A Certain Infinite Possibility

by Darkbetrayer

An ancient organization has emerged from hiding in order to bring the world into darkness. Will Touma be able to stop them or will his actions make everything worse. Will Touma finally develop the harem he deserves? Magic and Science will collide in ways no one thought possible. Touma X Harem (Maybe, he is really dense.)

100. S4 Aftermath

At last, it is a momentous occasion that this story has at last reached 100 chapters! When I started this story, I was planning to make it long and exciting, but I didn't think I would reach this point when I first set out. I really want to thank all the people who have followed since the beginning and everyone who discovered it and managed to reach the end. Your support and comments really helped me reach this point. 100 chapters! Best of all, these aren't short chapters, they are of decent length. Funny enough, this chapter also represents the end of Season Four. It was not planned this way, it just happened. When I write, I usually only have a vague idea of what I want to happen and let things flow together. This season just happened to end here. With Australia done, this chapter is moving back to Academy City to resolve some issues, along with maybe showing the first sign of a couple popular characters. People have been asking for them and I have been waiting for this moment. As soon as one thing is resolved, more problems arise. That's the Index universe in a nutshell, isn't it?

general ironox: I always enjoyed those types of fight. Two power people throwing away ungodly strength to resolve their issues with good old flesh and blood. Touma will never be safe, especially in Academy City.

Acpeters: Lessar has pictures.

plantkingman1: I think a lot of girls won't be that happy with Carissa's arrival.

Iceflame55: Too late, he's dead.

Chris: I think your definition of men is the same definition of idiot. I'm pretty sure the Delta Squad and several other people would enjoy watching Touma suffer regardless of who caused it.

Salishious: You will get your wish. This is the wrap up chapter for Academy City after the fight. So it's starting the night before Touma takes out Adam and Fiamma and moves to the next day.

Cyber dragonarmy: I wouldn't doubt Elizard planned this all. Before a TV show though, they will either write a book or manga and then it gets turned into an anime. It would be a top seller for sure. Oh, and for my judgment on you, death!

akd48: I don't know. There is one opportunity I know of, but not sure if the situation would really call for it. If it is used too much, it loses appeal.

Whwsms: Fluffy was important to so many people. Though, Lessar and the Queen were a close second.

wildarms13: Ah, so Vento is your type of girl? I understand. Fiamma's hand was eaten by a dragon, I think it's pretty much shot. Season Five is going to have so much shenanigans going on. Once Accelerator learns of it from Last Order, everyone dies. Lessar will have to distribute hard copies.

Mizericordia: I keep telling myself I wanted to do something with Awaki, but the situation didn't occur much. She got a few small scenes earlier on and nothing came from it. Not sure when she will have a chance. There are always small changes that make it so plot works out better.

Guest: Sadly, it takes time to write and I can't do it too much or I get tired of it. I only write when I feel like writing and stop when I'm not.

GameCguru: There is a reason WW3 isn't in this one. Another large scale fight will take its place at some point. Touma telling his parents he is marrying into royalty would be such a great phone call.

Anon Guest: Yep, Fiamma will get his own harem soon. He's in a high enough position to change the Holy Doctrine of Vatican Law. Everyone ends up in Touma's harem eventually if you are not living your life correctly. Fluffy only comes out during conflict. Touma willingly gave up his arm to stop the fight and it worked, until Fiamma opened his mouth. Obviously.

Guest: Orianna gets time in 'plot' not plot.

Liuen: I was rather proud of that.

Guest: Probably not, unless Carissa's ex snaps and discovers an artifact of immense power and goes on a killing spree for revenge. Doubt that would happen though.

Jujudude: Touma is going to have to do something about all those girls. Either accept the harem, or go with them one at a time and see which one is best for him. I suppose Motoharu could make a game show of it. As for Kuroko x Jason, stuff happens. It's been one hundreds chapters, so it's not like it's been rushed. Not sure how often Touya will appear, but maybe Kuroko can talk to her for a bit.

Simmering Teapot: We should change that. Hot goddess with power or without? Goodbye? Goddess's don't say goodbye. They take what they desire. Touma complains about luck, but I guess he can get some good luck once in a while.

Guest00: So far, Accelerator does not have access to the network. Mikoto might be able to at some point if she starts learning how. Worst is sure to tell Accelerator EXACTLY what happened when Last Order passes out in the middle of the floor from that image. The disturbance in the force is being saved for ONE very special situation involving Touma's mom. The very world will shake.

Sergioqsc: There is a reason I didn't have him summon Gabriel. Though, I can't give much more because it would ruin something far down the road. Oriana will always appear during the best times. Also, Touma's battle cry will bite him constantly.

RPGPersona: Always a pleasure to read your comments. I have to say I always look forward to them. Careful, don't give away plot points to people. Touma will have to spin the Wheel of Misfortune to decide what he gets turned into. God, Lucifer, Touya, a sedan, etc. Remember, Fiamma's plan was years in the making, but then the Fallen get involved and you have to change things around. Organizations love to interfere with each other. Ruiko's involvement is going to cause some interesting situations in the future. Not many people can defeat one of the most powerful Saints. Comfortable bath tub? That just takes a couple girls to act as pillows obviously. It's Lessar, pondering how she does things is useless. Zach's revenge will set forth a chain of events that lead to death or a harem. Carissa x Touma. There are not enough fanfics with them.

Agent Nine: Oh? You are interested in male fan service?

Handsomistic1: Many of us are sure he does. I notice everyone comments on Accelerator's reaction to Imouto uploading the picture.

Kuvukiland: Fiamma only wins by cheating, so if you negate the cheat code, he's weak.

Generation Zero: As a prisoner, there is a chance for redemption for Fiamma. He can fight side by side with Touma against Eve. Problem is, if I want to introduce more characters, some previous characters have to be beaten.

321jaz: It seemed longer in the series because of the Star and angel. Woah, I never said that. Someone else will just have to cause an Armageddon.

Knight of the Iron Hammer Vita: Nope, neither of them appeared yet. Should be soon if they do.

Guest: 1) She might have implied it was big. 2) Goes to live with Touma. 3) Kill him or make sure he doesn't talk about it. 4) Probably not, I got that out of my system.

A certain guest: Since no one will tell our hero about the dragon, any of those could be true. Aiwass definitely needs to come out and troll some people.

naruhinasakufan1: I could see Motoharu and Jason talking about it like that in front of Carissa and Mikoto. Just to annoy them but, at the same time, act like they are really discussing it.

Master Knight Trolling chapter: Has to stay a secret for now. The raffle is going to be so much fun to write, but I think it's obvious why Touma didn't mention Deep Blood. He doesn't want to risk her life and she hated killing vampires. Church won't for many reasons, but I doubt Index would want to get a friend involved on the magic side who's not already.

Savaris: To be fair, Mugino needed a rival. Mii hasn't been involved enough yet. Well, a few serious issues need to be resolved, but plenty of humor in this chapter too. One of the reasons I love reading comments is people can give ideas that are way out in left field, but it triggers something in my mind that allows me to solve an issue or create a fun situation. I know he reads them. He totally quoted my fic in his work! Accelerator will learn, oh he will learn, and Worst will say the hero is bigger to piss him off more.

One above God: I had to think of a way to write that clean but have everyone understand it perfectly. It worked out well.

Disclaimer: Random people 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.

---

Mikoto was lying on her bed, unable to quiet her thoughts. It was virtually impossible to even consider sleeping. All she could do was rest her tired and sore body, while she waited for some kind of news on her friends. Kuroko had rushed off for some reason and Mikoto fretted over why for a while. It felt like Kuroko had been suppressing her true thoughts and finally exploded. Kuroko had been unconscious for the fight with Juliet, so Juliet shouldn't have been able to goad her. With Juliet gone, any magic she tried to cast would be ineffective, wouldn't it? I have no idea. I don't even know what Juliet 'tried' to do, except for her saying it would kill Kuroko. Her eyes drifted over to the metal ball on her desk. It contained whatever was left of Juliet and it didn't seem to show any sign of life. Mikoto sighed and wished Kuroko would contact her.

Her phone started ringing.

Mikoto bolted upright and lunged for her phone sitting on her bedside table. Her body protested at the sudden movement, but she ignored the pain. Please be Kuroko! She grabbed the phone and flipped it open, but completely ignored her caller ID. "Kuroko?" she asked hopefully.

"Sorry," a familiar voice said. "It's Jason."

"Kagere-san?!" Mikoto exclaimed. "Oh, I'm glad to hear from you. Do you know what happened in the city tonight? Are you and Uiharu-san okay?"

"We are fine," Jason replied quickly. "Nothing happened. Our phones were off because we were watching a movie. Saten-san has been away and Kazari was lonely."

"I know she's gone, but listen, Juliet attacked-…"

"I know," Jason interrupted.

"You know?!" Mikoto almost screeched. "Who told you?!"

"I ran into Kuroko a little while ago." His voice was calm, but Mikoto could hear a strain in it.

"She's okay then…" Mikoto trailed off and collapsed onto her bed and her eyes began to tear up. "I'm so glad. Can… can I talk to her?"

"Now would not be a good time," Jason said solemnly.

"Why? She's not hurt, right?"

"Not, physically." There was a pause. "Let me explain. You are familiar with the play Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's a play that focuses heavily on love and emotions. Juliet named herself off of that because she's always loved emotional movies and plays since she was a kid. Her ability," The way he articulated that word told Mikoto not to say magic over the phone. "I believe, allows her to manipulate emotions. She changed Kuroko's love for you into hate. What I can't understand is why it seems to be moving so slowly. Usually an ability like that takes affect instantaneously."

"She slammed her head against a pole to knock herself unconscious," Mikoto remembered. "She must have realized something was wrong." There was another pause.

"That would explain it," Jason muttered. "That power was incomplete and partially changed her thoughts. Her memories are intact, but she appears to feel disgust and hate instead of love when she thinks of you."

"Where are you two?" Mikoto asked.

"I found her on the streets, out in the rain. I took her to my apartment and she's currently in the bathroom now, drying off."

"Couldn't you have taken her to Uiharu-san's dorm?" Mikoto asked hesitantly. This isn't good. Kagere doesn't know Kuroko has feelings for him. If she's not emotionally stable because of Juliet's magic, there could be an accident, one we may never recover from. She waited for Jason's answer and heard a loud sigh.

"I considered that," he admitted. "But I'm not sure of the full ramifications of Juliet's incomplete power. If Kuroko suddenly goes wild, do you truly believe Kazari could stop her?" Mikoto didn't answer and her silence was enough. Both of them knew the kind of destruction a teleporter could cause if they did not have restraint. "With my shadow ability bending dimensions, I can contain her if she does. There really isn't much choice until she's cured."

"I can understand that," Mikoto acknowledged. "How long do you think it will be before you can help her?"

"I… don't think I can."

"EHH?!" Mikoto gasped. "But you always seem to know what to do, even if it takes you a little bit to do some research."

"I have never meddled with mind manipulation," Jason explained. "It's a precise art and probably different from Shokuhou-san's ability. I'm planning to take her to Index and have her design the spell. She would be faster and more thorough than I could be."

"Be careful," Mikoto warned. "You know Kuroko and I were attacked, but I also found out Shokuhou and Accelerator were also attacked. Eve's forces seem to be targeting us and it's possible Mugino was a target as well, since she was with us in England. Juliet was so powerful and she wasn't anywhere near as strong as Cain. I lost control and everything went dark for a while. I can't remember most of what happened until the end. If it wasn't for Kazakiri-san saving me, I would have died. When I returned, transformed, I'm not even sure how I did it, but Juliet would not give up. She kept trying to kill me and Kuroko. Even when her body was being destroyed, she would not stop." Her voice kept growing more and more hysterical. "I could have dropped the electrical barrier, but I didn't. She wouldn't stop. I… I think she's dead and it was all my fault!"

"Stop!" The single world broke her out of her state. "Listen to me Misaka-san. I am going to say this once, this is not your fault. Juliet… is not the Emiko I knew. Eve took her memory and twisted it into what she is now. Please, do not blame yourself for what happened. Kuroko did mention something about her… remains? What did she mean by that?"

"There was a small orb consisting of her remaining shadow. I sealed it up in a metal ball with an electrical loop. I don't know what to do with it."

"I'll pick it up tomorrow," Jason told her. "We have no idea what that is and it would be safer in my hands." He sighed. "Kuroko won't be cured until tomorrow at the earliest too."

"Why aren't you taking her to Index tonight?!" Mikoto demanded surprised.

"Several reasons," Jason explained. "First, we have no idea if Eve and more of her forces are still moving around in the city. Second, there have been notices on the Anti-Skill channels about several disturbances in the city. I think it's because of your fights. We need to keep a low profile right now. There… may be suspicions you lot were involved if they were tracking AIM fields. Not sure if I can do anything to stop that."

"I'll keep that in mind," Mikoto said. "If I say I was attacked, it shouldn't escalate too much."

"I hope so," Jason sighed on the other end. He sounded exhausted. "Oh, it's also raining, so crossing the city would be a pain. Not like I would let it stop me, but it's another minor reason. I plan to send an excuse to your school about Kuroko's absence. If anyone asks you about her, say it's a Judgment thing."

"Okay," Mikoto agreed. "Kagere, thanks for finding her. We contacted everyone else when we realized Eve was targeting us, but then we tried to reach you and Uiharu-san and couldn't…" Her voice trailed off.

"She sort of found me," Jason corrected her with a forced chuckle and then paused. "Sounds like she's done. I should go. Not sure how she will react if she finds me talking to you. Is there anything else, real quick?"

"There is," Mikoto admitted. She didn't really want to tell him this, but the situation called for it. Please forgive me Kuroko. "A few moments before Juliet attacked, Kuroko and I were talking."

"Okay?"

"About you."

"Me? Was it insulting?" For a second, Mikoto heard a brief moment of amusement in Jason's voice. This actually made what Mikoto was going to tell him even harder.

"No," she said slowly. "Listen, I really shouldn't be the one telling you this, but due to circumstances, Kuroko has… feelings for you."

"Like anger and frustration?"

"Be serious for a minute," Mikoto snapped and then calmed down. She knew this was the usual Jason and she did appreciate him trying to make everything normal now that the situation was under control. "She and I were talking, and Kuroko likes you, as in more than a friend. I believe she has actually fallen for you, and this is not a joke." She added that last part quickly.

There was only silence on the line.

"Are… are you still there?"

"Do you really think I didn't notice?" Jason asked quietly.

"You knew?!" Mikoto gasped.

"I'm not oblivious like Touma is," Jason huffed. "I have known for a while. It's just," his voice grew softer, "how am I supposed to react to that? She never actually told me."

"You could have…," Mikoto tried to say, but found herself trailing off. There really was no good answer. "I see your point."

"I promised myself I would treat her exactly like I always did," Jason continued. "If she tells me, then I can talk to her about it." He sighed. "I'm beginning to see what Touma goes through."

"Hey!"

"Hush, you know it's true."

"Still." Mikoto sighed too. "Well, I wanted to warn you, but if you know, I trust you." She paused. "Wish our friends outside the city would return home soon."

"Kazari told me about them and I'm sure they are fine. He won't let anything happen to them."

"No, he definitely won't." They both knew Touma and his resolve. "I should get going then."

"Misaka-san," Jason said sternly. "Get some rest. After what you went through, you need it. I'll do what I can on my end."

"Thanks," Mikoto replied. She hung up and fell back onto her bed. Things are going to get complicated, but it could have been a lot worse. At least Kuroko is safe, but I hope nothing happens between them. It could jeopardize their relationship with Uiharu-san. She took a deep breath and turned her thoughts back to what happened earlier. She wouldn't be able to sleep anytime soon and needed something to distract her. Tomorrow, I'm going to have to get a full explanation from Shokuhou. She couldn't give me everything over the phone. She needs to know about the wing too…. Crap! I forgot to tell Kagere-san about what Uiharu-san told me. I guess I will tell him tomorrow, with Shokuhou and probably Accelerator. He is involved in this enough too. She made a mental note to make sure to reach out to all of them tomorrow. It would not be a good idea to use phones, since they could be monitored that way.

At last, her thoughts turned to the transformation. She knew what it was, to some degree. She had shifted toward Level 6, without outside assistance, or at least any she could identify. The choker in Italy had been a onetime thing and broke soon after using it. I mentioned I transformed to Kagere-san, I hope he understood what I meant. I need to ask him about it. She shivered slightly. I wish Touma was here. Being around him always makes me feel better. The memories of being in the Imaginary Number District with Hyouka swam to the surface of her mind. Mikoto had no idea how she got there, but the end result was what surprised her. With the Level 6 shift involving her, her mind should have been destroyed once she reached a certain stage, and yet her mind had been miraculously clear near the end. It was like she changed.

Or evolved.

The thought echoed in her mind. Why? Juliet could have easily assassinated us, yet she announced her presence. Then she spent all that time antagonizing me. Could Eve have ordered her not to kill me outright? If so, why? Mikoto was not great at these kinds of schemes, which were something Misaki and Shizuri excelled at. She always preferred the direct approach. It's no use thinking too hard about this. I probably won't be able to figure out the extent of Eve's scheme. I'll tell the others what I know and see if they can piece it together. She rolled over on her side. Kagere-san is right, I should get some rest, but I don't feel like I can sleep. Her eyes fell on something on the top of her dresser.

It was the DVD Jason had given to her, Misaki, and Kuroko.

You know, I haven't watched that yet, she mused and sat up. She had no idea what was on it, but it would hopefully take her mind off fighting Juliet. Mikoto stood up, walked over, and put the DVD in her TV, before sitting back down on her bed. Motoharu's face showed up on the screen first and Mikoto frowned.

The good news, it took her mind off the earlier events.

The bad news, she probably wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon because of embarrassment.

---

Misaki was currently mulling around in her own room.

Unlike Mikoto, Misaki had a lot more information gleamed from her battle with Arthur. She knew Eve wanted her forces to push them to the limit of their abilities so they would transform. The question is, why? Curiosity, maybe? She would have seen mine in England, so that explains why I was targeted, but the others were too. Eve must have believed we all could transform, though that raises several more questions. Does she understand what this transformation is? What purpose did she want to know if the others could transform? There is also a chance someone else could be pulling the strings. She shuddered. I don't think someone like Eve is easily manipulated, so maybe it's a deal. She does make them. Her eyes widened. This isn't good. The magic side wouldn't be interested in science abilities, so that means Eve has to be working with someone on the science side. It explains so much, like how she knows about the Imaginary Number District. She crossed her arms and sat on her bed. How should I go about this? I was advised not to do anything to attract attention.

Misaki knew she would have to talk about this with the others. Knowingly or not, they will most likely have caught onto their own traces of information. Once they shared it, Misaki would be able to piece together a rough idea of Eve's plan, hopefully. She even had a slight advantage over the others, because she had direct contact with Seria Kumokawa. It was thanks to Seria that Misaki had known Touma, Ruiko, Frenda, and Lessar had left the city. She passed it onto Mikoto as a courtesy. There were a few pieces of information kept private, until they could speak face to face. Misaki knew Touma and the others had gone to Australia, but she wasn't sure of the exact reason, except it had to deal with the magic side. Seria did not believe in magic, so Misaki actually knew more than her about that.

The biggest problem is our fight with Eve forces actually caused the city to take full notice, Misaki thought to herself and glanced at the mirror. She looked exhausted and would normally go to sleep immediately, but she had to run through what she knew one more time to spot any patterns. She told me to avoid drawing attention to myself and limit the use of my power. AIM field tracking is annoying and hard to avoid if I can't see the people operating it. Well, I can't say I don't enjoy a break, but I wish my prince was here. Interesting stuff always happens around him and the normal gossip here doesn't compare. She smiled and fell back on her bed. Look at me, not too long ago, all I cared about was remaining on top of everything. Now, I just want to be with one person. Though, some of our friends are pretty nice too. Heh, our friends. How weird. She chuckled to herself and stared at the ceiling for a moment. She was too full of adrenaline to sleep. What should I do now?

Her eyes fell on a DVD she meant to watch.

Huh, I completely forgot Kagere gave me that. He said it was important to watch and I have time now. So, why not? She didn't watch a ton of TV and therefore did not have a TV in her room. She had to use her laptop to view the DVD. Jason had advised them to watch it in private and Misaki instantly understood why. Motoharu doing a documentary on Touma was bound to be inappropriate to certain audiences. Misaki, on the other hand, enjoyed it tremendously. I look good in that outfit. Wish I had the opportunity to bring it back from England with me. There was one other part of the video she loved and planned to mention it constantly.

Mikoto was an adorable drunk.

---

"Thanks for picking me up," Kikyou Yoshikawa said, as the car pulled up to the apartment.

"I was on my way back anyways," Aiho Yomikawa replied dismissively. "Wish I could have joined you at the bar, but it wouldn't have mattered if I had gone with. They pulled everyone off their normal duties to investigate several areas."

"What happened?"

"If I had to give my opinion," Aiho said seriously. "I would say we were attacked. Three streets and countless buildings have been destroyed, along with a park that looked like someone dropped a bomb on it. We had to divert so much man power to keep anyone still on the streets away from those areas. Then I heard rumors of a couple deaths, but I was unable to confirm them." She rubbed her head with her free hand. "What the hell happened tonight? There were no witnesses either. Destruction like that should have drawn attention."

"Any leads?" Kikyou asked. "Sounds like it had to be a high level ability user." She paused. "Do you think Accelerator was involved?"

"My gut tells me he definitely was," Aiho confirmed. "But the higher ups refused to tell us anything. They are covering something up." They got out of the car and headed up toward the apartment. "We were limited to ensuring the perimeter was secure and no one else would get involved. Everything was quiet when we were notified, so the fights couldn't have lasted very long."

"I doubt Accelerator would have destroyed an entire block for fun," Kikyou muttered thoughtfully. "He may be reckless, but you know he has mellowed out since attending school."

"It's possible someone attacked him or Last Order," Aiho admitted. "It's only because of that possibility, I'm not slamming open this door and yelling at him." She unlocked the front door and they stepped inside. Most of the lights were off, except for a hallway one. It was just bright enough for them to see. Aiho glanced down and saw several pairs of shoes by the front door. "Looks like he's back at least… and with guests."

"Who do you think?" Kikyou whispered and a small smirk began to form on her face.

"Probably Estelle," Aiho answered quietly and stepped into the living room. "Yep, definitely her." Kikyou joined her and saw Estelle fast asleep on the couch. She was wrapped up in a blanket, so only her head was visible. However, the two adults could infer she might not be fully dressed, because her black cloak and a sleeveless white blouse were draped over a chair. The clothes were muddy and torn in a few places. Knowing what Estelle was like, she probably didn't want to get the couch dirty. "Someone needs to teach her a little modesty around kids her own age."

"Heh," Kikyou let out an involuntary chuckle. "You think Accelerator would actually try something?"

"Nope," Aiho laughed, but quickly stifled it, as not to wake Estelle. "He would probably roll his eyes and get annoyed. Last Order would freak out though. She gets so embarrassed about nudity. At least she's young, so she has an excuse. Accelerator needs to lighten up and enjoy his youth while he has it." She turned down the hallway and started to check on the others. Worst was sleeping in her bed, but her hair looked messier than usual, but there could be countless explanations for that. The fact she was here and not out causing mischief was a blessing in itself. There was only a fifty percent chance she ever made curfew. "Worst is sleeping," she called back quietly over her shoulder.

"Last Order isn't in her bed," Kikyou reported. "She probably snuck into Accelerator's room."

"Sounds about right." Kikyou walked over to Accelerator's room and cracked the door open. There was a moment of silence, before she turned around.

"You might want to see this, Aiho." Her voice was somewhat serious.

"What did he do now?" Aiho sighed and looked over Kikyou's shoulder. Her mouth fell open.

Accelerator had company in his bed.

He was sleeping on his side, near the edge, with his back to the others. His shirt was shredded a bit with what looked like dried blood on it. On the other side of the bed was an attractive girl with silver hair. She was sleeping on her back comfortably, though her long-sleeved sports shirt and miniskirt were slightly dirty and torn. Last Order was between them, still in her dress, which was in a similar state. She was snuggled up next to Accelerator, back to back, but she was gripping the other girl's arm tightly. The three of them looked like they had arrived at the apartment and collapsed on the bed, before falling asleep.

"Who's the new girl?" Kikyou asked.

"I believe her name was Bayloupe," Aiho mumbled. "Last Order showed as a few pictures with her when they returned from England."

"Oh, that's right. So, you think they were the cause of the destruction?"

"I know they were involved," Aiho confirmed. "Look at their state, but I don't really want to interrupt them when they look so comfortable. Can you believe Accelerator willingly brought girls back to his room? He's maturing so fast."

"I'm going to get the camera."

"I wouldn't expect anything else." It only took a moment for Kikyou to return and start taking pictures of the scene in front of them. "When they go to school, we have to do laundry. Those sheets are filthy."

"You know we have to do something else too," Kikyou reminded her.

"I know," Aiho replied. They glanced at each other and large grins formed on their faces. "He's going to need the talk."

"The way he acted when I first met him," Kikyou remarked. "I never thought I would have to explain to him about the birds and bees."

"How do you want to go about doing this?" Aiho asked, as she shut the door behind him. "Corner him when he returns from school tomorrow?"

"Sounds good," Kikyou said. "It will give me time to prepare the charts and diagrams. We may be too late, if he already made the mistake."

"Then he will have to take responsibility," Aiho said seriously. "I know I tell students they need to live and make mistakes to learn, but I'm pretty sure Accelerator is smart enough to avoid something like that."

"I don't know," Kikyou pointed out. "Since he was injured and his power weakened, his hormones may be slightly more active." Aiho raised an eyebrow.

---

"How's Mugino doing?" Shiage asked from the couch, when Saiai walked in.

"Takitsubo-san is watching over her," Saiai informed him and threw herself down on the far end of the couch. "Mugino has regained consciousness, but her AIM field is acting up and Takitsubo-san has to make sure it doesn't explode." Saiai eyed Shiage for a moment. "What about your back? You super got cut when you acted the hero to save her."

"It was pretty shallow," Shiage shrugged, but winced slightly from the pain. They had sterilized the gash on his back and wrapped it up. It was probably going to leave a scar, but otherwise would heal up fine. "Speaking of exploding, what happened to Mugino when she faced Oda Nobunaga?"

"That's not up to me to tell you," Saiai snapped. "Besides, I super only found out about it when you were playing hide and seek with him. I will say this, Mugino is breaking into a level above 5." Shiage's mouth fell open.

"She's trying to reach level 6?!"

"I think she's doing more than trying," Saiai laughed. "After that last display, her power is in a completely different league, even against magicians."

"You told me about England," Shiage muttered and slumped down in his seat. "But I had a hard time picturing something as insane as what you described. After seeing Mugino fight that guy, it all makes sense." He sighed. "They are in a league I could never possibly reach."

"Nope," Saiai agreed bluntly. "But to be fair, I super can't either. I'm far closer than you though."

"Thanks for the pep talk," Shiage grumbled sarcastically. "Keep it up and I might think you actually appreciate me." Saiai scoffed at him.

"You are a super useful distraction when someone is attacking us," Saiai pointed out. Shiage didn't respond to this and reached for the remote to the TV. "Oh, I do have something I want to ask you."

"I'm going to regret this, but what?"

"You and Takitsubo-san have started talking to each other on a first name basis," Saiai pointed out with a grin. Shiage tried to keep his face passive, but he felt a lump form in his throat. "You two are like that, huh?" She placed her index finger and thumb on her left hand together to form a circle. She then took the pointer finger on her right hand and moved it in and out of the circle. Shiage started to splutter and she laughed. "I super knew it! Still not sure what she could possibly see in you."

"No, we aren't!" Shiage denied. "I only recently asked her out and she agreed."

"Oh," Saiai said and looked downtrodden at the news. She perked right back up when she thought of something. "Have you two kissed yet?" Shiage's eyes widened and he looked away. Saiai noticed his reaction and gasped. "You did!"

"Only a cheek kiss," Shiage mumbled. "It wasn't a big deal."

"You know Mugino will super want to know about this," Saiai pointed out.

"Why?" asked Shiage in surprise.

"A relationship between team members could cause complications during missions," Saiai pointed out with a tone indicating it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Think you could super ignore her if her life was in danger to accomplish your assigned task? One slip up could cost us." Shiage was silent and Saiai shrugged. "Just telling you now. I super don't want Takitsubo-san to get hurt. She can't be replaced."

"And I can?"

"Mugino would just kidnap another level 0 off the street."

"She would," Shiage admitted depressed. He had been hoping after everything he did, his position with ITEM would be more secured. At the least, get a little more respect from the others. The fact Rikou was willing to date him was one of the silver linings in his life. The door behind them suddenly opened and they turned around to see Rikou walk in. She shut the door quietly behind her.

"How is she?" Saiai asked instantly.

"…It took a while," Rikou admitted. "But I convinced her to rest up. She will discuss our next step tomorrow." Her eyes darted to Shiage. "…How are your wounds?" Rikou was nervous, but she wasn't good at conveying feelings. Shiage had gotten cut in the back when he pushed her out of the way of Oda's attack. If he hadn't, she would have been killed. There was also a slight awkwardness between them since Shiage had asked her out and she agreed. The kiss she gave him was for luck and her way of cementing their promise. Now that the threat had passed, things were a little awkward.

"It was only a shallow cut…," Shiage informed her and waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Look at you trying to act big," muttered Saiai.

"Sterilized, wrapped up, and a few pain killers was all it took," Shiage finished.

"…That's good," Rikou said with a nod. "Kinuhata, how about you?"

"Few bruises," Saiai shrugged. "Nothing big, but enough about that." She turned around on the couch and gazed at Rikou. "Hamazura is trying to convince me you two are together, is it true? If he's lying, I'm super going to break his arm." Shiage flinched and Rikou tilted her head slightly.

"…We are," she acknowledged. Rikou almost sounded confused at why Saiai didn't believe Shiage.

"Wow," Saiai muttered and slumped in her seat. "First, the princess's sword in England, Oda Nobunaga coming back from the dead, Mugino's transformation, and now, Hamazura has a girlfriend." She raised her arms in frustration. "Has the world gone super crazy?"

"You make it sound like I'm a loner," Shiage muttered. "I was popular during my Skill-Out days."

"Sure you were," Saiai laughed. Shiage glared at her and she only laughed harder. Rikou frowned slightly and walked around the couch, before sitting between them, but closer to Shiage. Saiai stopped laughing and stared when Rikou looked over at her. Shiage took the opportunity to stick his tongue out at her. When Rikou then turned to look at him, Saiai flicked him off.

"I'm glad we all made it out," Shiage finally said. "For a while, I thought we were screwed." He felt Rikou's hand on his arm and glanced over. She was staring at him intensely. The look was actually pretty normal for her, but Shiage could tell something was up. He couldn't tell that Rikou was actually a little jealous at how he and Saiai could needle each other like they were close friends.

"You can always trust Mugino to have a backup plan," Saiai replied and Rikou nodded. Though, it hadn't been so much a backup plan. It was a last resort that should never have come to fruition. Rikou knew that, but Saiai had only been given the basics. Shiage had no idea what the transformation had been about and it was up to Shizuri to enlighten him.

"…There is one more thing," Rikou said. "Mugino believes there may have been more to that attack than we thought." Shiage and Saiai raised an eyebrow and Rikou shrugged. She hadn't been told much else. That announcement did mean one thing, because they knew Shizuri wanted to speak to them tomorrow.

It was going to be a busy day.

"Oh," Shiage remembered and pulled a flier off the table in front of him. "Wasn't sure if Mugino would be interested in this. There's a raffle that involved the Level 5 Kami."

---

What am I doing?

Kuroko was leaning up against the wall of the shower stall, as the hot water continued to fall down upon her. She was in a perpetual state of confusion, as thoughts constantly ran through her head about the earlier events. She had run away from Mikoto, because she couldn't take the hate that had welled up when they were in close proximity. She didn't understand why. Anytime her memories turned to a time she found enjoyable with Mikoto, she suddenly felt disgust and hatred. The conflict was tearing her apart. Logic and emotions were on opposite sides of an argument. She had barely registered the rain coming down and she had no idea what to do. Her world was crashing down around her and she was about to fall apart completely, until she ran into him.

Jason.

It was a cruel twist of fate. She had just admitted she liked him to Mikoto and now he was the only one around she could find comfort with. She knew she couldn't be with him because of Kazari, but that did not stop her feelings. At the sight of him, all the walls she had constantly erected around her heart collapsed. She rushed forward and embraced him. "Help me." Those two words were all she could utter and they didn't sound like her. Her confidence was gone and she had barely whispered. Help me, she pleaded silently. I need someone. To her surprise, he didn't ask any questions there. He hugged her, used his shadow to protect them from the rain, and escorted her to his apartment. When the apartment building came into view, Kuroko finally found her voice.

She spilled everything she remembered that happened, since Juliet arrived.

Jason let her rant and only occasionally asked a question to clarify something. How he could grasp anything she rambled about eluded her now. Her words were inconsistent, she backtracked, and skipped things constantly. He seemed to have gotten enough though and reassured her she was safe. When they stepped into his apartment, he guided her to the bathroom and pushed her in, promising to find her something to wear to get out of her wet clothes. The hot water felt good and she dragged out the shower as long as possible. She did hear the bathroom door creak slightly and something get thrown in. Was it bad that part of me was hoping he would sneak in to peek? A quick slap to her cheeks drove the thoughts out of her mind. Don't do anything you will regret. She sighed and stepped out of the shower, after making sure he was gone, and dried off with a towel.

He gave me options, she mused and glanced at the pile of clothes. There were shirts, shorts, and pants of a variety of designs. She rummaged through them, but they were all going to be too big for her. She held up one of the larger shirts and sniffed it. At least they are clean, but it's going to reveal so much. I bet he would like... I can't. Uiharu is with him. I can't do that to one of my friends. Her eyes darted to the wall where a white robe hung up. Huh, that might work better. She put on the robe and examined herself in the mirror. It took a few adjustments with the belt, but everything was covered. It's a little big, but it's not dragging on the floor. Rolling up the sleeves and tightening the belt seem to be working. Who would have thought I would ever do this in a boy's room? Things really have changed. She opened the door and stopped when he head Jason's voice.

"…go. Not sure how she will react if she finds me talking to you. Is there anything else, real quick?"

He must be talking to 'her', Kuroko thought and a flash of anger went through her. It wasn't anger at Jason, but at Mikoto. It was a type of anger she was used to feeling, as she used to connect it with Touma. The anger was caused by someone taking up Mikoto's, and now Jason's time. She took several deep breaths and listened to the one sided conversation. They are talking about someone, probably me, but he mentioned Uiharu. Knowing Jason was worried about her made her feel slightly calmer. Don't think about 'her' and focus on him and Uiharu. Keep calm and act like a proper lady. She took another couple deep breaths and mentally prepared herself, before she walked out. Her hair was now straight down, as she didn't have time or the energy to put it back in pigtails.

"Good timing," Jason said and turned to her. "The tea is just about ready."

"Thanks," Kuroko mumbled and sat down on the couch. "I hope you don't mind me using your robe. The other clothes didn't really fit."

"I figured they wouldn't," Jason admitted. "That's why I gave you several different ones. I'm glad you found something though." Kuroko noticed his gaze travel up and down her for a moment, before he diverted his eyes.

"Oh?" she asked smirking. "Are you embarrassed at seeing a girl wear your clothes? You saw us all in swimsuits before."

"There's something about-…" Jason started to reply, before instantly stopping. "Sorry, can't give you that satisfaction. I'm not easily shaken." They looked at each other and both let out involuntary chuckles. Jason put down the tea on the table and sat down in a chair across from her. Kuroko would have preferred him next to her, but she didn't say anything and instead took a cup of tea.

This is nice, Kuroko thought to herself as she sipped it. The tea filled her body with warmth. It was cheaper than what Tokiwadai would use and it was a little stronger than what she preferred, but it was fine. They sipped their tea in silence, both waiting for the other to speak up first. Kuroko diverted her eyes toward the ground to indicate she didn't want to break the silence. This situation continued for several more minutes and then Jason gave in.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better," Kuroko mumbled.

"While you were showering," Jason said. "I contacted one of our friends to find out more about what happened and I have a pretty good idea now." Kuroko noticed he didn't mention Mikoto and she was thankful for that.

"So you know why?" Kuroko asked and paused, as she tried to find the right words. "I feel this way?"

"Juliet's magic," Jason explained after a long sigh. "She excels with magic that is based on emotion. She loved Shakespearean works and that is probably one of the reasons she chose her name. Romeo and Juliet was a play based on love between two people from families stuck in a feud. It gets really emotional near the end, like a lot of Shakespearean plays. Her magic is based on how those plays manipulate emotions. Based on what I detected and your actions, I'm guessing she changed love and admiration into hate and disgust. She was trying to get you to turn on your friend." A small smile formed on his face. "But your quick thinking stopped her from succeeding with that. The magic on you is kind of… incomplete… best word I can think of right now. It's what is causing so much confusion."

"Can you cure me?" Kuroko asked hopefully.

"No," Jason replied and his eyes widened when Kuroko's expression became morose. "Sorry, I meant I don't know how, but Index would undoubtedly be able to help. Tomorrow, we are going to her and she will make you as good as new."

"Best news I have had for a while," Kuroko said. "I was not sure how long I could feel this way and now I only have to hold off until tomorrow."

"I wish I could help you out now," Jason muttered.

"Thanks," Kuroko told him again, almost as quietly. "For everything."

"You're my friend," Jason told her. "I think? We have a weird relationship where half the time we argue and the other half we fight life or death struggles."

"That's…" Kuroko tried to argue and then trailed off. "A pretty accurate description, actually." Both of them made eye contact and burst out laughing. "But yeah, we are friends. Except when you annoy me, then we are enemies."

"So fifty percent of the time?"

"Exactly." Kuroko sipped her tea. "So what now? Am I going to… stay here?"

"I figured you were going to," Jason confirmed with a nod. "There is a chance Juliet's magic might have some other effect I don't know about and make you act… unpredictably. It would be better for you to be near someone who can handle you if such a situation occurs."

"That logic is sound," Kuroko agreed and then narrowed her eyes. "Oh, you think you can handle me?"

"I'm sure we both know the answer to that," Jason replied mildly, but there was a definite smirk on his face. "Our previous fights should be evidence enough."

"You don't always win," Kuroko protested and Jason raised an eyebrow. "Now that I think about it, I recall a small bet where you have to do something I say." Jason's smile faltered. "It was because, oh yes, I could capture you?"

"You actually remembered that," Jason remarked and sounded slightly impressed. "You never told me what you wanted me to do, so I thought you forgot."

"I have some ideas written down," Kuroko told him with a grin. "Shokuhou-san had some interesting suggestions. I feel like you might have done something to her she wants revenge for." Jason only whistled innocently. "But part of me just wants you to dress up as a girl in public for a day."

"You know I would look damn good in drag," Jason replied and winked. "Try not to get addicted to it, if you make me do that." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"It might be that and something else combined in one interesting punishment," Kuroko said secretly. She didn't elaborate anymore and Jason began to look slightly interested. Kuroko decided to change the subject and looked around for any idea. She didn't want him to prepare before she got her revenge from the Kuroneko costume. Even though it embarrassed her to no end, she didn't hate Jason for it. They constantly needled each other, but it was fine because they were friends. "Your apartment looks cleaner than the last time I was here." She smirked when he scowled.

"Because everyone thought they should point it out," Jason said in a voice of determine calm. "I did hire some help."

"Maybe you should learn how to clean up after yourself," Kuroko suggested, as she continued to needle him.

"And ruin my manicure?" Jason fake gasped and held a hand over his heart. Kuroko couldn't stifle a giggle. "The city sends me crap here all the time, and I'm pretty busy with school and everything else. Because of that, I can't hire any normal cleaning service. The city had to perform an extensive background check on someone before they can work here. They sent a weird maid who comes two to three times a week to clean up."

"What do you mean by weird?" Kuroko asked interestedly.

"Personality wise," Jason explained. "She's fine, confident, prideful and cheerful. She's also skilled, so no complaints in her ability to actual do her job. Most of the time she's in and out before I even see her. It is the outfit she wears… a maid with a yellow and black uniform. Every time I see her, I'm reminded of a giant bumblebee." Kuroko eye's widened and she started laughing.

"I could see how that would be distracting," she finally admitted. Jason rolled his eyes and she giggled. Kuroko enjoyed talking with him. Their conversations now were exactly the same as usual, so it put a sense of normality in her. This calmed her down greatly. They continued talking and making fun of each other, until it grew late and Jason finally brought her mind back to her current situation.

"I think it's time," Jason muttered and glanced at the clock on the wall. "You can have my room and I'll sleep on the couch."

"I can't do that," Kuroko protested. "It's not fair to you, after everything you have done for me."

"Nope," Jason denied and raised up a hand. "Your concern is appreciated but ultimately ignored." Kuroko scowled at him. "You are the guest, so you get the main room. I don't have a guest room, but the couch pulls out into a bed, so I'm not going to be uncomfortable."

"Well," Kuroko relented. "If you are sure."

"Were you going to suggest we share a bed?" Jason asked and raised an eyebrow.

"NO!" Kuroko nearly shouted. I probably wouldn't have said no if you suggested it though. She diverted her eyes and looked at the ground, as her cheeks burned. "I would have accepted the couch." She was sure Jason would capitalize on her words and expression but, to her surprise, he didn't.

"That would make me a rude host," Jason laughed. "Besides, the door locks, so you will have a little more privacy." Kuroko's blush deepened and Jason yawned. "I'm going to throw your clothes in the dryer."

"I'll do it," Kuroko volunteered quickly. My underwear is in that pile. Jason seemed to realize that and looked away.

"Dryer's in that room over there," he told her with a gesture. Kuroko watched him pick up the tray with their cups and take it to the sink, before she rushed into the bathroom to retrieve her clothes. Once she moved them into the dryer, she headed back to meet him. "Try to get some rest." She turned around in surprise as Jason put his hand on her shoulder. "Mind manipulation has always been a personal peeve of mine, but it's even worse when applied poorly. If you need anything, let me know, and please, do not run off."

"I don't plan to," Kuroko mumbled. Her heart was beating really fast at the touch. Calm down, it's Juliet's magic messing with your emotions. Don't let them run out of control. You like him, but acting like this is definitely not you. "I am too tired to go anywhere. Some quiet will help me think." Jason nodded in understanding and Kuroko entered his room. She had been in here before under, unusual, circumstances. Thanks to Eve's body swap magic, she had woken up here once before, in Jason's body, with fewer clothes than someone would wear normally. I wonder if he would sleep that way in the other room. Her face burned at the memory and she quickly tried to distract herself. She started looking around his room. Because of the previous events, she never really examined it.

There's less clutter than I thought, Kuroko laughed silently to herself. Thought guys would have a lot of junk or games lying around. The room wasn't huge, but it was a respectable size. A single bed with blue sheets was against the back wall, with a bedside table next to it. A desk was against another wall with an expensive looking computer on it and a stack of papers. That was something Kuroko expected to see and she vaguely remembered it the last time she was here. There was a set of drawers that contains his clothes, which she had frantically pulled stuff out of last time, and a half full bookcase next to it. Then there was only one other thing in the room, a large standing mirror. It must have been some kind of antique, because the wood frame looked scratched and worn. She stepped in front of it to examine herself. I look better. She posed a couple times in front of the mirror and smiled when she remembered Jason acting nervous the first time he saw her in the robe. Inspiration struck and she checked under the bed on a whim. Nothing was there and she sighed in disappointment.

Without much to do, she collapsed on the bed and tried to fall asleep.

A couple hours passed and the storm began to disperse. The heavy rain died down and only an occasional lightning strike lit up the sky. Jason was fast asleep under a sheet on the pullout couch. The apartment was quiet, until a slight creak punctured the silence. The door to his bedroom opened slowly. Kuroko stepped out and walked silently toward where Jason was sleeping. She stood over him and looked down. A lightning strike lit up the sky and revealed her. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes looked slightly glazed over. She was still wearing the robe, but it was slowly loosening. She took a deep breath, pulled up the corner of the sheet, and slipped into the bed.

---

Mikoto woke up the following morning and felt horrible.

She didn't get much sleep. Every time she fell asleep, one of two things played in her dreams. The first was her argument with Kuroko. It kept blowing out of proportion and ending in a fight, or her running away and then getting hurt. She knew it was silly. The fight ended with Kuroko meeting Jason, so she was safe, and Mikoto understood Kuroko's emotions were confused due to Juliet's magic. There was no reason for her to be worried, but she couldn't help it. Her friend was in pain and there wasn't anything she could do. The second thing that played in her dream was the video. Tsuchimikado is going to pay. It was so embarrassing to her. She had never been drunk before and made a fool of herself. The worst part was she knew Touma had seen it. He had told them about the video, but didn't go into details about how they acted drunk. He only told them he destroyed the memory cards. He should have known his friend made backups. Jason was at least kind enough to warn her and… Oh no, Shokuhou knows about this! I'm never going to live this down.

Not wanting to accidently run into Misaki, Mikoto bolted out of bed and got ready as fast as she could. She showered, changed, grabbed her books, and rushed out of the dorm before most of the other residents. There is no way I'm going to risk seeing her this morning. Maybe once I calm down, I'll talk to her this evening about yesterday. For now, I want to be alone. Instead of grabbing breakfast at the dorms, she headed straight toward school. Normally, Mikoto would have Kuroko teleport them to Tokiwadai, so they could sleep in and arrive right before classes started. Now, she was actually leaving earlier than she needed to. The train was barely at twenty five percent capacity, as most students wouldn't have left for school yet. She stared at her phone for a while, hoping for any of her friends to contact her. There were no messages. She had no idea how Kuroko was doing or what Touma and Ruiko were up to. She leaned back in her seat and stared at the ceiling until her stop, lost in thought.

After she entered her school, she headed toward the cafeteria to pick up breakfast. She barely could stomach anything, but managed to down a few pieces of toast. A few other girls were there too and they definitely noticed her. Mikoto was a level 5, so she was easily recognizable, and she guessed what they were thinking. I'm usually with Kuroko and rarely come to school early. As long as they don't think we had a fight, there won't be any crazy rumors. She raised her head and automatically smiled when one girl approached her. Her suspicions were quickly confirmed.

"Hello, Misaka-san," the girl said. "It is unusual to see you here this early and without Shirai-san. Is everything okay?"

"I am fine," Mikoto lied. "Kuroko happened to receive an emergency call to help Judgment this morning and it woke me up. I couldn't go back to sleep and decided to arrive early."

"I'm glad," the girl replied and smiled kindly at her. "We were worried. Would you like to sit with us?"

"Thank you for the kind offer," Mikoto replied. "But as soon as I am finished, I will probably head to the library and read until class starts." The girl accepted her answer with a nod and turned around to rejoin her friends. Mikoto didn't like lying, but she could hardly tell anyone what happened. Mikoto pulled out her phone and sent a quick message to Jason asking for an update, before leaving the cafeteria. She didn't really want to go to the library, but there wasn't really another place to go. There was at least something to do there, unlike the empty classrooms. She had just entered the library and began to walk among the bookshelves, when an announcement rang through the school.

"Mikoto Misaka, please report to the principal's office immediately. Thank you."

What now? Mikoto silently fumed and left the library. The timing was a little too coincidental. She rarely came to school this early. Even if they knew Kuroko wasn't going to show up today and didn't buy the Judgment excuse, it's too early for that. Class doesn't start for a while. Suddenly, Jason's warning from the previous night flashed through her mind.

There… may be suspicions you lot were involved if they were tracking AIM fields.

This could be bad, Mikoto realized. She had no idea what they knew and anything she said might incriminate her. It was self-defense, but she could hardly say a magician attacked her. Once she arrived at the principal's office, a quick knock was all it took for her to be allowed in. "You called for me?" Mikoto asked respectfully. The principal sat behind her desk and sighed. Two uniformed Anti-Skill members were standing against the wall to her left. One was male and one female.

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Misaka-san," her principal said. "Please, have a seat." Mikoto didn't say anything and did as requested. "Do you know why you were called here?" Mikoto lied and shook her head. "I will make this fast then. The city has requested your and Shokuhou-san's attendance in an important investigation. You had left the dorms before we had the opportunity to reach you. I was not informed of the nature of the inquiry, but Anti-Skill has been asked to escort you to another location to answer a few questions." She frowned and turned to the two officers. "I would prefer one of my staff is there to make sure my students are being treated fairly."

"Sorry, ma'am," the male Anti-Skill officer replied. "We were instructed to only escort those being questioned." The principal turned back to Mikoto.

"I know this is unusual," she told Mikoto. "But please cooperate. Remember, even outside of our buildings, you are representing Tokiwadai." Mikoto nodded, but her insides were seething.

Representing Tokiwadai, Mikoto thought angrily. That's all the people in the city really care about, their reputation. She followed the officers to a car and sat in the back while they drove. The officers could tell she wasn't interested in talking and decided not to question her on the ride over. I have no idea what to say. Should I say I was attacked by someone with an ability I never saw before? But if I describe Juliet's power, it might incriminate Kagere-san, because of similarities. It also won't explain all the damage, since I can't tell them of my transformation. While they drove off, her thoughts kept spinning around in her mind, as she thought about what kind of questions she would be asked and how to respond. This is the kind of thing Shokuhou excels at. I know I'm going to say something wrong. The car stopped and they got out.

"Through here, miss," the female officer told Mikoto and led her into a large building. There were not a lot of people present, but a few men in suits eyed them as they passed. "This is the waiting room," the woman continued. "You will wait here with the others, until further notice."

"Others?" Mikoto asked, but there was no reply as she stepped in. The door shut behind her and her question was answered by someone else.

"MIIIISSSAAAKKKAAA!" Misaki called out in a sickly sweet voice. Mikoto flinched and turned. Misaki was waving to her from a seat and seemed excited to meet her. In two other chairs, looking significantly less pleased, were Accelerator and Shizuri. They were sitting around a table in separate chairs. Accelerator had his headphones on and only opened an eye to acknowledge Mikoto's presence. Shizuri looked up from her magazine and scowled at Mikoto, before looking back down at it. They had never gotten along, so Mikoto didn't expect anything else. She took the available seat across the table from Shizuri and sat down. Misaki on the right and Accelerator was on the left. "You weren't at the dorms," Misaki pointed out.

"One time I actually head to school early," Mikoto replied evenly. "Then they want us to go somewhere else. A warning would have been nice."

"I agree," Misaki concurred with a nod. "I'm missing a precious day of classes and time with my friends. Whoever ordered us here hasn't spoken to us since we arrived."

"There goes my question about if you know why we are here," Mikoto sighed. "How long have you been waiting before I arrived?"

"Fifteen minutes?" Misaki guessed. "I was about to leave for school when our dorm manager contacted me. Then I was escorted here to meet those two." She turned and smiled at them. "I haven't seen Mugino-san in a while, but I don't think she appreciated my kindness."

"Your cheerfulness annoys me," Shizuri muttered and turned a page.

"Annoys me too," Accelerator agreed. "Shut up, all of you."

"Such charmers," Mikoto commented, with a roll her eyes.

"See what I had to put up with?!" Misaki cried.

"Heh," Mikoto chuckled. "I can imagine how much fun the people sent to pick up those two had."

"I tried to see if I could make him wet himself," Accelerator reminisced. The truth had been a little more complicated. When a man had arrived to escort Accelerator from his apartment to this location, a pissed Aiho had been the one to greet him. Pissed might have been an understatement. She was furious she had not been contacted as a member of Anti-Skill. The man tried to reason with her and not get his ass kicked, when Accelerator emerged. He had been in a slightly better mood that morning and agreed to go, despite Aiho's warnings. As soon as he sat in the car with the man, Accelerator immediately interrogated him about what the city wanted him for. He only had to threaten to break every bone in the man's body, before he got the answers he needed. The city knew the four of them had been involved in the destruction of the city and they were going to be questioned as why. "It was easier than I thought."

"They really should send higher caliber grunts if they want to get us to do anything," Shizuri laughed evilly. She had actually been warned about an hour before the woman who was to escort her arrived. Her contact from the dark side of Academy City reached out to let her know the city was going to interrogate her about her fight yesterday. Shizuri was planning to kill the person who arrived, but the contact advised against an act. The city wasn't likely to do anything and a few people at top were planning to smooth everything over. At most, they would get some kind of minor probation. Still, it didn't stop Shizuri from threatening her escort with several green orbs. After a few minutes of the woman pleading for her life, Shizuri finally complied.

So, all four of them knew why they were here, to varying degrees. Accelerator and Shizuri knew for sure, while it didn't take a genius for Mikoto and Misaki to know too. They weren't going to talk about the fights yesterday, and now there was proof to the others Shizuri had been involved. It was obvious they were being monitored. To pretend to be innocent, there was still something they had to do.

They had to play dumb.

"So why are we hear then?" Mikoto asked. "Anyone know?" Shizuri actually raised an eyebrow at her dumb question, even though she knew why Mikoto asked it. Accelerator and Misaki turned to her. While Accelerator looked bored, Misaki seemed bubbly at her conversation.

"Probably some dumb experiment," Accelerator said with a yawn.

"Makes sense," Shizuri agreed. "Though, they usually have specialized labs for each one of our abilities. Maybe they finally realized they are all incompetent and someone intelligent took charge."

"Now that you mention it," Misaki mused. "None of us usually hang out together and previous experiments have been individualized. The only group ones we participate in are the periodic evaluations. It was after one of those is when I got moved up to number 4." Shizuri growled a little at that.

"You won't stay there very long," she warned.

"I don't really care about the rank," Misaki told her with a smile. "I was simply pointing out bringing us together was a deviation from the norm. Misaka and I even go to the same school, but we didn't hang out very much. At least, until recently. Which leads me to this thought, what new connection would the four of us have that we didn't have a while back." They are definitely listening in on us, so a little misdirection wouldn't hurt. The point was to not talk about the fighting, but anything else. Accelerator and Shizuri actually looked up with attention and they frowned. I know you two understand who I'm talking about, Misaki thought and then beamed at them all. One of you just say it. Interestedly enough, Mikoto was the one who spoke up.

"Him?" Mikoto wanted to clarify. Are you trying to get him in trouble? I thought you cared about him, Shokuhou!

"Yep," Misaki confirmed. "The new level 5 has been kind of chummy with us." Sorry, my prince. Someone is protecting your identity, so we can try to get the city to think Kami was up to something. She could tell the others were getting on board, because Accelerator and Shizuri began to grin.

"Thinking back," Accelerator mumbled. "Since I met that bastard, it has been one fuck up after another." Hah, damn hero can get in a little more trouble. He's used to it and it's not like the city has been smart enough to unmask him. It's like they broadcast their incompetence.

"Since that idiot became a level 5," Shizuri pointed out. "He has gotten a big head. I still haven't gotten my revenge from that interview. He disappears completely off the radar and reappears. Heh, I bet he does a bunch of illegal stuff with that kind of skill." She wasn't actually mad at Touma for those remarks. He had given her a vacation as an apology. The fight with the princess led to a very interesting chain of events. Life's a lot more interesting now. Though, if I can cause him some trouble when he adopts that ridiculous persona, it's worth a laugh or two.

"He's not that bad," Mikoto protested, but Misaki shushed her.

"I bet they are asking us about him," Misaki theorized out loud.

"And if they try to blame us for something," Accelerator added maliciously. "We can blame him for everything."

"Sounds good," Shizuri laughed.

"You guys are all just…," Mikoto sighed, unable to finish the sentence.

"You know you love us," Misaki giggled.

"Like a toothache."

"Hate you too, Third Rate," Accelerator remarked. "Go walk in front of a bus."

"If any of you died," Shizuri commented and turned back to her magazine. "I wouldn't even send flowers."

"Isn't it nice how we are all bonding?" Misaki asked Mikoto. "It's just like how we used to be."

"Way too similar," Mikoto admitted dryly. The conversation died down and she picked up a magazine to occupy her time. There wasn't anything that really suited her fancy, but it was something to do. If nothing happened soon, someone was going to crack, probably her. The time moved so slowly. Accelerator was almost asleep, Shizuri looked bored, and Misaki was occupied with a fashion magazine. There were no signs of anyone coming to talk with them, until a loud burst of static echoed in the room. All four of them strengthened up and looked around, before they heard voices.

"… and you know the power they wield. Any one of them could kill in an instant."

"Now they are joining forces."

"You guys are paranoid," a very familiar voice said. Mikoto heard it just yesterday, while Misaki, Accelerator, and Shizuri all perked up. This conversation obviously wasn't supposed to be heard on their end, so the four of them were interested in what was happening.

"If you are going to spend so much time in their company, why don't you go and question them."

"Cowards," the familiar voice said with a laugh. "Misaka-san and Shokuhou-san are pretty harmless, unless you attack someone in front of them. Then they just incapacitate you. Accelerator is like a puppy, all bark, though if you bait him too far, you will get bitten." Accelerator scowled and glared at Shizuri, who had a huge grin on her face. "Okay, I will give you Mugino-san. She scares me a little too." Shizuri laughed triumphantly, as the other three glared at her.

"If you are so confident, I order you to go and find out what happened yesterday. Get their side."

"Fine, whatever." Another burst of static occurred and everything went silent.

"What-…?" Mikoto tried to ask, but the other three all cut her off with a jerk of their head. Oh right, can't let people know we heard that. A minute later, the door behind her opened and Accelerator, Misaki, and Mikoto turned around. Shizuri's grin faded when she saw who walked in. All four of them knew the male who stepped into the room.

"You four really like to make additional work for me," Jason sighed. He was wearing a lab coat over a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. "Almost as much as Kami."

---

That night, something happened in Australia.

The forces of England had retreated from the location of the battle after thoroughly examining the area. One of the supersonic jets had stopped by and picked up Touma and his friends, now that the threat of being knocked out of the sky was gone. Of course, Touma, Frenda, Ruiko, Lessar, and Imouto protested, but there really wasn't another option available. It would be several days before they could get a flight to Japan otherwise. Surprisingly, since Leivinia wasn't going back with them, Oriana took one of the seats. It seems she needed to be back in Japan as soon as possible. Carissa and the knights had started to head back too, but their trip would be a lot slower. Besides the lack of plant life in the immediate vicinity, there were no signs Adam or Fiamma had fought them. The sun had set and a cool wind blew dust across the quiet landscape. The wildlife had not returned yet, but then a small crack echoed in the silence.

A human hand shot out of the ground.

The crack on the ground split, and then grew larger and wider. The hand pushed down on the earth and a human body rose up. A head full of black hair emerged, followed by a completely naked male body. The male stood up in the darkness and stretched. He gazed up at the sky, filling up with stars, as the last threads of light from the horizon disappeared. The man reached out a hand and clenched it. "My mission succeeded, but I didn't expect Fiamma to show up. That sword of his is a pain. If they had blessed the land before stabbing me, it would have taken years for me to be reborn."

Adam was alive.

"I'm surprised someone like you made a mistake one would expect from a novice," a female voice said.

He was not alone.

"Have you come to mock me, Othinus?" Adam asked and turned around. A small group of people had appeared behind him. The girl who spoke, Othinus, appeared to be around fourteen years old with long, wave blonde hair. She was dressed in a black revealing outfit, a low-cut neck line that went down below her navel. There was also a long black cape, red on the inside, and a pointed, wide brimmed hat, much like a witch's hat. To complete the ensemble, there was an eye-patch over her right eye.

"Such an action is beneath me," Othinus told him. "I merely grew curious. How could humans push you so far? Your plan never interfered with mine, so I didn't pay much attention. You and Eve have been playing this game for eons, and yet you were on the verge of losing. I want to know why."

"Afraid these humans will rebel against you?"

"I am not afraid. I only do not want to be inconvenienced." She watched him closely with her good eye. "They may need to be destroyed, before I finalize my own goals."

"Are you really in that position without your spear?" Adam asked. Othinus frowned and instantly appeared right in front of him. She reached up a hand and grabbed his neck, before lifting him a couple inches off the ground.

"Be careful what you say next," Othinus warned.

"You are a child." Adam's words were strong and blunt. How he could speak with his neck being crushed was a mystery. "The route you are taking will not give you what you truly desire. The sandbox will not change with your ascension."

"If you will not give me what I asked for," Othinus replied coldly. "Then you are of no use to me." She gripped tighter and Adam's entire body began to glow pure white. A second later, he vanished into nothing. There were no remains, not even dust. Whatever the girl did, she erased his very being.

"I don't see why you made a big deal about him," a male from behind Othinus commented. He was a thin white-skinned boy, dressed in primarily yellow and black, with a tight-fitting shirt and pants, as well as a dark stole around his shoulders. His eyes were blue and he had waist length blond hair. Two belts on his waist crossed each other and his gloves were fingerless. He was quite feminine in his appearance and could easily have been a girl who was wearing male clothes. "You took care of him instantly."

"Idiot," another girl with swarthy skin next to the boy snapped. She wore overalls on her bare skin and did not seem to be wearing any undergarments. Her silver hair was braided, her ears pierced with large circular earrings, and she wore glasses. "You know the risk of her using magic."

"I wanted to make sure he was out of the picture," Othinus explained. "Being unable to answer my questions, he was of no use. Regardless, he will be reborn in a few years. There is no escape from his fate. Do not take him lightly if you cross paths with him in the future, Thor. He and Eve are one of the most powerful beings, short of Magic Gods, you will ever face."

"I don't care so much about him," Thor laughed and put his hands behind his head. "I want to fight the Imagine Breaker. He not only fought Adam to a standstill, but took out Fiamma too. It should be a fun match."

"You may do as you wish," Othinus told him. "As long as it does not interfere with our true goal."

"Yes!"

"Are you ready to depart?" the dark-skinned girl asked. Behind her, a cylinder made of heavy stone, with a diameter of 55 cm and a height of about a meter, started to shake violently. She turned to it and frowned. "Something is coming."

"Of course," Othinus confirmed. "I doubt she would ignore my arrival." Her eyes moved to the ground in front of them and she watched as a giant hole began to form. The dirt fell away into the unknown, before an enormous rainbow colored snake began to rise out of it. Thor and the dark-skinned girl watched in apprehensive, but Othinus only looked resolute. The snake rested its head on the ground outside the hole and opened its mouth. A woman in her early twenties with rich chocolate skin and long black hair stepped daintily off the tongue and onto the ground. She stretched, but the thin strips of changing colored scales covering only the bare minimum didn't move at all. The girl smiled and focused her ever-changing, rainbow colored eyes on Othinus, before walking over to her. She stopped a couple feet away and there was a moment of silence.

"Othi-chan!" the girl squealed and broke it. "It hass been too long!" She embraced Othinus tightly, amid the gasps of her companions.

"Julunggul," Othinus replied coolly.

"How are you?"

"Closer to my goal," Othinus answered. "I temporarily removed Adam from the picture and Eve is too busy with her plans to bother with mine." Her eyes narrowed. "Why would you work with him in the first place?" Julunggul smiled.

"Jusst a little wager," Julunggul explained. "I wass bored and it sseemed interessting. What he did meanss nothing to me." She narrowed her eyes back at Othinus. "You know, many aren't happy about your plan. I know why you are doing thiss and I can keep uss off your back, but I don't sspeak for the otherss. For old timess ssake."

"Much appreciated," Othinus replied, almost kindly. Julunggul's eyes softened.

"I sstill do not believe thiss will give you what you want."

"Adam said the same thing, but he was foolish."

"Jusst conssider it." Othinus only huffed and Julunggul grinned. "I know what you need insstead!"

"If you say sex or any variation of it," Othinus snapped. "I will smite you down where you stand. Without your shard, you are nothing to me."

"You wouldn't rissk it," Julunggul laughed. "Bessidess, it only takess about fifty yearss to reforge it. For an immortal, that iss nothing. In my weakened sstate, I have much more freedom without the chance of messing around with the phassess." She winked at Othinus. "But are you really ssure? I could find the perfect guy for you. One you are fated to be with. Help get rid of all that pent up sstresss."

"I make my own fate," Othinus answered, her voice ice cold. "With this new freedom, what are your plans? Understand, if you interfere with me, I won't hold back. Our history won't change that."

"I don't plan to sstick around," Julunggul informed her. "I found ssomeone." She winked again. "He'ss pretty average looking, but hiss eyess and ssoul… yum. Haven't sseen ssomeone liked him in forever. There are countlesss threadss connected to him and I want to ssee why he iss sstill a virgin. Maybe get a chance to take it for myself. Heh, he actually ressissted my charmss."

"Poor boy," Othinus said in a tone that indicated she couldn't care less. "To incur the wrath of your libido."

"More than that," Julunggul pointed out. "He iss a challenge. My duty demandss I help." She turned and started walking toward her pet. "Pluss, it'ss kind of fun." Othinus watched her climb back into the snake's mouth and then it began to stretch upwards into the sky. The snake's head grew smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the clouds. The body kept rising out of the hole and it was several minutes before the end of the tail appeared. The snake eventually disappeared, but the shadow of a rainbow was left in its wake. It wasn't until Julunggul vanished completely, Thor spoke.

"An old friend?"

"Acquaintance at best," Othinus answered. "Far too clingy for my taste, but she's not against me. Knowing her, I almost feel sorry for the man she found."

"Are we finished here?" the other girl asked.

"Yes," Othinus confirmed. "Let us head back. We have much work to do."

---

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.

Season Four is now wrapped up. New characters introduced and most of the previous issues have been resolved. I am free now, so I can start planning the next season… or get drunk and party with friends for the fourth of July. Yep, that sounds better. Alcohol and explosives, nothing could go wrong.

Touma: Whew, everything has calmed down on our end.

Pierce: Welcome back to the lounge Kami-yan. Did you enjoy flirting with the princess?

Touma: I didn't flirt with her!

Motoharu: Misaka-san and Shokuhou-san beg to differ.

Touma: Oh crap, did they see everything?

Motoharu: Yes, including the stuff you didn't see. Lessar, you are my hero.

Lessar: I am pretty great!

Ruiko: From what we saw today, everyone back home is alive, but there are some unresolved issues.

Kazari: Shirai-san is in trouble and might be doing something bad!

Ruiko: Calm down Uiharu, this fic is rated T, the author won't do anything.

Pierce: You know, several other authors just put a notice on top of chapters that may be M rated.

Kazari: …

Ruiko: …

Touma: Not cool, guys!

Frenda: Hope Mugino doesn't blame anything on me when I get back. This was purely accidental.

Imouto: Misaka is not eager to meet the other Sisters, Misaka admits.

Lessar: Don't worry! To break the ice, I have pictures of Lover Boy's wardrobe mishap. Only 1000 yen each.

Imouto: Misaka will take one.

Frenda: I'll take one.

Ruiko: … me too.

Oriana: Same.

Leivinia: Ten copies here. They are great blackmail material.

Elizard: I need four. One for each of my daughters.

Kazari: England has four princesses?

Elizard: Well, one's for me.

Touma: ... I give up.

Pierce: Good, because a goddess is coming for you.