Disclaimer: No, I do not own To Aru Majutsu no Index, or any of it's characters. The franchise is owned by Kazuma Kamachi, A talented work-horse of a writer. Any original characters that are implemented into the story are purely fictional, and are not intended to make fun of, or in any way be a representation of any factual people. Any person(s) who happen to share the same name is purely coincidental and not intentional. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy my first fanfic!
Prologue: Daily Life of Academy City's Strongest
To the west of Tokyo is Academy City. As the name implies it's a city that is full of schools from kindergarten to college universities, research facilities, and other types of structures used for scientific and technological development and advancement. It makes sense as to why Academy City was about thirty years ahead in technology when compared to the rest world.
Out of the population of around 2.3 million residents, about eighty percent of that is students. The schools themselves are not your typical run of the mill academic schools. They are specifically made for people who have special powers, otherwise known as espers. The curriculum at these schools is catered for students to learn with the power of science to hone their abilities as well as help them control it.
Because of the many types of abilities that are found throughout the city, a level system was implemented into the curriculum throughout Academy City. The levels range from level 0s, who have basically no esper ability, to Level 5s, which is the highest level that can be obtained and are regarded as the strongest. There were currently only seven Level 5s throughout Academy city; they were all ranked based on their strength.
Number one: Accelerator. The person who stands on top of the Level 5s as Academy City's strongest esper who has the ability of complete vector control
Number two: Dark Matter, an esper that has the ability to wield an element not found anywhere on the planet, his name is Kakine Teitoku.
Number three: Railgun, or Misaka Mikoto has the ability to control electromagnetism. Being able to launch coins at the same speed as a railgun got her this nickname.
Number four: Meltdowner has the ability to destroy any mass using lasers that she shoots out. Her name was Mugino Shizuri.
Number five: Mental Out. A craftier ability that can control the minds of people, and she can even look inside a person's mind if need be. Shokuhou Misaki.
Number six: Number six is shrouded in mystery, no one really knows much about this person, let alone their name, what they look like, or what their esper power is. But the higher ups of Academy City see it fit that this person takes the sixth seat.
Number seven: Sogita Gunha, a gemstone with incredible strength. Researchers are still figuring out how exactly his ability works.
Each Level 5 esper has their own dedicated facilities throughout Academy City that do research to further develop their esper abilities. This story, however, revolves around a certain Level 5; the one who stands on top.
In a certain apartment, the television's channels were being switched from one channel to another, each channel only having the news because of some disturbance in Tokyo Bay. A highly dangerous individual was causing the disturbance, and the news was talking about how all countries wanted that person detained or taken care of. If not dealt with in a swift matter, threats of missiles launching towards Japan would be the next course of action.
"Tch. There's nothing but boring shit to watch on TV." Clicking his tongue and pressing the remote, a white haired boy turned off the TV and threw the remote onto the couch. This said boy was Academy City's ranked number one Level 5 esper, Accelerator. To be frank, the boy did not care if those missiles were fired or not, it wouldn't even leave a scratch on him. He has walked through the war heavy terrains of Russia during World War III and whatever weapons they had there couldn't even come close to leaving a scratch. That was just how powerful Accelerator was as an esper, but there are some people who seem to ignore that fact and chose to annoy the boy to death.
"Hey I was watching that! Says Misaka as Misaka throws a fit!" A little girl jumped from the couch and started throwing her small fists towards Accelerator, but all he had to do was keep his left hand and place it on her forehead to keep her from getting close. Due to her childlike size, her arms could not even reach halfway towards its target. To others it would look like he was bullying the girl, but believe it or not, this was something of a normal occurrence that happens more often than it should.
"As if a brat like you could understand what's going on!" Spat Accelerator as he donned a bored expression on his face. The girl he was dealing with was Last Order, the 20,001th clone of Misaka Mikoto that was created to function as the "command tower" for all the Misaka sisters. After a certain incident he took on the role of looking over the little girl.
"Misaka just wanted to keep updated with what's going on around Japan! Misaka protests as Misaka places both hands on her hips. Besides, how is Misaka supposed to learn how to understand if Misaka isn't even allowed to try? Misaka asks as Misaka tries to rationalize the conundrum you posed." Accelerator just looked at her with an irritated expression.
"Are you being serious right now? Don't be a fucking dumbass! Couldn't you just get that information off of the Misaka network?!" The boy exclaimed. It was true, it's not like Last Order had to specifically watch news programs, or read news herself to get up to date. Because of the Misaka network, if any of the sisters were to get that information, then all of the sisters would get updated. That was the point of the network in the first place. As the two argued, another person decided to add her two cents in.
"Father is right big sis." The way the word father was emphasized made Accelerator cringe, but decided to hold off on commenting as the person kept talking. "All of that information is within our network. I pity big sis for being an idiot." The girl that joined the conversation was wearing an Ao Dai outfit, which made her look unique and stand out in a crowd especially in Japan, but her hairstyle and face resembled that of Last Order.
The last one to speak, Misaka WORST, was another sister clone of Misaka Mikoto. Misaka WORST, however, was distinctively different than the other sisters, just like Last Order. She was created to harbor all of the negative emotions of the Misaka network. Despite Misaka WORST being created after Last Order, she had the body and face of the original Misaka Mikoto if she were to be an older high school girl. Accelerator found WORST during his visit in Russia during World War III, and after events piling up on each other, WORST ended up being under the care of Accelerator as well.
"Grrr! Do not call your big sis an idiot! Misaka shouts as Misaka points a finger at her younger sister!" The two girls started arguing, which lead to a more irrelevant topic.
"Oh my! Big sis is getting upset!" WORST emphasized the one word that she knew would affect Last Order the most. And affect her it did.
"Now you have gone too far! Now got on your knees so that big sis can lecture you! Misaka says as Misaka stands on top of the couch to make herself seem taller." Maybe to humor her or she actually felt bad, WORST complied and prostrated herself. "Just because I'm small now, does not make it right to make fun of me! Misaka declares as Misaka admonishes the younger sister." Feeling triumphant Last Order puffed out her chest and had her hands on her hips. Misaka WORST smirked at this action.
"Well it's good to know that I don't have to be worried about being flat-chested when I grow up. I'm already filling out pretty well if I say so myself." WORST crossed her arms under her chest to inconspicuously push up her more than ample breasts.
"You just wait! Misaka will grow up and have bigger ones than you someday! Misaka declares as Misaka looks forward to her uncertain future." The girls were starting to get on the strongest esper's nerves, and being in the middle of two girls bickering was not making it any better.
"Would the two of you brats, please shut the hell up?!" Accelerator yelled with the stomp of his modern cane as he stood up. The two girls stopped arguing and turned their attention to Accelerator.
"Ah, I'm sorry, Misaka softly whispers as Misaka apologizes averting her gaze."
"Kekeke, Looks like daddy is angry with us. What are you going to do? Give us a spanking for being naughty girls? Kyahaha!" With a sinister cackle, WORST looked over with interest to see what the boy would do. To her surprise, he did not even respond to her remark, but turned and started walking towards the door.
"Huh? Where are you going? Misaka asks as Misaka tilts her head slightly with a questioning look."
"None of your damn business, now be a good girl and stay in this damned apartment. Play with WORST or something." As he reached for the knob on the door, the door swung open knocking Accelerator over. Right through the doorway a woman with grocery bags came in with a big smile on her face. Behind her was another woman in a lab coat who walked in right after her. The former woman began to speak with excitement.
"I got a lot of meat and veggies as a present from the local super market so let's have hot pot tonight!... Hey where's Accelerator?" The woman, Yomikawa Aiho, asked. She was a member of Anti-Skill, which acted as the police force of Academy City, and as luck would have it she owned the apartment that Accelerator and the two sister clones lived in. Yomikawa still had her Kevlar vest on, so it was safe to assume that she came straight home after her shift.
The other woman who wore a lab coat was Yoshikawa Kikyou, a long time friend of the Anti-Skill member and also one of the scientists who was a part of the research facility that monitored Accelerator's development in the past.
"I can't imagine your adoptive father would just walk out without bringing you two with him. You girls are like his pride and joy, even if he doesn't show it." Yoshikawa stated she closed the door behind her.
"Well father was about to leave, but now he is on the ground over there… you knocked him over when you burst into the apartment… Pft- Bwahahaha!" Unable to control herself, WORST burst out into laughter while pointing at the floor near the kitchen. The two older women looked over to the floor to see Accelerator glaring up at them from the spot that he was pushing himself up from.
"Yomikawa!" The angry expression that crept its way throughout his face and cold tone would normally send shivers down most people. Yomikawa and Yoshikawa were not normal to say the least.
"Yes yes, I'm sorry, now be a good a good boy and help me sort out the groceries." Yomikawa responded as she tossed the backs onto his lap.
"And give me a back rub. My muscles are so stiff today." Yoshikawa chimed in as she rolled her shoulders.
"I'm not going to help you with anything, you could have those two brats over there help you guys while I go out for a bit." Slowly getting up, he placed the bags onto the counter and started making his way towards the door. Before he opens the door, a scarf was thrown over his head from behind. He stood there for a bit before adjusting the scarf around his neck then turned his head to look down at the person who gave it to him. What he sees is Last Order looking up at him worriedly.
"It's a little cold out there according to the forecast, Misaka states as Misaka double checks with the other sisters." It only took a couple of seconds for Last Order to get a response, "I know the forecasts have been inaccurate recently, but the other sisters on the Misake network can confirm, Misaka report as Misaka smiles trying to make up for the fact that she had angered you earlier."
Accelerator then looked at the two young girls who watched him silently. He could feel the two older women smiling at him off to the side, but he chose not to confront them. He honestly never really knew what to say in these situations. Scratching at the electrode switch on his neck he thought for a bit before letting out a soft sigh.
"Look I'm going to be out for a bit. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but until then be good little girls and stay here and help out Yomikawa and Yoshikawa with whatever they need, we are guests after all." Last Order and Yomikawa gave him a warm smile, while WORST just smirked at him. Turning his heel, the boy proceeded to go through the apartment's door, closing it lightly behind him. A short silence ensued before it was broken up by the scientist.
"Why can't that boy be more honest with himself?" Yoshikawa asked as she rubbed her own shoulders.
"Father is so tsundere!" WORST commented accompanied with a snicker.
"He's just not used to it Misaka states as Misaka tries to steal a Popsicle from the freezer during this heartwarming event."
"Oi, you can't have that just yet, you haven't even eaten dinner. I don't want you ruining your appetite now." Yomikawa admonished Last Order as she took the frozen treat away from her.
"Man, being here in this apartment makes me feel like I'm part of some comedic family oriented show." Yoshikawa said, as she went to help out her friend prepare the vegetables. "It'd be nice if things were always this peaceful."
"Yeah, well with Academy City being the way it is, it's hard to catch a break. We have to make the best of these down times." Yomikawa stated as she started taking out the meat from the bag to start defrosting them.
The room was full of chatter from the four girls, as they started preparing for a hot pot. Yomikawa got a lot of ingredients from the supermarket so they had enough to do hot pot for the next few days. It was times like this where everyone gathered like a true family, sharing moments together away from their busy life outside of the apartment.
It was just like any other ordinary day in the daily life of Academy City's strongest.
At least it should have been, but in the depths of the underground world of Academy City, a group of people were congregating; waiting for the perfect time to execute their plan to commandeer the city as their own. Five hooded figures circled around in an area in a park that no one frequents.
"Are we sure that no one can hear us here?" A deep raspy voice asked whilst looking at the other members in the group.
"Yes sir! I put up talismans around the area that prevents sound from escaping so we should be good. I also set up some charms as well to notify us if someone waltzes right into the park." Another, much younger voice replied, while rolling two marbles around in his right palm. "So far, the coast is clear Mr. Pompasceu."
The other members remained silent as they waited for their leader, Pierre Pompasceu's orders. Reading the atmosphere, the older man started the mission briefing.
"I will keep this short. As you all have read on the mission's documents, we are to secure a target that resides in this city. We need this target alive; any others that get in the way do not matter. Dispose of them in any matter you see fit."
"Well I'll be the one to ask just for some clarification, but what happens if the target gets injured during the process of capture? Does that affect our pay at all?" Another member interjected, cutting into the leader's briefing. Pierre let out a frustrated sigh for being interrupted before answering.
"The higher ups only need the target to be alive. Nothing was specifically stated about the target coming unharmed. The organization already paid in advance, anything else we do well from here on out just gets us a bonus. But we need to be as discrete as we can be. Now I know you like to do things the flashy way Bryce, but please try to be tame this time around." It is too early for our organization to make itself known to the world." After airing out the clarification, the leader continued to discuss the mission. "You all had a week to scout out the city, so you should all have a good idea of the city's layout and possible hiding spots. This should be an easy mission." Taking a moment to pause for any questions, one of the other members who during the briefing took out a mechanical backpack spoke up with an inquiry.
"This is a little late, but I was doing maintenance on my Biotic Utility Pack, and it seems that most of its functions are not working. I understand that all of us have different functions for their respective Biotic UPs, but is anyone else having this issue?" He lifted up the backpack while asking.
Biotic Utility Packs, or Biotic UPs, are engineered to do a wide range of tasks. Rumors state that it was a prototype model that originated in Academy City, but it was discontinued because of the dangers it presented. The part of the Biotic UP that rests on the back injects itself into the spinal nerves and sends electromagnetic pulses that heighten the users' senses. The pack itself houses some grenades and grappling hooks, kind of what you would see in comic books.
"Mine has been working fine this past week. What are the functions that still work?" The sole female member of the group responded.
"The sensory boosters are still up and running, but everything else is pretty much offline. You can never trust faulty technology. Luckily for me I can use my cloaking spells to scout." The former member stated as he continued to examine his Biotic UP.
"Well Methi, use your spells wisely in the meantime." Pierre responded to the younger man who was having issues with his equipment. "This is your first mission as one of us, last thing we need is for you to get caught in a fight without any more magical energy in you. Just be on standby and be our ears and eyes." The leader chimed in, as they were running out of time for their little meeting.
Before Pierre could discuss more, the sound of a cell phone went off. It happened to be Methi's phone, who answered it. After a few exchanges he hung up.
"Sir, the target is now leaving their residence. Orders?" All eyes turned to their leader. The night was young, and it was more of a better time than ever to initiate the mission.
"Alright, you each know your individual assignments, let's get this shit over with so we can all go home and get paid that bonus. For power to change the world, and for the prosperity of the Neo World Order!" All members gave a short salute before dispersing into different directions. And just like that, the atmosphere of the park returned to normal with no trace of people ever being there in the first place.
Silence fell on the abandoned park, and after some time, a lone figure walked out from behind a nearby tree and inspected the area. He wore a Hawaiian shirt that was unbuttoned, exposing his chest and abs. The young man also donned black sunglasses despite being night time. If the exposed chest didn't catch a person's attention in the first place, his blonde hair would.
"Looks like things are starting to get interesting around here. I figured since Kami-yan was out of the city most of the excitement would go along with him." Talking to no one in particular, the young man bent over to pick up a cigarette butt, and examined it. "Now I wonder who their target is…" Pocketing the trash for later analysis, the young man turned around and walked towards the city. "The underground organizations of Academy City may have been dissolved by Accelerator's hands, but there are still those who thirst for power."
It may not have been ordinary by most standards, but it was definitely a typical night for Academy City.
