Quick thing: thanks, rickymths for following! I'm very grateful for your support! Thanks, Destati69, for favoriting! It's great to have you on board, both here and on A Certain Strange Scenario!
The time for responses is now, as always!
Whwsms: W.A.F.F is a thing that everyone should experience; I'm just a humble provider. I'm glad you enjoyed the W.A.F.F as much as I enjoyed writing the scenes that provided it!
Oh, man, my condolences would go out to poor Fukiyose Seiri. Truly, that would be a fate worse than the death. Who knows what the Fetish King is into? Surely, he's known as the Fetish King for a reason.
That's an interesting point. There'd be loads, and loads of aunts, and, as you said, maybe two or three uncles, one of whom would more than likely grumble about "more heroes".
Hope to hear from you again soon, as always, friend!
321jaz: glad to hear you're enjoying Times Change! Let's go.
The way I see it? Some things are better off left as unknowns. Any number of things, both good and bad, could potentially come to affect Sogiita Gunha, should his full potential be harnessed.
If anything, the actions Kakine Teitoku's taking are the opposite of what his predecessor would do.
That you will! The "Queen of Tokiwadai" was certainly a very influential person, influential enough to get word moving about on the streets of Academy City.
…how much do you know?! In regards to Kuroko, I'd have to agree. When Times Change (sorry) some things remain the same, don't they?
I'm glad you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! There's lots more where that came from! We'll get Othinus and Misaki, sooner than later.
I hope you enjoy reading chapter seven as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Hilem: No worries! For the time being, we're going a little bit on the rapid fire side. Since you've reviewed both chapter five and six in one package, I'll respond to both as best as I can.
I'm glad you enjoyed reading the scene with 'the Accelerator family' as much as I enjoyed writing it! There's more where that came from, and, given Worst's recent shopping excursion, things are bound to get interesting.
I'm glad you enjoyed reading that darker scene; at least it had a happy outcome, right? The Hamazuras are a much-requested pair, and I'll be delivering soon enough!
Hahaha, the Extraordinary Guts Man really is something, isn't he? I'm glad you enjoyed reading the scene he shared with Mikoto as much as I enjoyed writing it!
You're on the right track; good old Aogami Pierce was the individual encountered by Misaka Worst. There can only be one Fetish King, after all! Tsuchimikado can't be far away, if Pierce is out in the world.
Pasta and bread is a match made in Heaven; just like Touma and Misaki.
It's my pleasure! Thank you so much for the compliment, friend!
DarkBetrayer: that it is. Nobody, perhaps barring Kamijou Touma and Kamijou Misaki, possesses the level of guts needed to meet Sogiita Gunha's expectations.
Othinus' love life, or, more accurately, her lack of one, will make for some interesting shenanigans, I'm certain.
Geust: not quite, friend; Mikoto's heart has already been nabbed up by another, as you'll find out.
Is there some correlation, I wonder? Worst's antics do seem awfully… Lessar-like.
Beetles, beetles everywhere!
We'll get to who, exactly, the number six is. Spoilers are baaaad.
I'm glad you enjoyed reading the Kamijous' moment as much as I enjoyed writing it! Unfortunately, because of Fanfiction's rules on explicit content, I don't think 'stage 2' is possible, at least not on this platform. Feel free to correct me if you think/know I'm incorrect!
I can see Enshuu listening to that genre of music, too. That's a funny mental image. Patricia and Leivinia, huh? We'll get to the Birdway sisters, in due time. A Leivinia, or Leivinia and Patricia against Othinus Bloody Fist Deathmatch is certainly an event that could occur!
Destati69: Misaki's got the straight facts, though. I'm glad you're enjoying reading Times Change as much as I'm enjoying writing it! Thank you for the continued support, and for the compliment! I appreciate it, as always!
lordgaozhengfang: nothing's set in stone, friend. The pathways of this time have yet to be walked.
Onto chapter seven we go, and, next chapter, the PRANK Arc will come to its conclusion!
Kamijou Index finished blow-drying her long, silver hair, which, for the time being, was long and straightened. Her mouth smelled of mint, and, as Index parted her lips, and gazed into the mirror before her, she could see her glowing white teeth shining beneath the bright, synthetic light provided by the bathroom's ceiling panels. Index stepped away from the thin carpet in front of the cabinet that held the bathroom's sink, her sock-clad feet slid over the carpet's flat, fuzzy surface. Index began to remove her top, with the intention of changing from her 'lounging' outfit, and into her Walking Church; however, instincts called Index to action.
"Toouummmaaaaa! Don't come in the bathroom! I'm changing! You're not out there, are you?"
No response immediately came, and Index swiftly pulled her blouse away from her torso, and her shorts followed. With swiftness, Index slipped her Walking Church over her head, inserted her arms into the habit's sleeves, and nuzzled herself comfortably into the baggy habit.
Index pulled her hair out from the habit, craned her head back, and shook her hair about, gently. Index gave herself one final look in the mirror. She posed, leaning forward, and stuck her posterior in the air. The nun stuck her tongue out, and then returned to her regular stance, a small blush on her face. She turned away from the mirror, pulled the bathroom door open, flicked the lightswitch off, and casually strolled out, down the hallway, past her (and occasionally Othinus') bedroom, as well as her guardians' bedroom, past the vacant kitchen, and into the living room.
"Slowpoke!" Touma jokingly chastised, as he rose up from the couch. "You look gorgeous, Index."
Kamijou Index's lips curled into a wide, toothy grin, as her cheeks erupted into a shade of bright pink. She fiddled with her fingers, and looked to floor. "Touma! You're so sweet!" The nun exclaimed happily.
"Your hair is stunning, Index; it always looks so wonderful, after it has been washed, and even when it hasn't been, of course." Misaki commented, as she turned around to face Index. Othinus, who sat on Misaki's shoulder, kicked her legs back and forth, her attention drawn to the program playing on the television; it appeared to be a documentary of some description. Judging by the narration, Index could tell it had something to do with the animal kingdom, as the narrator was speaking of a particular location's food chain, and the importance each animal played in that chain; though this type of documentary was among Index's list of favorites, she reasoned that she could very likely find it, or something similar to it, online.
"M-Misaki! You're both making me b-blush! AH!" Index squealed, as she ran to her guardians. She took Touma into her arms, and tackled him down onto the couch, giggling wildly as she did so. Othinus turned her little neck to face the tackled form of Kamijou Touma, and the giggling nun-lump that had set itself upon him.
"The nun's here, are we leaving, or are we leaving? Chop, chop." Othinus commanded, as she repeatedly placed, and then raised the side of her outstretched palm of her left hand against the open palm of her right.
"Right away, Othi-Sama," Touma mumbled from beneath Index; in one great heave, he lifted Index up, over his head, holding her as if he was poised to throw her to the ground. Index squealed in delight, as her arms and legs thrashed in the air; Misaki wildly giggled at the sight, and Othinus' lips curled into a smirk, as she closed her eyes, and shook her head. Touma, the seven foot five gentle giant that he was, merely laid Index across the back of his neck, supporting her body with his arms as he did so. "If you guys are ready, I'm ready!"
"Whenever you are, my prince." Misaki spoke as she, too, rose up; Othinus waved her tiny arms as she began to panic. In response, Misaki placed her hand loosely around the former Magic God, in order to protect her.
"You're not going to carry me outside like this, are you?! Touma, put me down, please!" Index cried, as she struggled to free herself. Touma chuckled heartily as he carefully set Index back down on her feet. The nun fixed her hair, and then moved to the apartment's door. Slipping on her loafers, she waved for her guardians to accompany her. Touma got himself into his shoes, while Misaki slipped on a pair of white trainers, and adjusted her purse's position over her arm. Othinus motioned for Index to approach. "Put me in Misaki's bag, nun? Could I also borrow your phone? I'll let you know if anything important comes up."
"Okay, accountant!" Index giggled, much to Othinus' chagrin, as she unzipped Misaki's purse, and dropped Othinus inside. The fluffy, soft interior of the purse ensured that Othinus' small body would be unharmed. Index ran to the couch, grabbed her phone, and returned to Misaki's side. She lowered the device into her guardian's purse, until she felt Othinus take hold of it.
Touma opened the door of he and his family's apartment, and held it open as Misaki, and then Index made their way out. Closed the door behind him, and locking it with his key, Touma snatched Misaki's right hand up in his left, and their fingers interlocked as Touma placed a gentle kiss on Misaki's cheek. They made their way towards the elevator, as Misaki giggled, and gently rubbed the tip of her nose against her husband's.
Index pressed one of the buttons required to call the elevator to their floor, and placed her hands behind her back, as she began to softly hum.
"Hey, where's Othi-chan?" Touma inquired, as he looked to Misaki's shoulders, and then to Index's; her lack of presence on either of their shoulders confirmed to Touma that Othinus must've been forgotten.
"In here, Touma," Othinus squeaked from within Misaki's purse. "I'm using the nun's phone." Relief fell upon Kamijou Touma, and caressed his chest, casting away the dread that had begun to bubble up in his gut, but, the idea of Othinus hiding herself didn't sit well with him. Misaki beat her husband to the punch, however.
"Othinus… you can ride on one of our shoulders, if you would like to. There is no need to hide; we are in the City of Science, after all. The idea of a physically small person is not entirely out of the realm of reality, here." Misaki spoke softly, and with an almost motherly tone.
"Maybe later, Mental Out. There're ghosts to destroy in this maze, and I have over fifteen minutes' worth of energy left," Othinus responded; Index's phone's bright screen could be seen glowing from within Misaki's purse.
The elevator arrived, before long, and the Kamijous stepped in. Index leaned up against the car's left wall, while Misaki pressed the required metallic button that would bring the family to the apartment's first floor. Stepping back, Misaki let her head rest against her husband's shoulder. She closed her eyes, and sighed contentedly, as her grip on her husband's hand tightened.
On the apartment's first floor, the elevator's doors opened. "You have reached: floor one! If this is your destination, please exit now! Thank you, and have a wonderful day!" The Kamijou family left the elevator car, and the car's doors closed behind them.
"So? What, exactly are we going to get up to, today?" Touma inquired, as he opened the lobby's door, and held it for his family, who passed him by, and offered their thanks; Misaki did so by grabbing at her husband's crotch with her free hand, and flashing him a devilish grin. "Not that, you… not yet, at least," Touma jokingly commented, as Misaki winked at him. As the Kamijous left their apartment complex behind, and stepped out into the sunlight, Index turned to her guardians.
"We could go see Last Order, Worst and Accelerator! She was texting me earlier, so I assume she's home?" Index suggested.
"That is one idea; if you can somehow manage to pry your phone away from the One-Eyed Menace, we may be able to set something up," Misaki responded. "We could go to the amusement park, in district six, or we could go wander about district fifteen?" She then suggested.
"Othi-chan? Any ideas?" Touma inquired.
"A moment, I'm nearly… curses; too fast. This game's artificial intelligence is ruthless. May it never gain sentience and try to wipe out the human race."
"That is… an unnerving thought," Misaki commented awkwardly. "Hopefully, if such a thing were to happen, Protectron would defeat it."
"Please don't say it's… err, "his" name! He might come around… so creepy…" Index said nervously; she moved her head from left to right at a rather rapid pace, before she looked to the sky. She didn't see anything that looked vaguely like a hunk of bright silver, and she sighed in relief.
"It's nice enough, really, and it's usually out helping people. Could be worse, right?" Touma rhetorically inquired with a shrug. "Besides, it's nice to Saten-san and Uiharu-san."
"Anyways," Othinus began. She poked her head out of Misaki's purse, and, holding onto the purse's outer edges with her tiny fingers, she continued. "Where you traverse, I'll follow, but, if I might make a suggestion, I'd say… hm. Not the Dianoid; all manner of dullards, there, and we'll more than likely encounter a crisis we're better off avoiding, if the past is any indication. Malls, in and of themselves, are rather droll, as well."
"Alright, so, Othi-chan is easy to please, unless it involves malls, can't blame her there, I'm easy to please… How about you, my Queen?" Touma inquired, as he raised his wife's hand to his lips, and placed a passionate kiss to its top. Passersby ogled, and a small group of nearby girls collectively proclaimed "aww!" at the sight. Misaki blushed, as her hand, with her husband's still clutched tightly in it, fell back to her side.
"If Index can get a hold of Last Order, and she and her family welcomes us, I do not see any reason as to why we should not pay Accelerator, Last Order, and Worst a visit," Misaki replied happily.
"Othinus! I need my phone back!" Index excitedly exclaimed, as she rushed to Misaki's side.
"Take it; wretched video games will be the death of me," Othinus complained in response. Index plunged her hand deep into Misaki's purse, as the family continued to walk; Index would occasionally look up from her task at hand in order to ensure that she didn't bump into anyone. More than once, her hand bumped Othinus, who attempted to bite the nun in response. Eventually, after a few seconds of struggling, Index produced her phone, unlocked it, and quickly began to form a text message.
"Guurrlll! You busy?! Famjam and I are out on an adventure! Wanna do something?!"
Stuffing the device back into Misaki's purse, Index rejoined her guardians, as Othinus closed her eyes, snuggled into the softness of Misaki's purse's interior, and relaxed.
"Want to let me know when, or if, I get something from Last Order, Othinus?" Index inquired.
"Uhh huh." Othinus groggily responded.
"What're we going to do for now?" Touma asked, as he stuffed his available hands into his shorts' pocket. He rolled his shoulders, and groaned as his muscles flexed, and stretched inside of his enormous form.
"Hmm. The park nearby?" Misaki responded, as a warm smile formed on her face. The idea of snuggling up to her husband in a quiet place, with the rest of her family close to her, as the day's cool breeze passed over seemed, to her, to be a heavenly one.
"I was going to say Playland Gau, but… Othinus and I play video games enough, especially Othinus, I think she might need an intervention, she's addicted," Index commented, as a giggle fled from her lips.
"I can hear you, nun, and I'll remember your scornful words, when I'm crushing you in our next Bloody Fist tournament." Othinus snapped in response.
"Haha! I'm not scared of you, pipsqueak!" Index taunted, as she stuck her tongue out in Othinus' direction.
"Kamijou Index!" Misaki called out firmly. "Apologize. Othinus is not a "pipsqueak." The seriousness in Misaki's voice made Index feel like she was a child being scolded; internally, the nun was laughing at the thought. "Okay, okay, mom…" Index replied jokingly, before she turned her attention to Misaki's purse.
Index grumbled under her breath, and she reached into Misaki's purse, plucked the writhing Othinus out, and placed the tiny former Magic God atop her head. "Sorry, Othinus."
"Apologies won't save you from my wrath," Othinus quickly retorted, before she began to punch the top of the nun's head; to Index, it felt more like raindrops were falling on her.
"You're all crazy, but so am I. We're in this nuthouse together, and I love it," Touma chuckled, as he ran his thumb over Misaki's hand's own thumb. Misaki did the same to her husband, and their thumbs soon found themselves caressing one another.
"As do I, husband of mine," Misaki responded lovingly. As Othinus continued to 'pummel' Index's head, her fangs bared in a feral display, the nun wrapped her arm around Touma's available right arm, and smiled warmly. "Me too. Othinus knows I love her, even if she's annoying."
Othinus ceased her pummeling, and, for a moment, the former Magic God's tiny heart jumped into her throat.
"I… I love you, too, you fools."
"Tsundere," Index commented.
"Almost entirely tsun, not so much dere." Misaki jokingly responded.
"I will destroy you all!" Othinus proclaimed, her demeanor quickly changing; she resumed with her pummeling of Index's head; the tiny former Magic God's fists swung up and down as she growled.
"So, park, then? Assuming someone doesn't try to steal the cute little Othi-chan from us, we should be able to make it and have ourselves a grand ol' time, while we figure something out," Touma spoke.
"As long as you know that you are going to be cuddled, Kamijou Touma." Misaki stated, as she brushed herself up against her husband. Butterflies fluttered about in Touma's chest at the thought. It was if, with every day that passed, Kamijou Touma loved Kamijou Misaki more and more. As he walked with her, hand in hand, Touma could see heads turning. Some were turning to face the sight that was Othinus, but others were clearly looking at his wife, many of whom very likely recognized her as the fifth ranked level five, "Mental Out", one of few level fives who was something of a 'face' for them; but to Touma, Kamijou Misaki was so much more than that. She was his everything, his life-force, the source of his joy, and of his fortune. Kamijou Misaki was Kamijou Touma's mate, his partner, his other half, the woman who he belonged to.
"Nun, put me back in Misaki's purse; there're… too many people… looking; I'll come back out when we get there…" Othinus mumbled. Indeed, Othinus was garnering some attention; even if most of said attention consisted of looks of adoration and facial expressions that screamed "ohmygodit'ssocute! Where do I get one?!", Index quickly plucked Othinus from her head, and carefully placed her back into Misaki's purse, where the tiny Magic God embraced the softness and relative darkness of her 'carrying case'.
"I'm game! If Last Order doesn't get back to me in a few, we can just go do our own thing!" Index spoke. She smiled warmly, and returned to her guardian's right side.
Misaka Worst sat herself down in the restroom's stall; school district seven's underground mall's restrooms were spacious, and the stalls were impressive in their size, and the comfort they offered to users. She'd thoroughly inspected the restroom, and, surprisingly, she'd found herself alone; Worst assumed most people were using the restrooms that were farther away from the entrance of the mall.
Worst grinned maliciously, as she began to plot the scheme she knew would be legendary. In order to do that however, she'd wanted her ability to go out of control; she wanted to make this fun. Worst's grin only widened, as she slipped her hands into her shirt from below, and began to massage her bosom.
"Toouuu-san… Misaka wants you to feel her up in a dirty public bathroom. This one is too clean for Misaka. You should grab Misaka's tits… she knows you jerk off to the idea of making out with her tits. Why waste all that warm, gooey stuff, when you could be using Misaka as a depository? Ooh, tou-san, Misaka wants you so bad. You make Misaka turn into such a slut. Misaka's wanted you… for so long."
The nefarious clone of Misaka Mikoto discharged a wave of electricity, that caused the lights to flicker momentarily. It wasn't the result Worst was looking for. Misaka Worst's grin widened, and widened, as her cheeks felt like they'd be torn apart.
"Inferior unit! T-that's d-disgusting! MISAKA MISAKA exclaims angrily, as she chastises the insidious behavior of the inferior unit in an attempt to hide her own awkwardness!"
"You can join in, Control Tower. Tou-san would never admit it, but he wants us both to fuck him, and fuck him, and fuck him, until his balls are empty, each and every day."
"Misaka disagrees; the Accelerator doesn't see the superior unit, or the inferior unit in such a manner, Misaka states clearly, attempting to lay down the words of truth."
"Bah! Serial number ten thousand thirty-two? You prude! Go away! Misaka's disappointed in you. Misaka thought your deviancy was blossoming well… looks like Misaka was wrong."
Worst grumbled to herself, as she attempted to get herself back in the mood. Electricity was jumping from her form, though it wasn't due to being pleasured.
"Misaka doesn't care about sharing tou-san, but she knows that she's going to get creampied the most. Misaka will go on the pill, so Misaka can get creampied, over and over again… tou-san."
The idea was enough to get the gears grinding; as Worst's Sisters continued to chatter about Worst's sinful words, a torrent of electricity emerged from her form. As it danced through the air, it crackled, and flashed in and out of existence, as Worst quietly giggled to herself. The lights in the restroom browned out, then flickered once, twice, three times, and, finally, blackness descended.
Yamashita Junichi jumped slightly, as the underground mall's lighting browned out, returned, then flickered in and out of existence a total of three times, before everything began dark. The screaming began, as the people around Junichi began to mindlessly panic. Rising up quietly from his table, Junichi put on a panicked visage, and began to stumble, as a small, 'portable' ember flickered in his hand, and glowed dully. It grew, and grew, as the palm of his hand began to glow, slightly. Junichi saw that strange, white insect again, and attempted to bat it away with his available hand. The beetle-like insect fluttered aside, and seemed to stare at him, momentarily, before it buzzed away, its tiny wings beating at incredible speeds.
From the growing, crackling flame in his hand, grey, strangulating smoke began to slip between his fingers. He continued to stumble, pushing through crowds, who appeared to Junichi to be none the wiser, as smoke emerged from his left hand. The first 'clouds' of smoke reached the underground mall's ceiling, and, as he and Worst had predicted, the sprinkler system was activated. Screams, and cries of panic, which were already high enough, grew higher in pitch as their utterers were doused in water. Junichi himself was being soaked by the continuous, powerful jets of water, but he couldn't care less. He broke into a run, as smoke continued to pour from his hand.
As he ran, from one end of the underground mall's food court to the other, sprinkler systems were activated behind him; despite the smoke that was originating from his form, Junichi found that he was able to merge into the crowd, who ran with him, likely too panicked to look around. Junichi left the food court, and continued to run down a hallway of shops. More sprinkler systems were being activated as the smoke his Personal Reality generated rose into their range of detection.
Misaka Worst stepped out of the restroom, her bag of 'goodies' in hand, and began to wickedly cackle as she walked out of the hallway the restrooms near the food court were located in, and bore witness to the fleeing, screaming, cursing crowds. A full-blown laughing fit was nearly torn from her as she watched her fellow mallgoers being sprayed with water. Worst produced her phone, unlocked the device, and, after navigating to its text messaging app, Worst began to type up a text message to "Minion #1."
"minion! Hahaha! Great job! Love you! not that way, though, yuck. Meet me outside the mall, misakas going to play the innocent bystander if anyone asks! dont fuck this up!"
As Worst ran through the continually pumping jets of water that emerged from ceiling's sprinkler systems, she made her way through the food court, which was slowly but surely becoming less and less densely populated. Mall security had appeared, and were demanding for calm, but their pleas were falling on deaf ears. Worst could hardly hide her smirk, as she passed one by.
Worst passed by Climaxxx again, and found it to be closed; the entrance was barred off with a thick-looking metallic gate, that had pulled from one side to the other. Her feet continued to slap against the floor, as she left the 'fork' between two hallways. Misaka Worst's eyes turned to the entrance, and, in the moment, they widened slightly.
Standing before the clone of Misaka Mikoto was Kakine Teitoku. Completely white, his bright green eyes, filled with sympathy, looked towards Worst. Six minimized, but still grand-looking wings emerged from his back, and, clutched in his left hand was a terribly long, sharp-looking glaive, which, like Teitoku himself, was completely white, from end to end. On either side of Teitoku was a rather large, cutesy white beetle. Each had a pair of large, glistening green eyes on either side of their respective heads. Their legs were round and curled, and the singular horn that protruded from either of their heads almost resembled some type of construct made of a series of balloons. They each had large, almost cartoonish clacking jaws. Their green eyes looked about excitedly, as if they were taking in the scenery around them. Their jaws opened and closed in quick succession, as they chirped to one another.
"If one of you could travel deeper into the mall, and deliver the word that the entrance is going to be secured, I would be grateful." Teitoku spoke softly to the beetle that stood at his right.
"Okay, daddy!" The beetle exclaimed happily as it began to move away from Teitoku's side. It quickly passed by a stunned Misaka Worst, who was still taken aback by its cartoonish, and non-threatening form.
"Where will I go, daddy?" The other beetle inquired, as it raised its round head to look up at Teitoku.
"Direct any Anti Skill personnel who arrive deeper into the mall, please? You'll have my gratitude, should you choose to do so."
"Yay! I'm going to help, daddy!" The beetle chirped happily.
"Misaka-san? Is that… no, you're one of her lovely Sisters. I wish we could be meeting under nicer circumstances. I'm sorry you had to find yourself getting caught up in whatever it is that's happening, here. I'd advise you to leave," Teitoku suggested. There was a warmness in his voice, yet, his tone was firm, and almost commanding.
"That's exactly what Misaka was doing; why do people keep mistaking Misaka for Onee-Sama?! Is it "Onee-Sama day" or something?" Worst demanded, frustrated, as she stormed passed Kakine Teitoku and the beetle that remained at his side.
"Oh, no! A friend is upset, daddy! We need to help!" The beetle spoke, as it turned around to face the grumbling, stomping Misaka Worst. "It's okay! You're very pretty, and you matter! A lot!"
"Blah!" Worst spat, as she climbed up the steps that lead back to the surface. Electricity jumped from her form, and crackled about as it flashed in and out of being.
"I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to put an end to it." Teitoku mused aloud, as he beat his wings. The second ranked level five rose up from the ground, as his minimized, celestial wings carried him.
"Bye, daddy!" The beetle exclaimed, as Teitoku travelled down the hallway that lead towards the food court. Kakine Teitoku passed by closed shop after closed shop, and, as he entered the food court proper, he found it to be mostly empty. Its floors, tables, and many of the counters of its food vendors were covered in puddles of water.
Those members of the mall's security force that remained in the food court, perhaps pursuing the same wrongdoer that Teitoku was, recognized and acknowledged him, but didn't get in his way. After he surveyed his surroundings for a few moments, Teitoku referred back to the vision of his airborne Observer Unit; the tiny beetle was perched atop the shoulder of the young man whose hand had been glowing, and smoking, and who, before that, had been, quite literally, playing with fire. At one point, Kakine Teitoku had thought him to be an innocent bystander whose Personal Reality was acting up as a result of the negative stimuli around him, but, the smug, victorious look that was on his face, as he casually strolled through a mostly-empty hallway had come to suggest otherwise. Teitoku scowled, and prepared himself, as his six wings beat again against the air, and helped him continue on his way.
Most, if not all of school district seven's underground mall's patrons had effectively been herded into the mall's farthest point; when Junichi had left them to their own devices, he'd pushed past the shoulders of reassuring security officers. The pyrokinesist found himself attempting to make his way out of the mall. One snaking hallway seemed to lead to another, and more rows of shops – the underground mall seemed to be a much larger place when there weren't herds of irate, bumbling shoppers wandering about, which made enough sense to the pyrokinesist.
Standing just outside an occupied ice cream shop, the fact that it hadn't been vacated both surprised and somewhat impressed Junichi, the pyrokinesist created another small flame in the palm of his hand, which allowed more smoke to emerge. Directing it behind him, Junichi watched as the small, silvery cloud made its way out from between his fingers, and towards the ceiling. The pyrokinesist, chuckling quietly to himself, left the premises, as he trusted the smoke he'd created to do its job. It soon did; the nearby sprinkler system was triggered, and jets of water pelted the floor. The suddenness of the sprinkler systems' activation, and the equally sudden sounds of jets of water generated gasps, and surprised laughter from within the ice cream shop.
The mall's lighting system suddenly sprang to life before him; Junichi's eyes were forced shut, stunned by the unwelcomed brightness. The pyrokinesist struggled to re-open them, and to an extent, he was able to, but his eyelids slammed shut on him soon after. Yamashita Junichi raised his hands to his eyes, closed them into two fists, and rubbed them over his closed eyes.
"Attention, shoppers! A technical difficulty of unknown origin has just been rectified! We hope this technical difficulty does not hamper your shopping experience! We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience! Thank you!"
The synthetic, almost robotic voice rang in Yamashita Junichi's ears, as he found himself able to re-open his eyes. His eyelids, open all the way, blinked rapidly for a few seconds, before he sighed, quietly chuckling to himself, and moved to continue on his way. His process was interrupted, however, by a cold, disembodied voice.
"Oi."
Yamashita Junichi spun around on his heel. Of all the people the pyrokinesist had expected, he hadn't expected to see that woman again. Soaking wet, with mascara running down her face, the black stains of which Junichi thought wouldn't have been out of place on the face of a model posing for some sort of 'edgy' photoshoot, was the woman he'd been 'sizing up', as she had put it.
"Fancy seeing you here, huh? You get caught too?"
The young woman scoffed, and shrugged. "Yeah. Going to skin whoever let this happen, if I find them."
"No kidding. I'm a bit on the pissy side, myself… what a downer. I mean, we're just out here, trying to shop in peace, and, what do you know? Damn power goes out, and then the sprinklers start going all haywire? Mass chaos?" Junichi spoke. There was a genuineness in his voice, and something of an awkward, unconfident slouch in his step.
"Mhm. It's all shit," the young woman replied. "Where's the fucking way out? This place is a maze. Everything looks the same. "
"Actually, that's what I'm looking for, myself… kind of got lost. Haven't been here since they did the renovations, and everything's so different." Junichi admitted, as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his damp jeans. "Care to join me?"
"Forget it," the young woman snapped in reply. "If you don't know the way, I'll find it myself. Stupid fucking mall. Who builds a mall like this? The people responsible should be locked up, or castrated, or something. Assholes."
"Woah, okay… shut your mouth, Yamashita. This one's got some problems. I mean, I get that was obvious, from how she reacted… not really, though. Doesn't matter."
"Good luck, then, I guess? Happy trails?" Junichi spoke, as he reluctantly continued on his way, turning his back to the soaking wet young woman, who speedily passed him by, taking the lead in their figurative race to the finish. As she did so, she shot him a glare, and held her head high, to which Junichi sighed to himself. "Of course I'd be the one to hit on the B.F.H. What was it everyone's always saying that level zero used to say? "Oh, my bad luck"? I sympathize, buddy. I sympathize."
"Such fortune."
The Kamijous had sat themselves down in a small, thankfully, for Othinus' sake, unoccupied park in school district seven. A short, metallic fence, the chain link fabric of which had an ornate, floral design, surrounded the patch of short, soft grass. In the park, there were numerous benches, arranged two by two, with each bench facing the other. In long wooden planters, beautiful flowers, some of which were yellow, some of which were white, and some of which were red grew; the flowers bathed themselves in the rays of sunlight that beamed down onto them, as they happily swayed in the breeze.
On one of these sets of benches, closer to the eastern side of the small park, and set near two small trees, the Kamijous lounged. Othinus had placed herself on Index's lap. The tiny former Magic God's legs were elegantly crossed, and her upper body leaned against the nun's stomach, as if Index was a gigantic pillow. Index, who periodically checked her phone for a response from Last Order, occasionally poked Othinus' belly, which caused her to jump.
On the opposite bench, Kamijou Touma was sprawled out. He had set the back of his head in Kamijou Misaki's lap. His dark eyes looked up at both the warmly smiling face of his soul mate, and at the blue sky above. Misaki was gently running the fingers of her left hand through her husband's hair, while her right had Touma's left held tightly in it.
While Index and Othinus had occasionally bantered back and forth for some time, their guardians hadn't said much of anything. Touma was on cloud nine, soaking up his wife's presence, and Misaki felt like she was in heaven. Her spirits were soaring, as she looked down at the man who was her everything, her other half. She could feel the pleasure that was generated just by looking at this man, her man. Misaki looked into Touma's eyes, and, she could feel their souls connecting, and the peace of mind that came with his presence.
Her fingertips gently passed over Touma's scalp, as she gently ran some of his dark, soft hair between her fingers. "You are such a handsome man," Misaki spoke.
"Eheheh. Thanks. You're not half bad-looking yourself," Touma replied, as he took Misaki's hand away from his hair, and pressed his lips to its palm, slowly, and with adoration. Touma took Misaki's left hand in both his left and right, and placed it close to his chest. Beneath her hand, Misaki could feel Touma's heartbeat, and, with each thud, she felt like she was falling deeper and deeper in love with him. Touma's vision fell to the golden band that sat comfortably on her ring finger, and then to the identical ring that sat on his own, symbols of their sacred union, and of their undying dedication to one another. "You're gorgeous, you're beautiful, you're… amazing. If I could marry you all over again, I would," Touma mumbled, as he looked into his wife's starry, moist eyes. Her lips had curled even farther, into an even warmer smile.
"As would I, my prince. The years I've been your friend, your partner, your wife… have been the happiest years of my life. I have never really been able to explain the happiness you brought me, the moment you stepped into my life, so many years ago, so many happy, fulfilling years ago, Kamijou Touma, and the way you have shaped me, and helped me become a better person, and I still cannot. Words are insufficient. I adore you. I owe you everything and more, I owe you my very life. It has been in your hands for over a decade, and you have never let me down. You are the ultimate."
"I adore you too. You don't owe me anything, beautiful. Like I said earlier… such fortune. That's what you bring me; you, Index, Othi-chan, you bring me such fortune. I'm glad I could be there, and I'm grateful for having been given the chance to love you, and to be loved by you… Kamijou Misaki."
"Stoooppppp! You're making me… you're going to… noooo!" Index exclaimed, before she surrendered; tears dripped from her eyes, down her cheeks, and splashed down onto Othinus, who was stirred from a trance-like state by the sudden bombardment.
"Excuse you," Othinus complained, as she began to try and ring her hair out.
"S-sorry!" Index sniffled, as she refrained from wiping her nose on the sleeve of her Walking Church. Othinus shook her head, and laid herself out flat on Index's lap, and waved her arms and legs across the soft, cool fabric.
"Everything okay, Index? You good over there?" Touma inquired, as he turned his head to face the crying nun. She was blushing, and smiling from ear to ear.
"I-I'm fine! I promise! It's just… oh, you two are just so p-precious. I love it so much when I get to see you talk like this, to one another! It's just too much for me! It's so sweet, and adorable, and I love how much you love each other! Ah!" Index explained, as she wiped her tears away.
Touma slowly sat up, gently, and cautiously, in order to ensure that all of the blood didn't rush down from his skull at once, and, once he had, Touma took one of Misaki's cheeks in one hand, and gently, kissed the other. As his lips moved away, Misaki moved Touma's ear towards her lips, pressed them against the lobe of his ear, and, with a smile, whispered "'til death do us part, Kamijou Touma."
"'til death do us part; I don't even really think that could stop us, we're untouchable," Touma replied with a laugh, as he sat himself up straight, next to his wife. He shrugged his shoulders about, and cracked his neck, producing a groan of satisfaction as he did so. "So, Index, any word from Last Order? Or are we just bumming it?"
"Bumming it, by the looks of it," Index responded, as she held the thrashing, nibbling Othinus down with her right hand, and scrolled through her phone with her left. "That's okay, though! We're still going to have lots of fun!"
"Such optimism; I love it," Misaki commented, as Touma laid his head against her shoulder, and placed a hand on her thigh. Misaki knew the act to be an innocent one, though, even if it wasn't, she wouldn't have minded a quick touch. Misaki placed her own hand on Touma's, and smiled contentedly, just as her husband did.
"We should find Aogami, and hit him with more rocks," Touma stated in a matter of a fact way.
Misaki began to giggle wildly at the thought, and at the images of a terrified Aogami Pierce that ran through her mind, while Index raised an eyebrow, even as she quietly chuckled at the idea. Othinus continued to attack the nun's hand, as she struggled to free herself from Index's grasp.
The sound of Kamijou Misaki's giggling caused Touma's heart to race, and butterflies that had been fluttering to begin wildly flying about at great speeds. Touma placed yet another kiss on Misaki's neck, which caused her body to shiver in pleasure.
"You are in a very generous mood, Touma, giving me all of these kisses." Misaki said softly. She enjoyed the moment, simply absorbing every second that her husband treasured her.
"Hope you don't mind. Just speak up if you need space, beautiful. You know how it goes," Touma replied, as he suddenly took his wife into arms. He embraced her tightly, as Misaki returned her husband's embrace, a bright pink blush on her face. Misaki brought her knees up, and placed her feet against the bench's seat's surface, as she nuzzled into her husband's warm, tender, adoring embrace. There and then, Misaki could've easily fallen asleep, as relaxation, and a familiar sense of safety washed over her.
"Absolutely not; I share my space with you. I welcome your affection, always. To have such a gentle, tender lover is something I do not take for granted," Misaki mumbled, as her eyes began to close, and she felt herself beginning to drift off.
"Alert! Misaki's falling asleep! Quick, we have to get her up!" Index exclaimed; she moved her hand, which Othinus still clung to, towards her shoulder; the tiny Magic God plopped down on the nun's shoulder, and Index rushed to her guardians. She leapt onto both Misaki and Touma. Apparently not aware of the full size and weight of her adult body, Index's 'assault' resulted in the bench tipping backwards, and, pulled back further by gravity, the bench collapsed, causing the Kamijous, with the exception of Othinus, who had seen the inevitable coming and jumped from the shoulder of the tipping nun to the safety of the grass, to tumble.
"O-okay! That's not something I expected to happen! I'm sorry! Oh my GOSH!" Index cried, as she clambered to feet. To her not-quite-surprise, Misaki and Touma were making the best of the moment. They laid next to one another in the soft grass, giggling and chuckling, respectively.
"It's fine, Index, that was actually a lot of fun. One minute, we were like "whoa!" and the next, we were like "OH NO!" How have they not made an amusement park ride out of this?" Touma rhetorically inquired, as he rose up, and then helped Misaki to her feet.
"What would 'they' call such a ride? "Falling Benches of DOOM? Maybe, Index can be the carney," Misaki spoke through giggles, as she moved her bangs away from her eyes, and placed them behind her ear. "That was fun."
Misaki looked down, to the tiny form of Othinus, who was pulling on the leg of her pants. "Purse, please? If we're leaving, I'd rather be in there. I don't enjoy being gawked at."
"Of course, Othinus," Misaki replied somewhat somberly, as she squatted, and opened her hand. Othinus' small form stepped into Misaki's palm, and, with caution, Misaki lifted the former Magic God to her purse, and placed her inside.
Index approached her standing guardians, and, with hands outstretched, began to speak. "So, poll time! What're we doing? Amusement park? I could try and call Last Order?"
"As long as I am with my family, I am happy, no matter what it is we do." Misaki stated happily.
"Same; so, pretty much, it's up to you and Othi-chan, Index," Touma replied with a nod.
"I'll try and ring the dumb-dumb. I wonder what she's up to. I wonder if… I wonder if Last Order's been corrupted by an evil boy! An evil, secret boy! Maybe she sneaks off to see him, and spoon with him in the woods!" Index exclaimed excitedly.
"Spoon… in the woods? Spooning's uncomfortable enough as it is, I'd hate to be spooning in the woods. That'd hurt, bad," Touma spoke up, as he rubbed his neck.
"I would feel bad for the unfortunate young man who chose to pursue Last Order, if such a thing were true…" Misaki responded; she could imagine the beet red face of Accelerator, with literal smoke pouring from his ears.
Index produced her phone from Misaki's purse, unlocked it, and began to dial Last Order's number on the device's calling app. As she did so, Touma turned to Misaki. "Speaking of spooning… heh. I was just thinking, about the first time we tried that. You weren't heavy enough to cut the circulation of my right arm off, and, if you did, I dunno… those Things in my hand might've gotten mad, but, man, it was still uncomfortable. Saving grace? Your hair always smells amazing, so, at least I had that."
"Babyyy, aw. Thank you. I am glad you like it. No, I must agree, spooning is a win, lose, matter. I much prefer regular cuddling; that way, I know you are as comfortable as I am," Misaki replied, as she took her husband's hand into her own, and smiled up at him.
"Best wife ever." Kamijou Touma spoke, as he sighed contentedly. Kamijou Misaki blushed, as she beamed, stood up on her toes, and placed a soft, quick kiss on both of her husband's cheeks, one after the other, followed by a quick peck on his lips.
"Come on, Accelerator, get into the swing of things, MISAKA MISAKA proclaims, as she tries to encourage Accelerator to stop being such a stick in the mud!" Last Order said; Accelerator stood just outside the open door to Last Order's room, which the clone of Misaka Mikoto stood in the center of, arms outstretched.
"Why don't you just invite one of your fucking friends over, goddamn brat? I don't have time for this," Accelerator complained. "I have to charge this stupid choker soon, too."
"MISAKA can charge it, MISAKA MISAKA explains, attempting to persuade Accelerator to join her," Last Order responded.
"Tch. You and the other brat broke my old one. Not that I care."
Accelerator entered the room, glowing red eyes peering out from beneath his snow white hair. Last Order's room was the opposite of Misaka Worst's room; while Worst enjoyed her room being plain, and chose to have only the most basic of essentials and little more, Last Order's room was lavish, and bright. Its walls were covered in bright, light pink wallpaper, with images of Gekota, the mascot who made Accelerator want to vomit, placed about.
Last Order's bed was long and wide, easily large enough to fit three or four people comfortably. It had a pulled down green comforter, and sheets that were of a lighter shade of green beneath it. Its pillows were white, long, fluffy, and luxurious. A few feet away from the bed was a large, walk-in closet, which was open, and filled to the absolute brim with neatly organized outfits, and neatly placed shoes of all shapes; from trainers, to flip flops, to gladiator sandals and high heels, to fashionable boots, Last Order had it all. Against the wall that was directly across from Last Order's bed, there was a small, wooden desk, and a small, plastic chair. A rather large tablet, as well as Last order's phone were placed on the desk's surface, along with a pair of earbuds; a bottle of water sat in the upper right hand corner, and a reading lamp sat in the left.
Clad in a dark blue sweatshirt, a pair of dark, tight-fitting jeans, and his cheap trainers, the number one ranked esper in Academy City approached Last Order. "Goddamn brat." Last Order moved towards her desk, with the intention of unlocking the device, however, it was then that the device began to vibrate.
"Oh! It's Index, MISAKA MISAKA states, with plans to inform Accelerator of the identity of the individual that's attempting to communicate with MISAKA!" Last Order said happily. Accelerator grunted, and leaned against the wall. He looked down to the smiling form of one of many Gekotas. This particular Gekota was clad in a pair of swim trunks, and had an ice cream cone, which had bright green ice cream dripping down its surface. Accelerator resisted the urge to spit, and turned his vision away from it.
"Hi, Index, MISAKA MISAKA says, offering her warmest greetings to her dear friend!" Last Order said happily, as she plugged her earbuds into her phone's headphone jack, and placing either individual bud into each of her ears.
"Last Order! Hi! I missed you! How are you?! I'm so happy I got a hold of you!" Index nearly shouted; Last Order could practically hear the joy in her voice, and the clone found herself blushing.
"MISAKA's missed you too! MISAKA's good, how are you? Good, MISAKA hopes! MISAKA's really happy to hear from you too, MISAKA MISAKA says, happily answering her dear friend's inquiries!" Last Order replied with a smile. Accelerator watched it form, and he felt something inside of him soar at the sight of her smile, at the sight of her happiness. Accelerator felt his own lips curling into a reluctant smile.
On the other end of the line, Index was almost jumping for joy, so happy was she, as she and her and family wandered about, with no real aim or goal. On Kamijou Touma's left side, Misaki held his hand, and, on his right, Index clung to his arm. A content smile was on his face; he looked like the happiest man on Earth, and very likely beyond. In Misaki's purse, Othinus had fallen asleep, and was softly snoring, as she dreamed her little dreams.
"I'm great. Are you doing anything today? I'm out with the lovers, and Othinus! We should do something, if you're feeling up to it!" Index said happily. Last Order immediately knew how would she answer, if this were solely her home; this wasn't solely her home, however.
"One second; MISAKA's going to put you on mute, quickly, MISAKA MISAKA explains, as she moves her finger towards the 'mute' button," Last Order explained. She muted the call, and turned to face Accelerator. "Accelerator? Can Index, the Saviors, and the Redeemed One come over?"
The answer that had risen to Accelerator's tongue was something along the lines of "whatever gets you out of my hair, fucking brat." However, what actually emerged from Accelerator's lips was very different. It surprised even the "top dog" of Academy City.
"Whatever makes you happy, Last Order."
Last Order's cheeks began to glow bright pink, and her eyes looked to the floor, as she rocked back and forth on her heels and toes.
"A-Accelerator…? MISAKA MISAKA asks, curious as to Accelerator's sudden change in behavior…"
Accelerator crossed his arms, and sighed, as a vein in his forehead throbbed. "I just want you to be happy. I just want to fucking see you smile, okay? You and the other brat… I… yeah, they can come. I haven't seen those goddamn heroes in a while, anyways. Have fun with the nun."
Last Order giggled with happiness, as she unmuted her call, smiling warmly. "Index? Are you still there? MISAKA MISAKA inquires, wondering as to whether or not MISAKA kept you on hold for too long, in a manner similar to technical support."
"Present!" Index called back happily.
"You can come! MISAKA can't wait to see you, and the Saviors, and the Redeemed One!" Last Order replied, ecstatic. She was nearly bouncing, as a smiling Accelerator took his leave. Accelerator found himself experiencing a similar feeling to the one he'd experienced earlier, when Worst had been 'bratting' him. It was exotic, and it in a way, it felt good, but, at the same time, Accelerator felt that it was oddly dangerous, that it was something that should never be acted upon, even if he had no idea how he would go about doing so.
"Aaaah! So exciting! Okay, I'll get these smoochie-touchy lovebirds to hurry up! See you soon, girl!" Index responded.
"Byyeee, MISAKA MISAKA says, offering her farewells, excited for the approaching arrival of her close friends!" Last Order said, as she ended the call, and pocketed her phone. Last Order rushed out of the room, and pulled the door closed behind her.
After travelling quickly down the stairs, trying to avoid tripping over her own feet, Last Order peered into the living room, which was vacant, and then to the kitchen on the opposite side of the hallway, where she found Accelerator at the kitchen counter. He had evidently plugged his choker in to charge, as he was supporting himself with his crutch. A simple, completely white device, it was rather long, as to allow Accelerator to walk mostly upright with little hunching, and had a comfortable, soft grip.
"Hungry, brat? If you are, you'd better let me know now. Once I'm done in here, I'm not getting back up," Accelerator stated, as he moved towards the fridge. Opening it with his available hand, he produced a loaf of bread.
"MISAKA is alright; if MISAKA gets hungry, MISAKA can just make herself something; MISAKA will probably make lunch for Index, the Saviors and the Redeemed One, so MISAKA can make something for herself then, MISAKA MISAKA states, speaking thankfully to Accelerator for his generous offer!" Last Order responded, as she ran up behind Accelerator, and threw her arms around his waist. Accelerator closed the fridge's door, and set the loaf of bread down on the counter.
"By the way. What the fuck did you want earlier, before the nun called? Your lazy ass was yelling up a storm. Were you just fucking hungry, brat?" Accelerator inquired. His available hand fell to the hands that were wrapped around him, and Accelerator took them into his own available hand.
"MISAKA just wanted to cuddle… when the inferior unit's away, MISAKA sometimes gets lonely, MISAKA MISAKA states plainly, explaining her feelings candidly to Accelerator."
Accelerator's crimson eyes looked down, as he hobbled around to face Last Order. A recurring thought passed through the "top dog's" mind.
"I don't deserve these fucking brats. They'd be better off with Yomikawa and Yoshikawa… but I know I can't live without them. Goddamn clingy, annoying brats. Goddamn hero, making me go soft like thi— why don't you just cut the shit? Why are you still fucking acting like this? He has a fucking name, you ungrateful shit. Touma. Kamijou fucking Touma."
Accelerator propped himself up on his crutch, and took Last Order into his available arm. The younger-elder clone of Misaka Mikoto took the skeletally thin form of Accelerator into her arms, and clung tightly to him. Last Order nuzzled him, blushing as she did so.
"Control Tower! You're nearly there; Misaka can feel it! Kiss tou-san! Then, Misaka can swoop in once he's smitten! Ahahahahaha!"
"Are these truly your feelings, superior unit, Misaka inquires? Is this the way you feel? Does this make the inferior unit's feelings valid, as well… the Accelerator may be in for interesting times, Misaka theorizes. Why have you held back for so long, Misaka questions?"
"You're a prude, serial number ten thousand thirty-two! You need to shed that crap, and come to the dark side! Once the Control Tower's in, we'll all have one-way tickets to tou-san's big, meaty cock!"
"I-inferior unit! That's not what this is about, MISAKA MISAKA states firmly, putting her foot down, as she's growing tired of the inferior unit insinuating that she l-likes Accelerator…"
"DO IT! DO IT!"
"Misaka thinks it would be a good idea; sometimes, families have to evolve… and to evolve, there must be breeding… eheheheh, Misaka chuckles, entertained by the current situation."
"And serial number ten thousand seven hundred and seventy-seven joins the brawl! Tou-san's harem is expanding!"
Last Order, blushing intensely, driven by peer pressure, and by her own matured body's strange way of thinking did it. She moved in for the kill. Last Order raised her face to Accelerator's. Her eyes closed, and, as she felt as if she was on the verge of fainting, Last Order's lips connected with Accelerator's, and Last Order's entire body shivered. Shame, pain, happiness, a feeling that this was so, so wrong, yet so, so right surged through the body and mind of Last Order. The denizens of the Misaka Network, with the exception of the Will, which was, to Last Order, oddly silent, began to chatter incessantly.
Last Order didn't know what she was doing, and she didn't quite know why she was doing it. Peer pressure was a convenient excuse, but, the way her body felt, as she pressed it against Accelerator's, it felt like something holy was being violated, twisted, and defiled. It felt like some step that never should've been taken had been taken.
And Last Order loved it. As if she was calling upon the power of Misaka Worst herself, Last Order let herself go, throwing all self-restraint to the proverbial wolves. Her eyes closed, she loudly panted, as quick, sudden breaths were inhaled and exhaled from her nose, which was jabbing into Accelerator's face, right below his left eye.
Last Order felt the violently trembling hand of Accelerator trying to push her away, at first, but, in his vulnerably state, he was having very little success. His right hand, which was still clasping his crutch, gave way with one great shudder, and he came close to falling. Last Order's long, feminine arms caught him, and lifted him back up to his feet.
Last Order was suddenly taken aback; not physically, but mentally and emotionally. Warm, wet tears were dripping down onto her face. Not from her own eyes…
But from the eyes of Accelerator, as his own weak, spindly, violently shaking arms returned Last Order's embrace.