Disclaimer: I do not own the To Aru or the Prototype series. All characters aside from my original characters belong to their original owners.
My Room – Heaven's Canceller's Hospital
I got up from bed with a yawn as my alarm clock rang. Changing into my school uniform again I began preparing for another day at school. When I came down the stairs into the lobby, Jii-chan wasn't there. He left a note on the table though.
"Sieg, I'm required to attend a presentation of a new experimental surgical procedure, so I probably won't be home until tomorrow. All the blood packets you need are in the fridge. Enjoy your day and stay out of trouble!"
I just have a sinking feeling that I'll be unable to keep the last part of the promise yet again. But who knows? Maybe today will be an exception. Anyway off to school. After I draining a few blood packets and mixing my usual smoothie I headed out the door.
Class 7-A – Sakugawa Middle School
I managed to arrive early so I began to unpack my things quickly to make sure that the teachers would not have an excuse to yell at me. I saw Saten walk in and sit down, only for her to turn around in her seat.
"Hey Sieg, did you hear about that new rumor that sprung up last night?"
"Rumor? Excuse me for being a skeptic but I prefer the use of scientific methods of proving things over hearsay." Ugh, I'm sounding like one of those Gentek scientists.
"About an esper in the city. They say he's immortal since a gang shot him full of bullets but he got up right after." That's starting to sound familiar. "Do you know what the creepy part is?"
"I don't know, tell me." If she says what I think she's going to say...
"He coughed up all of the bullets that they put in him and threw them in front of the people who shot him!" There it is. I'm an urban legend now. Yay.
"That must be some power then." I replied feigning awe. I should know about it since it's mine.
"No kidding, I wonder who it could be. Another part of the rumor says that he's our age." Since when did rumors get so damned specific?
"I don't think you should believe everything you hear and read Saten." I said trying to get her to drop the subject.
"I probably wouldn't, but I went to the scene this morning and I found one of the bullets!" she said holding up a bag. I felt my jaw drop. Is this what people are into nowadays?!
"Cool isn't it? Apparently there are only twenty one of them, but I snagged one from the park yesterday!" You're happy that you managed to find a used bullet in the park. Cultural trends just keep getting weirder and weirder.
"Wouldn't that be considered evidence from a crime scene?"
"You know, I've never thought of it that way. I'll just drop it in with Uiharu to take to Anti-Skill." Wait, isn't my blood and DNA on that? Aw crap. I just shot myself in the foot by saying that (though shooting myself would hurt a lot less).
"Then again, maybe you should hold onto it. Finders keepers right?"
"Hmmm, maybe I should." Just hold onto it damn it. The bell rang not long after.
"Alright class, let us begin." And so class began for the day. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't keep my mind off the bullet Saten has. A lot of what ifs were going through my head. What if they analyze it and find my DNA on it? What if they find out that I am the one that got riddled with bullets? What if they take me in for experimentation afterward? Gah, I'm driving myself insane with these thoughts and monologues!
"Mercer." said the robotic-sounding teacher, "Pop quiz, is it possible for an esper to have two powers? Give me a yes or no along with an explanation." Not even an honorific this time, is this guy's mission in life just to try to make me miserable? Fine, at least I read the textbook while doing my homework last night. One doctorate level answer coming up.
"It is not possible to have two esper powers, sensei." I said with a bit of poison evident in my voice. "The reason being is that the AIM Field of an esper can only manifest in a single form which encompasses an esper's ability. For example, a pyrokinetic cannot suddenly develop hydrokinetic powers. As a result, it is a theoretical impossibility unless an esper gains control of Personal Realities themselves. I am willing to elaborate further if it is required." Take that jerkass.
He gave me another glare before straightening his glasses, "That is enough Mercer, continue your work." He turned back to the board and began writing down more problems and notes to copy. That shut him up. I then continued my work dutifully, but my mind was still focused on the potential consequences of that bullet.
Courtyard – Sakugawa Middle School
The rest of the school day was relatively uneventful (thank goodness) and ended up flying by quite quickly. I walked outside sipping the remains of my smoothie (human blood and whatever red colored fruit I can find) from lunch when Uiharu and Saten walked up to me.
"Good afternoon Sieg-san." said Uiharu as polite as ever. "Here is the paperwork you asked me to help fill out." She then handed me a stack of paper about an inch and a half thick. I realized there was going to be paperwork, but I didn't expect THIS much.
"All you have to do is fill out your address and medical information as well as sign every paper. I did the rest." She was up last night doing this for me? This would have taken me hours to do.
"Thanks Uiharu! You really didn't have to do that much. I owe you one."
"I-it was nothing. I didn't have much to do last night."
"Uiharu told me that you're beginning Judgment training today. Are you excited?"
"I guess, I don't really know what to expect though."
"It's basically a bunch of physical exams before they give you some hand to hand combat training. You also get training in first aid and how to respond in an emergency." She seemed to shudder at the mention of hand to hand combat training though.
"That sounds fun, so what are you guys planning on doing?"
"Misaka invited us over to her dorm room. We're probably just going to talk and hang out."
"Alright then, see you later!" We went our separate ways and I left to find the Judgment Training Center.
Streets of Academy City
Though it wasn't long until I remembered that I forgot to ask Uiharu how to get the Training Center. You'd think that with the intellectual capacity of dozens of world-class geneticists and military leaders I wouldn't make errors like this.
I then started to try and ask people left and right for directions. Problem was, there aren't that many off-duty Judgment officers in District 7 that are easy to find and no one I talked to seemed to know where it is. Argh, how could I make such a stupid mistake. I felt like tearing my hair out at my own stupidity. My self-loathing was interrupted by a voice from behind me.
"Excuse me, are you looking for the Judgment Training Center?" I turned around to see a buxom teenage girl with black hair and glasses. She looked quite mature and responsible and wore a kind expression.
"Uh, yeah. How did you know?" This was an awfully good stroke of luck.
"You made quite a fuss asking everyone for directions, they eventually came to my office and reported it to me." Did I really ask that many people for directions?
"You must be Sieg-san, Uiharu-san told me you'd be starting training today. Come on, I'll show you the way." She led me around several corners, a through couple of alleyways, and down a number of streets before we arrived at a blocky building somewhat resembling a warehouse. It was gray and white with the gray part pleated similarly to the storage crates that they use on ships.
"Here it is Sieg-san. By the way, I'm Konori Mii, Chief of the 177th branch of Judgment. When you join Judgment I'll probably be your boss. Good luck!" she then walked off.
It then dawned on me that the nice girl I just talked to would be my future boss, and that I made myself look like an annoying idiot in front of her through my earlier display. If I had a desk right now I'd follow Kuroko's lead and start slamming my head against it. Bygones are bygones though, you can't linger on the past (though mine is rather dangerous). So I headed into the training center.
Judgment Training Center – District 7
The best analogy I can make to describe the interior of the training center is that it resembled the interior of an Olympic sports building. There was a ton of equipment for every kind of training and preparation possible. Trampolines were used to help those with powers like teleportation improve their ability to land and aim the objects they used. More destructive powers were dampened using the nearby pool. Older trainees were practicing hand to hand combat over a gymnastics mat while younger ones were learning emergency response techniques and first aid near a blackboard. Where do I start though...
"WHO ARE YOU!" rang a booming, masculine voice. I turned around to see an incredibly muscular and tall man wearing a tight white dress shirt. His mustache was meticulously styled and he had only a single lock of curled hair on his head, both of which were blonde. Is he taking steroids or is he one of those super soldiers?
"I'm Sieg. I'm joining the Judgment Training Program today." I said politely and somewhat more quietly than usual. To be honest, I found the hulking man rather intimidating, and not too many things can scare me. He then stepped forward looking down at me (god damn it he's tall). What happened next is something I didn't expect.
"EXCELLENT! It's always great to have a new recruit who is willing to fight IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE!" He said with a beaming smile and patting me on the back, though it felt more like getting hit in the back with a sledgehammer. "Let us begin your examination first! THEN we will decide your regimen!" This guy is really loud and noisy, then again this entire city is loud and noisy.
He lead me over to a set of weights. "First we shall test the fortitude of your muscles and the constitution of your body. Please, lift any amount of weight you feel comfortable with." Well this would be rather easy for me. I walked over to the heaviest looking weights I could find and laid them all on the ends of the barbell.
"Are you sure young man? That is a dangerous amount of weight you are going to lift."
"I'll be alright." he still looked at me cautiously as I rubbed my hands together and bent down to lift it. I ended up bringing up to chest level rather easily. I then began curling the barbell about ten times before placing it gently on the floor.
"How'd I do?" I asked. I know it's probably a lot since it looked heavy, but the numbers on the weights had long since faded.
"A MAGNIFICENT JOB YOUNG MAN!" the burly man exclaimed, beginning to flex, "You lifted over six hundred pounds! Your muscles may not be as wonderfully sculpted as mine, but your fortitude is truly astounding! A full score for this portion of your exam!" This just loves to exclaim everything doesn't he. A full score is definitely nice though.
"Next we shall evaluate how fast you can run as well as your reflexes." he said before leading me over to a running track with a variety of obstacles. Tall hurdles, automatic tetherballs, and blunt pendulums were among the many things in the way. If this were a race track for cars it'd look like Mario Kart.
I'll admit, I gulped at the sight of this thing. At the very least there isn't anything pointy that looked potentially deadly. At least, I think there isn't. It wondered if it were some kind of gauntlet that's used as an initiation ritual, since it didn't seem humanly possible to pass through without getting injured rather badly.
On the bright side, I'm not human.
"Is the use of my power allowed for this part of the exam?"
"Hmmm, I don't see why not. The higher-ups in management won't let us destroy the equipment, so please refrain from doing so." That would make it harder but it not impossible.
"Alright then-"
"BUT I WHOLEHEARTEDLY DISAGREE WITH THIS POLICY! CREATION AND DESTRUCTION ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN! YOU MUST DESTROY SOMETHING TO CREATE SOMETHING ELSE!" he exclaimed while continuing to flex his enormous muscles.
"So does that mean-"
"YES YOU MAY DESTROY THE OBSTACLES IF NECESSARY!" With that statement his shirt exploded from the sheer bulk of his muscles. I thought that could only happen in anime and manga. I guess there really are people like that in real life.
"PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY THROUGH THE COURSE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE! GET READY!" I complied and made my way to the starting point. "ON YOUR MARK, GET SET, GO!"
I took off with a small explosion of force from my legs, running at speeds between fifty to seventy miles per hour. The initial hurdles were not an issue, I just leaped right over them with a somersault for some extra distance (and style I suppose). After landing I then sped forward once more, rapidly approaching the tetherballs. I morphed my hands into claws to slice them into ribbons as they crossed my path, not stopping for a second. So far so good.
Then came the pendulums I mentioned earlier. What to do with those... Changing my arms into blades I began to spin while sliding forward, using liquid biomass on my shoes as a lubricant. The blades cut right through them with ease, leaving the obstacles in pieces on the floor and allowing me to go through unhindered. After solidifying the biomass on my feet I continued my run.
Or at least, I tried to. I was suddenly launched into the air by a pair of springboards that I stepped on. What is this a video game? Anyway in order to avoid falling flat on my face I thinned the biomass in my body and spread it out the way I did with a glide, allowing me to return to an upright position as well as slow my descent and avoid crashing into any random hazards.
The next obstacle was a rock wall. Yes, a freaking rock wall. Why would you even need to get past all of this for a simple agility test is beyond me. I focused biomass into my limbs once more and leaped as high as I could before scrambling up it the way Spider-Man would. When I reached the top, I realized that a normal person would have to climb back down. Good thing I'm not normal then. I simply jumped down, letting gravity do the work for me. Afterward it was just a surprisingly simple sprint to the finish line.
"A VERY FINE JOB!" boomed the man, "That's one of the fastest times on record, only one and a half minutes!"
"Alright!" I cheered with a bit of fist pump. "Wait, who is the fastest then?"
"Shirai Kuroko. She cleared the track in under thirty seconds." Of course she did, she's a teleporter for crying out loud! She could waltz past everything with her ability!
"Well that makes sense, sorry about the equipment though."
"Do not worry about it, it's nothing a little elbow grease and glue can't fix."
If that's the case then there's nothing to worry about right?
"On to the final portion of your exam, which is to knock your opponent out of the ring." He then led me over to a boxing ring and gestured me to enter it. So this would be a test of hand to hand combat skill. Am I going to fight someone or hit a punching bag or something? Either way it couldn't be worse than the previous test right?
"Based on your previous performance the man best suited to testing your martial prowess is none other than I, ALEX LOUIS ARMSTRONG!" It just got worse.
We stood about four to five feet apart. He shifted into a stance reminiscent of a boxer, and I did the same. "NOW BEAR WITNESS TO THE COMBAT STYLE PASSED DOWN THE ARMSTRONG LINE FOR GENERATIONS!"
With his size I expected a slow and hard hitting opponent. However, within the first few seconds I realized one thing.
"He's fast!" I heard myself mutter as he closed the distance instantly. Despite of the fact that I dodged his first punch, a monstrous right hook, I could still feel the intense force behind the blow.
This isn't going to be easy. I tried to land a relatively weak jab on his side (I don't want to go punching holes in people) but it bounced right off his hard muscles. It's like punching a brick wall! He then swiftly turned and brought his fist downward, barely missing my head before slamming into the ring, creating a small crater, the force sending me skyward. I really don't want to get hit by that!
I unleashed a spinning ax kick upon the back of Mr. Armstrong's neck, hoping to incapacitate him. I quickly realized it was a bad idea from his reaction. Though he shifted slightly, he only took advantage of the situation and grabbed my leg before throwing me to the floor. It doesn't make sense though. That kick would have taken most people's heads off. He just shook it off as though if he were hit by a child! Still I felt a grin on my face at this. This is going to be some fight!
"THIS IS A FIELD OF BATTLE! DO NOT HOLD BACK!" he bellowed, only failing to smash my head into a pulp due to a timely dodge on my part. It's been a while since I've had a fight like this, and boy am I enjoying it! Since he told me to not hold back, let's give him what he wants! Getting to my feet, I threw an elbow strike at full force into his back, knocking him back and giving me some room to breathe and think. I then took a Bajiquan stance while anticipating his next move.
"That's quite a flexible combat style you have Sieg. You've been trained well."
"Thanks, I guess." It's less training and more using modified versions of moves learned by the hundreds to thousands of soldiers that my Dad ate with some inspiration from the anime I occasionally watch.
"NOW let us see if your combat style can match THE ARMSTRONGS'!" His family must be really famous for him to keep saying stuff like that, but I've never heard of him. Regardless of his ridiculously loud and boisterous personality, he's probably the most dangerous person I've ever fought at this range. I'm not kidding, he's easily as strong if not stronger than me in pure strength.
Did you ever get the feeling that the decisive blow of a match was right around the corner, and that the opponents were just about ready to finish each other off? These are the exact thoughts I have going through my mind at this moment. Armstrong seemed to have the same idea as he pressed his feet into the floor. He was going to launch himself at me to decide the match.
I did the same.
We threw ourselves at each other at the exact same time. Time seemed to slow down for me as we approached each other at blistering speeds. Gritting my teeth, I braced myself as his fist connected with my skull (or it least it would have if I had one) with the same amount of force as an anti-material rifle, that is to say a gun meant to punch through tanks. In layman's terms, that blow should have blown off my face and head, severed my brain stem, and broken my neck. How would I know this? Let's just say I had a messy run in with Blackwatch when I was seven and leave it at that.
Nevertheless, I stood firm, stamping my foot into the ground before unleashing a blow of my own, my fist rocketing towards his solar plexus. I felt the joints of my fingers connect with skin, followed by my knuckles, my fist turning to apply more and more force before I released it with a wrist flick. I felt a smile on my face as I completed the technique. "I win."
For a second there seemed to be no reaction, but my opponent then coughed saliva and blood as he was sent out of the ring, landing a few meters away. The move I just used is called the Eight Postures of the Buddha Guards, a "Super Bajiquan" maneuver I stole from a 2012 anime fight scene. It's meant to crush the lungs and heart and send your opponent flying away. It looks like it did the job. I then looked over to my opponent who laid on the floor.
For a few moments he didn't move. Uh oh, did I overdo it?
"Mr. Armstrong are you alright?!" I rushed over to him, checking for vital signs. I breathed a sigh of relief as I felt a pulse and he breathed heavily but otherwise normally. He then sat up and began patting on the back again.
"FEW PEOPLE HAVE EVER MATCHED ME IN COMBAT LIKE THAT BEFORE! WELL DONE!"
So I almost killed him, and he's complimenting me. It kind of reminds me of what Touma said last night. I guess he's not the only weird magnet around here.
I then heard a rough but clearly feminine voice, "Did the scion of the Armstrong family really get beaten by a child? I'm disappointed little brother." I turned to the door to see a woman with eyes of azure and waist-length blonde hair the same color as Mr. Armstrong's. She was wearing a rather regal blue officer's coat, her expression icy and haughty looking. The woman was definitely striking and feminine, but powerfully built and held a commanding presence. I could easily tell that she was not to be trifled with.
"Sister-" began Mr. Armstrong.
"To think that father would make you head of the family. It goes to show how inexperienced you are!" she coldly while walking towards us. She than brandished an ornately decorated cutlass, "I demand a duel! The winner gets to be the head of the Armstrong family!"
"Um, excuse me. Don't you think you should go to the hospital to get checked out?" I asked Mr. Armstrong politely, interrupting their conversation. I wasn't sure if he had internal bleeding and I didn't want to take any chances.
I jumped slightly as she pointed her cutlass at me, "Medical issues can be attended to later! This is a matter of honor between my younger brother and I!" I don't know if she was being stubborn, pig-headed, or just plain medieval, but I couldn't just let this slide.
"Ms. Armstrong-"
"You will refer to me as General Armstrong!" This woman is scary. This is coming from the deadliest plague on the planet, so you know it's true.
"General Armstrong, would it not be best for your younger brother to be at full strength for your duel?" I asked as politely and humbly as I could to avoid inciting her wrath. I still couldn't believe that Mr. Armstrong was her younger brother.
She thought about it for a moment, "You have a good point. I'll contact an ambulance." She turned to her brother, "Heal as fast as possible so we may have our duel!"
She then turned back to me, "You have quite the gall to talk back to me like that. If you were one of my men I would have severely punished you." I have a feeling such a punishment would be cruel and unusually unpleasant.
She then turned her back to me. "But you've proven your mettle in battle. Not many people have faced an Armstrong in close combat and lived to tell of it."
Wait lived? Don't tell me these two have actually killed students during their tests!
Facing me once more she began, "I'll introduce myself to you once and only once. I am Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong of the Amestrian military. The man you fought is my younger brother, Major Alex Louis Armstrong. You've shown aptitude far beyond most students your age. I'll send the paperwork in tonight. As proctor for this year's training program I hereby grant Sieg Mercer permission to join as a member of Judgment!"
"Sister, this is unprecedented!"
"He bested you in combat my disgraceful little brother. As much as I despise the fact, few people have done so, especially one so young. In addition he already displays the ability to apply standard first aid, a necessary skill for Judgment work. The boy also seems disciplined enough. As a result I deem him more than capable in mind and body to join." she replied, sheathing her cutlass.
The ambulances then arrived, the paramedics rushed in to take Major Armstrong (they did struggle to lift his massive form) to the hospital. General Armstrong followed them with her eyes before beginning to leave.
"You'll receive your armband in the mail soon. Make this city proud young man." she said to me as she walked out.
I sat on the ground stunned for a few minutes. I wasn't really sure how to sort through my feelings at the moment. I was still terrified of General Armstrong more than any Blackwatch soldier I've ever faced. Yet at the same time I was excited and positively ecstatic to have joined Judgment, especially in such little time (I couldn't wait to see the look on Uiharu's face when I tell her that I joined Judgment in a single day). I was also in agony from the beating Major Armstrong put on me, practically everything ached or stung as if I'd been run over by a car a dozen times. I know it would go away within a couple of hours but I was still reeling from it. Clearly I'm not as invincible as I thought I was a day ago. Still, I managed to stand up with some difficulty. I then realized that most of the people in the building were staring at me in disbelief.
"He beat Major Armstrong!"
"Is he even human?"
"He even sent him flying!" were among the many things they muttered.
Unwilling to provide an even larger spectacle than I already have, I walked (well limped) out of the training center, running up to the top of the building before gliding most of the way home.
Heaven Canceller's Hospital
I walked into my home still clutching my shoulder. It didn't sting like before but I still felt a dull ache around where the joint should be. Jii-chan was still out, heck the entire hospital was practically empty with the exception of a few patients and the staff taking care of them. I checked on them just in case, but nothing was abnormal.
I took a few blood packets out of the fridge for dinner as I prepared to do my homework. After draining them I instantly felt better. All of the aches and pains vanished and I felt full of energy again, which was good since I had a lot of homework. Speaking of homework, Daigo-sensei didn't even check the poem for credit, meaning I spent all the time for absolutely nothing. I frowned at the thought. What was the point in doing homework if you're not going to be graded for it? After all was said and done, I checked my clock. Wow, only 7:00 p.m. Maybe I should go out for a walk. Then again I usually get into trouble when I do, but there's nothing to do in here. I growled in frustration as I couldn't decide what to do. You know what, screw it! I need some air to clear my head so I stop talking to myself like this. After changing my school uniform into a black zipper hoodie, I went downstairs and began to walk out the door.
But as I did I noticed that the mailbox had something in it. Inside was a small package. I didn't order anything so it came as a mystery to me. When I opened it, inside was my Judgment armband along with a note.
Congratulations Sieg Mercer for being accepted into Judgment. Please use your abilities to defend the people of Academy City from those who abuse theirs.
I guess when General Armstrong means soon she means soon. I wonder if it came express delivered or something. It didn't matter much though, so I slipped it into my pocket as Kuroko does when she's not on duty. I then walked out onto the streets of Academy City once more.
Streets of Academy City – Night Time
While being alone at night can be unnerving, it's also quite relaxing if you get used to it. It's quiet, calm and actually pretty exciting at times. The air is cool and crisp, and there aren't many cars to cause a racket or fill the air with smog. The sights can be pretty beautiful too. Every bit of light is emphasized against the dark sky, which in itself is a marvel to see. Though tonight you can't really see it, as it's been covered with gray clouds.
Although I enjoy the night, I can list three reasons for someone to hate it. First, with the dim light and abundant shadows allow anyone to stalk you and you'd never be the wiser. Two, most people who stay out at night are rude, unpleasant, and/or violent. Third, crime and violence spike at night. All three reasons are being invoked tonight.
A man in looking like he was in his twenties bumped into my side yelling, "Out of the way!" as I turned around, a woman yelled, "Stop, thief!" I'm part of Judgment now so that's my cue! Pulling my wristband out of my pocket I quickly tied it to my shirt's right sleeve before dashing off after the purse snatcher. With my speed catching up to the thief took only a few seconds.
"I'm from Judgment! You're under arrest for thievery!" I exclaimed, mimicking Kuroko's routine.
"Move kid, before you get hurt!"
"I'd say the same to you."
"Don't say I didn't warn you kid!" he yelled as a number of random metal parts from various vehicles flew at me.
I hit the deck to dodge them as I heard them clatter against a building behind me. I instinctively shifted my right arm into its blade form, my most comfortable weapon.
"I didn't say that I could just send them in one direction did I?" Did he just telegraph his attack to me? Oh well, let's show him what happens when you do.
As I got to my feet the parts came flying back. With a swing of my blade all of the parts were cut to pieces and sent flying away.
"Now, let's try this again. You surrender, and I won't take off any limbs. Got it?" I asked with steel in my voice. He then tried to pull a pistol on me, which I promptly sliced in half. Where does everyone get their guns?
"This is your last warning." He then tried to punch me. Well, you've got to admire his tenacity at the very least. I was feeling nice today, so instead of tearing his arm into chunks I simply dodged and knocked him out with a blow to the forehead with my left hand. In hindsight it was also probably the right thing to do as I can't be sued for it. Retrieving the purse and shifting my arm back to normal, I returned to the woman. But instead of thanks, I got this lovely jewel.
"What took you so long! I swear the lazy-ass law enforcement here doesn't act quickly enough." Well now I see where Dad gets his hatred of humanity from. People like this woman here give the good humans like Saten and Uiharu a bad name.
Hiding my anger at her rudeness behind a forced smile I asked the woman, "Excuse me miss, but may I borrow a phone? I need to contact Anti-Skill."
"What so I need to do stuff for you now? You're supposed to help me, not the other way around." So, I saved her bag, all of her belongings, and probably her identity. Yet she treats me like garbage. I'm not supposed to be asking for gratitude, but is it wrong to expect a certain amount of respect?
I don't think you can blame me for losing my temper here. "Listen, if it weren't for me everything in that bag would have been gone! Just lend me your damn phone so we can get this over with and we'll never have to see each other again!" I exclaimed angrily.
Shocked by my change in tone she then handed me her phone, which happened to be a flip cell surprisingly enough. Dialing Anti-Skill, I asked them to come to my location and pick up the knocked out criminal. After returning the phone I returned to the sight where I left the thief. He was still out like a light, and I intended to keep him that way for as long as necessary. When Anti-Skill arrived the questioned me and the woman before taking the thief in. I then quickly walked away, unwilling to go anywhere near that woman again. I wonder if Kuroko has to deal with people like this on a regular basis.
I then felt someone bump into me again. Don't tell me it's another robber! I turned to see who it was and saw a girl about my height with short brown hair. She wore a Tokiwadai uniform and some strange neon-green goggles on her head. In addition, she was holding an assault rifle in her hands. As she looked up at me to see who she bumped into, I saw that it was Misaka!
"Uh, Misaka-san, why are you holding an assault rifle and why are you wearing those weird goggles?"
"I do not understand your question, nor do I recognize you. Says Misaka as she looks at you puzzled." She doesn't recognize me? Why is she speaking in the third person?
"Please leave me, I do not want you to get involved. Says Misaka as she looks at you with pleading eyes."
"Why do you need me to leave? Is something wrong?"
"I do not wish for harm to come upon you. Leave now or you may be killed. Says Misaka in an attempt to chase you away."
"I found you..." said a creepy and clearly disturbed voice from the alleyway from which Misaka came. Misaka turned around and gaped in horror as a scrawny albino teen a couple of years older than me appeared. He wore a black shirt with a white rib cage like design and jeans as well as a sadistic smile on his face. Whoever this person is, he's dangerous.
"So you've decided to get a bystander involved... how pitiful."
"Who are you, and what are you trying to do to her?" I asked with a stern glare.
"So you don't know about the experiment... too bad. I guess I'll end the both of you right here!"
He tapped a nearby dumpster with his left hand, only for it suddenly fly in our direction with the speed of a bullet! I tackled Misaka to the ground as it sailed over us.
"Sorry Misaka, but this is going to get rather bumpy!" I picked her up bridal style and began sprinting away as fast as I could.
"Don't think you can get away from me!" the boy then stamped the ground, rocketing him forward after us. He began to reach for us, Misaka in particular. I don't know what this psycho wants with her, but I sure as hell won't let him have her. I attempted to throw a kick in his direction, only for my leg to rebound and bend unnaturally. A splitting pain when through my knee as I did so, grinding my run to a halt. He landed not long after.
"It's pointless to try and run. Give her up to me and I'll let you go."
"Sorry, not going to happen." I replied as I reset my leg. It healed completely and the pain subsided. This guy has some kind of ability that lets him control forces. He's not going to be easy. Since he is way faster than me I'll have to use a different approach.
"It's clear that you don't know who I am then. I'm the strongest Level 5 in Academy City. Don't say I didn't warn you." His insane grin only grew wider as he punched a nearby building, shattering the windows before a sudden gust of wind sent the shards at us.
I ran into a nearby alleyway for cover, scaling the wall and jumping onto the next street to create some distance. If my guess about his ability is right, it's utterly pointless for me to try and fight him. I have to get away from him, but how?
"Come out, come out, wherever you are..." He's already here?!
I continued to run through the network of alleyways caused by the architecture of Academy City. Yet no matter where I went he always seemed to be not far behind, flinging projectiles all along the way.
"Misaka is unsure of your motives. Why are you helping me? Asks Misaka. My life is to be thrown away for the sake of the experiment. Says Misaka."
"Why should you throw your life away to this clown Misaka? Aren't you Tokiwadai's Ace, the cream of the crop, the unstoppable Electric Princess? I refuse to let you waste your life for a petty reason like an experiment!"
She looked downtrodden, "I am not my older sister Misaka Mikoto. Says Misaka, trying to dissuade you."
I stopped for a moment, "If you're not Misaka, then who are you?"
"I am Misaka 9980, a clone of Misaka Mikoto Onee-sama originally to be used for military purposes. I am to be killed for the completion the Level 6 Shift Experiment. Responds Misaka. I am nothing more than a mere clone, not even human. Please abandon me and save yourself. Adds Misaka with sadness."
If you'd like to learn how to piss me off, here's another great way to do it. Needlessly waste human lives for twisted, selfish goals. Being born a human is a blessing, so wasting it haphazardly is a sin I can't forgive! I swear when I get my hands on those researchers I'll tear them all to pieces!
"I've found you!" said the walking disaster as he casually strolled around the corner. As he did the walls of the nearby buildings began to crumble, threatening to cascade downward and crush us.
"Hold on a bit longer Misaka!" I sprinted out of the alleyway as fast as I could while dodging the falling debris, the albino menace not far behind. I could hear him cackling all the way, "Come on, come on!" He began muttering unintelligible gibberish as he continued to chase us. At first I was unconcerned, thinking that it was just something of a habit for the psycho. It was only until a saw a glowing orb of blue light appear in his hands did I realize something was wrong. I shifted my hold on Misaka so that I had my left arm free, turning it into a shield as fast as I could. He was going to try something big, and it wasn't going to be pleasant for me.
My suspicions were confirmed as he launched a beam of searing hot plasma at the two of us. Raising my shield I intercepted the beam and tried to deflect it away. Unfortunately, the beam was so hot that I could feel my arm melting under the heat. It slowly but surely ate through my shield, eventually tearing off my left arm, the beam continuing and hitting a gas tank, causing an explosion. At the very least, we survived the beam. But what was he going to do next?
"Accelerator you're fighting the equivalent of a Level 4 Esper. The Experiment is running in a controlled environment. Any alterations to the experiment will throw off calculations, possibly ruining your attempt to become a Level 6. Explains Misaka." said Misaka in my arms. What is she saying? Is she for real, or is she bluffing?
He glared at the two of us venomously. "Shit, you get away this time you little punk." said the newly named Accelerator, cursing under his breath. He then leaped away into the shadows.
I felt ready to collapse after the ordeal. This night was not a good one for me. Getting my arm blown off, becoming involved in some violent experiment, and barely escaping the most powerful esper in the city is not exactly what you'd call a comfortable walk in the town. Worse still was the fact that I was powerless throughout the whole ordeal to do anything about it. Still, I managed to save Misaka, or rather a little sister of hers, from dying horrifically. That made it all worth it.
I wasn't really sure what to do with Misaka 9980, so I ended up just taking her home. She needs some place to stay right?
Heaven's Canceller's Hospital
"Here we are Misaka, home sweet home. At least for me." I joked as we walked into the lobby. "Just wait here, I'll be back soon." I made my way to an empty operating room, looking for a scalpel. You see, when Accelerator blew off my arm with the laser, he also cauterized the remainder. As a result there's a great deal of burnt scar tissue in the way, reducing my healing ability. I plan on cutting off the burnt part so the rest of my arm could regrow.
"What are you doing? Asks Misaka earnestly." she had followed me.
I sighed. She said she wasn't human. I suppose I should show her what not human really means.
"Misaka, you told me you were a clone. That you weren't human."
"That is correct. I am a manufactured life form. Why are you telling me this? Asks Misaka, curious to your intentions."
"Well I think you are human, more human than I'll ever be." She didn't respond to that, but simply looked bemused at my statement.
"Let me tell you a secret, and please don't share this to anyone," I took a deep breath and paused, "I'm not human. I'm the world's deadliest plague given a human form by my subconscious."
"I don't understand. Says Misaka, confused at your statement."
"Let me show you, it's a bit gruesome but bear with it." I disinfected one of Jii-chan's scalpels before beginning to cut off all of the burned tissue on the stump of my left arm. When I finished black tendrils began growing out of it as I expected. They gradually twisted together, forming the shape of my forearm, then my palm, and finally my fingers. The appearance of skin grew over them before my arm was back to normal, even my burnt off sleeve was back.
"That feels better." I said as I got a feeling for my regrown arm. After assuring myself that everything was in order I turned back to Misaka.
"You see, I'm a monster since I'm capable of doing things like this. I even have to drink blood so I don't have to eat people." I tried to give her my best smile, "You are human. You may be artificial, but you're one hundred percent human. So don't you dare say otherwise!"
Her face didn't change much at first, which left me feeling kind of down. But after a few seconds the faintest of smiles appeared on her face. "Thank you. You're one of the first to treat Misaka as more than just an experiment. Says Misaka out of gratitude."
Yes! Someone I can finally talk to freely! I then began to laugh at her delayed reaction, "You really had me feeling down for a second!" I said while stifling my childish and completely random laughter. This action seemed to only puzzle Misaka's little sister even more.
"Anyway, what should I call you? If I keep calling you Misaka I'll mix up you and your older sister."
"You can call me by my identification number, 9980. Says Misaka."
"No, that's not a very human sounding name. If I'm going to come up with a nickname for you, I want it to be a nice sounding one, not a number." I thought about it for a moment. What to name her? All of the words for lightning and electricity rushed to my head. Dengeki, Raiden, Inazuma... That's it!
"How about I call you Ina? You know as in Inazuma, lightning?"
"That will suffice. Says Misaka, secretly wishing that you chose something less lame while stifling her laughter." She began to giggle, covering her mouth.
"Hey!" I said angrily as she continued to giggle, "I tried really hard to think of a name!" I took another deep breath to calm my nerves. "I remembered that I haven't told you my name yet. I'm Sieg Mercer. Just call me Sieg." I stuck out my hand for a handshake. She paused for a second before sticking out her own and shaking mine.
I began to yawn, realizing how late it is. "We should get ready to go to bed Ina, it's late."
As I was about to get ready to go to bed, the phone rang. I picked it up, "Hello?"
"Sieg, it's me."
"Hi Jii-chan! How are you?"
"I'm just checking on you since I'll be home in about twelve hours. You didn't get into trouble did you?" Sometimes I wonder of Jii-chan is a psychic since he always seems to know exactly when to ask that one question.
"No, no, of course not!" I lied, "I'm having a friend stay over though. Is that alright?"
I could hear him mull over it. I don't think he believes that I can stay out of trouble for more than a few hours. "As long as your friend doesn't mind staying in one of the empty rooms, I don't see why not."
"Thanks Jii-chan! I'll see you soon. Good night."
"Good night Sieg."
As I hung up the phone Ina let out a yawn of her own. I went into the closet to fetch a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a blanket. "You should probably brush your teeth before you go to bed. You can't risk tooth decay."
She took the toothbrush and toothpaste with a blank expression on her face. Granted that was her default expression but something seemed wrong.
"Don't tell me you've never brushed your teeth before."
She shook her head. "Geez, those cloning facilities don't teach you much do they?"
I led her over to the bathroom sink putting toothpaste on the brush. "You put toothpaste on the brush like so. Then you brush your teeth with it." I said demonstrating, "It keeps your teeth clean and your breath fresh. You try it." She blinked for a second out of confusion before attempting it herself. She began coughing as she began to swallow the toothpaste foam.
"You're not supposed to swallow the toothpaste. Here's a cup. Fill it with water from the sink and use it to rinse your mouth like this." I made swishing motions with my mouth to demonstrate before spitting. She replicated the motions. "Good, now do it one more time. I'll get a room ready for you."
After cleaning a hospital room next to mine and making the bed I returned to the bathroom. She was still standing there with the toothbrush in her hand. She held the toothbrush out to me, as if to give it back.
"Keep it, it's yours." She looked taken aback by the simple statement before glancing at the toothbrush.
"You'll probably have to replace it in a couple of months, but otherwise you can hold on to it for as long as you want. I'll show you your room."
I led her to the room that I cleaned up. "It isn't much, but I hope you'll find it comfortable enough." She surveyed the room, feeling the bed and the nightstand. She then sat down on the bed before lying down. I suppose I'll take that as a "Yes it is comfortable enough."
"See you tomorrow. I'll get you something to eat when I come home. Don't go anywhere while I'm out!" She responded with a single nod.
I closed the door to keep any noises out before returning to the bathroom to brush my own teeth and wash my face. I probably didn't need to, but it was a daily habit ground into me by Jii-chan. Afterward I could be bothered to stay awake anymore and basically collapsed on my bed.
"What a day..." was my last thought before I drifted off to sleep.
Well, this is my fifth chapter everyone and my longest yet. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and I basically spent my entire day writing it. I basically made up all of the different challenges in the training program since they were never elaborated upon in the novels or the anime. You may have noticed that I added the Armstrongs from Full Metal Alchemist. The only reason I could come up with for doing so was that I basically imagined the head of Judgment's Training Program as a hammy fitness nut. Who could possibly fit this better than Armstrong? Though I added Olivier in too for humor. About how the heck are they justified within the story... Alternate Universe Theory. I also constructed the latter half of the story to prove that Sieg's ability to succeed is not guaranteed, since I don't want to show him as an invincible hero. I've also continued with his characterization a little. How did you guys like Ina? I figured that Sieg would be bound to run into one of the Sisters sooner or later so I decided to add her in now during his first night patrol as most of the experiments took place at night (I may even consider her a possible alternative ship).
Anyway, that's it for this chapter. I understand that you guys don't always have the time or patience to deeply analyze a story, but I'm asking you to please look for any flaws or imperfections in my story and report them through a review so that I may improve my writing ability. After that rant all I can say is thanks for reading and please favorite and review if you enjoyed my story. Even if you didn't review anyway so that I can understand why.
P.S. Is anyone noticing the anime/pop culture references I've been making here and there?
P.S.S. Those rereading this chapter may have noticed that I erased one of Accelerator's lines and changed Ina's ID number. This is because I realized after some research that they caused some large continuity errors within the timeline so I changed them.