I had so much fun writing this chapter this week, I actually got done a little earlier than I originally thought. Eve is really entertaining to write. She's a lot like Lessar in away, where it's hard to actually go over the top with her. Anyway, I know a lot of people wanted her to reappear and they should enjoy this. We are now going full steam ahead with plot and a lot of things are happening. The next few chapters are going to be a roller coaster of action and excitement. As for all the suggestions for Kuroko to get back at Jason, I'm actually a little disappointed. There were a lot of good ideas, and most of them I toyed with, but there wasn't the one person who just gave an idea so amazing, my brain immediately went into overdrive to see if it worked. I have an idea though and it should please most people.

Oh, next Index novel is coming out in August and I can't wait. Now, onwards to commenters.

Whwsms: Oh, I can tell you for sure, Seiri is not through with them by a long shot.

Brosephg: The doctor in Academy City is pretty good, I recommend him. Oh, you might see something in this chapter that might make you realize something interesting. Drugs are bad, m'kay?

wildarms13: I am really excited I found someone who would be willing and not charge me a lot. I'm poor and do this for fun. He hasn't seen the series yet, so he's got to get familiar with it first. SO it will be a little bit.

Geust: I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I laughed at those lines.

Salishious: A lot of stuff is happening. Hardest part is keeping it all together.

RPGPersona: I like the way you summarize the chapters. You keep the main events, notice the smaller things too, and you add the right amount of comedy to make it fun to read.

Anon: … Yea… You get a time out in the corner.

AxelLord20: I like to think so, but I just need to get this one girl to feel the same way about me.

321jaz: Comedy can only last so long without plot. Gunha is pretty perceptive when he wants to be, but he likes testing out his strength against strong opponents.

Agent Nine: I knew you were looking forward to Gunha's big return, but I always planned their fight to be stopped pretty quickly. They must meet again, right? All good things must come to an end.

Swoob: I read that spinoff, and I don't think I can type that line without dying.

Anon Guest: I could see him doing that for fun.

general ironox: As I said before, Gunha can be pretty perceptive, even if he can't read the mood. He could tell Kami and Touma had the same aura.

Samuraidragonfrog: It could happen. I kind of like the story to write itself and sometimes the scenes turn out a lot differently when I first picture them in my head.

Guest0: Excellent idea, but some of those girls might be a little tough.

Hilem: With the Accelerator series picking back up, I was hoping to see more of her. I'm interested in seeing all her skills, especially all the detail behind her necromancy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu no Index or any of the characters. Reading this story may cause you to burst out in laughter or start yelling at fictional characters. This may cause nearby people to assume you have gone crazy. Please read responsibly.

Why do these things always happen to me?

Touma had no idea how this happened. One moment he was hanging out with Ruiko, doing completely ordinary things, the next, he was following Eve through the park as she was skipping through the rows of ornate flowers. Ruiko was walking next to him, her face looking exactly like he felt, a mixture of confusion and worry. "What should we do?" she whispered nervously. "You have dealt with her more than I have."

"I don't know," Touma admitted. "She doesn't appear to be hostile today, but she's so unpredictable." He glanced at Eve for a moment, noticing she was taking a balloon from a vender with other kids. "She acts like a child, but you know the kinds of things she did in England. Plus, we can't really report her to Anti-Skill because it would start causing conflicts between magic and science. She wants something, but I don't know what."

"So we can't do anything?"

"I secretly sent a text to Jason," Touma whispered. "He needs to know at least because he might be able to contact someone to help." They were silent for a little bit before Ruiko spoke up again.

"Because I know what Eve is capable of," Ruiko muttered back. "Watching her act like a little girl is strangely… disconcerting. It's almost like the events in England were just a misunderstanding, even though I know they weren't."

"I feel the same way," Touma replied, frowning, as Eve skipped out of the park and headed to a small shady looking store. "It looks like she found a new destination." They followed her and, before she walked in, Eve turned around to look directly at them.

"You don't need to come in," she said sweetly. "I saw something nice and I'll be back out in a moment. Try not to miss me too much." Touma and Ruiko looked at each for a moment but, before either of them could say anything, Eve was already in the store. They shrugged and leaned up against the side of the building, waiting.

"Any reply from Kagere-san?" Ruiko asked and Touma checked his phone.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "He might not be paying attention to his phone since he's with Uiharu-san." He sighed and leaned his head back. "Today has been a weird day," he muttered and Ruiko let out an unwilling giggle.

"Eve is supposed to be after the wings of Lucifer, correct?" Ruiko asked and Touma nodded. "If she's coming here to talk to you, she probably needs your help to get it."

"I think so too," Touma admitted slowly. "But I don't know why she thinks I will help after what she did to us. There's also the chance she's after my hand. She mentioned they were interested in using it."

"She must have some bargaining chip she plans to use," Ruiko said thoughtfully. "What could it be?"

"I can't begin to imagine," Touma said dryly. "All I know is it will not be good for me or you." He paused. "Sorry you got roped up in this. I thought we would be able to have a normal afternoon for once."

"It's not your fault," she said quickly. "You couldn't control this and she even said I could stay. If she really wanted me gone, I couldn't stop her." Touma still looked depressed and Ruiko was determined to make him feel better. "Hey," she told him. "Cheer up, just think of this as an adventure."

"I'm almost completely use to these kinds of things happening to me." He sighed again. "I just don't want my friends getting involved in the dangerous parts."

"You know Misaka-san was always gets mad at you when you think that way. She would always complain to me and Uiharu about how you ran off when she tried to help. We all know about magic now, so you don't need to keep everything bottled up. I know I'm not strong like she is, but I'll help you however I can."

"Thanks, but I doubt, even with the others, we could stop her. She took on an entire army with us taking part and we still ended up in a stalemate."

"She is really strong," Ruiko admitted. "But if she's really the Eve in Christianity, then wouldn't she be the oldest woman on earth and have the time needed to learn all magic? It would be expected for her to have all that power."

"I'm gone for a minute and you two are already talking about me behind my back?" Ruiko and Touma turned around instantly and saw Eve watching them closely, a small bag in her hand. She had evidently heard the last bit of their conversation. Her eyes were watering and her cheerful face was now depressed. "Why do you say such hurtful things? I was just buying a gift for Adam and I come back to hear you two talking about how old I am. Do I really look that bad?" She sniffed and Ruiko unwittingly found herself trying to calm her down.

"No," Ruiko denied quickly. "That's not it. We were just wondering about you because you are so interesting and unique. Right Touma?" She turned her head to face him with a look that said, play along.

"Er, yea," Touma quickly agreed. "We weren't saying anything bad about you. I was actually curious about what someone with your artistic sense would be after in a small shop like this."

"Really?" Eve asked, wiping her eyes with her hand. "I believe you. After all, you two are really nice and wouldn't say bad things about others." Ruiko and Touma had felt slightly guilty, when they looked at her sad face. They couldn't help it, even knowing she had tried to kill them all in England. Eve suddenly became her cheerful self after her tears were wiped away. "If you are so interested, I'll show you." She reached into the bag and pulled out a small doll made of black stone with long black hair wrapped around it. "I saw it and knew I had to get it. It's a cursed doll originating in Africa. You are supposed to give it to someone and it curses them with bad luck."

"Please don't give it to me," Touma pleased, holding out his right hand. "I have enough bad luck as it is."

"You don't need to worry about that," Eve laughed. It was surprising how clear and pleasant it sounded. "First, your hand would negate any curse on it, so it's not like you would have any problems. Second, I'm sending it to someone else."

"Who?" Ruiko asked curiously. Who would she dislike so much as to send a curse doll?

"Adam," Eve said with a straight face. "His birthday is coming up and I needed to get him something. I'm sure he will like this."

"Wouldn't he be affected by the cur…?" Ruiko started to ask, but Touma waved her silent. He didn't want Eve to give the doll to someone else and ruin their life.

"I have to ask," Touma said, pulling the topic away from Ruiko's question. "You said you wanted to talk to me, but so far all we have been doing is walking around. What did you need to speak to me about?"

"Oh?" Eve asked, a devilish smile appearing on her face. "Straight to the point? I thought we could have fun doing normal things but, if you insist, let's find a comfortable place to talk." She led them down the street, looking around, before seeing someone that caught her eye. She smiled and turned back to Touma. "How about there? We can get a private room and talk without worrying about others." She pointed innocently to a building and Touma and Ruiko's mouth fell open.

Eve was pointing down another street to a fancy love hotel, complete with a flashing neon sign.

"No!" Touma half yelled, as Ruiko blushed and looked at the ground. Is she channeling Lessar's spirit or something? "Choose a normal place."

"You're no fun," Eve responded, pretending to pout, but her face was still permanently cheerful. She skipped down a different street, forcing Touma and Ruiko to walk faster to keep up with her. Eventually, Eve stopped in front of a store that sold cake and had an outside venue for people to sit. Eve forced both of them to sit down and she came back with a strawberry cheesecake for all of them to share. After cutting out several pieces, Touma noticed Eve gave the biggest one for herself, Eve sat down, took a bite, and sighed happily. "Academy City makes the best cakes."

"I thought you had the power to create things," Ruiko asked. She couldn't help it. "Couldn't you just make your own cakes?"

"Food is complicated," Eve answered, her focus obviously more on the cake than Ruiko's question. "If I was just making an apple or something, sure, but combinations of ingredients to make a delicious cake is tough. My cakes are edible, but aren't nearly as good." Touma took a bite of his piece, was forced to admit Eve was right about the city's cakes, before trying once again to bring the subject back to an important topic.

"Why do you want to talk to us Eve?" he asked. Sitting around and eating cake is fine and all, but Eve is up to something and the sooner I know what, the sooner I can try to stop it.

"I really just need to talk to you," Eve corrected him. "She just happened to be with you." She gestured to Ruiko. "But that's fine, I could use extra insurance." Touma didn't like the way she said that. "Anyway, I suppose I need to give you a short explanation, so you understand why I need your assistance. It may be a little long, so do try not to interrupt me too much. I understand you will have questions, but do try." Touma nodded slowly and Eve smiled. "In exchange for listening, I'll answer a question truthfully from each of you. How does that sound?"

Touma's eyes widened. Any question just for listening and I don't even have to agree to help her? We could learn of her plans and how to stop her. He glanced over at Ruiko, who seemed to be thinking hard. He caught her eye and she shrugged. She then moved her head slightly and motioned for him to answer. It was obvious to him she was going to go along with whatever he decided. Touma sighed, turned back to Eve, and nodded. "We accept." It's not like we could refuse to listen to her. She definitely wouldn't take kindly to that.

"Yay!" Eve cheered and leaned back in her chair. She looked quite pleased with herself. "And Adam had the nerve to suggest you would be as stubborn as a mule. Now, where should I begin?" She sat up again and stared at Touma. Something changed in her demeanor, which caused Touma to want to scoot his chair back. She was still smiling, but her eyes were no longer full of radiant joy and amusement. They turned slightly darker, more focused, like a predator. Whatever Eve was about to say, Touma knew It was going to be true and it would not be a pleasant talk.

"As you know," Eve continued. "We have recently acquired several wings. We now only have one more left to go. This is where it gets complicated. The last wing is here, in Academy City, which you might have guessed." Touma opened his mouth, but Eve stopped him. "Hush you, and let me continue. Yes, we know for a fact the wing is here, so don't bother asking how we are sure. The person who created this city acquired it and used it for his own desires. After he was finished with it, he found a place to hide it many years ago. A place we are having trouble reaching, even with our power."

"That doesn't make any sense," Touma interjected. "Academy City only focuses on science. Most people here don't even believe in magic, let alone know that it exists."

"There are plenty of organizations that blur the line between magic and science," Eve laughed. "Let alone single individuals. I believe you know someone like that, do you not?" Touma went silent, knowing Eve was right. Jason was one such individual, and then also what Lessar had told him about Leivinia Birdway's group ruling over magic and science.

"What could he have wanted with the wing?" Ruiko asked.

"From what I understand," Eve said. "He summoned something into this world in order to gain knowledge he was seeking. The exact subject, I don't know, or really even care. It doesn't have anything to do with our plans. We try not to get involved in other people's fun." She giggled. "However, when he decided to throw the wing into a place that doesn't exist, it became our problem." She frowned and took another bite of cake to cheer herself up.

"A place that doesn't exist?" Touma asked, completely lost.

"You could almost say it's imaginary," Eve laughed. "And that is why it's so problematic." At her words, Ruiko's eyes widen in recognition.

"Could you possibly mean the Imaginary Number District?" Ruiko asked hesitantly.

"Oh," Eve said, turning her head toward her in interest. "You actually know about it? I'm impressed. Only a few people know about that rumor."

"It's kind of hard to prove it exists and no one really knows anything specific about it. It's one of the rumors I have been following online."

"You are mistaken," Eve told her, with a devious glint in her eye. "What if I told you Academy City knows it exists and there are research facilities studying it."

"What?!" Ruiko gasped.

"How would you even know this?" Touma asked. Damn, this is going to be the worst case scenario isn't it. She has spies everywhere.

"I had a small chat with a scientist who works in the city," Eve explained. "I don't know much about the city's abilities or this thing called the AIM field. From what I was told, the Imaginary Number District exists parallel to Academy City and was created by all your AIM fields being in one location. The thing is, Adam and I can't get up and stroll into this district. The place is so thin there are no shadows, no weight, and no air flow. There is no sense of existence. You can't exist there, no matter how powerful you are. I personally tried to get in." Ruiko froze, but was listening intently, her curiosity getting the better of her. Touma found himself frowning, as something she said was triggering an old memory of his.

I feel like I heard this before.

"Perplexed by this quandary," Even continued. "I sought our contact out in the city again. It took a lot of negotiation, he said my previous payment only covered the first round of questions, and I learned there was a unique individual who was formed in the Imaginary District. It seems they are the key and were the only being capable of transporting between the district and Academy City. I don't know the specifics, I wasn't too interested in the technical jargon, but I understood she's the conscious form of all the AIM fields that make up the district. Really, science is just full of surprises." She paused and ate a bite of cake. "Anyway, Juliet and I decided to pay her a visit. I think she misunderstood our intentions because we were a little forceful in our first encounter."

BAMN!

Ruiko jumped in her seat, surprised at the sudden noise. She turned and saw Touma had stood up and slammed his hands down on the table looking, for one of the few times she could remember, seriously angry. "What's wrong Touma?" she asked, but Touma's attention was focused solely on Eve.

"What did you do to Kazakiri-san?" he demanded. "She wouldn't hurt a fly. Why would you use force against her?"

"Oh good," Eve replied happily. "You do know her. My contact said he saw you together once, but wasn't sure how close you were."

"Kazakiri?' Ruiko muttered. That name sounds familiar. "Wasn't she that girl with glasses I saw with Index once?" she asked Touma, who briefly nodded.

"Did you know she's not really human?" Eve inquired, knowing full well she didn't.

"Who cares?" Touma answered instead. "She still has thoughts, feelings, and desires. She's an important friend to Index and me. Kazakiri-san also saved a lot of people's lives when Vento attacked the city. So once again, why did you attack her?"

"I didn't so much attack her," Eve clarified. "Juliet and I found her and tried to talk to her. For some reason, she didn't trust us. Can you believe that?" She pouted for a minute. "Juliet got impatient and tried to bind her, but then the girl disappeared. We tracked her down two more times and tried different approaches, but nothing helped. I talked with our contact again and he supplied us with material that could help," Eve grinned but didn't elaborate. "However, I would prefer not to use it, which is where my request to you comes in."

"What do you want me to do?" Touma asked suspiciously. "I'm not going to help you capture her."

"Nothing like that," Eve scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "I would prefer her cooperation, rather than trying to force her to retrieve the wing. I simply want you to talk with her first, so she won't run away from me. This will give me the opportunity to explain myself to her and convince her to help me. Once she retrieves the wing, I'll leave the city and none of you will see me again. Well," she glanced over at Touma, "you might randomly stumble into me if your luck persists." Eve laughed at the double meaning of her comment. "So, what do you say?"

"No," Touma said firmly.

"Excuse me?"

"I won't do it."

"Why not?"

"I have several reasons. One, I know what you are planning to do if you collect all the wings and a lot of people could be hurt. Two, I don't trust you. For all I know, you are going to try to kidnap her as soon as she goes near you. I'm not going to let you hurt her. My answer is no." Ruiko beamed at him.

"Do you understand I'm going to go after her now, right? There might be a lot more people injured because of your stubbornness."

"No, there won't."

"Oh, you can see the future now?"

"If you try to hurt anyone, I will be there to stop you." Touma held out his fist. "I won't let you hurt my friends or anyone else for that matter. I don't care how strong you are, I won't let you do as you please and treat other people's lives like toys." Eve and Ruiko stared at him. Ruiko felt her face flush with a combination of embarrassment and admiration. Touma's words rang with truth and Ruiko had no doubt he would be the first person to stop Eve if she tried to hurt someone else. Eve stared at him for a moment longer, and then suddenly burst into tears. Her cries were loud enough to cause a couple nearby people to look over at her.

"Ah!" Ruiko exclaimed, turning to look at Touma in shock. "What's happening?"

"I-I w-was just trying to solve everything peacefully," Eve wailed, causing more onlookers to stare. "A-and you are accusing me of being a horrible person." She blew her nose into a napkin. "Why is everyone so mean to me? I even bought both of you cake."

"We aren't trying to be mean," Ruiko said quickly, moving over and patting Eve on the shoulder. She didn't really want to, but at least her actions made all the onlookers turn away and back to their own business. "He was just pointing out your plans have some problems when you are willing to hurt other people." I can't understand this girl at all. For some reason, she was feeling sorry for Eve, even though common sense told her not to be and this was all acting. Is this some kind of magic or is she a really good actor?

"But he won't help me solve it nonviolently," Eve cried, burying her face in Ruiko's shirt. Ruiko looked at Touma and both of them had similar expressions of bewilderment on their faces. Touma felt like he was missing something important, but he couldn't figure out what. Eve had just told them she was willing to be violent if she had to, but now was crying when Touma wouldn't help her find the last wing. It was almost like she had multiple personalities, an innocent child and a devious mastermind.

That might be why it's so hard to read her, he thought.

"You're chest isn't bad for its size," Eve mumbled, her head still in Ruiko's shirt.

"Hey!" Ruiko cried, pushing Eve off her and retreating. She covered her chest with her arms and her face turned red with embarrassment. She might not have been so overly sensitive, but Touma was sitting right next to them. "We have more serious matters right now you know." She glanced over at Touma, who was deliberately avoiding eye contact.

"Well I feel better," Eve said cheerfully, after making fun of Ruiko. "I suppose it was a long shot to get you to help, but I figured it was worth a try. You sure there's nothing I can do to change your mind? Money, fame, power, girls…. guys? I don't judge."

"Nothing," Touma replied firmly. I still don't know any details about what she's trying to do or where Adam is. Actually, I should find out where he is now and pass that information to Tsuchimikado. He can forward it on to Stiyl and the others. After Eve sighed, Touma spoke up. "You said each of us could ask you a question, since I listened to your request, right?"

"I suppose I did," Eve said thoughtfully, and then grinned. "You each get one, but you don't get the chance to talk to each other about what to ask." She pointed to Ruiko. "You go first, but hurry up. We all have things to do."

"Er…um..." Ruiko said, looking at Touma and thinking fast. She was surprised at having to think of a question on the spot. What should I ask? It should be something important, right? Maybe learning about her would be useful in stopping her. I vaguely recall Itsuwa-san and Agnese-san debating if she really is Eve. She wasn't sure what else to ask, so she took a deep breath. "Are you really the first Eve? The one from the bible?"

"That is an interesting question," Eve said, sounding slightly impressed at Ruiko's question. "Let's see, how about… yes and no."

"Huh?" Ruiko and Touma asked, unsure of what she was saying.

"Am I physically the first Eve," Eve elaborated. "No, I can ensure you I am not. Adam and I are linked in this world far beyond what you two science side students could understand. The first humans were created by God, not born by man. When we die, our memories get passed on when we are reborn in the cycle. It is why we have powers mankind cannot wield. We have knowledge from eons ago. Even if you kill us, our memories will pass on to another person and our plan will continue to proceed. You can't win. All you can do is delay." She laughed, while Ruiko's and Touma's blood froze.

She talks about killing so easily, Ruiko thought. She said she would be honest, but this explanation is so… unbelievable. Her memories actually get passed on? How would that even work?

I should tell Tsuchimikado about that for sure, Touma thought, as he tried to process Eve's explanation. From what he knew about memories, passing them on after death wouldn't be possible, but he didn't understand magic enough to be sure of that. Let's say there's a spell or something to bring back memories, Juliet said she was just a memory and her body was gone, but I have no way of proving if her words are true or false. Memories can also be manipulated, Misaki is living proof of that with her ability. What if someone modified her memories to actually make her believe she is the original Eve? Could she not be the final boss?

"You seem to have put on a serious face," Eve said, leaning over the table to get a closer look at him. "Are you constipated? Do you need to use the toilet?"

"What? No!" Touma shook his head while Eve laughed, and even Ruiko gave a slight giggle. Eve was able to break the seriousness of the situation in an instant. It's really like she has multiple personalities. "I was just thinking about what you said."

"It is pretty impressive," Eve agreed, misinterpreting, most likely on purpose, what he meant. "Well it's your turn now. What would you like to know?"

"I want to know…" Touma started to say, when his phone buzzed. Jason must have seen my text, about time. How am I going to answer it with Eve right across the table? He moved his hand to his pocket while, at the same time, looking at Eve. She was staring back at him with a smile and an expectant look on her face. Before he could say anything, she spoke up.

"Go ahead and answer your phone," Eve told him kindly. "It will give me a chance to finish my cake." She stuck her fork back into her piece, put the cake her mouth, and sighed happily. It looked like she was in heaven when eating such a delicious treat. Touma pulled out his phone and looked down at Jason's message.

You send an emergency text and what happens when we assemble? We find you and Saten-san on a date with Eve.

We? Touma replied quickly.

Look around, DISCREETLY!

What the…? Touma thought and his eyes darted around the restaurant. The first thing he noticed was several of the other customers at the restaurant were slowly moving away from them, leaving Touma Ruiko and Eve alone, surrounded by empty tables. He was confused at first, but then saw gold stars in a couple of eyes. Misaki's here? He looked around a little farther out and found her bright blonde hair. She was leaning up against a building, holding a remote, with Kuroko and Mikoto standing next to her. Mikoto caught him looking and gave him a brief nod. Touma sighed internally and his eyes darted to another couple of people. Jason and Accelerator were on the opposite side of him, as the others, and were watching from a side alley. It seems like Jason summoned the others, but is this going to be enough?

"So what's your question?" Eve asked, watching him closely.

"Er," Touma said, turning his attention back to her. "Sine you are here, where is your companion, Adam, and what is he doing?"

"Oh that's an easy question," Eve said, laughing slightly. "I suppose hoping you would ask an interesting question was a bit of a long shot." Touma felt a twinge of annoyance. "Since I'm in charge of gathering the last wing, he is currently setting up the ritual to unite them all together after I succeeded. He will then use the combined wings to recreate Lucifer's body. As of where he is, there's only one place perfect for the ritual."

"Which is…?"

"The most God forsaken place on earth."

"Where is that?" Touma asked impatiently.

"Sorry," Eve told him, not looking sorry at all. "You only get one question. I answered your question and I'm sure one of your magic friends would know what that means, so I'm not going to make it easy for you. Do a little research yourself, it will be good for you. Now," she paused and looked highly amused. "Are you going to invite your friends over to join us or just make them watch from a distance? It's quite rude you know."

"Our friends?" Ruiko asked surprised and looked around. "When did they show up Touma?"

"Just recently," Touma answered. "That was what Jason's text was about. I suppose we should call them over." He waved at his friends and finally managed to coax them over. Mikoto, Misaki and Kuroko were the most hesitant, but Jason and Accelerator walked over almost immediately. The rest of the girls followed them.

"So," Accelerator said, glaring at Eve. "You finally returned. I didn't get a chance to crush you in England."

"It almost sounds like you don't like me," Eve stated, and then her eyes widened it realization. "Oh I see. You are one of those male tsunderes, right? This is your way of flirting with me. I didn't realize I was so popular."

"You bitch," Accelerator snarled and Touma had to spring to his feet. He and Jason held Accelerator's arms back before he could reach his choker.

"Don't start a fight," Touma muttered. "If we all get serious, the entire area is going to become a warzone. She enjoys antagonizing people." Eve doesn't seem nervous at all and she's surrounded by three level 5s.Misaki moved silently around the table, until she was next to Touma, and, when Accelerator calmed down, she leaned over next to his ear.

"I cleared everyone away," Misaki whispered. "I figured it would be better to play it on the safe side."

"I saw," Touma acknowledged. "Good idea. I don't think she's planning to cause trouble now, but you can't be too sure with her."

"What are you doing here?" Mikoto demanded, looking directly at Eve.

"Oh the usual," Eve replied. "Enjoying cake, seeing the sites, acting like a kid, devouring the souls of the innocent. Normal everyday satanic stuff."

"W-what the…" Mikoto stammered for a moment and then her face went red in anger. "Tell me the truth!"

"Because that's sure to make her," Misaki muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Shut up."

"You know," Kuroko said. "Even if you aren't doing anything wrong right now and we can't use the events in England, since they were covered up and officially don't exist. You are still a trespasser in Academy City. That's more than enough reason to detain you." She scowled as Eve laughed, highly amused.

"You might have trouble with that," Jason told Kuroko. "It's best to treat her as having diplomatic immunity, unless you see her actively doing something wrong. Any confrontation is bound to escalate far beyond what we can handle." Kuroko smacked him on the head.

"Don't tell her that."

"I'm pretty sure she already knows."

"Are you going to tell us what you are doing with Touma and Saten-san?" Mikoto asked Eve again.

"She just wanted to talk," Touma said quickly, trying to prevent any escalation.

"It's true Misaka-san," Ruiko added.

"As much as I enjoy causing problems for entertainment…" Eve explained.

"Like some people," Kuroko muttered, glancing at Jason.

"…This time I actually came here on a mission of peace." Eve continued. "I just wanted his help in solving something nonviolently, sadly, he chose not to." That statement caused Touma to receive several surprised looks. No one could believe that. Accelerator was the first to realize something is off.

"Did you asked him to marry you or something in exchange for leaving the city?" he asked with a smirk.

"How did you know?" Eve asked with a wink. Accelerator raised an eyebrow and Touma's mouth fell open in shock. Naturally, two girls were not amused and immediately moved between Touma and Eve.

"That has to be a lie," Mikoto snapped.

"Even if it was," Misaki added angrily. "You only want him to further your own plan."

"You caught me," Eve laughed, amused at their expressions. She looked like she was having more fun than she had for a long time. "I did ask him for help and he refused. Then we talked about me a little bit, until you all showed up." Mikoto raised an eyebrow skeptically and turned to Ruiko for confirmation.

"It's true," Ruiko confirmed quickly. "We can tell you all the details after this." Mikoto nodded and turned her attention back to Eve.

"Give me a reason why I shouldn't just crush you now," Accelerator told Eve. His patience was reaching its limit. This bitch and her organization have caused me too many problems already. He took a step forward.

"Wait!" Kuroko yelled at him. She was about to teleport in front of him, but Jason already threw out his arm in front of Accelerator. "You can't fight her here."

"Shokuhou-san only cleared the immediate people," Jason muttered to Accelerator. "You know what she is capable of. The entire area would be destroyed."

"I know, right?" Eve giggled. "I was thinking of maybe making like ten or so phoenixes and scatter them over the city. I'm sure everyone would be amazed." Touma's blood froze at how easily Eve was talking about destroying a city and killing countless people. "But," Eve continued. "I suppose if you all attacked me at once, including the power you used against a member of God's Right Seat," Eve pointed to Accelerator, who looked surprise. "Yes, I saw that fight. It was very entertaining." Touma looked at Accelerator and he shook his head, indicating he wasn't going to answer questions. "You might be able to stop me, but it would all be for naught."

"Why do you say that?" Mikoto asked.

"Ask her," Eve said, pointing to Ruiko. "I told her everything already. Plus," she raised her hand and it started to glow a deep purple. "I doubt you all could handle my power. You have only seen my creation magic, not my chaos magic."

"Don't," Touma warned, pushing to the front of his friends and holding up his right hand.

"Chaos magic?" Kuroko asked, unable to restrain herself.

"This magic is fun and exciting, like me," Eve explained. "Anything can happen and I don't have control of what the outcome is. You could turn to stone, grow extra appendages, wake up tomorrow as puppies, or even die. Anything is possible." She laughed at their stunned looks. "Are you willing to test your luck?" There was only silence, before Misaki spoke up.

"Why would you tell us this?" she asked. She's obviously not planning to attack us. If she was telling the truth, at least partially, she needs Touma to do something for her.

"For my amusement," Eve stated simply, lowering her arm. "It's not like I am trying to fight today. This was purely a mission of peace. I'm going to leave now. I can tell when I'm not wanted." She made a fake sniffling sound, which no one bought. She pushed back her chair and stepped away from the table. Touma was wondering how she was planning to leave, but a black limo rolled up and stopped right in front of her. The driver door opened and a single man stepped out. He was wearing a suit this time, but his face and brown hair streaked with silver was a dead giveaway.

"CAIN!" Touma and Mikoto cried, taking a step back. Accelerator, Kuroko, Misaki, and Ruiko looked at them curiously. The only one who didn't was the person who could sense magic among them. Jason's face had gone white and he felt the endless amount of mana the man possessed.

"Did you think you could defeat him that easily?" Eve asked, as Cain walked around the limo and opened the door for her. She slipped into the seat and looked at them. "I think I will destroy any, what's the world you like to use?" she looked at Touma. "Oh yes, illusion, that you had in defeating Cain. He was holding back against all of you. His job was to protect Juliet, who I heard your associates were bulling."

"Birdway attack her, yes," Mikoto admitted. "But your masked troops attacked us first."

"Trivial technicalities," Eve replied dismissively.

"You know what," Accelerator said, stepping forward and flipping his choker on. "I'm tired of her smart mouth. I put up enough of it with the idiots in our class. I'm going to end this fight now."

"Cain…," Eve said softly. Cain nodded and stepped forward. He simply raised his eyebrow and everyone was hit by his Hunter's Presence.

Touma's body was frozen once again with sheer terror and couldn't move. His brain wouldn't think straight and he wanted to flee, but couldn't budge. His hand finally negated the attack and he quickly tapped each of his friends to remove the fear effect. Mikoto was the only one who had been hit by the spell before and everyone else was gasping, their faces showing similar expressions of disbelief and shock. Accelerator glared at Cain, but his face was paler the normal. Touma could only imagine what kind of thoughts were going through Accelerator's mind. It bypassed his deflection ability, that's got to have hurt his pride.

"That was just a little lesson," Eve called out through the open window after Cain closed the door. He then went around and sat in the driver's seat. "I was going to leave without doing anything today, but you all really entertain me. So let me return the favor, enjoy my magic." She reached out her hand and a flash of purple light engulfed them. Touma held out his hand reflexively, but there was no sound of breaking glass.

"Huh?" he thought. There was definitely magic, but nothing happened. I don't feel different. He looked at the others and everyone else seemed normal too.

"Nothing happened?" Eve asked, sounding disappointed. "Unless your bones turned into chocolate or something, it must be a delayed effect. Let me know what happens if you see me again." She gave Touma a small wave and Cain pulled the car away. She rolled up the window and sighed. "Well, it went exactly as Adam predicted. He won't help us talk to her. It looks like we have to forcefully materialize and capture her then."

"The one known as Accelerator will not be happy," Cain replied. "Even if he was affected by my Hunter's Presence, there was something off about him."

"He might be the only one to give you problems," Eve admitted. "Avoid a direct fight if possible, or finish him off fast." A loud clang interrupted their conversation and Eve looked down at the limo floor. A large box made out of black metal was ratting slightly. "She's still stuck in there? Wow, I didn't expect this metal to be so effective. Refined, it not only negates the city's abilities, but magic as well. Juliet, how much damage is your shadow going?"

"Nothing," came Juliet's muffled cry from the box. "But why did you make me test it out now? I wanted to meet all of them with you, and then strangle the tramp next to Romeo."

"That's exactly why I put you in there," Eve sighed. "You are level headed unless he's around. I'll let you out when we are further away."

Back at the restaurant, Touma was checking up on the others.

"I hate that magic," fumed Mikoto, stamping her foot. My electricity blocks other mental control abilities, so why does Cain's power affect me? She grabbed her head in frustration. I hate magic so much because I can't understand it at all.

"What was that?" Misaki asked, sitting down to avoid passing out. "I was so terrified and couldn't move at all." She could only remember one time she was anywhere near that scared. It was when Touma almost died the first time, but she had still been able to move and help as best as she could. Cain's magic caused the same fear, but worse. That fear brought up those horrible memories. I don't want to go through that again. She shivered slightly.

"I want to know as well," Ruiko said softly. That was so terrible. I felt like I would never be happy again. I just wanted to run and hide.

"Saten-san!" Kazari cried, appearing out of nowhere and running up to hug her. "I'm glad you are okay. I heard you and Kamijou-san had met Eve and feared the worst."

"We're fine Uiharu," Ruiko said, patting her back. When Kazari let go, she turned to Mikoto. "What was that magic?"

"We were told it's called Hunter's Presence," Mikoto explained. "It is magic based on the hunter-prey relationship, like how some prey freeze in spot when a predator passes by."

"What kind of bullshit explanation is that," Accelerator snapped. "There's no one that could be anywhere near a predator against me."

"Magic isn't designed on what is," Touma explained as best as he could. "It's based on the past events to affect the present."

"There are abilities that can trigger or manipulate emotions," Kuroko said reasonably, as she crossed her arms and rubbing her shoulders. "But I thought it just increased or decreased what you were feeling, not cause an emotion to completely overpower everything else." She glanced over at Jason. "You are awfully quiet. Did you suffer that badly?"

"Cain," Jason muttered. "Damn, that explains the mana." He looked over at Touma and Mikoto and uttered a single word. "Vampire?

"Yes," Touma nodded. Of course, Jason might know rumors about Cain. "What do you know about them?"

"Mainly fighting them is a stupid idea," Jason answered. He looked around at Kuroko, Misaki, Ruiko, and Kazari, all of whom had their mouths open in surprise. Accelerator was scowling, but was at least listening. "Oh right, they wouldn't know. I assume Misaka-san knows based on her reaction. Quick explanation it is then. Vampires don't have weakness like sunlight, garlic, and stakes. They have virtually infinite mana, are immortal, and have super regenerative properties. You couldn't sense it, but his mana was off the charts. Facing a vampire would be like facing an Accelerator level opponent. You just don't do it and expect to live."

"Damn straight," Accelerator mumbled.

"It looks like Birdway's spell didn't destroy him," Mikoto told Touma.

"Looks like it," he replied. "But she could have made a new one with her book."

"If Cain's real," Jason mumbled, more to himself than the others. "That means there could be two vampires left on earth."

"Two?" Misaki asked. "Vampires were just supposed to be myths and now there's not one, but two?"

"The one is southern Russia is just a rumor," Jason shrugged. "Even I'm not stupid enough to go looking for one."

"There's a first time for everything," Kuroko mumbled.

"How did you find us anyways?" Touma asked. "We moved around a lot."

"She was broadcasting her location with mana," Jason told him. "She WANTED to be found. I just passed it on to the others. I had Kazari stay back in case things escalated to send out a warning."

"What are we going to do now?" Kazari asked. "I know we can't go to Anti-Skill about this, but…"

"Tell us what she was talking to you two about," Mikoto said. "That would be a good place to start."

"Okay," Touma nodded. "Here's why she contacted me…" It took a few minutes for him to tell the others about Eve's request for him to help her catch Hyouka Kazakiri. Mikoto and Ruiko were the only two who had seen her before and Touma had to explain who she was and show them a picture on his phone. What really interested the others was Hyouka being a self-aware combination of AIM fields. Touma was relieved he didn't have to stress she was his friend and a good person. The other's agreed to help, even Accelerator, though Touma had a feeling it was because he had a better chance to run into Eve. He also gave them a short explanation on Eve's answers to Ruiko's question. "I don't think we will have a lot of luck running into Kazakiri-san, but if anyone sees her, please let me know."

"Of course," Misaki replied instantly. Kazari, Kuroko, and Ruiko nodded.

"We won't let anything happen to her," Mikoto promised. Jason and Accelerator were oddly quiet.

"Thanks," Touma said feeling slightly relieved. I'm glad I have such great friends. I use to have to deal with this all alone. I wish they wouldn't put themselves in harm's way so easily though. "One last thing, Eve said Adam is in the most God forsaken place on earth. Any idea where that is?" Everyone shook their heads. "Jason? From a magic perspective?"

"I don't know," he said, shrugging. "Depending on where you are from or what you believe, a God forsaken place could be a single location, a city, a forest, or even a country. We would need more information."

"Thought I would try," Touma sighed. "I'll check with Index. She's the one who normally finds Kazakiri-san."

"I'll let you know what I find out," Misaki added. "I know a lot of people who can watch for me around the city." Touma nodded in thanks.

"If that's all…" Kuroko started to say, when a loud piercing sound came from her pocket. She looked down and pulled out her phone. She wasn't the only one, as both Kazari's and Jason's phones were blaring noise too. "There's some big Judgement emergency. Konori-senpai, what's going on?" There was silence as she listened. Kazari was scanning some information on her phone and Jason was talking to someone else. "Shit," she said, snapping her phone shut. "A large number of students have gotten into a free for all in one of the park districts. They all seemed to have boosted abilities. Higher ups are requesting all nearby available personals to help."

"What?" Mikoto asked. "Do you need help?"

"It should be fine onee-sama," Kuroko told her. "Anti-Skill is with us, so we should have plenty of people. Besides, you know you shouldn't be interfering with Judgment business. I'll let you know when I'm finished…"

"Wait a minute Kuroko," Jason said, holding out his hand. He was still on the phone. "Okay, I agree completely." He hung up and looked at her.

"What?" she asked. "You know this is an emergency." Kazari hung up her phone and was watching them silently. The others were looking at each other, but didn't want to get involved yet, since they didn't know all the details on what was going on. Though, Accelerator was only listening because it might concern something else he was interested in.

"Two break-ins at high security facilities have just occurred," Jason told her quickly. "We believe the fight is just a distraction. I'm going to check out one, it's almost fully automatic, but it's closer. The other one is too far away for me to get there in time. I need you to go and check out that one."

"Are you sure?" Kuroko asked skeptically. I was asked to help out with the park…

"I need you to trust me," Jason said. "I'm sure the fight is a distraction, but we don't have time. You need to decide fast." Kuroko looked at him for a moment.

He actually seems serious, she thought. I doubt he would joke about something like this either. His jokes usually only irritate me, not actually add the risk people could get hurt. "Okay," she conceded. "Give me the location."

"I just sent you and Kazari both locations," Jason said, closing his phone. "Kazari, any information you can give us before we reach there will be helpful."

"I'll do my best," Kazari said. "There's a Judgment office nearby I should be able to use."

"Great," Jason said. "Let's go." Kuroko teleported off in one direction, Kazari ran in another, and Jason used his shadow wings to leap in a third direction. What is going on? Is Aleister trying to do something? This is going to interfere with my plans. The timing couldn't be worse.

"I'm going with Uiharu to see if she needs any help," Ruiko called back, running after Kazari. "I'll catch you all later."

"I'm worried," Mikoto mumbled. "This can't be a coincidence, can it?"

"I'm thinking that too," Touma said. "But there was another group stealing research data right?"

"They must be after something big," Misaki added. "We still don't know who is in charge of the thefts though."

"I'm going after Kuroko," Mikoto announced. "If I hurry I should be able to keep up with her. Be careful everyone." She magnetized herself and propelled herself up to a nearby building. She continued to fly from building to building after Kuroko.

"Accelerator?" Touma asked. "Where are you going?" Touma had just noticed he was walking off on his own and had pulled out his phone.

"I'm going to meet someone," Accelerator replied. "Don't wait up." Tsuchimikado better have some information on this. I am going to find that bastard Kakine and rip him apart piece by piece. Maybe I should have told the hero about him… I'm sure it's fine. He's got enough to worry about with Eve. Touma and Misaki watched him go in silence.

"What are you going to do now?" Misaki asked. She knew Touma well enough to know he was going to do something. Is he going after Shirai-san or Misaka, maybe to stop the fight in the park?

"What do you mean?" he asked, avoiding eye contact.

"Don't try to act innocent," Misaki said, pretending to pout and put her hands on her hips. "I know you are going to do something in order to help. It's one of your traits I adore so much. Tell me and I'll help you anyway I can."

"I can't hide anything from you," Touma admitted. "I was going to go look for Kazakiri-san. While I am worried about the fighting going on, she's no match for Eve. I have to make sure she's okay. I can't keep up with Jason or Shirai-san and Anti-Skill will not be happy if I try to barge in."

"I understand," Misaki said. "I'll gather my friends to help search. If we see any sign of her, I'll let you know."

"You're the best," Touma told her and she beamed. Before he could say anything else, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. She pulled away and Touma's face felt hot.

"I've missed that," she said, her cheeks slightly red. "Now go out there and do what you are best at."

"Thanks," he muttered again, unable to say anything else. He ran off until Misaki was out of sight. Hmm, I should contact Index. She might have an idea where Kazakiri-san is.

"This is super boring," Saiai complained, leaning up against the wall, throwing wads of paper at Shiage to get a rise out of him. "It's obvious no one is going to steal anything in this shithole."

"Then go find something to do," Shiage mumbled from the desk he was sitting at. He got the boring job of sitting at the security desk and monitoring all the security cameras. Saiai and Frenda were alternating patrols around the lab. The doors are electronically sealed, only openable from the inside. The windows can't be opened and are made of reinforced glass. They can't be broken easily. This lab doesn't even seem that important. All Mugino told us was the lap did some ability research, but the scientists I talked to were just looking at normal modifications to the curriculum. He pulled out a handheld game and started playing, trying to ignore the wads of paper being thrown at him.

"I'm going to tell Mugino you are playing games while on a mission," Saiai told him.

"You brought a magazine," Shiage replied, pointing to the table next to her.

"Don't back talk me," Saiai said, pushing herself off the wall. "Or I'll super make you regret it." She smashed her hand down on a metal table and left a very impressive dent.

"Hey now," Shiage said, pushing his chair away from her. He noticed a movement on one of the cameras and turned his head. "Frenda's on the way back, so you will at least be able to move around." Saiai huffed and a moment later the door to the security room opened and Frenda walked in. She looked as bored as Saiai and she threw herself onto a chair, spinning herself around.

"Still nothing," Frenda reported. "This lab doesn't look like anything special, not like the last one. The equipment can be found everywhere in the city." She paused and looked uncertain.

"What are you implying?" Saiai asked, and even Shiage was listening intently.

"This mission of ours," Frenda continued. "Basically, I think Mugino might have used it to keep us occupied."

"For what reason?" Shiage asked. "She's not the kind of person to send us on pointless endeavors. Plus, you two would freak out if you weren't getting paid for this." A book flew through the air and hit him in the face. Frenda didn't appreciate his tone.

"We have things we want to buy," Saiai said irritated. "When you start pulling your weight around, maybe you can learn what being wealthy is like." She turned back to Frenda. "I super see your point. My question is, if she wanted us away from her, why did she keep Takitsubo with her instead of sending her with us?"

"I don't know," admitted Frenda.

"Do you think it might have something to do with how she didn't look well this morning?" Shiage asked.

"If it was anyone else, maybe," Frenda said. "Basically, Mugino isn't the person to let a cold or fever stop her from participating in a mission."

"Maybe she super wants to go meet Kamijou secretly," Saiai said, laughing slightly. Frenda's head turned so fast, Shiage hurt a pop.

"There's no way!" Frenda cried, rubbing her neck before she calmed herself down. "Basically, she wouldn't have tried to hide it. She would have told us she was meeting him and leave it at that."

"True," Saiai conceded. "She likes to rub it in, especially to the Railgun."

I don't know if Kamijou is a lucky or unlucky bastard, Shiage thought. Having Mugino interested in him is dangerous. One wrong move and he could be killed. Frenda likes him too, but she won't admit it outright, so he obviously has away with girls. I haven't seen him since the mall, but I definitely want his help in trying to ask out Takitsubo. He would be my boss for life if he can do it. "Since we really don't have anything else to go on, we should probably treat this security detail as a real mission. Is the perimeter secure?"

"Look at him," Saiai mocked, turning to Frenda. "He's trying to act all professional. I bet he wants a raise now. He might actually get one if he wasn't so Hamazura-y."

"Let's humor him," Frenda laughed. "The only way I see people entering the lab is from the windows. Basically, the lab seems completely vulnerable with every floor except the central area having a direct route outside. Ever this security room has it," she pointed to the large window behind them. "I checked them and they are heavily reinforced. I could throw a couple bombs at one and I doubt it would even crack. If we get attack by those robots again, they would have a difficult time getting in."

"So we are super going to have nothing to do," Saiai yawned. "Make yourself useful and pass me a drink." She pointed to the bag near Shiage.

You could get it yourself, he thought, but opened the bag and tossed one of the bottles of water they brought with them. Frenda grabbed a magazine from the table next to her and opened it. None of them were too worried about this mission. Even thought they were curious about what made Shizuri send them off on a mission without her, they were professionals. Their questions could wait until after the mission was complete. What they didn't know was a single man had just reached the rooftop of a building, overlooking the lab, a couple blocks away.

An adult male was standing on the roof, looking down at the lab the three members of ITEM were currently in. He had short black hair, strong facial features, solidly built, and tall. His name was Chimitsu Sunazara, one of the most renowned snipers in Academy City. He was well-known by both Anti-Skill and the dark side. Next to him was a large briefcase. After putting down the binoculars, he leaned over and opened the case. Inside the padded case were several segments of a sniper rifle, more specifically, a modified MSR-001. The MSR-001 was a magnetic sniper rifle, instead of using gunpowder, which reduced the recoil and increased the fire power.

As he positioned the sniper and gazed down the scope, his mind was concentrating purely on the task at hand and all the variables involved. Wind is light from the west, only 1.3 meters per second. Sun is behind me, and will hide my presence. The issue is those windows. I can't be sure what they are designed to take, so I'll play it safe. He reached into the case and pulled out several special bullets and flipped a small switch on his sniper. The bullets were designed to spin at high speeds, causing the bullets to be superheated by friction and increase their piercing power. With the power and speed his gun could produce, it would take a very think steel wall to stop it.

Chimitsu gazed down the sight of his sniper again, slowly positioning it until the target was directly in his line of sight. He was aiming at the back of the head of the girl with blonde hair. His breathing slowed and all of his attention was focused on his aim. His finger tightened on the trigger and his muscles moved slightly… Perfect…

"What have you found out?" Accelerator asked, in an almost demanding tone. "I bet you already have a location by now." He was leaning up against a building, clutching his phone tightly to his ear.

"You know me so well," Motoharu laughed on the other end. "I've been watching their movements, since we found out the number two was leading the experiments."

"Then tell me where their base is," Accelerator said.

"The thing is," Motoharu explained. "I don't think the place I found is their base. However, I have seen the number two make frequent visits there." He paused. "The issue is he keeps coming from different directions, but I never see him leave. I've seen him enter that warehouse several dozen times. It's possible there are underground tunnels connecting it to his base. I would try to figure out what's in the warehouse, but there are a lot of sophisticated electronics, more than your normal security cameras. Someone with a lot of technical experience is helping him."

"We figured as much," Accelerator yawned. "I doubt any of his underlings could give me trouble, but those types of people always tend to have tricks up their sleeves. I figured out his Dark Matter vectors, so I shouldn't have any problems now. I'll rip him apart for the problems he caused and then I'll be able to search for Eve in peace."

"I think you may be pissed because he hit a girl who really liked you," Motoharu replied, highly amused. "Kinuhata-san would be really happy to hear you care."

"Shut up," Accelerator snapped. "If I hear her mention anything like that… I swear I will kill you."

"It's her loli build isn't it?"

"SHUT UP!"

"One last thing I should warn you about," Motoharu said seriously, and Accelerator found himself gaining interest. For Motoharu to stop joking around, the news had to be important. "Teitoku Kakine has mana. What he told you when you fought the first time was true. He discovered magic. I don't know who taught him or how his body has mana without killing himself, but you need to remember this. I can't tell you what all is going to happen when magic and his dark matter mix. It could even give you a hard time."

"I'll keep it in mind," Accelerator scoffed. "But I have experience with both. I figure, with both of them together, it will just save time."

"Okay, I'll send you the location. Good luck and try not to die or Kami-yan will be sad."

"Pssh."

Accelerator hung up and stretched. He had no doubt the break-ins Jason mentioned were related to Teitoku and his desire for power. Whoever had called Jason obviously was smart enough to know the large scale fight was just a distraction. Even though Eve and the one called Cain pissed Accelerator off immensely, he realized now would be the best opportunity to find Teitoku. His troops were spread out and he would most likely be alone. Teitoku wouldn't want to do the dirty work himself. It's time to end this and destroy his dreams once and for all. Then I have to go back and apologize to the brat. She only gave me access because Estelle convinced her. I didn't do anything wrong though. He scowled and started to head to the location his phone just received from Motoharu. Maybe a frog plushy would be fine.

Kuroko was teleporting as fast as she could across the city, trying to reach the location Jason gave her before the intruders could escape. The Judgement alarm on her phone kept going off, but she ignored it. She figured it was updates on the fight between all the ability users and she couldn't waste time checking. She was slightly confused at her actions and she was thinking about it as she moved above the city. Jason's explanation kind of made sense, but why did I believe him so fast? Normally, I would have gone to the scene of the fight since Konori-senpai asked me to. She remembered the look of seriousness on his face. He better be right about this, or I won't let him live this down. Anti-Skill might have needed my help.

She doubled checked her location and realized she was a couple streets over. She teleported across the street, and then immediately dove behind a large roof top air conditioning unit. The reason she hid was because she saw two individuals with their back to her. They were standing near the edge of the roof and were looking at the street below. One of them was holding a pair of binoculars and a walkie-talkie, the other a high powered rifle. Damn, he was right. They don't look like Anti-Skill. Both of the guys were dressed in black with dark hoods covering their heads. Well, l better get started.

Kuroko teleported behind the two guys and grabbed their sleeves. They were just turning in surprise, when Kuroko teleported them. They reappeared behind her, upside down in the air, and fell onto the roof with a thud. Double checking to make sure they were uncurious, Kuroko teleported their equipment to a different nearby building. Now if they wake up before I'm done, they can't shoot at me or warn their allies. She kept the binoculars and looked down at the scene below.

The building didn't have a lot of windows for Kuroko to see inside, but it seemed to be a facility for electronic development into wireless communication, based on the signs outside the building. A couple delivery trucks were lined up at the loading docks in the back, but they looked unusual. Kuroko quickly checked the roof tops of the other buildings again and teleported to the roof of the lab to get a better look. I was right, those trucks are armored vehicles disguised to look like delivery vans. Whatever they were transporting had to be important. There were three trucks, but she only saw a single person in the front one. The rest were empty. There doesn't seem to be anything in there, so the perpetrators must have gone inside after the trucks were unloaded. She was about to teleport back down, when she saw a couple unconscious adults lying on the other side of the trucks.

Shit, Kuroko thought, teleporting down next to them. She wanted to make sure they were still alive. To her relief, they were still breathing and were just unconscious. Phew, that nearly gave me a heart attack. She ducked behind the truck as the person in the driver's seat moved and yawned loudly. Kuroko slowly raised her head and looked at the truck side mirror. The person sitting there was obviously not an employee or a researcher. He looked like a high schooler wearing a faded t-shirt. Kuroko threw opened the door and, before the guy could say anything, reached over and teleported him out of the truck and onto the ground. She teleported her needles into his clothes, pinning him down, and then covered his mouth with her hand. "Listen up," she snapped. "I am part of Judgement. When I remove my hand, you won't yell or call for help. You will only answer my questions, understand?" The kid nodded. "Good. What are you after here and how many people are with you?" She removed her hand.

"I can't tell you," he gasped. "The boss lady… she's terrifying."

"More terrifying then me?" Kuroko asked sweetly, raising a couple of needles in front of his face.

"She can get any type of information out of anyone," he said, his face turning white and he started sweating profusely. "She's also merciless. I'm probably going to get killed just talking to you. Go on and get it over with, at least with you it might be quick and painless."

"You know how much damage a teleporter can cause?" Kuroko asked. Hurry up and tell me. I don't have much time. "When an object materializes, it pushes the other matter out of the way. A single one of these needles could cause a lot of damage in, let's say, your arm."

"I get it," he gasped. "I'll tell you, please don't do it."

"Number of people and what they are after," Kuroko repeated. "Hurry up."

"Besides the boss, there are three others," the guy explained quickly. "One of the men has a wormhole ability and they plan to transport some new kind of wireless transmitter. It's supposed to be a revolutionary way of connecting devices wirelessly, without being effected by distance. I don't know any more about it than that. The other two are guards, I don't know their abilities. Most of their men are currently distracting Anti-Skill, so they won't show up until it's too late."

"I see," Kuroko mumbled, standing up. Looks like whoever called Jason knew about this. She pulled out her phone and took a picture of the guy's face. "I happen to need my needles so…" She reached down and teleported them out of the ground. "I'm giving you the option to turn yourself in to Anti-Skill, while I take care of this. I have your picture and, if you try to run, you will be found quick enough. Get out of here before this gets rough."

"Y-yes," the guy stammered, standing up. He turned and ran away from the building and Kuroko sighed.

Four people huh? One of them doesn't have a combat oriented ability, but the other three are unknown. If the boss has a mental ability, I could be in trouble. Kuroko quickly sent a short message to Kazari, explaining the situation, and moved toward the open door. She didn't hear anything and moved cautiously into the building. The lights were on, but it was disconcerting how quiet it was. Where could they be? She checked several rooms, but no one was there. She had turned down another hallway before she finally heard something, a couple of hushed voices and then a loud bang.

"Careful with that," a girl's voice said. "I don't want to hear Ricane complain about damages."

"Do you think if we just unplug everything he can reconnect it when we bring it back?" a man asked.

"Probably," the girl said dismissively. "But he left instructions on what to do, so we are going to follow it. Is our escape route up yet?"

"I just opened it," a young man said. "Just push the machine through when ready."

"I wish you could just move the worm hole under it," another young man complained.

"It doesn't work like that…"

"Shut up you two," the girl, obviously the boss, said. "You all have your role, so just do it."

It looks like there really are only four," Kuroko thought, looking into the laboratory. From her position, she saw a large sphere device, about the size ofa small car, maybe slightly smaller. It was propped up a couple of feet from the floor from a heavy set tripod. Thick cabals and metal protrusions were coming off of it in every direction. One metal rod on the very top was only a couple inches and was holding up a clear glass sphere. Inside it, blue and white electricity bounced around randomly, with an occasional flash of gold. That has to be it, now, where are the intruders?

She found one easily enough. An adult male was slowly disconnecting the cables, in what appeared to be a specific order, because he was making his way around the device. He's the technical guy. Standing a little further away, a young man with brown hair was watching, his arms crossed, looking bored. He looks like the guy who would complain, but I'm not sure what his role is. Maybe help move the device? A young man with long black oily hair walked in her line of sight and disappeared. Okay, that must be the guys who can make the wormholes. He matches the description Saten-san and Uiharu gave us. Now where is the boss lady? Kuroko couldn't see her, but she had heard her voice, so she had to be here. It's time to stop them. I probably can't expect backup, so let's make this fast.

"This is Judgement," Kuroko yelled, moving into the room. "You are all under arrest for trespassing and attempted theft. Surrender now."

"We got found already?" the young man with brown hair asked. "I thought you said Judgement and Anti-Skill would be too busy to find us?" He looked to his right and Kuroko followed his gaze. Sitting on a desk, with her legs swaying over the side, was a young girl with light colored wavy hair. She wore a lot of jewelry and had on a very showy dress with an open back, kind of like a girl from a hostess club would wear. She was currently playing with her phone and barely looked up when Kuroko announced her presence.

"I said they would be busy," the girl said dispassionately. "A random person stumbling upon us is always a risk. Just go deal with her. You wanted something to do anyway right?"

"You don't care what I do to her right?"

"Knock yourself out."

"Hey girl," the young guy said. He started walking forward while cracking his knuckles. "If you give up, I'll be sure to show you a good time."

"I'll have to pass," Kuroko replied. "I already have someone I like and she's much better than you." She was aware his footsteps echoed across the tile floor a lot louder than it should have. This looks familiar. I think Konori-senpai mentioned this ability before. Solidification, the ability to increase the density of one's body. If he gets to heavy I will have trouble teleporting him.

"Let her join," the guy laughed and ran at her. He reached out a hand to grab Kuroko, when she disappeared from right in front of him. He stumbled, took a step forward to stabilize himself and looked around. "Where did she go?"

"Behind you," Kuroko said, patting him on the back. He disappeared and reappeared in the air twenty feet away. He fell and landed with a loud crash, intensified by the sound echoing around the building. Because he had increased his body weight dramatically, he caused a lot more damage to the floor than a normal person would. He laid there unmoving, obviously unconscious.

"Oh a teleporter," the girl said, finally looking up with some interest. "That's a pretty rare ability. You must be a level 4 because you can teleport yourself, right?"

"That's right," Kuroko said, holding up her spikes in her hands. "Surrender and this doesn't have to get rough." Her eyes kept darting to the other two guys, both of whom were watching the girls' exchange. Kuroko was suspicious they were going to try something and didn't let her guard down.

"Oh don't worry about those two," the girl laughed. "They are more technical support, rather than security. I'm more than enough to take care of you." A small handheld pistol appeared in her hand and she pointed it at Kuroko. "You aren't important enough to worry about, if you leave, I'll pretend I never saw you."

"I can't do that," Kuroko said, preparing to teleport and knock the girl out before she could fire, but something happened. Her body was paralyzed when she thought about trying to attack the girl. However, there was nothing wrong with her body physically, nor was it frozen in fear, like with the aura Cain possessed. It was something else. The feeling she couldn't attack the person in front of her unnaturally rose up from deep within her. It was the sense that she couldn't kick a sleeping cat in front of her. It was the same sense she wouldn't be able to steal from a little kid. It was the same feeling that would prevent her from attacking Mikoto Misaka. Her eyes widened in shock and she reflexively took a step back.

"Ah," the girl said, grinning. "Your expression tells me everything I need to know. It's good you are so kind inside. I thought you looked familiar and I was right. You are often in the presence of the third rank Mikoto Misaka, aren't you?" Kuroko didn't answer, but the girl knew what her silence meant. "My ability is known as Measure Heart. It can freely regulate the distance between people's hearts. I set myself the same distance from your heart as the third. I briefly considered another person, because the distances were the same, but I wasn't sure how you would react. At least with the third, I know you adore her."

"What kind of lies are you spouting?" Kuroko demanded. "There's no way I would see you the same way as onee-sama."

"Just stop," the girl said, sounding slightly bored now. "You know it's true, so there is no point in denying it. You can't attack me the same way you couldn't attack her. I doubt you could even turn me over to Anti-Skill if you caught me because you couldn't turn her over. Kind people like you are quite weak."

"So you think this is a stalemate?" Kuroko asked, trying to keep calm and think of a plan. She's right. No matter how much I know she's not onee-sama, I can't bring myself to attack her. I might be able to restrain her, if I think of onee-sama running amok. It was a long shot, but she had the feeling it might work. "I'll just teleport out of the way of your bullet."

"You might have a point," the girl conceded, and then kicked a boom box from under the table out in front of her. "But I like to be prepared." She pressed the power button with her toe and it started playing.

"AHH!" Kuroko cried, grabbing her head as it started pounding. Her needles clattered to the ground all around her. She tried to teleport, but the sound was preventing her from being able to perform the calculations. "Capacity Down? Damn, but why aren't you affected by it?"

"A scientist working with us developed a counter measure for it," the girl laughed, brushing her hair back to reveal her ear. Kuroko glanced over and saw a small metal device in her ear. "Think of it as a hearing aid that filters out Capacity Down. We all have one, but looks like you didn't get the memo." Her gun never wavered from aiming directly at Kuroko. "I gave you a chance to leave but, until we have what we came for, you are a threat."

This is bad, Kuroko thought, her head still pounding. I can't teleport and don't have any other weapons on me. A noise behind her forced her to turn around. And it just got worse.

"Ah my neck," the guy groaned and looked around. "You took care of her?"

"No thanks to you," the girl said, before turning her head to the man. "Finish disconnecting the machine and let's get out of here. We have wasted too much time as it is." She turned her head back to Kuroko and the guy who just got up. "She can't use her ability and you can. Take care of her." She lowered her gun and picked up her phone. "If I have to help you out again, you know what's going to happen."

"Yes ma'am," the guy replied quickly, before turning his attention back to Kuroko. "My neck's sore because of you," he growled. "I'm going to take my time playing with you to make you regret embarrassing me."

I should have taken her out fast, now I'm in trouble, Kuroko thought, kicking herself for a rookie mistake.

"…How are you holding up?" Rikou asked Shizuri, as they walked back from the store carrying a couple of bags.

"Besides the one episode," Shizuri said. "It's bearable." They had just reached the store when Shizuri staggered from the sudden pain. It caused her to lose control of her motor function and would have fallen, if Rikou had not caught her. It was lucky no one was near enough to see it, so they manage to avoid any awkward questions. "We still have several hours before the twenty four hour limit is up. The pain is coming in bursts, but they don't last long. The beginning was worst, now it's mostly a dull thudding."

"…Do you believe this will actually work?" Rikou asked hesitantly.

"Something will definitely happen," Shizuri mumbled. "But if I stay on the course the city wants, I'm going to fall behind the others. I'm done with playing it safe. The brats keep surpassing me one after another and it ends now."

They walked in silence, both lost in thought. Rikou could tell it was not the time to talk, and she usually preferred being silent anyways. She had a lot on her mind too. She was hoping the rest of ITEM would be okay on their mission, especially Shiage. There was no doubt he was the weakest out of all of them, as he did not have a powerful ability, but he made it up with resourcefulness and ingenuity. She actually respected him for that. She was also thinking about Shizuri's condition. She had her doubts this was going to work, but since Shizuri's life was in her hands, she had to stay vigilant.

Shizuri on the other hand was trying to ignore the constant pain in her head. She was getting used to it, but the sudden spikes caused her to be incapacitated for a moment, as she lost muscle control and her vision blurred. If this actually works and I become stronger, this pain will be worth it. If it doesn't, I'm going to kill him, even if I lose my ability. I'm going to show those brats what real determination is and make him… The image of a certain spikey black haired boy appeared in her mind and she shook her head. I'm doing this for me, screw him. Of course, he would be impressed with my determination. They turned down a street and were about halfway down it when Shizuri's warning sense went off. "Takitsubo, do you see anything unusual?"

"…The street is empty," Rikou muttered, after looking around. "Strange." They weren't going down one of the busiest streets, but it was still early afternoon on a nice day. There should at least be an occasional person, but no one was in sight. This could be a coincidence, but Mugino is right, this is unusual.

"Exactly," Shizuri agreed. "Be ready for anything." They continued walking, pretending not to notice anything, until someone stepped out from behind a building. It was a young man with dirty blonde hair. He was wearing a dark maroon colored suit with a white collared shirt, both unbuttoned, and revealing a red V-neck under them. He was walking toward them with a cocky smile on his face. Shizuri recognized him from the description Saiai gave them. SHIT, this is the worst possible situation. I'm not supposed to use my ability, but looks like I'm going to have to ignore that warning. "Teitoku Kakine."

"I see my reputation proceeds me," Teitoku laughed. "This is our first meeting face to face."

"I blew up your little clone once," Shizuri replied. "Is this a clone or your real body? Kinuhata told me all about your tricks. Plus, I heard Accelerator also kicked your ass. I laughed a bit at that."

"Enjoy it while you can," Teitoku replied, the flicker of a scowl on his face. "For your information, those were just tests. I was seeing the full capabilities of my dark matter clones. While not as strong as the real me, they gave Accelerator a decent fight. You couldn't even scratch him, so what does that say about the ending of this encounter?"

"What on earth could you want with me?" Shizuri asked, almost sarcastically. She actually had a pretty good idea. I bet he's pissed we stopped that clone and the robots from stealing data he was looking for in that lab.

"Oh you know," Teitoku said, waving his hand. "I wanted to ask you out for a cup of… what the hell do you think? I'm going to kill you for getting in my way. This also presents a great opportunity for me." His smile widened, but it never reached his eyes. "I wanted to test my new skills on you."

"New skills?" Shizuri raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Magic."

"Bullshit!" Shizuri yelled, before stopping herself. What the hell? Is he bluffing or does he really know about magic? I thought abilities and magic couldn't mix in one body. Though, if it can in one person, it could exist in others. Did Kinuhata know about this and not tell me? If she did and I find her, she's going to pay. "Nice bluff."

"Do you need proof?" Teitoku asked, but he paused for a second. "Hmm, your response was unusual. Most people would have replied, magic doesn't exist. This poses an interesting question, you know about magic, don't you?"

"I might know a little bit," sneered Shizuri. "But I doubt you know as much as you think."

"Maybe you can appreciate my work then," Teitoku said. "This meeting gave me the opportunity to try a people clearing field to get you two alone. I have to admit, this is pretty useful. It prevents me having to clear all the people myself and, if I miss one, avoid Anti-Skill."

People clearing field? Shizuri thought. Sounds like magic, since he doesn't have mental abilities. He should only be able to create matter and energy. "You know, the only reason I killed your clone was because he attack my group. I don't see why you personally had to come for me."

"Accident or not," Teitoku shrugged. "Those who do not submit to me must be eliminated. As we speak, the other members of SCHOOL are taking out your comrades."

"I doubt you will find them taken down so easily," Shizuri said, holding out a hand. "I'll be the one to make sure you don't bother us again."

"Wait Mugino," Rikou whispered. She had been quietly waiting, but she had to speak up before Shizuri did something she would regret. "You can't use your ability yet."

"Shut up," Shizuri snapped. "Don't give an enemy information." She glanced at Teitoku, who was still grinning. She didn't know if he heard or not, but he didn't seem to care if he did. "It's not like we have much of a choice."

"Step aside," Teitoku told Rikou, waving his hand. "The adults are talking." Something invisible hit Rikou and sent her flying into the wall of a building. She collided with a thud and slumped down unconscious.

"Shit," Shizuri growled and raised a hand. A green orb appeared and shot directly at Teitoku. Right before it hit him, an explosion hit her attack and blocked him from sight. When it cleared, Teitoku continued standing there, looking unhurt. "Your ability is almost as annoying as Accelerator's."

"I have thousands of types of energy at my disposal," Teitoku laughed. "While you have one type, admittedly quite powerful, but nothing compared to matter outside this world." Six white wings emerged from behind him. "Let me show you my true power. If you can entertain me enough, I might show you some powerful attack magic."

"Just shut up and die," Shizuri said, summoning another orb. She fired and immediately realized something was wrong. Normally, the more beams she created, the smaller each beam was. A single beam would be the largest, while a dozen or so, the max number she could use now, would all be a fraction of the size. This time, her single beam was as large as if she had fired her max number of beams. Right before the beam hit Teitoku, another explosion blocked it. Teitoku was able to create energy to block her attack effortless.

"Is that really the best you can do?" Teitoku asked, looking disappointed. "I figured you would at least be able to force me to try." He sighed. "I won't even waste using magic on you. You will die like a mangy dog here." Two of his wings stretched out and flew right at her.

"FUCK!" Shizuri yelled, focusing all her concentration. Now is not the time! She had one opportunity to avoid being skewered alive and conjured another orb. She knew she wouldn't be able to dodge the wings, they were faster then she could run, so she had to destroy them. She ignored the pain in her head and fired her last chance at survival. The results were rather more impressive than her last attack.

Teitoku wings were disintegrated.

"What the…?" he muttered, as he stared down at Shizuri in confusion. That attack was three times larger than her first one? Was she conserving power from the last attack? Impossible, she doesn't have that ability. He had actually dodged the attack instinctively. The two wings he lost were easily recreated, but the fact they had been destroyed as easily as ripping paper bothered him. "Well, that was a nice surprise. I suppose you will get a chance to see my real power."

"The only thing I am going to see is your bloody remains scattered all over the street for the rats," Shizuri replied and then grabbed her head with one hand. Her head felt like it had just split open. The pain was destroying her mind. Everything around her grew fuzzy and started blurring together. She fell down on her knees, grabbing her head with both hands. The pain wasn't just in her head now, but coursing through her entire body. Her vision returned for a moment and she wiped her nose. Blood was covering her hand, before her vision blurred again.

"You don't look so well," Teitoku commented. "Did you overloud yourself with that last attack trying to kill me? That's normally what a lot of people try." He paused, noticed something, before he burst out laughing. "Your reaction is the same I saw in some of our failures when we tried to forcefully raise their levels. Did you actually take the drugs we made? No wonder you are breaking apart. This is great. I could kill you I suppose, but I think watching you suffer is payment enough."

Not now, Shizuri was barely able to think. She glanced back at the unconscious form of Rikou, still leaning against the building. Damn it. She's unconscious, Kakine is breathing down my neck, and my power decides now is the time to overloud. ARG! The pain was threatening to knock her out and completely incapacitate her. Wake up Takitsubo!

Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.

So for fun I had asked some people what they thought was the most god forsaken place on earth and got a wide range of answers. I live in the USA, so most of the answers were here cities or states here. No one manage to guess it, regardless if they read the series, but when I told them, they instantly were like, "Okay, that makes sense." I think most of the readers will feel the same way. Only one person knows the place for sure, and he won't tell.

Motoharu: Looks like Kami-yan's honeymoon is over.

Touma: What do you mean my honeymoon?

Pierce: Well you are no longer surrounded by hundreds of girls and they are getting in trouble without you.

Shizuri: I'm going to get through this and kill him.

Kuroko: I've been through worse, I'll be fine.

Frenda: There's no way I will die. Basically, I'm too cute and important to die. Hamazura might though.

Shaige: Hey, I don't want to die before I get a girlfriend.

Accelerator: Don't say that around the hero's girls, they get rather possessive.

Misaki: I never get possessive. We are just a perfect match for each other.

Mikoto: I'm pretty sure you mind control most of the girls to keep them away from him.

Eve: Though, after this chapter. You know all the readers want me to appear more. Plus, you all may wake up one day and find a surprise in store for you. Hehehe.

Ruiko: Well, that was ominous.

Me: So I need another announcer, but someone mentioned we should have one of the more, non-mainstream characters.

Touma: Like?

Motoharu: Of course, the game just finished so it would be the perfect time for Fukiyose-sama.

Pierce: I'll let her know.

Kazari: I have a feeling those two know something we don't.

Accelerator: They do.