Execution of the plan

[ACSRS: Invader]

GV never liked to use torture to gather information, He just didn't enjoy the pain it involved. Of course he would use it like any other tool when it was called for. In this case however it turned out to not be necessary since Aritomi didn't seem interested. I must of course now specify that GV planned to gather information while being tortured rather than torturing anyone himself.

He and Misaka (who was still unconscious) were taken to a building elsewhere in the city. They were both placed onto the sort of tables used in hospitals, the ones that double as beds and have wheels on the bottom. It was at this point GV prepared for torture but the two of them were simply taken to an upstairs room with an elevator. Both beds were placed into the room and Aritomi told Shinobu to stay with them to keep an eye on them.

Aritomi left fairly quickly after they were both set-up, meanwhile Shinobu simply sat on the floor at the side of the room, head down. GV couldn't actually see Shinobu with his eyes (Due to her sitting outside of where he could see without moving his head) but he could feel the presence of her electronics to feel her movement.

GV opened his eyes and used them to look around. He waited a moment before speaking "Where are we?"

Shinobu looked up quickly "You're awake?"

GV was going to nod but to continue his act he just spoke "I am, if I may repeat again, where are we?"

She looked back down as if everything was weighing her down "What does it matter?"

GV rolled his eyes "Idle curiosity. No. I ask because it could be useful."

Shinobu looked at him again "We are in one of STUDY's decoy bases, it still has defenses and robots."

GV was quiet as he processed that information.

He was on the bed face down, looking towards the wall. He could tell from the light there was a window opposite but he couldn't check the time without turning. It likely hadn't been too long though, an hour at most.

The two of them sat in silence for a while. Shinobu didn't really want to speak and GV saw no reason to force her to right at this moment. Better to wait...

Actually, GV thought, better ask how long he might have to wait. "How long will Misaka be out?" He asked quietly. She sighed at that and shook her head.

"I don't know, all things considered it is a miracle that you are already awake." She admitted but continued with "The drug will act for about four hours, it has been about an hour and a half since you were injected."

GV mentally nodded "Ok." He closed his eyes again and listened for the sounds that would mean Misaka was awake. They had time either way and it was much easy to rescue someone who wasn't paralyzed. Of course if given an option sooner he would rather take it.

It felt to him like Shinobu was very slowly shaking her head "Did you here what he said earlier when he left me here?"

"No," GV admitted "please tell me?"

Shinobu coughed "After the 210 minute mark I am meant to reinject the two of you to keep you stuck here. I'm meant to do that until after he carries out his plan tomorrow." near the end her voice broke up a bit, GV suspected it to be sorrow or despair. She thought she was only making it worse.

The two were silent for a time, GV had a pretty good mental clock so he waited.

Around half an hour later they heard a grunt from Misaka's bed, she was now awake and trying to move.

Shinobu didn't even bother to look over "Don't bother trying to move, only your eyes and mouth will respond, your body is paralyzed. It's because of the drug, the one I injected you with. It blocks the transmission of commands to your nervous system. You won't be able to move a finger for two more hours yet."

Misaka spoke "So, I'm curious. How did you get involved with these people? I remember what you said, you talked to me before about my sisters, about how you stopped seeing them as things and were trying to shut down the experiments. Then you sent Genki, GV, to help me. After all that, why get mixed up in something like this?"

Before Shinobu could speak, GV did "It's my fault, I was hired to guard her and I left without her."

"No," Shinobu said clearly "You were following the orders I gave you, the fault is mine." She looked back towards Misaka "During the sisters case I made a mistake, I was caught by an underground organization. Then, I was sold to STUDY. That's when I was introduced to the artificially created twins, their names were Janie and Febrie. The involuntary neural activity essential to keeping them alive, what could be called their 'core programming' was based on a thesis I had written a long time ago."

Misaka gasped but GV had already suspected as much from what Joule had told him about their meeting with the Sister near the hospital.

Shinobu continued, her voice breaking slightly "That particular sin, is one for which I will never be forgiven, it will follow me my entire life. Even so, I must keep trying. I must atone by helping in whatever way possible. That was all I could think, when I saw those girls. Janie, that's Febrie's sister. She only has enough programing installed to keep her ability, Diffusion Ghost, working."

"Diffusion Ghost?" Misaka asked quietly.

Shinobu nodded "That is the ability created for Janie, I had planned to give her a mind like a normal girl, I would get my hands on the neutralizing agent and then I would run away with her. But now, things have gone too far and that isn't possible."

Shinobu stood up slowly "I need to get the formula from Aritomi, that's the only choice as he's the one who came up with it. I'll do whatever I have to to get it from him. I don't care what happens to me. I will save those girls, no matter the cost."

"Hey." Misaka tried to start before Shinobu spoke again "I know what I have done is unforgivable but-"

She was cut off by Misaka continuing "My sister never got the chance but she wanted to tell you thanks."

[ACSR: Place to Return]

Misaka continued "You think you have to do this by yourself but if you take a look around I think you'll realise you're wrong. you're not alone. There are people out there who want to help you if you let them."

Shinobu sounded angry when she responded "And you're one of these people I suppose? But how do you think you can help me right now? You two are effectively paralyzed! Thanks to me the only thing you can move is your mouth!"

GV felt the electric charge in Misaka and took this moment to sit up.

"Oh really?" Misaka spoke with a slight sound of pain "Just my mouth huh?" She was starting to sit up, directly controling her muscles with electricity.

Shinobu looked between the two of them "But how can you?" before looking like she realised, she then looked over at GV in the same shocked way, he just held up a hand "I used my ability to purge the drug moments after it entered my system. I was able to move the whole time."

Shinobu then focused on Misaka who was still painfully getting up. Misaka had a strange smile on her face as she spoke "I've never tried this before but hey, it seems to work pretty well huh?"

Once she had made her way into a sitting posture she didn't need to activate as many muscles to stay upright. She then spoke "Let me tell you what I have come to realise recently; Other people count on you but you can count on them too, if you work with someone instead of on your own, your combined strength can make all the difference."

She tilted her head up with a wince but then continued "You know, when I first found out about my sisters, I reacted the same way you are. I just kept thinking 'This is my fault. I have to do something' however, while it took a while I have stopped thinking about it like that. Which is why-"

An explosion could be heard from somewhere else in the building. Misaka smiled "Here they come."

GV looked out the window at the clock they could see out there "They seem a little early?"

Misaka smiled "They likely just didn't see us moving for a while."

Shinobu looked between the two of them "How did they know how to find you?"

Misaka lifted her arm "I borrowed one of those implantable tracking devices they use when you go outside of Academy City. And I simply talked it over with my friends. I told them that if I were gone too long they should come and get me."

Shinobu looked to the side "So you dragged your friends into this-"

"No," Misaka said clearly "I explained the plan to them and then I asked, I asked for help. Without hesitation they agreed, they care about Febrie too. Although it now looks like Febrie needs more help than my friends and I can give. So now I'm asking you. Do you think you can help us save her?"

Shinobu looked shocked "But this is all my fault, you can't trust me."

"Yes I can." Misaka stated "I trust you completely."

[ACSRS: So, I Decided]

"Look-" Misaka started only to be cut off by Shinobu's "No. This is all wrong. I should be the one asking you."

Shinobu looked Misaka in the eye "So now I am, I'm asking. Please help us."

Misaka smiled and the two of them looked towards GV who shrugged as he stood up "What? Did you expect me to refuse. Joule might get annoyed and no one wants to see that."

Misaka laughed softly at that.

End of chapter.

I wanted to get everything in this room in a single chapter. Which made it quite long.

Next chapter will start with the rescuer's perspective.