The future and a sudden crisis

[ACSR: Little Wish]

Joule yawned as school finished up on the 28th.

Today had been a development exam. The school she went to with GV, Uiharu and Saten didn't really have the equipment to test high level telepaths like her but they made do.

Once again, she'd gotten another letter that Tokiwadai would be happy to accept her and they'd likely be able to get her better help there but...

She had fun with Saten and Uiharu and it gave her more time to spend with GV. If she went to Tokiwadai, she might be only able to see him in the mornings and nights.

"And that's just not enough." Lumen said with a sly smile. She wasn't in her full form. Lumen was pretending to be her butterfly hairpin as she still did during school. How did Joule know it was a sly smile then? She just did.

Regardless, the telepathy exam had been fairly easy for her. She was limited to humming but that was enough to grant her an effective level of 3, maybe low 4.

She didn't need Lumen's help as much as she had used to. Her telepathy was strong on its own.

Performing one of her full songs would have been impossible though, without Lumen she couldn't manage all of the I/O data she got from crowds. Her friend acted as a filter to manage the data flow.

Uiharu had needed to run off to Judgement so it was another day of just Saten and Joule.

As they walked, Saten verbally poked her "Hey, what was that letter earlier about?"

Joule shrugged "Another invitation to Tokiwadai."

With a nod, Saten made an "Ahh." sound before continuing "I mean, it would let you hang out with Misaka more."

Following Saten down a street to an Arcade, Joule smiled. There was something she needed to ask.

"If I did it though, who would you go to the arcade with?"

Saten paused mid-step but then kept right on walking "I can go myself, that and I can defeat people who are there randomly. You know, when two people lock eyes, a battle must occur. That sort of thing."

"Uh huh." Joule didn't sound like she entirely believed but she did change to a different point "So who would you hunt rumours with. We've both seen that they can be dangerous."

Saten shrugged again "I can just wait for days when you're around. Or Misaka. You guys can come meet me before I go hunting."

Fair.

And as Joule relented, Saten began to push "Why are you worried about me, it's your choice and it doesn't hurt our friendship. It's not like we don't speak to Misaka tons."

Again, fair.

"I..." Joule hesitated, her mind flashing to time that she's spent in class with the three who went to this school.

Saten roping her into some sort of plan, Uiharu helping her in group projects, GV being... GV.

"While I..." She searched for the right words "While I could easily make new bonds, it feels like I'm losing too much time with you two and-"

While she did stop right there, Saten's eyes narrowed and a cat's smile grew on her face "Oooh, you can spend as much time with GV that way."

"No." her voice was quiet even as Lumen laughed.

Saten remained quiet for a moment before asking "Which choice do you think GV would want you to pick?"

Joule could imagine him giving either answer though. Either telling her to stay here because it made it easier for him to protect her or telling her to go to Tokiwadai to improve her own life.

She still remembered their first meeting in that train car.

"I want to be free. I want to stand at the top of the world and see it all"

That is what she had asked him, and he'd taken her out of there and kept her safe. GV was a person that wanted to see her free and happy.

But would Tokiwadai make her more of either of them. It would help her hone her powers which might help her become more free, but it might make her less happy.

And yet, with those thoughts, she suspected she knew which of the two things he'd say.

"Please don't tell the others about this." Joule asked Saten quietly "I still want to think it through. I'm still not sure yet."

Saten nodded but suggested another option "I mean, maybe you could stay with us until the end of the school year and transfer to Tokiwadai in February?"

That...

Once she changed, it wasn't like academy city would let her return to that school.

And yet... She wasn't making much progress as she was. Maybe she did need something more before she could catch his eye.

Joule just nodded "It's an idea."

They reached the arcade but when they did, Joule got a phone call. She stepped outside as she read the name.

Huh.

"It's Hokaze." She said quietly as Lumen watched over her shoulder "Think it's about ghost-chan?"

Lumen nodded "It could be."

Answering the call, Joule raised the phone to her ear.

[ACSR: Determination]

"Hello Hokaze."

"Joule." The ringlet girl's voice came across clearly "You can use your power to find people over a wide distance, correct?"

...That sounded bad but "Yes, why?"

There was a pause before she answered.

"I'd rather I explain that in person. If I may ask a follow up question though: what limits how far you can search?"

Okay, this sounded really bad.

"I can search anyone who can hear my song, I haven't found a range limit yet but I don't know for sure that I don't have one."

Another pause from Hokaze before she replied "And if we can't be sure to get the missing person within your song, do you have any idea what your limit is without a song?"

"...Depends who I'm looking for." Joule was very curious at this point.

Hokaze sighed softly before speaking clearly "Joule, can you form a telepathy link with me at this distance. I can discuss the plan privately there."

It was a streach. Joule could vaguely feel Hokaze's mind in the school garden but at this distance...?

"Give me a moment." Joule said as she began walking towards the school garden while humming. It was the most she could do on the streets without being obvious to others on the street.

"Lumen, go to her, I'll try and form a link myself but go ahead and see what's wrong."

At her mental command, Lumen fluttered off and Joule focused. Before anything else though she sent Saten a text that something was going on and she'd be back later.

Think of this kind of long range telepathy as throwing a lasso. Hitting a post (a mind) far away was quite tricky.

Even then, Hokaze was well known to her and so-

She mentally threw her power across the district to the school garden and held her breath.

"Testing."

"I can here you." Hokaze confirmed as she ended the phone call.

Joule was worried but she once again asked "What's wrong?"

"The Queen has been kidnapped."

Ah. Yes. This was as bad as she had thought.

Just as she thought that though, she heard Hokaze react to something through the link.

"What is it?"

"A phone call from the Queen's phone?" Hokaze answered with surprise.

End of chapter.

Well, we just skipped a couple Astral buddy chapters. We're now at chapter 9.

I wonder how many readers I have that didn't read AB?

Side note: My control-F skills on the full story were failing me so I don't remember whe Joule got her last Tokiwadai invite. I think this is either the third or fourth though.