“Oh!  We have to see this!” Bunko, a lanky, nerdy girl with long, straight black hair, said, grabbing the hands of her friends, Hoshi and Kasumi, and dragging them into the store where some kind of presentation was beginning before they could react.  Knowing that it was futile to resist, Hoshi allowed herself to be dragged along by the larger girl, smiling as Kasumi protested grumpily.  As the two girls were led to a spot in the back of the crowd, Bunko explained, in that bookish way of hers, that it was the first time that metallic hydrogen had been created and stabilized, citing numerous applications that it might have in the world around them.

The trio got a few glances thrown their way as they attempted to slip into a good vantage point in the back of the crowd, more than likely because they seemed a bit young to be interested in such a display.  Once they were in their spot, Hoshi tugged on Kasumi’s sleeve and said, “Hey, Kas, do you mind giving me a lift so I can see?” while giving her the puppy eyes.  Even though Kasumi sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes, she still crouched down so Hoshi could climb onto her shoulders, a slight smile on her face.  

Considering the fact that Kasumi was a fairly athletic girl, lifting the fifty or so pounds that was Hoshi really required no conscious effort on her part.  She just enjoyed acting grumpy, claiming that someone had to balance out Hoshi’s endless exuberance.  As such, Hoshi really paid her friend’s mannerisms much mind, climbing onto the larger girl’s back, taking care not to tug on Kasumi’s curly, bright red hair in the process.  The few people behind them were a bit displeased with their view suddenly being blocked by a little blonde girl atop the shoulders of another, larger girl, but there was still room to move, so it wasn’t an issue for longer than it took them to take a step to one side or the other.

Hoshi, however, was too busy staring at the gemstone to notice the annoyance of those around her.  “It’s so pretty,” she said, awe tinging her voice.  Bunko nodded along, though she didn’t say anything because the woman up front had started to speak, essentially repeating what Bunko had told Hoshi moments before.  As she spoke, she lowered the coverings of the windows and doors to darken the room, leaving only the light shimmering onto the gem from above to break the darkness.  

The only problem with this was that the light above the stone wasn’t the only source of light in the room, which became quite clear rather quickly as the light spilling from Hoshi’s body, a cascade of color that shimmered with her every breath and illuminated her immediate surroundings.  Before Hoshi could ask Kasumi to let her down, so as not to annoy the others in the store further, a gunshot rang out and several people in military fatigues congregated around the stone.

Their leader, a man wearing a skull balaclava, explained that they were taking the gemstone for themselves, and that no one should try anything funny.  To punctuate his point, he pressed a button on a strange device, emitting a high-pitched sound that made Hoshi feel as though her head were being crushed.  Unfortunately, Kasumi was also an Esper, meaning that she fell to her knees almost immediately after the device was turned on, sending Hoshi sprawling across the floor.

Pain lancing through her skull as the sound continued, Hoshi couldn’t do much more than lay on the floor where she had landed, hands clamped over her ears to block out as much of the sound as possible while ignoring the throbbing pain that had taken residence in her right hand and wrist when she landed on them.  Hopefully, they wouldn’t see the faint glow around her and suspect her of trying anything to interrupt their getaway.