Chapter 4: Do you accept this assignment?

Verse 1: Unconventional entrance.

Rain clouds rolled in above Academy City, pouring rain over the technological paradise. Index closed her flip phone after talking with a new friend she made a while back. "Hey, Touma." she said quietly to the boy in bed. "Last Order's coming over today. Just thought I'd let you know."
"Okay..." Touma said in almost a whisper as he fell asleep.

The girl closed the glass door to Touma's porch to prevent the rain from getting inside his apartment. It was a bit cloudy earlier today, but now it looks like there might be a storm out. The pitter patter of the rain and the occasional thunder didn't seem to bother Touma much. Perhaps the ambient weather helped to calm him somewhat? Still having faith in the boy, Index sat on the hardwood floor as her cat, Sphinx, rested peacefully in her arms.

*Purrrr*

"I don't know what's up with him Sphinx. Touma seems awfully grumpy lately." Index said to her cat, pretending he could understand her.
Sphinx let out a quiet meow. "Heh. Then again, if I was a human punching bag, I'd be a little irritable as well." she said.
Maybe he wouldn't stay that way for long? His birthday was coming up tomorrow, and maybe Last Order could help cheer the boy up with her supposedly legendary baking skills. She said something about making a cross between a Blue Velvet cake -which Index never heard of before- and an Angel's Food cake.

About an hour passed. The rain still insisted on pouring over the apartment complex, only harder and louder than before. Index still sat on the floor, texting Last Order and probably racking up Touma's internet bill in the process. The Misaka clone told Index that she would have to come over tomorrow, due to 'obvious reasons' as she put it. "No good Touma, looks like Lassy's gonna have to- AAAH!"
Touma swiftly threw the blanket off of himself. "What is it!?"
"W-W-Who's THAT!" she exclaimed. Her cat darted away, startled by Index's shriek. She pointed to a tall man adorned in a black trench coat and fedora whom suddenly appeared on Touma's porch. His cigar refused to extinguish despite being in the heavy rain.

"Ishmael?" Touma asked as he went to open the sliding glass door. "The hell are you doing here?"
The man took out his cigar and puffed a ring of smoke. "I've come to give you your first assignment, boy."
"P-Put that out! I don't want people to think I'm a smoker!" the boy exclaimed in a panic.

"Don't you know you could get lung cancer from that?" Index added.

Ishmael continued. "It's not like I'll die from it." he said. Putting out the Cigar, Ishmael sat on Touma's bed and reached into his coat pocket. His clothes were still dripping wet from the heavy rain, with water dripping onto Touma's bed and staining the sheets.
"At least take your coat off. I don't want-"
"Trust me, boy. You don't want to see what's beneath this coat." Ishmael interrupted. "Heh heh heh. Not if you value sleeping tonight." he warned.

Index tugged a little on Touma's shirt, and whispered something into his ear. "Is this the guy that gassed us?" Index asked.
"Yep. Guilty as charged." Ishmael said extracting a sheet of blank paper from his coat.
"I wasn't talking to you." Index said, annoyed with the gunslinger.

"Anyways, Touma Kamijou, where is the Railgun and her stalker?" Ishmael asked as he scribbled on the sheet of paper.
"They said they were going out to meet with someone." Index answered. "Of course, now they'll be stuck wherever they are thanks to all this rain."
"Unfortunate." Ishmael replied. After a few minutes, Ishmael finished his sketch and presented it to Index and Touma. It was the Academy City Bank with a small passage drawn beneath it, leading to what looked like a giant gem of sorts.

"What is it?" Touma asked.
"It, is your first step to destroying the Atma Weapon. My sources say that this crystal is what the Acolytes are after." he pointed to the jewel. "This is called the Crystal of Earth." Ishmael explained. Neither Touma or Index knew what he was talking about. They had doubts that Ishmael knew what he was talking about at all. Then again, perhaps there was some merit to what he was saying, but they just weren't aware of any of these things. "I don't follow." Touma said.

Index didn't follow either. He just barged in here uninvited and unannounced, and spouts all sorts of mumbo jumbo none of them understood. Perhaps Touma should have filled her in on their... predicament. Like explaining who the heck this Ishmael guy is, and why he wanted to hire them.
"Hold on a second..." Ishmael said, stuffing the paper back into his pocket. Checking his wristwatch told him it was almost dusk. "Crap. I don't have time to explain. Right now, I want you two to get off your asses and haul said asses to the Academy City Bank." Ishmael rushed to say as he pointed to the door.
"What? Why now?" Index asked. "It might as well be raining cats and dogs outside."

Ishmael gave a sigh. "I thought we had more time, but I was wrong. The Acolytes are commencing their operation as we speak. We don't have much time."
"So what?" Touma said. "If you want something done about it, then you do it." the boy crossed his arms and refused to even look at Ishmael in the eye.
For all Index knew, he was probably sick and tired of all the busywork given to him by countless organizations. All he needed was a break probably. Some time to think about whether or not he wants to go through with this 'job.'

"Touma, you're probably the only one capable of stopping them." Index said as he tugged on the boy's sleeve. "That's why he's asking you, right... uh, who are you again?" she asked.
"Ishmael." he answered. "To be clear, he's not the only one I can ask. That Accelerator kid for instance. He would be more than enough to take the job."
Touma directed his glare to the gunslinger. His face looked a bit more red than it was before, and his eye seemed to be twitching a bit. "Then why don't you hire him then?" he said seemingly restraining his voice.
"I need you both, kid. A magic barrier's blocking the way to the bank. And I need your right hand to dispel it."
"Then get Index to do it." Touma said looking over to the nun. "Your Grimoires can break barriers, right?" He asked. Index never agreed to actually come with Touma if he ever accepted, let alone go by herself. These Acolyte guys seemed to be bad news, and if they were anywhere near as dangerous as Ishmael made them out to be, there was no way in heaven she would undergo such a dangerous task.
"Hey! I didn't say I wanted to-"

"Enough!" Ishmael said sternly, ending their bickering. "Listen you two, I've spent an entire year studying you, trying to figure out how you tick. I have filled out countless paperwork for my assignment, and spent a month orchestrating our meeting. I worked my ass off trying to meet with you, only for you to refuse." he ranted.
"That's because-" Index said before being rudely interrupted by the gunslinger.
"I'M NOT FINISHED!" Ishmael drew his Sawed-Off and pointed it at the two. Index flinched as she stared into the barrels of the shotgun. She expected Touma to do the same, but one glance at his face told her he was unfazed by Ishmael's threat. He just glared at him. Not even an inch of nervousness was seen in the boy. After a few seconds of cooling off, Ishmael holstered the shotgun and continued with what he had to say. "Look, kids. I understand not wanting to do anything... life threatening after what you two went through. But if you continue to refuse, innocent people will die."
(Is that what this is all about? Does he really care for this city?) Index thought. He didn't look like it. But maybe behind that rotting face of his, there's a heart that genuinely cares for others... At least she hoped that was the case. Index believed that Touma would understand his plight. Before, he was selfless in wanting to help others. He believed there was good in everybody, no matter how wicked their actions were. She looked up to him, in a way she hadn't to anyone else. He was like a role model for her.

"No thanks. I'll pass." Touma said to Index's surprise.
"What do you mean 'you'll pass?'" Ishmael asked, expecting some lame excuse to come out of Touma's mouth.
"I'm done with hero work. Get someone else to do it." Touma said sternly.
"Touma, you don't mean that do you?" Index asked. The boy turned to her and gave a deep breath to calm down.
"Listen. I'm tired of constantly answering to everyone's beck and call. I don't want to constantly be in service to others anymore. I want to live a normal life. I want to be free."
"But... Touma, you have to do something about this." the nun pleaded. He did not listen.
"Why should I?" Touma replied. "I don't want to constantly be in service to someone anymore. I want to live a normal life. I want to be free." Touma sat down on his bed next to Ishmael, avoiding the damp spots left by his drenched coat. Is that why he's so grumpy lately? Because he's sick and tired of playing servant to another? But, it shouldn't matter really. As Ishmael said, innocent lives are at stake. He can't possibly ignore that fact, can he? Touma was Index's idol for crying out loud. To see him contradict all that he stood for now was...

Well... It was rather disappointing.

"Listen kid..." Ishmael said, getting off of Touma's bed. "If you want to live like that, be my guest. But keep in mind that there are others who also want to live a peaceful life. If you neglect them, then-"
"You want to save them, then you do it." Touma interrupted. Why would he say that? He couldn't possibly mean that, could he? What happened to the compassionate boy that Index knew? Sure, World War 3 was a tough time for him, but that didn't mean he had the right to succumb to apathy. No matter how tough things got for him, she knew he had to endure.
He just had to...

"Is that so?" Ishmael asked. The gunslinger grabbed Touma by the collar without warning, fiercely flinging him against the wall and leaving a few large cracks in it, as well as making a rather loud ruckus. Drawing his Sawed-Off, he loaded two shells into the barrels and stuck the end on the boy's forehead. "I don't give a sh*t about your gripes. You are going to accept this assignment whether you like it or not."
"Screw you old man!" the boy snapped as he sucker punched Ishmael in the face. It seemed to do nothing. He didn't even stagger one bit. "You don't know what I've seen. I know firsthand how wicked the world can be. I've seen countless murders and genocides. I've been constantly injured, and I even got my goddamn arm cut off. TWICE!" Touma yelled in his outburst. "And don't get me started on Academy City. They stand idly by as children are sent out to battle. Forced into schools where their sole purpose is to enhance their powers and tuned into soldiers. Then they're gunned down like fodder!"
Ishmael said nothing as he held the shotgun in Touma's face. He looked like he was dead serious on killing the boy then and there.
(What in God's good name is happening?) Index thought, concerned for the boy and his safety. (Please God, please don't let this turn into... that. Please! I beg of you!) she prayed, desperate not to relive that unpleasant and unknown memory she never knew she had.

"And they REVEL IN IT!" Touma shouted. "They enjoy using kids as soldiers to further their own goals! They support this rotten system that endangers countless children, because it brings them twisted pleasure! We can't handle the pressure of being expected to be weapons of mass destruction! Do you see why I couldn't care less if we're all destroyed?! EVERYONE HERE IS AN ASSHOLE THAT DESERVES TO DIE!" Touma shouted again. So. This is who Touma really is. Index knew he would complain before, but not like this. This wasn't the same Touma Index knew. He might as well be someone completely different.

"Touma... Why are..." Index refused to accept he said that. The Touma she knew would never say anything like that. She felt her knees wobble, like she barely had the strength to stand up properly. It was the first time she felt like this. So... helpless.
(Touma. Please tell me you don't mean that.) she thought to herself.
"Hmph. Anything else you wanna bitch about?" Ishmael asked, ready to pull the trigger.
"Oh, I have so much more to bitch about. The English Puritan Church's lies. The Roman Orthodox and their crimes against humanity." he pointed to Index. "That GLUTTONOUS BITCH who keeps on biting me for no reason! I HATE THEM ALL!"

*BOOM!*

Ishmael fired the Sawed-Off at the ceiling, putting a halt to Touma's rant and startling the poor nun. Luckily, no one was physically hurt. Mentally hurt however? That was a different story. Index fell to the floor, unable to move. The girl simply couldn't handle this anymore. She felt her eyes start to water as she lay on the hardwood floor. That sound. That gunshot. She knew she heard it somewhere before... But when? Maybe, she thought, that it was one of her memories she lost when the Puritans started to wipe her memories on a yearly basis.
"That's enough!" Ishmael said. "I couldn't care less about you and your petty issues. Besides..." he looked over to Index. "It seems you made her cry."

There she was. Trembling on the floor, with her tears dripping onto the wooden tile. A total mess. Her white robes got wet with her own tears as she struggled to even get a simple sentence out. "Why... Wh-Why...?" she tried to say. "Wh-Why are... you so... so angry at me?" She asked nobody in particular.
"Look what you did, boy. Take a good look and see the consequences of your actions." Ishmael forcefully turned Touma's head to Index as he cried.
For what reason, he had no Idea. "What? I didn't... I mean..."

Index's wailing caught the attention of the other apartment residents. A loud knocking sound alerted Touma and Ishmael."Is everything okay in there? Do I need to call Anti-Skill?" the voice said.
"Get out of here, or else I'll feast on your carcass and feed the rest to the crows!" Ishmael shouted. The sounds of sprinting footsteps were heard on the other side of Touma's front door. Ishmael, seemingly fed up with this, shoved Touma away and said "Tomorrow. Academy City Bank. 6:00 PM. Don't be late."
The gunslinger forced open the glass door and jumped off the porch and into the rainy alleyway, not to be seen again until tomorrow.

The storm continued as Touma closed the back door to his porch. "Index," he said as he approached her. "I-"
"AAAHHH! STAY AWAY!" Index shrieked, cowering in a ball as her eyes ran red. This incident reminder her of something. An event gone from her memory perhaps, but now resurfaced. "I'll be good... I promise... Please don't kill me..." she said. (No. Don't think about that.) Index told herself.
Everything would be okay. Maybe her and Touma could just forget about all this tomorrow. And maybe, she wouldn't have another episode like this again.

Touma placed his right hand on Index's head. The instant he did, the images in her mind disappeared, and she started calm down. "Thank you... Touma..."
"What happened." he asked. "Did I... trigger something? PTSD?"
"I-I'm fine *sniff* now Touma." Index stuttered. "Um..."
"What is it?" the boy asked. He lifted the girl's chin up and saw the terror in her eyes. Watery. As if lamenting something. Yet they were also confused. As if Index had forgotten something important.

"T... Touma?" Index asked.
"Yes? What is it?" Touma asked back.
She curled up into a ball. "When you called me a... a... 'B', did you mean what you said?" Index asked, hoping the answer to be 'no.'"
Touma embraced her, and said "No." comforting the little nun as he did. "Nobody says what they mean when they're angry." he said in a calming voice. Index hugged him back. So Touma still had a gentle heart in him after all.
"I'm sorry I snapped there. I just... I just can't take playing the hero anymore. It's just too much for me to handle." he said calmly, quietly shushing Index in the hopes to stop her from crying.
"I'm sorry for all those times I've bit you. I didn't know better." Index apologized.
"To be fair, I kinda did deserve it." Touma said with a chuckle.
"No you didn't, silly."

Touma helped Index to stand back up. "What do you say we have ice cream? Try and forget about what happened, alright?" he said as he made his way to his freezer. "It's the least I could do." Touma opened the freezer built in to his fridge and got out the pail. Chocolate fudge ripple, Index's favorite.
"Heh heh. The least you could do was nothing." Index said as she was cheering up.

That episode she had... What was it exactly? She saw a glimpse of a man with blonde hair holding something. She could hear a bang much like Ishmael's shotgun, except it was different. It was louder, more powerful. She couldn't quite make out anything except a faint outline holding what seemed to be a gun.
But when Touma laid his right hand on her head, the images; possibly memories, completely melted away. As if some divine intervention prevented her from further losing herself to fear.

Index always had this theory about Touma's right hand. Perhaps the reason it dispels magic, is because God himself resides within it. Perhaps God wants to dispel the very magic he created so everyone couldn't use magic for their own purposes. Perhaps this was God's way of saying to Index 'I'm here for you.'
She just knew her God would be there for her, and would comfort her in her time of need when she needed it most.

Verse 2: Geez, how tall WAS that?

Styl had spent most of the day simply trying to climb down this godforsaken mountain. "Come on! How big IS this thing!?" Styl complained as he searched for another area he could slide down from.

A nearby herd of mountain goats gathered around a spot by a cliff face, which Styl took as a sign that said 'follow them, idiot.'
One by one the mountain goats attempted to climb down the steep cliff face, with their hooves serving as a means to provide support on what might as well be a 90 degree angle. "Aha." Magnus said to himself.

It was a brilliant idea: follow the goats down the mountain slope. Just one problem though. Styl Magnus wasn't a mountain goat. He wouldn't be able to follow them. As Styl approached the herd, they each reared their heads towards him. Styl had nothing to worry about though. He was told that mountain goats didn't generally attack humans, and would rather run than fight.

Well, over a cliff face, running was not an option. And with a baby goat among them, you bet there would be an angry mother that would charge anything that looked like a threat to her baby. It also didn't help that it looked like the pyromancer was said threat with his big black cape and all. After Styl got close enough to the edge to look down, the goats butted him off the edge. "Oh craaaaAAAAAAAP!" shouted the magician as he was thrown towards the dense forest below him. Luckily, the leaves, pointy branches, and conveniently placed deer he landed on were enough to relatively cushion the impact of the fall. Good news for Styl, not so much the deer.

"Ugh... Well, that's one way of getting down." Styl grumbled to himself. Reaching into his cloak, he pulled out a handheld radio and attempted to contact the Archbishop. "Laura. This is Styl Magnus. It took me the whole day, but I've made it down the mountain."
The radio responded. "I'm glad to hear you made it. Our double agent, Cid, should be there to pick you up at any moment." Just then, a rustling in the bushes alerted Styl to a presence. "Hopefully that's soon, 'cause I've got company."
"Crudux cruo!" a cultist shouted before blasting the radio out of Styl's hands and onto the ground where it shattered.
"Sh*t! Acolytes!" Styl's first instinct was to take cover behind a tree. The instant the cultist saw him, he opened fire with his Tommy Gun, peppering his target with several .45 ACP rounds to the back.

The pyromancer was able to reach cover to minimize the bullets that hit him. It was a good thing his cloak also helped to dampen the impact, otherwise he would be dead by now. (Crap! When's that Cid guy getting here?) he thought to himself as he hid behind the tree trunk. Two more robed cultists emerged from the underbrush, with their chanting and gunfire being the only thing the magician could hear. Peeking his head around the tree, Styl saw a cultist in blue wielding a weapon with electricity protruding from the barrel.
"Eat this!" the cultist in blue said as he charged up the Tesla Cannon.

Styl's days were numbered, at least he thought so. Once that thing fires, there's no telling how much damage that thing could do. The tree might not be enough cover to protect him from the blast. Suddenly, the roaring of a large vehicle reached Styl's ears. The sound of engines roaring seemed to be coming from behind the cultists. Was this Cid? The large armored vehicle struck the blue robed cultist in the back, sending him flying into the sky to land somewhere else. An explosion was heard shortly after. A tall slender man with short blonde hair leapt from the doors of the vehicle, halberd in hand. In a single swipe, he cleaved a cultist clean in half, and when the last cultist attempted to subdue him, the man thrust the spear tip into his chest, putting the robed man out of commission. "I take it you're Styl Magnus?" he asked.
"Yeah. You're Cid. Am I correct in assuming that?"

Pulling the Halberd from the cultist's body, the man answered "Uh huh."
"Well this is a fine 'how do you do' don't you think?" Styl joked.
"Yup. First time we meet, and it's when you're about to get blown to smithereens." Cid laughed, wiping the blood off his halberd with his sleeve. So, this was the double agent. An English Puritan undercover as an Acolyte. Supposedly, he's a doctor of engineering too. Got a PHD and everything. Styl heard that as a kid, Cid built a robot with AI. Not 'artificial intelligence' but rather actual intelligence. Nobody knows what happened to it though. Maybe it got lost or something. "I heard you're some kind of Einstein. Solving problems once thought scientifically impossible."
"It's nothing really. I just make an effort to solve problems nobody bothers to solve." Cid said as he returned his halberd to his back.

"For example, first aid." he continued. "I developed a first aid spray that helps to clean and close wounds in a matter of seconds. It's a blend of yarrow herbs with a spongy material that is sprayed on to an open wound, along with vitamins A, C, E, and Zinc to help heal the wound." Cid explained. Not just a doctor of engineering, but of medicine too. Styl thought this guy might as well be a brain on legs. Albeit, that might as well describe humans in general.
"Anyways, the Great Falls Airport is to the east, correct?" the magician asked the engineer. "I have to deliver the plans for Atma to the archbishop."
Cid opened his side of the vehicle and climbed in, saying "I know. If you're in a hurry, then hop in!" as he went inside the armored Jeep.

Styl sat in the passenger's seat and was in awe of the interior. The outside was armored, industrial, and gave off a militaristic look to Styl. But on the inside were light-up cup holders, a radio, a Heads Up Display on the windshield, a small cooler where the glove compartment should be, and even a pull down television. It even ran Linux! A small robotic arm descended from the roof of the jeep, and handed Styl Magnus a glass of soda. No, not soda. This was rum.
"Not only is this a tank," Cid started, proud of his creation.
"This is a goddamn LIMOUSINE!' Styl finished.
"Protection and comfort. A perfect combination brought to you by yours truly, Cid Ackerman." he said pulling the gearshift into Drive. "What do you say we deliver those plans and get some beer after?"
"Heh. Thanks for the offer but, I've got something else to deal with after. A certain boy with a certain hand..."

The Jeep drove off into the forest, onto a pathway unobstructed by trees. Styl thought long and hard about what he was gonna do after the plans for the Atma Weapon are delivered to the archbishop. She said not to involve Touma in this. If that wasn't a red flag for suspicious behavior, then Styl didn't know what was. The Imagine Breaker is the church's only hope of destroying the weapon. Why couldn't he come along? That excuse of being too dangerous for the boy made no sense. But then again, maybe it did. "Hey. Where's Kanzaki?" Cid asked.
Styl hesitated to answer. "She's... dead."
"What? But she's a saint! Do you know how much power is needed to kill one?"
"Yes." Styl responded. He looked Cid dead in the eyes. "All they had to do was shoot her. And do you know what they said as they burned her corpse?"
"What?" Cid asked, focusing on driving the Limo/Jeep.
"They said, 'The false saint is dead. Let us celebrate the heretic's death.'" Styl covered his face as he started to cry.
"Damn. That's dark." Cid replied. Styl continued as Cid drove the jeep to the Great Falls Airport.
"Don't you see Cid? They lied to us. THE CHURCH LIED TO US ABOUT SAINTS GODDAMMIT!" According to the English Puritans, saints were the most powerful people on earth. Of course, after what happened to Kanzaki, Styl knew that was a f*cking lie. Big surprise, people die when they are shot. No exceptions. And the Acolytes had the BALLS to call her a heretic. Although, it seemed deserved with Styl's new view of the church.

One question remained in Styl's mind though: Was HE a heretic?

Verse 3: Enter Michael.

The mountainous landscape of Montana was harsh to those without the proper equipment to survive. Insects, predators, barely any food, it was a nightmare to try to survive in. Beneath a tree laid a man in black robes, his pocket radio making a hissing noise. His hand covering a small chest wound caused by a blade.
Just as the man started to gain consciousness, his radio stopped crackling and a clear voice came from the speaker.

"Squad 1, this is command. What's your status? Over." The man in black robes groaned in pain as he answered the signal.
"M-Michael here. I..." he surveyed his surroundings. Another man lay cleaved in half beside him. "My whole squad... They're all dead." he said, his eyes seeming to water a bit. "Michael..." the cultist on the other end said. "I'm sorry to hear that." The pain was too great for him to bear. Blood continued to leak from his robes as Michael tried desperately to apply pressure and cover the wound. Of course, it didn't help much. "I got hurt pretty bad... what can I-"

"You practiced White Magic, right? Cast Cure. You should be fine. Over." the cultist reassured. The Cure spell. How could he have forgotten that? Everyone else was focused on learning Black Magic, but not Michael. Michael wanted to learn White Magic, to heal his fellow Acolytes. Their operation required enough death as is. He certainly didn't want any more. "Biggs?" Michael asked into the radio. "I can't find Leon."

A deep and depressed sigh was heard on the other end. "Maybe take a look around? I'm sure you'll find him somewhere. Over." Michael returned the radio to his pocket. Surely Leon must be around somewhere. Slowly standing up, he pulled his arm away from the stab wound and raised his hand to his forehead. Waving his arm in an arc, he shouted to himself "Cure!"

A small orb of light formed in front of him. The light shone through the dense thicket of trees and seemed to scare a few critters away. As it orbited around Michael, the light seemed to enter his forehead, with his wounds closing after it did. Not fully healed, but it will have to do for now. Michael scanned the trees and bushes around him. Surely Leon had to be around here somewhere. He checked the compass on his wristwatch.
The needle pointed left. The same direction the mountain was. Maybe it was a good idea to look there? After all, it was all he could go off of. 15 minutes of searching finally bore fruit for Michael. Although, said fruit had spoiled. Leon was lying face down on a patch of wild flowers, with his tesla gun shattered to pieces.

"Hey... Leon, please... get up." Michael tugged at Leon's blue robe. "Leon?" It was no use. Best case scenario, he was unconsious. Worst case scenario... well... "Life!" Michael shouted as he outstretched his arm. This was the reason he practiced White magic instead of Black. In case moments like this happen. Casting the spell yielded no results. Nothing happened. "F-Full-Life!"

Nothing.

"Leon... you can't leave me." Michael collapsed to Leon's side. "YOU CAN'T!" he shouted. In a moment of anger, Michael furiously punched the soil beside him. His best friend was dead. The only thing on his mind right now was his killer. Who the killer was, he had no idea. But he was determined to find out. And soon.
"Leon... I promise you. I will find whoever did this to you, and bring them to justice." Michael rose, and reached for his radio. "This is Michael." he said.
A single tear dropped from his eyes. "I'm returning to base... over."

Verse 4: Rust-proof armor.

The sounds of rainfall didn't wake Gilgamesh, who continued to sleep outside the apartment building during the storm. Nor did the sounds of thunder that roared in the distance. Instead, it was a certain... feeling. A feeling that something terrible had just happened. Slowly, Gilgamesh opened his eyes from beneath his helmet. "*yawn* Did I seriously sleep during a storm?" he asked himself. As he attempted to stand up, the knight heard an ear-grating metallic sound, nearly deafening him. His armor had rusted in the rain, creaking and clanking like a very old machine was breaking down. Fortunately, it was rather hard to tell the rust from his red armor, not to mention it will probably wipe off with alcohol and baking soda.

However, the armor would let out this ear-splitting screech as the metal plates scraped together when Gilgamesh even moved slightly. "This is getting annoying..." he said to himself. "I'll have to find a way to polish this before my encounter with Kamijou Tou- GAAH! I'm doing it again." he interrupted himself.
(Who am I even talking to? It's not like there's anyone here right now... Oh not her again.)
The crazy policewoman from earlier hobbled towards Gilgamesh, her uniform drenched in the rain. "Ugh..." she groaned.

(The rain...) "Excuse me, Miss Grenade-Happy, but what on EARTH are you doing here without so much as an umbrella!" the knight criticized her for her lack of common sense. "You," she pulled out her taser. "Have the right... to... remain..." She collapsed. The cold rain must have been to much for her. Was it hypothermia? "Hold on! I'll help you, crazy grenade lady!" Gilgamesh picked up the unconscious policewoman, shielding her from the rain.
(Think Gilgamesh, THINK! There has to be some sort of Inn around here... Wait!) he thought to himself. "I'll just call 911! Thank you strange communication technology!" It then occurred to Gilgamesh that he didn't have a phone on him. Not to mention there wasn't any sort of pay phone in sight.
"This is bad. If I can't find shelter for her, then- GAH! I'm doing it again!" the knight shouted.

Then, he had an idea. Perhaps he could rest the woman underneath that big bridge he crossed a while back? It seemed sound enough for him. The bridge should provide sufficient shelter for the officer, and her jacket should provide ample warmth. Provided Gilgamesh dried it out that is. If he remembered correctly, the bridge was in the opposite direction he came from. With determination of steel, Gilgamesh carried the officer away from Touma's apartment.
(Kamijou... Tomorrow will be your doom.) the knight thought to himself.

Verse 5: You're not going anywhere.

Nighttime was approaching fast. Yet the rain still refused to let up. Accelerator, along with the rest of the household, were having dinner tonight. Roast chicken being the main course. "And that's when the guy pushed a big red button to gas us!" Last Order said energetically.
"You sure are energetic for a girl who just got kidnapped." Yomikawa said.

"It's cool, says Misaka Misaka as she devours her chicken leg."
"Seriously, what's with the third-person thing? Cut it out." An exasperated Accelerator said.
"Misaka Misaka can't help it! It's because I'm a clone!"
"Whatever. Brat."

Worst scarfed down her chicken without even taking a break to breathe. It's as if she hasn't eaten in a long time. Then again, the whole kidnapping thing made it so Worst, Accelerator, and Last Order missed out on lunch, the boy reasoned. Couldn't that 'Ishmael' guy pick a better time to speak with him?
The angsty Misaka clone began to choke a little on her meal, coughing to get something out. Probably a bone or something.

"Didn't we tell you to slow down? What are you, malnourished?" Accelerator said. He got off his chair and gave Worst a hard smack on the back. One last hack had her spit out a small piece of bone, as the teen suspected. "That better be the last time I have to do that." he said.
"Thanks. Misaka should probably take her time when eating, shouldn't she?" Worst said. "Just haven't had lunch today..."

Yoshikawa spoke up. "Well, going missing for hours on end will do that to you." she said taking a sip from her glass of iced tea. "I would have called Anti-Skill if you didn't show up when you did."
"Don't you have to wait a day before you file a Missing Persons Report?" Accelerator asked. "Because that's how it works in the States and Canada."

"Speaking of the States..." Yomikawa added. "You took Last Order with you there for a trip, right? Where did you end up going anyways?"
Oh god. Why did she have to bring that up? The two of them have been trying to forget the horrors of that place ever since they returned to Japan.
The monsters... So many monsters... Last Order almost died in that town. And the town itself seemed almost... alive. Messing with them. Doing strange sh*t to reality. Not to mention that temporary memory loss he suffered.

All that was in the past now. Instead of answering clearly, Accelerator said "Just some town. Didn't go well. We'd rather not talk about it."
"Misaka agrees, Says Misaka Misaka trying not to have Vietnam flashbacks!" the child finished her chicken leg. "Please don't ask where we went!"
"Okay, we won't." Yomikawa Aiho said. Good. Accelerator would hate to have to relive that nightmare again. He picked up his plate which still had chunks of meat and salad on it. "I'll finish this upstairs." he said.

"You're not going anywhere, Accelerator." Yoshi and Yomi said in unison. "We're eating here as a family, and you're going to suffer with us."
"Fine." Accelerator returned his plate back to where it was. "But don't expect me to listen." he said. With a snap of his fingers, Accelerator activated his Vector ability to cancel out any sound coming his way. Peace and quiet, just how he liked it.

Accelerator thought back to his time with Ishmael. Something didn't sit right with him. Basically he was captured, hired by some creep to destroy a nuclear weapon, and was given no choice in the matter with the brat's life at stake. The threat of nuclear Armageddon was too large and grand for Accelerator to take it seriously. It was about as worrying as not getting an email for more than 5 minutes, and even then it was hardly anything to have a breakdown over.
Still, a threat was a threat. And if that meant Last Order would die, then it was enough for him to warrant concern for her. (Guess I'll do it.) he told himself.
The others were presumably talking about their experiences of being gassed. How exciting. Guess it's something to talk about, Accelerator thought.
After Last Order's plate was bare of food, she gave the white-haired teen a tap on the shoulder. Maybe now was a good time to deactivate the Vector.
"What is it?" he asked.

"Yomikawa wants you to listen to what happened to her today, says Misaka Misaka telling you to not be a blob."
"*sigh* Okay... What happened?" he reluctantly asked. Aiho cleared her throat.

"It was the middle of the day when I got that call.

They were calling for reinforcements... A high level Esper was attacking the station.
I hurried there as fast I could but...

I was too late. They were all dead.

There he was. Gideon.

At first, I thought he was an Esper due to his supernatural abilities.
But when I asked him if he was, he said 'Do I look like I have a Whisper whom I can call forth?'

He told me he was God's 'Chosen.' That his first step in summoning God was to eradicate the 'City of Heritics.' Whatever that meant.

His hands became lightning. His feet became flame. And his heart became Ice.
His ability was not rooted in any science at all.
He called it 'Black Magic.'

I chased him upstairs. That was when he revealed he was behind ALC-60. He called the virus Zero.
By uttering a single word, he conjured an icicle and lodged it into my chest.
Then came the flames. And then the lightning.
I thought I was going to die...

Then, you showed up Accelerator.
As soon as I saw you, I knew I was saved.
Too bad he got away though. I would've like to see you splatter him against the wall."

(Him too, huh?) Accelerator thought to himself. (He can use Spells as well as I can... The question is, how did he get them?) "You're welcome. Can someone pass the salt?" he asked. "Actually, hold that thought..." Accelerator beckoned with his finger to the salt shaker. It flew off the table and landed in the Esper's hand.

"Since when could you do that?" Yoshikawa asked.
"It's a new trick I learned. Controlling Vector quantities from a distance." he explained with a smug expression. "Not only that, but my powers have been automated, meaning I don't have to run the calculations myself anymore." Accelerator said, finishing the last bite of his salad.

Everyone at the table stared at Accelerator as if he had a spider on his face. "What?" he asked wondering what the hell everyone was staring at him for.
"Seriously. Where did you learn all that?" Yoshikawa asked again. "Don't tell me you're practicing magic..." she said in disbelief. Technically, Espers can't use magic. It would damage their bodies in a way that they would have to be hospitalized. Accelerator knew this from experience when he saved Last Order's life at the end of World War 3. However, the magic Accelerator practiced not only left him unharmed, but it seemed to 'agree' with him as well. Probably because it didn't require rituals of any sort at all.

"Misaka Misaka can't believe you, says Misaka Misaka angry you're using the very thing that almost killed her!" Last Order put on her best 'pouty face' as she put it. Accelerator couldn't blame her for being disappointed in him, because she too was used in many rituals. She wanted to be done with all this occult stuff.
"So. You really want to know where I learned the secret to Spells?" the teen asked in a foreboding tone. Everyone stayed silent. "Fine then. I'll tell you."

"It all started after Last Order and I returned from our trip to Hawaii.

Our plane crashed into a creepy-ass town, and long story short, we barely got out with our lives.
Ever since I returned, I wanted to know how I could better protect her.

It's no secret that I care for the little brat. Deeply, in fact. Because I temporarily lost my powers, and my memory for a while, I wanted to know if there was something I was missing.

Then, Tsushimikado came to me. He said he uncovered an ancient power that has been banned by many churches in history.
They were called... Spells.

Before, the only way to use magic was to partake in demonic rituals and satanic sacrifices. Arranging objects around a room. Incantations. Offerings.
With the power of the Spell however, all we had to do was say the name of the Spell, and it would be cast. No virgin's blood required.

'This is it!' I thought. 'With this power, I can finally protect those dear to me!'
Eventually, he and I practiced our Spells. He would study the art of Black Magic, and I would integrate Spells into my Vector powers.
In short, my powers have been automated. Why perform the calculations myself when magic can do it for me."

Accelerator excused himself from the table. "There you go kid." he said. "You got your freaking 'Lore Dump Hype' you won't shut up about." the teen made his way up the stairs and to his room, leaving the others to eat without him. Inside, he closed his door, sat down at his desk, turned on the CRT monitor, and fired up a program called Dosbox. From a drawer, he grabbed five old floppy disks with 'DOOM' written on the labels. He also took out a USB floppy drive. Even though his PC case was a 90's model (with some modifications for better airflow) it didn't have a real 3 1/2 inch drive. One by one the install disks went in, with the slow speed of the floppies creating anticipation for the game to start up. At last, Accelerator inserted the first floppy, and he was greeted with a setup screen. After messing around with the MIDI and sound settings, he could finally play his game. "Let's have a go at Nightmare mode." Accelerator said to himself with a grin.

There he was, pistol in hand, facing a lobby of sorts. Turning to his left, Accelerator found a few demons with guns shooting at him. Holding down left click, he showered the shotgunners with bullets in the hopes they would fall instead of him. He rushed to the pedestal with green armor on it, and blasted the demons away with the shotgun one of them dropped. The MIDI tunes of E1M1 were playing at a rather low volume as not to disturb everyone else downstairs.

Accelerator's character died rather quickly when a basic zombie shot him. "Crap." he said calmly. The game did warn him that mode wasn't even remotely fair. "Guess I asked for it." Accelerator told himself. A few minutes later, a quiet knock came from his door. "Yeah?" he asked.
"It's me, Misaka Misaka." Last Order said with the door slightly muffling her speech.
"Come in." he said.

The wooden door slowly creaked as it inched open. The little girl poked her head in. "Hi." Last Order said as she entered.
"Need anything?" Accelerator asked, turning off the PC and monitor.
"Well, um..." she wandered over to his bed. As she sat on the covers, she mumbled something to herself. The boy couldn't quite hear it.
"Huh? What'd you say?" he asked as he sat down beside the girl.

"I'd like it if you would come join us downstairs." Last Order said nervously. "It was kinda rude for you to excuse yourself like that, adds Misaka Misaka disappointed in you." Accelerator put his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Look," he said. "I... just want to be left alone right now. Okay?" Accelerator's stern expression changed to a more gentle look. If it were anyone other than Last Order, he wouldn't have lowered his edgy facade. "I've had a lot on my mind lately."

"Are you talking about the whole kidnapping ordeal?" the girl asked.
Accelerator slightly chuckled. "Nah. I was thinking of something else." he said. "It's my mother."
"What about her, Misaka Misaka asks?" she tilted her head a little in curiosity.

Accelerator took a deep breath. He didn't want to talk about that time they were in that creepy town, but, he felt like he had to. No use trying to run away from it anymore. "Do you remember when we crash landed there? In that town?"
Last Order looked a little bit sad. Well, not sad but, how could he put it... depressed? "How could I forget." Last Order said, dropping her third-person speech. "I remember when you lost your memory then. I was heartbroken. I thought something bad would happen to you." she clenched Accelerators blanket.

The teen continued. "Before I woke up, I heard a voice." he said.
"What kind of voice?" Last Order asked.
"It sounded gentle, and soft."

"'My son,' it said.

'A great darkness will consume the land. An unjust god wishes to destroy us all.'

I had no idea what she was talking about, but I listened anyways. I knew I heard her voice somewhere before.

'When the time comes, I wish for you to deliver this world from darkness, and to join me.
Together, we will be Whispers.'

As I regained my memories in that place, I could see faint images of her. My mother.
It's no secret I was taken away from her as an infant. No doubt she was killed shortly after.

Ever since we came back from there, I wanted to know more about her. And interacting with others kinda just got in the way of that."

Last Order giggled. "So THAT'S why you're such a stick in the mud." she teased.
"Yeah..." it was hard for him to say. In Accelerator's eyes, it made him sound like even more of an asshole than he already was. Opening up about not wanting to really talk to others exposed some vulnerable side to him nobody but Last Order has ever seen before. Frankly, she was the only one he was comfortable talking to, yet he had no idea why.
"You could just, you know, talk to other people about it. Misaka Misaka says as she attempts to comfort you."
"I... don't need that right now." Accelerator replied. "But maybe you're right."
Accelerator checked his phone. It was nearing nighttime. "Crap, I gotta go." he said rushing to leave his room.
"You're not going anywhere, says Misaka Misaka! You need to spend time with your family for once. I'm not gonna let you practice any more magic with whoever you're hanging out with!" she grabbed Accelerator by his shirt. Accelerator sighed. The kid did have a point. He could afford to skip just this once.
"I'll call and tell him I'm not coming tonight. Okay?" he asked.
Last Order smiled. "Yeah. Okay."

Verse 6: The dark hour.

A teen with spiky blonde hair paced back and forth near a burning trash can. "When's that Ishmael getting here?" he asked to himself. His name was unimportant. Everyone else called him Tsushimikado. But he preferred the title Uriel. Like the archangel. To him, his past name was a shameful reminder of himself being a member of Necessarius. That Damn church of 'Necessary evil.' Nobody bought that sh*t. "Ugh, I can't stand the waiting!" he said to himself.
"Wait no longer." A gravelly voice said. A dark figure entered the alleyway. "So we meet again." Ishmael said.

"Heh. About time you showed up. Accelerator told me he's not coming today." he said, taking off his sunglasses to clean them.
"I see you're the type of guy who wears sunglasses in the dark, during a rainstorm. You sure you can see well?" Ishmael asked the teen as he prepared a cigar.
"Normally I'd say something like 'Chicks dig the sunglasses' but, I don't know... There's also the fact I kinda need 'em to see, because they're prescription glasses. They're a special type, so I don't have trouble seeing through them."

Ishmael blew a smoke ring. "You mean the kind that tint themselves depending on the light level? I've heard of those." the gunslinger remarked. "So, Tsushimikado, found any Intel on the Acolytes yet?" he asked.
"I keep telling you, call me Uriel. I don't want to acknowledge that name anymore. And no, I haven't gotten anything regarding the Atma Weapon."
"Uriel sounds kinda stupid. Why not Skull?"
"To edgy." the teen said. "Hmm... How about... Jack? It's got a nice ring to it. And best of all, no ties to any church."
"Fitting." Ishmael said.
"I guess I'm Jack now. Anyways, have you recruited Kami and Accelerator yet?" Jack asked.
"Yeah. I did."

As the fire in the trashcan continued to burn in the rain, 'Jack' and Ishmael talked about their next course of action. The gunslinger informed the teen about the Acolytes operation at the Academy City bank, and that they still might be operating there tomorrow. He told Jack that they were looking for a 'Crystal of Earth' there, and that if Ishmael and Tsushimikado (or Jack) wanted to do anything to stop this Atma Weapon from launching, they would need to somehow obtain the crystal from the cultists. It was easier said than done. The Acolytes of the New God rarely used magic, and would much rather use guns. Ishmael and Accelerator would be fine, but the others wouldn't stand a chance. They would need one more person who was adept at using Spells. The ones churches all over the world have forbidden.

"Styl Magnus." Jack said to Ishmael. "He's a skilled pyromancer, not to mention he knows his way around guns."
"Hmm. Think he'll be able to get here by tomorrow?" Ishmael asked. Jack shrugged. Probably not, unless he had access to the fastest aircraft in the world. That would be a possibility because Cid, a double agent for both the Acolytes and the Puritans, was supposed to be escorting Magnus here to Academy City. He's basically Einstein or John Carmack times 1 million, so he probably built some sort of craft out of Popsicle sticks and trash bags that could run Doom.
"With Cid, I'd say he's arriving tomorrow at around... 12:00 PM." Jack said.

Ishmael extinguished his cigar. "I see. Well, I should be going. I need to speak to my boss in person."
"Just who is your boss anyway?" Jack asked.
Before he could leave, Ishmael grinned. "You'll know when the time comes." he said. With his jump boots, Ishmael skyrocketed towards the rooftop of the alleyway. He looked down at Jack and waved. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said before disappearing.

Chapter End.