Lab One

[ASG: Today's Contract]

GV hung up the phone, Joule had been telling him where Misaka was going and requested that he keep her safe. In all likelihood he suspected that Railgun would be able to take care of herself but it was still worth having another set of eyes.

In his opinion, disabling security without setting it off would likely be enough help.

By the time he got there though there was little hope of that. He ducked behind a column on the roof and looked inside the window where he could see there was a group of women tearing the security apart. He recognised one of them from when he was guarding Shinobu. He had looked them up later, learning the names and abilities of ITEM's members.

He ran to front of the building's roof and dropped to the floor only to see Railgun was already there, looking at him in surprise. Slightly more surprising was seeing Lumen's hairpin in her hair. Joule hadn't told me that Lumen was with Railgun.

"You here to check out the lab as well?" She asked curtly.

GV nodded "That, and Joule asked me to act as your backup."

Misaka looked towards the judgement office (Far in the distance so she couldn't see it) and smiled before looking back and nodding towards the building "Let's go then."

The two of them entered and looked around, ITEM had destroyed quite a few powered suits and they were scattered throughout the room.

Misaka whistled as she looked "They made quite the mess."

GV looked around and saw a hole in the wall "Over there."

Misaka looked over as well and focused "It has functioning electricity, let's look."

As they headed in, GV was silently impressed. His own EM sense didn't allow him to tell that at this distance. By the time they crossed to the hole and entered he could sense it but Misaka seemed to have greater range in her EM sense than he did.

They walked around following Misaka's EM sense towards the largest use of electricity in here which would likely be a computer.

At last they saw a room with a light on. The two of them slowly peaked around the door to see who was inside.

It was Nunotaba Shinobu, she was typing quickly at the keyboard. Misaka took out a coin while GV put his hand to his belt (and his knives) and entered first.

"Hello, miss Shinobu" he spoke calmly but it was still enough to make her jump.

She stood up straight as Misaka entered the room. She looked around to see if there was anyone else in the room and when she saw there wasn't she lowered the coin but still kept it palmed.

Shinobu looked between the two of them before focusing on Misaka "What are you doing here?"

GV took a few steps inside before moving to lean on the wall. Misaka just stood there and focused on Shinobu "We were right then, you are involved in this. What is going on, are in league with these creeps.

Shinobu said nothing and turned back to the computer so instead Gunvolt talked "I'm sorry I couldn't help you then. But I am here now. So, do you want to escape?"

She looked back at where he leaned before turning back and spoke "Can't, haven't finished."

Misaka looked annoyed, both at that answer and Shinobu ignoring her. As Misaka walked over, Shinobu took a drive out from the computer and tossed it to her.

She was finally looking at Misaka and she spoke calmly "Take that with you, it is data on the neutralising agent."

Misaka looked down at it not quite understanding so Shinobu went on "The formula for Febrie's candy. If you act now there should still be enough time."

She was astonished, GV realised. "But why? Why are you giving this to me?" Misaka asked quietly.

Shinobu looked at both of them before softly sighing "I guess you deserve an explanation."

She closed her eyes and looked back towards the computer "As you likely already guessed, I was the one to give Febrie your name." She looked at GV for a moment "She was the only one I knew would be able to find Febrie and keep her safe."

GV nodded, he understood the choice.

Shinobu continued "I admit, I didn't think I would be able to get you this data so soon. The disturbance in the lab was my excuse to come here and ITEM was causing that. However I can give this to you now, so you'll be able to keep Febrie alive. You can give her a future."

[ACSRS: STUDY]

"I'm afraid not." Everyone turned to look. There was a man standing in the door, Aritomi Haruki from the data that GV had gathered.

"What you have there is just a dummy formula, It won't do anything to help with Febrie's condition. I knew it would be a good idea to have some insurance."

He adjusted his glasses while looking at Shinobu "So, you were the one who orchestrated Febrie's escape? For a traitor you sure keep interesting company, enlisting the help of a celebrity." At this he looked at Misaka before looking at GV "I'm afraid I don't know who this is but regardless, very resourceful. I'm quite impressed. It's nice to finally have the chance to meet you in person Railgun. Put a face to the data I collected, and very useful data it has been."

GV kept quiet but he was surprised, did the man truely not know who he was. This wasn't vanity but mere shock. He had been taking down their labs for days and they didn't know him?

Misaka looked dead on at him "So you're Haruki Aritomi huh?"

Aritomi looked surprised at that "This is surprising, you seem to have gone to a lot of trouble. All just to save Febrie's life, she is a fine product but even so."

Misaka looked angry at his words but GV spoke first "So you see a sentient being as a product?"

"Indeed," Aritomi agreed "She is a product of our research. Don't mistake me for not observing the a clone as a person as she isn't one. Febrie was built from the ground up and so she has no original to-"

He was cut off as Misaka took a step forward, electricty leaping from her head. He took something green out of her pocket and held it out so she could see it "Easy now, you shouldn't use electricty. Unless you want to destroy a real copy of the formula." As he spoke he took something out of another pocket and tossed it while speaking "Nunotaba," Shinobu caught the pen like object, a syringe "Inject that into Railgun. It will only incapacitate her, she won't die. What's more, if you follow my instructions exactly, I'm willing to hand the drive over to you. After all we have no real use for it anymore."

Shinobu held the syringe close "I can't-" only to be cut off by Misaka offering Shinobu her arm. She was still looking at Aritomi but she spoke to Shinobu "Inject me. This is to save Febrie's life."

GV watched as Shinobu placed the syringe pen against Misaka's vein and pressed the button. There was a slight hiss as the mixture inside was injected into her. It acted quickly. The moment after Misaka flinched from the pain she collapsed, likely paralyzed. At this Aritomi smiled "Strong enough for even a level 5" he looked over at GV "And you, you care about Febrie too right?" He took a second syringe pen and walked over to Shinobu to increase the distance between him and GV. He then tossed the syringe pen to GV "This one, into your arm."

GV grabbed the syringe and looked at Shinobu. She was scared but determined. He sighed and placed it against his arm and pressed the button. The effects were instant. After only an instant he lost his sense of touch throughout his whole body. He collapsed a moment later, the signals that told his legs to stand wasn't reaching it's destination.

He looked up at Shinobu who was speaking "All right, we've done what you asked, now give me the data." Aritomi said "Well, about our deal..." before dropping the drive and stepping on it. It was in that moment that GV acted. His mouth was sluggish but quietly he was able to speak "Galvanic Patch."

Electricity got to work, purging the formula from his body. There would be no signs of this however so he played dead on the ground. He hated the man for this but without him they wouldn't find the formula. Aritomi was still talking "It's like I said, we have no use for Febrie. She is just a spare."

Misaka quietly repeated from the floor "She's a spare?"

"Yes," Aritomi adjusted his glasses again "For an invention that is truely revolutionary. We call it Janie."

End of chapter!

Longer than normal but I wanted to finish EP 22.

As a note, while GV is going to stay awake he is pretending to be paralyzed so will act unconscious a bit after Misaka will actually go unconscious.

Stil not sure Galvanic Patch was the right skill to pick but it was the closest to a cure effect GV had