Been awhile since I've done a Boys and Girls chapter. Well, Shizuri Mugino's declaration seemed to be the focus of most comments, which I figured was going to happen. The end result of that probably won't end well, but there is a chance all will work out. There are really limited scenes and descriptions of Touma's mom in the anime and LN, so I have quite a bit of leeway in her personality. The important part of this chapter though is how everyone reacts to the news, along with what Motoharu decided to send out, he wasn't very nice to poor Touma. I'm also glad Julunggul seems to be a big hit, but in hindsight, I should have expected that. A fertility goddess that actually is helping Touma with girls, I mean who wouldn't like her? I'm sure this chapter will indicate how the weekend is going to go, with the raffle, villains, and Touma's love life. Enough boring chatter, I guess. Time to move onto the vast number of comments. If I didn't enjoy reading all the reader's comments, this author note section wouldn't be getting so big. I do apologize if my response isn't extremely long in some cases.

general ironox: That is going to be an ongoing part of the plot for sure.

Agent Nine: It had to have happened sometime. The trick was the timing. I tried to think what issues would stop Touma from actively returning a girl's feelings. Luck was a big part of it and his selflessness. He wouldn't want to drag people into his problems, but it's kind of late for that now. Seria is one of the girls who seems to be able to understand him well enough to let him speak, even if she could point out what his words might have implied. She was a good person to vent too. Wait until Touma's and Mikoto's moms meet up with all the misunderstandings abound.

Whwsms: Level 5 power, compatibility. Seria is quite clever, I'm sure it's a combination. She does care about Touma, even if she really likes teasing him. With Shizuri, I actually see her introducing herself for her own gain AND to see Touma squirm. We will have to see what happens with his mom, you may or may not realize what she knows this chapter.

Acpeters: It's going to blow your mind.

Wanderer No.96: Isn't misfortune how Touma's life gets liven up? I hoped people would enjoy that proclamation. Reason it was at the end so it stood out.

The Wolf Paladin: This is all part of the harem plan, unless Touma decides to grab a random girl. Not sure what I want to do with Seria. Going to let the chips fall where they may.

wildarms13: I write when I can, but I'm glad you are looking forward to this season. It is getting a little hard to keep track of everything, but it all ties together.

amirread97: It's still up in the air.

anand891996: I'll consider it.

Guest: 1) Well, somethings I had planned did change, but this ship is still a tossup. Aogami does like to joke a lot though. 2) Yes, there was a conversation in an earlier chapter where they discussed visiting. 3) Things are going to grow serious soon. Many people will be involved.

Cyber dragonarmy: I want to know what happens next now.

Mizericordia: He wouldn't be himself if he got a break. He got an incredibly attractive girlfriend, second to Carissa, what kind of misfortune is that? I can see that conversation now.
Touma: "Mom?" Shiina: "Yes?" Touma: "I have a harem and Mugino is the alpha." It's hard to interrogate someone if you don't know what they know. He knew Touma knew about Aisa, but he had no way of knowing what else Touma knew that could affect Last Order. Accelerator could learn most of what was happening in Australia due to what the Misaka Network knew.

Jujudude: 1) When she gives Touma her extensive notes, I'm sure that will come up. 2) She's rather polite and makes sure Touma acts normally, for the most part. 3) Well, there will be more updates. Hmm, I'm imagining Touma's mom on a throne now and each girl presents their offering for Touma.

Salishious: Nah, Carissa's appearance is already planned out. Remember, Aogami once worked as a mascot, so it's logical he has coworkers. Out of everything you listed in looking forward, I think "Satan and Touma talking to Mikoto regarding her sisters" is going to be the most interesting for me to write. How do they tell Saten that Accelerator killed all those clones of Mikoto?

Chen: It's going to happen.

Guest: Aleister and Aiwass have popcorn and are watching on an upside down TV.

The Ultimate Impulse: Othinus will be important, but the chain of event will be pretty different. Julunggul isn't in love with Touma, she is interested in the fact someone like him exists.

Guest00: Oh, Seria has a lot of yandere tendencies. No one ever wants to see Soap Opera Mode.

Master Knight Trolling: I have way too many characters to add Otohime. I have to make cuts sometimes.

plantkingman1: Well, obviously. There might be more though.

naruhinasakufan1: Oh god, Snuggle-chan is going to have a field day when she sees that thread. Touma's mom is going to see a lot of people and many things will be said. Accelerator won the bet. He believed Shizuri would be the only one who could actually get through the hero's denseness. Everyone owes him money.

Handsomistic1: She could force Touma, but it would kind of defeat the purpose of turning him into a man. He has to do it himself. Most of the others will find out Shizuri is pretending to be his girlfriend, it wouldn't be quite as misfortunate without that happening.

Tardis42: Ruiko didn't tell him yet, she tried in England, but then they were interrupted by Carissa's group being attacked. However, Touma knows she likes him because at the Tokiwadai beach trip where she admitted it.

Anon: While that would be very funny. I have so many characters already that I have to cut back at some point.

xaxiel1572: It will be amusing for us. You know pretending to be the boyfriend of a level 5 will draw attention, especially from girls that like him.

A certain guest: Rensa might be able to be equipped with the technology to make the Anti-AIM wavelength, though it's a lot weaker than the true IB. There is a limit to what can be learned about the IB with only science. Because of the events and putting more faith in others, the infinite hell Othinus put him through in the LN won't occur like normal. Due to different events and slight changes based on this, I have other plans for her. I thought about making a small scene with Road, but I think I'm going to skip it. Too much to do already. That plot seems more in line with a crack fic than this one.

NigmaShady: 1) If they do go to America, it will be to San Francisco. 2) Index will be hesitant at first, but I think if she realizes she will be able to stay with Touma and get fed constantly, she would join. 3) Well, Kami Disease can affect Gods and I suppose it could affect Vento if the right flags were raised, but not sure how it would affect Gabriel.

Generation Zero: Taming is not really the situation here. Heh, pokedex. If only life was that easy for people to determine who liked them. When you go to fight bosses, you fight smarter, not harder. Learn their weakness and use that. Maybe I have plans that require a chibi vampire? Shizuri saw an opportunity and took it, something she is really skilled at. Mikoto wouldn't have done that, Misaki might have though. Anyway, timing is everything. Ricane is going to be the main baddy at the start, and will cause a chain of events to bring back some people and introduce new ones. I want to get Touma to allow research more and he even admitted he was okay with it, but never been any time with everything that has been happening. Thor is definitely going to show up soon, he has to fight the guy who beat Adam and Fiamma.

Pickles and Ice: That is a very important question. 1) No 2) Maybe 3) No 4) No 5) No, she doesn't go to a school. 6) No 7) Maybe 8) Yes 9) Better be, then we can see Carissa. 10) No

aGuestfromGreece45: Reality isn't nearly as cool as fiction. Touma may get to fight an archangel, will have to wait and see. If Jason gets discovered that he wants to do fun things, some may disapprove. No, Touma's dead either way.

FrodoFighter: Isn't pretty much everything worse than waking up with a half-naked girl on top of you? Snuggle-chan was comfy and let her guard down, she won't do that again. You know how legends always say snakes can hypnotize people, yeah, like that. You're welcome. Touma needs his cheerleading group. Violent gods are those that cause destruction for the sake of destruction or boredom. Snuggle-chan has to have a reason to cause violence. Otherwise, she's very mellow. Touma is the perfect synonym for Ditto (See Pokemon Crossover). She's going to give him detailed notes about every girl she saw when Touma gets home and then the fun talk can occur. That joke is too easy. Anime, corrupting even gods. Obviously, it's Aogami's ability. Nah, we are going to use a train car or something. Local head crab, I like that. People do seem like want Fukiyose with Touma. The reason they didn't know what his mom looked like was because when I rewatched the anime and checked the LN/manga, Touma's parents didn't spend a lot of time with him, they even said that. So limited interactions there. (Plus it was funnier.) It's just the Will, Snuggle-chan could take it. No, there is the third option you didn't think of, that combines the two. That's an idea, every girl they meet says Touma's their boyfriend.

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.

"You would think people have better things to do than talk about us," Kuroko scoffed as she set her tray down next to Mikoto. "The entire morning I was barraged with questions about why you were called to the principal's office and then did not return to class. Why does everyone assume I know? I was absent yesterday too."

"They love rumors," Mikoto remarked and dug into her own lunch. "And they know we are best friends, so they expect us to know what the other is up to. If you ignore those rumors, they eventually die down. Besides," she lowered her voice. "You actually do know." Mikoto grinned and Kuroko felt herself smile slightly too.

"But they don't know that."

"We were also both gone the same day. It would be a pretty easy connection."

"I realize that," Kuroko sighed. "But they could at least give us the benefit of the doubt and not ask about it. Besides, most of the questions were if you were okay and would be back today."

"I had to deal with people asking me something similar," Mikoto replied. "I appreciate their concern, but it was only for one day. There are perfectly normal reasons for missing class."

"You can't expect a level 5 to disappear without causing suspicion," Misaki commented suddenly from behind them. Kuroko and Mikoto turned around to see her and three of her clique members.

"Hello, Shokuhou-san," Kuroko greeted and Mikoto gave a slight nod.

"Do you mind if I sit with you two?" Misaki asked politely. "I have a couple things I wish to discuss with Misaka." Mikoto was suspicious because Misaki normally would just sit down next to them without asking, but Mikoto attributed it to everyone around them watching. Misaki had to keep up her public image. Reluctantly, Mikoto agreed. Misaki smiled at her and turned to her clique. "Do you mind? This is kind of a private conversation."

"Of course," one of the girls said. "We will be over there if you need us for anything." They turned and left while Misaki sat down.

"What is it, Shokuhou?" Mikoto asked. "Is it concerning what we discussed yesterday?" Misaki nodded and her eyes darted to Kuroko.

"Does she…?"

"She does." Kuroko nodded in confirmation too.

"Okay, that saves us time," Misaki whispered. "I was talking to my friends about the festival tomorrow and one of them heard some rumors about Skill-Out." Kuroko and Mikoto leaned closer. "Seems like they aren't as inactive as people think. They just haven't been doing anything obviously illegal. She heard a couple people mention a meeting, but they disappeared around a corner before she could see their faces."

"That's worrisome," Kuroko mumbled. "We at Judgment never believed Skill-Out just disappeared, but we hoped they were losing support."

"This is interesting," Mikoto interrupted. "But what does that have to do with what we discussed yesterday?"

"The scientist who supplied Skill-Out with that drug to increase their levels was never caught," Misaki explained. "There supply was confiscated though. I bet he is still leading them and controlling their movements."

"So when they finally make their move," Mikoto realized. "It's going to be a big one."

"And possibly have something to do with Eve," Kuroko added worriedly.

"Exactly," Misaki agreed. "It's too soon to discover what they are going to do, but they have to be doing something. I want you to pass it on to the others, especially Kagere-san. He has access to Anti-Skill information and might know more. Avoid using phone messages unless situation is dire." Her eyes moved to Kuroko. "I was hoping you could watch Judgment channels too."

"I have been doing that already," Kuroko replied. "Mainly trying to find any signs of Eve's group, but I can watch out for this too. Uiharu will be more than happy to help."

"Kuroko and I are planning to meet up with Uiharu-san and Saten-san tomorrow for the festival," Mikoto remembered. "We were going to visit Touma's class…" She rubbed her forehead in frustration, but a slight grin formed on her face. "Seriously, I can't believe they pulled that off, but it works for us. We can tell the others then. Kagere-san should be there too." Mikoto turned at the sound of Kuroko's head hitting the table.

"I forgot we were meeting everyone there," Kuroko mumbled. "Our school isn't participating until next week."

"Do you think you can face him?" Mikoto asked worriedly.

"Well, he doesn't know that I know, so maybe?"

"I feel like I'm missing something here," Misaki mused and put a finger to her cheek.

"Doesn't really concern you," Mikoto told her instantly.

"She reacted when you mentioned seeing Kagere-san." Misaki pointed out and easily put the pieces together. A grin formed on her face. "Sooo…" she continued with a singsong voice. "Does he know you like him?"

"Who told you I liked him?!" Kuroko exclaimed. Mikoto face palmed.

Now she knows for sure.

"I'm pretty sure we all know," Misaki giggled. "It was really obvious. We were just waiting for you to realize that."

"Let's say I do," Kuroko huffed. "What is it to you?"

"Merely curious about my friends," Misaki replied instantly. "And I'm also a little worried. You and Uiharu-san are such close friends, so this could be messy." Kuroko's lips tightened for a moment.

"Tell me about it," she finally muttered.

"Just don't go to her for advice," Mikoto warned. "She will give you some weird ideas." Like giving him a harem. Seriously, I can't believe she told me that.

"How rude," Misaki huffed, as she crossed her arms and pretended to pout. "I'll have you know, girls come to me for advice all the time."

"Then you use your power to figure out what to say," Mikoto refuted. Misaki only winked at her.

"I appreciate your offer," Kuroko replied, aware of Mikoto and Misaki glaring at each other. "But I have a plan and this is something I have to do it myself." Misaki nodded in understanding.

"Was that all you wanted to tell us?" Mikoto asked.

"No." Misaki shook her head. "I have good news. Touma returned late last night." Mikoto's eyes widened.

"Really?!" Mikoto grew suspicious. "How do you know?"

"I have my ways." Misaki did not elaborate. She only knew he returned because Seria had told her a few moments before Misaki arrived at their table he was back. Of course, there was the rest of Seria's cryptic message that caused some concern. He will either choose someone soon or the harem plan may be able to bear fruit, Misaki thought. There is a lot of risk here and I know she did something to give her an advantage. Mikoto glared at her even more, aware she wasn't going to elaborate.

"I take it you are going to participate in the raffle then," Kuroko sighed, before a fight started. "Most of our school is."

"Naturally," Misaki confirmed. "I would like nothing more than to help my fellow classmates meet Kami..."

"Sure," Mikoto and Kuroko muttered. Neither of them believed that for an instant.

"…and as a fellow level 5," Misaki continued, as if she had not been interrupted. "I can relate to his position the best and be able to act as a proper guide, while also keeping everyone else in check. While we may all know how to act around company, Kami has… a way with people. If you know what I mean." They did.

"I'm a level 5 too," Mikoto pointed out. "Why couldn't I act as a guide?"

"Oh, Misaka," Misaki laughed and waved her hand. "You're so funny. You don't participate in many of the large social events and prefer hanging out with your small group of friends. I doubt you could present yourself in a way to make everyone else behave around him, while keeping those with less pure intentions away. You will be taking the spotlight in front of everyone. Can you handle that?"

"I could," Mikoto refuted. "What about you? Don't you always try to manipulate things from the background?"

"That is what I prefer," Misaki explained. "However, I understand my position as a role model to others. If they need me to step up, I will."

"So will I," Mikoto replied coldly.

"Well then," Misaki said sweetly. "May the best girl win. Shirai-san, it was nice to talk to you again. I'm going to go chat with my other friends. It has been fun." He got up and left, leaving Mikoto gritting her teeth slightly. Kuroko watched her in silence for a few moments to let her calm down, before speaking.

"Please tell me you won't spend a fortune on that raffle to beat her," Kuroko pleaded.

"Huh?" Mikoto looked confused and turned towards Kuroko.

"I know you receive a generous stipend from the city," Kuroko continued. "But that is no reason to spend it all on this game. It's not like you can't see him whenever you want to anyways." Her eyes narrowed. "As long as he doesn't try anything."

"Kuroko," Mikoto said slowly and gazed at her intently. "I thought you were over that…. delusion of him."

"Just because I don't plan to assault him for hanging around you," Kuroko huffed. "Doesn't mean I can't be worried something might happen. He is a boy after all." Mikoto gave a grudging smile.

"I think Touma's going to be glad to hear that," she replied. "He mentioned he was worried you were going to teleport your spikes into him."

"I still might if he doesn't treat you with respect," Kuroko huffed again.

"I'm pretty sure that only applies to a couple of his male friends he doesn't treat with respect," Mikoto laughed. "Oh, don't worry about me over doing it at the raffle either. I set aside a fair amount, yes, but it's one of the only splurges I have done in forever."

"As long as you remember that," Kuroko relented. With the topic closed, both of them talked about classes for a bit while they finished their lunch. The bell was about to ring, when Mikoto changed the subject to after school.

"Want to do anything after class?" Mikoto asked. "Or do you have Judgment?"

"Judgment," Kuroko confirmed. "My alibi yesterday was I was doing a mission for the city, remember?" Mikoto nodded. "Well, I still have to write the report on it."

"How…?" Mikoto knew what really happened and she had no idea how Kuroko was going to write something that did not occur. Any evidence she wrote up would be easily identified as fake if anyone wanted to verify it.

"I have the details," Kuroko answered. "Just have to put it in report form. Shouldn't take long and then I'm on standby if anyone needs assistance. Otherwise, it will be just me and Uiharu, with maybe Konori-senpai."

"I'm sure Saten-san will be there too," Mikoto pointed out. If Touma returned, that means she also did. Kuroko laughed. "Guess I'm on my own then. I'll find something to do."

"Something to do with you usually involved three things," Kuroko said and smirked. "Gekota, shocking people, or him. Sometimes more than one of the above." Mikoto stuck her tongue out at her.

"I might go see him." Mikoto shrugged and tried to play it off, while Kuroko bit the corner of her lip. She may have started to move on, but some lingering feeling still remained. "You need to figure out what to say to Uiharu-san."

"I'm hoping she will be free after our shifts," Kuroko agreed. "We have a lot to discuss."

Mikoto was not prepared for what was about to happen when she was asked to come to the front office when school ended.

"Mikoto!" a familiar young woman called out to her the second she stepped in.

"Mom?!" Mikoto exclaimed in shock. At first glance, the young women looked to be more like Mikoto's older sister instead of her mom, which many people were shocked when they found out. She would not look out of place along university students. The woman's name was Misuzu Misaka and Mikoto did indeed take after her. She had roughly the same brown hair, which was slightly longer and reached her shoulders, while having the exact same brown eyes. Her facial features were very similar too, though there was a slight age difference. There was one big difference between the two, something Mikoto was rather sensitive about. Her mom was incredibly well endowed.

"Surprise!" Misuzu laughed and wrapped Mikoto in a tight embrace. "I can't believe how adorable your expression is!" Mikoto fidgeted in her mom's grasp, while a vein flickered in her forehead. Her face was being pressed up against a chest she wished she had.

"Get off, mom!" Mikoto cried and pushed her off. "Can't you see you're embarrassing me?!"

"Can't a mom express her love for her daughter?" Misuzu asked with a grin.

"Sure, but her daughter doesn't need to be suffocated." Mikoto took a couple deep breaths. "You didn't tell me you were coming and then suddenly showed up at school without warning. How did you think I was going to respond?"

"Cry out Mama and then jumped into my arms like when you were a kid?" Misuzu suggested. "I miss those days. You really have become more independent."

"Because I've grown up and the city gives us a lot of independence," Mikoto sighed. "Why did you suddenly decide to visit without letting me know?"

"A friend of mine was planning on visiting her son this weekend," Misuzu explained, completely unabashed. "I've been looking for a reason to visit my cute Mikoto again, so this was a perfect opportunity to meet up with her too. We plan to meet up tomorrow for a couple hours, and I was hoping to spend this evening with you."

"I suppose that's okay," Mikoto relented. She had received a text from Touma that afternoon during class. It was about needing help with homework, but there was more. He wanted to meet up with her and Misaki after the raffle drawing tomorrow to 'hang out'. For him to be that forward, there was something he needed to discuss with them and they needed to talk with him too. "My afternoon is pretty free, since Kuroko is busy with Judgment."

"Are you and her still experimenting?" Misuzu snickered.

"Mom!" Mikoto cried out indignantly. "We are just roommates and friends! We are not like that!"

"I know," Misuzu reassured her daughter. "You like that one exceptional young man. Speaking of which, how's your relationship with him coming along." Her smile only grew when Mikoto's eyes widened and her face flushed. "Oh, I didn't know you progressed that far. Did you ask him out?" She waited for Mikoto to compose herself after spluttering incomprehensible sentences.

"Why…? What…? Gah…! How…?" Mikoto finally steadied her nerves. "It's… complicated."

"I see." Misuzu stared at Mikoto deep in thought for a moment. "Well, why don't you tell your mother all about it and I'll see if I can help." She put her arm around Mikoto's shoulders as they began to leave the school. "But, does he know you like him? You used to be all tsundere around him."

"I'm not a tsundere!"

"Of course not, dear, but you didn't answer my question. Does he know?" Mikoto gave a very brief nod. "That's a step in the right direction." She squealed slightly. "My little Mikoto is growing up." Misuzu's eyes lowered slightly and a smirk tugged at her lips. "Well, some areas at least."

"W-what are you implying?!" Mikoto demanded angrily. Her arms crossed over her chest.

"I don't know," Misuzu replied sarcastically, as she crossed her own arms under her prominent chest to accentuate it. "What could I be implying?"

"You're so incorrigible," Mikoto growled. "You said I was growing up, maybe you need to as well."

"Come now," Misuzu apologized. "I was just teasing. Let's focus more on your situation and then we can have some mother daughter time."

"Fine," Mikoto relented. "I suppose it's possible you might have a good idea or two, as long as you don't actually talk to him." Misuzu smiled. Mikoto had no idea who Misuzu's friend was and she was planning on keeping it a secret as long as possible. A beep interrupted their conversation and Mikoto automatically pulled out her phone. "Huh? Tsuchimikado-san sent me a message. Strange."

"Who's that?" Misuzu asked interestedly. "Another boy? You wouldn't happen to be stringing a couple boys along?"

"G-get your mind out of the gutter!" Mikoto stuttered in shock. "He's just a classmate of Touma-…"

"Oh, first name basis and no honorifics? Mikoto, you fox. Your relationship is coming along well."

"Mom!" Mikoto huffed indignantly and then decided it was better to continue as if her mom did not interrupt. "He was one of the many invited to our trip to England. You know, the one I told you about."

"Yes, go on."

"Most of us exchanged numbers during the trip in case we got separated and needed to regroup," Mikoto continued. "That's why I have it, but he normally doesn't send me much." She opened the message and noticed there was an attached sound file, while the text only read, 'Touma's greatest hit'. She opened it and held her phone up to her ear. The message was short, but a little loud, and she recognized the panicked voice.

"I can't die without ever having a girlfriend!"

Mikoto froze, while her brain processed the new information. Not only were his words resonating within her, the fact he had gotten himself into some kind of trouble was evident too. She had no idea what he was doing while he was outside of Academy City, but it had to be related to magicians. Tomorrow, he better explain himself, Mikoto thought in a combination of anger and embarrassment. It had not escaped her notice that the main thing Touma thought about when he believed he was going to die was getting a girlfriend. That meant Mikoto had a chance and she needed to take it. She would have been a lot more worried about him if Misaki had not told her at lunch Touma had returned last night. A slight cough next to her brought Mikoto back to reality and she turned in horror toward her mom. From the look on her face, she had heard everything.

"If I'm not mistaken," Misuzu said amused. "That was Kamijou-san saying something about wanting a girlfriend."

"His friends must have recorded him saying that or dared him to say it," Mikoto tried to deflect quickly. "They are always trying to embarrass him."

"Uh huh." Misuzu didn't believe her for a moment. "If that's true, why is your face so red?"

"Eh!?" Mikoto quickly covered her face with her hands and turned away. "It's not!"

"I'm glad I arrived when I did," Misuzu told Mikoto. "We have a lot to talk about. I'll give you some advice after you tell me everything that has happened so far." Mikoto gulped as her mom guided her out of the school grounds.

When Kuroko walked into her Judgment office, she received a surprise.

"Why are they here?" Kuroko asked Kazari and Mii, as she gestured to Jason and Ruiko, while avoiding their eyes.

"Saten-san was… sick the last two days," Kazari explained, but Kuroko head the pause in her words.

Oh, right. Onee-sama said Shokuhou-san heard Saten-san was with the ape. Uiharu-doesn't know that I know.

"So she came here?" Kuroko asked confused.

"I have to make sure she catches up on all her work," Kazari elaborated. "She was struggling in a few classes, so missing a couple days made her fall behind. I asked Jason to help her study while we work."

"He's a slave driver," Ruiko complained. "And doesn't trust me at all. Look!" She gestured to her leg and Kuroko saw a shadow tendril wrapped around her ankle.

"She tried to run away when Kazari told her what she would be doing," Jason answered Kuroko's surprised look. "She can leave when we are caught up." He yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Kuroko asked concerned. She finally looked directly at him.

"Lack of sleep last night," Jason informed her. "Busy time with work and things."

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Ruiko suggested and pointed to the couch in the office.

"Sure, after you finish all your work." Ruiko groaned at him.

"Here," Mii offered and set down a cup of coffee. "This should help."

"Thank you so much," Jason replied and took a large swig.

"I actually believe that now," Kuroko told Jason. The room grew silent as everyone stared at her. "What?"

"You actually believe he's tired from working?" Kazari asked in shocked, while Ruiko gaped at her.

"Why is that so hard to believe?" Kuroko demanded. "You two always trust him when he says that."

"Because you always complain he only pretends to work and goofs off all the time," Mii pointed out. "And that the only time he works is to cause you grief." She grinned, as Kuroko shook her head violently at her.

"I don't believe that for a moment," Jason interjected, but his voice was nothing but humorous. "Kuroko, complain about me? Preposterous." Everyone except Kuroko started laughing, though she did roll her eyes.

"So has there been anything happening today?" Kuroko asked Mii.

"We are mostly on standby," Mii informed her. "Though, did you hear about what happened two days ago? Seems like several areas of the city took massive damage." Kuroko flinched for a fraction of a second and she could feel Jason's eyes flicker towards her.

"I did," Kuroko answered. "I missed class yesterday because I was helping Anti-Skill with the investigation. They requested a teleporter to help navigate some of the destruction." She sighed to be convincing. "I have to write up my report on that today too."

"Do you know what happened?" Kazari asked. "Jason and I were watching a movie, so we didn't hear what happened until after it had concluded." Ruiko looked up at Jason and winked. Jason replied with a grin and a quick nod.

"It was some kind of fight," Kuroko informed her. There was some information she could not tell the others. "Who, they didn't tell me, but I have to say it had to be a high level at each location." Kazari's eyes widened, but she gave a brief nod to let Kuroko know she understood her words. Mii and Ruiko missed the hint. "There was also the possibility of bombs having been planted, based on the amount of damage. Whoever initiated the assault must have been preparing for a while."

"It is troubling," Mii commented. "But Anti-Skill hasn't requested anymore help from Judgment and the areas have been blocked off, pending reconstruction efforts. We need to focus on our main duty of keeping the streets safe and orderly. Especially since Uiharu-san is changing to part-time."

"Part-time?" Kuroko and Jason asked in surprise.

"Well, we are all technically part time," Mii amended. "But her hours are going to be really restricted." She turned to Kazari. "Go ahead and tell them what you told me."

"You see," Kazari tried to explain, but her voice grew softer under everyone staring. Ruiko gave her a thumbs up to try to give her confidence. "A while back I was offered a job because a couple higher ups in the city noticed my computer skills during those attempted thefts when the riots were occurring. It was when Shirai-san intercepted those members trying to steal the communication device."

"I remember," Kuroko muttered. "They managed to get away."

"During that," Kazari continued. "I had to hack into a secure facility to slow down an intruder."

"Heh," Jason laughed. "Secure is putting it mildly. One person wanted to track you down and arrest you, but we persuaded him otherwise. Emergencies like that trump normal procedures."

"Really?" Kazari asked and Jason nodded. She flushed before continuing. "Anyway, I was offered a job to help with Academy City security and I've finally settled on accepting."

"We talked about it last night," Ruiko added. "I thought it would be a good opportunity for her."

"Congratulations," Jason told her, before getting up and giving her a hug. He then leaned down and whispered into her ear. "Remember what we talked about, right? Come to me if you have any problems." Kazari nodded and hugged him back, before Jason took his seat again.

"Are you only going to be around occasionally then?" Kuroko asked.

"Yes," Kazari confirmed. "I don't know my schedule, but I called them today. I'm going to start Monday after school and they will have more information then." She looked between Kuroko and Mii. "I still want to help out when I can."

"And you are welcomed to anytime you are available," Mii reassured her. "Without you, Shirai-san will never finish her paperwork…"

"Hey!" Kuroko protested indignantly while Kazari giggled.

"… and I'm putting in a request for another member," Mii finished. "We will be a little shorthanded until then, but it's nothing a branch office hasn't had to experience before."

"I'm proud of you, Uiharu," Kuroko said and hugged her. "You were always so much help. I'm going to miss you being my partner though. Try to visit often."

"It's not like I'm going to disappear," Kazari replied. "We can still hang out anytime."

"I'll have a few papers I will need you to sign in a minute indicating change of status," Mii added. "Shirai-san, you should finish that one report too, in case something happens."

"Fine," Kuroko groaned and sat down at her desk. Jason and Ruiko turned back to their work, while Kazari typed away on her computer and Mii started printing out forms. Kuroko started scribing down the partially true facts and the obvious fake ones on the paper in front of her. She was almost finished, when her mind began to wonder. Her plan had been ruined. She didn't want to see Jason before talking to Kazari. She managed to act naturally around the others, mostly because they had something to talk about, but now she felt warm and it was hard not to turn around and stare at him. If he and Uiharu don't go back together, I can pull Uiharu away and talk to her. But what should I even say? I thought about it last night, but it's going to be tough saying it out loud. I'm still not sure how she will react to this. All I can hope is that whatever the outcome, our friendship remains. A loud grown from Ruiko caused her to turn around.

"Can we take a break?" Ruiko moaned, as her head hit the table.

"Hmm," Jason mused and glanced over at Kazari. "What do you think?"

"Don't let her go," Kazari warned. "But I think she deserves one." She got up and handed Ruiko a cup of tea.

"Thanks," Ruiko said gratefully and sipped the drink. "Why do I have to do so much tonight? We have all weekend."

"Because the festival is going to take up most of tomorrow," Kazari explained. "And then Jason, Shirai-san, and I all have Judgment training on Sunday."

Forgot about that, Kuroko thought to herself. It was delayed a week due to the riots, thefts, and drugs running rampant.

"I would study while you guys were training," Ruiko protested.

"Would you?" Kazari asked, a knowing gleam in her eyes.

"Yes!"

"Hmm," Kazari mused. "I suppose we can put it to a vote." She turned to Kuroko, Jason, and Mii. "Can you raise your hand if you think Saten-san would study when we weren't making her?" Ruiko raised her hand, but no one else did. She looked around pleadingly, but no one came to her aid. After putting her hand down, she sighed.

"None of you believe in me," Ruiko sighed depressed.

"We believe in your ability to learn," Jason corrected her. "It's just your willpower to focus on schoolwork is easily distracted by other things. Like a passing butterfly." Ruiko stuck her tongue out at him.

"You would definitely leave your dorm for some reason and forget about your work," Kuroko added.

"Your friends know you too well," Mii commented and passed Kazari a piece of paper.

"It's true," Ruiko laughed. "I'm lucky in that regard." She absent mindedly pulled out her phone and noticed she missed a message. She frowned in thought when she saw who it was from. "Hey, Kagere."

"Hmm?"

"Do you know why Tsuchimikado-san would be messaging me?" Ruiko asked. "He doesn't normally."

"Probably has something to do with Touma's mom showing up at school," Jason answered nonchalantly.

"His mom?" Ruiko repeated in surprise. Kazari, Kuroko, and, surprisingly, Mii all listened intently.

"Yeah," Jason confirmed. "She arrived right before class let out. Everyone was surprised at how ho… young she was." He changed direction when he noticed Kazari raise an eyebrow.

"But what's that have to do with Tsuchimikado-san contacting Saten-san?" Kazari asked.

"It's Tsuchimikado," Jason answered in a tone that those two words should explain everything. "He probably sent it to every girl he could who likes or he thinks that they like, Touma. I bet he will find it amusing to see them trying to get his mom's approval." He snorted slightly and tried to keep his face straight. "That might be fun to see actually," he muttered to himself.

"Oh, no," Kazari muttered.

"It sounds like something he would do," Kuroko agreed.

"Tsuchimikado-san is a friend of Kamijou-san, correct?" Mii asked and the others nodded. "I know a few guys in my high school that act that way to each other. They have a different kind of friendship than girls do."

"Mostly insult based humor," Jason added and then he raised an eyebrow. "You interested in Touma, Konori-san?" Ruiko's head snapped and looked over at Mii, while Kuroko and Kazari couldn't contain their curiosity either.

"Well," Mii admitted, as she diverted her eyes. "He's pretty nice and I do admire the way he's willing to help anyone he comes across, even without being part of Judgment. He also saved me that one time. However," she raised a finger. "It's not like I know him that well, so I have no idea if we would be compatible." Jason shrugged.

"That's always something to consider, I suppose," he acknowledged. "Quite a few people didn't think Kazari and I were compatible and we have been together for a while." Kazari beamed at him. "Sometimes you have to take risks." Mii seemed to get lost in thought for a second and Ruiko's voice took over the silence.

"Touma's greatest hit." Ruiko shrugged and opened the attached sound file.

"I can't die without ever having a girlfriend!"

Everyone stared at Ruiko's phone in shock.

"Okay," Jason said in disbelief. "That's a thing."

How did Tsuchimikado-san get that recording? Ruiko thought bewildered. She had been there when he actually said that line, but it was one of those more desperate, life flashing before your eyes, kind of things. Who could have actually recorded it?

"Umm," Kazari interrupted. "If he sent that to Saten-san…"

"…he sent it to every girl he could," Jason finished.

"Oh, boy," Kuroko fretted. Onee-sama is going to be mad. "Should I start warning the rest of the Judgment branches?"

"You probably should," Jason agreed. "It's best they don't get involved."

"Hold on," Mii interrupted. "You are making it sound like there's going to be a war over him." The girls and Jason glanced at each other.

"It's happened before," Jason laughed. "There are some aggressive girls that like him. Touma has always been kind of dense to realizing girls' feelings." He shrugged. "It's now up to him to decide what he wants to do."

"When you say aggressive," Mii questioned. "Would it get violent?" Jason nodded and she rubbed her temple. "Okay, are you going to take care of it or will we receive a Judgment report in a few minutes?"

"I kind of wanted to watch," Jason admitted and Kazari walked over to poke him in the side. "Fine, I'll make sure nothing gets too out of hand." Kazari patted him on the back.

"I'm going to warn him about this," Ruiko said and started messaging Touma.

"Finally," Kuroko praised. "A sensible solution."

"Going to have to call this study session short," Jason declared and released Ruiko from his shadow. He gave Kazari a quick peck goodbye, waved to the others, and left.

"I need to get going too," Ruiko told them. "I have to… catch a sale." She added the last part rather lamely.

"If you are going to lie," Kuroko sighed. "At least make it convincing."

"Good luck in impressing Kamijou-san's mom," Kazari added. Ruiko grinned sheepishly, gathered her stuff, and rushed out the door.

"I feel you two have seen this before," Mii commented.

"We spent a week in England with everyone," Kuroko pointed out. "It was hard to miss stuff like this."

"I hope Saten-san can finally express her feelings," Kazari said worriedly. "I have been trying to encourage her, but Jason was right about this also being Kamijou-san's decision on who he wants to be with."

"I can tell Kamijou-san is a very nice person," Mii stated. "He won't make a decision like that lightly. I hope whoever he chooses makes him happy." She left the room and Kazari and Kuroko looked at each other.

"I think… she likes him too," Kazari said hesitantly.

"I should have seen this coming," Kuroko sighed. "That ape seems to attract every girl he helps."

"I like him as a person," Kazari said and gave a slight giggle. "But I don't like him like that."

"That's probably a good thing," Kuroko responded. "Jason wouldn't take kindly of the ape taking you from him." They both laughed. Kazari was about to go back to her desk, when Kuroko continued. "Oh, Uiharu?"

"Yes?"

"After our shift ends," Kuroko said slowly. This was tough, no matter how much she practiced. "I need to talk to you about something important. It might take a while."

"Of course, Shirai-san," Kazari replied instantly. "You can tell me anything."

Kuroko flinched slightly.

"That's hilarious!" Lessar laughed, after Bayloupe finished explaining everything that happened yesterday.

"It was mortifying," Bayloupe replied with a scowl. "I think he was about to kill everyone." The two of them were standing in Accelerator's apartment's kitchen, while Last Order and Worst were playing video games. Accelerator was due back any minute and they had no idea what to do about Last Order's condition. Vampires weren't supposed to exist, so there was no real research material they knew of, especially in a city of science. Right now, besides fangs and accidently discovering Last Order had accelerated healing abilities, she was exactly the same. The only reason Bayloupe found out about it was because Last Order had complained constantly about being stuck in the house all day and wanted to go outside. Bayloupe finally caved when Worst only aggravated the situation.

Bayloupe had no idea how Accelerator could deal with Worst.

She was worse than Lessar.

While Last Order played at the park, Bayloupe had to withstand a constant barrage of sex jokes, insults, and pranks against both of them and random people. It was like Worst's primary function was to cause misfortune to everyone around her. Bayloupe at least found out why Accelerator always seemed disgruntled and tired. Though, Last Order managed to use up her pent up energy on the playground, so there was a silver lining in all this. On the way back, Bayloupe ran into a bored Lessar, who tagged along with them. Back at the apartment, the sisters started playing a video game, while the two magicians changed rooms and talked about more serious issues.

"I wish you had recorded that talk," Lessar continued, unable to hold back her laughter. "I would totally have set it up in Lover Boy's apartment when he got back."

"Worst tried that," Bayloupe informed her, a smile forming on her own face. "Accelerator destroyed her phone an instant later."

"But it was pretty clever to claim to be his girlfriend," Lessar continued. "Not only is it natural to hang around him, but you even managed to sleep in the same house as him." She gave Bayloupe a thumbs up. "Next time, you should sneak into his bed naked."

"I'm not you," Bayloupe snapped. "Throwing myself at every attractive guy who walks by."

"So you admit you find him hot!" Lessar exclaimed triumphantly. Bayloupe cursed under her breath.

"Unless you have any useful information for me," Bayloupe said coldly. "You might as well leave, or I'll tell Worst some embarrassing stories about you and let her have fun."

"I mainly wanted to see how you were holding up after the fight with Cain," Lessar protested and then lowered her voice. "How's the girl?"

"There's nothing wrong with her," Bayloupe replied and shrugged. "Except being a vampire. She hasn't shown any sign of wanting to drink blood though."

"As long as you don't teach her how to refine mana," Lessar pointed out. "I doubt she will pose a threat to anyone."

"I'm worried about what other groups will do if they find out a vampire actually exists," Bayloupe said darkly. "Accelerator sure won't give her up and it's going to cause a lot of attention if they go wild."

"True," Lessar conceded. "I wouldn't wish the types of experimentation they would do to her on anyone." She shook her head. "So, what are you going to do about her condition?"

"I talked to Accelerator and he said he was going to bring Index if I couldn't find a way to reverse her vampirism." Bayloupe sighed. "I actually hope she can help, because I have no idea where to start. Cain was killed and she didn't change back, which meant the theory that killing the head vampire does not work. All the other ways to purify one either ends in their death or uses some magical item that may or may not exist."

"No use dwelling on what you can't do," Lessar responded brightly. "Might as well focus on what you can." She grinned and nodded knowingly. "You should totally dress up in a maid outfit, wait for him to come home, and say 'Welcome Home Master'."

"Yeah… no."

"You're no fun," Lessar muttered dejectedly. "You didn't even bring my cosplay outfits or my edible panties."

"Only sluts need edible panties," Bayloupe reprimanded.

"Promiscuous," Lessar corrected. Before Bayloupe could respond to that, the front door opened and Accelerator walked in. His eyes fell onto them first and then he noticed Last Order and Worst playing video games in the living room. Lessar turned to him. "Hello! Fun day at school?"

"Don't make me ban you from here," Accelerator replied curtly and then turned to Bayloupe. "What's the status on the brat?" He set down a bag of drinks and chips on the counter.

"No luck, I'm afraid," Bayloupe answered with a shake of her head. "Vampires are… were only myths. Index may be our last resort."

"Figured," Accelerator agreed. "I told the hero to bring her here tonight, so set up whatever you need to by then." Bayloupe nodded. "You never did give me a run down on what changes being a vampire means. Do we have to watch out for her wanting blood?"

"I haven't seen any signs of it yet," Bayloupe told him. "But I've seen accelerated healing. That's part of vampire's high regenerative properties and doesn't require the refinement of mana. Because of that, she won't be able to use magic. This regeneration is so potent though, that she will not likely age."

"WHAT?!" The three of them turned to see Last Order and Worst peering around the corner of the doorway at them. Last Order had been unable to contain her surprise. "What do you mean MISAKA won't age!? MISAKA cries out in panic as MISAKA eyes widen in fear."

"Damn it!" Accelerator muttered angrily.

"What did she mean by that!? MISAKA asks again as MISAKA demands answers." She may have been demanding, but she had rushed forward and grabbed the hem of Accelerator's shirt.

"That bite you took when we were attacked," Bayloupe said slowly, looking at Accelerator to make sure she could tell him, or at least receive some clue as to what to say. "Infected you." Last Order's eyes widened.

"That guy developed some kind of stimulant to increase healing and prevent the aging process," Accelerator interjected, before Last Order started bawling. "When he bit you, some of it transferred from his body to yours."

"MISAKA understands that, MISAKA replies. But MISAKA wants to know about the not aging part. Are you saying MISAKA's body will never grow up like her onee-sama?"

"And your chest will never get bigger like Misaka's either," Worst added with a snicker. Accelerator covered his ears instantly, but the others weren't fast enough.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Last Order ran from the kitchen toward her room. The door slammed behind her and they heard her crying. Lessar and Bayloupe ears were still ringing from her volume.

"Dammit, Worst!" Accelerator roared. She only laughed and went back to the video game. Worst never really cared about anyone else. Karma did strike though and Worst felt some of Last Order's negative emotions flow into her from the Misaka Network, so she couldn't concentrate on the game as much.

"Even I'm not that mean," Lessar whistled. "I just embarrass people."

"I got this," Bayloupe volunteered and walked forward. She could sense the smug look on Lessar's face. It was obvious to both of them Bayloupe was using this opportunity to score points with Last Order, and those points would transfer to Accelerator too. Bayloupe also knew Accelerator wasn't the best person for this kind of emotional support. She reached the door of Last Order's room and knocked. The sniffling on the other side stopped, but there was no sign the door was going to be opened. She knocked again. "Last Order? Can I come in?"

"Go away! MISAKA cries angrily."

"I just want to talk." There was no answer. "Listen, your situation is only temporary. We are in the process of removing it, but it will take a little time. Worst is just being a bratty sister. Accelerator and I will be here for you if you need anything. Don't go to Lessar though, she's almost as bad a Worst."

"Hey!" Lessar called down the hall.

"Really? MISAKA asks quietly as MISAKA tries to stifle her giggles."

"Yeah," Bayloupe said. "I have to deal with her antics all the time. No matter how much I discipline her, she keeps acting like a slut."

"Coming from the one who keeps slapping my ass!" Lessar called out again.

"Shut up!" Accelerator yelled at Lessar.

"So why don't you come out?" Bayloupe pressed on. "Accelerator brought some drinks and, knowing him, he got you something." The door creaked open and Last Order stood in front of her.

"Are you serious about being able to fix MISAKA? MISAKA asks worriedly as MISAKA looks at you through tear filled eyes."

"I am," Bayloupe answered. "Accelerator even invited Index over for you to hang out with tonight."

"Really?" Last Order looked even more surprised than she had when she found out she wasn't going to age.

"Surprised me too." They both chuckled. "You were right about him pretending to be mean. He cares about you a lot." Bayloupe held out a hand. "So why don't we go back and explain what we plan to do?" Last Order tilted her head, took Bayloupe's hand, and smiled as they walked back to the kitchen.

"You take care of it?" Accelerator asked and Bayloupe nodded. Lessar was busy stuffing her face with a bag of chips and a canned drink in front of her. It took an offering of food to shut her up. "Here, brat." Accelerator pushed a can toward her. "Your favorite." He glanced over at Bayloupe before pushing a can of ice tea toward her. "You said you liked this brand, right?"

"Thank you! MISAKA replies happily as MISAKA takes her favorite drink." She popped the top and drank deeply.

"Thanks," Bayloupe echoed, surprised at Accelerator's thoughtfulness and attention to detail. Lessar winked at her, but she ignored her. Accelerator glanced over at Last Order and frowned.

"What's wrong?" He noticed she had set down her can and looked confused.

"It's… everything MISAKA has been eating or drinking has been tasting bland, MISAKA admits as MISAKA is depressed her favorite drink was affected by it. It's been getting worse." Accelerator, Bayloupe, and Lessar glanced at each other.

"Side effect?" Lessar asked.

"Looks like it," Bayloupe agreed.

"You're going to have to deal with it, brat," Accelerator told Last Order. "Once you're cured, I'll treat you to whatever you want to eat after."

"Really!? MISAKA asks excitedly. MISAKA will hold you to that and not let you retract your words, MISAKA adds as MISAKA points at you to indicate the seriousness of the promise."

"Whatever," Accelerator answered, but Last Order took that as an affirmative. Bayloupe held back her amusement, but then something occurred to her and she needed to tell them, before an accident happened.

"Oh," Bayloupe added. "One last thing. Last Order, you were infected when Cain bit you. Please take care and not bite anyone else, just in case this can spread."

"MISAKA can spread her affliction to others? MISAKA asks curiously in order to clarify. Such as not being able to age."

"It's possible," Bayloupe confirmed. "But we don't want this too. We don't know all the side effects it could cause in the long run."

"Even if you think it would be funny," Lessar added.

"I see, MISAKA mutters to herself. If MISAKA bites Accelerator, that means he and MISAKA could be together forever and never age. It might be worth it, MISAKA adds as MISAKA tries to convince herself." Accelerator stood up, walked over to her, and karate chopped her on the head. "OW! Child abuse! MISAKA cries."

"No biting, anyone!" Accelerator told her coldly. "Even as a joke. Don't even show your fangs to people."

"Okay, MISAKA mutters dejectedly." She shuffled off to the living room to distract herself with video games.

"There better be a cure," Accelerator growled. "I can avoid being bitten, but if she snaps like Cain did near the end, someone else could be turned. The last thing we need is Academy City to be overwhelmed with vampires. Too much trash in the city that doesn't deserve that much power."

"If anyone can tell us how to cure her," Bayloupe reassured him. "Index can. I doubt the Anglican Church will refuse help either. Not only do they owe you guys, but they wouldn't want a vampire free in Academy City."

"Damn right they owe us," Accelerator snapped. "We saved their asses in England, and then because they can't deal with their own side, we have people like Eve running around freely. At least you guys fucked Adam up."

"He's definitely dead," Lessar agreed. "Giant flaming sword through the chest tends to do that." She started to mess around on her phone. "Hey, who's Tsuchimikado? Name sounds familiar."

"The blonde idiot with sunglasses," Accelerator answered curtly.

"Ah, right."

"Why?"

"He somehow acquired Lover Boy's deepest darkest confession," Lessar informed him and put her phone on the table. "He shouted this when he fell off a floating statue of Lucifer." She turned the volume up and hit the play button.

"I can't die without ever having a girlfriend!"

"He does sound like he's about to die," Bayloupe commented.

"I'm surprised the idiot managed to get that," Accelerator laughed.

"He must have a contact in England's military," Lessar said with a shrug. "No idea why he sent it to me. I already have it as my ringtone."

"Knowing him," Accelerator answered. "He just sent it to every girl he could. The damn hero is going to have his hands full shortly."

"Won't that cause a lot of problem for the city?" Bayloupe asked. "Not just including Kamijou?"

"It will," Accelerator confirmed. "Especially with the hero's mom showing up. I bet the idiot did this purely for entertainment-…"

"Hang on!" Lessar demanded and slammed her hands down on the table. "What did you say about his mom?"

"Huh?" Accelerator raised an eyebrow and then realized why she wanted to know. It was at that moment he understood why Motoharu decided to send that message today. "His mom showed up right at the end of class and they left together. I bet she's here for a few days."

"Why wasn't I informed earlier?!" Lessar cried and grabbed her hair. "Everyone knows one of the most important things is to impress your target's family. I need to get his mom to approve of me, and then he won't have anywhere to retreat to." She ran to the front door and grabbed her shoes. "Sorry, Bayloupe. I've got to run. Don't forget to use protection!" She ran out before either could reply.

"That girl…," Bayloupe muttered. "Doesn't she understand if the guy doesn't want her, she can't force him to?"

"Who cares?" Accelerator asked uninterested. "Not our problem and the damn hero deserves it for keeping secrets."

"Hey, Frenda?" Shiage asked.

"What do you want!?" Frenda and Saiai were playing a card game and Frenda was losing.

"Where's Mugino?" Shiage asked. "She's the one who said we were to meet after school."

"She left class early because it was a waste of time," Frenda explained and threw a card at Saiai. "There was a sale she wanted to catch, since she needed new underwear." Shiage blinked in surprise and his mouth fell open.

"Hah," Saiai laughed and turned to look at him. "Now he's super imagining Mugino in sexy lingerie."

"No, I'm not!" Shiage lied desperately. He totally was.

"I wonder what color and design his male brain is imagining," Frenda added mockingly. "Basically, Takitsubo, your boyfriend is a huge pervert." Shiage turned to see Rikou stir in her chair, the magazine on her face fell off as she woke up.

"…is he?" Rikou asked groggily.

"Lies and slander!" Shiage cried out.

"Eww," Saiai grimaced, though it was obviously faked. "You better not be imagining us that way. If you are, I'm telling Mugino. She'll set you straight."

"Don't make up stories that will get me killed!" Shiage demanded. "Besides, why would I imagine you naked?"

"Because I'm super hot," Saiai answered and put a hand behind her head. Shiage scoffed and her eyes narrowed. "What was that? Do you want me to super kick your ass?" Shiage backed away and then felt someone grab his arm.

"…It's okay," Rikou told him. "I know you wouldn't cheat on me." Shiage rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. Rikou pulled him away from the other two girls and they sat down on the couch. Shiage let Rikou choose the TV channel, but she never let go of his arm.

"I'm still worried about those two," Frenda muttered to Saiai. "Basically, she's extremely possessive. If he gets in trouble on a mission, she might abandon her assigned duties."

"Mugino said she didn't care," Saiai shrugged. "Relationships are fine as long as we don't let them interfere with our work." She grinned. "What about you? This means you can super go out with Kamijou. When are you going to ask him?"

"W-when are you going to confess to Accelerator?" Frenda reflected. "Basically, you barely interact with him."

"He's different," Saiai answered. "If you push too hard, he shuts you down. You have to super get him to be interested in you. Besides, he and I have gotten physical."

"Uh huh," Frenda replied and grinned. "I win." She threw down her cards and Saiai made a rude gesture. "Basically, I bet he caught you and accidently touched you. Kamijou has seen me naked at least twice and seemed to enjoy the view."

"Only because I super pranked you two," Saiai countered. She leaned back and sighed. "Things have been slow lately, so why don't we try something fun?"

"Like what?"

"A small wager." Frenda's eyes lit up.

"Kind of what Kamijou's friends did to him?"

"Exactly."

"What's the bet?"

"The first one of us who can super get a date with those two, wins," Saiai explained. "It also has to be a real date, no fake date or friend outing. There will be no time limit."

"Sounds okay so far," Frenda mumbled thinking. This would give her the push she needed to tell Touma she liked him, instead of just following Shizuri's lead in teasing him. Saiai knew she liked him, regardless how much Frenda denied it, so she had given up denying it. "Though, that's only the first half. Basically, what happens to the loser?"

"Loser has to…" Saiai paused and thought about it, her eyes finally falling on Shiage. She leaned forward and continued at a whisper. "Give Hamazura a lap dance in their underwear."

"Ewww!"

"It has to be bad enough to be a real punishment," Saiai pointed out. "It would be super hilarious."

"I feel like Takitsubo is going to kill us if she catches wind of this," Frenda muttered.

"Then we don't let her find out." Saiai held out her hand. "So, do we have a bet?" Frenda hesitated for a fraction of a second, before grinning and shaking hands.

"It's a bet."

"Someone seems confident," Saiai pointed out and stared at Frenda's expression.

"Oh, I was reminded of something important earlier today," Frenda declared and pulled out her phone. "You see, Kamijou admitted something important in Australia." Saiai frowned and Frenda opened the electronic attachment.

"I can't die without ever having a girlfriend!"

Saiai sat in stunned silence, but the recording attracted Shaige's and Rikou's attention.

"Good luck," Frenda told Saiai and winked.

"You played me!" Saiai accused.

"This was all your idea!" Frenda refuted. "Basically, if Mugino didn't say we had to be here, I would be out of here. Lessar is rooming with him and you know how big of a whore she is." Rikou looked at Shiage, who shrugged.

Not sure if Boss is lucky or unlucky. I should warn him about that recording.

Touma walked in a daze behind his mom chatting with Shizuri, the bag Shizuri had brought clutched tightly in his hand.

"Could you tell me how you and my son first met?" Shiina asked.

"Of course," Shizuri replied in cheerful voice, completely different from her normal tone. Touma only heard this tone when she was teasing him or trying to get someone into trouble. "It was around a month ago. We ran into each other completely by accident. Neither of us were watching where we were going. That day had not been going well for me and I snapped at him rather harshly. When I look back at that moment, I was being rather rude. Anyway, he had rushed off after apologizing and I realized he had dropped a textbook. I had to hurry and meet some friends, so I didn't get a chance to drop it off at the lost and found, but luck was on our side. I ran into him two days later and gave it back. We started to run into each other more times than natural, so we exchanged numbers."

None of that happened! Touma thought to himself. Except the part about snapping at me. You tried to blast me with your ability! Okay, the part about us hanging out more was true too, but mom can never find out about how we really met or the stuff we went through.

"How interesting," Shiina commented mildly. Her face was unreadable. "Did you accompanying him when he won a trip to England?"

"He invited me," Shizuri confirmed. "Along with some of my closest friends. I was a little surprised, since we weren't dating at the time, but it was a very enjoyable trip. We normally don't leave the city, so being able to spend my break in another country was quite an experience."

"Everyone should get a chance to see the world," Shiina agreed. "My husband gets the opportunity due to his work, and I occasionally accompany him."

"Shame he couldn't be here," Shizuri said. "I would have liked to meet him."

"I'm sure he would have liked to meet you too," Shiina reassured her. "I have to admit, I was a little surprised when you introduced yourself. Touma never mentioned he was interested in anyone and then he suddenly finds a very attractive young lady."

"Thank you," Shizuri said gratefully. "I'm sure people have told you how young and beautiful you are. When I saw you, I almost mistook you as Touma's sister."

She only uses my first name when she teases me, but who is this girl talking to my mom? Mugino is acting like Misaki!

"My, my, such kind words," Shiina replied. "But I am curious. How long have you and Touma-san been official?"

"Only a couple days. I asked and he finally said yes." Shizuri put a hand up to her cheek. "It's most likely why he didn't have time to contact you. I actually hinted I wanted to be more than friends several times, but he never appeared to notice. So I decided to take the direct approach before another girl did." She turned and smiled at Touma, in a way so only he saw the devious smirk on her face.

"Oh, dear," Shiina fretted. "He inherited that from his father. He was always a little oblivious around women and would unconsciously flirt with them." She sighed. "He still is and I have to gently remind him not to." Touma shivered and even Shizuri felt the air grow slightly colder.

"Mom!" Touma interjected a little louder than intended. "I'm not oblivious."

"I'm afraid you were," Shiina informed him. "The last time your father and I were here, we noticed." Touma fell silent again and prayed his mom wouldn't tell Shizuri too many things to embarrass him. Julunggul was snickering in the back of his mind, clearly enjoying the situation.

"Perhaps you could give me some pointers," Shizuri remarked. "There are some younger girls who don't seem to understand he's taken. I'm afraid they might try something drastic."

"Constant vigilance is the key," Shiina explained. "But why don't we find somewhere nice to have an early dinner while we talk. Would you happen to know such a place?"

"There's a diner my friends and I frequently visit that prepares a salmon dish I quite enjoy," Shizuri offered.

"My, my, that sounds wonderful." Shiina turned to Touma. "Are you agreeable?"

"Sure," Touma answered without much enthusiasm. Shiina and Shizuri both noticed his reaction, so Shizuri took the opportunity to score some points.

"You've been there before," Shizuri reassured him and wrapped her arms around his. "It will be fun. Your mom is a wonderful person and I'm sure she has a lot of interesting stories."

"Oh, you mean before Touma-san arrived at Academy City?" Shiina asked and Shizuri nodded. "I have several stories you will enjoy hearing."

Dang it, Touma realized too late. That was Mugino's plan. She wants to embarrass me again. He opened his mouth to protest, but Shizuri dug her fingers into his arm hard enough that he flinched. The message was clear.

There will be no arguing.

Well, at least mom seems to be enjoying herself. She will only be here for the weekend, so this shouldn't get too out of hand. It's not like Mugino actually means anything serious by this.

You keep surprising me on how dense you are, Julunggul commented, the first words she said since his mom met Shizuri. Touma ignored her.

Touma may have received free food, but he paid for it in another way.

Ignoring his protest, his mom told Shizuri several stories of when he was a kid, ones he didn't even remember. Worst of all, she had pictures saved on a tablet. She and Shizuri were laughing at several short videos, while Touma's head banged on the table. His mother may emit a high class noble aura, but she was still a mom. Somehow, she and Shizuri had hit it off. It seriously made no sense to him. Shizuri was the last person he would ever think of getting along with his mom. He was messing around on his phone, trying to ignore the embarrassing stories and avoiding anyone seeing his embarrassed expression. He did receive a weird message from Ruiko and it didn't make a lot of sense, but it made him realize more misfortune was going to happen.

Tsuchimikado-san got a recording of you when we were out and is sending it to people.

He didn't have to know what the recording was to know Motoharu had thrown him under the bus. This might even explain why Shizuri was acting so friendly. It couldn't have been about his mom visiting, since Ruiko mentioned 'when we were out'. Every danger sense was going off and he figured he should find out the extent of Motoharu's plan. He sat up straight, pushed his chair out, and stood up. "Bathroom," he told Shiina and Shizuri. Neither said anything and he managed to get away. The bathroom was, thankfully, clear and Touma pulled out his phone. "Ruiko?"

"I'm glad you called, sorry I couldn't put everything into that message."

"No, it was fine. What did Tsuchimikado send?"

"You know when you fell off that statue?" Touma sucked in a breath full of air.

Crap!

"It was that confession."

"Ruiko… you have no idea how much that information helped me," Touma replied, eternally grateful. "If there is anything on earth I can do to repay you…"

"You don't have to," Ruiko told him quickly. "I only did it because you're a close friend and it was the right thing to do."

"That's sure to get you points," a voice on Ruiko's end laughed.

"Ruiko, who's with you?" Touma asked.

"Err, Jason."

"Hey, man."

"Why?" Touma had to ask and face palmed.

"We were worried about you," Jason explained.

"Ruiko might, but why are you helping?" Touma elaborated.

"Am I that untrustworthy?"

"Yes."

"Fine, long story short, the level 5s are virtually on probation and one more large incident could cause some problems. It is imperative they avoid fights as much as possible. When we found out Tsuchimikado sent out that recording, I'm worried some girls might react a little… aggressively. Saten-san lied to her friends and tried to hunt you down too."

"Hey! I was the one who wanted to warn him!"

"And he appreciates it, but let us talk."

"You know, that explains so much right now," Touma muttered.

"Why?" Jason and Ruiko asked together.

"Eh, Mugino met my mom and… stuff happened."

"She didn't… hurt her, right?" Ruiko asked hesitantly.

"Oh, no!" Touma answered immediately. "Nothing like that. It's… something else." He heard snickering.

"She wouldn't happen to have…?" Jason asked. "Said she was your girlfriend to your mom?" Touma fell silent because Jason hit the nail on the head. When he didn't reply, Ruiko gasped and Jason burst out laughing. "Oh my god! She did! Hahaha, this is great!" He sobered for a moment. "But also really bad."

"Why?" Touma asked confused. While it was a hassle for him, he didn't see how it would be bad for anyone else.

"Don't do anything that might cause her to do anything destructive," Jason warned. "I haven't heard from Misaka-san or Shokuhou-san, but I'm worried if those two find out what she did, things could get messy. You know their rivalry."

"Misaka-san wouldn't do anything like that," Ruiko protested. "The most she would do is tell your mom the truth by accident."

"That could cause a chain reaction I really would not like to go down," Jason told her.

"Well," Touma informed him. "So far, it hasn't been going badly. She's getting along with mom really well, a little too well to be honest." There was silence and he wished he could see what Jason and Ruiko were doing.

"Is… your mom scary?" Ruiko asked.

"What? No! She's really nice."

"Hmm, well, good luck to you," Jason told him. "I'm planning to be on duty tonight, so you better keep your harem in line."

"I don't-…" Touma protested.

"Bet," Jason interrupted and the phone went dead.

"Such misfortune," Touma sighed. Damn it! At least they warned me. I don't want Mikoto, Misaki, or Mugino to get in trouble, so I guess pretending to be her boyfriend for two days won't kill anyone. Hopefully. He threw some water on his face and left the bathroom. The second the door closed behind him, someone crash into him from the side and he fell against a wall. Temporarily stunned, it took him a second to recognize who ran into him. The voice gave her away first.

"Found you, Lover Boy!" Lessar exclaimed.

"Ow, shit. Lessar?" Touma glanced over his shoulder, but they were out of line of sight of his mom and Shizuri.

"Heard your mom was visiting," Lessar told him excitedly. "So I thought, why not introduce myself to my future mother-in-law?"

"Huh?" Touma asked confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Naturally," Lessar explained. "You are going to choose me, a fit young girl who is willing to try anything. And I mean anything. Though, I wouldn't mind too much if you wanted another girl on the side for us to get kinky with."

"Keep your voice down," hushed Touma in a state of panic.

"Oh, why?" Lessar pushed off him and peered around the corner. "Is that Mugino and…? Wow your mom looks so young."

"I hear that a lot," Touma dismissed the compliment. "So why are you really here?"

"I told you," Lessar huffed and put her hands on her hips. "I wanted to meet your mom and show myself off."

"Lessar… now's not the time for your antics. Please be serious. If you want to meet my mom, that's fine, but don't try to do any of…. that." He gestured wildly to her.

"What do you mean?" Lessar asked in a sultry tone, as she pressed herself up against him. "You don't want me to be myself around her?" Lessar looked up at him. "Do you hate me that much?" she continued, with tears in her eyes.

"It's not that!" Touma denied. He hated the fact he was so weak against tears. "I actually find you fun to be around, but it's all the adult talk you do."

"I am an adult," Lessar replied. "In fact, I'm willing to show you just how much I am." She leaned forward and licked his ear, which caused him to shiver, and then she whispered into it. "I'm not wearing any underwear. Want to see?"

"Eh!" Touma cried, as his brain started to fry. Lessar giggled and wrapped her hand around his neck. She was about to continue, when she felt it. A dark presence appeared behind her and sweat started forming on her brow. She looked up and saw Touma's face had gone ashen, his eyes wide. Lessar quickly turned around and saw what had frightened him.

She almost wet herself too.

Shiina and Shizuri were watching them. Shiina held a hand up to her cheek, but the dark aura was pressing down upon Lessar like gravity. Her expression didn't show any malevolence, only surprise and disappointment, but Lessar could swear she saw the grim reaper behind her. Shizuri was not nearly as calm. Her hair was rising in the air and an evil grim adorned her face. In her hand, behind Shiina, was a green orb floating dangerously. Her eyes were flashing with rage and she was a hair's breath away from firing. Lessar and Touma both gulped.

"This could be bad," Lessar muttered.

"You think?" Touma hissed.

"My, my," Shiina said, her voice light, but with an edge like a knife. "We were worried when you took so long and then heard some raised voices. Would you care to explain this situation, Touma-san?"

"I would love to hear this," Shizuri added, another green orb appearing in her hand. "You couldn't have possibly thought about ditching me for some floozy, right? Especially after I just met your darling mother."

"Floozy?!" huffed Lessar indignantly. "I'll let you know, I'm quite picky who I'm willing to partner with."

"Lessar," Touma hissed again. "Be quiet. You are only going to make things worse." He turned to his mom. "This is my friend Lessar," he told her, as he pushed her off. "Where she comes from, they greet each other a lot more physically than we do." His eyes fell on a smirking Lessar. "Way too much, I keep telling you that."

"I haven't seen you in ages," Lessar lied convincingly, looking slightly disappointed. "But I can see you're busy." She started scooting out of the way. Lessar may have been bold, but she wasn't stupid and suicidal. In a direct confrontation with Shizuri, she would lose. The Meltdowner attacks were pure destruction in concentrated form. She didn't even have her Steel Glove handy. The second problem was Touma's mom. For some reason, her dark aura continued to send shivers down Lessar's spine. There was something she didn't understand about it. Maybe all mothers are secretly demons when it comes to their kids. It's not like Lessar knew her own mom and she didn't interact with many others. For now, retreat and observation was in order. "I'll catch you later. Call me!" She bolted out of the store before anyone could respond.

Touma realized too late, once she left, there was no one to distract the dark gazes of the two women before him.

"You know, Mugino-san," Shiina stated, not removing her eyes from Touma. "I may have misunderstood the severity of your early statement about this. Would you like me to tell you how I chased away the other women from my husband?"

"That would be greatly appreciated," Shizuri replied. "Any tips you could spare would help." The green orbs disappeared and she seemed slightly less angry, but her dark aura still remained.

"And you, Touma-san," Shiina continued. "I understand your kindness makes it hard to say no to girls, but letting them flirt with you like that is not only upsetting Mugino-san, but it also isn't fair to them to give them false hope. Do we need to have that talk again?"

"No, mom," Touma said meekly.

"I should hope not," Shiina said and turned to Shizuri. "Come, we have much to discuss."

"Of course." Shizuri and Shiina headed back to their seats talking, while Touma made a realization.

Is…Mugino what my mom was like when she was younger? He blinked and thought about how his mom was proper around company, yet had the ability to make sure his dad didn't fool around with girls, on purpose or accidentally. She was also comfortable enough with her body to wear risqué clothing his dad bought her. Some of those swimsuits would make Kuroko's choices seem prudish. He couldn't recall hearing about his mom doing anything bad when she was his age though. His mind traveled to the kind of person Shizuri would be when she grew up and managed to suppress her violent tendencies. He knew it was possible, since Accelerator had mellowed out tremendously since they first met. Shizuri was already a very attracted person physically, and his male brain transferred that information to her adult version too.

Huh, you actually have a normal imagination of a boy your age, Julunggul commented, highly amused.

Don't look, it was an accident!

Is that why she's only wearing underwear and sitting on a bed?

I didn't imagine that…. crap, now you are making me…. it's your fault!

Little did Touma, Shizuri, or Shiina know, someone else in the diner had been monitoring them closely. A man in an old suit reading the paper had not turned the page in quite a while. He barely moved, except to sip at a cup of coffee. The strange thing about him was the golden stars in his eyes. When Shizuri made an amused laugh and clutched Touma's arm, the man's grip on the paper tightened. A slow rip was traveling down the middle of it, before the stars disappeared when Touma's group left. Outside the diner, a random woman's eyes suddenly changed to contain golden stars and she began to follow them from a safe distance.

"I trust everything occurred without a hitch?"

"All the crates have been delivered to the designated locations, Doctor." A high school boy with a larger build, wide shoulders, and short black hair replied, as he stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. On the other side of the room, behind a table, an old bald man with white hair sat, surrounded by computers. He barely glanced up from his work. "It would have been easier if you just let Sadoa or Chikako meet with you. It's hard for me to travel all over the place quickly."

"The less people who know about me, the better," Ricane replied. "Sadoa does not have the needed patience to discuss strategy, he is better out in the field. Chikako was a close second, due to her ability to relay information, I even provided her with the information to perform two-way communication, but she doesn't have the natural ability to plan long term strategies. I provide her with the required information to direct the groups under her. Speaking of which, have there been any problems?"

"None" the boy replied. "We met with several Skill-Out groups and provided their leader with samples of the drug. From there, they joined willingly. Many groups actually started to contact us. They are eager to prove themselves in order to obtain more of that drug."

"It will take time to remake it from scratch, since the city confiscated my research." Ricane actually turned to the boy. "You all will receive exactly what you deserve, as long as you follow my directions, precisely."

"About those crates you had us place… are they bombs?" Ricane leaned forward and looked the boy straight in the eyes.

"If I said yes, what would you do?" The boy remained silent, but made a fist. Ricane smirked and leaned back. "No, they are not." The boy relaxed. "I would not resort to such crude methods. They are simply a new way of communication that the city would not be able to track or intercept. Our movements will be invisible to all but us. That is why I had you all stay under the radar. If a branch got busted and the equipment found, the next stage will be ruined."

"What is the next stage?"

"Patience," Ricane reassured him. "All will be revealed in due time. However, we are ready to start the next step."

"Which is?"

"A little misdirection." He pulled out a folder from a drawer and pushed it toward the boy. "This is what needs to happen next." The boy started reading and his eyebrows began to furrow.

"Graffiti?" Ricane didn't answer and he continued to read. "This is easy enough to do, but what you want us to write seems to moving away from our goals. Stuff like 'The Fallen will Rise' and 'Power Should not be Withheld' are fine, but why 'Eve will return'? Who is Eve?"

"Eve is a friend of mine," Ricane laughed. "But as I said, it's misdirection. We need to make her name and the Fallen common household words. The city can't possibly go through every conversation they record, so they search for keywords. Too many, and security can't keep up. We will be free to operate at our leisure."

"You really have thought of everything." The boy was impressed and he was defiantly going to tell the others. With the Doctor's help, we might actually be able to change this entire city. "Anything else?"

"There is," Ricane confirmed. "And this task will actually be a little aggressive. I hope that won't be a problem."

"Most of us are used to that kind of work," the boy replied with a sour taste in his mouth.

"There is one other scientist residing in this city who has access to a vast amount of information, both from inside and outside of Academy City. It is essential we bring him to our side." Ricane stood up, put his hands on his back and turned away. "The problem lies in the fact he despises me. We tend to be on opposite ends of the scientific spectrum of what is considered ethical."

"It sounds like you want us to kidnap him."

"No!" Ricane suddenly grew stern. "I don't believe you will be able to, and such an action would be detrimental to you and me."

"Then what? Bribes, blackmail, threats?"

"He has one main weakness we can exploit," Ricane laughed. "The kid has grown soft." The boy frowned and then turned toward a picture on a screen Ricane pointed too.

"We will be kidnapping these two in order to draw him to me," Ricane declared. The picture showed two young girls, who had to be in middle school. One was wearing a Tokiwadai uniform and tawny hair tied into two extravagant pigtails. The other one had a black hair with a flower band on it.

"I recognize one of them," the boy said slowly. "She's a teleporter for Judgment. Quite a few friends of mine were arrested by her. She's rumored to be a demon."

"The other girl is her partner," Ricane explained. "She's not a threat, but an important piece. I would like you to bring them both to me, unharmed."

"Easier said than done," he replied dryly.

"Don't fret," Ricane reassured him. "While your enhanced abilities could probably subdue them, I have a much more, subtle, plan prepared. I'll need Sadoa and Chikako for it, but I expect it to go smoothly. We have a little time."

"You haven't disappointed us so far," the boy sighed. "I trust you know what you are doing still."

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Ricane replied. "You may go and pass on my orders." The boy left and Ricane sat back down. Children are so easily manipulated. A small promise of power and a demonstration is all you need to get them to do what you want. This is going to be interesting. I wonder if the city will believe Eve is recruiting Skill-Out to her faction. Their faces would be priceless. He stretched and clicked a button on a computer to reveal his target. It's been awhile since I got to do a comprehensive study of a magician. I will find out how to artificially create mana. Kakine decided to become useless and making another clone will take too long.

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.

Last scene is a continuation of chapter 79. Reason I'm telling you is because the information will become relevant and it has been awhile due to Eve's and Adam's shenanigans. The scene I'm really looking forward to writing is Uiharu and Kuroko. I hope I can do it justice. Either that, or trick Mr.? into doing it for me since he is good at those scenes. Then there is Touma's situation. It won't get out of hand… probably. Haha, who are we kidding?