Hi, Nio is here, with another chapter of this Fic that has just started. Fun fact "Toaru Majutsu no Index" doesn't belong to me. My lawyers are working to change this.

Chapter 8 - One way or another

Academy City was a place full of opportunities, especially if you were interested in science. Although the development of esper powers is the main attraction, new technologies were created almost every day, which meant that this city was practically an artificial heaven for anyone interested in the wonders that modern science could produce. Unfortunately, our spiky-haired 'Hero' wasn't particularly interested in any of it.

"Don't you think it's too soon to think about it, Fukiyose-san?" Kamijou asked, in a disinterested tone.

The girl in question sighed as she shook her head negatively. At that moment, the two of them were in the courtyard of a certain high school, while eating their snack. Fukiyose Seiri was a demanding girl who cared about the image that the students of her school conveyed, so the main target of her complaints was the level 0 spiky hair.

"We only have a few months until Daihaiseisai, and then Ichihanaransai soon after that" The girl began, raising her index finger in front of her face, asking her idiot friend to listen carefully "Considering your attendance, that's like what? A week of class?" Joked the girl, but her tone was still stern.

"Very funny" He grumbled, chewing his food "I already told you I'm not interested in learning about 'nanotechnology' or whatever it is you have planned. Shouldn't you be trying to convince Komoe-sensei instead of me? I mean, you make it sound like my opinion has some effect on our class."

"I plan to have a conversation with Komoe-sensei soon, but first I need to convince the class representative that my ideas are good"

"Then go talk to Aogami, not me" Kamijou really wasn't interested in what the girl had to say.

"And you think I haven't already done that? I need you to help me convince him"

"What the hell kind of complex multi-step plan is this? This is getting too complicated for a level 0 brain like me to understand"

"You are completely hopeless" Grumbled the girl, taking a rather violent bite of her bread.

In that short period of silence, a blond boy wearing a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses came toward where the two were sitting. He waved slightly to get Kamijou's attention.

"Hey, Kami-yan" One of the Delta Force members spoke. His tone was cheerful and he had a small mysterious smile on his lips.

"Tsuchimikado, glad you showed up" Kamijou said, already finishing his Bento "Help me convince Fukiyose-san that her idea is stupid"

Upon hearing this, a vein popped out on the girl's huge forehead. She alternated glances of pure violence in the direction of the two idiots.

"I'm sorry Kami-yan, but I like to live" Tsuchimikado replied, looking away "Changing the subject, I came to warn you that there is a girl looking for you at the school entrance"

As soon as the blond said this, he turned and started walking, leaving a confused Kamijou. It seems that he was not interested to be in the presence of an angry Fukiyose.

"Huh?" Kamijou was surprised to hear what his friend said "That must be Uiharu. Strange, she usually only comes to visit me after school."

"Uiharu?" Fukiyose was interested in that name "I think I've heard you talk about her. You're not missing that many classes just to see her are you?"

"If you don't mind, I'm not going to answer that" The boy stood up from where he was in an evasive manner. "I'd better go soon, it must be important if she came all this way instead of texting me"

"I bet she texted you, you just ignored it like you do with all the others" Fukiyose added, setting her bread aside and getting up as well "Come on, I want to take a look at this friend of yours"

"Wait a minute, why are you inviting yourself? I thought I said it was important," protested Level 0, already starting to walk.

"And I don't believe a word you say. I need to know who you are meeting" She ignored the protests and walked beside him.

Kamijou's school was nothing special. The only notable thing was that it was on a small hill, and one had to climb a long staircase to get to the entrance. The two students walked through the school grounds in silence. Fukiyose occasionally crossed her arms and let out an irritated, almost inaudible grumble. Meanwhile Touma was thinking of a way to talk privately with the person who had come to see him.

'What do I do? Uiharu must have been able to decipher that strange language, but we have no way to talk with Fukiyose under my feet'

While he was lost in thought, Kamijou didn't even realize that he was practically at the school entrance already, but he would come out of his trance soon enough when he saw the person who came over to talk to him.

"Hey, Kamijou. I finally found you. We have an important matter to talk about"

It took a few moments for the blue-eyed boy to process what was happening. The girl leaning against a wall was not Uiharu. She actually had tea-colored hair and a body that made even supermodels envious.

"Mugino?" The boy almost outburst when he saw the level 5 standing there "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Meltdowner asked, stepping away from the wall and walking over to him

"Who is that?" Fukiyose asked, examining the girl in front of him. "Another 'friend' of yours?"

Mugino cast a glance in the direction of the "large-fronted" girl. The Level 5 had barely acknowledged her presence until now. In fact if she hadn't spoken, Meltdowner was simply going to ignore her presence even for hours if need be.

"Eh?" Kamijou paused for a moment "Well... that's Mugino Shizuri, #4 level 5 from Academy City"

He thought it was important to say that. You never know what would happen if your classmate accidentally disrespected a Level 5. Of course, the black-haired girl's reaction was not light. The next instant she heard this, she swallowed hard. Soon after she began to examine the tea-colored girl from top to bottom.

"A... level 5?" The expression on her face was one of pure disbelief "I don't understand, how can a guy like Kamijou be friends with a level 5?"

"Huh?" Mugino looked in the girl's direction with a bit of coldness and confusion "What do you mean?" Meltdowner wanted to be sure what kind of person she was dealing with.

Fukiyose looked into her eyes, but realized that she could not keep them staring at her. She then aimed an icy glance in Kamijou's direction instead.

"I mean, how can a person like you, a level 5, someone who has worked so hard to make it among the strongest in all of Academy City, be friends with someone like him" Fukiyose's tone of voice was almost one of disappointment.

"Fukiyose-san, could you at least hold back a little on the insults?" Said Kamijou, with a tired sigh "This poor Kamijou-san has a fragile heart"

"He's lazy, grumpy, and never takes anything seriously" Obviously the girl completely ignored the unlucky boy's request "Besides he only knows how to talk about perverted subjects with those other two idiots. And then there's the fact that he's missed school for two months in a row. How can someone who always blames his own luck instead of trying to improve be friends with someone as elegant and hardworking as you?"

Level 5 remained quiet during the whole speech of the black haired girl. She looked thoughtful after the girl finished speaking. Mugino looked at Kamijou, who didn't seem that shaken by that flurry of insults, which made it clear that this happened often. Meltdowner crossed her arms and looked at Fukiyose.

"Damn, you sure do like to hear yourself talk" Level 5 said. There was no anger or any kind of overreaction. She even looked bored "Anyway, as I was saying Kamijou, there is something we need to discuss, but not here" Mugino completely ignored the girl's contrite reaction and instead started pretending she didn't exist "We'd better go to my apartment"

"Your... apartment?" The black haired girl's jaw nearly dropped at those words. She even forgot how cold the Level 5 had been to her "Kamijou, what does that mean anyway? You've been skipping class so you can do who knows what in a girl's apartment? When are you going to..."

"For fuck's sake, can you shut the fuck up for a second?" This time Mugino raised her tone of voice "Are you retarded by any chance? Can't you see that we are trying to have an important conversation?"

The poor girl froze in place as she heard that scary level 5 almost scream at her. Fukiyose's mouth opened and closed but no sound dared to come out of her lips.

"Mugino-san, don't you think you're being too harsh?" Spoke Kamijou, feeling a little bad for her friend.

"I have no patience with nosy people" Meltdowner straightened her hair and took a deep breath "Seriously, if you weren't here, I would have already fired my ability at this huge forehead"

When the level 5 spoke so casually, Fukiyose felt as if an ice arrow had just pierced her spine. A little calmer, Meltdowner spoke again with level 0's spiky hair.

"We are wasting time. We'd better go, there's a car waiting for us" She started down the stairs and gestured with her head for the boy to follow her.

Kamijou waved goodbye to Fukiyose, who was doing her best statue impression, before following Mugino down the stairs. The two exchanged no words until they got into the black car parked in front of the school.

"You scared the crap out of her, bad girl" Level 0 said, sinking into that comfortable seat "I feel bad for her"

"You shouldn't" She said this quickly, as she ordered the driver, who started the car.

"She's a good person. Just a little too demanding."

"If you say so. I've barely met her for a few minutes and I've already thought about killing her at least 2 times."

"That doesn't mean much since you're the one we're talking about"

"Smartass" She rolled her eyes as she used the car window as a mirror to check her looks "Your school is complete garbage, by the way" Meltdowner looked in his direction as she said this "If your ability can't be detected, then why the hell do you bother going to school?"

"I wonder that sometimes. And that's why I usually skip class" He put his hands together in front of his face, almost as if saying a prayer "Sorry, Komoe-sensei, but there's no way in hell this stupid Kamijou-san understands the concept of personal reality"

"Hmm... it's strange to hear that when you seem to use your ability so well" The girl brought a hand to her chin "So does it really work differently? Or did the fact that you were already born with it formed your personal reality too soon, and now you can't see any difference?"

"Mugino, I thought I was clear when I said I don't have an esper skill"

"And we both know that's not quite true. You're just a anomaly" She looked him in the eye as she said this "My colleague, Takitsubo, told me that you don't have an AIM field. You are attending a school, which means you have gone through the power curriculum, correct?"

"Yeah, I took those weird drugs. I'm still forced to take them, actually, although I really wish they would stop trying to screw with my brain.

"You should know that everyone who goes through the power curriculum emits an AIM diffusion field. No exceptions, even levels 0. Hasn't anyone ever thought it strange that you are not able to emit one?"

"I don't understand, why do you seem so interested in my ability?" He ignored the girl's question and made a proper

"Why wouldn't I be? We are in the city of science, the home of psychic powers, and I am one of those at the top. When people like me see something that seems indecipherable, isn't it normal that we try to find an explanation for the mystery?" This time, the girl looked at him with an unnatural intensity "By the way, shouldn't you be the person most interested in your ability?"

"Maybe... but I never wanted to have it in the first place. So I kind of don't give a damn about whatever is going on with my body."

Those words served to make level 5 even more curious. She pondered for a moment, a question forming in the back of her mind.

"Why did you come to Academy City then?" Meltdowner realized immediately, that question affected the boy, judging by the sharp look he gave her "You don't have to answer if you don't want to"

The boy seemed to think for a few moments. He looked through the window, no, he was looking at his reflection. Placing his right hand on the glass, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, finally turning his attention back to Meltdowner soon after.

"I don't like talking about it...and something tells me you don't like talking about yourself either"

"You are totally correct in that statement. Honestly, I rarely waste my time talking to anyone. I usually only discuss work matters or chat trivia in my spare time with my colleagues."

"And is that enough for you?" That question seemed to have more than one meaning behind it. For that reason, Level 5 did not answer it immediately.

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine with me, but don't try to probe me so blatantly" She sounded more disappointed than annoyed

"They say trust has to be a two-way street. I don't think it's fair that only I trust you with my secrets."

"I think you're forgetting that we barely know each other. Why should I tell you anything about myself?"

"I say the same" He said simply "Hypocrisy is not an attractive trait, bad girl"

Those words made her step back for a moment. Arguing against that boy was always a headache. Mugino was the kind of person who had gotten used to getting almost anything he wanted with minimal effort, and she wasn't willing to give in any more than necessary either. But the obstacle before her was too big to cross effortlessly, so she had to change her approach.

"There is nothing interesting about my past" She began, trying to keep a neutral tone of voice. She wanted to make it difficult for the boy to read her "You already know, I came from a rich family, I had a first-rate upbringing. I even had a butler who spoiled me more than my parents"

"I kind of hate you now" said the boy with an expressionless face

"Don't exaggerate, you already knew most of this" Complained the girl, her tone turning stern "Now it's your turn, tell me something about your past"

"Kind of unfair don't you think? Like you said I kind of already knew all this"

"You'll have to settle for now. Tell me something interesting and maybe I'll change my mind."

Kamijou was thoughtful. Should he tell some of his life to that girl he barely trusted? There was no guarantee that the girl would share something important after she heard what he had to say. So he decided to use a tactic he knew very well. He would be vague.

"Remember when I said I never wanted to have my ability?" He looked at the girl, who just nodded silently "I always thought I was cursed"

"Usually I would call this superstitious bullshit, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt just because I want to hear more of this story"

"Thank you... I guess. Anyway, when I was a kid... stranger things used to happen around me" He looked at his right hand for that instant, and then faced the girl next to him with a bit of doubt in his eyes "I was always an unlucky person, so people thought that everything bad that happened was my fault. In my hometown, they had a nickname for me... God of pestilence. My parents then decided to send me to a science town, where people don't believe in things like superstition, so that maybe I could just be a normal boy.

The girl's attention was so great that she barely blinked as she listened. She had noticed that the boy had left out several details, and had been vague throughout the story, but it was too much to ask to hear the whole story, at least for now, so she would try to at least understand everything she had heard.

"So you think that this... bad luck of yours is caused by your ability? And that it also affects everything around you? It seems a bit absurd" She tried as hard as she could not to sound disrespectful, but it was being difficult.

"Yeah, I know it sounds absurd. And maybe it is, I have no way of knowing for sure. Maybe I was just a kid who heard the same lie every day, over and over again, until he accepted it as an absolute truth."

The two of them were so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn't noticed that the car had stopped for some time. Mugino looked for a moment at the boy who had lost his slouching posture. He was a little tense now, and his fists were clenched.

"We'd better go" Meltdowner finally said, opening the car door.

The atmosphere between the two was not very good. In the end the boy had told her much more than the Level 5, which left her in a quandary. The more questions she asked, the more evasive he was being, which meant that he would soon refuse to answer anything, which was something Mugino didn't want.

"Have you decided if you want to live with us?" Asked the girl, using her electronic key "It would be much more convenient"

"I've thought it over, and I think I might take you up on your offer" He was slowly regaining his relaxed pose "The only thing that's going to be a problem is my school. This apartment is a little far from it.

"We have drivers for that, it won't be a problem"

"I don't know if I'm comfortable with all that. It will attract too much attention."

"You're just being paranoid. In fact, you've already attracted enough attention today."

"Thank you very much for that, by the way. You could have called me" When Kamijou said that, the girl sent him a look that would be able to knock out those of weak will "Forget what I said"

"I'm still angry" She spoke, pushing open the door and entering the apartment "I'm going to need another week of your food until I forgive you"

"If that is the case, I will only cook when you are at the limit, to amplify the effect"

"That's just plain evil" Protested the girl "And you have the nerve to call me a 'bad girl'"

When the two entered, Mugino guided him to a round glass table in a corner of the living room. The rest of ITEM was around this table, which had some papers and pictures on it. When Frenda saw the boy, she smiled and waved to him.

"Hey, Kamijou" The girl stood up to greet him "I sent you a friend invitation on that app I showed you. Basically, it would be nice if you accepted, so we can exchange messages more easily."

"Hmm... and how do I do that anyway?" The boy looked confused as he picked up his smartphone

"Here, let me show you" The girl stood next to him and gave instructions to the boy who barely knew how to use a cell phone "Basically, what kind of teenager doesn't know this app. No offense of course"

"It didn't offend me. I may look like a teenager, but I think I have the soul of an elderly lady from Kyushu."

"That was super specific" Kinuhata commented, also getting up.

Takitsubo seemed to tilt her head when Kamijou said that, but she was even quieter than usual. Maybe she had said too much yesterday, and now she had to wait until next month, like some kind of bad internet plan.

"Ok, let's focus on work" Mugino positioned himself around the table and pointed to one of the photos, which contained a middle aged man with black hair "We had a weird mission request this morning. This guy's name is Taketori Okina."

"A very exotic name" Touma commented

"You are the worst person to say that, Mister 'Invisible Demon'" Mugino said

"My name is not written this way" Kamijou said, crossing his arms defensively.

"Whatever. Back to the point, this guy was considered 'executed' recently."

"Executed? In the literal sense, or did he fake his own death or something?"

"The Latter"

There was a kind of 'tag' on the dark side. When someone was considered 'executed', it meant that the agents of the dark side had given up going after him. This could happen in many ways, but the most common was someone faking his own death so that he could live a new life under an alias, away from the darkness of the city. It was a kind of 'courtesy', something like honor among thieves, or murderers to be more exact.

"The big problem here is that apparently this guy knows too much" Mugino continued, picking up one of the papers "Which means he finds himself in a limbo where he is too valuable to die, but at the same time too dangerous to be left alive"

"What is he? A figurehead from the dark side?"

"Not exactly. For all anyone knows he could be anything" She shrugged as she said that.

"Wow, could you be even more vague, bad girl?"

"Did I ever tell you that you are not funny today? Kamijou" The girl rolled her eyes and started reading the paper in her hand "We weren't given many details, just our course of action options"

"What's this all about anyway? You didn't bring me here to tell me you're going to kill a guy."

"Killing him never crossed my mind. And according to the instructions, that can only be used as a last option. After all, he has important information."

"What kind of information?" At that moment, the boy started fiddling with the cell phone that was still in his hands.

"We don't know. And that's what makes this job so strange. Sending agents after 'executed' people is very rare, after all, nobody wants to have their name involved in this kind of thing. And there's something even stranger, this mission could have been sent to any group, but from what these documents say, our group is getting priority on this mission."

"Is that so weird? Maybe your superiors think you are the best choice"

"Yeah, that's super weird" Kinuhata said, entering the conversation "That kind of mission is not the 'style' of ITEM"

"And what is your style exactly? Do you blow things up first and ask questions later?

"Basically, that's my style" Frenda stated with a smile "Apart from the asking part"

"Can we get back to the important issue?" Asked Mugino sternly "As I was saying, since we have priority, it means that they will try to cover up this mission as much as possible, plus rejecting it would not be a good idea. However, I am sincerely thinking of doing just that."

"Why?" Kamijou finally stopped fiddling with his cell phone "Sounds like an important mission. I don't know how well the dark side groups work, but I'm sure accomplishing a mission of such importance must give us some prestige right?"

"Yes, you are right" Mugino returned the sheet of paper to the table and looked at Kamijou "However failing an important mission is worse than simply rejecting it. Which means I'm more inclined to let another group handle it."

"You seem pretty set on this. Which makes me wonder, why did you even bother to call me here?"

"For one simple reason" She crossed her arms and sent him an intense look "What is your opinion about all this? Kamijou Touma"

The boy was thoughtful for several seconds. Was this some kind of test? Level 0 looked around to see the reaction of the other girls, but they seemed only curious to know what he had to say.

"This mission is even harder than it looks isn't it?" He asked, wanting to know more details before his decisive answer.

"Correct" Mugino picked up another of the sheets and began to read it "Right now, this 'Okina' is admitted to a famous hospital in district 7. You must be familiar with the doctor known as Heaven Canceller aren't you?" She waited for an answer, but Kamijou only nodded, but she was sure she saw a grimace on his face at that instant "That hospital is practically a 'Neutral Zone'. If we have to interrogate him, we would need to get him out of there, which would draw a lot of attention. It clearly says here that we have to be as discreet as possible."

"If that's the problem, then why don't we just question him at the Hospital?" The boy raised an interesting question.

"Because that's a horrible idea" Mugino didn't change her tone of voice "Although it's a relatively discreet way, being in a 'Neutral Zone', on top of that in that hospital,will make him confident. I bet the bastard won't say a word, even if I fry him with my Meltdowner."

"Still, I think it's worth a try" Level 0 said resolutely "Especially considering that this mission is not your specialty"

"That's a super confusing argument" Kinuhata commented

"Basically, maybe Kamijou is right" Frenda added, shaking her head positively "I think what he means, is that this is a good opportunity for us to prove that we can step out of our comfort zone if we need to"

"Your opinion doesn't count" Kinuhata argued, without even looking at the blonde

"Basically, why not?"

"You know super well why" She giggled

"You two have already made your opinions clear, now be quiet" Mugino said, quickly turning her attention to Kamijou "It's not a bad argument. Sometimes you have to make a bet to make things interesting" She started to walk away from the table "Kamijou, you will come with me. The others, follow us to the hospital in separate cars 20 minutes after we leave. Watch for any suspicious movements"

"Wait, you want me to go with you?" Kamijou asked, a little surprised.

"I understand your concern, little hero, but all you need to do is stay there and observe. Maybe make sure no one enters the room. Consider this a practical lesson in how ITEM handles things."

"Something tells me that's not a good idea" Kamijou put his hands in his pockets and approached level 5 "But I don't think I have much choice"

The two then walked out the door again, with Mugino leading the way.

xxxx-xxxx

On a park bench, a girl was feeding the pigeons in a park. She had black hair and wore a modified sailor-style school uniform. She was also the senpai of a certain spiky-haired boy.

"About time" The girl didn't turn around when she said that, so it sounded more like she was talking to the wind.

"I was just being careful to make sure I wasn't being followed.

"That's a good excuse, but I'm a busy girl, Gokusai, so it had better be a quick conversation"

The girl in the dress sat on the bench together with the mysterious young woman, who was still not concerned about looking in the direction of the blonde.

"I'll be brief then" Gokusai put her hands on her knee as she sat down and leaned a little, as if she was wanting to hide her face "Do you know who Kamijou is messing with now?"

" Yes I know. Although I don't think 'messing' is the correct term. In fact, the said lady paid him a little visit today during the break."

"I don't like this" The blonde girl discreetly looked around "Have you thought of a way to help him?"

"Something tells me he needs you more than he needs me right now"

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious?" The mystery girl finally turned to face her in the eyes "It's time to make a decision. Who will you choose between the two?"

xxxx-xxxx

A black car with tinted glass parked in front of the most famous hospital in all of Academy City. Inside, the two people in the back seat were avoiding each other's gaze. It had been a silent trip, which made them both uncomfortable. It's not as if they had nothing to talk about, the problem lay in something else.

"Before we go, I want to ask you something" Mugino spoke up, causing the boy to settle into the seat of the vehicle "What are you hiding?"

Kamijou did not change his expression upon hearing that. Instead he sighed, as if he understood immediately that he would not escape that conversation.

"I guess I was too obvious wasn't I?" The boy curved his lip slightly

"Fiddling with your cell phone right at the time of the explanation. You could have at least waited until I was done" The girl cast a firm glance in the direction of her interlocutor "Were you texting with anyone?"

"Actually checking something. The name Taketori Okina caught my attention for more than one reason. Remember that mission, the night we first saw each other?"

"Of course I remember. You did an interesting job of knocking out all those guards without drawing attention. What about it?"

"That mansion belonged to this Taketori Okina guy" He said, which made the girl just narrow her eyes "That's all I can tell you for now, I want to confirm something before I tell you the rest of the story"

Mugino was not happy about it, but she knew very well that it was almost impossible to force that boy to say anything. So she just checked her look using the car window before opening the door and getting out of the vehicle.

"You sure are an expert at keeping a woman waiting" she commented, walking towards the hospital entrance. The boy didn't respond to her provocation "So, the orders are to be discreet. The best thing to do is to wait for visiting hours and pretend we are friends.

"That won't be necessary" said the boy with a tone of certainty in his voice "We know his room, so let's go straight there"

"Isn't that kind of the opposite of 'being discreet'?" She asked, suspicious

"Being totally discreet is impossible. So let's at least try to be quick. Just stand by my side doing that superiority pose you're so proud of."

"Does that still count as an insult you know?"

Level 5 and level 0 entered the hospital. Mugino noticed some strange looks coming her way as she walked beside the boy. Kamijou nodded with a smile in the direction of the receptionist, who smiled back as he walked past her without questioning where he was going.

"Are you planning to tell me something? I'm feeling a little strange" Mugino said, looking at some nurses wearing pink.

"That's another one of my long stories. Don't worry, if someone stops us, I can just say I have permission from Heaven Canceller to visit a friend."

"A very obvious bluff" she commented

"Then hope we don't need to use it"

They proceeded without much trouble to the room where Taketori was. Several nurses greeted the boy on the way here, while looking at Mugino with a strange expression. It was as if they wanted to say something to the boy, but stopped as soon as they saw that he was accompanied. Was that a look of anger she just saw?

"My senpai is really a genius" Kamijou said as he arrived at the door of the room where his target was

"Huh?" The Level 5 didn't understand why the boy said that out of the blue.

"It's nothing, it's just that a friend and I used this strategy once before. I have no idea why it works so well, but I'm not going to complain" He shrugged and looked at his cell phone screen, probably checking the time "Okay, time to finish that job"

"Are you talking about what you were doing in that mansion?"

"Yes. That was kind of a failure" He shook his head negatively "By the way, when we come in, can you stand against the wall near the window?"

Mugino didn't quite understand the boy's request. She looked at him cautiously, trying to get him to elaborate, but he simply waited for her answer.

"Let me take a guess. You want me to stand there looking scary or something? Then you play the good cop?" she shook her head negatively "You know that's the oldest trick in the book, right? That kind of thing only works in movies"

"That's not quite true, but it doesn't matter. You wanted me to come with you, so it's only fair that I do something instead of just watching, don't you think?"

"I only asked you to come with me because sometimes I tend to exaggerate, and you are the best person to try to stop me. It's not like I need help beating up a guy and getting some information out of him"

"It's almost time" He ignored the girl and looked once more at the cell phone screen "We better get inside" He was about to push the door open, but stopped for a moment and looked into the girl's eyes "Remember what I said? Trust can't be a one-way road"

With those words said, level 5 and level 0 entered the room. The boy was the first to enter, with the girl right behind. The man lying on the hospital bed was busy fiddling with his cell phone, so he barely noticed when the two teenagers burst into the room. Mugino didn't say anything, she just turned her back to the wall next to the window and leaned on it.

"Huh?" The man finally responded as the spiky-haired boy began to close the window curtains "What does that mean? Who are you?"

Mugino continued in silence while Kamijou finished bringing a little darkness into the brightly lit room. The boy went to a small bedside table in the room and began to rummage through the drawers in a nonchalant manner.

"I know you are full of questions, Taketori-san" Kamijou said this without looking at the man. His tone was as neutral as possible, there was no emotion there. At that moment the boy began to whistle softly "But something tells me that you know the answers to almost all of them"

The man seemed to be slightly annoyed by the way the boy was acting. He tried to look at his expression as he rummaged through the drawers of the nightstand, but he must have concluded that it was a waste of time.

"You guys are from the dark side aren't you?" The man finished putting two and two together "I was 'executed'. I didn't think anyone else would come after me after that."

"Ah, I finally found it" The boy ignored the man's inquiries

In the hands of the dark blue-eyed boy was a pen. It was black and its tip was retractable, there was nothing unusual about that pen, it was just a normal pen that you can buy almost anywhere. Kamijou held the pen in his right hand and then slowly dragged a chair close to the bed, sitting down on it, still without looking at the man.

"For a moment I thought someone had taken it" The boy looked a little relieved, looking at that pen as if it were a treasure.

"Did you put that pen there?" The man's voice was full of doubt.

"Sure. I usually come to this hospital quite often" He began to twirl the pen in his fingers while whistling a cheerful tune.

"I don't know what you are trying to do, but I will call the nurses"

"I don't think that will be necessary" At that moment, the boy looked at the screen of his cell phone. He waited a few seconds and then looked at the door he had left open "A little late today, apparently"

Hearing this, the man also began to look toward the door of the room. At that moment a young nurse in a pink uniform came through the door.

"Hello Tak..." The young blonde-haired nurse stopped talking as soon as she saw the boy sitting there whistling "Kamijou-Kun?" She looked away when the boy looked at her.

"Hi, Hana-chan. How are you?" The boy this time looked at the man next to him, before turning again to the nurse "I'm having an important conversation with my friend Okina-san here. I have a lot of catching up to do"

At that moment, the man lying down felt uncomfortable. Why did that nurse seem so nervous to see that boy? A constant worry began to grow in his chest.

"Ah... yes, of course" The girl took a few steps back "Sorry to interrupt, Kamijou-Kun"

"No problem. By the way, can I borrow this clipboard of yours?" He flashed a small smile in the direction of the girl, who didn't know whether to look at him or not.

"Y-yes, Kamijou-kun" The pink nurse came up to the boy and handed him the clipboard without asking any more questions "I-I have to go now...visit the other rooms"

"I understand. Thank you very much."

As the boy stopped smiling, the nurse walked toward the door of the room. But Kamijou still had something to say.

"Can you close the door on your way out please? I'm feeling a little cold" He was looking into the face of the man lying on the bed when he said this.

The nurse just nodded shyly before she left, closing the door to the room behind her. The room didn't need sunlight to keep it lit, but the man was sure that it was in complete darkness the moment that door closed. This became even clearer the second the boy cracked a frightening grin on his face.

"This is for you" The boy said, handing the clipboard to the man.

Without knowing why, the man automatically took the clipboard with both hands. This man was not just anyone. He had lived in the darkness of the city for a long time, so he must have been good at reading the environment. The boy sitting there with a smile on his face had given him a very clear message: he was stuck in that room with that 'demon' now. The man had paid attention to everything the boy had done so far. Closing the curtains, looking for that pen, sitting down next to him. A man like him would not be intimidated by something like this, even if this person was acting so casually. He was sure he would be safe there, since he had been told that the hospital was a 'Neutral Zone'. At that moment he began to wonder if he hadn't fallen into a trap. He thought he was in control, but now he was sure he was wrong.

"Sorry for the interruption" the boy said, still not taking the smile off his face "Hana-chan is a hardworking girl, but she's a little distracted sometimes, she never remembers to read the messages. But I'm glad she's like that, since thanks to that I didn't have to leave here to get paper for you" The boy took another look at his cell phone "He said he'd give us an hour, didn't he Mugino?"

Touma turned to where Level 5 was standing as she asked that cryptic question. The man on the bed didn't have to move to see her standing there casually leaning against the wall. The tea-colored hair girl just nodded without saying a word. Level 0 turned his attention back to that man, still not stopping grinning.

"That's long enough"

"Who are you people? What do you want from me?" The man's voice sounded a little nervous

"I am Touma. Kamijou Touma. But I am no one special. That's Mugino Shizuri over there." He said this without turning to the girl, keeping eye contact with the man. "She insisted on coming here with me because I tend to get a little excited, so think of her as your bodyguard"

"You two are going to regret coming here" The man tried to sound threatening, but his voice did not match his intentions.

"Why? You have valuable information with you, information that will be useful to me, so why am I going to regret coming here?"

"I still have contacts, I can just..."

"I wonder what the chances are of these 'contacts' against our group" He interrupted the man, and held the pen firmly in his right hand. This gesture caught the attention of the man lying there "Almost nil considering all the high level espers we have at our disposal. Also, these threats are empty considering you chose to rely on vague terms like 'executions' and 'Neutral Zones' instead of your supposed 'contacts'"

After seeing through such an obvious bluff, Kamijou leaned a little in the man's direction. He wasn't uncomfortably close, but it was enough to make the man start to break into a cold sweat, especially when looking at that smile that refused to leave that face.

"Tell me, Okina-san, have you ever bled so much that you almost died?" That question made the man tremble in his seat "I mean, you must have faked your death to try to escape the clutches of darkness. But luckily this hospital is famous for preventing anyone who enters here from dying. All you have to do is get here alive, and that doctor takes care of the rest. But human beings are such fragile creatures, which makes me think that maybe this is an exaggeration, but actually I hope not." He lifted the pen and brought his finger to the button at the top of the pen "By the way, I asked you this question because I almost bled to death once. It was horrible... it was cold, and for a moment, I really wished I could die. Anything was better than that feeling. I seem to have some aftereffects from what I've been told, but I think I'm doing pretty well, don't you?"

The man thought that smile couldn't grow any wider, but he was surprised at that instant. The boy said that 'he' had given him an hour, but in just a few minutes, that man in that hospital bed had no card to play. But that blue-eyed monster still didn't look satisfied.

"I wanted to play a game with you" Announced the boy "We should have about 50 more minutes left, so how about we test if the legend about that doctor is true?"

As soon as that boy said this, he pressed the button on the top of the pen, which made the sharp retractable tip show itself for the first time. Don't some people say that a pen can be as dangerous as a sword? Whether this was true or not, that man didn't want to find out, not while he was trembling before an obstacle he would never be able to overcome. But he had one last hope, didn't he? The boy himself had said so. She was right there, still silent. The man looked in the direction of Level 5, pleading with his eyes for her to do something. At this point, he would even rather have that girl kill him with her level 5 powers, than have to play whatever this blue-eyed Demon had in mind.

"I'm sorry" Said the boy looking into the man's eyes "But I lied to you"

The boy followed the gaze of the poor creature who was looking for salvation in the arms of the tea-colored hair girl, but the girl simply looked away, and in that instant something broke inside the man. That simple gesture of the girl crushed what was left of his hope. That was purposeful. There was never any hope in that hell. The devil was playing with him, making him think that there was a way for him to regain control.

"Did you think, even for a second, that you could take back control?" Finally the boy stopped smiling. He turned the pen over in his fingers, and then offered it to the man "If I were you, I would take that pen out of my hands."

On this battlefield, victory had already been decided before the fight even began. That man had looked into the abyss, and now that abyss was in that room, looking back at him.

xxxx-xxxx

"I made a promise to him" The blonde girl was feeling uncomfortable on that square bench. She looked at the other girl, shrouded in her aura of mystery "If it wasn't for him, my little sister would be dead"

"Then why are you hesitating?"

Kumokawa Seria was a manipulator. She was an expert at 'controlling people's hearts', but she didn't need an esper power to do that. In this instant, Gokusai Kaibi was acting exactly as she had predicted.

"It's not a simple decision, you know that" The girl in the dress this time looked in the direction of her interlocutor "If I choose him, I won't be safe until this is over"

"But we both know how this is going to end" Kumokawa barely gave the girl time to finish her sentence "You fought on his side more than once, so it's past time to permanently choose a side"

The blonde in the fancy dress looked away. She knew what she had to do, but there were still doubts in her heart. If a person had to make a bet, it was common for that person to choose the safest option, especially if her life depended on it. So why couldn't she make her decision?

xxxx-xxxx

In ITEM apartment, four girls and a boy were gathered again around a round glass table. On top of it, in addition to the documents and photos from before, was a new item that seemed to have no connection with the others, it was a clipboard, the kind usually found in hospitals.

"Basically, I understand almost nothing of what is written here" Frenda said, glancing at those hastily handwritten words.

"As expected from someone super stupid" replied the Bob cut girl, also trying to take a look at what was written there.

"And you understand something? Basically, you are as dumb as I am."

"You do realize you just admitted you're super dumb, don't you?"

"That's enough you two" Mugino spoke, with a neutral tone of voice, as he picked up the clipboard "This is full of scientific jargon, that's why it's hard to understand. But no matter, we got everything we needed and hardly drew any attention to ourselves."

"I like that you made him super write everything down, Mugino" Offense Armor picked up the clipboard and started reading the last notes "I mean, if someone was super eavesdropping on your conversation, they left empty handed anyway. By the way, what's this?"

The bob-cut girl pointed to a sequence of numbers and letters at the end of the notes. It didn't seem to mean anything, but it was obviously important. Everyone around the table turned their attention to the clipboard, but no one spoke for a moment.

"Whatever" Meltdowner said "Better we send copies of this information, let the higher-ups find out, I don't give a damn. Our mission here is already over"

When the girl said this, she felt a light touch on her shoulder. The person responsible for this was Kamijou, who had been silent until then. The girl turned toward him, and he leaned slightly toward her before speaking.

"Can I talk to you privately for a minute?" Asked the boy, almost in a whisper.

The girl just nodded and gestured for him to follow her. The two of them left the living room and headed for the balcony of the luxury apartment. Mugino leaned on the railing, and the boy did the same soon after.

"What are you thinking about?" The girl asked, with a serious expression. She was not looking in his direction.

"I want to ask you a favor" He was looking at the view of the night city at that instant. The girl next to him narrowed her eyes, which went unnoticed "Could you postpone sending that information?"

Mugino this time looked at him out of the corner of her eye. What was this enigmatic boy planning?

"I can't do that without a good reason" She said simply "Then I suppose you have a good reason"

"Actually, not so much" The boy shrugged as he said that, which made the girl turn completely to him now "I just need a small advantage. Just one day might be enough."

"Advantage?" She crossed her arms and looked at him with intensity "Kamijou, if you want me to do something so stupid, then at least give me more details of what you are planning"

"I know someone who is already working with some important information. And I'm sure what we got today will help with that" Kamijou still stared at the night lights of Academy City "I'm not asking for much, just wait until tomorrow. I don't think your superiors will mind"

"And you think you can get some advantage from that alone?" The girl seemed interested now

"I don't know, but I have to try"

The Level 5 began to look at the city as well. It was a dark, moonless night, but there was still plenty of light amidst all the darkness.

"I want to ask you a question" Said the girl, who moved a little closer to him "That pen, you didn't put it there, did you?"

"hmm... actually I already had the pen in my pocket before we went to the hospital"

For some reason the girl smiled slightly at that. Kamijou missed this subtle gesture too. The girl smoothed her hair before speaking.

"I'm going to enjoy hearing that bitch's surprised voice when we send her the data tomorrow" The girl turned her attention to the boy once again, who also met her with his blue eyes "I'll give you your 'advantage'. Consider it a bonus in your pay for practically doing it all yourself."

"Very generous of you, boss"

"Smartass" She felt like rolling her eyes at the snarky comment, but for some reason she didn't "Can I at least ask you not to leave me in the dark? I want to take part in this 'advantage' too"

"Fine by me, but you'll have to wait another day or two"

"Like I said, an expert at keeping women waiting" She sighed at that instant.

Level 0 reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. His eyes turned again to the dark night.

"It's late, I have to go now" He waved at her and stepped away from the parapet "Thanks, bad girl"

Mugino watched in silence as the boy walked away. She waited long enough for him to make it to the door. Level 5 was already heading back inside, but she was interrupted by Kinuhata, who walked toward her and looked her in the eye.

"You're are acting super weird" The bob cut girl was quite direct in her statement "This guy you interrogated wouldn't hand over the information and you had to super fry him? He's still alive isn't he?"

"Obviously he's alive" Mugino cast a glance into the apartment, as if to make sure of something "I didn't lay a finger on him. Kamijou didn't either. Actually I just stood there and watched the whole thing"

"Huh?" Level 4 made an expression that even she didn't know she could make "That was a super surprise. So he has that side to him too, huh?" The girl still looked a bit incredulous, but she preferred to let it go and turned away "Anyway, he didn't stay to prepare a super dinner, so we'll have to order food, what do you want?"

"Anything will do" She leaned on the balcony again

Kinuhata left without saying anything else, since her boss didn't seem to want to talk. Mugino looked once more at the night city, lit up by all those lights. She turned to go back inside the apartment, but a strange thought crossed her mind at that instant:

' That... was kinda hot'

xxxx-xxxx

The streets of the academic city were busy even at night. Several schools, such as Tokiwadai Middle School, had somewhat strict curfews, but even so, many students still stayed out late on the streets. One of these students was Kamijou Touma, who was walking through the streets in a carefree manner. Of course, until he saw a scene that gave him a déjà vu.

"And here we go again" Said the boy softly.

Girls being bullied at night on the streets of that city was a common scene, during the day the situation was not much better. Kamijou looked in the direction of the group of delinquents around the girl, who seemed too calm, even though she was surrounded by at least 6 of them.

Our spiky-haired "Hero" took a good look at the girl who didn't seem the least bit afraid of that group. She must have been about the same height as him, and her hair was dyed a shocking pink but was silver at the ends. While she dressed simply, her appearance was far from that. She was beautiful, there was no denying that. It seemed that the girl had realized she was being watched, as she suddenly glanced in Kamijou's direction. That was not enough to make him react, but suddenly, she began to smile at him.

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Hey, time for the end of chapter notes. The only scene I want to comment on is the interrogation scene. For those of you who don't know, this scene was completely inspired by the epic scene of Touma and Accel interrogating a poor guy in a hospital. This scene takes place in the novel/manga Toaru Majutsu no Index:Virtual On, a spin-off written by Kamachi-sensei himself. If you have not read this novel yet, it is worth reading just for this scene (the whole novel is great tho). We don't get many moments of Kamijou showing that he knows how to be scary when he needs to be, but when it happens it is always interesting. Another scene similar to this is when "Kamijou" threatens Queen Elizard before the battle at Windsor Castle. Yeah, I'm a bit obsessed with NT22R, I apologize.

Let's answer some reviews now:

Majin Othinus: Well... you'll have to wait and see xD

guest: I don't think I am the right person to write this.

Kai: We don't have much to work with when it comes to PML Touma, so I think KNT is a convenient character for this fic. I hope you enjoyed this chapter

emiyasatou: Poor Takitsubo, she was not prepared for the true power of Kamijou TouMAN. Saten is too powerful for this fic, she easily stomps anyone with her baseball bat xD

saharshsatyaprakash111: Thank you very much. I am trying to keep the characters as close to the original material as possible, but I am playing around a bit with the 'sides' that they don't often show.

Elementalgaming30: Kamachi-sensei writes at the speed of light, I have to try to follow his footsteps xD You mean 'Shokugeki no Touma' LMAO

Zatil Hidayah Spensa: There is no resistance or cure for this disease. If someone seems to be resisting it, it's just her being Tsundere.

Zatchbell511: A funny scene to try to bring some lightness to this dark world she lives in. Thank you very much for reading.

xellos540: A funny story about my titles: Once when I was reading a fic, I got spoilers because of the titles of a chapter, so I decided that I would leave the titles 'inside' the chapters and on top of that be as cryptic as possible, to make sure there will be no spoilers. But maybe I'll start putting the titles in the index, I'll think about it.

Yomikawa-san is trying her best. By the way, I intend to put all the names of Index's openings in random dialogues, we already have two BTW. Frenda is a friendly person, isn't she? ;) The pervert showed up, no comment on the subtle innuendo? I don't think it was subtle. Kuroko is pretty much a female version of Touma, or at least the others' idealized version of him. OT Accel was just trying to have a quiet life while ingesting human flesh, Touma ruined that xD. Out of context lines are always the best. Who will be the next girl to help Touma in the kitchen? Shizuri can stop talking shit about our boy's food now. Takitsubo took a little look at the 'truth of the world'. By the way, less than a week has passed since GT1, which means Mikoto doesn't believe that Touma is a level 0 to date. In GT2 she even implicitly theorizes that his power grants him regenerative abilities, saying that he will probably be fine even after being poisoned and stabbed. In GT2, Misaki tells Mikoto that there are powers other than espers powers, but she can't explain it properly. And there's that funny scene where Mikoto calls a grimoire a 'drone' xD. Thank you, as always

This chapter was also a bit long, I need to do a better planning of my scenes. There is nothing else to see here. Nio Leaving.