Between the lines: A Cold War

During my talk with Misaka-san and the others, Saten-san was secretly recording Oni-chan and Konori-senpai. Later, she gave me the tape so that I could use it for this story. Here's what she saw and heard.

Kamijou-onichan and Konori Mii-senpai stood outside on the second-floor veranda, looking out onto the street below. Both were bundled up in thick coats and scarves, and their breaths misted in the crisp air.

"How goes the census?" Oni-chan asked.

Konori-senpai sighed tiredly. "Not well. We've been receiving conflicting instructions from the board of directors, some want us to stop our probing and focus more on our normal duties. Meanwhile, others what us to join forces with the 3rd branch office in Tokiwadai to protect the peace."

"Even though that sector is perfectly safe."

Konori-senpai nodded, "Something like that, I guess." She groaned. "I just don't understand it. What we're doing is vital for keeping Academy City safe. Why are they interfering so much?"

"Maybe there's information they don't want you to find out about," Oni-chan said, "They want to keep you bottled up in the garden of learning."

"That much is obvious," Konori-senpai said, "But what are they hiding and why do they want to keep us away?"

She sighed and turned away from the street. "Anyway, that's not why I asked you out here."

Oni-chan nodded. "Did Wataru-san say anything?"

She nodded. "He's declined to speak with you, saying that he has no recollection of that warehouse incident. There was no way he could have told you what happened."

"I see." The disappointment was obvious in his voice, though he did his best to hide it.

Konori-senpai went on. "He did want you to know this. Kombu was an honest man with a strong sense of honor. There was no way he could have had a relationship with Frenda Seivelun, since he would have seen her as a daughter. There's no way Fremea could have…you know."

Oni-chan nodded. "Yeah, I get it. However, that still leave us with the same questions. How did Frenda know Kombu Rikou and why was Fremea entrusted with him? Why didn't Frenda send Fremea away after joining ITEM? Why was she involved the darkness to begin with?"

Konori-senpai just groaned in frustration. "I just don't get it!" she said, "You keep referring to darkness, but how does it go? How could something like ITEM and SCHOOL happen under our very noses? Judgement was created to prevent harm to our students. How can we even do our jobs when the board of directors block us at every turn? How the hell does an experiment like the Radio Noise project happen? How can 10,000 clones be created and destroyed without being detected?"

Oni-chan looked at Konori-senpai in surprise. "She told you?"

Konori-senpai nodded. "I met her clone yesterday," she said, "She identified herself with some number. They're not even given names! I then had to talk to Misaka. She barely said anything about it, and I didn't want to press her more, because she's my friend. All I could get out was the clones, Accelerator, and you." She glanced briefly at Oni-chan, who fidgeted nervously.

"Does Shirai-san or the other girls know about this?" Oni-chan asked.

Konori-senpai shook her head. "I promised Misaka to keep the whole case under wraps, but I'm surprised that Shirai-san hasn't had an encounter with a clone yet."

Oni-chan shifted his feet uncomfortably, but Konori-senpai pretended not to notice. "I was hoping to talk to Accelerator about all of this, but Yomikawa-sensei has been reluctant to give me access to him."

"…And then there's you." She said suddenly, turning to him. "Misaka told me that you know pretty much everything. I have so many question for you too."

"Fakuda!" Oni-chan cursed.

Konori Mii-senpai went on. "I'm just more curious than ever about this whole case. I mean, growing up thousands of clones just to kill them off seems a colossal waste of money, and there's just no way the Board of Directors would have approved of such a measure if that was the only goal.

Oni-chan sighed. "It's a sensitive topic for all of us. There are a lot of people besides who are involved in the incident. I can't just talk about it like this without putting all of them in mortal danger. Maybe we could trade intelligence some other time..." Oni-chan said just as a car baring the Anti-skill emblem pulled up to the front of their building. "...But not today."

Without another word, he went down to greet the drivers. Konori-Senpai shook her head went back inside to get us.

Chapter 10: Anti-skill

Anti-skill's detention center was in district 2, a good thirty minute drive from Branch 177 office. As soon as the van arrived, me, Oni-chan and Misaka-san piled into the back while Shirai-san sat in the passanger seat.

We headed southwest along a major highway. We went past this gaping pit surrounded by scaffolding and work crews, and I realized that the beacon of light that I saw last night came from here. Both Misaka and Oni-chan were visibly uncomfortable when I pointed the landmark out, and their hands were tightly clasped together.

We crossed into district 15, and our route made a slight turn southward. We passed by numerous greyish buildings, including various office buildings and shopping centers. One of the buildings caught my attention, though. A squat greyish building had a large crowd gathering at its base, and firemen were climbing up ladders to access its roof.

Suddenly, I spied a great stone wall running next to us, with a roof made of red tiles like some old-fashioned buildings in a European city.

"Oni-chan!" I said, "What's that?"

"Hmm?" he leaned in for a closer look. "Why that's the garden of learning. It's where Tokiwadai middle school and other girls only schools live."

"Oh!" I said, "That must be where Misaka-san's and Shirai-san's school."

"That's right." Shirai said, "It's an oasis from the rest of the city. A place where a lady can be truly lady-like."

"Heh." Oni-chan smirked and crossed his arms. "Of course, it's also full of prissy Ojou types who barely leave the confines or have any interests other than girly food and fashion. Hardly any has interacted with people of the opposite sex."

"Oh come on!" Misaka-san rolled her eyes. "I know some of that reputation is deserved, but it's totally unfair for you to lump us in together."

"Hmph! You are just envious that you can't enjoy the accoutrements of a more civilized society." Shirai-san fired back, turned her nose at him. "A pleb like you wouldn't understand the need to be more refined and more lady-like."

Oni-chan scoffed. "Heh! Refined like Biri-biri here?"

"Wha-? How dare you!" Misaka-san cried. "I can be a perfect lady if I want!"

"If you want, she says!" Oni-chan laughed. "Well I have never seen you act lady, ever!"

"I wouldn't want to waste my good manners on a caveman like you!"

"Oh is that so? Yet you waste money on that ridiculous button dispenser." Oni-chan rolled his eyes.

"Wha—?"

"Actually, he has a point there."

"Kuroko? You traitor!"

"Traitor my foot!" Shirai-san shot back, "You must stop getting all that Getoka stuff! It's gaudy and not lady-like ag all!"

"Not to mention that's a total drain on your finances." Oni-chan said, nodding solemnly, "If you want to have any money left before you get married, then you ought to start controlling your spending and not fall for these scams!"

"Mmhmm!"

"Wait a minute! How did this conversation turn on me?!" Misaka cried. Then she realized what he had said and her face turned bright red, "A-a-and what's this about m-m-m-marrying? I'm not marrying you!"

"Fu fu fu, Not yet anyway!"

"Kurok—"

"Ahem!" Everyone jumped as the driver cleared his throat loudly. He turned around coldly and announced, "We've arrived."

Before us loomed an enormous cylinder of blue glass sitting on top of a grassy knoll. We drove up along a ramp to the bunker's roof, whereupon armed guards came to escort us. We were ushered through glass double doors that rose almost two stories above our head.

A large blue crest greeted us on our arrival: a three-foot (1 meter) tall "Yama" symbol was circumscribed with a hexagon in such a way that it looked like the talons of a three-toed hawk. Sitting in the middle of the lobby, it's shadow was cast upon black benches that were arranged radially so that they formed a sundial on the floor.

We cross the atrium to a set of glass elevators, one of which stood open waiting for us. Once inside, we sank into the ground. Down and down we went, never sure when we were stopping. There was no indication of what floor we were on, but the walls were transparent a afforded us a generous view of the many levels we were passing through.

We arrived in a dimly lit hallway where overhead vents actively piped air in from the surface. We went past several rooms with prison-like doors and a giant window to see inside. Most were black and devoid of people, but some were brightly lit with Anti-skill members inside interrogating criminals.

As we turned a corner, we found four people gathered around large metal fence that extended up to the ceiling. A single steel reinforced door stood in the center and was dimly lit by an overhead lamp.

Index was the first to see us and was waving at us, but the other three were deep in conversation and hadn't noticed.

"I don't like it. This place is too confined and too controlled for my magic. I would be much more comfortable once we are back outside." A tall man with flaming red hair was speaking. I could see a barcode tattooed under his eye, and the thick black coat made him look three times bigger than he already was. Next to him, a strange nun in a red habit responded.

"First complaint: it is easy for you to say this when you have two powerful allies at your disposal. Second complaint: I am the one who should be worried with three Neccessarius members breathing down my back."

Next to them, standing tall in her jeans and white T-shirt, was Kanzaki-san. Though she now stood erect and calm, I still remembered how quickly she dispatched the black wolf before it could hurt me. "We have no quarrel with you or the Orthodox." She was saying, "Your support of the Anglican civil war was invaluable. We couldn't have fended off Coronzon without you."

"First Objection: No. It wasn't I who contributed the most. Your savior was that possessor of Image Breaker. Without him, all of humanity would have collapsed."

Then, redhead noticed our approach and smirked. "Speaking of the devil, Oi!"

The three members turned in surprise as our party drew in closer. The man walked towards us, his thick coat billowing behind him. "if it isn't the man of the hour" the man said, smirking. "And what fine timing you have!"

"Styl? Index? Kanzaki-san?" Oni-chan said, shaking their hands in turn. "And you are?"

"First official introduction: I am a nun of the Russian Orthodox Church, Sasha Kreutzev at your service." The nun's clothes clinked as she bowed before him. Looking more closely, I noticed a lot of what looked like hardware tools were hanging off her body, though most of it was covered by a great red habit with golden trimmings.

"Oh right," Oni-chan said, "You're the nun from that Angel Fall incident."

What happened next was a blur, and the next thing I knew, Oni-chan was on the ground, and the girl was on top of him, ready to chisel her way into his chest cavity. Her voice, as she spoke, was deadly calm. "First death threat: if you value your life, then you will never speak of that again."

Everyone else had already reacted. Misaka was bristling with electricity and Shirai-san was clutching three white spikes in each hand. Meanwhile, the man named Styl Magnus had two balls of fire in his palms, while Kanzaki-san had half-drawn her sword.

"U-u-understood." Oni-chan groaned. He waved a hand at the others who immediately relented.

"Mo! Touma!" Index, who had jumped back to protect herself, stalked towards him and reprimanded him. "You nearly scared me to death! How can you be so careless?"

"Ma-ta-ke! You really know how to get into trouble, don't you?" Shirai-san scolded. Her needles disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"Indeed," Kanzaki said softly, sheathing her sword. "Leave it to you to pick the most provocative thing to say!"

"Think before you speak, ano-baka!" Misaka barked.

"Tch. So troublesome!" the man named Styl extinguished the flames in his hands and turned his back on Oni-chan.

"Sorry," Oni-chan said meekly. He was still struggling to his feet when another voice joined us from behind.

"My, my! nothing ever stays calm around you, does it? You would run through a minefield without a second thought."

The voice was high but strangely commanding. When I turned to look for its source, Yomikawa-sensei was standing there with her hands at her hips. I couldn't understand it. How was she be speaking in such a high tone when her mouth wasn't even moving?

Then I saw it on her shoulders. I thought it was a doll, but it was too detailed to be a doll. And it was moving on its own! I thought it was a robot like those band figurings I saw in the underground shopping center, but this…thing…was moving so fluidly and so un-robodically that I discarded that idea.

And it was speaking!

"Are you sure he is Fenrir?" the little creature was talking to Yomikwawa, "Seems awfully convenient, if you ask me."

"That's how he refers to himself," Yomikawa said, "He claims that a boy named Thor freed him from his icy prison in Svalbard, then tricked a certain Vindhler into opening the Bifrost, and dropped him off in front of the city walls."

The doll cursed. "Thor that bastard! if you ask me, He acts more Loki-like than the real Loki. Perhaps I erred in my naming."

She was merely 3 inches tall, with blond hair and blue eyes, one of which was hidden beneath an eyepatch. She had on a tiny wide-brimmed hat, a long black cloak that covered her in darkness.

"You!" Misaka growled suddenly, "What are you doing here?"

"So harsh and blunt." The doll smirked. "You fit the bill more perfectly! Perhaps I was mistaken for naming that troublemaker."

"Onee-sama?" Shirai-san said, "It seems that you know these people well. Would you care to give us an introduction?"

"I'll do it."Oni-chan said, standing up. "You've already met Index and Kanzaki-san. They and Styl are Magicians and members of the Anglican Church."

He gestured to the redheaded man, who dipped his head respectfully. Kanzaki-san also bowed.

"And that is Orthinus," Oni-chan went on, "The former leader of GREMLIN, a former Magic God…"

"…And orchestrator of the violence that occurred here last month," Misaka finished for him. "During the Ichihanaran Festival, and the invasion of Academy city…"

"Don't forget the events in Hawaii," Index cut in. "Though I wasn't there to see it."

She glowered at Oni-chan. "Hmph! Why didn't you take me with you? Why did short-pants here get to go instead? It's not fair!"

"Umm…well…"

"Maybe because he didn't want to babysit a freeloader like you," Misaka stepped in front of the nun, leaning in so close that that their noses almost touched. "Maybe he just had much more important things to worry about."

Sparks could be seen flying between the girls as they glared at each other. Oni-chan just hid his face, mumbling, "Fakuda!" under his breath.

Unfortunately, Shirai-san had long since stopped listening. She was clawing her own face and chanting, "Ichihanaran…Magicians…invasions…Hawaii…Magic Gods…Magicians…invasions… Ichihanaran…Hawaii…"

Her voice deepened with every mantra. Slowly she sauntered over to Misaka-san.

"Kuroko?" Misaka-san said, backing away warily, "What's gotten into—"

Without warning, Shirai-san grabbed onto her friend's shoulders. She raised her head so that their faces were centimeters apart, and she spoke with a creepy high voice.

"Oh Onee-sama! It seems that, once again I am learning things about you. Things that you haven't told me about before!"

"Kurok—"

Without warning, Shirai-san shook Misaka violently whilst screaming into her face. "FIRST YOU HAVE A SIBLING! AND NOW YOU HANG OUT WITH THESE STRANGE AND POWERFUL PEOPLE? MAGICIANS? MAGIC GODS? WHAT THE HELL IS ALL THIS?" She threw Misaka away and twisted around, laughing and crying hysterically. Then she saw Oni-chan beneath her tears, and she whipped around and shrieked, "THEN YOU TELL ME THAT YOU WENT TO HAWAII WITH HIM!"

She jabbed a finger at Oni-chan.

Misaka-san blushed and looked down, sheepishly towing the floor. "Umm…Yes?"

I could almost see a mushroom cloud billow out of Shirai-san's head.

"WHY DID YOU NOT TELL ME ALL OF THIS? WHY DID I HAVE TO FIND OUT ABOUT THESE THINGS NOW? I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS?! HOW COULD DO THIS TO ME?!"

Shirai-san bolted past everyone in her path and shot off into the darkness.