A Certain City's Follower

by Jagwit

No matter the time, no matter the place, Academy City will always find its way into peoples' lives. Fortunately, that's exactly what the girl wanted. Cover art by@youngmanisdown and takes place after OT15

4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: This Feeling

The events of the day before could not escape Sarina's mind. It was the first time she met someone from the city whose advertisements were plastered all over her room. Academy City seemed like an impossible place to reach, but now the one opportunity is somewhere in her hometown. That opportunity being the twin sister of the third ranked level 5 esper, Mikoto Misaka, who goes by Misaka 10532. Why she referred to herself as a number, Sarina did not know, but felt it was best not to question it.

Their first meeting however wasn't as glamorous as Sarina was hoping it would be. Desperate, Sarina tried to get in Misaka's favor by acting quirky in hopes of coming off as approachable and friendly. The attempt amounted to nothing as Misaka saw right through it and immediately called her out on it. This was soon followed by Sarina falling on top of her after accidentally breaking a fence and tugging her arm while escaping the (exaggerated) crime scene.

Despite the less than favorable first impression, Misaka was still willing to forgive Sarina for the act and took her offer to be called her friend. It was a result that Sarina was more than happy to take. She was lucky Misaka was willing to both overlook the way she acted and be her friend. However, their new friendship won't last forever as Misaka will be leaving in three days with no way to contact her. So their friendship served more as a title than an actual bond.

After returning home and eating her takeout dinner, Sarina stayed up thinking about the sheer odds of meeting a resident of a city that holds so many regulations for leaving. And yet said impossible odds happened to her that very evening. Sarina wanted to learn more about Academy City, and that girl was her only connection. But she had no way of contacting her, let alone find her.

But yesterday, Misaka seemed to have lost her green visor goggles sometime before or during their escape from the angered neighbor whose fence was broken by Sarina. So this provided an opportunity. If she could find the goggles first, then she had a chance at meeting Misaka again.

And that is what brings us to now.

It was an hour past noon on October 16th and Sarina stood in front of the same broken fence while quietly trying to find the visor goggles that fell off Misaka's head. She was treading lightly so as not to catch the attention of the justifiably angry neighbor and get into trouble.

'Just gotta stay quiet and keep out of sight. It's only a small hole so they shouldn't be able to see me anyway. '

Children of all ages hated to get into trouble. More accurately, hated to get caught, and Sarina was no different. She was willing to face the responsibility of owning up to an apology, but there are certain things she would rather avoid. Having to pay for a fence she broke in an accident was one of them.

Sarina looked through every shrub, bush, and even the street gutter for the goggles, but had no luck in finding any sign of them. "Come on! Don't tell me I gotta look through the whole damn neighborhood!?"

"Looking for something?"

The sudden voice spooked Sarina as she jolted her head towards the owner of the voice. She was a tall, gorgeous woman with long black hair that went straight down to her hips. She wore a yellow sundress that went down to her ankles ending with black heels that contrasted with the yellow. She was carrying a bag of microwavable dinners that were slowly thawing. If she was walking near the fence, then there was a chance she lived near the area. So Sarina wondered if she saw the item she was searching for.

"Oh, um, yeah some green visor goggles. Have you seen anything like that?"

"Hm, wait here real quick," the woman said as she walked past Sarina to turn the corner into the neighborhood separated by the wooden fence. It would no doubt take her a while, so the best Sarina could do was wait by the fence. It gave her the time to think about her plan to strengthen her bond with the resident of Academy City.

Her plan was simple: Return the goggles, invite Misaka to lunch, get to know both her and the city, become best friends, and secure a seat on a plane ride to Academy City. It was the kind of plan only a middle scholar could come up with.

Sarina was truly honest with what she said to the girl. She did want to make connections to Academy City, but that didn't mean she wasn't interested in Misaka herself. She was oddly fascinated by the girl and her snarky and honest attitude hidden behind a face void of emotion. Plus her style of speech was quite entertaining. How it managed to not get old, she didn't know. Sarina can be good at reading people whenever she is in the right mindset, but the girl remained an enigma to her. Was she telling the truth of being sent by Academy City for a top secret mission or were those words just an illusion for a game she's playing? That was what she needed to find out.

"This what you looking for?"

The voice of the woman from earlier broke Sarinas train of thought as she walked over with an item in her hand. It was the very green visor goggles Sarina needed for her plan. "I found this in the bushes yesterday while inspecting something," the woman said as she held up the goggles.

"Yes! Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this helps!"

Sarina reached her hands to grab the goggles until the woman swiftly moved them away to prevent Sarina from getting her hands on them. Sarina stared at the woman confused, yet the woman ignored the stare and spoke. "You wanna know something? See I heard this loud noise coming from my backyard and went to go see what it was," the woman said pointing towards the broken off section of the fence. "And what do I find but my tree cut down and my fence broken, with the only thing left behind were these goggles. Figured someone must have lost it, so I thought I'd hold on to them hoping they'd come back to pick them up. So, these yours?"

Sarina could not muster any words of defense. She was trying to avoid getting caught for breaking the fence and here she stood facing the owner holding the one thing she needed to grab. This was where she started to curse the possibility of luck.

"U-Um, nooooooo–," the woman interrupted Sarina before she could finish her half-baked attempt at a lie. "I know it was you, so don't try and hide it."

"Ok yes, I'm sorry," Sarina said as she slumped her shoulders in shame and defeat. Even after learning her lesson with Misaka, some habits are just too hard to overcome.

"Honestly, I just moved into this town wanting a nice and calm environment to live in. I even went through the trouble of trying to take that tree out. Only for some kid to take it down for me and break my fence in the process. You know fences can be pretty expensive to fix right? Seems fair that you help pay fo–Wait put your wallet away! I was just messing with you for breaking the fence! An apology is fine!"

Sarina was currently pulling out her remaining allowance and offering to oblige by the woman's (joking) demands for compensation. Though her face showed a clear conflict between doing the right thing and being a cheapskate. Lucky for her, the woman had no intention of strong-arming a middle scholar for money.

"Look, as long as you didn't get hurt then it's fine. The fence is an easy fix, so don't beat yourself up over it," the woman said, wanting to reassure the girl so she doesn't blame herself for a clear accident. "But just don't go climbing other people's trees next time. I'd rather pay for a fence than hospital bills."

"Yeah, again sorry about that," Sarina apologized again, reaching for the visor goggles. However, when tried to take the goggles away from the yellow dressed woman, they remained in a tight lock from her grip. Confused by the woman's persistent refusal to return the goggles, Sarina looked up at the woman with the silky black hair to find her giving a serious gaze.

"Listen, you should take these and head home. It might not look it, but there are some suspicious things going on in this town and kids like you should stay out of it," the woman held a fierce expression that contrasted with her words of concern. "Don't want you getting hurt cause of some gang."

"Gang?"

"Yes," answered the woman. "I don't know how long it's been going on, but there's been some recent gang activity in this little town. I was hoping to get away from that kind of danger, but I suppose crime is bound to happen no matter where you live."

Sarina was no stranger to the idea of criminal activity happening in Rinas Town. While she hasn't witnessed any personally, she would sometimes catch her father watching the local news reporting such events. So she knew not to judge crime statistics based solely on what she has seen. So when the woman mentioned the recent activity of a gang, only one group popped up in her mind.

Like any gang, they were a group of criminals and thugs wanting to attain power over the law. They were a rather small gang, however, that mainly stayed low to the ground with the only real crimes on their list being loitering with the occasional, but still rare, mugging and car jacking. Apparently they used to be quite intimidating, but something happened that caused them to decrease in numbers and turn into a shell of their once former self. Because of their lack of activity, only long-time residents know of their presence and the threat they used to be. So it was odd that they suddenly started becoming bold and making themselves known enough for new residents to learn about.

"You mean the Yellow Enigmas?"

The woman widened her eyes at the name as she paused to take in the information, before lowering her eyelids and shifting her expression to one of disdain. "Is that what they're called? Why choose a name like that?"

"I don't know," Sarina shrugged as she took the goggles from the woman's hand. "But anyway thanks again for finding this for me! I'll make sure to stay out of trouble this time," Sarina said, running past the woman and waving goodbye. She didn't want to be rude to her, but she also had a job to do and couldn't afford to waste any more time. She now had the perfect excuse to find the mysterious resident of Academy City.

Not wanting to lose them again, Sarina wrapped the strap on the goggles around her neck as they hung down to her chest. She thought about trying them on, but didn't want to risk breaking them. She can now begin the next stage of her plan.

Even if it was rather straightforward and lacking in any real chance of success, Sarina's plan gave her an opportunity. In her fourteen years of living in this urban town, of realizing the insignificance compared to the excitement and future of Academy City, she finally had an opportunity to take this chance she had spent years waiting for. She couldn't contain her excitement at the possibilities that could happen.

She couldn't help but fantasize about what she'd do in the city. What kind of power she would get and the adventures she could have with it. Going to a technologically advanced school, spending time with her new friend, making more espers friends. Sarina reserved herself for the excitement of Academy City; unintentionally closing off any possible chance at making new friends since her freshman year of middle school.

But that was going to change.

---

"Where the hell is she!?"

However, Sarina failed to realize that the first stage of her plan was finding a single piece of gold in a coal mine. While Rinas Town's population isn't necessarily large, it would still be difficult to find one specific person without any kind of indication of where they could be.

"I know she's supposed to be on some top secret mission–even if it might be fake–and that she couldn't tell me where she'll be. But a hint or some kind of slip up would be nice! I don't care if it wouldn't make sense, it'd make things easier!"

Misaka didn't leave anything to Sarina's imagination on where she could be, so her only option was to guess and search all over town for her. Sarina tried thinking of possible locations Academy City would send her to investigate, but there were very few she could think of. So she had to add in public spots to broaden her search. From shopping malls, neighborhoods, the town hall, the community center, and a construction site. Yet each one was met with unfortunate results. Before she knew it, it was already evening with the sky painting a captivating orange and blue.

"Three hours. I've been looking for three hours and still nothing! Did I catch her just as she was leaving or something?! Oh God please don't tell me she already left," Sarina shouted, releasing her pent up frustration at the potentially wasted time. The idea that her last hope left the town right after meeting her was not something she was prepared to face.

"Ok, calm down. I just need to broaden my horizon more," Sarina said while taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Maybe what she's investigating isn't Rinas town itself, but near it. So what could be around here that would catch Academy City's attention?"

Academy City was a place that evolved 20-30 years in technology so they have no interest in what the outside world had to offer. Yet according to that girl, they specifically sent her here for something that warranted their attention. While Sarina did doubt that claim, it was better to investigate a potential lie than nothing at all.

"Well, there is AdvaMech."

While Academy City was the focus of technical evolution, that didn't mean other institutes just shut down. AdvaMech was one of those institutes based in Rinas City whose business focused on technological improvement and research. They even have their own labs in its main headquarters specifically for research into robotics, electrical engineering, and programming.

That is, their only headquarters.

AdvaMech was not as successful compared to most technological corporations so they didn't have many funds for their more "scientific" projects. They had to earn a majority of their profits by producing their own brand of household and mechanical appliances. It was effective and managed to keep them in the corporate world, but they lost a lot of respect in the scientific community they so claim to be a part of.

'But would they be worth Academy City's time?' Sarina wasn't sure they would be on their radar due to the large gap in their technological products and research. So it's still odd for Academy City to consider them a potential threat.

It was at this moment that Sarina thought back at the possibility that Misaka's "mission" was no more than a chuunibyou fantasy. If that were the case, then AdvaMech would be the ideal place for a "secret agent of Academy City'' fantasy. It was an institute of science after all so one could view it as a rival to Academy City in their imagination. It would be perfect timing for Sarina as well.

"Tomorrow's the field trip so I have a way to actually get there," said Sarina, speaking her thoughts aloud. "Should I just stop here and wait for tomorrow?"

It was the perfect opportunity. Sarina's school was having a field trip to the very place she suspected the girl to be. So should she just stop now? Even if she has been looking for hours, stopping now and leaving it to tomorrow's Sarina didn't quite sit right with her. Yet there didn't seem to be anything she could do other than pointlessly look around the town again. Swallowing her impatience, Sarina turned around to head back home and wait till her one opportunity arises.

"Man I really hope I'm right or else I just wasted a whole day on nothing. Two if it turns out she isn't there." With nothing else she could do, Sarina walked away from her search to return home.

She took in the surroundings she was so familiar with as she walked along the sidewalk and let her mind wander. Navigating her way through every alley, street, and path in Rinas Town–attempting to search for something new to pop up in her life– became second nature to her. It came to the point that her body would just move on its own and she would find herself at her destination without even realizing it. It was times like these that Sarina found herself deep in her own thoughts. Thinking about things and events that she kept in the back of her mind; be it intentional or not. One of them being an image of a boy she could only lament over.

'I wonder how Josh is doing–WOAH!?' was the first thought that came from the back of Sarina's mind before she tripped onto something on the sidewalk. She got up with a slight headache and found it to be a wooden, orange and white, construction sign. Sarina took her focus out of past memories and paid attention to surroundings. She found herself on the same path she took yesterday when she was returning home from school. Only now the road and sidewalks were covered in roadblocks at every entry point leading to the road.

"These weren't here yesterday?" Sarina said as she got back on her feet while dusting off traces of dirt on her jeans. "Did a pipe burst or something last night?"

Despite the visible roadblocks, there was nothing on the road itself Sarina felt warranted them. It looked clear with no visible holes or signs of damage, yet the road block still stood. There weren't even any construction workers or vehicles there to begin with. "I guess they're just setting them up before they get started. Though, did they seriously just set all this up and left?"Sarina picked up the sign she tripped over and stood it back up on its legs. Thankfully she didn't break it with her fall. They would most definitely have her pay for damaging government property, no matter her age or the moral ambiguity of it. She took another look at the road to make sure there still wasn't anything or anyone on the road.

"I mean, it doesn't look that bad. Looks the same as yesterday," Sarina says, squinting her eyes to look at the very end of the road, still not seeing any sign of people or construction work. "I'm sure I'll be fine taking this route."

With a lack of regard for traffic safety–and little care in government mandates–Sarina crossed the roadblock. While she kept her eyes open and focused for anyone who would reprimand her for the action, she never found anyone to do so. If anything, the whole area itself felt empty. Even the houses she saw on the adjacent streets seemed baren and unoccupied. While seeing rows of houses and no one out in their yard was a rather common thing to see–people tend to not have many reasons to be out on their lawns–something felt weirdly eerie to Sarina. It wasn't that everyone was just inside their homes minding their own business, it felt that no one was in their homes.

As Sarina questioned this strange feeling, a sudden crashing sound so loud it felt as if it was next to her ears startled her and made her jump. Heart racing faster than it's ever been, she looked around for the source of the sound only to find something she had not laid eyes on in a long time.

Sarina calmed her nerves when she found no potential threat while taking in her surroundings. She found herself on the sidewalk next to the abandoned dairy farm she would use to play around when she was young.

The odd thing about this farm was that it was rather small compared to most dairies. It consisted of one metal silo that was covered in a rusted brown metal with holes that would make one cautious regarding its stability. Next to it was a large red and brown barn whose wood was dried and wilted to the point of collapsing at any moment. The barn itself was the largest property on the dairy, standing at 20 meters in both length and height. Connected to the barn was a rusted metal fence creating a pathway to a gated field. It was no doubt used to give the cows leg room to move around and eat, but what remained was a barren dirt field with the only sign of plant life being the weeds and goat heads.

While the barns' frail and worn out appearance was the reality, Sarina couldn't help but see it as a place filled with distant memories; both fond and discomfort. These feelings made Sarina unconsciously approach the abandoned farm. Her eyes look around the rundown farm to find the potential source of the sudden sound. Even if she knew there wasn't any danger, she couldn't help her curious nature. The farm gave off a mysterious and foreboding atmosphere that she found thrilling to look at. Which contrasted with the dirt canyon behind it that became teenagers' BMX playground. The strange environment placement made Sarina wonder if that was the reason the farm wasn't so successful.

"The place is pretty rundown, some chunks of it must have finally given out after all these years," Sarina says as she approaches the barn.

Seeing as there seemed to be no threat, Sarina decides to walk around the dairy to relieve some old memories. Memories of a little girl using the ruins of a failed dairy farm as a playground for her fantasies. Fantasies of going on adventures to stop horrendous villains in environments limited by what the girl's imagination could do with a rundown farm.

It made Sarina think about what she lacked. What she needed.

Sarina continued to walk around the barn until eventually getting to the main entrance. She placed her hands on the door ready to push it open when a strange noise caught her attention. Placing her ear against the dried wooden door, Sarina could faintly hear voices coming from inside. It wasn't enough for her to make out their conversation, so she could only hear bits and pieces.

'I guess some people use this place as a hang out. Makes sense, it is perfect for it,' thought Sarina as she backed away from the door. She may have stooped low enough for mental manipulation, but she wasn't going to unnecessarily eavesdrop on people.

That was until she heard the sound of approaching footsteps and the door nudge open.

"Alright, I'll keep watch."

From the doors of the old barn came a man in his mid to late twenties with a bald head and a face one would categorize as "delinquent" with three face piercings and a tattoo on his shaved head. He wore torn, baggy jeans that barely held up around his waist and a blue and yellow Hawaiian shirt that was left unbuttoned, leaving his bare chest out in the open. He closed the door behind him and leaned against the wall while carefully observing his surroundings.

That was the man Sarina identified from her hiding spot. She managed to quickly run to the side of the barn before the man could even notice her presence. It was the side leaning towards the dirt canyon that was obstructed by a grove of small trees and bushes angled at a downward slope. However, the slope was separated by a small dirt cliff 8 feet from where Sarina stood, making it easy for one to fall off and hurt themselves if they weren't careful.

'Ok, I overstayed my welcome. I need to get out of here.'

Things looked bad for Sarina as the man was blocking her only safe exit off the farm. She could just pretend to be going on a leisurely stroll through the barn and pass the man, but the odds of that really working were only possible in fiction. Plus, while Sarina didn't want to assume someone's character based on their looks, she couldn't help but feel nervous around the man.

'I guess I'll have to cut through the canyon," Sarina decided as she turned her head to look at the ledge leading to her escape.

All it took was that single movement of her head.

In the swift motion of her turning head, Sarina quickly caught a glimpse of something that didn't match the colors of the environment. She saw two different shades of brown, gray and blue all attached to a single object; an object Sarina had seen once before.

Bringing her attention back to the object, she now had a clear view of what it was and what those colors connected too. The two shades of brown were a part of short chestnut brown hair and a long light brown coat with a scarlet red bow while the blue was for a skirt covered in a checkered pattern. That hair and clothing belonged to a middle school girl no older than Sarina who was carrying a guitar case the size of her own body .

It was the girl Sarina had been searching for.

It was such a sudden development that Sarina couldn't even believe it at first. Three hours of searching throughout the town and the person she was looking for appeared when she wasn't even trying? The coincidence almost annoyed her while simultaneously wondering why the girl was there to begin with. Did the barn relate to her mission or did it serve as the perfect spot to live out her fantasy? Either way, Sarina wanted to know why she was here.

Misaka was leaning against the wooden wall of the barn and peeping through a giant hole big enough for one or two people to easily walk through. She stared so intentionally inside the barn that it seemed she hadn't noticed Sarina.

'Is she spying on them? Why?'

Sarina was still unsure if Misaka claims of a secret mission were true. If anything, she leaned more towards the possibility of it all being a part of some game. So seeing Misaka spy on random strangers as part of that game didn't sit right with her. Imagination may have no limits, but there are certain things you shouldn't do with it. Sarina reached out to call out the girl for her misuse of her mind when she stopped herself. This was their second time meeting again after Sarina desperately tried to form a friendship with the girl. She had to think carefully on how to approach her since she hasn't noticed Sarina yet; she didn't want to scare the girl.

"H-Hey! What brings you here?" whispered Sarina as she tried to start with a casual greeting only for it to come off awkwardly considering the situation they were in. Said greeting was also interrupted by Misaka jabbing Sarina in the stomach and putting her in a choke hold.

"'Where are the rest of the supplies?' asks Misaka demanding answers."

Misaka's arms held a firm grasp around Sarina's neck as the pain she inflicted on her stomach winded her. Sarina could barely breathe and Misaka was only going to allow enough air for her to give the answers she wanted. Sarina tried to pull her arms off but the girl had a surprisingly strong grip that no amount of effort would free her."'Repeat: Where are the rest of the supplies?' asks Misaka, getting impatient with your resistance."

"W-What…Are you–?"

"'There were two supply crates in that crash. However, only one has been located while the other is still missing. So Misaka will repeat for the final time: Where is the other crate?' threatens Misaka, tightening her hold."

Misaka was not going to let Sarina go until she either gave an answer she didn't know or cleared the misunderstanding. Either way she needed to act fast before her new friend ended up killing her. Using her free arm and the remaining breath she had, Sarina grabbed the goggles hanging from her neck and brought them into Misaka's line of sight.

"Re…turn..."

Curiosity turned to surprise when Misaka looked at the girl's hand to find her green visor goggles she lost yesterday. Putting the pieces of the misunderstanding together, Misaka loosened her grip on Sarina's neck and grabbed the goggles. Placing them back on her head while Sarina collapses and gasps for air. Sarina turned around to shout her complaints, but was soon interrupted when Misaka grabbed and held her against the barn's wooden wall with her hand over the girl's mouth while she peered back through the hole to make sure they hadn't been noticed.

"'Misaka understands your anger and apologizes for the misunderstanding, but please do not give away Misaka's position,' whispers Misaka so as not to alert the men inside.

Sarina, though her body still held in Misaka's grapes, managed to free her mouth and whispered, "Fine, but what the hell are you doing here!?"

"'Misaka should be asking you the same thing,' says Misaka, confused by your sudden appearance."

"I was looking for you so I could return the goggles. You lost them back at the tree, remember?"

"Hm, then Misaka thanks you for the consideration. Now please leave before you get us both compromised,' says Misaka while keeping her eyes on the target, still making sure the men have not noticed her location."

Sarina now had a better view of the inside of the barn thanks to Misaka grip on her, so she decided to take a look at what it was she was spying on. The barn's floor was covered with dirt and hay that has since been flattened by years of being walked on. Along the walls were rows of pens that were once occupied by cattles. While some sections of the barn seem like it was reserved for tools, equipment, blocks of hay and even a run down tractor the previous owners must have left behind and didn't bother to pick up.

And in the very center of the barn was a green, 10 meter long shipping container taking up a considerable amount of space. Surrounding the front of the container–facing the barn's entrance–were suspicious men in their mid to late twenties and covered from head to toe in either tattoos or piercings trying to open the container doors. Their styles of clothing ranged from casual wear worn in everyday life to ones you would wear for a first date; some even wore bandanas around their necks and heads. While they wore many different styles, there was one common theme among the clothing.

'Yellow…the enigmas!?' Sarina's curiosity turned to pure panic at how dire the situation was. Here was a young foreign girl spying on a notorious gang during their attempt at breaking into a container that Sarina could only assume were drugs, weapons, or something illegal. "Are you insane?! I don't care how much depth you want your fantasy to have, you're going to get us killed!" Sarina whispered loudly at Misaka as she carefully observed the men attempting to break the lock on the container.

"'Fantasy? Why would you consider what Misaka is doing a fantasy?' Says Misaka, confused by your weird assumption. 'As Misaka has said: Misaka is on a top secret mission and the contents of that container could be a part of it,' Says Misaka pitying your inability to separate reality from fiction."

'Great, she's insane and an ass!'

The metallic crack echoed throughout the barn as Misaka focused her full undivided attention to the men near the shipping container; Sarina took a glance inside along with her. One of the men was holding a bolt cutter no doubt used on the now broken lock that lays on the ground. A dark skinned skinny man walked up to the container's metal doors. He had dreadlocks that went down to his neck, wore torn baggy pants and a white tank top that loosely hung from his body. He has two tattoos on his arms–one being a woman surrounded by blooming flowers, another a skeleton with a black robe with dead ones–and one around his neck with the words "Loose Chain" written to fit around the entirety of his neck.

The man grabbed the handles of the shipping container and pulled the doors wide open for everyone in the group to see. The men took a step back in surprise over whatever could be in the container. All except for the one who opened the doors, who simply gave an excited smirk. Misaka and Sarina's positions were near the back of the barn so they didn't have a clear view of the contents of the big metal box. Two other men walked inside and came out carrying a crate they soon placed on one of the two tables next to the shipping container.

Though something was off about this crate. Normally, most cargo in shipping containers were packed wooden crates and nailed shut to prevent the items from escaping. But this one was metal and held together with latches on all sides that reminded Sarina of a metallic suitcase rather than a crate.

"So what do you think this is, Duke?" said one of the men giving room for Duke–the same man that opened the container doors–to face the mysterious metal box. Thanks to the giant hole they were peering through, Sarina and Misaka were able to clearly hear them.

"Don't know, but whatever crazy tech's in here, it's gonna help in the fight against those pigs."

"You sure about that? We don't even know what kinda shit's in here," said another man anxious of the potential danger of the box. Yet Duke remained determined and focused on the potential it had. "It doesn't matter. If it's from Academy City, it'll benefit us."

That name was the sole thing that caught Sarina's attention.

'Academy City?'

Yesturday, Misaka claimed she was sent by Academy City for a top secret mission. Sarina wasn't inclined to believe that part, but she was confident Misaka had a connection to the city based on her relation to their third ranked level 5. Despite that connection, no matter how Sarina looked at it, she couldn't think of any reason Academy City would even bother with a run of the mill suburban town you could find anywhere. It just wasn't the place they would waste their time on, let alone send one of their own espers.

Sarina's doubts towards Misaka stemmed on two key factors: Her belief that the girl could just be a chuunibyou and whether or not Academy City is willing to risk a kidnapping. While one was a personal assumption, the idea of the city known for secrecy towards their research, forbid anyone from leaving or entering no matter the circumstance, and planting tracking devices to those that do, let one of their most valuable espers go to another country with the risk of abduction? It was just too far-fetched for Sarina to believe.

But the inside of that metallic crate changed everything.

Having his men use the butt of their guns to break the locks, Duke removed the lid and pulled out the oddity for everyone to see. Its appearance was rather simple, being shaped like an egg with multiple wings wrapped around it like a protective mother bird. Yet something about it was otherworldly. Its ghostly white color shined from its position with bits of light reflecting off it glistened into different colors despite the source of it being white in origin. Its texture was smooth yet rough. Alien yet native. Pure yet corrupted. The only consistent thing the object had was the nature of its existence belonging nowhere in this world.

Except for one place.

'Is…all of this–"

"'Target confirmed,' says Misaka now certain of the situation.

Sarinas thoughts were interrupted by Misaka as she lets go of her and backs away from the hole to set down her guitar case and unpack it. Inside were different mechanical components neatly organized by a soft fabric and seemed to have their own dedicated section in the case. Misaka started assembling some of the parts till it turned into something Sarina could identify.

The assembled item was an assault rifle, yet the texture of it seemed to be made of plastic rather than metal. The level of detail in the design reminded Sarina of those airsoft guns that were popular among the boys at her school. Though the design's complexity was reminiscent of a fighter jet if you were to give it the form of a firearm. What set it apart from a regular airsoft gun was the lack of an orange tip used to separate it from a real firearm. Though they can be easy to alter and remove and it wasn't illegal to do so if you're not selling it.

"'Commencing retrieval mission now,' says Misaka analyzing the appropriate targets to maintain stealth.

As far as Sarina was aware, the girl was about to use a toy gun against a gang using live ammo.

"Wait wait wait wait! No way! I don't care if whatever that is really is from Academy City. I am not going to just let you get yourself killed!" Sarina whispered loudly to Misaka while holding her arm back to prevent her from putting herself in danger.

"'Misaka has confirmed that the contents of that container are a part of her mission. It is Misaka's duty to retrieve the item before it falls into the wrong hands,' says Misaka with determination."

"You are going in there with nothing but a toy gun!"

"'Oh, now Misaka understands the confusion. Despite its appearance, this is a real firearm,' Says Misaka holding up her F2000R–otherwise known as Toy Soldier– for you to see. 'It's made of a laminated plastic rather than steel so Misaka understands why you would confuse it for a toy. The rubber parts here are actually used to absorb the impact of the gun's recoil for easy use,' Says Misaka showing pride in her choice of artillery."

"I take it back! You're gonna kill yourself before they get the chance to!"

Laminated plastic is mainly used for industrial work as a surface for wall panels thanks to its durability and resistance to heat and water. However the explosive power released from gunpowder greatly outweighs that plastics durability. Firing a single bullet is all that's needed for the firearm to explode and take the user out with it. So, to Sarina, Misaka's gun was a pressure bomb.

Yet she held it with the confidence and professionalism of someone who mastered their weapon that carrying it was just normal. But to Sarina, she only saw someone who was unaware of the danger she was actually in.

"Look, this is way out of our depth. Let's just sneak out of here through the canyon and call the cops. I'm sure they can handle this," Sarina held Misaka's shoulders to keep her head focused on her, hoping to show just how serious their predicament was.

"Unfortunately, this is Academy City business and if local law enforcement got involved, it could lead to an unsavory conflict between the city and the US,' says Misaka, denying your suggestion. 'Why are you so focused on preventing Misaka from completing her mission? Were you actually a spy all along?' asks Misaka, preparing to take aim depending on your answer."

"What?! No! This isn't about your supposed mission."

They've only met the other day and still knew nothing about one another; if anything they knew less. Their first encounter started with one trying to use the other for their own benefit and ended with a declaration of friendship that amounted to nothing more than a title. If you were to ask if one trusted the other, one would take a while to answer while the other would give a quick "no" while speaking in the third person.

But…

"And why should I have a reason to stop someone from getting hurt? That's just second nature," Sarina said as she gazed at Misaka, hoping to show her genuine concern for her wellbeing. "Besides, we're friends aren't we? Why wouldn't I want to look out for you?"

You don't need to understand a person to want to keep them safe.

"Friends?"

Misaka once ran on pure logic and calculations when it came to her missions. She wasn't one to let emotion determine her choices when it was on the line. Of course she couldn't contain the urge to pet a stray cat despite knowing animals had a distaste for her, so she'd tend to let emotion guide her for something as small and frivolous as that. But when the situation was serious, lives were on the line, and the mission was at stake, logic was the best course of action.

Even at the cost of her own life.

It was a line of thinking that no one should ever believe in; the definition of a lack of self worth. Yet it was drilled into Misaka from the day of her birth that remained for the majority of her life. Taking priority over her orders and the purpose given to her at that birth was the only thing she knew. It wasn't that she was suicidal–if she were to choose between life and death, she would choose life–she simply believed that hers wasn't worth preservation. It was a belief that determined her approach in life.

Until that illusion was destroyed.

The lack of self love, the idea of her identity being nothing more than a guinea pig for the very place that created her, was destroyed by a single boy's right hand. He told her that her life was her own and no one else's. That there are people in this world who would cry for her death. That those very people would do anything to preserve her life. Even if she believed she was nothing worth saving.

The weakest of the weak showed that she, and many others, deserve to live their lives.

From that point on, Misaka put value into preserving her own life. Not for the city that took that value, not for her big sister who cried for her, not even for the boy who showed her that value, but for herself. She will still carry out missions assigned to her by Academy City, but now she had no qualms with rejecting a task far exceeding her limits and endangered the life she swore to now preserve. Instead of dying and succeeding, she is willing to retreat and live.

If she were to meet the boy personally, she would no doubt thank him for saving her from the self destructive way of thinking. She only has second hand experience with his words though, so she'd be lying if she didn't find some doubts about them. Not for her life having no value–she was fully convinced of that–but for the idea of others crying for her death or wanting to save her. This mainly stemmed from the boy being her only experience with such an idea and never seeing it again after that. She never let it bother her though, she found value in herself and didn't need the approval of others to show her that.

And yet sitting in front of her, was a random girl she had only met yesterday–the same one who tried to use her residency of Academy City to her benefit before profusely apologizing and asking to be friends–was showing genuine concern for her wellbeing by trying to prevent her from getting hurt. It was something she hadn't experienced since that boy, so it was certainly a surprise. Her lack of trust in the girl still hadn't changed, and her concern wasn't enough to waver her duty to the mission.

But it was enough for Misaka to consider her feelings.

Reaching into one of the pockets of the guitar case, Misaka pulled out two sets of bluetooth headphones you wrap around your ear; unopened and packed tightly in its plastic case. She removed the plastic and handed one to Sarina.

"'Take this, place it on your ear, and escape through the canyon,' instructs Misaka while putting the other one back in the case pocket. 'It should help ease your concerns if you are able to stay in contact with Misaka,' says Misaka, positioning her goggles over her eyes and connecting them to the F2000R."

"Wait, what about you?"

"'You do not need to worry about Misaka. The mission is the priority, but Misaka is not willing to throw Misaka's life away for it,' says Misaka, identifying the threat's positions to maintain the maximum level of stealth. 'Do not worry, Misaka is perfectly capable of handling the men inside. Commencing retrieval mission now,' says Misaka finding the perfect opportunity to move."

"Wait!" Sarina reached her hand to stop Misaka from leaving but was only met with empty air. The girl Sarina saw as someone trapped in her own fantasy, just ran into a lion's den with a gun that should do more damage to her than the one it's pointing at.

She moved with precision and tranquility inside the barn. Managing to go unnoticed by the men inside despite sticking out like a cute mascot character in a row of armored super soldiers. It was only a matter of time before she did something that would catch their attention.

Rationality was telling her to take the girl's advice and leave before she got hurt. But Sarina's fear of leaving Misaka to the fate of the men inside and doing nothing about it kept her from doing so. But that fear also prevented her from heading inside with her. The fear of what could happen to her own life if she were to take a single step inside. Though, while that fear did play a part in it, there was one other emotion preventing her from leaving. One that conflicted with the idea of staying put and avoiding the danger of the barn. One Sarina questioned why this feeling surfaced at a time such as this.

Misaka stopped at one of the wooden support beams keeping the barn in place. She was now a good distance away from the men and the item they surrounded. She reached into her skirt pocket and pulled out a black metal object with a red button on one end and small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. Other than that, it looked rather plain. Misaka pressed the button on the metal object and threw it into the air as Sarina watched it make a perfect landing in the middle of the group of men.

The moment it hit the ground, all hell broke loose.

The object exploded with an ear-splitting high pitched ring as a white light, bright enough to enveloped half of the barn, flashed right in the middle of the men inside. Blinding and deafening each and every one of them. Including the girl who kept her carelessly curious eyes on the object the moment it exploded.

All Sarina saw was white and all she heard was a deafening ring that blocked out all other sounds. She kept rubbing her eyes out of instinct despite there not being anything inside them. Soon, white turned into blurry imagery while her hearing slowly started coming too. She could faintly hear the sounds of gunshots and…lightning?

She didn't know why she could hear lightning, but that didn't matter to her. What did matter was the bombardment of gunshots echoing throughout the barn. She could only fear the worst at what must have happened to the girl she had only met yesterday. The more her vision came back, the less she wanted to see. What cruel world would kill off the one new friend you made after so long without one?

"Who….this brat?!"

Her ears can now barely make out the angered shouts of the men inside. They seemed to be cursing out something in worried and even fearful shouts. Could the one they're shouting at be Misaka? Sarina expected there to only be a couple shots and then abruptly end after their target's gun exploded on her, yet she could still hear gunfire going on. Could Misaka be handling the situation far more professionally than Sarina thought? In fact, why would a middle school girl carry, at least what looked like, a flash bang?

Sarina's vision and hearing have now returned to normal after seconds of rubbing her eyes. She could now get a clear view of the chaos inside the barn and what Misaka's current condition was. But what she saw in there completely shattered her assumption of the girl.

"Where the hell did she come from?!

"This bitch ain't human! Who shoots lightning out of their hands?"

"Except for…Shit! Does that city have a hit on us now!?"

The once decrepit barn that somehow managed to stay up for all these years turned into a warzone, all directed at one single target. To Sarina, the idea of one person taking on an entire group and winning seemed like a concept that only existed in cliched action movies. But in that barn, Misaka was dodging, shooting, and taking out every single person inside as if it was nothing. Each shot she took hit their target with the pinpoint accuracy of a master marksman despite only being fourteen years old with a firearm that Sarina thought would have exploded by now.

Yet all of those physical and weapon attributes were nothing compared to the power she displayed.

"That's…," Sarina held a breath trying to process the unreal sight before her.

"Lightning."

As Misaka moved through the barn–taking out anyone that got in her way–she shot lightning strikes with a single stroke of her hand that electrocuted anyone it touched. There was no hand held taser, no wires connected to a battery, and no hidden joy buzzer capable of sending 50,000 volts up her sleeve: The girl effortlessly produced pure electricity from thin air like it was nothing.

Sarina assumed Misaka's story to be false based solely on the absurdity of her explanation. Why would Academy City send one of their students–their most notorious scientific achievement capable of extraordinary power–on a mission to another country with the risk of kidnapping? The idea just didn't make sense to her.

But the power and chaos Misaka displayed with such ease showed her just how capable these espers were in the face of danger. Each use of her powers was calculated with precision and decisive shocks. She would target the men at a distance with both her firearm and her shocks while using her electricity as a defensive shield from whoever managed to get close to her. Those that did were either electrocuted from trying to grab her or were met with a swift lightning-covered kick or palm strike. To Sarina, she was the embodiment of Academy City's esper program: A person capable of extraordinary power unknown to man.

All of Saina's doubts, suspicions, and uncertainties were swept away by the girl's true nature, and were replaced by a feeling of pure admiration. The words "so cool" unconsciously escaped her mouth as she watched in astonishment at Misaka in full chaotic display. Each erratic yet precise strike of her power only fueled the wonder and amazement in Sarina's eyes. A power capable of taking out multiple armed thugs with such ease that left bodies in its path.

The scene of a middle school girl shooting volts of lightning at a living being with such a neutral and uncaring expression would have horrified anyone who witnessed such an event. Yet the thought never even occurred to Sarina as she watched Misaka swiftly disarm the man who wore the unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt as he was trying to strike her with a switchblade before landing a lighting-induced gut punch.

"'All known targets eliminated,' says Misaka surveying the area."

Just as she said, all the men who once enveloped the barn with a foreboding and threatening atmosphere, now lay wasted on the dirt floor at the hands of the true threat in the barn. Some of them were convulsing from the electric shocks. It was a sight Sarina had never imagined she would witness in her lifetime of mundanity.

Sarina remained frozen at the hole entrance of the barn despite any visible threats being on the ground covered in the dirt they stood on not five minutes ago. It wasn't out of fear of the possibility of one of them hiding in the shadows ready to counter attack. Nor out of fear of the girl displaying such raw power like nothing with such a neutral expression. It was the reality of the situation slowly setting in on the girl as she looked over the barn.

While the well-being of the men weren't at the forefront of Sarina's mind during Misaka's onslaught, she wasn't cruel enough to wish for their deaths after being on the receiving end of multiple gunshots and electric attacks. Sarina walks to the nearest thug laying with his back arched against the decrepit wooden wall to confirm his state. As soon as she got closer to the unconscious man–expecting to find blood leaking out of bullet holes or charred skin–she found no blood coming from the man or any life threatening injuries. Sarina looked around the dirt floor for signs of ammo until quickly finding something in her search.

Picking it up, she found a gray tube with a rounded tip small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. It was something she hadn't seen before, but judging by the shape and texture of it, the description could only fit one thing.

'Rubber bullets?'

They were a special series of ammunition made entirely of rubber with the exception of a small metal core. They're primarily used for riot control so as not to kill anyone, yet that didn't stop them from causing serious injuries. If Sarina were to lift up the man's shirt, she would no doubt find serious bruises and gashes. Seeing the use of scarring but non-killable ammunition, Sarina brought her hand to check for the man's pulse. He was still breathing despite being the victim of rubber ammunition and electrical charges.

To her surprise, the man's heart was still beating albeit slowly. Sarina looked over the man's physical condition and saw no signs of lethal scarring from lightning. She set down her fingers from the man's neck and looked back at the rubber bullet.

'She said she was on a top secret mission from Academy City that was so dangerous that she needed to bring weapons,' thought Sarina while inspecting the used rubber ammunition. 'If they were going against a place as big and secretive as Academy City, you'd think they wouldn't want any loose ends.'

Despite her love and admiration for the city, Sarina wasn't blind enough to believe it was an innocent and pure wonderland like you would initially think. Every country has its share of shady practices and she believed Academy City was no exception. Especially with how closed off they are. So the idea that the men who dared to steal from the city were to be silenced by them didn't sound too out of the ordinary for her, even if she didn't like it.

Yet the girl who was sent on a retrieval mission from that very city purposefully chose to use ammunition only capable of injury and electric attacks with the voltage of a police taser. Sarina was glad she didn't result in killing, but the fact she didn't for such a serious and special operative mission surprised her.

Turning her head to find the girl in question looking over the mysterious object–seeming to be lost in her own thoughts–Sarina found respect for not only Misaka's abilities, but her character as well. Miska still didn't want to take their lives and chose non-lethal methods to take care of the men. Even with the risk of them leaking information from Academy City. Sarina couldn't help but smile in admiration for her.

Sarina and Misaka were so focused on their own sights that neither of them noticed Duke pop up out of a pile of dried hay sprinting from around the container and be-lining it towards the one responsible for taking out his men.

Misaka sensed the man before he even turned the corner of the shipping container and sent out an electric bolt to take care of him. What Misaka didn't account for was Duke throwing a sheet of metal from the rusted tractor in front of him and towards her. To some it could be viewed as the man frantically throwing something in hopes to catch Misaka off guard. However, that would be underestimating Duke's crafty mind.

The lightning bolt hit the metal sheet first, causing a massive spark that blinded Misaka and allowed Duke to deal a heavy kick to her stomach before she could aim her assault rifle. Misaka attempted to aim and fire the plastic layered rifle the instant she got her barings, but unfortunately Duke raised his own pistol first.

"Not so special now, huh?"

The change in power dynamic was so sudden that Sarina hadn't processed the man's actions until he pointed that gun in her new friend's face. Though for reasons she could only assume was hesitation at killing a middle schooler, the man didn't shoot. Allowing her mind to catch up with the scene before her and how the man was able to accomplish such a feat.

If you think about the purpose of the metal, most people would conclude that Duke predicted Misaka would use an electric attack and used the metal from the tractor to attract the lightning away from her intended target and used the spark to blind her. They would be correct for the most part as Duke's intention was to blind and distract Misaka. However they would be missing one crucial fact.

Metal does not attract electricity. It's a common myth people make due to metal being highly conductive. However a piece of metal won't just simply attract lightning like many believe. You would need a lightning rod and the only way one can work is to have it at the highest point and wire that channeled electricity into the ground. The barn had nothing of the sort, and even if it did, Duke would have no time to set one up. So what was the purpose of the sheet of metal?

In truth, any object would have worked for his plan. Duke's true goal was to slow down the speed of the lightning by having it hit an object. That way he only needed to dodge the speed of a flying object rather than lightning. It was a crafty, yet high risk strategy. Duke had no way of predicting if Misaka would use her power rather than her gun, nor did he have a sure fire way of having the lightning hit the metal cover. Even his plan to only dodge the struck metal wasn't full proof. Yet he put all of his cards into this risk-return tradeoff.

That was just the kind of man Duke Hardy was.

"I knew Academy City would be after us. You came here to silence us right?!" Duke shouted at the downed Misaka with growing anxiety and anger. "Ta think they'd actually send a kid though. Then again, you ain't no normal brat."

Misaka said nothing and remained alert at the man's sudden hesitation. Sarina did not know why she wasn't doing anything despite being far more powerful than him. So she could only guess it was because despite her abilities, she couldn't dodge a bullet at that close of range. Such a display reminded Sarina of the cruel reality that even with incredible power, they are still only human.

"Yeah, you ain't no normal brat. You took out all my men like it was nothing," Dukes agitation rose into fury to mask his feelings of helplessness. "Fine," Duke said, letting go of any hesitation he held within. "If Academy City wants our heads, then they can take 'em. But we're not going down without crushing those bastards in Rinas City! I don't care if you're a kid. If you didn't hesitate against us, then I won't hesitate either!"

Time stood still for Sarina as the man pointed the barrel of his gun in between the eyes of her new found friend. Her interpersonal admiration was replaced by the fear of reality. It was the first time that Sarina had felt such genuine fear. The first time she had ever froze up. The first time her chest ached as fast. Short breaths escaped her throat and sweat rolled down her cold body.

It would be the first time she saw someone die.

Before she knew it, Sarina was running towards the man holding her new friend at gunpoint.

"Hey! Asshole!"

The crass shout of the middle schooler echoed throughout the decrepit barn surprising both the man with the firearm and the girl who was in its line of direction. Standing with the otherworldly egg raised high above her head, Sarina stood with conviction and anger. Though the core of those emotions were the fear of losing a new found friend. She knew that she had no chance at fighting off a man twice her size holding a gun. So she did the best thing she could think of and hold the item the man seemed to care about hostage.

"Another one?" Duke was becoming frustrated at the derailment of his plans more than it already has. Sarina maintained the eggs position above her head and gave an angered yet anxious shout at Duke. "Y-You want this right!? Then drop the gun or I'll smash it!"

Duke felt cornered. Despite having easy access to his pistol, the girl's threat to destroy the egg shaped object had him at a standstill. He didn't understand what the object itself was nor did he have any idea how to use it, but he knew it must have been important to Academy City. If they were going to steal their technology, then he figured they would try and take it back. So he was planning to use the item in Sarina's hands as a bargaining chip to keep them at bay until they take care of their own business. He wasn't even sure it could be broken, but he didn't want to risk that possibility.

Misaka, however, did know the nature of the object. Or at least she knew it was something that cannot be so easily broken; she had nothing to worry about regarding its safety. What confused her though was Sarina's actions. She understood that Sarina was worried for her, but to risk her own life after witnessing Misaka display her powers and military grade tactics seemed rather pointless. Despite being kicked back by Duke, she still had a plan to counter. She was biding her time during his hesitation for the perfect opportunity to strike with her ability.

She just needed to focus and wait for the right opportunity.

"Ok girl, just calm down," said Duke trying to diffuse the already tense situation. "I won't hurt your friend if you just put that…'thing' down."

The halted bated breaths; the rising of her heart rate; the tight grasp of her heart. Despite the conviction behind her threat, Sarina did not look so confident in her claim. Her legs shook and her arms barely able to maintain her hostage above her head. It would be a lie to say she was not overcome by fear at her actions. Yet there was another emotion behind her behavior. Something that one may confuse with fear depending on the circumstance.

"Like I would fall for that! Put down your gun first!"

What mattered though, was that that emotion is what's driving her to confront the threat in front of her.

"She may be someone I just recently met, and I didn't exactly make a good impression either. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she still didn't trust me after that." Sarina spoke with lament from recalling her selfish behavior regarding Misaka. But steeled her resolve and spoke with true conviction in her words. "But if you don't put that gun down and back away from her right now, I'll smash this thing!

Duke stepped back at Sarina's threat. "Are you kidding? That 'thing' belongs to Academy City! Do you have any idea how valuable that could be to them? You break that and you'll have a target on your back too!"

"You think I care?!" Sarina's voice echoed throughout the barn. It held enough conviction and anger to even spook Duke and shock Misaka. "Are you saying some weird egg thing is worth more than someone's life? Screw that!"

In that moment, she held no fear or regrets over what the consequences may be for destroying a piece of Academy City property. Even if her action could lead to making an enemy of the city she adored, then she'll weather through that storm. To her, putting greater value on an object over a person's life was just absurd. "If it means saving her life, then I won't hesitate to smash this thing to bits!"

A true threat with conviction that did not waver no matter what was used against her. Sarina's declaration roared throughout the barn and even had Duke take a step back at her demeanor. However, the one who was completely stunned by her words was Misaka. They had only met yesterday, and yet here she stood willing to risk her life and make an enemy of the most highly advanced city throughout the world.

The last remnants of Sarina's threat echoed throughout the barn before being met with complete silence. Neither the girl who shook the decrepit walls with her voice, the cornered leader of a gang that was losing the power he thought he had, nor the girl who wielded incredible power said a word.

The only sound that occurred was a giant ball crashing through the roof of the barn.

With a loud metallic thud that reverberated throughout the area, a giant mass of yellow and black landed on top of the metal shipping container. Despite its size and the supposed impact though, the shipping container remained unharmed. Whether this was a testament to the light weight of the object or the durability of an Academy City shipping container was unknown.

All eyes were locked onto the strange appearance of the giant object with faces of pure shock and confusion. The object remained still with only slight movements of tendons; as if it was processing its location. Said tendons were dark yellow and black tentacles of various sizes. Despite taking the form of a ball, it was more akin to a giant mass of these tentacles bottled and mixed together. How it was able to see the area despite this was thanks to an abundance of humanoid eyes layered across the back of each tentacle. The front of course had suction cups but with an outer layer of razor-sharp teeth.

Its appearance was horrifying, yet captivating. Sarina could not look away from the being that belonged nowhere. Not even the mystery of the mysterious egg phased her as much as this. It was as if all semblance of normality was shattered along with the wooden roof. The longer she kept her eyes on it, the more she lost herself in it. It was as if simply looking at it was enough to control your mind and lose yourself.

Misaka was just as lost at the sudden appearance as Sarina. However, while Sarina was captivated by it, Misaka was coming up with any possible explanation for it. A highly advanced animatronic; a mutated octopus due to years of chemical dumping; a secret experiment sent by a shady organization; an extraterrestrial crash landing in the barn; all possible explanations just seemed too superficial to her. Even if some of those possibilities could occur in Academy City, they were nowhere near the city for such events to occur. And there was no country in existence that could rival Academy City when it comes to science. So what was this creature that defied the very nature of science?

Sarina was stunned, Misaka was calculating, and all the while Duke was broken. He knew his life would change after coming across that shipping container. He knew it would give him the opportunity to show that the ones who took him in at his lowest were not weak. That the Yellow Enigmas were not a group to be trifled with. That they were more than just a petty gang of delinquents.

To be free from control of those in the elite.

Duke was willing to do anything to have the Yellow Enigmas reach that vision. Even if it meant turning against its former leader and beating him out of the gang. As much as it pained him, he knew it was the only way. Their leader wanted them to remain in the shadows. To stay low to the ground and not cause trouble. To work as dogs for those who don't want to get their hands dirty. He, along with the rest of the Yellow Enigmas, had enough of it. He was going to use the technology of Academy City and use it to earn the respect and freedom they deserve.

And all of that came crashing down the moment a middle schooler showed up and took out all of his men. Everything he's worked for, the things he's too late to go back on, were for nothing. All he had left was the contraption inside the shipping container and the otherworldly object currently being held hostage in another middle schoolers hands. With his plans spiraling into a greater depth of failures he could not foresee, it was surprising how Duke managed to compose himself despite this.

However, the sudden appearance of a monster would drive anyone to their breaking point.

"Ah…Ahhh…"

The shrill scream of a man who has lost everything broke the two girls from their thoughts and caught the attention of the monster.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Duke raised his pistol and unloaded all rounds into the slimy skinned tentacles of the creature. Despite its other worldly existence, each bullet managed to puncture the slimy yet rough muscle of the tentacles. A liquid of unrecognizable colors spilled with its wounds as it ran down the beast's arms, dripping atop each other like leftover raindrops on plants. Looking at the liquid gave a nauseating sensation to Sarina's head that she wasn't sure if it was just because it was a different colored blood.

Yet the monstrosity gave no reaction. It wasn't that the bullets weren't effective or it wasn't harmed, it simply paid no mind to them. The presence of such an insignificant pain was comparable to a bee sting on an elephant.

The creature swiftly swatted Duke away as his whole body flew back and crashed through the decrepit wood of the barn. While Sarina and Misaka were in the range of the monster's arm, they managed to avoid being hit by taking notice of its raised arm and dodging at the right moment. Duke could have avoided it just as easily if he wasn't consumed by his own blind panic and rage.

While it was a powerful strike to the humans, what the monster did was no more than a casual backhanded slap. It did not care about the man's meltdown, nor did it concern itself with whether or not he was alive after that hit. He was an annoyance, so it got rid of him. That was the clear intention Sarina understood by watching its body language.

The sudden need for action snapped Sarina out of her trance on the monstrosity and was now focused on the matter at hand. Different thoughts conflicted within her mind as she got off the ground while carrying the egg. Each one trying to make sense of the monster's mere existence. But, just like Misaka, nothing about it made sense to her. The possible conclusion was that it was also sent from Academy City just like Misaka. As it was the only place in the world the being could possibly come from. It wouldn't be surprising to Sarina for them to have the capacity to create monsters.

'But,' Sarina thought, 'Why does Misaka look so hostile towards it? If it was sent here just like her, shouldn't they be on the same side?'

The waving limbs of the monster suddenly stopped mid motion when one of its eyes noticed Sarina and the object that was just as otherworldly as it. It moved forward; each stretch of its limbs inching closer with layers of eyes that not once leaving Sarina's gaze. It felt like everything in that room was trapped in time where the only things in it were Sarina and the creature. One too focused on the perception of the other. Each second Sarina stared at it, she felt like she was losing herself.

The cackling of lightning hitting flesh was what broke Sarina and the creature out of their trance.

"Run!"

Misaka shouted like she never had before and unleashed every ounce of her esper power all at once into the being. Her desperation was enough to not even use her usual speaking habit. But despite her incredible display with the armed men earlier, they were nothing compared to the creature. All her attack did was stun it , but that was all Sarina needed. Now broken out of the monster's trance, Sarina could focus and made a dash for the hole in the barn Misaka and she used to enter.

Sarina didn't like the idea of leaving her new friend behind to confront the monster, but she now knew the capabilities the girl possessed and trusted that she would be able to escape. While that still didn't stop her from worrying, now was not the time for that. Sarina had to focus on escaping the clutches of the ball of monstrosity herself. Sarina took one step out of the decrepit barn and turned the corner to go back the way she came.

Which was her plan until a giant tentacle crashed through the barn's walls and blocked her path. Sarina tried to turn back and go around the barn from the other side, but the tentacle moved too fast for her to outrun. Her only path to escape was to dodge out of the way of the oncoming strike.

And into the downhill slope of assorted trees and bushes.

"Oh God," was all Sarina could say before tumbling down the dirt slope. She instinctively wrapped her arms around her head to prevent any injury that could kill her, but in doing so, let go of the egg that was now tumbling with her. All she could do now was shut her eyes and hope that she wouldn't die from the fall. The constant feeling of small pebbles scraping across her body; The sudden and random impact of hitting a tree trunk; the feeling of pointed leaves poking her skin through the small openings in her clothing. Sarina was lucky that her jeans and sweater managed to prevent any scratches or large gashes that would come with these injuries, but that did not mean she didn't feel the impact and quick pain they would cause. It was a pain she had not felt since her days of childhood playing at the park and got scratches as a consequence for getting too rowdy. But she did not care as she continued to enjoy herself in the innocent excitement. It was the feeling she had not felt since then.

Before she knew it, the bombartment of impacts and scratches ended with a final stomp as her body hit the dirt floor at the bottom of the slope. The stop of the constant movement allowed her body to fully process what happened and from the pain she felt earlier to catch up to her. Pain coursing through her body where she wanted nothing more than to lay down till they went away. But she couldn't do that.

"Where…" Sarina could barely process her words as batted breaths escaped her mouth. "...Is it?"

Fighting through the intense aching of her body, Sarina got up onto her knees and looked around the canyon. The landscape was nothing but dirt and dead plants that contrasted with the lively–though dry– bushes and trees she fell through. Layered with different sized dirt hills covered in bike tracks no doubt caused by the highschool boys using it as a make-shift BMX track. Sarina turned her head looking for the object till she found it a few feet from her. Both Sarina and the object fell headlong into the slope and faced the same injuries, yet the thing didn't have a scratch; not even a single layer of dirt on it. Sarina, fighting through the pained bruises, stumbled over to it and picked it up. It didn't even have dirt from where it layed on the ground. As if it was preserving itself from any outside corruption.

Sarina inspected the oddity of the object as she held it. Its surface is soft and moldable as skin yet tough as a rock when she knocked on it with her fist. The more she observed it, the more disturbed yet curious she became of its existence.

"What…is this thing?"

The thunderous sound of piles of wood simultaneously breaking apart snapped Sarina out of her trance and brought her back to the reality of her situation. Atop the hill she fell down stood the giant being using the eyes all over its tentacles to survey the area. It easily found Sarina at the bottom of the hill.

Their eyes locked onto each other, and Sarina felt something within the monster. Earlier, it showed indifference to the man trying to directly harm it. So all it did was sweep him away like a common house fly. But looking directly at the eyes of the creature, Sarina knew it felt something she never wanted to be on the receiving end of.

Malice.

Not waiting for it to make the first move, Sarina picked up the egg-shaped object and ran towards the opposite side of the canyon at full sprint. While she wasn't looking at the creature, she knew it was making its way towards her based on the sounds of it forcefully moving the trees to get to her. So her only focus was getting as far away from it as possible. Her body ached with each step as the bruises from the fall down felt like needles stabbing into her skin. Yet she pushed through the pain and ran up a hill on the other side of the canyon, getting a good distance away from the creature.

The pain grew more intense, yet something within her pushed her forward and kept hold of the egg, rather than just give it to the creature and save herself. One would probably call it an irrational thought in a fight-or-flight situation or that she wanted to protect the thing her new friend was trying to get back. Those were certainly two of the reasons she held on tight to the egg and ran, but there was another reason: a dormant emotion within her. Not of fear from dying to that monster, but from something else.

It was the same feeling that kept her in place in that risky situation at the barn and prevented her from leaving. That feeling only grew stronger as she dodged the occasional attack from the creature. From almost getting blasted by the new friend she held onto the egg for. The sudden arrival of gunfire from a six-winged helicopter.

It rose from the deepest parts of her mind until finally, it manifested as an expression on her face.

"...Ha…Haha."

---

"'Today has certainly not gone in Misaka's favor,' says Misaka 19637, relieved to not be in Misaka 10532's situation.'

The girl known as 10532 was prepared for a lot of possibilities when it came to her mission. She ever thought of any failure and came up with ways to counter them. What she didn't expect was a giant monster to show up and try to take her target. It was such an unlikely occurrence that she didn't blame herself for not thinking of it, as no one could possibly prepare for such a thing.

Though, she did feel slight frustration–even if she didn't physically show it– on not accounting for running into one of the residents in the middle of her operation; Let alone the same person twice. As not only did it endanger a civilian life, but their death could lead to a conflict with the US. And, to her, that endangerment would be her fault.

However, it was that civilian presence at the scene that ultimately saved her from the fate of both that man and the monster. Though her threat to destroy her target would be bad for not only 10532, but for Academy City and the US, the act did stall the man long enough for Misaka to prepare a counter attack. If the monster hadn't shown up, 10532 would have incapacitated him while he was distracted with Sarina.

10532 had also fully prepared to fight off the monster if it meant getting the target safe and to her partner. She didn't know how long she would last though due to the unknown nature of the creature. So she would hold it off long enough to buy enough time for Sarina and then escape. However, the creature ultimately ignored her and chose to pursue Sarina instead while she ran off with both their targets.

Now here she is currently running through the streets of Rinas Town and analyzing the roof of each building she passes in hopes of getting a clear view of Sarina and the creature's location. All the while listening to the voice of her partner.

"'Misaka needs a sniping position to locate the target and our sudden obstacle,' orders Misaka 10532."

"'There should be an apartment building approximately 300 feet from your location,'Says Misaka 19637 recalling your previous coordinates."

The voice echoed in 10532's head as she rounded the corner to find the apartment building the one known as 19637 was talking about. They spoke to each other as if they were over a radio, yet the bluetooth earpiece 10532 had was only connected to the one Sarina wore. So how were they talking to each other?

This is the Misaka Network: A brainwave network connected to 10532 and 19637 minds as a means to communicate and share information with each other. However, they are not the only ones who are able to use it.

"'Misaka still finds it strange that that girl coincidentally interrupted our mission,' says Misaka 18654 skeptical of her sudden appearance. 'Even if she did aid us in a way, the likelihood of her unintentionally running into Misaka 10532 is less than 2.05%,' says Misaka 18654, oddly amazed by the chances despite her skepticism."

There are others with access to this network. All with the same name, face, and speech pattern.

At 6 years old, soon to be level 5 Mikoto Misaka provided her DNA map to Academy City in hopes of developing a cure for muscular dystrophy. Only for those same researchers to use that DNA in an attempt to make perfect clones of her known as Project Radio. However that attempt failed as it was impossible to produce a perfect copy of the level 5's abilities as the clones could only reach a level 2. So they settled for a new use for them: to create a level 6. By getting the first ranked level 5 to eliminate 20,000 clones–otherwise known as "sisters"–they believed that he would eventually turn into a level 6.

And so, the slaughter of these sisters began with over 10,000 of them being eliminated at the hands of Academy City's first rank. The sisters went along with the project believing that their lives held no value other than the completion of the experiment. Their slaughter was simply the purpose of their existence and they accepted that.

That is until that boy arrived to stop it. The boy, who soon inspired these sisters to cherish and live their lives how they see fit, ended the entire experiment simply with the swing of his right hand. He defeated the first rank and, in the researchers' eyes, brought him down to his level as the weakest. So they decided to end the experiment due to this belief. As a result, all remaining 10,000 sisters were placed in cooperative institutes around the world. Regularly receiving testing and treatment with a new purpose: to live their lives while occasionally doing missions tasked to them by the city.

10532 and 19637 were on such a mission. The night after already completing a different assignment, the equipment used to treat the sisters was badly damaged. So Academy City had prepared to send them replacements. However, for reasons unknown, the shipping containers were mixed up and what was being delivered contained highly confidential cargo. To make matters worse, the cargo plane containing it crashed somewhere in either Rinas Town or Rinas City with no way of finding it. So the two sisters were tasked with inspecting both areas and recovering them.

They were hoping things didn't turn out like this.

"'While Misaka is also skeptical of her sudden arrival, that is not the main focus right now,' says Misaka 10532 putting in the wireless earbud she bought after getting up the flight of stairs. 'What matters is finding a way to stop our sudden pursuer and retrieve the EQU. DarkMatter prototype,' concludes Misaka 10532 assembling her anti-material rifle."

Just as with her Toy Soldier, the guitar case on 10532's back–which she managed to grab when the monster chased after Sarina– also contained the parts necessary for assembling another firearm. This one however was much more destructive. The 20mm anti-material rifle was capable of firing at over 1,000 meters per second with an energy output capable of blowing a hole through a tank and the one behind it. So powerful that it can only be fired while mounted on something using the attached stand so that the recoil doesn't break your shoulder. Though, even that isn't enough to hold back the sheer force. It was more appropriate to refer to it as a cannon rather than a simple rifle

10532 held that very cannon and used the scope to survey the area looking for her target. Soon enough she found it in the arms of the Sarina currently running for her life from the giant monstrosity that jeopardized her mission. 10532 loaded and chambered a round in her 20mm and carefully aimed the scope at the monster closing in on Sarina as one of its tentacles raised just above her head to go for a strike.

BOOM

The sound of a contained explosion that echoed throughout the neighborhood came from the rifle as a single bullet blew off the arm of the monster before it had the chance to land a hit. Earlier that monster merily ignored the bullet wounds from Duke. That simple failed action told 10532 everything she needed to know about the creature's durability. While it may not have reacted to them, it did tell 10532 that the body was capable of being damaged even if the creature either didn't feel pain or had a massive tolerance to it. Either way, what mattered was that it could be harmed.

And just as 10532 hoped, the monster halted its pursuit of the target to rile in pain at the giant hole in one of its tentacles. A development that Sarina seemed to greatly appreciate. "Misaka, thank God! I'll do nothing but give my undying love until the day I die after what you did for me!" Sarina shouted through her earpiece while running from a pursuer that was no longer there.

"'Misaka is grateful for your gratitude' says Misaka ignoring your attempt at a confession." As 10532 was observing Sarina through her scope, something in the corner caught her attention. The moment she set her sights on it, she immediately worked on disassembling her rifle to get ready to move.

On the display of the scope lens, she saw one of Academy City's pilot free controlled military helicopters: The HsAFH-11, otherwise known as Six Wings. 10532's attack on the monster revealed her location to it and it was currently making its way towards both her and Sarina.

"'However, it appears that Misaka's location has been compromised and must now relocate to a different sniping position' says Misaka packing her weapon into her bag as she makes a daring escape."

"Wait what?! You're leaving me on my own again!?" Sarina shouted at her, stunned at her utter betrayal.

The Six Wings is a state-of-the-art attack helicopter with 6 "wings" on either side of the craft loaded with guns and equipment. A craft capable of moving at mach 2.5 would no doubt get to her in no time at all. So 10532 moved quickly after reassembling her 20mm and making her way down the stairs. Her rifle is capable of destroying the Six Wings, but she couldn't risk it attacking her before she had the chance to reload. So her best option is to find a new sniping point and attack when it's unaware.

This however meant that Sarina was gonna be on her own for the time being.

"'Misaka will not be able to aid you right now' says Misaka as she does a sick jump over a railing. 'Make sure not to lose the item you are carrying as it is incredibly valuable to Academy City,' says Misaka giving a scolding order believing you might easily drop it."

"Give it back! Give me back the gratitude I had for you!"

Ignoring Sarina's pleas, 10532 made her way out of the building and ran from the scene; taking back alleys to lose the pursuit of the Six Wings. "'Misaka needs a new position. Preferable one that is uncompromisable,' says Misaka 10532 asking for a second opinion."

"'Misaka personally does not see the need to answer when 10532 should already have the layout of the Rinas Town memorized. Even if 10532 were to forget, that information should already be within the Misaka network,' says Misaka 12943 confused by 10532 inability to remember such crucial detail."

"'Actually, Misaka and 10532 have found that discussing information with a second party provides a 30% increase in information gathering,' says Misaka 19637 in defense of 10532. 'It is said that it helps make connections to knowledge you already know.'"

"'Misaka can confirm this,' says Misaka 13896, providing her piece into the discussion. 'Yesterday Misaka was on a really hard part of this detective game and found that discussing it with 17105 made things easier.'"

A collective "Ahh" and "I see" echoed throughout the Misaka Network as if they were in a board meeting and came to an agreed conclusion. All the while 10532 found her next vantage point at the top of a different apartment complex and made her way up to the roof. Perhaps she really didn't need to ask.

"'Hm, perhaps the act of discussing data doesn't cause faster results but rather the presence of another individual,' says Misaka 10532 presenting a new hypothesis. 'Misaka wonders if Academy City is researching things like this,' says Misaka 10532 while reassembling her 20mm, hoping that the Six Wings' turrets will be unable to detect her this time."

It is surprising how often the sisters discuss mundane things with each other when in life or death situations. Perhaps there is a benefit in sharing your brain with 10,000 of yourself.

10532 lines up her scope to get a good view of what the targets state was. At the end of the scope she found Sarina still carrying her target while being chased by both the military helicopter and the return of the giant black and yellow monstrosity. '"Target confirmed and appears to be unharmed. However, Misaka does not know how long that will last with both the Six Wings and that monster pursuing her,' says Misaka loading her 20mm despite being unsure of who to aim for.'"

"'The Six Wings is far too dangerous to handle, so it would be best to take care of it first," says Misaka 14296 offering her suggestion. 'While that monster is unknown, we at least know it can be harmed,' concludes Misaka 14296."

"'You're forgetting that the mission was to retrieve the stolen property,' counters Misaka 10032, now having the opportunity to provide her thoughts."

"'Not necessarily," says Misaka 10532. 'Misaka was also told that we are allowed to destroy the equipment to prevent any leaks of the city's technology. However, that is only to be used as a last resort and Misaka is unsure if this falls within that category,' says Misaka not wanting to risk failing the mission."

"'In that case, Misaka should think carefully on whether or not this constitutes a last resort,' says Misaka 10078 analyzing our options."

"'The Six Wings has already been compromised since someone would have to be controlling it somewhere,' says Misaka 18420. 'Perhaps that man from earlier survived?'"

"'But would that qualify if there is still a chance to take it back?' counters Misaka 19637 hoping to not destroy the aircraft."

"'Maybe,' says Misaka 15769. 'But Misaka feels that doesn't warrant the risk,' says Misaka analyzing 10532's predicament despite not really understanding what is happening.

10532 had tuned out of her internal board meeting for some time, feeling that it would only stall her on what was important. Her target was being carried by a girl she just met as she's being chased by a state of the art military aircraft with its machine gun turrets aimed right at her, along with a mysterious morphing ball of sentient tentacles chasing the girl like a wild animal. 10532 didn't have enough time to discuss the pros and cons on who to shoot as both targets were drawing closer to her. So she took aim and prepared to fire either one of them. Though before she could lay her finger on the trigger, something about the girl on the other end of her scope caught her attention.

Earlier Sarina had been screaming in terror at the monster and military craft chasing after her with full intention of taking the object in her arms; even at the cost of her life. Her screams weren't unwarranted as she was still crying out now.

"Ha…haha…"

And yet…

"Ghahahaha! I swear! I'm seriously gonna die! Hahahahahaha!"

Despite her screams of terror from before, Sarina held the brightest smile 10532 had ever seen. She expressed fear at the potential end of her life, yet as she ran from the destruction of bullets raining down above her and a monster prepared to rip her body into pieces like a rabid animal, Sarina smiled and laughed with the innocence of a child getting exactly what they wanted for Christmas.

"Misaka you jerk! You left me on my own against these things! Hahahaha! Who does that?! Hahahahaha!"

10532 didn't know it, but a repressed desire was slowly surfacing out of Sarina the moment she met her; guiding her actions without her realizing. Running from the angered resident, exploring the barn, staying behind to watch 10532 fight off the men inside, declaring to make the very city she looked up to her enemy, and even running for her life were all guided by this one innate desire.

Excitement

Just as the Six Wings fired off an anti-armor missile that erupted the concrete road into an orange cloud of dust and smoke. That excitement burst from within Sarina's mind and took form into pure genuine smile and laughter as she ran through the dust cloud with the monster right behind her. It held no malice, no madness, no derangement. It was the innocent smile of someone finally finding something that brings them that excitement.

"Hahaha! Oh God what the hell is going on with my life! I just wanted to return some goggles! Hahahahaha!

"'She really is an odd girl,' comments Misaka as she picks her target and aims."

With those final words, 10532 took aim and fired.

---

I'M BACK BITCHES

And now I'm leaving again cause idk how long it'll take me to write the next chapter. I got videos to make, bad art pieces to draw, and a job that actually pays me.

I know not a lot of people read this, but it means a lot to me as this fic is meant to embody the things I love about Toaru, its world, and (some of) its stories. And because of that I will never shut up about my girls Sarina and 10532. Plus, it feels good to actually get some kind of writing out since I always had a love for storytelling; even if my writing itself isn't the best.

But I'm also bad at taking the time to write and not just because of other personal projects and IRL stuff. So this follows a strict, it's done when it's done basis for each chapter. But I still appreciate the 10 people who like it and will try to work on it more.

With that outta the way, see ya next time, and Happy Holidays.