Chapter Thirteen

Takeki appeared inside the apartment's outer wall, just to the side of the window.

He didn't sneak and he didn't proceed cautiously. He was confident, much more confident than he had been while facing Gunha. He hadn't known what to expect against Gunha and didn't know of any weakness that the Level 5 possessed. That wasn't the case with Accelerator. Takeki understood how Accelerator's ability worked and had spent hours thinking about it. Not just the hours leading up to this confrontation. Whenever he woke up sweating and panting from his nightmares he would meditate on Accelerator's vector control. Knowing that Accelerator's power was explainable, knowing that it wasn't some divine secret, comforted him and helped calm him down. So long as Accelerator wasn't a god, he could be killed.

And now, best of all, Takeki knew how to perfectly seal Accelerator's psychic power. There was nothing that could stop him. He would finally have his revenge. After years of developing his body and abilities for others' agendas he would finally use them for his own benefit. Even if the Church had sent him here, this particular battle was his.

He had only taken a few steps before he heard a mumble from the couch.

"Shitty brat…"

He turned towards the voice and heard someone moving about on the couch. After a moment a white head rose above the couch back, the palm of one hand rubbing the sleep from its eyes.

"What are you-" the boy on the couch began to say before he realized he was speaking to a stranger.

…

Accelerator reached for the switch on the back of his neck immediately. Before he could touch it his arm was yanked away and a cold hand wrapped around the back of his neck. Even as he registered a sudden lightness above his shoulders his body got heavy. A chunk of metal and plastic landed on the ground a few feet from the couch. He recognized it, but couldn't think of the word for it. The hand that had been on his neck punched the back of his head. He experienced a moment of tunnel vision and collapsed forward onto the couch with an unintelligible curse. The assailant said something to him but he couldn't understand it. His brain functioned less in words than in concepts. Though he comprehended what had happened, he wouldn't be able to put it into words.

The MISAKA network hub and the battery that powered it had been removed from his head.

…

"Tell me, what's it like to be absolutely helpless?" Mage Slayer asked Accelerator. The albino met Takeki's eyes and grunted in a Neanderthal-like language. "Of course, that's a rhetorical question; I know the feeling very well."

Takeki put a hand on Accelerator, who frailly tried to swat it away. Before he could Takeki teleported both of them to the open area between the dining table and the couch. An amused smirk crossed Takeki's face as Accelerator, the most feared ESPer in the world, flailed ineffectively at the air and dropped from the roof to floor with a thud. Accelerator bit back the pain and looked up at the Mage Slayer in anger. Takeki smiled all the more and kicked him on the ground.

"Go ahead and keep up the tough guy act." He knelt down and yanked on Accelerator's hair. "It will be more satisfying when I break you, murderer."

Accelerator mumbled out something else that Takeki couldn't understand.

Behind the two of them came a metallic click. Takeki, like most people, was familiar with the sound and froze, raising his hands immediately and standing slowly. Yomikawa Aiho, dressed in nothing more than a bathrobe, had just chambered a round in her black, semi automatic handgun.

She gave him orders as she reached for the light switch. "Step away from-"

The intruder was suddenly no longer there. Buying himself just enough time to get to his feet, Mage Slayer had teleported immediately. Yomikawa tried to turn and protect herself but couldn't possibly react in time. Takeki's fist connected with her skull and bounced it off the wall next to where her finger held the switch. As the lights came on she crumpled to the floor. Takeki kicked the firearm away.

"Sorry, but you won't obstruct my justice," he told the unconscious woman.

As he returned his attention to his task a small form shot from the darkened doorway of the bedroom. Surprised, Takeki watched the young girl spread her arms out in defense of the crippled boy. Looking her over he felt as if he had seen the girl before.

"Get out of here, kid," he uttered, filling his voice with foreboding authority. "That man is paying for his sins."

"No! MISAKA won't let you-" she began to protest.

"Silence! You don't know the crimes this person has committed! You don't know how many people he has hurt!"

"MISAKA knows, states MISAKA MISAKA."

Takeki blinked at the name and an image of Mikoto appeared in his head. It began shifting, growing younger.

A little sister?

Tears started flowing down the little girl's cheeks. "Yes, he has killed many MISAKA sisters, MISAKA MISAKA admits. But he regrets it and he didn't want to do it! He even saved MISAKA's life! cries MISAKA MISAKA hoping you will understand."

Misaka sisters? Takeki struggled with what she was saying. He thought about the situation for a moment, about how much the girl looked like Mikoto and about her odd speech pattern. After a moment an explanation occurred to him.

"You," he asked slowly, "you're a clone?"

"Yes I am, says MISAKA MISAKA though she is not sure what that has to do with the situation."

The Mage Slayer grinned and teleported to the girl, gripping her by the throat and easily lifting her petite body into the air. "And here I was afraid I might hurt a little girl. Lucky for me you're nothing but trash."

Mage Slayer felt hands on his leg. Looking down, he saw Accelerator trying to pull him off balance. On the surface the white-haired boy appeared to be angry, but Takeki read an emotion even deeper. It was one of frantic, slightly frightened, desperation. He felt a cruel satisfaction welling up in his chest.

"Really? You're attached to this thing?" he asked giving the struggling girl a violent shake. Accelerator's eyes widened for a moment before he renewed his feeble attempts to knock the Mage Slayer over. Takeki began laughing. "This day only gets better. Do you remember how you swung me around in front of my sister? Do you remember how you toyed with us as we ran away? Well guess what, I'm going to repay you that favor."

Accelerator roared in defiance and swung a fist between Takeki's legs. Takeki swung the girl into Accelerator before he could connect, eliciting a cry of pain from Last Order.

Gritting back the tears, the smallest of the MISAKAs called to the sprawled Level 5.

"It's alright, reassures MISAKA MISAKA despite her unfavorable situation. This time MISAKA will protect you, MISAKA-"

Takeki whipped a hand across the girl's mouth. "I don't recall giving you permission to speak, trash."

The clone was silent for a moment, and then smiled. "They're here, mutters MISA-"

Takeki ground his teeth together and pulled his hand back to strike her again.

…

The windows to the apartment shattered inward.

The door was broken down.

Into the room streamed a score of MISAKA Imoutos, answering the summons of Last Order.

They moved as one. They flowed with greater unison and with greater certainty than any Special Ops team had ever managed. Like water moving towards a drain they swirled towards Mage Slayer, the closest ones kneeling to grant a clear view to their compatriots and completing the allusion. The lights went out and were replaced by the glow of the Sisters' goggles, lighting the room the color of sea water.

"Shit," the intruder cursed under his breath, moving nothing but his eyes and keeping a firm hold on Last Order.

One of the Imoutos knelt by Yomikawa and tried to rouse her.

As this was happening Takeki made his move. He teleported behind the outer ring of Imoutos. An AIM field wasn't necessary to track his movements when there were twenty eyes covering every inch of the room. The second he materialized they all knew where he had gone and half of them turned to face him while the rest kept their eyes opened in case he teleported again. They shifted immediately, knowing instinctively the line of sight of all Sisters in the room. The sound of Automatic fire filled the room and the couch and television was shredded by bullets.

Takeki appeared next on the opposite side of the room against the wall by the kitchen. He got off a pair of shots from Yomikawa's gun before teleporting out of the automatics' flak-like attack. The first shot was dodged by what seemed like a preternatural reaction by the nearest Imouto. The second Imouto couldn't move quickly enough and tried to redirect the bullet with a shock of electricity but in the end took it to her arm. Yomikawa's lineup of rice cookers was scrapped by the rest of the Imoutos' fire.

The torrent of deafening sound coupled with the Imouto's nagging finally woke Yomikawa.

"We have the ear pieces, informs MISAKA. Please make haste in activating the defense system, MISAKA urges."

Yomikawa nodded as she squeezed her eyes together in pain and pressed her palm against the blood flowing from her head. The Imouto slipped under Yomikawa's arm and helped her move to the bedroom. There Yomikawa approached a key panel next to the door and entered a combination. A high-frequency noise screeched through the entire apartment. Before leaving the bedroom Yomikawa grabbed her shield.

As the alarm went off Takeki fell out of the 11th dimension, mid teleport, and clawed his way quickly to the cover of the kitchen counter. There he grabbed at his pulsing head and fought off the agony, eyes darting like a cornered animal as he watched for the Sisters to round the corner.

The Sisters' assault had ended with the arrival of the sound and, for the most part, they stood as still and as silent as statues. The only exceptions were three Imoutos that Takeki had shot since Yomikawa's awakening who were supporting each other and retreating through the front door. Last Order staggered to the front of the troops and was soon joined by Yomikawa who shielded both of them with her transparent shield.

"As part of Anti-skill I am required to take you peacefully, if possible. This noise you're hearing is Capacity Down. It is an anti-Esper device that suppresses their abilities. It is pointless for you to continue to resist. Slide your weapon out of the kitchen, put your hands behind your hand, and come out slowly."

After a hesitant moment the gun appeared from the kitchen, thrown spitefully rather than slid as demanded. Another few seconds of anticipation saw the Mage Slayer step into view with his hands behind his head.

…

Well, this is a fine mess I'm stuck in, Takeki thought over the throbbing headache. Where the hell is my way out?

Though this wasn't the first time his powers were sealed, it was the first time that he had been in such a detrimental position at the same time. Almost twenty automatic rifles stood between him and the door and his body was bruised and broken from his battles the previous couple of nights. Since they were offering him a peaceful surrender he would normally just go along with it until he could find an opening. Between the power suppresser they were using and the handcuffs they undoubtedly had he knew he would never have that chance. If he was going to escape he would need to do it now.

Lost in thought, Takeki didn't hear what the Antiskill officer said next, but he noticed one of the clones retreat to another room at the command. He smirked a little, Alright! That leaves only… way too many guns to deal with.

While he was entertaining himself with his sarcasm something caught his eye. As the clone walked towards the door her head turned and he saw a small metal contraption in her ear. Everything finally clicked in his head. He had recognized from the beginning that his power was being disrupted by the odd noise in the air; it was obvious. But for whatever reason it never occurred to him that it shouldn't affect him if he didn't hear it. It's odd how the human mind can know so much but never make the connections when it needs to.

Since the clones were using a machine to cancel the noise that probably implied that normal ear plugs wouldn't work. But if his senses were shut off… or rather if something else's senses were shut off…

…

"Trash!" Takeki commanded as he entered the red-shadowed area. "I'm giving you permission to take over my body. Don't screw up."

The arcane bindings released her and she crumpled to the ground. She sat up sidesaddle but didn't move otherwise. She only stared at the ground, looking depressed.

"What are you waiting for?" Takeki yelled. "We don't have any time! Move!"

"No," she whispered

Anger flushed Takeki's face. "What?" He somehow managed to keep his voice under control.

"I don't want to. I'm done with this." She continued to avoid eye contact.

"I said we don't have time! Just do it!"

At last she looked into his eyes. Her expression rattled him. There was no abstinence. There was no fear, no hate. She held no feelings against him.

She was utterly defeated. Her features told of a person who had completely given up. A person whose only wish was to let it all end so she could rest. For Takeki, who had spent his whole life clawing against every odd just to stay alive, that was the most dangerous emotion.

"Damn it," Takeki whispered as a shiver rattled his bones. He was dead. If she wouldn't help him it was all over. There was no other way out.

He staggered forward, no strength left to his body, and crumpled to his knees before the girl. Head hung limp he reached out and gently took her hand.

"Please," he urged. His voice cracked, his will broken. Her eyes were wide and her mouth hung open, speechless. "I don't want to die here," he confided in her. "There are still things I want to do."

Tears fell from her eyes. She loved him. She hated seeing him like this. But would anything change if they got out of here? She knew him better than anyone, and she understood that he would never feel indebted to her- because she wasn't human.

"If it's alright," she whispered to him, "could you please give me back my hair."

She wanted him to know it wasn't a trade; it wasn't business. She wanted it to be a reward. She wanted it to be a gift, given because he appreciated her; because he was glad she had help him; because she had made him happy.

Takeki shuddered. His stomach raged against the request, but his brain reasoned that he could live with the results. He took a ragged breath and looked into her eyes. He couldn't bring out any anger against her plea, though he desired to. If he could become angry at her, if he could be condescending, that meant that he was still above her. That he was still looking down on her. But right then he was at eye level with her, in every possible sense.

He nodded.

White, semitransparent strands flowed from her head. It grew in lush and straight. As it lengthened it fell like a waterfall from her scalp to her shoulders and down her back. It slowed as it reached her lower back and, in the same fashion, color began flooding through the fibers. The pale-brown dripped down the length until every individual hair was colored. When it was done the hair darkened and tinged slightly red.

Takeki's stomach twisted and heaved. The sight sickened him. He thought he could handle seeing it, but he had been wrong. To his surprise, tears sprung into his eyes. He couldn't understand why. He had told himself that to see her like that was repulsive. He had convinced himself that his disgust was the cause of this feeling in his stomach.

No matter how his intellect struggled to rationalize it, his body would tell the truth.

The girl reached forward, her face soaked with far more tears than his, and wrapped her arms around him. With a kiss she faded like mist into his body.

…

As an Imouto approached Mage Slayer with a pair of handcuffs he faltered. He had closed his eyes a few minutes ago and now he opened them. He began shaking and his hands wrapped around his stomach. The room was filled with tension by the sudden movement. The Imouto with the cuffs leapt away. Safeties were removed and Yomikawa pulled Last Order tight against her body, bracing with the shield.

"Onii-chan!" Mage Slayer cried. His voice was odd, its pitch higher than it had been. He screamed as loud as he could, as if he couldn't tell how loud he was yelling. "Onii-chan it hurts!"

"Hey! I told you not to move! Freeze!" Yomikawa screamed at him, the strange actions performed before her tugging fear from her chest.

"MISAKA requests orders," spoke one of the nearby clones.

"Hold your fire. If he teleports or moves from that spot you may fire at will."

The MISAKA clone looked to Last Order who nodded in agreement with Yomikawa.

"Onii-chan!" Tears flowed from the young man's face.

…

From another place Takeki watched a floating mirage-like image. Having given up his physical body, he couldn't feel the pain from his wounds anymore just as he couldn't move his limbs. He didn't feel the tears stream down his body's cheeks or taste the air that he gasped in as he sobbed. The only sense he retained fully was his hearing. Otherwise he only possessed just enough of his vision to get an idea of what was going on. With all the other disabilities he was fostering he couldn't possibly go without his sight. He was barely keeping himself composed as it was. If everything around him went dark he didn't know if he would be able to bare the sensory deprivation.

"Get it together and get out of here!" He shouted.

…

The Mage Slayer slowly composed himself. "Alright, Onii-chan," he sniffled. He put his hands behind his head to show that he was cooperating and then knelt down. He stared past all the Imoutos' legs and met Last Order's eyes through the transparent shield. He gave a friendly smile and tilted his head to the side. "I'm sorry, little girl. He has gone through some painful things that have made him dislike us. Could you please forgive him?"

Last Order blinked. With the entire MISAKA network to contemplate the situation, the child-sized MISAKA still couldn't understand what was happening. Unsure of herself, she nodded hesitantly.

"Thank you," Mage Slayer smiled brightly, a few more tears crossed his cheeks. "I'm really glad."

Then he disappeared.