Quick thing: thanks, FlashDevil for favoriting! Thanks, Destati69 for favoriting and following! I'm very grateful for your support! Thanks, aqotoh16 for favoriting! I'm so happy to have you all along for the ride! Thanks, Reeves-san for following! It's great to have you here! Thanks, Dustinlemque for favoriting and following both this piece and A Certain Strange Scenario! Welcome aboard!
Without further ado, onto responses!
Anon: Jealous? Perhaps. That's one way to look at it. The answers will reveal themselves as things move along, I'm certain. PRANK would be pretty much done if Accelerator intervened, and they'd probably go into an indefinite hiatus following a sermon with a certain level zero.
321jaz: It was my pleasure, and it'll continue to be! Bloody Fist was the result of a quick brainstorming session. Mortal Kombat is arguably one of the most important video games, in regards to the industry's history. It was singlehandedly responsible for the creation of the ESRB rating system, after all! I didn't want to straight-up use Mortal Kombat, so I decided to create an in-universe series of fighting games that are similar, in concept at least. The more you know! Thank you for the compliment, I'm flattered.
That they did, and I'd have to agree; if the dorm supervisor had even so much as caught wind of their escapades, I'd have feared for the entire student body. The dorm supervisor is a force to be reckoned with.
We'll get into how Index and Othinus feel, respectively!
Like I said in my response to Anon, if a certain top dog learns of Worst's involvement, or if a certain level zero finds out that people are being pranked in the streets, stuff will go down, I'm sure of it! They do seem a little bit familiar, don't they?
Thank you for the quick tip; I'll make sure to do my best to put it into action. I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoyed chapter nineteen of A Certain Strange Scenario, and I hope you'll enjoy chapter three of Times Change, too!
Whwsms: I'm glad you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Funnily enough, even if I did promote it to M, it's against site rules to post explicit material, such as an extremely descriptive pornographic piece. Kind of goes against the purpose of having an M rating if you ask me, and, if I might inject my opinion, it feels like prudish censorship, but, hey. Can't complain too much. The lovely folks who keep this website running are fairly lenient, all things considered.
I hope to hear from you again soon, friend!
DarkBetrayer: T-thank you, DarkBetrayer-sensei! In all seriousness though, thank you. It means a lot. I intent to!
Geust: Nope, different game. Orders to Engage, another in-universe video game of my own creation was mentioned offhandedly in chapter eight of A Certain Strange Scenario.
I'd have to agree. Touma's great, but Misaki is great, too. I think they deserve one another. That makes three of us. Given Tokiwadai's (formerly) strict "no boys allowed" rule, and considering Touma's misfortune's love of creeping up on him at the worst of times, I think the two are lucky to be alive. The dorm supervisor is no laughing matter.
Let's jump right into chapter three!
October 8th, 2014. 7:15 PM.
The sun's vigil had come to an end. It was time for the great flame in the sky to bring its light to the other side of the world; the sun's lunar counterpart, earth's stalwart nighttime protector, its moon, came to fill the void. The darkening sky brought with it a beautiful sunset that many in Academy City looked up at, some alone, some with their families, or their lovers.
In stark contrast, a piercing, shrill cry of desperation broke the relative silence of the evening.
"Help me, rhinoceros beetle!"
In school district six, an ordinary high school girl fled on foot. She was clad in the light gray, almost silver uniform of Nagatenjouki Academy, though she silently bemoaned the fact that she hadn't changed into anything else while she had been at home; it was far from comfortable. Her short, dark brown hair bounced as her feet slapped against the sidewalk – the same sidewalk she had been running down for nearly fifteen agonizing minutes.
Koyanagi Reiko had spent the duration of her young life proving to the world that she would never be a damsel in distress. In middle school, she had violently slapped away any fool of a boy who dared to approach her. As a high schooler, little had changed. No bully dared to target her. Her reputation as an "Iron Wall Girl" alone was enough to stave off the would-be tormentors of Nagatenjouki Academy.
Yet, here she was, calling out for help. The individual who hunted Koyanagi Reiko was no schoolyard tormentor, nor were they a mere bully. The foe Reiko faced was a threat to her very life. The person who stalked Reiko was more akin to a monster; she was a terribly tall girl, who glared at the intimidated Koyanagi Reiko as if she were little more than an insect that needed to be crushed. Long, fluffy black hair fell to her back, the ends of which were dyed blonde. Reiko's foe wore a pair of tight-fitting, high waisted lavender leggings, which highlighted her body's impressive curves, a tight, fashionable lavender top which exposed her navel, a fashionable cropped denim jacket, and a pair of light blue boots which matched the color of her jacket.
This individual was known only as Move Control, the third ranked level four esper, and the strongest Equal Speed user in Academy City.
Move Control wasn't someone who relied solely on her ability; she swiftly caught up her prey, and, with a great thrust, slammed her fist square into Reiko's back. The air was forced from Reiko's lungs, her eyed widened, and she lost control over her body as the crippling pain and shock from the blow overtook her. Koyanagi Reiko tripped over her own feet and unceremoniously tumbled to the ground.
"So, this is all you've got? This is all of the force that you can possibly muster? My "boyfriend" is an incompetent fool, and he likely deserved it, and now I'm never going to hear the end of it; though you've provided me with yet another source of irritation in my life, trying to strike me is a much greater offense; an offense punishable by death. There's no going back, trash, and I won't forgive you!" Move Control roared.
"Move Control… I didn't know! I just thought he was some lame boy who was trying to hit on me! I did…" Reiko struggled to stammer. The words were becoming caught between her lips as they attempted to pass from her mouth.
"Hit on you? On YOU?!" Move Control tossed her head back and laughed hysterically, her eyes widening. Slowly, she began to laugh louder and louder, her fingers twitching as she did so. Then, as suddenly as it began, Move Control's laughter ceased, and she began to approach Koyanagi Reiko. Reiko squirmed, struggling to push herself away; she wanted to get back onto her feet and continue running, but her mind, paralyzed by fear, prevented her body from functioning properly.
In one quick motion, Move Control's neck jerked forwards, and her wide, psychotic eyes locked with Reiko's. "Don't big yourself up, trash! You'd be lucky if a guy fucked you and chucked you. Look at you; you don't have tits; your legs are a two out of ten at BEST, and… where's your ass? You don't have an ass! Guys like big asses! Not whatever undeveloped shit you've got going on!" Move Control shrieked.
Before Reiko had the chance to attempt to defend herself against Move Control's verbal onslaught, the third ranked level four esper reached into one of the pockets of her leggings. She dug her hand around inside of the pocket, and, seconds later, it emerged, clenched.
"Guess what I have in my hand, "Iron Wall Girl!" Move Control shouted. By this point, Move Control's behavior had attracted the attention of the older citizens of Academy City who were passing them by; they were allowed to walk the streets as they pleased, regardless of the time of day. Move Control didn't mind. In fact, she enjoyed their wide-eyed stares. She enjoyed the attention, and the exhilaration it brought.
"H… Help me, rhinoceros beetle!" Again, the girl who swore she'd never be a damsel in distress had become exactly that, and she hated herself for it.
Koyanagi Reiko rose up, her scraped legs shaking. She was putting her faith in what was little more than an urban legend, a fairy tail that had arisen when Academy City had been a much darker place. To Reiko, the worst part was, she knew it.
"You really believe that nonsense?" Move Control inquired, the contempt all too clear in her tone of voice. "You really are an idiot. You think the second ranked level five gives a shit about you? No. Nobody does, and, in the end, I'm doing you a favor, trash! Since you're evidently too mentally retarded to answer a simple question, I'll give you the answer!" Move Control opened her hand, and in it laid a small pile of sharpened plastic 'bullets'.
"Come one, come all! Gather 'round, bring your families, bring your friends! On this day, you'll get to see a magic trick. I'm going to make this trash disappear!" Move Control exclaimed. Neither knew it, but on wings of an unknown matter that didn't truly exist, a savior was near.
With her ability, Move Control tossed the dozen or so 'bullets' that had been in her palm into the air; they were sent flying outwards in a single cluster. There was no rhyme or reason to Move Control's attack; rather, the cluster was lazily hurled in the general director of her target.
Instincts took control, and Koyanagi Reiko feverishly stumbled aside, buckled flats dragging and scraping against the sidewalk. Reiko's legs felt like jelly, and she thought her heart might stop beating in her chest. Reiko was consumed by the cold sweat of dread as reality dawned on her; she just barely avoided being torn apart.
Move Control immediately released her gruesome ammunition; the plastic 'bullets' fell from the air and hit the ground, scattering every which way. Move Control ran, giggling as she descended deeper into her own psychotic detachment from reality, towards the mess, scooped a small handful up, and resumed her onslaught. It was a foolish move, perhaps, but Move Control sought to toy with her enemy. Move Control tossed a single 'bullet' into the air, and her ability went to work. The 'bullet' hastily began to move… but the third ranked level four esper's target wasn't where she had been moments before Move Control had turned away.
Instead, Koyanagi Reiko had closed the distance between herself and Move Control. She had come from the side; Reiko's hand closed, curling into a fist, as it neared the side of the face of Academy City's third strongest level four.
Move Control stepped aside, laughing like a deranged mad-woman, extended her leg, which the raging Koyanagi Reiko charged headlong into, too deep in her own anger to notice before it was all but too late. With a thud and a shriek of pain, once again, Reiko found herself on the ground. She groaned, and tried to push herself up.
"If I'm going to die… I want to die standing up. I don't want to die a damsel. I want to spit in Move Control's face before she destroys me."
Reiko's inner thoughts were suddenly silenced. Many things happened in a short span of time. First, there was the sound of wings beating against the air, followed by the sound of a soft thud. Move Control's shocked, sharp gasp, a sound that was beyond satisfying for Koyanagi Reiko to hear, soon followed.
"Enough." The strangely soothing voice said, quite empathetically; it calmed Reiko's shattered nerves almost instantly. The shift was deeply surprising, and even unnerving for the ordinary high school girl.
Koyanagi Reiko, despite the pain that came from doing so, rolled onto her back. At the sight of him, Reiko's heartrate rapidly increased, and she felt a mixed bag of different emotions forming inside of her. He was completely white; his skin, his shoulder-length hair, his clothing, all were as white as a blank sheet of unlined paper, with the exception of his eyes, whose irises were bright green. As Reiko looked into them, she felt safe. She felt like everything was going to be okay. The clothing upon his form consisted of a smooth, wrinkleless collared dress shirt, which was partly buttoned up, equally wrinkleless tight-fitting dress pants, and a pair of pointed dress shoes. He was tall, imposingly so, and just muscular enough to be attractive, in a way that Reiko found strange.
Move Control was stumbling backwards, shaking her head slowly and methodically, her eyes wide. Soon enough, however, she regained control. The third ranked level four handed the reigns to another emotion; anger.
"Hah… y-you're… the number two… the second strongest esper in all Academy City… K-Kakine… Teitoku… y-you would come to this trash's defense?! You'd protect this garbage?! You'd stand in my way? I bet…" Move Control began to giggle. Teitoku, the second ranked level five, merely looked at her with concern in his eyes.
"I bet you're scared. I'm on my way to becoming the ninth ranked level five! You're terrified that I'll climb the ranks! As I slaughter the rest of the trash, you're scared that you'll end up on my hit list, sooner or later!" Move Control shrieked, concluding her unhinged rant with a feral scream that caused Reiko to cover her ears. Kakine Teitoku looked on, unfazed. His six wings of Dark Matter silently retracted, and eventually disappeared into his back.
Move Control tossed a 'bullet' into the air, and with a shriek that sent any and all onlookers fleeing from her, which only upped her emotional high, the projectile was forcibly hurled forward by her ability. It surged forward on a crash course with the throat of Kakine Teitoku, who shifted in place.
"Maybe I'll just become the number two now, and skip the other trash! They're not worthy of being killed by me!" Move Control screamed.
The plastic 'bullet' spun as it travelled, and, in the blink of an eye, the projectile pierced the windpipe of Kakine Teitoku, carved through his neck and spine like a hot knife through butter, and exited on the other side.
For Move Control, there was one problem. Kakine Teitoku didn't die; he didn't falter, nor did he so much as gasp. He didn't even seem concerned with the fact that a gaping hole was present where his throat should've been. Move Control snarled like a rabid animal as Teitoku's body performed a swift regenerative procedure, closing the wound in seconds. Move Control was far from done; she forced the project to retrace its steps. It swiftly pierced the back of Teitoku's neck, and emerged from his throat. The third strongest level four in Academy City shrieked in frustration as Teitoku didn't so much as even wince as the wounds closed.
"Why are you doing this? What pushes you to act this way? Are you a remnant from days long passed? Was it you who called for me, in a moment of clarity?" Teitoku asked, sincerity in his tone of voice. The Dark Matter user looked to Koyanagi Reiko and raised an eyebrow. "Or was it you? Did you call for the rhinoceros beetle?"
"It was me… I did… I called for you, but I d-didn't expect you to actually answer…" Reiko spoke up.
"Shut up, trash! You have no right to even talk, your voice makes me sick! I'll kill you!" Move Control furiously exclaimed, body vibrating violently. Her legs shook the worst, as if they were about to collapse beneath the weight of her body. Move Control, suddenly poised to fire a 'bullet' at Reiko, had her ammunition knocked away; two long, lashing ribbons, made up of a nonexistent matter formed from Kakine Teitoku's arms, and batted Move Control's shaking hands.
Move Control violently snapped. The weak grip on what remained of her sanity was loosened, and her higher mind reeled. "Did you just fucking touch me?! Who do you think you are?! Who do you think I AM?! I don't care how strong you are! I'll rip you apart until nothing's left! You won't be able to regenerate from tiny little shreds, will you?! WILL YOU?!"
Kakine Teitoku looked to Koyanagi Reiko again, and the ordinary high school girl felt her heart beat faster than usual. "Go, you're safe now. I won't allow any harm to come to you or this girl. I'll save you both. I have to save you both."
Reiko fled as quickly as she could, screaming inside of her own head. Screaming how she hated herself, and how weak she was. Reiko screamed at herself for being a damsel, for having to be saved by a hero, for being dependant on everything and everyone around her. Reiko's feet slapped against the ground as warm, wet tears dripped down her face.
The third strongest level four esper had scavenged what she could with her shaking hands, and hurled a trio of 'bullets' at Kakine Teitoku. They tore through him, again and again, forced by Move Control's ability to slice back and forth as they carved through his white body. His sympathetic facial expression made Move Control even more furious.
"Even if you didn't call out for help, I'm going to save you; I'm going to end this tragedy before it begins." Kakine Teitoku said softly.
"Save me? You're welcome to try, but you won't brainwash me. You'll never change me! You'll never take away my chance at total domination! I've come this far, I've damned everyone I've ever loved, I've used and manipulated, I've crushed hearts, I've destroyed lives… and I love it!" Move Control shouted, increasing the speed of her bullets as they continued to rend Kakine Teitoku's body.
The loud, blaring sirens of Anti Skill's armored vehicles could be heard in the distance; it worried Kakine Teitoku more than anything. Six white wings of Dark Matter emerged from Teitoku's back. Each wing slapped the air, and before long, he took to the skies. Move Control's projectiles seemed to be incapable of homing in on him, though Move Control could adjust their trajectory without issue.
"I can't harm her, even if refusing to do so puts others in danger. Harming people is what "he" did. I will save them all."
"Don't run from me, you coward! I bet the Accelerator wouldn't run from me! It's really no wonder that you're only a second rate!" Move Control taunted.
Kakine Teitoku sighed. "I knew you reminded me of someone; I couldn't put a finger on who it was. Can you be saved, too? Can you walk the path of redemption? I wonder."
The sounds of the sirens were growing ever closer; from on high, Teitoku could see the flashing blue lights bathe school district six's streets in a strobing glow. Kakine Teitoku had to act, and fast. In his hands, a weapon formed of nonexistent matter materialized. Its shaft was long and straight, and its head was dull and round. Teitoku beat his wings, and dove towards Move Control.
Her projectiles tore through four of his six wings, though they reformed almost immediately. Teitoku thrust the weapon at her as gently as he could; Move Control leapt to one side and avoided the blow. Teitoku landed, wings of Dark Matter retreating into his back, and charged Move Control. The third ranked level four's ammunition returned, flying backwards towards Teitoku. He allowed them to rend his body; at least, that way, his foe's attention would more than likely remain entirely on him.
Move Control pulled her projectiles back to her, and let them fall into her open palm. "I might just be able to make use of these later. For now, if it's a one on one fight you want, I'll be happy to oblige!" She exclaimed. Move Control rushed to meet Teitoku; that took the number two ranked level five esper by surprise. As she closed the distance between herself and Teitoku, Move Control curled her hand into a fist. Teitoku thrust his weapon forwards; Move Control sidestepped it, and delivered a vicious right hook to Teitoku's face. Move Control laughed hysterically, followed the blow up with a left hook, another right, and was about to strike him with another left, when everything stopped.
There was a strange, invisible explosion. Move Control couldn't see it, nor could Teitoku, but he knew where it originated from, and he knew how far it would reach; his ability worked in strange ways, and he had absolute control over those ways. He knew its dimensions, and even if he couldn't visually see it, he could visualize it within his mind's eye. The strange explosion didn't harm Move Control; upon being struck, Move Control's wide, bloodshot eyes seemed to shrink back to their normal proportions. Her eyelids fluttered, and as Move Control stumbled, Kakine Teitoku wrapped her in two ribbons formed of a nonexistent matter; they pulled her barely-conscious form towards him, and in his arms Teitoku held her close.
"It's okay, now. You're safe. Be still, be silent, and sleep. Let yourself relax, and sleep. You'll awaken, body and mind unharmed. I hope this City finds for you the help you so desperately need."
Move Control's eyelids shut, and her lips, twisted into a scowl, began to relax into a neutral expression. Her furrowed brow relaxed as well.
As she fell into unconsciousness, Teitoku smiled warmly at Move Control. "All sorts of scary rumors spread through this city, but if you run across one of the scary people spoken of in those rumors, you just need to shout out as loudly as you can. Shout out, ''Help me, rhinoceros beetle!" If you do that, you will be all right. Academy City's number two level five, who uses Dark Matter will come. Someone named Kakine Teitoku will surely come to save you."
Anti Skill's armada of armored vehicles arrived; five enormous dark blue trucks, painted with seven thin white stripes across the center of each. As Anti Skill personnel, armed and ready for a heated battle emerged from the rear doors of each truck, Kakine Teitoku took his leave. He took the skies, and waited for the moment that another might call for him.
October 8th, 2014. 9:30 PM.
Last Order's loud, obnoxious music blared from her upstairs room; though it didn't shake the apartment, nor could their neighbors hear it, due to the soundproof materials used in the construction of most modern apartment complexes in Academy City, it was enough to drive Accelerator up the wall. "It's not even good music; the brats have shit taste! This is fucking garbage…" Accelerator grumbled aloud. The number one ranked esper in Academy City, luckily for all involved, hadn't been trying to sleep. Rather, he was trying to entertain himself with a dose of idiotic evening television. Two stupid-looking talk show hosts bantered back and forth about the latest rumors, publicity stunts, and celebrity muck-ups.
"What do you think about the rumor that Sogiita Gunha, the seventh strongest esper in all of our beautiful Academy City had his ASS handed to him by a lowly level zero, Four Dog? Give me your thoughts! Could this be the start of a feud? Are we looking at a civil war between one of the strongest and the weakest?!"
The host's words, at least his last words before passed the discussion to his cohost, had a surprising impact on Accelerator.
"Grit your teeth well, 'strongest' one! My 'weakest' attack might just shake you up a little!"
If those words had been uttered at any other time, by anyone else, Accelerator would've laughed. He would've laughed as the fool threw themselves against him, only to have their body broken; but Accelerator hadn't laughed on that night, not when the fist of a certain 'lowly level zero' connected with his face and changed everything.
"Sogiita Gunha? He's unlikely to hold a grudge – he's always seemed like the most agreeable of all the level fives, Don. I'm more impressed with the level zero mentioned in the rumor, if they exist! You know how easily misinformation can spread," Four Dog responded. The crowd that sat behind the camera which filmed the two hosts seemed to agree; they chuckled, and some clapped. Others hooted and hollered, perhaps attempting to be noticed or called out.
Before the hosts of the show could continue their exchange, Accelerator began skimming through channels. For some reason, he didn't feel like watching that program anymore. Accelerator flicked his choker, rose up, moved to the coffee table in front of him, and retrieved a can of black coffee. He pried it open, tilted his head back, and began to drink heartily. As the refreshing fluid splashed against his palette, Accelerator heard the door to he and his family's home open, and then shut. A giggling, grinning Misaka Worst, and a tired-looking Yamashita Junichi stepped into the television room.
"Brat number two, you're fucking late as usual." Accelerator chastised.
"Misaka called; Misaka can stay out as late as she wants, as long as she lets her worrywart of a tou-san know, remember? Silly tou-san's mind is going. Misaka's a woman, now; tou-san can't hold her back!" Worst exclaimed as she continued to giggle to herself.
"Whatever," Accelerator grumbled. He set his beverage down on the coffee table, leaned back on the couch, and flicked his choker off.
"Hey, Accelerator-san." Junichi said; despite the way he looked, Junichi seemed to be amused.
"What the fuck did the brat do to you? You look like shit." Accelerator commented. He looked Junichi up and down; something seemed off about him. His posture wasn't giving anything away, and his facial expressions betrayed only his fatigue and amusement; yet Accelerator could feel that something was different.
"Ah, nothing. It's sort of my fault, anyways… long story. I'm sure you've got better things to do than listen to me babble," the pyrokinesist responded.
"You're right about that, I have a million better things that I could be doing, but, as of this moment, I'm not doing a fucking thing; I have time." Accelerator stated.
"Worst just started shit at the cages. Zapped one of the machines, made it go haywire and shoot balls all over the place. Everyone had helmets, so nobody was seriously hurt, but one guy got pelted right in the family jewels. That scream…" Junichi lied.
"Misaka's going to go upstairs and change; tou-san, you're welcome to join Misaka, if you want," Worst announced, before she headed off, climbed the first few steps that lead to the second floor, and disappeared from sight.
Accelerator stared at the pyrokinesist for a few moments, crimson eyes sizing him up before he gave a nod of approval. Before he allowed himself to become lost in a new television program, Accelerator called out to Junichi.
"Wait until the brat gives you the "okay" if you plan on going up to her room. I hear about one "accidental pervert moment", and it'll be your fucking last. Do we understand one another?" Accelerator snarled. A chill went down Junichi's spine, but he didn't allow himself to show it.
"Of course; you don't just violate someone's personal space like that, regardless of their gender," The pyrokinesist replied. Accelerator seemed to approve, and he grunted to show it. Junichi offered Academy City's "top dog" a small wave to announce his departure.
Accelerator frowned. He was beginning to understand what the strange aura radiating from Yamashita Junichi was all about; he had felt similar auras before, produced by individuals who always had something to hide. "I don't know what those fucking brats are keeping from me. I'll make it a point to find out."
Having climbed the stairs to the second floor of Accelerator's home, Yamashita Junichi rapped on the door to Misaka Worst's room. "Hey, Worst, you in there?" The pyrokinesist inquired. No answer immediately came, and the pyrokinesist groaned. He immediately figured that he had more than likely found himself on the receiving end of Worst's "pranks" yet again.
Junichi gently hit his knuckles against the door a second time. "Worst, come on. If you're just gonna fuck with me, I'll go hit the bars or something."
"Misaka's door is unlocked; come in and see what Misaka has waiting for you for yourself!" Worst's reply came. It was a taunt, a temptation. A thousand different scenarios and ideas of what ill fate Worst had planned rushed through Junichi's mind, and the threat of being turned into mush by a furious Accelerator was all too real for him.
The thumping of the music that came from Last Order's room ceased, and, moments later, the door to her room opened. The (technically) elder sister of Misaka Worst offered Yamashita Junichi a warm smile. "Hello, Yamashita-san, MISAKA MISAKA says, offering a humble greeting to her sister's friend!" Last Order said.
"Hey, Last Order. What's good?" The pyrokinesist inquired, legitimately interested. He had always liked the polite, well-mannered and soft-spoken Last Order, moreover, Last Order didn't intimidate him anywhere near as much as Worst did; she was the same height as him, or close to it, unlike Worst, who stood at least a head taller.
"MISAKA's good! MISAKA was about to go and see Accelerator. MISAKA's getting kind of lonely, and the inferior unit likes to pull MISAKA's hair and poke MISAKA, so the inferior unit isn't a compatible source of companionship most times, MISAKA MISAKA says, explaining herself," Last Order responded.
"Yeah… Worst's a devil, isn't she? She wanted to hang out, and she's closed the door on me. She invited me in, but she said it in a really weird way. I really don't want to walk in and see something I shouldn't, y'know?" Junichi felt no heat rise to his face. He didn't feel awkward, nor did he keep any hidden, secret feelings to himself. He spoke with honesty, and Last Order seemed to pick up on this fact.
"Would you feel better if MISAKA goes in? MISAKA can expose the inferior unit's tomfoolery, MISAKA MISAKA says, offering Yamashita-san her assistance," Last Order offered.
"Buzz off, Control Tower! Go dry hump tou-san! Misaka has plans for her minion that don't involve you!" Worst exclaimed.
Last Order rolled her eyes and sighed. "MISAKA has a hard time putting up with the inferior unit sometimes. Sometimes, MISAKA just wants to strangle the inferior unit, MISAKA MISAKA exclaims, announcing her disapproval!"
The elder sister of Misaka Worst forced her way into her younger sister's room, and groaned.
"Yamashita-san, you're fine. The coast is clear, the inferior unit was toying with you, MISAKA MISAKA says, attempting to reassure Yamashita-san that he can enter the inferior unit's room," Last Order said as she stepped out from Worst's room. Last Order walked down the stairs, leaving Worst and Junichi to their own devices.
Yamashita Junichi, still cautious despite Last Order's reassurance, entered Worst's room. Worst herself had changed into a short-sleeved orange shirt and a pair of faded denim shorts, rolled up to her upper thighs. There wasn't a whole lot to be spoken of in Worst's room; it had the basic essentials; a large, luxurious, expensive-looking bed with a nightstand next to it, which had a lamp, multiple volumes of some perverted manga, and Worst's phone on it, a spacious looking walk-in closet, and, across from the closet, a small desk with both a desktop computer setup and a laptop sitting on it, the former of which had a wireless mouse and a wireless keyboard. In front of the desk, there was a large, expensive-looking office chair, made of thick, black leather and metal that shined beneath the ceiling light of Worst's room.
Worst's desktop setup was mostly white in coloration, with the exceptions of the mouse wheel and the letters on the keyboard's individual keys, which were black. Worst's laptop was compact, and, as it was closed, Junichi could only see the laptop's lid and bottom casing, which were black. The pyrokinesist had seen it open enough times to know that the keyboard and trackpad were red and black, with white letters on the keyboard's individual keys.
Misaka Worst stared intently at her desktop computer's flat screen monitor, lips curled into a sinister smirk. She clicked her mouse, dragged it across its mousepad, and clicked again.
"Worst? What the hell was up with you earlier?" Junichi inquired, one of his eyebrows raised quizzically.
"Misaka wanted to see if you'd have the courage to enter; Misaka wished to test your minion abilities. Misaka now finds herself doubting your skills," Worst replied. She didn't so much as move her head, or even her eyes away from her computer's screen. Curious, Junichi looked down at it; on Worst's screen was an image of the layout of school district seven's underground mall, along with a list of shops, and a legend for potential shoppers to refer to; a benign concept, but one far too easily exploitable. Perhaps, if he had been someone else, he would've wished that he hadn't. Perhaps he would've demanded to know what Worst was planning.
Instead, Junichi would press onwards, unfazed. "Don't you think the underground mall is a bit of a leap?" The pyrokinesist asked, voice hushed. "We only PRANKed three people, and I ended up getting hit with a damn bench."
"That was partly Misaka's fault; Misaka thought it would be funny, and Misaka thought correctly! Misaka has no regrets; but if Misaka and her minion are going to get serious, Misaka won't play around like that anymore," Worst stated.
Junichi leaned down next to Worst, as there was no other chair in the room for him to sit on, and looked closely at the screen before him. Worst's hand fell onto the top of the pyrokinest's head, and she stroked it, as if she were a supervillain stroking the fur of their overweight feline companion.
"Misaka has a few ideas, but we can't talk here; tou-san could be neaby, listening, because tou-san doesn't have anything better to do when he's not fucking Misaka's brains out," Worst explained.
"Worst… please? That's disgusting. I'd really rather not have that mental image. You're both my friends, and that's… man, that's too weird." The pyrokinesist's body shuddered. Worst felt the subtle movement against her palm, and her devious grin widened in response. He looked from left to right, and then left again, as if see if Accelerator had mysteriously teleported into the room, and rose up, leaving Worst's hand behind. "I have a few ideas of my own. Next time we chill, we'll swap 'em, see what's what and who's who."
"Misaka likes to see you putting work into this business relationship, minion. You've performed well enough today, and for that, Misaka will reward you."
Junichi looked at Worst quizzically, arms crossed. Then, it hit him. Quite literally; Worst chucked her desktop computer's mouse directly at his face; reluctant to use his ability to defend himself, Junichi was hit directly in the nose.
"What the actual… Worst, you goddamn cretin!" Junichi roared in pain, clutching his nose as he stumbled around the room, groaning in pain. Worst tossed her head back and laughed loudly, pointing at the spectacle before her as she kicked her legs.
October 8th, 2014. 8:32 PM.
The Kamijou family had decided to take the easy way out. Originally, Index had wanted fast food, but Misaki had objected, citing multiple studies suggesting that fast food was apparently the figurative and literal devil. Touma had found himself conflicted; he agreed that fast food was terrible for one's health, and he was well aware that Index ate it far too often, but at the same time, he loved to spoil the nun. Othinus was easy enough to please, at least in the food department.
In the end, a compromise had been reached; the Kamijou family would have pizza; once that compromise had been reached, however, a new conflict arose. What kind of pizza, and from where would they obtain it?
Index, who was sprawled out across the laps of both Kamijou Misaki and Kamijou Touma on the couch, raised her phone up. "Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant serve really good pizza… mmm… lookie here, they might even have specials! Let me check! But, oh, they don't deliver. That stinks. What kind of restaurant doesn't deliver?" the nun lamented.
"What about Giovanni's, in district four? We ordered from them last time, and, expensive or not, it was good stuff," Touma stated. He looked to Misaki, who looked back at her husband and offered him a smile.
"Should we ask Othinus? Where is Othinus, anyways?" Misaki inquired. The front door of Othinus' miniature mansion was left open, and Sphynx was laying in front of it, but wasn't facing it; if Othinus was inside, the elderly feline would've been pawing at and inside the door nonstop.
"Othinus? Oh, she figured out how to play Bloody Fist by herself. She's really good, even if she's not much bigger than the controller! She schooled me!" Index laughed. "I think she'll take whatever we give her, at this rate."
Touma and Misaki laughed along with Index at the thought of the former Magic God finding entertainment in a "foolish video game" designed for "slow-minded mortals".
"So? Giovanni's, or Joseph's? Any other ideas?" Touma asked; he didn't want to push his family, but his stomach was beginning to call out for attention.
"Joseph's is closer, and bussing isn't fun; it's lame… but not when you do it, Touma! You make the bus great for everyone!" Index exclaimed awkwardly. She rose up from her guardians' laps and stood on the carpeted floor, stretching her body as her arms reached for the ceiling.
"Joseph's is fine by me, baby." Misaki responded. "Index is right; it is late, and though public transit won't be crowded, I would much rather walk. The night is young, my prince; let us enjoy it!"
"Feeling adventurous?" Touma inquired, a grin forming on his face. "I could get the rest of the guys together, we could go sneak into the School Garden," Touma laughed, reminiscing. Misaki giggled, and though Index didn't seem to recall that particular adventure, she smiled nonetheless.
"Tonight has just been a regular old trip down memory lane, hasn't it?" Misaki said as she sighed contentedly.
"Hungry! Come on! I'll eat your head if we don't get going!" Index exclaimed. "Kidding, by the way. Kidding!"
"Let us see if Othinus would like to come, or would like us to bring something home for her, before we leave." Misaki suggested. All parties seemed to be in agreement, and so Misaki went on her way.
Misaki pushed open the door to Index's room; the ceiling light wasn't turned on, and the room was almost eerily, to Misaki at least, lit only by the glow of the television screen. Misaki stifled a gasp at what she saw playing out on the screen; The Palmtop Triceratops, a notoriously underpowered character in Bloody Fist's roster, being controlled by "P1", was decimating a CPU-controlled Draco the Knightbreaker. The bipedal, anthropomorphic dinosaur, clad in a light blue martial artist's outfit had nearly won the match. On the ground, a few feet away from the television screen, the arms of the fifteen-centimeter-tall Othinus lunged from one side of the console's controller to the other at blinding speeds.
"Othinus… how are you…?"
"Quiet, mortal! I need complete concentration! This foe will never conquer me!" Othinus exclaimed back at Misaki, not missing a single beat. Her left arm swung over to the left thumbstick, and her right to the "A" button.
Misaki emerged from her state of stunned silence, and moved her eyes away from the television screen; she couldn't help but chuckle softly at the behavior of both herself and that of the Former Magic God.
"Do you want to come with us? Touma, Index and I are going to Joseph's for dinner," Misaki offered.
"N-no… busy…" Othinus replied in a half-dazed state.
"Would you like us to bring something back for you, perhaps something in particular?"
At Othinus' command, the Palmtop Triceratops rammed the CPU-controlled Draco the Knightbreaker with his horns, causing blood, piles of internal organs, sometimes more than one organ of the same kind, and bones to fly from Draco's chest.
"I have a bag of the nun's chips. I'm set for the night. Shoo." Othinus commanded. Misaki shrugged indifferently and softly closed the door behind her.
As she emerged back into the living room of she and her family's home, Misaki saw that her husband and Index had already gotten suited up, or, at least, they slipped their shoes on, and were ready to go. Misaki smiled warmly at the two, slipped her own flats on, and offered her husband her hand. Touma quickly took it into his own. Their fingers interlocked, and, with his free right hand, Touma opened the door to their apartment. He motioned for Index to step out first, then followed behind her, his beloved soul mate in tow. Touma turned his key inside of both of the locks on the door, gave it a push, and then a tug to ensure that Othinus would be safe and sound, and the trio were off.
As the three stepped out from the entranceway of their apartment complex, a cool, refreshing breeze embraced them. The front of Misaki's bangs were gently blown about, and the bottom of Index's habit wagged ever so slightly. Touma deeply inhaled as his grip on his wife's hand tightened. Kamijou Touma was happy to be alive, after everything he had faced throughout his life. In this time of peace, not only in Academy City, but across the globe, Touma felt ecstatic.
The family, or at least, almost the entire family, walked silently, but happily. Still, Misaki wanted to talk with her husband. "So? I did not get the chance to speak with you when you got home from work. How was your day, my love?" Misaki inquired.
"Tiring, but satisfying, beautiful. Thanks for asking; we had a lot to get done in a pretty short amount of time; big shipment that was going out to, where did the foreman say it was? Let me think. There was a big shipment of, something, who knows what, going out to, uh… oh, district six! That's right!" Touma spoke, scratching his head awkwardly with his right hand.
"I could tell you were exhausted; ah, my hard-working husband…" Misaki said dreamily, smiling to herself as much as she was to her family. Index, who was periodically looking up from her phone giggled.
"You're both so cute when you get romantic like that, I love it!" Index exclaimed, blushing. "Never change, you two."
"I certainly don't plan on it," Touma responded, chuckling.
"Then, that makes two of us, my prince." Misaki stated. She leaned in and quickly pecked her husband on the cheek. Touma gently rubbed his thumb over the silky smooth skin of the top of Misaki's hand in response.
"What did you guys do today, I mean, aside from spending all our money on groceries?" Touma asked, laughing as he did so. Index jokingly pouted, and Misaki softly giggled. When her husband tried to be humorous, whether the end result was corny or not, Kamijou Misaki always found herself giggling at him. There was something that was so simple and natural about the charming nature of Kamijou Touma. He didn't even have to try; it just happened.
"Well, Othinus went about her business in her home for most of the morning, after she awoke. She wakes up very early, for someone who goes to sleep very late. Maybe one of us should talk with her about it? Though, I suppose she is not quite human. Perhaps she requires less sleep than us, or perhaps she simply sleeps to pass the time? I cannot say," Misaki began.
"I slept in – Misaki never woke me up! It's okay, though, it felt good. I got a text from Hyouka, but she must've sent it earlier in the morning. By the time I texted her back, she was busy again…" Index stated, with concern evident in her voice. For a moment, the nun gazed down at her phone awkwardly.
"Hyouka? How is she? Is Hyouka okay? She barely texts Misaki or me, and, man, it's been too long since she's come to visit. I hope she's alright," Touma said. Misaki looked to her husband, starry eyes looking into his own dark eyes.
"I am certain that Kazakiri-san is alright, baby. She knows that if she needs any help, there are people she can turn to, not just us. Do not forget; she is friends with Accelerator-san, Kakine-san, and Misaka-san, and even if Sogiita-san is… strange, he is a caring person. They are all more than capable," Misaki spoke reassuringly.
"Teitoku is another one who's gone ghost, but I guess that's what happens when you're off saving people; not a lot of time to drop in for tea and cookies," Touma joked. "I mean, we should know."
The anxiety in the air seemed to dissipate. Index put a smile back on her face, and looked up to the sky. At first, she thought she was seeing things, but high above Academy City's towers of glass and steel, she could just barely see an unidentifiable white mass travelling to some unknown destination.
A short time following their last conversation, Touma, Misaki and Index arrived at Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant. Given that it was shortly after nine PM, the establishment was far from crowded, though there was no need to worry about Joseph's shutting its doors for the night; it never did. To accommodate the maturing population of Academy City, most restaurants stayed open for twenty-four hours, and, if not, they stayed open 'til the wee hours of the morning.
Touma stepped into the restaurant, holding one of the two glass doors open for Index and his wife. "Thank you, kind sir; who said chivalry was dead?" Misaki rhetorically asked as she visibly laid claim to her husband's left hand, along with the rest of Kamijou Touma once again.
Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant had been given something of a makeover; though the interiors of the establishment were mostly the same as they had been ten years ago, the orange walls, black and white tiled floors, and white ceiling were given routine maintenance in order to keep up with Academy City's strict health and safety guidelines. Though the Joseph's chain of restaurants were by no means physically large, this particular restaurant had more than enough seating, mostly booths.
At the front counter of the restaurant, there were a series of stools, which were squashed between a bright, colorful sign, with the text "order here!" purposefully written in a messy, almost childlike fashion, and a "pick up here!" sign that of the same design.
The three took a seat at a nearby booth; Index sat in the corner of one side, while Touma and Misaki sat on the other. Index stretched herself out, letting her legs dangle over the edge of her side of the booth as she proceeded to happily mess around on her phone.
Misaki cuddled closely to Touma, and rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes, and sighed contentedly, as she began to slowly, and softly run her fingers over the open palm of his left hand. This was a technique that Kamijou Misaki had finely honed; she usually used it as something of a lulling tactic to shatter her husband's grumpy illusions, however, in this case there were no illusions to shatter. Misaki simply wished to make her husband feel good.
"That, wow, that feels really nice… wow. You've always done that so good, you know?" Touma chuckled. Misaki nuzzled closer, grateful to finally have some time to spend with her beloved prince. "I am glad. All I want to do is make you feel good."
"Want to try exhibitionism?" Touma asked with a sarcastic chuckle. Misaki craned her neck to look to her husband, shot him a playful glare, and proceeded to place her index finger and thumb to his forehead.
Flick.
"Domestic violence! I'm being abused! Help me, Index!" Touma exclaimed. Index giggled and shook her head as she tapped the tempered glass screen of her phone, obviously deep into a tame-wasting game.
Some time had passed, though not quite enough to cause the Kamijous any frustration. Relative silence had returned to their booth; Touma had his right arm around Misaki, who continued to perform the technique her husband adored so much.
"H-hi! Welcome to J-Joseph's Coffee and R-Restaurant! My name is Ryuu, and I-I'll be your waiter this evening! I have m-menus for you right here! A-are you ready to order, by any c-chance?"
Touma smiled at the unfortunate waiter; he didn't look any older than seventeen, and he was, quite obviously, rather uncomfortable. The boy had short, clean-looking dark hair, and a baby face that lacked any sort of facial hair. He wore the restaurant chain's signature uniform; a dark polo shirt with a nametag, which displayed the name "Ryuu" written neatly in black ink, a pair of loose-fitting dark slacks, and non-slip shoes.
"We are, if you're ready to take our order!" Touma happily remarked. The Kamijous' waiter seemed to become just a little bit more confident.
"Great! Just let me reach down here, eheheh…" The Kamijous' waiter produced a small pad of paper from the back pocket of his slacks, along with a pen, and rested the utensil's tip against the paper. He looked expectantly to the Kamijous.
"Can I get a medium cheese pizza? No toppings, please and thank you?" Touma inquired. Ryuu nodded, looked down at his pad of paper, and quickly scribbled something down. Once Ryuu's head darted back up, eyes looking forward, Misaki smiled warmly at him. "I would like a medium vegetarian pizza, please, with the standard toppings, thank you." Ryuu swiftly went to work, scribbling more down on his pad, and then looked to Index.
"Oi, Index! Yoo-hoo! Earth to Kamijou Index!" Touma exclaimed, shaking his hand in front of the nun's face. Ryuu chuckled at the sight before him, a smile on his face. When Index failed to respond to him, Touma proceeded to grab a napkin from the nearby dispenser, crush it down into a ball, and then threw it at Index. She started, and nearly dropped her phone. As the nun looked up to the waiter before her, she began to furiously blush.
"S-sorry! I didn't even hear what was going on! Oh my, I'm SO sorry! How long did I keep everyone waiting?!" Index cried out in distress.
"Not long," Touma said reassuringly.
"Hi! Nice to meet you! Could I have two medium pepperoni pizzas, please? I'm hungry, hungry, hungry!" Index stated, patting her belly to emphasize her point.
The Kamijous' waiter seemed perplexed, at first, but wrote down the last part of his customers' order, regardless.
"Anything to drink tonight?" Ryuu asked. The Kamijous couldn't help but see the change that had come over the boy; once he became involved in his duties, he seemed to become a lot more confident.
"Cola for little miss cellphone addict and I, please?" Touma inquired with a chuckle.
"Might I have a glass of ice water, please and thank you?" Misaki responded with a giggle. She knew just how much her husband and Index loved their cola, even if it wasn't the best for them.
"Of course! I'll have it on your table in no time! Thank you for dining at Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant! We hope you enjoy your stay!" Ryuu enthusiastically said with a smile as he rushed off. "You think this is his first night?" Touma asked, looking to his wife, and then to Index.
"Perhaps! Regardless, I think he did a spectacular job; he was polite and as enthusiastic as a working person can reasonably be. I think we should give him a fair tip on the way out," Misaki commented.
"He was kind of handsome, too…" Index said softly. There was a short, but awkward silence that followed Index's statement.
"Uh oh."
The proclamation came from the mouths of both Kamijou Misaki and Kamijou Touma. They looked to one another, and shared a look of concern. It seemed that Index was reaching "that stage" of her mental and physical development.