Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Toaru Kagaku no Railgun/Toaru Majutsu no Index
The Trinity of Tokiwadai
Chapter Twenty Three: Adoption Festivities
Beta:
Naru was walking back to her dorm after a long day of shopping and as was her norm she was using one of the many quiet back alleys that ran through the School Garden to do so.
She was just a couple of blocks away from her destination when out of nowhere the familiar bodysuit wearing form of her friend and rival Shutaura Sequenzia stepped out of an adjacent alley and blocked her path.
"Oh, Shutaura." Naru said in surprise. Doing a quick self-conscious look at herself, the blonde smiled. "What are you doing here in the Garden?"
"Have you heard of STUDY?" The older girl said without preamble.
Frowning a bit at the abrupt question, Naru said, "Not really. Some new group?"
"Not the answer I was expecting. I'd have thought that [Multi-Skill] would have briefed the rest of the Trinity by now." The Level 4 replied with a frown.
"Ruiko-chan doesn't give me a list of every dark secret in the City." Naru rolled her eyes. "If she did, I'd have no social life."
"True. She doesn't seem to have much of one herself."
"Hey now, you're the pot calling the kettle black aren't you?" Naru said, her eyes narrowed at the insult to her friend. "When was the last time you did anything fun, Exhibitionist-san?"
"You're prickly today." Shutaura noted with a slight blush while sounding almost curious though she smothered the emotion quickly and put on her business face. "As fun as it is, I did not come to see you just to banter."
"Then why did you drop by?"
"To inform you that when you deal with STUDY, to not be too messy about it."
"Cryptic but understandable." Naru said while hefting her shopping bags. "Thanks for the tip off. See yo-"
The blonde turned and eyed two of her schoolmates who were walking down the same alley. Both of whom were eying her and Shutaura with interested looks even as they gave them both a respectfully wide berth.
Great. Now, there's going to be gossip about me and Shutaura flying all over the place!
Naru felt a blush creep along her face at the thought. Stupid gossips, making things weird.
Shutaura's frown suggested she was perfectly aware of the rumors that were going to be spread as a result of them being spotted together.
"I ran into your friend Misaka Mikoto the other day." Shutaura said with a mild grimace. Apparently she really disliked making small talk.
Considering the circumstances, Naru had to agree. But splitting up right now would give the busybodies more fodder for their gossip. Better to play things off as them being a couple of friends running into each other and swapping stories.
"And what happened?"
"She was feeling a little shaken up." The Level 4 said as the girls turned a corner. "You might want to check up on her."
"How bad was it?"
"Not too bad. Are they out of earshot yet?"
"Yeah."
"If her psychological profile in the Bank is correct, then she should be fine in a couple days." Shutaura said in all seriousness. "But I'd watch her carefully for a while."
"Gotcha."
"Good. Then I'll make a move before we get more spectators."
Naru offered the leader of the Black Crows a wave that got an acknowledging nod in return as the latter walked off.
STUDY huh? Naru mused as she resumed her walk home. Well, they can wait. Gotta check on Sempai first.
The next day Naru was once again having lunch with the rest of the Trinity and their closest friends Uiharu-chan and Kuroko-chan at Joseph's Coffee and Restaurant, their favorite restaurant and hang out.
Like Shutaura had suggested, the blonde had been watching her Sempai closely and as expected she was very clearly down. So much so that both Uiharu-chan and Kuroko-chan were looking at her with concern as she listlessly picked at her food. The only one seemingly unconcerned was Ruiko-chan, though Naru had spotted her eying Mikoto-sempai every so often too.
"Uh. Misaka-san, are you okay?" Uiharu-chan asked worriedly.
"Just a little under the weather, is all." The [Railgun] deflected.
"And why is that, Onee-sama?" Kuroko asked sounding both insistent and concerned. "You're been like this for days."
"I-" The older girl began only to clam up and look away. "It's not something I want to talk about right now, alright?"
Sighing, Naru asked, "Was seeing the evil of the Dark Side really so shocking?"
Ruiko-chan nudged the her with her foot and spoke up. "Sempai, it's okay. The first time is always the hardest."
"Eh? First time? Onee-sama, what does she mean by that?" Kuroko-chan asked, a frantic look in her eyes as her twintails spun in a tizzy. "What does that mean?!"
"W-What are you even thinking?!" Sempai shouted as she stood up and repeatedly shocked Kuroko-chan with bolts of static until she was charred black.
Unfazed by the display, Naru let out a small snort of amusement.
Shaking her head at the display, Ruiko-chan stood.
"I'll give them the cliff notes." She said as she gestured for Uiharu-chan to follow as she walked to the bathrooms, picking up the twitching piece of charcoal that was Kuroko-chan along the way.
"Anyways, heard you had to deal with an official 'liaison' from the City during the whole thing?"
Mikoto-sempai mumbled irritably under her breath at that.
"So Shutaura got under your skin too?" Naru asked knowingly.
"Ugh, she was so, so haughty! Like she knew everything!"
"Yeah, she's a real pain, but she cares in her own way. Though she can be a total bitch too." Naru smirked.
"Right?!" Mikoto shouted and slammed a hand on the table, sparks dancing around her forehead.
"We should totally find some time to just vent about how much of an ass that girl can be." Naru suggested hopefully.
"Definite-"
Their discussion was cut off when Kuroko, fresh as a daisy, teleported into Sempai's lap and hugged her tightly.
"Oh Onee-sama! For such a thing to happen to you! I'm so sorry you had to endure such a tragedy. I swear, next time I'll be right there to aid you in anyway possible!"
Naru waited for Kuroko-chan to be shocked again, but surprisingly it didn't come as Mikoto-sempai actually hugged her back in silence.
As if that wasn't surreal enough, suddenly the completely unathletic Uiharu-chan ran out from the bathroom area to join the hug in a tackle. A tackle that sent the three girls toppling to the ground in a messy sprawl of limbs.
"Onee-sama-" Kuroko opened her mouth, presumably to say something that would get her shocked but amazingly seemed to restrain herself this time and with clear reluctance gave their Sempai one last hug before pushing to her feet.
The blonde looked to Ruiko-chan, who was walking back to their table at a sedate pace. She just offered her a confused shrug in response. Naru understood, neither of them really understood what was with the dramatics. Seeing people die wasn't that big of a deal, right?
"I don't see the big deal." Ruiko-chan said giving voice to their mutual thoughts. "Seeing people die is a common thing on the Dark Side, it's just something to get over."
Naru nodded in agreement.
"Saten-san!" Uiharu-chan cried out in dismay before pulling her best friend into a hug. "That just means you need more hugs."
Ruiko-chan looked adorably confused but nevertheless returned the Level 1's friendly embrace.
Pulling out her phone, Naru was about to snap a photo of the look and send it off to Accelerator when she was blindsided by the [Railgun].
"Usagi does too." Mikoto-sempai nodded firmly and pulled her into one as well.
"H-Hey! Let me go!" Naru exclaimed and struggled with her stupidly strong Sempai, but quickly quelled her outrage and went limp. Hugs weren't something she had much experience with but...
This feels… nice.
After the highly emotional and for Naru and Ruiko-chan highly confusing lunch, it was decided - almost unilaterally by Uiharu-chan, not that anyone objected - that they should head out to do something fun and to forget the gloominess. Since they were all feeling a little tired after all the hugging, they opted for a relaxing walk through a park.
Their sempai however was still very withdrawn.
Everyone had tried their best to be comforting. Especially Kuroko-chan who was even restraining herself from being her usual clingy, lecherous self.
Which was a shame since Naru always loved watching her in action. It gave her plenty of ideas.
Sighing in apparent frustration at their Sempai's mood, Ruiko-chan said, "Sempai, brooding won't do you any good. You just have to get used to things like this when on the Dark Side."
This earned the Number 3 another hug from Uiharu-chan.
"I agree with Ruiko-chan." Naru said as she looked off into the distance and her thoughts went back to Cosplay.
Seeing her melancholy, Uiharu-chan pulled away from Ruiko-chan to hug Naru instead.
"So many hugs…" The blonde said in confusion.
"You need more!" The genius hacker said as she stepped out of the hug.
Uiharu-chan was surprisingly bossy when she wanted to be.
Appreciative of the care the flower crown wearing girl was showing, Naru decided to help her out and coax a laugh out of her gloomy Sempai.
"Yo, Sempai. Got a question for you. Why is Gekota always so happy?"
The Number 5 blinked in confusion for a moment, before just shaking her head. "No idea."
Smirking, Naru supplied the wise answer. "Because he's a frog and they eat whatever bugs them!"
Mikoto-sempai released a snort of laughter, but that was about it.
Pouting at not getting any further reaction, she decided to step up her game to what she did best.
Annoy the heck out of her Sempai.
"Hm, maybe your secret boyfriend would have liked that better?" Teased the loli blonde.
"Boyfriend!?" Kuroko-chan shrieked, only to be shushed by Ruiko-chan and Uiharu-chan.
"W-what the hell are you talking about?" Mikoto-sempai replied with her predictable defensiveness.
"Eh? You don't remember your secret boyfriend you ran off to see all those lonely nights by the riverside? Getting all hot and sweaty with him until you're both exhausted?" Naru said ever so innocently.
Mikoto-sempai's face turned beet red and stuttered, "W-W-What do you e-e-even mean?! That n-never happened!"
"WHAT!?" Kuroko-chan screamed in absolute horror. She looked at her roommate and demanded, "Onee-sama, how could you do this to me? Is Kuroko not enough for you?!"
There was suddenly the sound of a static burst.
"That wasn't me." Mikoto-sempai said looking surprised.
"Saten-san!" Uiharu-chan called out chidingly.
Naru turned at the same time as Mikoto-sempai did to find Kuroko-chan twitching at [Multi-Skill]'s feet.
"It's how Sempai handles it." Ruiko-chan shrugged.
"...Semapi, you're a bad influence."
"How is it always my fault?!"
"Because it is?" Naru needled.
"Hey!"
"Give Naru-san a pass on her teasing today, would you?" Ruiko-chan asked their Sempai. "It did manage to get you to stop being so withdrawn."
"Hmph. As if!" The proud [Railgun] asserted. "I just decided that it's a waste being all sad on such a beautiful day is all."
"Whatever, you say Sempai." Ruiko-chan said with an indulgent smile.
Naru winked at the older girl, who looked away with pink cheeks.
"And Naru-san, mind easing off on the teasing too?" Ruiko-chan asked, shooting her a pleading look. "Just for today?"
"Oh fine. But only because you asked so nicely~!"
"Thank you."
"If I can't tease, I've gotta ask ya Sempai. How was your interaction with the Black Crows besides Shutaura? I mean we're both on the same wavelength there, but I want to know what you think about the rest of the outfit." Naru asked curiously as she walked up to her Sempai's side.
"Namikaze-san! That's still about the Incident!" A recovered Kuroko-chan said worriedly as she eyed her roommate cautiously.
"It's alright." Mikoto-sempai replied. "Better to satisfy the Chibi now rather than let her bug me for the next few weeks just to get her answers."
"Hehe." Naru made a victory sign with her fingers.
"The Black Crows were… serious, professional. Like Anti-Skill but even better." Mikoto-sempai said, tapping her chin in thought.
"I agree with that." Ruiko-chan agreed. "They are one of better paramilitary units in the City."
"And let's not forget about Shutaura and her no-nonsense attitude. She's practically got a heart of stone at times." Naru commented with a light laugh.
"I wouldn't go so far in describing her, but her attitude is indeed one of the reasons they are as good as they are."
"Meh, it's just a joke. Though she is a hard ass." The blonde stated, pink dusted her cheeks as she remembered how that particular part of Shutaura felt the last time she'd managed to get a feel of it.
"Is the Chibi blushing!?" Mikoto-sempai asked incredulously.
"What? No! Just thinking of something your innocent mind couldn't comprehend. Hmph!"
"Saten-chan! I'll pay for Uiharu's next ten trips to Pasticceria Manicagni! Tell me what's got the Chibi blushing like that!" The Number 5 crowed victoriously.
"When did this become about me?!" Naru demanded indignantly.
"Make that twe-"
Ruiko-chan was cut off when Uiharu-chan stepped on her foot.
"Enough with the teasing. Of everyone." The computing genius demanded. "We're here to have fun and relax, not make each other uncomfortable!"
"Hai." All four of the other girls replied sheepishly.
"Good. Now, let's go eat cake!"
"...Uiharu-chan, you certainly know how to take advantage of a situation." Naru dryly pointed out.
The Level 1 just smiled mischievously, as they all followed her lead and headed in the direction of a nearby cafe they frequented. It wasn't Pasticceria Manicagni, but it was still good enough for the confectionary connoisseur that was Uiharu-chan.
"I learned how to do it from a master." Uiharu-chan said offering Naru a mock bow.
Naru blinked. "Huh, did not see that coming."
"Indeed. I'm full of surprises." The programming genius said proudly. "Speaking of surprises, any of those came up in your career guidance sessions?"
"I'm curious to know that too." Kuroko-chan said as they walked past a patch of lilies in the park. "Mine was rather normal. I'm planning to become a teacher so I can join Anti-Skill."
"So you just want to join Anti-Skill." Naru rolled her eyes. "You and your obsession with law enforcement."
"Hmph! I can't help that I would look good in uniform. Though you are right."
"If that's the case, then you might be better off joining one of the City's paramilitary organizations instead." Ruiko-chan suggested.
"Not in a million years." Kuroko-chan replied with disdain. "There's no way I'll ever become part of the Dark Side. Not after what it's done to Onee-sama and the two of you."
Naru exchanged a look with Ruiko-chan. The brunette shook her head and she nodded. Best to just avoid the whole can of worms that was discussing the Dark Side.
"I think it's a great idea Kuroko. You'd actually be a good teacher with all the hovering that you do." Mikoto-sempai nodded in agreement.
"Really?" The auburn haired girl asked with sparkles in her eyes. "Thank you, Onee-sama!"
Kuroko-chan, don't you see that it's a complisult? Naru thought dryly.
"So~," Mikoto-sempai drawled hastily, eying the eager look Kuroko-chan was sporting warily. "I really didn't get anything out of the session myself, though maybe that's because I was preoccupied with other things."
That sombered the mood somewhat as they recalled what had happened during her brush with the Dark Side.
"Well," Naru perked up, trying to draw everyone's attention away from that line of thought. "It wasn't very useful for me either. Ruiko-chan, how did it go for you?"
The Number 3 actually blushed and sighed, "It was completely embarrassing. Kaa-san insisted on attending and spent the whole time talking with the counselor about how to best prepare me for a career in AIM fields research."
"Ah, so she railroaded it huh?" Mikoto-sempai nodded in understanding.
A cloud of gloom hovered around Ruiko-chan as she nodded.
"But isn't that what you always wanted?" Uiharu-chan asked her best friend curiously.
"Yes, but I didn't need Kaa-san taking over things like that. I felt like an observer throughout the whole session. I barely even said anything."
"Well, Kiyama-sensei can be a little domineering at times." The genius hacker said as she patted her friend comfortingly.
"At least she was looking out for you?" Kuroko-chan suggested.
"Maybe doing things like this is the only ways she feels she can take care of you?" Mikoto-sempai added on. "I mean with your information broker business it's not like you need her to support you and you're pretty independent too."
"Don't forget being a Level 5." Naru chimed in helpfully.
"That too," The [Railgun] agreed. "Basically I think she might just have been trying to show you that she cares."
"Hmph." [Multi-Skill] grunted in irritation. "She should know that she doesn't need to do that. Of course I know that she cares."
"Yeah, but she's your Kaa-san. She'd want to show it, you know?" Uiharu-chan told her friend with a squeeze around her shoulders. "It's what they do!"
"I guess." Ruiko-chan replied, sounding unconvinced. "But enough about me. Uiharu, how about you? What do you want to be when you grow up?"
"What?"
"Everyone's had a go." Naru said with a playful smirk. "It's only fair that you tell us too."
"Oh, um, you see, Kiyama-sensei actually made a deal for me to work on Saten-san's research team and help with their cybersecurity. I always wanted to be a software engineer and it lets me help Saten-san out, so it's killing two birds with one stone."
Naru shot Ruiko-chan a dirty look. "You've called dibs already?"
Said Level 5 just blinked in confusion. "When did this happen? Why am I only hearing about it now?"
"You didn't know?" Kuroko-chan asked, shocked that the info broker had missed something right under her nose. A sentiment shared by Mikoto-sempai if her wide eyed look was any indication.
"Ha! Looks like your Kaa-san knows how to slip past her daughter's net." Naru giggled into her hands. It was pretty amusing.
"I do try my best to keep my surveillance on my family and friends as light as possible, you know." Ruiko-chan said defensively, her shoulders tightening. "I don't want to invade their privacy, just keep them safe. That said, Uiharu, tell me more about this deal."
"And you said you respect people's privacy." Naru shot back with a snicker.
"Hush, Namikaze-san. Considering I'm gonna be working on Saten-san's team, it's only fair to let her know."
"I guess."
"Kiyama-sensei has agreed to sponsor my high school and university fees at Kirigaoka Girls' Academy if I work as part of your team, Saten-san." Uiharu-chan informed happily.
Turning to her fellow Judgement agent, she continued, "We're still working out the timing when I start work because well, I uh, plan to q-quit Judgement when I do. I won't have the time."
"E-Eh?" Kuroko-chan blinked, a stunned look on her face. Her shoulders slagged as she stopped walking.
"It shouldn't be until I start high school though." Uiharu-chan reassured her partner. "At least that's what I'm aiming for. Kiyama-sensei is, um-"
"Being difficult?" Ruiko-chan guessed. "I'll talk to her."
"Thank you, Saten-san." Uiharu-chan offered earnestly.
"I-I understand. Know that you have my full support Uiharu!" Kuroko-chan said having regained her composure, though there was still a small quiver in her voice. "If anyone deserves such a position it is certainly you."
"Shirai-san…" Uiharu-chan beamed at her friend.
"Heh, Uiharu-chan really lucked out." The blonde pointed out, but on the inside she felt a sense of bitterness take her. Lucky, I still have no idea what I'm going to do for the rest of my life.
"I honestly don't know what to think about this." Ruiko-chan confessed after a moment of silence. "I'm thrilled by the idea and a little embarrassed that I didn't come up with it myself. But are you sure this is what you want, Uiharu?"
"Yup." Uiharu-chan said with cheerful honesty.
"If you're sure." Ruiko-chan said, still looking conflicted though that vanished when she caught sight of something off in the distance. "Is that girl passed out?"
"Huh?" Naru asked oh so intelligently as she turned to look where her friend had been only to see she'd already teleported to the side of a little blonde girl dressed in a cute gothic lolita style dress lying in a flower bed a short distance ahead. "She could be napping. It's a nice day."
"In a flower bed?" Kuroko-chan asked incredulously. "That's liable to get her a fine."
"Geez, she's just a kid." Naru rolled her eyes. "Can you lay off your obsession with law and order for five seconds?"
"As least she looks fine, or Saten-chan would be panicking by now." Mikoto-sempai noted with a teasing smirk.
"Or teleported her off to the nearest hospital." Uiharu-chan said with a sigh. "She's always overreacting. I still remember how she freaked out the last time I scraped my knee."
The rest of the girls walked on over, curious about how the small girl was doing.
Naru blamed Ruiko-chan's paranoia. It was infectious.
They arrived just as the little girl woke up and pushed herself to her knees.
"What's your name?" Uiharu-chan asked the girl with an approachable smile.
"F-Febrie." The girl replied with a yawn while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.
She looked so adorable that Naru almost squealed. She totally didn't need to restrain herself from doing so. Totally.
Keep telling yourself that. Kurama commented, his tone dripping with amusement.
And once again, Naru ignored the voice in her head in favor of looking at the tiny cutie.
"She's even chibi-ier than the Chibi." Mikoto-sempai commented, apparently won over by her charm as well.
The enraptured look on Kuroko-chan and Uiharu-chan's faces suggested they were too. Heck, even the ever stoic Ruiko-chan was looking at the girl with tenderness Naru had only ever seen her sport when with her siblings and Uiharu-chan.
Sighing, Naru decided to take charge and offered a friendly smile to the girl. "Hi! I'm Naru. It's nice to meet you Febrie-chan. Whatcha doing here all by yourself?"
"Trinity of Tokiwadai." The little girl muttered out seemingly involuntarily, as immediately after speaking she blinked in confusion.
The girls stiffened at the mention of the name of their group.
"Eh? What was that?" Naru asked the young girl.
The girl was spooked by her forwardness however and running around her, tucked herself into Ruiko-chan's side while clutching the taller girl's skirt nervously.
I-I'm scary?! Naru actually felt disheartened by this.
Ruiko-chan shot Naru a look to back off even as she patted the girl comfortingly on the head and reassured her that they were friendly.
Don't give me that dirty look! I asked nicely! Naru glared the Number 3 in turn.
With a put upon sigh, Mikoto-sempai stepped forward and squatted down so she was level with the girl and began fishing in her pockets for something. A small pink Gekota finger puppet. She also pulled out a hair pin and stuffed it inside and laid it on her palm. With a small burst of electricity, she brought the small figure to life.
"Hi there!" The electromaster said in a high pitched voice while covering her mouth. Using her electromagnetism she had the puppet wiggle back and forth as she continued. "What are you doing here, Febrie-chan?"
"Leave it to Onee-sama to understand a child's mind." Kuroko-chan nodded sagely.
Their Sempai twitched at that, but said nothing and settled for a glare at the tawny haired girl. Naru could tell the Judgement officer was going to pay for that remark later.
Febrie exploited the distraction though to grab the Gekota finger puppet and run back behind Ruiko-chan's back.
"Hey!" Mikoto-sempai roared, only to get a withering look from the Number 3. "That's a one in twenty-four chances to get pink Gekota!"
"You're scaring her." [Multi-Skill] said in a voice that reminded Naru uncomfortably of her friend's [Army Slayer] days. "Stop."
Everyone froze at her tone, well everyone but Febrie who just hugged her waist with a smile on her face apparently pleased someone was standing up for her.
Note to self. Don't upset little girls when Mama Bear Ruiko-chan is around.
Good advice. She's scary and this is me saying that. Kurama said, while he shifted nervously in his corner of her mind,
Sighing, [Multi-Skill] looked down at Febrie. "Why don't we see if we can find your parents, okay?"
The girl seemed confused, but nodded nonetheless.
Guess our trip to the cafe is short. At least the Judgment 177 Branch Office has cake too.
Wherever that flower girl works, there's always going to be cake. Seriously, she's practically addicted to it.
"Mmm." Mikoto-sempai whined, looking disheartened at the loss of her precious Gekota but a glare from Ruiko-chan had her zipping her mouth.
The girls brought the young blonde to the 177 Judgement Office. It was dusk outside but Uiharu and Shirai-san were still busily working on spreading the word of the missing child they'd found.
"So mind telling me why you've latched onto her so strongly?" Naru-san asked, gesturing at Febrie.
Not taking her eyes off the girl sleeping with her head on her lap, Ruiko replied. "She reminds me of myself."
"You want to talk about it?" The blonde asked.
Ruiko considered the offer. On one hand, she really didn't like talking about that day. But on the other… She'd already showed Shirai-san and Uiharu some of her memories about that tragedy. It was only fair she told Naru-san about it too.
"I was about her age when I was orphaned." Ruiko told her friend in a whisper. "Looking at her makes me feel like I'm looking at my past self."
"Hee, that sucks." The blonde replied simply. Most people would go, 'oh how horrible' or 'you poor dear', but the blue eyed girl knew better. Ruiko didn't want any more pity. Naru-san was probably the closest person to truly understanding her outside of her Kaa-san and Accel.
"This is most peculiar. Not only has no one called looking for her," Shirai-san said as she led the others over to the rest area where Ruiko, Naru-san and Febrie were waiting on them for news. "But we've checked all the missing persons reports and none of them match Febrie's description."
"Anti-Skill is uncontactable at the moment too, for some reason." Uiharu added with a frown.
"Any luck on your end, Saten-chan?" Sempai asked hopefully.
Ruiko set her face into a frown and shook her head. "No. I cannot even identify her. No records, no listings, not even a picture outside of the park's security footage. Which had been wiped clear prior."
"That's super suspicious." Naru-san said with a frown of her own. "It's almost as if she's part of some super secret experiment."
"Another Dark Side plot?" Shirai-san hissed distastefully.
"Do you even know the number of Dark Side operations going on? Kuroko-chan, your pretty little head would pop if I told you what's out there. And Ruiko-chan knows of even more!"
"And I cannot find anything related to Febrie at all." Ruiko repeated, even as she continued to mine the City's information networks for clues to the little girl's identity.
"So something super secret?" Sempai asked sounding apprehensive. "How dangerous are we talking about here?"
Naru-san shrugged and replied. "Depends. It could be some dark secret my boss wants to keep hidden and will kill to keep quiet or it could just be some no name group whose got some exceptional talent at keeping a secret."
"Either way she's likely in danger." Uiharu concluded, to nods from both Ruiko and Naru-san. "Then what should we do with her? Somehow set her up with some kind of protective custody?"
"I'll watch out for her for now." Ruiko stated. "I have experience with my younger siblings and we have spare rooms at our house. It's for the best. Although I may need some help."
She sent a small pleading look to Uiharu.
"Ah! Of course! It can be a big sleepover." The Level 1 beamed. "I'll go get my pajamas!"
"Then it's settled." Naru-san said cheerfully. "Just don't level too much of the City if an idiot decides to break into your house to kidnap the kid."
Ruiko nodded. She'd keep the collateral damage down, no promises on what she'd do to any would be kidnappers though.
"You two are kidding, right?" Shirai-san asked uneasily.
"Just hope you don't need to find out." Naru-san said with a sad smile.
After a day of rest, the girls had all returned to the Judgement Office where Konori Mii was there waiting.
"I see." Konori-sempai frowned as she looked at the girl who was sucking on one of her seemingly omnipresent lollipops.
Febrie's love of the lollipops deeply upset Ruiko, because it wasn't entirely out of preference but a matter of survival. When she'd brought the girl home last night, her Kaa-san had insisted on giving the little blonde a quick checkup. Unfortunately, that had led to the discovery that Febrie's body produced a poison that could kill her if she stopped eating the lollipops which a little investigation had revealed contained a counteragent.
"So you've been taking care of her while you try to find her guardians?" Konori-sempai asked, pulling Ruiko away from her dark thoughts.
"It seemed like the right thing to do. It would be much better than to leave her with some office to handle." Uiharu frowned.
"Especially if our suspicions are correct." Ruiko added, as she looked at the adorable girl flipping through a picture book she'd bought on the way over.
"What you've done is probably for the best." Konori-sempai said in agreement. "Any luck?"
"None." Ruiko said with a frown, something that caused her facial muscles to ache with how often she'd been doing so lately. She'd worked all night, even as her body slept to find a clue as to Febrie's origins but had found nothing. "But I'll keep looking."
"We'll keep looking." Uiharu corrected, causing Ruiko to smile at the show of solidarity.
"Um," Febrie said as she raced over and pulled on Ruiko's skirt. She looked down into those amethyst eyes who looked back at her shyly. "T-Toilet."
"Alright. Come on." Ruiko nodded and offered the young girl her hand as she escorted her to the restroom.
"So what's with those lollipops?" She heard Konori-sempai ask Uiharu as she led Febrie away.
The mere mention of the damn things had her frowning again but a tug on her hand by the little girl distracted her from her anger as she focused on helping her with using the bathroom. It wasn't easy though as the fact that she had to do so for a girl that had to be six or seven years old infuriated her even more. Who were these bastards who didn't even bother to toilet train a little girl? She managed though, as it seemed that Febrie remained unaware of the fury bubbling just below her skin.
"Hey Ruiko-chan, what's in these lollipops?" Naru-san shouted from the rest area as they returned to the rest of the office, waving one of Febrie's lollis at her.
"How many have you opened!?" Ruiko demanded immediately as she teleported over to the rest area to find Shirai-san snatching the lolli back and examining it quizzically. She saw red and spun to glare at the teleporter but before she could do anything rash a small body crashed into her side and hugged her waist tightly. The feel of Febrie's body calmed her down enough to think rationally, but she kept up the angry glare as she spun to Uiharu.
"You didn't tell them?"
"I tried." Uiharu said, looking as cross as she was. "Shirai-san insisted on testing it in our own labs."
"You don't trust Kaa-san's analysis?" Ruiko demanded of the Level 4.
"Of course I do." Shirai-san replied calmly, though the nervous twitch of her fingers suggested she was unsettled by Ruiko's anger. "But Kiyama-sensei isn't a chemist or biologist. I think getting a more qualified specialist opinion is a good idea."
"A second opinion wouldn't hurt." Naru-san pointed out. "Maybe they can come up with another way to counteract that poison Febrie's body is making or how to duplicate the counteragent?"
Ruiko pursed her lips. The logical side of her brain agreed with the suggestion. Still, another more confusing part of her remained angry that they wanted to take even a single lolli away.
"Ruiko," Febrie chimed in, nervous but determined. "It's okay. I still have plenty."
As if to prove her point, the girl picked up her satchel that contained the life sustaining sweets from the table where she'd left it when she'd gone to the toilet and patted it.
"Alright, you can run some tests." Ruiko reluctantly agreed. "But only on that one piece. I'm not giving you anymore. The formula for the drug is too complex. Even if you do find someone who can do it, they'll need some time to figure out how to do so and then produce more of it. In the meantime, Febrie's supply of the lollipops is limited and is steadily running out. We need to ration what we have left."
"We understand." Konori-sempai said reassuringly. "We'll take good care of the sample."
Ruiko nodded, accepting that this was the best she'd be able to get out of her friends.
"You realize that this poison thing basically confirms that Febrie is involved with something on the Dark Side?" Naru-san commented.
"As if that was in any doubt."
"When I get my hands on the sick bastards-"
"I share your sentiments Sempai, but mind your language." Ruiko chided the older girl as she removed her hands covering Febrie's ears. "And get in line. I get to go first."
"So long as you leave something for us." Naru-san added, with a bloodthirsty grin.
"I didn't hear anything," Konori-sempai said, looking pained. "But off the record, so long as you keep them alive and relatively intact? Go wild."
The Trinity looked at each other and replied with a simultaneous "Hai."
"Namikaze-san might be right that Febrie is mixed up in something from the Dark Side." Uiharu grudgingly admitted. "I've looked through every database I have access to, and even some I shouldn't, and there's nothing about her at all."
"We added her to the missing persons registry, but there hasn't been any hits." Shirai-san said with an unhappy frown. "I know this is a long shot, but maybe Febrie is a Child Error with some kind of rare condition?"
"I don't think so." Konori-sempai refuted, with a thoughtful look. "If that were the case, there should still be some record of her."
She looked to Uiharu questioningly and the hacker just shook her head.
The conversation was interrupted by a ringing of the door bell and the group turned as one to look towards the office entrance.
"It's Banri-chan and Haruue-san." Ruiko noted, as with a casual wave of her hand she unlocked the door. "They did say they'd drop by after finishing settling into their new apartment."
"Heya Rui-chan." Banri-chan greeted as she walked in with a happy smile, a less enthusiastic but still visibly happy Haruue-san trailing behind her.
"Hello everyone."
"Good morning, Banri-chan, Haruue-san." Ruiko greeted, one of many greetings the group exchanged.
Febrie snuggled closer to her as she peeked from behind her.
"Who's this?" Banri-chan asked bending down to look the little blonde in the eye.
"Febrie, say hello to my sister and her friend." Ruiko urged the small girl.
"Onee-chan?" The little girl asked curiously.
Ruiko and Banri-chan both nodded.
At that confirmation, it was like a switch had been flipped in Febrie's mind as she suddenly smiled brilliantly and glomped onto Banri-chan with a cheerful cry of "Onee-san!"
"Hello, Febrie-chan," Her telepathic sister said as she returned the hug. "It's nice to meet you."
Leaning down to speak to the girl, Harrue-san also offered the girl a greeting. "Hello, Febrie."
"Hello, Onee-sama." The suddenly energetic girl replied as she pulled back from Banri-chan to smile up at Haruue-san.
"Eh?" Mikoto-sempai whined and looked down. "Why is she so nice to everyone but me."
"Children are able to sense who's good and who's not." Naru-san factually informed their Sempai.
"What was that you-you Chibi!?" Mikoto-sempai half shouted, her face red in anger.
Naru-san looked away and sighed, "Point proven, Sempai."
"Grrr."
"So why is she here being all clingy with Rui-chan?" Banri-chan asked.
"We found her in the park and she went all baby chick with Ruiko-chan." Naru-san teasingly smiled at the brunette.
"We thinks she's a Child Error involved in a Dark Side operation." Ruiko informed her sister. "I'm taking care of her until she's safe."
"Eh? This little cutie? How terrible!" Banri-chan pouted as she looked closer at the young blonde.
"So she has nowhere to go?" Haruue-san asked with a frown.
"I've got Ruiko." Febrie replied childishly even as ran back over and latched onto the aforementioned girl's waist.
"Well, at least we know you'll take good care of her." Banri-chan said with a smile. "You always did have a way with Park-chan and Kenta-kun, so I'm sure you'll be fine."
"Saten-san has a way with children it seems." Uiharu agreed with a smile. "She was great with Febrie last night."
"She's always been good with younger children." Banri-chan confirmed, before turning to her sister. "Just keep her away from Sensei when she's doing something crazy okay? We don't want her picking up her bad habits."
"Having so many siblings makes it easy." Ruiko couldn't help but crack a small smile. "And Kaa-san isn't that bad."
Everyone snorted at that, even the usually mousy Haruue-san. Ruiko should have taken offense on her mother's behalf but she had to admit that she could be quite the eccentric at times.
"Have you decided on anything long-term?" Haruue-san asked, seemingly fixated on Febrie's housing situation for some reason. "You've gotta be careful when choosing facilities you know, not all of them are nice."
"We can check up on several facilities but our main concern right now are these life sustaining lollipops." Shirai-san chimed in, looking up from where she was breaking up the lollipop she'd taken into separate bags, likely intending to send them out as samples to Judgement's affiliated labs.
"Huh?" Banri-chan asked, confused.
"Ruiko's Kaa-san said I need to eat them to not die." Febrie said, looking sad and prompting Ruiko to pull her into a comforting hug.
Banri-chan and Harrue-san's eyes both widened in shock and turned to look at the others for confirmation, receiving only grim nods in return.
"We have it handled. The same for Febrie's care in the long-term." Ruiko said, cutting through the tension. "Once everything's settled, I'll take her in. Permanently."
Febrie gasped at that and returned Ruiko's hug even more tightly.
"Permanently? Is Sensei okay with that?"
"I talked to her last night. She complained a bit-"
"She does that about everything." Banri-chan noted with an exasperated sigh.
"But she agreed in the end." Ruiko concluded.
"Heh, that sounds like it'll be fun!" Naru-san grinned at Fabrie. "We need another cute blonde on the team."
She sent a wink Fabrie's way, causing her to giggle at Naru-san's words.
"So~ You've become Sensei 2.0 or what? Adopting kids now?" Banri-chan asked teasingly.
"I think that's pretty great of you, Saten-chan." Mikoto-sempai smiled. "Isn't it Febrie?"
As expected, Febrie responded by hiding behind Ruiko's back. Shooting Mikoto-sempai an apologetic look, the Number 3 patted Febrie's head comfortingly.
Their sempai just looked downcast, prompting Naru-san to pat her back reassuringly.
"I'm with Misaka-san here, Saten-san. You're doing a wonderful thing." Konori-sempai said, with Uiharu nodding along in agreement.
"It's nothing," Ruiko deflected. "I have the funding and it's better than other alternatives." Turning to her sister, she added. "And at least I'm not taking after Kaa-san's obliviousness to social norms."
Banri-chan broke out into giggles at that, and Ruiko soon joined her.
"Alright, Uiharu, we have that security meeting for the upcoming Research Exhibition Assembly." Shirai-san said, as she stood. Evidence bags full of the lollipop samples in one hand and her other raised to look at the time on her phone.
"That's going to be fun." Konori-sempai sarcastically said as she stood up and stretched causing her ample bosoms to jiggle. It sent a surge of jealousy through Ruiko, but she suppressed it.
I really hope Accel isn't a boobs man. Her mind traitorously thought.
"So group field trip?" Naru-san grinned as she jumped out of her seat.
"You want to come along, Namikaze-san?" Uiharu asked, surprised.
"I don't have anything important to do." The twintailed blonde shrugged. "Might be interesting."
"Neither do I," Mikoto-sempai confessed.
"Febrie?" Ruiko asked her charge.
"It'll be fun?"
"Super duper fun." Her fellow blonde whispered all conspiratorially.
"I wanna go! I wanna go!"
"...What are you, the child whisperer?" Mikoto-sempai said in bewilderment.
"Kids and I connect on a spiritual level. Unlike meanie-Mikoto-sempai."
"Gah! You are so uncute! Why can't you work on that attitude of yours?"
As the comedic duo descended into one of their usual skits, Ruiko turned to her sister.
"We'd love to go too, but we probably should get back to fixing up our apartment." Banri-chan said apologetically.
"Sorry." Haruue added with a bow.
"Everyone ready?" Shirai-san asked impatiently. "We need to leave now if we don't want to be late."
Teleporting to the door and looking back at the rest of them with an expectant look, Naru-san asked, "What's taking you girls so long?"
As the group arrived at the university campus that would be hosting the meeting and was itself one of the venues for the Research Exhibition Assembly, they made an odd sight. This was entirely because Febrie had opted to sit on 'Naru-nee-san's' shoulders. A move that had prompted their Sempai to joke that with their combined height they could pretend to be one person.
It merely made Febrie stay away from her even more and earned her kicks to the shin from Ruiko and Naru-san.
Sempai has absolutely no tack! Ruiko fumed. Imagine saying that to a little girl.
Sadly Shirai-san was there to console the dejected Electromaster. In Ruiko's opinion the older girl deserved to wallow in her misery a little and reflect on her mistakes.
"Nee-san, where are the super duper fun stuff?" Febrie asked, rolling her lolly in her mouth.
"I think there's a display stand where we can play with some of the toys."
"N-Namikaze-san, those toys are used for subduing hostiles being displayed by the participants of the Assembly. They are not for children to play with!" Uiharu scolded the blonde.
"So? Febrie-chan would look cute holding a net launcher!"
"Nets!" Febrie cheered in agreement.
"Please don't let her near anything dangerous." Ruiko warned her classmate.
"No munitions and explosives. You got it." Naru-san said with a salute, before running off with Febrie still on her shoulders to try out the 'toys'.
"How does she do that?" Mikoto-sempai pouted. "Since when has she ever been good with kids?"
"Onee-sama, clearly as a child herself, Namikaze-san is of the same wavelength as Febrie." Shirai-san told her.
Keeping one eye on the two blondes via the campus' surveillance system, Ruiko looked around her and sighed.
"And once again, there's barely anyone here. Why can't the Assembly be packed like the City's other more frivolous events?"
"You know why, Saten-san." Konori-sempai shook her head. "The Research Exhibition Assembly is designed to showcase the research and development going on in the City. Not celebrations and having fun. Children are more drawn to the latter after all."
Once more, Ruiko found herself sighing in agreement. She'd attended the event last year with her mother and had seen for herself how unpopular it was. Practically every attendee had sat in for Kaa-san's presentation, but they had barely filled five rows of the hall. "It's just… so disappointing. We're a city of science yet all those great minds would rather play then come here to learn."
"Hey, look who we found!" Naru-san called as she ran back, Febrie now running behind her. Though, Ruiko noted approvingly, she'd made sure to keep hold of her hand.
"Is she wearing a SWAT helmet?"
"We got a freebie for Febrie." Naru-san said excitedly, before gesturing to Awatsuki-san, Wannai-san and Kongou-san trailing behind the two blondes. "It's Awatsuki-chan and her friends."
The trio of her schoolmates began exchanging greetings, but Ruiko just looked down into Febrie's beaming face as she showed off her 'freebie'. "Had fun?"
"Uhm." The girl affirmed with a rigorous nod that had the oversized and upon closer examination clearly mock SWAT helmet falling forward to cover her face. Smiling at the girl's antics, Ruiko helped her push it back into its proper place.
"When we ran into Namikaze-san and her little sister, we decided to join them." Kongou-san said with a snap of her fan that had Ruiko tuning back into the conversation. "Truly a loving sight."
"Her sister?" Ruiko asked, her voice chilly.
"How could she not be? They look so perfect together. Ah, I feel envious."
"Kongou-baka!" Febrie said suddenly as she glomped Ruiko's side. "I'm with Ruiko-nee!"
"E-Eh?" The heiress blinked in surprise. "Truly? It seems I have erred."
"Yeah," Naru-san said in a stage whisper to the Level 4. "Forget it and Ruiko-chan is liable to ream you a new one. Maybe literally."
"Eh?!" Kongou-san fretted and looked very nervous, but Naru-san just patted her back assuringly.
"So, what are you guys doing here?" Mikoto-sempai asked Wannai-san and Awatsuki-san.
"Our seniors are presenting in the Assembly this year." Wannai-san explained. "Awatsuki-chan and I volunteered to help them set up for their presentation."
"Again?" Sempai said, blinking in confusion. "It almost seems like the Swim Club seniors always have something they need your help with."
"They do seem to call on you two a lot." Shirai-san agreed.
"It's a living, hehe." Awatsuki-san giggled.
"I guess you just decided to tag along?" Naru-san asked Kongou-san.
"Of course! After all, what friend would not aid another?" The overly dramatic girl declared.
Naru-san shot her a thumbs up.
"You're a good friend, Kongou-san." Konori-sempai complimented the girl who blushed in response.
"Konori-sempai, Shirai-san, it's time to go." Uiharu said, as she looked up from her tablet where she'd been reviewing the agenda for the meeting.
"I guess we'll walk about until you guys are done." Naru-san said and looked at Febrie. "Should we get some more swag?"
"Swag!"
"Only you Namikaze-san." Awatsuki-san said with an amused shake of her head at her roommate's antics.
"I'm gifted." The taller blonde shrugged with an amused smile.
"We better get going too." Wannai-san said. "Maybe we can all meet up later?"
"Sure, drop us a text or call when you're done and see if we can work something out." Naru-san replied easily.
"Sounds like a plan." Konori-sempai chimed in. "But for now, I think we need to get moving. See you girls later."
With that she escorted her two Judgement subordinates away.
"Bye Febrie!" Awatsuki-san said with a smile to the little girl, while Kongou-san and Wannai-san waved.
"Bye-bye!" Febrie waved happily.
"Ugh. She's just met them and she already likes them more than me." Mikoto-sempai grumbled, as she too waved farewell to their three acquaintances.
Ruiko almost, almost, felt sorry for their Sempai.
With only the Chibi and Saten-chan around, Mikoto realized that this was her chance to finally win over Febrie's trust. Surely with less distractions around she'd have a better chance, right? That those distractions included the one person who the girl had latched onto as her mother figure and the other just seemed to have a way with kids was something that Mikoto did her best to ignore.
At the very least, I've gotta get that pink Gekota puppet back!
Determined to at least win some kind of favor with the little tyke, Mikoto's resolve could never be higher!
"Ne, Febrie," Mikoto said, catching the adorable girl's attention. "You know that Gekota I gave you?'
The girl nodded, pulling it out of her pocket and putting it on.
"Well, how would you like to trade it for two instead?" Mikoto showed off a green and a white variant of the puppet. "How about it?"
"No." Febrie pouted and played with the finger puppet and her new helmet.
A snort was heard and Mikoto turned to glare at an innocently whistling Usagi.
"Then how about three instead? I've got a black one too!" Mikoto cajoled.
"No." Febrie insisted, turning to look at Saten-chan. "Ruiko-nee can I get a gun too?"
"What? Well, I don't know…" Saten-chan scrunched her brow in thought.
You can't seriously be thinking about it?! Mikoto shouted in her mind.
"Come on, we'll get her a nifty taser. Oh! Maybe one in a teddy bear. The perfect disguise." Namikaze chimed in.
"Do they have mock ups of that this year?" Saten-chan asked curiously.
"Oh, they have a lot of them. I saw a cotton candy machine that doubled as a rocket launcher."
"You can't be serious!" Mikoto said incredulously.
"I totally am! It was a sugary nightmare."
"Chicken Gums must be displaying their deliberately hilarious impractical weapons again this year." Saten-chan mused. "They do it just to prove it's possible from an engineering standpoint. Still stupid, but effective at making their point."
"Cool looking though, I'm sure Febrie would love one of their gizmos for a toy. Wouldn't you Febrie?"
"Pew pew, please?" Febrie blinked her large amethyst eyes at the two.
Saten-chan folded immediately. "A-Alright. But only one and a mock up, okay?"
"Yay!" Febrie cheered.
"Let's go pick one out." The devilish older blonde said. "We can leave Febrie with Sempai for a bit."
Saten-chan looked uncertain but agreed. "Okay. Be nice to Misaka-nee, okay Febrie?"
"'Kay~!" The girl replied easily.
Still visibly reluctant Saten-chan was dragged off by an eager Namikaze who began chatting about what they'd find at the Chicken Gums display.
"They slap a gun on everything these days, don't they? No finesse or class anymore."
"I know. If only they applied themselves better."
"Right?!"
Why am I the only normal one in this group? Mikoto wondered to herself as she looked down at Febrie. The small blonde was wiggling her finger happily, making little 'pew pew' noises.
"Good luck, Sempai. And take care of Febrie. Or else." Saten-chan's voice whispered into Mikoto's ears out of nowhere, causing her to jump and spin around to see the aforementioned girl a good distance away and still deep in conversation with the Chibi.
She set this up? That's nice of her. Mikoto mused, with a smile though it soon faded. But really she needs to learn to stop with the creepiness. I mean, seriously! Whispering into people's ears from a distance? How isn't that straight out of a horror movie? I bet the Chibi put her up to it.
Blaming the Chibi for all her misfortune, something she had been doing a lot lately, Mikoto decided to try a new approach in talking with the child.
"You really like Gekota, huh?" The chestnut haired girl smiled.
"Mmhm." Febrie said, her eyes still glued to her toy.
Humming, Mikoto said, "How about you, me, and Saten-chan head to my place later? I have all kinds of Gekota stuff."
Febrie graciously offered her a curious glance and asked. "What kind of stuff?"
"Toys, books, clothes, and more little figures. Hehe, I've got the entire Gekota rainbow family!"
Febrie looked at her empty fingers. "Family?"
Mikoto nodded and held up both her hands. Each finger minus one was wearing a puppet. There was a whole array Gekota in multiple colors.
"Hellow, Febrie~!" The middle schooler said in a silly voice while wiggling her fingers.
"Gekotas!" Febrie said in awe as she tried to follow all of them at once. She reached up, trying to grab them all, but Mikoto pulled them away on instinct.
"H-Hey, take it easy. I can't just hand these over."
Febrie let out a sniffle and looked almost ready to cry.
"Ah! Please don't cry, um, I, let's see…" She looked around frantically until she spotted some vending machines nearby.
"I know! How about I get you a drink?" Mikoto said finally, having exhausted all the ways she could think of to win over the little girl.
Febrie rubbed her eyes, "Chocolate milk?"
"Sure. Just wait here for a bit and I'll go buy you a can, okay?"
"Hmph." The blonde agreed with a nod.
Forcing a smile, she turned to go get them some drinks.
She had just pulling the cans out of the machine when she heard Febrie suddenly call out "Gekota!" loudly.
"Febrie?" Mikoto asked, turning around to check on the girl only to find no sign of her.
"Febrie!?" The [Railgun] called out, growing anxious. "Where are you?"
She received no response and cold sweat began to run down her back.
Saten-chan is going to kill me. Oh damn. The middle schooler thought as she frantically began to search the area for the missing child.
She searched everywhere, Under benches, behind trash cans and vending machines, in dark alleys and every conceivable place that a child Febrie's size could fit.
"...I've really lost her. Please don't kill me," Mikoto grimaced as she pulled out her phone. She dialed the Number 3. "Please, please don't kill me."
"So I'm thinking. Why didn't we get her that tiny bazooka that shoots confetti?" Naru-san asked her, "It would have been perfect for her." She had stars in her eyes as she gushed over Febrie, while they walked back after picking up a mock up MP5 for the young blonde.
Ruiko could commiserate. The little girl was absolutely adorable and had charmed her way into her heart despite the short amount of time they had known each other.
"I think we should start small."
"A submachine gun is starting small?"
"It's not a railgun or gauss rifle," Ruiko pointed out.
"Point." Naru-san conceded as Ruiko's phone rang. "Though I'd have thought you were more a laser or particle cannon kinda girl."
"I am, but until the City figures out how to make them man-portable the former are just easier to carry." She countered and picked up the phone. "Yes, Sempai?"
A dark expression crossed the brunette's face as she heard what the older girl had to say.
"I'm sorry. You what?" Ruiko hissed into the phone.
"I'm sorry." The Number 5 begged, as they walked around the corner and back into the rest area where they'd left the chestnut haired girl and Febrie. A currently visibly missing Febrie.
"Sempai messed up?" Naru-san asked, a twinge of mirth and exasperation filled her tone.
"N-Not on purpose!" The [Railgun] snapped, her cheeks burning red as she nervously shuffled her feet.
"You lost Febrie!" Ruiko hissed so coldly, her breath came out in a cloud of mist. Though that might have just been her powers reacting to her mood and calling on some thermokinesis.
"Easy mother hen, let's concentrate on finding her." Naru-san said as she walked forward to try and calm her down.
"Exactly!" Mikoto-Sempai nodded.
"Then we bash on Sempai."
"Yeah, exac-Oi!" The chestnut haired girl pouted.
Ruiko ignored the two as she concentrated on linking to all the security cameras in the general area. Febrie couldn't have gotten too far.
"She's tiny. Unless someone took her, she should still be nearby."
Ruiko turned to Naru with a worried frown, which for some reason caused Mikoto-sempai to gasp. "Kidnapped?"
"Don't do that! Tilting your head like that is freaky!" A pale faced Naru protested. "It's like something out of a horror movie."
Ruiko frowned, but soon let out a gasp of her own as she located her charge. "No!"
The Number 3 teleported away leaving her fellow Trinity members to stand there dumbstruck.
Naru probably should have panicked, Ruiko-chan's panicked voice was quite concerning after all. However, the other girl was so paranoid when it came to people that she cared for that she really didn't feel the need.
For all we know, she just tripped and got a bruise.
Mikoto-sempai however didn't seem to agree and instead was sweating bullets.
"Where did she go? Is Febrie alright?" The older girl rambled worriedly.
"I'm not a telepath. Ugh, that dummy could have at least told us where to find her." Naru sighed as she took a deep breath and concentrated. Enhancing her sense of smell with a little chakra, she attempted to pick on Ruiko-chan's scent.
It was a strange mix of the floral scents of her bath products, her natural scent that Naru had always found unnatural for how controlled it was due to how strictly she used her powers to regulate her body and the perpetually changing component that she seemed to unconsciously produce.
As it always did when Ruiko-chan switched powers, her scent changed. This time it went from a earthy smell to one that reminded her of fresh water. It had perplexed the blonde why this was the case for quite a while but she reasoned that when Ruiko-chan was emulating different AIM fields, thus powers, her body also reacted by emulating other aspects of the people she originally copied it from. It implied disturbing things about Ruiko-chan's ability emulation, but then again what about it wasn't disturbing.
Honestly, can't she just use one power right now? Talk about making it a pain to track.
Distracting yourself from the real problem with the issue? The kyuubi sealed in her soul commented.
No, just focusing on the more immediate problem. Besides, the problem with her powers is something that she's working on. It's handled.
Is it? Well, if you say so. The demon said as it returned to its nap.
"Come on, this way!" Naru said as she started running as she followed Ruiko-chan's scent trail.
"Alright!"
Running out of the courtyard, the duo raced through the labyrinthine passageways of the university campus as they made their winding way to a distant courtyard.
There stood Ruiko-chan, a wild look in her eyes as Febrie clung to her hip. Around them was the wreckage of a dozen security robots. They were shredded, snapped, torn apart, melted into slag and just plain destroyed in a circle around a nearly snarling mama bear that was the brunette.
"Oi! Ruiko-chan! Febrie-chan!" Naru ran forward, dancing around the wreckage. Their Sempai right behind her. "Are you guys okay? Anyone hurt?"
Shaking her head, Ruiko-chan said. "We're fine. The robots were being controlled. It was some rare ability called Diffusion Ghost, though… it was at a Level I've never seen before."
Worried frowns crossed her fellow Tokiwadai students as Ruiko-chan continued.
"I tried to rein it in, but it proved resistant when I tried. It, it is an AIM based power. I should have been able to take control of it easily." The [AIM Sovereign] bit her bottom lip. "To resist me is something only high-level Espers can manage."
The blonde stepped close and asked. "How high are we talking?"
"I think… there is a new Level 5 involved."
"That's not possible." Mikoto-sempai said, "If there was another Level 5, the City would have announced it. Even if they were from the Dark Side. Anyone would want to boast that they managed to create a Level 5."
"I dunno. If their Level 5 can't live long…" Naru said uncertainly as she eyed Febrie's omnipresent bag of lollipops. "And if they just want her to pull off just one big stunt, I could see plenty of people keeping it quiet."
"Then again, we might just be jumping to conclusions." Ruiko-chan said at last. "There's no guarantee this is really the work of a Level 5 at this point."
"You couldn't control it." Naru bluntly told her, making the brunette flinch a little. "Prepare for the worst, hope for the best."
The girls looked at each other, silently agreeing to protect the young blonde child.
"We'll watch out for her." Mikoto-sempai said with resolve, a fire in her eyes. "No one is going to die this time."
Sharing a look with Ruiko-chan, Naru sent her a worried frown. One that her fellow first year returned in kind.
A couple hours later, the group of friends sans Konori-sempai who had to stay behind with her fellow senior Judgement agents for further meetings were on the way home. The Trinity had spent the walk to the light rail station they needed to use to head back to their dorms updating Uiharu-san and Kuroko about the attack on Febrie.
It had left the little girl shaken. So much so that Febrie was cuddling her toy MP5 and nervously sticking close to Saten-chan to the point she was literally hiding under her skirt.
"Why would anyone with control of a Level 5 want to hurt Febrie-chan?" Uiharu asked, confused by the current turn of events.
"Perhaps she was a witness to something that they want to keep quiet?" Kuroko suggested.
"Febrie?" Saten-chan asked her limpet.
The little girl just shook her head, her helmet rattling.
"What if she's linked to the experiment?" The Usagi asked aloud, a pensive look on her face. "What's her power, Ruiko-chan?"
Saten-chan looked at the young girl, frowning as she said. "I'm not sure. I don't think she has one yet."
They were just passing by a construction site on the edge of the campus when Saten-chan and the Usagi suddenly paused. As one they turned to look into the half-built building as a strange robot thing stalked out of it.
"What is that?" Uiharu asked as she edged behind Saten-chan.
"A custom Powered Suit, I think."
Mikoto wasn't surprised by Kuroko's confusion. The dark purple Suit was unlike anything that she had seen before. It had a head that looked liked a stylized knightly helm, oversized rounded pauldrons with purple orbs embedded in the shoulders and similarly forearms that ended in hands that seemed to lack fingers.
Raising it's right arm towards Febrie revealed that in place of its missing fingers there were several nozzles. It was from one of these that with a sudden burst of steam, a jet of silver liquid shot out and flew towards the girls like a bullet.
Reacting quickly, Mikoto used her powers and sent an electric blast at the projectile. The liquid splattered but quickly reeled back into the nozzles it was connected to. "It's shooting mercury! I can't control it!"
Glaring at the Suit, Mikoto decided to go another route and attempted to hack its systems. Sadly, she couldn't sense any electronics within it.
Dammit. She thought and dodged out of the way of a mercury whip.
"It won't work!" Saten-chan shouted. "I'm familiar with this model, it runs on mercury based hydraulics and doesn't have electronics or magnetic parts."
"Who did I piss off?!" Mikoto shouted as it felt like this thing was meant to fight her.
"Later! Kill it first." Namikaze said as she rushed forward to engage the Suit in close combat. "Ruiko-chan handle defense!"
Saten-chan just nodded, even as Kuroko slipped her hands under her skirt to touch the nails she hid on a belt she'd tied to her thighs. Even Febrie was getting into the action as she peeked out from behind Saten-chan to point her toy gun at the Suit.
"Pew pew!"
Okay, we're terrible role models. Mikoto thought to herself in resignation. Maybe Konori-sempai can help teach her not to follow our example? Oh right… Former Skill-Out… Why don't we have any good role models as friends!?
Mikoto was distracted from the depressing turn her thoughts had taken when she noticed that despite the Teleporter's nails cleanly scoring hits, the Suit seemed unaffected.
"My nails aren't working?" Kuroko exclaimed in confusion as she Teleported out of the way of being crushed by a mercury flail.
"You're aiming to incapacitate a pilot!" Saten-chan called out. "It's unmanned!"
"How the heck is it even able to fight this well then?" Namikaze asked as she evaded a whip of mercury that the Suit was using to keep her at bay.
"It's like a video game to the one controlling it." Mikoto reasoned as she sent an electric blast at the Power Suit.
It's other arm raised and a shield of mercury blocked but it was nevertheless pushed back by the force of her attack. That however did not stop it from retaliating and Mikoto was forced to duck as four spears of the liquid metal tried to skewer her.
Finishing deploying a veritable bunker's worth of barriers, Saten-chan finally deigned to give an answer.
"It's being controlled by Diffusion Ghost just like those security robots were." The [AIM Sovereign] said. "So go wild!"
"I'd love to, but look where we are!" Mikoto scolded her Kohai. If she even attempted a railgun here who knew what damage she could do let alone what hazards could be sent fly by the blast and possibly injure someone in the vicinity.
"Right, then be careful." Saten-chan shouted in frustration. "Just break out bigger guns and put it down. Now! I'm trying to disrupt the Diffusion Ghost but it's proving resistant. Again."
Kuroko attempted to pin it down with her nails by taking out its joints. Sadly, the bulk of the Powered Suit meant her attack was insufficient to do any appreciable damage.
"Gah, I don't know enough about its inner workings. I'm out of nails and I've achieved nothing." The tawny haired girl frowned as she retreated behind Saten-chan's defense.
Namikaze ran forward, unleashing a kick that sent the Powered Suit skidding back. When the blonde attempted a follow-up attack however, the Powered Suit swung at her with two maces attached to its arms.
She ducked under the first swing but was forced to jump back to avoid the second.
"Take this!" The Usagi cried out as she closed once more with a kick. One mace shifted into a shield to absorb the blow but the sheer force behind it made the shield shatter and caused the enemy to stumble back.
Again, the blonde tried to capitalize on the opening but as she closed the Suit raised one of its arms up and fired a mercury javelin at her.
The unexpected change in tactics caught Namikaze by surprise and she barely dodged the javelin, leaving a tear in her sweater vest as proof of the close shave. Hissing in anger at her failure to destroy the clearly inferior foe, the Number 2 made some distance between the Powered Suit to regroup.
"Tch, you're really pissing me off."
"Namikaze! Switch!" Mikoto shouted as she pulled a length of iron sand from the ground. It formed into a large whip.
The blonde nodded and Teleported away as Mikoto swung wide.
The iron sand whip sliced through several street lights on its way to strike the Powered Suit. When it did, it left a deep gorge along its chassis. Mercury dripped from the found, but it quickly hardened and closed up the hole.
"What the hell?" Mikoto gasped as the wound closed.
"The mercury is acting like its blood." Uiharu-san commented with shocked disgust.
"Don't stand down, Baka-Sempai!" The Usagi shouted as she Teleported in to engage the Suit only to be forced back as the Suit shot a javelin at her before slamming its arms into the ground.
The sight had her hairs on the back of Mikoto's neck stand on end and she couldn't help it as she shouted out a warning. "Look out!"
At her cry, the ground exploded as a forest of mercury spikes protruded from it. The spikes attempting to impale the girls combatting the machine.
Mikoto leapt up high and felt a hand grab her shoulder. She appeared on the top of the half-constructed building with Kuroko by her side. Namikaze had Teleported nearby and was floating in the air. She was sporting a few cuts but they were already healing rapidly.
Looking over at the others, Mikoto noted that Saten-chan had been caught off guard by the Suit's unexpected attack too and had been forced to teleport Uiharu-san, Febrie and herself to a new safe location where she was busily building a new bunker. She was so distracted ensuring their safety that she seemed to miss how Febrie looked distressed and was looking in all directions seemingly trying to find something.
Did she drop something when Saten-chan teleported them?
Mikoto could imagine something falling out of the girl's pocket or pouch in the rush of Saten-chan pulling them close for a hasty teleport to safety.
The little girl's face lit up as she spotted what she looking for, which from her distance Mikoto could only barely make out as being the Gekota finger puppet the girl had stolen from her.
"Febrie, don't!" The [Railgun] warned the girl, catching everyone's attention.
It was too late though as the little blonde ran from the Number 3's side and through a gap in the still forming matrix of barriers, right into the sights of the hostile Powered Suit which aimed one of its arms right at her.
Mikoto used her electromagnetism to propel herself off the building at high speed in a desperate lunge to pull the girl out of the way, bypassing the stunned and slow to react Kuroko's teleportation. Next to her Namikaze teleported, but the idiot gunned for the Suit rather than Febrie.
The Number 2 sent the thing flying with a solid kick but whoever was controlling it seemed to have learned its lesson and used its mercury to create a whip that it wrapped around a beam of the unfinished building. The beam sagged under its weight, but it served its purpose as the Suit used this grip to swing itself like some scifi Tarzan in Febrie's direction.
Namikaze landed on the ground, and twisted around, looking befuddled at this strange move.
Thankfully Mikoto wasn't as easily distracted. Landing roughly on her feet, she tumbled but quickly righted herself barely noticing the Suit's unorthodox move even as she sprinted full tilt towards Febrie. She reached the girl and pulled her, Gekota in hand, into a protective hug even as the Suit landed ominously behind them with its mace equipped arms raised to smash them.
The Second Year middle schooler held Febrie tighter and glared at the Suit even as she used her electromagnetism to create a last ditch protective shell around them. Febrie too looked up at the machine, but with fear and strangely enough recognition?
"Janie?" The girl whispered out in shocked confusion.
Suddenly, mid-motion and with its maces inches away from contact the Suit froze.
A gust of wind rushed over them as a steel beam shot like a missile and struck the stunned Powered Suit. The impact sent it flying where it was shortly hit by a swirling ball of chakra that tore it to pieces and a monstrously large energy beam that disintegrated most of the remaining wreckage.
"Good riddance to bad rubbish! Should have just obliterated it from the get go." Namikaze said as she glared at the red hot remains of their enemy, before turning to look behind Mikoto. "Kongou-chan, nice save!"
Mikoto followed her gaze and found that indeed there stood Kongou Mitsuko, snapping her fan closed with a pleased look on her face.
"But of course! Though, um, not to be rude… but what was going on here?" The heiress asked.
Namikaze stepped up to handle the explanations, but Mikoto was more concerned with the little girl in her arms. "Are you alright, Febrie?"
The young blonde gave a weak smile as she pushed her helmet up. "Thank you, Mikoto-nee." With that, the girl gave her a big hug with her tiny arms.
Something was seriously wrong though, as the girl's body felt like it was a raging inferno and she sagged against her body moments later.
"Febrie? Febrie!" Mikoto shouted. "W-Where's her bag? Saten-chan!"
The aforementioned Level 5 was already on the scene and had pressed a hand to the back of the blonde's head.
"Ruiko-chan, what's the problem?" Namikaze asked as she and Kongou-san ran up to them.
"It's not the poison." Saten-chan noted with a worried frown. "Her body just seems overtaxed with whatever Esper power she used earlier to interfere with Diffusion Ghost."
"I thought she didn't have a power?"
"Not an awakened one." Saten-chan said as she carefully extracted the girl from Mikoto's arms and into her own. "At least not before now."
"Let's get her to a secured facility." Namikaze said as she pulled out her phone. "I'm calling Heaven's Canceler. We need him for this."
"I'll teleport ahead." The Number 3 said before vanishing with the sickly girl secure in her arms.
"Roger."
Mikoto's hand clenched as she was wrought with worry.
"Febrie…"
Done and done! Thanks to the team of Nameless as always!
Hot damn, that didn't balloon, this chapter snowballed. Still, it felt wrong not to put the fight in. And I doubt you guys wanted a cliffhanger right? XP
Nameless: Wow! Long chapter! Don't think we've done such a long one in a while. Well, hope you guys enjoy it. It's so long mainly because we didn't know where to cut it. There didn't seem a suitably climatic place before the fight at the end the chapter. We toyed with after Saten wrecked those security robots, but that immediately preceded the Powered Suit fight and we couldn't see it fitting into the next chapter quite as well.
Personally, Febrie was a dream to write. She is so cute and now she's got a helmet and toy gun. Personally, I think she contributed the most in that fight from her pew pewing.
Nameless: Lolz! Talking about the fight, you might be wondering why the heck the girls held back so damn much. The answer is pretty simple: Uiharu and Febrie were there. Neither girl has much combat experience or skill, if any. Pulling out the big guns with them around is risking them getting caught in the cross-fire or collateral damage. Combine that with the relatively low threat of the Suit and simple overconfidence led to the thing being more of a threat than it rightly should be.
I think the sisterly instincts of the trio are just fantastic. And as for the Powered Suit, we kind of changed it up a bit since it was facing three Level 5s. It's one of the Alseides from Escaflowne. Thank you my DM for reminding me of that anime!
Nameless: Hitomi Kanzaki rocks! One of the best non-fighter protagonists I've ever watched in an anime. Too many shows give in to the urge to make their leads combat badasses, but Escaflowne didn't and is better for it. Hmm… She reminds me of Uiharu in that way. A compelling character that isn't some kind of monster in a fight, but deadly in her own way.
Alright, you folks know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!