Second battle

[ACMI: Renkin Jutsu]

Konori was headed the other way to go home so the group split up. As they walked Kuroko walked as if her legs had been turned to jelly.

Febrie was tired so Saten dropped to her knees to pick her up onto her back. The now piggybacking Febrie quickly fell into a light doze.

Saten admitted she just wanted to carry her while she had the chance. They would all be sad to see her go in a few days but Uiharu pointed out that they would still be able to go and see her.

As they walked they came across a sign saying "Sidewalk closed", At Uiharu's reasoning they simply went up a street and continued on. Not five minutes later however they came to another sign that told how the path they were following was closed and offering an alternate route.

They were standing infront of a large warehouse, no way around.

Kuroko was the first to point it out "A dead end? We can't get through here."

Saten nodded slowly "We followed the detour map exactly right?"

Joule pulled out her phone to check but saw a dozen missed calls from Kongou.

"I thought we did? Joule did you jot it down on your phone?" Misaka asked while looking around.

Joule shook her head "No, but look. Kongou was trying to get in contact with us."

Uiharu was pulling out her phone to check the GPS but she saw the messages too and nodded "Me too, give me a moment." she began clicking down to scroll to the latest message, as she did so Misaka pulled out her own phone.

Kuroko was unimpressed "And what is Kongou so insistent about?"

Misaka murmured "She called me too."

She tapped the center key to begin playing the message and put it to her ear, as she did so Febrie woke up. It was a sudden thing.

There was a loud crash from the warehouse door, Saten tried to get a good look and asked "What's that?"

[ACSRS: Frenda]

The doors were forcibly pulled apart and a powered suit sprung out of the warehouse.

A roar could be heard from the suit and Misaka ordered the others to make distance. The suit rushed forward towards Misaka as the others scattered, Febrie's lolipop slipping out of her mouth as Saten carried her away.

The machine swung it's crowbar-like weapon at Misaka who swiftly dodged. Misaka looked up at it "I'm not sure who you are exactly, but come on." She stepped onto the grounded crowbar "Did you actually think this was going to work against me?" with that a blast of electricity shot forth. It reminded Joule of GV's flashfield.

After a moment of stillness the suit continued to move and Misaka was forced to dodge away with a jump. Kuroko was worried "Are you okay?", Misaka just responded "Keep out of this."

Joule closed her eyes and felt for a mind. She opened them in a shock calling out "Misaka, there is no-one inside there. It's autonomous."

Misaka was forced to dodge another attack before she spoke "How? There aren't any electronics in it either. I would be able to sense EM shielding."

Kuroko realised it first "An ability, someone is controlling the suit with an ability."

Joule closed her eyes while responding "I'll find the user."

She heard a clang as Misaka dodged another attack but focused on looking for a mind that didn't belong.

She hummed the first few notes of a new song she was working on, her ability's radius expanded and she saw a mind.

A zap of electricity brought her back to the fight as Misaka created a blade of iron sand to fend off the crowbar.

Joule looked and Kuroko and pointed to a black van on the street behind them "There are two people in there, I don't know if either are espers though."

Kuroko nodded seriously and teleported over to the van. Meanwhile Misaka's iron sand blade swung the suit into a part of steel frame nearby. The construction shook it loose and one bar fell towards Saten and Febrie.

Overby the van, Kuroko knocked forcefully on the window. A moment passed and the van's engine roared and the van began to retreat.

Misaka stopped it with electricity. but the two girls were too scared to move, Kuroko made the decision and teleported back to get Saten and Febrie out of danger rather than try and follow the truck, she dropped the two girls next to Uiharu and barked at her to make contract with Anti-skill.

Uiharu pulled out her phone to do just that and Kuroko teleported away again to try and follow the van.

Back with the group, Uiharu muttered she didn't have signal. Everyone the noticed Febrie running away from the group to a spot of open ground. Joule spotted the finger puppet that was once Misaka's and realised that Febrie must have dropped it.

Misaka ran to her, ready to protect Febrie as the suit began to swing.

[ACSRS: Study ]

It stopped.

Just then Uiharu spoke "It's going through now! placing the call."

Just at that moment a metal column flew right into the suit. The suit was knocked away and it's head was knocked off.

The sound of a fan opening was what Joule expected but never was she happier to see Kongou. Even that posh laugh wasn't as annoying right now.

"That stupid machine should have found a different dance partner." Kongou spoke with maximum smugness.

She suddenly dropped the fan to look around "Now can someone tell me what is going on. Also, where is Shirai?"

Misaka wandered over to the decapitated suit to look around "I don't know" she replied to Kongou as she looked. After a moment she stuck her hand into the suit.

Joule wandered over to see what she had found. It was the same sort of container that had been found in the security robots earlier. Misaka scowled "I think Kuroko was right, this was an ability."

They glanced around as Saten called out in surprise, Febrie was on the ground. Her face was flushed red and breathing seemed difficult for her.

Uiharu called the ambulance just as Anti-skill arrived.

End of chapter. Just how long is this episode going to take? Also Kuroko is missing. I guess that is important too.