Counteroffer

[ACSRT: Factions and Plots]

GV considered the offer that Gensei offered him. If he allowed himself to be taken then they would leave Joule alone.

"What about anyone else? What if someone else wanted her to took the chance before Railgun returns?" He asked.

After a moment Gensei Kihara responded "I have a number of skilled Espers in my employ, I would be willing to assign a few of them as guards if you offered up additional information when you came with us. They would be able to protect her whenever she's not with Railgun."

He still had more Espers? How many had he hired, already Ars and Aves had been defeated and he still had more? In addition GV did notice how he was basically saying "If you don't play along, we could just take her anyway." GV shook his head but asked instead "What sort of questions?"

He could hear a cruel smile in Gensei's response "To start with, how much you know about your friend's creation and where your abilities were developed. Even if I can't study her, your friend raises a great many questions for me."

He hated the idea of giving Gensei Kihara any sort of information. If he ended up creating another awful experiment with it, it would be on his own head. But it would keep Joule free and safe. What would Joule say though?

"Why? You said that I was safe with you?"

...Probably not. He couldn't imagine her as she was now saying something like that. She had grown up since they had come to Academy city and would likely try to find a way to save him when her friends returned. On the other hand even if she understood why he did it. She would still be devastated. I saved her from the Firmament but when faced with this challenge I gave up? No.

[ASG: Lightning Unleashed]

"No. I won't take your offer." He spoke from where he still stood behind the van.

Gensei was silent for longer than normal before he replied "Well that is a shame. It seems we are trapped in a deadlock then. Either my ally finds a way past your guard to kill you while you attack her ineffectively or you give up and leave. Those are the only options you've left yourself."

He was right, GV thought. This esper was just making a doll fight GV instead of fighting herself. It would be like his fight with Elise except there was nothing he could target at all. His enemy would simply return no matter how hard he hit it. His power was just the wrong fit for this battle. His backup plan still existed but he had no doubt that if the Esper got to Joule then Gensei would force him to let himself be captured. If he carried out the backup plan he would leave Joule open.

Suddenly someone new spoke from the entrance to the garage. It was Touma "Genki? Are you in there?"

The metal dolls stood still and turned to face the entrance where Touma was now walking in. GV panicked for a moment. He knew Touma's hand could disrupt the supernatural but if he couldn't see the attack coming then he would me unable to block.

He felt the metal doll prepare to strike before shouting out "Touma, there is someone else in this darkness. Leave no or they will attack you."

Touma nodded "I hear you." he then proceeded to step forward anyway.

The metal tendrils shot towards him. Touma raised his right hand and swung it. GV was shocked, Touma had blocked every tendril shot his way even without seeing them.

Over the speakers Gensei spoke "Ah, Mr Kamijou. If I am to be honest, I never would have thought you would get involved in all this. May I ask who told you what was going on in the first place."

Touma walked forward as he replied "I don't know who they were but I am thankful. They told me where I was needed."

There was one last pause from Gensei before he sighed and spoke again "It was probably Aleister of course. Very well. I forfeit."

"What?" GV and Touma were equally shocked.

"I forfeit. We will meet again of course." As he said that again. GV could feel the metal doll moving around Touma. He tensed, thinging that they were hoping to attack him from behind but instead they simply left.

[ACMI: Strain]

The two of them just stood there as the lights flickered back on. GV checked on Joule but found her breathing easily in her sleep. As Touma kept watch, GV called Heaven Canceller to arrange an ambulance for Joule.

It was just suddenly calm again. It was so sudden, GV felt like he had whiplash. The ambulance came and GV rode along with Joule. Touma headed off to do his own thing, apparently he tried to avoid visiting the hospital without a good reason.

He felt like it wasn't done yet. It couldn't be this easy. Gensei Kihara had left it off without a conclusion. It just felt wrong.

[ASG: Cyanotype]

Joule woke up a few hours later. There was little light in her hospital room so the sun was probably down. Her memories were hazy but she felt GV nearby. He seemed to be sitting outside the room, probably standing guard.

Lumen appeared at the end of her bed and smiled at her before walking over to sit by her bedside.

"Hey there." Lumen spoke telepathically, she probably wanted to talk in private for a bit before GV came in.

"Hello Lumen." Joule replied the same way before the two sat in mental silence for a moment.

It was Joule who broke the silence "I feel useless, I had to be rescued again. What is this now, the fourth time? GV needs to save me each time and I can't pay him back."

"We do pay him back," Lumen murmured to Joule "Our songs support him."

Joule nodded slightly but sighed "It's not enough though. I need to do more for him."

Lumen hummed "So what? A new song? Or are you going to ask for martial arts training?" At that second suggestion Lumen raised her arms to imitate a fighting stance Joule had once seen on TV.

"I don't know." Joule sighed. It was an awful feeling for her. With all GV did, she couldn't help and only made life harder.

"Pause there." Lumen said suddenly "Being kidnapped is not your fault. Don't even start on that. GV is not being forced to help us, it isn't a burden for him. He does it because he likes you."

Joule blushed before stuttering slightly out loud "He likes me? Like that?"

Lumen rolled her eyes "Oh I wish. No he sees you like a sister, I've been trying to get him to fall for you for months now. There isn't an easy way to get him to change that."

She paused suddenly as a thought occured to her "Maybe getting stronger would help? If you could show him that you weren't just his little sister."

The door to the room cracked open slightly and she heard GV's voice "Joule, are you awake?"

"She is." Lumen responded.

GV walked into the room and sat down on a chair to the side of the room. Silence filled the room for a moment.

"The appartement is wrecked. We will need to find somewhere new." GV reported. All Joule could say in response though was a little "Oh."

There was another pause that Lumen interrupted with a fake cough. GV shook himself for a moment before pulling out a new laptop to replace the broken one at the appartement. GV brought up a list of possible locations but one of them stood out to Joule.

She pointed it out to GV who took a look at it.

"Are you sure? It's smaller than our old one."

Joule nodded but smiled "We will be living closer to Saten and Uiharu there. It would be good to stay closer to friends."

GV shrugged "That's fine but we would have to share a bedroom."

Joule blushed in embarrassment but Lumen called out "She doesn't mind that at all!"

GV raised an eyebrow at Lumen before shrugging and muttering "Staying closer to friends does have advantages."

There was another pause for a moment before GV continued "No, I am not saying that sharing a bedroom is one of those advantages."

Joule sighed and Lumen cursed. They would have to move in over the next few days. At least it would be a fun surprise when her friends got back.

End of chapter.

Honestly I wanted to give Joule more of a spotlight this arc and failed horribly at that. While I called this the "Joule arc" in my notes it wasn't really anything else than a rehash of the Reveal arc near the start of the story.

*Sigh*

Maybe I'll find a chance to give her an arc during Season 3 of Index. Hopefully.

Either way this does end the "Joule arc". While I want to involve GV and Joule in the upcoming accelerator arcs. I honestly can't think how they would get involved. So unless someone has a good idea, the next main arc is going to be the Orsola Aquinas Rescue Arc. Aka the arc where the heroes are finally slapped in the face by the fact that magic exists and is a major thing. I will have one or two chapters before that arc properly starts though.