ITEM

[ACSR2: Determination]

The two of them were walking through the lab's basement, Nunotaba was leading while Gunvolt looked around for any potential dangers. Occasionally GV could see LEDs on the wall and wondered what they were showing, Not many people would come down here so the people they would mean something to were few.

GV took a mask out from a bag by his side, it was a Joule-made copy of an old mask he had shown her from soon after he joined QUILL. He put the mask on and it hid his face well.

Eventually Nunotaba opened a door to their left and only after they had both entered did she turn on the lights. The room looked something like an observation chamber.

Nunotaba looked around the room before talking "Here we are, time to get started." GV nodded and leaned against the wall to the left side of the door as he watched his employer walk over to a console to the left of the window with large monitors above it.

She booted the computer and it got started almost instantly, GV watched as she started typing. A minute or two later she slowed down and glanced through the window to her right. GV moved so he could see what she was looking at.

In the room below the window there was a row of pods, only one had someone inside of it.

"Is that one of the clones?" GV asked.

"Indeed, #19090 is her number." Nunotaba answered quietly.

She looked up before looking back on the computer and pulling out the data stick she showed him before and plugging it in to the computer. She looked at GV for a moment as if waiting for something before looking back and pressing the enter button.

She quietly thought about things while GV kept watch. As she was deep in thought she didn't hear the room's door slide open.

[ACSR2: high speed]

GV acted quickly, as a girl came through in an orange hoddie he swept low to knock her down. His kick never reached her however as he hit something hard and invisible just before the kick landed. It was as painful as if he had kicked metal.

The girl went to punch him but he got out of the way, he now stood between Nunotaba and the new threat.

Along with the hoodie she wore she had short brown hair and eyes of a similar colour. She had dropped into a stance similar to a boxer.

The girl glanced around to see if anyone else was in the room before speaking "Up until now it was theorised that the attacks were the work of a single esper. But that doesn't mean we dismissed the possibility of that just being a diversion."

She ran forwards suddenly and threw another punch, aiming for GV's gut. He sidesteped then tried to grab her in order to throw her down but his hands were knocked away by something unseen.

The girl was now standing between him and Nunotaba who had shakily taken out a gun and pointed it at the girl.

The girl continued what she was saying earlier suddenly "You are another mercenary aren't you?" she looked towards GV with a squint.

GV didn't answer and it looked like the girl was going to attack him again. Suddenly she turned around and twisted Nunotaba's arm to make her drop the gun. She caught it and pushed it against Nunotaba's head.

GV and Nunotaba froze and the girl looked him in the eyes "She your employer then? Don't move or I may be forced to... end your contract early."

A few thugs walked into the room then, likely part of the girl's team. The girl nodded at GV then "Hold him" she ordered.

One of the thugs walked over and grabbed GV's arms, pinning them to his back.

The girl turned back to Nunotaba "I've got you and now I'll turn you over to my client." she then turned to GV "You'll be staying too, who knows? You might be able to get out of this without much worry."

GV noticed that Nunotaba was smiling then and saw that though she was now being held down on the console she had a hand free that was meant to have been pinned by her body if the girl had been able to perform the pin correctly.

With her free hand she tapped out commands on the keypad beneath it.

The girl heard the beeping of the keys and shifted Nunotaba to one side to see the source. Her face went dark as she realised what Nunotaba was doing, quickly she formed a fist and smashed it against the data stick, fragmenting it into hundreds of pieces. At the same time she tossed Nunotaba to the ground nearby near where the other thug was.

GV acted quickly, through his arms he released a powerful charge, enough to knock out the thug holding him. He then dashed to Nunotaba's side to do the same to the other thug. He then went to help Nunotaba up as she spoke to the girl "It's no use, the installation is complete."

She grinned as the girl looked back at the console. From the console a loud sound was heard and an error message apeared on the screen. Nunotaba was on the ground and she asked in a panic "What is that? What is happening?" so GV read it out loud for her "Error, break code no19090, illegal action blocked by no20001."

Nunotaba was shocked "20001? Last Order?"

The girl spoke calmly "I'm not entirely sure what is going on but if I had to guess, your plan just failed."

Once more, the girl rushed forwards with a punch, GV tried to deflect it but again his hands couldn't touch her. He felt the punch hit him and he doubled over.

The girl looked down at him as Nunotaba again raised her pistol. That grabbed her attention. As the girl stepped forwards the trigger was pulled.

The bullet simply stopped upon hitting the invisible surface the girl had. The bullet could be seen spinning quickly next to the girl's shoulder. The girl turned to look Nunotaba in the eyes "It's ultra commendable of you to shoot something non-vital especially at this stage of the game. But like your bodyguard, physical attacks can't really get by my Offense Armor."

At that the girl suddenly stood still and fell, at the same time Nunotaba heard something like the sound of a taser. On the floor, GV had fired a shock at her at range.

Nunotaba quickly moved over to the console to judge damage. As GV slowly rose from the floor she spoke quickly "There will be more coming and if Last Order is blocking the upload this will be nearly impossible.

GV shakily asked what Last Order was. Nunotaba just shook her head "Not important now, we need to get out though." She looked down at the shattered data stick.

"I won't have the resources to make another copy of emotion data while on the run and I'll have to run because they have seen my face."

Nunotaba turned to GV then "Go, you are still safe as your face wasn't seen. Try to help Misaka Mikoto, Railgun, shut this project down."

GV didn't want to just abandon her but she looked determined "Go, I'll try to be right after you."

GV turned, zapped everyone on the floor to keep them down longer, and ran.

Nunotaba closed her eyes and said a silent apology to him before turning back to the console, it had the last copy of her data and she could still do this if she made Last Order accept it. She didn't hear it as the door opened again and she didn't get to finish her work as a stun grenade flew into the room.

She fell to the ground, blinded and deafened, as the rest of ITEM entered the room.

End of chapter

nothing much to say here. Shinobu had to get captured for the silent party arc to work properly so it limited my options. At least she knows that Last Order was the one to stop her in this version.

Christmas coming up as I write this and I have a planned release for the A Certain Musical Diva sidestory on Christmas day. assuming I can find time to write it of course.