Toaru Hanzai no Sekai

A Certain World of Crime

It was another boring day at Judgment. She had had paperwork to deal with and then been kept busy with frivolous tasks for the rest of the day. Most of the time she spent talking to Kuro quietly, she also managed to get some practice in here and there but was careful not to overuse her power and tire herself out. Though it was still quite a monotonous afternoon and she was glad when five o' clock rolled around and she clocked out. She sent a short, affectionate message to her Onee-sama and smiled when she received the reply. It made her wish she could just return home now and forget about this whole thing.

But you can't and you know it.

"And why not," she argued, though she knew the answer, "it might have nothing to do with that or me."

But it might, and if it does can you really let someone else deal with this?

"Why not?"

I know you care more about this than that, you want to make sure yourself, you are just arguing for the sake of arguing.

"I know..." She resigned before resuming her search. Before she could do anything she needed more information about the suitcase and its contents. She decided that the person who could most easily and thoroughly answer that would be someone from the gang she had encountered yesterday. 3 of them had been arrested for various stolen merchandise on their possession but the other 3 couldn't be charged with anything, as no one had reported anything as stolen and eyewitness accounts were sketchy at best. So they had been released.

Normally this would have upset Kuroko but today it worked out in her favor. Now if only she could find one of the pests. She scoured the streets looking for them. Her search was random, non-methodical, and highly inefficient. It relied mostly on luck and she knew it. But there was no other way.

Besides, as it turned out, luck was on her side. It took an hour and a half of searching but she finally saw someone from the skirmish yesterday. He was the one who had tried to run away. There was a bandage wrapped around his head where the pipe had made contact. He was talking to another person, a delinquent friend of his by the look of it. Kuroko listened in from behind the corner.

"So we were surrounded by like, 15 guys," he said, "and we were kicking their asses, when this one guy shows up carrying a big ass bat. He must have been six feet tall and built like a refrigerator with a demonic look in his eyes, he starts swinging the bat taking each of our guys out, I put up a fight but one of his friends snuck up behind me, I turned around to take care of him but the guy got in a cheap shot and took me out."

"Six feet tall? Built like a refrigerator? Demonic look?" Kuroko said rounding the corner, "That's not very nice you know. Talk about a girl like that and you might hurt her feelings."

The look on his face as he turned around to see the very demon he was talking about was absolutely priceless. His eyes widened in fear, pupils dilating instantly. His jaw fell open as he backpedaled a few steps, "shit," he said as he turned around to flee. Kuroko had different plans though and teleported in front of him several feet.

"Come now, you remember how well running away worked last time don't you? I suggest you just stay still and do as I ask."

The guy's friend laughed as he watched this display, "dude, your demon is this little brat?" he taunted as he walked forward, "you're really frightened of this..." He began as he reached out his hand to grab Kuroko. Effortlessly Kuroko stepped forward, kicking his shin to unbalance him and tossing him to the cold, unforgiving ground.

"Now that that's out of the way, I have some questions to ask you," she said turning back to the terrified thug.

He held his hands up in surrender, "sure anything."

"That thing from yesterday, the suitcase, what was it?"

"It was this new portable capacity down that just showed up on the Black Market. There aren't that many of them and they're really valuable so we decided to steal one instead of buying." He explained obediently.

"Black Market? What are you talking about?"

"It's this huge thing, set up all around the city. You can get anything and everything there and they have tons of locations. Skillout gets things there all the time."

"Where can I find it?"

"It moves around a lot but right now you can find it in a warehouse near the northern edge of this district, there should be two guards outside the door of the right one. I heard that Wise Man Migime was the one auctioning them off. Tall, dark skin, eyepatch over his left eye. You can't miss him."

"How do I get in?"

"Just talk to the doormen, they'll ask what you're looking for, say "the pearl in the dragon's claw" or some shit like that and they'll let you in."

"Is that everything?" Kuroko asked when he stopped speaking.

"Yes, I promise."

"Good, then get out of her, and find a less dangerous profession, crime can be quite hazardous to one's health." She advised, the threat clear in her tone. As fast as a speeding bullet he turned tail and ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

If I could feel emotions I'm sure I'd be proud of you right now. You handled that very well, you're pretty good at intimidation when you feel like it.

"I'll try to take that as a compliment," she replied sarcastically before heading off to find this Black Market that the thug had spoken of.

It had gotten dark before she had found her way to the warehouse in question. It would be curfew soon... Misaka must be wondering where she was. From the rooftop she was perched on she typed out a short text to her worried Onee-sama "Sorry, It's taking longer than I thought, I probably won't be back until after curfew, cover for me please. Love you. -Kuroko" And with that sent she changed into the set of clothes she had brought with her. Her Tokiwadai uniform was far too conspicuous and could easily identify her as someone of value. Not something she wanted to flaunt in a place like this. After that she teleported down to street level and walked up to the building.

She was met with a querying look from one of the guards. Then he grinned and said in a taunting tone "What's a little girly like you doing in a dangerous place like this? Maybe you better go home before something happens to you." he stepped forward leaning towards her menacingly, but this put him off balance and Kuroko easily swept his feet out from under him, slamming him to the ground.

"I have neither interest in, nor time for your protests. I am looking for the pearl in the dragon's claw, now is this it or are you just an idiot lolling about to scare away the crows."

The other guard laughed. "You got guts kid. You're new here, a runner I take it. Sorry for him, he doesn't seem to understand just how dangerous even a little girl can be in this city. Head on in." He opened up the door and Kuroko walked in unhesitatingly.

Good, good. A display of violence will win you respect in this place.

She walked into the warehouse to see it was packed with people and stands, like a festival being held indoors. But the stands weren't full of masks or food, they were full of slightly more dangerous things. Various pieces of technology of all different types were on display. Some of it looked even more advanced than even academy city's current tech. A few pieces she recognized, like a cellphone that's released had been set for several months in the future, yet there it rested, sitting inconspicuously beside similar bits and pieces.

She was walking along the stands, just another head in the crowd when something caught her eye, or more accurately Kuro's.

Hey, Shiro. How about we make a little deal?

After listening briefly to the terms of Kuro's plan, she agreed and walked over to the stand. She purchased the devices which had fascinated Kuro. She stashed it away and continued walking.

In short order she had found someone that matched the thugs description, as he said he was a hard man to miss. He was aged, his skin lined with wrinkles and his short hair greyed where it wasn't gone entirely. His face was rough, a black eye patch covered his left eye. He was wearing a fancy business suit that didn't match his slouched posture and five o' clock shadow.

"'Wise man Megime?'" Kuroko asked.

"That's what I'm called around here," he said, fixing his one good eye on Kuroko. His gaze was piercing and made Kuroko feel slightly nervous, but she continued nevertheless.

"I was looking for some information on a certain product which I was told you were in charge of selling. A suitcase which had a sound system built into it."

"Why do you want the information?" He asked.

"Umm..." Kuroko froze, she hadn't thought this part through, too concerned with getting in and around undetected, "You see I..."

"Ah, there you are," said a young, female voice from behind her, "don't go running off like that. And there's no need to be embarrassed." she said stepping forward. She was a short girl, even shorter than Kuroko with long blond hair that flowed down her back. She wore a bright colored T-shirt and shorts and a pair of sneakers. "Someone botched up the drop-off so now she has nothing to deliver, she new at this and doesn't want her first run to be a failure so she's trying to figure out how to get it back."

She turned around, "right?" She said with a smile. She had a very cheerful face, her jade colored eyes shone brightly.

"Uh, yeah." Kuroko responded, taken aback by this turn of events.

Megime looked at her oddly then sighed. "Your heart's too big for this business, you know that?"

The girl giggled and responded, "The money's too good for me to get out of it."

Megime knew she was lying. He always knew when people were lying, he had a gift for knowing people's intentions, that was why he was one of the best in the industry. But he knew this girl well. She was sweet and kind, often stopping by just to say hi and have a short chat. She'd always brighten up his day with her smile and possessed a generosity and sweetness rarely seen in this kind of place. She was the only one who had remembered his birthday this year. If she was vouching for this girl then he felt like he owed her a little bit of help. "What did you want to know about them." he asked Kuroko.

"Who made them?" she replied.

"There's a person who goes by the pseudonym of Jericho. He's an inventor who takes requests online and delivers them through a third person. No one quite knows the true identity. The odd thing is that he has never done any weapons technology before, not only that but he hasn't been heard from in days, ever since these devices first surfaced."

"How many are there?"

"Three that I sold but I heard there were three more, so a total of six."

"You say this Jericho was an inventor, what kind of things did he invent?"

"Mostly sound manipulation or emission technology, and he mostly works straight. He's designed speakers for communications companies, sonic drills for mining corporations, and other things like that. Very high quality, his skills are in considerable demand and quite valuable. You know, you have yet to ask a question that relates to actually finding one of these things."

"Uh... oh yeah... who did you sell them to and where can I find them?"

"Can't tell you, professional code of conduct and all. You understand."

"Yes sir, thank you for your help." Kuroko said, bowing her head respectfully.

"Yep, thank you Megi." The other girl said before grabbing Kuroko's arm, "now let's go and finish up that first run of yours eh?" She said and dragged Kuroko out of the building.

"Thank you," Kuroko said, "I would have been in trouble without your help. Though can I ask why you helped me?"

"I don't like seeing people get hurt and die." She responded.

Kuroko was taken aback by her bluntness and her words, "uh... well thank you for your concern... what's your name?"

"Oh, I'm Birdy," she said and smiled, "I'm a runner for the Hitoyashu family. Who are you?"

"I'm Shirai Kuroko." She offered her hand with a smile.

Birdy took it and shook it heartily, "nice to meet you. So what did you come here for anyway? Don't worry, I promise I can keep a secret for a friend."

She pondered for a second if it was ok to talk about it. Guessing what she was thinking about, Kuro piped up. She did help us back there; I see no reason not to trust her. "I came to get some information. I ran across one of those devices and it piqued my interest. I've come across similar things before and they can be quite dangerous in the wrong hands. So I wanted to find out who created them and if I could find the locations of any others."

"That makes sense, though I question why you chose to get involved. Were you just bored and looking for a little excitement, or are you some kind of undercover cop."

"While I do work for Judgment this is strictly under-the-radar. What I'm doing right now would probably get me in quite a bit of trouble if they knew about it." She sighed, "this is a personal matter for me."

Her smile dropped for a second as she said cautiously, "Judgment eh? That's a bit dangerous to say to someone like me isn't it?"

"You don't need to worry, I have no reason to turn you in, and talking about any of this would not be for my benefit. I promise you that right now I have no connection with Judgment. I trust you to keep my secrets just like you can trust me to keep yours."

She looked deep into Kuroko's eyes as if searching for something. Then she smiled as she found it, the truth behind her words. "Good to hear," she replied, "though I personally don't have any worries. Ever since I joined up with the Hitoyashu I've been doing fully legal work. They take good care of me and keep me out of trouble."

"If I may ask, what work exactly do you do? What is a runner?"

"A runner is kind of like a courier, a mailman if you will. But we deliver things that mailmen can't. Different runners do different types of work in varying levels of legality. Some work freelance, others work for a particular family or organization. I used to work freelance but on one assignment, one that wasn't even high risk, I got ambushed by some people who wanted to intercept the package I was delivering. I fought back but I was overwhelmed. It would have all been over but I was saved by Itora Hitoyashu, the leader of the Hitoyashu supply family. He told me that I should be more careful and offered a job with him, said that if I joined he could protect me. I took him up on his offer. He's really kind and generous; he pays my tuition, makes sure my contracts are safe enough, and gives me a good paycheck. Not only that but he keeps me on the clean side of the law, says that even if something goes wrong he doesn't want his faithful employees to take the heat."

"What exactly do you mean by supply family?" Kuroko asked, eager to learn more about this world that she had just been introduced to, even if it was a world of crime.

"Academy City's technology is 20-30 years ahead of just about anywhere else in the world. The problem is that it doesn't really share that technology with the rest of the world. Even within the city there are many huge developments that are kept under wraps for only a select few individuals. Supply families are groups of people who try and distribute these pieces of technology with the rest of us, trading high tech machines with the outside world and restricted tech to the masses of Academy City. Each family trades and deals with various types of tech, the Hitoyashu sell medical and manufacturing technology, allowing outside hospitals to be as effective as the ones in Academy City."

"How is that criminal? That isn't wrong at all."

"Just because something isn't bad or wrong doesn't mean it's legal. The higher ups in Academy City tend to hoard technology for themselves. They've isolated Academy City from the rest of the world and don't care what happens to anywhere else. The families, for the most part, disagree with this and try to share the tech with the rest of the world. Some are in it strictly for the money, but only a few. There's the Honogun family who deal in military technology, selling high tech weaponry to the highest bidder both in and out the city. Most of the other families disagree with their methods but they are too powerful and wealthy to try and dissuade."

"I see…" said Kuroko, absorbing all this information. Sure they were doing illegal things but not all of them were bad it seemed. Laws were meant to be followed but… keeping medical technology that could save hundreds from the outside world for no reason wasn't something Kuroko could agree with, "it sounds like you work for some noble people."

Birdy smiled again, "yes, very noble. I'm happy I met him. Anyway it's getting late and I should get going, but we should talk again sometime. Oh do you have a phone? We should exchange numbers."

"Uh...yeah I do… here," she said getting it out and exchanging numbers with her.

"Thanks, talk to you later," Birdy said, waving to her before heading off. She moved in an odd fashion, even though she wore sneakers it looked more like she was a skater on ice. She rapidly picked up speed, and was soon a long distant blur.

An odd girl but a potentially useful person.

"Yeah, I suppose so." She looked at her watch it was late. The sun had already fallen in the sky, it was several minutes past curfew. She sighed, teleporting back to the location she had dropped off her clothes and changed back into them before teleporting off and away, back to her dorm.

She arrived without incident, even teleporting into her room without being seen. Misaka was already asleep tucked in her bed. Kuroko stashed away Kuro's new toys under her bed along with the portable Capacity Down then changed into her pajamas. Then she quietly slipped into Misaka's bed along with her, snuggling up to her precious Onee-sama.

It had been another long day, but she had gained some useful information. Not only about this entirely new world she had been introduced to, but also about the matter at hand.

'It seems like it really is as I thought. Now the only question is why. Why are you doing this?' she would need to find the creator of that device, Jericho, and straighten this whole thing out, 'this isn't how I wanted things to turn out. But who could have guessed things would end up like this.'

She felt as arms wrapped themselves around her in a comforting embrace and smiled. "Onee-sama," she whispered, before heading off to sleep.

Author's note: This is the second half to the previous chapter. It's a development I've been planning for quite some time and I like to think I pulled it off well enough. I'm not sure if a black market is ever referenced in the series but it seems to me that it would be next to impossible not to have one for a city like this. The hard thing was keeping it noble enough that Kuroko's sense of justice wouldn't be too enflamed, so I made them more like scientific Robin Hoods than criminals. They will play a fairly large part in this arc so make sure you pay attention. Till the next chapter, hope you enjoy.