Date: February 14th 2010, 7 months since Level 6 Shift

termination

Location: Shinsekai Street, 3rd District, Academy City

Pink. Fluff. Hearts. Clouds.

"Disgusting," Accelerator thought. "Cold, and disgusting."

February this year was a snap of cold whose duration, since Tree Diagram's demise, was
anyone's guess. His apartment was an icicle, no thanks to the uncharacteristic weather. The
retail outlets decided however to declare the ice that lined their giant glass windows
"romantic frosting", and spun clouds of cotton around their offerings of "the perfect gift".
Restaurants were hawking balk-worthy prices for a "lovely evening". Students were out in
twos, as if they were dancing to some pre-apocalyptic biblical script to board a love cruise of
a lifetime. Industrial pundits were looking to cash registers making a killing this season, as
another ludicrously decorated LCD chirped.

"I feel like making a killing," the artificial albino grumbled in his head as he brushed through
yet another couple in puppy love. "Oh shut up."

As if obeying his command, a wave of darkness washed over the street, then brightness,
then darkness, then a flickering brightness coupled with the bzzzt of fried electronics. The
sickening cottony aura earlier was replaced with static and confused screams of girls taking
the chance to squeeze their slaves.

Accelerator blinked, then resumed his non-chalent trudge back home, never mind that he
got the interruption he wished. The EMP blast simply meant that some where, that bastard
was having a version of a date with that clone commander. Possibly with an army of clones
hounding them. Quite unexpectedly, that struck a nerve within Accel. It made the roaming
duets seem even more revolting, and for a second he fancied grabbing a random female
and saying "I'm Level 6. Let's go for a ride."

Accel coughed. It didn't have to be a innocent sister waiting by the road with a sign asking
for confessions. He just needed to ask that baka. He didn't want to consider that baka.
Rather, he refused to consider her.

But ironically, that seemed to need additional effort, which he had spent for the past half-
hour knowing full well she was stalking him. What a drag.

Accelerator turned and left the revolting street. He hadn't sensed her presence for a few
minutes now, maybe she gave up?

Whatever was the case, Accel made it look like he gave up trying when Kiritsu stepped out
of the alley and square into his path.

"Happy Valentine's." She chirped while stuffing a basket of cocoa-based commercial sin in
his face. She was only wearing one layer of winter uniform, while even he had at least a
scarf and jacket. That didn't seem fair.
"Febuary 14 is almost over, and it wasn't happy."

"Lies," Kii-chan made a face. "You were grinning at that dress. Thinking of buying it for
me?"

"That brat."

"Heeeh..." Katamaru made a face but Accel ignored her. She overtook him again. "Wait! At
least try one!"

"Not hungry," Accelerator deadpanned as he took a step left.

"It's your favorite, 90% cocoa!" Igniter skipped right and blocked him.

"You needn't have bothered." He stepped right.

"N-no I have to!" She flailed as she stepped left. "I-i-it's Obligation Choco after all!"

"So you are just a mule following the trend," Accel shook his head as he brushed passed. "I
shall have no part in this nonsense."

"N-n-no, you're wrong!" Igniter overtook him one more time, growing as much redder as
she was desperate. "I-I-I made it for my own reason!"

"Then eat it yourself."

"But I m-m-made them for you!"

"I said, you needn't bother."

"You see... I... I..."

Accelerator noticed that the cold was fading away and even the snow on the pavement was
fast melting, thanks to the living heater blocking his path. That certainly made him feel
warm and fuzzy inside...

"...I MADE THEM FOR YOU BECAUSE I LIKE YOU THAT'S WHY!!!" Kiritsu blurted out at
the top of her voice, attracting a few humored gazes from across the road. "And it's not like
I'm saying this for the first time..."

Accelerator cackled. "Like me? You like me, a serial murderer and infamous hooligan? You
like me, a man that will most probably make you fall in love with him so that he can get in
your skirt, make you pregnant then leave you after taking all your money?"

"Yes," Kiritsu eyed the floor and kicked a passing mound of floating ice away. "Because I
know you are not that kind of person."

The albino covered his face in his palm, hiding his grin. "Idiot."

Kii-chan laughed uneasily, a hand to the back of her head. "You know that I'm always the
idiot, right...?"
Accel moved suddenly, leaning all the way into her face. Her heart running a marathon,
Igniter was frozen by Accel's expectant, longing gaze, and gradually closed her eyes to the
feeling... until at the last moment she spied him popping a chocolate heart in his mouth.

Kiritsu snapped wide awake, glanced down at her basket, back at the grinning face, then
leap back in total embarrassment. "Accel you meanie! What was that for?! Oi, stop
laughing!"

Accelerator was doing a good impression of a man laughing, choking and chewing at the
same time. Kii-chan looked somewhere between the verges of crying, laughing and
frowning. Wisps of steam evaporated from her hair due to her increased AIM presence
added to the comedy of the situation. The puddle around her started to boil and fog.

"S-so..." Kiritsu spoke after finally getting a grip on herself. "H-how is it?"

"You've almost completely melted it." Accelerator marched on, still chortling, further fuelled
by how crestfallen Katamaru-chan looked.

She didn't even retort. Let's crush her completely!

"But it's smooth."

Or not.

Kiritsu lit up with that silly grin of hers. With a skip and a hop, there she was again,
lingering beside him, her existence completely defeating all logic brought to bear upon it.
Out of the infinite chaos of the cosmos, there was such a person that was born in the same
manner as he, saw his past, his deeds, and his being, and concluded that he was the one to
be pitied and comforted. And out of all those possibilities, that person was no reincarnated
saint or an alien from outer space, but an ordinary girl who looked even more ordinary than
he did.

"I live in the same darkness as you, but I chose differently because someone showed me
that I could. I know you will!"

"The world isn't as cruel as you make it to be."

"Even if your immediate place is your enemy, I will never be."

"I want to believe in you! No, I believe in you!"

Almost like an idiotic heroine from a cheesy anime.

"Accel?"

"What?"

"Want any more...?"

The sound of snow going krump-krump-krump underfoot prevailed.

"I guess I'll give the rest to Misa-tan--"

"No." Accelerator wrenched the wire basket from her hands. "You give the brat that bitter
molten piece of crap, and I'll never hear the end of her complaints at dinner tonight."

Kiritsu giggled. "Softie."

"Idiot."

My idiotic heroine.

~~~ End of February 14th 2010 ~~~