Welcome back everyone, chapter 3 is finally here. This is a long one, 10,000 words to be exact. Time for some truths to be uncovered. Just a heads up this chapter will contain some graphic descriptions of murder and panic attacks and just overall horrible stuff. Please be prepared for such descriptions. There will be extremely dark moments in this story so this chapter will serve as a test dive into that darkness. Additionally I will be drawing art for this story soon so look forward to that. Please write a review so I can continue to improve and deliver an even better story to all of you. Now, without further ado please enjoy the new chapter!

Chapter III: World Engine – Ultimate_Ability.

"Well, I guess I have some explaining to do…"

The silence hung thick in Misaka and Shirai's dorm room as everyone awaited for Stryker to continue talking. Stryker and Misaka were sitting on her bed while the other three were sitting on Shirai's bed. Shirai, Saten, and Uiharu were patiently waiting for what the red eyed girl would say next, and after a minute of fidgeting Stryker let out a sigh and spoke up.

"I guess I'll start from the beginning, this is a long story so get comfortable." She said and waited for everyone to settle themselves.

"I'll start with how my parents met, they met at a science expo in America, my father was American and my mom was Chinese. They both were doing research on human evolution and had very similar views so they decided to combine their research efforts. They both theorized that the next stages in human evolution would not be a physical change but a mental change." Stryker said before continuing.

"Specifically their theory was that we live in a multiverse that is composed of many individually existing and self contained universes like ours. And when an individual has evolved enough they gain an ultimate power that allows them to leave their universe to create other universes." She said, waiting for the information to sink into the three listeners who didn't already know this story. Shirai was the first to speak up.

"So what you are saying is that your parents believed that our universe was created by an individual who transcended their own world? In other words God?" She said, her face showing hints of confusion. After all, Academy City was an institution of science, the notion of a god creating the universe was completely ignored.

"Yes, they thought that such a system would be able to prove the creation ideals of both science and religion as correct. Stryker replied and Uiharu spoke up next.

"So what were your parents trying to achieve exactly?"

"Their goal was to understand how someone could obtain such power and how long it would take to achieve that power. This was the crux of the issue for their research, it was such a preposterous idea that they couldn't get any backing to help fund the research on a large scale. That was when they heard about Academy City and the esper development program. They thought that with such technology and the capability to give people supernatural abilities it was just a matter of time and some luck for someone to achieve an ability that allows them to transcend our world."

"In Academy City the proper term would be SYSTEM." Misaka elaborated, and Shirai responded when she noticed Saten and Uiharu's confused expressions.

"SYSTEM refers to an esper who has achieved an all powerful ability that is comparable to God, a Level 6, this is the ultimate goal of Academy City. she finished.

"Correct, after some time my parents officially got together and weren't just research partners, so they decided it was the right time to move here and continue their research. Upon arriving here and paneling their research idea to the Board of Directors they got all the research funds and equipment they needed. Even early on they were suspicious about how fast they got funds so they took precautions to keep published information related to their research limited without looking suspicious." Stryker paused to take a breather before continuing, she looked to Misaka and she nodded her head, encouraging her to continue.

"Now this is where I come in, this might be a shocker to you but i'm… not a natural human. I was artificially grown and genetically altered. My parents didn't want to experiment on children so they decided to create one themselves in an unconventional way. They wanted to create the "perfect human" to wield the "perfect ability". They spent many years studying esper abilities and what leads to their development and why some are more powerful than others and what the common factors between them are. To this day I don't know how they came to the conclusion they did but they did find an answer, and as a result I was born."

"It wasn't a conventional birth, they simply took me out of the cultivation chamber when I matured to infancy. Before Stryker could continue, Uiharu abruptly spoke up.

"Wait! so… Are you saying that you are perfect? Uiharu asked in disbelief and the others looked to share the same question.

"Genetically speaking, yes I am perfect. I possess greater physical attributes than the greatest athletes in the world due to the way my muscle fibers are arranged that makes them more dense without compromising their integrity, therefore allowing me to be incredibly strong and fast without my body looking like it has massive muscles. My organs are perfect, I have no deficiencies. I even have a photographic memory. The only reason I wouldn't consider myself truly perfect is because I still have emotions, a truly perfect being would only think logically and wouldn't be slowed in its thinking because of emotions.

"Wow, that's truly incredible, I had no idea such alterations to the human body were even possible." Uiharu said with amazement, Saten spoke up next.

"But Stryker, how does it make you feel knowing that your parents created you just as a way to prove their theory?" Saten asked a loaded question. To everyone's shock Stryker chuckled.

"You misunderstand, proving their theory wasn't their only goal, they really did want a child. They had no idea if I would even possess the ultimate ability at the time. When I was born they gave me all the love and care in the world, they raised me like any normal child and If I ended up possessing the ultimate ability then that was a bonus. I never have and never will hold that against them." Stryker responded with confidence and a hint of sadness, before continuing.

"I matured rather quickly and soon my parents put me through the power development program utilizing their research on esper abilities to try and get me to develop the perfect ability" She paused and the others were eager to hear what was next.

"When my ability first manifested it was terrifying, the feeling I had was overwhelming. I could feel everything as if the world was an extension of my own body. But I soon realized it wasn't this world I was feeling, it was another universe entirely. Even though I use it as my esper name the name of my ability isn't Enigma, the true name of my ability is "World Engine". My parents defined it as the ability to create universes." Her tone had a finality to it and Shirai, Saten, and Uiharu all felt a shiver go up their spine as they absorbed the information.

"So what you're saying is that you can actually create universes, oh my gosh, what exactly does your ability allow you to do?" Uiharu asked the question the other two had as well, they were all in disbelief of what they were hearing. Even in Academy City, where esper abilities existed, being able to create universes is on an entirely different level.

"Well for starters, I have only ever created the one universe back when my power first manifested. I have never had a need to make more and I fear that currently my mind and body would be unable to withstand processing the information of more than two worlds, Since im constantly reading the information of this world and constantly altering my world to fit my needs, and you guys have no idea how much information the universe contains and to use my ability to the extent that I do I need to read that information AND generate information for my universe. Anyway, my AIM field acts as a gateway into the universes I create, I can freely move in between this universe and mine. In my universe the laws that govern it can be whatever I want, and since the AIM field that surrounds me is an extension of that universe those laws apply to me here in this universe. I can freely expand the range of my AIM field to affect this world to a greater extent or I can manifest my universe into this one in a contained sphere of influence, much like my dorm room." She paused briefly to catch her breath, and then continued. "On top of that, being unbound by the laws of this world allows me great flexibility with the applications of my ability."

"So what do you mostly use your ability for then?" Shirai asked, she was having a hard time believing what Stryker was saying.

"First off, my AIM field has been set to passively do two things simultaneously." She held up two fingers to illustrate her point. "My AIM field will reduce the energy of anything it comes into contact with to zero, stopping any object that comes into contact with it dead in its tracks. Secondly if the object possesses the capability to do any significant harm to me it is erased from existence." She said rather bluntly. The other three girls were in shock with their mouths open and Shirai spoke up once again.

"I don't believe you." She said boldly causing the other four in the room to turn their attention to her. "What you just described clearly violates the laws of thermodynamics. You can't just destroy matter and energy.

"Who said I was destroying anything? I simply remove the matter and energy from this universe. It all ends up in my universe where it is assimilated into the exotic matter and energy that my universe is made up of. Here is a good analogy for you guys, say we had no idea that there was anything that existed outside this room and Shirai teleported the two desks in this room outside. To the rest of us it would seem like she violated the laws of the world but in reality she just moved the desks outside. What I do is exactly the same thing. I simply move the matter and energy from one place to another." She finished, the others including Shirai began to nod their heads in understanding.

"If you guys remember the other day when that guy tried to run me over with his car and when it hit me it just wouldn't go further? I was reducing the energy behind its momentum to zero. Additionally the applications of my power that I use most include teleportation of myself and other objects with no weight or distance limit, manifesting specialized matter and energy that I can use for whatever I want, broad uses of telekinesis, and erasing things from existence. And to emphasize, I don't need to be in physical contact with anything to affect it with my ability. After a brief moment of absorbing all that information Saten spoke up.

"So if you possess this ability why are you not considered a Level 6, or even the first ranked Level 5? She asked the question on everyone's mind, with an ability like World Engine Stryker should surely be considered the pinnacle of science.

"To answer why I'm not a Level 6, it's because I have not transcended the bounds of my body. A true Level 6 becomes the embodiment of their ability, an immortal being that represents the very concept of science. Currently as I am now I am still mortal, it doesn't matter how much power I possess if I was to be shot in the head I would die. It's as simple as that. Now as for why I'm only second rank, even I don't truly know the answer to that. If I had to speculate it would be that the ranking system for Level 5s has a hidden meaning that only the people at the top of Academy City know about." She finished and the others began to process the information.

"To summarize everything simply, my ability allows me to do almost anything imaginable. The only thing I can't do is bring people back from the dead." she said seriously. "And that's where my story continues." She said with a depressed look on her face and the others felt the mood in the room drop significantly

"After my ability manifested my parents helped me to understand it and I continued to grow in proficiency with it. At my first public system scan I met Mikoto for the first time." She said as she recalled the fond memory.

"I was all by myself in the facility waiting for my test when this girl with brown hair and brown eyes approached me. She was so cheerful that I was shocked for a minute. She just kept blabbering about how excited she was to get her results to see what level she was, she told me about how she could generate electricity and how she couldn't wait to be able to do more with her ability." Stryker said with a smile and Misaka looked embarrassed. "During the testing I kept getting distracted remembering that excited girl and after the testing she managed to find me again to say bye but before she could leave I asked her if we could be friends. I have never had a friend before but there was just something about her that made me want to stick around her. She agreed and my parents were able to keep us in contact and we got to hang out a lot. That was when we were eight years old, and we have been best friends since. Stryker finished with a smile on her face and the others in the room also wore smiles on their faces.

"That was a really nice way for the two of you to meet, and to think that the two of you would both grow up to be powerful Level 5s. It's really a one of a kind story." Uiharu said, she had a soft spot for stories with fated meetings and Misaka and Stryker's meeting was right up her alley. Saten asked the next question.

"So if that was eight years ago, what happened in between then and now?"

"Well life was really quiet during that time, Mikoto and I continued to be friends and grow our abilities. It wasn't until three months ago when things got really bad…" She paused briefly while she remembered the darkest period of her life at the same time Misaka was also in deep thought as well.

Images of a dark room and a cylinder filled with life support fluid containing a heavily restrained girl accompanied with the feeling of tubes and scientific instruments invading her body, a constant disorientating sound ringing in her ears, and unimaginable pain surfaced to the top of her memory, one of the curses of having a photographic memory was that she could never forget what happened to her. She started to hyperventilate as she recalled what happened to her. She was broken out of her thoughts by Misaka grabbing her and pulling her into a hug as she whispered into her ear.

"Remember, you don't have to tell them everything, just pieces. It doesn't have to be the truth, but it doesn't have to be a lie." She finished before pulling away from her best friend looking into her blood red eyes.

"That's right, I just need to tell them bits and pieces, I don't need to recall all that yet, I can do this." She thought to herself finding the confidence to tell her friends if only just a small piece of what really happened.

"Ok, here we go. Three months ago my parents and I were eating dinner when I suddenly heard a sound that resulted in me feeling an unimaginable pain in my head that caused me to fall to the ground and I found I was unable to use my ability. My parents instantly knew something was wrong so they each grabbed a handgun, because apparently most researchers keep guns on them. Then the outerwall of our highrise apartment was blown apart and a man with six white wings entered our home. My parent's instantly shot at him but the bullets didn't do anything to him. I was on the floor in pain from the sound, but I managed to get enough strength to look up to see my parents get impaled by those white wings… Their bleeding bodies fell right next to me and the last thing they said to me was "we're so sorry Zenith." Before the white wings struck them again, killing them. At that point the sound in my head meant nothing, I got up and attacked the man with white wings with everything I had. He was Teitoku Kakine, the former second ranked Level 5, Dark Matter. I chased him across the city leaving a path of destruction in our wake before eventually defeating him. That's where the rumors about me destroying research facilities comes from." She paused as she waited to hear what the others had to say. Throughout all that she was fighting back tears from recalling that event, and the order of events wasn't even correct but it should be enough to sate her friend's curiosity. The others had solemn looks on their faces and Uiharu was the first to speak up.

"Oh my god, that's absolutely horrible, we never would've thought you were carrying all this sadness with you. If there is anything we can do to help you please let us know," She said with genuine care in her voice. Saten and Shirai both nodded their heads in agreement.

"So what happened to Dark Matter then?" Saten asked. Stryker paused briefly contemplating if she should tell them the truth, but she figured she had come this far might as well finish.

"Oh, uhh, I killed him…" there was silence as Stryker waited for their responses.

"What do you mean you killed him?" Shirai's tone sounded almost accusatory but still reserved as she locked eyes with Stryker as she waited for her explanation. The others were shocked hearing that their friend killed someone as well as being shocked at Shirai's tone. Unfortunately Shirai's tone agitated Stryker and she replied quite harshly in response.

"Why do you think there are only seven Level 5s instead of eight?" She asked. "I killed him… watched the life leave his eyes as I tore him apart bit by bit and when he went cold I erased his useless corpse from existence, and I don't regret any of it, quite the opposite actually! Now do you understand?!" Her anger was clearly showing and the others looked at her in shock and Shirai spoke up yet again.

"Was killing him really necessary though? With an ability like yours surely there were other ways to subdue him." She was confident in her argument, however Shirai didn't understand how this City works. There is a darkness that resides in Academy City that promotes strength and cunning and devours weakness. As an agent of justice Shirai didn't understand that sometimes killing was necessary for survival. But what Stryker said next terrified them all.

"I guess I could've dealt with him in a different way, but at the time I just realllly wanted to kill him." She said with a cold smirk on her face and narrowed eyes "Do you know how good it feels to have that type of power over someone, to get to decide if they live or die?" Everyone in the room froze and Misaka looked worried as she realized that Stryker might relapse after recalling this event. Only herself and Shokuhou knew that Stryker had a hidden desire for killing as a result of what she went through. They overcame it by using old fashioned hypnosis since Shokuhou's ability won't work on her and by finding ways for Stryker to let loose with her ability, but occasionally her bloodlust would surface. So in the interest of everyone's safety Misaka made the decision to end their meeting.

"Ok, we're done here, we'll see you guys later." She said quickly and then looked at Shirai. "You and I will need to have a talk." She said menacingly, and with that Misaka helped Stryker up and led her out the room headed for Shokuhou's dorm, leaving the other three girls in a stunned silence.

—-

Inside Misaka's dorm room, Shirai, Uiharu, and Saten were sitting in silence thinking about what just happened. Shirai for the most part was analyzing the situation while Saten and Uiharu were still coming to terms with how Stryker acted when confronted about killing the former second ranked. Shirai spoke up first.

"I messed up really bad…" she said and the others nodded in silent agreement. "I realize now that the world the Level 5s live in is a vastly different world from the one we live in where the normal rules don't apply to them." she paused briefly before continuing. "I've noticed it with Sissy with how she gets away with breaking so many rules with no repercussions and I should've realized the same most likely applies to Stryker. But to think that she took someone's life, regardless of the circumstances, taking a life is still taking a life and she showed not a single ounce of remorse about it and even seemed like she enjoyed it." Shirai still had her reservations about Stryker killing someone, as a member of Judgement she has a responsibility to uphold the law, but when it came to the Level 5s she was out of her league. So she would wait and see what happens and try to get a better understanding of Stryker. Afterall something didn't add up. Shirai then turned her attention to Uiharu and Saten.

"Something doesn't add up though." After seeing the confused looks from Saten and Uiharu she elaborated."The attack on Strykers high rise apartment, the timeline doesn't add up. Stryker said that incident was three months ago, but Uiharu if you remember we responded to an emergency about an explosion and gunfire at a high rise building about seven months ago, however after reaching the scene Anti-Skill quickly showed up and took over the investigation rather forcefully."

"That's right, I do remember that, we weren't even able to find any reports on that case. But that would mean there is a four month time difference, why is that?" She asked with a confused expression on her face. Everyone was quiet for a few minutes as they pondered the possibilities when Shirai spoke again.

"Before anything else, we need to get the timeline right. Firstly, I think the attack on Stryker's family and her fight with the former second ranked were on completely different dates. If the emergency call we responded to seven months ago was the attack on her family, then that would mean that her fight with Dark Matter was three months ago since that was when the rumors about her started." Saten spoke up next.

"If that is the proper order of events then there is indeed a four month gap in Stryker's life that is unaccounted for." She said, her face easily portraying her confusion. Uiharu's face lit up as she remembered something and spoke up next.

"Didn't the city say that she was being sent around the world to do demonstrations at science expos to showcase Academy City's esper program? That would account for the gap in between the events." Then Shirai responded.

"They did say she was going outside the city for demonstrations, but at this point I doubt that was true at the time, afterall we never saw any footage about her demonstrations or even heard any news about them. Additionally, I doubt Stryker would want to be a part of anything like that right after her parents were murdered." She finished, with this rebuttal the three girls were even more confused than before. After several minutes of silent thinking Saten sighed and presented a theory she came up with.

"I think I have a theory about this situation. So, her parents were killed seven months ago, immediately after that Stryker went missing. As for the reason behind her going missing I have no idea but the city covered it up under the guise of her being overseas doing demonstrations. She was missing for four months and she reappeared three months ago and fought Dark Matter and that was when the Level 5 rankings changed and the rumors about her began." She finished with a sigh.

"I think that theory makes sense" Shirai and Uiharu both said to voice their agreement with Saten's theory and Uiharu continued speaking. "The last pieces of the puzzle are to figure out why Stryker's parents were killed and why Stryker herself went missing." She said and the other two nodded in agreement.

"Before we agree to try to look into this event do we really want to do this?" Shirai said with a serious expression on her face and the other two audibly gulped. "Afterall, we might not like what we find, if we even do find anything…"

Inside that dormroom the three girls steeled their resolve and mutually agreed to pursue the investigation into the missing four months of Strykers life. They came to the conclusion that no matter what they found they would remain friends with the girl with blood red eyes.

—-

In the hallway outside of Misaka's dorm room she sat Stryker down against a wall as she bent down to talk to her. Stryker has been quiet since leaving the room but as Misaka looked into her eyes she could tell that the girl was still on edge. Misaka's dorm was outside of the main campus of Tokiwadai while Shokuhou's dorm was inside the school's campus, so in order to reach her in a timely manner she needed to ask Stryker to do something.

"Zenith, I need you to do something for me so I can make sure you are going to be okay." She said in a quiet and gentle voice before continuing. "I need you to teleport us to Shokuhou's dorm, can you do that for me?"

"Teleport… to Shokuhou's dorm? Yeah… I can do that." She said slowly, moments later herself and Misaka both disappeared and were instantly teleported to the fifth ranked Level 5s dorm room.

The next thing Misaka knew she was standing outside Shokuhou's dorm room, she had only ever been here a handful of times and generally preferred not to be here, but these were exceptional circumstances. At this point it was late evening so Shokuhou should be in her room. Misaka approached the door and knocked three times. A few moments later the door opened revealing a girl with purple eyes and lavender colored hair styled into ringlet curls. She is Shokuhou's right hand woman who shares the dorm with the Level 5. Behind her Shokuhou was sitting on her bed and she and Misaka locked eyes before Shokuhou's eyes drifted towards Stryker who Misaska was supporting on her side to keep her standing and her eyes widened and spoke up before Junko could even greet the two visitors.

"Junko, let them in please and leave the room do not let anyone come close to this room please." She spoke with a commanding yet elegant tone. Junko instantly recognised the severity of the situation.

"Of course my Queen I will stand guard outside, do call me if you need any other assistance." With that she bowed to Shokuhou and quickly ushered Misaka inside and left, closing the door behind her and standing guard outside.

Now inside Shokuhou's room Misaka sat Stryker on her bed and Shokuhou spoke up.

"What happened to her, is she relapsing?" she asked

"Yes, when she was explaining her past Kuroko questioned her rather forcefully about her killing Kakine and she began responding in increasingly worrying ways. I feared her relapsing from recalling those events so I cut the meeting off and took her here. She finished quickly. "Please help her." Misaka said with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Oh don't look at me like that, it's my responsibility to look after her too, you know?" After saying that she got up and began rummaging through her drawers looking for the necessary tool to perform the hypnosis on Stryker. After finding the tool she walked over to Stryker and bent down and held up the instrument in front of Stryker's face. The instrument was a hand sized circular disk about two thirds of the way filled with water. The basis of the hypnosis revolved around Shokuhou using words and using her ability to manipulate the moisture in the disk to create a corresponding hypnotic pattern to achieve the desired effect. It is the only way to use her ability to affect Stryker.

" Ok, Stryker, do you understand me and do you recognize who I am?" two nods from Stryker indicating a positive response. "Ok, I need you to focus on this disk and the sound of my voice, do you understand?" another nod. "Ok then, I will now begin." She said before taking a deep breath then began to sing while manipulating the water in the disk into swirling patterns, while Misaka observed from the side.

"Through the depths of the ocean, to the seas of sand, past rolling hills to the tops of mountains."

"Only you can rise so high."

"Through the soaring sky, above the clouds, to the edge of the sky you continue to climb."

"Towards the stars and through the cosmos, until you reach that place beyond."

"Now you alone can reach so far, through the endless void and further beyond."

"Go forth and seek the hidden truths and claim your throne beyond the stars…"

*Snap*

With the end of the song Shokuhou snapped her fingers to end the hypnosis. She let out a small sigh as Stryker began to come out of her hypnotic state. Her eyes fluttered briefly as she gained her bearings and noticed Misaka and Shokuhou looking at her with apprehensive facial expressions, then everything came rushing back to her and she turned to the side and vomited on the floor.

"Oh my God, what the fuck did I do?!" She said in shock with tears starting to form in her eyes as she recalled how she responded to Shirai and the urges she had at the time.. And what she did. Misaka and Shokuhou's heart ached seeing the girl distraught like this.

"It's okay Zenith, nothing happened, you didn't do anything. Misaka said calmly with softened eyes. It was an extremely mild episode and we got here before anything bad happened and Shokuhou was able to reinforce the hypnosis.

NO! You don't understand! After Shirai said those things, I made a copy of her in my universe and… I-I killed her.. over and over again.. She said, tears now pouring from her eyes. Misaka and Shokuhou looked shocked at this information and Stryker spoke up again with tears still running down her face.

"Why did I enjoy it so much, Mikoto?" Misaka was about to speak up but Stryker continued. "What's wrong with me? These types of feelings aren't normal right, am I broken?" She finished before completely breaking down crying. Instantly, Misaka dove down and pulled Stryker into a tight hug rubbing her back while she talked.

"You're not broken Zenith, you have an ability with infinite possibilities and limited outlets to "let out" with your ability, and a screwed up past where you were taken advantage of, none of this is your fault. None of us will truly be able to understand what you went through and what you are constantly dealing with, and the burden you carry. But I will always be there for you and to pick you up when you fall. If only one person in the world stands by you, I am that person and if there is nobody standing with you then I failed you and I am dead." She said with an unshakable conviction.

"Just think about the progress you have made in the last 3 months. If there was something truly wrong with you, you wouldn't be feeling what you feel now and Academy City wouldn't even be here anymore." Misaka took a breath before continuing.

"I will always have your back, whenever you look over your shoulder I will be right there, right behind you." She said, pulling away from Stryker and giving her an ear to ear smile. Stryker noticed the hint of tears in the corners of Misaka's eyes.

This entire time Shokuhou was quietly watching the two as they had their moment, while she was closer to Stryker than most, Stryker and Misaka had a connection unlike any other. The two of them are like peas in a pod, so she chooses to stay on the sidelines and help with the more technical aspects of watching over Stryker while Misaka deals with the emotional aspects of Stryker's care, and that fits in well with their relationship so it works out. That isn't to say Shokuhou isn't emotionally invested in Stryker, she simply hides it. For example, nobody noticed her wiping tears from her own face as Stryker broke down a moment ago. So Shokuhou will continue to support the red eyed girl in her own way, after all, she owes it to the girl after the trauma caused by her ability after being used by the wrong people.

"Are you feeling better now Zenith?" Misaka asked the red eyed girl.

"Yes, I'm more coherent now, thank you Mikoto." She said with a small smile, she was still experiencing slight body shakes from her breakdown but otherwise was stable. She then turned to Shokuhou.

"Thank you Shokuhou, I'm really sorry to be an inconvenience to you twice in the same day." She said with downcast eyes. "If there is anything I can do to make it up to you, please let me know." She finished.

"As I said earlier today, you don't owe me anything." Shokuhou said slightly exasperated at Stryker's continued apologizing. "However, you did make a mess of my floor." She said, gesturing to the puddle of vomit in the middle of the floor with a disgusted look on her face.

"Shit, I'm so sorry." Stryker said before using her ability to erase and clean the mess from the floor.

"So… What are you two going to do now? Personally I don't think it to be wise to bring Stryker back to your friend group so soon regardless of the fact that she is stable now, you should at least wait for morning to regroup with your friends." Shokuhou said.

"I'll sleep with Zenith in her dorm room to keep her company in case anything unlikely happens." Misaka said quickly. "I just don't want to leave you alone right now, Zenith, I'll text Kuroko that I'll be staying with you for the night and that we'll talk in the morning." She said. " Afterall I still need to have a serious talk with her." Misaka stated with a serious tone.

"Please don't go hard on her, Mikoto, I don't need an apology from her after what I did. She just doesn't understand and with her position as a Judgment officer with such strong convictions it was a confusing situation for her. So please don't get too mad at her." Stryker finished with a pleading look in her eyes.

*Sigh* "Ok fine, I'll go easy on her. You know Zenith, you really have a heart of gold. Misaka said and all three let out small chuckles in response. Anyway, it's getting late and we should head back to Zenith's dorm. Thank you again Shokuhou. Misaka said with a grateful look on her face.

"Truly, thank you Shokuhou." Stryker said as well.

"Alright take care, you two." Shokuhou said, flashing a peace sign with her hand, and in an instant Stryker and Misaka disappeared from her dorm room, briefly leaving behind Stryker's signature glitchy space for a few moments. Shokuhou let out a long sigh as she fully stood up from the ground and walked toward the door to let Junko back in. She started to reach for her remote to alter Junko's memory of the conversation in case she heard anything, but after a slight moment of hesitation decided against it and opened the door.

"Oh, my Queen!" Junko jumped in surprise at the sudden opening of the door. "Is everything okay now?" She asked with genuine concern. This is why she is Shokuhou's right hand. She is one of the few people she can trust without the use of her ability, a genuine person who isn't completely naive to the nature of Academy City is a rare individual and Shokuhou would not take her for granted. The two of them entered back into their dorm and Shokuhou spoke up.

"Yes, the situation has been resolved." She said before turning to face Junko. "Everything you heard from within this room is to strictly stay between those who were in this room, do you understand?" The girl with starry eyes asked with a serious expression and Junko's eyes widened. She wasn't expecting to be trusted with this secret and was expecting to have her memory altered by her Queen.

"Of course my Queen!" She said with complete understanding of what her Queen was asking of her as well as the implications should she betray her Queen's trust, but that idea couldn't be further from her mind. "Should the three of you need any assistance at all I will gladly help to the best of my ability." She said with a great amount of confidence.

"Good, now let's get to sleep. I'm exhausted." The starry eyed girl said as the two roommates prepared to rest for the night.

—-

Back at the outer dorm hall of Tokiwadai Misaka and Stryker appeared in the hallway outside their dorm rooms. The halls were dark as it was getting well into the night and most of the students were probably asleep already.

"I already messaged Kuroko so we are set to stay in your room for tonight." Misaka said

"Ok, I'll return my dorm to its normal state" Stryker said before approaching her door and opening it and the two of them entered her room.

What awaited them wasn't the exotic, mind bending space that was a portion of Stryker's universe but a well decorated dorm room styled with traditional Chinese furniture and decorations and American souvenirs, this was what Strykers room normally looks like.

On the back wall there is a single bed flanked by a window on each side. In front of the left window was a desk with a computer on it and to the right was a miniature shrine with photos of both of Stryker's parents. Misaka's mood took a slight dip after seeing it. On the left wall was a bookshelf containing a plethora of books related to various scientific topics and.. Mythology? That confused Misaka but otherwise she didn't think much of it. All of the furniture and decorations were inspired by traditional Chinese architecture, everything was made of rich woods, with cyan accents and golden and jade ornaments. The lighting came from various lanterns around the room. In the left corner of the room next to the door was a small water feature with another desk with several bonsai plants as well as copper wire bonsai plants and to the right of that was a full length mirror. Even the wallpaper had a Chinese aesthetic with murals of dragons and landscapes similar to those found in China. On the right side of the room was a closet for Stryker's clothes and there was a specialized mannequin that was currently displaying a red and black qipao, a traditional chinese dress this one in particular included a modern aesthetic and Misaka had never seen Stryker wear it, but could only imagine how spectacular she would look. That was a recurring theme in the room, while everything looked traditional it still maintained a modern aesthetic that amplified the style of the room. The various shelves around the room displayed action figures from American comic books and movies adding even more personality to the space. The last thing on the right side of the room was a door leading to the bathroom that was styled just like the rest of the room. Finally in the middle of the room was an area rug and a large ornate table.

"You go ahead and take a shower first Zenith." Misaka asked.

"Actually you can go in, I use my ability to keep myself clean and to take care of my hygiene." Stryker said as she scratched the back of her head awkwardly. She then teleported a set of clothes into her hand and handed it to Misaka. It was her green sleepwear that was covered in small Gekotas, the mascot that Misaka was obsessed with. Misaka just looked at her for a second before laughing.

"Hahahaha, you really are incredible Zenith. Okay, I'll be out in a few" She said taking the clothes from Stryker and entering the bathroom.

Back in the main room Stryker heard the shower turn on and proceeded to change into her own sleepwear. Normally she slept naked when she was resting in her universe just because it was convenient and it wasn't like there was anyone else there. But now that Misaka was here, she figured she'd at least put something on. She then took her outfit off and put on a black sports bra and spandex shorts. She always preferred tighter fitting clothes because she got agitated by the way loose fitting clothes folded and rubbed against her skin. She then laid down on her bed on her side facing the wall as she waited for Misaka to get out of the shower and proceeded to get lost in her thoughts.

"Today was bad, I need to control myself better, I have a responsibility to be diligent and to maintain control. The world is too fragile for me to be this careless, afterall I'm almost 15, I can't keep sulking around like this. Tomorrow I'll apologize to Shirai… Wait, what if the three of them want nothing to do with me anymore?" She thought to herself but before she could panic she remembered Misaka's words. "That's right, no matter what Mikoto will be by my side, and those three are good people, I should have more faith in them." She was proud of herself for not spiraling but now an entirely new issue plagued her mind.

"What am I going to do about these feelings though? Misaka only sees me as a friend, right? If I were to tell her how I feel, would that ruin our relationship, would she be disgusted and leave me? No! She said she will stay by my side no matter what, I need to at least ask her, I can't keep these feelings bottled up inside me anymore. She takes amazing care of me and is strong for me when I'm weak. She has a strength that I may never possess. Even if she doesn't accept how I feel I will at least have the satisfaction knowing that I got this off my chest.

Stryker was so distracted that she lost track of time and didn't even realize Misaka got out of the shower until she felt the bed shift behind her and arms wrap around her pulling her into the warmth of Misaka's body and the blankets being pulled over them. Safe to say her mind was short circuited.

"Oh, did you get lost in your thoughts again Zenith? You didn't even realize I was back in the room until just now. What on Earth could you be thinking about?" Misaka whispered right behind Stryker's ear, it was evident in her tone that she was teasing the red eyed girl. Stryker on the other hand could barely think.

"Oh my god, Mikoto is freaking spooning me. She doesn't even realize what this is doing to me, She's not fair at all. She feels so warm and soft against my back and the way her arms are wrapped around me makes me feel so safe. I can't take it any longer, I need to tell her now, or I may never again have the courage to." The moment of truth has come at last, will her heart be shattered or will she enter a new chapter in her life with the person she cares more about than the rest of the world? The girl with blood red eyes steeled her resolve and spoke up.

"Mikoto, there's something I need to tell you." She said slowly and Misaka tightened her hold on her slightly in concern.

"Yes, Zenith, what is it?" She replied and Stryker took a deep breath and spoke.

"Over the last six years you have been by my side and have looked after me and protected me even though I'm supposed to be the stronger one and over that time I have come to realize that your very existence has become essential to me and I can't even begin to describe what I feel but I now see of you as something more than just my best friend…"

"Mikoto, I… I love you…" She said it, she finally came out and laid her heart out on the table vulnerable for it to be crushed. "I understand if you aren't comfortable with this but I needed to get this off my chest. If you want we can prete—.

She was cut off mid sentence by Misaka placing a kiss to the nape of her neck and holding her tighter as she spoke.

"Your feelings have been gratefully received and equally reciprocated, Zenith, I love you too. Misaka said, placing another kiss on Stryker's nape.

"Oh my god, she feels the same way! And the way she keeps kissing my neck is super hot."

Stryker's heart was beating incredibly fast and she couldn't think straight, before she could gather her thoughts to say something Misaka spoke up again.

"I feel the same way you do Zenith, the last six years have brought me so much closer to you. I know I have already told you, but when you were gone for those four months I was distraught. I failed you and you were hurt in unimaginable ways because I couldn't be there for you. So I am telling you now that I will never let that happen to you ever again, I promise." She said with an unshakable conviction.

"Thank you Mikoto, I will protect you forever as well. One question though, do you have a thing for my neck or something?…"

Misaka began to stutter and blush as she realized she was caught.

"Uh… I guess I do, I don't know when it started but I just think your neck looks really good and now that I tried it I really like kissing you there and the way you wear chokers is also super hot to me… She said, Stryker couldn't see but Misaka's face was as red as a tomato. "If you don't like it I can try to stop."

"No, it's fine. I actually really like it. It sends shivers through my body, but you really are hopeless Mikoto, but who am I to judge? There are a few things about you that I find irresistible. For example, your smaller chest size, I know you are insecure about it but I love how you can press so close to me, If you had massive boobs it would be kinda awkward. This way we can be even closer to each other."

Misaka began to tear up slightly after realizing that there are indeed people who like girls with smaller chest sizes. After that there was silence in the room, neither of them could go to sleep, their minds occupied with the new development in their relationship. After a few minutes of silence Misaka spoke up in a barely audible whisper.

"Zenith, can I touch you?" If it wasn't already so quiet in the room she wouldn't have heard what Misaka said. It was a loaded question that indicated the point of no return for them. Stryker's heart started to beat faster and she felt butterflies in her stomach, and after a moment she spoke.

"Yes…"

—-

"Good girl Zenith, you did such a great job that was fantastic." Misaka said, placing more kisses and light bites to the back of Stryker's neck. The praise did wonders for Stryker and eventually she regained her senses.

"Mikoto… That was amazing, everything you did was exactly what I wanted and it all felt so amazing. It was completely overwhelming but I knew you would keep me safe and properly take care of me so I was able to just let go and feel everything." She said as she tried to catch her breath and regain her composure. "However, I do fear my neck will end up looking like a chew toy at this rate." She stated and after a few moments the two of them burst into a fit of laughter. After they calmed down Misaka spoke up.

"Do you need me to do anything for you Zenith? I know that was intense so let me know if you need anything please." Misaka said seriously, wanting to make sure the girl was actually ok.

"I'm ok Mikoto, just exhausted, but please keep holding me like this while we sleep." She said and Misaka tightened her hold on the red eyed girl even more.

"Of course, goodnight Zenith, I love you."

"I love you too Mikoto."

And with that the two Level 5s drifted off into the most peaceful night of sleep either of them have had in a long time. The last conscious thought they both had was about how happy they were at this moment.

—-

At the center of Academy City in school district 7 a tall building stands towering over the other structures around it. This building possesses absolutely no windows and is completely white however it still manages to blend into the surrounding city and its presence is hardly noticed by people walking down the street. Inside a random part of this building is a large quadrangle chamber. The ceiling is covered in pipes and tubes while the floor and walls look like circuit boards. The only object in the room is a large cylindrical glass tube that stretches from the floor to the ceiling and is filled with an orange liquid that tints the rest of the room with an eerie glow. Inside that tube resides a being currently suspended upside down. This person looks like an adult, yet also a child; like a man, yet also a woman; like a saint, yet also a criminal and they wore a green hospital gown. This person was currently observing several holographic displays that were orbiting their tank. These displays were relaying information regarding the current status of Academy City as well as events throughout the rest of the world. This person was currently focused on one of the displays in particular.

—-

[CLASSIFIED] Security clearance Alpha

GENERAL INFO

Name: Zenith Lóng Stryker

Birthday: July 25th of the year of the dragon.

Age:14

Height: 5'6"

Race/Nationality*: Asian- Chinese and Caucasian- American

Eye Color: Blood Red

Hair style: Short, just above shoulders, usually messy.

Hair Color: Black with red underlayer and highlights.

Complexion: Pale compared to most

Activities: Dancing, sculpture, bonsai.

*Race and nationality of parents, however Enigma possesses similar features to her parents.

—-

ESPER INFO

Alias: Enigma

Ability: World Engine

Level: 5

Rank: Second

Titles: "Demon of Tokiwadai", "The One Above God", "The One Beyond The Stars".

Affiliation: Tokiwadai middle school

—-

FAMILY INFO

Mother: Peng Xiaoqing

Status: Deceased

Father: Dante Stryker

Status: Deceased

Siblings: None

ADDITIONAL ABILITIES

—-

ADDITIONAL INFO (Personality, Background etc.)

Enigma normally possesses a calm and reserved demeanor but is extremely unpredictable and can change instantly if the situation presents itself. To onlookers she seems perpetually bored but in reality the bored and indifferent personality she projects is just a way for her to focus her mind to maintain control over her ability. It isn't that her ability is difficult for her to control, it's that she constantly wants to "let loose" with her ability. As a result of ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ She possesses a desire for killing and enjoys the act but at the same time hates the fact that she enjoys it, a truly paradoxical situation. To keep her stable, Railgun, Misaka Mikoto should never be forcefully separated from her for extended periods of time. Railgun acts as an anchor for Enigma's mind and for the most part is capable of preventing her episodes. Do not under any circumstances attack Railgun. During an episode should Railgun be unable to calm Enigma, Mental Out, Shokuhou Misaki should use ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ to attempt to diffuse the situation. Should that fail, Academy City is to be evacuated until Enigma returns to a stable state.

The ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ and the resulting incident was a major oversight by Academy City. The incident should have never happened and as a result Dark Matter was lost and Enigma awakened and now possesses very limited weaknesses. Any further plans should not include the presence of Enigma. Should Enigma become involved, assume a non-antagonistic role and let the situation develop on its own.

Enigma also possesses a strong connection to ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ due to certain conditions affecting her birth and ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ related to ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛. This development became apparent after Enigma's Awakening. She is aware of the connection but not the full potential, and does not actively utilize any of the abilities ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ grants her. Enigma and Imagine Breaker should never come into contact with each other.

Enigma overall threat rating: OMEGA

—-

After reading through the file the paradoxical person closed the file and thought to themself in silence. They then spoke up with an unsettling smirk on their face.

"Well, Seems like things are about to get interesting."

—-

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Originally I was going to title this fic as "Beyond The Stars" so when I had Misaki sing that last line it had a great impact for me personally. Additionally I did actually write the spicy part where Misaka and Stryker engage in extremely naughty behaviors involving electricity. But seeing as this fic is rated "T" I decided not to include it in the final version. However, If you want to read it in its entirety, let me know in the reviews and I will post it as a separate story all together. Anyway, thanks for reading and I will see you all next week.