Buildings and trees whipped by, a blur. In the distance, scenes of the chaos that the city had descended into leapt out at her before disappearing behind the buildings once again, like snapshots that only served to hammer home the severity of the situation.
Kazari knew that Academy City was no stranger to calamity, but this was on a scale she had never experienced. It seemed to be happening everywhere at once. No matter where she looked she could see people scrambling, smoke rising, and sometimes even stranger things; people twisting in the air, entire sections of a building just gone - this was what happened when a city that defied nature began to unravel.
She took a deep breath and shut her eyes, trying to tune out the voices on the scanner. Reports of the damage kept rolling in, frantic voices calling for emergency crews in every corner of District 7 and even beyond. Every esper in the city was being affected now it looked like, and she could hardly imagine what it must be like out there.
Even she could feel it. It was there in her head, tugging at her, trying to mold her fragile AIM field into something new, something stronger. She focused on taking deep breaths and keeping herself as calm as possible. Her palms were sweaty, her shoulders tense. She felt the heat inside of her, building, searching for an outlet that she couldn't afford to give it.
They hit a curb and Chida cursed, throwing them into a sharp turn before flooring the accelerator again. "How you holding up?"
Kazari took a few more deep breaths. "O-okay, I think. Whatever's affecting the other espers is affecting me too. B-but I don't think Level 1s are strong enough to-" She licked her lips, opening her eyes and giving her head a shake in an attempt to dislodge the throbbing pain. "I don't think we're strong enough to lose control completely, but I… I don't feel well. It's sort of like having the flu."
"You better tell me if you feel like you're gonna blow; the last thing I need is for you to lose it when I'm pushing triple digits here."
"I-I'll let you know." She took another breath and wiped the sweat from her brow. "I should be fine for now though. My ability only affects temperature anyway, and so far nothing has happened so we should be okay. How much longer?"
"If you're sure. We should be almost there. Look." She pointed out the window and Kazari saw a row of warehouses rapidly approaching. "That's the warehouse district. The coordinates you gave me lead in there, and that's where we had that incident last night. If those are really connected, then we should only be a few minutes."
Kazari nodded and focused herself as best she could, ignoring the feverish feeling that was growing by the minute. As long as it wasn't putting anyone else in danger, she could deal with it.
"I don't suppose you have any idea of what we're getting into here?" Chida asked, throwing the car sideways and blasting down an alley. Detritus followed in their wake, the car pulling it along in tiny twisters. "I don't relish the idea of going in completely blind, especially with how crazy things have gotten."
"Sorry, I wish I knew. All I have is the location though. Anything else we're going to have to find out for ourselves." It had been worrying her as well, knowing so little about their destination. She'd been less concerned when she'd had all of Anti-Skill behind her, but now it was just her and Chida. She had no idea what they were getting into, but they would have to be enough.
"Shit." Chida sighed and shook her head. "Well, guess there's no helping it. If this place is the source of this whole mess like you say, then we need to shut it down."
The car began to slow and Kazari looked out at the buildings as they passed. They were definitely in a different part of the city. The buildings were more uniform, and far less attractive than in District 7. Even though they must have only just crossed the border the difference in purpose was clear. Large, blocky structures of unpainted concrete and sheet metal were lined up one after another, the only distinguishing factor the state of disrepair some of them were in.
The only other time she had ever been out here was for a practical exercise during Judgment training, and that had been months ago. But nothing looked different, and she was starting to wonder if they were going to be able to find the place.
"Ah, hell." The car slid to a rough stop. Kazari had to grab onto her seat to avoid being slammed against the door and still managed to bash her head against the window. "Are you sure about that address, kid?"
Kazari rubbed her head. That was probably going to leave a lump. "Eh? W-well no, but it's the only lead I have. Why?"
"'Cuz it's looking a little unlikely that any kind of operation could be run out of that place at the moment."
Kazari followed the older woman's gaze and her eyes widened when she caught sight of the ruin that occupied the lot in front of them.
It was another warehouse, similar to the ones around them, but set off in a vacant, overgrown lot. It was the kind of place you'd expect to find hoodlums hanging out in the middle of the day swapping stories or initiating shady deals. Not where you'd expect to find the headquarters of the kind of operation it would take to throw the whole city in chaos.
But that wasn't what drew her attention. The building - what was left of it anyway - was a disaster. The entire front half seemed to have collapsed, leaving a pile of twisted metal supports and broken concrete slabs strewn across the lot. Smoke was curling up from the rubble, reaching towards the sky like gnarled branches before being blown away as soon as they got above the roof line.
"Come on, let's check it out." Chida turned off the engine and stepped out of the car, grabbing her weapon and holding it at the ready. Kazari followed, suddenly wishing she had some way of defending herself.
"Stay close, and keep an eye out," Chida whispered. Her eyes were focused and she was scanning the surrounding buildings. "That smoke means this probably happened recently, and whoever's responsible could still be in the area."
Kazari nodded, following closely behind the Anti-Skill woman, her eyes still locked on the ruin. They moved slowly, and she was acutely aware of her growing discomfort. Chida seemed to feel it too, but so far there had been no sign that there was still anyone around. Kazari chewed on her lip, stepping over debris as they drew closer. Was this really the right place?
They moved carefully over the debris, and Kazari yelped as she nearly lost her footing when a chunk of concrete shifted beneath her feet. Her heart pounded and she let out a shaky breath. This really was not going to help her already frayed nerves.
"Hold on a second," Chida said, shouldering her weapon and motioning for her to stop. The older woman climbed up a warped metal beam and whistled, peering down one of the darkened hallways. "Well, I dunno if this is the place we're looking for, but there's definitely something different about it. Can you work your way over here?"
"Yes, I think so," Kazari replied, climbing a slanted slab and moving up next to Chida.
"See that?" Chida asked, pointing down the darkened hallway. Kazari squinted. It was hard to see much, but around the shattered edges she could make out the remnants of white tile and polished metal walls. She frowned. That seemed a little unusual for a warehouse.
"The inside is different," she said, realization hitting her.
"Right. The outside is a mess but it's still pretty clearly made with the same materials as the other warehouses around here." She pulled a flashlight from her belt, the light illuminating the hallway, bouncing off the wisps of smoke. "But once you get inside, it's different. I've spent some time out here cleaning up groups of Skill Out that like to hole up in the abandoned warehouses. None of them look like that. That looks more like what you'd expect from the buildings in the research district."
Kazari thought back to her Judgment training. It was true, the warehouses they'd conducted training exercises in hadn't looked anything like this one. There definitely was something different about this building.
"But… what do you think happened?" The nagging worry that they'd come to the wrong place was resurfacing. "We would have heard about an accident of this scale, wouldn't we? It's recent, but not so recent that Anti-Skill wouldn't have heard about it."
"Yeah, probably. Unless no one reported it." She hopped down and began moving along the perimeter. Kazari slid down as carefully as she could and followed. "Places like this pop up from time to time. If it's an illegal research center then there's a good chance even in the event of an accident they wouldn't say anything. Sometimes the people in charge would rather everything get destroyed than have to admit to whatever it was they were up to. Nasty business, if you ask me."
She paused at a sheet of scorched metal, gloved fingers tracing the pattern. "This looks deliberate to me though. And whatever did it must have had a lot of firepower."
An image of Misaka-san immediately popped into her head, and Kazari's stomach twisted. Had Misaka-san been here? But then if she had what was going on?
"This can't be the right place," she said, heart racing. What were they going to do? She didn't have any other leads! "I-If it's already been destroyed, then whatever's happening can't be coming from here."
She wanted to cry. What were they going to do? They'd come all the way out here for nothing, and now she was all out of ideas. She wasn't even sure how much longer she'd be able to stay on her feet if this continued. Tears formed in her eyes and she leaned against a piece of rubble. Everything felt so hot. She took a shuddering breath and tried to steady herself, but it was becoming harder and harder to focus.
"Hey, are you alright?" Stone crunched underfoot as Chida approached. A heavy hand fell on her shoulder and Kazari gave a start. "Don't you collapse on me now. We don't have time to dawdle. If this isn't the right place then we need to get out of here and figure something else out, pronto."
"'That will not be necessary,' Misaka says, making her presence known."
Chida whirled, weapon up. It happened so fast that Kazari stumbled and nearly fell to the ground, letting out a squawk of surprise.
"Alright, who are you? What are you doing here?" Chida's voice was hard and wary, but Kazari's eyes widened when she caught sight of the newcomer.
"Misaka-san!" She pushed past Chida, ignoring her bark of protest, and ran towards the other girl. She felt hopeful for the first time since this whole mess had started. If Misaka-san was here, she would know what to do. With her help, they could finally get to the bottom of this and put a stop to-
She slid to a stop. Something wasn't right. She took a moment to look over the girl. She did look like Misaka-san, remarkably so, but… there was something strange about her. Her face was expressionless, blank in a way she'd never seen Misaka-san's, and she held herself differently. There was something about her eyes that was off as well, and she was wearing a pair of the most peculiar goggles she had ever seen.
"This a friend of yours?"
Kazari blinked, Chida's voice pulling her from her examination of the girl. "I… I thought so, but… I'm not sure." She bit her lip. "You're not… you're not Misaka-san, are you?"
The girl shook her head. "'No, this MISAKA is not Onee-sama,' Misaka says, making it clear. 'However, this MISAKA has been in pursuit of Onee-sama, and wishes to report that she was the one responsible for the destruction of this facility. She was last seen entering with a woman unknown to this MISAKA.'"
Kazari reeled back, the strange speech pattern throwing her for as much of a loop as any of the information the girl had presented. How on earth could anyone speak like that? It was incredibly disorienting.
"U-um, I'm sorry, but if you're not Misaka-san, then who are you?" she asked. "You look exactly like her! I-I mean, you sound a little different, and I've never seen Misaka-san wear something like those goggles, but you're even in the same uniform." The girl had been referring to Misaka-san as "Onee-sama." Or, at least she thought she had. Shirai-san was the only other person she'd ever heard do that. What did that mean?
"'This MISAKA has the same genetic identity as Onee-sama, and as such resembles her very closely,' Misaka explains with a sigh, anxious to address the present situation."
"Genetic identity?" So they were related? Or was it something else?
She looked the girl up and down again. She really did look a lot like Misaka-san. They could definitely be related. But Misaka-san had never mentioned having any siblings…
"'Excuse me,' Misaka says, attempting to bring the issue to a close, 'But we do not have time to waste. Onee-sama's AIM field is currently being used to affect every esper in the city. This MISAKA speculates that Onee-sama is likely at the center of the signal being broadcast throughout Academy City. We must move quickly if we are to put a stop to it.'"
"Wait, hold up just a second." Chida said, her weapon trained on the not-Misaka-san. "What are you even talking about? How the hell do you know all this, kid?"
The girl paused, then slowly moved her hand to her her pocket, keeping the other raised in a gesture of peace, and withdrew a cellphone. "'This MISAKA was the one to send the initial warning to Onee-sama's friends,' Misaka claims, offering her phone as proof."
Chida nodded at her and Kazari stepped forward, taking the phone from the girl. Sure enough, the most recent sent message was the same one she and Shirai-san had received. She looked up, more curious than ever, but the girl's face was still blank. "But… why us? Why didn't you just contact Anti-Skill if you knew what was going on?"
"'This MISAKA sought to reach out to those closest to Onee-sama, in the hopes that they would act in her best interest,' Misaka admits, revealing her motive. 'However, this MISAKA had hoped that the response would be more sizeable,' Misaka says in disappointment, looking at the meager forces that have arrived to assist.'"
Kazari winced but Chida took a step forward, shattered concrete crunching beneath her boot. "Hey, I dunno if you've noticed, but things are a little crazy right now. If you're really looking for help, then we're what you've got, so you better tell us your plan if you've got one."
She nodded and hopped down beside a pile of rubble, shifting it with surprising strength for someone of her size and build. "'This MISAKA did not anticipate the severity or speed with which Onee-sama's AIM field has been used to affect the other espers. As such, we will have to improvise.' Misaka says, demonstrating her adaptability by suppressing her disappointment at the pathetic number of reinforcements."
She pulled at another slab of cracked concrete, ignoring Chida's grumbling. The whole pile shifted before sliding down with a puff of dust and the sound of grinding stone. Kazari coughed, squinting against the dust while Chida cursed behind her.
A moment later the dust cleared and she saw Mikoto's lookalike kneeling next to a small hole in the rubble that led to a darkened stairway.
"'From what this MISAKA has been able to determine, this facility uses standard Academy City design and has large sections built underground in the case of any outside attack or if an outbreak of some unknown nature needs to be contained,' Misaka explains, gesturing to Onee-sama's flower friend to follow. 'Our destination will be inside. Come, we must move quickly.'"
"U-um." Kazari peered into the dark hole, fear seizing her chest. What was she even doing here? She wasn't brave or strong. She wasn't like her friends, who could do anything they set their minds to. She was just a scared Level 1 that didn't have a clue what she was doing. If she wasn't behind a computer screen, she was worse than useless.
Her shoulders shook as she bit her lip. It was just like when she'd been in Judgment training. She'd been weak then, and she was weak now, wasn't she? It was only because of Shirai-san that she'd managed to make anything of herself back then, and she wasn't here to pull her out of it this time. No one was. It was just her this time.
She sucked in a breath, wiping at her eyes. No, Shirai-san wasn't here. Neither was Saten-san. And according to this girl that looked like Misaka-san, the friend she'd always thought could handle anything needed help. Her help, and she wasn't going to back down, no matter what she had to do.
"O-okay," she said, taking a deep breath and stepping towards the hole, "let's go."
"Wait." Chida's hand grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around. "You sure about this? We don't know if we can trust her."
"No, I'm not," Kazari said, willing herself not to shake. "But I don't have any choice. If I don't do something, then it's not just Misaka-san that's going to get hurt."
Chida looked at her for a moment, then pulled her hand back. "Alright, then go on. Hate to say it, but I'm not going to fit down that hole. I'll stay here and see if I can convince any other units to back us up. You be careful, alright?"
Kazari nodded, eyes set. "I will."
"'Then there is no time to waste,' Misaka says, trying to once again stress the need for haste."
The girl began to wriggle into the opening, squirming until she had disappeared into the hole. With one last deep breath, Kazari knelt down and began to squeeze into the passage, following the strange girl into the dark.
All her senses were failing, overloaded with a combination of pain and noise that seemed to come from all directions. Her nerves were fried. She was in agony, but she couldn't even scream. It was a distant sort of pain, detached from her in a manner she couldn't describe. It consumed her, tearing away at her body moment by moment, but at the same time it almost wasn't even there.
Screams of fear and panic echoed inside her skull, making it impossible to think clearly. Where were they coming from? They weren't hers, she knew that, but they sounded somehow familiar. It was as if she were reliving an experience she'd had once before, but from another perspective. She just couldn't see where she was. She had no bearings, no way to anchor herself. There was only the noise and the constant pull, as if something had grabbed hold of her insides and was attempting to turn her inside out. Her body was being drained, wrung dry like a rag, and she was losing all ability to resist it.
It didn't feel like she was going mad. That sensation of slipping sanity, of grasping at your own thoughts as they slipped away from you… she'd felt it before. She'd felt it at the Daihaseisai, hadn't she? And again, before she'd lashed out and struck Saten-san. But this was different. Her thoughts were clear, she just couldn't focus them in the way that she wanted, no, needed to, in order to escape. Her power wouldn't listen, and without that what was she? Just another helpless child, really.
The force seemed to grow with every passing moment, the fingers gripping her core tightening, pulling harder. It was becoming harder and harder to form a cogent thought. Her power was reaching out, further than it ever had before, her own pain and fear touching countless other AIM fields and spreading like a virus. They were expanding, shifting, trying to adapt and buckling under the pressure. She felt them bursting one after another as their espers lost control in a sudden rush of uncontrollable power.
Again and again it happened, and each time was like another blow to her consciousness as the backlash slammed into her psyche. How much longer could she keep this up before her own power reached its limit? She couldn't possibly keep this up forever. Any minute now and she would give.
Pain lanced through her body and she grit her teeth. Flashes of light blocked out her vision and made it impossible to see anything but a kaleidoscope of impossible color. It was closer now, easier to feel. Her skin was prickling and the smell of ozone assaulted her nostrils, scorching the sensitive skin within. If it weren't for the machine she was strapped into Mikoto was certain she would have collapsed to the floor in a shivering heap long ago. Her restraints were the only thing keeping her upright, the drugs in her system the only thing keeping her conscious.
It was beginning to become impossible to tell if the sensations she was feeling were from her own body or something she was experiencing second hand as the senses of a hundred other espers flowed back through their connection to slam into her body with the force of a charging bull. She was starting to wonder if she would really make it through this, or if she would actually die here, strapped to some strange machine at the whims of a madman.
The thought was intolerable, impossible, but she lacked the strength now to resist. Her power was still growing, reaching heights she'd never imagined, but she didn't even have a tenuous grip on it anymore. It was as if she and her ability had been separated. Even as it grew her body weakened. She'd lost, and now everyone else was paying for it.
She thought of her friends. How disappointed would they be if they could see her now? The proud Level 5 that tried to take on everything by herself. What a joke. She'd been bested by one asshole with a power complex, and she'd had the gall to think she could protect everyone alone? How could she do that, if all it took to bring her down was a little guile?
Her heart clenched with a pain that had nothing to do with the power ravaging her body. Maybe it was too late to wish she'd done things differently, but she couldn't help but wonder how things might have gone if she had trusted them more. Kuroko would have understood, if she had just bothered to explain herself. Uiharu had always been supportive, and Saten would have told her what she needed to hear, no matter how much she didn't want to listen.
If she had bothered to place the same trust in them that they placed in her, then maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe she wouldn't be stuck here, helpless, and maybe… maybe she wouldn't have failed her sisters yet again.
'Sorry, everyone. This time, I really messed up.'
Another surge of power racked her body and this time she managed a scream. Then there was a brilliant flash and her mind went blank.
"Do you… happen to know where we're going?"
"'This MISAKA has no precise knowledge of the interior of this complex,' Misaka says, her tone making it clear that she still has a plan. 'Our first objective should be to find a working terminal and obtain a map. Facilities of this nature usually keep a record of the floorplan accessible within the system in case of emergencies,' Misaka clarifies, hoping she doesn't have to explain herself again."
"Oh, um, okay. That's a good idea."
The inside of the facility was dry, the stagnant air clinging to her and making the dark corridors seem even more claustrophobic than they already were. Kazari didn't really have any issues with enclosed spaces, but after making her way down that ruined staircase and into the halls of the facility, she was starting to feel a little skittish. Pale green emergency lights lined the floor were the only source of illumination. They gave the hallway an eerie look, like a crypt in a horror movie just before the ghoul appears to devour the protagonists.
The pounding in her head was as persistent as ever, but somehow it felt quieter down here, further away. Whatever the reason, she was grateful. She needed to focus if they were going to find Misaka-san.
She kept a few paces back from her companion, watching the girl as she walked. Her movements were different from Misaka-san's, now that she looked more closely. Not that she spent a great amount of time watching Misaka-san, not at all - Shirai-san would have certainly not approved of that - but there was a grace in the way this girl moved that Misaka-san didn't share.
Misaka-san had a grace all her own, a sure-footed stride that came from confidence and control, but her lookalike was different. She moved cautiously, her steps light and measured. Kazari was tempted to write it off as a product of their situation, but the movement seemed so natural that she couldn't help but think this was normal for her, something she had practiced until it had become second nature.
That wasn't the only peculiar thing about her. When they'd met on the surface, her goggles had been perched upon her head, but down here she wore them over eyes, the slit glowing nearly the same pale green as the lights.
"I hope you don't mind me asking, but what are those goggles for?" Kazari asked, hurrying forward a few paces to stand beside the girl. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like them before. They're different from the Anti-Skill issue thermal imaging goggles I've seen."
"'This MISAKA uses these goggles to track electrical signals as a means by which to elevate her power, as it is impossible to see them in the same way that Onee-sama does,' Misaka says, successfully hiding her jealousy of Onee-sama's superior skills."
"Oh? That's interesting. I've heard of espers using equipment to augment their abilities, but I've never actually seen it before." She glanced at the girl out of the corner of her eye, the same unsettled feeling she'd had ever since she'd realized she wasn't Misaka-san crawling under her skin. The resemblance was really uncanny, and it seemed unlikely that Misaka-san would have never mentioned having a sibling, let alone a twin. "Um, I haven't actually introduced myself yet. My name is Uiharu Kazari. What's yours?"
The girl favored her with a sidelong glance, motioning for her to stop as they came to a crossroads. Each of the passages looked the same to Kazari, but her companion seemed to see something and they turned left, moving swiftly down the hall.
"'This MISAKA is designated 10032,' Misaka replies, privately fond of the number. 'However, the name "Misaka" is suitable for use in everyday interaction and so you may use that.'"
Kazari stared, trying to decide if she was serious. She didn't seem like the kind of person to tell a joke, but that name was more than a little strange.
"Um, well perhaps this is rude, but I already know a Misaka-san, so that might get confusing. Do you have something else I can call you?" she asked, hoping to get a straight answer this time.
"'If the name already supplied will cause you confusion, you may refer to this MISAKA simply as "Misaka," without the honorific,' Misaka says, going through a great deal of effort to suppress a sigh."
Kazari suppressed a sigh of her own. It didn't look like she was going to get a better answer than that. "Misaka" it was, then.
"And… and what's your relation to Misaka-san?"
"'This MISAKA does not feel comfortable discussing such things without the presence of Onee-sama,' Misaka replies, hoping to make it clear that she does not wish to pursue this topic."
"It's just strange," Kazari began, forging onward. "I feel like Misaka-san would have mentioned you. I mean, we've been friends for months, and she talks about her parents sometimes. It seems odd that she wouldn't have said anything about you."
She flushed, the implications of her words catching up with her. "N-not that I'm trying to say she's ashamed of you or anything!" she stammered, waving her hands in panic.
"'Onee-sama prefers to keep the existence of MISAKA a secret,' Misaka says, attempting to avoid a prolonged discussion on the topic. 'There have been incidents in the past, and Onee-sama wishes to avoid a repeat of such unpleasant situations. That said, it is the opinion of this MISAKA that Onee-sama is unskilled at avoiding unpleasant situations.'"
Kazari frowned and something tickled at the back of her mind as they made another turn. She jogged to keep up with the pace Misaka was setting while the gears in her head turned. This girl who looked so much like Misaka-san and with such a strange name - strange everything, really - brought something to mind that she hadn't thought about in a long time.
There had been rumors several months back, of a cloning program for Level 5s, hadn't there? But nothing had ever come of them. Even Saten-san had dismissed them as bunk. But here was this carbon copy of Misaka-san, jogging along next to her. It was preposterous, but still…
She shivered, the warm air of the passage doing nothing to combat the chill that suddenly passed over her. That was ridiculous. It was far more likely that Misaka was in fact Misaka-san's sister, and had just been kept a secret for some reason. Maybe she was part of some secret project. It would explain her strange speech and behavior. Maybe. It might also account for the clone rumor. If someone who knew Misaka-san saw this girl, then all sorts of rumors might start going around. Cloning wasn't even the most outlandish thing that people might come up with.
She shook her head. Now wasn't the time to think about that. She needed to stay focused, and wondering about exactly who Misaka was would only distract her.
They stopped at a closed door, the nearby panel locked. Misaka waited only a moment before pressing her palm to the door, lightning running in arcing trails down her arm and through the metal. A moment later the door slid open and Kazari winced, shielding her eyes as the corridor was suddenly bathed in bright light.
"'Primary power appears to be working in this part of the facility,' Misaka says, noting the distinct lack of an ambush. 'We should be able to find a functioning terminal.'"
"That also probably means we're getting close to Misaka-san," Kazari mumbled, rubbing her eyes until the light no longer stung.
Misaka nodded and led her down the now brightly lit hallway, moving nearly at a run. Kazari followed as quickly as she could. Was it too much to ask that her life and death situations not involve running? She had always been terrible at it during training, and even in school she was firmly at the back of the pack.
They kept moving, the hum of the lights and the slap of their shoes against the tile floor the only sounds in the hallway. Misaka seemed to have some idea of where they were going, and so Kazari simply focused on keeping pace with her. How she knew how to navigate this maze, Kazari wasn't sure, but she suspected it had something to do with those goggles of hers.
"Here."
Suddenly Misaka stopped in front of a door and Kazari squealed, nearly slamming into the back of her. She steadied herself, watching Misaka run a hand across the door. She tried the handle but it didn't budge. Jamming her shoulder into it was similarly ineffective, and Kazari was just about to suggest they move on and try to find one that was unlocked when Misaka stepped back and, without so much as a word, delivered a spin kick that shattered the lock with a resounding crack and slammed the door open.
"Be careful!" Kazari looked around frantically. "What if someone heard that?"
"'Thus far we have not encountered anyone within this facility. This MISAKA has been scanning for any signs of human activity and so far has been unable to detect anything. It is likely that we are the only ones in this part of the structure,' Misaka explains, ignoring your concerns and investigating the room."
As she spoke she stepped into the room, and with a sigh Kazari followed after her. It was true that they hadn't seen anyone yet, but she was on edge enough already - she didn't need Misaka to start kicking in doors. Then again, given the circumstances perhaps the direct approach was best.
The room was small, filled mostly with metal crates stacked all the way to the ceiling. Each was marked with a series of numbers but Kazari could make nothing of them. The room was musty, almost damp compared to the hallways, and there was a fine coating of dust on most of the crates. Storage, perhaps?
"'Here, we can use this,' Misaka says, clearly relieved."
Kazari turned from her inspection of the room to see a console built into the wall by the door. It was small, not even as large as her laptop, but as they approached a panel opened and a keyboard slid out and the screen flickered to life.
An unfamiliar logo appeared on the screen for a moment before flashing out of existence as the machine powered on. Misaka slid up to the console, pushing her goggles up and resting her fingers against the keys. Kazari watched, fascinated, as small tendrils of electricity crawled between the keyboard. The image on the screen shuddered, and she stared as text began to scroll almost faster than she could keep up.
"'This system is well guarded, and isolated within the facility. It will take this MISAKA some time to work through the security guarding the information we require,' Misaka admits, her frustration evident."
Time that they didn't have. Kazari stepped forward, inspecting the machine. It was different from any of the equipment she was used to working with, but as long as it had a keyboard and a connection to the systems they needed, she could probably get to it.
"Um, I-I'm familiar with most of the security systems used in Academy City." Her voice shook and she took a deep breath. This wasn't the time for her to second guess herself. This, at least, was something she could do. "I can break through it as long as they used one of those systems, even if they've made some changes. If it's an entirely new system then it might take a little longer, but… I can get what we need."
Misaka stared at her for a moment, her blank expression unreadable, before nodding and stepping aside. Kazari took a shaky breath and stepped up to the keys. A few exploratory commands later and she began to fall into the rhythm that Saten-san had taken to calling "Uiharu's Super Serious Computer Mode."
Her fingers raced across the keyboard, eyes darting over the screen as she navigated menus and worked her way through backdoors with the ease of a professional thief slipping into a museum. It was different. She'd never seen this exact system before. At every corner unexpected barriers popped up to try and block her but each time she deftly moved around them, smashing straight through the ones that she couldn't avoid.
She licked her lips, sweat pouring from her brow and stinging her eyes. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she pushed deeper into the system. Despite the severity of the situation, despite everything that was on the line, Kazari couldn't help but smile a little, plowing straight through a particularly stubborn barrier and working her way ever deeper into the system. This, at least, was something she was good at. Maybe she wasn't so useful when it came to running around chasing bad guys, but behind a computer she could do real work. It was exhilarating. The system could resist her all it wanted, but she was going to win.
The pounding in her head had grown in intensity and now it felt as though someone was pounding against the inside of her skull with a hammer, but she persisted. There would be time to deal with the pain later.
Each layer of protection was more convoluted than the last, and she couldn't help but respect whoever made it. Working through the security was like navigating a maze that was actively fighting against her, changing itself every time she got close to its heart. But there was only so much it could do against her, and finally she managed to work her way to the core.
She smiled. That was what she was looking for. At its center, the system used the same base program as another security system she was intimately familiar with. Now that she knew exactly what she was dealing with, all she had to do was retrace her steps and take the whole thing apart. Once she'd done that, the schematics she needed would be hers for the taking.
It was quick work once she knew the tricks. It took her barely a minute to dismantle the security system and once once she did she was easily able to access the schematics for the facility.
"Okay, I got it," she said, wiping the sweat from her brow. Her fingers were shaking slightly, as they often did after she'd finished a particularly intense bout of computer work. This time though, the adrenaline didn't fade.
Misaka sidled up next to her, eyeing the schematics. "'Impressive. This is exactly what we need, and you managed to retrieve them in 60% of the time it would have taken this MISAKA, even without being an electromaster,' Misaka says, realizing that Onee-sama has chosen her friends well."
Kazari flushed and began to stammer out a response but before she could form a clear sentence Misaka had slid her goggles back into place and began moving out of the room. Kazari took another moment to absorb the map before jogging out into the hall to follow the girl.
They came to an intersection and Misaka stopped, pointing straight in the direction they had been walking. "'According to the schematics you managed to retrieve, it is likely that Onee-sama is in that direction. There was a large chamber that appeared to draw a great deal of power. This MISAKA has reached the conclusion that it is most likely the location they are holding Onee-sama,' Misaka says, showing off her powers of reasoning."
The schematics flashed in her mind and Kazari could clearly see the room Misaka was talking about. She nodded. It made sense, and if it was drawing a lot of power then it was as good a place as any to begin their search.
Misaka pointed down another hall. "'This facility has been operating illegally, and as such will have an internal power source to remain isolated from Academy City's power grid. It is possible that we will be able to interrupt whatever they are using to execute their plan by disrupting the power supply. This MISAKA suggests that we split up. She will attempt to neutralize the power core while you rescue Onee-sama,' Misaka says, taking clear pride in such a sound plan."
Kazari's heart was fluttering. "O-okay, but wouldn't it make more sense for you to go after Misaka-san? If they have guards, then I won't be able to get past them."
"'This MISAKA has considered that,' Misaka says, conceding that her plan may have a flaw. 'But it is likely that the generator will need to be destroyed if we wish to shut it down, and this MISAKA can complete this task with ease. In the event of resistance, you will have to wait for an opportunity to get to Onee-sama.'"
That wasn't what Kazari had wanted to hear, but there was no time to argue. Especially since she had a feeling Misaka was right. If the generator needed to be destroyed, she would be useless.
"Alright." She took a deep breath. "There's no telling what's happening with Misaka-san right now, so we need to get to her as soon as possible."
She wasn't particularly keen on the idea of splitting up, but dividing their efforts between two objectives seemed like the plan most likely to lead to success. "I-I'll go after Misaka-san. Will you be okay on your own?"
"'This MISAKA is more than capable of defending herself against powerful opponents, with one notable exception,' Misaka says, taking offense. 'You should focus on yourself and make sure you are able to get to Onee-sama. Ideally we would be able to avoid dividing our forces, but under the time constraints this MISAKA does not believe we have that option.'"
Fear gripped at Kazari's heart, but she nodded again.
Without another word Misaka began jogging down the hall.
"G-good luck!" Kazari called after her, arm raised in a half-wave.
Misaka stopped, turning back to offer her a nod. "'Good luck to you as well,' Misaka says, her tone masking her dubious thoughts about relying on luck at such a crucial time."
With that she was off, leaving Kazari alone in the unfamiliar hallway. She slapped her cheeks and puffed up her chest. Misaka-san needed her, and she wasn't going to let her down. Adrenaline was still pumping through her veins and she took off at a run, ignoring the pressure that was still building inside her head.
A/N: This one is coming out a bit faster than the last, though I have to be honest and say that the next six weeks will probably not see much in the way of progress. I'm planning on doing nanowrimo again, so I'll be busy with that. Fortunately, I do plan on updating my other active story as well, so I'll at least have given everyone something for this month. I'm also still on track to finish this story before the end of the year, which is exciting!
This chapter is a little weird, but hopefully fun. Giving the impression that things are chaotic without spending too much time on what's happening away from the main characters is a little hard, but I think I managed it alright. Introducing Imouto here wasn't originally part of the plan, but it was so much fun and seemed to fit better than I'd expected so I went with it.
If you read it, please let me know what you think! As always I adore getting feedback and I try to be good about answering questions. A huge thank you to everyone that's kept up with this, and I hope you'll stay with me all the way through to the end!