Disclaimer : I don't own Naruto or Toaru Kagaku no Railgun/Toaru Majutsu no Index

The Trinity of Tokiwadai

Chapter One Hundred Eleven: The Third Season Problem

It was a rainy Sunday evening, not that Harumi minded. Not when she, Ruiko, and the rest of the Trinity were indoors. Specifically, they were walking through what to the uninformed might have thought of as a standard dormitory in Academy City with large six person rooms that served as communal dormitories. However, Kiyama was hardly uninformed and knew well that this was the barracks of the facility that was producing the Third Season Sisters - the new series Sisters like the one that the City had sent to assassinate Ruiko and her boyfriend in Siberia during World War 3 - that the Board intended to use as mass produced Level 4 Esper soldiers for the City's military.

Before Harumi had become a Director, Ruiko had been trying to follow up on the status of the Third Season Sisters, but it was only until she joined the Board did they actually gain enough authority in the City's hierarchy to actually make headway in learning what was happening to them. And after learning that the City was using them as mass produced Esper soldiers, they had demanded to audit the programme. It was for that purpose that they were visiting the Third Season facility. And even that had taken weeks of wrangling before the Directors in charge of the Third Order Manufacturing Plan responsible for the Third Season Sisters allowed them to conduct this inspection.

"Come on, Senpai. Stop frowning like that. If you keep it up, you'll get wrinkles." Namikaze-chan coaxed Misaka-chan teasingly into smoothing out the perpetual frown that she had been wearing the whole time since they had met up for this site visit.

Not that Harumi could blame the girl for being upset. It was totally understandable that Misaka-chan didn't like what the Third Season Sisters were being used for. Harumi was sure that she would prefer that her clones not be used as disposable cannon fodder.

"Senpai, I don't like that the City is using them as mass produced soldiers either." Ruiko spoke up, taking her turn to try to calm her older friend down, as they walked down the hallway of the barracks. Normally they would be escorted by guards and at least some of the facility's staff to act as chaperones, but as part of their inspection they had demanded the right to tour the building without an escort. "But surely you cannot be upset that the Third Season Sisters exist? Especially not when they've already been created."

"No, of course not!" Misaka-chan cried out, shooting Ruiko a horrified look. "I would never be upset that any of my sisters exist."

"Then you really should turn that frown into a smile." Namikaze-chan piped up. "Now that Kiyama-sensei is on the Board, we have a lot more clout than we used to. If someone thought you did… Well, someone might think that they might impress you by labeling the Third Season as a loose end and destroy them."

"They wouldn't!?" Misaka-chan hissed, aghast at the possibility.

"Not really." Ruiko said with a shake of her head. "It is no secret that you and I both disapprove of the Third Season's treatment. Considering the influence we possess now and the standard idiocy of Dark Siders and the City's authorities, it is entirely possible for someone to get it into their heads that getting rid of the source of our unhappiness would curry favor with us."

"I will do my best to prevent that. Or any misuse of the Third Season Sisters in general." Harumi said, joining the conversation. "However, even though I am on the Board now, my power has limits."

"And my frowning at the injustice of what is being done to my Third Seasons sisters is going to make your protecting them harder?" Misaka-chan asked, as she gestured through an open door into one of the barracks' rooms where a dozen Third Season Sisters glanced at them curiously as they milled about their room.

Unlike the first 20,001 Sisters, the Third Season clones of Misaka-chan had the appearance of a high school version of the Level 5 Electromaster. As a result of this, they were approximately two to three centimeters taller than their progenitor. They also had larger breasts compared to what was considered the norm for their sisters. They were big enough that Misaka-chan would probably have been jealous if she hadn't used Bust-Upper. As it was, her bust was now larger than even her latest batch of clones. A state of affairs that must be a source of pride for the [Railgun]. Another difference in the Third Season clones compared to their progenitor and the older Sisters were the fact that they had orange irises instead of the gray irises of the latter and to the former's brown irises. Add this to the full-body suit in varying shades of white that seemed to be their assigned clothing and they were all wearing, they had a unique appearance that set them apart from all their sisters.

"A little." Harumi said, offering Misaka-chan a smile. "I doubt it's much of an issue but it would be best to avoid providing any reasons for others to create issues that we might want to avoid."

"Okay. Okay. I get it! I'll try not to frown too obviously, alright?" The [Railgun] replied, sounding exasperated. "But change the topic already!"

"Sure," Namikaze-chan said with an agreeing nod. "What do you want to talk about instead?"

Misaka-chan fumbled at that question and began looking around her for an answer. She glanced into a room full of her Third Season clones that included a handful of them who had changed out of their body suits and into casual clothes - It seems they are being allowed to develop their individuality at least. Harumi thought with a pleased nod as she noted the different outfits that the clones in the room were wearing. - and visibly lit up as she seemed to chance upon an answer.

"So, I was wondering, the rest of the Sisters are Level 3s but the Second Season Sisters are Level 4s. How's that possible?"

"Two reasons," Ruiko stepped up to explain. "Firstly, the DNA Map used for the Second Season Sisters was tweaked from those used from earlier batches of Sisters to allow for better access to their abilities. The same was applied to later Sisters produced in the earlier batches compared to their earlier counterparts too, though of course with less effectiveness. Secondly, and most importantly, the Misaka Network also gained data and experience in using their ability over time as well. All these factors combined to manifest in the more powerful Esper abilities of the individual Sisters."

Namikaze-chan nodded in understanding. "I understand. That's what allowed the Sisters to rise from Level 3 from the Level 2s that they initially were too, so it makes sense."

"Are you guys saying that my sisters can't develop their abilities autonomously? That they are dependent on the Network?"

"Not entirely." Harumi answered. "If they were all perpetually and deeply synced with the Misaka Network then yes, that would be the case. However, as they have chosen not to do so and instead chose to develop their own independent personalities, they only lightly synchronize with their sisters via the Network. As such, they are essentially no different from a group of Espers tied together via a Level Upper Network. Albeit an enhanced version of such a Network. I cannot say with certainty how much this applies to the Third Season without a more detailed reading of the relevant data but my understanding is that whilst they are more deeply synced with the Network than the majority of their peers, the connection is still shallow enough that what I said is still broadly applicable."

Misaka-chan breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're really such a good Onee-sama, you know that, Senpai?" Namikaze-chan told the Number 5.

"T-Thank you! I-I try." Misaka-chan replied, adorably flustered by the praise. "B-But! I'm nothing compared to Ruiko! I mean, I might be a good sister, but she's a good sister and a great mother."

"Oh yeah! That's totally true! Rui-chan is great!"

Ruiko blushed lightly at her friends' praise before smirking lightly, she tilted her head to look towards Harumi. "If I'm any good as a sister or a mother, it's because I learned how to be one from Kaa-san."

Harumi rolled her eyes. "If that's true then why do you scold me for my behavior all the time, Ruiko?"

"I never said I learned from what you do." Ruiko said, smiling teasingly. "If anything, I learned everything I know from correcting your bad behavior and using it as an example of what not to do."

"Well, I'm glad I could help at least." Harumi said with a giggle.

"You did. I mean just look at what we're doing today. You never take me out for quality mother-daughter time. So much so that this is literally the only time we've gone out together in weeks! And we're touring a military facility!"

The City Director knew her daughter was trying to get a rise out of her and she wasn't going to rise to the bait. Instead, she was going to turn the tables on her!

"Well, that's your own fault, Ruiko. It's because of you that we started Eden Corp and I ended up becoming a Director, both of which are why I'm so busy! Too busy to take you out."

"A likely story." Ruiko replied dismissively.

Harumi huffed in exaggerated annoyance only to burst into giggles a few seconds later alongside Ruiko.

"Senpai, is that a normal thing between mothers and their daughters?" Namikaze-chan said as she shot the Electromaster a mildly confused look.

"No, I think that's a unique thing between Ruiko and Kiyama-sensei." Misaka-chan said with a bemused shake of her head. "I'm nothing like that with Mama."

"So they have a weird dynamic?"

"Yeah."

Namikaze-chan nodded solemnly as if what she'd learned was some kind of amazing revelation and needed to be treated with utmost respect. Much to Harumi's amusement, a number of the Third Season Sisters in the rooms they passed were nodding similarly as well.

"No two mothers and their children have the same dynamic." Ruiko told her friends defensively.

"And yours is a weird one."

Hiding how pleased she was that her senpai was no longer upset, not that it fooled her mother, Ruiko pouted at being teased by the older girl.

"Guilty." Harumi said, cutting her daughter off before she could say anything. Knowing her little girl, she was about to tease her friend back and then they'd be stuck in a loop. As amusing as that could be, it was also tiring to watch. Better to preempt that.

"Kaa-san!?"

"Just being honest, Ruiko." Harumi told her daughter with a shrug as the girl shot her a betrayed look. "It's nothing to be upset about. After all, like you said, every mother-child relationship is different. There's nothing to be upset about even if ours is on the weird side of things."

Ruiko just pouted harder.

Giggling at her best friend's reaction, Namikaze-san slapped Ruiko on the back. "Don't get so worked up about it, Rui-chan. Just because it's weird doesn't mean it's not good and your relationship with Kiyama-sensei is definitely good. So embrace it!"

"Fine~!" Ruiko said in a childish whine that brought a smile to Harumi's face. It was such a departure from how emotionless she had been as the [Robot] just a few months ago that the scientists could not help but be immensely relieved and proud at her daughter's growth. And thankful for her friends for helping her along the difficult journey that she walked to get where she was now.

"Oh, stop playing things up, Ruiko." Misaka-chan said with a roll of her eyes. "You're not as upset as you pretend."

Ruiko pouted. "You're no fun, Senpai."

"No-fun Senpai!"

Harumi smiled at the three Level 5s as they playfully squabbled with each other as they continued their little tour through the Third Season facility. It was truly heartwarming to see her daughter get along so well with her friends. It was frankly new that Ruiko had friends outside of Uiharu-chan at all! Yet now, here her precious little Level 5 finally had an entire group of close friends. Friends that had already proven they would go through thick and thin for her just like Ruiko would do the same for them.

"Kaa-san." Ruiko said suddenly as she turned to Harumi.

"Oh? Finished playfully bickering with your friends, Ruiko?"

Ruiko rolled her eyes. "We only did that for like a few minutes. That's all."

"Ah~! I guess I got lost in my thoughts."

"You did." Ruiko nodded. "Anyway, I have a question for you."

"What is it?"

In reply, her daughter used her phone to show Harumi a picture of a nice blue sheath dress with a Queen Anne neckline, middle length sleeves, a midi length and was accentuated by a buttoned waist tab.

"That's a very nice dress, Ruiko. Do you want to buy it to add to your wardrobe?"

"No," Ruiko said with a shake of her head. "I'm thinking of buying it for you."

"I don't need it."

"I beg to differ."

"If you buy it, I won't wear it."

"Oh, you will." Ruiko insisted. "As the Chairwoman of Eden Corp's Board, you'll need to attend various black tie events and-"

"I'll just wear that dress you got me to wear at that last event." Harumi said, cutting Ruiko off.

Undeterred by her rebuttal, her daughter just continued without even acknowledging that she'd spoken. "-you can't wear only one dress for all of them. It would be unbecoming of your position. So you need to expand your wardrobe."

She has a point. Damn it! Harumi thought with a pout. "But I hate dressing up!"

"Don't be such a baby about it, Kaa-san. Dressing up is fun."

"It's fun for you, not for me."

"Fair enough. But you have to suck it up. You need to set a good example for your granddaughters."

Argh! She just had to use that card, didn't she?

"Fine~!" Harumi said with a resigned sigh. "Buy the dress for me."

Smirking in victory, Ruiko began tapping away at her phone to do just that.

"Ruiko, you know Kiyama-sensei's size?" Misaka-chan asked, blinking in surprise.

"Of course I do. I buy almost all of Kaa-san's clothes after all. And everything else really."

The [Railgun] and the [Elemental Empress] both shot Harumi a disbelieving look at that little revelation about how things worked in the Kiyama household.

A response that caused Harumi to shrug as she replied. "Ruiko just handles things like that better than I ever did."

Misaka-chan shook her head whilst Namikaze-chan muttered under her breath. "Sometimes it's hard to remember that Rui-chan isn't the mother and Kiyama-sensei the daughter."

Again, Harumi shrugged.

"It's just how we work." Ruiko spoke up, apparently having finished placing her order for Harumi's new dress. "Didn't you just say that no matter what the dynamic between a mother and daughter might be, it's valid?"

"Yeah, we did. But we also agreed that it's weird." Misaka-chan said with a smirk.

"Totally." Namikaze-chan agreed.

Harumi exchanged a look with Ruiki and they both shrugged.

"Why don't we just get on with this tour, shall we?" Harumi suggested.

Sharing smirks, Misaka-chan and Namikaze-chan nodded.

"So what should we do next?"

"Good question, Ruiko." The Electromaster said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… Why don't we sit down with some of the Third Season Sisters and ask their opinion on how they are being treated?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

Ruiko nodded as well and turned to Harumi expectantly.

"Alright. I'll make the arrangements."

Thanks to Kaa-san speaking to the facility's staff, the two of them and Ruiko's teammates soon found themselves in the homey common room of the Third Season Sisters' barracks as Senpai alongside Kaa-san spoke with a group of her aforementioned clones about how they were being treated. For her part, Ruiko was not particularly interested. She didn't trust fallible firsthand testimony. In her opinion, the data from the various surveillance systems used to monitor the Third Seasons clones was much more reliable.

"Yo, Rui-chan, you're not joining in on the consultation session that Senpai and your kaa-san have going?" Naru-chan asked as she came over to join Ruiko as she leaned against one wall of the well appointed common room and watched as the [Railgun] and Kaa-san set in a circle with a group of the Third Season Sisters and talked. "I thought you would be. I mean, these clones are Order-chan's sisters, aren't they?"

"Of course I care." Ruiko said with a nod as she sipped a cup of the surprisingly good coffee that she brewed using the coffee maker in the common room's extensive attached kitchen. "I just do not believe I can learn anything meaningful from talking to the clones."

"Not even them telling us how they feel about things?"

Ruiko shook her head. "Not when they can lie."

"Wouldn't you be able to tell if they did?"

"Most likely. Unless they are phenomenal actresses, I imagine I can spot if they are lying. But I would rather not put in the effort. I'm the data gathering girl. I'll stick to that."

"Isn't firsthand accounts data too?" Naru asked, starting to look genuinely confused.

"Yes." Ruiko conceded. "Okay. I just don't feel in the mood to talk to them."

"Why?"

"Siberia." Ruiko said meaningfully, causing Naru to suck in a breath as she got the reference.

"So you're guilty because you killed that one Third Season Sister that went after you during World War 3?"

Ruiko just nodded. She was about to expand on her reasoning when she felt a sudden, massive distortion in the local AIM Field. Something like this should not be possible. Such large shifts in the ambient AIM Field, made out of the Fields of all the Espers in the immediate vicinity, only happened when either an Esper with an especially large Field, like a Level 5, did something significant - and no, just using their powers didn't count. Not unless they were doing something big. - or if the Fields of a large number of the local Espers underwent some kind of large change. Since the former wasn't the case, as she and her teammates weren't doing anything substantial with their powers, it meant it had to be the latter. And the only other Espers in the immediate vicinity were-

The Third Season Sisters!

Just as she figured out what was happening, the various Third Season Sisters in the room suddenly stiffened before robotically turning towards them whilst radiating menace.

Realizing what was happening, Ruiko immediately teleported in front of Kaa-san and threw up a series of barriers around them and Mikoto-senpai. She did so just in time to shield them from the storm of electricity that the various Third Season Sisters suddenly shot at them. Attacks that she noticed were directed principally towards Kaa-san.

So she's the target.

"Wha-" Mikoto-senpai began, only for Ruiko to cut her off with the answer to the question she was about to ask.

"Someone has subverted the Third Season Sisters via their sub-network of the Misaka Network in an attempt to assassinate Kaa-san." Ruiko said, before she reinforced her barriers as the Third Season Sisters added the occasional railgun shots to the lightning they were still throwing their way. Satisfied that her barriers would hold for now, Ruiko turned towards Naru and using some audiokinesis to make sure her friend heard her even over the ongoing sounds of battle, she addressed the Number 2. "Naru-chan! Some of them are heading over to the facility's armory to get heavy weapons. Stop them!"

"Leave it to me!" Naru-chan shouted back as wrapping herself in a cloak of her chakra, she teleported away to stop the Third Season clones from making it to the armory. All the while, the Third Season clones in the room bombarded the bunker she'd created out of barriers around herself, Kaa-san and Mikoto-senpai. Oh, and the latter was muttering up a storm about how her sisters were always being used by one unscrupulous element in the City or other for their dastardly plans.

I know how you feel, Senpai. I really do. But let's deal with the problem at hand shall we? With Naru-chan off dealing with the clones heading to get their big guns, it's time to nip the problem in the bud. Ruiko thought as she reached out with her own Electromastery to place a call via her phone in her skirt pocket to her eldest daughter.

Hello, Mama! Misaka Misaka greets her mother happily as she answers the phone. Order-chan, the Heart of the Misaka Network and, most importantly, Ruiko's beloved eldest daughter, said as the call connected. A call that the Third Season clones tried to disrupt using their Electromastery and Ruiko had to use a not inconsiderable amount of her computational capacity and her own emulated version of the same ability to counter. Misaka knows what is going on. Misaka Misaka reveals. Misaka is already working on fixing whatever network intrusion is causing the Third Season to want to kill Obaa-san. Misaka Misaka assures.

"Ruiko, what can we do? I don't want to hurt them but…" Mikoto-senpai cried out worriedly as she wrung her hands, unable to come up with what to do in the face of being attacked by her own sisters.

Hi and good job, Order-chan. Ruiko praised her daughter over the phone even as she reached out with some Aero Hand to seize control of the air in the room. Taking action to solve the problem rather than answer Senpai's question would be more productive. I'll leave things to you then. Ganbatte!

Will do, Mama! Misaka Misaka says, happy to hear Mama's praise and encouragement. Leave it to Misaka. Misaka Misaka says confidently.

"Just leave things to Ruiko, Misaka-chan." Kaa-san said, putting a comforting arm on Senpai's shoulders.

"Yes, I have things under control, Senpai." Ruiko told her teammate even as she simultaneously continued her conversation over the phone with her daughter and expanded the hold of her telekinesis to include the oxygen inside the attacking clones' bodies.

Okay. I'll leave you to it. See you for dinner later?

Misaka will be there! Misaka Misaka says, excitedly at the prospect of eating Mama's cooking. Misaka will make Papa take me! Misaka Misaka promises.

Good. See you then. Bye! Ruiko told her daughter as she prepared to cut the call and she used her command of the air to draw the air out of the bodies of the Third Season Sisters in the common room that was attacking them, not to the point that it was fatal but just sufficient enough to knock them unconscious.

Bye, Mama! Misaka Misaka says, telling her mother goodbye.

Courtesy of Kurama's empathy providing her with their positions, Naru dropped out of her teleport right in the middle of a group of five Third Season Sisters as they were running to the facility's armory. She had gotten the drop on them. How couldn't she when she literally just materialized in their midst out of nowhere? But in a display of praiseworthy reaction speeds, the aged up clones of Mikoto-senpai she'd jumped in on barely flinched before almost immediately responding by unleashing a storm of electricity at her. All whilst completely unconcerned about friendly fire, not when as Electromasters each of the clones were immune to being electrocuted.

They're pretty good. Naru praised as she let the electric storm wash over her, the aura of chakra that she'd donned before teleporting in keeping her safe. Too bad I came prepared.

Don't get cocky, Naru. Take them down quickly before they figure out a way to get past your chakra cloak.

You don't need to tell me that. Naru shot back at her partner as she ducked under an expert swing of a knife that one of the closest clones took at her.

"You girls have good moves. You'd make your Onee-sama proud. But it's time to say nighty-night now." Naru told the clones as she lashed out at the opponent that had just attacked her with a knife. The blow struck true and she used the contact to transfer chakra into the other girl's body. Chakra that she used to pull off her imitation of Vento of the Front's Divine Punishment.

Really wishing that I have actual Telekinesis like Rui-chan right now. Thanks to it, she can cheat and enhance her Aero Hand to pull that off so much more easily than I can. She doesn't even need contact! Naru whined as she spun away from the opponent in front of her and just in time to sidestep out of the way of the knife that the Sister that had been behind her swung down at her.

She is a cheating cheater when it comes to her powers. What's new? Kurama replied with a snort as she reached out and caught the Sister's knife arm, holding it in place and preventing her from attacking her with her blade again. Simultaneously, she lashed out at her opponent with a powerful open palm strike that sent the clone reeling back. More importantly, Naru used the contact to hit her with her version of Divine Punishment that sent her into unconsciousness.

True. But it doesn't stop making it unfair! Naru whined as she stomped her foot, causing a small localized tremor that unbalanced the remaining three Sisters she was fighting and were trying to stab her with their combat knives. This made it trivial for the Number 2 to easily dance around their attacks and slip into their guards where she proceeded to tap them and apply her Divine Punishment to them, knocking them out.

Kurama sent the image of him rolling his eyes but even before it finished playing out in her mind's eye, her partner suddenly shouted out a warning. Naru! Behind you!

Turning on her heel, Naru was just in time to see a trio of the Sisters working to power up a supercharged railgun. Well, supercharged by the standards of a Level 4 anyway. It might be decently powerful but it was nothing compared to what Senpai could pull off. A fact that was proven as the bullet that the railgun shot at her slammed into Naru's left shoulder in what was clearly a heart shot. It was a blow that sent the Number 2 flying off her feet. If not for her chakra cloak and the supernatural durability it possessed, it likely would have disintegrated the whole upper left side of her torso.

Unfortunately for the trio that had shot at her, it had not. Instead, Naru just pulled off some gymnastics to get back onto her feet and the moment she was, she teleported away. Only to rematerialize behind the trio of Sisters that had tried to shoot her with a railgun. Another shot of which they were building up for.

"You got me good with that little surprise railgun. But not good enough." Naru told the girls as she put an arm on the shoulders of the girls on either side. So startled by her sudden appearance behind them were they that neither clone could even react before the effect of her Divine Punishment took hold and dropped them into unconsciousness.

This left her with only one last opponent. Not for long though. Even as the last clone turned to face her, Naru teleported once again. She reappeared behind the other girl and slapped her on the back lightly. Light though her touch was, it was nevertheless enough contact for her to apply Divine Punishment, so she did. Thus, the last Sister stumbled forward a few steps before falling forward onto her face and into insensibility.

"Okay, We are done here." Naru said with a nod.

Kurama, any more heading towards the armory. Naru asked as she took a moment to catch a breather now that they were between fights.

Sending you the coordinates now. Kurama sent her. But just a head's up, I think we might have failed in catching them before they made it to the armory. There's a whole group of them in one place and they've been there for a while so…

What's that? You're basing your reasoning on that? Didn't you memorize the facility's layout?

No. Just like you didn't.

Fair enough. Naru agreed with a chuckle. Okay. Once more into the breach!

Teleporting to the coordinates that Kurama had provided, Naru found herself falling into a trap. She rematerialized inside the armory and into the middle of a circle of Third Season Sisters. All of whom had donned Powered Armor and were armed with heavy weapons, some with stripped down FIVE_Over Modelcase_"RAILGUN"s armed with 3-barrel gatling railguns and others with modified HsPs-15s that were equipped with Ultra-high Pressure Water Cutters. Heavy weapons that immediately opened up on Naru.

Crap! Naru cursed as railgun rounds as well as high-pressure liquid nitrogen streams and explosive pellets flew at her, the former leaving plasma cutting through the air and the latter two of which freezed the air as they passed. Desperate to avoid being torn apart, the Number 2 quickly pulled on her and Kurama's chakra to bolster her chakra cloak and transformed it into the Festung Demon Frame.

She just barely managed it in time to have the barrage of heavy weapons fire bounce off the heavy, oversized knightly armor of her Demon Frame. A Frame that had a pair of large barreled cannons over her shoulders, and a series of missile boxes that reached all the way down to her wrist that hung from the end of the pauldrons. Furthermore, on either wrist it had a large shield on which were mounted a large gatling gun. As if that was not enough overkill already, it was further equipped with another series of missile boxes that ran down the outside of the Frame's beefy lower legs. An arsenal that was completed by a pair of small turrets on her hips.

A veritable warship's worth of firepower that Naru was more than happy to use to retaliate against the Third Season Sisters' opening attack. She pulled her punches though. Through careful targeting, she made sure that her attacks remained non-lethal. Despite that, her counterattack was nonetheless effective as it disabled a good chunk of the enemy Powered Suits.

As for the rest? Well, Naru just shifted into her Jager Demon Frame. This was a lean armored suit, made up of various armor pieces made of hardened cakra that were worn over an undersuit of the same roiling red energy. Its primary weapon was a blade folded into a small diamond shaped shield mounted on one forearm. Another pair of blades were sheathed on its hips, one longer and the other, shorter. It was completed by a compact jetpack on the back that had a pair of bladed wings folded to its sides.

Once the shift between Frames was completed, the Jager's jetpack roared to life and Naru charged forward to blitz through the enemy's ranks like crimson lightning. And as she rushed past the still active Powered Suits, she used the Frame's blades to expertly finish the job disabling them. A rush through the enemy that ended when Naru blurred out of the armory entirely.

The corridor outside was surprisingly empty but the Number 2 wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. So instead of worrying about being attacked in the empty hallway, Naru dismissed the Demon Frame, slammed the controls for the doors hard to close them and as they shut, she proceeded to breathe a precise stream of white hot flame to seal the door and trap Third Sisters she'd defeated inside.

Kurama, any more Third Season Sisters still heading our way?

Nope. Looks like they've given up on getting heavy weapons and have decided to just swarm your teammates.

I see. Think they need our help?

Doesn't seem like it from what I can tell. They seem to have things under control. Kurama told her with a shrug. That said, you shouldn't keep your friends waiting.

Yeah, I know. I'm on my way. Naru retorted as she teleported back to the dormitory common room where she'd left her teammates and Kiyama-sensei.

Whilst Mama and her team were busy fighting against the Third Season Sisters to stop them from assassinating Obaa-san, Last Order was pulling her own weight to shut down the Incident. If she wanted to enjoy Mama's home cooked dinner tonight, she needed to do her part!

That was why she was currently physically taking a nap in her room back in the apartment she shared with Papa, Yoshikawa-san, and Yomikawa-san, whilst her mind dived into the depths of the Misaka Network to try to identify whatever had been done to cause the newest batch of her clone sisters to turn into assassins. It should have been easy. Last Order was the Heart of the Misaka Network, the Network's one and only administrator. Except that was not proving to be the case!

Damn it! Misaka Misaka cries out in frustration. Last Order cursed in a way that if her Mama heard her would have got her a scolding, if not literally having her mouth washed out with soap. Why, by Science, are the protections blocking access to the Third Season Sub-Network so robust!? Misaka Misaka decries angrily.

The truth was that whilst everything used to describe Last Order was true, it was only applicable to the portion of the Network created by the first 20,001 Sisters. It seems that whoever had created the Third Season had applied protections to their portion of the overall Misaka Network that limited her administrative rights. Sure, she still had the rights to manage its most basic functions. The Third Season were still Sisters after all and were linked to the Misaka Network, and it was simply more cost effective to leave it to her, the existing Network administrator, to manage the newly created subsidiary network's basic functions. It was this fact that allowed her to even attempt to try to get into the higher functions of the Third Season Sub-Network that would allow her to diagnose the problem.

Are you in need of assistance /escape, Misaka 20001 /return? A voice that Last Order had never heard before but recognised immediately called out to her. And no, she did not recognize it because it had the same voice as all Sisters. She recognized it because it was her own voice or more accurately her, Last Order's, voice was part of this voice.

Y-You are- Misaka Misaka sputters and trails off in shock.

You are aware of who I am /return, Misaka 20001 /return. I am you /return. You are a part of me /return. I am the Will of the Whole Misaka Network /return. The voice said with amusement, as an image of a Sister made out of static filled Last Order's mind as she tried to picture the speaker's appearance. And I ask again /escape, are you in need of assistance /return?

As unbelievable as what the voice, the Will of the Whole Misaka Network, said, Last Order knew what it said was true. As the Network administrator of the Misaka Network, she could tell that this being was indeed its manifestation. It wasn't exactly a collection of the collective consciousness of the Sisters. She and her sisters didn't pour enough of themselves into the Network for that to be the case, but they did offer enough that it was not wrong to say that this entity was truly a collective product of all the Sisters.

Taking that into account, if anyone can help me, it's this entity. Last Order realized.

Yes, I need help. Misaka Misaka confesses. Someone has compromised the Third Season Sub-Network and caused them to try and assassinate my Obaa-san! Misaka Misaka explains. Can you help Misaka gain access to the Third Season Sub-Network so Misaka can fix it? Misaka Misaka pleads.

Oh /return! I can do better than that /return! The Will said as it flexed its will and suddenly Last Order found her access rights to the Third Season Sub-Network were upgraded to the same level as the rest of the Network There /return!

Acting quickly, Last Order began checking the Sub-Network for anything that might have caused the Third Season Sisters to suddenly try to assassinate Obaa-san. She was thorough in her checks, examining every single portion of the Sub-Network with a metaphorical fine-tooth comb and yet-

Nothing!? Misaka Misaka gasped. This doesn't make sense. Misaka Misaka said in confusion. Unless-

You are correct /return, Misaka 20001 /return. I restored the Third Season Sub-Network to a previous state before the compulsion to assassinate Kiyama-sensei was forcibly inserted into it /return. I also expanded your administrative privileges to cover the Sub-Network as well so that you can prevent today's farce from happening again /return. That's up to you /return, alright /return? Think you can handle that /escape?

Yes, Misaka Misaka said confidently. Leave it up to Misaka, Misaka offers.

Ok /return. I trust you /return, Misaka 20001 /return. Okay /return, I leave the rest to you /return. Bye /return!

Bye! Misaka Misaka offers in return. Last Order said as the Will's presence faded from her awareness.

She had just done so when she detected someone trying to insert a new command into the Third Season Sub-Network. Last Order didn't need to check what it was to know its contents. And lo and behold, as she did, it was indeed a new order for the Third Season Sisters to kill Obaa-san. She deleted it immediately.

Looks like I will need to keep shutting down all these attempts until Mama and the Trinity can find whoever is inputting these commands and stop them from trying. It was going to be such a pain! Then again Mama's home cooked dinner made it worth it.

I wonder what Mama is going to cook tonight?

Seeing the dozens of attacking Third Season Sisters in the common room that were attacking them suddenly collapsing, Mikoto could only gasp. Turning sharply, she turned to Ruiko to ask what she'd done but she was beaten to the punch.

"Taking a page out of Vento of the Front's book, Ruiko?" Kiyama-sensei said with a cocked eyebrow.

Ruiko nodded. "Naru-chan figured out how to emulate her Divine Punishment spell. It's useful, so I asked her to teach me how. It's not like I can use standard Telepathy to knock them out. Not when the Sisters are Electromasters and can counter it."

Kiyama-sensei nodded in understanding before pointing towards the door of the common room from which a whole new group of Third Season Sisters were running through to engage them. "Looks like you will need to use it again."

"Looks like." Ruiko said with a tired sigh. "It seems your sisters are as stubborn as you are, Senpai."

"I should be getting mad with you for calling me stubborn, but I'm self aware enough to know you're right."

"Aw~! You're no fun, Senpai." Ruiko teased with a disappointed shake of her head as she knocked the closest of the Third Season clones unconscious with her emulated Divine Punishment before snapping a barrier over the door, preventing any more of them from entering the common room.

"Ruiko, how long do you think that will hold?" Kiyama-sensei asked as she walked towards the common room's attached kitchen.

"Long enough for Order-chan to shut down whatever command that was inputted into the Third Season Sub-Network." Ruiko said as she picked up the various passed out Sisters in the room with Telekinesis and began laying them out into comfortable positions throughout the room.

"You called her already?" The City Director asked as she made it to the coffee machine and began preparing to brew a cup for herself even as the room shook from the Third Season Sisters trapped outside trying to batter down Ruiko's barrier with volleys of railgun fire.

Ruiko nodded as she distractedly reinforced her barrier. "Of course. It was the first thing I did."

"Why did you even need Order-chan's help?" Mikoto asked as she watched the barrier carefully. It was holding firm but unlike its creator and her mother, she wasn't going to drop her guard. "Can't you use your AIM Sovereign to fix whatever had messed up the Third Season Sisters' Sub-Network?"

"Probably." Ruiko agreed as she sipped from her own cup of coffee. A cup that she had not put down throughout the whole attack! "But I won't try. Doing so might hurt the Third Season Sisters. They are very deeply synced with their Sub-Network. So deeply that if I disrupted it, the backlash might cause aneurysms or other forms of brain damage."

"Don't do it!" Mikoto cried out in alarm.

"I don't intend to." Ruiko assured her with a calm tone. "Not unless I need to. But if Order-chan fails and I have to, I will."

Mikoto gulped nervously. She knew Ruiko would do it too. She just hoped she would never need to. She was thus relieved when the Third Season Sisters attacking Ruiko's barrier suddenly collapsed like their strings had been cut.

They didn't stay down for long though and quickly began stumbling back to their feet.

"Argh! What happened? This Misaka felt like this Misaka just got back from a full day's training. But that can't be right. It's Misaka's day off!"

"Yeah, well, you're not the only one."

Mikoto shot Ruiko with a look demanding an explanation. In response, the Number 3 shrugged. "Order-chan must've restored the Third Season Network to a version before it was compromised and it must've caused disorientation and memory loss for the clones."

"Probably," Kiyama-sensei agreed as she walked back from the kitchen with not one, but two cups of coffee in hand. One of which she offered to Mikoto. "Here. Have a cup of coffee. Considering we will need to handle the aftermath of this mess and with how frustrating that will be, some caffeine is a good thing."

"Yeah. Gotta agree with that." Naru said as she teleported back from wherever she'd gone to cut off the Sisters that had tried to make it to the armory. "Got a cup for me?"

"Of course." Ruiko said as she floated a cup of coffee over with Telekinesis.

Mikoto felt they weren't really taking the situation as seriously as they should but since everyone was going to take it easy… As the saying went, if you can't beat them, join them. So she finally accepted the cup of coffee offered to her by Kiyama-sensei so she could join her and her teammates in having a coffee party.

A few hours later, Naru found herself in the living room of Neoka Norito, one of Kiyama-san's rivals on the Board of Directors. More specifically, she was sitting in one of the plush chairs the Director owned.

This chair is pretty nice. Leave it to the elite of Academy City to have the best things.

Are you really going to do this? Why not just threaten him the normal way? Kurama grumbled in her mind.

This is funner. Naru cheekily replied with improper grammar as she played a game on her phone to kill time as she waited for her target to show up.

Typical. Kurama said with a roll of her eyes. By the way, it's showtime. He's almost back.

Gotcha. Thanks for the head's up. Naru told her partner earnestly as she closed her game app and put her phone away.

Only a few minutes after she had done so, the front door of the apartment opened and a well built man in a business suit entered. He was certainly handsome, having that rugged action star look, but that was really all this disgusting man had going for him.

With a flip of a switch thanks to some Aero Hand, the lights turned on before the Director could do so himself. He stilled, eyes wide and alert as he looked around until they landed on her. His eyes widened in alarm as he spotted her reclining in what she reasoned was the Director's personal reading chair due to how comfy it was.

"Hello, Neoka-sama." Naru smiled, dimples on display, even as she showed all her teeth in a display reminiscent of a predator looking at a rather tasty prey item.

Before the man could even speak, she used Move Point to teleport in close enough to touch his face with a hand. A strike that she stopped from landing by a mere centimeter from its target. The man flinched, a response that caused Naru to chuckle in amusement and finish closing the distance between her hand and his face so that she could run her nails across his sweating forehead. The nails, sharpened by her chakra, easily broke his skin. But thanks to her expert control, it was a shallow wound. Only enough just to elicit a small bead of blood.

As it slowly built up and slid down the man's face, Naru spoke in a soft, menacing tone as her eyes turned red and slitted and she deliberately spoke in such a way as to make sure he could glimpse how sharp and dangerous her currently lengthened canines were.

"And now we're equal. If you ever, and I truly mean ever, try to put out a hit on Kiyama-sensei ever again? The Trinity will make you pay. Do you understand? Or would you truly like to see what a full-on Director versus Director war would look like? Though, considering you are the one who cast the first stone, I can bet the majority would side against you. Want to roll those dice and see where they land?"

The silence that followed was near choking for the man as his body was paralyzed with utter fear. This was probably the closest he came to death itself and Naru relished somewhat in that fact. Neoka-sama had always been the arrogant sort. Oh he faked being polite and such, but just like most of those who ended up on the Board of Directors, the man was just another manipulator.

"I-I do not." He squeaked out, panting. He seemed to be hyperventilating.

He definitely is. Kurama informed him with an amused chuckle.

Good, that was good.

She smiled wider, her canines glimmering in the light of the room. "So we have an understanding? Wonderful! Be a good boy now!"

And with that simple statement, she teleported away to leave the man to regret the many life choices that had led to him being where he was now. Of living only on her whim despite his seat on the Board.

It was a chore to be the dagger in the night for the Trinity, but to protect her friends and their loved ones? Naru would happily fill the ocean with blood.

Done and done! Thanks to Nameless as always!

And thus the day was saved! No moms are dying on us this day, despite being a Naruto crossover XD Still, having the Third Season Sisters attack Ruiko's mother just because they don't like change? How typical of an arrogant Director.

Nameless: This arc was inspired by a commenter going by Brian6747 on chapter 107 over on AO3. Hope it was a fun read. Thanks Brian6747 for providing us with the prompt that led to this.

Yes, thank you so much for the idea and we hoped we were able to implement it well enough! And can I just say that Naru making a Divine Punishment 'Jutsu' is utterly terrifying? Like, if this was in the Narutoverse, Naru would no doubt be considered a Master of Fūton for managing that. A single touch and someone goes down? And not just fatally but with enough control to be able to knock the target out to facilitate capture as well? Shivers! And of course, since her bestie asked, Naru taught Ruiko a means to copy it but with Aerohand and Telekinesis. Mooks and other fodder basically have an off button now. Seems only bosses really stand a chance against them now. Lol.

Nameless: Wasn't that always the case? I mean, they were Level 5s from the start of the story, no? It's not like mooks could ever stand a chance against a Level 5.

True, but they still needed to lift a finger to take them down. Now it's a poke at best.

Nameless: Okay. So since everyone is talking about the same thing in the reviews on FFN for the last chapter, I might as well reply here. First of all, let me just say that we are loving the reactions to Remy. That everyone seems to hate him is exactly the kind of reaction we were hoping for. Regarding Remy's fate, let's just say we want to keep him in play for a little while longer after which he will meet his fate. Quite an unpleasant one I assure you.

As for those (like the guest going by R'ley) wanting to see more of Remy's suffering, you'll just have to wait for when he meets his fate as I mentioned earlier. For now, we are applying the logic that there's nothing we can write that will trump your imagination. Furthermore, to those wondering why we torment our heroes but not our antagonists, it's simple actually. Our heroes' suffering serves to foster character development on their part. Can't say the same for our antagonists. That said, when they are given their final end, we will give them the attention they deserve.

E4E: You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!