Hey guys thanks for the support and for reading a Certain Scientific Counter. I really like reading the reviews it helps me better the story as a whole.
Anti-Mage 29- Good question. The answer is no it would not, Whenever Touma counters something with his left hand emanates the AIM field and spread it across his body like a virus only dying out when it goes down his right arm. Imagine breaker was never able to fully Negate something that is constantly flowing so he would have to touch it at the Source (Left hand) in order to fully get rid of it. Also thank you for your support and the Kami disease never died out its symptoms are only being treated for now.
Guest 0- This comment made me laugh. I can picture Touma running prometheus style away from a falling windmill heading straight for him and then it just bouncing right off his head at the last moment and Accelerator being what the F$#^ was that. And on your other comment yeah she would probably Tell everybody in the Railgang her relationship with Touma if she ever found out.
Graeskog- Thank you for your continued support! Misaki and Touma relationship was always based on the foundations of Mutual Respect and Love so Misaki would never try to Smother Touma. Also when Misaki does learn about what Misak did then….. Well lets just say there's gonna be a little bit more than just fireworks involved.
ultron emperor- Thank you. And I wouldn't worry about Touma vs Accelerator. Counter was never meant to make Touma OP it was just meant to give Touma a variety of other options in a fight in order to get the most epic fight scene posible.
Sergio644- Does Misaki seem the type to leave something this important in the hands of Judgement. When she finds out….
Fortitude501- I got inspired to write that from watching a Movie I just rewatched recently 30 minutes or less. Yeah the only reason I write SS are because if I didn't then some things wouldn't make a lot of sense in future chapters.
MarkGib- Of course it was all thanks to his favorite honey blonde.
BlueJack22- It does doesn't it… Wonder how long that will last.
Ultra Instinct Shaggy- I"M OVERFLOWING WITH ENERGY!
Nguyen Thanh Long- The only reason Kuroko hated Touma was because she saw him as competition. But now that he helped her get a Romantic Dinner with Misaka she likes him better. For proof just read chapter 12.5 for a Certain Scientific Railgun side story Astral Body.
Whwsms- Yes the reason for that is that he gave a hybrid of both his friends name So Uiharu couldn't find him (Touma was never really good at naming things)
Minnidog 118- Yes and No. If Touma uses his counter on Accelerator he would temporarily gain Accelerators Vector Transformation ability until all of his AIM fields dissipate from him. So it would be more likely that both of the opposing Vectors would just cancel each other out resulting in a regular punch.
SS: Misaki's Misfortunate Day.
July 18
When Misaki woke up many things raced through her head from the day before. First, she had found out that her Prince was now a Gemstone which was bound to bring trouble in and of itself. But she had also found out the old hag had done more for Touma then she ever has, she got rid of Deadlock and the man behind organizing the entire operation. She also learned that she was in charge of overseeing all the Gemstones in Academy city which would mean that she would be able to spend more time with Touma and with her declaration of war it meant now more than ever Misaki had to stake her claim as Touma's Girlfriend.
(My Prince, I always knew you were special and wanted the world to see it but not like this) Misaki thought to herself.
(Well what the worst thing that could happen since he's a Gemstone) Misaki then imagined Touma hearing the News and Panicking and deciding to skip town.
"No, I won't let that happen!"
Misaki didn't realize she said this out loud and within seconds she heard knocking at the door.
"My Queen are you alright"
Misaki face slightly turned red out of sheer embarrassment. "Yes everything's fine"
Misaki then proceeded to get changed into her school uniform as she began to think of a way to help Touma transition into being a Gemstone but quickly realized that she had no idea how. Becoming a higher level and becoming a Gemstone were two completely different things. Misaki had no idea how they operated as there were so few Gemstones in the city. She then remembered what Kumokawa new job was. She was in charge of overseeing all the Gemstones.
(That Old Hag! This was her plan all along she knows Touma is going to have a hard time transitioning into a Gemstone. So that's how she plans to weasel her way back into my Prince's life)
Once Misaki had finished changing she exited her room to find members of her clique patiently waiting for her.
"Good Morning my Queen," They all said in unison.
"Good Morning, What's on the Agenda Today Junko"
"Well actually my Queen it seems that you are actually free today"
This actually came to a surprise to Misaki as she was used to having her mornings full of overseeing her clique, but like any well-oiled machine eventually, they were able to take care of most things themselves without the need of their Queen's supervision.
"Good because I have a job for you"
"What is it, my Queen?" Junko asked.
"It has come to my attention that my prince has moved up in his ranking he is now a Gemstone"
"Really Kamijou-san is a Gemstone" Junko was in shock she knew Touma, but she never would have expected this.
"Yes and I want to help him transition into his new life as a Gemstone that is why I want you to find me another Gemstone, so I can ask them about their daily life."
"My Queen if I may" Sakibasu Yuri spoke up
"You may"
"I can tell you for a fact that there are no Gemstones currently enrolled in Tokiwadai my Queen"
"I already knew that is there anything else."
"Yes, I do know of one, but…."
"Well, who is it?"
"It's the seventh level 5 my Queen Sogiita Gunha'
(Ugh why does it have to be him)
"Is he really the only one" Misaki complained.
"I'm sorry my Queen, but she's right Gemstones are among the rarest things in Academy city, I currently don't know any other Gemstones but him," Junko confirmed.
"Fine arrange a meeting with him"
"That might be a problem my Queen" Sakibasu said.
"Why is that"
"You see nobody really knows where he is. Rumor has it that he barely even shows up to his school at all. He just wanders aimlessly around the city helping people."
"So what are you saying you can't find him"
"No, but we'll have to hope that he uploads another video soon."
"Wait, another video what are you talking about?"
"Oh for his YouTube channel."
(...)
"He has a YouTube Channel" Misaki was still in shock at this revelation though you could not tell by looking at her.
"Yes, my Queen his channel is called…... Ahem, 'TheRealestGuts!'"
"You've got to be joking, who would even watch that?"
"A lot of people actually my Queen he currently has over a million subscribers"
"..."
(What has this world come too) Misaki then contemplated humanities future.
"How does he have so many subscribers?" Misaki asked.
"Well most of his subscribers originate from America in actuality only about less than 1 percent of his subscribers are from Academy City." Junko pointed out.
Junko then proceeds to pull out her phone which was covered in Gekota accessories and opened YouTube to show her Queen a clip of one of his videos.
In the video, it showed Sogiita Gunha who is now sporting a white jacket along with a rising sun shirt. Misaki couldn't help but see some similarities between him, and her prince.
"Hey guys I'm here in Academy City with my new coat but you know what I like a lot more than materialistic things, Guts, you see with Guts there's no limit to what you can do"
The screen then cut to a full body view of his body then various types of explosions went off behind him such as explosions of colorful red, blue, and yellow.
At this point, Misaki broke that illusion she had earlier and saw that they couldn't be any more different. While her Prince was humble and kind, he was more hot-blooded and prideful.
She then motioned for them to turn off the video as she had seen enough.
"Well then I see you have your work cut out for you' Misaki said.
"Don't worry my Queen we'll find him by the time our classes are over" Junko assured her.
"I will look up everything we currently know about Gemstones while we wait my Queen" Sakibasu said.
"Alright now if you don't mind I need to head over to the school and attend class"
After that Misaki made her way down to Tokiwadai middle school it was a large school building with highly sophisticated equipment with an elegant design to it, fitting for ojou types such as herself. However, as she entered the school she was once again surrounded by members of her clique. Misaki didn't mind this as she was used to the attention as it came with being a level 5 however it reminded her of how her prince will also be in a similar situation.
After Misaki was done with most of her classes she decided to use her free period to review the research that Sakibasu had collected for her.
A Gemstone is defined as an esper who has obtained their power without an artificial method such as the Power Curriculum Program. Due to this fact they are as rare as level 5s at least inside of academy city they are, it was estimated that there are at least 50 Gemstones around the world in total. Academy City currently has a theory that explains the Gemstones' existence: If their espers are artificial diamonds, then the Gemstones are natural ones. Due to this fact, they are considered prized research materials, but because of this many espers dislike Gemstones due to the fact that they never went through the Power Curriculum Program. The research also underlined the importance of the safety of Gemstones from foreign organizations since they believe that Gemstones hold the key for creating their own psychic power development institutions.
After Misaki read through all the data she couldn't help but sigh.
(So this is what that old hag was talking about. He's now has a walking target on his back.)
Misaki then contemplated trying to reverse the ruling that Touma was a Gemstone but quickly dismissed the idea since not only would that be extremely time-consuming but from what the 'Old hag' told her this decision came from the General superintendent them self, and she knew better than to try to purposely go against it, besides it was in the best interests in her Prince as well.
As the day continued to move on Misaki couldn't focus as questions began to fill her mind. Though Touma was considered a Gemstone now why wasn't he declared one earlier. Kumokawa stated that it was due to him fighting another powerful esper. Who could it be, it would have to be someone powerful enough to warrant an investigation. Who could it be?
And why was Shundou Toshizou after Touma? If I recall correctly he was originally affiliated with the Clone Dolly: Ideal Program, but that was closed down due to Yuri Senya untimely demise.
(Wait a minute, Touma is able to replicate AIM fields perfectly so it would stand to reason that he could absorb more than one at the same time. Is that why he was after Touma?)
(It would make the most sense. It was due to his obsession and lack of humanity over the project which led to the project's failure the first time. Did he want another chance?)
"TCH this is why I hate dealing with crazies" Misaki moaned.
Once the school-day had come to an end she was informed by her clique that they were unable to find Sogiita Gunha. They apologized profusely at their utter failure but Misaki forgave them since it really was an impossible task to accomplish. In truth, Misaki was more concerned about the fact that she might actually have to go to Kumokawa for help in finding more information on being a Gemstone. If push came to shove Misaki could stow away her pride for a bit for the sake of her prince but this would only be as a last resort. For now, she had to inform her prince that he was a Gemstone.
Misaki then left the Garden district in order to make her way to District 7 to meet up with Touma.
When her clique first learned that she had a boyfriend they were surprised, to say the least, most of them jumped at the chance to meet Touma. Misaki was happy to show off her new boyfriend but quickly learned that Touma had a tendency to attract girls to him. After the first time, she introduced Touma to her clique she read the minds of every girl there and found out that they all had feelings for Touma needless to say she made everyone forget that they met Touma in order to keep the peace. She quickly wisened up after this and only showed him off to some of her closest confidants. It's common knowledge in Tokiwadai that Misaki is in a relationship but it is only known to a select few the name of her boyfriend or even what he looks like. It eventually came to a point where rumors started around Touma one of which said he was so charming that he could win the heart of any maiden he wanted to another one started that if you ever saw the Queen's boyfriend you would gain Good Fortune.
The rumors really didn't bother Misaki all that much in fact they even flattered her. But since she was going to see Touma she put Junko in charge of overseeing her responsibilities in her absence. This was a common occurrence to Junko ever since Misaki started to date, Touma. So much so that she was able to run the clique as steady as a ship now.
Misaki was not one to take a train or a bus anywhere by herself, so she had a personal driver pick her up and drop her off at district 7. When Misaki exited the car she informed the driver to wait for her to call back to pick her up, and then she went on her way.
As Misaki wandered the streets of District 7 she reminisced on the time she and her Prince had here. Early during this school year when Misaki and Touma were still only friends, Touma decided to show her what an average day was like for him, however, unlike the last time, it didn't end with them being chased by a crazed organization trying to kill them. The reason Touma did this was that he saw how depressed and anxious Misaki was over what had happened to him and how she was constantly worried that something like that would happen again to him if they weren't careful. It was Touma's way to show her that even though the world can be a scary place you shouldn't be afraid to go out and enjoy it. While the outing itself wasn't anything noteworthy it still helped Misaki get over her anxiety of losing Touma to something like that again.
As Misaki made her way down the street she passed a convenience store. Usually, she would avoid all convenience stores as she had a staunch belief that they weren't worthy of her time, but she recognized this particular store since she just recently saw a picture of this store on Touma's 'Master Plan' board for getting his coffee back. She couldn't resist the temptation of checking the place out in order to see why it was so appealing to her Prince.
Once Misaki entered the store she saw that while it was modest it still had some charm to it she also noticed that almost everything in the store was on sale.
(So that's why)
When she walked over to the beverage section of the store she noticed something that immediately caught her eye. It was the same brand of Black coffee that Touma was obsessing over yesterday. 'Didn't he say he wanted to get this?' Misaki then came to the conclusion that Touma being noble abandoned his quest, trying to get his coffee for her sake. At first, she was flattered but then almost immediately afterward felt a little shame. She didn't want to be the reason why he didn't get to enjoy his favorite drink so instead, she decided to buy it for him as a present. Besides, its best to break the news to him gently.
When Misaki brought the pack of coffee to the counter she also brought along a present box to put the coffee in (mostly so people wouldn't see her carrying a pack of coffee). When the man over the counter saw this however he started to sweat bullets.
"Um is something wrong sir?" Misaki asked.
"I'm sorry but I can't sell that to you" The man nervously replied.
"Excuse me. Why not, am not paying customer. What type of establishment are you running here" Misaki why offended by this to no end.
"It's not that it's just…. The other boy he…. Said to hold the pack for him until he came back for it….so".
(Another boy… He must be talking about the same person Touma mentioned in his plan) Misaki thought to herself.
Not wanting to have to reason with the man Misaki simply went inside her purse and clicked a button. After that, the shop attendant was more than happy to sell her the coffee. All she had to do was erase that other boy from his memories.
(Let's see how you like it when you don't get your coffee)
Once Misaki exited the store she continued to walk down the street until she ran into 'her'
"Misaka-saaan~" Misaki called over to the unexpecting Esper.
(Ugh why did I have to run into her of all people) Misaka sighed mentally.
"What do you want Shokuhou. I never thought I'd see you of all people here today. What did you get bored with ordering your little minions today." Misaka spat out.
"What can't a fellow Tokiwadai student be happy to see there classmate?" Misaki chooses to ignore the comments about her clique.
Misaka then glanced down and saw that Misaki was holding a present box.
"What's that?" Misaka questioned.
"What this? It's just a present I picked up for my boyfriend you see, not that you'd know anything about that" Misaki teased.
A small vein started to form on Misaka's head after this comment.
"Boyfriend huh. I always thought that you'd just made him up. I mean it'd make the most sense, since who in their right mind would ever want to be with you. And even if you did, you probably just forced the poor sap into a relationship with you" Misaka rebutted.
A small vein started to form on Misaki's head after this.
"You know Misaka-san jealousy isn't a good look on anyone. Besides, you continue to act like a child then" Misaki then lowered her head to see Misaka's chest. "You'll never grow out of being one."
Misaka then quickly covered her chest and started to turn red out of embarrassment.
"Why would anyone ever want those useless lumps of meat!" Misaka snapped back.
"What!? How Dare you!"
Be it divine intervention or part of someone else's Grand plan, Academy City was saved from the scorn of 2 level 5s that day by the sudden arrival of Saten and Uiharu.
"Hey, Misaka!" Saten called out from the distance.
"Huh?" Misaka turned around to see if her mind was playing tricks on her but it was really Saten walking with Uiharu towards them.
However, during this Misaki thought it best to make a graceful exit. So she simply began to walk past Misaka.
"Well, I can see you're quite busy. I'll be seeing you around Misaka-san" Misaki said as she waved her off. Both girls had a similar thought run through their minds at that very moment.
(I really can't stand that girl!)
(I really can't stand that girl!)
"Hey Misaka who was that?" Uiharu asked.
"Oh her. Nobody important. Hey, why don't we all go to the Seventh Mist Mall today?"
"Okay," Saten and Uiharu said in Unison.
"I didn't know girls from Tokiwadai shopped there?"
"Well we do, and we even stand and read Magazines (Manga) in convenience stores too" Misaka tried to play off her bad habit as something everybody did at Tokiwadai, in case her friends ever caught her in the act.
As Misaki continued her walk to her Prince's Dorm she was distracted by her previous discussion with Misaka. 'Why are we enemies', 'pretty much the same' As Misaki was thinking this an image of Dolly popped inside of her head. Misaki's face then turned to one of sadness as she remembered. 'Oh, that's why'.
Misaki remembered the real reason why she originally took an interest in Misaka and wanted to read her mind. It was because her face reminded her so much of what Dolly looked like. After the incident, Misaki made it her mission to figure out why and eventually found the answer. It was because Dolly was a prototype in an attempt to make Clones of Misaka. Misaki knew that the researchers probably tricked Misaka into giving them her DNA Map but to her, it was Misaka's naivety which caused so many problems for her, and she resented her for it.
While Misaki was thinking this, she accidentally bumped into another person. Needless to say, it was more like bumping into an iron wall.
"Ow," Misaki cried as she dropped the present that she was going give to her Prince. Panic had begun to set in as inside since the present was a Pack of coffee was very delicate and dropping it like that would lead to the pack being destroyed.
As Misaki watches as the present continued to fall she blinked and it was gone. At first, she was confused, where did the present go?
"Sorry about that, I was distracted looking for someone. Here I think you were about to drop this" The strange boy said while holding her present.
"Thanks," Misaki said while rubbing her arm.
"No problem I'm just glad that I had enough Guts to save this thing," The boy said while presenting Misaki's present
(Uhhh…. What?)
"Okay then bye," Misaki said as she took the present from his hand and turned to walk away.
"See ya," The strange boy said as he walked off.
….
Misaki then quickly turned around and scanned the boy he had black wide swept spiky hair he also wore a modified white school uniform with the jacket as a makeshift cape along with a shirt of Japan's rising sun. "Wait a minute are you Sogiita Gunha?"
"Huh yeah. Why do you ask?"
"Good because I need your help"
"Sure it's the duty of anyone with Guts to help those in need," Sogiita said while punching his right fist into his left.
(Oh god. I thought that was just a thing he did for his videos)
"So what you ya need help with?" Sogiita asked.
"Well it's not me exactly who needs help it's for somebody that I know. Just recently he's been classified as a Gemstone and".
"REALLY THEN HE MUST HAVE SOME SERIOUS GUTS WHERE CAN I FIND THIS GUY!"
Misaki was not ready for Sogiita intense screaming so it took her a moment to regain her composure.
"Okay but first can you tone it down a bit. You're at an 8 and I'm going to need you to be at least down to a 3 if I want to keep my hearing."
"Sorry about that I forget not everybody can handle my level of Guts," Sogiita said
Misaki then led Sogiita to Touma's dorm but quickly realized that he wasn't there.
"Uhh, so where is this guy I can't sense his Guts anywhere."
"That's odd he should be here by now. Let me call him."
Misaki then quickly grabbed her phone and went under contacts and clicked on 'My Prince'.
"Hey Misaki"
"Touma…. We need to talk".
"Look Misaki I swear it wasn't what it looked like"
"Huh… What are you talking about?"
"... What are you talking about."
"Look Touma whatever you think I'm calling about I'm not. There's just something I need to tell you. When are you going to be back at your dorm?"
"UMM in a bit, I'm just helping a little girl go shopping"
"Oh is that what you think I would've been mad about. You give me far to little credit my Prince, I trust you".
(I just don't trust that old hag not to weasel her way into your life.)
"Thanks, Misaki. By the way, do you know anyone by the name of Nayuta?"
"Huh. No why?"
(Nayuta who's that?)
"Nothing just a name that I heard in passing."
"Are you sure?"
Misaki was worried that Touma was keeping something from her. She knew that Touma would never keep anything from her unless he had a good reason, but she still couldn't help but worry.
"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll see you later".
"Okay then bye my Prince"
'Mental Note: Look up this Nayuta' Misaki Thought to herself
"So the guy's name is Prince huh" Sogiita declared while crossing his arms.
"What no. That's just what I call him because he's my boyfriend." Misaki clarified.
"Wait, I thought you said this guy was just announced as a Gemstone so wouldn't he be new to Academy City?"
"No I said he was just 'classified' as a Gemstone he was originally a level 0 but I always knew he was special"
"SO HE'S BEEN HIDING HIS TRUE GUTS FROM THE WORLD THIS WHOLE TIME!" Sogiita was shocked to say the least.
"Okay. Like I said before if you could please refrain from shouting. That would be much appreciated." Misaki was then rubbing her ears from the ringing pain that was in them.
"Sorry. But why would he hide his true guts like that?"
"It wasn't exactly his fault. It's just the way Academy City decides to measure his powers. Since they couldn't get a good grasp on his powers they decided to just label him a level 0, you probably wouldn't understand".
Sogiita just stood there for a moment to take all the information in.
"I get what that's like actually. Academy City still isn't even able to tell what exactly my ability is even to this day and people get mad at me from the explanations I give to them, so I decided to show the world my true Guts after that I was eventually named a level 5.
(Uh I guess that was his way of sympathizing)
"So what is this guy like?"
"Huh Touma" Misaki stood there trying to find words that best suited her Prince. "Well to start he's kind and caring, but he won't back down from a fight if someone was in danger. He's the type of person who would put everything on the line just to protect one girl's smile, even if that meant going against reality itself."
"What did you say his name was again?" Sogiita asked.
"Kamijou Touma my Prince"
"Well, this Kamijou guy sounds like he has some serious guts. I'd like to meet him someday and test those guts with mine."
"Uh, what are you talking about?" Misaki said with a very concerned look on her face.
"Oh, nothing."
"By the way, you mentioned earlier that you were looking for someone. Who was it?"
"Oh that. I don't exactly know his name exactly but have you heard of the Graviton bombings?"
"Yes, I have heard about them. Were you trying to find the perpetrator behind the attacks?"
"Yeah, but I was having a really hard time finding him. Whoever the bomber is they lack Guts, enough so it's harder for me to track them."
"So what was your plan exactly just walk around until you bumped into the bomber?"
"Yeah," Sogiita said.
Misaki chuckled at this since it was a ridiculous idea. I mean what were the odds that he would be able to stumble into the bomber just by walking around.
"You'd probably have better luck if you had brought Touma along with you considering his luck he's probably already bumped into the bomber," Misaki said sarcastically.
However, Sogiita took this very literally.
(Kamijou Touma the man Overflowing with Guts)
"Anyway if you don't mind me I'm gonna drop these off at his Dorm," Misaki said as she reached for Touma's door.
"Wait you're not allowed to enter another person's dorm without their permission," Sogiita said as he reprimanded Misaki.
"Huh but I have a key so it wouldn't really be classified as Trespassing," Misaki said as she showed Sogiita the Key.
"Okay then. But why do you have a key to his apartment?" Misaki instantly blushed at this question.
"It's not what you think. It's just sometimes Touma loses his key and needs me to let him in".
"Then why doesn't he just give a spare key to his neighbor"
"I try my best to try to limit his exposure to there… Influence." Misaki said as she glared at Tsuchimikado's dorm room.
Sogiita just stood there looking unconvinced. Misaki then decided it would be best to just go straight for Touma's room then to continue Sogiita line of questioning.
When Misaki entered Touma's Dorm everything seemed to be Normal. His Dorm was clean and everything seemed perfectly fine. To fine.
Misaki knew that Touma was hiding something from her but what could it be? Misaki wandered his dorm room and saw a picture of them on their first real date by his bed it was right next to a picture of his parents. Misaki could still remember that day. It was their first official date as a real couple and Misaki wanted everything to go perfect she even had Junko tag along in secret so everything would go smoothly. In the end, fate had other ideas and their romantic first date ended with a rainstorm on their picnic at the park. This, however, didn't really bother them. Touma was happy just to be with Misaki and Misaki felt the same. So the picture was of them smiling together in the rain. Even if Misfortune hits as long as I'm with you I'll always be lucky. That was the engraving that the picture frame had.
At this Misaki couldn't help but smile. Misaki then found where Touma kept the envelopes and parchment paper that he used to write to his family and decided to leave him a note. As Misaki was about to leave the dorm however she noticed a creak in the floor. Normally she never would have noticed but now she could hear it loud and clear. Misaki then moved the small table that was next to his bed and could hear the creaking more clearly now. Misaki was sure that there was something hidden under the floorboards. But once Misaki was about to peel away the carpet Sogiita came through the door.
"Hey what's taking so long!" Misaki quickly gave up her attempts of trying to figure out what was under the floorboard for now. But she would ask Touma about this Tomorrow.
As Misaki was about to leave Touma's dorm grounds with Sogiita she was immediately stopped by a familiar voice.
"What leaving so soon?"
Misaki then turned around and saw Kumokawa leaning on the entrance to Touma's dorm building.
"What the- when did 'you' get here!" Misaki hissed.
"Who me? I've been here for quite a while now, wasn't that hard to figure what you were playing if I'm going, to be honest. I'm just surprised that it took you this long" Kumokawa said in a mocking tone of voice.
"Oh, so you guys know each other?" Sogiita asked.
"You can say that Sogiita. We actually know each other through a mutual associate of ours" Kumokawa stated.
"So why did you decide to visit Touma's dorm at this time of day anyway?" Misaki prodded.
"You really need to listen better. Like I said before I already knew what you were planning to show Kamijou the 'joys' of being a Gemstone." Kumokawa said sarcastically. "But I would've thought you would have come to me sooner instead of rushing to give Kamijou some haphazard breakdown of being a Gemstone" Kumokawa then waved her finger in disapproval.
(TCH)
"My only desire was to give Touma the most information as soon as possible, however now that you're here I'm sure that you'd be happy to give me all the information you know about Touma's status change," Misaki said.
"Of course. Like I told you before it was always my intention to help Kamijou in any way that I can I am responsible for the well-being of all the Gemstones currently staying in Academy City after all" Kumokawa replied in what seemed to be a genuine tone of voice but Misaki could see the mocking undertones in her speech pattern.
"Alright then if you won't mind," Misaki said.
"Oh not here. Wouldn't it be better if I brought you to the research facility where Kamijou and Sogiita over will be attending from now on."
"Research facility? I thought the change would be on paper only."
"It is. However, Kamijou will still have to show up every now and again just to check in. It's one of the requirements for every Gemstone in Academy City isn't that right Sogiita. Kumokawa then motioned to Sogiita who has been unnaturally quiet. It seemed as though even he could sense the tension within the air.
"Oh yeah, that's right. Every other week I have to check in with the lab, so they can test my Guts out".
….
….
"Okay then let's head there shall we," Kumokawa stated. "You can come along to Sogiita you didn't check in this week did you?"
"Nah I was to busy trying to find the Graviton Bomber."
"Oh. Well, I'm sorry to say this but I believe the Ace of Tokiwadai beat you there".
"What!?"
(Misaka!?) Misaki thought.
"Yes, the Railgun stopped his attempted bombing of the Seventh Mist Mall. I believe the name of the bomber was Kaitabi Hatsuya".
(Wait, the Seventh Mist Mall? Didn't Touma say he was helping a little girl shop!?)
"Oh and before you ask there were zero fatalities in this failed bombing, in fact, nobody got hurt, unless you count property damage," Kumokawa said while looking at Misaki.
(Okay at this point I'll find it hard to believe that she's not a precog!)
"Now Shokuhou, be a doll and call that driver to have him pick us up," Kumokawa said in a playful but mocking tone.
"TCH. Fine where should I have him take us" Misaki said.
"District 2 if you would be so kind that's where the research lab is after all~"
The car ride to the Research Facility was awkward, to say the least. Neither Misaki nor Kumokawa would make small talk and instead just stared out the window. And Sogiita wasn't any better as he would just try to talk to the driver and ask him about Guts. So everybody was relieved when they finally arrived at the Research facility.
Gemstone Research Facility.
When Misaki first saw the research facility it looked more like a giant sports arena. The Facility itself was shaped as a giant Football arena with a giant retractable roof. One could easily mistake it for one if it weren't for the fact that it was seemingly in the middle of Nowhere the surrounding land around the research Facility was barren except for the road leading up to it. This was due to the fact that the surrounding area was filled with alarms and traps in case anyone ever tried to attack the research facility the barren terrain would give the researcher a perfect view to see any upcoming attacks and be able to plan accordingly.
"So this is it huh?" Misaki said while eyeing the building. The road in which they were driving in was filled with street lamps in order to better shine the streets leading up to the facility along with what seemed to be a Cable car leading up directly to the research facility.
"Yeah, it's pretty badass ain't it. Though the researchers get mad at me whenever I use my guts to let myself in" Sogiita added.
Both of the girls were annoyed at his commentary, to say the least but it kept them from picking a fight with each other. Especially Kumokawa, since she was the one, stuck filing the repair order every time he did that.
"So any thoughts yet Shokuhou?" Kumokawa said to Misaki.
"Not yet. Until I can see the inner workings of the facility for myself I won't be at ease and neither would Touma" Misaki replied.
"Then why don't I give you the Grand Tour," Kumokawa announced.
When the trio walked in they were greeted with some very sophisticated equipment. The moment the stepped foot inside the facility a ray of light shined on all of their faces The light was actually a scanner to detect a person through facial recognition on the screen in the center of the facility it showed a screen with all of their names and information however it did not show a picture of their faces.
"I'm guessing that's your security?" Misaki asked.
"Beats having to pay for guards, besides were on the same secure network as the Anti Skill training facility just a few kilometers that way, so in case any intruders do get in they wouldn't last very long." Kumokawa boasted. "Sogiita I believe you need to check in so if you don't mind I would like to show Shokuhou here my office."
However, when Kumokawa turned around Sogiita had already left.
"Argh, why doesn't that imbecile ever sit still," Kumokawa said while sighing.
"Well now that's not very nice now is it~," Misaki said in a mocking tone of voice.
"Oh save it, you know as well as I that he's not all there. I mean Guts this Guts that".
"By the way what is that, is it a verb, an adjective or a noun?"
"To him, it's all the above."
Misaki then walked along with Kumokawa to her office when they arrived there Misaki saw an ornate room with a screen wall to wall all picturing a different section of the facility. In the center of the room, it had a large desk covered in documents along with a large computer screen monitor, probably where Kumokawa did most of her work.
"So why are you really doing this and don't say out of the goodness of your heart" Misaki spat out.
"Well to tell you the truth it's easier to have you like my little messenger girl parroting everything I say to Kamijou, it saves me the trouble of having to explain it to him."
"So you're just saying it's more convenient for me to tell Touma all of this."
"Yes, and I'd hate to be the one that he associates with being a Gemstone with you know Kamijou never was one who enjoys the spotlight"
"So that's your angle, you're trying to get Touma to associate me with his new-found Gemstone status, so he'd view me under a negative light"
"Bingo."
"You know that'll never work Touma loves me"
"Pfft, love your just a passing fling nothing more nothing less, and once that fling ends I'll be there to step in to fill the void that you left"
Misaki was livid with rage not only did Kumokawa imply that Touma didn't love her, but she also said that she'd try to take him away from her.
"Just give me the information you old hag." Not wanting to give into Kumokawa's taunts Misaki held her tongue by focusing on the task on hand at hand.
"Gladly" Kumokawa then handed Misaki a large stack of paper that had all the necessary information on Touma's new status as a Gemstone.
"So to put it in words I think you'll understand there are 3 changes that will affect Kamijou's life the most. First, now that his status has been changed from Level 0 to Gemstone, Touma will be receiving a different amount for his allowance."
"How big of a difference?"
"Well, the way Gemstones get allowances is quite different from how an Esper does. First, it's based on how much information we are able to collect from them the same as they do for regular espers. However, unlike them, Gemstones have the benefit of having an Unknown factor involved with them."
"Unknown Factor?"
"Since Gemstones operate on a different principle then regular espers they are given certain leeway, in the form of an Unknown Factor. To put it simply the more we don't understand your power the bigger the allowance you get."
"Wait, then that means-"
"Yep. Kamijou's allowance will be as big as a level 4. Be sure to help him come down from his windfall".
"Well I guess there's a silver lining after all" Misaki said (Maybe I can finally get him off of convenience store food?)
"Next is that he will no longer go through his usual System Scan"
"Understandable, since it would just bring about more suspicion"
"Finally and most importantly, now that Touma is a Gemstone he will be required to check in with us every day via text and at least twice a month in person, so we can conduct a welfare check"
"Welfare check?"
"Since Gemstones are considered prized research materials. Some organizations believe that by acquiring them they will be able to better understand how AIM fields work it's also due to this reason, his file is now under constant surveillance. However, he would be able to circumnavigate these welfare checks if, I don't know a high-level researcher were to personally check on his well-being".
"Listen to my words carefully. That's Never Going to Happen" Misaki said sternly while looking Kumokawa dead in the eyes.
"Can't blame a girl for trying?" Kumokawa said while chuckling.
"Is that everything?"
"Well, there was one other thing I wanted to talk to you about regarding a problem that-?"
"What is it. Don't tell me that the old hag has finally found a question she couldn't find the answer to." Misaki said mockingly interrupting Kumokawa.
(I was going to tell you to watch out for Mikoto Misaka making any moves on Kamijou, but now I just want to see how you'll react when you find that out yourself, you Brat) Kumokawa thought
"I was just going to say that be careful about Kamijou's grades falling behind, I heard he got himself stuck in supplementary classes"
"Ugh don't remind me."
"Why is that anyway? Somebody with your skill would easily be able to 'convince' his teacher to let him pass?"
"That's because that's what Touma wanted"
"What Kamijou wanted?"
"Yes, do you have a problem with that?"
"Yes, quite a few actually. The first being that you acquiesced to Kamijou's request".
"And what's wrong with that" Misaki was staring down Kumokawa who was still sitting down at her desk.
"As you know Kamijou is the type of person who likes to help right"
"Of course."
"So let me tell you, that you should never give in to his demands on anything major that will affect his life. That boy never thinks with his head, he'd rather martyr himself then bring pain upon any other person. That's how he got himself nearly killed in the Deadlock incident last year."
Misaki was taken aback by this those memories still haunted her as she could still remember Touma being mangled by the attack that was meant to kill her.
"One day your gonna find yourself in a position where you know Kamijou helping somebody will only get him killed, but he tells you to let him go through with it anyway because he wants a happy ending for everybody. On that day you're going to have to decide what's more important Touma's happiness or his safety." Kumokawa said coldly as she starred in Misaki's eyes.
Misaki was speechless ever since the accident she was afraid. Afraid that one day something like that would happen to him again and the next time it did she wouldn't be there to help him. Touma had tried to convince her that it was just who he was and that he'd be able to handle anything thrown at him but, That didn't stop Misaki from being scared.
….
….
"Is that everything?" Misaki said coldly with her eyes devoid of light.
"Yes you can go now I wouldn't want you to be late for your curfew"
Misaki didn't react to this and simply walked out of her office.
Before Misaki left the facility to go back to her dorms, she read the minds of every researcher she passed in the halls to see if everything was on the up and up. For the most part, they were only a few complaints on how most of the researcher were annoyed at Sogiita's constant use of the word Guts. And a few other complaints on how they weren't able to figure out how his powers worked. All in All this place seemed safe enough.
Tokiwadai Dorms
When Misaki arrived at her dorm she was greeted by a wave of her clique members all wanting to know how it went. Misaki gave the best response and said it went superb and continued on to her dorm. While walking through the elegant hallways of the Tokiwadai dorm she ran into Misaka again she was holding a takeout bag from Joseph's.
"Misaka-san"
"Ugh. You again" Misaka groaned.
"What is that any way to greet another Tokiwadai student"
Misaka simply took a deep breath and then answered.
"You know what, even you can't ruin my good mood today Shokuhou"
"Oh did something interesting happen today? Do tell. Does this have anything to do with you stopping the graviton bombings?"
"Huh? How do you know about that?"
"Oh me. I have my sources." Misaki then gave a sly smile.
"Well, you should probably fire them, because that's not what happened at all."
"What?" Misaki was shocked. She received this information directly from Kumokawa. While Misaki hated her as a person she always secretly respected her Intel.
Misaka then started to walk away to her dorm.
"Misaka-san. It's not very nice to take the credit for something that you didn't do you know." Misaki wanted to probe some type of response from Misaka in order to get as much information as she could.
Misaka simply turned around and gave a small smile. "I wouldn't worry about that if I were you. I made sure that, that idiot is going to get everything that is coming to him" Misaka then turned right back around and headed straight for her dorm.
Misaki simply stood there confused at what Misaka meant.
(She's usually not so enigmatic, I wonder who this idiot might be. I might just have to say hello to them once I figure that out.)
Once Misaki made it into her own dorm she laid there in her silk sheets staring up at the ceiling.
"Touma's happiness or his safety huh?"
Misaki then heard the phone start to vibrate and saw a text Message from 'My Prince'.
"Thanks for the present. You're the best."
Misaki smiled "Who says I can't give him both"
Author's Notes
Quick question does any of you know what kind of sound Accelerator's Reflection makes.
Also, how do you make the lines that separate scenes?
What's under the floorboards?
If the YouTube reference went over a couple of your guy's head that's fine. It's supposed to be a Tai Lopez Joke. I always thought that Sogiita would be the type of person who wanted to share his guts to the world in order to inspire them to be better.
Also, Misaki is both an Idealist and a Realist on the subject with her relationship with Touma due to the fact that she was given a miracle and believes Touma can handle almost any situation he finds himself in. Kumokawa is a Realist due to the fact that she saw the darker side of Academy city and what it could do to good people.
Also, while Misaki knows about the plan to Clone Misaka she has no knowledge of project level 6 shift. She also never revealed it to Misaka due to the nature of their relationship is rocky to say the least, and she has no idea how she would react.
Fun Facts.
While the Gemstone research facility was built for every Gemstone, it's design was solely to accommodate Sogiita hence the large field in the center.
Sogiita YouTube channel has 2.3 million subscribers and one of those subscribers is in Touma's Class. Can you guess who?
Every time that Misaki makes a Mental Note she is actually using her ability to send herself a prerecorded message in the future using her Mental Out hence the name.
Now that that's out of the way. The next chapter will pick up where the previous chapter left off. Tune in for the next chapter.
Zero Today Gemstone Tomorrow