Chapter Three: Force of Will

Angelica was in Yomikawa's kitchen, awaiting the arrival of Ms. Jounan, who would take her to her dorm. She was busy reading a book that Komoe had given her upon finding out about her ability. It was about the general field of pyrokinesis, and it described the various theories around the mechanics of the ability.

For most pyrokinetics, they use a form of telepathy to create an area of high friction, where they then interject a flow of pure oxygen into the spark. This creates the fire, and the pyrokinetics continue the burn by continually pouring in oxygen, thus feeding the fire.

However, Angelica knew that from this description she wasn't like most pyrokinetics. For one thing, she currently used friction created through physical interactions to create the spark. Another major difference is that she can create smokeless powder if she concentrates on the composition of the powder, whereas most pyrokinetics ignore this interaction all together to focus on burning oxygen.

But while much of the information didn't apply to Angelica, it did get her thinking on what she could do with her ability. She thought of the purposes of the smokeless powder, and knew that while five hundred grams was relatively little, it can be used very effectively if put into a one-way system, such as a barrel. If she put the powder into a barrel and then put in a heavy projectile, she could make a simple firearm.

But it required materials which she probably wouldn't have on hand, so she tried to think of other possibilities, but each one required outside material. She sighed, shutting the book. She noted that with Yomikawa at her job as a high school teacher, the flat was eerily quiet. It was high enough to where traffic noise wasn't a concern, and the rooms were sound-proof.

Angelica headed to the living room, and waited quietly for a few minutes. She was pondering the nature of the city's highest level espers when there was a knock on the door. Angelica got up from the couch and headed to the door. She opened it and saw Jounan standing there.

"Hello Ms. Jounan," Angelica said politely. "Shall I grab my things?" Jounan chuckled.

"Yes Ms. Costa," Jounan said. "I assume you are ready to see your dorm?" Angelica nodded, and she grabbed her luggage bag from the kitchen, and before following Jounan locked Yomikawa's flat's door. She followed behind Jounan, who was surprised by the readiness of the young girl. Most were usually doing last minute preparations when she came to pick them up, but not Angelica.

Jounan observed Angelica the best she could as they walked to her car, and noted that while Angelica was walking, she was paying constant attention to their surroundings, as though she was looking for threats. She shook the notion out of her head, until she thought about what happened during Angelica's SYSTEM scan. I was trying to calm myself down by thinking of the composition of smokeless powder. What girl her age would even know the composition of smokeless powder; hell, what person short of weapons manufacturers would know the composition?

As she and Angelica entered her car, Jounan turned to Angelica.

"Angelica, how did you know of the composition of smokeless powder?" Jounan asked. "I forgot to ask after the thing with the Taser." Angelica shrugged.

"My father told me," Angelica said simply. Angelica had been studying her cover with Yomikawa, where she was to use the truth to fabricate the lie, to keep the fact she was a cyborg a secret. "My father served in the police force before he died."

"I see," Jounan lied. Why would a police officer know about the composition of one of the most widely used propellants? "So what was he like?"

Angelic paused, trying to think of what Marco was like. While much of the conditioning's mind wipes had been erased, she couldn't recall the oldest memories. So she used the more recent memories, of when he was strict but still somewhat forgiving.

"He always expected the best of me," Angelica said. "He had a strong sense of justice and hated the FRF." Jounan nodded, still unconvinced that Angelica was telling her the truth.

"Did you father die at the hands of the FRF?" Jounan asked. Angelica had gone over this detail with Yomikawa.

"No, he and I were in Academy City, and he died due to an accident," Angelica lied. She looked down, unable to remember how Marco had died. When she inquired about it with Yomikawa, she told her that it wasn't good, and left it at that. Angelica sighed.

Jounan continued to drive, trying to form a clear opinion of the girl. She was hiding something, but what wasn't clear. She thought to put it aside, and discuss a new subject.

"So Angelica, anything you curious about the City?" Jounan asked. Angelica nodded rather quickly, looking up at Jounan.

"Yes, how many Level 5s are there?" Angelica asked. Jounan chuckled; the most obvious and interesting thing about the city were the Level 5 espers, and Angelica had inquired about them.

"Well, there are seven Level 5s," Jounan answered. "Each one of them has a unique and very powerful ability, and they are nicknamed after their ability. You have, in order of strongest to weakest, the Accelerator, Dark Matter, the Railgun, Meltdown, Mental Out, the sixth one is a mystery, and finally Gemstone."

Angelica nodded, and began to wonder why each one was named the way they were. She didn't know of any reason for the naming of the first two, but the Railgun she assumed had something to do with electromagnetism, Meltdowner was another mystery. She assumed Mental Out had something to do with affecting mental capacity, and she couldn't figure out what Gemstone was about.

"Is there anything else you are curious about?" Jounan asked, hoping to figure out what was making Angelica tick. She could see Angelica debating between the questions, but after a minute of contemplation she had another question.

"Ms. Jounan, how can I create smokeless powder without having to actually have the ingredients beforehand?" Angelica asked. Jounan refrained from smirking, but was highly amused by Angelica's question. Indeed, it wasn't like other esper abilities that could breakdown and reassemble material; she could simply create it from a mental blueprint.

"Well, that's something that hopefully during your time with Nagatenjouki Academy we can answer," Jounan said honestly. "Right now, we aren't sure how you are doing it, though we have ideas. However, we are pulling up to your dorm."

Angelica looked away from Jounan and saw a large four story building that spread across the length of a couple city blocks. She could see students of various ages walking back and forth across the dorm, and saw that many of the female students were wearing a white shirt with a dark blue vest/skirt combo, with a pin on the collar of the white shirt.

Jounan began to get out of the car, prompting Angelica to get out of the car and grab her luggage bag. She followed Jounan, and noticed a number of the students step out of her path, making Angelica to wonder what Jounan did to make the students step away from her. But soon they were outside of her dorm room

Jounan opened the door, and Angelica headed inside, finding that the room layout was simple to remember; the entrance leads into the living room, which was connected to the dining room and kitchen. The two rooms were off to the right off the entrance, with the bathroom at the end between both rooms.

Angelica went to the first room, and saw a twin size bed on one side of the room, a desk in the corner, and two windows that overlooked the corner of the campus dorm and looked at the Academy directly. She placed her luggage bag down and turned to Jounan.

"Is there anything else I need to do?" Angelica asked. Jounan nodded.

"Yes, there is the matter with your stay here," Jounan began. "Normally, Nagatenjouki Academy doesn't teach elementary school students. However, due to your SYSTEM Scan and above average results in both your entrance and physical exam, an exception was permitted."

"Your lessons are therefore going to be on par with the curriculum for a first year junior high student. However, your science and math will be tailored to your ability, so you may better understand the models behind your ability."

Angelica nodded, taking in the fact she was going to be taking things two years in advance of what a normal student would. But unbeknownst to Jounan, Angelica was more than capable of the task. Due to her conditioning, Angelica wouldn't give up and quit when most people would. She recalled a memory of when Claes was starting out and she had spent an entire night at the pistol range, all because she was commanded to.

"In addition, with regards to your private esper development sessions with me, you will meet me on the track from two thirty to four in the afternoons on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. However, you have standard esper development sessions during the day, and I expect you to complete any and all given work."

"I understand Ms. Jounan," Angelica said. She looked at the clock that she saw on the desk and noted that it was barely just after noon. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

"Just a few more things," Jounan said, taking out a two envelopes and handing them to Angelica. "The first envelope has your school schedule, with the class location and teacher's name on them. The second envelope has your ID card, complete with esper Level and the school you are attending. Final note, before you leave this dorm room, you must be in your school uniform, which are in the closest."

Jounan opened the closest and pulled out a uniform for Angelica to put on, before she headed to exit the dorm. Angelica quietly put on the uniform, and found that it fit quite nicely. The shoes were comfortable, but she knew that they weren't made with outdoor performance in mind, and the only thing that stuck out in her mind was that this uniform wouldn't be sufficient during winters.

She yawned and decided to get a better understanding of the campus, so Angelica headed out of her dorm, making sure she locked it before heading out. She walked down the hallway, in a move to leave the dorm and explore the campus so she wasn't lost tomorrow, only to have the various students looking at her. They were only three to five years older to her in most cases, so why were they looking at her in utter confusion.

She got to the ground level and was a couple meters from the door when she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder. Angelica paused, and turned her head to see three male students looking at her.

"Girl, aren't you lost?" the male with a hand on her shoulder remarked. "This isn't elementary school; this is Nagatenjouki."

"I know that sir," Angelica replied. The male student, who had dark brown hair, glared at her.

"Tsk, some mouth you got," he snarled. "What the fuck you think you are, strutting around here in that uniform, you clearly don't belong here." Angelica sized him and the two other's up. While the student with his hand on her shoulder would easily be taken care of, his two friends were a bit more built and looked like what she would expect from a FRF foot soldier.

"I am here to stay sir," Angelica began. "I have my ID card that states so, and if you require further proof you may speak with Ms. Jounan. Now if you would, could you please remove your hand from my shoulder; I would like to get a better understanding of the Academy's layout."

The male student, clearly ticked at being waved off by Angelica, tighten his grip on her shoulder.

"Listen here," he growled. "I'm a Level 3 telepathic, I could throw your ass around the hall way without a moment's thought, so you will respect my authority!"

He was about to lift her up and slam her into the floor, but before that even happened Angelica had grabbed his wrist and had thrown him over her shoulder. He crashed into the ground back first, where Angelica proceeded o twist his arm at both the shoulder and elbow, and she raised her arm above his head, pinning him down with her knee.

"ARGH!" cried the male student, while his friends watch on in fear. "I give, I give!" Angelica released his arm and got off of him, stepping a couple of feet back.

At this time, several other students had arrived, and were looking in shock at Angelica. Most were wondering how a girl her statue had taken on someone almost twice her size. But she left the students who were in shock, as she still having to examine the campus.

She walked out of the dorms, and across the street to get to the Academy grounds. She noted that the tall concrete walls had cameras on the corners and at the entrances. The sidewalk had only a couple of trees for shade, and Angelica entered the large central building and saw that just down the hallway was a map of the academy.

She approached the map and discovered that the main building had ten floors, as she observed the first time she was here, though the tenth, ninth, and eighth floor were for teachers and researchers only. The remaining floors were divided into subject courses. The first floor was the exception, being used for the cafeteria, indoor gym, library, and computer common room.

Angelica nodded, and began to head around the academy building, getting a sense of the path she would have to take to make it to her classes on time. She noted that she had ten minutes to get from class to class, but the distance between classes was exaggerated due to the constant need to use stair wells. She figured that she could make the schedule work, but it would be tight, especially since the hallways would be crowded.

As she was heading out of the seventh floor to get back to her dorm, Angelica saw an older man walking to her in a black suite. He was in his late forties, and his sleek black hair and diamond blue eyes would inspire respect in anyone looking at him. Angelica saw him chuckle as he approached.

"So Ms. Costa, what are your impressions?" the man asked his voice very calm. Angelica bowed slightly, respecting the man.

"This academy is very…sophisticated," Angelica said, unsure of how best to judge Nagatenjouki's nature. "If there is a problem with it, it's that some of the students are either very proud of their abilities, or they are very arrogant."

The man nodded slowly. Angelica felt like he was testing her, gauging her through her responses. She thus knew she couldn't appear weak or indecisive.

"Oh, why shouldn't the student's be proud of their abilities, especially if they were molded here in this academy?" the man asked. Angelica shook her head.

"But their pride makes them think that they can walk over anyone without reserve. For instance, I had a student here already pick a fight with me." The man's eyebrow rose, interested in this detail.

"Really now, how did it go down?" He asked. "Start from the beginning." Angelica sighed.

"A male student, probably fifteen, placed his hand on my shoulder. He asked if I was lost and that I didn't belong here. When I offered to prove that yes I did, he told me to respect him due to him being a telepathic esper."

"And what happened?" the man asked. Angelica shrugged.

"I simply grabbed a hold of his hand, threw him over my shoulder, and then proceeded to twist his arm in a manner to inflict pain. No major injuries, just a bruised ego in his case," Angelica replied. The man chuckled.

"Ah, glad to see that Ms. Jounan wasn't wrong about you having potential," the man stated calmly before walking past Angelica. "I am the director of Nagatenjouki Academy, as you probably knew. I look forward to your progress here Ms. Costa."

Daichi turned the corner and headed into the elevator, leaving Angelica to stand there, glad to have dodged a bullet. She wasn't sure if she would have any more encounters with the students after her display of power, yet she knew that she would encounter the Director again. She shivered, knowing he was planning something unknown to her. Checking the time with a watch that was apart of her uniform, she headed back to her dorm for the rest of the afternoon, unaware of developments back in Italy.

Jean was sitting in a café in Venice, enjoying a cup of coffee while he was waiting for his contact. He only had Rico as back up, but she was perched in a church tower, overlooking the square.

"No contacts in the immediate area," Rico noted to Jean in his ear piece. He nodded, giving Rico the signal that he heard. He had been waiting for ten minutes already, and he hated what he was doing. Why should the Agency send FRF terrorist to go after Angelica; why could he and Rico go in and kill her with a single bullet?

But he knew Pieri wanted plausible deniability and possibly a means to gather allies. If FRF terrorist killed an Italian girl in Academy City, then perhaps the international community might help in the fight against them, for the safety of their own citizens with Italian travelers in their country. But it was a long shot and Jean knew it.

"Sir, I have a visual on the contact; he is coming through the parking lot," Rico buzzed in. Jean looked and saw the contact, a man in his late twenties, messy black hair and a simple goatee. He was dressed in blue jeans and had a black jacket on. Jean waved the man over, who jogged to the table.

"So you are the man I am supposed to meet," the man asked. Jean nodded, and man sat down.

"Listen, no names, so just call me Louis Mr. Dante," Louis said. Jean sighed.

"Very well Louis, I assume you know why you are here?" Jean asked. Louis scratched his chin.

"Only the bare details," Louis said. "However, you contacted me, so you better have some more information." Jean chuckled.

"Relax, I have them," he said, pulling out a file and handing it to Louis. Louis opened it and scanned over its contents.

"Medical records, diagrams, a young girl," Louis breathed quietly. "Mind telling me what you and your associates want done?" Jean nodded.

"My bosses are interested in the technology that is in this young girl, who was last sighted entering Academy City," Jean stated. He laughed as he was pretending to be a representative from a medical company that wanted the technology the SWA was making. In reality, the medical company was already tied to the work the Agency does on the public front, and thus it was self-feeding loop, designed to make an inquires able to pass scrutiny.

"I see," Louis said after reading some more of the file. "How exactly do you want this technology, mint or scrap?"

"Mint if possible, though scrap will do if it is the only way to get it," Jean said, knowing that mint meant alive and scrap meant a corpse. Louis closed the file and tucked it in his jacket.

"Very well Mr. Dante, me and my associates will get you your toys," Louis said. "How about payment?"

"Fifty thousand Euros now, and one hundred euros for mint, though depending on the condition of the scrap anywhere from twenty five to fifty thousand euros." Jean said. Louis shook his head.

"Listen, getting the men over to that city and back will consume most of the money, so better add in travel costs and fake IDs," Louis stated. Jean sighed.

"If you bring back the girl in mint condition you are looking at one hundred and fifty thousand euros, which is five percent of what my associates make a year," Jean countered. Louis's brows furrowed, as he thought how to counter.

"Fine, just get us the fake IDs so we can enter the city unnoticed," Louis conceded. Jean nodded.

"Very well, now as to method of payment, would a check work?" Jean asked. Louis shook his head again.

"No, either cash or some other solid assets," Louis stated plainly. "We don't want our business being noticed by the police, now do we?"

"Of course. Very well, I will contact you the when and where for the first payment once me and my associates have gathered your payment." Jean got up and left the coffee table. Rico buzzed in his ear.

"Sir, am I to pack up?" Rico asked. Jean nodded, unaware that Louis was grabbing his phone to take a call. But by the phone was answered, Jean and Rico had left, leaving Louis to make his call unheard.

"Sir, it's Benito," Louis, really Benito Mosconi, a FRF spy, said into the phone. "A member of the SWA was the host."

"Hmm, interesting," Cristiano, the head of all FRF operations in Milan, noted. "What did the dog of the government want?"

"He wanted us to recover a girl, probably one of their cyborgs," Benito said. "Sir, he said the girl was in Academy City, you think it's a trap?" Benito heard Cristiano sigh.

"No, it's unlikely that Academy City would help an outside party to their conflicts and use their city as the field," Cristiano said. "However, if there is a cyborg in that city…"

"Then it could cause more headaches for us," Benito finished.

"Yes, so I want you and your best men to go after the cyborg," Cristiano commanded.

"I suppose we are to kill the cyborg?" Benito asked. He heard Cristiano scratch his chin.

"Yes. While I would be interested in seeing the application of their cybernetic enhancements, the risk of them finding out we have her would be too great," Cristiano replied. "Though note this, if you fail, I will send someone I have complete faith in to finish the job." Benito's pulse quickened.

"He won't be needed sir," Benito said quickly. "I will make sure that cyborg is dead, and that the city can't make due with technology sir."

"I do hope so," Cristiano said. "Because you aren't to return until she is dead." Before Benito could reply, the line went dead, forcing Benito to curse his luck. He then got up and left, heading to gather his men and figure out how the hell he was going to kill a cyborg.

Angelica was walking to her private lesson with Ms. Jounan, which she hoped was better than the other classes she had earlier. The other classes left her feeling dull, and while the other students were either struggling or engaged with the classes, Angelica felt left out. She wasn't attached to the lessons, and she wondered if it was her or the classes fault. She sighed as she stepped out onto the track, where Jounan was waiting.

"So Ms. Costa, how was your first day at Nagatenjouki?" Jounan asked. Angelica shrugged.

"Not too bad," Angelica said politely, not wanting to sound spoil. She knew she wasn't, it was just her perception of the world was so skewed with her time at the SWA, where her life and memories were on the line, whereas here she didn't have the same stress or the same excitement. But she pushed the thoughts aside, looking forward to Jounan's lesson.

"Alright then," Jounan said. "Let's begin with understanding the mechanics of your ability. Currently, you can create smokeless powder in the quantity of five hundred grams, and ignite it with friction create with a snap. However, I want to test if you can create other materials."

Angelica nodded, interested in what Jounan would have her create. Jounan meanwhile was debating in her head. If Angelica could create smokeless powder, what about black powder?

"Angelica, do you know the composition of black powder?" Jounan asked, and was surprised when angelica nodded. She put her curiosity about Angelica's knowledge on hold while she gave Angelica her instructions.

"Alright, I want you to create as much black powder as you can," Jounan ordered. "Think of the composition and create the black powder."

Angelica nodded, and began to think of the critical compoents of black powder, which included a nitrate, carbon, and sulfur. She used a mixture she saw promoted once that was described as a very efficient mixture, producing less smoke and debris in the barrel. She then felt the powder fill her hand, and she quickly let it fall in a bowl that Jounan was giving her.

She watched as the amount grew, and in a few moments she felt herself hit a barrier, and she stopped producing the black powder. She looked down at the amount and noted that it looked similar to the amount of smokeless powder she had created. Jounan smiled at the result.

"Well now, this proves one idea I had," Jounan said. "Angelica, your ability is to be able to create chemical compounds and then ignite them." Angelica tilted her head; wasn't this already the point. Jounan must've picked up on Angelica's thoughts as she clarified.

"So far you only been able to create smokeless powder, but with this test you have proven you could create other compounds," Jounan explained. "Thus, with enough training, you could be taught how to make other compounds, other formulas, to make new and more power reactions."

Angelica nodded, now getting at what Jounan was saying. She then thought about other chemical compositions she knew, and wondered how many she could create. She then quickly burnt up the black powder, as she thought of another composition; thermite.

A mixture of iron oxide and aluminum, thermite was a highly energetic compound capable of producing very high temperatures and melting through several layers of steel before the reaction ended. She thought of a composition she had read about once, but when she tried to apply it she felt the same block as when she tried to make anymore black or smokeless powder.

"Were you trying something?" Jounan asked.

"Yes, I was trying to create thermite," Angelica said, feeling slightly defeated by her inability to do so. Wasn't it simpler than either smokeless or black powder? But Jounan chuckled.

"Good," Jounan said. "At least now you are thinking of new possibilities. Let's however try something more interesting." She took out a simple pipe and some ball bearings and set them on the bench that they were standing next to.

"Angelica, I want you to create black powder in the pipe, load a ball bearing, then light it," Jounan instructed. Angelica nodded, realizing what she was doing; she was creating a gun with her ability. She did as she was told, aiming the barrel at a empty part of the field.

She rubbed the black powder pack and ignited it, causing it to combust and propel the projectile out of the barrel, but Angelic knew that it was ill-fated. She had created a simple musket, however gases were escaping through the area her thumb covered the back, the barrel was extremely short, and the round was lighter than what would really be used.

Jounan however watched the shot go out twenty feet before beginning to drop to the ground. She saw Angelica's face and notice it was in the look of pre-knowledge of how 'weak' the shot would be. She knew Angelica was hiding something, how would a girl know so much about military related material at her age?

"Very good Angelica, though I suppose you know why the shot didn't go that far out?" Angelica nodded. "Alright then, let's figure out the barrier from creating more fuel and different fuel." Jounan took out a book containing the composition of several extremely simple chemical compounds. She gave Angelica the easiest ones, and watched as she was able to create them, until she reached the energetic thermite. Jounan noted that the reactions in the earlier works weren't as energetic as thermite.

"Angelica, I think the reason you are having trouble with creating thermite is because the reaction of the thermite reaction is currently higher than you can process, and thus you can even create it."

"So how will I get around this?" Angelica asked. Jounan thought about it when she thought of a simple solution.

"Angelica, you say you understand the composition of thermite, correct?" Angelica nodded. "Very well, then write it down so I can show you the reaction process." Jounan watched as Angelica wrote the chemical formula for thermite surprisingly well.

"Alright, for any chemical reaction, there is the input, which you have written, and the output, which is what remains. What you are trying to do is get the output with thermite. From your composition, you begin with iron-oxide three plus aluminum, but the output becomes iron, aluminum-oxide, and a large amount of heat."

"Now, I want you to imagine the chemical process in its entirety, and not just the chemical composition of thermite." Angelica nodded, and began to think about the entire chemical process, but still she couldn't make it. Angelica was about to sigh defeat when Jounan had an idea.

"Angelica, I think a problem with creating thermite is that creating it in your hand would be hazardous if you ignite it," Jounan said. "So in theory, if you expand your ignition distance, we might get past the issue of self-inflicted harm."

While Angelica thought about this idea, Jounan knew it was a practical limit for most espers. Take electro-masters. If they lacked the ability to prevent an electric current from harming them, they couldn't handle the electrical charge. But once that barrier is broken (usually in level 1), they can then begin to experiment more freely with their ability.

But Angelica's Bomb Maker is inherently dangerous and complex. She not only has to consider the difficulty of creating the explosive material, but also the risks associated with it. If the threat is too close, her ability is turned off and thus presents a limit to the amount of power she could deploy near her.

"Angelica, do you know how most pyrokinetics create the ignition point?" Jounan asked.

"They manipulate the oxygen at the point of ignition to combust," Angelica answered correctly.

"Very good," Jounan said. "However, I believe that we can work around the issue you have to physical snap to ignite your compounds." Jounan than gave Angelica a bit an explanation of how she could theoretically ignite material at a distance, by making use of highly oxygenated air.

Oxygen, in its pure state, is highly combustible and thus is a necessary ingredient in almost all explosives, in the form of an oxidizer. Jounan believed that Angelica could create a flow of oxygen to the material mass, and then ignite it remotely.

"Alright Angelica, give it a shot," Jounan urged, placing the pile of gunpowder Angelica had created about a meter away. She saw Angelica thinking of the components of the air, and removing in her mind everything except oxygen. Angelica then snapped her finger, however the result was less than stellar. The spark was made, but no flow of fire from Angelica's finger to the gunpowder.

"Alright, maybe that won't work," Jounan said. She furrowed her brow, thinking of some ideas. She told them to Angelica, but each idea failed miserably. Jounan sighed, her patience was being tested by this simple barrier in Angelica's ability. She then looked at the time, and noted it was just five to four.

"Well, despite the lack of long range ignition, good work Angelica," Jounan said. "Now then, as it is approaching the end of our lesson, I want you to write up the input and output to as many chemical reactions as you can, within the confines of your ability of course. This list will be due the next time we meet."

"Yes Ms. Jounan," Angelica said, grabbing her things. She then was curious about something unrelated to her ability. "Ms. Jounan, what time is curfew?"

"Eight o'clock Ms. Costa," Jounan said as she began to grab her clipboard. "Don't be late returning to your dorm."

"I won't," Angelica promised. She headed back to her dorm to off her books before heading out to explore the city. She was glad that the male students who harassed her earlier went in sight, so Angelica headed out, and went to a nearby store where she could get a discount on some books.

She headed to the store, and was surprised to see that despite the high foot traffic and the cars driving by, there weren't any accidents. She walked a few blocks, humming the tune to the Italian national anthem, before she got to the store Book On.

She entered through the door, and she waved at the clerk.

"Ah, a Nagatenjouki student," the clerk said. "First time here?"

"Yes sir," Angelica responded. The clerk asked for her ID, and when she did he swipe it and returned it to her along with a membership card.

"This will get you your discount, and the first book you buy is free," the clerk said. "Now then, do you have any question regarding our selection?"

Angelica shook her head, and began to head to the back, where they had the catalogs and magazines. She was interested in keeping up with her predilections for firearms, and she knew that there was bound to be a couple of catalogs displaying the development from her favorite gun manufacturer.

She began to cruise past the selection, trying to find what she was looking for when she bumped into someone.

"Sorry!" Angelica apologized quickly, before getting a look at the girl. She had her hair in twin pigtails, and Angelica recognized her. "Kuroko?"

Kuroko, who had been busy looking for a catalog on the latest technology that Academy City, looked up and saw Angelica smiling at her.

"Hi Angelica!" Kuroko said, hugging the dark hair girl. "So how did you SYSTEM Scan go?" That was when Kuroko saw the Nagatenjouki uniform.

"You got into Nagatenjouki?" Kuroko asked. "How did you…" Angelica shrugged.

"After my entrance exam and my SYSTEM Scan, I was offered an enrollment deal from them," Angelica said. "But with regards to the SYSTEM Scan, I am a Level 1 Bomb Maker!"

Kuroko processed the information given to her by Angelica. She knew the top academies didn't offer enrollment contracts lightly, so something with Angelica impressed them. She then thought about Angelica's ability, and realized she hadn't heard of it before.

"Bomb Maker? I haven't heard of that ability before," Kuroko confessed. "What does it do?"

"I can create explosive material from chemical composition and ignite them," Angelica explained quickly. "But I am only a Level 1 at the moment, though I am a high Level 1."

"Don't worry about your level at the moment," Kuroko said. "You have teachers and practice to improve your ability level. So what are you here for?" Angelica shrugged.

"I thought I get a catalog about firearms," Angelica said, as she began skimming the selection of catalogs, until she found such a catalog. "Found it!"

Kuroko watched as Angelica read the catalog excitedly, confused by her fascination with firearms. Perhaps things were different from where Angelica was from. She sighed; the young girl was very enigmatic.

"So Angelica, how is Nagatenjouki?" Kuroko asked. Angelica who was busy reading about the cost of the new IWS-2000, took a moment to respond.

"Even though I am in seventh grade classes, I am not having trouble with them," Angelica admitted. "I was rather bored, with no one to keep me company." Kuroko nodded.

"So classes are easy for you then?"

"No, I just don't have trouble paying attention to what the teachers say, and I usually get the correct answer after a few attempts," Angelica said. She saw she had a couple of hours before needing to return to the dorms. She yawned.

"Hey Angelica, have you gotten your first payment?" Kuroko asked.

"No, why?" Angelica inquired.

"Oh, I was thinking if you had maybe we could find you a phone so we can keep in contact," Kuroko suggested. Angelica was about to speak when Kuroko's phone went off. Kuroko answered it.

"Hello," Kuroko began. "What is it?" Angelica couldn't make out the other person's side of the conversation, causing her to wonder what was being said.

"Oh, what?! But that wasn't supposed to be due until…fine I will go get what we need," Kuroko said, her tone clipped and annoyed. "Sorry Angelica, but I got to pick some things, maybe we can hang out Friday?"

Angelica thought about it, it would be the weekend and she didn't have any plans as far as she knew.

"Okay," Angelica agreed. "I should also get my first payment then." Kuroko nodded, and ran off, leaving Angelica to head to the counter and make her purchase, with the clerk shaking his head at her selection.

"Girls these days," he muttered as Angelica left Book On. She began to debate if there was anywhere else she could go. She lacked money and she didn't have any friends; she didn't want to call Kuroko a friend just yet. She sighed and headed back to her dorm, humming to herself.

Angelica walked into the dorm parking lot, and yawned as she saw various students hanging out chatting. Angelica looked at them, with a sense of envy. She only was close to the other girls at the SWA due to their common mission to take on the FRF. The girls were close to one another, but Angelica wasn't ever close to them due to her degrading memory being off-putting to the others. She walked up the stairwell, her mind going on the subject of how come she was alive and Marco wasn't.

Surely, if she was alive, shouldn't he be alive? A cyborg would rather die and let their handler live than to live and see their handler die, right? Was she rendered unconscious and Marco tried to save her? That was the only one that made sense, in fact what else could it be; she knew that she probably would've killed herself if he had died before her.

She opened her dorm room and locked it once she was inside. She went to her bedroom and laid on her bed, curling up in confusion. She tried to push the thoughts of how Marco died out of her head, only to see a quick glimpse of a blonde man with a tattoo on his face snarling at- she tried to remember what he was snarling at, but Angelica couldn't remember. She grew annoyed, so she decided to take a piece of paper out and drew his facial features. When she was done, she pinned the picture on a tack board that she found in her room.

She looked at the man, and for no reasons she could explain felt disgust and anger at him. She just had a gut instinct that he was responsible for her staying in Academy City, and somehow knew he was involved with Marco's death. She then voiced her disgust.

"I don't know who you are, but if you are responsible for Marco's death, I will kill you."

The next three days went by without a change in pace, and Angelica wondered if all the days she would have at Nagatenjouki would be like this. She sighed as she began her private lesson with Jounan, and today they were trying to extend the reach of Angelica's ignition distance yet again. On Wednesday, she hadn't been able to achieve non-physical ignition, and this irritated Angelica.

This time Jounan suggested that Angelica focus on the idea that she could mirror the result of her snaps directly into the gunpowder pile. Angelica nodded and attempted to do that, thinking that the friction in her hand traveling to the pile, and igniting it.

However, this didn't work, and Angelica began to panic. She saw the look of annoyance on Jounan's face, one she had seen in Marco's face too many time. She began to rapidly snap her finger, trying to get the reaction.

"Darn it!" Angelica said. She began to glare at the gunpowder and was focused on igniting it through sheer force of will. To hell with these mental process, she wasn't going to disappoint Ms. Jounan! She began to snap her fingers, faster and faster, trying in earnest to ignite the gunpowder.

"Angelica, stop," Jounan said lightly. She then saw the girl was in a trance, and was snapping her fingers, and began to see them turn red from the friction she was creating. "Angelica, seriously stop."

But Angelica kept going. She was going to ignite the gunpowder, one way or another. Her snapping increased, and her concentration of the chemical process became more clear and refined. Continuing in spite of Jounan's pleas, Angelica felt her anger boiling over. She then had a flash-back.

Angelica had gotten out of the hospital, and was walking to the kill house to engage in a live fire exercise with Rico. She looked at Marco and smiled, looking forward to please him. She got into position, and when Rico threw in the flash bang grenade, she and Rico moved in. Firing burst at the targets and quickly advancing, she neutralized them.

But when she turned to clear the next room, she took a step on a pile of bullets. Losing her footing, Angelica fell to the ground, flat on her back. Rico came over to help her up.

"Angelica, are you ok?" Rico asked. Angelica nodded, but secretly she was dreading the look on Marco's face. She got up, but she noticed she had gotten a limp. She knew that she had twisted her ankle.

"Angelica, what happened in there?" Marco demanded. His face was stern and angry.

"I fell sir," Angelica admitted. "But I'm alright, let me…" Marco glared at her.

"Damn it Angelica, I knew it was too soon to have you in practice!" Marco yelled more to himself than at her. "Go see Dr. Bianchi, your done for the evening." He turned and walked away. Angelica felt her heart plummet; she had disappointed Marco yet again.

Angelica looked at the pile of gunpowder, and she kept snapping her fingers, trying to get it to work to please Jounan. She began to feel the same sadness that compelled her to work harder and through the pain in her time at the SWA overtaking her. I can't fail Ms. Jounan, not like I failed Marco!

The next snap that Angelica took, the pile burnt up, causing Angelica to pause. Had she finally been able to achieve remote ignition? She kept staring at the gunpowder pile in confusion, until she felt Jounan's hand on her shoulder.

"Angelica, are you ok?" Jounan asked, her face torn between glee and concern. She was glad that Angelica had been able to achieve remote ignition, but the fact that Angelica lost all her situational awareness made her very concern. She saw Angelica nod.

"I am fine, I just had a flashback was all," Angelica said. Jounan creased her brows; sometimes espers could break barriers by using past memories as motivation to push on ahead, but what past memory Angelica used determined her personal reality.

"Angelica, what was the memory about, and how did it motivate you?" Jounan asked. Angelica sighed.

"I thought about a time that I disappointed my father," Angelica lied. "I didn't want to fail you like I failed him." Jounan, at that moment, felt a bit sick at the explanation. She knelt down to Angelica and patted her head, trying to calm Angelica down. But she needed to know more about the memory, so she braced herself for the answer.

"Angelica, how did you fail your father?" Jounan asked. Angelica froze; she been in the moment and didn't realize she spoke of her memory. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I rather not talk about it," Angelica replied, hoping to bury the memory quickly. Jounan sighed; it was clear that whatever the memory was about, it was either very private or very serious. She decided to find out another way.

"Alright Angelica," Jounan said. "Want to try again, to make sure it wasn't a fluke?" Angelica nodded, and she quickly created another pile of gunpowder and stepped away from it. But before Angelica snapped her finger, Jounan set up a high speed motion camera, to record the results.

Angelica snapped her finger, and the pile went up in smoke. Jounan could see a spark at the start of the reaction, so she believed the mirroring method was working. She smiled.

"Very good Angelica," Jounan praised the young girl. "How about we wrap up the lesson and call it a day; I think you deserve that much."

"If you think that is best," Angelica said, still a bit concerned what would happen if Jounan learned of her past in the SWA and weary of any further interaction, at least for today.

"I do," Jounan said. She figured that spending only three lessons to accomplish a remote ignition was impressive, and thus she could call the lesson off early. "Anyway Ms. Costa, see you Monday."

"Yes Ms. Jounan," Angelica said, and she grabbed her bag and ran off to drop her things off at her dorm. After dropping her books off, Angelica rushed off to meet with Kuroko at the Book On store. She ran at full tilt, only stopping due to cross lights and not wanting to bull rush through people. When she arrived, she found Kuroko standing there, waiting for her.

"Hello Angelica," Kuroko said. "Do you have your money?" Angelica nodded.

"Yes, I have a fair amount of money to spend," Angelica said. "So I assume you want me to get a phone first?"

"Of course," Kruoko said. "A proper lady must be able to get in contact with her friends without the constant need of making plans in advance." Angelica tilted her head; this was the first time Kuroko brought up her opinions of a proper lady. But she nodded anyways, she wanted to have a cell phone if for nothing else than to say she had one.

"Alright then, lead on," Angelica said. She followed behind Kuroko, unaware of what was happening in District 19, and how it related to her.

To say a not everyone made it in Academy City is a bit of a staggering understatement. While you hear about all the work in esper development and the advance technology, the vast majority of the population had to deal with the struggles of everyday citizens, on top of the city's unique problems.

One such person was walking to his gang's hideout. He was a Level 0, he wasn't incredibly smart, and he got into trouble with Judgment and Anti-skill for his habit of trying to steal cars, despite his young age of thirteen. He sighed, beliddingly himself in his head.

Why can't I be worth something? Why must I be powerless in this city where anyone can burn, electrocute, throw you into a wall, teleport on your ass, and all the other bullshit? Why can't I find my place in this infernal city?

He opened the door, and saw his boss, Komaba Ritoku, talking with a foreign gentleman. The gentleman looked Italian, and he could tell from his stance that he wasn't here for an exchange of goods; he were here to either grab someone or put them six feet under. He sighed, with his luck he probably was going to get his ass on the line.

His boss turned and looked at him, smiling.

"Hamazura, get over here," Komaba called out. Hamazura shrugged and walked over and began to wonder what was going on.

"Mr. Mosconi here has some business he needs to conclude in the city within a week," Komaba informed Hamazura. He turned to the Italian. "This is my procurement specialist, Hamazura Shiage. Don't let his age fool you, you need something, he can help you get it."

"Hamazura, nice to make your acquittance," Benito said. "Now then, can we get to the business at hand?"

"Of course," Komaba said. "What is it you need?" Benito chuckled, and pulled out a list he had created beforehand.

"I need to arm myself and six associates," Benito began to explain. "However, it can't be simple off the street guns; we need heavier firepower."

"What for?" Komaba asked. "If whatever you have rains hell on our efforts, I will refuse to help you and your associates." Hamazura silently hoped that it would end the discussion, with the Italain leaving, cursing them for not helping. But this wasn't the case.

"Don't worry about any fallout," Benito said. "My business is strictly off the record, and if you do get questioned about it, you can say it was some foreigners trying to get guns they couldn't get anywhere else."

"Very well," Komaba said after thinking it over. "I have to meet with some of the other leaders in Skill-Out, so discussed what you need with Hamazura." Komaba left, leaving Hamazura alone with the Italian.

"Ah well, I can deal with working with a middle man," Benito muttered. "Hamazura, do you know of anywhere we can get some serious firepower?"

"What do you mean?" Hamazura asked. If this guy just wanted some assault rifles, maybe a few home-made bombs, Hamazura could easily acquire them.

"Well, take a look at this list," Benito said, handing Hamazura the list. Hamazura looked at the list.

At first, it was pretty basic. Six assault rifles with three mags each, plenty of ammunition, a couple of high-powered pistols, and that was when it became a bit more complicated. Next, Benito asked for a box of grenades, a high powered sniper rifle, and finally either a grenade launcher or a rocket launcher. Hamazura paled.

"Just what are you doing that requires this much firepower?" Hamazura asked, while thinking mentally where he could acquire this much firepower. Benito chuckled.

"You clearly don't watch the foreign affairs section of the news, do you?" Benito asked.

"No, I am too busy running to avoid getting caught by Anti-Skill and making sure that my gang has the items we need," Hamazura said. Benito smirked at the response.

"Well, let me give you a brief lesson with what has been happening in my country," Benito said. "A few years ago, a group called the Five Republics Faction made a movement to liberate the five northern republics in Italy, to free themselves from the control of the Southern Republics, who were taxing the north to build the south up."

"However, the government, fearing the loss of the north and not wanting to appear weak, labeled the FRF as terrorists and they began operations to take the FRF out. However, with standard tactics, they could only do so much."

"So the government made an agency, the Social Welfare Agency, to act as a silent counter-terrorist organization. On the surface, they look like a charity organization trying to help rebuild people's lives, but in secret they are responsible for the deaths of thousands of proud Italians."

"You realize that you sound a bit paranoid," Hamazura pointed out. "I mean, wouldn't people notice black op soldiers working with the SWA?"

"Sure, but they aren't using black ops soldiers," Benito explained. "Oh no, they use children that should be by all rights be dead. But using their technology, they rebuild them and use them as child soldiers." Hamazura looked at him, doubting the legitimacy of the Italian's statement, but he had to get the man his wares.

"Well, enough about your fight against the SWA," Hamazura said, knowing that Benito belong with the FRF. "If you want anything like this, then I am going to need a few days and probably you and your associate's help."

"And why might that be?" Benito asked. Hamazura tapped the list and looked at Benito.

"Because the only place they are going to have this amount of firepower would be in a Anti-Skill warehouse, and since I can't carry over a two hundred kilograms worth of gear in one go, I will need some help loading it into a van."

Benito looked at the kid, debating whether to tell the kid he has to go on his own and acquire the guns or to help the kid. He decision came down to the fact that he couldn't waste too much time in the city or Cristiano would have his head and send the kid out to kill the cyborg.

"Fine, give me a time and a location and we will meet you there," Benito said. "And don't worry about payment, I discussed it with your boss already." Hamazura gave the Italian the location, and told him to be there in a few hours with a van and his men.

Hamazura watched Benito walk out of the hideout, and he shook his head taking a seat on one of the chairs in the hideout. He knew this job reeked of trouble, but there was nothing he could do about it. He was just a small fry in the gang, and he had nothing to make him stand out.

He leaned back, looking at the ceiling. He watched as parts of the paint fell to the ground, thinking what in the world a group of Italian terrorist were doing in Academy City. He pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing that later he would enter the fire. He just hoped that no one would know what he had done.

Author's notes: Ah the end of the build-up chapters, now time to include story arcs! Now to explain what I mean.

These first four chapters have been building up to where I can comfortable start making arcs. This is crucial as until we get to the start of the Raildex arcs we will be using orginal material, and arcs keeps the story focus and keeps it moving.

We have just seen Hamazura, when he is still small fry in Skill-Out. This story will make certain Hamazura gets some back story that adds some depth to the blonde bad ass. The first arc will also see the arrival of everyone's favorite albino, so there is that to look forward to. But now to the reviews;

-Triser: In theory, Angelica could kill Accelerator by snuffing out the oxygen around him using an explosive like a Fuel air bomb or a Thermobaric bomb. But both of these are highly complex and would take considerable calculations to correctly get the right amount of each explosive and to not prevent either a dud or an overexplosion.

What I mean by this is that when the US was testing the Caste Bravo bomb, they miscalculated, and thus set the test up for a much smaller bomb, only to make a bomb that was only rivaled by the Tsar Bomba. So imagine the danger is Angelica plays fast and loose with her ability.

I agree with you assessment that Touma wouldn't be able to stop the explosion once in effect. If he were to stop it from happening, he would have to reach the bomb and touch that. And as to Saiai's ability, it is lame, sure it makes her pretty sturdy, but its still meh.

-Guest #1: About Marco's death and Angelica's current indifference to it, I will be addressing it, it is a plot point, and we see in this chapter she is doing it as a self-defense mechanism. She doesn't want to keep dwelling on his death as it makes her question herself and why she lived and why he died. It's like survivor's remorse, except she has actual guilt in that his life should've been in her hands (sure the situation was out of her hand, but still).

-Guest #2: Glad you are enjoying the story so far. Yes, the story is 2 years before the events of the light novels, and I subscribe to the idea Kuroko is a late 12 year old. She is one year younger (about) than Misaka, and Misaka is thirteen (from what I can tell).

I covered the issue with remote ignition in this chapter, mainly because of what is going to happen in the upcoming arc. Her ability isn't the best yet, but it scales relatively fast. And yes, her ability is well suited to the darkness of Academy City, and this arc sees her slipping into the darkness, though it isn't like she got greedy for power. Rather, she tries to take things into her hands and ends up making a Faustian deal that causes her descent.

And we will see the project and the esper it concerns. What becomes of the project and how it interacts with Angelica I promise will be interesting.

Alright guys, as always, please follow, favorite, and review!