Realisation

[ACSRT: Factions and Plots]

Misaka was confused. She had been confused since Kuroko teleported her away earlier.

She had wanted to fight, to help these people. They really were quite fun to be around. So when something threatened them, she'd naturally want to help them if she could. And yet she had been forbidden to and she'd just gone along with it.

That wasn't like her. Misaka knew she was quite the reflexive person. If someone was hurting someone she liked, she'd hurt them back. It was just how she was. Twice now though she'd been pushed away from the fight. Kuroko did that sort of thing all the time but she actually had a reason, the fact that she was allowed to act as part of judgement and she wasn't.

These girls though didn't have that and yet she still went along with it. Something was wrong. Not in either of the thoughts though.

"Following their advice" was natural. In the same way that if Kuroko told her about a bomb, she'd act to protect her from it without any questions.

"Acting to help" was natural. When the level 6 shift experiment was going on, she'd acted to protect her sisters without any questions.

Now the two were conflicting and she looked into how she had dealt with it in the past.

...Normally acting to help took priority. When she'd learned that accelerator was hurting the sisters, she'd gone against all advice to fight him.

So why was she so conflicted now? Why wasn't that becoming her default?

Sure it wasn't healty but she could deal with it. She was strong enough to deal with the problems that others couldn't.

She sat on a bench next to Kuroko. She hadn't been acting normally either. You'd think with a day to spend time together, she'd be trying harder to be her own, overly friendly self. But no, she was serious. The type of serious that she gets while on a job.

"What's wrong Kuroko."

She hadn't asked it in terms of "What's wrong with you." it was in a "What's wrong with what's going on?"

"Hmm?" Kuroko grunted her question and Misaka explained.

"I've been feeling strange all day and I can't place it. I've even got a headache."

"Do you need a painkiller?" Kuroko asked, looking worried. Misaka shook her head though.

"It's something that's wrong." She tried to explain "The puzzle should be complete, but it isn't. Or maybe it's painted wrong so the pieces don't match up properly."

Kuroko looked at her and forced a smile, "Are you having a go at poetry?"

"That's not it." Misaka objected, more forcefully than intended.

Then, two people arrived that they hadn't expected.

[ASG1: Review the Mission]

"Hello Misaka, Kuroko"

"Hi Biri Biri."

The two girls looked up and saw GV, still with an eyepatch over one of his eyes, and Touma who was waving slightly.

"Touma!" Misaka had an idea.

The boy raised his eyebrows "What's wrong?"

She glanced between the two of them as she stood.

"Two things, GV, do you know where Joule is?"

The boy frowned "I was hoping she'd be with you actually, she hasn't been answering her phone and Lumen isn't around."

She had been worrying about the telepath but where a microscope and a scalpel were missing, a sledgehammer would do.

"You, arm!" she said curtly to Touma. He didn't understand so she just tapped his hand with the side of her own.

Nothing happened and her frown grew "I was sure..."

Touma had realised by this point that she was worried about something while GV had noticed that Kuroko wasn't saying anything. She was just sitting tense on the bench.

"I've had this strange feeling all day, it's-" Misaka tapped the side of her head "mental so I hoped Joule could help figure out if I had forgotten something."

"But you think it might be something else?" GV asked "Or you wouldn't have been hoping for Touma's hand to do something."

She nodded "I thought for a moment it might be something mental that someone, probably a mage if I'm right, managed to sneak past by barrier."

"Ah." Touma realised "Then just touching my hand won't work. For mental things I need to touch the head."

To demonstrate he lifted his hand and bopped Misaka on the head.

She then collapsed. Her mind rushing.

[ASG1: Formulate the Battle Plan]

She stood up quickly and looked to Kuroko who was still silent.

"Did you know?"

The teleporter nodded and Kuroko looked to Touma "Bop her too."

Touma looked baffled again but his hand bopped onto the top of Kuroko's head and Misaka was shocked as tears began to flow.

"Oh sis! Sis!"

Kuroko teleported up from her seat to fall into a hug on Misaka.

She was nice, and didn't zap her for a change. She needed to know what was happening.

"Calm down Kuroko, tell me what happened."

And so she did. Starting from when Misaki ambushed them on patrol and pulled Joule to the side. Then removed their memories of the meeting. She then told them about how Joule had come to them about the plot targeting Misaka and the sisters.

"I am going to hit her so hard!" Misaka yelled as Kuroko went over that.

GV looked defensive "You aren't hitting Joule."

"No!" Misaka yelled "I mean Misaki. I'm going to beat her up and ruin her. How dare she trick Joule like that."

Everyone paused.

"Let me continue my story, please." Kuroko asked "I don't think Joule is innocent in this."

She went on, telling them how Joule had told them about what they'd done to Misaka. Misaka had remembered it herself though. She remembered the look on Joule's face as she'd used the emergency back door they had set up together.

"She likely thought this was the best path." GV stated calmly, glancing at Misaka "Maybe she was right."

Kuroko's anger burned at him "What do you mean? How could this be the best way?"

Without raising his own voice. He looked to Misaka.

"Now that you remember, what are you going to do. Go after them?"

Misaka nodded "Of course."

"And if you end up walking into a trap, ending up right where Gensei wants you?"

She paused for a moment but kept right on going "I just won't fall for it. All of you will help me."

"What?" Touma was confused, apparently he hadn't expected to get recruited. A moment later he nodded though. GV was just as quick.

"I need to talk to Joule about this." He waves his hand around "But she's probably scared and feels isolated. She shouldn't have to feel that way if she's trying to help her friends."

Kuroko looked at Misaka "Of course I'm coming with you. But-" She never finished but nodded.

Taking a breath, Misaka begins planning.

"GV, do you have Uiharu's number?"

"I do." He confirmed "Joule passed it on."

"Call her." Misaka said "Tell her what's happened. If she's not answering either, go down the list. Find out where they are."

Kuroko looked at Misaka "And what will we be doing?"

"Going to help Junko." The electromaster said simply "I'm not letting her perform a heroic sacrifice to get me to safety. I'm going to make sure she goes home safely."

End of chapter.

And Misaka's brainwashing is removed 6 chapters after it's applied. Is this just a cop out? Well, I don't think so.

Thing is; Misaki's plan would have never worked. Gensei's plan will get to the final step regardless of where Misaka is. It's just helpful if he knows where she is in advance.