Tachyon initially assumed that it would be difficult to perform research on top Level 5 Espers of the city. However, much to his surprise, various articles that promoted school reputation through those Level 5s were there for everyone to see; they included, but were not limited to, school events, academic awards, and personal interviews.

Misaka Mikoto and Shokuhou Misaki together formed the pride of Tokiwadai Middle School. Hence, the majority of the spotlight was focused on those two. The remarkable aspect of Shokuhou was her group of ladies that always accompanied her; Tachyon presumed that the word 'clique' described them adequately.

And, among those group of ladies, a single person stuck out to him the most.

It was girl with a platinum hair partitioned into separate spirals of drill-like appearance. He never saw a hair like that before in his life. Compared to other clique members she appeared the most in the photographs; she always was within the arms-length of Shokuhou.

An hour of two of research was enough to give him a glimpse of the physical characteristics. What he needed now was a way to glean Shokuhou's personality. In order to do so, he would need to learn the public's perception of Shokuhou through online tales and rumors. But not just any regular old forum would do; people only revealed their true opinions under complete anonymity (or, at the very least, a pale imitation of it). Somewhere popular, anonymous, and loquacious.

In other words, he needed to visit 4chan.

"Here we go..." Tachyon mumbled, preparing himself for poorly informed racial rants intermixed with intellectual-disability slurs.

File: 24859078402․jpg-(21 KB, 600x300, mental-out․jpg)
◻ Anonymous 08/15/13(Thu)05:26 No.7053447

This b**ch, this f***ing b**ch here, f*** this b**ch. She made me gain two pounds by telling me to eat ten slices of Red Velvet Cake in sixty seconds!

◻ Anonymous 08/15/13(Thu)05:30 No.7053457

she looks hawt

◻ Anonymous 08/15/13(Thu)05:31 No.7053459

I'd let her mind control me if you know what I mean

◻ Anonymous 08/15/13(Thu)05:31 No.7053460 Replies: ››7053465 ››7053466 ››7053468 ››7053469 ››7053471 ››7053474

sage'd. How dare you insult our Queen?

◻ Anonymous 08/15/13(Thu)05:32 No.7053461

what the f***, a member of the clique is here
I never knew there was a b/tard among you

◻ Anonymous 08/15/13(Thu)05:32 No.7053462

›Implying that there are grills in the interwebs

◻ Anonymous 08/15/13(Thu)05:34 No.7053465

››7053460
You and your queen can suck DEEZ NUTS

"This plan sounded better in my head..." Tachyon grumbled.

Clearly, no useful research could be done in such a degenerate website. What else could he look into? How would one gain information regarding the personality of a student attending a private middle school located in a place all males were forbidden from? A female-only institution... this was a completely new territory he had zero experience in.

This was what he surmised so far: Shokuhou Misaki is an individual who does not balk at the idea of taking over another person's mind for her own gain and benefit. So far, her personality matched perfectly with Mind Manipulation mages he encountered in the past. Those who have no respect for others' free-will and privacy cannot possibly be considered a 'good person' in any way, shape, or form. Their wish for control and power over others' minds was, in his opinion, irredeemably wicked and iniquitous.

Any sort of scheme she may have in mind regarding the Misaka clones could not possibly end well.

Now... how to fix this current situation?

In an attempt to gain a spark of inspiration, Tachyon was now strolling through the streets decorated with Daihaseisai activities.

"-Have you found Miss Misaka?"

Upon hearing that sentence he immediately turned around; over there at the corner of the street were a pair of girls within a troubled conversation.

"No, not much luck here. I'll keep looking."

One of them had short curly brown hair; the other one had magnificent platinum drills. They both wore tank tops with gym shorts as per Daihaseisai clothing policy.

Members of Shokuhou's clique! Tachyon realized with a start.

"How about our Queen? Were you able to contact her?"

"Apologies; we still have no idea where she is."

Queen? That must be Shokuhou... she'll have her hands full as of this moment. In T-Minus 3 hours Misaka Mikoto will undergo nuclear meltdown...

Perhaps this was his chance to act; all he needed to do was to be as charming as possible. But he still needed to take care here; had it been anywhere else instead of Academy City, Tachyon would've assumed every Middle Schooler he met to be naive and innocent, free of suspicions, but that was not the case with people he met so far. He needed to be cautious.

...

Then again, fortune favored the bold, as they say. The Drill-haired girl was now left alone after she dismissed the student she just spoke with.

"Excuse me," Tachyon spoke up, gaining her attention. "Are you looking for Miss Misaka Mikoto?"

"Why, yes," the Drill-haired girl replied. "Have you seen her?"

"I have indeed seen her yesterday, and as her acquaintance it may be possible for me to lend you my help in finding her."

"Oh, that would be wonderful," the girl smiled. "We have attempted to find her all afternoon. Unfortunately, many members of our clique are busy with Daihaseisai events and activities."

Her tone and mannerism scream upper-class to me. How did it take this long for me to finally find someone who is a proper ojou-sama like her...?

Indeed, most people Tachyon met over last few weeks were, to say the least, unusual. It was a breath of fresh air to finally meet someone who was relatively normal.

Besides her marvelous hair, that was.

"When was the last time you saw Miss Misaka?"

"Well, she was under our care as of an hour ago; but when she saw a student of our school injured in a most ungracious manner by a brutish thug, she became quite angry and stormed off to find the ruffian."

Ungracious? Brutish? Ruffian? Who uses these words!?

"I see, that is most unfortunate." Tachyon did his best to mimic her posh speech. "Do you have the slightest idea as of in which direction Miss Misaka may have gone to?"

"Sadly, two of our members who were tasked with guarding her at that moment were neither a Telepath nor a Teleporter. We have no idea where she could be at this moment."

A Telepath, once having achieved mental connection, is able to detect the general location of the person they are linked with.

A Teleporter is able to use their ability to keep a more covert watch over the person they are tailing.

"Additionally, they were quite frightened by some words given to them by Miss Misaka to the point where they dared not follow her discreetly."

So, in essence, the clique of Shokuhou were ordered to keep watch over Misaka Mikoto. Misaka resorted to great intimidation just to be free from the watchful gaze of the clique members.

So what did that suggest? The clique guarded Misaka against her will. Misaka is not the type of person who requires guards in the first place. This in turn suggests that Shokuhou did not want Misaka interfering with whatever she may be doing at this moment. The possibility of Shokuhou doing something with the clone was now most probable.

"The building from which Miss Misaka stormed off from, of what direction was the exit pointing toward?"

"West, I believe."

"Then we shall presume she went in the westward direction unless proven otherwise. There is absolutely no doubt that she would overpower and be triumphant against that infernal villain with her overwhelming power, but any sort of ruckus caused by that event will attract attention from commoners; it may even injure them. Shall we go?"

"Yes, we shall."

Extreme athleticism.

That was the remarkable quality Tachyon noted while observing her matching his speed with apparent ease. Years upon years of running gave him agility most others were unable to keep up with; however, this girl did not even show any sign of fatigue or weariness while quite literally giving him a run for his money. Was this her Esper ability?

She's... amazing. Tachyon felt himself admiring her despite his inner objections. There was this certain quality to her that could not be explained adequately.

They were now within a dense forest; it did not take them long to find piles upon piles of collapsed mechanical beings. Their shape and size suggested that of a canine-related animal, while their head had long tubes attached to their snouts. Some had their limbs broken, others had their tubes cut.

"My goodness, my guinness..." Tachyon tut-tutted as he observed the messy aftermath. "What has happened here?"

"Do you believe Miss Misaka to be involved in this destruction?"

"Not unless she somehow carried a source of water all the way into this forest." With delicacy, Tachyon picked apart the broken machines. "These mechanical beasts and the ground beneath them are drenched."

"What could this mean?"

"Nothing good. Come, let us continue. Perhaps something anew is waiting to be discovered."

Simply put, this was an unexpected stroke of luck; he now had the chance to converse with one of the main members of Shokuhou's clique. Now, how to proceed from this situation? He could not ask direct questions; he was just a stranger. But he could not rely on this girl to tell him everything; he needed to act.

Going further, there is no reason for Shokuhou to even reveal to her followers the reason behind guarding Misaka against her will. The clique members either obeyed her completely without question, or Shokuhou compelled them to follow her commands to a T through her ability. Chances were that this girl had just as much idea as he did regarding this situation.

Well, no matter; he'll just have to resort to indirect questions to gain the clues he required. While it must be addressed that questions he came up with on the spot appeared somewhat purposeful and prying, the girl fortunately appeared innocent and trusting enough.

"I apologize for not introducing myself sooner," Tachyon spoke up in middle of their search. "My name is Tachyon-"

Only now did he realize that he lacked a surname.

"-Tachyon." He ad-libbed.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Tachyon Tachyon," replied the drill-haired girl without skipping a beat. "My name is Miss Hokaze Junko."

What the heck. She bought it without a bat of an eye.

"Please, Mr. Tachyon Tachyon was my father. Call me Tic-Tac."

"Hahahahaha..."

She's laughing? Nobody laughs at my poor attempts at humor! Just who is this woman?

He found himself at a loss at this unexpected turn of events. He desperately wished to believe that this personality of hers was a facade and nothing more, but he could not deny the honesty written on her face.

What on earth is this sort of purity doing in this City of Darkness? Just how blissfully innocent is this person...? Well, one way to find out...

"Miss Hokaze," Tachyon continued. "It has only been an hour since I have had the pleasure of meeting you; however, I am convinced that a genuine acquaintanceship is forming between us. May I consider you as my dear friend?"

"Of course!" She immediately replied, beaming. "I, too, feel like we'll become wonderful friends!"

"..."

The naivety was gobsmacking, but he found it refreshing. The world needed more people like her, that was for sure.

A big find interrupted their continued search.

"My, my."

A mechanical beast of a great size lay on the ground before them; a couple of its limbs were torn clean off. With its oval bottom, thin torso, triangular face, long antennas, and multiple appendages, it strikingly resembled a type of mantis.

"Do you think Miss Misaka did this?"

"It is very likely," Tachyon responded. He knelt on the ground and examined the damaged mechanical creature. "The edges are charred, but the discoloration does not go far beneath the surface," Tachyon explained while pointing toward the burnt edges of a particular torn-off appendage. "Most likely done by a single blast of laser... or, in our case, electricity."

"Does this mean that Miss Misaka was successful in vanquishing the brute?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not." Tachyon was careful not to give clear answers. "If she did, where is she now? If she did not, than who destroyed this gigantic machinery? We need to observe more."

He managed to become this girl's good friend within such a short span of time mostly due to her overly unsuspecting nature. Now came the time for some questions.

"In this attempt of ours to locate Miss Misaka I cannot help but be reminded of my opinion of her. I feel that I am not alone in regarding her as the shining beacon of the Tokiwadai Middle School, along with the other Esper of great renown, Miss Shokuhou."

"You are not alone in that opinion, good sir." Hokaze beamed. "Our Queen, like the moon, fills the earth with a soft and benevolent glow."

"Ah, so your Queen is the famous Mental Out!" Tachyon exclaimed. "Miss Hokaze, may I be so forward as to make a confession?"

"Absolutely."

"I am utterly seized with fear at the mere thought of your Queen," he admitted.

"My, how can that be?" Hokaze drew herself up with apparent shock. "My Queen is the most gracious person I know."

"To be candid, her ability is my source of great unease. Why, if she commanded me right this instant to kneel down and lick the soles of her feet, I would be powerless to resist!"

"My good sir, you have a very misinformed view of our Queen!" Hokaze assured him. "She is far too noble and gentle to issue such a humiliating command."

Trifles, trifles! I would say the same, were I be mentally forced.

"If you say so, Miss Hokaze; I have full confidence in your words. It gladdens my heart to hear that Miss Misaka acquiesced to allow the followers of Miss Shokuhou to guard her during Daihaseisai. Miss Misaka is usually far too independent and self-asserting to allow anyone to guard her. It just goes to show the good friendship between them."

"I completely agree," Hokaze smiled. "However, the relationship between them may not be as gracious as we hope it to be."

"Whatever could you mean?" Tachyon replied with a shocked expression.

"Both of them have my greatest respect, and I have made multiple attempts to strengthen the both between them. But it appears to me that their traits and idiosyncrasies cannot mesh very well. Alas! This is one of my several regrets."

Tachyon felt an inexplicable urge to wipe way the sadness on her face.

"My dear Miss Hokaze, facing a challenge too great to surmount is a sign given to usher in improvement and refinement of our abilities. The last thing anyone should do is to give up. I urge you to continue your attempts at bonding the two great stars of Tokiwadai Middle School."

"Truly, I thank you." Her smile was blinding.

Just what am I trying to do here? Tachyon wondered. Nothing useful is being achieved by this conversation- although, I must admit, these talks with her aren't bad at all.

His initial plan was to gain the much-needed information through this social opportunity. But he was completely overwhelmed by this woman's unexpected personality.

"I believe that my endeavors have not succeeded so far because I have failed to find a common interest shared between them," Hokaze continued. "One main interest I share with Miss Misaka is our love for Gekota, but my Queen has no interest in that area."

"Ah?" Tachyon replied with a start. "I had no idea you were a Gekoer!"

He took out a blue-colored phone resembling the popular mascot.

"My good sir, I must commend you on your good tastes." She, too, took out her own pink colored phone also resembling the popular mascot.

"Ah!" Tachyon cried, raising his arms in wonder. "It is very difficult to find people within my age group who share my love for our affable amphibian! Truly, today is a remarkable day!"

"Children, with their unmatched eye and tastes, recognize the excellence of this product. I cannot say same for our peers... tell me, how do you feel about the spin-off series released not so long ago? I believe its name is 'The Toadallies'."

"It's an abomination," Tachyon spat, while Hokaze nodded in assent. "The producers may claim that those new products, which are nothing but poorly made effigies of the irreplaceable original, will attract attention from those who do not appreciate Gekota for what it is and what it represents. They claim that the profit they will gain will more than make up for the integrity they sacrifice. Well, I wish I could say the same, but I must say, with all due respect, I find it very hard to see the logic behind some of the moves they have made with this fine franchise. In the past twenty weeks they have caused myself and the Academy City a good deal of distress, as we have watched them take our beloved Gekotas and reduce them to a laughing-stock, all for the glorification of their massive ego!"

Do not be mistaken, dear readers; when it came to the topic of Gekotas, our hero had genuine interest; there was not a shred of dishonesty in this rant of his.

"Your tone is cold and severe, but I completely agree with you on those points." Hokaze nodded with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

Then, the phone she was holding lit up with a tune.

"Hello... yes, Miss Misaka is still nowhere to be seen... I see. I understand. Thank you.

"I apologize for that interruption. It appears that I must participate in the next Daihaseisai event taking place in an hour. Thank you for aiding me in my search for Miss Misaka."

"Ah, the pleasure is all mine." Tachyon bowed. His time spent with Hokaze, while not going in the direction he had anticipated, gave him crucial insight into the inner-workings of Shokuhou Misaki's personality... or, at the very least, the way she was perceived by her followers.

This was the bitter truth Tachyon felt he must face after today's events; Hokaze's lionized view of Shokuhou was not created through coercion, trickery, or any sort of mental manipulation. Her respect for Shokuhou was pure and untainted; it was not something that could be faked or imitated. And he was hundred percent sure of this conclusion; his years of experience gave him a discerning eye for artificial emotions.

She truly admired Shokuhou Misaki from the bottom of her heart.

So what did this mean? Her Esper ability was not the only thing Shokuhou had at her disposal. In fact, Tachyon would even go as far as to claim that her power would not be entirely hindered by the absence of her Esper ability. She had something much more grand and permanent: her charisma. And he would be greatly surprised if she herself was not aware of this fact.

"Shokuhou, who makes fanatics out of people..." Tachyon mused. "Just who is she?"