Quick thing: thanks so much, whwsms, unidentified guest, and DarkBetrayer for your reviews! Thanks to Generation Zero for favoriting! Thanks to Kapellan23 for following and favoriting! I'm so glad to have you all along for the ride.
Anyway, from this point forward, in a similar style to the homie DarkBetrayer, I'll respond to reviews during these quick things to save time and to create a better feeling of writer-reader interaction.
whwsms: I can't say a lot without spoiling future arcs, but I have big plans for at least one of them.
Guest: Similar to my above response, I can't really say too much without unleashing spoilers. I guess I can at least tell you that you won't be disappointed.
DarkBetrayer: I responded to your review via PM, but just so I don't look like I'm dodging criticism, I'll respond here, too. I want both Misaki and Touma to experience growth and learn more about themselves and how to find true balance in their bond. A lot happened after the Fall of the Director, an event this piece doesn't directly cover that affected both emotionally and psychologically. By having both slowly overcome their trauma through working with one another, I feel I'm properly writing the piece I'm trying to write. In future arcs, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
A/N: I'd like to announce that the previous chapter wrapped up what I've decided to call the Crossing Arc. Touma's Kamijou Forces (at least a small portion of them) have met with D-001/Devastator for the first time, which, as well as introducing the alternate universe this piece takes place in, was the intended purpose of the arc. This chapter marks the beginning of what I'm calling the Heroes Arc. You'll have to read on to discover why, I'm afraid.
With that, I'll stop my blabbering.
Again, thanks to everyone who has favorited, reviewed, followed, and to those who are just silently following along. You're all great.
Touma jolted back into consciousness. He found himself laying on his back, his body plastered with sweat. His heart was beating a mile a minute; Kamijou Touma had, again, been tormented by some sort of nightmare, but he couldn't remember what exactly had caused his mind such distress. Blinking to erase the watery, blurry shapes of the dream world from his vision, he found himself alone. The area where Misaki had, presumably, been laying was still quite warm from her body heat. He sat up in their bed, the light sheet and the blue and black checkered comforter on top of it embracing his lower body. "I don't remember really getting into bed; I was out before I even hit the sheets. I guess Misaki covered me?" The young man assumed. On the dresser next to their bed, he found a steaming hot cup of his favorite black coffee. Touma couldn't help but grin as he took the cup in hand and heartily drank. The warm beverage, unsurpassed in its godly taste, travelled down his throat, sending waves of warmth through his whole body.
These waves caused his body to shiver in ecstasy, resulting in Touma nearly spilling the beverage all over the comforter; quick reflexes and a long history of incidents just like these helped Touma prevent the mess.
"Such misfortune," he characteristically grumbled.
Sighing, he placed the near empty cup back onto the dresser.
The feeling of dread that had awoken with Touma hadn't entirely consumed him, but he could feel it grasping at his thoughts. What he had witnessed, and, more importantly, what he had failed to even come close to preventing would haunt him for some time. Touma felt a deep sense of remorse. He didn't know those people who were ripped to shreds, but that didn't matter to someone like Touma: saving them was what mattered, and he didn't. Maybe he couldn't, but he didn't even try.
"Maybe that's what I was having a nightmare about? I'm glad I don't remember."
How many other people had died because of his little vacation over the last few years? How many people could he have saved? How many lives could he have kept from being torn apart?
"At least I feel better physically," he thought, trying to stay as far on the positive side as he could.
"I would love to, Misaka-san! I think we really need to catch up!" The young man heard his wife's soothing voice proclaim.
"Did you already have anything in mind?"
"Ah, it isn't a big deal. I am sure we can think of something, can't we?"
"Two thirty, was it? I think I can manage that."
"Is Shirai-san on duty?"
"That's a shame. I would love for her to accompany us; she is always such fun."
"Shirai-san is, ah, quite fond of you, I know that much Misaka-san. But she means well. Shirai-san really cares about you."
"Lovely, I will see you then. I am looking forward to it! A relaxing atmosphere is precisely what we are all in dire need of, especially given these recent events."
"You take care as well, Misaka-san. See you soon!"
Touma heard the familiar 'end call' tone Misaki's phone produced. The young man decided to get up; moving around and interacting with Misaki would keep his mind occupied. He felt the carpeted floor beneath him before he stepped into his ancient slippers, threw on his housecoat and brought his coffee with him on his journey.
"Good morning, sleepy head." Misaki chimed as Touma rounded the corner into their living room.
"Good morning to you too, early riser," he chuckled. "Thanks for the coffee. That was really thoughtful of you. I mean, I don't mind brewing it myself! But, it's nice once in a while."
"You are very welcome; think nothing of it, my prince. Ah, I don't know if you heard my earlier conversation, but Misaka-san called, and we arranged a get together. Would you be interested in coming along?" She offered before taking a sip of her tea. Touma recognized the scent as that of green tea, one of Misaki's favorites.
"What are you two troublemakers going to get into?" Touma jabbed.
"Trouble, of course!" Misaki raised her fingers to her eye, performing her well known adorable sign. "Likely our usual – exercise for a few hours, attempt to eat healthy alternatives and fail miserably, falling to our own desires to consume gross amounts of empty calories. Misaka-san will likely want to read the latest manga. That sort of adventure."
Touma laughed heartily, wincing slightly when his lower chest where that robotic monstrosity had hit him lashed out and ached in response to its use. "Gah, that's gonna hurt for a while."
"It still hurts there, I see." Misaki said, her pleasant mood wilting slightly.
"Yeah, I think I'm gonna sit this one out, beautiful. I need a couple of days to rest. I can tell it's nothing much – it just feels, I dunno, strained? Nothing's too badly damaged, at least I don't think so. I'll probably just hang out here, or something. Maybe play Orders to Engage? Remember that new free-to-play first person shooter I bugged you to look at with me? It had this one crazy new game mode where you shoot down gargoyles and other crazy stuff with other people from all over."
"I hope you're feeling okay. But if you think you aren't badly hurt, you are likely correct; you know your own body and how it feels, right?" Misaki smiled at her husband. "Also, you did not "bug" me. I love shopping with you, learning more about the things that you are fond of and indulging in your interests. When I get home, I would love to play it with you."
"Best wife ever," Touma remarked before he sat himself comfortably down on the couch. Picking up the remote, the same channel with the same irritating host appeared. "Is this channel entirely dedicated to this goofball?" Touma demanded. He quickly switched to the TV Guide, where he could find refuge from the irate individual.
Misaki blushed heavily, fiddling with her fingers. "When Touma says such nice things to me, ah. There is nothing better," she swooned internally.
"And you are the greatest husband. Thank you. I try my hardest to be."
Melancholy fell over Touma. Something tugged at the young man when Misaki uttered those words; he felt the compulsion to talk to her, to hear his soul mate's thoughts. Despite their pleasant conversation, Touma felt himself wanting to open up to his soul mate and find release for the negativity floating around in his head.
Touma decided he wouldn't harbor this any longer. "Misaki?" He asked, sitting up and turning around to face her. At first, he wanted to keep his face glued to the television, but he decided against it. He could hear the TV behind him – the documentary's narrator was explaining the relationship between cheetahs, evidently the documentary's primary focus and the animal's prey.
The mood grew sombre.
"Mhm?" Misaki responded.
"Since we still have a few hours before you go, can I talk to you about something? I feel like I need to get this off my chest."
Misaki stopped what she had been doing, walked over to and stood on the other side of the couch, offering her husband her undivided attention. "Of course, baby. I'm listening."
"It's, about what happened, yesterday. With that robot and Kinuhata; how it just, killed those people."
Misaki sighed. She had a feeling this would come up at some point.
"I had a feeling that deeply disturbed you in a different way than it did us. But, Touma, there was nothing anyone could have done to save them. That devil committed its crimes in mere seconds, faster than any human, save a Saint, or an esper with the appropriate ability could react."
"And that's what pisses me off the most!" Touma exclaimed; his words came out more viciously than he had intended, but he didn't stop. "I should've seen it coming. Misaka could've kept their bullets off me, and I could've used Imagine Breaker to negate that thing's beam attacks!"
"And what if those beams were not supernatural in origin?" Misaki pointed out. "What would stepping in and becoming another victim achieve? You would not have saved anyone. You would have become a statistic."
Touma rose up to his full imposing height and swung Imagine Breaker at the air. His arm arced like a great weapon; if something had been standing there, a bone-shattering right hook would have been delivered. Touma imagined a thousand different things standing in that spot; that demon, Othinus, Motoharu, all of God's Right Seat, Accelerator before he had been saved, the disturbing form Mikoto had taken during the level six shift attempt on her being, and the greatest foe Touma's mind had mustered to act as a cathartic target – Aleister Crowley. His wounded chest protested, and Touma felt the pulling sensation, like his body was tearing from the force, but he refused to allow it to hold his rage back.
"It's not even that. It is, but, fuck, how many people have been hurt, or have died because of me? Because I decided to give up? Because I took it upon myself to say 'that's it, I'm done!" But I can't just up and leave you, you're my number one concern – protecting you is what I care about most, Misaki. It'd be completely fucked up and unfair for me to just expect you to sit around and worry if I'm going to come home at night or end up dead somewhere, it's…"
Touma paced back and forth, his troubled mind looking for more things to spit out. Thousands of subjects, phrases, and heated rants coursed throughout his consciousness, each coming quite close to the tip of his tongue before being rejected.
"I am not a princess in a tower. I can protect myself; remember, though; I deeply and truly appreciate the sentiment, my prince. But, you are right; it would be very unfair for anyone to expect anyone to deal with such stress," Misaki admitted. "I am glad that you are mature enough to know that without having to be told. Truthfully, I do not know how long I could cope. You are everything to me, and knowing that my everything, my sunshine, could die at any moment in the middle of a cold street, alone and afraid," Misaki seemed to be struggling to keep her composure; her mind visualized the scene, and it sent chills down her spine. She immediately shut down the vision before it could continue. "Not to mention that I would not even know where you were or when or if you would return to me? At the risk of sounding selfish, I do not think I could allow that. I would have to do everything I could to stop you."
Touma sat himself back down on the couch, his chin placed thoughtfully in his right palm.
"I'm not trying to bum you out here; I know you have plans, but you're the only person I feel comfortable venting to like this. Me and Accelerator have had pretty deep talks in the past, but Accelerator isn't the most talkative guy, unless you catch him in the right mood. Plus, he's busy keeping up with Last Order and Worst."
Touma smirked; it was strange. He felt awful. He felt angry, resentful, self-depreciative. Yet he was smirking.
"Those two are his life. He rarely admits it, but, he loves them. He really, really does. I wonder how they are."
Misaki sat next to Touma and put her arm around his shoulder. She gently turned Touma's face to face hers.
"You do not need to worry about bringing me down. I am glad you are talking to me about the way you feel. I am so happy that you are no longer trying to hide from me; that my words got through to you. Communication is the key to any relationship; and what we are doing right now is communicating. Anger, helplessness, sadness, all of these feelings may not feel the best to release, but this is healthy and normal. Our life together cannot always be perfect; nothing can. This is the real world, but we can try our best to reach out and grab perfection as we can."
"Thanks, Misaki. Makes me wonder what I've missed on the Magic Side. They probably hate me by now; up and leaving them behind without so much as an explanation."
That tugged at something he had forgotten. Something important. Something he should have told his Magic Side allies about.
"Misaki! Remember, at that store? The tea?! That weird flaming tea?!"
Misaki's starry eyes widened in recognition.
"How could I have forgotten so easily? We were just with Tsuchimikado-san, as well!" She berated herself internally.
"I did forget. I do not know how I managed to forget so easily. Perhaps, during the chaos of the events that transpired, it slipped me by. It should not have, as it is an incredibly important matter. We need to contact Tsuchimikado-san immediately. I only hope we are not too late."
Before long, Touma was on the phone. The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
A fourth time.
Touma was beginning to lose hope; he felt anxiety welling up inside of him.
"Fuck no, no, no, no. Come on, pick up, Tsuchimikado! Pick up! PICK UP THE PHONE!" The young man screamed inside of his head.
Finally, someone answered the phone on the other end.
"Greetings and salutations, Kami-yan! How're ya feeling?"
"Not now, Tsuchimikado. Listen, we need to talk. It's a pretty big deal."
"Well, I'm listenin'. Go."
"Me and Misaki, two days ago, we went to this new supermar- I mean, Ultramarket that opened up in district seven. Big place, it's called Ken's Ultramarket, I think. In the isle that had tea and other stuff like that, we found boxes of teabags that had a single rune I couldn't make out. One rune on each box. When I pressed Imagine Breaker to them, they fell apart – when I did the same to the teabags, they caught fire that Imagine Breaker could put out. I meant to tell you, or anyone more involved in the Magic Side earlier, but, you know what happened."
Motoharu was quiet for a few seconds. Touma couldn't hear much besides whatever crap Motoharu was watching; Touma supposed it made sense that the Spymaster of Necessarius, a major magical organization, wouldn't just be out wandering the streets without purpose.
"That's pretty… well, I won't sugar coat it – that's pretty sketchy, but not surprising, given the magic-related activity in the City. I'll have people look into it as soon as I can. There's a lot going on back in England right now; nothing too bad, just the usual. Still, Necessarius is obligated to be involved, and, by extension, so am I. But, don't get your undies in a bunch, Kami-yan! I'll also make sure to let Kanzaki know, just in case. You can never have too many Amakusa around. One thing before I let you go – have you seen anything like it anywhere else?"
"Nope," Touma said truthfully. "First time I've seen anything like it."
"That's something, at least. Let me know if you find anything else with runes, hah? I'll get back to you once we know what's going on. This could point to a lot of things."
"Will do. Thanks, Tsuchimikado," Touma said, concluding he and his friend's conversation.
"Bye Kami-yan! Say 'hi' to the Missus for me, hah?"
Touma ended the call, breathing a sigh of relief and stretched his arms into the air to relieve the tension his body had been experiencing. That was one last problem he had to deal with today.
"What did Tsuchimikado-san say, Touma? Does he have any information on the incident at that store?" Misaki inquired. She apparently hadn't listened in on her husband's conversation.
"He doesn't know a lot about it, but he has people investigating. He told me that we should contact him if we see anything else like that; anything suspicious."
"Ah. I was hoping Tsuchimikado-san would know more." Misaki uncharacteristically frowned. "Touma, I am very concerned. There is a lot that could be happening. A lot that we are in the dark about. This could be the beginning of some greater magical plot. We know magicians who are not friendly to us or our friends on the Magic Side are here; what else would they be doing while they have taken to hiding? I suppose I should be grateful that Tsuchimikado-san is taking quick action to understand the threat; yet, I feel we should have contacted him sooner. It is a shame that it slipped us both by."
Touma bent down slightly in order to meet Misaki's eyes, to make it so that she didn't have to look up at him. It was about time he once again took on the role of acting as a support in this marriage.
"Misaki, everything's going to be okay. I promise. I won't let anything happen to you, or me, or anyone we care about. I'll shatter this plot with Imagine Breaker, illusion by illusion, if I have to."
The young man gently ran his hands along the back of his lover's neck, moving them into her bright yellow shirt that matched her hair and down her shoulders. Her body quivered in pleasure; it jumped from her forehead and down into her toes, making her whole body feel so fantastic.
"You don't have a thing to worry about. Want to show me that beautiful smile?"
Misaki's lips went against her mind; a small, dignified smile emerged on her face; she couldn't help it. Her body reeled at first, her anxious mind demanding to be left untouched, but her young adult body had other ideas. Misaki's body whipped her mind into shape, and it began to slowly change gears. "T-this is the last thing I should be thinking about. W-we need to be responsible and think. I cannot help it, though. I feel my desire growing. I want my husband. I want Touma. I want my prince." A pleasured moan escaped her lips as she came closer and closer into falling into the grip of her human instincts. Misaki's mind wanted to resist the feeling, to fight back against nature's call to sexual arms. "T-Touma," Misaki stammered. The young woman's heart was beginning to race, her body producing various chemical reactions in response to the immensely enjoyable stimuli. She felt the heat rising to her face, and she began to once again mumble internally. "I, I feel, warm. T-Touma, your touch, it feels so good. You know I love it when you touch me, especially when you touch me like this. Your hands are, soft, so gentle, so caring."
Misaki pressed herself against her husband, body taking control while her mind fell victim to nature's demands. She tugged at his tight grey t-shirt that put his muscular upper body on full display for her and her alone. "I dislike thinking of Touma as if he were a piece of meat, but… he is mine. Body, mind, and all. Kamijou Touma is mine," A soft moan escaped yet again. "Mine," she repeated to herself again, and again, and again.
Touma was the only man, no, the only person who could make her lose control like this. Kamijou Misaki was always in control. She could control the minds of those around her; she could control the world. Yet, when her soul mate made her yearn for him, she lost all of that control. Instead, what replaced that control was, ironically enough, an uncontrollably base and primal craving.
"Kamijou Touma, do n-not even dare think about stopping this. Do not stop touching me. I want this. I need this."
"You thought I was going to tease you and leave you hanging? You know better, Misaki. I'm serious when it comes to loving you."
Inside the confines of his head, Touma was focused solely on his task at hand. The blizzard of negativity had been transformed into his own primal urges, which needed desperately to be taken care of. He looked his wife up and down, examining each delicate curve, thoughts of what he could do with her rushing through his mind – thoughts that, if she were any other woman, he would feel terribly ashamed of having. Touma knew Misaki wouldn't protest – the two often experimented in what they were and weren't comfortable with in regards to their respective sexualities. If something felt good, it became a bedroom tradition. If something caused discomfort or pain, it was immediately retired.
The young man didn't have any particular fetishes, per say; the closest thing he had to a 'kink' was a desire for older women with a particular body type. He grew out of his fascination with older women in his early twenties – thirty-year-old single mothers weren't overly appealing to him, not the way an eighteen-year-old was when he was fifteen. But he retained his fondness for a certain body type – a body type that Misaki possessed.
The couple moved their faces closer together for a ritual of adoration. Touma removed his hands from Misaki's skin, which caused her to pout. In response, Touma returned them not to the same place, but instead, he placed them firmly on her hips. They looked just right sitting on her flawless curves. Misaki took it upon herself to begin their wordless exchange. She looked into her prince's handsome face one final time before she closed her eyes. Instead of seeing, she felt her lips press against Touma's own soft lips.
"Grope me, Touma. I want you to grab me, manhandle me! Let all of your perverted needs take hold! Press me against the wall and… d-don't hold BACK!" She almost yelled, so deep she was in her ecstasy.
"It's funny, all of those accidental groping incidents when I was younger; I always freaked out when some crazy girl was trying to flay me for falling face-first into her chest," Touma reminisced to himself. "Figures I would have a fucking complex. This is okay, though. Misaki isn't just some random girl, or Kanzaki, or, L-Lessar, or Biribir- Misaka. She's my wife. We're lovers, and she wants this. This is… okay."
Slowly, as if he were testing his luck, his hands reached around, and landed right where they were intended to land. Misaki looked amazing in her leggings, and to Touma, she felt even better. Touma broke away from their kiss and, with the ferocity of a starved animal, went straight for Misaki's neck. He began ravenously kissing, the thought of leaving hickeys behind all too alive in his mind. He silently checked Misaki's neck after each kiss to make sure he hadn't left any 'artifacts' behind. "Such… Misfortune…" he thought between breaths. The young man could barely hear himself think over his wife's barely suppressed moaning.
Misaki grabbed Touma's left hand suddenly and began speed walking, pulling him along behind her as gently as she could manage, given her body's demands for immediate gratification.
"Bedroom. Now."
Mikoto ran her comb through her brown locks as quickly as she could; her hazel eyes peered into her reflection's. She licked her lips as she combed away the imperfections. Mikoto wasn't someone who spent a lot of time in front of a mirror, but she wanted to look more than just acceptable, especially if she was going somewhere with Misaki.
After she was thoroughly convinced she had gotten her physical appearance just right, she slipped into a pair of light and airy shorts – regular shorts, rather than the 'short' variety of shorts, and one of her favorite shirts. It was entirely green, with two big, adorable black eyes in the upper center. This shirt was, of course, supposed to depict the face of the love of her life, Gekota-Sama. Looking herself over in the wall-length mirror in her bedroom, Mikoto nodded in satisfaction.
"Who cares if people think Gekota is for little kids? If I like it, that's all that matters. Phooey on them," she protested aloud to no one before she confidently marched out of her bedroom and into her living room/kitchen hybrid. It wasn't the largest dwelling in Academy City, but it was a home Mikoto could call her own.
The walls were painted baby blue, the floors consisted of cool to the touch white tiles in the kitchen, while the living room was carpeted, as was Mikoto's bedroom. In the living room, Mikoto had set up a large flat screen television, some game consoles for the purposes of both gaming and streaming entertainment, pictures depicting beautifully painted scenes of rural Japan, mostly the areas outside of Academy City's walls, and a spacey computer desk where her laptop sat, patiently waiting to be used. A wireless mouse sat on a Gekota mousepad set up a few inches away from the laptop itself; Mikoto never enjoyed using the laptop's trackpad, especially because the infernal device often malfunctioned, perhaps due in part to her abilities.
Mikoto stepped outside; there was considerable cloud coverage, but none of the clouds looked to contain rain. Academy City's ability to predict the weather correctly almost one hundred percent of the time was a helpful factor, as well.
As Mikoto began to walk, a thought crossed her mind.
"Ice cream. I want ice cream. Y-yeah! I've barely had any junk food this week! I-I'm going to get ice cream!" Mikoto beat back any doubt and proceeded on her way.
"O-of course, the only problem is, this could be a bit of a hunt. Leaving Kamijou-san to wait for me would be rude, too, so I guess I can just grab ice cream with her."
Mikoto would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't slightly disappointed. "At least I'll get it at some point today! Chin up!"
While most walked, cycled or drove throughout Academy City's safe districts, Mikoto didn't need to do anything of that sort. Her electromaster abilities allowed her to quickly and efficiently make her commute anything but stressful; she could simply leap from structure to structure through the power of magnetism, a force that, as a level five electromaster, she could manipulate with ease. It wasn't quite as efficient as Kuroko's teleporter ability, but it easily beat any form of conventional transportation.
It didn't take Mikoto long to arrive at the apartment complex she recognized as Misaki and Touma's place of residence. It wasn't a high rise, but it wasn't a small building, either. It had at least ten floors, with a white exterior. The balconies had light brown, but not quite beige railings. The balconies were impressive for an Academy City apartment complex.
Mikoto entered the lobby; she observed that the floors were made up of grey tiles that appeared to have been recently cleaned. A single carpet lead from the entrance of the lobby to the apartment complex proper. A contraption sat on the wall adjacent to Mikoto; it had a number pad and a list of apartments, along with the residents living in them. "I don't need to check the list; I know where those two live," Mikoto smirked, evidently quite proud of herself.
"I could just hack this door…" Mikoto considered for a moment before she shook the idea off. Misaka Mikoto was someone who liked convenience, but not at the price of walking in without welcome into the place of her friends' residence.
Dialing the phone number listed next Touma and Misaki's apartment number, Mikoto began to hear the sound of the contraption trying to connect her call with the phone in their room. For a few seconds, Mikoto stood there. A few seconds more, and she leaned against the smooth white wall across from the buzzer contraption.
Mikoto became impatient, tapping her foot against the tile floor. "Come onnnnnnn. What could they even be DOING up there?"
Mikoto shuttered at her imagination's first responses, and quickly tried to erase the images that flooded her mind.
"Touma. That was… I have no words. I feel so much better." Misaki was still panting, desperately trying to clear the lactic acid from her bloodstream through deep breaths. Touma didn't seem to be any less exhausted – they had been keeping themselves busy for quite some time.
"I hope I did not pressure you, baby. If I did…"
Touma shook his head, a big, goofy grin on his face.
"Nah, you're fine. I needed that too. We should spend quality time together more often." He chuckled lightly, and Misaki giggled in response, blushing heavily.
Something caught Misaki's attention. A sound. It was the sound of their rarely used home phone.
"Ah!" Misaki exclaimed, suddenly jumping out of their bed and throwing her clothing back on in a flurry. Touma looked on at the Tasmanian Devil-like tornado that his wife had become. "Misaka-san is waiting for me! I am so forgetful!"
"Should I, uh, see you out?" Touma asked, sitting up with a quizzical expression on his face.
"Yes, please, my prince!" Misaki exclaimed back as she wrestled with a sock that looked to have gained sentience and was actively fighting against her.
Having tamed her clothing, Misaki slung her purse over her shoulder, checking and then double checking to make sure she had everything she needed – keys, bank card, spare emergency yen, phone. "Everything seems to be in its place. Misaka-san is going to be furious!"
Touma shook his head and laughed in response. He seemingly had a much easier time than his soul mate in getting himself suited up. "Misaka doesn't have a patient bone in her body. Expect the worst."
"Thank you, love." Misaki sarcastically jabbed.
Mikoto was about to call Misaki's cellphone when she heard Misaki's singsong voice coming from the elevator. She couldn't get to said elevator (unless she hacked the door that blocked her way), but she could at least see Misaki.
"D-don't even tell me," Mikoto said, her face tucked into her palm; the level five blushed heavily and was struggling to hide it, as well as the toothy grin she couldn't hide. "I don't even want to know. I'm just glad you made it."
"I'm SO sorry, Misaka-san!" Misaki exclaimed once she had opened the barricade of a door with her key. "I, um, got sidetracked…"
Mikoto wasn't an idiot; she could easily tell that Misaki had only spent the bare minimum of time required to comb her long blonde hair. Touma's hair wasn't much better; it was messy, unspiked, and looked like a pair of hands had spent a good amount of time running through it. Mikoto felt a twinge of jealousy stab at her gut.
"D-don't be an idiot! Forget it! Being jealous of their bond is a terrible thing, Misaka Mikoto. Knock it off," she berated herself within the safety of her mind.
"D-don't even w-worry about it, Kamijou-san! Things happen. What matters is that we've got the whole day ahead of us, right?" Mikoto genuinely smiled, the jealousy either forgotten or suppressed.
"You are right, Misaka-san. Still, I feel bad for leaving you hanging."
The blonde Mental Out user turned to her husband and pecked him on the lips. Her body craved for the peck to become more, but she reined the desire in. "Now you are just being greedy."
"I love you; be good." Misaki teased. "If you need me, do not hesitate to call me or text me, okay?"
"Love you, too. No promises," Touma responded. "I will, but I think I should be fine. Still, thanks, beautiful."
Butterflies formed in Misaki's stomach and performed incredibly feats of acrobatics.
"Nice to see you, Touma." Mikoto smiled at the young man.
"Likewise, Bi- Misaka!" Touma said, correcting himself as quickly as possible. Though Mikoto didn't try to fry him for calling her 'Biribiri' these days, Touma still didn't want to disrespect Mikoto's wishes to be referred to properly.
"B-bye bye! Behave yourself!" Misaki exclaimed as Mikoto dragged her friend along with her.
"So, you leave your friend waiting so you can perform the Mating Ritual of Kami-yan, huh? Tsuchimikado-san has you two pretty well figured out!" Mikoto teased her former rival.
"A-ah! Misaka-san! That's private business!" Misaki exclaimed defensively. "Tsuchimikado-san is too deeply invested in Touma's business."
"He's an idiot, but he's a loveable idiot. At least when he's not being all Magic Side-y and weird," Mikoto said. "I don't know. When he gets all serious, Tsuchimikado-san can actually be really…"
"Scary?" Misaki finished Mikoto's sentence for her, saving the electromaster the word search.
"Y-yeah! Actually, he gets all different. Almost too different. Like he has some kind of split personality disorder."
Mikoto looked around suspiciously.
"Kamijou-san, can you do me a favor? Want to scan for that idiot's brain? I don't want to talk too much smack about him if he's hiding somewhere. He could be, like, lurking in a dumpster or something."
"I've found Tsuchimikado-san in stranger places," Misaki said cryptically. "He always claims he was doing 'fieldwork'… what sort of fieldwork would involve watching the all female swim team of a university? With a cellphone?"
Mikoto shuttered. "Don't get me wrong! I like Tsuchimikado-san!"
Misaki gave her ex-rival a look. A grin had formed on her face, and she had raised an eyebrow.
"Not like that!" Mikoto cried. "B-but he does perverted things. I mean, I guess it's a normal guy thing, maybe just taken to the extreme? He's not really hurting anyone," she reasoned.
"Touma does not do anything of that sort; he does not have to," Misaki bragged, chin held high.
"You sure about that? Check his browsing history once in a while. I'm sure you'll find something unsavory! He is a man, and every man has a weakness!"
"I-I have no reason to spy on my husband! H-his business is his own!" Misaki said, crossing her arms beneath her bosom and turning her head. Her scowl faded as soon as it had come, however, and she soon broke down into a giggling fit.
"W-what's so funny, Kamijou-san?" Mikoto questioned.
Misaki had to stop, her giggling wasn't about to be stopped.
"I… It would feel a bit wrong, but I should, one day; simply for laughs. I wonder if Touma indulges in that sort of… entertainment. I have never seen him do so."
It was Mikoto's turn to grin.
"We have a mystery on our hands! Is Touma a sick, twisted little man? We'll have to find out."
The two young women arrived in a small but busy park in school district seven; it had enough open space, as well as a cobblestone path for the two to follow if they wanted to walk or jog. Trimmed grass showing signs of invasion by weeds native to Academy City flanked the path on either side. In the center of the park, there was an ornate fountain, lavishly decorated by the hands of an incredibly skilled architect. Surprisingly, it had no human figures on it – four streams of water were produced by four gate-like carvings, one on each side of the obelisk-like figure that rose from the center of the fountain.
"Wanna walk? We can walk and talk, unless you'd rather sit on a bench," Mikoto offered, extending her hand and moving it around as if to display points of interest for the Mental Out user to see.
"I would love to walk, Misaka-san," Misaki smiled. "I am glad our meeting today is not taking place in a warzone."
"You and me both, district ten is… messed up."
"How did you, Shirai-san and Tsuchimikado-san escape from that place? If you do not mind me asking," Misaki questioned. She had been legitimately concerned about her friends' safety; Mikoto had texted Misaki shortly after they had safely managed to get back into a safe district, but the electromaster hadn't been overly specific.
"Yeah, it's fine; I don't mind. Kuroko couldn't really get us out; she was pretty tired. She's not used to teleporting that many people that often. We couldn't really rest in a place like that. I mean, I could protect us from gunfire by manipulating them with my ability, but who wants to have a relaxing rest while they're being shot at?" Mikoto tried to laugh the whole thing off, but Misaki couldn't hide her concern.
"Eheheh! It's okay, though, Kamijou-san! We're all fine!"
"And for that I am glad. I would hate to lose such good friends, Misaka-san."
"K-Kamijou-san!" Mikoto exclaimed. "Y-you're going to make me tear up! K-knock it off!"
The two giggled at the lighthearted direction their exchange had taken.
"But, yeah. Tsuchimikado-san seemed to know that whole place like the back of his hand once he got walking around. He took us through dingy back alleys, down into abandoned sewer systems, we even saw the old Reformatory. Almost looked like people had moved into it; we saw a few signs of life, but Tsuchimikado-san didn't seem too concerned about it."
Misaki had an entirely different reason to be concerned about the Reformatory. At one time, Mitsuari Ayu, a dark specter from her past, had been confined there. Perhaps she still was, despite the fact the Reformatory had been abandoned for years. Perhaps she was the one inhabiting it. Perhaps she had formed her own militia and planned to attack school district seven with the mindset that if she could not be the one to have a relationship with Kamijou Touma, then no one could be. Perhaps…
"Kamijou-san? Earth to Kamijou-san! Wee woo, wee woo! Hi!" Mikoto exclaimed, waving her hands in Misaki's face. The Mental Out user returned to the real world.
"Ah! I am sorry, Misaka-san. I spaced out for a moment."
"Eheheh, don't worry about it. It happens to the best of us."
"What else happened? What happened after you and the others got past… that place?" Misaki asked, trying not to sound like she dreaded saying the name of Mitsuari Ayu's prison possible turned base of operations, if her paranoid was to be believed.
Mikoto noticed the chance in her friend's demeanor, but decided to leave it be. "Kamijou-san has a dark past; I'd rather not go digging that up. I wouldn't want people doing the same to me," Mikoto empathetically reasoned.
"Well, once we got past that old ruin, it was mostly smooth sailing. I guess Kinuhata and that, thing, scared most of district ten's inhabitants back into hiding? Looking back, I really should've just pinned that robot to the ground; I probably could've manipulated its body magnetically, but I-I guess I didn't think about it. I was too worried about you two."
"Who could know what it was made of? Very likely no one, beyond whoever created it. As for that devil? I hate it."
Mikoto gave Misaki a look of questioning.
"Not only did it physically hurt my husband, it emotionally and psychologically hurt him, as well. You know the kind of person he is. Touma wants to protect and save everyone. Seeing people being, torn like paper, like garbage, it hurt him in ways you or I could never understand. His ways are complicated. I have lived with Touma for years, and I have been his partner for even longer. I still do not even know what compels him. I do not think even he knows what drives him,"
Misaki took a breath, shook her head, causing her long blonde hair to flow behind her, and continued.
"I suppose he is simply a hero, and saving people is what heroes do, after all."
"Funny thing," Mikoto began. "I used to talk down to him when we were younger. I'd call him an idiot for doing all of the crazy things he did, for pulling all of the insane stunts he pulled, but, like I said, I was young. We all were, and I would've never admitted that I idolized him for it; Touma was, and still is, so cool to me."
"Misaka-san! That is so sweet!" Misaki practically swooned. She loved it when other people realized her husband's greatness; jealousy was beyond Misaki. She knew that Touma was completely and unquestionably faithful to her. She also knew all about the unique friendship Mikoto and Touma shared. Shortly after their marriage, Misaki had vowed to never come between that friendship; it was a vow she intended on keeping. "I think a lot of people feel that way about him. My prince has saved a lot of people."
"He saved the entire world and destroyed a great evil. Can't really get much more heroic than that."
Misaki nodded in understanding. The Fall of the Director was not something that could be openly talked about – the Board of Directors knew who it was that felled Aleister Crowley, of course, but there wasn't much they could do about it. The Board had little power post-Fall; they were barely keeping the City alive as it was, and only recently they had begun to rebuild their seat of power. Academy City's government would likely never rise to their past level of absolute power again.
Misaki and Mikoto finished what they had decided was going to be their final lap around the park; their bodies felt renewed and refreshed from the exercise, especially Misaki – she hadn't always been a physically active person. Mikoto, on the other hand; Misaki couldn't think of a time that Mikoto hadn't been at peak physical shape.
"Fried?" Mikoto asked. She wasn't panting, but she was breathing a little bit heavier than she normally would.
"Done like dinner." Misaki replied. She opened her purse, produced her phone, and checked the device.
"No texts, no missed calls. I like to make sure."
"Aweh!" This time, it was Mikoto's turn to swoon. "Adorableeee."
"Where to? We still have a whole day!" Mikoto exclaimed, excitement evident in her voice.
"I am easy to please; name something, and there should be few problems."
"I'm not really hungry – a little bit too early for food, unless you're hungry."
Misaki shook her head. "I could eat, but I will survive. Hopefully, Misaka-san. Should I wither away to nothing, leave me and go on!" She cried dramatically.
"No can do, Kamijou-san. I guess I'll just have to bring your skeleton with me. But, uhh… what about the Underground Mall? The one in school district seven? I'd rather not go all the way to district three just to get robbed."
"That, we can agree on, Misaka-san," Misaki replied. "Let the adventure begin."
