A crutch for those who need it.

[ACMI2: Chase]

"Why are you even fighting? Haven't you figured it out yet? You'll never get the best of me!"

As Lumen reached the broken window and entered, she saw a room filled with the signs of battle.

More important though were the two figures who were still fighting. The scientist from before and Accelerator. Accelerator's nose was bleeding. He'd been hurt somehow.

"Having an off day, huh?" The scientist looked to be in a great mood as he taunted Accelerator. Even if the entire room was full of defeated soldiers, it looked like this fight was harder than she'd have thought it.

"Aren't you motivated? I thought you came here to save the girl?"

Indeed, Last Order was lying on a table. Lumen alighted on her head and gave her brain a quick look.

Yup, virus code. A lot of it. She was starting to gain a fever, but it was slow.

"Go to hell." Accelerator wiped the blood from his nose into a smear.

The scientist smiled "Do I have it wrong? Maybe you came because fighting me will make you seem like the hero you're never going to be?"

Accelerator rushed close but the scientist managed to land more strikes on him as he continued to talk.

"Here you are, standing in the face of a powerful evil. Dashing in to rescue a helpless girl from an uncertain fate." Every few words were punctuated by a punch or a kick that he should have been able to reflect- but he couldn't for some reason?

The last kick had sent Accelerator back through the air, throwing him against the desk that Last Order was lying on.

"Do you really think that's going to make up for all the horrible things you've done during your miserable life?" The scientist's laugh filled the room after asking him that question before he followed with "You'll never be more than what you are now."

As Accelerator tried to stand, Lumen reflected on what he was trying to do. She remembered what he had said when he had first decided to protect Last Order.

GV was a killer too, but he only killed bad people. Except no, that wasn't strictly true. In all his work to help Joule, he'd killed a lot of people just doing their jobs. While he couldn't claim anything close to the ten thousand corpses left by Accelerator, he had killed Adepts in battle.

And both of them made the choice to protect someone instead of killing them. Because they didn't think it was right for them to die even if it was the easier way.

She tried to connect to his mind but he still had his reflection barrier up. Even if it wasn't working against the scientist for whatever reason.

As Accelerator leaped forwards though, there was a sound from his neck. Even as he fell through the air, Lumen could tell his body had gone limp. Electrical waves that his choker had been giving out and receiving had gone silent.

He fell to the floor, motionless. The scientist let out a laugh and after recovering himself, he stepped right past Accelerator.

[ACMI2: Confusion]

"When your battery dies, you're useless. Just a broken toy that can't move on it's own anymore."

But no, Accelerator was moving. He was struggling to grab onto the side of another desk. Some attempt to stand.

Lumen sent out a thread of power again. There was no barrier to stop her now.

Accelerator's brain was a bit of a mess. His thoughts were still moving, although sluggishly.

"I have to stand up. I have to help Last Order. No matter what."

When Joule got here, Lumen would be able to share at least part of her brain to help him but... well. There wasn't enough actual brain there to help. She could help give it a crutch, allow him to use another part of his brain to replace the damaged areas. The simple fact was that there was no part of the brain that wasn't critical.

Part of the reason he had the entire Misaka network help him was because their collective minds could make up for the damage done. How could she help as is though?

"Hello. Friendly telepath here, let me help you move."

Sure, that was best. He slowed slightly when she sent that message before going to his damaged movement centers and helped use her own processing power to ease his movement.

He'd likely have trouble understanding her so she gave a little bit of help to his Wernicke's area, a part of the brain that dealt with Language comprehension. Movement was the more important part though.

He was now standing normally and could understand what the scientist was saying but his mind wasn't in any state to get his mouth to actually reply.

"It's almost hard to believe, you managed to fight off quite a few of my guys earlier and here you sit before me, helpless...?"

No, he wasn't helpless. He could move. He didn't have his ability though.

The scientist grunted as Accelerator took a step forward. A groaning noise came from Accelerator's lips as air passed uselessly over his voicebox.

[ACMI2: Psychic Battle]

"Enough, I'll end this now." The scientist stepped forward, ready to punch "Say goodbye you disabled bastard."

One thing of Accelerator's that wasn't damaged though was his brain stem and thus, his reflexes were unimpeded. With a quick movement he grabbed the arm the scientist was punching with. His grip locked.

Right now, Accelerator's will was firm. She'd given him full control of his motor nerves. He was in a state not unlike the classic example of a mother lifting a tree to protect her child. Accelerator was a teen who didn't get nearly enough exercise but now his grip was stronger than the scientist's attempts to pull away.

This would do a lot of damage to his system, but right now he needed this.

Accelerator's other hand grabbed for the scientist's hair and yanked it out. As he pulled, some small amount of skin and blood came away with it due to the sudden pull and the scientist screemed out in pain.

The two split apart, a smile growing on Accelerator's face.

He was still unable to make himself heard, even with telepathy. He wasn't communicating to her. He was telling her what he needed to be able to do.

"You've lost it! You're crazy!" The scientist accused.

But no, Lumen saw intelligence in Accelerator. His rational mind was impared but he was still himself. He was no more crazy than someone drunk. Only his hangover would be much worse if he kept up this rate.

"I'm going to tackle him." went one string of thoughts.

Lumen directed his motor controls so that he could lunge and push the scientist to the floor. The scientist managed to kick him off and roll away before he got a second strike in though.

"Stay the hell away from me!" The scientist ordered as he began to crawl away. Accelerator's instincts and reactions were faster though. He lunged forward from his crouched state to grab one leg. The scientist readied a kick with another but Lumen allowed him to jerk his head to the side to dodge it. He would have rolled over if not anchored by the leg.

The second kick landed though. Accelerator's grip was locked though. As a third and then forth landed, Lumen worked to reduce the impact from the brain slamming into the back of the skull. He already had some brain damage, no need for any more.

The scientist wasn't hitting as hard as he had before which was good, Accelerator wouldn't stand a chance if that was the case. he was still a teen going up against a decently fit scientist though.

The only advantage that Accelerator had was a willingness to fight at any cost to himself.

Something was different though. Accelerator's thought patterns were changing after those kicks.

"Kihara. Kihara. Kihara."

So the scientist was a Kihara? Well. Not a shock really.

There was something else in there too. It was like a second... track? A second layer of thoughts. One that Lumen couldn't understand properly.

It was a problem. She could no longer judge what he wanted to do properly.

The scientist grinned and pulled out a small SD card. He showed it to Accelerator.

"Take a look, it's the original script of the virus that was put into the girl's brain."

Was he going to threaten him with it's destruction if he didn't get off?

Lumen whispered to his mind.

"Don't worry. We could find a way to cure her without it."

The Kihara, who obviously hadn't heard her private message, insisted "You need this, without this, there's no way you'll be able to save her."

Instead of using it as a bargaining chip, he just destroyed it. Crushing it between his fingers.

He dived away as Accelerator got to his feet again. He laughed as he looked back at Accelerator.

"And now it's gone! I destroyed it! She's as good as dead!"

He spun to his feet as he spoke but Accelerator dodged his first kick.

"With one squeze of my hand, I took away the only thing in the world that matters to you!"

Lumen couldn't help herself at this point. She threw a telepathic link his way too.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you?"

"Who's there?" The man stepped back quickly.

Lumen mentally smiled but she hadn't anything else to say to him.

Because the others had finally arrived.

Joule and Misaka were at the door.

End of chapter.

This, this is a better chapter than the last.

To give proper scale to the difference between this and the original. Accelerator could move freely with Lumen's help. No sluggish or misaimed attacks.

Edit: Also, I hate typos. I'm probably still missing some.