You guys are no fun. Everyone assumed it was a massage and didn't give me the benefit of the doubt. Fine, you all wanted one, that's how it's going to be. Don't mind me pouting in the corner because not enough people fell for it. On a more positive note, I'm finally moving out of the comedy area to a few more serious events in this chapter. Touma still has to escape Tokiwadai and explain to Misaki and Mikoto what happened. After that, the story will have some focus on a few other people. There are so many characters and I wish I could give everyone tons of appearances. Not really anything else except, again, you guys are no fun. Stop taking everything so seriously. SilverFang88 reviewed again, so thanks for that.
St german: Hah, Thor got what he deserved. Not going to mess with Coronzon.
Bluejack222: Good times.
Dragonrails: Now I kind of want to keep Othinus out of the spotlight to annoy you. Cooking is an essential skill to attract mates, regardless which gender you are.
wildarms13: I have a hard time writing snuggle-chan's name too. I copy and paste it when I need to. Poor Thor, he needs to get use to his new life. As for the dorm manager, everyone else ruined it with their foresight.
ReyKingKaiser: Depends if the magic is on him and not from an external source.
general ironox: Bad luck is really all based on your perception.
Salishious: Neat. That sums things up perfectly. Everyone else ruined it, so won't be as much fun. It will raise flags though at least. Nah, we can't have Kami banned from Tokiwadai. I have further plans for this and he can't be punished. Touma still has to read all the love letters. Kazari wasn't working for him yet.
reality deviant: We all know the cliché there. It's just one you have to have.
Tsun: Plot is starting up again this chapter. Even when some people have fun, others get involved in the other side. Aleister would do something if he isn't in control. WWIII not happening just makes his job easier. I have all the final plans for each antagonist. Eve's plan is probably the most convoluted, but that's part of her character.
Guest: 1) he does a pretty decent job. There are some preferences of his I don't necessarily agree with sometimes, but overall it's good. 2) Probably. 3) I was lazy and forgot since it was near the end. I've fixed it. 4) I definitely did not ignore you and do what I want. I'm too nice for that. 5) Hmm, he needs an animal girl. Which OC girl from SF88 were you thinking of? We were both wondering.
Phoenix 7.49: Stop ruining things! Just play along!
Acpeters: I'm fine with fighting scenes, but I love slice of life stuff. I do have to move back to the actual plot.
Mide: Yeah, he has an important reason for hating them. No spoilers, so will only say read the LNs.
Generation Zero: The secret Touma has learned from ACIP is the less you talk, the lower your chance of saying something stupid. He still needs to filter his words better. All of his advice will come back to haunt him. He still has limited experience in the dating aspect of things. Manga helped him to some degree. Ah, Carissa learning about his time with the dorm manager will be great. I can't give out all the antagonists' plans in one scene. You see bits and pieces of it before they take the main stage and we learn everything. I know who the first two to move will be. Big events coming up very fast. If you can't control people of roughly equal standing as you, there is a chance your plans may cross. None of them want that. I purposely changed the main storyline to avoid WWIII. Not only does it completely change the future events, I now don't have to try to fit everything in and can make up new stuff to be a surprise for everyone. Oh, Noukan and Aleister are not finished and are moving too. You will see that in this chapter. Thor and Loki, great brotherly experiences between them. Nope, a female Thor's power would not be affected by a simple sex change, if that occurred.
Sergio644: Obviously. Each one will get longer and longer.
Tardis42: That Agnese letter was burned up in Touma's dorm. He won't remember that until he starts going through the current letters he got from Tokiwadai. Debts will be used at some point. You don't waste a Level 5 debt.
Jujudude: Nah, Eve isn't a Yandere. I don't think Misaki will like Junko falling for him. Nah, Mitsuko and Touma's relationship will happen later. Much funnier and you will see why.
Agent Nine: Why must you ruin the illusion! You aren't Touma! Othinus and Touma… will be difficult without infinite hells, but doable.
Savaris: Alas, poor Touma, we knew him well. Many flags were raised on that visit. Mikoto was about to explode internally at that. She might have yelled out in anger if a harem conversation hadn't occurred prior to this. Junko is so innocent in all this. Challenge accepted! I swear, by the time ACIP ends, Touma will be a man! Shiver. Marian is horrible if she sets her sight on you. Sex magic is a wonderful thing and should always be used.
Dragonmaster1296: Mitsuko won't find out anytime soon, HOWEVER… there will be a funny event with her and Touma later. I really need to do more with Seria and Ayu. It's just other girls are easier to slip into scenes.
FrodoFighter: All good things must come to an end. Touma can't go to Tokiwadai forever. Touma really should have gone to the front of the class and taught them all himself. Only twenty times a day before breakfast? No wonder his stamina is so good. You know, Touma doesn't want to be the MC. Tokiwadai girls are all perverts. You know that. College students should not underestimate teenagers interest in the opposite sex's anatomy. Hah, you will never get the taste the glory of Touma's home cooking. Many doujin lines start in the kitchen. "His bulging... muscles?" I know what you were originally thinking you perv. Mikoto's secret is about to be exposed. The good news? Kuroko isn't trying to hurt Touma anymore. Unless he hurts Mikoto, then all bets are off. 17 girls tried to touch Kami's butt. I feel you dislike Eve for some reason? She helped Mikoto out by putting her in Touma's body. Doggy is best character. I think the teachers would disapprove of Mikoto firing a Railgun at someone.
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.
"And this is my room," Mitsuko declared when she opened the door. Her red face betrayed her embarrassment but, to her credit, her voice remained steady. "I hope you enjoy it."
"So you have a room to yourself too?" Touma asked as he looked around. "Misaka shares with Shirai-san, but I know Shokuhou has a single."
For the most part, the room was similar to Misaki's. There were only a few main differences. The first was the color scheme. Mitsuko liked shades of red, which showed on the curtains and bed linen. A work desk held her school books, a few notepads, some pens and pencils, and a couple cases of probably makeup of some kind. That was normal for female students. The second main difference was what was on the table on the other side of the room.
A large snake was curled up in a fancy, lighted, aquarium.
"I transferred in and was assigned a single." Mitsuko answered. "I can't say I'm unhappy about the arrangement, though sometimes I do wish I had a roommate." She noticed him staring at her snake. "Oh, right! This is Ekaterina, my faithful and beautiful pet." She rushed over to the aquarium and removed the lid. Sensing the excitement, Ekaterina raised her head up as Mitsuko reached down to lift her. "Let's introduce you two."
"You don't have to." Touma replied, but Mitsuko either didn't hear him or ignored his protest.
She brought over the snake, which began to stretch out toward Touma. Her tongue flickered out as she tested the air. She continued stretching and began to wrap herself over his shoulders and around his body. Touma moved his arms automatically to help support the large boa. The snake's eyes sparkled in the light and they seemed to change to a rainbow for a moment.
Touma felt like something ominous was descending upon him.
"She likes you." Mitsuko informed him, in a combination of happiness and slight bewilderment. "She usually doesn't."
"I guess I have a way with animals." Touma said with a forced chuckle. He turned around at the other three girls in the room, who were being unusually quiet.
Junko's reaction was understandable. She was smiling and her expression didn't hold any animosity toward him. She was, however, standing a respectable distance away from him. He thought he heard a scuffling sound when Mitsuko set Ekaterina free. Mikoto and Misaki standing back didn't surprise him either but they had been awfully quiet on the way from the dorm manager's office. It didn't help the fact that he received a ton of stares from girls in the hallway. The information that he was allowed to be there had spread quickly. That, however, only caused more girls to stick their heads out of their rooms.
It would have been nice if his friends talked normally to him. Junko and Mitsuko had been the chatting since he left the dorm manager's office.
I wonder if something happened? Touma thought to himself. He shivered when Ekaterina stuck her nose into his ear and flickered her tongue again. After a minute, he handed Ekaterina back to Mitsuko, who put her back in her cage.
"She's rather impressive." Touma commented.
"I know," Mitsuko replied in a pleased tone. "I've had her since I was young. She's a part of the family." She gestured with one hand to the room. "What do you think of my room?"
"It's pretty neat." Touma admitted. "My room, and most of my school friends' actually, are pretty messy." She laughed.
"I heard boys are pretty messy." she admitted. "So it is true?"
"Depends on the person." Touma admitted. "I try to stay organized, but things get away from me sometimes." Like when Index tries to use the microwave or stove.
"I really should decorate it more." Mitsuko said wishfully. "But there are so many rules about what we can have on the walls and I only have guests occasionally."
"Well," Touma replied reasonably and felt the bedsheet with his hand. It was fine silk like Misaki's. "I guess most private schools have strict guidelines. The public dorms barely have any."
"They told us it was to help prevent us from being distracted." Mitsuko explained and rolled her eyes. "They probably have other reasons that they won't tell us." Her eyes turned toward the other three. "Misaka-san, Shokuhou-san, is there something on your mind? You seem distracted. I hope I'm not boring you."
"…Ah!" Mikoto seemed to jump slightly at being addressed. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something that happened… yesterday."
"My apologies." Misaki replied, her voice a little more even. "I'm just a little tired from a long day."
"The Queen usually prefers to rest and talk with a cup of tea after class." Junko added.
"But having Kami grace our dorm with his presence is far too interesting to pass up." Misaki finished.
"He has a little bit of time." Mitsuko replied, trying her best to keep all her guests entertained. "You could show him your rooms before we leave. If that is okay with you?" She addressed Touma directly with the last question. Touma shrugged in response. It wasn't like he hadn't seen their rooms before… for various reasons best left undisclosed to others. "Oh, I wanted to ask you. How large is your dorm room, or do you live in an apartment?"
"My dorm is-…" Touma started to reply when Misaki interrupted.
"I can't take this any longer!" Misaki burst out and a remote had appeared in her hand. "Misaka, the door!"
Mikoto must have expected something or maybe she just reacted instantly, because she did as Misaki ordered. Simultaneously, Junko and Mitsuko grew still with vacant expressions. Touma turned to her in shock.
"What are you doing?!"
"Getting answers." Misaki answered and her gaze was cold. Mikoto pushed herself off the door and stood side by side with her.
"What answers?" Touma asked and glanced back and forth between them. He held up his right wrist. "This?"
"I would like to hear the entire story later." Mikoto admitted. "But we are on a time crunch here."
"What are you two talking about?" Touma asked, now completely lost about what they were mad at him for.
The fact that Misaki was mad showed that he had done something wrong. She was usually pretty insightful about his unfortunate accidents. Mikoto tended to jump to conclusions, but he found that kind of cute when he wasn't in danger of being electrocuted. From her expression and an occasional spark from her hair, that moment may not be far away.
"We want to know what happened between you and our dorm manager." Misaki informed him sternly. "Tell us everything."
"She just went over the rules expected of me." Touma reassured her, confused at why this was such an important ordeal for them. "By the way, closing that door was a violation. Not supposed to be hidden from view." The girl's silence indicated they didn't care at this time. "Oh, and she threatened me with unspeakable horrors if I tried to do anything inappropriate to a resident."
"Unspeakable horrors?" Mikoto asked and Misaki looked thoughtful.
"I'd…rather not talk about it."
Castration.
She had threatened him with castration.
"Anything else?" Misaki probed. "Something… I don't know… physical?" Her gaze narrowed as Touma coughed.
"Huh… Wha-… eh?!" He turned to Mikoto, who was crossing her arms.
"Answer the question." Her response indicated he wasn't getting out of this.
"I… don't know what you two are referring too. Our meeting wasn't that long."
His mask covered his face, so they couldn't see his obvious embarrassment or his eyes avoiding direct contact. However, he couldn't consciously stop all nonverbal cues and his head moved slightly to the side as he averted his gaze. His finger also scratched his cheek behind the mask.
"You're lying!" Mikoto accused. "Just like how you tried to with your injury!" A couple sparks flew off of her and Touma stepped back instinctively. "Why don't-…?!"
"Hang on, Misaka. I'm sure he can explain himself satisfactory." Misaki interrupted reasonably and Mikoto looked at her in disbelief. "There's probably even a reasonable explanation for all of this; including his lie." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly at him.
"Reasonable explanation?" Mikoto gaped. "You heard the same things I did. It's obvious what he did!"
"Eh, hehe… you heard that? I thought we were being quiet."
He really should have chosen a better choice of words.
Misaki and Mikoto froze in wide-eyed bewilderment at his declaration. Their mouths fell open in shock and they could only stare at him and splutter incoherently. Touma stared at them for a minute. The situation might have been funny, if he wasn't so confused about why they were acting so weird. He tried to wait for them to explain themselves. When no explanation came forth, he spoke instead.
"It wasn't a big deal. I offered and she accepted. It had been years since she got it."
He really needed to work on his phasing.
An electrical discharge flying at his head was all the evidence he needed. His hand blocked it instinctively, but it had been a while since he found himself in that position.
"What was that for?!" Touma demanded.
"Y-you…" stuttered Mikoto. "A-and her… h-had… SEX?!"
"WHAT?!"
Touma couldn't believe what he was hearing. Out of everything that could have possibly happened behind that door in the dorm manager's office, that was the last thing on his mind. Misaki raised an eyebrow, the only change in expression she gave. Her emotions were under control and an outburst was unlikely at this point. Touma's reaction indicated sex was not what had happened. A wave of relief rushed over her.
"You… didn't?" Mikoto asked softly, also aware of his reaction. As what she said before began to sink in, her vision blurred and her face flushed crimson. I just asked him if he had sex with the dorm manager. What was I thinking?! No one would be surprised to see steam coming out of her ears as her brain stopped working.
"No!" Touma cried out. "Even though she's really attractive, there's no way something like that could happen. Real life isn't an anime!"
"You find her attractive?" Misaki asked, finding a spot to insert some humor into the serious situation. Moving the subject of conversation back on to her terms was an essential skill she mastered over the years. "Your friends did say you were into older women."
"I wouldn't make a move on someone just because they're attractive." Touma replied indignantly. "You should know that." A faint blush appeared on Misaki's cheeks before Touma realized what he said. "Ah… sorry…"
"I appreciate the compliment." Misaki reassured him with a smile full of sincerity. After a quick glance at Mikoto, she continued. "Well, since you didn't do what we initially believed you did, can you tell us what actually happened? We heard…. suggestive things that led to that conclusion."
"…I suppose it's fine." Touma relented. "Just please, keep it between us."
"I will." Misaki promised and then elbowed Mikoto, who snapped back to reality and quickly promised too.
"But before we get into that." Touma said, he glanced over at Mitsuko and Junko. "Did you really have to-…?"
"All I did was stop their perception of time." Misaki reassured him. "When you are done explaining, I will wake them up and they will not believe any time has passed."
"Yeah, her power is kind of disconcerting." Mikoto mumbled to Touma.
"I'm sure they will be fine, Mikoto," Touma continued. "I trust Misaki." Being back on first named basis with them helped lighten the mood considerably. Without others around, they didn't have to use last names to hide the relationship. "Okay, so, here's what happened…"
"…and lastly," the dorm manager said from across her desk at Touma. "You will not remain behind closed doors with any resident for any reason. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Touma answered.
He sat up straight and at attention in front of the woman. The dorm manager exuded a presence that demanded respect. She left no room for doubt that she would carry out disciplinary actions should he do something wrong. Mikoto had told him she snapped Kuroko's neck once, but he was sure she was just trying to scare him.
"I'm still not sure how you persuaded the board to allow this." She told him, her glasses glinting. "And I don't really care. My job is to make sure the girls under my care are safe and follow the rules. I can hardly uphold discipline if I allow individuals to break the rules, can I?"
"No, ma'am." Touma agreed. "I heard from Misaka and Shirai-san about how dedicated you are to your job. I find that rather impressive."
"Hmm?" She raised an eyebrow. "You do? I was under the impression they warned others rather than complimented me."
"They are a little… frightened of you, yes." Touma confirmed honestly. "But I think you only scare them to help them."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, if they don't respect you, then they won't follow the rules." Touma continued. "I'm sure most of the girls here don't have problems with them, but I do understand the desire and belief that it's okay to break them once in a while. The reason you are strict is to make sure they don't fall into that rut. Everyone does it once, but if they keep doing it, it will become a habit. You work hard to prevent that from happening and I respect your dedication. You may have to be the bad guy sometimes and you may even be okay with that. Though, I'm sure if someone came to you for help, you would be more than happy to assist in any way you could."
She blinked at him, momentarily disarmed at his words.
"Well," She continued after a pause and adjusting her glasses. "I think I can see why the board agreed to let you visit Tokiwadai. You seem like a fine young man. I rarely encounter students who respect my way of maintaining order in the dorms. Usually, they either grudgingly follow them or try to find a way around them. I cannot tell you the number of times they have petitioned to get curfew extended." She sighed and rubbed her temples. "I'm still a little suspicious about you winning a trip here. Mainly because you are familiar with Shokuhou-san and Misaka-san."
"I had no control of who was chosen." Touma said quickly. "I didn't even get a chance to decide on my class's project. I was… out that day. When I got back, they had already received the city's approval." He paused. "I'm still not sure how they did that, to be honest."
"You're class sounds like there are several troublemakers mixed in."
You have no idea. Touma didn't voice his opinion and merely nodded.
"I believe I have covered the behavior I expect here." The dorm manager continued and looked down at a paper in front of her. "You will be allowed to remain for thirty minutes and then expected to leave. Trying to remain on the premises any longer than that will result in you being charged with trespassing. Do I make myself clear?" Touma nodded quickly when her voice grew cold for a moment. "Okay, there should be no reason to keep Kongou-san waiting any long-…ow!"
As she was standing up, she flinched and grabbed her shoulder with her free hand.
"Are you okay?" Touma asked in concern, rising from his seat.
"I'm fine." She reassured him. "The back of my shoulder has been bothering me since I lifted a box of paper too hastily."
"Have you gotten it looked at?"
"My duties keep me rather occupied." She replied curtly. "I hardly have the leisure to take time off. Besides, it's not broken. It's just a pulled muscle; it will recover if I avoid using it."
"Have you tried massaging it?" Touma suggested.
"There's one massage parlor on the other side of the district that I prefer." She said, indicating she looked into it. "But it has been ages since I've been there. That brings me back to time being an issue."
"Well…" He really couldn't believe he was going to suggest this to an attractive older woman. "I have a little experience…"
"So you're telling us," Mikoto interrupted with an expression of disbelief. "That all those suggestive words we heard… was from a massage?"
"It… was kind of embarrassing." Touma admitted and rubbed the back of his head. "I know if there is a real knot, it can feel good once it's been relaxed." Mikoto continued to stare at him, so he turned to Misaki for support. "That's all that happened. I swear. It was only for a few minutes to help loosen her muscles. I'm not a pro and I advised her to see a professional."
"Hmm." Misaki held up a finger to her cheek. "I can believe that." she admitted after a moment.
"You do?" Mikoto rounded on her while Touma gave a sigh of relief.
"I do." she repeated. "I don't think he would tell us a lie like that. In fact it leads me to having a question of my own."
"It… does?" Touma asked nervously.
"It does." Misaki agreed and stepped forward so she was right in front of him. A single one of her fingers pushed against his chest. Determination was etched over her face as she stared up at him.
"W-What is it?" Touma stuttered.
"Where… did you learn to give a massage and why was I not informed you could?"
The silence lengthened.
"That's your question?!" Touma wondered out loud.
"It's a good question." Mikoto agreed.
"You too?!"
"Well?" Misaki prodded. "Answer the question."
"You two really aren't going to let this go, are you?" When they shook their heads, Touma relented. "…Index."
"Index?" The girls asked in unison.
"There were times when I… came back to my dorm late for various reasons." Touma explained. That sentence needed no elaboration for any of them. They all knew how he was. "Since she is technologically illiterate, she can't use a microwave or stove. Well… without things catching on fire. So she went hungry until I arrived, which you could imagine did not make her happy." The girls nodded. They had been around Index long enough to see what happens. "She would stay mad at me, even after feeding her. I kind of learned how to message by offering her them to stop her from being angry. It usually works and, after the number of times I've done it, I've gotten decent at it."
"And you haven't told any of us?" Misaki demanded.
"Never really considered it important, to be honest." Touma shrugged. "Now that I think about it, I really don't want others to know. Can you imagine what the guys would say? What Lessar would do? Oh, god. She's bunking at my place. She can never find out!" A shadow crept onto Mikoto's and Misaki's face at that. It was more about the part of Lessar living under the same roof as him than about what she would do. "So…er… can you keep this between us? Your dorm manager doesn't want others to know I gave her one either."
"I don't know." Misaki replied and turned to Mikoto. She gave a wink Touma couldn't see and Mikoto caught on instantly.
"I'm sure your friends would really want to know." Mikoto added and nodded sagely.
"Please, don't." Touma was about to fall on his knees and beg. The girls actually felt bad about what they were doing.
"But!" Misaki's smirk was so evident, even Touma realized she was messing with him again. "I suppose I can overlook it this time, if I was to experience your skills sometime in the near future. What do you think Misaka?"
"Well… I guess I could agree to that: not that I really need one." Mikoto answered. "But you won't learn your lesson about keeping secrets from us if you don't have some kind of punishment."
"There's no choice then." Touma murmured. "Thanks for not telling." His eyes looked back at the other two girls, still motionless in the room. "Can we…?" he trailed off.
"Right!" Misaki clicked her remote and they jerked to life.
"I'm sorry." Mitsuko said to Touma. "What were you saying about your dorm room?"
"It's…" It took him a moment to remember what they were talking about. "The main room is about the size of yours, but I have a kitchen unit attached, so it's a little bigger."
"We only have a public kitchen unit." Mitsuko replied. "Having a private one must be why you have such amazing cooking skills."
"That's one of the reasons, yeah. Makes cooking convenient."
"Oh, my!" Mitsuko had glanced at the clock on her desk. "It's so late already. Where did the time go?"
Touma and Mikoto couldn't look at her, but Misaki merely smiled.
"I don't want you to get into trouble," Mitsuko continued and opened the door. "So we should get going. Do you have a ride?"
Touma glanced out the door and noticed a familiar limo.
"Yeah, I do."
At another location in Academy City, while Touma was having fun in the girls' dorm, Kazari was standing outside a tall building.
This is the place. She thought to herself, making a fist with her right hand. Her left was clutching her bag. Remember, be polite and respectful, but don't let them intimidate you. Yuiitsu-san told me that I earned my place here with my skills. Jason believes in me. Saten-san believes in me. It's time to prove that their faith in me isn't misplaced.
The moment she walked in, she knew this building was anything but normal.
She had to pass through two sets of locked glass doors after a man asked her to state her business. With Academy City's technology, it probably wasn't normal glass. The way it sparkled indicated it was far more durable and probably designed to withstand quite a bit of force. The walls were easily twice as thick as a normal building and she only noticed this because of the glass entranceway. When she entered the main lobby, a quick look around indicated the place was not made to have many visitors. There was a small empty table with two chairs in a corner. The rest was empty except for a guard sitting behind a metal desk with more of the glass protecting him.
"Hello," Kazari greeted. "As I said outside, I'm here about my new job-…"
"ID." The man interrupted and pointed to a scanner on her side. She slid her school ID under the red light and it must have appeared on his computer, because his eyes glanced between it and her. "Checks out. One minute." He picked up his phone and dialed. "She's here," he said. "Okay, I'll tell her." He hung up and turned to Kazari. "Someone will be down in a minute."
"Thank you." Kazari replied kindly and backed away. The guy was a little rude, but wasn't entirely unprofessional. I wonder if he had a bad day or something. A minute passed exactly to the second when the door next to the guard station opened. The person who stepped out was a familiar female wearing a white lab coat over a cheap suit.
"I'm glad you found this place alright, Uiharu-san."
"Yuiitsu-san?!" Kazari was shocked. No one told her who she was going to meet. The assistant to Noukan himself wasn't someone she thought would be there.
"Surprise?" She looked amused at her reaction. "I had business here and figured seeing a friendly face would help settle your nerves." She motioned for her to follow. "Come on, I'll give you a quick tour and introduce you to your fellow employees. You probably won't be asked to do a lot for your first day, but we have to get you set up and familiar with the equipment."
Kazari couldn't help but notice an audible click as the door lock after they stepped through it.
"There's a lot of security here." She commented, trying to keep her voice collected.
"This building is one of the primary hubs for information security." Yuiitsu explained. "Naturally, we have several stationed around the city in case one goes down. This one in particular handles a lot of sensitive information. You'll sign some nondisclosure agreements when you get set up. It goes without saying, but I have to anyways. Everything you do here is solely work related. You may not look at something that you have no authorization for, understood?"
"Yes," Kazari agreed. "Judgment had a similar policy."
"Ours is much stricter." Yuiitsu elaborated. "Disciplinary actions may not end at simply a removal from your position. More like jail time or even permanent removal from the city." Kazari's eyes widened and she stared at Yuiitsu, who noticed. "I don't think you're the kind of person to do such a thing though. The reason we have to be firm on this is because of the information you have access to. What happens if someone in charge of our electronic security passes out the information to an organization outside of Academy City? All of our research could be stolen in a single night."
"That makes sense." Kazari replied. "I was just a little surprised."
"Curiosity can allow one to learn a great many things." Yuiitsu said. "But it can also lead one onto a dangerous path if they go in unprepared."
"True."
"So we are going to go up a few levels. The top levels are conference rooms and I doubt you will ever have to go there unless someone calls for you directly. There are several floors of research facilities and labs. Most of them are in the area of synthesizing compounds, since they don't take up much room. There's no robotics or military testing here, as they need more space. The third and fourth floors are where you will spend most of your time. The basement carries all the backups, but it's mostly technicians that work down there. There's the elevators here and a stair well on either side of the building in case of emergencies or if you just feel like exercising." Kazari chuckled at this.
"Can we head straight to where I will be working?" Kazari asked. "I'm anxious to get started."
"You will fit in well here." Yuiitsu said with a laugh. "Those that work hard and know what they are doing get recognized for their accomplishments. I foresee a lot of great things in your future."
Kazari blushed as the two of them took the elevator. They got off on a floor with only one main door leading to another room and there was a keypad to the right.
"Swipe your ID here." Yuiitsu instructed.
Kazari swiped her card and the door opened with a beep.
She couldn't resist gasping when she stepped inside.
The walls were completely blocked by servers, as tall as the ceiling. Lights flashed and hummed, with the sound of the air conditioner going full blast to keep the room cool due to all the electronics. Two more rows of servers divided the room in half and there were roughly ten people on each side; each with their own desk. Kazari had to stop herself from drooling slightly at the equipment they were allowed to use. Each desk had four monitors at least and the computer processors were leagues above what they were given at Judgment. Even her handheld computer, which she loved dearly and kept updated, paled in comparison to these.
She shivered in anticipation.
"Ah, I almost forgot." Yuiitsu commented, mistaking Kazari's nonverbal signal. "It is kept rather chilly here. You might want to keep a coat here."
Before she could reply, an elderly man interrupted them. He was maybe in his late sixties with whitish-grey hair and wore a lab coat similar to Yuiitsu.
"You promised us more competent staff." The man growled angrily at Yuiitsu. "And you bring a little girl?"
Kazari was almost offended at that statement.
"I can assure you, Tanigawa, Uiharu-san here is quite capable." Yuiitsu replied coldly. "She was the one who discovered a flaw in our design. Thanks to her, Judgment has better electronic security than most of Academy City."
The man blinked.
"…that was her?" He pointed toward Kazari, who nodded.
"Hello." Kazari greeted him, doing her best to keep up her manners. "My name is Kazari Uiharu and I hope we work well together."
"At least she's got manners." The man grumbled. "Names Kiemon Tanigawa and I'll be your direct supervisor. I'm still a little hesitant about your skills due to…"
"My age?" Kazari finished as he trailed off. He didn't make any signs that was the case, but she took his silence as confirmation. Remember what Jason advised, you have to stand up for yourself. "When I worked for Judgment, my primary job was to provide information on crime scenes though surveillance footage. I also helped disguise other members when they were undercover and prevent hackers from accessing our databases without authorization. The hole in the encryption software I patched was actually discovered by an outside hacker. When I isolated him and tracked his location, I learned how he broke in. I fixed it and then went a little further to correct a few weaker points."
Yuiitsu grinned when Kiemon rubbed his chin in thought.
"Just test her already." She said and he raised an eyebrow.
"You knew I was going to?"
"Sensei didn't put you in charge because you let anyone walk in here without proving their capabilities." Yuiitsu elaborated. "You must have some test in mind."
"I did have something in mind." Kiemon admitted and his eyes fell onto Kazari. "You understand I need to see what you are capable of, right?"
"I figured you would have to." Kazari admitted. "You wouldn't be able to assign work to me if you didn't know I could handle it."
"So you're smart on top of having manners." He grumbled. "Okay, follow me. I got a computer set up."
Kazari and Yuiitsu followed him in silence. A couple people looked at them for a moment as they passed and Kazari received a glimpse of some of the other employees. The youngest one among them seemed to be a woman with brown hair pulled up into a bun in her early thirties. The rest were around forty to fifty and were nearly all men. When they reached an empty workstation, Kiemon turned toward Kazari.
"Here is your task. A hacker got in and has begun to copy our hard drives. Your job is to stop him. This computer is only connected to a dummy system, so regardless of what you do, it won't affect our real system. However, it was set up to mimic our security, so don't expect it to be a walk in the park."
"Can I can use my own equipment?" Kazari asked. "Or do you have other equipment I can use if needed?"
"Anything you want." Kiemon answered. "Let me know when you either finish or give up."
He hit a button and the computer turned on with the warning alerts a hacker had breached their security.
"On it." Kazari told him and sat down.
Her eyes became a blur as she read the information on the screen. She plugged in her own personal handheld computer and began to work. After thirty seconds of scanning the codes and tracking where the information was headed, she froze. There was a very familiar situation in this simulation and she couldn't keep a small smile from forming on her face. One hand typed vigorously on the main keyboard while her other hand controlled her handheld. The data was beginning to line up and she saw what had to be done.
If Jason and Shirai-san saw this, they would be so proud.
"Seriously?" Kiemon muttered to Yuiitsu, away from Kazari. "If he wants us to fix this outdated system, we need more people. A single girl-…"
"That single girl was chosen by sensei himself." Yuiitsu interrupted. "He vouched for her. Do you doubt his judgment?"
"Not at all." He replied quickly. "There is not a single person who would argue with his choice. It's just… will she be enough? Patching the holes building off of Judgment branch's security will be simple enough. There are even a couple improvements I could add to it. Getting it up and operating will require time, unless she can do the work of multiple people. We can't start on CITY-…"
"Not here." Her sharp tone made the words in his throat die off instantly. "That's for another time."
"Any reason he's not with you?"
"Sensei can hardly be everywhere at once. There are more important things to deal with than introducing you to a new member."
"What's the real reason she's here? We are on schedule anyways. One more person won't speed things up much."
"Sticking your nose into something that doesn't concern you can be hazardous to your health." Yuiitsu told him and the air between them grew colder.
"My apologies," Kiemon replied with a gulp. "I won't question-…"
"Excuse me!" Kazari called over to them.
"Yes?" Kiemon asked, walking over to her. "Is there a problem?"
"I finished."
Her pronouncement was met with silence.
"You… finished?" Kiemon asked and raised an eyebrow. "It's been what? Two minutes? Impossible!" He glanced over her shoulder and looked at the screen before her. To his shock, the simulation was completed in record time. "How…?"
"The security was really similar to what Judgment was originally." Kazari explained. "It was updated and a couple flaws were fixed, but the engineer who programmed it must either have been the same or someone working on them. Everyone has their own habits and once you discover them, it isn't hard to break through. If it was someone I didn't meet before, I wouldn't have been able to do it that fast."
Kiemon stared at her, stunned, while Yuiitsu laughed.
"I like her." She said. "So, think she's up for the task?"
"I can't find fault with her." Kiemon agreed and all uncertainty from his gaze vanished. "Even if she handled the security before, being able to create a code to override the safeguards is indeed impressive. We will get her set up immediately and the nondisclosure agreements signed."
"Then I'll take my leave." Yuiitsu waved to Kazari as she turned away. "We expect great things from you, Uiharu-san."
"Thanks for everything." Kazari replied.
"Ebina!" Kiemon called over to the woman in her thirties. "Show our newest recruit the ropes and get the paperwork signed. She will be under you."
"Okay!" She led Kazari to a workstation near her own. Kazari couldn't wait to try out the equipment. Back at Judgment, she had to use her ability, Thermal Hand, to keep her computer from overheating due to the speed of her work. These computers were much more advanced and might be able to handle her at full speed without issues. "My name is Tamika Ebina, and this will be your area. Before we begin, please read this over and sign it when you are done."
She passed over a small packet of papers.
"So, Ebina-san," Kazari asked, skimming the paperwork over. It was a lot like her Judgment one, though had what Yuiitsu explained about earlier. The consequences for revealing secrets would be exponentially higher. "What's it like working here?"
"I could tell you horror stories, but it's a lot like any sensitive area." Tamika replied casually. "The vast amount of our work deals with coding, updating, and improving the security as developments occur. Occasionally, someone tries to bypass our network and discovers sensitive information. Our job is to thwart those attempts and discover who was responsible. Ninety-nine percent of the time it's a kid who thinks he's clever. Occasionally, we see someone really nasty come along. We had some breaches the last few weeks and the higher ups have been breathing down our necks to patch holes. Guess that's why you're here to help out."
"So what's it like on a normal day?" Kazari was reading the contract quickly, eager to get to work, but not overlook anything important.
"Really depends what we are working on." Tamika answered. "Once we get you up and running, there's some new coding and having another pair of eyes reviewing it would be useful. That's what I was going to have you do. When that's done, you can start helping create a new firewall or a data encryption key."
"I can't wait." Kazari said enthusiastically. She signed the form and handed it back to Tamika.
"So you came from Judgment?" She commented conversationally. "I thought they tend to take a more active role in the city's safety by patrolling."
"My friend, Shirai-san, did." Kazari admitted. "Her ability was much more useful for altercations should they arise. I was always good with computers, so I supported her from the branch office. It was there when I fixed some major flaws in our security system. Since we had access to the student database, it was important to prevent unauthorized people from accessing it."
"Pretty much what we do except on a larger scale." Tamika agreed. "Go ahead and set up your password, this is your username." She handed Kazari a piece of paper. "I'll forward you your first assignment and we can go from there based on how well-…"
A loud ear splitting alarm went off in the room and Kazari was forced to cover her ears.
"What's that?!" She yelled.
"Someone broke into our servers!" Tamika shouted over the noise. She rushed over to her desk and Kazari followed. The alarm finally dyed down, but red lights flashed around the room indicating the problem had not been resolved. Her fingers became a blur on her keyboard and her eyes read line after line of information on her screen. "You're training is going to have to wait. This isn't a normal cyberattack. Someone has actually managed to gain access. We need to change the encryption so their software won't work."
Kiemon started shouting orders and everyone in the area dashed toward their desks and started working frantically to determine who had triggered the alarm. Kazari sat at her post, not really sure what to do. The system they were using was somewhat familiar to her, but she was hesitant to do anything that might interfere with the others. Sure, from what she understood, her computer was connected to the rest of the system. This meant she could access everything the others could, minus anything specifically allowed for those above her. If she changed something, it might affect the work they were doing.
No one told her to do anything specific, so she logged onto her workstation and starting examining the problem.
Several security layers penetrated without issue. She thought, eyeing the information popping up. They decoded everything and have bypassed the normal safeguards. Current encryptions are useless, so it sounds like Tanigawa-san is switching the encryption packet decoders. That would stop anyone trying to access from outside the network. Still, if they got this far in, they should have some kind of foothold in our network. Whoever did this is a professional.
It took a minute to discover anything, but she finally found a lead.
This modification here. Kazari thought, her eyes barely blinking as line of codes flashed through. They actually got into our system earlier and modified existing security. Anything we change on our end, they will receive that information and be able to get around it the next time. It's like robbing the same house over and over again. They get some of the information and come back when we think it's all clear. They must have tripped something by being overly confident. How long have they been in here doing this?
She began typing furiously. Her handheld was channeling her programs and tracking software. She was more used to it than the ones used at this location.
The others are focusing on stopping them. I'll just get in the way since I haven't been able to coordinate with them yet. There's only one other option at this point. I'll prove I belong here with my own skill and protect Academy City the way everyone else has!
Ten minutes passed and the lights finally shut off.
"Finally, good work." Kiemon said to everyone. "How much data was lost or stolen?"
"Nothing was lost." One person called back. "There is no need to access the backups. They were copying files. Because of our response time, they got less than one percent of our security information."
"That's not good enough." Kiemon replied. "Getting even a few pieces of our defenses could allow them to put them together to figure out exactly how to bypass it. They are planning something big and want to be able to make sure we will be unable to stop them." He started pacing. "This could mean they are after a lot of information. It would take time to remotely access any significant amount. The question is what they are after. We need to find out who did this any why."
"That should be pretty simple." Kazari called over, leaning back in her seat.
"And why would that be?" Kiemon asked coldly. Well, he might not have meant to be cold, but the seriousness of the situation would undoubtedly cause some irritation.
"We can just ask them." Kazari was aware of all eyes on her, but didn't slink back. Her gaze remained steady at Kiemon.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"I didn't know exactly what everyone's specific tasks were during an electronic attack." Kazari explained. "If I started changing things without understanding how it could affect everyone else's work, all I would be doing is impeding your jobs. Instead, I noticed everyone was focused on protecting the city's information and forcing the hacker out of the system. That meant no one was trying to locate who was actually doing this. It's a lot easier to trace someone during a hack because there is an information line between us and them. I discovered a small change in code that would allow the hacker to learn any changes we made. They must have hidden it in a previous attempt to try to circumvent any new security layers. I simply tracked where that information was being sent to."
"And where is that?"
"This building." Kazari replied, trying her best not to sound smug. "I'm not sure exactly where, but a quick scan of every computer in this building should identify the culprit."
"Are you sure they just aren't diverting the information to throw you off track?" Tamika asked.
"Naturally, that was my first thought." Kazari nodded in agreement. "I traced it back and discovered a fake trail leading out of the building. The reason I say it was fake is because no information was actually being sent. Whoever initiated the attack is in this building. I think they discovered me though. They disconnected their computer, but they were definitely here. We can monitor who leaves the building, right?"
"We can and do." Kiemon agreed. He turned to another guy. "Get the building on lockdown. I'll…" He was interrupted by a phone on his desk ringing. "…answer the phone. Who is it this time!?" He picked up the phone and his face turned from furious to stern as whomever on the other end told him something.
"Nice work, newbie." Tamika told Kazari with a laugh. "Pulling your weight already."
"I just did what I could." Kazari muttered, blushing slightly. "Still, the person who did this wasn't some random hacker. They were skilled and were able to detect my attempts at locating them."
"The fact you caught them will-…"
"Attention!" Kiemon interrupted them. "The attack right now wasn't from an external source." Hushed murmuring broke out at this. "Instead, it was a periodic test from some of the higher ups to make sure we are remaining vigilant in our duties." He turned to Kazari. "It seems they decided to notify us once we tracked them here to prevent a mole hunt." He rubbed his chin. "Ebina, put her to work. We have a lot to catch up on."
"Will do." Tamika turned toward Kazari, a wicked grin on her face. "I hope you prepared yourself."
Kazari gulped.
"Really, sensei?" Yuiitsu asked. "I can't believe you personally set up the attack. Is that girl so important?"
"If I didn't, young Uiharu-san would be placed at mediocre level tasks." Noukan explained, his robotic arms lighting a cigar. "Her skill will be needed for some of my designs. Yet nothing can be done until we fix the flaws in our security."
"Don't buy more chickens killed by a fox until you fix the hole in the coop?"
"A very simple way to put it, but yes. I'm also a little unnerved at how fast she was able to locate my attack. It wasn't designed to be a secret, but tracing it back to this building was impressive in its own right. She will have to be monitored to ensure temptation does not cause her eyes to wander."
"I knew that girl was skilled." Yuiitsu muttered. "But I thought her employment here was simply to control him?"
"I would not assign anyone to an important task if they are not capable of it." Noukan replied sternly. "Between good and bad, that would be completely bad. No, this move killed two birds with one stone. He already knows he can't move as freely as he used to… well, not without help. Aleister wants him to do something specific. What that is, even I can't be sure."
"Guess I'll stay friendly with her." Yuiitsu shrugged. "Easier to manipulate pieces if they like you."
"I do need you to send word to Enshuu." Noukan added. "Depending on the next few days, I may need her to infiltrate a group of people."
"Oh? Are things beginning to heat up?"
"Aleister directed me to take care of Ricane while we use an Anti-Skill raid as a distraction." Noukan paused for a minute to puff on his cigar. "Even if he is a Kihara, we don't allow anyone to stand in the way of our plans."
"That's sensei for you." Yuiitsu said with glee. "No one is more Kihara-like than you. I'll let Enshuu know to be ready."
"Hamazura is coming tomorrow." Touma told Motoharu. "He sounded like he was grateful for the invite, so glad I could help him."
"Isn't he Mugino-san's friend?" Touma nodded and Motoharu laughed. "No wonder he needs a break. Imagine spending all of your free time with her and her friends."
"Mugino's not that bad." Touma muttered, defending her.
"Oh?" Motoharu lowered his shades. "That sounds like their might be something more between you two."
"Don't be retarded." Touma growled and punched him in the shoulder. "Okay, now that everything is over, who's driving this limo? It was bothering me all day."
"I guess we can tell you." Motoharu relented with a snicker. "Go ahead." The dark winder bone between the back and the front lowered to reveal a female with blonde hair. She looked up at the rearview mirror, smiled, and waved.
It was Oriana Thomson.
"Thom-…onee-san." Touma fixed his words immediately after seeing her eyes narrow. "I knew you were still in the city, but why…?"
"I have to rent an apartment." Oriana said reasonable. "And to pay for one, I needed a job. I've mostly been shuttling wealthy people around and then your friend contacted me. Offered a pretty price for my services so I couldn't refuse. Now, here we are."
"How have you been?" Touma asked. "Thanks for helping us with Last Order that last time."
"Pretty boring." Oriana said with a yawn. "Couple things I've been asked to follow up on, but nothing you need to concern yourself with."
Touma really didn't like the way she said that.
"Here we are!" She declared suddenly, pulling up in front of Touma's new living quarters. "I'll stop by and visit you sometimes, okay cutie?"
She winked at him as Touma blushed and distracted himself with opening the door.
"Don't forget, cutie!" Motoharu called out and Touma felt a little vomit in the back of his throat at his friend's sarcasm. "After school tomorrow, guys night. Do not bring any of your girlfriends!"
Touma made a rude gesture at him before the door slammed and they drove off. He grudgingly made the track up to room and opened the door.
"Dog's making a break for it!"
"Sphinx is running towards your room, Misaka reports anxiously."
"Lover Boy's back!"
"Touma-…EEK!" A tan blur disappeared towards the bathroom, but not before Touma saw enough to know it was Index.
Without clothes.
"What's going on here!?" He asked loudly, covering his eyes with his hand. His ears were burning and he was hoping he could avoid getting bitten when Index returned.
"We have a couple guests-…," Itsuwa started to explained.
"He knows who we are." A lofty voice declared, as Leivinia walked in, rubbing the side of her head.
"Birdway?!" Touma gasped at her as she grinned at him.
"Close your mouth." Leivinia rolled her eyes, but looked please with herself. "I know how happy you are to see me, but keep it civil." She plopped herself down on the couch. "I see you've upgraded. About time. Though, I'm not sure how you live with a slut like her." She jabbed a thumb at Lessar.
"Better than a dominatrix." Lessar replied and stuck out her tongue. "Unless you like that stuff, Lover Boy. I could totally be one for you."
"See, slut."
"Prude!"
"Have they been like this all day?" Touma asked Itsuwa.
"They have." She confirmed with a sigh. "I can't tell if they are being serious or not, but it is getting a little irritating. Index and her friend are giving their cats a bath… as much as that can be said. Those poor things do not like water."
"…pet cats?" The words he heard earlier flashed in his mind. "Imouto's here?"
"Misaka-san's sister, yes." Itsuwa rubbed her chin. "I think it's going to get a little confusing calling her Misaka-san too."
"Hello, Misaka greets somewhat bashfully." Imouto stopped out from the bathroom and approached Touma, a wet squirming Sphinx sprinting out past her. "Misaka hopes she isn't being a bother."
"You aren't being a bother." Touma reassured her, looking away.
"Then why are you diverting your eyes from Misaka? Misaka demands, confused and a little irritated." She tilted her head as she said this.
"Because…why are you wearing a swimsuit!?" Touma replied finally looking at her.
Imouto's head tilted a little more at his words. The swimsuit she was wearing was a school one and Touma had no idea where she got it. It was the typical full body blue and white one that, when wet, clung tightly to Imouto's body, revealing her outline. Touma was fortunate enough to have seen enough swimsuits to not panic. Nonetheless it was a little surprising to suddenly come back to his room and witness it.
Without her goggles, she looks just like Mikoto.
His eyes lowered on her body for a moment.
"Dog and Sphinx got into a bag of flour, Misaka reports. Index suggested we give them a bath and Misaka agreed to her request. Itsuwa was occupying the kitchen, so we were forced to use the bathroom. It was suggested Misaka changed so Misaka's clothes would not get wet. Julunggul-san and Lessar suggested Misaka wear a swimsuit because, not only would it be fine in water, but the Savior would appreciate the view when he returned." Imouto looked away to the wall. "Even Misaka will get embarrassed if you keep staring, Misaka adds, her face reddening out of embarrassment."
"I wasn't staring!" Touma protested. "And you aren't blushing! You're smiling instead." He rounded on Lessar. "And why are you telling her things like that?!" he demanded.
"Because Sparky Junior will do it." Lessar replied unabashed. "And your reaction is hilarious."
"We don't need another you!"
"Is one of me enough?" Lessar asked curiously. "Aww, I knew you cared. I'll take care of you tonight for that compliment."
"You know darn well that's not what I meant."
"She's such a thot." Leivinia commented and Lessar rounded on her.
"Least my body's developed. You're still as flat as a washboard."
"Do you want to die, whore?"
"Bring it, pettanko!"
"Enough!" The murderous intent that washed over the two caused them to freeze. Touma turned wide-eyed to the source. Itsuwa was standing in the kitchen, a knife in one hand and an onion in the other. "You two have been arguing for too long. Kamijou-kun just got back and he is probably tired. Fighting is not going to help him relax." She brandished her knife at the two. "Both of you are guests here, so you need to act it."
"Wow," Touma muttered. Itsuwa realized he was staring, apologized under her breath for her outburst and turn away from him.
"Remind Misaka not to anger that girl, Misaka mutters." Imouto had scooted over to him.
"Yeah."
"Fine." Leivinia and Lessar huffed, crossing their arms and turning away from each other.
"Not that I'm not happy to see you both." Touma said to Leivinia and Imouto. "I'm just kind of surprised you're here, Birdway. I thought you had to do something in England?"
"Finished up faster than I thought." Leivinia replied, waving her hand dismissively. "Then I decided to come here where the actions is. Eve hasn't made any big movements recently, which means something is about to happen. A few other groups are beginning to move too, which I heard you encountered."
"She pressed me for updates of what was happening." Itsuwa added. "I told her about GREMLIN."
"So, naturally, I needed a place to stay for now." Leivinia continued. "It was so nice of you to volunteer to put me up until I'm ready to leave."
"I did?" Touma asked confused.
"You did." Her eyes narrowed. "Unless you wish to say otherwise?"
Her hand twilled her wand in her hand to indicate what was going to happen if he refused.
"Nope, feel free to walk all over this Kamijou's hospitality."
"I plan to."
"You know you like to be surrounded by girls and can't say no." Lessar added, amused. Touma sighed at their responses and turned to Imouto.
"What about you?"
"Misaka is… in a tight spot, Misaka replies, struggling to find the right words. Due to recent actions on her part, she needs to lay low or risk the displeasure of… others."
"What did you do?" Touma asked exasperatedly.
"Nothing, Misaka lies as she diverts her eyes." Touma rubbed his head.
"I'm not going to throw you out if you're in trouble." He relented. "But… living here is kind of complicated due to another… guest would be the best way to put it."
"You mean the magic god sleeping in the other room?" Leivinia asked sarcastically. "The Amakusa girl told me that almost immediately." She looked at him in a combination of exasperation, irritation, and a little amusement. "You convinced a magic god to come back with you to Japan?"
"I didn't convince Julunggul of anything!" Touma protested. "She just showed up, blew up my old dorm, and randomly messes with me throughout the day!" He took a deep breath to calm down. "So wait, she's sleeping? Magic gods actually sleep?"
"The whore and I-…"
"Bitch!"
"-…talked about it with the information we received from Itsuwa and Index." Leivinia continued uninterruptedly, with a smug look on her face. Using Itsuwa's actual name was probably also a direct slap at Lessar. "From what I understand, the shard you destroyed in Australia was a source of her power; which I think you already know." Touma nodded. "Being an Aboriginal Deity, her original location was Australia. The shard was a connection to a lot more than just magical power. It also allowed her to leave the sacred ground of the continent and maintain her powers. Using her powers outside of Australia is probably pretty taxing, so she needs to rest often. From what you just said, she's not around you all the time."
"No, she sort of just shows up." Touma admitted. "I figured she was timing it for maximum effect."
"She might have." Itsuwa told him. "But we doubt she can stay active all day. I suppose a supply of mana from sources relating to her primary purpose allows her to recover. Simply sleeping shouldn't be able to recover a magic god's power so quickly."
"Mana from her purposes?" Touma asked.
"She's a fertility goddess that leads boys into adulthood." Lessar reminded him with a huge grin on her face. "In a city of mostly students, what do you think is her primary power source?"
"Oh."
He really didn't need any more details on the subject. The only one to look confused was Imouto and he could only tell that because she tilted her head. Leivinia had a smug look on her face and Itsuwa had turned bright red. Lessar was not helping the situation either.
All she did was make suggestive gestures with her hands.
"Misaka doesn't believe in gods without evidence, Misaka states neutrally. Based on the discussion here, Misaka believes what you call a magic god is an individual highly proficient in your art of magic."
"That would be accurate." Itsuwa confirmed.
"Unlike Short-Hair, this cool beauty here can understand magic." Index interrupted and stepped out from the bathroom, now fully clothed. "She keeps thinking magic is the same as your abilities just developed in a different way." Her eyes suddenly narrowed at Touma. "Did you see anything?!" She demanded.
"No." Touma replied looking away.
"Look me in the eyes and swear on the Holy Father you didn't see anything." Index demanded.
"I didn't see anything."
"You aren't looking me in the eyes!" Index's teeth flashed and she pounced.
"Ahhh!"
"You two seem to be having fun, Misaka comments."
"They sure are." Lessar agree with a laugh.
"How about some help?!" Touma asked.
"Nah, you got yourself into this." Leivinia leaned back on the couch and enjoyed the show.
It took a few minutes for Touma to get Index off him. Itsuwa was the only one being helpful and used food to persuade her into letting go. Touma apologized and tried to point out he wasn't to blame. Index was having none of it and Touma knew firsthand how a guy walking in on a girl was always the guy's fault. Life wasn't fair like that, but people get used to it. Once Index had finally been appeased, he figured now was as good of time as any to discuss something with Imouto. He pulled her to the side after Lessar and Leivinia started arguing again.
"Mikoto and I talked about how to explain you to her friends now that Ruiko knows about you." Touma whispered.
"What is the story of Misaka's existence? Misaka asks curiously. Misaka will do her best to stay faithful to it."
"You are Mikoto's twin sister." Touma explained. "But because of the level differences you went to a separate school. It's probably best for you and her to discuss this in greater detail before we introduce you to the others. Ruiko promised not to say anything until Mikoto makes the first move."
"Well onee-san is Misaka's older sister, Misaka states plainly. But Misaka will abide by the saviors wishes. Do you know when onee-san plans to introduce Misaka?"
"No, but that leads me to another thing we need to discuss." Touma scratched the back of his head. "You need a name."
"Misaka's name is Misaka, Misaka states, confused at the savior's forgetfulness."
"I mean a first name," Touma amended. "Misaka is the family name."
"Hmm, Misaka considers, understanding your point. How about 10032?"
"People don't usually have numbers as a name."
"Mikoto? Misaka asks."
"We are trying to have you be a separate person from her."
"Mikoto-1?"
"Now you're doing this on purpose."
"A little, Misaka admits with a small smile to indicate her teasing."
"When did you learn this attitude?" Touma asked, exasperated. "When we first met, you never teased me."
"Misaka has begun to meet a wide range of people, Misaka admits. All the Sisters have. This is what you wished for, was it not?" She looked at him closely and he nodded.
"Yeah." He admitted. "For you all to be your own person. Guess I can't complain if teasing me is part of that. I really should be used to it by now. Heh." He grinned at her. "But in all seriousness, you need a first name. It's going to be confusing for our friends."
"Hmm, Misaka considers seriously this time. How about… Kyoka?" It was perhaps a good thing she was not uploading to the Misaka Network. If the other Sisters found out she developed a first name with Touma, even Worst wasn't going to get off scot-free from the amount of animosity that would generate.
"I like it." Touma agreed and gave her a thumbs up. "It suits you." A faint blush appeared on Imouto's cheeks. "Now I need to get Birdway and Lessar to stop fighting."
"Misaka suggests threatening them with no supper, Misaka suggests, seriously annoyed at their yelling."
Before Touma could agree wholeheartedly with her statement, someone else entered the room to make the entire point moot.
"What iss with all that sshouting?" Julunggul asked with a yawn, rubbing her eye. She barely had anything on, but Touma was glad there was at least a little bit of cloth covering her body. Before anyone could answer, she sniffed the air. "And what ssmellss sso good?"
"Dinner will be finished in about twenty minutes." Itsuwa reported.
"No… not that?" Julunggul stepped forward and continued sniffing, ignoring everyone's eyes on her. Her eyes fell on Touma's school bag, the one he dropped near the door with all the excitement. She grinned and picked it up. Touma's blood ran cold when she held up a few letters. "Quite a few love letterss here. Was your day at the girlss' sschool rewarding? You really have a way with younger girlss, yess?"
Touma could feel the other girl's eyes shift onto him.
"Not that I care either way." Julunggul added and stretched. "Your choice iss your choice. I hope you don't throw their feelingss in the trassh and take the time to ansswer." Her eyes flickered to Leivinia and Imouto. "Two new girlss too. Well, ass long ass they follow the one housse rule, I don't mind. Let me know if you need a bigger bed."
"House rule?" Leivinia asked. "What house rule?"
"All ressidentss musst ssleep in the bed provided. No exceptionss."
The silence lengthened for a moment.
"Misaka doesn't mind, Misaka says quickly in excitement. This wouldn't be the first time."
"It wouldn't?" Index asked and her eyes narrowed at Touma.
"We shared a bed in Australia." Leivinia explained. "He didn't want to sleep alone."
"That's a lie and you know it!" Touma tried to defend himself under the eyes of Itsuwa and Index.
"He virtually begged us." Lessar added. Touma looked toward Imouto for help.
"Misaka's memory is fuzzy on the incident in question, Misaka lies, trying to remain neutral."
"That's not neutral at all!" Touma declared. "You are all a bad influence on her!"
"I guess it's fine." Leivinia finally said. "It's not like I'm looking forward to it, but he makes a great pillow."
Touma just gave up at this point. Anyone who wanted to sleep in that bed was probably going to, so there was no use in arguing about it. Part of him did enjoy it, even if he wouldn't admit it.
Kazari sighed in relief when her shift ended for the day.
It wasn't like she didn't enjoy the work. She loved programming and pride filled her knowing she was helping the city like her friends did. Working with equipment that put her Judgment provided stuff to shame was just an added bonus. Even she couldn't type fast enough for her computer to lag behind. The thing was the amount of work assigned to her was never ending. As soon as she finished writing or checking one thing, another task was given to her immediately. The hacker attack had done at least one good thing for her. It put her on equal footing with the other employees. They no longer saw her as a kid, but a colleague.
Guess I take the good with the bad. She thought to herself as she packed away her things. She waved goodbye to Tamika, who was extremely helpful whenever Kazari had a question, and left. Phew, that was an experience. I never thought my first day at work would be so exciting. Saten-san is going to grill me for details and I can't wait to tell Jason and Shirai-san about it. She smiled and giggled. They are all going to be so impressed.
She was distracted by her own thoughts and was a little mentally tired from her work. So much so, that she wasn't even watching where she was going.
"Oomph!"
She accidentally collided into someone.
"I'm so sorry." Kazari apologized, scrambling to her feet. "I was distract-… Birdway-san?"
"Good to see you too, Uiharu-san." Patricia replied. Kazari offered a hand and helped her up to her feet.
"What are you doing here?" Kazari asked surprised, as the two begun to descend down the stairs.
"I had a meeting on one of the upper floors about the progress on one of my projects." Patricia explained. "And someone mentioned a girl my age was seen entering the building. I remembered you said you were starting today and wanted to say hi." She smiled. "As well as see how your first day went since it can be a little tough to adapt. Was everyone around you older?"
"They were." Kazari confirmed. "Thanks for coming to see me. It's nice to see someone my age after the craziness we went through. I can't say I dislike it though. It was fun, but tiring."
"Most of my research is frustrating or boring." Patricia said. "But when you finally make a breakthrough, the excitement far outstrips the boring parts. It sounds like for you, it's more doing what you love, but at someone else's speed."
"That's it exactly." Kazari chuckled. "I finally understand Jason's complaints about working for the city now a little better. Though, I haven't had a lot of paperwork to do like in Judgment. Shirai-san can't pass hers off to me." Patricia laughed loudly at this. "Are you enjoying Academy City? Sorry I haven't been in contact much besides a few messages."
"It's amazing!" Patricia exclaimed. "So much to see and learn everywhere I go." She patted Kazari on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I've been really busy lately and wouldn't be able to hang out anyways. I'm hoping everything will calm down in the next week or so and we should hang out then."
"That sounds fun. I'm sure the others will be happy to see you. Saten-san mentioned you haven't been around much."
"I'm also working nearby." Patricia added. "If you find yourself working long hours, we might be able to synchronize our breaks and talk."
"I would like that. Having someone my age to talk to about work seems like a great way to help ease the change in environment. I had a lot more freedom in Judgment. This job has a lot more structure."
"Academy City has a lot of people competing against each other for promotions." Patricia explained. "So everyone is trying to prove they deserve one. There are only so many positions available." They opened the door on the ground floor and stepped into the lobby.
"I'm not interested in that," Kazari said quickly. "I'm just happy I can help out."
"Heh." Patricia chuckled. "That's probably a good thing. Prevents some of the more childish adults from sabotaging you."
"Does that happen?" Kazari asked surprised. "That's so… juvenile."
"Not often but it does." She shrugged and noticed someone sitting on one of the few chairs in the lounge. "He might know more. Why not ask him?" Kazari turned to see a familiar face, dozing off in the chair.
"Jason?"
"I bet he wanted to see how your first day went." Patricia commented, stifling a giggle with her hand. Kazari couldn't prevent a giggle escaping either, before proceeding over to her boyfriend and poking him in the shoulder.
"..I'm up!" Jason jolted up to see the two girls laughing at him. "Oh, done already? I wasn't sure when you would finish."
"It's been almost three hours since I arrived." Kazari pointed out. "The sun is even beginning to set." She smiled as he held her hand. "Worried about me?"
"Nah." Jason dismissed her worry with a wave of his free hand. "I was worried I would find a bunch of adults crying because you showed them up so badly."
Kazari's eyes widened and she poked him in the side.
"Meanie."
"Truth is," Jason amended. "I figured you would want to talk about it." His eyes fell on Patricia. "And I bet you already have. Good to see you again. How are you?"
"I'm doing great." Patricia replied and beamed at him. "Yeah, we talked about it for a little bit, but I'm sure she wants to tell you more in detail." She elbowed Kazari in the side, whose face flushed slightly. "You two are a nice couple." She sighed. "I wish I could meet more people, but I've been so busy."
Kazari glanced up at Jason and raised an eyebrow. He replied with a shrug.
"Well," Jason began to say. "I know a few guys who aren't in a relationship. Most of them are… let's just say they won't be your type. The one nice guy you might like isn't technically in a relationship… but it's complicated." Kazari's eyes widened at this.
"Really?" She asked. "After you know the others are after him."
"I was just saying."
"I probably don't have time for a relationship." Patricia admitted. "Nonetheless, I would love to meet your friends sometime."
She wouldn't fall for Kamijou-san too, right? Kazari thought to herself, as the three of them left the building. Jason volunteered to walk to back to her dorm, which gave her ample time to talk about her day with him.
Shizuri had just settled down for the night and turned on the news when her phone rang.
Whoever's calling better have a damn good reason for interrupting me. She glanced down at the ID flashing on her device and her eyes narrowed. What's that bastard calling about?
"What do you want?"
"Is that how you treat a good friend?" Jason asked from the other end.
"You have three seconds to tell me why you called or I'm hanging up."
"I'm calling in my favor." Jason answered simply. "For the medicine I gave you before."
This piece of information caused Shizuri a moment's pause.
"Fine." She sat down on her couch and leaned back. "I suppose I can listen, but I won't promise anything until I hear what you want done."
"I know it's last minute," Jason said. "But I need your group to siege a research facility and acquire the data held there."
"Using me to steal you something?" Shizuri asked mockingly. "I didn't know you had it in you. A rival's facility? Someone who wronged you or you just plain don't like?"
"Regardless of what you think, this is an Anti-Skill operation over all." He corrected her. "However, our target is someone you know… or at least his inventions. Tonight, we are taking down Ricane."
Shizuri sat up in her seat. The modicum amount of interest she had in his request was replaced with her full attention.
"Details. Now."
"Anti-Skill is going to be sieging several locations of his around the city simultaneously." Jason explained. "I'm going to be part of that operation. However, one location is not on the list provided to them. That's where you come in. You see, I detected mana at this location, so it's probably the facility focused on the magic segment of his plans. Anti-Skill isn't suited for this task and you all have experience. I can't say if Ricane will be there or not, but if he is, we need him alive. I repeat, alive. If he's not there, get as much information as possible. We have a general idea of his plan, but there are still holes in what we know."
"And you want to send my team in because you know we can keep quiet." Shizuri took his silence as admittance. "Yet, you have little information on fortifications, number of targets, and exactly what information is being stored there. This sounds like a suicide run. Are you still pissed about Accelerator's and my accusations earlier?'
"Even though I'm calling in a favor, I am allowed to hire specialists to assist us." Jason said, ignoring her last sarcastic question. "You will be paid."
Shizuri's phone beeped and a number appeared as a text message.
It was a respectable amount, even for her.
"One facility?" She asked to clarify.
"You need to strike at exactly eleven pm." Jason elaborated. "We are striking everywhere simultaneously to prevent any warnings to other labs. Security will most likely contain automatic turrets, some of his machines, and possibly a few magical traps. Though, those are probably designed to be used against magicians, not ability users. Still, if you need back up, I can send someone. Capturing Ricane and getting that date is priority. The destruction of anything else is up to your discretion."
"You are giving us a lot of free reign." Shizuri commented.
"Shows you the importance of this. Can you do this?"
She hesitated for a moment. The opportunity to capture Ricane and possibly thwart Eve's plan was too good of an opportunity to pass up. The issue was she still didn't trust Jason. He hadn't done anything to her to warrant this suspicion, but he was in the right place too often. She was also inherently distrustful of the city in the first place, so his position didn't help with that. To help decide if she wanted to do this, she glanced at the clock. Eleven would give her enough time to grab everyone else and get to where they needed to be.
If I can get the data first, I should be able to copy it. He won't be able to hide the information if it's important.
"Okay." Shizuri relented at last. "But this is the only time I'm doing you a favor."
"Thanks a lot," Jason told her brightly. "I'll make sure to put a good word in for you to Touma." Shizuri's eyes narrowed in irritation, but she didn't threaten him for that remark. Though she would never admit it, his offer pleased her. "Information will be sent to you momentarily."
The line disconnected and Shizuri crossed her arms as she thought about what was coming.
About time the city starts moving against Ricane. She thought, as her phone buzzed indicating she received the information. Now to call the others and work out a plan of attack. Finally, a chance to get some of my questions answered. How exactly does this guy help with Eve's plan to get that gem?
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.
Remember, all mistakes are SilverFang88's fault. He wants me to do so much with limited time and constantly complains that Mikoto is around more than Shizuri. Nothing is good enough for him. We all know Misaki and Carissa are better choices than either of those two.
SF88: Fuck you Dark, you're filthy liar and you know it. Everyone knows that Mugino is easily the best girl of the three. Yes I didn't miscount, I said three, 'cause Kamikoto is shit; fight me.
On an unrelated note, does anyone else get the urge to do a one-shot with the Dorm Manager and Touma?
DB: If Shizuri is best girl, why is Carissa going to win in the end?