Toaru Majutsu no Index/とある魔術の禁書目録 1. Prologue

A Certain City's Darkness

Prologue

Academy City. Considered as the city of the New Age, this bustling metropolis' technology is 30 years ahead of its time. Like its name suggests, the city is a place of research, learning and science. However, one aspect of the city distinguishes it from the rest of the world: The presence of individuals who possess supernatural powers, persons called ESPers.

Academy City's curiosity to study and cultivate knowledge about ESPer powers has lead to the establishment of the Power Curriculum Program, a program implemented on every school's curriculum taken with the regular curriculum. A series of tests are administered to determine what an individuals power is. Depending on one's mastery over their powers and their usefulness, ESPer powers are classified into 5 Levels, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest and most powerful. Annually, a System Scan is conducted to determine what Level an individual's ESPer power belongs to.

However, in the shadows of this science-centered city, some people would do whatever means necessary in the quest for knowledge and data. This darkness would envelop the lives of 3 children, changing their lives and, quite possibly, the future of Academy City itself.-

30 years ago

Deep in the underground of science, a number of underground organizations were on the race to identify this generations batch of Level 5's and conduct research on them. But one scientist managed to acquire 3 Child Errors with unique abilities.

"Seriously, Takasura-sensei, why'd you get these kids? We're not an orphanage you know?" A young blonde researcher complained as he adjusted his glasses.

"These 3 aren't just mere children, Kitamura-san. They are espers!" Takasura Katsugi chided as he patted the 3 innocent children's heads affectionately.

"They're Child Errors. Even if they had powers, I'm sure they aren't worthy of Level 5." Kitamura grumbled.

"Heh, perhaps a little demonstration would convince you." The senior researcher sighed tiredly before turning to one of the 3 children. The boy looked like he was no older than 7, had short, hazel-brown hair and had eyes of the same color. He was wearing a pair of sunglasses that were clearly too big for him yet he wore them with pride. The scientist gave him a reassuring nod coupled by a gentle smile as if to tell the boy that "It's okay".

The gesture seemed to work as the boy nodded back happily before shifting his attention to a metal workbench. He thrust his hand toward it and closed it firmly shut as if crumpling something. At the same time, the workbench was crumpled like it was made of paper.

"Is that-" Kitamura stuttered in surprise, unable to finish what he was saying.

"Magnetism. Isn't that simply amazing? But that's not all. Show him what else you can do, boy." The senior scientist said to encourage the boy.

The brown haired boy thrust his hand once again but this time, various pieces of parts such as sheets of metal, nuts, bolts and screws, wires, microchips, etc mended themselves together until a small laptop computer floated in front of the boy's stretched out arm.

"Magnetism , Electricity Manipulation and even Technopathy! His ability isn't even listed in the known electricity-based esper abilities. This could even surpass Electromaster!" Takasura exclaimed.

"That's... That's impossible. An electrical ability far superior to Electromaster?" After recovering from his shock, the young scientist looked even more excited than his mentor.

"What will you name this ability, sensei?" He asked inquisitively.

"It wouldn't be fair for me to name that ability since it isn't mine to name." He faced the brown haired boy and gave him a gentle smile. "What's your name, little boy?" He asked.

"Airou! Akaze Airou!" he replied cheerfully.

"My my, that's an unusual name you have, Airou-kun. Now tell me, what would you name that ability of yours?"

"Hmm..." The boy paused for a while as if thinking something deep.

"Magnetizer."He finally decided.

"You heard the boy, Kitamura-kun. From now on, it shall be called Magnetizer." Takasura declared.

"Sensei, what about the other two?"

"They haven't showed the same level of mastery compared to Airou-kun but I'm sure they'd show great potential once we "educate" them." He replied.

From that day on, bonds and promises were formed. Bonds and promises that were both fake and true.

**Author's Notes:** Hello to anyone who's reading this! I'm Magnetizer and this would be my first Story Entry to the site. This series focuses on The 7 Level 5's of the previous or "Lost" Generation. As to why I coined that term, you will find out on the chapters to come. I shall post the First Chapter tomorrow. I'm currently working on Chapter 3 and I do apologize in advance if I'll take too long to update this. And if you're wondering why the first few chapters are dominated by Original Characters, I would like to make it clear that the events of this story happens in two timelines namely, the Past and the Present Timelines. I'll be sure to introduce the canon characters on the latest chapters. Constructive criticism will prove helpful and would be very much appreciated but please do not bash me if I got some facts wrong.

**P.S.** This story is more oriented in the Science Side.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own To Aru Majutsu no Index nor any other titles linked to it. Credit for this series goes to its original Creator, Kazuma Kamachi


	2. Shattered Innocence

Chapter 1: Shattered Innocence

-Akaze Airou-

"Hwuoaahh..." Airou yawned as he rubbed the sleep off his eyes.

It had been almost half a year since that kind doctor, Takasura-san, adopted him and his friends, Amane and Shiro. He promised them a home that they never once had and most importantly, the love of a parent. So far, their foster father hadn't failed to deliver. Between the lessons they received to control and enhance their powers and the times they spent time with each other, Dr. Takasura did his best to convey a father's love to them.

While walking down the research facility, he came across a brown haired girl that looked no more than a year older than him. She had a troubled look on her face which only seemed to help in making her appear older than her actual age. This worried him a lot because ever since they got adopted by Dr. Takasura, Amane had been the happiest and most cheerful among the 3 of them. In fact, he's always seen her wearing a smile on her face until today.

"Amane-chan, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Airou asked with a look of concern on his face.

"Wha... Oh hey, Airou-kun. It's... It's nothing" It looked like she desperately wanted to tell him something but she was hesitant to do so.

"You're a very bad liar, Amane-chan. C'mon. I want to help you but so long as you don't tell me what's bothering you, I can't" Airou pleaded. Amane kept glancing nervously back and forth at the cctv camera behind Airou, which the young boy seemed to notice. Then she took his hand and led him to a secluded part of the research complex, away from the eyes of any researcher or security camera.

"Why'd you bring me here, Amane-chan?" Airou asked quizzically. Whatever the reason was, she clearly didn't want anyone else to know about it.

"Well, you see, I was walking by myself near the main research lab when I heard Takasura-san and Kitamura-san arguing about something. I think it was called Level 5 Boost. They were talking about... conduct experiments on us so that we'd become Level 5 Espers as soon as possible." She said with a matter of urgency.

"Kitamura-san's always been a grouch toward us. But I'm sure Takasura-san would not allow that." He replied confidently. However, Amane looked even more distraught than before.

"It's the opposite. Takasura-san wanted to conduct the experiments but Kitamura-san was the one that's against it. But, he was powerless to contradict his plans." Amane replied, much to Airou's disbelief. "I know that among the 3 of us, you're the closest to Takasura-san. That's why I didn't want to tell you. But it's true. Maybe Takasura-san's having a change of heart about us..."

"Or the only reason he's adopted us is to turn us into his guinea pigs" A familiar black haired boy emerged from behind them. He looked about the same age as Amane though it was evident that he was way more mature than the two of them by the way he talks and acts. After all, Shiro was the thinker among them. He was the one who took care and looked after them before Anti-Skill handed them over to that orphanage and ultimately into Dr. Takasura's custody.

"I hate to break it to you Airou but Dr. Takasura may not be who he really seems." Shiro said sympathetically.

"No... That can't be true. Takasura-san won't do anything to put us in harm's way. You're lying!" Even then Airou still refused to believe that the closest person he's ever had to a father would do anything to hurt any of them.

"Sometimes the truth is a bitter pill to swallow." Shiro finally said before beckoning Amane to come with him.

It had been a few days since Amane and Shiro have voiced their thoughts about the purity of Dr. Takasura's intentions but Airou was still bothered by their words. As far as he's concerned, the only thing that the kind doctor has done so far was for their own good. He would regularly administer "check-ups" to see if their powers aren't affecting their health and what level they were at. Last time, he was already at Level 4 while Shiro was at Level 3. Amane's power was still a mystery since she seems to show different ones in every time a System Scan is conducted. But Dr. Takasura said she was at least Level 2. The problem was, they've been stuck at those levels for quite a while that even Airou could see the frustration in the scientist's face. Even so, the fact that he'd start conducting experiments on them was still too unlikely. At least that was what Airou wanted to believe. His hopes were dashed, however, when he heard Amane's muffled scream

Adrenaline surged through every vein of his body as he dashed towards the direction of the scream. When he got there, he saw Amane's motionless body sprawled on the floor behind Shiro. A few darts were sticking out of her body, a clear indication that she was shot. Shiro, on, the other hand, didn't look any better. His body was limp and riddled with the same kind of darts like those found on Amane's body yet he still desperately tried to protect Amane from...

"No... I hoped it wasn't true but..."

Standing before them with a maniacal grin on his face and a tranquilizer gun aimed at Shiro was none other than Dr. Katsugi Takasura himself.

"Ahh, how nice of you to join us, my youngest pet. Shiro told me that you were the one who had the most faith in me. How stupid." The scientist regarded him with a cruel smile.

"Airou? What are you doing here? Damn it. Get the hell out of here and take Amane with you. I'll hold him off as long as I can!" Shiro ordered.

"But... But what about you?" Airou asked in a shaky voice.

"I don't care what this bastard does to me. Just get her out of here and take her somewhere safe!" He shouted.

"My my, brave words coming from someone who can barely control his own powers, let alone his own body. The tranquilizer should have affected half of your body already, Elementum-kun. How long will you last, I wonder?" Takasura said mockingly.

"What the hell are you waiting for, Airou? GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!" Shiro yelled as he summoned a weak gust of wind in an attempt to hold off the deranged doctor but all it managed to do was to make the doctors gray hair whip wildly in the wind.

This, however, gave Airou enough time to carry Amane slowly away from the fray.

He looked behind him one last time and saw Shiro summon flames in his hands, one last defiant attempt to give them enough time to escape.

...

Airou felt like they were running forever. Lugging around Amane's unconscious body was way harder than he thought. He couldn't use his powers to create a stretcher or at least a metal panel to carry Amane in fear of being detected by the several esper power detection sensors that were installed all over the place. He once tried to make an iron marble but not without triggering half of the alarms in the place. What's more, he doesn't even know where to look for the exit. As far as he's concerned, the whole research complex was an underground labyrinth of laboratories, offices and tunnels.

"C'mon Amane. Wake up! We have to get out of here!" Airou said urgently as he carried her on his back.

As if this wasn't hard enough, a bunch of patrol robots spotted them and immediately made chase. With the added difficulty of the security bots pursuing them, he made a few wrong turns and now the two of them had been cornered by the security bots.

"Darn it... I guess I have no choice. Maybe setting off the alarms was a good idea after all." He thought.

With no other options left, Airou took a deep breath, closed his eyes and started to focus. He waited until the robots were close enough before doing anything else. When the robots were close enough, he opened his eyes and thrust his palm towards the oncoming bots. As if an invisible wall of force was pushing against them, the robots froze in place for several moments before slowly disintegrating into a pile of iron fillings.

"Yes! It worked" Airou exclaimed. However, there wasn't any time for comfort. Just as he had expected, the esper power detection sensors went off like crazy. Alarms blared and soon enough more security bots would come after them.

"No rest for the weary, huh? We better find a way out fast." He thought out loud.

After walking for what seemed like hours, they managed to reach the elevator shaft that leads to the surface. They were about to call the elevator when the doors dinged open revealing the doctor himself along with several armed men.

"Where are you going, my little pet. Don't you know it's rude to leave without saying goodbye?" The doctor said to him with a wicked on his face. The sight of him was enough to make Airou's blood boil.

" YOU! What have you done with Shiro!?" Airou asked furiously.

"Oh don't worry about him. He's being prepared for the experiment. You see, the 3 of you have the potential to be 3 of the most powerful Level 5 espers the world has ever seen. There can only be 7 Level 5's in every generation. It is what our studies have concluded. And that upstart couple's daughter is a few steps away from claiming a spot. Now you will participate in the race to determine the 7 Level 5's. The Level 5 Race!" Katsugi declared in a maniacal tone.

"Sorry, doc, but we're not interested." Airou gritted his teeth before turning around, only to come face to face with a squadron of powered suits.

"You really don't understand, Airou. This isn't an offer. You don't have a choice." As if on cue, the mercenaries and the powered suits began their advance towards them.

Airou knew that these guys would stop at nothing to capture them so he need not hold back. Using all if his will power, he attracted everything metal within 5 feet and molded them into several iron marbles. The marbles encircled him and Amane forming a 360 degree line of defense against the assailants. When the first mercenary stepped within his striking radius, he launched an iron marble at him. Upon impact, the mercenary was sent flying into a wall. This seemed to have made the other mercenaries think twice before approaching the two however, the powered suits kept pressing on. It would take more than a few half ton marbles to defeat them. Luckily, he knows exactly how to stop these robots. He scattered several of his iron marbles between him and the powered suits. They all continued advancing in unison but as soon as they stepped on the marbles, the steel spheres transformed into wickedly sharp spikes that impaled the suits causing them to explode simultaneously. He was about to face Dr. Takasura with a triumphant grin but he felt a sharp pain on his neck the moment he destroyed the robots. He touched the part where it hurt the most and felt the shape of a plastic dart protruding from the side of his neck.

Frantically, he pulled it out while still mystified at how the dart penetrated his skin while he hadn't sensed the dart's metal point enter his Metal Detection Radius. That's when Airou realized what caused such anomaly. He saw that the dart's point was made out of hardened and sharpened plastic rather than metal.

"Oh, were you surprised by that little modification? You see, I'm not so much as a fool to use a metal needle when you have the power to detect metal. And as you can see, I had to improvise." Takasura stated with pride at his achievement.

Airou started to feel his body slowly getting limp. He tried to use electricity to control the motor movements of the parts that were already paralyzed but he could barely lift a finger. Whatever tranquilizer the doctor used, it was extremely potent.

"Wha... What are you going to do to us?" He asked as electricity crackled all around him in a stuttering manner.

The doctor seemed to have gotten a lot more amused upon hearing his question. He smiled and slowly approached the two child errors.

"Only what's best for you." He said confidently. Now he was just a few feet away and Airou was already starting to get dizzy. His eyesight began to turn blurry with each passing second and by the time he came face to face with the doctor, his vision darkened before he completely lost consciousness.

**Author's Note**: Here we'll meet the 3 Child Errors that would be instrumental in the events of the whole series. This chapter is narrated in the perspective of Akaze Airou, and we will get a glimpse of how the darkness began to engulf these 3 unfortunate souls. I won't be able to post the next chapter immediately since I'll be spending a couple of days in the hospital. Though rest assure that I'll post it as soon as possible.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own To Aru Majutsu no Index nor any other titles linked to it. Credit for this series goes to its original Creator, Kazuma Kamachi


	3. Fatal Error

Chapter 2: Fatal Error

-Akaze Airou-

And so it happened just as Dr. Takasura wanted. They were subjected to different kinds of experiments in order to increase the strength of their powers. They were tortured, beaten, starved, injected with substances that causes God knows what and even operated upon. Although their powers did manage to increase, their physical, mental and psychological health slowly deteriorated with each passing day. He no longer saw Amane's smile ever since the day she and Shiro tried to warn him of Katsugi Takasura's true nature. Oh how foolish he was back then, to believe in the illusion that he'll experience a parent's love rather than Amane and Shiro, who were practically his siblings. Now he is only to blame for their pitiful condition.

Shiro noticed this and staggered to his side. "You can't blame yourself for what happened. He was just... one step ahead of us." He tried to console Airou but he still continued to blame himself for what happened. Of all the people that should be blaming him, it was Shiro. He had suffered the most because of him

"If I had only listened to you from the start, none of this would have happened. We wouldn't be in this God-forsaken condition." He muttered hopelessly.

After saying that, he felt a sharp pain on his left cheek followed by the scolding of a familiar voice.

"Haven't I rubbed on any of my optimism on you, Airou-kun? No matter how grim any situation is, you should never lose hope! "She exclaimed.

Airou could feel himself blushing as he stared at Amane. He admired her optimism and fortitude even if they had been used as mere guinea pigs for the past 6 months. Any normal person would have either gone insane or lost all hope in life but it seems that it would take more than experimentation to crush Amane's spirit.

"Amane is right. We're family, Airou. As long as the 3 of us are together, then there's always hope. Besides, we have to endure one last experiment and we would suffer no longer." Shiro said encouragingly.

"I don't know about that. If Takasura saved this for last... It means that the worst is yet to come." He said in a dreadful manner.

"Whether this experiment makes us Level 5 or not, the moment it's over, we're busting ourselves outta here!" Shiro decided. "Since they have to measure our power levels, they're bound to take these things off at some point." He tapped the choker-like electrode that was keeping them from using their powers.

"We're going to use that window as our means of escape." He added.

Both Amane and Airou nodded in agreement though even now, he still didn't know what kind of power Amane has.

Airou's thoughts were cut when he heard the P.A. System roar back to life followed by the malicious voice of Dr. Katsugi Takasura.

"Wakey-wakey, young ones. Today's the day we've all been waiting for. The Last Phase of the Level 5 Boost shall commence in a short while. If you successfully shift to Level 5, then I guarantee your freedom." Takasura's voice beamed through the microphone. After hearing what Takasura said, Airou felt a chill run down his spine. Perhaps it was an ill omen about the experiment but he had no way of confirming this at the time. Whatever happens, this experiment may very well determine their future.

The 3 Child Errors were led to the Main Experimentation Chamber. Through the course of 6 months, the room had been the stuff of their worst nightmares. All sorts of laboratory equipment were placed neatly on a large metal workbench. There were also a number of large cylindrical tanks at the far corner of the room. However, the center of everyone's attention was the 3 operating tables placed in a triangular pattern. Various apparatuses were set up to monitor the condition of the patients, or in their case, the guinea pigs of the Level 5 Race.

"What exactly are you going to do to us, Takasura?" Shiro asked while he gritted his teeth in anger.

"Simple. We're going to increase your brain capacities. An average human being only uses 10% of his brain. If your brain capacity increases to 100%, in theory, you'll fully master your abilities." He explained proudly.

"Eh? You don't even know what Amane's power is. I'll willingly partake in the experiment... Just let her go." Airou pleaded

"I can't do that, my youngest pet. Not when there is a possibility that she could be the most powerful Level 5 esper in existence.

Both Shiro and Airou were puzzled with what Dr. Takasura said. To them, Amane's power was a mystery. But obviously, Dr. Takasura knew something they didn't.

Within a matter of minutes, the 3 of them were ushered to the operating tables. A series of injections were performed on them, connecting them to the apparatuses. Once the connection was made, the different machines monitoring the 3 Child Errors began displaying their vital statistics. A peculiar headgear was also placed on them though they didn't know what it was for.. After all the necessary preparations were made, the experiment commenced.

"Kitamura-kun, increase the output on the EXODUS. We need to increase their mental capacities to 100%." The scientist ordered.

"But sir... There is a high risk of further damage to their psychological health. Would a broken level 5 be of good use to you?" Kitamura reasoned though Takasura just dismissed this.

"Do I look like I care about what happens to them? They have the potential to become the most powerful beings of this age. And I, as a man of science, would not deny them of that potential!" He replied in a harsh tone.

"Then so be it." A powerless Kitamura Sougo paused for a while and cringed after realizing what a monster Takasura Katsugi became. "Forgive me for what I'm about to do..." He muttered under his breath before pulling the lever that would increase the output of the EXODUS.

The cries and screams of pain would haunt the young intern for the rest of his life as he felt guilty for being the cause of their misery.

"It's working. Mental Capacity increasing... Current Mental Capacity is now 15%... 20%... 25%... Mental Capacity has reached 30% and is still rising." Kitamura reported. "Esper power levels are rising... Test Subject No. 3, Akaze Airou's Mental Capacity has reached 100%. His abilities have achieved Level 5 status. Test Subject No. 2, Misuzu Shiro's Mental Capacity has also reached 100%. His abilities are also Level 5 tier now." It seemed that everything was going according to the deranged doctor's plans... That was until alarms started blaring all over the place accompanied by the howling shrieks of pain of the 3 children. A warning message also appeared on the console.

"This is bad, Takasura-san. If we proceed any further, these kids are going to break!" Kitamura warned though Takasura's expression showed little concern towards the welfare of the children.

"We can't stop now, Kitamura-kun. Not with Amane still not achieving Level 5!" Takasura exclaimed wickedly.

"W-Why d-do... you... want Amane... to be Level 5... so much? She's... harmless. She... can't even... hurt a fly..." Airou managed to utter shakily despite the excruciating pain that was surging through his entire body.

"Perhaps I need to give a better explanation. Though I don't see how it will be useful to a guinea pig. I suppose you know the importance of Personal Reality in acquiring esper powers, right? Well Amane's power is fascinating. Why? Because she has a flexible personal reality! Her power enables her to analyze and copy other people's personal reality which in turn, allows her to gain the same ability as her target! Of course, she cannot fully control it back then when she was a mere level 2. She kept generating random powers that she cannot control at all. However, I have theorized that if she could make use of the remaining 90% of her brain, she would master her power, Archiver!" Takasura explained maniacally.

Airou froze in shock upon hearing Takasura's words. "You're... a monster!" Airou said weakly but the scientist paid no attention to him.

"Kitamura-kun, increase the output to maximum levels. I want Amane to become level 5 NOW!" Takasura ordered.

"Kita... mura-san... Don't!" Airou pleaded but the young scientist's eyes wouldn't meet his. Kitamura adjusted the lever, which brought the output on the EXODUS to its maximum levels. Amane, Shiro and Airou shrieked in pain one last time before Amane fainted while Shiro uttered inaudible words as if he had lost his sanity. Airou was on the brink of collapse himself.

"Give me a status report, Kitamura. What the hell happened?" Takasura asked frantically.

"Amane just entered a coma... Shiro's state of mind has collapsed... And we just lost Airou's Level 5 status. The scanner indicates that he was overloaded and now he has reverted back to Level 1." Kitamura reported.

"What?! How did this happen?" Takasura demanded.

"I warned you about the dangers of using the EXODUS, Takasura-san. But you ignored the possible consequences. Now you've permanently ruined the lives of 3 innocent children… the same children who have looked up to you as their father!" Kitamura exclaimed.

"Correction! Two innocent children." Takasura chided before fishing out a 9mm pistol from his coat pocket.

"What are you doing, Takasura-san?" Kitamura demanded.

"Cutting my losses."Takasura said in a grim tone before aiming the pistol at Airou. Kitamura's eyes widened when he realized what Takasura was about to do but before he could react, it was too late. The sound of a gunshot eerily echoed throughout the laboratory before the deafening silence ruled once again. Takasaura had just shot Airou at point blank range in his right eye. Blood slowly gushed from the bullet's entry point, and it was clear to Kitamura Sougo that nobody would have been able to survive something like that.

"Why... Why the hell did you kill him?!" Kitamura shouted furiously at Takasura but the middle-aged scientist only had a satisfied grin on his face.

He had gone back to square one. He was useless to us now. Besides it would take too much time and resources just to restore his Level 5 status while we already have two Level 5's at our disposal. More importantly, we have a potential candidate for number 1! With Amane's power, nothing can stop us!" He explained before laughing maniacally.

"You make me sick!" Kitamura said in disgust.

"Ara Ara... What's that you say, Kitamura-kun? May I remind you that you are also partly at fault for the loss of that miserable boy's life. You could have done something to spare his life since you were operating the EXODUS but did you make any steps to save his life, DID YOU?" Kitamura was left speechless by Takasura's response. "I thought so. It was because you were a coward! But you did good. Even if you stalled the experiment, I could have just shot you too then carry on with it. Sometimes, cowards are the ones who end up living another day..." Takasura explained.

"Well it's not like you have anywhere else to go. I guess you just subconsciously picked the route that would ensure your continued existence. You chose right, Kitamura. Now dispose of the boy's body. I don't want to see that failure ever again." He ordered.

Having no other choice, Kitamura gingerly picked up Airou's lifeless body. He then carried the corpse and placed it on the trunk of a pickup truck and wrapped it in white cloth. He drove to a secluded alleyway near a hospital and carefully placed the body wrapped in white cloth beside a dumpster. He paused for a while, while he prayed for the poor boy's soul to find peace in the afterlife.

"I'm... I'm so sorry for what I did to the 3 of you, Airou-kun. Takasura-san was right. I... I am a coward. I cannot even protect the lives of 3 innocent children because of my cowardice... What I did was unforgiveable. But at least you have been set free from that nightmare. Don't worry about Amane and Shiro. I swear on my name as a scientist that I willdo whatever it takes to bring them back to their old self..." Kitamura said remorsefully before departing. Little did he know that miracles happen in that certain hospital where a certain doctor works in.

**Author's Notes**: I finally got out of the hospital! Yay! :D Anyways This chapter showcases the darkness the 3 child errors faced all in the name of research and science. This is one of the more brutal chapters though there will be others more like this. I originally intended to tell this story in the point of view of two of the 7 Lost Level 5's since I deemed them to be the two main protagonists of this story. However, I think I'll make a chapters with point of views of them all at some point. Anyways, if you haven't guessed who the mysterious doctor the last sentence is referring to, I'll give you a hint: Gekota.

**P.S.** It will take a while before I could update this again since I'm still in the middle of writing chapter 3. Writing the other main protagonists' point of view is difficult T^T


	4. Homecoming

Chapter 3: The Truth Behind The Seven

-Level 5 Homecoming-

Part 1

At one of the most esteemed schools in Academy City, there exists two certain individuals that are considered as Urban Legends. One of them had the epithet of "Tokwadai's Ice Empress". She was given this title not only because of her esper abilities but also due to her icy personality. Her mere presence would be enough to send chills down anyone's spine... except for a certain someone who is of equal peculiarity. "Tokiwadai's Joker" was the only person who freely interacted and associated herself with the anti-social genius, Misaka Sakurako. Rather, it is better said that Mirai Kuroko is Sakurako's only friend in the entire school. The rest of the student would grudgingly admire the distant empress from a distance while going out of their way to avoid her at the same time.

Furthermore, these two enigmas shared one thing in common... Sakurako and Kuroko are ranked 6th and 5th respectively among the seven Level 5 espers of Academy City.

In a certain dorm room of the Tokiwadai Middle School dorm, Misaka Sakurako lazily laid on her bed even when the rays of the sun had already permeated throughout the dorm room. It was a school day yet all she wanted to do was to slack off and continue to lie on her bed all day. Unfortunately for her, her roommate wasn't going to allow that to happen.

"Ojou-sama! Get out of bed already. The sun's high up in the sky and yet you're still sprawled over there. It's a weekday, you know. Besides, turn down the damn AC a bit. It's already cold enough for penguins to thrive in here!" Kuroko grumbled while shivering from where she stood.

"The teachers are so boring and I already know most of the lessons. If it's meeting the required attendance rate, I can still make it since there's still a few more weeks before the term ends. If I'm just gonna spend a day doing nothing then better do it in the comfort of my own room. And besides, you're the one forced your way here to the point that you drove away my previous roommate.. If you don't like it here, by all means, you are free to move out." Sakurako retorted.

She always had a particularly sharp tongue tongue when talking to her junior not because she hated her only friend but rather all those years of solitude rendered her unable to converse with anyone in a more conventional manner. Fortunately, Kuroko seems to understand very well the reason behind this even though she hasn't been told the specifics of her past circumstances. However, another reason for Sakurako's foul mouth towards her best friend was due to the latter's clinginess and perverted tendencies. Much to Sakurako's chagrin, Kuroko seems to be ignorant that her advances towards the "Frostbite" aren't appreciated at the slightest.

"Alright, Ojou-sama. If that is what you wish."

"Eh, you're seriously going to move out?" Sakurako asked a little too enthusiastically.

"No No No No No No No! Why would you ever think of such a thing! I was referring to your taking a day off!" Kuroko quickly protested as she flailed her arms wildly in the air.

"Aww! I suppose that's fine too... Still, knowing you, you're gonna start stalking me the moment I step out of the dorm. Maybe I should just stay here all day after all... Or i could turn Kuroko to a block of ice. Then I can roam around Academy City all I want without the need to worry about getting sexually harassed in public."

"I can hear your evil plots, Ojou-sama!" Kuroko exclaimed.

"Well, as long as you don't do anything weird, I don't mind you tagging along." She said nonchalantly before getting off the bed and heading to the bathroom to take a shower.

Outside the fogged up glass door of the shower, Kuroko battled her urges to rip the aforementioned door from its hinges just to get a glimpse of the Empress' body. Instead she asked her a question cautiously.

"Ojou-sama, do you have any specific place you want to visit today?"

"Hmm... I think I'll head straight to Joseph's for breakfast, drop by 7 Mist to do some light shopping, then have lunch at the usual place. After that, I'll spend the remainder of the day at the bookstore. I have to catch upon the latest chapter of Gekotales." She replied from the other side of the door with an apparent bored tone. "Why'd you ask?"

"Well, I wanted to introduce you to some of my other friends. They're Judgment members so I was wondering if we could drop by their office later." Kuroko replied.

"Judgment, huh? They're like the police, right?"

"That's partly true. The actual police force of Academy City, per se, is Anti-Skill but they work hand-in-hand in upholding the peace of the entire city. One distinct difference between the two is that Anti-Skill members are employed and consists mostly of adults while taking part in Judgment's activities is voluntary and majority of them are students. Another thing to keep in mind is that fact that all Anti-Skill members are Level 0's while Judgment members may have esper abilities."

"Eh? How come you didn't join, Kuroko? You seem to be quite knowledgeable about Judgment." Sakurako asked quizzically.

"Ehehe... well you see... I flunked out of the initial training program. Instructors said I wasn't fit enough to join" Kuroko laughed nervously.

This, however, didn't come as a surprise to Sakurako. While one may perceive Kuroko Mirai as a perfect girl, boasting both beauty and brains, she knows that her friend is physically weak. For quite some time, she had observed that Kuroko had been increasingly dependent on her powers. So much so that there had been an instance wherein she had to utilize her psychokinetic abilities just to operate the basic motor functions of her body and move around. Sakurako managed to get her back in shape when she convinced Kuroko to exercise and live a healthy lifestyle in exchange for letting the eccentric, perverted, redhead sleep in the same bed as her for an entire month. Reminiscing that event sent chills down her spine. That must have been the second most dreadful experience she ever had.

"However, I heard there were 2 Level 5 Judgment members that work in the same branch my friends are posted. I don't know their identities but I heard from Yukiharu that they're supposed to be complete monsters." Kuroko chimed in an astonished voice. She wasn't sure why they would let people that powerful into an organization meant to uphold peace. With their level of power, they are more likely to destroy all peace rather than protect it.

Hearing Kuroko's description about these Level 5's made Sakurako ponder on how strong these people really are.

"Do you at least know their ranks?" She asked inquisitively.

"I'm afraid not. Though I think one, if not both, of them is of a higher rank than both of us. You're number 6, I'm rank 5th. If one of them is Number 7, then at least one of them should be ranked 4th or higher. If both of them are of higher rank, then they must really be crazy powerful. Heck maybe one of them is Number 1." Mirai stated her thoughts aloud as she pondered on who the Level 5's of Judgment really were.

"Heh? I wanna find out how strong these Level 5's are though."

"Hmm... I think I recall Yukiharu saying something about one of them being adept at handling machines. Perhaps an Electromaster?"

"Electromaster? The most powerful kind of electricity-based ability, huh? I see!"

After turning off the shower and drying herself up, she wrapped a towel on her wet hair and covered her body with another body towel. Afterwards, she opened the door and stepped out of the shower.

"Alright, I'm coming with you, then. Partly to meet your friends and partly to meet those Level 5's. Perhaps spar with one of them if given the chance!" She declared as if she was delivering an Imperial Decree.

Unfortunately, Kuroko capitalized on the momentary vulnerability that Sakurako showed by lunging at her friend's body. Sakurako, on the other hand, was used to Kuroko's perverted tendencies since she deals wih this aspect of her roommate on a daily basis. Sidestepping out of harm's way, Sakurako touched Kuroko's body using her index finger whilst the latter was still in mid-air. The point where the Ice Empress' index finger met the Joker's body suddenly froze up and soon enough, the girl on heat turned ice cold literally as her entire body, save for a few holes for breathing, had been encased in a block of ice.

"O... jou-...sama..." Kuroko cried weakly but Sakurako merely treated her plea with indifference.

"You never learn, do you? Well that ice will thaw at around 5 minutes and I made sure to leave a gap for you to talk and breathe. Take a shower when you've cooled off."

Sakurako stiffed her laughter upon saying the last line. It was one of the rare instances that she would permit herself to smile. Even though she knew a lot about Kuroko, it doesn't mean that she knows everything about her only friend. Of course, this applies to Kuroko as well. She may be her best friend but Sakurako hasn't revealed to her the darkness that continues to haunt her to this day. A wall of darkness that engulfed her entire life... so thick that she was certain that not even her best friend can break through it.

Part 2

Judgment 177 Branch

It was supposed to be the usual fleetingly boring day for the Judgment Members assigned to the 177th branch. With two of the highest ranked Level 5's as fellow members, the relative crime rate in the area they are posted at was reduced exponentially There are a few Skill-Outs who are stubborn enough to cause a ruckus every now and then but they are dealt with rather quickly.

The workload among the 4 members at Branch 177 were divided among Patrol and Office work. While the two Level 5's were often doing Patrol duty, it was Yukiharu Kazuki and Sakaki Sachi that were in charge of the office work.

Though both of them are Level 0's, they are exceptionally talented in handling anything related to computers or any electronic device.

During that seemingly uneventful day, just as the clock had ticked half past noon, the two girls received a distress call alerting them of a robbery that took place in the vicinity of Academy City's shopping district. The call had a certain peculiarity about it since the report included stealing something yet not stealing it at the same time. As far as Yukiharu knows, for a crime to qualify as a theft, items must be stolen in the first place. As far as conflicting testimonies go, this one takes first place.

"Judging from that report, it should be an esper-related incident..." Yukiharu thought aloud. "Sacchin! Do you know if anyone's near the shopping district?" Yukiharu asked in an urgent manner.

Sakaki Sachi, however, maintauned a composed and non-chalant demeanor as she responded to Yukiharu's request.

"Yes. Yes. Hmm... we're in luck. Ouryoushi-kun and his partner are in the vicinity of the incident-" Before the brown-haired girl could finish what she was saying, her cellphone began ringing. Hastily picking up the device, she immediately pushed a button in the touch screen device to answer the call and put the receiver near her hear.

"Hello? Oi!, Ouryoushi-kun?! What?! You're currently in pursuit of the suspect? Wait, What?! It's him again?! Haven't you apprehended him five times already, are you sure it's the same guy?!" Sakaki fired off a barrage of questions towards her subordinate frantically, destroying the image of the once level-headed individual that approached matters calmly.

"Okay! I got it. Stop shouting at my poor ear. Do anything in your power to apprehend him again. And try not to cause too much collateral damage this time."

With an exasperated sigh, she put down the phone on her desk.

"Guess we should type a formal apology now, Sacchin." Yukiharu mused.

Somewhere in School District 7

*pant* *wheeze* *pant*

Ouryoushi Shin and his partner were currently in pursuit of a very familiar and equally troublesome suspect. It had been quite some time since he was engaged in such a heated pursuit as evidenced by his rapid and continuous breathing. Compared to him, his junior was having no trouble running which pissed him a lot. Actually a lot of things pissed him off. But undoubtedly, this recent partner of his was annoying him more than anything else. The guy just shows up one day, fresh from boot camp and he starts outperforming the veteran in every aspect of the job.

But now wasn't the time for petty jealousy for at the moment, they were chasing the most resourceful rat in Academy City.

"Oi, Rookie. I don't care if you are one rank higher than me. This is one slippery rat we're chasing. Arrested the bastard a couple of times. But he still manages to escape the detention facility every damn time." Shin said begrudgingly to his black haired companion.

"Eh, doesn't that mean you're just doing a lousy job at keeping him at bay?" The black haired boy asked passively, much to Shin's chagrin.

"Shut up, just make sure he doesn't get away. Otherwise I am gonna let the Brass grill your ass for letting him get away." Shin retorted. "Now I'm gonna try to route him to a dead end. There's a narrow alley that would serve as the perfect choke point. However, you should go up to the rooftops in case he uses emergency ladders. That way, we could cut off his only escape route. Understand, rookie?" Shin barked in an authoritative fashion.

He only got a dismissive nod, however, which only added to Shin's chagrin.

They split up at the entrance of the alleyway though his partner vanishing into thin air might have been the more appropriate term for the case.

No matter. With his ability, not even the Rank 7 Level 5 wanted Criminal, Hikigaya Kageru, otherwise known as Equalizer can stand up to his Phantom Shackles. He isn't the Rank 4 Level 5 for nothing.

Soon enough, his predictions came true as Kageru was cornered at a dead end. He looked panicked at first, but upon seeing that it was an all too familiar Judgment member tailing him, his panic turned into a playful grin.

"Ora? Why if it isn't Shin-chan! It's been a long time since we last hang out, man. How have you been?" Kageru spoke to Shin with such familiarity as if he were speaking to a friend he hadn't seen in years. This, of course, pissed off Shin even more.

"I got a migraine chasing you around town, bastard. This time, I'll make sure you can't even move your limbs before sending you to the detention facility. Maybe then you'll think twice before escaping again." The blond esper roared in a threatening manner that was all too ignored by his prey.

"But, Shin-chan. Haven't you ever learned from all the times we played tag? You can't lock me up for long." He mused mockingly, the final trigger that sent Ouryoushi Shin to succumb to his anger.

Thrusting his hand towards the delinquent Esper, he willed the gravity around Hikigaya Kageru to increase, effectively pinning him to the ground. This was an all too familiar routine for them. But something was wrong... Instead of feeling panic or resignation on his current state, Kageru started laughing maniacally.

" Hihihihi... Shin-chan. Your senses have gotten rusty."

"!.."

Where Kageru had lay, his body dissolved into white wisps of smoke much akin to the escape techniques of ninjas.

"Tch... a clone. " Shin bit back a curse and looked up, only to see Kageru racing up the emergency ladders towards the rooftop. From this distance, he could still see the victorious grin on his adversary's face but as Kageru made it to the rooftop, his whole body suddenly went limp and he fell face first on the cemented rooftop unceremoniously.

"Checkmate."

It was true that Hikigaya Kageru is quite the clever adversary but Shin had been by himself every time he confronted and arrested Kageru. Looks like the latter didn't anticipate the former having a partner this time around.

At the rooftop, Hikigaya Kageru stared begrudgingly at his captor. He had short black hair, blue eyes that are much akin to that of a dead fish and a deadpan look on his face. He was wearing a black trench coat that extended to his knees over a white undershirt, black pants and black combat boots. The familiar Judgment armband was wrapped around his left arm.

"A new guy, huh? How did you paralyze my entire body in less than a second?"

It was quite simple, really. I simply scattered a bunch of particles super electro-conductive metals on the rooftop then I channeled electricity on them once you set foot on it. In your hurry, I assumed you would lose a shoe or two while ascending the stairs. Actually, I made that happen.

Right... when Kageru was going up the emergency stairs, he felt as if a couple of the steps were slightly more elevated than the rest were so he lost his shoes when he tripped several times while climbing up.

"I see... Then may I have the honor of knowing my captor's name?" Kageru asked in grudging admiration. Unlike Ouryoushi Shin that's predictable mainly because he's practically a loose cannon, this guy managed to give him the chills he hadn't felt in quite a long time. He certainly needs to exercise a lot more caution around him.

"Airou... Akaze Airou."

"Ai-chan, huh? It's a pleasure to be working with you." He jested.

"The feeling isn't mutual. Hikigaya Kageru, for your crimes of vandalism, destruction of public property, grand theft auto and robbery, I hereby arrest you in the name of Judgment."

"Oh! Quite traditional aren't we. Shin-chan was just like that when he first arrested me. I do hope you can maintain that attitude since I feel like this isn't the last time we'll meet."

"If you ever wanna play again. You can try escaping. Though I assure you, I'll hunt you down each and every time you do so. " With that, Airou wills some iron fillings to wrap around Kageru's hands turning into handcuffs afterwards.

"

Judgment 177 Branch

"CHEERS~!" The four Judgment Members of Branch 177 shouted triumphantly as they bumped their assorted glasses of tea with each other. They are currently having hotpot as a celebratory dinner for capturing the Rank 7 Level 5 Hikigaya Kageru for the sixth time and causing virtually no collateral damage to the area in the process.

"Hehehe. We didn't need to type an apology letter after all, Sacchin~ And it was all thanks to Akaze-san. " Yukiharu said enthusiastically.

"I know right? I mean, if we had known that Akaze-kun would be able to subdue Equalizer without causing any damage whatsoever... think of all the paperwork and apology letters we could have avoided if he had joined Judgment sooner. " Sakaki said dreamily.

"Oi, why does it look like I've been causing you trouble until this rookie showed up?!" Shin complained.

"That's probably because you have. Every time you went after Kageru, you'd topple a building or two in the process. Why that one time, you leveled an entire city block! We had to grovel to the higher-ups just to pardon us for your recklessness!" Sakaki retorted, effectively silencing Shin.

"Now now, cut Shin some slack, guys. It's actually his plan for us to split up and effectively cut off all of his possible escape routes." Airou said modestly.

Airou creditting Shin managed to rejuvenate the latter's spirits just when he already began sulking. A prideful grin can now be seen on the blond esper's face while he sticks his chest out in pride.

"Mm. Indeed. It was my brilliant plan that led to Hikigaya Kageru's capture!" He boasted.

"But... Ouryoushi-san. In the end, you can't change the fact that Akaze-san's the one who apprehended him. " Yukiharu reminded.

And with that said, the Rank 4 Level 5 reverts back to sulking in a corner.

With the hotpot about ready to be fully cooked, they started bringing out their chopsticks in anticipation. Even the previously sulking Shin has now joined the fray in eyeing the tender pieces of meat greedily.

*knock* *knock*

Just as everyone was about to say "Itadakimasu" and dig in, their anticipation was cut short by the sound of someone knocking on the door. Much to Shin's frustration.

"Goddamit! Who could it be at this hour?" Shin grumbled but his complaints were otherwise ignored by his 3 co-workers.

"Come in. It's open." was Yukiharu's quick response while never taking her eyes off the hotpot. She understands the importance of focus and attention in this situation. One wrong move and everyone could have gotten all the meat before her.

The mysterious guest seemed to comply to her invitation to come in as the door slowly swung open. For a moment, everyone's attention was on the door but seeing that it was only Mirai Kuroko, Shin immediately returned his attention to the hotpot.

"Oh! Kurokon? It's been a while. What brings you here?" Yukiharu asked without taking her eyes off the hotpot.

"Oi. You could at least look at me when you're talking to me! Anyways. I brought my friend over since she wants to meet all of you." She explains with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Ojou-sama! Stop hiding behind the wall and get over here!"

Upon realizing that there was another visitor, all 4 Judgment members redirected their attention towards the entranceway. They collectively saw a girl with long chestnut-brown hair hiding behind the frail Mirai Kuroko.

"Oh, is this your friend who's also a Level 5, Kazuki?" Airou asks inquisitively.

"Yeah. Kurokon, please come in! We're having hotpot for dinner." Yukiharu beams at the two of them as she beckons them to come inside the office. Sakaki and Shin made a silent agreement and nodded discreetly to one another before launching a waylay for the juicy meat. Airou was swift to act, however, as he was able to deftly give each of the two partners in crime a karate chop on the head, ending their preemptive strike for the meat.

"It's very rude not to wait for the others, you two" He chided.

Kuroko and her companion sat next to Airou and that's when all hell broke loose.

"YOU!" Kuroko's friend hissed when she recognized Airou. Unfortunately, thr black haired boy failed to recognize the angry woman.

"Me?" He asked in genuine confusion.

"Yes you! Don't you recognize me, you prick?" She bellowed.

Much to her chagrin, Airou just shrugs nonchalantly.

"You shoved me out of the way earlier when you were chasing the thug who took my bag!" Kuroko's friend roared.

"Oh. Now that you mention it, I do recall doing that. I never got to apologize, didn't I? Well, I apologize for the misconduct I caused earlier. I assure you that it won't happen again." He apologized half-heartedly while keeping his eye on the hotpot.

Seeing that the black haired boy wasn't paying much attention to her, she dips her finger into the boiling contents of the hotpot and freezes it in an instant.

"Oi, do you have a death wish wom- umm mngh! Hmmmmfffff!" As Shin tries to berate Kuroko's friend, the latter pushes her finger on the blond esper's lips and freezes them shut.

"Listen here, bub. I am the Rank 6 Level 5, Misaka Sakurako. I do not want your half-assed apology. I demand that you fight me outside this instant! I'll make sure that you repent for putting me to such shame earlier." She roared vehemently.

"Hmm... Alright. I haven't had a good sparring match in a while. Let's go around the back. It's an open space so we should be able to let loose without causing much collateral damage." Airou says enthusiastically as he quickly stands up and beckons #6 to follow.

"Uhhh... not this again, Ojou-sama! Why must you always challenge everyone you meet to a brawl?" Kuroko groaned in frustration.

Yukiharu also whispered her concern to the troubled Kuroko.

"Kurokon, is this really alright?"

"Yeah. She won't beat your friend up too much... I think."

"I'm not worried about Akaze-kun. I'm more worried about your friend."

"Huh, how come? Even I have a hard time dealing with Sakurako Ojou-sama."

"Well that's because you have a frail body even if you are one rank above her. But if she said she's just Ranked 6th... then" Yukiharu leans closer to Kuroko's ear and whispers something that instantly drains the color out of the latter's face.

"Are you serious?!"

"Yeah. But we'll just have to see how this turns out." Yukiharu turns to Sakaki who was desperately clasping her hands in rigorous prayer to the gods.

"Please don't wreck things. Please don't wreck things! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, PLEASE DON'T WRECK THINGS!" She wailed.

Seeing her best friend like this was pitiful and it prompted Yukiharu to slap Sakaki in order to calm her down.

"Pull yourself together, Sacchin! If things get out of hand, Ouryoushi-kun and Kurokon would stop them, right?"

She turns to the two only to see them devouring the meat of the reheated hotpot. It was then thaf something snapped inside her. Yukiharu Kazuki's wrath descended upon the two Level 5's. No one knows what horrors those two experienced except for the fact that their screams and wails are evidence that they had been scarred for life.

At the back of the 177th Branch of Judgment, 6 people have gathered. Four of these six acquire certain abilities that makes then stand out among the rest. And right now, two of these individuals who bear the title of Level 5 are about to clash.

However, the Rank 6 Level 5, Misaka Sakurako was not aware that her opponent is as much as a monster as she is.

"I'll show you, you dumb bastard the power of a Level 5."

Without even giving Akaze Airou ample time for a comeback, she willed an icy mist to envelop the area, drastically dropping the temperature close to 0 degrees. She then created several icy blades and launched them at Airou's general direction. But she was not finished yet. She willed all of the mist to envelop Airou and froze it afterwards.

"See, this is what you get for humiliating me. I'll let you grovel before my feet in repentance once the ice thaws."

"Hmm... so you completely miss your target when they humiliate you? Quite the fatal flaw you have there, Ace. "

Sakurako's eyes widened as she turned behind her. There stood Akaze Airou, completely unscathed.

"How did you?"

Airou merely fings his wrist upwards, raising inumerable amounts of iron sand around him. After muttering some inaudible words, the iron sand morphs into multiple spheres the size of marbles. He then sends these projectiles flying towards #6 , giving her barely enough time to erect an ice barrier to defend herself from the attack.

She managed to breath a sigh of relief before the iron marbles started emitting simultaneous beeps. Upon realizing their true nature, she only managed to jump a few feet away before am explosion leveled the area she was just standing on mere moments ago. Her skin and hair were singed, however and she was gasping for air as the explosion managex to suck the air out of her lungs.

But there was no rest for the weary and no time outs in combat. Before she even realized it, iron shackles quickly wrapped around her limbs, effectively cutting off her movements. Now she was leff at the mercy of her opponent who was slowly approaching her.

This was all too surreal for her. She hadn't lost a fight ever since she discovered her powers and being defeated by an opponent, specially by someone she promised to give a beating to was extremely humbling.

By now, she was standing face to face with Akaze Airou as her limbs were shackled to resemble Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. He thrusts his hand towards her and she was powerless to do anything. All she could do was close her eyes and wait for the final blow.

*flick*

The final blow to end it all... was in fact the black haired esper flicking her forehead. With a start, she opens her eyes, startled at his actions.

"Owie! What are you doi-"

But she was cut off abruptly when she felt something soft pressing against her lips.

"Mmph! Ngggh! Mmmph!" Was all the sound she could produce upon realizing that her lips were locked in a kiss with Akaze Airou's.

Stunned silence. The shock and awe quickly spread through the four spectators of the battle. Apparently, nobody saw that one coming.

"Finishing this farce of a battle" Was Airou's simple response after seperating his lips from Sakurako's.

After a long moment of silence, he sighs tiredly and before speaking again.

"You're too full of yourself. Clinging so desperately on your title of Level 5 just to feel superior over others. Let me tell you something. Being a Level 5 just means that you're just one of the seven greatest guinea pigs of Academy City. Here's another reality check... Don't feel too cocky unless you have an absolute advantage over the situation. You aren't the only Level 5 around, Ace." Airou said in an admonishing manner before snapping his fingers and releasing her from her bonds.

"Don't get me wrong, I didn't intentionaly push you out of the way earlier. That criminal we were chasing a while ago, the one that duplicated your bag, was Rank 7 Level 5, Hikigaya Kageru. He's one slippery bastard and we could not afford to lose him again."

"As for your bag, I'm sure you are aware that after your bag was duplicated, the one you were left behind with disappeared after a period of time. That's a side effect of his power. After duplicated objects get too far from one another, the objects tend to revert back to its original singlular form. This is particularly used by Hikigaya Kageru during robberies. We'd get reports of objects suddenly vanishing into thin air every now and then and we knew he's the culprit. If you want to beat him to a bloody pulp, as I have observed as part of your nature then it's too late since we've already given Anti-Skill his custody. On the other hand, your handbag is back at the office. We'll be handing it over to you shortly." Airou explains nonchalantly before turning away from her.

"Oh and if you haven't figured it out yet, the blond guy over there is the Rank 4 Level 5 Singularity, Ouryoushi Shin and I am the Rank 3 Level 5 Magnetizer, Akaze Airou. I hope you learned a valuable lesson today, Ace."

With that said, #3 walks back to the office, leaving a dumbfounded Misaka Sakurako staring at him.

"So cool." She blurted unintentionally. Her face flushed upon realizing what she had said. But it was strange. Instead of feeling disdain towards her own weakness or anger for being defeated by such a person, she felt relief wash all over her body. She doesn't have to act strong anymore because there are stronger people than her. And this particular person... it feels like she could depend on him from now on.

"O... Ojou-sama... you look like a teenage girl in love just now..." Kuroko's nervous voice managed to bring her back to her senses.

"Me? In love? Perish the thought! There's no way I could be in love! You should be well aware of that, Kuroko. Ahahahahahahaha!"

Crap. Did that guy really have that much of an effect on her?!

"But the way you were looking at him just now while blushing furiously. There's no mistaking it!" Kuroko argued, her face filled wiwth horror.

" How could you be so sure?!" Sakurako was panicking by now. She needed to change the subject fast.

"I'm a girl too, Ojou-sama!"

"Well, we should get ingredients for hotpot. I did ruin everyone's dinner now, haven't I? She said bashfully.

"Right, right. That guy really looked like he was looking forward to the hotpot earlier."

"Re... Really?! Alright. Let's go get some ingredients at the supermarket right away!"

"Hmm... You sound so energetic all of a sudden, Ojou-sama. Suspicious." Kuroko says in suspicious manner while glaring incredulously at the Ice Empress. "In any case, we can't go to the supermarket yet."

"Huh, why not?"

"Because your bag is still inside their office. And if I reckon, your purse is in that handbag of yours so you don't have any cash with you."

"Ohohohoho! I forgot! Silly me. Nice save, Kuroko."

"I'm going to say that you're really out of it ever since that guy kissed you so I'm not even gonna even bother trying anymore." Was Kuroko's exasperated response.

Yukiharu Kazuki and Sakaki Sachi both released exaspwrated sighs after witnessing the utter defeat of Mirai Kuroko's friend, the 6th ranked Level 5 Misaka Sakurako under the hands of their co-worker, the 3rd ranked Level 5, Akaze Airou. Even though they haven't directly seen Airou's powers in action, the sheer difference in rank would have already proven to be a disadvantage for #6. Even without putting ranks into consideration, Airou had passed boot camp at the top of his class and had shown impecable skill in combat

Compared to him, an amateur like Sakurako would not stand a chance.

"But to think that we'd be surrounded by these monsters... I think we're Level 5 Magnets, Yukiharu." Sakaki Sachi, a Level 0, said with grudging admiration.

"Well, we have our own duties and fields of expertise, Sacchin. We should do our jobs just as well, if not even better than Akaze-san and Ouryoushi-kun." She replied enthusiastically.

"Yeah, you're right. From now on, let's not just put a hundred percent into our work but a a hundred and ten percent!:" Sachi cries with determination.

"I'll take it that you'd be taking care of most of the paperwork from now on. Thanks for the work, Sacchin!" Yukiharu beams at Sachi mischievously.

With a start, Sachi realized the trap she had just walked into.

"No. NO! That's not what I meant. Geez. Yukiharu, you idiot!"

Yukiharu feigns ignorance and skips cheerfully back to the building followed by a dejected Sachi.

On a seemingly ordinary facility in the middle of District 21, the dark side is stirring. The huge concrete building hidden from plain view by thick vegetation was intended to be a geothermal energy research purposes. However, it was abandoned due to the various difficulties the researchers encountered in maintaning the facility twenty years ago. Now Dr. Takasura Katsugi had turned it into his personal laboratory.

Deep within the facility, the sound of heavy footsteps of what seemed like an army being mobilized can be heard in conjunction with the whirring of countless machines. A multitude of humanoid figures that perfectly resembled one another stood before a man wearing a lab coat. He had a permanent scowl on his face, a sadistic gleam in his eyes and an unsettling aura emanating from him. In the expanse of ten years, Takasura Katsugi's lock of black hair was already gradualy turning gray but he felt younger, fresher and more powerful than he had ever been his entire life. He now commanded two of the most powerful espers in Academy City as well as a personal militia and not to mention a bunch of other toys at his disposal.

"My faithful children, soon enough we will show the world our true strength! They said it couldn't be done... artificially producing Level 5 espers. They laughed at me, called me a fool and mocked my research but these two standing before you today are a testament to not just the authenticity but the success of my studies. Together, we will prove ourselves to every citizen of this city, especially to Aleister and the Board of Directors-"

Before the maniacal scientist could finish his speech, one of the mercenaries he had hired hastily yet clumsily made his way from the very back of the crowd towards Takasura. He had a frantic look on his face which was easily recognized by the scientist. Whatever this grunt had to say, it was definitely bad news.

"Sir. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I have an urgent matter to discuss with you." The mercenary said in a half-polite, half-terrified tone.

"Well, spit it out. It better be of importance just as you said. Otherwise, you will pay dearly for disturbing my speech." Takasura growled.

"Sir! Serial Number 9969 has resisted the virus and has breached containment. What are your orders?" The mercenary stated nervously.

"Oh? Recon-chan has escaped? Heh... it doesn't matter. She is no longer of any use to us no-"

As if fate was cutting him off and contradicting his statement, an alarm sounded from the display behind Takasura. He instinctively turned to his assistant, Kitamura Sougo for a report.

"We're getting faint AIM readings similar to the ones we pinpointed at that rooftop in District 7. This is also similar to that certain AIM Diffusion Field we monitored 10 years ago... I hate to break it to you, Sensei but Magnetizer is alive!" Kitamura reported enthusiastically. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted from his chest knowing that he hadn't participated in the murder of Akaze Airou. Now what boggled him is how the boy survived a gunshot like that at close range but he didn't let it bother him too much.

However, when Kitamura Sougo looked at Takasura Katsugi, he expected the head scientist to be scowling more than ever. However, a chill run down his spine when he saw that that mad scientist was beaming ecstatically.

Takasura turned to the similar-faced humanoids that were still standing at attention.

"Did you hear that, my worthless children? An opportunity has appeared for you to finally prove your worth! Now go! Go and bring me Akaze Airou. Whether dead or alive." He ordered and upon hearing that command, the similar-faced humanoids all gave a salute to the scientist before mobilizing.

"Finally... my prodigal son has returned!"

**Author's Notes:** Hello! It's me again. First of all, I'd like to apologize for taking months to update this and upload the chapter. The past few months had been hectic for me as it had been a roller coaster ride of good things and bad things happening. But I promise I won't take as long to update anymore since I've got a little more free time in my hands. 

Anyways, this chapter mainly focuses on Akaze Airou but the Rank 6 Lost Level 5, Misaka Sakurako also makes her debut here. Now some of you may be curious on what her relationship with Mikoto would be and you'll find out in the chapters to come. The two Level 5's have different viewpoint on what it's like to be a Level 5 and even had a slight conflict along the way but they managed to straighten out (more or less).

**Disclaimer**: I do not own To Aru Majutsu no Index nor any other titles linked to it. Credit for this series goes to its original Creator, Kazuma Kamachi


	5. Sibling Rivalry

The Similar-Faced Children Have Gathered To Prove Their Worth

\- Sibling Rivalry -

Part 1

"And so, the formula for this equation can be found at page 264 of your textbo-" The old man known as Tobioka Jin was interrupted by the ringing of the bell. For most of these students, it had become a symbol of both dread and anticipation at the same time but this would be the last instance that Tobioka would hear those bells. After fifty years of teaching at A Certain High school, he was finally retiring and now, his last act would be to introduce his successor to the class.

"Now listen, everyone. As all of you know, this will be the last time I'd be teaching you. In my place is someone who I am confident would be a better teacher to you than I am. She had just graduated and yet she is already an expert when it comes to anything related to science." Tobioka said almost like a proud father would as he introduced his replacement teacher. Realizing that his replacement still hadn't entered the room, he beckoned her to come inside.

The door slid open, revealing a petite pink-haired girl that could easily be mistaken as an elementary schooler. She timidly made her way in front of the dumbfounded before introducing herself.

"H-Hello, everyone! My name is Tsukoyomi Komoe and I will be your Science teacher as well as Homeroom adviser. I hope we can get along and I'll be in your care from now on. " She said meekly before bowing timidly in front of the students.

With a collective "Eeeehhhhh?", the entire class erupted into chaos. Most of the girls rushed towards Komoe Tsukoyomi while majority of the guys eyed her with admiration. Only two students managed to maintain their composure.

"Tobioka-sensei, you can't be serious, right? There's no way this loli would be able to teach us physics!" Ouryoushi Shin tried to be the voice of reason among his classmates but in actuality, he might just be the most excited about this abrupt change.

"Shin, your nose is bleeding..." Akaze Airou muttered, prompting Shin to quickly wipe away the blood dripping from his nose.

And make that one student

Komoe, however, heard every word that came out of Shin's mouth and was instantly driven on the verge of tears.

" I... I know that I may look pretty unreliable... but please give me a chance to prove myself to you... Ouryoushi Shin-kun!" And then the tears started flowing from the loli teacher's eyes.

"Oi, Shin. Do you always have to be a dick? Shame on you for making Komoe-sensei cry!" one of Airou and Shin's female classmates, Hasegawa Kikyou exclaimed.

She along with the entire Female Populace of Class 2-D began staring daggers at the blond ESPer but the jeers and sneers of his classmates went through one ear and out the other. At that moment, only one thing played repeatedly in his head... the sound of Komoe Tsukoyomi saying his name... And then, something inside him snaps.

With the intensity of several bulls on a stampede, Ouryoushi Shin rushed towards Komoe Tsukoyomi and also began to partake in hugging her, much to everyone else's surprise except Airou as evidenced by another incredulous "Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!" from them. The poor girl was overwhelmed by everything that was happening that she passed out on the spot.

Tobioka laughed happily seeing the warm welcome of his students to his prodigy. He then turned to Airou since he noticed that he was the only one in class that didn't gave a reaction to the sudden announcement.

"Akaze-kun. What do you think of this sudden development?" He asked, hoping to get a response from the black-haired Judgment member.

"Well, I guess we'd have to chain Shin to the wall every time Komoe-sensei is here. That damn lolicon can't control his libido." Was Airou's disinterested reply.

"No, not that sonny. I was referring about your input regarding Komoe-chan." He said enthusiastically.

"I have no qualms with Komoe-san being our teacher. I do not care about her height nor her appearance so long as she could perform the duties of a teacher and homeroom adviser properly and efficiently." Airou replied nonchalantly while he looked at the fleeting clouds outside. They were moving unnaturally fast, a telltale sign of an oncoming storm.

"I see. Still as serious as ever, huh? Well that's not a bad thing but you need to loosen up every once in a while, my boy. Stress is like pressure building inside a volcano. It would often than not lead to an eruption. The greater the pressure, the more violent the eruption... I don't want you to destroy yourself thinking about whatever is bothering you." Tobioka said worryingly.

"Don't worry, Sensei. I've held out this long... I'm sure I can handle this." Airou said reassuringly before leaving the classroom.

Since he had a little more time to kill before his shift starts, Airou decided to head to the supermarket first to re-stock on supplies. He had been living for a few years with the eccentric, frog-faced doctor whom he had become a foster father to him until recently. He thought that he had been leeching off too much from the old man since the latter had been paying for his school fees aside from providing him a place to call home. So one day, he talked to the old man about his plan to be self-reliant and the frog-faced doctor reluctantly agreed to his proposal provided that he would still pay for Airou's school expenses.

After successfully graduating from Judgment Boot Camp and getting himself a part-time job, Airou moved to the boy's dormitory of his school and had been living there for a year now.

"Hmm... I never expected this bargain sale on beans and this promo on eggs. Must be my lucky day today." He muttered with a satisfied grin on his face however, his luck instantly vanished when his phone began ominously ringing in his pocket. It was his "work" cell, not that he had a personal cell but he had given his number only to his co-workers at Judgment .

Upon answering the phone, the familiar voice of Yukiharu Kazuki could be heard from the speaker.

"Umm... Akaze-kun, I'm sorry for calling all of a sudden but could you come here as soon as possible? We have a little bit of an emergency here. Your little sister somehow went here and is looking for you. She wouldn't stop crying so I called you immediately" Yukiharu said with urgency in her voice.

A little sister? That's wrong. All his life, Akaze Airou never had anyone to call a blood relative. All of the people whom he had come to call as family were nothing more than complete strangers to him when he first met them. Then again, he hadn't told anyone except the frog-faced doctor about his circumstances so he couldn't blame Yukiharu nor Sachi for believing an impostor. He'll just have to settle everything when he gets there.

"Alright, I'm actually on my way there right now. Tell my... "little sister" that onii-san is coming." Airou said with his trademark nonchalant voice before hanging up on Yukiharu.

"I could understand if it's a parental impostor but a sibling? This is rare. Furthermore, she knew who I am and where I'm stationed before she could even meet me. Whoever this girl is, she's done her homework." Airou muttered as he pondered on the motive of the impostor. "Well, what ever this is, this should be interesting."

With that, he continued heading towards the 177th Branch Office of Judgment.

Part 2

Upon his arrival, a black haired little girl immediately came charging towards Airou and started sobbing on his garments. Closer inspection did prove that she looked exactly like him when he was a kid except that he had brown hair back then, not black.

"Whoa, there "lil' sis". What's wrong? Come on now, Onii-san's here so dry those tears of yours" Airou said in the calmest voice he could muster.

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan! C... Can we talk alone?" The little girl said nervously as she eyed the two girls in the room.

Fortunately, they were quick to catch-on and immediately left the office. After making sure they were already gone, Airou's calm and gentle facade quickly changed to a serious one.

"Last time I checked, I didn't have a little sister. Who are you? How do you know who I am?" He demanded in a calm yet stern tone.

"Oh that's right... Recon is Airoid Serial Number 9969. Recon is the RElay COmmand Network of the Magnetic Web that links Recon to the rest of the 9968 Airoids. But you can call Recon, Recon for short, Onii-chan. " The girl who introduced herself as Recon introduced herself anxiously before continuing. "As for how Recon knows Onii-chan, it's because the bad scientist has been watching you." She said in a weak voice.

"Bad scientist... it can't be... Takasura?" Airou asked as he gave Recon an incredulous look. She merely nods in response. Apparently, she harbors the same disgust towards the doctor.

" The evil scientist made Recon and the other Airoids in an attempt to replicate your power. When he failed, he..." As she was explaining, Airou noticed her legs began shaking before losing all the strength in them. She would have fallen face first on the floor had Airou not reacted quick enough to catch her.

When his skin came in contact with hers, he detected lots of mechanical parts working inside the girl but that wasn't his main cause of concern. He also noticed that she was feverishly hot and was having difficulty in breathing as well.

"Oi! Pull yourself together! What's wrong?" He asked frantically.

"The bad scientist... implanted a virus in Recon. The virus spread inside Recon and it... infected the others. Their free will was taken from them and now only obey the bad scientist. Recon managed to resist the virus but Recon can no longer control the others and the virus is now hurting Recon. Recon... will die soon... Recon... is afraid, Onii-chan. Recon... doesn't want to die yet." Right after saying that, Recon's body began convulsing violently before she lost consciousness.

"Goddamit Takasura... is there no end to your madness?" Airou cursed as he picked up Recon's petite body and held her in his arms.

Without a moment's notice Airou rushed out of the building and sprinted with all his might towards the nearest hospital. Several passers-by gave him an odd look as he bounded towards the hospital but he paid no mind to them. Right now, his attention was solely directed to saving Recon's life.

After a couple of minutes, he finally saw the lights of the hospital. Giving it his final ounce of stamina, he rushed towards the emergency room where he was greeted by none other than the frog-faced doctor.

"Oi, Old Man. You gotta help this kid. I don't know what's wrong with her but there's something strange about her. " Airou said urgently.

"Well take her to the examination room then and I'll take a look at her." Was the old doctor's reply.

Airou obliged and hurriedly took Recon to the examination room. A few nurses were startled by his sudden arrival but they quickly reacted and relieved Airou of Recon. The frog-faced doctor arrived shortly and the other nurses tried to usher him out but Heaven Canceler stopped them.

"Let him stay. I have a feeling we'll be needing his help to save this child. On the other hand, may I ask all of you to leave for a while. I need to concentrate though I'll just call for you when I need assistance."

The nurses responded obediently and allowed Airou to stay and left themselves. Though they did make him wear some sanitary equipment.

"Alright, Airou. Can you tell me what happened? You could have called an ambulance or the like to transport her here if this were a conventional incident. Judging by the panicked look on your face when you got here, that wasn't the case." the man known as Heaven Canceler asked as he began examining Recon.

"I'm not sure myself but she told me something like she's some kind of Relay Command Network of sorts connecting her to others like her and that she was infected by some kind of virus. When I touched her, I felt some mechanical parts functioning inside her but I can say she's mostly human. " Airou explained.

"I see... then she's probably a cyborg. I can try giving her a CAT scan but I trust your words better than any machine. If she is indeed a cyborg and a virus has infected her system then you're participation is required to save her. It seems to me that this virus is crippling her structural integrity and if that fails, she will cease to function. You're the only one who could save her at this point. " the frog-faced doctor explained.

Airou merely nodded and gazed at Recon's unconscious body. Her face was showing clear signs of pain. Whatever this virus is, it's putting this young girl through so much suffering. Seeing another victim of that deranged man he once called father only gave him more motivation to help Recon.

Airou held Recon's hand firmly before closing his eyes. He imagined a link forming between the two of them. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the examination room. Instead, he found himself in some sort of corridor that seemed vaguely familiar to him. Yes... it was coming back to him now. This was one of the corridors of the underground research facility.

"How ironic. I failed to escape this facility once without getting shot in the damn eye and passing of as dead but now I willingly returned here." Airou muttered under his breath. "I know entering the subject is the best method to purge the virus but this is just one kick in the nuts. Well whatever. The sooner I can kill that thing, the sooner I can get out of here."

It turns out, that he didn't have to take long searching for that monster after all. Since he was quite familiar with the layout of the facility, he instinctively went to the most dreadful part of it... the experimentation chamber. Sure enough, a silver humanoid figure with several appendages protruding from its back had attached itself to what seemed like Recon's body as if it were some kind of gigantic tick. More than half of Recon's body had already turned the same color as the parasitic manifestation of the virus and he was willing to bet nothing good will happen if her entire manifestation would be completely turned into the color of silverware.

"Oi, bastard. Preying on a defenseless kid like that? Are you some kind of pedophile or something?" Yoru said in a mocking tone to provoke the monster.

In response, the manifestation of the virus turned its head towards Airou and revealed that it didn't have any facial features. Despite this, it managed to let out a a hiss before charging towards him with inhuman speed.

It extended one of its appendages towards Airou with incredible speed and force but the #3 Level 5 esper merely did a side-step to avoid it. He then retrieved a small cylinder from his coat pocket and threw the contents towards the humanoid. What came out were iron fillings that spread all around the humanoid. However, instead of falling to the ground they floated in midair. Without wasting another second, he stretched his hand towards the humanoids direction and sent a wave electricity towards it. Due to the iron fillings scattered all around his opponent, the simple wave of electricity's power was increased tenfold and it consequently created an electric field. The shock field effectively cut off the virus' movements altogether but Airou wasn't going to take any chances. He began attracting everything metal in the chamber and molded them in the form of numerous metal poles several feet in length. As he was doing so, he observed that the virus' appendages were also influenced by his magnetic abilities.

It was actually a pretty common trait of most viruses' representations to have metallic compositions which symbolizes their aspect of being electronically made but he had encountered other embodiment of viruses in the past that are composed of other substances. These ones are typically the most troublesome kind as he cannot easily influence them. He had mistaken this particular embodiment to be the troublesome kind, which it should have been due to its highly corrosive effect to technology but if it was metallic in nature, it was nothing more than a glass cannon to him.

Lifting the metallic poles in the air, he willed them to fly straight towards the virus and impale it. Afterwards, he calmly walked towards it, seized one of its appendages with his right arm and sent a highly destructive burst of electricity through it. Within seconds, the head of the humanoid virus made a popping sound as it exploded into shrapnel while the body turned into a bubbly goo of molten metal.

"Well, it should be destroyed by now since its core got fried. Though if it was this easy, then this was just an elaborate trap..."

Airou approached the partially molten head of the virus' embodiment and examined it. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a small button cell device that he determined to have been broadcasting its location. With it destroyed, the receiver of the signals it broadcast should have been alerted.

"Tch... that bastard... first Amane and Shiro... now this kid. His madness just won't end until I put a stop to it... Just wait for me, you two... I swear to god that I will save you some day." He muttered to himself before approaching the sleeping figure of Recon.

"Oi, kid. Wake up. The mean, scary monster is gone now. I beat it up." Airou said in the gentlest voice he could muster as he shook the young girl's sleeping body. Dread was slowly filling Airou as moments pass without any signs of Recon's conscious waking up.

"Wake up, dammit!"

"Onii-chan, it's a weekend so let Recon sleep in!" She grumbled in her sleep.

Airou felt his chest lighten a little after hearing the little girl's complaint.

"Damn it kid. I just met you today and you're already giving me a headache."

The third-ranked level 5 esper closed his eyes and he found himself back at the hospital upon opening them once more.

"That ability of yours sure came in handy. When you brought her here, I wasn't sure she can be saved by my medical knowledge. Truth be told, she was on the verge of death... It turns out that you were right about that virus inflicting this much pain to her. Why the moment I had assumed that you purged the virus, her vitals almost instantly improved. Though, I have to say that she needs to stay a day or two here for observation. " The frog-faced doctor said with apparent relief in his tone.

"That damn bastard is up to his old tricks again. According to what the brat said, he's planning to "retrieve" me soon."

"And what are you going to do from here on, Airou? Are you planning on confronting him once again?"

"I have to, old man. I promised Amane and Shiro that I will save them someday. The very reason I joined Judgment is to bring Takasura to justice. Besides... I can't keep running forever. Every second I hesitate, more and more people are going to get hurt... seeing this kid suffer because of me made me realize that."

"I'm not your father so I can't tell you whether you should confront him or not. However, I am a doctor. If you ever get injured, just make sure that you come back here alive. As long as you don't bring yourself to me in a body bag, I can fix you." Heaven Canceller said.

"No, pops. You've been more of a father to me these past few years than anyone. I owe you a debt that I am certain I won't be able to pay in my lifetime. All I can do is to not let the life you gave me go to waste." Airou replied with much conviction.

Part 3

Ouryoushi Shin was en route to the 177th branch of Judgment when he witnessed an unbelievable sight. His partner robbed an esteemed jewelry store right in front of him. As he made his escape, Shin locked eyes with Akaze Airou and confirmed that the culprit looked exactly like his partner. There was one distinct difference that he noticed though. Instead of the usual dead fish eyes that had become a trademark feature of the Rank 3, Level 5 Judgment operative, this Airou's eyes were completely devoid of life. This disturbed Shin just as much as it baffled him and the culprit took advantage of this momentary distraction in order to make his escape.

By the time Shin snapped out of his dumbfounded state, the criminal that looked exactly like Akaze Airou had already fled the scene.

Out of sheer anger and disbelief, Ouryoushi Shin marched the rest of the way to the Branch Office. The trek managed to cool off his head a bit but upon seeing the culprit, his partner, Akaze Airou, casually talking to his two female co-workers right after what he'd done, his temper quickly flared up. He thrust his right arm towards Airou which sent him flying towards the wall, much to Sakaki and Yukiharu's astonishment.

"Oi! Shin. What did you do that for?" Sachi protested in an infuriated voice as Yukiharu tried in vain to pry Airou off the wall.

"That bastard over there has been deceiving us this entire time. I caught him in the act stealing from a high-end jewelry store on the way here!"

"Ouryoushi-san, that's impossible. Akaze-san arrived here about half an hour ago after taking his little sister to the hospital!" Yukiharu cried.

"Yeah. He's been with us ever since. Besides, it's impossible that he'd get involve with any criminal activity. He's been catching the bad guys with you left and right ever since he became your partner for Pete's sake."

"Precisely. Stop this baseless allegations and let me down this instant, Ouryoushi Shin!" Airou shouted as he struggled to breath while an invisible force held him against the wall making it difficult for him to breathe.

"If you guys don't believe me, then check the feed from the store's CCTV system. Until proven innocent of the crime, the suspect must be detained." Shin said to both the female Judgment members without ever leaving Airou out of his sight.

Sensing that there is no other way to persuade Shin to cease his actions, the two girls hurriedly shuffled to their respective desks and pressed a few commands to their computers to display the Jewelry Store's camera security feed. They stared at the video recording dumbfoundedly as they watched someone that looks exactly like Akaze Airou burst out of the Jewelry store with a bag filled with precious gems.

"No way... Akaze-san would never do this." Yukiharu muttered in disbelief.

"Yeah. This has to be someone else. According to this video recording, the incident took place at 6:34 in the evening but during that time, Akaze-kun was already here since 6:00 pm. That doesn't add up at all. " Sachi said still convinced of her co-worker's innocence.

"Then how do you explain him stealing all those jewels? I know you two both admire him but covering up for him won't do you anything good." Shin chided.

"Covering up for him? Are you accusing us of obstruction of justice?" The outraged voice of Sakaki Sachi could be heard loudly even from outside the office frightening Yukiharu and taking Shin aback quite a bit. Yukiharu Kazuki had witnessed misunderstandings between Ouryoushi Shin ever since she first stepped foot in this office. Most of the time, these were the result of petty reasons such as Shin stealing Sachi's snacks or Sachi getting pissed off whenever Shin steals credit from Akaze Airou's accomplishments. But this was something far different from any quarrel the two of them had before.

"Stop it both of you! Please. I don't want to see any of you fight like this. Ouryoushi-san, you've presented your evidence and even we have to accept its credibility but won't you let us prove our side? There are several cameras installed inside this building. Please review them and decide for yourself if our accounts are false or not!" Yukiharu Kazuki cried in a frail voice. Tears were already starting to form on the corners of the young Judgment member's eyes which prompted both Shin and Sachi to settle down momentarily.

"Okay. Fine. Just don't cry, okay? I'd be a disgrace among seniors everywhere if I made one of my juniors cry." Shin said in an annoyed voice before taking his position on his own desk. He pressed commands similar to what Sachi and Yukiharu previously entered but this time, he accessed the office's camera feed. His eyes widened in shock upon seeing that Akaze Airou had not left the office upon arriving at 6 in the evening.

Questions started to race inside Shin's mind. The office video confirms Sachi and Yukiharu's accounts are true but it still doesn't rule out Airou as the suspect since the jewelry store camera clearly captures his facial features even though the area was dimly lit.

With no answers in mind, he decided to vent his questions as well as his anger to the alleged thief himself.

"What is the meaning of this? How come you be at two places at the same time? From what we know, your ability revolves on the manipulation of electricity and machinery. Answer me!" Shin bellowed in anger.

Before tempers could flare up again, Sachi detected something strange in the feed of the suspect in the Jewelry Store incident. Upon zooming the camera to its highest setting and enhancing the image, she noted that the suspect may have the same face as Akaze Airou but their hair color was entirely different. If Airou had jet black hair, the suspect's hair was of a dark brown shade.

"Shin, wait. You need to take a look at this. The guy you saw wasn't Akaze-kun, it was an impostor. Just look at the difference of their hair color!" Sachi said urgently to get the blonde Level 5's attention. She manages to do so as he quickly inspects Sachi's claims and his expression relaxes only just a little. However it was sufficient enough to convince him to let go of Airou.

"Thank you very much." Airou muttered as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"You're not out of the woods yet, bub. If you know anything about your "evil twin" then spill the beans. Otherwise, you're facing an obstruction of justice charge." Shin may have been convinced that it wasn't his partner who robbed the store but he still believed that Airou knows something about the suspect.

Part 4

The facts were already laid down on the table yet his fellow colleagues seem to be unable to make sense of them. He had tried to hide his past from these people but it seems the skeleton let itself out of the closet.

"Heh... I guess I really can't keep anything from your meddling noises, huh?" Airou said after an exasperated sigh.

"What'd you say, punk?!" Shin protested but Sachi and Yukiharu held him back before he could land a hit on Airou's face.

"What do you mean, Akaze-san. Do you know who that person was?"

"Yeah, Akaze-kun. Who was that impostor?"

Both Sachi and Yukiharu had quizzical looks on their faces as they eagerly awaited their colleague's response.

"That person over there... you could say that's technically me. What I meant was, that guy is a clone and my DNA was used to make him. That girl that came over here awhile ago was not my sister. I was the product of the love between two Skill-Out members that belonged to rival factions. When the respective leaders of both factions discovered their love for each other, they murdered my parents and left me for dead. I was saved by two other orphans like me when they found me scavenging from the pantry of an orphanage. They gave me food and clean water that I never would have thought I'd get to taste ever since my parents were murdered. They told me their names. Isokawa Amane and Misuzu Shiro. Then they offered me a place in the orphanage they belonged to. I quickly accepted their offer with no hesitation in mind. I didn't care where I wound up at during those times.

All I cared about was staying alive. As long as there was food as good as the ones they had unselfishly given me, I would follow them to the ends of the earth.

I was welcomed like a celebrity or a returning hero would when we reached the orphanage. The smiles of the staff and that woman as if their very souls had received a small piece of salvation when they saw me, I would not forget about that.

Soon enough, Amane, Shiro and I became the best of friends. Sure there were a lot of other Child Errors we befriended but the bond between us transcended mere companionship. We treated each other like siblings would... I was certain that everything would be alright especially when a widowed doctor offered to adopt all three of us. Boy, was I naive. Takasura Katsugi adopting us marked the end of our forlorn days of bliss without so much as a care in the world. "

As Airou progressed in narrating his past, his expression gradually turned into one of remorse and self-derision. All the while, his colleagues listened to his tale intently

"For the first few months, Takasura treated us like a father would. He cared for us, provided us with our basic needs, share a laugh with us from time to time and gave us the love we once had when we had our families. But that soon changed for the worse. Amane and Shiro found out his true motives. They tried to convince me that the only reason he adopted us was to make us his guinea pigs and forcefully turn us into Level 5 Espers. I was still blinded by the illusion of his love for us so naturally I did not heed their warnings. My foolishness caused a lot of suffering for all of us.

The experiments started. I didn't know how many times he'd injected us with god knows what, toyed with our bodies, and pushed us to the brink of death all for the sake of his research. Until one day, the dawn of the final experiment, I lost the two most important people in my life.

Takasura was so adamant with the idea of turning us into Level 5's. Through months of inhumane experiments, he had come up of a theoretical way to boost our Levels enabling us to become Level 5 Espers. After the experiment began, we experienced pain so great that I could say all of us wished to die during those moments. We managed to achieve Level 5 for a few moments before all of us succumbed to the effects of being overloaded. Amane entered a coma, Shiro's mental state quickly deteriorated while my ability reverted back to Level 1. Takasura must have given up any hope for me since he shot my right eye at point blank range and had his intern dispose of my corpse. Had that Frog-Faced Doctor not found my unconscious body at a dark alleyway, I would have really died. Any other doctor would have given up on me after just seeing a glimpse of my body back then. But that man was an anomaly among doctors. As long as a patient was brought to him still alive, he could guarantee that they'll live and come out of any life-threatening situation just fine..."

The black haired esper paused for a few moments to see his comrades' individual reactions. Sachi and Yukiharu had pained expressions on their faces while Shin's face was distorted with visible signs of anger while he clenched his fists.

"Since I no longer had a family to return to, that doctor known as Heaven Canceller presented me with two options. Either he'll send me to another orphanage or he'd adopt me instead. I owed my life to him so I naturally chose the latter. Besides, I've had enough of orphanages at the time. The Frog-Faced Doctor looked pleased with my response. He hurriedly got the paperwork sorted for my adoption. Afterwards, I started living with him. He treated me as if I were a son he always wanted but never had... of only he were the one who came to that orphanage that fateful day instead of Takasura... All this shit wouldn't have happened... The three of us would have been leading fairly normal lives. But I guess life's just not that simple, huh?" Airou said in an exasperated tone.

"Then the reason you joined Judgment was-"

Airou did not even allow Sachi to finish her sentence. He already knew what she was thinking and did not hesitate to confirm her assumptions.

"You're right. I didn't join this organization just because I have a strong sense of Justice nor did I sign up for it because I wanted to be a hero. The only reason I enlisted for the Student-based voluntary police force known as Judgment is to acquire any lead at all on Takasura Katsugi's whereabouts."

The atmosphere in the decent-sized office became a lot more gloomy after hearingbthe black haired esper's response. Who'd blame them when they realized that the person they have treated like family had only been using them this whole time. They felt more than just dumbfounded... they felt betrayed.

"No way."

"Please don't say, that."

"Tch... you're the worst."

The remarks of Sachi, Yukiharu and Shin would have pierced the heart of any other person in his place but it was different for Airou. At the very beginning, he was already prepared to be hated by these very people.

"I'm not fit to be a hero. I'm not someone who'll recklessly place their life on the line for strangers. If ever I'm going to save someone, it's because I have already decided that it wouldn't be detrimental to my own safety or interest. But neither I am a villain. I won't leave someone to die when I have the means to save a life so long that it doesn't threaten my own life as well. I'm just someone acting on his own interest. "

"Tell me, were you going to hack into one of the city's database once you've gained our trust?" Shin asked in a grudging tone as he gritted his teeth.

"Of course. If I do not find any leads at all using the conventional approach then I was already prepared to use my ability to hack into the "Bank" but I didn't expect that little girl containing all the information I need to appear all of a sudden. Now I don't have to take such drastic measures any more. However, in order to rescue Amane and Shiro, I'm also willing to make an enemy of this entire goddamn city. I will use any means necessary to return the favor to the two people that had initially saved my life or at least die trying."

At some point, it had already started raining. It was no ordinary rain as huge, thick clouds had formed. Sparks of lightning cut through the sky and the booming of thunder only added to the melancholic atmosphere that had permeated the decent-sized office.

"To begin with, by transforming us into the various monsters we are now, we were already robbed of any possibility to lead a normal life. The damage had already been done to all three of us..."

An exasperated sigh escaped his lips as he started towards the exit.

"I'm going to do things that will most likely place the citizens of this city in peril. You are free to stop me if you want but be aware that I will crush anything that stands in my way. If destroying the very value of this city will help me achieve my goals, then I will not hesitate to do so." Airou explained.

Just before he was about to leave, someone placed their hand on his shoulders in an attempt to stop him. He briskly turned around only to come face to face with a fist headed towards him. He reeled back a bit and smiled thinly as blue sparks enveloped his body. However, upon hearing #4's response, that smile turned into awe.

"You, motherfucking idiot! Do you think we would just stand idly by after hearing all that shit you told us. I'm entitled to kick your ass just for deceiving us but after hearing your reason, I'm going to reschedule that session to a later date." Shin said in a clearly ticked off voice.

"Yeah... you may have just recently been stationed here but that doesn't change the fact that you are a valued co-worker and a good friend. Even without you asking us, we'll clearly lend you our help, Akaze-kun."

Sachi was beaming at him as she practically dragged an already enrage Ouryoushi Shin away from #3.

"Yeah. We may not seem to be of much help but we're members of Judgment. Besides, that's what friends do for each other, right? And you absolutely cannot refuse our help since we're volunteering."

The timid Yukiharu Kazuki that Airou had known seemed to have vanished and was replaced by one filled with uncharacteristic conviction.

"Heh... you stubborn bastards. I was trying to protect you from my darkness but..."

After seeing the determination in everyone's faces, a spark had been ignited inside Airou.

These were people that he had only recently interacted with. Yet they treated him as a friend. It was strange. He had anticipated that they would loathe him after finding out his true intentions but it looked more like the bond of their friendship had only gotten deeper.

"... don't come crying to me if you get hurt."

Part 5

Misaka Sakurako was at an underground shopping mall in District 7 with her best friend, Mirai Kuroko. They had just been dismissed after a very tedious day of end-of-term tests.

"Gahh! That chemistry exam totally pulled the carpet from under me. I don't think I'd be able to even barely pass it at this rate."

Contrary to what some people may think, the voice that uttered those words belonged to the Ice Empress of Tokiwadai.

"Honestly, Ojou-sama. I'm worried about your grades. Ever since your defeat courtesy of Akaze-san, you haven't been able to focus at all lately."

Mirai said in a halfhearted manner. It was more to tease the already flustered #6 than to express any worry for her friend.

Her woman's intuition had more or less informed her of what's really going on in her friend's noggin so she couldn't help teasing her.

"A-Auau... Don't get any funny ideas. I was just quite surprised to have been beaten that easily. It was a humbling experience and a pretty embarrassing one at that. Of course, I'd be distracted." She retorted.

"Ara... Is that really the cause of your worries, Ojou-sama? Isn't it because of a certain, black-haired Level 5 that worked for Judgment?"

"What are you implying, Kuroko? Get to the point already."

Sakurako tried to maintain her poker face but she already had a bad feeling about what's going to happen next.

"Don't feign ignorance, Ojou-sama. I'm also a woman, you know. And I know the recent cause of your troubles... You're in L-O-V-"

Before Kuroko could even finish what she was saying, she froze. It wasn't because she saw something astonishing or terrifying. She literally felt a chill run down her spine. Upon glancing nervously in Sakurako's direction, she saw that her best friend's face was twitching as she forced herself to smile.

"What were you saying, Kuroko? I didn't quite hear that."

"Kyaaaaaaa! Even if you punish me, Ojou-sama, that still doesn't change the fact that you like Akaze-san! Waaahh... Ahh... Achooo!"

After Kuroko said those words, the temperature seemed to have gone down drastically everywhere in the mall instead of just solely on Kuroko's back. This drastic change caused a bit of panic among the people in the mall but that unnatural cold disappeared shortly afterwards.

Thinking that it was just a malfunction in the mall's automated temperature regulating system, the shop goers dismissed the peculiar phenomenon. On the other hand, Kuroko found it peculiar that the cold had suddenly receded. In reality, Sakurako merely manipulated the temperature in the mall but knowing her, she normally wouldn't have been satisfied until she had turned the red haired level 5 into an ice sculpture.

"Tch... Normally I'd have turned you into a block of ice already but I realize now how immature that'd be. " Sakurako said nonchalantly.

Mirai Kuroko stared at the brown haired Ice Empress with her jaw agape. This went beyond the realm of unusual behavior for a person like Misaka Sakurako. Kuroko felt like her friend was replaced by someone else entirely... and that was even more terrifying than the prospect of getting turned into an ice sculpture every time she offended the #6.

"You... You're not my Ojou-sama! She would never think of things like that, much less, refrain from giving me punishment!" Kuroko exclaimed.

"Oh? Well, if you insist, then we can arrange for that now."

"Ahahaha... I think it's more advantageous for my health if you stay like this, Ojou-sama." She said in a tense voice as her body quivered in fear.

"Anyways, I suppose I should tell you now why I dragged you out here all of a sudden. The truth is... I want to give something to that guy... you know... as an apology for how I acted and as thanks for what he did." Sakurako stated in an uncharacteristically sheepish voice.

"Hora! You really are in lo- Mnngh! Nmhhhh! Ghhghgh!"

Without even getting to finish what she was going to say, Kuroko felt a sudden chill from her lips and in a matter of seconds, she realized they've been frozen shut.

"I... really am trying hard... to turn over a new leaf here, Kuroko... please don't get any weird ideas anymore." As Sakurako forced another smile, her brows started twitching,clearly unaccustomed to the act.

She soon released her hold on Kuroko's lips with a single dismissive flick of her hand. Then she started walking ahead of Kuroko who was still recuperating from her chilling experience.

"I... S-see... O-jjoou-sssama... B-but.. why d-did y-you ask me to c-come with you? C-couldn't you d-do that on your o-own?"

Kuroko tries to speak but her teeth kept chattering, clearly another side-effect of the cold.

" That's the problem... I don't exactly have any experience with these kinds of things and since we're attending Tokiwadai, it's rare for me to talk to guys in the same age group. Since you regularly get love letters from guys from different schools and get asked out on lots of dates I figured you'd have more knowledge in this field. "

"Ahaha... I see... It's only natural for you to think like that... Alright! I'll help you out. In exchange, I get to sleep next to you for a week, right?"

She said excitedly. However, upon seeing another unnatural smile from Sakurako, she made a sound much similar to a puppy whimpering after it saw something terrifying.

"Or I could do it out of my own goodwill in the spirit of friendship and camaraderie free of charge!" She said as tears poured down from her eyes while laughing nervously.

"Mm. I knew you'd say that. Anyways, do you have any suggestions on what to give him?"

"Hmm... I can't say. We've both met Akaze-san at the same time so I don't know much about him either. In situations like this, it's better to give him something that you like! If it's from the heart then I'm sure he'll appreciate anything you give him."

Kuroko patted the brown haired esper's back as if to encourage her even more. She had never seen Sakurako this worked up about anything ever since the two of them became roommates.

The Sakurako she had come to know was aloof, and detached from the world. A certain feeling of gloom and melancholy always seemed to exude from her as if she's carrying some problem that is too much for her to deal with on her own.

That being said, whatever that problem is, she had chosen not to rely on anyone, even her best friend for support even though it was killing her inside... There are a lot of words that could be used to describe her friend. Cool, calm, intelligent, eccentric, amazing, talented... these are all appropriate... However, Kuroko knew for a fact that Sakurako was never happy. That was why Kuroko felt relieved to see for the first time Sakurako's happiness.

"Kukuku... Anything I want, huh? Well, why didn't you tell me that sooner? I already know what to give him now!"

The excitement in the brown haired girl's face was evident as she practically dragged her red-haired companion with her. Kuroko couldn't help smiling herself upon seeing that her dear friend was enjoying herself but upon their arrival at the store Sakurako had in mind, the color instantly drained from Kuroko's face.

Part 6

"Ojou-sama... Even though I said anything is fine... you still should have taken the age group and gender preference into account!" Kuroko muttered while she exited the store limply with Sakurako.

The red haired girl had a defeated look on her face after having her advice taken too enthusiastically.

"What are are you saying, Kuroko? This is the ultra rare limited edition Gekota wristwatch! There are only a handful of these in the world so I had to fight tooth and nail just to get one of these priceless artifacts!" Sakurako said while smiling cockily. She pushed out her modest chest pridefully to further stress her accomplishment.

"Personally, I really want another one for myself but they're so hard to get and they won't sell more than one of these to a single customer. Well, I'll give this to him. Then he'll know how contrite I am for my behavior the other day! If what Yukiharu had told me was correct, he should be on duty now. Let's head to that Judgment branch and ask where he's patrolling right now."

The brown haired esper was just about to drag Kuroko with her once more when the latter noticed a familiar face come out of one of a hardware store.

"We may no longer need to head there. Look!" Kuroko pointed towards the direction of someone wearing a black coat and holding a suitcase in one hand heading towards the mall's exit. She then called out to him to prevent the Ice Empress from backing down from her objective.

"Oi! Akaze-sa-"

Kuroko's voice faltered upon sensing that something was horribly wrong. The figure turned towards them and smiled cruelly. His expression seemed to be similar to a carnivore who had unexpectedly stumbled into a couple of delicious prey.

The boy that looked exactly like Akaze Airou was only 15 meters in front of them and he slowly closed the gap between them. When the distance had been reduced to 10 meters, he tapped a scanner-like device of the suitcase. He retrieved various parts inside and assembled them expertly to form an ominous weapon in a matter of seconds.

"!"

He didn't even give so much as a warning when he pointed the barrel of a Kalishnikov rifle at them and opened fire. Kuroko couldn't react fast enough. She was frozen in place. She couldn't even ask herself just why on earth he'd do such a thing. The only thing in her mind right now is that she's gonna die.

Thump.

Thud.

Kwoosh!

The sound of bullets penetrating solid mass was heard followed by the panicked screams of civilians.

Kuroko half expected that she would have been turned into Swiss cheese if she had not died instantly but she was startled to realize that she was unscathed.

Upon looking in front of her, she saw a massive wall of ice had materialized between her and her assailant. Instead of hitting the redhead, the bullets have penetrated the thick wall of ice. This managed to decelerate the bullets' velocity enough to prevent it from getting through.

However, since the wall of ice blocked the way, they had no means of chasing after the gunman who seemed to have fled upon realizing his attack was ineffective.

Kuroko still couldn't believe what had transpired before her but she was even more worried about Sakurako at that moment. She swiftly turned to face her friend and only saw murder in the #6's eyes.

"Kuroko... let's go to that Judgment branch office. After filing a formal complaint... I'm gonna turn that bastard into an ice sculpture and shatter him with a sledgehammer.

Between the Lines 1

After making his escape, the boy who had the same face as Akaze Airou quickly retreated to a safe house to report what had occurred to his "Father".

"Hm... An esper that freely manipulates ice? So he has connections with that upstart couple's daughter? I see. You did good, Alpha. Now you've caused quite the predicament for my prodigal son. I won't be surprised if that arrogant pair's daughter wants to kill him now for what you've done."

At the other end of the line, it was evident that Takasura Katsugi could not contain the excitement in his voice. The actions of one of his "children" had yielded truly unexpected yet advantageous results. With this, he can already put the next phase of his plan into action.

"Alpha, have all your brothers on standby. Observe the results of the commotion you've caused. Be prepared to engage the original any time. I'd honestly prefer if you can bring back my prodigal son alive since he can be quite a useful tool when we finally start the main plan but if he proves to be too troublesome, do not hesitate to put a bullet into his noggin."

There was a cruel smile on the mad scientist's face as he gave that order. It just goes to show that he truly doesn't care anymore about the boy that had once been his foster child. "The Akaze Airoids are already an apt military force which can easily deal with Academy City's forces anyways. Though if we can neutralize their technology, the plan would proceed a lot more smoothly." Takasura mused enthusiastically.

"Do we kill him or not? Make up your mind already, pops. Based from your tone, you still want him alive. Alpha personally wants to kill him more than the others but if you orders us, we'll hold back.

The Airoid named Alpha clicked his tongue in annoyance at his "father's" indecisiveness which only made the gray-haired scientist laugh.

"You really have quite the trigger finger, Alpha. Well I'll leave that choice of the matter to you. It's true that completing the set would prove very advantageous for us but I don't want to handle a weapon that would likely blow up in my face. Don't hold back, now. Even though he's my prodigal son, he's still a Level 5 and one of my Fatal Errors. He's not somebody you can take on if you hold back. Well, good hunting."

Static could only be heard after Takasura cut off the transmission from his encrypted network.

On the other hand, the phone that Alpha used can easily be traced. It was cheap and therefore disposable. Hence, he dropped the plastic communications device on the floor and crushed it under his foot. He then used the Akaze Network to contact his brethren and inform of the change of plans.

Once that had been finished, he replaced the parts of the disassembled Kalashnikov rifle in the suitcase with those of an Academy City rifle, the CS1000R. Apparently, the CS meant Combat Science. It was an automatic rifle much akin to the SCAR but much more lightweight since it was made out of strong synthetic plastic. It can fire its standard lead bullets and bullets made of hardened synthetic plastic. In order to take down a monster such as their "older brother" they needed to prepare such measures.

("Ohh... based from Airoid 1342's report, Recon-chan really did go to him to ask for help. He had apparently destroyed the virus in her... So we can conclude that he had already formed an emotional attachment with her. Someone retrieve the brat. Alpha's going to do some reconnaissance work for a bit." )

Alpha ordered mentally before ending his own transmission.

He packed the state-of-the-art rifle into the suitcase together with dozens of magazines before leaving the safe house.

Part 7

Things have generally calmed down in the 177th Branch of Judgment. The reason was everyone was hard at work inspecting the numerous security footage captured by the countless CCTV cameras scattered all throughout Academy City looking for Akaze Airou's doppelganger.

As they were about to give up any hope of finding the culprit, Sakaki Sachi noticed something in the corner of her eye. She shifted her attention towards one of the security cameras placed at an underground shopping mall in District 7. She saw dozens of civilians running out of the mall which seemed highly suspicious. She pressed a few buttons to switch the video feed to another camera inside the mall. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw what happened. The incident occurred roughly 15 minutes ago based from the time displayed on the security footage. However, before she could inform anyone of her discovery, the front door of the office suddenly exploded and a torrent of cold air assaulted everyone in the room.

Everyone's heads instinctively turned towards the front door. However, upon seeing the face of someone they were very familiar with, they could only look at each other in confusion.

"Oi, Ace. If you're still mad about me stealing your first kiss the other day, you can take it out on me at the back. However, don't take it out on the door. Geezus. We're gonna have to pull the repair costs from our budget again dammit."

Airou sighed vehemently but he soon steeled himself once he detected the killing intent emanating from her. She was entirely different from when he fought her before.

"YOU!"

Without so much as a warning, Sakurako shot half a dozen icy spikes towards Airou.

In response, the black haired esper used his magnetism to quickly pull a steel office desk towards him to act as a shield. The makeshift barrier only proved to be slightly efficient as the frozen spikes impaled themselves on the metal shield, almost completely passing through it.

"What the hell?! Oi, Ace. What the hell was that just now? Are you really that upset with having your first kiss stolen?!"

Airou exclaimed but the brown haired girl merely ignored him as she prepared to fire another volley of icy spikes.

This was a bad situation for him. Unlike when dealing with a criminal, Airou did not want to deal any harm to the brown-haired girl. But from that earlier attack, he determined that the feeling wasn't mutual. Unlike last time, when Sakurako's only goal was to beat him, the #6's clear objective was to kill him.

"Shit..."

Sparks formed around Airou's body as he went into a battle stance. But before both parties could launch an attack, they were both thrown to the floor by an invisible force.

"Stop it both of you!" Ouryoushi Shin and Mirai Kuroko shouted at the same time as they kept the two espers at bay.

"What the hell are you doing Kuroko! That bastard tried to kill you earlier and now you're defending him?! Let me go! I'll kill him!"

Airou was stunned when he heard Sakurako's words. Stealing was one thing but attempting to kill Kuroko and Sakurako was another story. He needed to put a stop to this doppelganger's actions before more innocent people are harmed. He clenched his teeth as sparks raged around him while being pinned down by the increased force of gravity exerted on him by Shin's ability.

Meanwhile, Sakurako struggled in vain as the invisible force held her down but she stopped any resistance upon seeing the tears welling up in Kuroko's eyes.

"Kuroko..."

"You've got it all wrong, Ojou-sama... Didn't you notice earlier? That man that attacked us wasn't Akaze-san. He looked like him but that wasn't him. I could see it in his eyes when he attacked us." Kuroko cried.

"If you don't believe Mirai-san, then perhaps a couple of footages would convince you of Akaze-kun's innocence. Honestly... for this to happen twice in a single day... and she reacted exactly how Shin reacted a while ago."

"Well at least I didn't blow the fucking door to smithereens when I came charging here."

Shin scoffed as he gradually eased the pressure he exerted on Airou's body.

"Heh, I'm not actually a big fan of getting pinned down like this either." Airou said in a passive tone.

With everyone's prodding, they managed to make the brown haired Level 5 listen to their request. They presented her two different footages captured at the same time. One showed Sakurako and Kuroko getting attacked by Akaze Airou's doppelganger at the underground shopping mall in District 7 while the other video showed Akaze Airou inside the headquarters of Judgment when the incident occurred. It was the exact approach they used to quell Shin's anger and calm him down quite a bit earlier.

"Wha... but how..."

Sakurako said in disbelief as she watched the two videos simultaneously. However, to the observant eye, one could also see a twinge of relief in her face.

"Long story short... that is one of my 9968 evil clones. Based from what little my "little sister" told me and from the disturbances these clones have caused, their primary objective is to draw me out, confront me and recover me... The one behind all this madness is a person that I had once called as my foster father. He is currently holding two people who I consider to be family hostage. Apparently, after he realized I was alive, he wants to have the complete set now."

He stared at the screen with hatred in his eyes. Takasura Katsugi was a man that only cared about the end result. He did not care what effects his plans had on innocent lives as long as a favorable result is achieved.

As he was intently focusing on the way the clones were attacking, something caught his attention that made the world around him stand still.

"Sachi... the screens are displaying recordings as well as live feed, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

He did not have time to answer that question. All he needed was the confirmation from Sachi.

With a single flick of his wrist, various pieces of metal attached themselves around his feet until they formed something reminiscent of a pair of boots. Metallic blue lights adorned the boots adding to its futuristic feel and it emitted a low hum.

After checking that the device was complete, he rushed out of the office at unimaginable speeds.

Stunned silence was commonly felt by everyone when they saw Akaze Airou rush out of the building as of his life depended on it. But upon looking at the specific live feed of the camera Airou was intently looking at a while ago, all of the #3's colleagues could only watch in horror as another tragedy was committed by those clones.

Part 5

The boots that Airou had hastily formed were truly one of a kind. It emitted short bursts of kinetic energy to propel its user great distances while also acting as a shock absorber. He was not as childish as he once had been but if his child self would name this piece of technology, he would have called it "Grass Hopper".

Using Grass Hopper, Akaza Airou reached the hospital Recon was confined in after only 5 minutes. But even with this futuristic technology at his disposal, but it was still not enough.

Even without entering the building, Airou could already tell that he arrived too late. The doors of the building showed indications that it had been forcefully blown away and small fires were currently being extinguished by the hospital's sprinkler system.

The frog-faced doctor known as Heaven Canceler was expecting his arrival at the destroyed entrance of the hospital.

"They took the girl. Not just one, but at least half a dozen of them arrived to take Recon-chan. They were armed with lightweight automatic rifles and I couldn't negotiate with them. They would have started firing at the other patients if I had not handed her over... I'm sorry."

The old doctor had a bitter look on his face as he narrated the events. He looked ashamed of what he had done but Airou couldn't blame him. Saving someone meant not saving someone else. The lives of the few took held less importance than the lives of the many.

"You've done quite enough, old man. Just tell me where they went. I'll handle the rest." Airou said in a reassuring voice.

"I don't know. They left in a hurry. I had to check the other patients' conditions so I don't know where exactly they went. "

"Shit..."

Airou felt his entire was falling apart. The delicate world he had established after he escaped that nightmare several years ago was crumbling before him.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He quickly fished the handheld device out of his pocket and placed the receiver on his ear.

"Akaze-san, this is Yukiharu. The clones are headed southeast of you. It looks like they're headed for District 23."

Yukiharu reported in an urgent manner. "They have Recon-chan. It looks like there are about close to a dozen of them and they're all carrying high-caliber automatic rifles. Please be careful."

"Alright. Thanks for the info Yukiharu. Please continue tracking their movements. Call me again when you notice something strange, no matter how trivial it is. "

Just as he had hit a dead end, a new path had been opened before him. He was now starting to appreciate sharing his past with his colleagues. He had just understood that he cannot hope facing his darkness without relying on anyone's help.

Airou immediately hung up and placed the phone back in his pocket. With a crunching sound, he forcefully stomped the ground with Grass Hopper and headed for District 23.

Part 8

District 23 was a large flat area perfect for the use and development of experimental aircraft. As such, there were only a few buildings located in this flat piece of land since most of the land are being utilized as runways. That said, it was highly unlikely that Takasura Katsugi's research facility was located there.

"So that means..."

Airou's phone started ringing once again just as he was nearing his destination. He deftly retrieved the device from his pocket as he continued sprinting towards District 23 at insane speeds with the help of the Grass Hopper.

"A...aze... an... s...o... it's... t..p"

Yukiharu screamed at the other end of the line but something was causing her voice to become distorted.

"Dammit. They're jamming the signal? "

Airou bit back a curse and pressed on. He had no time to worry about trivial matters like his signal being jammed or Yukiharu's message. Whatever it may entail, he still had to rescue that little girl from the Darkness that bared its fangs after she had once escaped its clutches.

After a couple of minutes, he arrived at the outer perimeter of District 23.

The entire District was surrounded by an iron fence to keep out any intruders. It was several meters high and there was a sign that indicates that a deadly current was running through it.

Of course, he had no trouble getting through these defenses. He could just climb the fence since he need not worried of getting electrocuted or he could just rip apart the fence with his magnetism but he chose the path of least resistance. Instead of causing unnecessary destruction, he merely jumped twice the height of the fence and landed on the other side.

As soon as he crossed that border, however, a huge number of red dots appeared all over his body. So much so that it seemed a red spotlight was directed at him. The situation made him realize what Yukiharu was trying to warn him of earlier.

"So, it was a trap all along."

Akaze Airou clicked his tongue in annoyance upon only realizing that fact when all the signs were pointing to that one answer.

He had assumed that the area wa devoid of life when he first arrived. The entire surroundings were dyed in black and there were no functioning light sources nearby. However, the reality of it was, the entire area was filled with thousands of people wearing black that it gave the illusion that nobody was there.

Upon closer inspection of his clones, he confirmed their resemblance to him. They were so alike to him that it wasn't surprising Shin and Sakurako mistook one of them for him. But they were different. He felt it. These weren't ordinary clones. They were more like cyborgs since he detected pieces of micro machinery inside them like Recon.

Tension filled the area as more of his clones pointed their weapons at him. However, a few of them lowered their arms to make way for another clone. The instant he saw the clone the others were treating as their leader, Airou felt his blood boiling inside him. Compared to the other "Airoids", this one had unkempt brown hair and a wild look on his face. While the other Airoids were devoid of emotion, this one was wearing an arrogant smile. Most likely, this was the one who attack Misaka Sakurako and Mirai Kuroko at the underground shopping mall not too long ago.

"Ah. Finally. We get to meet the Original himself. I suppose taking 9969 as hostage had proven quite effective."

The leader of the Airoids stretched his arms out wide as if to welcome Airou. However, his voice was filled with nothing but contempt.

"Who the fuck are you and what did you fucking do to Recon?"

Sparks were dancing wildly across his body as if resonating with the anger he felt. However, the one who distinguished himself from the other clones as their leader only laughed wryly.

"Oh, that's right. Alpha hasn't introduced himself yet. Well, Alpha is you yet Alpha is not you at the same time. Alpha is one of the 9968 clones that were mass produced in am attempt to replicate you, Original. Alpha was the first of the Akaze Airoids. Hence, my was also the one that got closest to your output, Original."

The clone that introduced himself as Alpha said in a familiar voice as he casually rested the advanced automatic rifle he was carrying on his shoulder.

"But that still wasn't enough for "Father". He wanted a replacement for the Level 5 he lost so he kept making more Airoids. Eventually he gave up and converted our function into his personal military force. He needed a Relay Command Network at first in order to control us so he made the Omega, Recon."

As if on cue, a pair of Airoids arrived dragging the limp body of an unconscious black haired girl. He almost charged towards her had not been for the thousands of guns pointed at him.

"The Central Command Unit was very cooperative at first but she suddenly refused to cooperate one day. This forced "Father"to come up with other means to control us without damaging our system functions and structural integrity. Once he had done so, he no longer had any use for the Omega. When Recon realized that she had lost her purpose, the Omega came running to you for help. Alpha thinks that she will be rewarded greatly for locating you, original... after being punished severely that is."

Alpha performed a well-placed kick on the little girl's solar plexus which made her instinctively reel back and cry out in pain.

Airou clenched his teeth as he held back his own anger. The sparks dancing on his body before were now rapidly and violently flowing through him.

"What do you want?"

"Ah. Finally said the magic words, huh? Well what our objective is quite simple but that is entirely dependent on how you react. The real question is, what do you want, Original?"

"That is also very simple... All I want is to pry Amane, Shiro, Recon and all of you from the darkness that had swallowed everyone of us whole."

Unknown to the clones, he wasn't just idly watching helplessly as he conversed with Alpha. He was subtly manipulating the metal in the area and turning them into futuristic technology to counter against the overwhelming numbers of the enemy forces.

For a few moments, the area was filled with nothing but silence. It was then followed by the voice of someone laughing profusely.

"You actually believe you can save us? Did getting shot in the eye knock a few loose screws out of your head? But Original, if it weren't for your failure several years ago, Alpha, Recon or any of us Airoids would not exist. We would not be subjected to so much pain. If you had only become like those two, Recon-chan would not be suffering like she is now."

As if to further prove his point, he mercilessly delivered another kick to Recon's stomach. The impact was strong that the sound of the impact echoed around the area.

Recon also started coughing up blood while breathing heavily. Any kid her age would have started crying after being kicked that viciously but Airou could tell that she was holding back those tears.

It had not been long since her life was threatened by a malicious virus... but even so, she managed to escape Takasura Katsugi's firm grip and make contact with Airou.

Instead of immediately asking for help, she disseminated information about the mad scientist first.

And now that she was just recovering from an ailment that shook her very core, she was being subjected to so much torture that a girl her age should not be experiencing.

And yet she still didn't cry. Rather than she cannot, she refused to shed a single tear.

She didn't want to show any signs of weakness even in her battered state.

She didn't want to burden her "older brother" more than she already has.

Akaze Airou understood... that even in her own little way, no matter how feeble her attempts were, no matter how hopeless her struggles were, the girl that was created by the darkness was trying her very best to fight that very same darkness.

That was why he cannot falter. Wasn't that what he promised himself before? No matter how many enemies he face, no matter how ridiculously powerful they may be, he had vowed to redeem all the victims of the Darkness of Science.

"So here's what we're going to do. You're gonna come with us and we'll reunite the Prodigal Son with his father. And then "Father's" family will be complete again." Alpha mused.

"D... don't... you... s-ee... Al-pha? Th-at... man...doesn't care about Recon, Alpha, or any of us Airoids. The evil... man tried to... kill Onii-chan when he was my age... The evil man turned... Ama-nee and Shiro-nii... into monsters. We're all... nothing but... expendable... assets to him... ready to be thrown away... once we have served... our purpose... Even if you hand over... Onii-chan... the second you do... you and the others... would be thrown away because... Alpha... you're nothing more than a... liability."

Liability.

Upon hearing that word, Alpha's face that had once exhibited only arrogance and content became distorted and showed only loathing. He raised his hand and repeatedly struck the black haired girl several times. It was apparent that he was going to keep this up until she no longer had the strength to spew forth any more blasphemies... However, as he was about to bring his hand down on the little girl's battered body, someone held it in place.

"Leave her out of this..."

"!"

Krag.

Thud.

Before Alpha could reach for his Academy City-tier assault rifle, Akaze Airou slammed his right knee on Alpha's solar plexus. Normally, that attack would not he able to send a human body flying several feet away. If it was a strong opponent, it would only send them reeling momentarily. But with the help of the kinetic energy generated by Grass Hopper, Airou was able to generate that much force.

Again there was silence.

Airou expected the clones to retaliate immediately after his preemptive strike but surprisingly they did not react at all except for a few that checked on their leader's condition, including the clones that were restraining Recon.

("So it's true. Since they have been absolutely robbed of their free will, they cannot think for themselves. They need to get orders from Alpha in order to function.")

Airou used the short amount of time he had bought with that surprise attack to check on Recon's condition. Although she had sustained some nasty external injuries, Airou determined that there were no damages to her internally nor mentally.

Just as Airou was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he noticed Alpha stirring from the corner of his eye.

"Khh... What are you fools doing?! Shoot him!"

The clones complied to his order. However, not all of them fired at once. Initially, one would think that Airou was at a sheer disadvantage due to the sheer number of the enemy but that had proven to be a blessing in disguise. Due to how closely packed the enemy forces were, only a few of them were capable of firing their weapons and they only did so once they ensured that neither of them would get hit with their own bullets should Airou somehow deflect them.

"Geez... don't you understand..."

Before the bullets could hit their mark, Akaze Airou had already used his power of magnetism to attract several metal plates from several directions.

The metal plates resembled shields yet there were unknown patterns of light running through each one. It absorbed the energy and force of oncoming attacks and distributed them throughout its wide surface effectively stopping any attack from reaching Akaze Airou. Theoretically, these are sturdy enough to withstand the destructive force of a missile. He had made these as he was stalling for time when he was talking to Alpha.

Again, if his child self were to give this piece of futuristic technology a name, he would have named it Diamant Panzer.

Upon making contact with the metal plates, the bullets were pulverized leaving only fine specks of dust on the ground.

"You don't win a war with numbers alone..."

Part 9

The first among the 9968 clones of Akaze Airou, Akaze Alpha realized the flaw of the formation of his troops. He barked orders to his "brothers" to break away from each other so more people could fire upon Airou and Recon.

"I should give you credit though. You didn't go after me with conventional weaponry, utilizing plastic instead. It seems you've planned this quite a bit. Indeed. Normally taking on these many enemies with limited resources would be impossible for me. But you made one crucial mistake. Unless you are absolutely certain that you have the absolute advantage and you can absolutely defeat your enemy, don't run your mouth too much. You should have shot me the moment I showed up."

Their actions were useless.

Their weapons were useless.

Their tactics were useless

Nothing was working in the plan that Alpha had fabricared and played back again and again in his head.

Everything was falling apart.

"Say, Alpha. You want to kill me, right?"

"!"

Amid the sound of gunfire, the Original, the person whose DNA they were based from, said those words nonchalantly. Yet it stabbed through Alpha sharper than any blade.

"I thought so. I'm guessing that old geezer told you to handle the situation as you see fit but seeing how much of a fateful little puppy you are, you wanted to please your master. If possible, you want to take me alive."

No emotion can be felt in his words. And Alpha hated it. It would have been fine if there was arrogance, contempt, pity, or spite. But none of those were present. He was talking like he was just stating a couple of facts.

"And yet your purpose was to kill me? It's painful, right? It's excruciating, right? Ignoring your programming, your very reason to exist just to please someone who is ready to throw you out once you've outlived your usefulness. I don't know if you're a martyr or just straight up fucking delusional... but if you and your brothers are looking... no... yearning for the love of a father, you will never get that from Takasura Katsugi... "

It continued.

He continued hearing that emotionless voice from someone who looked devoid of all emotion. He was different from when he was before. It seemed very unrealistic but Akaze Airou's personality had changed drastically.

"Take my word for it. The man whom I also once called "Father" nonchalantly shot off my right eye in an attempt to "cut his losses". He'll do the same. He'll throw you out like pieces of trash you are after your objective is complete. Takasura Katsugi is not someone who understands the value of relationships, emotions or ethics. He only sees the world in a matter of disadvantage and advantage, loss and gain, asset and liability, beneficial and detrimental."

That voice... that cold monotone voice devoid of life. This was not the Akaze Airou described in their "father's" accounts. This was not the original that was innocent, cheerful, optimistic and altruistic. He understood now. Akaze Airou had become a monster due to the darkness of science.

And yet he still didn't want to believe it. Even for a mere clone, he still clung to the hope that after all of this was over, Takasura Katsugi would give them the love of a father he and his "brothers" had been yearning for.

His core had been shaken but his resolve will not waver. He will finish what he had started. He will finish this once and for all.

With a single wave of his hand, he signaled the rest of his "brothers" to cease fire. Their efforts were admirable but they were still in vain. He knew that he had to end this himself.

"Enough! Original. I will deal with you myself."

"I see. But know this. I am neither hero nor villain. I am a selfish bastard. If you get in the way of what I want, then I will defeat you better than any hero would and destroy you worse than any villain could. And right now, I want to protect this girl from the darkness of this city."

Akaze Airou stepped out of the defensive ring formed by the Diamant Panzers but maintained the device to shield Recon. This left him extremely vulnerable to the plastic bullets of the CS1000R's but it seemed that Alpha really intended to fight him one-on-one.

"I'll kill you..."

"There you go. If you want to kick my ass, you better not hold back."

Part 10

And so the two Akaze's clashed.

Akaze Airou, the boy that had been a victim of the darkness of science.

And Akaze Alpha, the boy that was created by the darkness of science.

Original vs Clone

Genuine vs Fake

Level 5 vs Level 4

Electricity crackled as the two exchanged blows.

Airou used Grass Hopper to propel himself towards Alpha and deliver powerful kicks.

On the other hand, Alpha dodged Airou's attacks and delivered counter attacks. Should he be unable to dodge a strike normally, electricity sparked on whatever part of his body and he miraculously avoided a normally undodgeable strike.

("So he overrides his nervous system by sending electric signals in order to forcefully control his body's locomotion. I see. However, forcing his body to move beyond its physical limits must cause him a lot of pain. He can't keep this up forever.")

He isn't a level 5 yet he is holding his own against someone like Akaze Airou. That fact alone proved how formidable an opponent Alpha is compared to the other pieces of machinery inside Alpha were also helping in strengtening his attacks and boosting his speed. From the looks of it, there's a special field generated by these machines that prevent Airou from interfering with their functions.

To any bystander watching the bout, the two looked evenly matched. However, without so much as a warning, Alpha seemed to disappear. No... he moved so fast that not even an after image of him was formed.

"!"

("From behind?!")

Airou twisted his body sidewards to avoid the attack. However, he didn't quite make it in time.

As he backed away from Alpha, he felt a stinging sensation from his cheek. He touched the source of the pain with his hand and he felt a liquid, most likely blood, dripping from it.

He looked at Alpha and noticed that at some point, he had produced an extremely sharp plastic knife on his hand.

("He used the explosive force lightning to increase his speed drastically?!")

"What's the matter, original? Was that too much of a shock for you?"

"Heh? So you have sense of humor too, huh? Well then... "

As Airou stretched out his hand, he collected the iron sand sleeping on the ground. It took on the form of a combat knife

The two of them nodded at the other, once again acknowledging the strength of their opponent before they entered combat once more.

Compared to Airou's metal knife, it would seem that Alpha's plastic knife would prove useless but surprisingly he, was parrying the metal knife's attacks with great ease. What Alpha lacked in terms of ability, he was making up for in terms of combat prowess.

("Tch... I hate to admit it but if I continue relying solely on combat prowess, I'm not going to last long.")

At some point, their weapons interlocked when Alpha's synthetic knife was chipped by Airou's sword effectively sealing the distance between the two combatants. As Airou was struggling to remove his weapon from its entangled state, his opponent retrieved something from his pocket with his right hand.

"!"

Airou knew what it was. Alpha was planning this all along. And now he was aiming a plastic pistol at Airou.

Airou had only one choice. Stomping fiercely on the ground, he generated enough kinetic energy with Grass Hopper to propel him a couple of meters back. However, he felt something hit his torso.

Since he was unable to maintain his center of gravity, he crashed harshly on the ground and rolled a few times before stopping.

As if a sign of Akaze Airou's defeat, the Diamant Panzers guarding Recon immediately fell on the ground before disintegrating back to their source material.

"Onii-chan!

Recon immediately run to Airou's side to check on him and her eyes opened wide. She saw blood soaking Airou's shirt while Airou himself looked unconscious.

After seeing what happened, Alpha had a triumphant look on his face. He slowly approached Airou as if a hunter coming to collect his kill.

"Alpha-san, stop! You can't kill him. He's our original." Recon pleaded as tears formed in her eyes.

"Shut up, you rebellious obsolete brat. After I make sure that shot finally did him in, you're next."

He swung his arm at the black haired girl which sent her flying a few feet away from Airou. She groaned in pain but she still refused to shed her tears.

"You've been a worthy opponent, Akaze Original, however, in the end, you're still just the defect you once were. This is the end."

"You're right... for you."

"!"

Before Alpha could aim his pistol, a huge block of metal slammed into his right arm. The force of impact was so strong that the sound of bones breaking could be heard. But before Alpha could scream in pain, he felt someone's fist slamming on his face. He was thrown a few meters away by the impact.

"B... but how... I saw you getting hit by that bullet in the chest. It should have at least punctured one of your lungs."

Alpha said in disbelief.

"Heh... you honestly thought metals are the only thing I can manipulate with magnetism?"

"Wha- You... manipulated the bullet's trajectory with magnetism?! That bullet was made entirely out of plastic!"

"Oh I didn't do something as flashy as that. Sure, I mainly use my magnetism on metals but that's only because they're far easier to manipulate because of their magnetic properties making them ideal for usage during combat."

With Recon's help, Airou managed to stand up stably.

"However, if I encase an object with magnetic fields, I can also manipulate them so you can say it's a form of pseudo-psychokinesis. However, manipulating non-metal objects takes much more effort and concentration compared to manipulating metal ones. With such a limited time frame to act, all I could do was slow the bullet down to decrease its penetration power. "

And just like that, silence reigned once again in the the desolate runway of District 23.

Part 9

The iron sand that had once been part of the Diamant Panzer had encased themselves around Alpha's limbs sealing all of his movements.

"Give up, Alpha. You've already lost."

"Ahahahahahahahahahaha... I see... I understand now. From the beginning, we were never expected to be capable of beating you. "Father"... or shoould Alpha say, Dr. Takasura only sent us to confront you only to dispose of us. It was like sending lamb to be slaughtered. Even in the event that we managed to successfully recover both you and Recon, we would still be disposed off while you would receive the same fate as those two. "

He had known that from the beginning but he clung to the illusion that Takasura Katsugi would treat all of the Airoids as if they were his own sons if they faithfully obey him. Now he had led his brothers in the path to ruin.

"What are you talking about."

"Since Alpha has surrendered, Takasura has transmitted a virus similar to the one he used on Recon. It will forcefully override Alpha's thought process. Afterwards, he'll most likely order all of us to kill you and Recon before initiating a self-destruct sequence. Talk about killing two birds with one stone."

The cruelty of it all was just too ridiculous. If he had decided to rebel against Takasura, would they have a chance to live a normal life?

("Even if we did turn against our creator, we wouldn't even stand a chance against those two monsters.")

"What?!"

"Alpha suggests you run, Original. Keep Recon safe. All 9968 of us haven't done a good job of being an older brother. Perhaps, Original can do a better job..." He said in a pained voice. "Recon-chan, Alpha knows what we did to you was unforgivable... but even so, in behalf of all Airoids, Alpha would like to apologize for all the atrocities we have done. "

Takasura created them yet he only saw them as disposable tools. Yet Akaze Airou, whose DNA gave birth to them accepted Recon as family after only a day. He was happy for the Central Command Unit. That was why he cannot allow that happiness get crushed by the Darkness. He had already hurt that girl so much he felt that his soul would not even be permitted to enter hell.

That was why he... no... All 9968 of them had already decided.

They will not let that monster have his way.

They will protect that little girl's happiness.

That was why they must self-terminate before they could cause even more harm. He closed his eyes and embraced his end.

"The hell I'd just stand by and allow that to happen!"

Alpha's eyes shot open when he felt a pair of hands touching his forehead. One belonged to his "older brother" and one belonged to his "younger sister".

"I'll purge the virus. Recon, in the meantime try to regain control of the magnetic web."

"Roger, Onii-chan."

Alpha couldn't believe what he's witnessing. The two people he had unhesitantly tried to kill earlier were now trying to prevent him from being killed.

"Wha... what are you doing?"

"Saving your life. Now shut up. I can't concentrate. "

Akaze Airou replied in his usual nonchalant fashion before closing his eyes and concentrating once again. Recon had done the same but she was performing a different role.

Meanwhile, Alpha was battling with the pain surging in every nerve of his body. The pain had once been bearable but it had gone past the limit of an ordinary human's threshold.

("Shit... this is actually pretty excruciating... this was the same virus that almost killed Recon-chan... and for a little girl to experience this much pain... if Alpha ever makes it out of this alive, he'll make that bastard pay.")

Aside from Alpha's ragged breathing and the occasional sound of a jet taking of or landing, time seemed to have stood still in the entire area.

Finally, after 15 excruciating minutes, the pain that Alpha felt abruptly disappeared. His tense body went limp as relief washed over him. Yet he couldn't relax completely. Something was troubling him.

"Original... why did you save me..."

He and his brothers attempted to kill him, frame him up for various crimes, harm his friends and even hurt an innocent little girl. He didn't deserve salvation and yet he was saved by that man.

"I told you, right? I'm no hero. I'm a selfish bastard. And since I'm selfish, I want to save every person who had been a victim of science."

Akaze Airou looked annoyed repeating what he had already said earlier however, Alpha could see the resolve in the Original's eyes.

"Omega... Alpha has really hurt you a lot... you didn't have a reason to save me. Rather... it would have been normal to be glad of my passing."

"Yes it's true. You really hurt Recon a lot. But it's okay. Recon's not mad. Say, Alpha, do you know what Recon's dream is."

The girl whom he had inflicted so much pain into asked him cheerfully. Alpha was at such a loss of words that all he could do was shake his head.

"Recon wants to have a family, Alpha. The evil man is not our family. The members of a family takes care of one another and looks out for each other. Recon wants to have that kind of family. Well, Original is our Onii-chan but you and the others are also my brothers... so. .. umm... Can a I call you Alpha-nii."

Alpha felt his jaw drop as Recon came closer to him and embraced him tightly. He felt the tears that had already started forming in his eyes flowing down his face. Those tears were shed neither of sadness or joy. They were shed out of relief. The boy who had been created by darkness and soaked by it through his very core felt a small piece of salvation in that moment.

Epilogue 

In the end, everything seemed to have worked out.

The guy who shared the same face as him was freed from Dr. Takasura Katsugi's darkness while his "brothers" regained their will.

As for the girl named Recon, she had taken a huge leap in realizing her wish.

"Hey, Original. Can you answer me one thing?"

Alpha suddenly asked in an inquisitive tone.

"You are already asking a question... Well that's beside the point. Sure, if it is something I can answer."

"You were holding back when we fought, right? Certainly, that isn't your full power. Alpha doubts the output you displayed is 15 percent of your total output."

"I did not want to hurt you as much as possible so I had to figure out a way to defeat you without causing too much damage to you. Had I went all out, you'd die in a matter of minutes. You're also a victim of the darkness. The same goes to your "brothers". Also, it felt wrong killing someone who shares the same face as mine. And besides, Recon asked me to take it easy on you. "

". . . Alpha understands."

"So what are you going to do now? You can't exactly go back Takasaura." Airou asked inquisitively.

"Well, Alpha has 9000+ mouths to feed so a lot of us need to land a job. Well, we'll figure it out one way or another. Don't worry about us... though Alpha still needs to get his arm checked."

"Um... Alpha-nii..."

Both Alpha and Airou turned to Recon with quizzical looks on their faces.

"Um... if it's alright with you, Recon would like to stay with Onii-chan for now."

"Huh? Aren't you supposed to ask permission to me first?"

Airou said with an incredulous look on his face but Recon seemed to pay him no mind.

"The decision does fall on me, Recon-chan. If you're gonna be happy staying with the Original then feel free to become a freeloader in his house. "

"Oi, shouldn't you be asking my thoughts about this sudden development?!"

"Nope. Recon knows that you can't say no to her, Onii-chan!" Recon exclaimed as she beamed at Airou. The black haired esper could do nothing but sigh exasperatedly at this turn of events.

Just as he was about to relax, an ominous chill enveloped the entire area literally. He felt the temperature drop to near freezing in the entire airfield since his breathing already produced white vapor.

"Wahh?! What's going on, Onii- chan?! There's something wrong happening to Alpha-nii!"

Afterwards, he noticed ice slowly envoloping Alpha's limbs. He only knew one person who had that kind of ability.

"Oi, Sakura-"

Just as he was turning around to berate Misaka Sakurako, the short haired brunette had thrust an icy blade the size of a boxcutter into his mouth effectively cutting of what he was going to say. Had she not held back, that weapon would have surely cut straight through the back of his mouth.

"Akaze-kun, was it? You still have not compensated for what you've done to me that time. I'm going to have you pay for that." Sakurako said in a cold voice.

Akaze Airou was completely stunned. It may have been due to his own fatigue or the sheer number of people in the are but still,he couldn't have missed such dangerous killing intent even at his exhausted state. This Misaka Sakurako was very different to the one he had fought not too long ago. He now realized that Tokiwadai's Ice Empress is also a very formidable opponent.

"I'm not asking for an apology nor for money. I would even refuse if you offered to be my slave for an entire week. What you have done is unforgivable. You have casually robbed me of very precious treasure I was planning to bestow only to someone whom I find worthy. As a result, you will have to compensate for your foolish mistake by..."

"?"

"By..."

"Oi, Hurry up and say what you want already. Alpha's literally gonna freeze his balls off at this rate!" Alpha shouted in a panicked voice.

"If I were you, I'd keep quiet. If I recall correctly, you unhesitatingly shot at me and my best friend with an automatic rifle recently. I'm still very... displeased about it."

Contrary to the way he acted when he committed those crimes, Airou saw Alpha yelp in terror as if he was a puppy and a gigantic rottweiler was growling at him.

"Now for my demand. As compensation for stealing a very precious aspect of my womanhood, I will have you take responsibility. Henceforth, you, Akaze Airou-kun will be my boyfriend."

The weight of her words alone indicated that it was not a suggestion nor a request. This specially didn't feel like a confession either. The way she said those words felt like it was an order.

"If you agree with my proposal nod two times. Any other act will be viewed as an act of aggression."

Nod. Nod.

Airou unhesitatingly nodded his head twice. He had no other choice in that situation. He was exhausted and wounded so he couldn't use his abilities even if he wanted to. Furthermore, even if he could use his abilities, he would never use them to harm Sakurako. Finally, had he not toyed with her during their fight, this predicament would not have occurred.

(Well, I haven't liked anyone ever since Amane Besides, she's kinda cute and I've never been in a relationship before... I guess these kinds of things can sometimes be good. Maybe in a way, that was her way of confessing... probably. )

The muscles of Sakurako's arm holding the ice blade relaxed and she slowly removed the weapon from Airou's mouth. It instantaneously turned back into water as she dropped it on the asphalt. The ice that enveloped Alpha's limbs melted immediately too.

"Good. You're free this weekend, right? Even if you aren't we're having our first date. You're going to plan it so make it count."

And just like that, the Number 6 Level 5 Frostbite casually walked away as if nothing had happened.

Or so it seems.

She stopped a few feet ahead of Airou, faced him once more and threw something at him. He caught it with one arm and saw what it was.

"A watch?"

"That's not just any watch. That's the ultra rare limited edition Gekota wristwatch as seen on Volume 6 of Gekotales. There are less than a handful made and I'm giving it to you. I hope you treasure it."

Sakurako stated before trudging off once more.

"Honestly, that girl..."

He looked at the seemingly ordinary watch curiously for a few seconds before his body remembered that he had been shot. He winced in pain as he applied pressure to his wound.

"Original, are you alright?" Alpha said with a worried expression on his face.

"Yeah... this isn't the first time I took a bullet and survived. Compared to that time, this is nothing." Airou said reassuringly.

Regardless of what the original had said, Alpha signalled two Airoids to fetch a vehicle nearby.

Meanwhile, Recon tugged at Airou's sleeve to get his attention.

"Hmm?"

"Congratulations!"

Recon shouted with all her might before hugging him vigorously. Even though he didn't have a clue what she was talking about, he smiled at her as he ruffled her silky long black hair.

(I may not be that type of guy that believes in a very ambiguous concept such as luck but if I was, I may be the unluckiest person in the city... then again, I have over 9000 younger brothers, a cute little sister and a girlfriend... of sorts. This situation may not be so bad after all...)

Instead of counting his misfortunes, he was counting his blessings. Those 9000+ younger brothers of his would prove instrumental to finding out more about Takasura Katsugi's plans. With Recon living with him, he would have a family of sorts. And with the Ice Empress as his girlfriend, his life would never have a dull moment. It may be wishful thinking but maybe his life is turning around for the better.


End file.

Toaru Majutsu no Index/とある魔術の禁書目録, Drama, Hurt-Comfort