Capacity down

[ACSR: Judgement no Katsudou]

After recieving the text in the evening the friends decided to meet up at a cafe that they had tried before to discuss what had happened. Misaka and Kuroko were there when the others showed up so they all sat down, ordered drinks, and began talking.

After she had done a quick explination of what had happened at the end of the previous day Saten asked quickly for clarification "So Konori and Kurozuma know each other?"

Misaka hummed an affirmation before continuing "She hasn't explained how they are acquainted though."

Joule sat by listening as Saten and Uiharu asked about why Kurozuma helped when he was the boss of big spider. Her interest was focused on the so called "Capacity Down" that the members of Big Spider had apparently used.

Lumen agreed "If there is a sound that could disable esper abilities then it might work like the level-upper, damaging the brain to lower the target's ability level."

Joule mentally replied "If that was all it was then Misaka and Kuroko would still be suffering from it, if it only affects them while they can hear the sound then it is more likely to be messing with the electrical signals in their brain."

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Saten through her arms in the air and declaired "Maybe I'll just go straight to Konori and ask her about it myself!"

Uiharu admitted that would probably be hard as no-one had seen her for a few days, with the exception of Misaka and Kuroko, she hasn't shown up at the office and she hasn't answered her phone.

Kuroko then raised the idea that they should just go to Konori's home and ask if she had been seen there, everyone agreed and they headed off.

[ACSR: Taisetsu na Tomodachi]

Konori apparently lived in an apartment with a roommate, Kuroko informed the others of this as they headed towards the apartment. Joule wondered when she had learnt Konori's address before simply answering herself "Judgement work".

They got to the apartment and rung the bell and heard the roommate call out that she was coming. After a couple of seconds a kind-looking girl opened the door and looked at them.

They quickly exchanged greatings before asking if Konori was there only to get a reply in the negative. As everyone prepared to move on Saten groaned that she wanted to hear more about Kurozuma.

At that the roommate reacted and as everyone was starting to leave the girl called out for them to wait. They all stopped as they were invited inside as Konori's roommate said that if this was about Kurozuma then she could tell them.

She introduced herself as Yanagisako Aomi as she poured them drinks. At the same time she grumbled that Konori was not just worrying her but also her fellow Judgement members.

Before starting her full explanation she asked "So then, Kurozuma has returned?" that sent Uiharu who had started drinking the offered drink to cough and everyone else to focus their attention directly on her.

Saten and Misaka leaned in and asked directly to tell what she knew. Yanagisako asked them all to slow down and to tell her what was going on first.

She recieved the same explanation that Misaka had given the other friends in the cafe and after that Yanagisako nodded. Misaka then asked that she explain her Konori knew Kurozuma. Misaka's theory was that Konori had arrested him before but Yanagisako laughed and said that it was slightly diffrent then that.

She explained that Konori was once a part of big spider (shocking everyone in the room, Joule had suspected but it was still a suprise).

"But," Kuroko asked "Why would she choose to join an organization like big spider when there are other things an esper like her could have done?"

Yanagisako admitted that it wasn't that simple, Konori had hit a wall in her ability and was depressed about it. She felt she didn't belong anywhere. One day that changed, she found a group that made her feel less alone.

Yanagisako sighed "While skill-out was a gang they didn't really do anything illegal back then, they just hung around and helped each other while doing what they saw as right. I was worried at first, she was hiding that she was an esper of course but it still didn't feel right. But in her own words 'Big Spider was the first place I found where I could feel like myself' and I believe her. Being yourself is important."

Saten and Uiharu shared a smile while Joule nodded, she understood doing "Bad" things to be yourself.

Yanagisako continued "Alienation, Self-discovery and the finding of new places to belong. All who live in academy city are bound to feel them at one point in time. It's a fact of life like chicken pox."

Misaka spoke then "The problem with that is you only catch chicken pox once."

Everyone looked at her and Kuroko asked "What's wrong Sis?"

Rather than explain there, Misaka stood up, thanking Yanagisako for her help. She left and the others followed her confused.

No one said anything for a while as they back onto the streets and began to walk, to where Joule couldn't say.

After about five minutes Misaka came to a stop and admitted "I don't get it."

When Kuroko asked her to explain what she meant by that Misaka continued "It's bad enough that Konori used to be part of Skill-out but now she is missing her Judgement work too. The Two seem related."

Kuroko began "I'm sure-" before Misaka cut her off "She's past all that, whatever happened before Konori is a hardworking member of Judgement now. She is strict sometimes but she is still nice to us! And she is dependable! That is the Konori we know, so why is she behaving like this now?"

Saten and Joule glanced at each other and Joule hummed a bit, sending a quick message that Saten could try first.

Misaka glanced at the humming Joule before Saten started "I have a feeling it isn't as cut-and-dryed as you are making it sound. Just like everyone, Who Konori is now is a result of who she was. Besides it sounds like that time has special meaning to her and is hard to let go." She worried for a second that she might have annoyed Misaka but Joule quickly picked up and started.

"Think about it like this Misaka, " Joule began "Let's say that while you were on a little adventure of your own you heard that one of us had died. Let's then say that a few years later you heard that they might still be around."

Joule raised her finger as she got to the core of the matter "Even after confirming that the rumour was true you would still have things to do, you might put off your duties to try and catch up with us."

Misaka shrugged "I would still probably put the catch up time after I had finished any work."

In that moment a thought sparked through Misaka's head, she didn't voice it yet but she thought she saw what was keeping Konori away from the office. Konori still had her job to stop Big Spider from hunting espers but due to her prior connections she wanted to do it herself.

Later that evening they were all around the Judgement branch office, thinking about the problem. Joule was lightly singing to keep the other's spirits up and Misaka was sitting down, her head in her arms and thinking deeply about something.

Suddenly Uiharu got an email that she called them all over to see. Anti-Skill would be mobilizing to take out Skill-out tomorow.

[ACSR: Judgement desu no!]

Misaka stood up from her brooding suddenly upon hearing that and she walked to the door.

"Where are you going Sis?" Kuroko asked curiously.

Misaka was silent for a moment before answering "I have figured out where Konori is, I'm going to talk to her."

End of chapter

bit of a shorter one (first half of episode 16) but as my first chapter back after a break I didn't want to have to write it for too long

Regardless I'm back and from now on uploading on normal times again. My other story's next chapter will go up around it's normal time too.

As a side note I have no idea how the Accelerator series fit's in with the others, some say just after Railgun season 1, some say after season 3. I honestly have no idea.