Day One
In the morning, Cole woke to the gentle knocking of the maid, reminding him of the hour (which in his opinion was way too damned early) and that breakfast would be served shortly. Pulling himself awake, he gave himself a quick jolt off a power socket to refresh himself before trying to hunt down his clothes. He found some simple robes that Zeke would have commented made him look like some sort of Jedi – assuming Zeke wasn't running for his life. "Hey? Maika?" He had gotten used to saying the name last night, though 'Tsuchimikado' still defied him. "Where's my stuff?" He walked toward the dining room, a quick check on his other senses allowing him to relax with the lack of hostility in the area.
"Well, Cole, they really needed cleaning, so I put them in the laundry. They are currently drying now, though I am concerned that some of them will need to be replaced soon."
"Tell me about it," Cole snarked as he smelled something cooking. "Five, six weeks with only a couple changes of clothes. They could use a good wash. Hell, I needed that sponge bath last night, thank you."
"You are welcome!" The girl came out of the kitchen, still on the robot with something that was apparently food, but Cole had no idea what it was. "I'm sorry, I don't have much experience with Western meals, so I went with a more Japanese style."
"Eh, I suppose I should try it." Cole sat down awkwardly and waited to be served, reminding himself that this was closer to being in a restaurant than a hotel. "Am I really the only person here?"
"Well, if you're asking the question I think you are, Cole, then it's just a slow tourist season, and a lot of people come to Academy City for the sights, not to be in an old style house."
"Huh." Cole digested that information as he ate. He must have been hungrier than he thought, as he quickly demolished the food in front of him with gusto. Maika barely hid her glee at his empirical approval of her skills.
"Everything should be done by now, Cole. I'm going to get your clothes." The maid spun her ride around, and headed back through the kitchen and out the back door where Cole knew a clothesline had been strung up.
He leaned back, eyes closed, resting at the knowledge that he could just relax today.
Kuroko asked the girls who were following her to take a seat as Konori Mii gestured for her to come over. "What is it? I have my group to lead around."
"There was an incident last night in the 12th district. A woman was being mugged when someone used electrical powers on the muggers, knocking them both out."
"And they suspect Misaka?" She hastily tried to remember if her roommate had sneaked out the night before, only to draw a blank. "What sort of powers?"
"The victim reported that two Skill-Outs approached and cornered her, demanding money. As she was calling for help, two lightning bolts hit both attackers square in the back of the head, knocking them unconscious. Her rescuer didn't stick around for Judgement or Anti-Skill." She handed Kuroko a small file, which the teleporter flipped through.
"Wasn't her. She was in the dormitory at the time, and this isn't her style. According to the report, the shots came from the building across the street, which was also six-stories up. She would get up close and personal, or pull out the Railgun." Kuroko handed the papers back. "Has to be someone else."
"Thank you, I'll let the 1412th know."
"Anything else?"
"Not really. Have fun with your group today!"
The Hospital was given a name that he couldn't read. It probably meant something in Japanese, but Cole was damned if he was going to spend time trying to figure that out. Instead, he circled around past the small playground that was currently empty and into the building proper. It was like any other hospital, but not nearly as crowded as Bayview got over the length of the Quarantine. Those were bad days, which stretched even his powers to help people.
He knew the doctor he was supposed to meet had an office near the top, so he headed for the stairs again. This time, his familiarity with hospitals in general allowed him to identify where they would be through logic and experience, rather than through asking questions and reading a map.
Headed down a wide corridor, Cole paid careful attention to his surroundings. He remembered that one of the reasons why he was called here was to show off how he did his healing trick. While the thought of helping others didn't annoy him, he was wary of doing so here and now. He knew his trick wasn't perfect, but it did get people back on their feet long enough to get some real help.
And he didn't need to know the language for when someones yells to 'Get out of the hall, emergency coming through!' – you move. Cole jumped back, back flat against the wall as he recognized the signs of people who needed to be in a certain place now and there wasn't anyone who would get in their way and not regret it.
Except someone was in the way. A young girl who seemed to be paralyzed at the incoming emergency. Without thinking, Cole left the safety of the wall and grabbed the girl, pulling her back as the doctors ran past. Then he had a chance to look down at her. Brown hair, wearing a small dress, she couldn't have been more than ten. Over her shoulders was an adult's sized white shirt that she was using as a jacket. "Be careful!" He said as he let her go, "You gotta watch out better!"
Then he realized that she probably didn't speak a lick of English. He had to settle for a glare.
"Misaka Misaka thanks the wonderful stranger for pulling her to safety like a gallant knight in shining armour, she says as she bows politely to the man!" The girl's voice was way too cheerful, and the translation took a moment to catch up. "Misaka Misaka would like to know the name of her saviour, she politely asks as she holds her bow."
Cole realized that, yes, the little girl was narrating her own actions. Which was stupid, but what could he expect from a child? "Cole MacGrath," he said carefully. "Where's your parents?" He berated herself for forgetting the whole language thing. "Um... Mama? Papa?" Maybe that would work.
The girl raised her head, and looked at MacGrath. "Misaka Misaka expresses her confusion. Is the man's name Colu MacuGratu, she asks as she tries to form the words form another language in her mouth."
"Uh... Yeah. Just call me Cole." He looked around quickly, trying to find someone looking for a little girl, as she obviously wasn't a patient. Probably her parents were then, cause it was obvious she wasn't here for Work Experience. Kids that young had no place in a hospital. He kept a hand on her head, gently keeping her from running off when his search was ended for him.
"Hey Brat! What are you doing?" An angry young man hobbled across the hallway now that it was clear, and in the moments before normal traffic resumed. Cole looked him over, and instantly didn't like him, with his bleached white hair, the angry look on his face and his general body language all spoke volumes about how he wasn't a nice person. The only mitigating factor to all this was that he was leaning heavily on the crutch. Cole changed his opinion to this boy using his words to make up for the injury.
"Accelerator! Misaka Misaka has met a very important man who understands Japanese, but doesn't speak it, she saids loudly as she attempts to escape the man's hands to return to Accelerator!" Catching the hint, Cole let her go, and this girl ran over to the boy and stared at him. "She was rescued by him, and needs to know how to thank him, she asks, hoping for an honest answer!"
"Then bow and say thank you, you ahoge."
Cole didn't know what that was, but he was pretty sure that he just insulted the girl. Trusting in the language barrier, he crossed his arms and glared down at the kid, "Hey, why don't you be a little more polite? She's just a kid."
"Don't talk about things you don't understand, you foreigner!" The boy snapped back in decent enough English, causing Cole to reevaluate him again. This time for the worse.
"You know, I get you might not have been able to get her out of the way, limp and all that. But that's no reason to be mean to her. So why don't you", he emphasized this by making a mock push with one finger at the boy's shoulder - he knew better than to actually hit a patient - "apologize to her for your language."
The boy threw a look of pure spite at Cole, his body tensing. "You wanna die, you asshole?"
Cole responded by drawing himself to his full height, towering over the white-haired boy. He projected an utter confidence in himself, knowing full well that he could take anyone in a fight. Especially someone with a limp.
"STOP FIGHTING!" The girl yelled out in accenting English, "Misaka Misaka now speaks English, Misaka Misaka announces cheerfully she says as she convinces the Sisters to translate for her, pumping her hand in the air in a triumphant manner!" The girl did as she narrated, causing the Accelerator and Cole to roll their eyes in annoyance. "Misaka Misaka now asks again who her rescuer was!" She put herself between the two antagonistic males, stopping them from doing anything more than glaring at each other, and offer threatening body language.
"I'm Cole. And you are?"
The girl paused, tilting her head as though listening to something in her ear. "Last Order, Misaka Misaka announces as she bows in polite greeting. Then Misaka Misaka introduces Accelerator to Cole MacGrath."
"Last Order Misaka?" Cole wasn't sure what to make of that. "I think my translator may not be working." He took the device out of his ear and gave it a quick tap before putting it back in. "Try that again, please."
"No, we don't have time for this." The Accelerator growled as he stepped away from Cole. "Come on, brat."
"Wait, Misaka Misaka cries out as she realizes something with certainty!" She spun around to face Cole again, "Spinning around to make her accusation, she says that Cole MacGrath is an ElectroMaster! Possibly Level Five!"
"What now?" Cole replied, amusement in his voice covering up his concern at how the little girl identified him so quickly. And that the boy had frozen before turning around to evaluate him like a real threat, rather than just a blowhard. "What makes you say that?"
"Misaka Misaka proudly announces that she's a Level Three Electro Master as she does a pirouette in place! She also announces that she could sense your powers when you touched her hair!"
"Really now?" Cole's bemusement was more honest this time. "What can you do?" This time he feigned some interest. "And wait a minute. You said your name is Misaka? You related to Mikoto Misaka?"
"Misaka Misaka denies being related to the great and wonderful big sister Misaka Mikoto, who is sometimes called the Rai*ack*!" Last Order stopped as Accelerator bopped her on the head. "Misaka Misaka begins to cry as she wonders why Accelerator of all people would hit her in a Hospital, regardless of Misaka Misaska's personal feelings..." She began to sniffle, which somehow managed to make the white-haired boy even more indifferent, Cole smirking at the sight. Her babysitter obviously didn't like her antics, but kept himself under some semblance of control.
"Hey, would it make you feel better if you showed me a little bit of your power?" Cole knelt a little and held up his hands, palms facing each other. As the girl looked on, he started to send little bolts of electricity between them, putting on a multi-coloured light show with the dancing lighting.
Last Order watched, entranced for a moment before regaining herself. "Misaka Misaka can make electricity too! Watch!" Ignoring the boy behind her, Last Order scrunched up her face hard, and quickly a static charge built up around her head. Warily, Cole put out his hand, just in case. The charge built up more and more, and Cole realized he'd have to stop it before she shorted something out in her desire to show off. He reached out and drained just the barest joule from the girl's hair, causing the electricity to take the path of least resistance.
Into him. He barely felt it, having been used to drawing off third rails and right off the power grid of Empire City. But the jump of power caused a snap of electricity to echo through the corridor, gaining the trio a lot of attention. At the end of his rope, Accelerator grabbed Last Order by her collar and started to drag her off, muttering about stupid girls and stupid foreigners and stupid Electro-Masters.
"Misaka Misaka implores Cole Macgrath, she says as she is dragged away, to not let the Railgun know that he met Misaka Misaka here, she calls out as her voice fades away...!"
Cole smiled, then turned away, ignoring the looks of the hospital staff. "Oh, I won't tell," he promised to the empty air. "I don't want to tattle to your big sister that you've been playing hooky from class."
He very carefully refused to think, as he got into the stairwell, that this meant that if the girl and her sister shared powers, that meant that a Conduit's powers could be hereditary. And that Kessler had children, killed by the Beast. He didn't want to sympathize with that bastard. Not one bit.
The Network was alight as 20001 reported her encounter in her own unique manner. Several Sisters in America reported that the name was the same as the terrorist wanted in the attack on Empire City and 20001's sense data of his face matched the criminal information, although 12319 reported that Kessler, also of Empire City, was an Electromaster from her one encounter with him, and thus they could not make certain assumptions.
A quick poll was taken, and it was decided that a Sister in Academy City was to watch this Cole MacGrath from a distance, in case he was planning to do something wrong. 11111 was briefly considered before she reported that her own commitments with her roommates would be hampered, and she did not want to risk them attempting to kill her for non-participation. 10032 was also engaged, and could not attend. 19090 was available, as was 13577 and 10039, so the three of them agreed to rotate observation of MacGrath. Care had to be taken, the Sisters agreed, as he was a powerful Electromaster, and would probably win in a confrontation with them.
There was another poll to determine if they should warn the Original of his presence, but the vote was narrowly in favour of not, due to her desire to act independently of the Network.
Cole carefully matched the symbols on the nameplate with the symbols on the letter telling him who to meet. Below the Japanese writing was "Heaven Canceller" written in parenthetical English. "Huh." He stood straight, and knocked.
"Come in," his translator provided, and Cole opened the door.
Dude has a face like a frog, was the first thought across his mind. The second was to introduce himself. "Hello. I'm Cole MacGrath. I'm supposed to be here for an appointment?"
The Doctor looked up to him for a moment in confusion, then recognition sparked a smile of happiness across his face. "Yes! Yes! Please, come in and have a seat. I was just reviewing some things for other patients, so please wait a moment." He spoke perfect English, and Cole began to seriously wonder if the translators in his ears were even useful at all.
"Thank you," Cole sat down as the elderly doctor quickly scanned over some scans of someone's head before shuffling them into a folder and out of sight.
"Well, thank you for my selfish request," the Doctor said, bowing slightly in his chair. Cole recognized the motion as his way of apologizing, and so he waved it off.
"Not at all. I could use a break from the City," Cole admitted casually. "Although I'm at a loss as to how you wanted to go about this, given that I've already tried at Bayview."
"Ah, yes. That shouldn't be a problem. I heard about their damaged equipment, and I petitioned the Board of Directors to offer replacements. They agreed, though the financing is still up in the air. Academy City doesn't have a large budget for disaster relief in other nations." Heaven Canceller stood up. "Would you care to take a walk? I would like to explain what I am looking for as we go to the testing chambers."
"Uh, sure." Cole held the door open for the small man as they left his office and back toward the elevators. "But we should take the stairs. Elevators and I don't mix well."
"Huh? Oh?" The Doctor seemed confused before Cole ran some electricity between his hands. "Oh, that. No, our facilities are shielded against such things, and the elevator has mechanical backups." He kept walking to the elevators, an apprehensive Cole following close behind. "And we also have other electromasters riding it on occasion, so I am certain that you will not cause any trouble."
Cole couldn't shut down his worries as the door opened. "So, um, what did you want me to do?"
"Well," Heaven Canceller said as he waited for Cole to cross the threshold, "I have prepared a couple training dummies for your powers. At first report, your actions seemed like an AED in nature, but the details showed your power was a bit more broad than that. These dummies can simulate many injuries, and I wanted to observe your powers in action before attaching some monitoring equipment to you."
"I'm not sure that'll work," Cole confessed, looking for a flaw to exploit. "I mean, they're dummies right, not real people? I don't know if my thing will work on them."
"I have faith in your power to save people, Cole. Please have faith that my equipment is up to the task of learning from you."
The doors closed, and the elevator descended. "We are heading for the basement for this. We have properly isolated chambers down there."
"You're going to lock me up?" An edge of worry and caution worked its way into Cole's voice, and the frog-faced doctor shook his head with a smile. "No, my boy. I'll be in there with you for starters, unless you ask me to step out. It's just that we also have MRIs and other such equipment in the building, and I want to avoid contamination in the electromagnetic spectrum."
"Ah." That made a lot of sense to Cole as the elevator stopped and a trio of nurses came in, bowing to the Doctor while Cole shuffled to the back to give them room. They got off on the main floor, leaving the two men alone for the last part of the ride. "You... important for the hospital? They seemed pretty deferential around you."
The Canceller sighed. "Yes, somewhat. I have a reputation. As long as you are not dead when you reach me, I can save you. It was a proud proclamation that I made in my younger days, and my skills have only grown since then. They respect me because I have not lost a single patient."
"Never? I've plenty of docs, and they all have had someone die on them." Anyone who claimed to save every life they could in Empire City was a liar, him included.
Gaining a far away look his eyes, the Doctor seemed lost in his memories. "Sometimes, Mister MacGrath, I wonder what would have happened if I was less than what I am. But I am not, and I cannot regret my decisions. I have made my Hippocratic Oath, and I will stick by it for as long as I am able."
"I hear you." The doors opened into a well-lit corridor, and Cole fell in behind the Doctor. "So is that why you're called 'Heaven Canceller'?"
"A bit. Forgive me, but I have long since stopped using the name I was born with. Everyone knew me by that appellation, so I let it stick. Ah, here we are!"
They turned into a small room that Cole recognized not by the instrumentation, but by the general layout as a control room. On the other side of a layer of glass was a room with some plastic tables set out, and the promised dummies laying on them. "I will be observing the tests directly, while the equipment is automated." He walked through a pair of doors first, leaving Cole to follow.
He stopped, like something was wrong. He pulsed, and found the only power sources were inside the dummies. Smacking his lips he looked around, fidgety. "Is something wrong, Cole?"
"Not really. This room. It's too sealed. I don't like being in places without power, don'tcha know? It's like I'm thirsty."
Furrowing his brow, the Heaven Canceller considered this. "Back out then. I may need to check something first."
They left, and Cole relaxed in the sudden increase in the surrounding electrical power. "That's better."
"Hmm, a response to ambient energy...?" The doctor produced a notepad form his pocket and began to scribble some notes. "This could affect you, and I need to know. Is this a regular occurrence?"
Not wanting to reveal any possible weaknesses, Cole shook his head. "No, but when I'm in a powered down area, I just don't feel comfortable, at all. I can still use my powers fully." He deliberately kept out how his vision was affected, and his general sluggishness. The downside to being an Electrical Conduit.
"Hrm. Based on your reaction, it's an either-or proposition." Heaven Canceller set down the notepad and looked up at Cole. "If you're feeling up to it, as the symptoms are just psychosomatic, then we can continue at your discretion. Or we can set up somewhere else, another facility."
Grateful for the opportunity to not do anything, Cole could only shake his head. He wasn't about to trample over Trish's memory by aggravating a doctor. "Nah, though I may come out every so often to relax."
"Now, that I understand. I'll just think of it as a stress reaction for now. Now, the first experiment will be to see how your powers affect a simulated, normal, healthy body."
They worked at it for a couple hours, Cole constantly healing the two mannequins of their various ills. After a bit, Heaven Canceller asked permission to put a portable EKG machine on Cole's head, with various wires running down to his hands. Cole agreed after it was explained to him that this was to allow the Doctor to record what went on in his head and hands when he used his powers.
When they took a break for lunch, Cole asked what he had learned so far.
"Well, the details are all very complex, but there are some things I can say for certain right now. But first, I must ask – how much experience do you have with medicine?"
"No much," Cole admitted. "Trish signed me up for a first aid course from the Red Cross. Said I should know these things. Covered the basics, like elevating wounds, and CPR."
"Hrm. No formal training at all?"
"Nope."
That caused the Heaven Canceller to consider his conclusions carefully. "It would appear then, Cole, that your healing power, is, at its core, a 'supercharge' of a person's normal bio-mechanical rhythm. You give your patients the ability to overcome their initial trauma, and keep them alive long enough for their body to heal itself using your power, or to reach proper treatment."
"That.. sounds about right. But people can relapse." He remembered trying to heal people of Sasha's goo, only for them to come right back and attack him. "And is that how I heal myself?"
"Most likely." The doctor filed away the fact that this power was capable of failing in such a manner in the back of his mind. "Although as the source of your power, you are capable of using your own bio-electricity to heal yourself more completely than someone else.
Like draining down a building's power to restore himself, Cole admitted to himself. "I can see that, yeah."
After lunch, they returned to the testing room, where Cole showed off his healing skill for a couple more hours on a variety of problems with the dolls before the Doctor called it a day. "Thank you, Cole. You have given me much to think about." He bowed as he and Cole left the room, having sent the data ahead to be processed.
"Any thing already popping into your head?" Cole asked, not wanting this trip to be a waste. He flexed his shoulders, for after spending the day cooped up, he just wanted to be outside in the sun.
"A few ideas, yes. It will take some time to properly devise tests and experiment. All in all, this was a very productive day!" The Heaven Canceller smiled warmly, very pleased with the results he had received. "I wish you could stay for longer, to assist us even more, but I understand you have your own responsibilities to attend to."
Cole nodded, tossing down a bottle of water. He wasn't really using any energy, but it was still exhausting to perform the same actions over and over. "Hey, Doc, I got a question for you."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. What's with this 'Level' thing I've heard about. Like Level Three or Level Five...?" Cole made his enquiry casual, in case the comment from the little girl was misplaced. He didn't think so, but it didn't hurt to be careful.
"Ah. Yes, I suppose you would be curious about that." The Doctor pondered how to summarize the ranking system of Academy City. He decided to go with the majority of the public line. "Academy City measures the power of our Espers on a ranking system from Zero through Five." He waited for Cole to signal his understanding before continuing. "Zero is for people without powers, plain and simple. After that, the various levels represent increasing ratings in terms of raw power, skill and utility; a person could be ranked Level One even if they possess more raw energy than a Level Three, but lacked any sort of skill, finesse or control."
"Makes sense."
"What prompted the question?"
"Oh, I met a girl in the hospital who made a comment about me. She said she was a Three, and thought I was a Five." He quickly relayed the vital information about his encounter with Last Order.
Heaven Canceller mulled this over. "Mister Cole, it takes weeks of testing to determine relative Level rankings. And Five is reserved only for the best of the best. In the whole of Academy City, there may be thousands of Three's, hundreds of Level Fours, but only seven Level Fives. To imply you are amongst that company would raise a great many issues that would only cause many problems over your short stay here."
"I see," Cole didn't, really. "Well, it's not like I'm going to be sticking around that long. So I won't worry about it."
Smiling at avoiding that particular issue, the Doctor moved on to a different subject. "I hear you are going to be in town for another day or so. Being a tourist?"
"Nah. I was asked to help out with Job Experience training." Cole waved one hand in the air to show he was ambivalent about the whole thing. "Going to be making some deliveries while dragging some girl along for the ride."
"I see. I wish you well in your duties, Mister MacGrath."
"Thanks." The two of them stood in the lobby of the hospital, the afternoon light spilling through the glass partitions. "Hey, Doc?"
"Yes?"
"If anything comes of what you learned from me, could you let me know? I mean, I want to see if what I went through can really help people or not."
Heaven Canceller beamed with pride. "Of course! It may take a little while though, I must say. But I have no doubt that your powers of healing will be of great service to the whole of humanity some day!"
Cole smiled, a slight tug on his face. "Thanks Doc." He offered a hand for shaking, and it was kindly taken. "I suppose I should get going. Let you do your work, and me mine."
"Of course. How shall I contact you?"
"Eh, probably plain old-fashioned mail." Cole shrugged. "Empire City still has a few vital necessities not working. Could take a while to get those fixed up. Send it to Warden Harms, and he can get it to me from there."
From there, the two men parted ways amicably.
The Heaven Canceller returned to his office, deep thoughts masked under his polite face. He locked the door behind him, and sat at his desk.
Then his phone rang.
He knew who was on the other end. The timing was too perfect. A second ring, and he sighed before picking it up.
But before he could, he remembered all the pain and suffering that man put his patients through. And for all his work, he had to keep his promise to sever all contact with Crowley.
The phone kept ringing, long into the night.
Misaka had offered to move paperwork for Mii and Uiharu, shuffling them around, into and out of boxes as they worked. It was scut work, pure and simple, but it did keep her occupied. Kuroko had been in and out all day as she had a second group of children put into her care at some point.
Fishing another folder's worth of paper from Uiharu's printer, she let the girl with the flowery headband know that the printer was running low on ink.
"Oh! Thank you senpai! I'll go get a replacement right now." She got up to start looking for one, and Misaka's attention was drawn to what was currently on the screen.
Electro Master attacks on Skill-Out
When Uiharu returned, Misaka was long gone.
Evening fell on his first full day in Academy City, and Cole's radio chirped, "Mister MacGrath?"
Walking along the street, Cole didn't break his stride as he clicked on the transmit button. "Who wants to know?" Strange voices always spelled bad news.
"I am the General Superintendant of Academy City, Mister MacGrath. My name is Aleister Crowley."
"So?" Cole stepped around a knot of ladies chatting, holding bags full of food from their shopping trip.
"You have a meeting with me this evening, that I may uphold my end of the bargain between you and Academy City. Are you free now?"
Cole looked around. He was comfortable with the general lay out of the city now, and already had a couple different routes planned out for his jobs tomorrow. "Sure. I've got some time. Where did you want to meet up?"
"Thank you for your discretion in this, Mister MacGrath. Can I call you Cole?"
"Nah. Let's keep this all business." Cole ducked into a side street that was just wide enough for him to climb up to the rooftops. "City Hall?"
"No. I have a place set up for our meeting. Two blocks north of the Windowless Building to your west is a white building with a yellow radio antenna on it. We shall meet there, at your convenience."
Cole fixed the description in his mind, and recalled that yes, he had seen that empty building made of black on his travels, but the place just radiated bad things, so he avoided it. "I know where it is," he said over the radio, sending out a Pulse to feel for the return signal from where he placed his mental marker. Zeke called it waypointing based on the geo-magnetic field of the earth, but for Cole, it just meant that he could mark a place down in his head, and always know what direction it was. "No sense in delaying this, I'll head right over."
"I look forward to speaking with you then, Cole."
Misaka felt that surge of power, and angled toward it. It made an absurd amount of sense. There was another Electro-Master in the City, one that almost gave her a bad name for attacking from out of sight.
So, maybe she was over-reacting, if Kuroko's harsh phone call was any indication. But after spending all day in the Judgement Office (even though she did volunteer), she could really use to go out and do something about what was bothering her.
And besides, as the City's most powerful Electromaster, wasn't it her responsibility to make sure that they didn't get a bad reputation?
Her first point had been to find a Sister, and ask them, and the one she found first (not 10032, oddly enough) had replied that they were not responsible for the actions before making her excuses and leaving.
With that out of the way, her only real lead was the EMP being emitted far more erratically today than yesterday.
Cole dropped out of the sky onto the designated building, slowing his fall into a gentle landing. Looking around, he saw the antenna as promised, though it wasn't active at the moment; probably receiving.
"Ah, Mister MacGrath. Thank you for your prompt arrival."
The familiar voice was all that kept Cole from spinning around, ready to launch thunder and lightning. "Mori."
"Come with me, please."
"Sure. Nice place you got here. What's it do?"
"This building houses one of Academy City's communication centres. We felt that being in a place like this would put you at some ease."
"I'm supposed to be meeting the Superintendent," Cole said as they descended through the building's internal fire escape. "Seems like an odd place for that."
"Ah, he has certain unique requirements that prevent casual face to face meetings," Mori explained as he opened a door that led to a well lit hall that ended in a large window through which the growing twilight could be seen. "This way, please."
Cole was introduced to a large conference room, one with a large screen, and a projector mounted to the ceiling. "I will not be here for this meeting, Mister Cole. So pardon me, the Superintendent will be here shortly." Mori made his apologies and politely bowed out of the room.
"See ya'," Cole said, before picking a seat near the middle of the table, not wanting to offend his host through taking one head or the other.
He waited a few moments, ears straining to hear anyone approaching. But nothing of the sort happened when his other senses tingled. Slowly, Cole turned to look at the side of the table he had designated the 'front' as the projector faced that way, and there, sitting in a chair, was an effeminate man, dressed in a casual green suit that looked the colour of a medical robe than anything else.
"Hello, I'm Superintendant General Crowley, and welcome to Academy City."
"You're not really here." Cole narrowed his eyes, taking in the perfect image before him. "What are you doing?"
"Oh? This?" Crowley looked down at himself, smiling vaguely. "Ah, yes. My apologies. One of the reasons I wanted to meet you in a communications centre. You see, like you, I have many enemies, but unlike you, I cannot simply deal with them as you can." He gestured outwards with his arms, "so instead, I am utilizing a prototype holographic system to be present here without actually being... present." He nodded his head in apology. "I ask your forgiveness if my method of communication is disturbing to you."
Cole knew enough about meetings to let this sort of thing slide. It was just a high tech conference call, really. Nothing to be concerned over. "Nah, just unusual. You look very bright to my eyes though, but I can't comment on what normal people would see."
"Interesting. You observe the electromagnetic halo around my image? That may be something to fix in a future version." The Superintendant mulled it over before returning his focus to Cole. "Now that is out of the way, shall we begin?"
"Sure. Although I am surprised you're coming to me now, rather than, say, tomorrow night."
"Oh, that is simply due to various other commitments. I had more time this evening to talk with you, and so did you; hence we are here." It made sense to Cole, though he couldn't shake the feeling that something deeper was going on here.
"Anyways, I suppose I should first confess our sins." Crowley began, causing Cole to sit up straight and pay more attention. "Yes, Academy City and the First Sons had a working relationship in the past. I have met Kessler, and we did have certain mutually beneficial arrangements."
Cole flexed his fingers, the reasons for Crowley's lack of presence made clear. It was to avoid being killed by the raging conduit. "Explain," he ground out through clenched teeth.
"When this city was founded thirty-some years ago, Kessler and his followers were the first to offer their support for a city of the sciences. They were welcomed with open arms, both for their technological acumen, and for the resources and drive they gave to the city. I can say with all honesty that they were vital for the startup of my City."
"Then give me a reason why I shouldn't tear down your city." Cole demanded, angry. Electricity began to arc about him, a threat display unmistakable to anyone.
"Because as we learned of their methods and goals, we began to reject them. They were formally excised from the city a decade ago." Crowley spread his hands out to show that he was not being hostile. "We now consider the First Sons, what remains of them anyways, to be our enemy. And as they are your enemy as well, we see fit to aid you."
Cole could believe that. Hell, he wanted to believe that, that Crowley and his City were victims of Kessler as much as he and Empire City was. But still, he needed some sort of proof. So he asked for it. "What do you mean?"
"We were suspicious with the accuracy of Kessler's predictions," Corwley admitted carefully, "so we investigated his background. His life before becoming the head of the First Sons was impossible to discover, until we took a more direct approach." He paused for a moment to let Cole process this before launching into his deception. "We discovered his secret, quite by accident."
Cole stiffened. "Which is?"
"And by your reaction, you know it too. Good, that makes things easier. We discovered that Kessler was from the future. His predictions were not that, but rather, remembrances."
Nodding, Cole relaxed just a little bit, the shock of his own knowledge blunted by the realization that they hadn't made the connection between him and Kessler. He was safe. For now. "Yeah. I found that out when I killed him."
"An action for which you have the eternal gratitude of this City, and so many others, Cole." Crowley allowed a gentle smile to come over his face as he spun his web around the Conduit. "I admit to our sins and our follies."
"Look," Cole said, still thinking over this. Kessler was so paranoid about his origins, how did these people find out? "Why don't you start from the top, from the beginning?"
"A good idea," Crowley admitted as he searched his memories. "I will spare you the boring and irrelevant details of how this city was founded. But I will say that Kessler was instrumental in the initial financing. At the time, he said that he foresaw great things of this City, and the founders thought he was speaking hyperbole." He sighed. "Obviously not, in retrospect. Anyways, for the first few years, he and the First Sons were content to let us do what we wanted with our City, allowing us to grow into our own.
"He did ask that he be forwarded any research concerning neurology and certain other... esoteric technologies. The Board approved of these requests as he wasn't interfering with the internal operation of Academy City, and he was still in our good graces for his material and financial assistance.
"Make no mistake, Cole. Academy City would be where it is today with or without Kessler and the First Sons, but his assistance made things... smoother."
"When did it change?" Cole knew something bad had to have happened to have driven the two apart. The Superintendant had admitted as much already.
"About 10 years ago, Kessler came to my City and started making demands of me. He wanted certain technologies that he shouldn't have known about, and he wasn't afraid to threaten me into getting it."
Cole knew just how far Kessler would go to get what he wanted. Painfully so. "What did he want?"
"I think you know, Cole. You held the final product in your hands."
The Ray Sphere.
Cole's shock must have shown on his face, and Crowley nodded. "Yes. We are aware of the charges laid against you. And we dismiss them here as having no validity."
"You...knew about the Ray Sphere?" Cole's anger began to grow, and glow as well.
"No! No. Academy City has a different curriculum for the development of people with powers. We knew from theory that a person could jump-start their powers with certain external influences, but that was not what Kessler wanted."
"What, then?"
"At the time," Crowley's image bowed its head, "we were looking into technology that would allow an Esper to learn from, or outright copy the powers of another Esper. The theory at the time was that we could use this method to take a higher ranked Esper and have them 'teach' lower ranked ones how to improve themselves directly. That was what Kessler wanted, and after he took it, much to our shame, he implemented the technology into the Ray Sphere. We were honestly surprised at the end result that activated you, Cole. You see, our research indicated that the device would have to be one-on-one, a 'transfer device' if you will. That the First Sons were able to miniaturize it to such a degree, and turn it into a field generator – at the expense of killing everyone incompatible with the Ray Field, it is something we were horrified to learn."
Cole found a bit of sympathy in his heart for someone whom Kessler had taken advantage of. "This transfer device, you get it to work?"
"No, sadly. There was a faction of scientists in the City that agreed with Kessler's plans, it seems. They took the prototype with them and destroyed all the data and research behind them. It is this faction that I did want to talk to you about as well, as part of our agreement."
"Out with it then," the Conduit demanded of the Superintendent.
"They called themselves the Kihare, a working title for those with less morals than responsibility. Some of them betrayed Academy City, though others did not. They went to New Marais, under the protection of Joseph Bertrand to continue their Research."
"Bertrand? New Marais? I was there, four years ago!"
"Really? I didn't know that. Perhaps I can use that information to help you with your criminal troubles?" Crowley offered. "It may not be much, but one of the issues your government is having is trying to connect you to Kessler. That you were in New Marais at that time could be a factor in your favour, or against. In the interests of spiting the First Sons, especially those that remain in that city working for Mister Bertrand, I would like to work toward the former."
"You can prove there are First Sons in New Marais?" Cole latched onto the fact that the organization had survived Kessler's death. "But Bertrand? He's... I don't know, I mean, I don't know much about him."
"He's a very rich man, with a lot of connections in the American South. He supported the First Sons with finances, resources, and facilities, and when Kessler tricked you, Betrand was left in charge of the largest portion of their operations outside Empire City. He has been consolidating them under his power in New Marais."
Cole wanted to yell in anger, but he kept that in check. This is what he was offered, wasn't it? That Academy City would sell out the First Sons, and here and now, he had revealed to him where their next stronghold was. "Any other places I should no about?"
"No. For all their power, the First Sons were never a populous organization. Very vertical. You took out, I would estimate, 95% of them in Empire City. Those that remained in New Marais were more... support staff than anything else."
"Oh." Cole knew what he had to do when he got back to America. "Anything else?"
"Well, for starters, as I mentioned earlier, the faction that had some members support Kessler and joined the First Sons were called the Kihare. If you should happen to meet any of them here in Academy City, well, I suspect there would be a shame if they happened to step on a live wire, or some other unfortunate accident."
Flabbergasted, Cole looked at the hologram. "Did you seriously just say that?"
"Of course. You are a known person to them, and those that try to interfere with you deserve what you decide, no more. No less. Those that do not seek to interfere with you, well, you will not encounter them."
"I understand."
"Thank you, Cole. Although, if you are satisfied with my answers, I do have one more thing to quickly discuss with you regarding your itinerary tomorrow."
"What's that?"
"You are scheduled to work with Misaka Mikoto, correct? I happen to be a friend of her father, and he has asked me to keep an eye on her during her stay in our schools." Crowley smiled honestly, belying the lies he just spoke. "I just wished to warn you that she has quite a bit of pride in her powers, and a temper to match. Please be patient with her, even though you only have a day to interact."
"Yeah, about that, what the hell am I supposed to be doing with her? Your man, Mori, contracted me to do a couple deliveries, but after checking out your city, those won't take more than a couple hours. The rest of it... well... I don't really have much of a plan."
"That is simple. As you may have already surmised, if it was simply experience with work that she was to be given, there are a great many ways to do that in Academy City, without bringing you in. What you do share, however, what we really want..."
Cole interrupted. "Whoa there! I don't know what you are thinking, but most of my powers? They're meant to fight people! You're not exactly embroiled in a war here."
Crowley took measure of Cole's honest ignorance of the deterioration of the English Government, and the alliance Russia was building. And he decided to keep it that way. "Cole, you need not teach her how to fight. But as I said, she has something of a temper. Show her the basics of your self-control, or even a few of your less combative powers, help her break herself out of the rut her current development is going in. Please."
Considering this, Cole eventually nodded. "I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you. If I remember correctly, you are to meet her outside her school at about 9AM?"
"Yep. I even went past the place earlier. Pretty swank." Cole shook his head at the sheer... implausibility of the campus he had casually strolled past. "Looked like a place for kids with huge bank accounts."
Laughing, Crowley corrected Cole. "No, their parents have larger bank accounts. The quality of the education is the same across all our schools, it's just that some parents believe that a prettier building means something."
"So you're bilking them out of their money?" Cole retorted instantly.
"Of course not. Someone has to pay for all the flower gardens, and it serves as bragging rights. For the parents, and children when they grow up."
Cole was beginning to get a good idea of what he was being asked to do. "I think I got something then."
"Good. Thank you Cole, for your time. I hope you find your stay in our city an enjoyable vacation, and I hope to hear good things out of New Marais in the coming weeks."
Mori escorted Cole back to the roof, and Cole looked around at the growing night. This meeting had gone on longer than he had anticipated, and he was looking forward to a good nights rest for the long day tomorrow. Teaching an Electro-Master, huh? He wasn't certain of himself as someone who could do something like that. Hell, he barely had a month of real experience under his belt himself.
Launching himself into the air, he glided out over the street, aiming for the building across the way. It was much taller than the one he had the meeting in, and from there, he could propel himself further.
Climbing up the side wasn't that hard, not only through his well-developed climbing skills, but there was enough metal in the frame of the building that he could augment his grip magnetically to keep him in place. How he did this with mere chalk and gumption was beyond him. If nothing else, his powers were worth it for this alone.
Reaching the top a couple minutes later, Cole flipped over the edge of the building and came face to face with a man. Staring at the read hair, and cigarette, Cole cursed himself for forgetting to check over the ledge in case he needed to mantle to one side or the other first. "Sorry, didn't see you there."
"No problem," The man replied in a slightly British-accented English, tapping the ash from the smoke over the edge of the building. "You sound American. What are you doing climbing a building?"
"Cole MacGrath," Cole introduced himself. "And it's what I do for fun, and sometimes for my job."
"Stiyl Magnus," the other man said, offering a hand for Cole to shake. "I've seen a lot of things in this city, but a guy who climbs buildings for fun is pretty new."
"Tell me about it," Cole relaxed as he took in the young man before him. He was dressed in a black robe that faded his outline against the night sky, though the mysterious effect was completely ruined by the set of rings on all his fingers, the piercings in his ears, and the tattoo under one eye. It was enough that Cole decided to keep his unimpressed opinion to himself. "You're British? You here for Work Experience Day too?"
"What now?" Stiyl asked, confused, before realizing what was being said. "No, Well, yes, I'm from London actually. I represent a group that has... interests in Academy City. That's my job."
"Ah. Lucky. Empire City for me." Cole stretched out a bit. "Nice night," he commented, switching away from conversation about work. "Though I'm used to seeing more stars."
"That is a problem with Academy City," the red haired magician agreed. "Even at night, the lights never go out. They see so little of the night. Though being from Empire City, you would have the same problem."
"Not so much over the past month. The city went dark most nights to conserve power."
"Very environmentally friendly of you."
Cole began to suspect that this British national in Japan wasn't aware of what had happened in Empire City and resolved to keep it that way. "You come up here often?"
"Yes. What about you? Or do you just climb random buildings when the fancy strikes you?"
Laughing, Cole took a moment to compose his reply. "I climb buildings, period. It helps me keep in shape."
The two stood in silence then, enjoying the view of the city. Eventually, it was Cole who broke the impasse. "Well, I have places to go. Long day tomorrow. Nice meeting you, Mister Magnus."
"You too, Mister MacGrath. It was nice to talk English to someone who isn't involved with my business."
Cole took a running leap off the building before lighting off his thrusters, leaving behind a Stiyl who would forget about the encounter with the American Esper before the week was out.