Chapter 4 AIM showdown
Waking up in hospital, I slowly opened my eyes and took a quick look at my surroundings, my gaze finally resting on a middle aged man in a lab coat.
For some reason this man gave me the impression of a frog, no, it could just be my imagination.
"Your awake, that's good. How do you feel?" he asked, his hands in his lab coat pockets.
"Well, good actually, better than good after what I've been through."
"Still as your doctor I have to ask, how did you get injuries that serious?"
Uh oh...
"I ran through a wall." I replied, gritting my teeth as I told the half truth.
"Your ribs were cracked, your left arm was broken, your spine was twisted and you had internal bleeding from a perforated lungs. Just how fast were you going when you hit the wall?"
"Uhhh..."
"It's fine I shan't press further. Your injuries are nearly fully healed, you should be ready to discharge today." the frog faced doctor said, heading for the door.
Stopping at the door he turned around, "Just a warning, don't mess with Accelerator."
How does he know? Wait... The dead clone? How does nobody know about the girl
who died? Never mind I'll let the matter rest for now, it'll pop up again, something this big can't stay hidden forever.
About half an hour later, a nurse came in to remove my bandages and I was leaving the hospital room when a blur ran into me and sent me flying with it in a rough rugby tackle.
"W-what the? Tsubaki-chan?" I yelled, recognizing the sobbing brown mess of hair that was now soaking my shirt.
"Len-chan... He... He... He's unconscious! I thought you were unconscious too, I came in yesterday and I... I saw you like that and just lost it thank goodness you're okay!" Tsubaki sobbed, looking up at me with bloodshot eyes.
"I'm fine nothing serious, I'm total healed already, where's Len?" I asked, patting Tsubaki as I tried to calm her down.
"T-two floors below, I stopped listening to that Level Upper when you gave Len-chan that warning but he didn't want to, he said he wanted to reach my level before stopping... What if it's my fault he's like this...?" Tsubaki said, muttering the last sentence.
"Tsubaki-chan." I said with a sigh, knowing where this was going to go.
"I made Len-chan fall unconscious, why did I..."
"Tsubaki!" I barked, stunning her.
"There is nothing you have done or could do. Let's just pay Len a visit, and figure a way out of this mess."
Walking into Len's room, I took a step back almost immediately out of shock.
Bumping into Tsubaki, I gave her a silent look as she nodded in reply. Hanako and Len were in the same room.
"Impossible, I visited her at a different hospital." I whispered, staring at Hanako like she was a ghost.
"Never mind about them Ryu-kun, we've seen them so can we go?" Tsubaki whispered, tugging on my shirt sleeve weakly, "I... Can't bear to see Len-chan like this..."
Nodding as I guided her out of the hospital, we had lunch at a family restaurant near the dorms while Tsubaki filled me in on what I missed out on.
"... And so, Len-chan has been unconscious for nearly one and a half days now." Tsubaki said, filling her mouth with another mouthful of rice.
"One and a half days? What day is it today?"
"Oh sorry! I forgot, you must be disoriented over the time after being out so long, today's July 27th, you've been unconscious for two whole days."
"Not surprising, my injuries were quite bad."
Finishing her food and putting her utensils on her plate, Tsubaki started fidgeting restlessly in her chair, "Neh, Ryu-kun..."
"Hmm?" I mumbled, in the middle of drinking my soda.
"Do you blame me... For using the Level Upper?"
"What's with you all of a sudden?"
"Just answer me!" Tsubaki said a little loudly, attracting a few of the other customer's attention.
"No, what you do is your business. Why?"
"Ryu... You don't mean that. Do you."
No honorifics? Why's she acting all coy of a sudden?
"Well... It's your choice. What can I say?"
"Your my friend Ryu! Of course your opinion matters to me!" Tsubaki said, looking into my eyes.
"Tsubaki, why are you asking me this now?"
"Because... The way you've been acting recently, I feel like you hate us for it."
"What? Hate you? I'd never hate you guys! I just feel that... By taking the easy way out..."
"It's cheating and you know it Ryu. I can see you disapprove of it as well."
"It's cheating yeah but..."
"So you do blame us..."
"No!" I yelled, a waitress coming over to our table.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry but you're disturbing the other customers..."
Apologizing quickly and paying for the meal, Tsubaki and I walked to a park nearby and sat down on one of the benches.
"I envy you Ryu..." Tsubaki whispered.
"Why."
"Your ability, everything comes so easily to you. You don't have the problem of not knowing what to do next. I guess I admire and envy you for that."
"Tsubaki... I... I'm the same level as you."
"Don't try to lie to me Ryu! I've seen what you've done, what you can do! Don't try and tell me you're just a Level 2."
"Tsubaki, you don't have to worry about your Level. It will go up eventually just be patient."
"Easy for you to say." Tsubaki replied darkly.
"What?"
"It's easy for someone so talented like you! Why don't you try sparing a thought for people that aren't as brilliant as you huh?"
"Tsubaki..." I said, raising my hands and trying to calm her down.
"I'm not done Ryu!" she snapped, "You're talented. Deny it as much as you want, but you are. There's no changing that. But for people like Len-chan and I, there's nothing we can do. It's like there's an unclimbable wall that you just fly over while we're left standing at the bottom wondering how are we ever going to scale it."
Having nothing to say at this point, I simply looked at Tsubaki and nodded, my insides turning inside out as I listened to Tsubaki. It shouldn't be me comforting her, it should be Len. But he used the Level Upper and now he's unconscious. I should've stopped him sooner. If only...
"Are Level's really that big of a deal? Sure we have abilities, but as far as students are concerned, even though we may be Level 1 or 2, we're still nobodies."
"You know that's not true."
"Is it Ryu? Is it really? You've seen how the look at us, they think we're losers, that we're defects. Taking shortcuts is wrong, I know that. But is it so bad to have someone not look at you like you're despised?"
"Tsubaki, Levels don't matter. What matters is how you use your ability."
"Then what about you Ryu? What do YOU use your power for?"
"Well... I..."
"I want to be stronger to prove that we're not nobodies. To protect Len. What do you wish to use your power for?"
"..."
"No reason right? You have nobody you want to protect? No cause to fight for?"
"For you guys I guess?"
"That's not a reason and you know it! Why is it that someone like you who has nothing to fight for gets all the talent, while people like Len and I who have everything to fight for get nothing?"
"Tsubaki, I can't say I understand how you feel, but please, don't give up. I'll help you, we can work together, just please, don't show Len this face." I said softly, placing a hand on Tsubaki's shoulder.
"Then what'll happen if what happened to Len, happens to me too? What if I fall unconscious?"
"Then I'll work until I find a solution. A solution that will let us all smile together again."
"Len was right, you really do like to sound heroic." Tsubaki said, smirking at me.
"At least your good mood's returned."
"Well, can't mope forever can we? C'mon let's see if the Judgment branch near your dorm has anything. Then you'll really get your chance to shine, hero." Tsubaki said, taunting me.
If only I could be a hero. Saving everyone. Sounds nice doesn't it? But that's not how the world works. This isn't a place where good things happen to those who wish for it. Sometimes all the effort in the world is still not rewarded. That's why... I can only use this ability, this power, to change what I can.
And just maybe, I'll find a way to help Len and Tsubaki out of this mess.
Heading out through an alley shortcut to the dorm, Tsubaki suddenly clutched my arm, "Ryu... I..."
"Tsubaki?"
Collapsing onto me, I slowly lowered her to the floor while checking for vital signs.
"Tsubaki!" I yelled, my voice echoing through the empty alley.
This is bad.
Vital signs are normal, her heart rate's a little low but she seems to be breathing fine as well.
Pulling out my handphone, I accidentally dropped it while fumbling with it.
Leaping after it and picking it up, my blood froze instantly on the spot.
The batteries are dead.
"C'mon Tsubaki don't do this to me! We were gonna save Len right? You and me! COME ON WAKE UP!" I yelled, tapping her face.
It's no good, she's unconscious.
Carrying Tsubaki in my arms, like an overgrown baby, I quickly ran to the alley's entrance.
She's light, I never thought someone so tough could be so... Fragile.
Bursting out of the alley, I screamed at the top of my lungs, "Someone please help call an ambulance!"
A few minutes later, I was sitting in the ambulance with the paramedics as they attached an IV tube to her while monitoring her heart rate, respiration rate and blood pressure.
"Do you have any idea what might have caused this?" one of the paramedics asked me.
"Eh?" I replied, still in shock.
"Do you have any idea what might have caused this." the paramedic repeated.
"The Level Upper."
"You're sure?" he asked, looking straight at me, his partner attaching a mask to her face.
"Certain."
"Then did you.."
"No I didn't."
Nodding and turning to his partner, the partner whispered a few words to the driver as he made a sharp right.
"We're taking your friend to a different hospital. If she is one of the Level Upper users, she can get better treatment there." the paramedic explained.
Returning to the same hospital I was at a few hours before, I checked Tsubaki in and was about to leave when Misaki and Kuroko walked out of a nearby ward.
"Misaka-san? What are you doing here?"
Not saying a word and leading me to the door, I peeked through the window only to see another familiar face, Saten Ruiko.
"Since you're here, can I have a word with you two." Misaka asked.
Leading us to the roof as soon as we said yes, Misaka looked out through the protective fence to the city below.
"What did you want to talk about?" Kuroko asked, looking at Misaka with worry in her eyes.
"Saten-san always has a charm with her right?" Misaka asked, not directing the question to anyone in particular.
"Oh, the one she hangs on her bag?" Kuroko replied, recalling the details.
"She said she got it from her mother, before she came to Academy City." Misaka said.
"She told you that?"
"Yes... I think she wanted to tell me a lot of things. But I... I might be a Level Five, but I'm no good with stuff like this..." Misaka whispered, gripping the fence tightly with her left hand.
"Onee-sama..."
"If there's a hurdle in my path, I feel like I have to clear it. I'm only a Level Five because of my personality. I've never seen this as something special, really. But there are people out there who freeze in front of that hurdle. I never realized this. I kept claiming that Level didn't matter... I was just being callous."
"Onee-sama..." Kuroko muttered.
"That's why, I'm going to do everything I can to help. Ok Kuroko?" Misaka said, tapping Kuroko and making her flinch.
"O-of course!" Kuroko said, while clenching her teeth.
Kuroko's hurt, and badly judging by her reaction.
"So... What're we gonna do about it?" I said, looking at the two girls.
"We'll fill you in on what we know so far." Misaka said, leading us down the steps.
"Onee-sama! You can't actually mean that this gentleman I mean uhh ape, can actually be of any use?"
"You'd be surprised." Misaka whispered to Kuroko as they both sneaked a glance at me.
Why do I feel out of the loop here?
Walking out of the staircase and back through the corridor a voice behind us called out, "You three, do you have some time?"
Turning around to see a familiar frog faced doctor, Misaka was the first to react,
"A real Gekota?"
"Onee-sama... He's not a Gekota..." Kuroko corrected while I sniggered, earning a glare and a crackle of electricity from Misaka.
"Mind coming with me for a sec? I have something to show you guys." the doctor said.
Taking us to his office on one of the higher floors, the doctor pulled up a graph that from what I learned in my Psychology classes, were neurological oscillations.
"Each person's brain wave is differs for each person and no two people are the same."
Pulling up several diagrams of different people's brain waves, the doctor placed them side by side to illustrate this.
"However, all the Level Upper users share one." the doctor continued, pulling up 6 identical graphs from 6 different people.
"So these people became unconscious because the Level Upper interfered with their brain waves?" Shirai asked, a look of deep thought crossing her face.
"Yes and no, the Level Upper caused a straightening in the brain waves of the victims."
"Doesn't this straightening influence the actions of the victims?" I asked.
"Yes, and that would be the reason why all the victims are unconscious." the doctor replied, running a scan on his computer, "The brain waves that all the users have in common, matches a person in the database."
"Kiyama Harumi?" all three of us yelled simultaneously, recognizing the face and name that scrolled across the screen.
"Also, I have something to ask the strongest Electromaster." the doctor said, leading all of us out of his dimly lit office to the area outside.
"Uhh, I need to make a call be right back." Shirai said, running off to the cellphone permitted area.
"If people with the same brain wave change the wave to an electric signal, can they use it to form a network?"
"If the consistency of the brain wave doesn't change, yes it's possible... Did Kiyama-sensei do that?" Misaka asked, looking thoughtful.
"Onee-sama! It's an emergency!" Kuroko yelled, rounding the corner at breakneck speeds, "Uiharu went to see Kiyama Harumi, and I can't contact her!"
That solves who's behind it without a doubt.
"Guys, you report this to Anti-Skill. I gotta go." I said, dashing off out of the hospital.
Calling the 132nd Judgment Branch office while running, Kuromaru picked up, "Good Afternoon, this is the..."
"Kuromaru!" I yelled, cutting him off, "Put Iwanami on the line!"
"Hello Ryu, Iwanami speaking." Iwanami said, sounding bored.
"Iwanami, I need you to locate Uiharu Kazari's handphone via the GPS locater."
"It's possible... But do you have a reason for me to give Anti-Skill? On the off chance that I get caught, make that an extremely likely off chance."
"She's been kidnapped!" I practically yelled into the phone.
"Alright alright, it's on, I'll send the coordinates to your phone."
Receiving a GPS password, on my phone, I studied the map, she was traveling rapidly down a highway between the 17th and 14th district, located near many research institutes. There was an Anti-Skill blockade up ahead so I'll head there.
Selecting Accelerator's Personal Reality from the library of Personal Realities in my own Reality, I slowly did the calculations to put a backward vector on my feet, lowering the amount of force from the last time I did such a calculation.
By the time I was done, I had already run three blocks down. Rechecking to be sure, I tentatively tested it on one foot, shooting forward several meters in less than a second and skidding slightly when I landed.
Cool, this would make traveling a lot faster.
Taking a step every few meters, I sped past people and cleaning robots until I reached the highway where the GPS signal had stopped.
Kiyama-sensei had just been caught by Anti-Skill and had her hands up until I sensed a rapidly expanding AIM field around her.
10... 20... 50... No way, how many AIM fields does she have mixed in there?
Watching an Anti-Skill shoot his team mate, I quickly braced myself as Kiyama summoned a large ball of wind shocking all the Anti-Skills.
That's right, Kiyama is now an Esper.
Slamming the ball of wind into the ground, Kiyama caused a shockwave to roll out from ground zero, knocking half the Anti-Skills over while summoning a torrent of water on one of the survivors.
The amount of AIM fields, and Personal Realities being used are way too many to count!
Coughing up blood, I mentally withdrew myself from Kiyama, the load on my mind already causing blood vessels in my body to burst.
Focus... By converting all the kinetic energy the blood flowing out of the damaged blood vessels into stored energy within my cells, it should cause a clot to form, it is in no possible way a permanent solution, but it should hold until I get to a hospital.
Noticing a presence behind her after annihilating the rest of the Anti-Skill, Kiyama squinted, scrutinizing me, "You are... The boy I met in the cafe a few days ago right? What are you doing here?"
"I'm surprised you remembered. Four of my friends are unconscious thanks to you, I'm only here to make you release them."
"If that's what you're here for then leave. I will release everyone once I'm done. I won't hurt anyone."
"Can you say that to Ruiko-san, and Tsubaki-san, who's feelings you so carelessly stepped on? I'm not just here out of some misguided sense of justice, I'm only here to buy time. I'm well aware of the amount of abilities you control. So as badly as I want revenge, I know I'm not going to get it."
"Buy time you say? You face a network of brains all combined together and you think you can buy time?"
Not responding to her question, I quickly launched a bolt of electricity, aiming to paralyze her long enough to close in. The control I have diminishes the farther I am.
Hitting a dome that dissipated the electricity, I immediately stopped running when I saw the dome.
Impossible... Deflected?
Wait, what kind of ability is that?
"I am able to combine multiple abilities. Why are you so surprised?"
The processing power of 10000 brains, is totally not fair!
Thrusting out her hand summoning another spinning vortex of air pointing it right at me.
Releasing the vortex and causing a small explosion that obstructed my vision. Calmly walked out, I shocked Kiyama and myself.
"Interesting, not bad for a third rate." I said, in a tone totally not my own.
What the? It seems the more I immerse myself in a Reality, the more I become like the Reality's owner. Creepy.
"Third rate...?" Kiyama murmured, also disturbed by my sudden personality change.
Stamping my foot on the ground, I brought up a rolling telekinetic wave, not strong enough to do any internal damage, but good enough to knock Kiyama off her feet.
"You can use multiple abilities?" Kiyama said, summoning a wall of water onto my weak wave, absorbing the impact and sending a large torrent of water at me.
Raising her left hand in front of her, Kiyama caused the water to surge even faster.
Do I control the water or use telekinesis?
My calculations being more precise, I quickly entered the figures into my Personal Reality, splitting the water into two separate waves.
Surging to either side of me, the water lapped at my sides before closing up behind me, my handphone crackling and sparking.
Oh man, not again.
Clenching her fingers into a fist, Kiyama sent two shockwaves one after another across the highway.
Jumping out of the way of the first one, the shock from rolling out of the jump dislodged the clot on my ruptured vessel, sending it through my body and reopening the wound.
"Shit..." I muttered through gritted teeth, as the second shockwave headed right for me.
This is bad!
Randomizing a vector to any direction away from myself, I quickly entered it into my Personal Reality.
Facing the incoming attack head on, the attack hit me like a jackhammer, sending me flying into Kiyama's car.
No way, deflection didn't work?
No, it did, I tried to deflect an attack on the basis that energy was the medium. It seems that the attack wasn't one of energy, but of air, meaning my calculations were pointless.
Reminds me of the time I tried to deflect everything. I flew into a wall because I tried to deflect gravity as well. Took me quite a while to realize that...
So in the end, I'm still an amateur.
Dashing around the car to use it as cover, I tried to find a more permanent solution to the injury.
Arriving via the maintenance staircase, Misaka stood still after clearing the stairs, momentarily stunned at the carnage.
"No way, Anti-Skills were annihilated?" she gasped, surveying the scene.
Rushing to Kiyama's car, Misaka started checking my vital signs, "Ryu-san, are you alright?"
"What does it look like?" I muttered with a grimace, my calculations on how to stop the bleeding interrupted.
"Sorry, but I can't help you for now. How's Uiharu?"
"She's unconscious from the battle but she's fine. I'll help you as soon as I fix myself up."
"Don't push yourself." Misaka said, a stern look on her face as she went around the car to face her adversary.
"Misaka Mikoto... One of 7 Level 5's in Academy City... My network doesn't have a Level 5, but you have not fought someone like me. Can you fight 10000 brains combined together?"
Listening as hard as I could to the action unfolding from behind the car, I saw a shockwave not unlike the one I was hit by shoot past and the crackling of electricity being gathered.
"Wait Misaka... She can..."
But it was too late, the electricity sparked and flashed but did not hit his mark. Only the sound of it being polarized remained.
With a large rumbling sound, a large portion of the highway was destabilized. Looking under the car to try and understand what was going on, the section of highway under Kiyama and Misaka simply shattered and fell.
"Misaka!" I yelled, getting up and instantly regretting it as the clots I had just been working on reopened.
Hearing the sounds of more lightning being shot and deflected, I quickly settled back in my hiding place, reworking on my open vessels.
After a few more explosions, one where I could hear Misaka get cut off in midsentence I started to panic.
No way, Misaka can't lose, she's a Level 5!
But... Her opponent is someone with the power of 10000 brains... Could she really overpower a Level 5?
Fixing myself up and approaching the edge of the broken highway, I stared down only to see Kiyama inspect the half buried body of Misaka before turning around.
I snapped. Literally. How dare she do that to Misaka!
Leaping off the ledge in a blind rage, I hit the ground and deflected the reaction force from the ground sending rocks flying in every direction.
"You Bitch!" I roared, that statement being the last rationale in my head.
An intense headache hit me, not that it mattered, while I clutched a hand to my head subconsciously from the pain, images started to flash through my mind.
A laboratory... A large machine... Me visualizing a Personal Reality...
Just what is going on?
Watching as my hands raised themselves of their own will, they swung themselves down using an ability that I've never used before.
Pyrokinesis.
Staring at the firewall with the same bored look in her eye, Kiyama merely raised the ground and blocked the incoming wave of fire.
"You... Just what is your ability?"
In no position to answer, my body's only response was to thrust one arm out, throwing Kiyama under the unbroken highway like a rag doll.
Bringing the same arm down in a quick vertical sweep, the support holding another section of the highway collapsed, bringing the section down on top of Kiyama while dragging several unconscious Anti-Skill as well.
This way of fighting... Isn't me!
Analyzing the stream of data flowing through my Personal Reality, what I saw, horrified me. The surgical precision of the calculations, I've only seen one other example of this kind of calculation ability...
Accelerator.
It was not as complex as his vector equations. But the speed and volume of these calculations would easily make me a Level 4.
While rationalizing and denying what I saw, another large stream of calculations caught my eye. It was not a calculation being used at that point in time but to be used... In the future?
At my current level, as a result of controlling several abilities at once, I am forced to split processing power between each active ability. As a result, the calculations I have to perform not only have to be performed faster, they have to be complete, a half done equation will not work, and a slow equation will activate too late. To find a middle ground, I started approximating my equations to complete multiple equations quickly.
The result, an equation that gives birth to logic flaws. Logic flaws being the undesirable "unknown" effects associated with a roughly made formula.
By lowering the complexity of the equation it's possible to reduce the amount of logic flaws but...
Wait... Misaka?
Watching a brown-haired blur rush forward to Kiyama and hug her from behind, the "presence" in my mind withdrew, removing all traces of being there.
It's as if it was never there.
Hugging Kiyama tightly even as multiple steel wires shot towards her, Misaka let loose the electricity she held in her body electrocuting Kiyama.
Holding Kiyama and spacing out. I watched as Misaka held Kiyama in what looked like an extremely suggestive position.
No don't get a nosebleed, she'll kill me if I do...
Finally dropping Kiyama on the ground after several minutes, Misaka seemed to be in shock as Kiyama slowly picked herself up.
A counterattack? I don't think so!
Preparing another helping of electricity in my hand, Misaka's question stopped Kiyama, "Those children... Why did you..."
"Those children were subjects of an experiment to see the effects of out of control abilities, the bodies were discarded after the experiment." Kiyama said darkly, glaring at Misaka.
"If so, couldn't Anti-Skill...?"
"Anti-Skill is controlled by the board of directors. If such an experiment really took place, it was likely with the board's consent." I said, looking away in a meager attempt to hide my disgust.
"But still..." Misaka said before Kiyama cut her off.
"23 times. In order to find a cure for the students, that's how many times I asked to use the Tree Diagram!"
Still stunned by Kiyama's retort, Misaka barely whispered, "But still... You..."
"What the hell do you know? I will do ANYTHING to save those children, and prevent such a disaster from happening again. I won't stop even if I have to make this entire city my enemy!" Kiyama screamed.
Suddenly clutching her head as she collapsed once again, a bizarre looking fetus-like... Thing... Erupted from the back of Kiyama's head.
"The network's out of control...?" I heard Kiyama mutter.
That's the network? AIM fields should not be visible why is this one...
Opening it's eyes and floating even higher, the fetus let out a ear piercing scream that made us all crouch down and cover our ears.
Looking up to several balls of energy gathering above us, I did not even have a chance to shout a warning before the balls exploded, Misaka protected by an improvised iron shield while I deflected and dissipated the blast to random vectors.
Leaping out from behind her cover, Misaka let loose a blast of electricity that blew off a portion of the fetus' back, two baby arms growing out of the damaged area looking incredibly disproportionate.
"Stop Misaka!" I yelled, stopping her from firing another bolt as several large ice shards came crashing down around us.
"It's... Attacking at random?" Misaka muttered.
"Oh shit! It's headed for the remainder of the Abti-Skills!" I yelled, pointing at an all too familiar van.
Chasing the fetus while Misaka rushed up the nearby staircase, a hail of gunfire from the highway peppered it from the side, causing it to grow even bigger.
Reaching out with telekinesis, I latched on to it and tried to pull it back, sliding across the ground as the fetus simply ignored me.
"Not strong enough...?" I muttered trough gritted teeth, "Then how about... This!"
Firing off an electromagnetic burst, the wave was at the frequency that disrupts the functioning of internal organs, only to have it fizzle out upon contact.
I'm running out of options here...
Flicking its gaze to me before turning away, it seemed like I was not worth its attention.
Or not.
Summoning a few ice blocks out of nowhere, the fetus also snaked a few tendrils over the highway.
Ice blocks... Tendrils... Wait I could be on to something here, instead of deflecting the ice blocks to random vectors could I use them as projectiles?
But damn, small target that's moving, approximation won't work here.
Finishing my calculations albeit a bit hurriedly, I was too slow as the first ice block grazed my arm causing a burning sensation as the skin peeled off.
"Argh!" I grunted, bouncing the other 4 blocks back all 4 missing by bare centimeters.
"Not bad for a first time though." I muttered, clutching the wound and considering my next point of action.
No point standing on the front line and getting shot, I'll fall back and plan my next move in a safer area.
Slowly retreating back under the cover of the highway, Uiharu and Kiyama were discussing the fetus, "That thing is absorbing the AIM from the surroundings, and using the 10000 Espers as a catalyst, for now we can just call it "AIM Burst"."
"We can name it later, how do we stop it?" I said, finally staunching my shoulder wound.
"Do you still have the items I passed you?" Kiyama asked, looking at Uiharu.
"The cure program!" Uiharu said, opening her hand, a small memory chip inside it.
"That should stop the AIM Burst." Kiyama said, Misaka finally making her appearance.
"Misaka, you and I are gonna be the distraction. We'll buy time while Uiharu gets the cure program to Anti-Skill."
"You! Since when are you the boss?" Misaka yelled, charging more electricity.
"Save it for the AIM Burst. Let's go!"
Running ahead while ignoring Misaka's protests I started drawing energy from the environment, the area around me cooling as I prepared another telekinetic strike.
Raising its tendrils above its head, the AIM Burst started to gather energy, releasing it in a flash of energy blast that shot beams out from the energy core.
Using iron sand as a temporary shield, Misaka blocked a few beams while I deflected and absorbed several more, one of the beams going wide and hitting the staircase behind us.
"Uiharu-san?" Misaka yelled, turning around.
Don't get distracted now!
Reaching out to the iron sand with telekinesis, I quickly spread the iron sand over both of us in an imperfect shield that blocked another energy blast.
Turning around and using the iron sand to slice one of the tendrils being used to gather energy, Misaka destabilized the core of energy the AIM Burst was gathering, causing it to dissipate.
"Don't let it near that building!" Misaka yelled, using more sand to slice off one of its limbs while pointing at a pearly white building in the distance.
That sliced limb, just regenerated and healed in seconds.
Thick lead walls, several dome buildings... Hooray, we've just gone from distracting to protecting.
Any damage we do is healed immediately, and we have to divert it?
"What is this, some kind of monster movie?" Misaka yelled, her thoughts out in the open.
"Less whining, outta the way!" I yelled, shoving Misaka out of the way as the AIM Burst went crashing through the wall.
Reaching through my Personal Reality for the one ability that I had learned less than an hour ago, feeling a sense of heat emanating from my fingertips.
In that instant, a weird noise played from the loudspeakers in the facility.
Stopping as we both stared at each other before looking at the loudspeakers simultaneously, a tendril wrapped around Misaka's leg.
No way!
"Misaka!" I yelled, taking a step towards her before something sent me flying into the wall and out cold.
Waking up to a pounding feeling in my forehead, I slowly stood up while holding my head.
Taking a quick look around, the AIM Burst was already disappearing after Misaka blew a hole through its center.
Man, I missed out on all the action? Not just action that only special effect movies had... All the logic patterns! All the logic patterns I could have adapted from her while she was fighting!
Nooooo!
Falling over flat on her face, Misaka lay there as I slowly walked up.
"Oi, are you okay?" I muttered, crouching over her as she turned to glare at me.
"My batteries ran out, literally. Thanks for helping." she growled back, still glaring at me.
"Want a recharge?" I said, running a few sparks out of my fingers with a wicked grin.
Looking away from me, Misaka looked up at Kiyama, "Well, I don't have any energy left to stop you. So what are you going to do?"
"I don't have control over the network anymore, so running is out if the question. I'll still write hypothesis wherever I am, because no matter what... I'll always have my brain with me." Kiyama said with a mild smile.
As the handcuffs were slapped on her, Kiyama was led off by Anti-Skill but she suddenly turned around again, "I intend to do whatever it takes, if you don't like my methods, you are welcome to stop me again."
Turning to address me, Kiyama said, "Your ability is unique. I don't know how you do it, but to use multi-skill with only one Personal Reality... It would be very interesting to study."
"No thanks, I just want to fly under the radar." I replied scratching my head as unease hit me.
Why do I feel so threatened?
"But still, to come up with a brain wave network, I'm sure you'll come up with some good ideas." Misaka said.
A compliment? That's not very like her.
"Using brain waves to form a network, testament to organize the brain structure, I learned all of this from you."
"I don't remember writing such a report." Misaka replied, looking up and left as she tried to recall.
"You didn't." Kiyama said, nearly boarding the Anti-Skill vehicle.
"Huh?"
"Even with your power you will not be able to resist. You and I are the same. We both carry a hopeless fate on our backs."
Hopeless... Fate... I was immediately taken back to the alleyway, to a time better off forgotten. No, that seen will always be carved into my heart, the red stained scene of a cold blooded murder.
Obviously stunned by Kiyama's warning, Misaka simply sat on the ground and pondered until a small girl with pigtails teleported in.
"Aaaahhhhhh!" Kuroko screamed, tackling Misaka to the ground, "Your hair is messed up! Look at the scratches on your knee!"
Lying on the ground, Misaka was forced to glare at Kuroko, her only option after expending all her energy.
Kuroko was as perceptive as always, "Look's like you have no more energy to create electricity..." her looks taking a more sinister turn, "Kuroko shall take care of you Onee-sama!"
The walk Kuroko took to Misaka could take an eternity, that face, looks like that of a serial rapist about to claim his next victim. Knowing Kuroko, that assumption itself can't be too far off.
"Wait! Ryu-san! Can you help me with something?" Misaka yelled, reaching her hand out.
"Kuroko-san is proficient enough in First Aid, why do you need me?" I asked, turning to start my journey to a nearby hospital.
"Just get over here! No Kuroko! Stop! Gyahhhh!" Misaka screamed, Kuroko already starting her
"First Aid".
This is gonna bite me in the ass later...
Taking a walk through a shopping district, a sudden feeling that I had something to do elsewhere struck me.
(Go home)
That can't be right, my house and the hospital are both through here.
(Go shopping)
But I don't need anything.
(Go get money)
I have over 10000 yen in my wallet, it should last me a few more days.
After each thought popped up, I quickly shut t down with a reason. Is this the work of a telepath?
Standing in the center if an empty street, the silence was disconcerting.
It's nearly curfew so all the students should be rushing around to get home. Why is this place a ghost town?
Continuing down the street, I could see a boy lying down on his side while a tall well-endowed girl stood over him.
Moving closer to get a better look, the girl noticed looked up at me immediately like a hawk.
"Who are you?" her voice barely audible even in this silence.
"I'm a student of Academy City. You don't look like a student, who are you?"
The girl definitely was older than me, long hair that went down to her waist, a t-shirt tied over her chest exposing her navel, and jeans that were ripped on one side. She wore cowboy boots but the most startling part of her attire, was a two meter long sword that she carried with an unexplainable... Elegance.
"I am Kanzaki Kaori. You seem to be an Esper. How did you bypass the Opila runes?"
"Opila runes? What Opila..." I said, suddenly noticing the sheer volume of cards that were spammed all over the place.
"Those cards should remove everyone except those intended to be within the field. How did you get in?" Kanzaki asked, her voice soft yet dangerous.
"So you're the one responsible for screwing with my mind. That guy at your feet, isn't that Touma-san?"
"So what if it is?"
"Did you do that to him?"
"Yes."
Glaring at Kanzaki, I took a step forward menacingly until I noticed her stance. She did not even flinch, nor get ready for an attack.
The way she is standing, is definitely not the way someone would stand when in a fight, that means one of two things, she's oblivious to what I'm about to do, or so powerful it doesn't matter.
Something tells me it's the latter.
"Let's take it easy ok? I just want to bring Touma-san for some medical attention." I said, immediately holding my hands up.
"I have no intentions of negotiating with someone who was about to challenge me a few seconds ago, a person about to challenge me with half a foot in his own grave already."
"Just what are you... Huargh?"
Cut off mid sentence by a sharp jab to the liver, Kanzaki cooly stared at me, "You really should get that treated."
Shit, the clot! I can't keep losing blood like this, the blood from earlier is already starting to coagulate all over...
Collapsing in a heap next to Touma, my eyes slowly closed as my internal wounds continued to ooze blood.
Waking up in the hospital with a familiar face, the frog faced doctor walked over with his stethoscope out, "You mind opening your shirt for a bit?"
Taking off my shirt and feeling the cold metal slide across my skin as the doc put the stethoscope across my back and front, he sighed before putting it away, "Really, walking around with those kind of injuries, your lucky that you actually lasted this long, we had to operate on you you know?"
"Operate? Then, why aren't there any scars? Or pain?"
"Who do you think did the operation?" the doctor asked, smiling as he posed the obvious question.
"We had to stitch the vessels close, remove the blood that had leaked out and remove multiple clots from around your body. Honestly, who's blood clots that fast? You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?" the doctor asked, closing one eye and staring right at me.
"Eheheh, I tried to do a little patch up job myself to buy time."
"Well, we tried using blood thinners to remove the clots by infusing plasminogen into your blood but the clots were not fibrinogen based..."
"Wait, am I supposed to understand anything behind this?"
Actually I have a general idea, but the terminology is killing me.
"Well, the long story short we had to take out your clots via surgery. You may have been out of it for 4 days, but the vessels themselves are still recovering so take it easy for a few days ok?"
"Sure thing doc."
Heading out the door with his advice delivered, The doctor stopped just before he walked out, "Oh yeah, your friend is here in the room next door, you could see him if you want to."
Nodding in acknowledgement, I watched the doc as he walked off as I sat there to digest all the information.
Man, I've been out for four days? That's like four days wasted, I wanted to finish off at least a third of my homework before August and now... Ah never mind, I'll have a look see who's in the next room.
Opening the door and walking in, I was mildly surprised to see Touma sitting in his bed looking at me.
"Yo Touma-san, so what've you been up to the past few days I've been out."
"Oh you know, here and there." Touma said, giving an ambiguous answer.
"Cool, so how's your classes with Komoe-sensei coming along?"
"Fine I guess."
Fine? Our school is filled with average joes and underachievers, there's no way it'd be "fine". Most guys in my class are barely making it or struggling under Yomikowa Aiho's iron fist. Komoe-sensei's class is supposed to be even worse off.
"So who was that girl you were with four days ago? She knocked you pretty good huh?"
"Yeah..."
Is this guy just gonna agree to everything I say?
Just what's going on in his head?
Wait, why an I even bothering to ask that?
Searching for Len's Personal Reality, before he had collapsed we had touched on reading thoughts instead of projecting them.
Turning my concentration to Touma, I barely suppressed the look of surprise that threatened to plaster itself on my face as I stopped trying to reach into Touma's mind.
There's nothing there? No, even a brain dead person has residual thoughts, or at least a barely discernible shadow. The only explanation is...
My power's being blocked?
"Oh yeah so when are you coming over? Aiho-sensei said you were coming over last week."
"Oh yeah, soon I think."
"Touma-san, Aiho-sensei said nothing like that, just what is wrong with you?"
"Well..."
"Who am I?"
"..."
"Don't tell anyone this ok?"
"Tell anyone what."
"I... Don't have any memories."
-End of Chapter 4-
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