ITEM meeting:

"Girls, I am happy to welcome a new member that has volunteered to help ups." Announced Mugino. She pointed at a figure, a certain, quiet purple haired scientist. Shinobu sat at the very corner of the table, typing on the laptop. "Shinobu here worked with the Level Six Shift director. She can help us hack into their most recent files and activities without getting attention on our ass. Come on, you will enjoy her. She's a vigilante just like us."

"I ultra doubt that." Said Kinuhata Saiai. "She pointed a gun at me at that lab."

"We will not get into that. She changed her mind and was trying to jeopardize the project. Now, as she stated, she is also working with researchers, Heaven Canceller. Good researchers who are not aware of her partnership with us."

"It's alright." Said Shinobu. "We are still helping them, just in a different way. They need unofficial groups. Particularly Dark Side groups like us." She said blankly, then went back to typing rhythmically on her keyboard.

"Also, she knows John, back when she was working as a researcher she practically made sure he doesn't get into the hands of the researchers." Added Mugino. Shinobu only turned her head slightly.

"So, any fresh news?"

"I can only look at the overview of the plans, I'm not authorized to go in the details. It's all encoded. It takes enough just to get in." Answered Shinobu blankly. "But, they seemed to be planning some kind of meeting. They are gonna exchange latest researches."

"Location?"

"Southern United States." Replied Shinobu. "Alright, I'm gonna log out. System gets suspicious. Change your IP."

"You also meet up with Heaven Canceller correct? Would you be able to give us information if they have any new discoveries?" Asked Mugino. Shinobu stared again, with a weird expression.

"Sure."

A quick rundown of what's happening:

-Shinobu is working double in some days, in the day she meets up with researchers (Heaven the doctor's faction) and people with them. In the late night she meets up and gives fresh information to ITEM.

-Results in helping John and Accelerator.

-They are in their hideout and giving instructions to ITEM.

-Also results in helping the researchers and Misaka

-The researchers doesn't realize it.

-The researchers calls them to help because they need "unofficial" groups. Misaka unites her friends, Judgement, and the clones.

-Tensions high with global superpowers due to Academy City's advanced technology. Academy City agreed to sell information to ease tension.

-Evil researchers working with foreign scientists who would report any foreign Espers.

Aritomi:

"I was just wondering, why the heck are you going to the States? Just inform me please. What do you lack in particular that you are not able to obtain?" Asked Aritomi Haruki surprised, but refrained from using curses.

"Are you in a meeting? Some other time?" Asked the voice from the phone, who is unmistakably the Level Six director.

"No no no, I'm free so just tell me now."

"We are gonna exchange information, research results." He answered casually.

"Just that? That is not sufficient reasoning to justify travelling to a foreign country in another continent. Look, I do not mean to be rude, but we have work to do here. A good amount that is challenging enough to complete."

"Sure sure sure, but I'm the one able to communicate. I have ties with researchers over there, I can also work. Look, remember John the recently turned Level Six? He's from the USofA. Those guys have a better chance of locating him, they have a better idea of how he's like."

"Fine then, thanks for your dedication but I just need clarification, exchanging information, like making a deal correct? Is that necessary right now?" Said Aritomi sounding more or less convinced, and hiding his excitement of potentially weaponizing John's powers. "Alright sure. And you don't have an exact date yet?" Aritomi asked.

"No, but we have an appropriate location and are taking out times that we are both least busy." Answered the voice.

Brilliant. Update me when you get there, and backup a file of John, depending on how much you know. This way we can plan out projects in the long run."

A Week Later:

Misaka Mikoto sat at the diner with her usual friends, waiting for Heaven Canceller, Kiyama, and Shinobu to show up. She was searching up a phenomenon named "Esper Brain Related Hallucination"

"Esper Brain Related Hallucination is caused by over exhaustion of the Esper portion of the brain. This can be caused by frequent usage of abilities, or overwhelming stress over one's ability. Connections has been observed linking hallucination cases to the now highly questionable concept Personal Reality." The webpage red. Misaka scrolled down and saw the recent date it was published, and a name. Aritomi Haruki. She smirked. "Sneaky little bastard. What kind of researchers have you been hiding? That can't be all for you guys in a few months…"

"I had a weird dream last night." Began Saten Ruiko. Everyone looked at her curiously. "It was scary. The whole city was on fire, fire erupting from buildings eating the city up. I could only stand there, not able to move or scream. Or maybe it was a hallucination I'm not sure exactly. Anyways there was this voice saying all this could be stopped if I join them."

"It's fine." Misaka said comfortingly. "Don't stress too much over your abilities." She felt ironic, she was telling others not to stress when she was the one taking up the most. The waiter came, rolling a cart with all of their orders. The triad of scientists also came. No, a quartet. The familiar Yoshikawa Kikyou, part of the Level Six Shift.

Kiyama's Office:

"I can really help you guys, like Shinobu I was also part of that inhumane project. And I know John, his condition is rare due to a specific reason. It can't be random. But I can update you on the plans." Said Yoshikawa Kikyou. In order to update ITEM, Shinobu is trying her best to catch what she said. Yoshikawa continued: "Both Aritomi and the Level Six Shift leader hate Espers deep in their most primitive thoughts. That's why they subconsciously chose to study abilities, and use powers as tools. They are absolutely blinded by their achievements that they don't even think about how far they will go. They weren't tricking the Board anymore. They are now used by the Board, pretending to be under their control by funding them non stop, juicing them of their researches when they don't even know it. That's why what we need to worry about is the highly corrupt Board of Directors."

"What are their goals?" Asked Misaka.

"To construct an army, using the latest technologies. No, not simple at all. Kiyama's was right. Academy City is heavily regulated by superpower countries. To ease the tension they sell technologies that are way out of date, but still advanced for their client countries. Ever since the summit when this place was founded, there was a treaty that Academy City is only allowed Antiskill, a ground self defense force. No army. The treaty also said that the intergovernmental military alliance NATO, would provide military protection, and sell arms to Antiskill. NATO regulates Academy City the hardest, so naturally the officials make deals and tries to gain support from non NATO countries. First of all definitely Russia, China. They sell slightly more advanced technologies to those two countries, while also getting funding for initiating more projects in the next decade."

"How did you know all these?" Asked Misaka.

"I have my own group of researchers. I think it's a good idea to use help from Misaka, since we are too noticeable." Answered Yoshikawa. Shinobu's expression darkened, as she thinks she was not even telling them she sought help from ITEM. It's such important information.

"When you construct a fighting force, experiment with WMDs, where do you get funding right? Technology isn't cheap." Yoshikawa confirmed.

"Only way is to convince big countries." Answered Kiyama.

"It's easy to guess their motivations and goals. When you have technology now almost a century ahead. Do you want to be regulated? As you have all those researches going on, conduct experiments and tries to control unprecedentedly destructive power that can be activated in your hand, what do you do to increase influence? Usually hard power involves more radical methods and conveys your message quicker. Isn't what it means?" Added Shinobu, telling the message to ITEM members late night.

"That ultra makes sense." Kinuhata answered.