end, I'd never actually been down there before; it used to be the turf of the Karites even before the blast and my parents had warned me and my sister away from the area.

The vague thoughts of my family were enough to distract me again.

Had my dad recovered from his injuries yet? Did my mother even know about what had happened to me, or if I was alive? After all, I was still in a hospital bed when she left the town with my sister.

I made a mental note to go check out my house again today or tomorrow as I came out of the park and began to follow the pavement till it led me to the tunnel entrance.

And when I got there, Koizumi was sitting on a dismantled machine gun, reading an old newspaper with the burned bodies of numerous Karites surrounding him. A few of them were still stirring weakly.

"What took you so long?" He asked, looking up as he threw the paper aside. It ignited once it touched the ground.

You're enjoying being able to use your powers outside Closed Space, aren't you?

Koizumi shrugged. "Well, I'm not the only one."

We climbed over the barriers that were currently blocking car access to the tunnel. The tunnel was spacious enough and well lit with electric lights and burning fires, while the graffiti on the walls clearly warned people away.

"Ready?" Koizumi asked, smiling.

"As I'll ever be."

We had barely got that far in where we saw a van on its side, lying across the road in the middle of the tunnel. I felt it, as I had last night, a sense that enemies lurked behind it, again feeling as though I was looking upon radar.

Koizumi seemed to have noticed it as well, but no surprises there; he did use psychic powers after all.

We exchanged glances, and he smiled. "Step back, Kyon."

The van lifted itself into the air, revealing several startled Karites. Koizumi snapped his fingers, hurling the van down on them.

Seeing Koizumi like this- killing thugs with that same smile on his face- is oddly surreal.

"Aren't you coming?" He asked, and I realised I was still standing here while he walked ahead.

We advanced.

More and more vehicles were strewn across the underground road, clearly acting as barricades. We rounded a fallen bus, to see a mounted machine gun with a Karite at its helm, several other gunmen surrounding it.

"What do you think?" Koizumi asked, in the dead silence that followed, the calm before the storm.

"What are you talking about?"

"How long do you think it'll take for us to deal with these obstacles? Ten seconds? Twenty?"

Koizumi jumped forwards, his hand outstretched.

He tears the machine gun apart with his mind and as they began retaliating I give him cover with lightning bolts.

I'd hit two before Koizumi finished and moved on to incinerating them, while repelling bullets by simply snapping his fingers. Occasionally he'd scoop up a vehicle with his mind and using it as a projectile.

He caught my eye and gave me a small smile.

…show-off.

Blowing apart the first wave with fire and lightning, we continued heading down the tunnel.

Last night's events were terrifying. It had actually led to me trying to hold back a little to avoid killing, firing weaker bolts, and using the same electric restraints that I'd used on Fujiwara to shackle them once I came to them.

And even so, a part of me had to admit, this was just awesome. Lightning bolts firing through the air, psychic beams and shields and flames, bullets flying everywhere and explosions-

I ran forwards, firing a shockwave at a wrecked car that blasted back onto the thugs who'd been hiding behind it for cover, as Koizumi flew overhead (or as high as he could fly in a tunnel) landing on a van before he picked up two thugs with invisible hands and bashed their heads together.

Another mounted machine gun fired at him, and he raised his hand, bringing up a red shield. He sent me a sideways glance, as if to say "Go on."

I launched a bolt. While it missed the gunner, it hit the gun, passing a strong enough current through it to make the Karite take his hands off, and no longer firing at Koizumi.

No longer giving him reason to maintain a shield.

The gun was dismantled before the thug's eyes- well, mask, I suppose. A bolt took him off his feet.

Koizumi hopped down from the bus, landing neatly and again we continued walking. It looked like we'd already dealt with the Karites. That went surprisingly well; I think I only got shot once or twice in that.

And then both of us felt it.

A horde of them approaching from behind, and more approaching from the front. We were pinned.

We didn't have much time to prepare. Maybe we could've tried using our powers to stack some cars on each side as cover, but they came too fast and the best we could do was stand back to back.

The Karite thugs lined up on either side. About ten on each side, each clad in their typical suits, masks, with not even one having the badge out of place. But rather more importantly, they were all were armed with assault rifles.

Okay. Forget that only getting shot once or twice thing.

They carefully raised their guns to their shoulders and moved so they wouldn't hit each other if the bullets missed us. And even as they stopped moving, for a few moments, there was nothing but perfect silence and stillness in this tunnel.

And then they opened fire.

Koizumi brings up his red sphere again, holding us both safe, but the amount of bullets are quickly eating away at the outer shell.

"What are you going to do? Fly us out?"

"Something better."

His eyes glowed red as he sank into a sort of half-crouch, hunched over. The ground started to tremble beneath our feet.

And then he unleashed a massive wave of psychic energy. It picked up cars and threw them like toys. It shook the tunnel itself. Even I- despite that I'm protected from the main force behind it- was thrown to the ground.

The Karites have no chance at all as they go flying through the air. Each went at least five metres- that is, unless there was something for them to crash into first.

Koizumi offered me a hand, and I took it.

"You are so broken, Koizumi."

"Broken? No, I'm just slightly overpowered. Nagato, now, she's broken."

I focused, trying to tap in to that radar-like sense I'd had. I find myself sending out a pulse of electricity, and while it makes sources of electricity light up- something that may be handy if I need healing- it doesn't find anymore Karites.

"You can handle it from here, I presume?" Koizumi looked a little winded.

"Are you okay?"

"That just took quite a lot out of me," he said. "I- just need to sit down for a moment."

Alright. I'll go and deal with the tanker.

I left Koizumi there as he sat on the kerb of the pavement on the side of the underground road, while I descended deeper into the tunnel. It levelled out quickly enough, and there before me, across the road, was placed the massive tanker.

It looked like a truck crossed over with a tank.

There were numerous pipes above my head, and the tanker was connected to them. Evidently, tar was being pumped through those up into the water supplies above.

Well, time to take care of it.

I hit the tanker with the strongest bolt I had.

It fizzled away on impact.

I fired again, repeatedly. While they started to last longer, sometimes spreading over the thick armour, they did nothing.

I tried to reach for it, tried to call forth that red electricity that had brought me so much power last night, but as my electricity remained unchanged as it continued to fail to do anything to the tanker.

I started trying to find corners, gaps, any weak spots, but none of it was any good.

Oh for- you have got to be kidding me. Nothing? You couldn't be- and then I heard gunfire back up the tunnel. Had more of them come? Had they found Koizumi? They were way too far away for me to sense.

Damn it. Just blow up, you stupid piece of junk! Explode already! Something spark! Something ignite!

And then again, I felt it. The surge. Something telling me that a new power had appeared within my body.

I let the power build up in my hands and I threw it, revealing it to be a ball of electricity. It bounced off the tanker, landing by it.

It exploded.

Now this is more like it, I thought to myself as I threw three more.

The tanker shook, as did the earth. Its armour damaged- and I re-intensified my efforts, and this time the bolts pierced through, electricity passing through it, rattling it like a cage, and then it punched a great hole through, tar leaking out.

I flung another ball of electricity, aiming for the weak spot.

Next thing I knew, a rather more energetic looking Koizumi was shaking me awake. I probably shouldn't have been standing so close to the tanker, or what's left of it anyway.

"How long was I out?"

"Oh, just a couple of minutes, I think," said Koizumi. "A few more Karites showed up, but I'd mostly recovered by then."

I climbed up to my feet, my head throbbing.

"Are you alright?"

"Feel so drained. I'll have to keep the electric grenade things to a minimum."

"The what?" Koizumi asked as I walked over to the wall, draining the lights that were built into them.

"Well, let's get out of here. Want me to fly you out?" He said, offering me his hand.

…I'm fine. Really.

Half an hour later, I leaned back on the sofa, cracking open the can of celebratory Coke after a job well done. Haruhi was rummaging through her costumes box, Nagato was sat in front of the TV watching whatever was on with no expression on her face, Asahina looked exhausted and was almost half-asleep (I had no idea what had happened to her and she wasn't telling).

Koizumi stood up, getting our attention.

He'd already explained that the satellite signals were dead drop messages. Left by John White, the man Rin was telling me to find. He took my phone, downloading the same encryption program onto it that Rin had given him in order to let me access the signals as well.

"The encryption program's finished running through the messages. We can hear them now."

Koizumi began to play the first. The message was in English- made sense if John was American, but surprising if he was reporting to the PSIA- but I could understand enough of it to at least make sense of it. And well, Nagato understood it perfectly and stated anything we'd missed.

"I couldn't stop Smythe from detonating the Ray Sphere. Damn thing took out five or six square blocks, killed God knows how many. I found the Ray Sphere in the blast crater, next to some kid. I dunno if he was dead or not, I didn't have time to check. I'm going to try and hold up somewhere."

"If anyone is listening to these things, I need immediate extraction. Please. You have to get me out of here before Smythe finds me!"

"Who's Smythe?" I asked, asking the question that no doubt all of us were thinking.

"There was another recording, a much older one," Koizumi said. "That might give us some answers"

"Was introduced to Smythe today. He has some kind of metal device attached to his right arm, and his face was scarred, probably the result of an accident. One of the other guards said that Smythe has been the leader of the First Sons for decades, but that he vanishes for long periods of time."

"Initial impression is that Smythe is a true believer. He has an agenda, and he's going to carry it out. We may have to move against him sooner than we initially planned."

"The first one said John has the Ray Sphere," I said. "We find him, we find the Sphere."

"If Smythe is the one who leads the First Sons, he's going to be after it as well," said Koizumi.

"Well then, we'll just find John and deal with Smythe!" Haruhi said brightly, before frowning. "John and Smythe?"

And in that instant I noticed. "Huh, yeah, funny name, Smythe. Anyway, moving on-"

"Doesn't it sound a bit like Smith?"

"No, not in the slightest," I said quickly, as Mikuru and Koizumi shook their heads frantically.

Haruhi didn't look convinced, and rightly so, but she decided to let it go, going back to the costumes.

"How would you like a cape?"

"No."

"A trench coat?"

"No."

"A mask?"

"No."

"A hat?"

"No."

"You're not very good at this superhero thing, are you?" Haruhi finally snapped.

I was about to give a retort that would no doubt land me in hot water with her when we were both cut off by a familiar irritating voice blaring from the TV.

The same man who had the whole town gunning for me. The same man who'd told everyone where I was sleeping last night. Our good friend, the Voice of Survival. "I've been hearing all kinds of things lately and I'm gonna have to set you guys straight. It turns out that the terrorist somehow got powers from the blast. This is not a joke. He uses electricity. As if it wasn't bad enough, light bulb kid can fry anyone he damn well pleases. Last night he slaughtered about a hundred concerned citizens who were peacefully protesting, well, I'd like to see how his electricity helps him escape a shotgun blast to the face- and that's my personal recommendation-"

The TV exploded.

Probably due to the surge of electricity I let escape. But you know, I could be wrong.

I found myself still glaring at its remains, electricity still clinging to my shoulders and arms, flickering red every so often.

Haruhi placed her hand on my shoulder, not caring about the electricity.

I stopped the current immediately, looking up at her to see an expression completely different from the look of irritation she'd worn a moment ago. And then I realised the others had come by my side as well.

And while there's something soothing about it, it's not enough. It seems whatever I do in this town, regardless of whether I help or destroy, I get more enemies for it. So far, there's the general population. There's the Karites. There's the First Sons. And depending on what happens in the future, I could be adding the government, the espers, the time travellers, or the aliens to that list.

The -maybe foolish- optimism in me has clung to the belief that I'd get out of here and see my family again and that had managed to let me quash the feelings that were rising up so prominently now.

Now? I just saw a man suggest a method of killing me on live television.

And as much as I try to fight off that ever-growing depression, the same three words echo in my head as I lean forwards with my head sinking into my hands.

This is hopeless.

AN:

This chapter annoyed me a little while writing it. The amount of editing I did to it after I uploaded it... and even though it was all just nitpicking. This is probably my least favourite of the chapters so far, although that might have been down to the amount of stuff I just mixed in here, there's the whole bit of angst in the beginning, the bit with Nagato showing her compassion in her...way, then humour, then seriousness and a bit of angst, then freakiness, then a tiny bit of shipping, then action, then a sort of back-at-home bit with a bit more angst.

Next chapter will see a bit of Tsuruya...probably. As for the others, I'm still trying to stop Koizumi hogging Nagato's and Mikuru's screentime, that damn smiling bastard.

Hm...

OMAKE:

"I can't help that I'm such a great character!" Koizumi shouted as he was lowered ever closer to the vat of acid.

"You will pay for taking my screentime," Nagato stated. "That fight scene would have been approximately 12.8 times more impressive if I had been partnered up with Kyon for it."

"Kyon won't stand for this!"

"Haruhi has already provided him with a suitable distraction," said Nagato.

"What could possibly-"

"She gave him the photos of Mikuru dressed as Wonder Woman."

"Fuck."