Chapter Nine

The sun dipped low in the sky, its brilliance bouncing back and forth between monolithic pillars of glass.

Despite the cool breeze, I could feel rays of heat crashing against my face as I lifted my hand to shade my eyes.

My legs weren't sore—I'd spent too many days patrolling the alleys of Academy City for that—but the vigor I might've once held waned and whimpered.

I guess I'm free.

Indescribable emotions tossed and turned, making somersaults in my stomach. It was weighty at first but quickly became gentle and floaty. I could sense the beginnings of a headache as I lingered on the thought.

Moaning under my breath, I leaned against the wall of a building. Bile scaled the back of my throat like a seasoned boulderer, but I had long since mastered the art of remaining composed.

I thought I'd be overjoyed. Elated even, if I were to escape this hell hole. So why do I feel so awful? Is… is there something wrong with me?

Grimacing, I bit the inside of my cheek. I bit it hard, hoping it might distract me, or give me any kind of respite from my suffering.

Maybe I didn't get enough sleep last night? Yeah… that's probably it. Some good ol' shut-eye and I'll be better than ever.

Never before had a lie felt so hollow in my head.

Please. That has to be it.

Pushing myself away from the building, I trekked forward. It was difficult to even keep track of where my feet were, taking everything in my power not to trip on the nearest incline.

I needed something to distract me. Anything to ground me in reality-

A tennis ball rolled along the sidewalk, missing me by inches.

"Huh?"

Following the ball with my eyes, I watched as it slowly traveled a linear path. One that was on a collision course with an unassuming high school boy.

"Watch out!" My warnings were worthless as the boy obliviously stepped on the ball.

However, by some miracle, the boy stuttered as he heard my call. That moment of stillness allowed the tennis ball to sneak right below him, saving the student from a painful fall.

"Woah!" He awkwardly regained his balance, somewhat offset by the twenty or so soda cans in his arms.

Not wanting the boy's luck to go to waste, I jogged over to him and grabbed the school bag he used to carry the beverages. My heart pounded in my chest at the abrupt burst of adrenaline, leaving me short of breath.

As soon as the boy was stable, I let go and took a step back. I glanced up, trying to get a look at his face, but I found the glare of the sun keeping it from view. Regardless, I let out a relieved sigh and put on a wry grin. "That was a close one, huh?"

"Y-yeah, that was."

Internally frowning, I tilted my head to the side. Weird. He sounds familiar.

A particularly powerful gust of air ruffled my hair and clothes. I instinctively squinted, despite knowing there wasn't nearly enough dirt or dust in the district to worry about.

There was a shifting of shoes against the pavement. I could hear the boy gasp and the sound of cans taking to the sky.

My fists clenched and my eyes shot wide open. Right in front of me—not even an inch away from my face—was a boy with spiky black hair and blue eyes. For just a millisecond, we stared at each other. Bewilderment, shock, and terror were etched into the boy's expression. In my opinion, it was completely out of place.

After all, he wasn't the one about to be crushed under the weight of a teenage boy.

My back hit the ground with an unceremonious thump and the air was expelled from my lungs. The world spun as I blinked the stars out of my eyes. As my vision refocused, I found myself feeling immensely claustrophobic.

Kneeling over me was one of the few faces I knew in this world. It was the boy from two nights ago; he stared with mouth agape and shoulders trembling. A single drop of sweat ran down his chin and fell onto my collar.

I waited expectantly, hoping he would take a hint and give me some room to get up. But he didn't. He kept looking at me in complete disbelief. It was almost like his brain short circuited, locking him into this position for all of eternity.

Grimacing, I rolled my eyes and held back a sigh. "Could you… get off?"

As though I'd said the magic words, Touma was snapped from his trance and brought back to the land of the living. He sputtered pitifully, scrambling to distance himself.

Getting to my feet, I watched as he remained on the ground and brought up his hands. "W-wait! I'm really sorry for that- I mean it!"

"I forgive you."

Touma thrust out his right hand, face scrunching up in fear. "Please, anything but that-" The spiky haired boy blinked, his jaw dropping a second time. "Huh?"

Quirking a brow, I reached out my hand. "I said I forgive you. Now come on, you don't want to stay there till the sun sets, do you?"

The boy's gaze flickered between my face and my open hand. Finally making up his mind, he grabbed my hand, and through a bit of effort was able to stand up.

Huh. What's up with him?

The boy was in a daze, awkwardly avoiding eye contact while fiddling with his shirt. "Didn't you take your sister away somewhere earlier?"

Sister? I don't have- A bulb lit in my head as I quickly put two and two together. Oh, he must've run into Misaka and one of the clones. Hah, he must be so confused right now.

What Misaka was doing with a clone, I couldn't say. But what she did with it wasn't any of my business.

A mischievous thought wormed its way to the front of my mind. I paused, weighing it for a moment. A subtle smirk pulled at the edges of my lips. "Earlier? I don't know what you mean—the last I saw you was at the convenience store."

Touma wore an empty expression before his shoulders slacked and a relieved sigh left his lips. He weakly smiled, wiping his brow. "Ah…! I get it. You three are triplets, right? Please tell me that's what it is."

I hummed, impressed he was able to make a quick deduction after his rollercoaster of emotions. Deciding to humor him, I nodded my head. "That's right."

"Thank goodness," Touma exclaimed. "I thought I was going crazy."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. You may be… well, you're not crazy, I can tell you that much." I smiled, briefly going silent as my mouth nearly got the better of me.

"Hey." The boy wasn't amused, but he was given no time to dwell on it when the sound of rolling cans met our ears.

His eyes widened comically as he fell to the ground in an attempt to keep the cans from escaping. A snort left my lips as I crouched down to join him.

As we were picking up the cans, Misaka's phone played a little tone; it was the same one from earlier. I pulled out the cell and opened it. Two new texts from the unregistered number. One was recent while the other was from ten or so minutes earlier.

Looks like I missed a text. Woops.

I opened the older message and read through it.

'Hey, Kuroko didn't do anything weird, did she?

-Misaka' Aug 20, 2004, 5:57 PM

A tinge of worry struck my heart. Mulling over the message, I felt slightly regretful over leaving the dorms so quickly. But judging by Misaka's wording, it probably wasn't anything awful.

Rationalization over, I closed the message and moved to open the next one.

'I'm sorry-'

"You wear shorts under your skirt too, huh?" I glanced over at Touma, who was looking pretty intently for someone so skittish.

His gaze trailed up when he noticed I stopped picking up cans. The boy paled and futilely covered his mouth. "I didn't say that out loud, did I?" He mumbled.

"That was very rude." I sighed, disappointment dripping from my voice. "Even if you kept quiet, you really shouldn't be looking under skirts. You're lucky it was me and not someone else. That kind of thing could really sour a relationship."

"Wow… That, uh." Glancing to the side, Touma scratched his head in shame. "I think it would've felt better if you'd just punched me."

Snapping the phone shut, I swiftly grabbed the final few cans. "That's only an easy out, Touma. You're a teenage boy and it's an awkward period of life, so I don't hold it against you for being curious. However, if you want to grow as a person you gotta face this stuff head-on."

Touma groaned. "Great. A middle schooler is lecturing me, and I'm considering her advice!"

Unconsciously frowning, I carefully kept silent, irritation blooming like a voracious flame.

Geez. If you're going to be like that, why even bother?

Taking a breath, I struggled to school my emotions. Frustration leaked over the edge of the bucket and my mouth opened on its own. "Well, if you're considering the advice of a 'middle schooler,' maybe it's because you need it."

My words were curt and clipped, my face likely mirroring my internal state. I watched Touma's expression contort as he let out a sigh, muttering "such misfortune," under his breath.

A cold sweat ran down my back as regret pooled in my gut.

Damnit! I… I shouldn't have said that. Why did I say that?

Gritting my teeth, I directed my attention elsewhere. I can't let my emotions get the better of me. I know this! I've lived it! Clenching my fist, I waited for the anger to quickly subside, as it always did.

We stood around in silence, not moving an inch despite all the cans being collected. Guilt egged me on and I could feel an apology at the tip of my tongue. But for some reason, I couldn't get it out.

I hesitated. And that hesitation cost me any hope of a clear conscience.

"Well, give it here." Touma held out his bag, motioning for me to hand the remaining soda cans to him.

Keeping still, I let the emotions fall behind me as I brought myself back to the present. I glanced at the boy and the cans in my arm. Should I hand them over? He's still carrying a lot as is. I'd kind of feel bad if I left him to it.

Making up my mind, I readjusted the cans in my arms and looked behind me. "What are you waiting around for? Don't you want to get back before curfew starts?"

"O-oi!" Touma carefully walked over to my side, cans sliding on his bag. "I said hand them over. You don't need to help anymore."

"Do I?" The beverages were cold against my arms, condensation clinging to my vest. "Then, uh, think of it as an apology. I shouldn't have gotten irritated with you when all I'm doing is throwing out unsolicited advice."

Okay. There, I said it. Though it might be the worst apology I've given to date, I quietly lamented.

The boy looked stricken, as if the world were collapsing around him. He sputtered, trying his best to convey… something. "No, wait! I didn't mean like… I really meant to say… Couldn't you just-"

Touma's mouth clicked shut and he took a moment to breathe. "Sorry. I'm just… being dumb. I appreciate that you haven't punched me… even if I might deserve it this time," he mumbled the last part to himself.

"Oh. No problem, I guess."

V V V

We made our way down the streets of Academy City. All recognizable sights, but some buildings were starting to look too familiar.

I ignored it for the time being, steadying the cans in my arms.

"How did…" Touma started, briefly pausing to gather some courage. "Are things okay? Is no one after you now?"

Glancing at the boy, I slowly nodded my head in affirmation. "Yeah, everything's good now. In fact, things couldn't be better."

"That's good." Smiling, Touma looked at me with relief in his eyes. "I won't dig any further, I know it's not my place. But I'll always help you out if you ask… or if it's necessary."

"That's a funny way of saying you'll help regardless of what I say." I comment offhandedly, mildly conflicted by his convictions.

Touma chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "It sounds bad when you put it like that. I still stand by my words though. It might be a bit nosy, but it's the right thing to do. Besides, you seem like a nice girl."

"So you're only helping me out because I seem like a 'nice girl'." I jokingly shoot back. "I see where your priorities lay."

Shaking his head, Touma withheld a response, knowing better than to overreact. Perspiration ran down his chin and he wiped it against his shoulder. "You…"

The teenager paused, his voice trailing off. He cleared his throat, cans clinking in his arms. "I never caught your name."

My name? I thought, briefly confused by his change in topic. Right, I never gave him a name. Hah, that's weird. Once upon a time, I was a lot better about self-introductions.

"My name's Ichigo. It's nice to formally meet you, Touma." I smiled amiably, the weight on my shoulders a tad lighter.

Touma turned away, likely keeping an eye on the street ahead. The sidewalks were fairly empty, sans the occasional student. "Same."

Speaking of our surroundings, it seemed we'd reached the… I wouldn't say lesser part of the district, but it certainly wasn't as well off as the Tokiwadai dorms. It was closer to the standard Japanese cityscape, with tall concrete apartments and the occasional cluster of wind turbines.

The streets were remarkably clean, not even the barest hints of litter or structural disrepair. Far cleaner than what I grew up with, but I wouldn't trade my home for any amount of idyllic cityscapes.

But perhaps it wasn't so bad. At the very least, I could appreciate the simple beauties of it all. The well maintained paths, the tasteful breaking of design patterns, use of clean technology, an abundance of greenery and plant life; it was the perfect student living.

My head turned on a swivel and I took a breath of air.

I wonder how much of it is only colorful decoration.

The bodies of thousands of clones seeped into the grounds of this supposed technological utopia. There was enough blood to drench this district red from head to toe.

Well… good can still come from evil. Or maybe despite it? I'll be grateful for that much.

In the distance, beyond the towers of silver and glass were lush green mountains that separated the sky from the city. The apartments were spaced out just enough to give a clear view of the scene, undoubtedly an intentional design choice.

A small stream swept between several dorm buildings and traveled below the walkway. Birds were singing and bugs were chirping.

We took a left and made our way along the path, passing by several buildings before reaching the right one. The sun was blocked by the tall structures, finally giving us shelter from its dreadful rays.

Balancing the cans, I wiped at my brow. However, not even a few steps later did a voice call out to us.

"Hey, Kamijou Touma!"

My lips twinged as recognition flashed in my mind. I immediately looked in the direction of the voice.

A maid in blue and white careened down the hall, riding atop a cleaning robot. It bounced off the walls like a pinball, then abruptly slowed down as it reached Touma.

"My AC broke down, so I'm here for the night." The overgrown roomba steadily spun in place with Tsuchimikado still riding it. "I'll be making noise with my brother, so sorry ahead of time!"

I looked between Touma and Tsuchimikado, bafflement wrapping around my head like a vice. What the hell was that entrance?! And, more importantly, Touma knows Tsuchimikado?

"Tsuchimikado's here?" Touma questioned, unaware of my increasing incredulity.

"He's not. I don't know where he is." She continued spinning in place, hair floating with the motion. "And hey Misaka! Didn't know you and Kamijou were acquainted."

Though I couldn't see it on her face, I could hear the teasing in her tone. "I guess we are. Small world, huh?" I carefully kept an eye on Touma.

He shouldn't realize that Tsuchimikado's mistaken me for the real Misaka, but I'll have to tell him to keep quiet about this later.

"You two know each other?!" Now it was Touma's turn to be surprised. He almost pointed at us in shock, but quickly remembered that his hands were preoccupied.

"Have you forgotten my role already, Kamijou?" The robot seized its spin and Tsuchimikado firmly planted her hands on her hips. "I am a maid of the esteemed Ryouran Maid School. On numerous occasions, I've been tasked with assisting Tokiwadai Middle School—and this summer, I'm helping out the outer dorms."

"I… see." The boy did not sound confident whatsoever. He hefted the cans in his arms, his muscles likely growing fatigued from the sheer amount. "Well, I gotta get these back to the apartment- actually, do you want one?"

Tsuchimikado scrutinized the cans, tentatively reaching out for a white and orange can. "Spoils of war, eh? Then I'll be having this one, thank you very much." Without another word, the robot moved, carrying the girl around the corner.

Just before she left, Tsuchimikado looked at Touma with one last parting message. "By the way, when hiding a runaway girl in your home, let her wander around the city during the day and take her home at night. A small tip for you, Kamijou."

The high schooler sputtered, needlessly shouting aloud. "How did you know!"

"That sister makes too much noise." The maid left the scene with one last girlish cackle.

I peeked at the stunned boy, making a face. "You didn't kidnap that cosplayer, did you?"

Hanging his head, Touma sighed and turned to walk towards the elevator. "I didn't… and she's not a cosplayer."

"If you say so," I murmured, moving to catch up.

We entered the elevator without any fanfare. Touma hit a button and the door shut. The space was completely silent, save for the rumblings of machinery as we slowly ascended.

I took a breath and cleared my throat. "Touma, can I ask a favor of you?"

Touma blinked, taking a moment to process the question. "Really? I mean, sure! What is it?"

"Could you keep quiet about me and my other… sister?" I turned my gaze to the floor. "Mikoto having twins isn't supposed to be public knowledge, so to speak."

"Huh?" The boy gave me a puzzled look.

Shrugging my shoulders, I leaned against the back of the elevator. "You don't have to, but I'd really appreciate it if you did."

Touma frowned, hesitating for a moment. Then he opened his mouth to speak. "...Sure, I can do that."

"Great. Thanks a bunch." Letting go of my breath, I absentmindedly straightened my vest.

The space shuttered as a little ding played overhead; the door smoothly slid open.

Stepping out of the elevator, we were greeted with two girls crouched in front of the apartment door. One wore a familiar white and gold nun's habit, while the other wore plain white and red garments. Her black hair was in stark contrast to the cosplayer's, trailing down past her waist.

"What are you two doing?" Touma stepped over to the girls, getting a closer look at what was going on. "Lose the keys and get locked out?"

Index looked over her shoulder, blue eyes flashing with recognition. "Oh, it's Touma. No, we- wait, it's you!" The girl directed a finger in my direction, surprised to see me.

"Hey. It's been a minute." I gave a short wave, soda cans clinking in my arm.

Getting to her feet, the little nun scurried over and held out her hands. "Are you doing alright? You aren't hurt or anything like that? And let me help you with those cans."

"I'm doing well, thanks for asking." I grinned, tilting my head to look down at the girl. "And just help me set these down. You all look busy as is."

As Index was helping me with the cans, the girl in white and red stared at me while addressing Touma. "Starting another route, have you? I suppose you are destined to raise flags and explore many story lines."

Oh? Looks like someone's game savvy. Wouldn't have expected that from… a shrine maiden cosplayer? The cross necklace really clashes with the look.

"Unfortunately for Touma, I'm merely a mob character, so there aren't any special CGs to unlock, I'm afraid," I sarcastically commented.

The boy could only groan in exasperation at the back and forth, opting to ignore it in favor of the small calico rolling on the floor. "So, what were you two doing?"

Placing the final can on the floor, Index spoke up. "Sphynx got fleas all over him, so we're getting them off."

"Huh? Does that mean the room is full of fleas too?!" Touma lamented, nearly letting go of his cans before getting ahold of himself. He mumbled to himself, "Damn. Is that why I've felt so itchy lately?"

"Don't worry Touma," Index waltzed past the boy and crouched next to the cat. She reached into her habit and pulled out a bundle of leaves. "Heat up this bundle of herbs and it'll smoke out Sphynx's fleas."

I grimaced at the thought, questioning where Index got her information from. Touma must've come to the same conclusion as he slouched forward with a disbelieving expression. "Smoke out… Are you trying to kill the cat?"

The shrine maiden cosplayer reached into her own sleeve and rummaged around.

"Himegami, what are you doing?"

The now named Himegami revealed a can of pesticide with a guise of surety. "A magical spray. I won't go into more detail."

Anxiety settled in my stomach as I evaluated the two girls. They were well meaning, but if someone didn't put their foot down, this would only end in heartbreak.

"Excuse me." My voice sliced through the escalating conversation, drawing the attention of all but the oblivious cat. "Regarding Sphynx, couldn't you just go to the pet store and get advice there?"

"..."

Index bit her lip, muttering about "sage" beneath her breath, while Himegami remained impassive.

Touma sighed, but appeared a tad more relieved than before. "That has to be the most normal advice I've heard all day. Thanks Ichigo."

"You're welcome." I smirked, crossing my arms. "But are you calling my advice from earlier abnormal? I'm hurt you'd think such a thing."

"That's because it was abnormal. How could I have expected such mature advice from a kid?" Touma automatically shot back. He choked on air, as though trying to catch the words he never meant to voice. "I mean-!"

"If I'm a kid, what does that make you? I'm not the one who needed the advice after all." Without heat, I swiftly countered the boy's blunder. My lips curled further and I was sure my expression was suitably smug.

The teenager gaped, caught off guard by my response.

Easing my smirk, I gave the boy a gentler smile. "I'm not gonna get upset over every tactless comment you make. Besides, there was nothing unfactual about what you said, so what's there to be mad about?"

Touma huridly glanced away, covering his face with his hand. He mumbled something and for once, I couldn't make it out.

The sound of shoes clacked against the floor and I turned my attention to the perpetrator. Index was suddenly in front of me, hands on her hips. She wore a face that was torn between scandalized and concerned.

"It's nice to meet you, Ichigo. My name is Index. I hope Touma hasn't been causing you any trouble." She gave the boy a very blatant glare, accusing him with her eyes alone when mentioning him by name.

Huh? Is her name actually Index? I mean, she might be a chuunibyou, but she seems a bit too sincere for that to be the case. Ah, whatever, it doesn't really matter.

"Nice to meet you too, Index. And Touma's been…" I glance off to the side, pretending to give it some thought.

In the corner of my vision, I caught the high schooler paling considerably. Sweat ran down his chin, and I was sure he was mentally begging me to keep quiet about earlier.

Let it be known that as fun as it was to tease the boy, I wouldn't shame him in front of his friends. "Perfectly adequate. His manners could do with some work, but I think he's learned a thing or two already."

"Y-yeah! Haha…" Touma eyed a corner of the ceiling, guilt hanging on his shoulder like a vengeful spirit.

Index stared at Touma for a second longer before the tension in her shoulder's dissipated. Letting out a loud huff, the cosplayer(?) adjusted her headwear. "Touma's always getting himself in trouble with… people, so I'm glad this wasn't the case."

"O-oi," Touma weakly voiced his discontent. "What do you mean by 'always'?"

Sounds like a frequent issue. I glanced at the two girls. Maybe he really is some kind of protagonist. Touma seems ordinary, does he have some secret ultimate power hidden up his sleeve?

A cool wind tickled the back of my neck as it traveled through the complex. The sun was nearing the end of its set, the night lights already activated.

"Well, I should start heading back. It was nice meeting you all."

I politely waved and readied myself for the short trek home. Some of the skyscrapers in the distance were familiar, so it probably wouldn't be too hard to get back to the apartment.

"It was!" Index beamed, waving her arms wildly, smacking the back of Touma's head. "See you later, Ichigo!"

A chuckle made its way past my lips as I turned around, giving one last wave. "Yeah… See ya later."

Can I really do that? See all of them again, that is.

The elevator rumbled as I waited to reach the ground floor.

I mean, the project's over. So there's nothing wrong with me making friends now.

My shoes silently pressed against the concrete floor as I navigated out of Touma's apartment complex. It was pretty similar to my own, thinking about it.

That would be fun. Hanging out, talking about whatever, maybe even going to the arcade. There's video games to play, music to share, skills to relearn.

My shadow rapidly grew and shrunk as I passed below each street lamp. The sidewalks were brightly illuminated by LED lights.

I could totally do that in a year. Not the most extravagant bucket list, but I'm okay with that.

Stopping in place, I looked up at the empty expanse.

Am I really okay with that?

My fists clenched weakly; the muscles in my wrists were sore and worn out. Shaking my hands, I let out a heavy sigh and idly reached for my phone.

When I felt something in my pocket, I froze before remembering what it was. To think I'd flinch at the feeling of a phone, rather than the lack of it. How funny was that…

Oh yeah, didn't Misaka send another text message? I should've checked on that earlier.

The device clicked open and my eyes adjusted to the new source of light. I fiddled around with the buttons until I found the mailbox.

Selecting the app, I opened up the latest message.

'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. The experiment is still ongoing. Ichigo, I need you to stay at Tokiwadai. I'll fix this. I promise I'll fix everything.' Aug 20, 2004, 6:22 PM

I stared at the text.

I stared long and hard.

But no matter how long I did, the words remained the same.

Running my hand through my hair, I shook my head.

"Talk about getting my hopes up," I muttered to myself. "Oh well, that sucks."

Guess I better start heading back to the dorms. Ugh… I might need to text Kuroko to get back.

Focused on the phone, I barely registered the quiet footfalls approaching me. In the corner of my eye was a recognizable silhouette.

Turning on my heel, I faced the girl. "Misa-"

A set of Electron goggles rested on its head. The clone regarded me with a near indifferent expression, unreadable in all aspects.

I scowled—a flare of frustration pounded the sides of my head. Gritting my teeth, I spat out a question. "What do you want?"

The clone remained silent for whatever reason. I could never understand what was going on in their heads. Truly, one of this world's greatest mysteries.

"Well?" I urged impatiently.

"'MISAKA has come to give you important information regarding the experiment,' explains MISAKA." Like usual, the clone had the tone and cadence of a fax machine.

Crossing my arms, I gripped my sleeves firmly. Huh? Why bring that up now? It's not like…

My irritation disappeared without a trace. Replacing it was a thick, viscous sense of dread. My fingers trembled and my knees became weak.

The sound of drums rang in my ears. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. It was deafening. Everything was spinning, as though I could feel the rotation of the globe beneath my feet.

Despite my head being filled with a cacophony of horrid sounds and sensations, the clone's voice surpassed them all, uttering the one thing I feared above all else.

"MISAKA 10032, your scheduled participation in the Level Six Shift is imminent."