Figure it out

[ACSRS: Life Interrupt]

The two friends walked along a road, In Misaka's hands she held a small terminal that she apparently used to hack while moving around. Beside her walked Joule who wanted to watch what she was doing but was too short (a foot shorter than Misaka) to look over her shoulder properly.

So Misaka had lowered a section of her mental barrier for a moment and Joule had created a telepathic connection so she could listen to what Misaka discovered. Misaka didn't have the best mental discipline so Joule hand to do the mental equivalent of tying the connection in place so Misaka didn't reflexively throw her connection away and close her barrier. Misaka claimed it felt uncomfortable so she was working quickly to find the information before it got too annoying.

In her mind she read the document she was looking at "It seems that she got herself expelled from her Academy."

Joule thought back "Because of her involvement in Level 6 shift or was it something else?"

Misaka flicked the page a couple of times to find the reason for expulsion before stopping "Here we are, the reason for her expulsion was; attendance?"

"She didn't attend her classes enough? That doesn't sound likely." Joule admitted

"No, it doesn't" Misaka agreed. She flipped through another few pages before starting "No record of her even coming in, she doesn't have any form of trail."

"So, it was like GV said." Joule thought sadly.

Misaka looked over "What was his idea again?"

Joule looked at her and told her "GV worked with her just before she was captured, he thought it was likely she would get sold as a commodity to some dark organization."

Misaka looked scared "Slavery? The dark side of Academy city has slaves now?"

Joule nodded "STUDY is almost certainly the group that bought her then and used her talents to create Febrie."

Misaka stopped "Would... Would she really do such a thing as making them when they die without there lolipops?"

Joule shook her head "I hope not, it was more likely that she worked on their minds like your sister thought."

The two of them continued walking in silence, Misaka severed the mental connection forcefully. After a few minutes Misaka pulled out the glass cuboid with a fiber inside.

Misaka spoke out loud this time "Let's have the doctor take a look at this.

Joule nodded

[ACSR: Reality to Confront]

The Frog-faced doctor extracted the fiber from the case and put into a boxy machine that was some sort of analyser.

He glanced at the two girls while the machine whirred, pieces moving about to get not just a picture but a full analysis of the fiber.

It stopped after about a minute and the computer the Frog-faced doctor now sat at had a window pull up containing a image of the hair under a microscope.

The moment he saw that the doctor hummed as if that particular shape was what he had expected. He looked at the results from looking at one tiny cut off piece of the fiber that had destructive analysis performed on it. He pulled up what looked like a notepad full of characters and then a second one that looked similar. He then turned back to the first window and hit a few keys before seeing A small window that had two squares in it both containing the same shade of yellow.

After waiting a moment longer he returned again to the original image and looked round at the two girls "This is a hair, more specifically one made of the same components as Febrie's hair."

Misaka looke curious "One of Febrie's hairs? Why was it there."

The doctor looked back at the computer "No it isn't actually, this belongs to another individual, the DNA is very close but not an exact match. Likely a familial connection."

Misaka looked away, shocked. Joule meanwhile simply focused on the facts "Febrie has a sister then, likely one in STUDY's hands."

The doctor glanced back at the two of them "Possibly, regardless I am glad you two came by, I found something that I want to discuss with you."

Misaka looked back, concern on her face "What?"

The Doctor closed his eyes "I took a look at the candy that young Febrie has been carrying. Concidering the number of lolipops she has remaining I believe her situation is more dire than I originally estimated it to be."

The two girls glanced at each other before speaking in unison "How dire?"

The doctor remained quiet for a bit before speaking "Roughly 72 hours. That is how long her current store will last, when they're gone she will begin dying and after some time she will pass."

Misaka looked a mix of scared and angry "Isn't there anything you can do?"

The Doctor looked at her "It is like I said before, if there is anyone capable of saving the girl, it is the one who created her; STUDY. That really is the only hope I am afraid"

Misaka spun and the doctor and Joule watched her walk to the door, the doctor stopped her "Where do you plan on going?"

"Everywhere, Anywhere I have to." Misaka spoke "I will find their main base and raid it. You said that would be the only way."

The doctor looked over silently but Joule asked "Alone?"

Misaka thought for a moment before nodding and opening the door, Joule took the few steps to catch up to her, she grabbed onto Misaka's arm. She felt a charge ready to stun her but Misaka realised it was her and stopped. Joule glanced back at the doctor "We'll speak outside."

End of chapter

Episode 21 is finally done!

A reader pointed out to me that the scene that would have occured next in the anime is basically pointless. All but one fact learned there has already been figured out by the group so instead I'll have the character development part occur between these two.