Happy Belated New Year Everyone!
Hope you all had a decent start, mine was...let's just say sub-par, but before we move on, I feel the need to address a few issues with how the last arc ended.
1. Yes, what Itsuki did to Index was needlessly cruel & he will get called out on it down the line.
2. No, Toma has not lost his memories. This will play a major role down the line, especially when he learns what happened.
2. No, Index is not written out of this story. She's literally too important to do so even if she played no major role in the early arcs.
3. Yes, more Stand Users will start making appearances, but few of them will be major characters.
And finally, for those of you who kept asking why I rewrote the fight with index in the first place: Actual, honest to God-Emperor Wakamoto Constructive Criticism.
To put things into context: Whenever I write chapters for a story, I typically do so while either reading the original manga/novel chapter(s) or watching the anime episodes related to that particular arc, occasionally referencing the wiki if necessary.
Unfortunately, this can lead to instances where later information messes with the flow of the story, such as my having to change the end of the John's Pen fight to accommodate for the immunity to Time Stop.
And yes, John's Pen Mode is apparently canonically immune to Temporal Anomalies, as evidenced during later events in the series. Thankfully, several die-hard Toaru fans were able to bring this fact, and the consequences of 'writing Index out' of the story, to light.
And no, I'm not going to name them here because I refuse to let them be harassed by trolls & griefers simply looking for attention. They know who they are and I am eternally grateful for their support & willingness to discuss things with me so I could make the necessary corrections.
With that said, let's move on with the show!
Chapter 13 – July 24th.
A Certain Abduction
"Hi, Doctor Kiyama?" Uiharu called, the flower-girl having been tasked with following up on one of their leads with the perpetually exhausted professor "This is Uiharu Kazari from Judgement?" she sighed after a moment "Yes, the girl with flowers in her hair. I was wondering if you received the email I sent?"
"Yes, I've received the file and have already looked over the contents." Kiyama's assured the flower-girl over the phone, her tone as exhausted as ever "Rest assured, I took preventative measures to avoid being affected myself."
"That's a relief." Uiharu sighed, glad to have such a dependable adult on their side for once, as bar certain exceptions, most of the adults she had worked with before either outright resented having to co-operate with a 'child' or underestimated her due to her appearance "Regarding the audio file, do you really think it's possible for someone to raise their Ability Level simply by listening to it?"
"That's certainly the question…" Kiyama mused, Uiharu able to hear the clattering of her fingers on a keyboard over the line "Normally I'd say it'd be impossible, but it could theoretically be possible if we used a Testament."
A key element of the Power Development Course, the Testament Learning Devices were designed to install information directly into a human brain in a short period of time by directly manipulating the five senses via electrical signals.
"I'm sure you're well aware of how they are used in the development of Esper Abilities." Kiyama continued "However, research has also revealed they can be used to implant other information, such as speech, logic, even motor functions. Given the right circumstance, it could theoretically be possible to install an entirely new personality and emotions into the subject."
'Creepy…!' Uiharu whimpered, the flower girl shivering at the idea of someone tampering with her pod during one of her sessions, overwriting her personality until the girl she was ceased to exist...if she ever truly existed to begin with? Wait, how did she even know if 'she' was the real 'Uiharu Kazari'? Was Uiharu Kazari even her real name-?!
"If that's all you needed, I really need to get back to work." Kiyama spoke up, snapping the fretting flower girl out of her morbid thoughts "I think I might be close to a breakthrough on another project I've been working on, but if it works it should prove useful in setting things straight."
"O-Oh, right!" Uiharu stammered, her heart soaring at the doctor's words, unable to help bowing her head in gratitude despite the distance between them "Please keep us posted! If there's anything we can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask!"
'Hopefully with Dr Kiyama we'll be able to arrest whoever's behind this before anyone else gets hurt…' Uiharu prayed as she hung up, gazing forlornly at the number of reports that had been piling up this past week alone 'Speaking of which, Shirai-san should be reporting in soon…'
"I'm back…" Kuroko called out, startling the flower-girl as she literally popped into existence behind her, the teleporter's features set in a pained grimace as she gripped her torn sleeve "Sorry for this Uiharu, but could you break out the first aid kit?"
"S-Sure!" Uiharu stammered, reaching for the first aid kit even as the teleporter stripped off her upper clothing, the younger girl wincing at the sight of several nasty looking bruises and scrapes the older girl had acquired in the short time she'd been out "Sorry if this stings, but I need to clean them before we can apply the bandages."
"Story of my life…" Kuroko sighed, raising her arms to allow Uiharu better access to her bruised ribs, gritting her teeth as the younger girl gently disinfected the area before applying a healing salve and plaster, followed by wrapping the area in bandages.
"It seems like you're getting more bruised up by the day." Uiharu commented glibly, more than used to patching up her colleagues thanks to her Judgement training "At this point I can't tell where the old bruises begin and the new ones' end."
"It can't be helped." Kuroko groaned, lowering her arms tenderly over her wrapped ribs so Uiharu could begin working on her other wounds "The number of Level-Upper users is on the rise, I can't just sit back and let them run rampant."
"I can't even begin to imagine how far it's spread by now." Uiharu confessed with a sigh, wishing they could've known what they do now back when it was all just hearsay on the web "I wish there was a way we could keep track of it, y'know?"
"Whining about it won't get us anywhere, what we need is a plan of action." Kuroko countered grimly as she held up three fingers "There are three goals that we have to accomplish, care to guess what they are?"
"First: Prevent the spread of Level Upper by getting it off the street." Uiharu proposed, earning a nod of approval from the teleporter "Second, retrieve all coma victims and supply them with immediate treatment, and finally…"
"Arrest whoever is responsible for the Development and Distribution of Level Upper." Kuroko concluded with a grim nod, flinching at the pain in her ribs "If we're lucky we may even learn their motive before we throw the book at 'em."
"Well before all that, let's finish patching you up." Uiharu insisted, pushing the older girl back onto her stool so she could finish bandaging her ribs "Though I'm honestly surprised, I thought for sure you'd love to have Misaka-san tend to your wounds."
"As if I'd allow Onee-sama to see me in such a state." Kuroko scoffed, hands behind her head to keep from interfering "Truth be told I'd just as soon have nobody see me like this, but it's not like I can change my own bandages."
"Oh Shirai-san…" Uiharu sighed, unable to help smiling despite herself, shaking her head in amusement at the older girl's antics "You needn't worry, nobody would care to see you like this-!"
It was in that moment, as the temperature in the room dropped below zero and Kuroko's pigtails began to lash like hissing vipers, that Uiharu knew…She'd Fucked Up.
'My one regret…' She wept, standing proud and accepting her fate as the pigtailed teleporter whipped round to grab her by the lapels of her school uniform 'Is never asking Misaka-san to give me a tour of Tokiwadai…!'
a certain street...
"You alright?" I asked, looking on in concern as Mikoto recovered from an impressive sneeze, the two of us having just come from visiting Touma at the hospital "You need some tissues or something?"
"No thanks, I got it." Mikoto assured me, the Level-5 pulling out a Gekota handkerchief to delicately wipe her nose clear "Ugh, I hate the smell of hospitals…reminds me of all those tests I had to do to become a Level-5."
"Yeah, never really liked the smell of corporate greed and evil science." I quipped, earning a scoff from the Electromancer as we once again fell into step alongside one another "Thanks again for stopping by, I know it can't have been easy, but better you found out now than after he was released."
It had been two days since I checked Touma into the hospital. Two days since my best friend risked his life to save a selfish little brat who, by all rights, never would've been in any danger at all if only her would-be-guardians had possessed a modicum of common sense.
Two Days since said Magicians utilized the [Joestar Secret Technique] to [Nigurendayo] as far away from Academy City as their feet, broomsticks or bed knobs could carry them. If they were smart, they'll never stop moving, though considering what I knew, odds were good I'd be getting my hands dirty eventually.
Perhaps most importantly, it had been 2 Days since I was forced to call Touma's parents to let them know their son had suffered a serious injury, one serious enough to involve a brief stint in A Certain Hospital.
As you can imagine, the Kamijous hadn't taken the news well, his dad, Touya, blaming himself for sending Touma here, even threatening to pull the idiot from school to bring him home while his mother, Shina, spent most of the visit hugging her baby to her chest and stroking his hair.
Fortunately, in what could ironically be considered an Act of God, it just so happened that Misaka Mikoto had decided to grace my unfortunate compadre with her presence, the Electromancer having called me the day before to demand why the Extra Crispy Kamijou wasn't returning her calls.
'Seriously, are these two supposed to be the main pairing or something?' I wondered, smiling to myself as I recalled how the girl had burst into the room, her concern for the Urchin-Head quickly giving way to embarrassment at the sight of him receiving a boob-pillow from his mother.
Though perhaps the strangest part of that meeting came after the flustered Electromancer introduced herself, resulting in a surprised Kamijou Touya dropping the bomb that he was apparently acquainted with her father, having apparently run into the Misaka Patriarch on one of his many jaunts overseas.
This, naturally, led to enquiries as to how their progeny had come to know one another, Shina-san even going so far as to chide Touma for hiding such a 'cute girl' from her, prompting the pair to devolve into typical teenage rom-com bouts of embarrassed denial.
Thankfully for my sanity, the Hospital Director seized the opportunity to step in and convince the Kamijous that if they truly wanted what was best for Touma, they'd allow him to finish recovering under his care, with Touma once again voicing his desire to remain in Academy City.
In the end, the Kamijous were convinced to entrust their only child to the city that had been his home since kindergarten, though not before wrangling a promise out of him to call them every weekend and not without Shina asking Mikoto to be patient with her 'Son', since he apparently took after his father.
'I'd almost forgotten how terrifying mothers can be.' I mused, shaking my head wistfully at how the deceptively young woman had gone from a sobbing mess to embarrassing not only her baby boy, but his in-denial stalker as well.
"I still can't believe that happened…" said stalker sighed, snapping me out of my thoughts to find the Electromancer leaning against a streetlight, her posture one of complete mental exhaustion "Seriously, just what the hell happened back there?"
"What? You just met his parents, no big deal." I quipped, patting her comfortingly on the back even as I decided to have a little fun at her expense "I mean, sure, the setting wasn't ideal and he could've at least waited until the second date but-!"
"Da-!" Mikoto a choked, her face lighting up in mortification as she went ramrod straight, bolts of electricity leaping from her hair as her emotions short-circuited, perhaps only now realizing what Shina-san had been asking of her back at the hospital "We aren't-! I mean I wouldn't-!"
"Relax, I was just teasing you." I lied, smirking as I watched the Electromancer struggle to get her emotions under control "So what were you so desperate to get in contact with him for anyways? You find any more leads on Level Upper?"
"Sort of?" Mikoto confessed, glaring at me as she patted her chest to calm down "Kuroko and I went to see Doctor Kiyama the other day to see if she'd made any headway with the Level Upper case. She told me it was slow going but they were getting close to cracking the code."
"Finally, some good news." I mused, honestly a bit relieved to know that there were still some decent people we could fall back on to solve our problems "So why so desperate to contact us? Did something happen in the hospital?" I smirked at her sigh "What, did she strip in the halls or something?"
"No comment…" Mikoto groaned, palming her face in exasperation at the woman's antics "Seriously, how low is her self-esteem that she feels no shame in stripping naked all the time?" she wondered with a frown "The reason I called was because the doctor seemed really interested in Touma's Power."
"…How interested are we talking here?" I demanded, knowing all-too-well the lengths some of the 'less benign' scientists could and would go to obtain rare research materials. Hell I still had nightmares about those assholes who wanted to off me, Itsuki rather, to use his ability for some project or other.
"I honestly couldn't tell you, she only really brought it up near the end of the meeting." Mikoto confessed, tilting her head to the side "I think she mentioned we might be able to undo whatever is keeping the Coma Victims asleep using his hand, but she'd need to run tests first."
"…Huh, makes sense." I conceded, my suspicions abating somewhat, enough to refrain from passing judgement on Kiyama's character until I'd seen precisely what kind of 'tests' she had in mind, only to blink at the troubled look on Mikoto's face "Something wrong?"
"It's just…I can't help but feel this is no coincidence." the Electromancer confessed, her expression troubled as she held her elbow "I mean, an arson attack right after we learn he might be able to help the victims? Do you think whoever's behind the Level Upper could be responsible for the fire?"
"I wouldn't put it past them." I lied, honestly surprised that she'd provide me with the same cover-story Doc-Frog had tossed out to protect Touma from the Board of Directors "I mean, two arson attacks in close succession? Right after we get involved in tracking down [Level Upper]? Can't be a coincidence."
Mikoto bit her lip, sparks arcing from her hairclips as she glared at the ground "But why would they target you guys? No offense, but powers aside you're still registered as Level Zeroes. I mean, if they wanted to tank the investigation, wouldn't it make more sense to target Kuroko Or Myself?"
"Perhaps it's because we're Level Zeroes that they did it." I proposed, holding up a finger as the girl blinked at me in confusion "Think about it, which of these sounds like an easier target: The Level 5 Railgun of Tokiwadai and her Level 4 Teleporter Roommate, or 2 Level Zeroes in bachelor apartments?"
Needless to say, there was a world of difference between the level of security afforded to the ladies of Tokiwadai and the student dorms Touma and I called home. Hell, if even half the stories Mikoto and Kuroko shared were true then at the very least the Dorm Mother, who ruled with an Iron Fist, was supposedly Ex-Special Forces.
"On an unrelated note, where's your groupie?" I asked, both to keep the girl from wallowing in self-loathing and prevent her from unwittingly stumbling across any holes in our cover story "I figured you two would be joined at the hip outside school."
"Kuroko has Judgement duties." Mikoto replied, unable to hide her sigh of relief at not having to deal with her roommate's unsolicited advances, even if only for a short period of time "Apparently the number of Level Upper cases has gone up since we discovered how it was spreading."
"Sounds like the creator realized we'd caught onto their trail and decided to accelerate their plans before we track them down." I proposed, scowling at the idea "I mean, now that we have a sample, it shouldn't be too hard to reverse engineer the program to figure out who and where it was made, right?"
"Doctor Kiyama certainly thinks so." Mikoto concurred, punching her fist into her palm with a determined glare "I just hope she manages to crack the code soon, before anyone else gets seriously hurt."
"Speaking of getting hurt, maybe we should have Anti-Skill set up a protection detail for her?" I proposed, earning a surprised look from the Railgun "Think about it, if I were the creator, and my warning didn't make you back down, wouldn't my next target be those who could track me down?"
"And there can't be that many researchers that specialize in her field of study." Mikoto agreed with a look of alarm that swiftly turned to a determined glare "We'd better let Kuroko and Uiharu know. Every Judgement branch office has a direct line to Anti-Skill, so we can get right to the people that matter."
"Lead the way." I chuckled, content to follow the Railgun's lead, having never actually set foot in a Judgement Office before, which was an achievement in and of itself considering I hung out with the members of Delta Force.
'Seriously, how Aogami hasn't hasn't been thrown in prison till now has to be the work of an [Enemy Stand].' I mused, envisioning the many, many scenarios the self-proclaimed [Sexual Omnivore] had somehow managed to weasel his way out of the grasp of the authorities.
It was almost as if they were purposefully looking the other way when it came to the guy.
A Certain Judgement Office...
"Hey, Kuroko-!" Mikoto called out, not even bothering to knock as she burst through the door to her friends' office in the local Judgement Branch, only to blink at the sight of a flustered Kuroko, her bare torso wrapped in bandages, in the middle of throttling a distraught Uiharu "Uh…I can come back later-?"
"Don't look at me-!" Kuroko wailed, Uiharu suddenly vanishing only to reappear upside down right above the startled Electromancer, Mikoto bracing for a collision that never came, blinking in surprise at the sight of Uiharu seemingly hovering in mid-air like someone was carrying her.
"Halleluiah, it's raining lolis." Itsuki quipped from the doorway, the Bizarre teen stepping into the office with a wry smile while Mikoto helped the shaken Uiharu back down to her feet "We catch you at a bad time, Tele-Stalker?"
"Who the hell are you calling a Stalker?!" Kuroko hissed, using her powers to get right up in the smug blonde's face until she caught sight of Mikoto & Uiharu's deadpan expressions and hurried to compose herself "Ahem. So! What brings you here Onee-sama?" she chirped, striking a shy pose "Did you miss me? If so I can forgive you for using your powers to bypass security."
"Wow, a stalker and an extortionist. Judgement sure knows how to pick 'em." Itsuki snarked, earning a heated glare from the pigtailed girl that he ignored in favour of sinking into a chair that seemed to pull itself out for him.
"Play nice you two." Mikoto warned, the sparks in her hair a warning of her rapidly lowering tolerance for bullshit "Kuroko, do you think you could contact Anti-skill to assign a security detail to Doctor Kiyama?" she asked "Now that we have a sample of Level-Upper to work off, the creator might try to make a move on her."
"That's…actually a rather good idea." Uiharu proclaimed, eyes wide with concern "Shirai-san and I were actually just discussing how the creator must have figured out we managed to obtain a sample of Level Upper, since the number of victims has been on the rise of late."
"As expected of Onee-sama!" Kuroko gushed, the teleporter using her ability to manifest near her beloved, though a warning spark from Mikoto kept her from glomping onto the Railgun, leaving her to gyrate disturbingly while hugging herself "Always thinking two steps ahead!"
"It was Itsuki's idea actually." Mikoto corrected, sweat dropping as her roommate face faulted, much to said blonde's amusement "But enough about that, how have you guys been doing?" she held up a finger "And don't try to lie to me Kuroko, I saw those bandages earlier. How bad is it out there?"
"No worse than usual." Kuroko assured her roommate, waving off her concerns "I'm not made of glass Onee-sama, being in Judgement you get used to getting knocked around in the field. Besides, for all their blustering, most of the cases have been Skill-Outs drunk on their newfound power."
"I can attest to that." Itsuki confirmed with a nod from his seat "Saten and I bumped into a few trying to shake down a client for cash a few days ago." He waved off Uiharu's look of alarm "Relax, she's fine. In terms of power I'd say they were between Level Two to Three at best, and that's being generous."
"If that's the case, maybe the creator isn't targeting Skill-Outs out of desperation, but because they pose next-to-no risk even if they spread Level-Upper amongst themselves." Uiharu hypothesized "They probably factored them pirating the program into their scheme, thus increasing their range of test subjects."
"Would certainly explain why they stopped trying to spread it online." Kuroko concurred, her features unsettled as she crossed her arms "As much as it pains me to admit, whoever's behind this certainly knows how people think…probably has a degree in psychology."
"Well, yeah, you kinda need to understand how the human brain works if you want to be able to use a Testament." Uiharu reminded the teleporter, blinking at the looks of confusion on Mikoto and Itsuki's faces "Ah! Sorry, I was talking to Doctor Kiyama earlier and she mentioned how Level Upper's ability to rewire the human brain is identical to how a Testament operates."
"As if I didn't have enough reasons to hate using those damn things." Itsuki grumbled, a sentiment Mikoto couldn't help but agree with, as she had never enjoyed being plugged into the machines and had been relieved to leave them far behind after becoming a Level-5.
"Still, is it even possible to simulate a Testament with just music?" the blonde continued, glancing between the girls with a confused frown "I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but don't those things affect all 5 senses simultaneously?"
"It's not that weird actually." Mikoto countered, raising a finger at their looks of confusion "I mean, Kuroko and I were just talking about it the other day." She gestured at the confused teleporter "Remember? Back when we were eating the shaved ice?"
"Shaved ice…?" Kuroko repeated, the pigtailed teleporter's brows furrowing as she tried to think back to that day, her eyes widening in realization as the memory snapped into place "Ah! You're talking about Synesthesia, right?"
"It's when a single action stimulates more than one of the senses." Mikoto explained for Itsuki and Uiharu's benefit "Even if they aren't the intended target, it's possible to stimulate multiple senses using a single source of input."
"Like how seeing something red can agitate you or make you feel warm while hearing running water can calm you or make you need to piss." Itsuki opined, earning a sigh from Kuroko and a squeak from Uiharu for his crassness "So we figured out how it works…how does that help us track down the creator?"
"Well, it narrows down our search criteria for starters." Kuroko opined, holding her elbow whilst raising a finger in the air "Even if it only narrows it down by a handful of scientists, that's still a lot better than we were doing earlier today."
"I'll let Doctor Kiyama know." Uiharu called out, already picking up the office phone "Maybe she can help narrow things even further. I mean, she probably worked with most of the people that could have pulled off something like this."
"…Hey, Shirai." Itsuki called out suddenly, Kuroko and Misaka turning to look at him in surprise, not just because he referred to the former by name, but because of the unusually serious tone with which he did so "What did Kiyama say her field of Expertise was again?"
"Huh? Oh…I think she said she was a Cerebral Physiologist?" Kuroko recalled after wracking her brain for a few seconds "If memory serves, she said she specialized in AIM Diffusion Fields."
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but would a Cerebral Physiologist know how to operate a Testament?" Itsuki enquired, his tone wary "For that matter, would she have ready access to such technology on a daily basis?"
"I would…assume so…?" Kuroko concurred, not quite understanding where the blonde was going with this train of thought "I mean, she'd need ready access to one if she were to carry out her examinations."
"If that's the case, then what's stopping her from using a Testament to figure out what's keeping the Coma Patients asleep?" Itsuki pondered, the girls' eyes widening as his suspicions finally came to light "I mean, we literally gave her the program on a silver platter. It should be child's play for someone like her to reverse engineer the thing using a Testament to find the 'off switch', so to speak."
"M…maybe the creator put in a failsafe?" Misaka suggested, not quite willing to entirely give into the blonde's suspicions. After all, her stripping habit aside, Kiyama had been nothing but supportive during their investigation, so she couldn't quite bring herself to suspect the tired looking woman of foul play.
"Maybe, hell for all I know I could be jumping at shadows." Itsuki conceded, though his amusement didn't quite reach his eyes "Still, colour me paranoid, but considering my best friend is currently in the hospital following an arson attack, I'd rather be safe than sorry."
"He…raises a good point, Onee-sama." Kuroko grudgingly confessed as she pulled out her mobile "I'll alert Anti-Skill like we discussed, but it won't hurt to warn them that Kiyama might be more involved in the Level-Upper than we thought."
"What's this about Kiyama-sensei?" Uiharu asked, the flower girl having been off in the corner trying to contact the woman in question this entire time "I've been trying to get hold of her, but apparently she stepped out of the office for a bit."
"Did she happen to say where she was going?" Kuroko asked after sharing a look with the other two, her finger already hitting the speed-dial button for Anti-Skill even as she felt a growing sense of dread wash over her.
"I think her assistant said she was going to check up on a patient." Uiharu recalled, placing a finger to the side of her mouth in thought "The funny thing is, I called the hospital where the Coma victims are being treated and it doesn't look like she signed in today. None of the staff recalled seeing her either."
"And given her habit of flaunting her goods when it's hot, it's not likely they wouldn't recognize her on sight." Itsuki quipped, earning a sigh from Mikoto and an exasperated eye-roll from Kuroko "Still, something about that seems odd…you're sure she said 'Patient', as in singular?"
"U-um, I think so?" Uiharu hesitantly confirmed, raising a finger to her head in a bid to help he focus "Y-Yes, I'm certain of it. Her assistant clearly said she'd gone to check on 'A Patient' but didn't specify which one."
"All of the Coma victims' conditions were stable last you checked, right?" Itsuki turned to Mikoto, who nodded, Kuroko having moved to a corner to focus on her call with Anti-Skill "So aside from trying to wake them up, there really isn't any need to check on them personally, right?"
"Which means she wasn't talking about the Coma victims." Mikoto breathed, her eyes widening in shocked realization as she stood up from her chair "But, if that's the case then who-?"
Dame Dame-! Dameyo, Dame Nanoyo-!
The girls blinked as Itsuki pulled his phone out, the blonde holding up a hand to apologize for the interruption before holding the phone up to his ear. "Yo…oh, hey doc." He greeted, his posture relaxing somewhat "Lemme guess, the idiot did something that's gonna extend his stay at the hospital?"
"He's referring to Touma." Mikoto explained to Uiharu and Kuroko, the former nodding in understanding while the latter grimaced at the idea of her beloved Onee-sama being on a first name-basis with a boy.
'Damn you, Kamijou Touma!' the teleporter hissed, grinding her teeth and clenching her fist so tightly she almost cracked her phone screen, her pigtails lashing like snakes around her 'How dare you ingratiate yourself to Onee-sama like that! May misfortunes follow your every step!'
"What the hell do you mean he's gone?!" Itsuki demanded, the sheer anger in his tone startling the trio as he leapt to his feet, his face shifting into a mask of rage that sent shivers down their spines "Who the hell authorized his release?!"
A certain hospital parking lot...
"Leaving already Doctor?" The security officer enquired, looking over the driver's all-access Identification with interest, his sharp eyes noting she had an extra passenger "I wasn't told you'd be picking anyone up."
"Doctor-Patient confidentiality." Kiyama replied smoothly, offering the man a tired smile as she took her card back "I've been so swamped with this Level-Upper thing that I've been neglecting some of my other duties. It just so happened I had an opening today so I decided to make the most of it."
"I see." The guard mused, grimacing at the reminder of how swamped everyone was because of this Level Upper thing before shrugging offhandedly and nodding towards the young man sitting in the passenger seat "You behave yourself with Doctor Kiyama, alright Kamijou?" he warned the teen "There's a lot of people counting on her right now, so try not to get into too much trouble."
"No promises." Touma sighed, only to grimace in the face of the guard's deadpan glare, the unfortunate Kamijou offering a weak grin as he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, the skin on the back of his neck still tender "That is, I'll try not to cause too much trouble…"
"Nonsense, you won't be any trouble at all." Kiyama assured the teen, offering him a genuine smile as she pulled out of the Hospital Parking Garage, pausing only to readjust her rearview mirror to ensure no-one was following them "If anything, your help could be the answer I've been looking for all this time."
It seems that even without Index, Kamijou Touma just can't catch a break, can he?
For those of you wondering why Kiyama is abducting Touma, it's entirely the result of Itsuki's presence messing with the timeline. In canon, while Kiyama met Touma before Misaka, she never truly got to know him, or learned about his power.
In this timeline, however, she is at least aware that he has an ability that can negate a Level-5 Esper Power because of her prior conversations with Misaka & Itsuki.
And let's be brutally honest: Considering how desperate Kiyama is to help her students, do you honestly believe she wouldn't have sought Touma out at some point, if only to see if it was possible to awaken her students without breaking the law?
Now, for some of you who will no doubt ask:
1. Yes, according to the Official Toaru Timeline, Touma & Mikoto's fathers have met in the past and are good friends. Small world, isn't it?
2. Yes, Touma keeping his memories will drastically alter the events of certain upcoming arcs.
3. Yes, Itsuki suspecting Kiyama's involvement with Level Upper was just him being overly paranoid. Its only been two days since John's Pen put the fear of Magic into him, so he's still jumping at shadows. He truly didn't actually expect his theory to pan out.
With that said, it's a new year and we are slowly making our way to the end of Season 1 of A Certain Bizarre Adventure.
Let's see just how fucked up the Level Upper arc will get, now that A Certain Unlucky Kamijou is caught up in the plot.