The screen flickered for a bit before the author appeared.
*Hey guys Hakuororfan7 here and welcome back to another chapter of Key to New Possibilities.*
*It has been a long time since I had updated this story, nearly 14 months in fact. Sorry for the long wait.*
*And even 2 years later this is still the only Kingdom Hearts and Toaru crossover. Still kind of surprising if you ask me, figured there would have been at least one other by now. Oh well.*
*Anyway in this chapter Roxas is still adjusting to Academy City while running into a few rough patches. While the rumor around him starting to grow and having another encounter with Touma and Misaka which I hope that you all will enjoy.*
*Now let's start the chapter shall we, but first the disclaimer.*
*First off I do not own Kingdom Hearts or the Toaru series.*
*Secondly just sit back, relax, maybe put some music on, and enjoy. I will see you all at the end of the chapter.*
The author snapped his fingers as the screen turned to static before the chapter begins.
Urban Legends
As he walked down the streets of Academy City Roxas stretched himself out as he stepped onto a less crowded side street.
It had been two days since he had arrived in Academy City, and he was still sleeping underneath that bridge. Still was much better than the ground back while he had left the Organization in Twilight Town.
After what happened with those two Espers the Nobody had been trying to keep a low profile while surveying the city. Given he still wore the Black Coat there were some who recognized him given that Asano's robbery had made the news that day.
For Roxas it was easy enough to find a way to slip away from the crowds and open a Corridor to another part of the city if he fealt the need to.
But Academy City was quite the massive place, bigger than perhaps the city on The World that Never Was minus the surrounding void. It would perhaps take him weeks to properly get a good feel of the geography of the city.
Minus that Roxas hadn't made much progress on what he had set out to do in Academy City.
His memories of his first time in the city hadn't returned, which Roxas had expected. Neither had he encountered anyone who seemed to know him from that time outside of urban rumors like Saten did.
Which was a given with how large Academy City was and how much time had passed, so Roxas wasn't expecting anything much on that front.
For the matter of Xion, not much progress their either.
He had no response from her at all since they had arrived at this world, but he could more or less feel that she was still there somewhere inside himself sometimes. Besides that he was starting to regaining some memories of her, mainly her introduction to the Organization and seeing her during his early days with them.
Nothing to show that they were friends yet like she and Vanitas had said yet, but considering how much of his memories the Organization were hiding. And might have also been a good thing considering they also said he had killed her.
Roxas knew he would probably have to face that memory sooner or later, but was dreading when he would do so.
Still he had no luck in trying to separate Xion from himself which the Nobody had expected, nor had he found a way to settle down on this world yet.
He had found no ligament way to yearn yen yet and was quit frugal with the yen he had managed to scrounge out so far. While he didn't need to eat or drink as much as a regular human could and the Organization's uniform didn't need to be washed or get dirty didn't mean that he himself couldn't neglect basic hygiene.
That and he needed to save up for new clothes and probably something to eat either later today before he starts to get hungry again.
Basically he would have to start all over again on this world.
At least this time he wasn't under the Organization's or DiZ's control. Still it will possibly be quite a while before he could settle down on this world…
The Nobody was broken from his musings when he heard what sounded like someone groaning in pain.
"That is seriously all the yen you got!" He heard somebody yell yet.
Roxas poked his head around a nearby alleyway and say two older teens holding a younger teen. One of the older teens pinning the younger one against the wall while the other one holding a fist towards him. Possibly students of the same school judging by their uniform.
"Your friends took most of what I had yesterday." The younger teen said, before grunting in pain as the older teen punched him in the gut.
Roxas sighed and shook his head as he began to approach them.
"When did you start to grow the spine to talk back to us. Perhaps I need to teach you a lesson." The older teen said with a grin, rearing back a fist.
Only to be knocked on his butt by a burst of wind.
"Who the hell-" The older teen tried to yell, but whatever he said died in his throat as he stared down a small sphere of light that was formed at the end of Roxas's hand. The other teen saw this and immediately let go at the younger teen.
All of them looking at the Nobody in surprise.
"I suggest that you both give him back his yen and leave." Roxas said coldly.
"Do you really think we will allow a punk Esper like you too interrupt our fun!" The other older teen yelled out, only to jump back and scream as the Nobody casted a silent Fire spell towards his feet.
"Believe me I can do a whole lot worse, but do you want test that out?" Roxas said, increasing the brightness of the light sphere as the two older teens started to stumble back.
One of them quickly took out his wallet and threw out a bunch of yen bills and coins on the ground before fleeing out of the alleyway.
The Nobody shook his head as he unleashed a silent Aero after them. All it did was blow a gentle wind towards the bullies, but it gave them an extra incentive to quicken their pace.
"Are you alright?" Roxas asked the younger teen as he was gathering the yen on the ground, and silently kept on guard.
The younger teen looked unassuming with his school uniform, grey-black hair, wire frame glasses, and headphones. Bit what had the Nobody on guard was what he had sensed from his heart.
The teens's heart was fairy weak and the balance was best described as shaky, but that was normal.
But what was not normal was the fact his heart held the exact same phenomenon Roxas had sensed from Yaegashi's and Asano's hearts the other day.
"I am fine…you actually stopped them." The teen said in a daze as he gathered the strewn about yen and placed it back in his wallet.
"I did, but they will be back so you should be careful. Seen enough people try to pull that stunt." Roxas said while shaking his head. Tapping the light sphere to dispel it.
"For weeks they and their friends would just gang up on me. Either for yen or to beat me up for fun. Even if I didn't give them yen they would still beat me up. I constantly need to change bandages daily just to cover up!" The teen growled out, getting Roxas to sigh as he felt his heart darken a bit.
"The you should probably tell someone, anyone about what has been going on." Roxas said as he began to walk past the teen.
"What, no comment about waiting for Judgement or Anti-Skill!" He growled out.
"I only just got to Academy City, so I can't really say anything about that." Roxas said, getting the teen to stumble and his heart to balance itself out again.
"Oh, fair enough I suppose…" The teen said, trying to regain his composure.
He hadn't expected that kind of response.
"Still I would suggest that you do at least tell someone you trust and stick with them. Bullies like them tend to avoid confrontation if your in a group." Roxas said as he picked a ¥500 coin off the ground and pocketed in his bag. Thinking of the false memories he held of Twilight Town.
While they might have been false, DiZ was a perfectionist with his virtual prison. So the Nobody supposed they held some merit for this kind of situation.
"I'll keep that in mind, still thank you." The teen said, getting Roxas to nod before he began to walk off.
"No problem." He said before continuing his walk.
Kaitabi Hatsuya looked at his rescuer for a brief moment before shaking his head.
He had only just gotten lucky today for the first time in weeks. Honestly his tormentors were lucky that he was still practicing with his powers and his rescuer had gotten to them first.
While he was thankful for the assistance, he had tried to before with no such luck. Especially from Judgement.
He was still going to continue with his plan…
Hatsuya was broken from his musings as one of the bullies shoulder checked him once he emerged from the alleyway. The other one standing behind him.
"You think that we were going to leave you alone after that punk left, well think again." He said with a grin. Before shrieking like a little girl as he jumped back from another fireball.
Something the Level 2 Esper enjoyed seeing.
Yet both he and his bullies were surprised to see a pillar of black flames at the alleyway's enterance. Seeing an arm sticking out of it, a fireball in hand as if to threaten the bullies.
"What the hell is that!" One of them shouted out.
"I don't know, but I don't want to find out what else that punk could do." The other one said before they looked back at Hatsuya.
Who was just smirking at them.
"You were saying." He said enjoying every moment.
One of the bullies looked between Hatsuya and the outstretched arm before frowning.
"Consider yourself lucky today Hatsuya, but I can promise it won't be the same tomorrow!" He shouted before he and his friend took off. The fireball dissipating before retreating into the pillar of black flames which vanished soon after.
"That we can agree on." Hatsuya said, silently thanking his rescuer before walking away. Slipping his headphones into his ears as he did so.
Given what his bully had said, it seemed like word would probably spread around and he would get a break from their torment today.
So he would use it just to relax for once while preparing to move onto the next stage of his plan.
"Some people just never learn." Roxas said while shaking his head while exiting the alleyway.
He looked around for a bit before silently blending into the crowd, continuing with surveying Academy City.
"No matter how much of an atmosphere you make, with a story like that…" Kuroko sighed out as Saten folded the black cloth they were previously under.
Currently she and her friends were at a table at Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant. They had met up to to talk about and share scary stories with each other, but both Kuroko and Mikasa put an end to end once Saten told them about the story of the Stripping Lady.
Both students of Tokiwadai Middle School finding the story ridiculous.
"Don't you think that it would be scary if you actually met her?" Saten asked before grinning. "The mysterious woman of urban legend, the Stripper Lady!"
"Not at all." Misaka huffed out while looking away.
Uiharu fiddled around in her bag, pulling out her laptop as Misaka continued.
"Though now that I think about it, wouldn't that make her some kind of pervert?" She asked, getting Saten to pout.
"Okay, how about this story?" Uiharu asked as she started up her laptop.
She placed it on the middle of the table and all four girls crowded around the screen to see a website about the urban legends of Academy City.
"Disaster strikes when the city's wind turbines rotate backwards!" Uiharu said with a smile.
"Don't stand between the school district's boundaries at 4:44 pm! Otherwise you'll wander into the illusive imaginary number school district!" Saten said excitedly.
"The Level Upper tool that increases your Level just by using it!" Uiharu said, matching her friend's enthusiasm.
Kuroko looked at them with a bored expression on her face before sighing and leaned back in her seat.
"You shouldn't be reading such pointless sites." She said.
"Besides we should not be bothering with urban legends, besides this is the Academy City after all." Misaka said in agreement before something on the screen caught her attention, leaning in a bit closer to get a better look.
"You have no sense of romance." Saten sighed out.
"And sometimes the rumors are actual occurrences that had been distorted." Uiharu added.
"Plus stuff like the man who can nullify all other abilities-" Saten said, with her and none of her other friends noticing Misaka's eyes widen as she noticed the same story on the website. "-and the boy in the black coat. Urban legends like that could only exist in Academy City right?"
To which Kuroko could only laugh at her words.
"There is no way an such an unbelievable ability like that could exist, right Sissy." She said to Misaka.
However the Level 5 Esper didn't respond for a few more moments before she realized all her friend's attention were on her. Misaka stood up and placed to place her hands on her hips, not looking any of them in the eye.
"T-That's right! If there was someone with such an ability existed, I'd want to try fighting him." Mikasa said before laughing, trying not to sound nervous. "Well if he existed anyway."
Both Kuroko and Saten stared at her for a moment while Uiharu just leaned back in her seat.
"Right, but you can not deny the boy in the black coat existing. Especially after what happened the other day." Saten said with a grin, getting Kuroko to sigh while Mikasa hurriedly sat back down.
"Unfortunately I have to since I glimpsed him and saw the footage." She admitted.
Even after seeing the footage and the accounts from Saten and Uiharu she still found it hard to believe.
"There have been sightings of him both from rumors and him stopping a few muggings in areas with high activity of Skill Out. Yet every time someone can confirm it he vanishes away into somewhere else." Uiharu added.
"And you two still think he is telling the truth?" Misaka asked.
"We do, he seemed more or less upfront with us from the start." Saten said with a shrug.
"But him being a Gemstone is just laughable." Kuroko said.
"He never admitted to being one, that's just what Saten believes him to be. But he clearly does prove that Dual Skill is possible to manifest in an Esper. Along with a whole lot of other questions." Uiharu said with a sigh as she began to shut down her laptop and put it away.
Ever since his appearance Roxas had raised quite a few questions. Where he come from and were did he get his abilities?
Where did he get his cloak that could withstand small caliber arms without a single scuff? Anti-Skill and people who just thought the coat was cool were mainly asking that.
How did he snap Fudoyama out of the trance Asano put him in immediately? The Judgement member he did the same thing too didn't snap out of it for an hour afterwards and there wasn't any traces of a foreign substance inside Fudoyama's body. It was mainly assumed to perhaps be another ability of his.
Why did he use two large keys as weapons? Just about everyone was confused on that reason as well.
Those were just a few questions being asked, but what he did show that day was that Dual Skill wasn't just a concept anymore. There was a Esper with recorded evidence of using Dual Skill and plenty of sights date for a period 10 months ago and have just resurfaced.
Researchers were still trying to figure that and if it could be replicated with more Espers, but with how Roxas kept slipping away that would prove difficult.
The urban legend surrounded him only continued to grow even more since that day due to his actions.
"Roxas still owes us some answers from the other and said as much, but it is difficult to find him." Saten said.
"I'm sure you will meet him again and he said so himself. Given the size of Academy City it is possible, just give it time. You'll be surprise." Misaka said, muttering the last part to herself before looking at her friends.
It seemed to placate both Uiharu and Saten and judging by Kuroko's reaction she hadn't heard either.
Still to Misaka it seemed like a number of strange occurrences have been occurring lately.
First that infuriating boy she keeps running into who won't give her a fight and now is supposedly someone who might be able to negate abilities, Espers such as Jufuku last week and Yaegashi and Asano the other day displaying that their abilities were much stronger or in Yaegashi's case suddenly developed an ability since the last evaluation, and now an urban legend shows up after ten months and is shown to be able to use Dual Skill in Roxas.
She had to wonder with these occurrences cropping up, what was going on in Academy City?
Naminé sighed from the park bench as she continued to draw into the blank notebook Riku had gotten her as she had left the previous one back in the manor in Twilight Town.
The Nobody had shuddered at the memories of that and at hearing what DiZ would have Riku done to her once Sora had awakened. She tried not to think about that incident at all as thinking that she would have been executed like that frightened her more than when she was held at Castle Oblivion.
Although she was at first hesitant to follow Riku when Roxas somehow found a way to escape the transfer within the depths of Sora's heart and fixing the memories of Castle Oblivion that had gotten tangled into Sora's own, it was definitely for the best.
Otherwise Naminé wasn't sure what would happen to her. Perhaps Riku would have saved her or DiZ would have come to get rid of her himself.
She was so glad that never came to pass.
Riku was still keeping an eye on Sora while she was trying to figure out which world that Academy City was located on through the Roxas's memories, his current memories. Since he came from Sora, her powers could affect him as well.
Though looking at the memories of how he escaped she could only described them at best was rusted but still sturdy to connect them. She could not view them, and her efforts to clean them up were so far fruitless. There was some success, it will be a while before could clean those links up.
And the less said about however he sealed his memories of the first time in Academy City was far better than anything she could do. Than again she was admittedly inexperienced at this, even after spending around 10 months fixing everyone's memories from what happened in Castle Oblivion. It will take her even more time to fix those links back into place, especially from this far away.
She could view the new links Roxas was forging from his memories in Academy City, but she didn't know where it was. The memory of the location eluded her and she couldn't open a Corridor to worlds that she had seen only in memories.
She could travel to the worlds that Riku had shown her too and she could even enter the World That Never Was as she was first brought there after being found Vexen. Though admittedly only the very outskirts of the world and it was too heavily guarded by Nobodies.
Naminé wasn't sure where Academy City was located so she could not open a Corridor to it even if she wanted to.
It's location was blacklisted by the Organization, something that Roxas never had access to so they had no idea where it was.
But Naminé and Riku knew someone who did.
The Nobody was broken from his musings as Riku emerged from a Corridor, sitting next to her with a sigh.
"Sora has made contact with the Organization, Axel wasn't among them. He has truly left the Organization than." Riku said, getting Naminé to nod as she put down her sketchbook.
"He hasn't come after Kairi yet either. It's only a matter of time now." Naminé sighed out.
Axel was the Organization's fixer, he would have known about such information incase a member decided to hide out after becoming a traitor. Riku wasn't risking going after any of the other members as they might try to go after Roxas himself after believing him to being merged back with Sora.
And it was highly likely Axel would come after Sora or Kairi if he believed that it will bring back Roxas.
He was their best lead for answers and it was there only creditable source for a location besides blindingly searching for the world. And there was an uncountable number of worlds out there.
The only other lead they could count on was Yen Sid and that had turned up nothing so far.
"So where are they going now?" Naminé asked, getting Riku to shrug his shoulders.
"According to Mickey either the Land of Dragons or Beast's Castle. Those worlds have the highest concentration of Heartless he could find that were the closest to Hollow Bastion. Well be checking the Land of Dragons first. The Organization's presence on Beast's Castle would make it difficult for us to be unnoticed by Xaldin there." Riku said, getting Naminé to nod.
"Do you think we can get some sea salt ice cream first?" She asked innocently, getting Riku to chuckle.
"I blame Roxas for getting you hooked on that. Fine better to get some as peace offerings than." Riku said, getting her to giggle.
"I think that would work on Roxas with anyone except you." Naminé said, getting Riku to huff as she had a point. "But he only cares about creating a new start and not on getting back at Sora."
Riku stared at her for a few moments before sighing.
"Perhaps you are right, but checking on him is the least I could do for him for dragging him into this mess. Yet not for going to basically kill himself for freeing Kingdom Hearts for Xion." Riku said, getting Naminé eyes to widen.
How…
"You remember her as well?" Naminé asked, getting Riku to nod.
"Only that she wanted me to prevent such an outcome and that she was his Replica. What about you?" Riku asked, getting her to shake her head.
"The same, except she was the reason it took so long to fix Sora's memories. Her very existence was a threat to both Sora and Roxas. She was willing to sacrifice herself and everyones memories of her to do so. No one should be able to remember her at all, but we do and so does Roxas. His memories of her are coming back." Naminé said, getting Riku to nod.
"Perhaps that is part of the reason he was able to escape the transfer process in the first place." Riku said before standing up and opening a Corridor. "Let's get that sea salt ice cream first before we can discuss that."
Naminé wanted to protest, but her face flushed in embarrassment when her stomach answered for her.
"Not one word." She said, getting Riku to shake his head with a smirk.
"Fine than, but have you come up with an answer yet." He asked, getting her to shake her head before picking up her sketch book.
"No and I probably will not know." Naminé said, getting Riku to sigh as he stood up.
"Take your time, it is not an easy choice. But at least there you can be safe there from Organization. If you had learned anything from Roxas the both of you can exist without being in Sora and Kairi." Riku said before he walked into the Corridor.
Naminé stared at him for a few moments before getting up and following after him as the Corridor closed behind them.
"I should be able to find to something to eat around her." Roxas said to himself, looking over and the various buildings around the street. He had continued the survey mainly uninterrupted for a good while before deciding to stop and look for somewhere to eat.
Better to get it done now before suffering the effects of being hungry later.
"Does anything look familiar to you? Any landmarks or something." Roxas heard a familiar voice coming from down the street he was on.
Looking towards the source and true to his senses it was the same teen he had accidentally collided with when he first arrived at Academy City.
Next to him was a woman who looked to be around his hight with brown eyes, long wavy brown hair, and large bags under her eyes which the Nobody could only guess were from exhaustion or lack of sleep. She wore a white long sleeved shirt, dark colored pencil skirt, and black shoes and stockings.
From what he could sense her heart was impressively strong and yet imbalanced in that it's light far outweighed the dark within.
Roxas had never really encountered a heart this imbalanced towards the light before, so it was quite curious to see.
"Landmarks…well, there was a crosswalk in front of it. I think?" The woman said, getting the boy to sigh as he placed his hand behind is next.
"A crosswalk isn't a landmark and there is quite a lot of them around here. There isn't much I can help here." He sighed before his eyes widened when he noticed Roxas. "You are that boy from the other day. You aren't busy are you? If not I do not want to impose and make you fo something that you don't want to do."
The Nobody pondered what to for a few moments before shrugging.
He honestly had nothing better to do and he could always grab something to eat later. Might as well give it a shot.
"I got nothing better to do, now what is going on?" Roxas asked as he walked up to the two.
"I'm looking for where I parked my car, but I can't seem to remember where I parked it." The woman said with a smile, getting Roxas to nod. He supposed that could help them with that.
Before feeling what he could describe as a constant static wash over him as he sensed a certain heart approach them.
Wasn't that-
"You!" Roxas's thoughts were broken by what he saw to be Saten's and Uiharu's friend from the other day. Shouting and glaring at the teen, getting him to stare her for a moment before waving.
"Hey, isn't it the Biribiri middle schooler!" Touma called out, angering her even further.
"It's not 'Birirbiri'! I'm Misaka Mikoto! And I am going to put an end to this once and for all!" Mikasa declared before pointing at Roxas. "And I'll get to you after I deal with him."
Roxas looked at her with a frown while wondering what he did to invoke such a reaction.
Touma just had a smile on his face.
"Meaning you are free at the moment?" Touma asked, to which Mikasa smirked and placed her hands on her hips.
"I've got all the time in the world." Misaka said proudly.
Roxas just widened his eyes as he began to pray to Kingdom Hearts this wasn't going where he think it is.
"In that case could you help him look for this lady's parking lot?" Touma asked, pointing to Roxas and the woman. The former of which groaned a little internally.
The teen was pulling a Demyx on the both of them.
Misaka's earlier bravado vanished once she also realized what he was trying to do and froze up.
"You know I would have just helped her out if you just asked without trying to pull something." Roxas stated while giving Touma a flat look.
"I agree with him, but why?" Misaka asked.
"There is somewhere else I have got to be now. The both of you have time, so it'll be cool right?" Touma said.
"Could have been up front with it." Roxas stated, not really caring about having to help the woman. Just that the teen nearly had to pull something like Demyx to do so.
"It's not cool!" Misaka said stomping her foot. "I'm not just going to brush me off like that!"
Roxas looked to see the woman fiddling with her shirt's collar as Misaka ranted at the teen. Before starting to fan herself and tugging at it.
"Are you alright?" Roxas asked her.
"It's is so hot out, don't you think so." The woman said, silencing Misaka and surprising all three of them by unbuttoning her shirt without any hesitation. Revealing a pink bra and a sizable chest as she stripped her shirt off and hung it on her arm.
Both Touma and Misaka recoiled back with their faces turning bright red while the Nobody just sighed as his face remained blank.
Inwardly cursing at DiZ for uploading and being to thorough on what he expected of a high schooler's education to be like while trapped in that accursed virtual prison.
Still Roxas certainly didn't expect for this kind of situation.
"W-What are you doing?" Misaka asked in shock and embarrassment.
"I've been walking in this blazing sun for quite a while now." The woman said as she raised her hand to shield her head from the sun. "I'm soaked in sweat."
Only to blink in surprise as she felt a cooling breeze across her body. Looking to see that it was coming from Roxas's outstretched hand. While he stepped away from here.
"Thank you." The woman said as Misaka stomped closer to Touma. While the Nobody just nodded.
"What's with this person!" She asked the teen.
"I don't know, I only just met this person!" Touma said before taking the shirt off the woman's arm. Holding it out infront of her while looking away. "Anyway please put your shirt on."
Honestly if Touma didn't suggest it, Roxas would have said something.
"That woman is being assulted!"
"He just stripped her shirt off!"
A pair of schoolgirls shouted out as Roxas cut off his magic and just sighed, glad that they didn't seem to notice him yet.
"No…" Touma said, before tossing the shirt to Misaka and running away. "It's all just a misunderstanding!"
Roxa just shook his head, better him than the Nobody. Also would probably teach him to trying and pull a Demyx on someone even if the intent was to help someone.
"Wait!" Misaka called out as she tried to run after him.
"Hey you." The woman called out, getting Misaka to stop in her tracks. "Running off with my shirt would be a bit of a bother for me."
Misaka looked at the woman, than at the shirt in her hands, and then at the crowd slowly building up around the three of them. Watching what going on.
Her face turned an atomic shade of red.
Why did he have to stick her with an exhibisionist!
"Anyway please put your clothes back on! We're being looked!" Misaka exclaimed feeling extremely flustered. "See they're looking! Hurry!"
Roxas just shook his head once again, wondering just what had he gotten himself into now.
A while later and after managing to get her shirt back on Roxas and Misaka were now sitting at a table outside of Seventh Mist. With said woman currently enjoying the shade as she was standing in front of a vending machine.
"What's with that person, stripping in front of people like that?" Misaka sighed out.
"Don't know, not the strangest thing I've ever seen that is for sure." Roxas said with a shrug.
Misaka just nodded before her eyes widened before inwardly groaning.
That woman could not be the Stripping Lady, there was no way it was her!
Besides she would rather not admit to Saten to encountering three possible urban legends at the same time…
Speaking of which.
"Both Saten and Uiharu have been looking for the answers you said that you would give them." Misaka asked, getting Roxas to think about it for a few moments before nodding.
"I think I did promise something like that. Haven't been able to sense them while I explored the city. That and I don't know anything about where they are, that and I don't have a phone to use anyway." Roxas said, getting Mikasa to nod at that.
That was fair enough she supposed, Academy City was massive and it was very easy to guess how he entered into it in the first place..
"Still did you really tell them the truth the other day, including that you are not an Esper?" Misaka asked pointedly, getting the Nobody to shake his head.
"Mostly, including that fact that I haven't undergone the Power Curriculum Program. Nor a Gemstone." Roxas said, getting Misaka's brow to twitch.
Inwardly though Roxas wondered if he did technically count as one by this world's standards? His magic was obviously ruled out, so perhaps his light counted as an Esper ability? He'll have to think about it later.
"So what are you than?" Misaka asked, to which Roxas just smiled.
"A Nobody." He said, getting her to internally growl as sparks surrounded her.
He was almost as irritating as that teen who kept calling her Biribiri!
"They are your best friends I take it, Saten and Uiharu?" Roxas asked as her sparks dissipated around her before giving the Nobody an inquisitive look.
"We are, what is it to you?" She asked as the Nobody raised his hands.
"Nothing at all, just I figured you were asking me about them cause you were worried about them. I would have done the same with my own under the same circumstances." Roxas said with a small smile.
Misaka thought about it for a few moments before nodding.
Figuring that he was right on that reguard and if he did try anything than she would have zapped him.
"Fair enough, but do you know that guy from earlier?" Misaka asked, thinking that maybe Roxas might have held some form of answer. If not than it was worth a shot.
Which it seemed that it was when he shook his head,
"No idea, this is the second time I have run into him. I accidentally bumped into him the first day I got here and knocked him to the ground. Left soon after helping him back up." Roxas said while shaking his head. "He seems nice enough with helping that woman, could have done without trying to trick us into helping instead."
"Believe me that is something I can completely agree with." Misaka said. "Thinking that he could help while trying to act cool."
Roxas didn't believe that the teen had been trying to act cool, but was genuinely trying to help the woman.
Misaka's phone began to ring from were she had laid it on the table, answering it as Roxas scooted back in his seat. It wasn't any of his business anyway.
No instead he began to focus on what he could sense from both the woman's and Mikasa's heart.
Well nothing had changed with either of their hearts in the time he had been with them.
For the woman's heart it was just that it seemed for the lack of a better term….familiar to him but Roxas couldn't just describe how. Maybe he had encountered her before or sensed her heart during his first time in Academy City? That was certainly a possibility yet the Nobody couldn't be too sure at the moment without his memories from then.
But for Misaka's heart what he could feel through the constant static surrounding it was best described as a series of small jolts of electricity going in every possible direction before returning later with nothing lost in between.
The process of which Roxas was so minute he wouldn't be able to sense if he hadn't been sitting next to Misaka for the past few minutes.
He or Sora had never sensed such an occurrence before in someone's heart and not to be suffering under some kind of effect. Although perhaps not as what he sensed was a complete unknown so he had no real idea on how it could work.
So Roxas was at least curious on how such a thing came to be. Yet given almost everyone especially a Nobody like him could truly grasp the inner workings of a heart, he doubted Misaka was even aware of it at all.
"Would the 'weird person' be me that you are talking about?" The woman said, breaking Roxas out of his thoughts to see her staring at Misaka who was on her phone.
Only for her to immediately hang up and started to chuckle nervously.
"O-Of course! Who say that about a stranger right?" Mikasa said nervously, hurriedly silencing her phone as it started to ring once again.
Roxas just shook his head as noticed the woman placed two cans in front of them before sitting across from them.
"A little thank you for the both of you helping me." The woman said.
"Thank you." Both Misaka and Roxas said at the same time, the former much more emotive than the later. Both reached for their drink, but Misaka instantly recoiled as soon as she touched it.
"Why a hot drink?" She said before picking up the drink again.
"Curry Soup. Never heard of that before." Roxas said as he read the label.
"Most people don't realize it, but a warm drink is better for you when it is hot. And there are things in curry spices that relieve fatigue and rejuvenate the body." The woman said with a smile.
"Really that is interesting." Roxas said, still studying the can.
"Well I understand where you are coming from." Misaka said, rolling the can between her hands before stopping. "But as hard as feelings go, I was thinks something cool would be nice."
"Feelings huh? I'd forgotten young girls make decision on such things." The woman said before turning to face Roxas as he opened his can. "Though it seems like you have no such issue."
"It wouldn't hurt to try it." He said with a shrug before taking a sip.
Before the Nobody broke into a coughing fit.
"Are you okay?" Mikasa asked as he began to regain his composure.
"I'm fine, was just unprepared for how spicy it was. Not really a big fan of anything really spicy." Roxas said, taking a small sip of the curry soup before putting it down. "By the way, we never got your name?"
"Harumi Kiyama. I am a researcher." Kayama said while crossing her legs.
"Really, what do you study?" Misaka asked curiously.
"I study cerebral physiology, more specifically the research on diffused AIM waves." She said with a smile.
"Isn't that the weak energies Espers release subconsciously. I believe that I heard it is what allows them to affect their surround environment." Roxas said, at least that was what he could dig up on the subject.
"That is correct. I am researching on how to harness and new applications of that power." Kiyama said with a smirk as Misaka blanched after drinking her curry soup.
It really was spicy, she probably shouldn't have had such a large gulp all at once.
Still what Kiyama said did interest her, and maybe could give her some answers.
"Does that mean that you know a lot about Esper powers in general?" Misaka asked.
"Is there something in particular you wish to know?" Kiyama said, getting her to nod.
"The ability to nullify all other Esper abilities. Can something like that actually exist?" She asked, getting Kiyama to think about it while Roxas leaned forward in his seat. The Nobody finding himself curious about an ability like that. Never really hearing anything like that before.
Kiyama thought about it for a few moments before nodding.
"As far as powers go there are many different kinds. Even if someone possessed the same type and Level of ability they could work on different variables. Can you describe an example of nullifying a power." Kiyama said.
Roxas noticed Misaka seemed a little embarrassed at the question.
"Being completely unharmed after being struck by high voltage electrical shocks and the like." She admitted as Roxas began to move away from her.
Misaka seemed a lot nicer than Larxene ever was to almost everyone, but as had glimpsed earlier was probably not worth the risk of triggering. Nor risking getting shocked.
"I see, could it be some lightning rod ability that could divert the shock?" Kiyama asked, getting Misaka to shake her head.
"Perhaps it could be some kind of nonconductive field emitted around them to prevent electricity from passing through." Roxas suggested, having seen something similar in some types of Heartless.
"Neither of them." Misaka sighed out. "Well while it does appear similar to what you described Roxas, it is sort of different from that kind of thing."
"Is this an aquantice of yours?" Kiyama asked after a moment of silence, catching the Tokiwadi Middle Schooler off guard.
"N-Not at all it's just an urban legend. I just happened to hear about it." Misaka tried to deny while waving her hands.
Both Roxas and Kiyama were not fooled at all. The researcher looked more amused than anything while the Nobody had a inkling on who it might be.
"Urban legends, so young people still talk about that kind of stuff?" Kiyama asked with a smile as she leaned forward.
"You could say they are popular right now. There are all kinds of them like the Boy in the Black Coat and the Stripper Lady…" Misaka said a little nervously, well aware she was sitting across from the source of those very rumors.
"I am aware of the former, but never heard of the Stripper Lady before." Kiyama said.
"No it's nothing really." Misaka tried to deny.
"Not quite, from my experience there is always a little truth to urban rumors." Roxas said, thinking about his time in the virtual Twilight Town. Guessing Kiyama was probably the source of the Stripping Lady rumors.
Misaka began to worry that Kiyama would figure that out herself before a young boy tripped right next to them. His ice cream landing on Kiyama's skirt.
"S-Sorry miss!" The boy hurried apologized as Kiyama stood up.
"It's alright, there is nothing to worry about." She said, with Misaka and Roxas watching in shock as she began to unzip her skirt. "It'll be fine if I can wash this quickly."
The boy and a young girl nearby began to blush as Kiyama took off her skirt.
Until Roxas got out of his seat and stood in front of Kiyama, guiding the young boy to his friend before handing him some yen bills.
"This for for another ice cream cone." Roxas said, getting both young kids to nod shakily.
"O-Okay, thank you." The boy said shakily before her ran off followed by the girl, there faces still aflame with embarrassment.
"I told you not to strip!" Misaka said exasperatedly.
"What? I have to clean my skirt somehow." Kiyama said, seeming without seeing the problem.
Misaka's face turned red and Roxas just sighed.
He probably shouldn't have agreed to help, but it was too late now.
A while later Roxas was at a restaurant inside of Seventh Mist, having ordered a sandwich to eat and iced water to wash away the taste of curry soup. It was good, but entirely too spicy for the Nobody.
He had yet to fully get rid of the after taste as well.
Misaka had hurriedly brought Kiyama to a restroom not far from where he was to clean off her skirt without the possibility of causing another scene like before.
Roxas stayed nearby, finally getting the chance to get something to eat like he had originally intended to in the first place.
Though now that he thought about it, he could easily slip away while they were in the restroom. Yet he decided against it.
He had already agreed to help Kiyama out and it would just look bad if he bailed out now. That and this would also give him a chance to explore more of Academy City while helping to find her parking spot.
Still he hoped that they could do so with Kiyama trying to strip again.
As he finished up his sandwich, the Nobody stiffened up and began to look around him.
Roxas couldn't see anything nor could he sense anything new in his surroundings he quickly began to look around before finding a spot to slip away. Walking over to that spot, he opened a Corridor at his feet and vanished into it.
Reappearing outside of a side entrance into Seventh Mist Roxas reentered the mall and walked back to the restaurant. Ducking behind into a crowd to see what appeared to be some students emerge from the restaurant before fanning out, one of them walking right past Roxas.
The Nobody let out a sigh of relief as he got out of the crowd.
So it would seem like somebody was watching him.
Probably cause of the rumors surrounding him as it appeared to just be a few curious students, but he was not going to leave that up to chance incase they held any other intentions.
As he was about to head out to the mall and wait for Misaka and Kiyama, before the power in the mall suddenly went out.
Roxas had an idea on what caused it, but there was no way to be sure quite yet. He managed to slip past while everyone was still wondering what was going on towards where he could sense Kiyama and Misaka was.
The latter looking embarrassed while pushing the former out of the restroom.
"Come on let's go!" Misaka said, continuing to push Kiyama away before the researcher noticed Roxas.
"There you are, do you know what happened?" She asked, getting him to shake his head.
"No idea of what caused it, but the mall's generator is probably blown right now." Roxas said as he gave a pointed look at Misaka, getting her face to redden even more.
Kiyama just nodded at that and the three of them quickly exited the mall, the middle schooler refusing to meet either one of them in the eyes until she was sure Seventh Mist was right behind them.
"So do you remember where you parked your car now?" Misaka asked, trying to regain her composure and hoping Kiyama wouldn't pry about how the generator blew.
"Maybe, I think that it was over this way." Kiyama said, beginning to walk towards a parking lot down the street from Seventh Mist.
Once she was far enough away Roxas turned to face Misaka.
"So what that back there?" Roxas inquired, Misaka's face reddened and glared at the Nobody.
"I do not want to talk about it." She said, to which he just raised his hands.
"Fair enough." Roxas said before the two of them began to follow after Kiyama. "How about we just make sure nothing else happens to Kiyama until we find her car."
"I can agree to that." Misaka said, not wanting to deal with her stripping in public again.
"Hopefully it will be soon." Roxas sighed out as they caught up with Kiyama.
Sadly Roxas's statement proved false as it wasn't until the sun was starting to set that they found Kiyama's car. With Misaka wondering how could she forgot were she parked when her car was the only Lamborghini parked for several blocks!
At least they were able to prevent any other incidents with Kiyama stripping…although they were a few close calls.
The worst part was that she had parked around Seventh Mist, which they had to back track to several times before finding where Kiyama had parked her car.
"Thank you both for helping me find my car." Kiyama said as she started up her car.
"It was no problem." Roxas said, to which the researcher just nodded.
"Bye then." She said before driving off, Misaka waving at her.
"Take care!" Misaka said, lowering her arm and groaning once she was sure Kiyama was gone. "Seriously, who forgets which parking lot they used?"
"No idea." Roxas said stretching out as the two of them exited the parking lot. With him looking for somewhere to slip away.
"And you are just going to slip away." Misaka said while giving him a pointed look.
"Yup and I take it that you are going to look for that guy from earlier, the one who can negate abilities." Roxas said, getting Misaka to freeze in her tracks.
"That is not what I was going to do." She denied heatedly.
"Figured it out when you asked Kiyama about it, that and how you wished to fight him. Could honestly care less about your interest in that, but if you do please give him a piece of my mind." Roxas said, getting Misaka to glare at the Nobody for a moment. Sparking briefly before dispersing.
"Already was planning on it if I did encounter him, I'll be sure to up the voltage a little." She said before shaking her head. "Have you even registered yet?"
"I have not." Roxas sighed out.
He doubted that he even could given being practically non existent in this world.
"Then I suggest that you better take care of that soon." Misaka said, getting the Nobody to nod before he found an alleyway coming up.
"I will, tell Saten and Uiharu that I said hi." Roxas said before he slipped into the alleyway. Before Misaka could say anything back, she noticed that he had slipped away.
"At least he didn't slip away earlier." Misaka sighed out as just began to walk away.
It had been a long day and if she encountered another urban legend today she was going to shock them. Finding Kiyama's car and making sure there wasn't a repeat of earlier wore her out even if Roxas helped out.
Right now she just wanted to get back to her dorm at Tokiwadai and go to bed, the only exception being if she encountered that teen from earlier. She was going to challenge him and this time he would not be getting away from her!
Roxas emerged into an alleyway not far from the bridge he was staying at, closing the corridor only to gag at a metallic scent filled the air. Looking around, the Nobody widened his eyes once he realized what it was.
Blood, there was a lot of dried blood staining this portion of the alleyway.
In fact the whole place looked torn up, with the walls cracked or cratered and riddled with bullets.
Yet even while looking through them, Roxas couldn't tell what happened as there was no trace of anything being embedded in the walls.
Whatever happened here he was certain that it was in the process of getting cleaned out.
"I need to get away from here." Roxas said as he opened a another Corridor of Darkness.
Whatever had happened here was too close to the bridge to risk staying there. He had already found a few other similar spots around his travels through Academy City. But Roxas never thought that he would have to leave the bridge so soon.
Better not to risk anything happening here before trying to figure out what happened.
Roxas began to walk towards the Corridor before noticing something glinting in the sunlight. He summoned Oblivion and noticed it half poking out the bottom of a dumpster.
He poked it with his Keyblade, revealing it to be a large piece of metal with the tip coated with dried blood.
The peice of metal Roxas had no idea what it was originally supposed to be, but that it was twisted and warped to a point from the blood stained tip.
Roxas stared at it for a moment before he could sense someone starting to approach the alleyway. Whatever happened here he could figure out later, right now he just needed to get away.
He dispelled Oblivion and coated himself in light, vanishing into the Corridor of Darkness which quickly closed soon afterwards.
"So she was the legendary Level 5, what an interesting girl." Kiyama said as she looked over the files on Mikasa. She leaned on her desk before clicking them away before looking for anything on Roxas.
Even with her clearance Kiyama knew that she wouldn't be able to find out everything. But what she did find…it truly shocked her.
"Roxas, no surname. Age: estimated between 14-15. No family, no Level recorded, no previous education, no records of any kind." Kiyama said looking over the file, surprised at so little information she could find on him.
All that was on his file was a picture, his Esper ability being listed as Dual Skill, and mentions of being treated at a hospital in School District 7 dating back 10 months.
Even if this was all she could access, it was a surprise to see so little information on someone.
Unless he was possibly involved or connected in some form to the Darkside of Academy City.
Other than that, it was almost like he had never existed in the first place.
The screen flickered for a bit before the author reappeared.
*Hey guys Hakuorofan7 here and I hoped you all enjoyed this chapter.*
*Not much progress on Roxas's end as it has only been about two days since he had arrived onto this world, although it would seem like the rumors surrounding him continue to grow.*
*Along with encountering Touma and Misaka again along with Kiyama. For Touma he can tell that he wishes to help people, but not accepting of some of his methods like trying to con him like Demyx did. He is more or less neutral to the other two, even seeing through Misaka's denial. Then again as Kiyama stated Misaka usually reacts on her feelings while Roxas had to learn how to emote from scratch along with knowledge implanted from DiZ's Twilight Town. Than again it isn't to hard to see through her denial at time, but Roxas wouldn't hesitate at being blunt about it.*
*On the flip side she finds him somewhat irritating, but can get along after vetting that he doesn't mean to harm Uiharu and Saten in anyway. But is not afraid to zap him if she feels slighted.*
*That and she is starting to get an inkling that there maybe more going on in Academy City than she thought. With Kiyama gathering similar thoughts while trying to look for information about them.*
*On the matter of other worlds Riku and Naminé are keeping an eye on Sora while trying to find Academy City's location with Naminé using her connection and powers to keep an eye on him. While also using her connection to Kairi to keep an eye on incase Axel goes after her. While trying to remember more about Xion and Naminé making a choice on what she wants to do.*
*Finally I bet you can all guess what Roxas accidentally stumbled upon in the end…he made the right choice to book it when he did.*
*Anyway that should be all for now. But this time I will guarantee this will not be the last chapter of this story for the year so expect more to come soon.*
*Next chapter will be a short breather in which Roxas discovers the location of sea salt ice cream and runs into someone along the way. As I said a short breather before the Graviton Bombings. So I do hope that you all will enjoy the chapter when it comes out.*
*If you have any questions PM me or leave a review and I will get back to you when I can. So until next time ciao!*
The author waves goodbye as the screen fades to black.
