A Certain Scientific Superhero Book 1: Lightning Flash

That Boy... Is Robin...

Haly avoided the question. "You know, you look pretty familiar." he commented. "Almost like..." His eyes widened. "Any chance your mother's name is Misuzu?"

Mikoto narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Haly snapped his fingers. "Ah, that's why." he said. "Your mother, Misuzu, used to be apart of this circus."

Mikoto took a step forward. "What are you talking about!?"

"She was our diver." Haly continued. "She never seemed to age... she was best friends with Dick's mother, you know... she came whenever she was about 15, because she'd ran away... she was pregnant with you at 18..." He met Mikoto's gaze. "You and Dick were actually supposed to be twin Talons, the first of your kind."

Mikoto gasped. "W-What!?"

"Didn't you see that a page was ripped out?" Haly asked, raising an eyebrow. "You were only replaced with Dick after I learned your genetics... that's also whenever your mother left to go live with your father." he chuckled. "And I know who you are... and why you're here, you want information... and trust me, what I just told you is all you'll ever know... oh, and Misaka... watch out for the water..."

Mikoto was frozen as Haly led her out of his office, before shutting the door closed.

What had she gotten herself into?

"Mackenzie!" Mikoto turned around and saw Wally waving at her. "The show's about to start!"

"Coming, Marcus!" Mikoto yelled back, running to catch up to her team mate.

__

Mikoto stood on the diving board as she watched Robin and Raya finish up their act. As the spotlight turned to rest on her, she looked over the edge at the small pool below, which seemed miles away.

Mikoto gulped, taking a step back to get a running start. Clenching her fists, attempting to ignore the lights shining down on her, she jumped off.

Time seemed to go in slow motion... she saw the pool begin to crackle... she heard Robin scream...She saw a gun... she felt agony rip through her chest...

And then everything went dark.

__

"Mommy, Mommy!" A 9-year-old version of Mikoto yelled as she and her mother walked into the Big Top. "When's Auntie Mary gonna come out!?" she asked excitedly.

It was as if Mikoto was watching it outside her body.. she could see herself.. and was conscious that this was a memory...

Mikoto's mother chuckled. "Soon, Micky." she said warmly. "And then you can meet her little boy, Richard! Maybe you could be friends!"

Mikoto wrinkled her nose. "No, Mommy, I could get an infection! He has cooties!"

Misuzu chuckled. "Yes, of course. What was I thinking?"

At this time, Mikoto was a mere Level 3 esper.

"Ssh!" Misuzu hushed her daughter as she opened her mouth to speak. "It's about to start!"

Mikoto quieted down, watching the performance.

They were introduced as 'The Flying Graysons'. The man and woman, walked forward. The woman was first, tip toeing on the high wire with her husband right behind her.

"Mommy!" Mikoto whispered. "Why isn't there a net?"

"They won't fall." Musuzu reassured her. "Mary and John are amazing.

Mikoto saw the boy, who was about her age, begin to step on on the wire, until realization flickered over his face, as he were remembering something. He opened his mouth, as if to call out to her parents, whenever there was a bone-chilling snap!

The two adults screamed as the wire broke, and they fell. Misuzu screamed as well, as did half of the crowd... but it was the boy's voice that was the loudest.

"MOM!!!" He screeched. "DAD!!!"

Misuzu was up out of her seat, tears streaming down her face. The circus workers let her pass, Mikoto right behind her.

"MARY!!!" Misuzu screamed, falling beside her best friend. "MARY!!!"

Mikoto was frozen in shock, however, she still registered the screeching of the boy.

Mikoto gulped, before hurrying up the ladder herself. It was clear the boy wasn't coming down soon, as he was pacing on the platform, grabbing his head with tears falling from his eyes.

Mikoto reached the top, before pulling him into a tight hug. Although Mikoto was astranger to the boy, he hugged her back with twice as much force, crying into her Gekota sweatshirt.

They stayed like that for what felt like hours, although it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. The boy's eyes snapped open, and he was climbing down the ladder.

He reached his parent's body, collapsing by his mother, beside Mikoto's mother.

Mikoto stared in pure horror at the grizzly scene before her. The orphan screaming over his parent's body, her own mother's shoulders shaking. Police were starting to file in the area, ripping the boy away from his father. The boy screamed even louder, struggling madly in an effort to get back to his parents.

"NO!!!" he roared. "LET ME GO!!" Noticing paramedics were putting sheets over the bodies, the boy struggled harder. "MOM!!! DAD!!!!"

An hour passed, before Misuzu finally found her daughter, curled up on the platform, rocking back and forth.

"Mikoto!" Misuzu called, her voice cracking. "L-Let's go back... you have a system scan tomorrow...."

Mikoto sniffed, her legs wobbling, as she listened. She fell into her mother's arms, sniffling. "That boy..." she whispered. "You should have seen him, Mama, he was just so..."

"Ssh..." Misuzu croaked. "It'll be okay... you don't have to go to the funeral..."

"Y-yes I do..." Mikoto replied quietly. "I never got to find out that boy's name..."

However, Mikoto ended up not going to the funeral, therefore never discovering the Grayson boy's identity... eventually, Mikoto had pushed the scenario to the back of her mind... locking it away... until now...

"That boy..." the Railgun whispered. "Is Robin...."