Disclaimer: I don't own To Aru Majutsu no Index/ Railgun. The series belongs to Kazuma Kamachi and ASCII Media Works.

A/N: We need more stories with Hamazura. That is all.

A state of alert has been declared.

At least, that was what the intercom throughout Academy City said. At this point in time, two level zeroes had reportedly deserted their home of origin with the intention of going over to the enemy. The board of directors unanimously voted to bring the city to an alert phase, calling for all Judgment and Anti-Skill personnel to hunt them down and bring them back, at whatever the cost.

They looked like they were preparing for a war. Not a fight, not a skirmish, but full blown war. Anti-Skill was armed to the teeth with advanced weaponry, going so far as to use HsB-02 bombers. The younger Judgment members were stationed within the city, but the older ones were being sent along with Anti-Skill. They weren't going to kill the two deserters were they?

Among one of the Judgment members was a girl with short brown hair. Mikoto Misaka, level five and the city's best electromaster. Why was she there? Why was she accompanying Anti-Skill?

That's not how it truly was. The truth was skewered, and lies were told.

Several months earlier, this is how it began…

Into the Darkness

Chapter One: An Old Acquaintance

Touma Kamijou sighed when he looked at the contents of his wallet. It was empty. At the moment, he was in a restaurant and had faced the dilemma of paying the check. Across from him was a blue haired nun who went by the name of Index. She stared back at the boy with impatience, her blue eyes twinkling with suppressed irritation. Empty bowls and plates were scattered upon the table, numbering in the double digits.

Touma took a look at the check again.

'There has to be a typo. There's no way there can be that many zeros.' Touma thought as he feverishly scanned the piece of paper.

"It's not a typo." The waitress suddenly spoke, her brown eyes digging into Touma's skull. The boy froze at the coldness of her voice. He had been to this café several times before and he was frequently greeted by this waitress. As it turns out, she could also be very, very scary. Quite a lot of people began to gawk at the young teen's situation, most likely in shock and awe. "Your friend here has a big appetite. You should have thought about that before choosing to eat here."

"… I'm sorry. Could I maybe-"

"We only accept cash mister. If you don't have the money, I could always send you to my manager, and we'll see what to do with you."

The way the waitress worded that made him uncomfortable. As usual, he was the one blessed with misfortune while the nun got away scot free. What was worse was that he hadn't ordered anything for himself. He came into the restaurant thinking that Index wanted some milkshakes, but no… she had to have three of everything on the menu.

When Touma was escorted to the manager, he instinctively backed away. The manager was a huge intimidating man who easily dwarfed Touma by a large margin. He had muscles that were the size of Touma's head. The young boy chuckled nervously as he tried to find a way out of the situation.

In the end, his diplomatic resolution proved useless. He was kicked out of the restaurant, quite literally actually, and was told never to come back again, unless he wanted his manhood cut off. That made Touma wonder though. He was sure that his unluckiness would have done something drastic to him sooner or later. Someone even mentioning doing such a thing made him feel woozy.

Touma sauntered over to a nearby grocery store. Every single day he came by, buying enough to feed a family for a week. Unfortunately for him, his misfortune usually made him bump into delinquents or a girl in trouble, causing him to either lose his groceries or pay for the ensuing damages. This time, he accidentally knocked down an entire shelf full of cereal. The look on his face was of pure horror when he stared at the bill he was handed.

By the time he got home, he could see Index watching Magical Girl Kanamin. She stood a mere inch away from the screen, completely unaware of Touma entering the room. The boy sighed and walked over to the minuscule kitchen that was right by the doorway. He placed the groceries he held into the fridge, heaving a huge moan when he saw that it was already empty. This morning, it was filled to the brim. After he was finished making himself a small sandwich, he sat beside the nun in exasperation.

"… I think I might need to get a job." Touma muttered. "Your eating habits are making me bankrupt."

"Why can't you ask your mom and dad for money?" Index questioned as she flipped through the channels as the commercial came on screen. Touma shrugged as he tugged the remote off of the girl's hands.

"My family's not rich you know. They're paying for my tuition and can't afford to spend any more money. Besides, I don't want to bother them."

"Hrghh…" Index groaned as she fell onto her back in frustration. In her grip was Sphinx, whom she tossed and turned in her silent fury. The cat made a small yelp of terror as it was being crushed underneath the nun's tiny arms. "Touma… Why can't you just ask short hair for money? She's rich… though I don't think she'll give any to you. I bet she's snotty like that."

"Do you know what you're saying? Misaka will burn me to crisp the moment I do something like that! Besides, a guy can't ask a girl for money! Look, I know you get kind of lonely all by yourself here, but how else am I even going to pay for rent? Maybe I can ask Tsuchimikado for a job."

The rest of the night was spent trying to complete an assignment that was due the day before. He sat in the bathtub, which he used as a makeshift bed. Index took the main bed as usual, and since she was a nun, Touma hadn't ever bothered to even ask if he could sleep there. He threw his homework aside in frustration and glanced at the clock. He rested his head on the edge of the tub, staring at the dark ceiling in boredom.

"For some reason, I wish something interesting would happen once in a while." He sighed.

He would later regret those words.

It was midnight in Academy City when Aiho Yomikawa, member of Anti-Skill, stood in her office while drinking her coffee. She looked to be in her early twenties, her blue hair having an almost unbelievable shine. She looked out the window with a look of disdain on her face. There had been an influx of crime recently, so much so that she had no time to rest. She looked to the side and saw Tessou Tsuzuri typing furiously on her laptop, her eyes completely concealed behind her large glasses.

"Have there been any more reports of crimes occurring anywhere in Academy City?" Yomikawa asked Tessou with interest. The green haired girl flinched at the sound of her name and turned to her senior.

"W-Well not any more than what we already have. Besides the several Anti-Skill members who went missing, I think that somebody must be targeting people indiscriminately." Tessou stuttered timidly.

"Or this is all some sort of huge conspiracy." She joked. "Tsuzuri, make sure you don't slack off. If you need rest, I'll take over alright?"

"Alright…" Tessou replied tentatively. She glanced at her computer monitor before turning to the other woman. "We're running low on members. Since most of the force consists of volunteers, it's hard to actually recruit people anymore. Some of us work part-time as teachers, but if we die on the battlefield, who's left for the kids? If this keeps on going-"

"What are you getting so agitated about Tsuzuri?" Yomikawa responded apathetically. "In the end, we'll catch this criminal. Besides, if we need more members, we could try a mandatory enlistment."

"N-No… I think that's too over the top."

"I'm only half serious. We're not going to go after those with powers. If anything, we should draft level zeroes. It's not like I'm stupid enough to actually send kids to the front lines. We just need a bigger looking force for appearances sake. I'm sure there's a bunch of menial tasks they could do. Besides, they get various benefits and they could even land a job."

"W-Well who do you have in mind?"

Touma struggled to keep his composure as he stepped into the main headquarters of Anti-Skill, Academy City's official police and armed forces. A few days earlier, he was called down to the principal's office, which he assumed was because of his lacking grades and the imminent possibility of being laid back. When he got there however, he found Aiho Yomikawa sitting in the corner, wearing her Anti-Skill attire.

The boy recognized her back from that underground mall, and his first thought was to apologize for something he didn't even do. She wasn't there to arrest him. No, she was there because she was looking for suitable candidates.

"Candidates? You're talking about me right?" Touma asked as he pointed towards his face.

"Yes. I was just talking with your principal, and we've come to a conclusion. By enlisting, you'll be able to save your falling grades, and as a little bonus, we'll pay for the rest of your tuition." Yomikawa stated with a smile.

"Wait a minute. You want me to join the armed forces? Hah, no thanks. I've had enough threats on my life to last a lifetime." Touma replied as he waved his hand. He reached for the doorknob and looked back at the two. "Besides, I'm trying to find a job that can help me pay for my rent and groceries. I don't have time for volunteer work."

"I'll make an exception. I'll pay you a part of my salary, and I'll ensure you don't get put anywhere dangerous." Yomikawa hastily replied. "Do you have any more requests, or is that all?"

That was why he stood inside their headquarters at this very moment. The building seemed to be small from the outside, well, for a major military force for one of the greatest technologically advanced cities on the planet. When he entered the building, he could see that he was wrong. He easily got lost in the sizable lobby and corridors. As he looked around in confusion, he nervously ambled towards the elevator, and looked at the small card he was given by Yomikawa. When he heard the ding of the doors sliding open, he sighed and walked towards his destination.

As he opened the door, he raised an eyebrow when he saw there was another occupant in the room.

"Ah, Touma. Took your sweet time didn't you?" Yomikawa said as she gestured at the seat in front of her. Touma obliged, and sat down to the unmentioned teen who sat beside him. Touma's eyes slanted as he looked at the boy in apprehension. Unkempt brown hair, irritated expression, disregard for dress code… There were just too many hints towards him being a delinquent. What also unnerved Touma was the fact that the boy was glaring at him maliciously. "I don't believe you've met Shiage Hamazura have you?"

"Yeah… we've met." The brown hair boy mumbled. Touma instinctively turned away.

"Well, then I guess you two don't need introductions. Anyway, the reason you two are here today is because you're both going to join my squad. I'll get you to meet the rest of the members later, but first, we have some rules to go through and some basic training to finish. I won't take no for an answer."

"W-Wait a minute! Isn't this going a bit too fast?" Touma exclaimed as he rose from his chair.

"Silly boy, this is how we do things around here. With this city's advanced technology and my amazing training regimen, I could have you two dropping into warzones in about a week. Would you like that?"

"Hell no." The two men said at the same time.

"Good. Then I hope you have several hours to spare, because training begins right now!" Yomikawa declared as two soldiers grabbed Shiage and Touma by their arms. The grip was unrelenting, and the two boys could feel their bodies becoming numb. They were then dragged down the hallway with Yomikawa close behind.

"D-Do we get a training montage to speed things up?" Touma questioned.

"No! If you want this over with quickly, you're going to have to take it like a man!"

The following events were more gruesome than Touma had ever imagined. They were thrown headfirst into a combat simulator underneath the building, armed with guns filled with rubber bullets. They had to shoot several targets and avoid civilians that spanned what looked to be an entire city block. If they had failed to do so in the allotted time limit, or if they struck an innocent, they were shot with a small pellet similar to that of a paintball. Shiage seemed to be proficient at the simulator, much to Touma's chagrin. Touma had never held a gun before, let alone shoot one. To be frank, a lot of screams and shouts of 'misfortune' were heard.

He wasn't even given proper instruction on how to handle a firearm. He was told his instructions by Yomikawa and then he was literally kicked into the fray. Shiage saw Touma standing in the corner fiddling with the rifle in his hands. The young teen was eying the trigger carefully. Touma pulled it, and was annoyed when he found that it did not budge.

"Safety's on."

"What?"

"I said your safety's on. There should be a small lever on the side. Flick it." Shiage muttered. Touma did as he was told and pulled the trigger. A loud bang caused the boys to flinch as the non lethal bullet traveled inches away from Shiage's head. Touma's mouth was agape, his ears stunned and his eyes shocked. Shiage was twitching.

"Sorry I'm not such a pro like you." Touma sarcastically stated as he regained his poise. He held the rifle away from his body, fearing it might go off in his face. "By the way, what you said earlier, that you know me… What did you mean by that?"

"You've already forgotten? I was the leader of Skill-Out, a gang."

"Oh… so you are a delinquent." Touma mumbled as he tried to recall. "I don't really remember the names or faces of the thugs I encounter. I guess that's also the reason you have such a ready knowledge of firearms. So I'm guessing you're mad at me because I beat you up or something right?"

"Whatever, it doesn't matter." Shiage grumbled as he turned away. "Let's just get this over with. I'm not even supposed to be here."

They were both equipped with standard SWAT gear and standard firearms for Anti-Skill personnel. They each held an SIG SG 551 assault rifle and a SIG Sauer P228 pistol. They were intentionally filled with rubber bullets so that in case of misfire, Touma didn't kill anyone, namely Shiage. The rest of the simulation went like this.

Touma would rush head on and attempt to shoot the targets from several feet away. He usually missed because he hadn't even bothered to aim, and the recoil made him cringe. Shiage performed much more smoothly, although, his skills were far from extraordinary. At the end of that task, Touma ended up with small bruises plastered over his body from accidentally striking citizens.

"Well I bet you two have seen better days." Yomikawa surmised as she congratulated them. "Let's see, next up, you're going to be role-playing."

"You mean like a video game?" Touma asked. He was dead serious. The boy was promptly smacked by Shiage.

"No. I'd like to see how you two fare as a sniper and spotter."

This time, the simulation played again, but in a more expansive area. The facility's ceiling projected a vast night sky hovering above the wilderness. Anti-Skill had access to lifelike robots, which were designated as targets. They roamed the place, acting exactly as a human would. It was almost unbelievable for Touma, despite the fact that he has come to know about magic.

Touma was thoroughly educated on how to use a sniper rifle this time. In his hands was a customized Savage 110 BA, a bolt action sniper rifle. He rested on the grass, with Shiage beside him, observing the targets from afar with a small scope. Touma had set up his equipment, making sure to accurately adjust the bipod. Touma wrapped his right hand around the hand grip, moving his index finger towards the trigger.

"Look left at the tip of the hill. Distance is about six hundred meters." Shiage stated as he magnified the scope. Touma obeyed, and examined the target through his own telescopic sight. The robot had assumed the likeness of a woman, causing Touma's finger to shake beside the trigger. "Compensate for wind and bullet drop. Aim about two inches up and one inch left of the target. Fire when ready."

Touma was hesitant. His breaths were ragged and his grip was loose. His cheek bore heavily into the stock, causing him to shiver.

"Did you not here me? Take the shot!"

He clamped the ball of his finger harshly on the trigger. Dust kicked up in front of him, covering his spiky black hair with little specks of dirt. Touma's eyes gazed within the sights, where he could see the bullet land several feet shy away from the target. A little gasp of relief escaped his lips, although it did little to reassure him of his fortitude.

"I can't do this." Touma meagerly replied as stood up from his position. "This work just isn't for me."

"Yomikawa forced you into this. You can't just quit." Shiage bluntly remarked.

"Why do we even need training? Academy City is far too advanced for anyone to even think of invading." Touma grimaced as he tried to make excuses. "We're not going to war or anything, so why?"

Shiage looked at Touma drearily.

"Have you ever fought anyone with esper powers before?" The brown haired boy asked coldly.

"Well yeah, why does it matter?"

"Did it ever occur to you that us level zeroes are like insects to them? Did it ever occur to you that you could easily lose your life by challenging them?"

"I don't know who you've been hanging around with, but that isn't how it is with the people I know. Sure, they can be arrogant, selfish, and snobby, but they're still human, like us."

"The point I'm trying to make is that we're surrounded by people who have the means to kill us, easily. What if you pissed one of them off and they decided to come after you? If you're so afraid to even shoot at a dummy with non lethal rounds, how can you survive in this world?"

"Is that why you joined Skill-Out? You wanted to fit in with a crowd of people just like you huh? You wanted a way to survive."

"I don't need to tell you anything about me. The point is, staying here is your best option. Clearly, Yomikawa chose you and me to be in her squad not because we were the only ones, I hope, but because she felt like we were capable. Isn't that good enough?"

"…Alright." Touma scowled as he went prone again. He pulled the handle and ejected the spent shell. He lay on the ground and plunged his face into the sights. In the distance, he could see the robot had seen the shot, and was now following evasive procedures. Touma grit his teeth at the machine's versatility.

"Looks like you've gone and alerted it. Good job" Shiage murmured cynically as he looked at Touma's displeased expression. "You're going to have to lead the shot. That thing is going take cover in those trees to your right. You'll lose sight of it then."

"I know." Touma affirmed. He adjusted his aim so that he led in front of the android. The robot sprinted away, too fast for Touma to adequately correct his sight. Within seconds, the android disappeared into the immense clutter of trees that obscured his view.

"Damn it! It went into the trees. You won't be able to get it now!"

"Just shut up." Touma responded dully. He maneuvered the crosshairs above the target's last known location. He paused for a moment, and then moved slightly to the right. He held his breath, hearing the pounding of his heart resonating throughout his body.

He squeezed the trigger tightly, watching the bullet travel past the dense foliage and right into the core of the target's main processing unit. Touma's heart was beating from the adrenaline, throbbing so heavily he thought it would burst. Shiage silently smirked. They were unprepared when an explosion erupted into a huge fireball, deafening the two of them. The simulator ended abruptly, and Yomikawa stalked up behind the two boys.

"Well, that was some nice skills you got there Touma. Though Shiage, I think that speech was a little overdone." The woman remarked as she patted their shoulders. "I picked you guys because I'm familiar with the way you two work. We've still got a lot of training to go through, but I'm sure it'll be a cinch if you two just cooperate."

"Hey, Yomikawa." Touma beckoned. "What comes after training though?"

"You'll see."

"Kuroko, we just got word that several armed robbers have held up a bank." The voice of Uiharu spoke over the phone. "Can you go check it out?"

"Sure, but I think Anti-Skill should handle this." Kuroko mentioned as she teleported across rooftops. She pocketed her cell phone before leaping off the balcony and safely onto the streets below. She could see several Anti-Skill patrol cars parked on the side, with several members taking cover behind the vehicles.

"When I said 'You need some experience' I didn't mean go get yourself killed!" A blue hair woman shouted into her headpiece. Kuroko looked troubled. They were only several armed robbers, why all the fuss?

The girl teleported inside the bank, making sure to hide behind the counters. She steered her head a bit so she could get a better view of the situation thus far. She made a small gasp when she saw a man with black hair casually approach the thieves; apparently unaware of the guns they held in their hand.

"It's that dirty ape that keeps bothering Onee-sama!" Kuroko practically screamed, although it was muffled by her attempts to stay quiet. She was puzzled when she saw he was wearing a blue suit with a bulletproof vest strapped over his body. "Oh god. Now they're hiring people like him to work for them?"

"What are you doing here kid? Get on the ground now!" One of the men shouted as he thrust the gun into Touma's face. He was unfazed.

"Hey now, calm down. There's no reason to get violent, I mean, you could kill someone with that you know." He replied in a mocking tone. He pushed the gun away from his face gently, as if the man was of no threat whatsoever.

"Why you… do you think you're funny, smartass?" The man yelled. He reached to grab Touma by the hair but the teen was too fast. Within seconds, he countered by twisting the man's arm, stripping him of his weapon, and then disassembling in front of his eyes. The burglar couldn't process what happened before he was slammed face first into the floor. Touma waved his right arm, dispelling a blast of energy that was thrown at him from his blindside.

"So that's how you busted through the locks." Touma muttered. He turned to the esper who had used his power. "How about we just put down all the weapons and call it a day?"

"Not a chance in hell." The man replied as he raised his rifle. Touma drew his sidearm in a flash, shooting the weapon out of his opponent's hands. The man stood there in shock, as he took a glimpse at his empty hands and the weapon that fell to the floor.

"I don't like using lethal rounds, so I use rubber ones instead. Still hurts though." Touma commented as he approached the man who cowered in fear. Touma raised his right arm, and then Falcon Punched the man into oblivion. His adversary collapsed into a crumpled heap, twitching from the huge beatdown he had endured. As Touma observed his surroundings, he went through the front doors, allowing a surge of Anti-Skill members to rush inside. He was greeted by a familiar blue haired woman who appeared to be, for the lack of a better word, pissed.

"You could have gotten yourself killed." Yomikawa belittled. "Honestly, I didn't know level zero also referred to your intelligence."

"Ha ha, very funny." Touma groaned as he feigned hurt. "I've come to the realization that I'm in this for a while, and I guess that means that if I have to partake in a dangerous situation, I will. So, where's Hamazura?"

"Well, he's kind of a slacker. Sure he's pretty good, but I usually see him with that Rikou girl or whatever." Yomikawa sighed as she glanced at police cruiser. "Anyways, I have a surprise for you. You know what Anti-Skill members do in their spare time right?"

"Drink and watch adulterated movies?"

"No… We teach."

"Go on."

"You're a part of Anti-Skill now."

"So?"

"… Do I have to spell it out for you?"

"No, I'm just messing with you. But still, wow. So, where do I start?"

"Tokiwadai."

"E-Excuse me?"

"Tokiwadai Middle School. It's an all girl's school located in the School Garden. It's filled with a bunch of rich kids, so don't go in expecting a friendly welcome."

"… Fukou da."