It's been a while! I haven't updated this fic in... oh, whatever. 「It's not my fault」, after all. (Well, it really is.)

I hope you'll have a wonderful read! Feel free to critique any elements - a helpful advice that will help me improve is always welcome!


Kamijou woke up drenched in cold sweat.

He stared at the ceiling – eyes wide-open – illuminated slightly only by the moonlight sneaking its way through the window panes into the room. As he slowly regained the connection to reality, he started breathing deeply – the most common practice to calm oneself down. It helped to establish a link with reality, although he found his limbs shaking ever so slightly and the mind was racing.

He rose from his futon which lies upon the ground – Index and Tiamat were occupying his bed, as strange as it was, considering previous interactions. Even if it was officially and legally his bed, he himself hasn't used it ever since... well, he was himself – though much improved, since he was sleeping in a bathtub few years ago, leaving him sore after every night. He glanced at them, making sure they are still there and once he confirmed that, he slowly staggered towards the kitchen.

There, he grabbed a glass and poured water into it, trying his best not to spill a drop on the ground. He drank slowly, concentrating on the every sensation of that activity — the way his fingers or lips pressed against the glass, the movements of muscles needed to swallow the liquid and the way it traversed from his mouth, through his gullet into his stomach.

Once the glass was empty, he both his body and mind calmed significantly. He still explored the texture of the glass with his fingers. He glanced toward the electronic clock, which was currently showing 4:12 AM.

He sighed in exasperation. He knew, that if he went back to sleep, he'd be plagued by another nightmare once again and he would find no respite. Thus, he put the glass on the counter and moving as quietly as possible through his modest apartment, hosting two sixteen year old girls — there's nothing wrong with that — sprawled across the bed, one upon each other in a rather messy fashion, pulling each other's hair ever so slightly...

He shook his head vividly, grabbing his clothes which he had donned instantly. This was precisely the reason why he had punished himself with the fate of sleeping in a bathtub, locked in the bathroom.

Fresh morning air filled his lungs, allowing him to refocus and ease his mind. He glanced at the neighbouring door, leading to the apartment of a certain spy. For a while, he considered the option of involving him into the giant Idol Theory power madness – but, he never was a fan of involving others when it wasn't necessary, even if it saved his hide on many occasions. Thus, he turned his head away from the door.

"Good mooorning, Kami-yan! Always first to seize the day, nyah?" The sudden appearance of the blond-haired spy made Kamijou jump, barely repressing a girlish yelp that could ruin his reputation forever.

Knowing how his life was brimmed with sudden surprises, painful encounters and weird people, it was rather certain that Tsuchimikado would happen to accidentally record that with the audio recorder that he accidentally had turned on beforehand.

"Apparently not," he sighed. "More importantly, why the hell are you wearing sunglasses?!"

The spy grinned, amused. "Why, Kami-yan, the purpose of the sunglasses is to deflect the light, nyah!"

The last few words were slightly louder in volume, as Kamijou grabbed him by the shirt and started to shake him.

"I know that, you siscon idiot!" He hissed, before releasing him from his grasp as soon as the spy pleaded for him to stop.

Tsuchimikado fixed his sunglasses which took a rather bizarre position on his head. He looked around, as if to make sure nobody is eavesdropping, and then said in a serious manner. "Let's go for a walk, we can talk at the same time."

Kamijou studied him for a moment, before ultimately sighing and slowly following the spy, his mind still on his friend's sunglasses, secretly wishing for him to trip in the dark.

.

.

The two of unusual high school students wandered to the park. Due to the early hour, seldom did they see anybody around. During the route, they humoured themselves with idle chatter about 'this-and-that'. As they finally arrived at park, Kamijou looked around. The trees were slowly losing their leaves as they whirled in a delicate autumn wind. Walking up to a random tree, he leaned against it with his back, slowly sliding down until he sat on the ground. Tsuchimikado studied his friend for a second, before sitting down beside him.

"So, Kami-yan, what sort of adventure have you gotten yourself into now?" He asked, despite the fact that he knew what the raven-haired boy had usually got himself into on numerous occasions – some of which were his courtesy.

Kamijou, in turn, glanced at Tsuchimikado for a second, before answering simply. "Gods."

Tsuchimikado furrowed his brow.

"And that girl?" He inquired.

"One of the Babylonian Gods. From what I know, someone wants to use her death as a convenient way of acquiring power via Idol Theory."

"And what are you gonna do about that, Kami-yan?" Even though he asked that, he knew what the answer would be...

"For now? I'll wait. It's not like there are many alternatives, anyway," he waved his hand, as if dismissing some thought.

Whilst Tsuchimikado expected Kamijou to take a more active position, he decided that his friend wouldn't just sit around if he could just get to the source of the problem and eliminate it...

Then again, since his ordeal with Magic God Othinus two years ago, Kamijou was more an enigmatic existence than ever before.

"However, I don't really want to get attacked by people I have no clue about," Kamijou said with a sheepish smile. "I don't suppose you have some information about Marduk or his allies?"

Tsuchimikado shook his head. "Nothing, Kami-yan. You'll have to use your intuition. Do they know about you helping her?"

With disappointed look on his face, Kamijou sighed. "No idea. According to Tiamat, they'll discover her location in two days now. Even if they don't know, they'll probably connect the dots once they'll discover she's in Academy City. "

"Well, Kami-yan," Tsuchimikado said in a playful tone. "If you weren't so famous, that wouldn't be the case."

Kamijou punched Tsuchimikado in the arm. "Could've told me two years ago, before I was involved with all that."

"I suppose so, but you'd still charge in like an idiot," he stood up, as Kamijou nodded in confirmation – even despite the insult, which he seemed to ignore. "Either way, Kami-yan, I'll give you a call if I'll find something. Make sure you won't sprain a muscle or something."

And thus, Tsuchimikado left, leaving Kamijou Touma alone. He sat still for a while, musing over something. Well, one thing was — Tsuchimikado never tripped on the way, but that was unimportant.

"... did he just foreshadow my injury?" He cursed under his breath before standing up and walking away.

.

.

"Marduk, Marduk, Marduk, Marduk, Marduk, hey, Marduk, Marduk." Monotone, yet childish voice traversed through the air into Marduk's ears.

A young man, whose skin was brown from the sun, turned his head abruptly. The one who addressed him was seemingly a boy, both his hair and skin fair, unscathed by the rays of the giant star illuminating the Earth. His face was expressionless.

"What is it, Nabu?" Growled Marduk in a low voice, eyeing the boy who interrupted his spell for which he required constant concentration — a luxury no one has, when somebody is moaning for attention, ignoring completely whether the other person is in a middle of something. Spoiled brats, he'd think.

"Tiamat has escaped." Nabu spoke in monotone, his expression still non-existent.

"Again?" Marduk narrowed his eyes, exasperation clear in his voice.

Nabu shrugged. "This time, however, we now that Tiamat-chan is currently somewhere in Japan. " He made a semi-cutesy pose, his effort ruined by the stillness of his expression and the way of speaking.

"You should stop that." Spoke the man, pressing his palm against his forehead. "She can't run forever..."

The boy trotted off, as Marduk dismissed him, his expressionless face never moving so much as an inch. A smile grew on Marduk's face, his fingers brushing the net in his hands. He took a deep breath, before continuing what he was doing few moments before.

.

.

It was near the noon, sun shining brilliantly over the Academy City.

"So, 10032-chan, do you understand what I ask you?" Kamijou spoke in jovial manner with a smile upon his face.

"'Misaka needs to deliver packages without addressee to appointed locations, preferably asking other Misakas for help,' Misaka said in confirmation, secretly questioning motives of the Saviour."

The seemingly indifferent girl in front of Kamijou Touma was a clone of Misaka Mikoto, Number 3 Level Five. Looking exactly like the original, there was little to distinguish her from both original and 9967 of her sisters — save for a necklace that Kamijou bought her two years ago.

"Don't worry, 10032-chan. I'm not engaging in terrorism acts or any of the kind," he waved his hand in front of his face. "But you'll help me very much."

"'Misaka will do her best to complete the task,' Misaka said proudly, happy to be of use to the Saviour," she puffed up her chest, which according to her was slightly bigger from the rest of the sisters.

The difference was too small for Kamijou to see and he rejected the proposition of touching them — which was HER idea, mind you — to compare with other sisters, more than several times. He was reminded of Lessar's methods of seduction and wondered if they secretly consorted with her. He dismissed the thought many times before, but it always kept recurring, somehow.

He smiled and patted her on the head with his left hand. "Thank you, 10032-chan."

She responded only by a smile on her usually indifferent face, a sight that always warmed Kamijou's heart.