Act 2: Chapter 17 - The Second Brother (Part 1)

School District 6

Amusement Park

A crime scene has been set up at the destroyed amusement park as dead bodies are gathered up and samples are being taken by forensics. Yellow tape has cut off access to inside the park, however, as people watch what's going on. Thankfully, Yomikawa and her fellow officers manage to disperse the crowd peacefully, save for a few still present.

"So there's no signs of any useful evidence to track down this intruder?" Shirai asks Yomikawa in disbelief.

"Unfortunately." Yomikawa answers bitterly. "We hope the corpses would help us, but there's no traces of any fingerprints or DNA left behind by the suspect."

"Which means that there's two possibilities." Konori says with her hand on her chin while looking down. "Either the Empire is attacking the Academy City again. Or we could be looking at another threat we know nothing about."

"Either way, whoever it is, we need to hunt this intruder down before more people are killed in the process." Uiharu suggests.

"Yomikawa!" Theron calls for her as he, Saten, and Misaka arrived at the crime scene with the Child hidden inside the former's backpack.

"Theron?" Yomikawa answers in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"We saw what happened on the news." He explains. "We were hoping that there were any survivors that could tell us what happened here."

"One of our own managed to survive the attack." The Level 3 Judgement chief says. "However, we're unable to move him to a hospital until we can find a way to move him safely without risking in reopening his wounds up."

"Where is he now?" The Jedi asks.

"Inside the crime scene. We're doing everything we can to stabilize him." Shirai answers.

"Let me talk to him." He suggests.

"You can't." She explains. "You're still considered a civilian as no one besides Anti-Skill or Judgement are allowed inside."

Theron then walks past the Judgement girls and enters the crime scene, not fazed at all.

"Did he just straight up ignored me?" Shirai says in calmed anger.

"Yeah." Saten nervously grins. "He does that a lot."

"Probably acting cool and all." The Teleporter mutters aloud.

"I doubt that, Kuroko." Misaka deadpans.

...

Theron walks by the wreckage of the park as piles of debris and metal parts are scattered, covered in burn marks and soot. He finally sees two paramedics working on keeping the Judgement officer alive.

"He's in no condition to be moved. Not without proper equipment." The female paramedic argues.

"Then what can we do?" A male paramedic questions. "He's not gonna last long here. We can't wait that long!"

"Excuse me?" Theron asks, getting the medics' attention. "Is there anyway I can help?"

"A civilian? How'd you get past Anti-Skill and Judgement?" The male paramedic officer asks. "You know what, I don't wanna know. Anyway, if you want to help, we appreciate that. Unfortunately, we don't have the right equipment to get him to move without risking his wounds from opening up."

"Let me handle that." Theron nods as he crouches beside the paramedics.

Taking out of his healing stems out of his pouch, he injects it onto the injured officer's bandages. A few seconds later, the officer wakes up and coughs.

"That'll be enough for you to get him to the nearest hospital." The Jedi explains.

"Thank you, sir." The female paramedic nods. "We'll take it from here."

"With all due respect, I need to ask him a few questions about the one responsible for this incident."

"But we need to get him to a hospital." The male paramedic argues. "Now that he's properly stabilized, we can relocate him and-."

"Didn't you hear me?" Theron says with wave of his hand at the two. "You'll let talk to him."

The paramedics were in a trance as they hear his command.

"We will let you talk to him." One of them repeats his words.

"Now give us some privacy." He commands with the Force.

"We'll give you some privacy."

And just like that, the paramedics got up and left them alone.

"At least I'm not rusty with this technique." Theron says to himself.

"I should have you arrested for using your ability like that." The injured teen says after witnessing on what the Jedi did. "But I guess you want answers about what happened."

"I do." The Jedi responds with a serious voice. "Tell me what happened here."

The Judgement officer nods and begins his story.

"I was out on patrol. Everything was looking normal here till people started running for their lives. I was going to help Anti-Skill with the evacuation, but... I was knocked out by an explosion. When I came to, everyone was dead. A few Anti-Skill too."

"Can you tell me who was behind this?" He further asks. "I need to know what he looks like and why he did it?"

"He was wearing some kind of armor with a black cloak that has his hood down. It looked too advanced for this city's advanced technology." The teen describes the attacker. "However, he wanted me to deliver a message to my fellow colleagues and Anti-Skill."

"What message?" Theron frowns suspiciously.

"He says that the reason he slaughtered everyone here was because he's looking for a fugitive not here in this city." He answers with a cough. "That was all he said before he knocked me out."

"Thank you for the information." The Jedi nods gratefully and stands up again, letting the paramedics carry him to an ambulance so that he can get the treatment he needs at a hospital.

As he was heading back to the others, he notices that his friends are already inside the wrecked amusement park with looks from them.

"You're lucky I didn't arrest you." Shirai blankly says to him. "Using your ability like that?"

"The Force." He corrects her.

"Whatever." She rolls her eyes. "Still, using a hypnotic power like that is considered a crime."

"What was that power you used, anyway?" Saten curiously asks. "Mind control?"

Misaka had to look away in disgust as it reminded her too much again about her friends being brainwashed to not knowing her and later their memories altered thanks to a certain Queen of Tokiwadai.

"The Force has a strong influence on the weak-minded." He explains. "We call it the Jedi mind trick. Useful to either persuade people to cooperate for information or to make them kill themselves by jumping out of a building, for example. Heh, the latter choice is kinda funny."

"How is that even funny?" Misaka blankly argues with a little anger in her voice. "You have some nerve in abusing your power like that."

"Don't be naive, Misaka." Theron says, rolling his eyes. "It was a dark time for the old Galaxy. Not to mention, I only use it to make Imperials kill themselves or each other. I had to survive in an enslaved galaxy. If you had the Force, you would've done the same damn thing. You don't have to agree with my methods, but don't ever question my motives. EVER."

"Aside from that," Konori changes topics to avoid escalation. "Did you find anything useful from one him?"

"Yeah." He says. "And he's right. There's an intruder here in Academy City. But there's more to it."

"Huh?" The girls said in unison, confused.

"What are you talking about?" Uiharu questions.

"The reason he killed those people is because he's looking for someone. And he's trying to draw him out in the open. I think he might be after me."

They had surprised looks on their faces.

"Why?" Saten asks her crush with a concerned look.

"Didn't I explain to you about surviving Jedi being hunted not too long ago?" He reminds her in annoyance. "The Empire has probably sent one of its agents after me."

"If the Empire is after you, then we need Anti-Skill and Judgement to keep a look out and apprehend him." Shirai suggests.

"No." He says. "I can't risk putting innocents in danger if he knows that the authorities are aware of his presence openly. He wants me, then let him. It'll save me the trouble of having to hunt him down like the rat he is."

"Wait, you're not suggesting in putting yourself in danger to actually get to you?!" Saten questions him, now completely worried for him.

"But he'll kill you!" Uiharu argues. "It's not a good idea to put yourself on the line!"

"I'm a Jedi. It's what I do and should do. Confronting fear is the destiny of a Jedi. My destiny."

"This isn't the time to be philosophical, Theron." Shirai argues. "He's out there looking for you!"

"I know. And I have to fight him."

"But do you know who exactly he is?" Misaka asks.

"I don't know." He admits before looking up with a frown on his face. "But I've got a feeling of WHO he is."

Unbeknownst to everyone, the Inquisitor never left the crime scene at all as he watches from a distance, studying his prey.

...

After leaving the crime scene, Theron and the girls are already walking down the city streets. Konori explained that she has to head back to the branch office and file a report about the attack, so she assigned Uiharu and Shirai to keep the Jedi safe from doing anything reckless. Yomikawa, earlier, gave the go ahead.

"I don't need protection, guys." He says in annoyance.

"It's for your own good." The Teleporter says. "You may not like it, but it's best that you don't do anything stupid and rash."

"Name one." He sarcastically banters. "I'd like to hear it coming from the mouth of a pervert like you."

Shirai tenses up, completely offended by his trolling yet again.

"Listen, you! I'm far from being a pervert! I only want to show my affection towards Sissy!"

"I can hear you, Kuroko!" Misaka shouts in the back as sparks around her show, annoyed with her friend's denial.

"That doesn't mean you sexually assault Misaka constantly just because you want to 'show your affection towards her.' You contradict your own words of something you despise of. Sounds like you're Academy City's greatest hypocrite alright." He roasts her completely.

"W-Well I-!" She stutters in response. "T-That's not-! Argh! You're an ass, ya know that?!"

"Whatever, hypocrite." He smugly says, getting a growl from her who starts giving off a dark aura around her.

"Seriously!" Shirai complains in her head. "He's even worse than that troglodyte! When's he gonna learn to stop being a damn troll all the time?"

Uiharu and Saten sweatdrop at their bantering.

"Yep. Theron sure likes to be a troll." Saten nervously grins.

"True that, Saten." Uiharu agrees with her best friend.

Saten then flips Uiharu's skirt up from behind and the blushing latter screams.

"Nooooo!!!" She screams in embarrassment.

"Hahahaha!" Saten laughs with a mischievous grin. "That's what you get for making me wear a dress in front of Theron."

"Hey guys." Misaka interrupts everyone. "Why don't we head to the mall?"

To be continued...