Chapter 2: To School

Author's Notes: Yep, the second chapter of this series. I would warn you that it takes broad strokes from both sides and I must admit that writing this has been nothing short of 'extremely challenging'. Still, I think this one has potential.

Shinji slowly began to back away as the brown-haired girl continued to emit electric sparks dangerously like a broken wire. Rei followed his cue while the young man who called himself Kamijou Touma simply sighed. "Such Misfortune," he lamented as he placed both arms on his waist in a questioning manner. "You know," the teenage boy said in an exasperated tone, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were jealous with all the times you get angry at me talking to another girl."

"Wah!" Mikoto's face exploded with heat, "Who the heck would be jealous over something like that!"

"Well, then would you mind giving me a clearer explanation of why you started chasing me around the place, blasting electricity wildly while scolding me for talking to that 'big-breasted girl'?" Touma asked plaintively. Himegami didn't even have big breasts to begin with.

"Whu!" Mikoto blinked, rationality finally catching up to her and the lack of suitable explanations for her irrational behaviour caused yet another flushed face as she struggled for an answer, "W-well… I… Gah! You've been ignoring me and my emails so I got annoyed and then I see you talking to that girl and… you jerk!" she finally yelled at the top of her voice before she realized what she had just said and ran for it before anyone present could say or do anything.

Touam stared dumbly at Mikoto's trail of dust as she ran, her words ringing in his head. He tilted his head lightly, "I didn't quite catch that…" he said sheepishly as Shinji restrained the urge to facepalm. Was this guy that dense? That girl's crush on him was so obvious it was as visible as the redness on her face.

"Um, excuse me," Shinji finally said as Rei walked up to them, "But what was that all about?"

"Wha? Oh!" Touma, finally remembering that Shinji and Rei were here, turned to look at them curiously, "Oh, don't worry about it, this happens all the time. Well, at least I think it used to. After that experiment and coming back from the beach this is what I get…" he sighed, "Such Misfortune."

Why was this guy babbling? Shinji thought to himself as Rei tilted her head curiously at this guy. "But, how did you block that electric attack? So that was an Esper ability, right?" Shinji asked, suddenly very interested to know the mechanics behind this turn of events.

"Oh, that's my power," Touma said, comprehension dawning, "Wait, this means you're foreigners, right?" he glanced down at their bags, "Are you here to enroll in Academy City? Or just vacationing?"

"We're here to enroll," Shinji replied, relaxing slightly. This guy didn't seem so bad, "We're still in the process of moving in though."

"Ah, is that so?" Touma grinned, "My name is Kamijou Touma," he held out his right hand and Rei actually took the first step and shook Touma's hand. Shinji would have gaped if he wasn't so busy trying to keep himself from falling over in shock. Rei never took the initiative. Never. Was this Kamijou Touma some kind of chick magnet? He looked like any sort of plain Japanese kid you can find off the street and Ayanami friggin Rei is taking the initiative? He further watched in amazement as Rei's face actually seemed to take on a pink hue as she drew back her arm shyly.

"Ayanami Rei," she whispered.

And then he grinned evilly.

Oh, he was so going to have so much fun teasing her later.

"Ikari Shinji," he said, unable to keep the smirk off his face as he grabbed Touma's hand.

*CRACK*

Shinji jerked, his eyes going wide as a sudden pressure and nausea gripped him. "Ugh!" he grunted, a splitting pain seemingly arcing through his brain as Rei ran forward to grab him before he could fall, Touma jerking his right hand back in response with shocked eyes as Shinji grabbed his pounding head, the pain subsiding a little as he shook it lightly to clear the throbbing pain.

"Are you ok?" Rei murmured, Shinji feeling his world right itself as his light-headedness receded.

"Y-yeah," he replied, "Sorry, I don't know what came over me."

"Have you been in contact with anyone strange lately?" Touma asked suddenly, his eyes slightly hooded.

"What? No, not really, why?" Shinji asked curiously, the pain finally dying down.

"Nothing," Touma said, scratching his head almost nervously, "look, it's been nice meeting you but I gotta go. Hope you guys settle in without much problems." Without another word, he waved and took off in the opposite direction while taking out his phone.

The two of them blinked.

"Well, that was weird," Shinji remarked blankly as Rei nodded her agreement. "Oh Rei~" Shinji said in a singsong voice as he remembered what he had been about to do, "Someone seems to like what she sees."

"Eh?" Rei looked at him blankly.

"I mean him," Shinji nodded in Touma's direction, "you seemed to like what you saw."

"Nonsense." Rei huffed.

"You're blushing, someone is in luurve~" Shinji pointed out, a triumphant smile on his face.

"…" Rei turned away, even as her face reddened further. Shinji laughed. Well, it was refreshing to see her acting and feeling like a girl for the first time in years. Rei was beautiful, everyone in his previous school could attest to that. But she was just so quiet and never really seemed to take interest in much girl activities or any of the so-called good-looking guys in their school.

Not until today, that is.

"Don't worry about it Rei," Shinji said as he finally choked back his laughter, "it's good to see you act like a girl in front of someone else for a cha- OW!" Rei stomped on his foot wordlessly as Misato's car swerved into the curb, causing Shinji to almost fall in its path. "Why you little…" he scowled at her as she smiled sweetly at him, before stepping aside as Misato bustled out of the car and went straight for him.

Oh, fuck.

*** XXX ***

"I told you, Rei stepped on my foot," Shinji complained, glowering at Rei while the albino simply stared at him innocently.

"Hah!" Misato snorted, "Don't be ridiculous Shinji, Rei wouldn't do such a thing. I'm disappointed in you, attempting to act so reckless at your age."

"But…" Shinji gnashed his teeth as Rei seemed to beam beatifically at him before returning back to her normal, emotionless expression. "Oh, never mind," he muttered, swearing that he would get his revenge soon. All he needed was time. Oh yes, time. A jolt of pain went through him and he winced, wondering what exactly had happened for his body to be reacting so strangely to that handshake. Did that Kamijou Touma person do something to him? But then, Rei had been totally unaffected.

How strange.

"Are you ok, Shinji?" Misato asked in concern as she saw him rubbing his temples with a pained look.

"No, it's ok," he assured her hastily, the pain once again receding.

"You sure?" Shinji noticed Misato exchanging a furtive look with Rei as she peered at him piercingly.

"I said I'm fine," Shinji repeated stubbornly.

"If you say so…" Misato didn't sound too convinced as she let the topic go, her driving actually decently acceptable for once as she turned into a driveway, glancing at her Personal Desktop Application Device (PDAD, a PDA designed for use in Academy City) for reference as she braked, slowly reversing into a parking lot. "Well, here we are!" she said cheerfully as they got out of the car, walking over to the boot to retrieve their luggage.

"Wow," Shinji exclaimed, surprised. Wow indeed. The dormitory was huge. Luxurious even. Heck, he knew Kaji was well off but this room could have belonged in a five-star hotel luxury suite and it wouldn't have been too far off the mark. This suite was a middle-class suite? What would define a high-class one then? Shinji couldn't even begin to imagine it. "This city is really ahead of times," he finally said as he dropped his luggage on the floor of his appointed apartment, the sound of heavy plastic and metal ringing across the vast room as he scratched his head. "So I'm living here… alone?"

"Apparently," Misato said, putting both hands on her waist as she looked around the massive apartment with an almost envious look, "I know they treat the students well here but wow. This is economic class huh? That Kaji, always being stingy but yet he's willing to spend so much on you."

"Hey, I'm practically his guardian," Shinji pointed out reasonably, "If it weren't for me managing our household expenses, he'd be spending all his hard-earned money on booze and women," he wrinkled his nose in distaste, "at least he had the sense to go all out but…" he sighed, "I think this might be a little overboard."

"Hm, well, Rei got the same suite as well," Misato said as her phone vibrated, her eyes lowering to read the message on her phone with an almost weary expression, "Ok, I gotta get back to work, so I've left the details of your school and other information on your table. I think a teacher is coming over to welcome you guys to her class, so be ready to receive her tomorrow, understand?"

Shinji nodded as Misato gestured for Rei to leave with her. Turning back, he scratched his head again, indecision evident as he looked around the spacious apartment. "Hm," he finally got out, "this might actually be a problem."

*** XXX ***

"Ah, it appears I have an unexpected guest," a man says, his gaze faintly unperturbed by the sudden entrance of a being who radiated power from his very core. Floating upside down in a tube that continually fed oxygen and nutrients to him, Aleister Crowley tilted his head lightly. "What brings you here today, Apostle?"

"You know what I'm here for," the being said in a distinctly male voice, the shadows forming to take the shape of a man. Red eyes peered out of the shadows, a warm smile on his face as he bowed respectfully to Aleister Crowley.

"Indeed," Aleister replied calmly, his lips curling into a semblance of a smile as he eyed the one he called 'Apostle' nonchalantly, "An Absolute Terror field was detected earlier in Academy City."

"Who is it?"

"Someone new to this city," Aleister didn't sound particularly interested, "perhaps you could use your esteemed intelligence network to find out his or her identity. I'm afraid I'm still in the midst of upgrading mine."

"Are you trying to be funny?" the red-eyed being responded, sounding rather amused, "How unlike you, Aleister Crowley."

"Perhaps."

"…" Eyes narrowing, the red eyed being finally nodded, "It seems that I'll have to impose on your city for the time being, Aleister."

"Please do," Aleister replied.

"Very well, I will be sending in three of my fellow Apostles to the city. Please arrange suitable identifications and accommodations for them," the being continued as he bowed again, before vanishing without a single trace.

"This should prove to be most entertaining," Aleister remarked as he shut his eyes, allowing the silence of his Windowless Building to once again take over.

*** XXX ***

"… Who are you?" Shinji asked bluntly as he opened the door the next day to see a pink-haired girl at his doorstep.

"Ah! I'm your sensei! You must Ikari Shinji-chan! You can call me Komoe-sensei, desu~" the pink-haired girl introduced herself with a wide smile.

"Ah, you're my – WHAT?" Shinji gaped, blinking as the words registered in his still sleepy brain and he stared at the little girl proclaiming to be his teacher, "I'm sorry if I sound offensive or something but I kinda find that hard to believe, actually," he tried to sound as polite as possible but could not keep a giggle from escaping him at the sheer ludicrousness of her statement.

"Ah! I'm your sensei, I tell you! Look!" Komoe puffed up indignantly as she shoved her identification in Shinji's face, promptly wiping his smile off his face as he glanced at the card disbelievingly, then back at Komoe. And back at the card again.

"No way in hell," he finally got out and his eyes fixed on her age stated in the card in wonder.

"Any remarks on sensei's age will earn you my ire, desu…" Komoe warned as a black aura suffused her petite body and Shinji involuntarily took a step back as her aura seemed to warp around her, giving her a demonic visage.

"Ah… hahaha…" Shinji laughed nervously as he handed the card back to her, finally remembering to bow as he decided that this diminutive… woman was a lot scarier than she looked as she smiled back at him with enough malice to make him go pale. And then, it was gone and she was back to the friendly pink-haired… sensei.

"Now, I do remember there's one more person I'm supposed to pick up… Ayanami Rei, isn't it?" Komoe said to herself as she kept the card in her wallet, "Sensei will go and get Rei-chan, so Shinji-chan, get ready and meet me downstairs in 10 minutes, ok?" It wasn't a request.

"Oh, ok," Shinji said, deciding that risking her ire was probably a very, very bad idea. As the childlike teacher left, Shinji rubbed his temples wearily. Well, Academy City was home to some strange things alright.

*** XXX ***

Shinji whistled as the school came into view. Wow, if this was just an ordinary High School in Academy City standards, then what dictated a good school? This city was beginning to make him feel like Alice stuck in wonderland – Out of place.

"These facilities appear to be rather well-equipped," Rei noted, tilting her head curiously at the sight of someone riding atop of what seemed like a cleaning drone. "I was not aware that one could ride on cleaning drones."

"You can't," Komoe pointed out, her eyes widening as she spotted who Rei was talking about, "On the other hand, Sensei will ask the two of you to ignore that maid. She does that all the time," she sounded resigned, "Come on, sensei will show you to your homeroom."

"Man, this place is huge," Shinji remarked, "they don't call it a city of students for nothing, I guess."

"Academy City is devoted to quality education and we teach subjects and topics that many people find rather interesting," Komoe added with a smile, "Sensei teaches Esper related topics and mathematics. So don't skive off in sensei's class or sensei will punish you very severely."

"What? Me?" Shinji pointed at himself, "What about her?" he pointed at Rei.

"Rei-chan doesn't seem like the kind of person to misbehave, desu~" Komoe replied.

"You're joking," Shinji muttered to himself in disbelief, "You do not know what she is capable of." That last part was said under his breath.

"Ah! Here we are!" Komoe said cheerfully as she pushed the door to the class open, "Wait here till I call you in," she whispered as she entered the class and, "Ahem." To Shinji's amazement, everyone suddenly fell silent in an instant as though they had just seen the most terrifying thing in their life. "Now class, we've got two students transferring into our class today!"

"Really?"

"Is one of them a babe? Or both!" a certain blue haired boy shrieked in excitement.

"Nyah! Knowing Kami-yan's luck, it probably is!" a certain yellow haired guy added.

"Oh, just stuff it," someone beside him grumbled.

"Come in and introduce yourself, you two!" Komoe called. Sighing, Shinji and Rei walked in.

"AHA! YES! It's an ALBINO!" the blue haired guy yelled triumphantly as he jumped out of his seat in excitement, "Kami-yan, this one is mine!"

"Wha? Albi – Oi! It's you!" the black haired 'Kami-yan' or better known as Kamijou Touma, pointed his finger at them in shock as he recognized the two new students he had just met yesterday.

"What! The demon already knows that chick!"

"NOOO!"

"You bastard!"

"She isn't affected by his disease, is she?"

"Ah! As expected of Kami-yan, already raising flags before the heroine has even stepped foot into the game!" the yellow haired man snickered.

"Oi! Tsuchimikado! Stop comparing my game to a galge damnit!" Touma barked.

"Ah! Kami-yan! An albino too! You already have a loli nun, a tsundere ojou-sama that tackled you in the middle of a walk, a legal jailbait teacher and so many more than I could list them all right now!" Aogami accused, "Why you even -"

"Argh! Such Misfortune! Aogami! Stop talking!" Touma demanded as the class began to go out of control.

Shinji sighed.

Oh boy. Maybe life here was going to be far more complicated than he had originally thought.

Such Misfortune indeed.

A/N: And the Kami-yan disease strikes once again! Not to mention the thickening of the plot. Onwards!

P.S: Done with 'Of Science and Magics' research. Back to typing now.