Disclaimer : I don't own Naruto or Toaru Kagaku no Railgun/Toaru Majutsu no Index
The Trinity of Tokiwadai
Chapter Ninety Four: Revenge of the Freshmen
The day after Naru-sama's Halloween party to celebrate the conclusion of and the Trinity's triumphant return from World War Three, Frenda was out grocery shopping to stock her new kitchen. As the Trinity's runner, their only direct and closest subordinate, she had been offered a house for her and her little sister, Fremea, along the street that Ruiko-sama and Kiyama-sensei owned and where their own house was located. And with being injured for a good part of the short time she was employed by the Trinity and the chaos of dealing with World War Three, she and Fremea were still in the process of moving into her new house. It was not like her eight year old sister could handle moving in without her.
She was just walking out of a supermarket carrying bags of all kinds of groceries, which included months worth of canned mackerels, when she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.
"Frenda-san!"
Turning towards the source of the shout, the Norwegian Dark Sider saw a familiar teenage boy with unruly blonde hair. A boy that she recognized as Hamazura Shiage, the former runner and recently promoted active operative of her previous outfit, ITEM.
"Hamazura," Frenda nodded at the boy in greeting. "What's up?"
Getting recognized by her caused her fellow Level 0 Dark Sider to smile and hurry to her side.
"Can we talk?" Hamazura said as he walked up to stand next to her.
"Sure." Frenda said with a shrug. "But only if we walk and talk. I need to head home ASAP. I left Fremea in our new house alone and if I don't, there's a good chance that she'll wreck everything."
"You're exaggerating." Hamazura said as he reached to help take some of Frenda's bags only to pull up short when the Norwegian sent him a glare.
Putting his hands up in surrender, Hamazura shook his head. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to help."
"No need." Frenda said testily. "I'm not some frail little girl. I can take care of myself."
Hamazura just gulped and nodded.
Ignoring him, she turned to walk towards the bus stop with the service that would take her home. If Hamazura wanted to keep talking, he could follow. If not, he could buzz off.
As she heard him falling into pace by her side, Frenda frowned, slightly annoyed that the other Dark Sider hadn't just given up and left, and proceeded to address him. "So, Hamazura, what do you want?"
"I, uh, just wanted to offer you the chance to rejoin ITEM."
Frenda cocked an eyebrow at that. That was quite a surprise. The break she'd made with her previous outfit had been quite firm. Sanctioning her new employers beating the crap out of Mugino, ITEM's leader, did that, especially considering how damned vindictive [Meltdowner] was.
Seriously!? What the hell happened with ITEM in Russia during World War Three that caused Mugino to mellow out so much!?
Frenda had reached out to Kinuhata, one of her former ITEM teammates, just this morning and tried to figure out what happened but the Level 4 knew just as little as she did and was just as confused. The Level 0 was thinking of reaching out to Takitsubo, another of her former ITEM teammates, to find out more since whilst Kinuhata hadn't been in Russia, [AIM Stalker] had. She hadn't gotten around to it though.
Then again Hamazura was there too, wasn't he?
"Hamazura, what the hell? You think Mugino would be okay with that?" Frenda replied, trying to fish for more information. "Did she have some kinda conversion into a better person during whatever crap you guys got up to in Russia?"
"Uh… Kinda?"
Frenda shot him an unimpressed look.
"Look, it's a long story alright. I can tell you another day but could you answer my question first?" Hamazura suggested as he ran a frustrated hand through his unruly hair as they reached the bus stop.
"You expect me to answer your question without knowing this important piece of context?"
Hamazura sighed. "Okay, I get it. But honestly I don't really understand what went through Mugino's head myself. All I know is that after trying to kill Rikou and I, she suddenly gave up and just switched sides and helped us fight off the next waves of City assassins. She's been a much nicer person since then too."
"Nicer?"
"She's still quite a bitch but she's, um, a little more considerate of us?"
"Us?" Frenda questioned.
"Rikou, Kinuhata and I."
So she's treating her teammates better, huh? Wonder how long that'll last. Frenda thought cynically. She was going to trust Mugino's apparent reverse heel-face turn only as far as she could throw the Level 5, which considering the older woman's height and weight wasn't very far at all.
"Rikou, huh?" Frenda teased, changing the subject.
Blushing, Hamazura shrugged. "Well, we're dating now, so…"
"Dating, huh? How far have you gotten? Second base?"
Choking up in embarrassment and blushing even harder, the boy shook his head. "No comment."
"Oh ho~!" Frenda said, smelling blood. "You two have done better, have you? Third base? Or-"
"We went to home base last night after we got back to the City, okay?" Hamazura hissed out as he desperately looked around them to make sure that no one untoward heard his admission.
"Congratulations." Frenda replied honestly. She might feel lukewarm towards Hamazura at best but she did consider Takitsubo a real friend and so was happy that the perpetually tired girl had found herself a beau. "But is it alright for you to be spreading that info around?"
"Considering Rikou wanted to call Saten-sama this morning to announce the news to the world, yeah, it's fine. I just don't want everyone to know, ya know?"
Frenda just nodded. If she was Takitsubo she'd have done the same. Snatching herself the apple of her eye? Of course, she'd want the world to know. And Frenda knew that Takitsubo had eyes for Hamazura for ages!
"So! About my offer?" Hamazura said, desperately trying to change the topic.
"Yeah, no." Frenda said with a decisive shake of her head. "I'm not gonna rejoin ITEM. I'm happy working with the Trinity."
"Even if it means being relegated to the backlines?" Hamazura asked more confidently now that they were on more firm ground for him.
"Considering it pays just as much and is so much safer, why wouldn't I?" Frenda retorted as her bus pulled into the stop and she climbed on.
"Okay," Hamazura nodded as he followed her onto the bus that would take her back to her new home. "I can see how that's appealing. But don't you miss the thrill of a good fight? I remember you used to like that."
"You'd be surprised at the amount of fighting I get to do as the Trinity's runner." Frenda countered with a snort as she took a seat and the blonde former Skill-Out sat down beside her. "The amount of heads I need to crack at times is honestly kinda shocking."
It's true too. Frenda thought even as she recalled all the enemy subordinate organizations or remnants that she had helped Maniple and the Trinity's other subordinate organizations deal with in the short time she'd been working with the trio of Level 5s. Just in the short time that they had been back from their Russian deployment during World War Three, they have had to remind no less than eight different outfits of their place
You'd think people would know better than to piss off the Trinity, but I guess some people just need reminders. That and the Trinity really does go around making plenty of enemies.
Becoming top of the food chain, as was firmly established by what they'd accomplished during World War Three, tended to do that.
Even as she pondered that, Hamazura sat quietly too, probably trying to formulate some kind of argument to convince her. Just as he looked ready to open his mouth to present whatever he'd come up with, honestly tired of his whining, Frenda put a finger to his lips to shut him up and leaned into his face to glare at him.
"Look Hamazura, I appreciate the sentiment and I get that Mugino has changed after whatever you, her and Takitsubo went through in Russia during World War Three. But that doesn't change my decision. I'm done with ITEM." Frenda said firmly. "There's nothing you can say that'll change that. You think Mugino trying to kill me is something I'd forget thanks to a few words? That'll I betray the people who saved me from that for whatever you have to say?"
"No," Hamazura conceded with a resigned sigh as the bus pulled to a stop. "Can't blame me for trying right?"
"No, I can't." Frenda said as she got up. "This is my stop. See you around Hamazura."
"Yeah," the boy said as he offered her a wave. "See you around."
Frenda hopped off the bus, but instead of heading to the house, conveniently next door to the Kiyama household, which she now shared with Fremea, she watched as the bus and the opportunity to return to the familiarity of the past drove away.
"Mah, it wasn't all that great a past anyways." Frenda said with a dismissive shake of her head once the moment of nostalgia passed. "Isn't that right, Ruiko-sama?"
"That isn't for me to decide." The Number 3 said from where she was standing patiently a few feet away. "But I'm glad that you decided to stay with us."
"Of course, I would." Frenda said, feigning being affronted. "You girls pay well."
Ruiko-sama offered her a smile.
"Come on, Frenda-san, Fremea-chan is probably missing her Onee-sama." The Level 5 said as she turned and began working towards their houses. "Then again she might be too distracted playing with the twins as they get ready for the game tonight to notice you're even gone."
"I doubt that," Frenda replied confidently as she walked a little faster to fall in beside her superior.
"We'll see," Ruiko-sama said with a playful grin.
As Frenda bantered with the deadly Level 5 in a way she'd never have dared with Mugino over the short walk to their houses, she could not help but feel she'd made the right choice.
"Popcorn?" Naru asked as she offered a bucket of the treat to Kazari-chan as they sat in one of the dugouts of the baseball pitch that Rui-chan had booked for the occasion.
"Sure, thank you." Rui-chan's other best friend said as she accepted the offer and fished out a handful of the puffed up corn kernels for herself. "I'm surprised you're not down there on the pitch with everyone else."
Naru just shrugged. "I'm a little tired after last night, so I asked Rui-chan to start me on the bench. I'll have a go later."
Oh be honest, Naru. The only reason that you're not out there on the pitch is because your girlfriends aren't here. If they were here, you'd be out there taking every chance to show off for them.
Guilty. Naru confessed without shame. It's such a shame that Shu-chan and Arisa-chan have duty today.
Kurama replied to Naru's honesty by bursting into laughter which earned him a mental raspberry from the Level 5.
The [Goalkeeper] nodded in understanding of Naru's earlier statement, unaware of her conversation with her partner. "Yes, I get it. I'm hoping I can stay on the bench the whole game myself. Ruiko-san is my best friend ever and she loves baseball, but I'm not exactly keen on the game."
Naru nodded. "Rui-chan's love for baseball is honestly insane."
"It is." Kazari-chan nodded before what was happening on the pitch caught their attention and the two friends turned towards it, where the two teams made out of their friends - Mikoto-senpai, Rui-chan, Accelerator, the couple's daughters, Frenda-chan, Rui-chan's siblings, etc. - were moving into position to start the game.
"Hey, Ruiko-sama." Frenda-chan said as she moved to second base. "Why are we celebrating our return again? Didn't we just have a Halloween party to do the same just yesterday?"
"Oh, that was Naru's celebration, this is mine." Rui-chan answered with a coy smile.
The Norwegian nodded in understanding before turning to look at Mikoto-senpai questioningly where she stood at the pitcher's mound whilst dressed in a baseball uniform. A very sexy uniform that exposed her midriff and plenty of leg.
I wonder who she's trying to impress? It's not like Kamijou-san's here. Naru thought with a smirk.
She's probably trying it out with the intent to show it off to him when she gets the chance. Kurama opined.
Makes sense. Naru agreed. Though why dress like that in the dead of winter?
Considering we're playing at an indoor pitch and we don't need to worry about the weather, I don't think that's anything to worry about.
Fair enough. Naru said with a mental nod. Though, really, Mikoto-senpai is trying too hard. I mean, Rui-chan has two people to impress here, Accelerator and Frenda-chan, and you don't see her dressed provocatively.
True. Kurama allowed as they looked at Rui-chan where she was standing at the batter's position and taking practice swings with her bat. But she is also confident in the affections of her significant others. Plus just because her outfit isn't overtly sexy, doesn't mean it isn't flattering, is it?
Naru took a moment to look over her bestie and had to admit that her partner was right. Rui-chan was dressed in a normal baseball uniform but as with all athletic uniforms it was tight and that allowed it to show off her impressive body, both her natural hourglass figure and her Bust Upper enhanced boobs. It was enough that if Naru wasn't happily in a relationship already, she would have taken a mental snapshot of her bestie so she could use it as inspiration as she shucked the oyster later.
Naughty, naughty, Naru~! Kurama teased with a laugh.
Naru replied with a mental raspberry and decided to turn her attention away from her partner to focus on Mikoto-senpai as she snorted and replied to Frenda-chan's unspoken question. "Hey, don't look at me like that. Unlike my kohai, I don't have the connections to set up a celebration like this, so don't expect one from me."
"I see," Frenda-chan said with a nod, visibly smothering her amusement.
Mikoto-senpai shot the Level 0 a glare, but Frenda-chan just ignored her and continued making her way to her spot at second base.
"The game is about to begin." Kazari-chan said as with Frenda-chan reaching second base, everyone finished getting into position.
"Looks like." Naru nodded as she offered her popcorn bucket to Kazari-chan whilst they both watched Mikoto-senpai begin to wind up for the starting pitch. "This is going to be fun."
"It will." Kazari-chan agreed as she took another fistful of popcorn and they saw Mikoto-senpai make her pitch, sending the ball flying and starting the game.
Even as the Trinity and their friends began their celebratory game, in a warehouse full of a varied collection of Powered Suits in various maintenance bays and being serviced by a small swarm of drones, a couple of Dark Siders met to discuss our heroes as they watched a live feed of the Trinity playing baseball.
"Are you certain that we should go ahead with the plan?" The voice of a man said out of the speakers of a brown and gray Powered Suit that was not that much bigger than a human. Something that made it a departure from most of the other City Powered Suits that looked like thicker versions of Western armor, with it instead looking more like a riding suit with a full face helmet that seemingly lacked any transparent portions that might serve as a visor attached.
"Targeting anyone associated with the Trinity is liable to get the hammer dropped on us. The Battle of the New Juvenile Hall was proof of the extent that the Trinity will go to if provoked."
"That's true, but despite that, we're still going ahead. The cash we're getting paid if we take this job is too good." A Loli-Goth girl replied. A girl who was dressed in white a coat that she wore over her head like a cloak, a black tank top, long fingerless gloves, long pants she tied at the lower thighs with a set of laces and a pair of combat boots. A Dark Sider who had black hair, with bangs whose ends she had dyed yellow. "Besides, even if we do get crushed by the Trinity, our plan will still bloody their nose and teach those shitty graduates to not look down on the rest of us."
The man in the Powered Suit sighed. "I don't like this."
"Are you backing out?" The girl asked with narrowed eyes.
The man snorted. "Like I would. Having accepted your contract and money, I won't betray you. The consequences of that are worse than whatever the Trinity could do to me. They have mercy, the consequences that would follow the destruction of my reputation will see me dead."
The girl smirked. "I'm glad you know that."
"Are you sure that the Trinity and their allied Level 5s will be preoccupied when we make our move?" The Powered Suit wearing man said, changing the subject. "We don't exactly have the firepower to take on a Level 5."
"I'm sure." The girl assured him. "Accelerator has an appointment with GROUP. [Maniforce] and the [Railgun] are busy with things at Tokiwadai."
"And [Multi-skill]?" The man asked. "[Mental Out]?"
"The Number 7 will be at a charity event where she'll be using her power to help treat City soldiers returning from World War Three with PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder)." The girl said with a shrug. "As for the [AIM Sovereign], she apparently has an VIP appointment at the Spa Resort Serene Springs."
"Is that intel correct?"
"I'm sure. The info broker that I bought the Trinity and their allies' schedule from has a good track record. He's the one providing us with this live feed we're watching right now." The girl said with confidence as she gestured at the screen showing the Trinity's ongoing baseball game.
The man nodded. "Do we need to be worried about the Trinity getting suspicious about our plans? What with you going out of your way to get your hands on their schedules?"
"Nah. Nothing to worry about." The girl said dismissively, turning her nose up. "It's not like I'm the only one sourcing their schedules. There are plenty of people who want to know, as best as possible, where some of the biggest guns in the City are at all times."
The man in the Powered Suit nodded. "Then we're good to go."
"That's good to hear." The girl said with a pleased smile. "I'm looking forward to this op. I have a feeling it's gonna be fun."
"I can't believe that Ruiko managed to escape needing to attend make-up lessons even though she missed more classes than any of us." Mikoto complained to Naru and Kuroko as the three of them shared their break from the aforementioned extra lessons that all three of them had been forced to attend due to all the classes they'd missed due to their absences during World War Three.
"Well, I mean she does have a nigh permanent connection to the internet, so of course she did well enough in those tests they gave us to decide what make-up lessons we needed to test out of them." Naru pointed out with a shrug as, she sipped a cup of tea. "You can do that too though, Senpai. Why don't you?"
Mikoto took a sip of her own tea as well before replying. "A few reasons. Firstly, using Electromastery to maintain a permanent connection to the internet like Ruiko does is a real strain. One that I don't really want to put myself through. Secondly, I don't have the computational ability Ruiko does and can't keep track of anywhere the levels of information she can process, so even if I do use my Electromastery to access the net to make up for what I don't just memorize I wouldn't be able to make use of it as well as she does. Lastly, resorting to that is just cheating."
"Wait." Kuroko said as she finished her meal and was halfway to raising her tea cup to her lips. "Are you saying Ruiko-san cheated her way out attending the makeup lessons?"
"She might have." Naru said with a teasing smile, which earned her a chiding smack to the back of her head by Mikoto as she popped the sausage which was the last bit of her meal into her mouth.
"Don't be deliberately misleading like that." Mikoto scolded as she withdrew her hand and quickly swallowed her food. Turning to Kuroko, she continued. "Ruiko didn't cheat. She's too proud to resort to something like that."
"Then-"
"She's just that gosh darn smart." Naru said as she rubbed the back of her head where she'd been smacked even though Mikoto knew that her blow was too light to have needed such lingering attention.
"Naru, stop trying to stir up trouble between Ruiko and Kuroko." Mikoto said, shooting her troublesome kohai a quelling look. "Just because you're upset at missing out on the spa trip with her because she managed to skip these makeup lessons and you didn't, doesn't mean you should mess with her like that."
The blonde huffed and pouted but complied. Geez, she was such a spoilsport when she missed out on things.
Kuroko looked between them in confusion. "Alright, so if Ruiko-san isn't cheating then how did she manage to test out of needing makeup lessons?"
"You know how her mind is pretty much structured like a computer?" Naru asked and got a nod from Kuroko.
"Well that means she has insane memory retention. Combine that with the ability to access essentially all the information she'd ever need from the internet directly via her mind and-"
"She can learn anything she ever needs to know anytime she wants and once she learns something she never forgets it." Kuroko realized, her eyes widening in epiphany. She had of course known the scope of Ruiko's abilities that Naru had outlined, but it seemed like until now, she'd not understood what they implied. "Why is she even still in school?"
"Because of Kiyama-sensei of course." Mikoto said, like it was obvious.
Kuroko pondered this for a moment before nodding. "For all her faults as a mother, Kiyama-sensei does go out of her way to make sure her children have as normal lives as their circumstances allow them."
Mikoto and Naru both nodded in agreement.
"By the way, what is Ruiko-san doing today? Is she still going ahead with the spa trip even though most of us can't join her?" Kuroko asked, changing the subject.
Naru nodded. "Yeah, Frenda-chan's still going so of course she wouldn't cancel. Heck, she might even prefer that it's only the two of them."
Mikoto blushed but couldn't help but agree with the Chibi's reasoning. Considering Ruiko was trying to court Seivelun-san into becoming her girlfriend - Or since she was already all but married to Accelerator, would it be more accurate to call Seivelun-san her mistress? -, she probably found the fact that the girls day out she'd originally planned becoming a date just between the two of them as a boon. It would after all serve as a great opportunity for her to attempt to continue to press her suit.
"True." Kuroko said with a slightly disapproving sigh. "She can be so forceful in her courting."
Mikoto and Naru both shot the Teleporter disbelievingly looks at her show of hypocrisy.
"What!?" Kuroko hissed defensively. "All I mean is that for someone who is already dating Accelerator, of all people, Ruiko-san can stand to be more tactful about what she's doing. I mean it would be a different story if she at least told him her intentions, but as far I know she hasn't, has she?"
"Nope." Naru confirmed with a shake of her head, her twintails flapping about. "Though, you seem sure that he'd be okay with Rui-chan turning their couple into a throuple. Why?"
Kuroko just rolled her eyes. "Because Ruiko-san has him so whipped that it's not funny. She could ask him to go kill himself and I'd bet all he'd ask is how she wanted him to go about doing so."
Mikoto winced. That was an extreme example but Kuroko wasn't wrong… Ruiko did have Accelerator wrapped firmly around her little finger.
"True." Naru agreed with a nod as she took a sip of her tea.
"Then why hasn't she told him her intentions for Seivelun-san?" Kuroko asked with a frown. "Unless…"
"Yeah, you've got the right of it." Naru said as she noticed the thoughtful look. "She hasn't told him because she's still not sure about what she's doing. She's been winging things so far. Or at least as close to it as Rui-chan gets."
"Which means she has already run countless simulations and computations about what to do and how things will turn out." Mikoto said with a tired sigh as she put down her empty tea cup. "But she's still feeling conflicted nonetheless."
Naru nodded. "Yup, because she's a scaredy cat. She wouldn't be acting the way she is towards Frenda if her feelings and all those calculations weren't pointing her in one direction but she's just too scared to take the plunge."
"She's held back by fear?" Kuroko hummed thoughtfully. "I can see it. She's usually fearless in battle but when it comes to her family and friends-"
"She's a mess."
"Totally agree with you there, Senpai." Naru agreed. "Here's hoping she works up the courage to do what her heart is telling her to soon."
"Agreed. Seeing her and Frenda together is getting painful." Mikoto nodded.
"I hate to say it, but seeing Accelerator either being in denial or just as ignorant as he seems to be is just as bad." Kuroko added, prompting nods from both Mikoto and Naru.
"To Rui-chan's happiness." Naru said, playfully raising her already empty tea cup in a toast.
Mikoto giggled but obliged her kohai and chinked her own empty cup against the blonde's, followed shortly by Kuroko doing the same.
"To Ruiko's happiness." "To Ruiko-san's happiness."
The day after an enjoyable day at the baseball game where Accel had a pleasant time ogling Ruiko all dressed up in a flattering baseball sports uniform, the Number 1 found himself at a meeting with the rest of GROUP for what he hoped would be their last time as a formal Dark Side outfit.
Why? Because after the end of WW3, he was offered a reward by the Board of Directors for his efforts in addition to wiping the record of him going rogue. He'd initially wanted to ask for the disbandment of the entire Dark Side for his reward but Ruiko had pointed out that would never be accepted and would likely destabilize the City if they, for some reason, agreed. Taking that into account, he'd toned things down, and had instead asked for the dissolution of GROUP and the freeing of his teammates from their responsibilities to the City. After all, he knew that none of them wanted to work for the City and had been mostly doing so under duress.
As he finished explaining all that to the other members of GROUP, Accel was met with silence. Silence that was broken when Musujime suddenly broke into happy tears. Something that Accel wasn't surprised by because of all his teammates, the City had the most leverage on her. Leverage that thanks to Accel's deal had been taken away from them.
"So my comrades will be released?" Musujime asked, looking at Accel hopefully from across the lounge that served as GROUP's base.
The Number 1 nodded. "They'll be deported out of the City but, yeah, they'll be released."
Musujime just stared at Accel in disbelief for a long moment before teleporting to his side and giving him a hug. "Thank you."
If Accel wasn't happily involved with Ruiko, having a girl dressed skimpily in just the Kirigaoka Girls' Academy uniform's dark blue coat worn as a cape over her shoulders, a pink crop top and a pleated skirt, would've turned him on. Instead, he just returned the hug.
"You're welcome." Accel told Musujime as they pulled apart.
"What about me and Xochitl? What does your deal mean for us?" Etzali, who for some reason was still wearing the form of Unabara Mitsuki with neatly combed dark-brown hair and dressed in a cream suit, asked.
"The City is going to give up any claim on you guys. So long as you don't cause any trouble, you're free to do whatever you want." Accel explained.
"I imagine that applies to me as well?" Tsuchimikado asked.
Accel just nodded at the toned and muscular man with dyed blonde hair who was wearing sunglasses, a gold chain around his neck, his school uniform and a Hawaiian shirt.
From left to right: Accelerator; Tsuchimikado Motoharu; Musujime Awaki; and Etzali under the guise of Unabara Mitsuki
"Then I guess I'll be seeing you around on the Dark Side." The Magician-Esper hybrid said as he stood to leave. "Go easy on me if we ever end up on opposing sides, alright?"
Accel frowned. "What do you mean? You're free, there's no need for you to operate on the Dark Side anymore."
Tsuchimikado scoffed. "Just because we are free of responsibilities from the City doesn't mean all of us can just walk away. It's never that easy. But you clearing my debts like this is a big help. This way I at least won't be beholden to the City and will be more free to do what I want."
"Same for me." Etzali said as he followed Tsuchimikado's lead and stood as well. "The Return of the Winged One still wants us dead after all and Xochitl and I are safest from their grasp if we stay in the City. And there are only so many ways for us to earn a good living whilst here."
Accel frowned and turned to his only female teammate. "You too, Musujime?"
"Maybe?" The scantily clad high schooler said with a shrug. "With my comrades thrown out of the City, I won't need to work on the Dark Side anymore but that also means I won't exactly have much of a support base either. I mean it's not like I can rely on my parents, they haven't ever paid more than the minimum stipend to the City to stop me being declared a Child Error so if I want spending money I'll need to earn cash somehow. And hey! I have experience as a Dark Sider."
Accel's frown deepened. He could see the logic in his teammates' arguments.
Damn! Ruiko warned me this would be the case but I had hoped I'd freed these guys from the Dark Side…
"I get it." Accel conceded with a resigned sigh after a long moment. "I promise to go easy on you guys if we cross paths in the future."
"You have my thanks." Etzali said, offering Accelerator a smile and a hand. "It was a pleasure being your teammate."
Accepting the hand, Accelerator shook the Aztec Magician's hand. "Same."
With a nod, Etzali released Accel's hand and stepped back before turning and taking his leave.
"All the best, Accelerator!" Tsuchimikado said, offering him a salute. "See you around."
Accelerator offered him a nod and watched the Magician-Esper hybrid leave.
That left him with just Musujime, prompting him to look at the Teleporter questioningly.
"You just did me a massive favor. The least I can do is treat you to lunch." The girl with long dark red hair tied into two low ponytails said with a shrug. "Unless you had other plans?"
"Nah. I'm good." Accel said as he stood to leave, prompting his former teammate to do the same.
"Cool!" Musujime said with a smile. "I know this great ramen bar hidden away in the back alleys of District 19. Plus if you're going out for lunch with a girl so easily then I think I need to give you some tips about what a girl wants."
"You think I need tips?" Accel asked incredulously as they both began making their way out of the lounge where the meeting had been held.
"You don't want them?" Musujime asked with a teasing smirk.
"Never said that." Accel said with a shake of his head.
He might not think he needed it. He trusted Ruiko to spend time with other people - he knew his girlfriend was attracted to both sexes so her hanging out with anyone might serve as a source of jealousy - and she trusted him to do the same, even if they were other girls. But that didn't mean he'd be willing to turn down the chance to better get to know the female mind so he could be a better boyfriend.
Musujime just chuckled as she practically skipped ahead. "Great! Then let's go have fun!"
Accel nodded even as she followed after her at a more sedate pace.
Whilst Accelerator-sama was meeting with his former teammates in GROUP, Frenda found herself enjoying a wonderful afternoon whilst getting the VIP treatment alongside Ruiko-sama at the Spa Resort Serene Springs, a resort designed to provide different types of bathing facilities and to entertain guests that was housed in a multi-level building found in School District 22. And after the two of them had enjoyed a great sauna, a wonderful massage and other various pamperings, Frenda and her employer were slipping - whilst naked as Onsen culture dictated of course - into one of the Serene Springs' VIP private baths. A bath that featured a black marble edge, tasteful bamboo walls and a decorative backdrop of Mount Fuji and blooming cherry blossoms.
"Hey, Ruiko-sama, could I ask you a question?" The Norwegian asked as she sat down next to the Level 5 on the floor of the bath as they both soaked in the warmed, artificially mineral enriched, simulacrum of hot spring water that filled the bath.
"Of course." Ruiko-sama said as she scooted closer to Frenda so that they were pressed close, almost inappropriately so. Not that there was anything inappropriate for two girls attracted to each other, or even if they didn't, to enjoy some skinship with each other.
"Okay then." Frenda said with a nod, reciprocating Ruiko-sama's effort to get themselves closer to each other by scooting closer to the other girl as well. "I can imagine why Accelerator-sama isn't here, you wanted to have a girls getaway, but why aren't Misaka-sama and Naru-sama here?"
"Mikoto-senpai and Naru-chan are at Tokiwadai attending makeup lessons for the lessons they missed during World War Three whilst carrying out missions for the City." Ruiko-sama replied with a disappointed sigh.
"And you didn't need to attend those makeup lessons?"
"My teachers wanted me to but when they offered me an assessment of the lessons' content, I did them well enough that they couldn't justify it." Ruiko-sama said with a smirk that showed off how proud she was of her achievement.
Smiling back and sharing her crush's pride, Frenda nodded. "I imagine that Shirai-san is stuck in those lessons too?"
"Unfortunately." Ruiko-sama confirmed. "She might not have missed as many lessons as Mikoto-senpai and Naru-chan because she wasn't as involved with the events of World War Three but she did miss out on some classes and had to make up for it."
"And Uiharu-san?"
"She had Judgment duty." Ruiko-sama said with a pout. Gah, so cute!
"Huh? If so many of your female friends couldn't make it then why not reschedule today's appointment then?"
"I would if I could." Ruiko-sama countered. "But it just could not be done. It's not easy to schedule a VIP appointment for the Spa Resort Serene Springs in the first place, even with my resources. Demand is just too high. Rescheduling is almost impossible."
Frenda hummed in agreement. She didn't know about rescheduling but she did know how difficult it was to get a VIP appointment here. She had tried for years and failed.
"I guess then we should just enjoy our precious time here, shouldn't we?"
"Yes, we should." Ruiko-sama agreed.
They descended into a companionable silence after that. One that lasted for a good few minutes before it was finally broken by Ruiko-sama asking Frenda a question.
"So, Frenda-chan, why do you hide those wonderful boobs of yours?" The [AIM Sovereign] asked as she openly leered at Frenda's plump breasts.
"A number of reasons." Frenda said as she unconsciously pushed her bust out to give her crush a better look. "Mainly 'cos they get in the way a lot and the clothes that helped keep them under control, just happens to hide them."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, any bras that keep my boobs in place tend to compress them." Frenda elaborated. "Add to that the kind of looks I get when I don't hide my knockers for coming across as a big boobed loli, I just naturally began hiding them."
"Your boobs aren't exactly that big."
"Yeah, but I am petite." Frenda countered. "So my boobs look a lot bigger than they really are."
"I suppose so." Ruiko-sama replied, her blush deepening. "But I think they make you look exceptionally beautiful."
Frenda blushed deep crimson at the praise and the leer that Ruiko-sama raked over her body. Returning the favor by tracking her eyes over her crush's perfect body, Frenda replied as gamely as she could considering how turned on she was feeling at the moment.
"W-Well, I-I barely hold a candle to you, Ruiko-sama."
"I beg to differ," Ruiko-sama said as she reached over and gently cupped the bottom of Frenda's breasts. "I mean look at how perfect these breasts are…"
Sporting a full body blush, Frenda tried and failed to suppress the moan of pleasure that escaped from her lips at Ruiko-sama's divine touch. A moan that had Ruiko-sama freezing, her hands still touching the Level 0's breasts.
"Ruiko-sama-"
"I'm sorry, Frenda-chan!" The Level 5 said hastily as she tried to pull her hands back.
'Tried' being the operative word because before she could, Frenda grabbed her crush's hands and held them in place.
"Frenda-chan?" The [AIM Sovereign] asked uncertainly.
Instead of replying with words, Frenda proceeded to squeeze her own hands around Ruiko-sama's hands and caused them to squeeze her boobs, eliciting a wonderful burst of pleasure that pulled yet another moan of pleasure from her lips. A course of action that caused the Level 5's eyes to widen in surprise and gain a glaze of lust.
Before anything else could happen however, it was interrupted by Ruiko-sama suddenly turning her head sharply to the west and pulling her arms free from Frenda's grip, she stood with a deep frown on her face.
"Ruiko-sama?" Frenda asked, worriedly.
"The Freshmen are attacking Fremea." Ruiko-sama said, chilling Frenda's blood as the Level 5 hurried out of the bath already using her powers to dry herself off and made her way towards the changing room to get dressed.
The Freshmen!? Who the hell are they?
"We need to go rescue her." Ruiko-sama added, pulling Frenda from her stunned thoughts.
"Yes, we do!" Frenda shouted in agreement as she rushed after her employer.
No one was going to hurt her sister. Not over her dead body.
Done and done! Thanks to Nameless as always!
Another cooldown chapter, it's nice to give the characters a chance to unwind. *Looks at ending* Oh Science dammit! Come on, Dark Siders, give us a bone! XP
Nameless: So I think anyone familiar with the Toaruverse beyond the anime would recognize who is after Fremea here, especially thanks to help from the chapter title and the images we inserted on AO3. That said, we played coy until the end of the chapter. It's just too fun not to. ;)
Yeah, this is going to end in tears. For the Freshmen. I mean, they are legit the second to last biggest morons around right now. There was that group with the water cutter that's still the biggest idiots on the block. So Freshman, you are not in good standing right now.
Nameless: I hope you guys liked the flirting and more that Ruiko and Frenda got up to. We tried to be as tame as we could, since there's still a while before their relationship finishes developing. We hope that was the right choice.
Ruiko needed some spotlight action with her budding relationship. Until she got blue balled! By herself! And some idiots about to be unalived.
Nameless: On one last note, this is a bit of a short chapter. Sorry about that. It was just too nice of a place to split the arc so we went with it. Hope it's not that big of an issue.
You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!