Seeking the truth

[ACSR: Taisetsu na Tomodachi]

As everyone in the hospital room digested the fact that Haruue was once a child error, she continued with her story "I met Banri because we were in the same child error facility. As you may have noticed I am quite shy and that has caused me issues in making friends. When it came to Banri though it didn't feel has hard, it was easy to be friends with her. Instead of talking to me she would use our telepathy."

Haruue's face fell as she continued expositing "But then she got transferred to another facility and that was it."

She paused for a second before going on "But lately I have been hearing her voice again, just like when we were young. She is asking for my help, telling me she is in a lot of pain. But, I don't know why and I have no idea where she is now. There isn't anything I can do." She started tearing up "I wish, I wish i knew where she was."

As she kept crying, Uiharu spoke to her "It will be alright. I'm sure you will find her. No, we'll find her for you! As a judgement officer it is the least I could do if there is a girl asking for help."

Haruue's eyes were still wet with tears "You mean it?"

Saten was the one to reply "Yeah, despite how she looks, Uiharu is actually an excellent judgement officer."

Uiharu looked at Saten and softly asked "Despite how I look?"

Saten apologised quickly and Uiharu turned back to Haruue "Just leave it to us, okay?"

Haruue's face was hopeful "Thank you so much."

Due to how tired Haruue must have been they left her in the room to rest, Therestina asked about how they knew Banri so as Uiharu and Saten left with Joule, Misaka and Kuroko explained to her how they had seen Banri in the memories of Dr Kiyama.

After explaining that they rushed after their friends to take the train back to the areas where they lived. On the train ride Misaka told Saten (who didn't know because she was in a coma at the time) about Banri and Dr Kiyama's experiment that had gone wrong.

They then explained Therestina's theory that the comatose children from the experiment might be the cause of the poltergeisting.

Saten and Uiharu were shocked but Misaka pointed out they had no way to test unless they knew where the children were.

Then Misaka remembered something that she had heard only a few days ago 'from what I heard the children are in a hospital being well cared for in their comas.'

She turned to Joule quickly and asked "Which hospital?"

"Pardon?" Joule asked

Misaka sighed and reminded her of what she had said while they were doing volunteer work. Joule nodded "I don't know off the top of my head but I will check it out."

[ASG1: The Muse's Tears]

The next morning in Joule's rooms GV wasn't there. She checked for a note and saw that he said he would likely be home around midday.

While he was on a long job like this one he often wasn't around, it saddened Joule but she made a lunch for him and put it in the fridge. Then she went over to his laptop.

She tapped on its power button and waited for it to boot up, when it asked for a password she just touched the computer and focused. In her mind the computer became simple and she used her ability to slip right through the twenty digit passcode.

She was fairly sure that GV had only made a password that complex because he never used it properly either. She went to his logs with his employer and scrolled down to a few days ago.

23:53/GV: Wrong building, they had already been moved elsewhere.

23:55/DR: Is it recorded where they took her?

23:57/GV: Yes, I will investigate now.

She knew from what GV had told her that the children had been scattered into facilities across the city, now all she needed to find was the building they were taken too once GV tracked one of them down.

She found the next clue in the log from two days ago.

01:45/GV: Found the last of them, bring the transport.

01:50/DR: It's on it's way, HC are you awake.

02:05/HC: Barely, I'll treat her when she arives

02:06/GV: Now only the AC?

02:10/DR: Yes. Last thing we need.

'HC' was a strange name to take but she knew that the doctor that GV had said was helping them was called 'Heaven Canceler' so that must have been him. She had to hope that Misaka knew which hospital he worked at as Joule didn't know.

She called Misaka but Misaka suggested they meet up in person and she gave an address to a cafe where they were meeting with Therestina.

She arived at the cafe at around the same time that Misaka herself did, Therestina was already waiting for them there.

[ACMI: Ikari]

The first thing that Therestina told them was not great news "Dr Kiyama is out of prison on bail."

Misaka was shocked and repeated her just to make sure she had heard right. Therestina confirmed it and went on to explain that she had gone to the place she was staying to ask about the children only to not find her there.

Misaka was still shocked "After everything she had done, they are letting her see the light of day?"

Therestina took a sip of her coffee "I don't know the bail agreements and I doubt we will be able to find the location of the children without her."

Joule coughed slightly and spoke "I think I might have something about that."

She explained that from her looking into it they were being kept in a hospital run by someone who went by the name Heaven Canceller.

Therestina nodded "I suppose it would be the best choice, if you three can look into that more I could see if I could get the MAR forces together to transport the children somewhere else if needed."

Joule, Kuroko and Misaka nodded.

[ACSR: Sakubou]

When they couldn't find a way to look for the children in the hospital they realised another option was needed.

That option being Misaka in her frog mask from the fireworks festival. Joule gave them what GV's notes had said would be the next location and after night had fallen Misaka got herself inside the facility.

While she was starting to infiltrate she didn't know that two people were in the building already.

As she found a room where it was clear that the pods for the comatose children had been she sighed, they must have been moved from here. Then she saw the room get brigher, above her head she saw a torch beam through a window at the top of the room.

She was quick, she ran around to where the window would lead and kicked open a door. There were two people in the room, Dr Kiyama was holding the torch that turned to face her and over by an old computer she saw Joule's friend with his hand on the device, she knew that he was likely hacking it for information using his power.

Dr Kiyama was the first to react properly as GV was still getting up from the computer. She sighed "You again?"

Anger was across Misaka's face "I knew it was you, Harumi Kiyama!"

As Kiyama tried to ask if she could help Misaka with anything, Misaka cut in "Are you the one behind the recent events too?"

Kiyama concidered her answer but it was GV who spoke "If you are asking about the Poltergeisting then it depends on how you define responcible."

Misaka turned to him as he noted something down on his phone and he looked up "Are you asking if Dr Kiyama intended the events to happen? Then no. It is only happening as a side effect from creating the antidote for the children's condition."

Misaka was still angry but she wasn't a fool. She left with the two of them and they drove in Kiyama's car to the hospital where the children were being kept, as Misaka kept asking questions Kiyama grew tired of it and asked GV to answer most of them.

At the hospital they entered through a staff entrance and after a few halls they came into a large room that contained a small room with glass walls within it. Within the room were ten pods, each one with a child in it.

Kiyama was the first to speak "If you have seen through my memories you will know what this is. These are them, my studants."

Misaka started creating sparks "Then you are truely the cause?"

[ACMI: Renkin Jutsu]

"Yes" a voice spoke from the darkness. A man walked forwards and to Misaka's eyes he had a face like a frog. The man continued "But there is a long story behind it all."

The man smile "And you might have noticed this is a hospital, please try and refrain from the use of electric shocks."

Misaka was getting tired of all of this so she quickly asked "Would someone please tell me what is going on here?"

The man, Heaven Canceller, began to tell the story of Gensei Kihara. How he sought level 6. How he created runaway espers to prove his theory. How he created an ability crystal, a gemstone that would in theory create a level 6. How he didn't care about side effects. How he created victims without seeming to care. How he had realised that the child errors that Kiyama had taught had been some of the sacrifices to perfect an ability crystal.

Kiyama herself then stepped in, telling how she had recently learned that the test that had made her students comatose had been a dosage test of the ability crystal.

Misaka turned to the children "You mean, they sacrificed them all to make a level 6 which we don't even fully understand?"

Gunvolt then spoke "I learned about there intentions a few days ago as I searched the dark side of academy city for what happened to the students, I happened to come across Dr Kiyama as I searched for infomation. She was out on bail already and convinced me to help, the pay isn't bad either."

Heaven Canceller smiled "I bailed out Kiyama, I hoped that together we would find a way to save the children."

Dr Kiiyama muttered "We still need to find out how to safely revive them, without that whenever they begin to wake, their AIM fields go out of control and cause poltergeisting."

Heaven Canceller frowned "They shouldn't be, but it is a truth. Without a sample of the ability crystal we might have no way to save them."

Kiyama continued "I need the first sample, the original ability crystal, to create a program that can revive them."

Gunvolt continued from her "We were at the lab today to try and find information on that first sample, I have a possible next location to look but that's all we got."

Kiyama turned to face Misaka "We are not giving up, the data is required for the research of abiltity crystals, as there research still goes on the orignal sample must still exist. I swear, I'll do whatever it takes to find it."

Misaka looked at her and asked softly "And what if you can't what if it has been destroyed."

A look of anger passed across Kiyama's face "Then I will wake them up anyway!"

"Even knowing the damage they would cause?" Misaka was shocked and she looked at the other two people in the room.

Heaven Canceller simply looked sad at Kiyama's outburst and Gunvolt's face had... pity on it.

"I will not allow them to remain like this forever!" Kiyama raised her voice at Misaka

Misaka understood but she spoke "I understand but you can't-" she was then cut off.

"She's right, because I won't let you." Therestina stepped into the room followed by two robotic suits that likely contained members of the MAR.

Misaka was suprised but Therestina smiled to her "I'm sorry but I followed you."

She stepped forward to face Dr Kiyama, she then introduced herself "We are the multi active rescue team, these children are now in our custody, it would be best if you do as we instruct."

Kiyama muttered "Do I have a choice in the matter?"

Therestina simply replied with a curt "No" before continuing "It is our duty to prevent any situation that might endager academy city. Natrually I have a warrant with me" She passed the warrant to Heaven Canceller who had walked up to them.

He didn't look happy "This looks to be in order."

Therestina turned back to Kiyama "Don't worry, these things are our specialty. We already have a facility ready to give the children whatever treatment they need. We also have access to data that you would never be able to lawfully obtain. Earlier you mentioned the 'First Sample' it would be possible for us to obtain data on it too."

There was a pause before Therestina gave the order to her followers to secure the children. As they aproached Dr Kiyama shook with strong emotions.

She called for them to stop only to be stopped herself by Misaka.

Misaka reminded her of the words she said as the level-upper incedent closed "If you don't like what I'm doing you will have to stop me again."

Kiyama loudly said she was the only one who could save the children.

Misaka faced her "But you haven't!"

Kiyama turned her head "But I'm so close."

Misaka looked at her "You remember Banri?" Kiyama nodded and turned to one of the pods in the room. Misaka continued "I met someone called Haruue, she is Banri's friend. She can hear her voice."

Kiyama stopped, the hope that at least one of the children was stable enough to even send that message welling up within her.

Therestina closed her eyes and gave the order to continue taking the children, Kiyama didn't stop her.

To the side Gunvolt stood looking at Therestina, remembering the only other time he had seen her name in his research.

"Therestina Kihara"

End of chapter

And another long one.

As a side note because of the new Gunvolt game out recently I am concidering writing a short story for what happened back in the ASG world after GV and Joule world hopped. If I do write it look for it's prologue in the next week.