Author's Notes: Whew! Welcome back everyone, to yet another chapter of 'Of Science and Magics'. Now, I'm certain most of you are probably cursing me for not updating for almost a month but I've had some personal issues lately that have left me in a more… bitter state. Life sucks hard.
In other news, I was also busy preparing for Grand Prix Singapore but I didn't get to play because of that particular event. No, I'm not going to talk about it since it makes me… never mind. And then, of course, I was in a playgroup and helped one of my friends test for Pro Tour Nagoya. He made top 50 so at least that effort paid off.
And then, I had exams so… well. Things happened. I managed to get back to typing but it was tough and the emotional rollercoaster I was going through certainly didn't help. I hope I managed to deliver with this chapter, which shakes things up quite a bit and will do some foreshadowing. Many of you mentioned how odd it was that Touma ended up in a Child Error School… which I was hoping people would notice. Plus point for me? ^_^
If the quality has suffered in this chapter, I'll apologize beforehand.
Onwards!
Date: July 21st (Night)
"You know, I'd appreciate it if my patients would stay out of the hospital after recovering from their wounds for say… I don't know, months maybe?" Heaven Canceller said to Mikoto pointedly as she lay in a bed beside Touma, her wounds having opened up after arduously dragging him back from half a district away… injured. Said doctor rubbed his temples wearily as Mikoto gave him a sheepish smile, wincing lightly as her body throbbed in pain.
"Ah, well," Mikoto stammered at Heaven Canceller's stern look, "certain things happened…"
"…" Heaven Canceller sighed. "Certain things happened, she said." Shaking his head wryly, he scribbled something on his clipboard thoughtfully, "As a doctor, I won't ask what kind of trouble you two are getting into," he began, his eyes staring into hers piercingly, "But as my patients, as long as you come back alive, I will heal you. But don't take me for granted. There are things happening that maybe beyond your control."
Mikoto swallowed thickly. There was something terrifying about the way the doctor said this. As if he were speaking from a wealth of experience better off untouched. "I understand," she said softly, deferring to his seniority.
"Good," Heaven Canceller nodded, "Now, I don't know if I should be saying this but whoever gave Kamijou-san here the beating certainly didn't seem to hold back. He has a couple of broken ribs, his skull is bruised and his body has sustained quite severe damage. It's surprising he's even still breathing smoothly after what he went through but Kamijou-san always surprises me. Still, I'm not sure if he'll be waking up anytime soon, the blow he received to the head dealt severe trauma to it."
Mikoto paled, "Will he be alright?" she asked, feeling a cold fist grip her heart as she looked at his positively frail visage on the bed, a far cry from the healthy young man he was in the afternoon.
An eyebrow lifted faintly as Heaven Canceller kept his clipboard behind him, "Who do you think I am, Misaka-san? As long as the patient is alive, I will definitely save them. He's already healing. As for you," he shot her a suspicious look, "you'd do well to stay in bed and not get yourself into anymore scrapes. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Good," Heaven Canceller nodded as he turned to leave, "Now, get some rest. Worrying over him won't help him to wake up faster."
As he shut the door behind him, Mikoto's gaze flickered back to Touma, her face scrunching in pain as Touma's shallow breathing could be heard through his bandaged face, "Idiot Touma. Always making me worry…"
*** XXX ***
"It seems as though all the pieces are being gathered," a voice mused, echoing throughout the darkened hallways. A low hum and the hallways came to life, rows of lights flickering to startling brightness as a strange wind billowed within the building with no windows, no doors. Not one ray of light permeated through the violet walls of the building. The Windowless Building stood tall, a lone monolith hidden in the mass of skyscrapers, unseen and untouched.
Deep within the centre of the building, multiple screens flickered to life, each one displaying information far too fast for the human eye to capture. At the centre of this space, a lone tube stood, bubbles of oxygen trickling into the tube filled to the brim with a strange liquid and housing an impossible sight. A lone, silver haired man hung upside down, his eyelids fluttering open to reveal emerald eyes.
"Ah yes, Aleister Crowley," another voice boomed, resounding throughout the building in amusement, "Pray tell, which one is this?"
"Hm…" the man in the tube, Aleister Crowley, smiled. "Magic has entered the city. The Level 5's are gathering. Imagine Breaker will soon be put to the test."
"And this Dark Matter boy…?"
"He's doing what I've expected him to do," Aleister Crowley replied calmly, "After all, his actions only serve to enforce the fact that the humans ate from the fruit of knowledge. The taste of forbidden fruit is indeed too much to bear."
"Truly? Your plan has been in the making for years, Crowley. I hope to see it move soon. It does get dreadfully boring watching all these mundane events."
"Ah yes. Imagine Breaker. The boy needed a way to discover his… tool. Only then could he begin to attempt to understand his true nature." Aleister said as if in explanation.
"Ah, the reason why he ended up in a Child Error facility of all places. I never did ask but you were the one who instigated those events, weren't you?"
"Perhaps," Aleister allowed as his eyes took in the information on the screens without show of strain, his smile curling slightly more to reveal a devious grin, "Does curiosity finally overwhelm you that you'd be so talkative today?"
"…Perhaps."
"Alas, Imagine Breaker will have to work a little harder. 'The one who wields a piece of power that equates to God', 'The one who wields a piece of the Heaven that is inhabited by God' and 'The one who wields the aegis that will change God'. Once the three have gathered is when the stage is set." Aleister proclaimed, his eyes shutting once more. "The gathering of the Level 5's shall only spur the ascent of the trinity that will lead into the next phase."
Once again, the building descended into silence, the only sounds being the hum of the machines that powered the building.
*** XXX ***
"Amazing. Something so simple yet so elegant. Level Upper's creator sure knew what he was doing," the boy with glasses, a member of SCHOOL, commented, his glasses giving off an odd gleam by the computer light. "The entire system functions like a network, connecting their brainwaves to a single source, amplifying their AIM field like a web across Academy City. Their brainwaves are then forcefully straightened in a non-life threatening manner to increase processing power by unimaginable amounts."
"So, Megane (Meh-Gah-Neh), what you are saying is that the purpose of Level Upper was to form a network rather than raising abilities?" The girl in the dress reiterated, her eyebrow raised in query.
"Indeed. The Level raising was merely a bonus side effect," Megane said, adjusting his spectacles in excitement, "Imagine the human brain is a processor. By connecting the processor to other units, one can increase their efficiency as a whole. But the entire thing will still be only supporting one system. The only thing about Level Upper is that it doesn't have an alternate protocol system in place."
"A what?" the girl in the dress asked blankly.
"Something to prevent them from loosing control over their individual AIM fields, Kokoro," Kakine Teitoku explained, stepping out of the shadows quietly to observe the figures and graphs displayed on the computer screen. "A protocol in computer systems is like a synchronization of communication so that they can exchange data freely. However, in this case, only the administrator of the network has the overall authority. Meaning that they are all forcefully synchronized with the administrator's AIM dispersion field. Or rather, their AIM fields are all synchronized to form one for the administrator."
"Ok…" Kokoro said, still looking rather blank, "But what does the Administrator/Creator of Level Upper want to do with this?"
"Like I care what the person wants. No, what I'm interested in is the catalyst… no, the end result of the accumulation of thousands of Espers and their AIM field," Teitoku said with a wide grin, "An unproven theory – AIM BURST."
"You mean the energy we give out can actually be used for something dangerous?" Kokoro looked startled.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Teitoku said, "There are still many things we do not know or understand about the origins of our own powers. By doing this, I am one step closer to grasping the truth that lies behind the truth."
"Once again, oh fearless leader, I have no idea what runs through that head of yours," Kokoro sighed, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the wall with a yawn, "Well, if it's you, I guess it'll be ok… I think."
"I find your lack of faith disturbing, Kokoro," Teitoku joked, breathing in deeply as he spread his arms wide. As if in his behest, the skies above rumbled ominously. "Do not worry. Not even Number 1 can stop me once I get what I want. Even if the Kiharas oppose me, I'll show them – I'll reach Level 6 before anyone else ever does." His grin stretched wide to form a sadistic grin, "And then, they'll all pay."
*** XXX ***
Date: July 23rd
Two days. Touma had been unconscious for two days. Mikoto bit her lip in worry as Touma just lay there as still as a rock. Gently reaching over to place her hand on his forehead gently, she smiled down shakily at him. "Hey, you idiot. Why are you just lying there? Wake up, ok?" No response. Mikoto shivered, leaning back against the chair as she withdrew her hand from his head reluctantly.
"I'm going to go back to Tokiwadai. It maybe summer holidays, but I can't keep staying here forever, you know?" Mikoto said glumly, eyeing his still body with undisguised trepidation. "So, while I'm gone, you'd better wake up, ok? You can't just lie here forever. You just can't." her voice broke a little but she steadied herself, blinking back tears that came unbidden. "Always a softie when it comes to you," she hiccupped, shaking her head lightly.
"I'll be back later." She whispered, unable to bear the silence any longer.
As Mikoto left, a pair of golden eyes watched her movement carefully, a small, playful grin appearing on the person's lips as Mikoto disappeared from sight.
"Well, well," the person said in a distinctly feminine tone, "isn't this interesting?"
*** XXX ***
"This is getting ridiculous," Shirai Kuorko complained as she entered the 177th Judgment Branch, her feet and hands aching from the constant abuse they had been taking for the past two days. Two days of chasing, talking and beating up Espers that had partook in the use of Level Upper and were abusing their newfound powers to no end. The sudden surge in Esper crime only served to stretch Judgment thin. "Just how many of these Espers feel like they've been mistreated all their lives and make others miserable once they have the power?"
Sinking down on the cushion with a loud sigh, Kuroko winced as her aching muscles protested loudly by giving her another throb of pain.
Uiharu Kazari gave her partner a wan smile, "Ah, well. Academy City does have an issue with how it treats lower level Espers, after all…"
"And many of them get drunk on the power boost they get from Level Upper," Konori Mii added, frowning as more information came in from headquarters, "so it's inevitable that we get a surge in crime."
"Guh," Kuorko snorted loudly, leaning against the cushion with a purr of relief, "just a little taste of power and they go off doing stupid little things like this. It's no wonder they can't raise their levels if this is all they do with the power they are given."
"I wouldn't know about that," Sogiita Gunha said dryly as he opened the door, his jacket once more neatly in place, letting the members know that he was in his 'student' mode. After two days of interacting with the hot-blooded teenager, Kazari had promptly classified the Level 5 into two different personae. One was his 'student' mode, where his hair was combed neatly down, his jacket nicely buttoned up and his rising sun shirt hidden from sight. This signified that he was calmer, more refined and was generally more thoughtful. Unfortunately, this was only the mode when he actually stopped to think.
The other was his… 'Hero' mode, which Kazari had christened thanks to his habit of charging into the fray unannounced like a shonen hero. This personae typically had him wearing his jacket like a cape and having his rising sun shirt exposed for all to gape at. And because of the way he didn't seem to be able to use his brains intelligently during this mode, Kuroko often just stood aside and let him handle everything because nothing would enter his thick skull. Still, his reputation as Supreme Enforcer or Judgment's Ace was not just for show, this she had to admit. Still, in 'hero' mode, he had a tendency to add 'guts' to every sentence.
Gunha was something else entirely. His ability almost seemed combat personified. Still, now that he was in his 'student' mode, Kuroko actually bothered to listen. He did give good advice when he was calm, after all.
"What do you mean, Sogiita-san?" Kazari piped up curiously.
"Ah, I told you, just call me Gunha," Gunha said, taking a seat by the window as the three occupants of the room turned to face him. "Well, as I was saying, I don't think the problem lies with their attitude… at least, not entirely." He grimaced a little, trying to find the right words, "I think it's like scaling a huge wall. Some of these Espers just can't seem to overcome certain hurdles without a lot of difficulty. Sometimes, it is so difficult that they give up entirely. Now that they have this 'godsent' item, it's like their dreams have come through."
"It still does not explain their propensity for turning to crime," Kuroko huffed.
"Well, look at it this way," Gunha continued, "many of the Espers who have given up either end up being picked on by Espers who deem themselves superior or have lost hope entirely and joined gangs to gain a sense of self-worth. But once you give them what they want…"
"They don't know what to do with it and become drunk on their newfound power, getting back at those people who used to pick on them. Those who have turned to crime but used to be afraid of Judgment now gain an incentive to commit crime because they feel they can fight back now," Kazari guessed, surprising everyone with her insight. Kuroko nodded thoughtfully. Well, Kazari had always been the smart one, if not highly emotional.
"Ah, but Sogi – I mean, Gunha," Kazari corrected herself sheepishly, "you seem to be well aware of this. Have you perhaps been through a similar hurdle?"
Gunha froze. "Well, no," he admitted, looking most uncomfortable at this question, "Actually I… well." He swallowed thickly, before finally releasing a sigh.
"Is there something wrong?" Mii asked worriedly.
"Nono, it's nothing, really," Gunha denied, laughing shortly, "Well, you see, I never climbed any levels. I'm a Gemstone that was born a Level 5."
The room stared.
"What?" Kazari and Mii's mouth fell open. "Born a Level 5?" they said in unison, awestruck.
"Nonsense!" Kuroko snubbed haughtily, "There's no way something so ludicrous could be true."
"Actually," Kazari interjected, her voice hushed, "I've heard of it. There are about 50 Espers classified under the 'Gemstone' category. These are supposedly people who were born with their abilities at a set Level with often unexplainable abilities or powers. However, they are considered Espers because they emit AIM dispersion fields as well. And Gunha was born a Level 5?" despite herself, a small note of envy could be heard in her voice.
No matter how hard some people try, they fail to scale the huge wall that separates even one level. But here, in front of her, was a person who was born with mysterious powers and was already at the pinnacle of Academy City. Without even trying, this man stood at the top of Academy City.
Life was truly unfair.
"Hmph," Kuroko snorted, "What a joke. Such a thing could not possibly be the truth. What about the system of Academy City? Are you trying to tell me that there are already people who have their Levels as a 'talent' rather than raising it through hard work? People like Onee-sama, who painstakingly climbed from a Level 1 to a Level 5 and… you?" the last word was said almost as a sneer.
"Shirai-san!" Mii warned, her voice stern.
"Ah, I guess some people have the 'talent' after all," Kazari allowed, swallowing the bitterness that welled up in her throat, "Even in real life, there are just some people born better than the others, after all."
Gunha began to look more and more uncomfortable as the conversation began to drag. This was why he hated revealing that he was a gemstone. Students in Academy City didn't relish the idea of having naturally born Espers when they had to go through so much to even gain a power.
"Now, now," Mii interjected, her gaze stern, "it's not good to look down on people like that. Gunha is a Gemstone, true. But he never asked to be born a Gemstone. If he were arrogant of that fact, then he wouldn't be helping people by joining Judgment in the first place. People don't often thank us for the work we do, after all."
"Ah," Kazari nodded sheepishly. Judgment was indeed hard work. For someone like her, who merely wanted to help people, Judgment was something she loved. But looking at it objectively simply revealed how unrewarding Judgment work was. You had people like the Graviton Bomber who always expected them to be everywhere and they were expected to do all sorts of mundane tasks… tasks that Gunha seemed to relish doing. He genuinely liked helping people. "I'm sorry, Gunha," she said bashfully, "it's just a little difficult to accept right out of the blue."
"No, it's ok," Gunha said, relieved that he had two people here who didn't mind his identity as a Gemstone.
"Humph," Kuroko didn't sound convinced, "well, forgive me if I don't find this business of 'Gemstones' being particularly easy on my eyes. But I suppose that as a person, you are… not so bad," she admitted grudgingly as she looked away.
"Ahahaha," was Gunha's reply as he scratched his head nervously.
Then, the door to their office swung open.
"Yes, can I help – you?" Kazari stopped as she noticed that the newcomer, a female, bore a Judgment armband. Short white hair adorned her head, while sapphire eyes swept across the room almost robotically. A pair of headphones was around her neck and she stood head to head with Shirai Kuroko. Kazari blinked as she recognized the uniform. After all, it was the same one she was wearing!
"Ah! Yuki! What are you doing here!" Gunha did a spit-take as the white haired girl walked up to him and – proceeded to yank on his ear forcefully. "OW!"
Mii's jaw dropped open.
Kuroko jaw fell to the ground with a resounding clank.
Kazari dropped whatever she was holding.
A random female had just waltzed into the office and was now yanking on the ear of their resident Level 5.
Kuroko was the first to recover. "What do you think you are doing!" she shrilled, pointing a finger at the white-haired girl shakily.
"It's ok," Gunha wheezed, his face still twisted in pain, "she's my partner."
"YOUR PARTNER!"
*** XXX ***
"So Gunha has a partner too?" Mii asked curiously, placing a cup of tea before the silent girl called Yuki.
"Thank you," Yuki said quietly.
"Ah, yes," Gunha said as he took a sip of the tea, "Everyone, let me introduce you to Shiroi Yuki. She's my partner assigned by headquarters. We've been working together for a year or so."
"Nice to meet you, Shiroi-san," Kazari and Kuroko said together to Yuki.
"Likewise," Yuki nodded, "They are?" she glanced at Gunha.
"Oh, I'm Uiharu Kazari!" Kazari introduced cheerily, "and this is Shirai Kuroko!"
"I see," was Yuki's simply reply as she went back to sipping her tea.
"…" Kuroko stared. "She doesn't talk much does she?" she whispered to Kazari.
"I guess not," Kazari whispered back.
"So, Gunha, why didn't you tell us you had a partner till now?" Kuroko asked.
"Well, I forgot." Was Gunha's sheepish reply.
"YOU FORGOT YOU HAD A PARTNER!" Kuroko shrieked indignantly, "What are you, an idiot!"
"Eheheh, well, things were a little rushed and all…" Gunha handwaved as he laughed nervously, "Which reminds me, why are YOU here?" his question was directed to Yuki.
"You're my partner." She replied simply.
"… Oh."
"This is getting nowhere," Kuroko muttered as Mii giggled lightly at their awkwardness.
"This is the first time we've had so many Judgment members in this branch. It's almost comforting how many students we have working together for the good of others," Mii remarked as they looked back at her.
"That's right!" Gunha roared, his jacket suddenly flying open to reveal his shirt and everyone swore they saw a pillar of fire erupt from his back, "We're all people who have demonstrated guts! Guts to the extreme! OW!" Gunha was interrupted as Yuki unceremoniously tugged at his ear forcefully, forcing the hot-blooded male to pipe down. "Okok, I forgot, we're in a room…" he pleaded as Yuki finally let his sore ear go.
"Somehow, they remind me of a couple…" Kazari said as Kuroko facepalmed.
"No time for relaxing, it seems," Mii said suddenly as the computer suddenly emitted a loud alarm. Mii's eyes flew over the screen quickly, taking in the information that had just been transmitted by headquarters. "Looks like we have a serious Esper attack downtown near this district. We've lost contact with two of our members."
"We're on it," Gunha said as he glanced at Kuroko and Yuki. "Come on, let's give this our all as usual! Guts to the extreme!"
"… I somehow regret saying anything nice about you," Kuroko deadpanned as she leapt to her feet, "Uiharu, be our backup! Konori-sempai, we're counting on your help!"
"Yes!"
*** XXX ***
Ruiko felt as if a whole new frontier had been opened up to her. Standing unnaturally still in the middle of a park, Ruiko stared down at her open palms with wide eyes. Several pieces of leafs were hovering above her open palms, directed by the force of her will. Ruiko felt a tremor go through her body. "This is…" she whispered numbly, her eyes beginning to tear as she felt as though a massive dam of emotions had just been set loose, "an ability!" she finished with a sob of joy, her palms clenching tightly as she felt euphoria consume her. This was it. This was what she had always wanted.
It wasn't much. It was nothing spectacular but it meant the world to her. To finally have the one thing she wanted more than anything else in the world.
An ability.
"Haha! Ruiko! It worked!" Akemi cheered, grabbing her by the neck, "It worked! You're an ability user now! Yeah!"
"Come on, girls! Let's go celebrate with Ruiko!" Muu said with a wide grin, "We're gonna have a pah-tay at my place!"
"Ruiko, is something wrong?" Mako asked at Ruiko's frozen expression.
Finally, the euphoric girl jerked to attention, her expression sheepish as she blinked away her tears of joy, "No," she croaked, wiping her face hurriedly, "I'm just so happy, that's all. I finally, finally have something…"
"Yeah, you should tell Uiharu-san about this too, right?" Akemi suggested with a wink.
Ruiko froze. That's right. In all her excitement, she had forgotten. She hadn't talked to Kazari for the past two days as well. But, didn't they say they would be arresting those Level Upper users? Ruiko's mouth went dry as guilt overcame her. But, wasn't she just fine? The side effects were probably nothing serious, right? Wouldn't be great if Kazari could raise her levels too?
But yet, something inside her seemed to balk at the fact that she had kept something so important from her best friend. It didn't feel right. "Ah," Ruiko finally said, laughing nervously, "You're right! But Uiharu has been so busy lately… I'll go and tell her all about it tomorrow! I'm sure she'll be so surprised when she comes over to my place tomorrow!"
"Haha! Whatever you say girl! For now, let's party!"
*** XXX ***
"Isn't that Misaka-san?" one student whispered as Mikoto trudged across the street to walk over to her dormitory. Tokiwadai had two student dorms, one within the School Garden where the actual school itself was located and one outside the school. Typically, residence was based on preference. Many Tokiwadai students preferred to stay within the School Garden where they could access the luxurious facilities easily as what befit their status.
The dormitory outside was for Tokiwadai students who were more relaxed about their habits and typically explored Academy City as whole rather than restricting themselves to the comforts of the School Garden. For Mikoto, who liked to traverse around Academy City all day long, read manga and crash at the arcade, the dormitory outside the school was far more convenient… and private.
"Yeah, she was away from the dorms for two days…"
"I heard that she was injured along with Shirai-san?"
"Really? Wow, who could have injured the Railgun?"
"Maybe the person sneaked up on them!"
"Yeah, so cowardly! As if Misaka-san could lose so easily!"
"…" Mikoto sighed. This was getting out of hand. Just three days away from the dorms and news of her fights were spreading like wildfire. Deciding to just ignore them, Mikoto made for her room. Opening the door, she was not surprised to find it empty. Kuroko would doubtless be busy with the Level Upper case. Still, she eyed her bed suspiciously. Had Kuroko been 'indulging' herself while she was gone?
Deciding to take no chances, she grabbed her blanket and tossed it into the washing pile. Then, she grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom. Once the bathtub was full, Mikoto sank into the warm water with a sigh of relief. The past few days had been a rollercoaster ride of fights and injuries. Mikoto gingerly touched her bandaged wounds and winced. It still hurt like hell. If only she healed as fast as Touma did.
Touma…
Mikoto shook her head, slapping herself in the face lightly. Burying her face in the water, Mikoto's head emerged from the water with a loud gasp. It wouldn't do for her to lose her composure now. Right now, Index was with Komoe-sensei. If anything had happened, Komoe would have called already. But she still felt a sense of unease. With Touma bedridden, she didn't know exactly what to do at this point.
"Idiot," she cursed Touma, "Always making me worry. Always making me act like someone else… ARGH!" she kicked out with a leg and yelped as she hit the solid end of the tub. Finally, her shoulders drooped. "I'm not really in love with that idiot or anything, am I?" her face reddened. "No, of course not! We're just friends!" she yelled to herself as she buried her blushing face in the water.
And promptly forgot to breathe.
"Guh!" Mikoto scrambled to her feet, taking in a deep, hungry breath. Sighing, she wrapped a towel around her body and stepped out to –
"Misaka Mikoto."
"UWAH!" Mikoto gave a shriek of surprise as the Tokiwadai Dorm Supervisor stared down at her with eyes that terrified whatever curses she was about to spew into quiescence. "D-d-dorm mistress!" she squeaked, finally acting her age as a young girl as she backed against the wall frightfully, the dark look the Supervisor was giving her making her feel as if she were back on her father's knee being spanked.
"… Perhaps you'd like to get changed before I have some words with you?" the Dorm Supervisor said, her adjusting her spectacles with an ominous movement.
"Y-y-yes!" Mikoto squeaked as she grabbed the clothes that were on the chair beside her and ducked back into the bathroom. Hurriedly throwing her clothes on, panic spurring her to check that her uniform was in order, Mikoto didn't bother to add any accessories to her hair as she bolted out of the door to meet her Dorm Supervisor. The Dorm Supervisor had already shut the door, taking a chair and sitting down on eat calmly as she gestured for Mikoto to stand before her.
"Misaka. You have been in the hospital, I gather," the Dorm Supervisor began, her voice stern, "While injuries can excuse you for being absent from the dormitory, it does not, however, say that you can simply not report in your status. As your Dorm Supervisor, I am answerable to every single one of you… and your parents. As a Level 5, do you not think before you charge headlong into dangers?"
"Ah, there were extenuating circumstances…" Mikoto began lamely.
"I see. Circumstances," the Dorm Supervisor seemed to darken significantly. Mikoto gulped and involuntarily took a step back as she felt the Dorm Supervisor's eyes drill into hers demonically. "If I were to listen to every last one of your 'circumstances'," she began, her voice soft and gentle, which belied the threat hidden within, "then I would never be able to keep law and order around here, wouldn't you agree?"
"Y-Yes…" Mikoto croaked.
"Fortunately for you, that young boyfriend of yours," the Dorm Supervisor continued, ignoring the sudden explosion of smoke from Mikoto's face as she flushed red, "has kindly explained the circumstances. However!" she barked, making Mikoto jerk in fright, "I will not have this again, understand? I will decide your punishment later after you have recovered from your wounds. Do not break curfew again."
"Y-yes!" Mikoto forced out as the Dorm Supervisor left, her forceful presence like a typhoon that swept up all who were in her path. Every student in the hallway kept to one side, fearful of being caught by the Dorm Supervisor.
Mikoto finally slumped against the wall. Well, that was one disaster averted.
For now.
*** XXX ***
"Well, this was supposed to be the – Holy…!" Gunha's eyes widened as he spied the melted walls of the restaurant.
"This is terrible!" Kuroko gasped as she knelt before an injured person. "?" Burn marks? Kuroko examined the wound carefully. It didn't look like a wound a pyromancer would give and the walls!
"Blasted open," Yuki offered as she pointed in the distance. At that very second, a person came tumbling out of the smoke, coughing blood as she struggled to crawl away.
"That is?" Gunha turned, his eyes widening as he spotted a well-dressed woman with long, brown tresses step out of the smoke, her expression scornful as she kicked the injured Esper away with a sneer.
"Humph. I was wondering who you were," the woman sneered, placing both hands on her slender waist as she snapped her fingers, "but in the end, it's just a low level animal that wants to bite at the sky. How disgusting."
"You…" the Esper rasped as the woman kicked her in the face rudely, knocking her out.
"Shut up. Someone like you doesn't even deserve to walk on the same ground I do. Level Upper? Hah!" the woman spat, before her eyes flickered upwards. "Oh my, it looks we've caught some unexpected attention girls," she said, her eyes flickering over the Judgment members coolly.
"Ah, Shizuri! It's super irritating! Interrupting our meal like that!" a young girl said, stepping out of the smoke to reveal a girl who was roughly as tall as Mikoto. Dressed beautifully in a tank top and a short skirt and stockings, the young girl yawned as she rubbed her tea-coloured hair wearily, "Ah! Super unlucky! Judgment is here already!"
"…" a black haired woman was next out, her expression mildly curious as she was accompanied by a blonde-haired, blue eyed woman. The blonde-haired woman grabbed a beret from the road, sweeping it across her skirt with a flourish and over her sailor top, brushing away the dirt as she placed it on her head.
"Of all times for another organization to attack us, it was during lunch. Frenda is very upset!" the blonde declared as she came to stand next to the called Shizuri. "Rikou! Saiai! We've got company~"
The black-haired woman, responding to the name Rikou, stood behind the three girls as Saiai, the shorter girl, took a step forward to eye the Judgment members carefully.
"Are you two the ones who did this?" Kuroko demanded.
"Uh huh. I suppose I did go a little overboard…" Shizuri said.
"A little!" Kuroko growled, "You blasted several buildings, injured people and even added insult to injury while Judgment was on scene. As a member of Judgment, I'm placing you under arrest for property damage and potential manslaughter!"
"Ah, ah! You got it super wrong, miss," Saiai said, releasing an aggravated sigh, "we're the ones that were attacked, so we were just defending ourselves! I'm being super honest here!"
"Saiai, do not bother," Shizuri said, her lips curling into a sneer, "I think this one won't listen at all."
"You…!" Kuroko took a step forward, only to be held back as Gunha appeared in front of her, his expression grim. "Sogiita-san?"
"They are no ordinary Espers, Shirai-san. These are… members of ITEM," Gunha said.
"Sogiita… now, where have I… oh! OH!" Shizuri began to laugh wildly as she finally remembered who Gunha was. "Why hello, number 7! It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
"Shizuri Mugino. Meltdowner," Gunha growled, "ranked 4th of the 7 Level 5's."
"Level 5? Her?" Kuroko gasped in shock, "What is this, Level 5 week? First Kakine Teitoku, then you, now her!"
"…" Yuki took her position flanking Gunha.
"Oi, Judgment girl, did you say Kakine Teitoku?" Shizuri scowled, her expression twisting to form something ugly, "You've met Kakine Teitoku?"
"Uh Oh, looks like Mugino's about to get angry…" Frenda muttered as she took a step sideways from Shizuri.
"Super bad idea to mention the only guy she's lost to..." Saiai added as she stepped away to.
"I. Didn't. LOSE!" Mugino snapped as the world erupted in white. A massive beam streaked across the street and Kuroko had no time to react as – CRASH!
"AMZAING SHIELD!" Gunha roared as his jacket was obliterated by the beam that Shizuri had thrown. But what was amazing was that the beam had stopped before it had crashed into her, with Gunha at the front generating some sort of force field. "OWAH! I'll block this attack for you, Shirai-san! After all, a real man with guts will protect a lady!"
"… Somehow…" Kuroko shook off her dizziness, recovering from her momentary awe at the sheer destructive potential of the attack. The beam had taken down a car mid-flight, completely melting past the exterior. "Meltdowner indeed."
"Frenda, Saiai! Take the Judgment girl! I'll interrogate her later. For now…" Shizuri grinned as Gunha emerged from the smoke mildly scathed, his rising sun shirt scorched lightly. "Shall we have some fun, number 7?"
"There's no need to ask! I have the guts to take anyone on no matter what the ranking! That's what it means to have guts!" Gunha roared.
"Tch. You're annoying!" Shizuri spat as she raised her hand. Once again, a beam of light erupted from her palm. Gunha vanished from sight as a massive boom was heard. "!" Shizuri scowled. She knew what was coming. Among all the Level 5's, it was said that number 7 was the most combat oriented. He had one thing the most of the others didn't – A super fast fighting power. The ability to fight at twice the speed of sound. The massive boom just now was probably…
Him breaking the barrier of sound.
Shizuri responded instinctively, her body shimmering as she seemed to become invisible for a split second as a fist smashed into the ground she was standing on.
"!" Gunha's eyes widened as he saw his fist fly through her and crashing into the ground, causing a massive shockwave. The shimmering Shizuri sizzled and Gunha winced as a burning sensation rippled through his arm. Then, Shizuri reappeared, her leg stepping on his hand that was buried on the ground. "That was?"
"Conversion. It's a new thing I picked up. Now, die," Shizuri said as she pointed a finger and Gunha. The beam of light blasted out, vaporizing everything in the general direction Gunha was in. "Now, urk?" Shizuri gasped as a hand snaked around her body, twisting her arm into a painful lock. "You're alive?" she gasped, stunned to see a mildly burnt Gunha behind her, a grin on his face.
"I can teleport, you know? A man with guts takes everything from the front!" Gunha declared.
Kuroko twisted and turned as Saiai came after her with remarkable agility. Exchanging a few blows, Kuroko immediately realized her disadvantage. She was used to fighting opponents bigger and stronger than her physically and her entire fighting style was based on exploiting that. But this 'Saiai' person was someone as fast, no faster than her. Time for tactics switch. Kuroko swept her hands across her skirt, teleporting numerous metal needles into her hand as she somersaulted backwards and sent them flying at Saiai.
"?" Saiai twisted, her eyes showing a momentary flicker of surprise as the needles appeared out of nowhere, impaling her clothes to the wall. "Ah! Super bad-matchup here! Teleporter, huh? Man…"
"Well, if you know what's good for you," Kuroko said confidently as she held a needle up threateningly, "you'd stay still."
"…" Saiai grinned, "You're in for a super shock if you think ITEM can be beaten so easily."
"?" Kuroko belatedly remembered that there was one more fighting member just as something soft and fluffy hit her face. "A doll?" she said aloud as it fell from her face and – BOOM!
Kuroko flew back, stunned as the doll exploded. Taking advantage of her opponent's weakness, Frenda swept into the fray, kicking Kuroko in the spine to send her flying upwards, followed by an elbow to the stomach. "GAH!" Kuroko cried out in pain as spittle came flying out of her mouth as she hit the ground hard. Not even giving her time to think, Frenda followed up with a drop kick to Kuroko's head, making the teleporter's world spin dizzily as she tried to recover her bearings.
Saiai flexed her neck as she came loose, the needles tumbling to the ground as she kept a vial back into the pockets of her skirt. "Well, we're super not supposed to kill her."
"Yeah! But that was easy, bleh!" Frenda stuck her tongue out at the reeling Kuroko.
"!" Saiai held a hand up as a sharp, blue spike crashed into her shattering into a thousand fragments as she took a step back. "Ice?" her eyes fell on Yuki, whose hands seemed to be shimmering? "I see, cryokinesis. Sorry, but something like that isn't going to crack my 'Offense Armour'."
"…" Yuki glanced at Kuroko and back at Frenda and Saiai, her indecision obvious.
"Well, if you're the silent type…" Frenda ran towards Yuki, delivering a roundhouse kick. Yuki attempted to block, but the force of the blow sent her stumbling back as Frenda somersaulted forward, delivering a drop kick to Yuki's shoulder and taking the cryokinetic out. "Looks like you're not the physical type either, hehe!" Frenda made a victory sign as she got to her feet.
"You'd tell your members to step back now," Gunha hissed to Shizuri.
Shizuri laughed. "Do you honestly think you've won? I've barely just begun!" she shrieked as she began to emit an odd glow.
"What the?" Gunha was blown away as four beams erupted against his body point blank, sending him crashing into the building as Shizuri stumbled a little, wiping a bead of sweat off her forehead as she massaged her aching hand.
"Did you think I could only fire it from my hands?" Shizuri asked snidely as placed both hands on her waist invitingly, "How naïve."
"I suppose that's true, huh?" Gunha coughed as he picked himself up. His shirt was totally ruined but his skin only held minor bruises, much to Shizuri's disgust. "I told you, a real man takes everything head on! That's what it means to have guts!"
"… Is this guy serious?" Frenda gaped.
"… I think so," Rikou finally said.
"… I super think so. What a super idiot." Saiai added.
"This is beginning to get tiresome, number 7. Why don't you just give up?" Shizuri said, "Rank 7 against Rank 4 is too much of a difference."
Gunha grinned, "I told you. I've got the guts to do what it takes to keep my precious home safe. Let me tell you something. The ranking of 1-7 in Academy City is not based on just raw power."
"?" Shizuri raised an eyebrow in query.
"They are graded based on the potential uses and understanding of the Espers power. I'm ranked 7 because no one truly understands how my power works. Not even myself," Gunha continued, wiping a droplet of blood off his lips, "That's why, rankings don't matter! If a man has guts, he'll face anything that challenges him! This is what it means to have guts!" Gunha declared loudly as he stomped down on the ground.
The earth beneath him shattered.
"You ignorant insect! I'm not afraid of you!" Shizuri snapped as she fired off four beams again.
"ORAH! AMAZING PUNCH! WITH ALL MY GUTS!" Gunha barked as he punched the four beams head on.
The world went white as Saiai, Frenda and Rikou shielded themselves from impact, the beam splintering apart as a massive shockwave rippled past them, shattering windows and overturning cars as Shizuri took a step back, stunned. A jolt of pain ran through her body and she belatedly realized that whatever Gunha had used to attack her, it had clearly left its mark.
"Hah… hah…" Gunha wheezed as he stumbled out of the smoke, grinning, "Still want to bring it?" he pointed over his shoulder at the sirens that were now filling the sky. Anti-Skill had arrived.
"… Tch. Frenda, Saiai, Rikou! We're leaving," Shizuri Mugino muttered as she turned to walk away, "You'd keep them away from us, Attack Crash, if you want them to survive. I won't guarantee their safety if they act foolish."
"Wait a second!" he demanded, before falling to his knees as dizziness overcame him. He winced. Even though he had brought up his guard to become somewhat invulnerable, he was not able to defend against the damage entirely because of the point blank shots that had enough power to destroy an armoured tank with no issue.
"Don't worry, I'll leave your precious Judgment girl with you. It's too much hassle to deal with her now. Be thankful I held back against those thugs earlier too, Attack Crash. Ciao~!" Shizuri laughed as she walked off.
"Damn it, another one… escapes…" he groaned as his world went black.
*** XXX ***
When he came awake, he was lying on a stretcher, his body bandaged here and there as he got to his feet. They were still at the district where they had crossed blows with ITEM, so he assumed that not much time had passed after all.
"Ah, you really are invulnerable," Yuki said as she watched him get from inside the ambulance. "Gunha."
"Still took a little damage here and there though," Gunha muttered as he watched Kuroko get patched up by the paramedics. Thankfully, their injuries were light but his pride had been severely damaged.
"You held back," Yuki said, wincing as her bandaged shoulder ached. "The fact that it was a girl?"
"I suppose," he muttered grudgingly, "Ah! This is so frustrating!" he growled, putting on his jacket as he calmed down slightly. "First SCHOOL, now ITEM! What's with all these coincidences?"
"…" Yuki watched him impassively, a small smile appearing on her face as she watched him complain. At least he still held on to that spirit of his.
"Ah! Shirai-san!" Kazari wailed as she came dashing down the street, her expression gravely worried as she came to a stop in front of her friend, who looked positively haggard. "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine. It's my pride that's taken a beating," Kuroko deadpanned, wincing as the paramedic tightened the bandage over her chest, "Ah! Losing to that irritating girl from SCHOOL that one day and now losing to that stupid, airheaded blonde! This is getting embarrassing!"
"At least you're ok, Shirai-san! Do you have to go to the hospital?" Kazari asked frantically.
"No. And even if they did, I wouldn't let them," Kuroko said as she got to her feet, "I can't appear weak in front of Onee-sama any longer," she muttered, her eyes shuttering as she clenched her fist. If Kamijou Touma was worthy of Mikoto's time and thoughts, then where was she? In order to reach that place in her heart, how much would she have to climb? Or would it already be filled by –
"Shirai-san?"
"It's nothing. Come on, we've work to do." Kuroko said briskly as they regrouped. Looking around at the destruction wroth by a Level 5, Kuroko had a strange feeling that this was only the beginning of something ominous. Something was about to happen.
She could feel it.
*** XXX ***
"Ah, Mugino~" Frenda whimpered, "you're just going to walk away like that?"
"You super don't get it, Frenda. We weren't supposed to super go all out there. Fighting against Judgment is not something we're supposed to do either," Saiai interjected.
"Humph. I didn't think I'd run into Attack Crash either," Shizuri muttered, gingerly rubbing the bruise beneath her breasts, "But if what he says is true, then I've got some questions for the higher ups."
"Hm? You mean the part about Level 5's and their rankings?" Rikou asked curiously.
"Of course. Why, if that's the case, I don't see why I'm ranked below the Railgun at all. That pathetic middle school girl wouldn't even last a second against me," Shizuri sneered, "And besides, this little tidbit just reeks of something foul."
"You don't mean?" Saiai looked startled.
"Oh yes. I do believe that the Kihara's are involved. Shall we pay them a visit?" Shizuri said with a wink as she glanced at Rikou, her hand holding a small packet of a powder-like substance.
Scribbled on the package were two words – Body Clear.
*** XXX ***
Mikoto briefly wondered what was going on as she noted the smoke coming from an area of the city. Standing near Touma's private ward, she glanced out the window with a deep-set frown. After recovering from her encounter with the Dorm Supervisor, she had grabbed a meal before going over to Touma's place with the spare key she had blackmailed him for to get him a change of clothing.
Knowing him, he would probably be up and about by now. She smirked, flexing her wrist with a dark grin. She was going to put him through her personal 'Hell' and he was not going to get out of it.
Turning, she grabbed the door handle and pushed it forward to open the door.
PAH!
Mikoto dropped the bag she was holding as her eyes darkened, sparks and bolts of electricity beginning to fly as she noticed a golden-haired girl by Touma's bed, her gloved hands cradling his head almost lovingly.
"You! Get your hands off him!" Mikoto snapped dangerously as she prepared to –
"Oh my," the girl's golden eyes flickered up to meet Mikoto's stormy ones in amusement, her hands gently placing Touma's head back on the bed as she smirked devilishly at Mikoto with her finger over her mouth in a 'shush' manner, "aren't you the rude one, Mi-ko-to-chan."
"What are you doing here?" Mikoto growled, her hands clenching and unclenching as she tried to reign in her temper.
"Why, I'm visiting poor Kamijou-kun, of course. It's not fair that you're the one who always gets to be by his side, right?" the golden-haired girl said.
"Just what are you planning, Shokuhou Misaki!" Mikoto demanded.
Shokuhou Misaki smiled back at Mikoto, her golden eyes dancing lightly in merriment as she stood up to stand tall in her Tokiwadai uniform. The two of them stared at each other, with Mikoto's outraged ones against Misaki's amused ones. Then, Misaki giggled.
"I mean him no harm, Railgun. After all, why would the Queen of Tokiwadai do something to her potential King?"
A/N: And so, the pieces have been set into motion. The gathering of the Level 5's has just begun. What will each piece bring to the field? What does Aleister hope to accomplish with the gathering of Academy City's elites? We'll find out soon!
And so, this brings us an end to this short chapter. I only began work on this a couple of days back, so I was really surprised to see so many updates on the character sheet. Shokuhou Misaki just makes me grin. Now there's a girl you don't wanna piss off.
Shiroi Yuki is an OC I created to give Gunha a partner, of sorts. No, she's not relevant to the plot at all.
This chapter was difficult to write, and mostly because I was still reeling from that test and… never mind. Also because this was one of the few chapters I started with no goal in mind. That's right, whatever you see here was written on the spur of the moment and I just went with the flow. The only goal I had was to drop some hints here and there and do some foreshadowing.
I've already started work on the next chapter, so it should be out next week around Wednesday, probably? I owe you guys, right? Next chapter promises an exciting event, what with AIM bursts and kidnapping and *Cuts off spoilers*
Sincerely,
Stormwolfex