Nursemaid

[ACSR: Taisetsu na Tomodachi]

The clock on the wall ticked forward as the class continued. The teacher was discussing personal reality and quantum physics, neither was a subject that Joule understood so she actually paid attention.

To her left was an empty chair, Uiharu was apparently sick today. She and Saten had agreed to go to her rooms after school to help her get better.

Speaking of Saten, Joule saw that she was deep in thought. Potentially she was thinking about Uiharu not being here, alternative was that wondering how to increase her esper level. Saten had been trying different methods in an attempt to get a power (except trying in lessons apparently), but Misaka's 'helpful' advice was not useful.

Joule on the other had was fine with her current level, she could practice with Lumen if required to open her options but she didn't want to reveal to the academy city staff that she had been holding something back.

The teacher asked Saten a question, unfortunately it seemed her wandering mind had distracted her. Joule would have helped her but her own wandering mind had made her miss the question. It looked like she was embarrassed but before anything else was done the school bell rung and the teacher simply advice her to look up 'Personal realities'.

As everyone begin to leave Joule wandered over to Saten, she was still looking out the window and likely still thinking.

"You still coming?" Joule prompted to bring Saten back to earth. Saten jumped in shock and looked over "Of course, yes!" she had a smile on her face but it looked like she was still thinking.

The two left the school grounds and began walking to Uiharu's rooms.

Part of the way there they were walking through a park, Saten and Joule were chatting about the weather (Which was quite warm) when they saw Misaka and Kuroko sitting on a bench and eating what looked like shaved ice.

Saten called over to them as they walked up, they greeted each other and went to get shaved ice of their own from a nearby stall. After a small skit between Misaka and Kuroko to do with Misaka sharing her ice with Saten, Misaka asked why Uiharu wasn't here. Saten explained about her cold and pulled out a bag of medicine that she was going to give to Uiharu when they arrive at her rooms.

"You know? You could come along too." offered Saten, Misaka considered for a moment before nodding "Sure, I'll come. Kuroko?"

Kuroko nodded "Yes, of course I want to come too!"

Joule wandered if she were coming because Uiharu was sick or if it were just because Misaka was going.

[ACSR: Uiharu Kazari]

The party of four arrived at Uiharu's accommodation after a few more minutes of walking.

Saten knew the door they were going to so they followed her and knocked, a soft voice came through the door "Please come in."

Her rooms felt small but by now Joule was used to that feeling. Misaka and Kuroko apologised for intruding but as expected they were forgiven immediately.

Uiharu was lying in her bed with a cool cloth on her head, indeed she looked sick enough to want a day off school. Saten stepped over to her with a thermometer, after taking a reading she confirmed that it was high enough that Uiharu shouldn't get out of bed.

When Saten told her to wrap up warm to not catch a chill, Uiharu noted "It might help prevent a chill if you'd stop flipping my skirt up all the time."

Saten turned to the others while responding to her statement "Don't give them the wrong idea, as Uiharu's best friend I just want to make sure she is wearing panties every day like she is supposed to, it's my duty."

At this Uiharu sat up quickly "Of course I do!", "Yes, of course, we know you do." Misaka was trying to calm her "Now lie down before you get any worse."

Joule looked at Saten and said something that had been on her mind for a while in relation to Saten's skirt flipping habit "You do realised that if you flipped her skirt while she wasn't wearing panties you would... Reveal her."

There was silence for a moment as Saten thought about what Joule had just said. Saten's cheeks then went red and Uiharu started muttering.

Saten spoke quickly to break the tension that had formed "I'll go fix up a new cool towel for you."

As Saten headed to the sink, Uiharu asked if there had been any new developments on the graviton attacker's case. Kuroko sighed and told her about how the attacker turned out to be a level 2 when the things he was doing were unmistakably level 4.

"So they were 2 levels higher than the data showed?" Joule asked. Kuroko responded dejectedly "Yes but there was no record of his ability ever reaching 3, much less 4. If he had been going through ability development to get the boost it would show on the record."

"So the only development so far is the discovery that there is even more we don't understand about it?" Uiharu summed up. "Yeah, that is pretty much it." answered Kuroko.

After a few seconds, Misaka looked over to where Saten was preparing the cold towel and asked "Now that I think about it, didn't you mention something before about a machine called the level-upper?"

Saten nodded but before replying she took the basin of cold water over to the table along with the towel. She then took the towel and passed it to Uiharu before sitting back at the table before answering.

"In the story it is a device that can increase a person's level." Saten summed up. "It raises a person's ability level?" asked Kuroko, seeking conformation.

Saten raised her hands as if trying to claim innocence for something "Yeah but like I said, it's just a rumour, totally unsubstantiated."

"So there is no proof if it exists?" asked Misaka. "None at all, the stories about it are all mixed up, its nothing more than an urban legend really."

Joule knew her own abilities could increase an esper's ability, was there perhaps another esper in this world with a similar ability?

Misaka glanced down "Oh well, I suppose there is no way it could be that convenient is there?"

As Kuroko hummed to herself Joule asked "Where did you find the story first Saten?"

Saten thought about it for a moment "That website that we looked at a few days ago, the one with a lot of legends."

Kuroko was still humming but when she stopped she had something to say "The truth is this isn't the first time we've seen someone use a skill that doesn't match their ability level, for example there was that pyrokinetisist back robber or the girl with the funny eyebrows. I use them as examples but we've actually seen it a bit more."

"Are you saying..." before Misaka finished her thought, Saten took over "Is there really such a thing as a level upper?" Joule saw a light in her eyes.

Misaka looked to her "On that website you looked at was there anything else we could use to find the level-upper?"

Saten looked up, trying to remember "There was a rumour that the people who used the level upper had a message board they used to talk to each other."

"Do you remember which message board?" Misaka asked. As Saten hummed and tried to think, Uiharu spoke up "Take a look Saten," she was holding her laptop out to them while leaning out of the bed "could it be this one?"

Saten looked at it and confirmed that it was the one she had heard about, Kuroko nodded confidently "If we can use that to find their identities or where they hang out we have a major clue now." Again Uiharu spoke up "I can't say anything for their identity but as for their hangouts they seem to be meeting at this restaurant."

Uiharu held out her laptop while pointing to a message on the board, 'Let's meet at Jona-G's'.

She continued "They seem to meet there quite frequently."

Misaka stood up quickly "Thanks a lot Uiharu." she began walking quickly towards the door and as she opened the door to leave she continued "I'm going to look into it!" as she ran out of the door she called back a "Get well soon."

Kuroko suddenly teleported after her, yelling for her to get back as it was something for Judgement to handle.

Uiharu had gotten out of bed to sit at the table with the rest of them so she, Saten and Joule all looked at the now closed door while listing to the loud words of their friends outside.

"Do you think they are going to be okay?" Uiharu asked quietly, Saten responded quickly "Yeah, of course. It is a level 4 and a level 5, you're sick, I'm a level 0 and Joule isn't trained for combat. We would slow them down if we were with them."

Joule glanced back to Saten as she leaned back "Say you two, what if we could get our hands on the level-upper? Do you think it could actually increase our ability levels?"

Uiharu sighed and then spoke "Who knows," she paused for a moment as she took on a more professional air and raised a finger in the air "but in any case, cheating is wrong!"

Joule thought about it "If the level-upper does exist then why doesn't academy city use it in ability development?"

Saten stretched her arms "Yeah, I guess so. If it existed then it would be used in ability development." "Maybe they do know about it but it has bad side effects?" Uiharu mused.

They were all silent for a moment before Uiharu's stomach rumbled, Joule offered to cook something and Uiharu agreed.

Joule wasn't a good cook but she had grown better, in the past when she made cup ramen she poured the soup away at the end. At another time she had made coffee for GV and while he didn't say it she could feel that he hadn't enjoyed it.

Now she was at least competent in the kitchen, she took out the ingredients and got to work. While she did so she heard Saten try to ask Uiharu to help with her school work. When it looked like Uiharu was going to refuse, Joule casually said "Saten, weren't you distracted from class because you were worried about Uiharu."

Uiharu looked down as Saten agreed with Joule and then agreed to help Saten study.

As she began frying the meat she heard Uiharu basically go over what they had been taught in class again, personal reality was a strange concept for her to grasp but she did understand it. The way Uiharu described it assumptions about the world made people espers, The way Joule understood it was that personal reality was the missing piece of Septimal Wave Theory. In Septimal Wave Theory the scientists understood what made someone an adept but they didn't know what caused their powers to function. Personal reality and AIM explained that quite nicely however.

The Rice was on and the sauce and peas was almost done, Saten had said that she was starting to get it so Uiharu had stopped explaining, now they were just talking like normal.

Joule served the rice, the peas, the slightly burned pieces of meat and the sauce that wasn't particularly complex and the friends dug in.

Joule talk 9: Later that night

[[ASG: Cyanotype]]

Saten was bathing Uiharu with a wet cloth while Joule used Uiharu's laptop to look more into the level upper.

She hadn't told either of them about her hacking ability but she hummed as she worked allowing Lumen to boost her ability.

When she thought about it Lumen acted as a level-upper for her.

Uiharu and Saten were chatting about the level upper and Saten had got Uiharu to admit she did want her ability to be stronger.

"I couldn't sleep the night before I left for Academy city." Saten admitted, she had begun talking about her time before coming. "I was so curious about what amazing ability I would get..."

As Saten spoke about being told she was a level 0 and being so sad, Joule looked away. If she understood the Lifewave properly then unless the people who determine abilities were lazy then Saten was likely at Lifewave 1 or 2. She might one day manifest an ability but without help she might never get there on her own.

Regardless Joule still spoke up "Even if you don't get an ability there are still many things you could do."

Uiharu nodded "An if you hadn't come to academy city then the three of us wouldn't be friends."

A smile covered Saten's face as she hugged Uiharu

*Uiharu and Saten feel a little closer to Joule*

There was then a loud crash from outside and all the lights went out

End of chapter.

I haven't got much to say really, I guess I can say that reviews are appropriated?

As a side note; for those who don't know azure striker gunvolt

The lifewave is basically the leveling system for that world,

Septimal (7th wave) Adepts = Level 5

6th wave adepts = Level 4

1st and 2nd wave adepts = level 0

Waves can be increased but it requires something like ability development (or just inserting an ability into someone such as the "Azure Striker" Septima or the "Muse" Septima)