Big Spider

[[ACSR: Tokiwadai Chuugakkou]]

Joule was sitting in a cafe with her friends, Kuroko and Uiharu had something to say so they had invited the whole group to hear. It was a fairly classic looking cafe, the type that was really common in academy city. Saten had been making a list of the best ones but that list was still incomplete.

They all sat down and ordered but it seemed that the two Judgement members were not in a hurry to start, so while they waited for their drinks (Along with Uiharu's ice cream and a small plate of biscuits/cookies that Joule had ordered) they had a little small talk while all wondering what Uiharu and Kuroko were here to say.

As the drinks and snacks arived, the two from Judgement looked at each other and then began explaining about an gang called 'Big Spider' and how they were attacking Espers including the girl that Joule only really remembered as 'The girl with the snake'. Kongou really left a strong memory with the first meeting between Joule and her.

Mikasa repeated "Somebody attacked Kongou?" and her fist hit the table making all the silverware rattle slightly.

Kuroko tried to calm her down but Misaka continued about how bad it was that they ganged up and attacked a girl but Kuroko cut over the end of her complaing "True, but it's a numbers game. There is a limit to how many people an Esper can fight, even with powers they will still get tired. So Skill-out's level 0s just need to gang up on someone to beat them, that is the theory at least."

Everyone went silent for a moment before Uiharu continued to explain how the gang might have illegal weapons from the black market. A shorter moment of silence occured before Misaka broke it off by musing that "I think maybe they would feel diffrently after tangling with me." Kuroko took that as dirty so she began to push herself onto Misaka while the others quickly turned to talk to each other and to ignore Kuroko.

Saten asked how the members of Skill-out were taken out and Uiharu answered that some mystery man had shown up to help her.

Saten looked interested as she repeated "Oh, a mysterious champion of justice?" before Kuroko got distracted from her love for Misaka and looked over in a huff "Champion? Please, members of judgement and anti-skill are the only people who should be involved in fighting crime. This person is no more than a vigilante."

Joule thought back to GV rescuing her, he had never been compelled by the law to do it so she spoke. "He might be a vigilante but he helped get her out of trouble while Judgement had no knowledge of the attack. Kongou, that is her name right? Could have been baddly hurt had he not been on the scene."

Misaka looked away sheepishly, possibly remembering all the times she had gone vigilante.

With the previous news passed on they went to small talk for a while before leaving.

[[ACSR: Judgement no Katsudou]]

The next day Joule got an urgant phone call to come to the branch office of judgement that the others worked at. A few minutes later she arrived to see everyone else standing around the computers in the office. She joined them and it seems there were a few pictures up on the screen that indicated that a few more people had been attacked, the others said that this was Big Spider's third attack in the same number of days. Misaka again suggested some vigilante work but Kuroko shot that idea down.

Uiharu was tapping away on her tiny phone/laptop, she was researching big spider and spoke some of her findings "From what I could tell it was about 2 years ago that big spider began expanding their organization."

As Joule glanced around it seemed that Konori reacted in some way to that news but she couldn't tell why.

Uiharu continued "Around that time they started carrying weapons and they got involved in a lot of criminal activity." to which Misaka nodded "They were armed and they had people, they must have thought they could do anything."

Misaka thought for a moment before posing a question "But it still needs answering how they smuggled the weapons into academy city in the first place. The distribution of goods is highly monitored so it is easy enough to find illegal contraband"

To most of the room's suprise it was Joule who answered "They likely hired someone to bring them in via something routine like food or more normal scientific equipment, " Joule tillted her head as she continued "I can't actually think of much else academy city might import but there might also be a hole in the security that they can be smuggled through."

Joule smiled inwardly, some of the lessons that GV had taught her were actually useful.

Misaka postulated that they likely were not working alone so their allies could set up the routes to get the equipment into the city to which Joule nodded.

Kuroko thought about it for a moment "You really think they have backing?" Misaka and Joule nodded, Joule adding "If they are smuggling large amount of contraband it is very likely it is being done by allies, smuggling requires a lot of logistics."

Uiharu spoke up again "I have also found the supposed name of the leader of Big spider, Wataru Kurozuma."

Joule noticed Konori react again and became determined to ask about it in a few moments. Uiharu continued without noticing as she was still reading off the info she had found "By all acounts he is a very vicious man, he doesn't seem to have any problems with betraying his followers, reports say that if someone tries to leave the group he won't stop until the so called traitor has been shot in the back."

"So one of the biggest jerks we've faced?" Kuroko asked while slightly annoyed at the whole situation.

Joule and Saten nodded sagely but Uiharu continued "Speaking of backs, apparently this guy has a tattoo of a spider on his."

Again, Joule saw Konori react again. In her head Joule made a note "She has met that man before then? concidering her earlier reaction to his name." Lumen 'Nodded' "Probably, the first reaction might also mean something, did they meet two years ago?"

Misaka broke into her thoughts then with an important question "A spider on his back? didn't the man who saved Kongou also have a spider tattoo?"

Kuroko thought about it for a moment "But if it was him then why save Kongou? Was he just fighting a rival part of his own gang?"

Misaka nodded "Uiharu said that loyalty wasn't his strong suit, it might be that."

At the mention of her name Uiharu looked up again to say some new info "Apparently big spider is based in a part of school district 10 called 'Strange'."

Kuroko hummed in a way that revealed her annoyance "It's outside our jurisdiction, the case isn't though so we might be able to make it stick."

Misaka nodded "Let's go then!", Kuroko turned to Konori and asked her if she was coming but she refused and said (In a voice that was clearly not calm) that it was important to hand in these reports.

Kuroko at first refused to let Misaka came along but very quickly relented as Misaka dragged her out of the room.

Because Saten had never arrived all that was left was Joule and Uiharu, both stayed behind due to not being able to help much with their abilities.

Uiharu swapped from her laptop to a terminal while Joule sat on a chair nearby, thinking how to question Konori without sounding like she was.

Joule started slowly "Konori, have you heard Kurozuma's name before?" Konori flinched for a moment before looking over to her and answering "No, never."

Joule sighed "Then why do you sound scared to answer that question?" Konori blinked at her, took a breath and spoke in a perfectly calm voice "What do yo mean?"

Uiharu was focusing on keeping track of the others so she was no help her, Joule just sat deeper into the seat she was in and sighed again.

A few minutes later Konori turned off the computer she was using and stood. Uiharu looked over and asked "I thought there were reports you had to write?" Konori kept a mask-like face and just answered "I've done most of them, I can do the rest back home."

She picked up her bag and left the office leaving only Joule and Uiharu.

Now with only Uiharu (Who was working) and Joule (Who was getting bored) in the office, Joule tried to think of something to do. It was Lumen who offered the worst idea possible "Go to strange with the others, just take the underground paths to get there quickly."

To try and get the idea out of her head she asked Uiharu "Should I head to strange too?"

Uiharu looked over before thinking out loud "Well you do know a lot about smuggling, you might find the routes used if you go." Then Uiharu focused and blushed "Actually there is a chance you might get hurt, should we two just go and meet up with Saten?"

Joule sighed happily.

[[ACSR: Uiharu Kazari]]

Down by a river bank the three friends sat.

About 45 minutes had passed and the river was quite small when compared to the artifical banks the three were sitting on and Uiharu said they were probably for seasons with heavier rainfall.

Joule was telling them how she had been raised to level 3 after the test that had been done a few days ago. Uiharu congratulated her while Saten looked up at the sky saddly. Joule wanted to give Saten some advice of how to improve her level but as she had only 'Increased' by less holding back she didn't know what sort of thing she should say.

She gave a quick apology to Saten who waved it away as if the whole matter did really matter before looking up at the sky.

"It's not like I don't understand." Saten muttered

Uiharu wasn't paying attention so she asked "Understand what?"

Saten sighed as Joule and Uiharu looked at her "The way the members of Skill-out feel, they keep trying and trying but their level never increases. Eventually you start to lose hope. I don't know, after a while you just kind of, Give up."

Uiharu looked a little worried "What about you?"

Saten tried to laugh it off "Me? No, no, I desided that giving up on everything doesn't help, " Saten lifted her fist into the air where Joule noticed she had picked a handful of grass "Yeah, from now on i'm going to keep on trying!"

They were all silent for about half a minute before Joule asked "Why can't level 0's gain power through ability development, the level upper worked on them so there must be some potential there. You can't create an ability and then just lose it."

Saten just lay back "My point exactly, for a few hours I had an ability, even now I should still have it but just weaker."

Uiharu looked over to her "What was your ability Saten?"

Saten smiled "I don't know, I looked it up later and it is either Telekinesis or Aero Hand."

Uiharu thought for a moment "Wasn't that latter one also Kongou's ability, maybe you can ask her about it?"

Saten smiled, maybe she would get an ability after all.

They left to walk around town until the sun started going down and Uiharu got a text and read it out.

"We got into a bit of trouble, will explain later. -Kuroko"

Saten was the first to speak "Well that is ominous."

End of chapter

So yes this was the first part of the big spider arc.

The only real thing to talk about is Saten's ability, the wiki said it was Auro Hand but it didn't look like Kongou's regardless.

I don't remeber if it is canon that Aleister just doesn't allow those with useless or slow developing abilities to go through ability development and are just branded level 0, I heard that it was possible for anyone to reach higher levels, Aleister just chooses only the useful people?

Anyway, Saten getting hopeful.

BTW, next chapter of this is not going to be next week but the week after, I'm busy next week.