Chapter 50: First Day On The Job
----3rd October----
'Initiating exercise sequence 44'
*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*
After that line from a robotic voice that sounded across the soundproof room, three loud gunshots could be heard.
As the targets moved forward, the boy holding a black pistol pushed a switch on the side of the pistol and a magazine fell out as he pushed the top of the barrel into his mouth and took out a fresh magazine from his pocket and loaded the gun.
After he heard a clicking sound, he held the gun by the grip and shot three more targets in front of him, each of them being filled with 3 bullets each. However, his aim was still sloppy as he had only recently learnt how to properly use a gun.
His bullets weren't on point, and they definitely would not have landed the killing blow on someone, but nonetheless they would still hit the target.
Knowing this, the pale white haired boy named Accelerator clicked his tongue.
"(My aim's still sloppy...hm?)"
Accelerator was at a shooting range underground in some unknown district.
He was there because of a certain incident that occurred right after he lost the light.
---------------------------
"A-Are you okay?!"
Releasing the meditative state she had begun for the song, Index ran over. However, Accelerator was not in a state where he could understand what people were saying. He somehow managed to grasp that she was worried for him from her expression and raised voice.
While checking to see if he was injured, Index stared at Accelerator's back and patted at it with her white hand.
"??? Nothing's there?"
Something like demonic wings had grown there, but they were gone without a trace. His clothes did not even look damaged.
"(The field resembled Telesma, but the substance was different. Demonology just uses normal Telesma in a different way. And that was so much power I'm not sure even a Saint could handle it all...)"
But then, she saw the girl in his arms and she immediately panicked.
"W-wait a second. I'm going to call a doctor!! Those girls seemed okay, so don't you collapse too!!"
"..."
As Index ran out of the abandoned office building, Accelerator just kept staring at Ester's lifeless body. He knew there was nothing he could do to bring her back to life.
His power was only meant for destruction after all.
There was no way someone like him could ever use it to save others.
He was too naïve to think that he could even save anyone.
He heard a couple of small footsteps slowly approaching him and he turned his head, though weakly it could still move to the side.
It was Mitsuari Ayu.
"...So now you've finally lost someone. How does it feel? Doesn't feel good now, does it?"
She knew he could not understand a single word she was saying that's why she was braver with her words.
But even so, she still felt that slight bit of loneliness and pain of losing a friend so she knew what she had to do for him.
"Come on, staring at that for too long will damage your eyes."
She pulled him against the wall so he could look out through the window and she made sure that a slight head tilt from him was not allowed as she scrutinized his every move.
But he had no interest in looking at Ester. His eyes were almost dead as well as he stared into the starless night.
The massive white wings from before had disappeared thanks to Index's song.
"Haaaaaa...I wonder what we should do after we get out. Maybe we should go eat some ice cream, I'm really craving for some ice cream right now. Crepes would do just fine--"
Before she could finish her sentence, a gunshot rang out in the darkness. It was quieter than a normal gunshot however, it did not sound like it had a suppressor as well.
He then heard new footsteps surrounding them and when he looked at Ayu, her eyes were closed as she pressed her head against his shoulders.
"Accelerator, I would like to discuss something with you."
Even in his state, Accelerator was able to understand that voice.
The voice was not reaching him through his ears. Some kind of esper power must have been used because his brain was being directly interfered with.
He strained his eyes for a bit and he saw several people entering the abandoned office.
The silhouettes looked two sizes bigger than an average man. Some form of nonmetal material was used to cover them from the tops of their heads to the soles of their feet. The material had cracks to allow the joints to bend. The head, neck, and shoulders were smoothly connected together by a single line. On their backs were things that looked like thin backpacks that were likely batteries. Each time their arms and legs moved, the sound of small motors could be heard.
They were powered suits.
The short but wide armor had dome-shaped head portions which rotated to view Accelerator with countless cameras. He could hear a constant whirring sound that was likely from the autofocusing.
After thinking that far, Accelerator suddenly frowned.
"(...My calculation ability...?)"
It had returned to a certain extent. It was nowhere near enough to use his powers, but it was enough to think on a normal level without issue.
Accelerator was finally able to process his questions as one of the people spoke to him. This person was different from the powered suits around. The person's thin silhouette was dressed in smart black clothes.
The person's face was hidden and Accelerator could not even tell if the person was male or female.
"We have prepared many different kinds of Telepath espers. Our words and calculation ability are being directly linked to you, so we can hold a conversation for an exceedingly short time. Your words should reach us. Oh, but your powers are out of the question. We cannot go as far as to supplement your Personal Reality."
"...An esper," said Accelerator with a gloomy expression.
"We also had some work outside the city. Even now, the recovery team is rescuing Tsuchimikado Motoharu and the like, but we returned to the city ahead of time."
"Tch," Accelerator clicked his tongue.
Other than the Sisters, he had never heard of a special unit that used both firearms and esper powers. Judgment only tried them out in training. A unit such as that would be even more dangerous than the Hound Dog unit Kihara had controlled. Also, those people had accurately followed the movements of Accelerator and Kihara Amata.
Otherwise, they could not have timed their entrance to be so soon after the end of the fight like that.
Most likely, they were the darkest darkness of Academy City.
Accelerator had finally come into contact with them.
"What do you want?"
"Oh, something very important."
"I'll listen to what you have to say, but first answer my questions. What happened to the virus inside Last Order? And what did you do to her?"
"The virus has been temporarily stopped, but it will only be a matter of time before it starts up again. No worries, a few readjustments with a Testament will be able to fix her. As for the girl, we simply tranquilized her so she would not be able to listen in on our conversation."
"Don't you dare do anything to them. I know a doctor who can help them." Accelerator spat.
"You do? Well, leaving it to them should be fine."
There was no point in him attempting to fight back. With that many armed forces, and his limited movement, he would undoubtedly lose.
"...So, what do you want?"
"I'm glad you're being cooperative. I believe we need to discuss the damages Academy City has undergone thanks to your commotions. With the physical damages done to the buildings and facilities as well as the medical expenses and compensation for the injured members of Hound Dogs, and the murder of Thomas Platinumburg of the Board of Directors, your expenses amounts up to twenty trillion yen."
With a bored expression, Accelerator replied, "So, what are you going to do? Chop me to pieces for research materials to pay for all that?"
"That is one option, but we are suggesting a different option." The man raised his index finger.
"Would you like to work alongside us?"
"What?"
"Your power can be used for military purposes, so it seems like quite a realistic option to me. The prices in the defense industry have inflated so much. Do you know how much a single fighter or ship costs? Well, if you do roughly the work of one fleet, you should be able to wipe off that debt. However, it will take some time, though."
Accelerator looked away from the dark silhouette as he thought about a few things before answering him.
"...Tch. Let me guess, a war is about to start, isn't it?"
"Right on the money. It seems you are not the strongest for no reason. This is a war we have to win, mind you. If Academy City gets destroyed, you know what will happen, don't you?"
"..."
Academy City is not only a place for espers to thrive and develop but it is also their home. Having Academy City fall would mean having no place for any espers to live in and if they were to be taken advantage of, everyone including a small girl like Last Order will be used for research purposes.
Which is something he could never forgive himself for if it ever happened.
And he would lose the people around him as well.
He didn't want that anymore.
"Fine then. If it means getting to the person behind all this shit, then bring it on."
"Excellent answer."
He pressed the barrel of the gun up against Accelerator's chest.
"Welcome aboard, newcomer."
----------------------
Which all led to this situation.
"What do you want, you disguised freak."
Accelerator turned around as he faced Unabara Mitsuki. A magician who he had fought not too long ago after obtaining the Imagine Breaker.
"I was trying to hide my presence, but it seems like I need to work on it a little more."
He had an aura of confidence surrounding him. Instead of his Tokiwadai uniform that he wore when they first met, he had changed it to a business man suit and tie.
"That persona of yours is terrible. Everything about you is a lie."
"Well, I didn't think we would meet again under these circumstances." Unabara said as leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
"Seems like you became Academy City's dog instead." Accelerator replied in a disinterested tone.
But Unabara pushed his statement away with his words.
"So did you find anything to your taste and style?"
"Not really. None of them seems to stick out to me."
"Well, if you narrow it down to things you can use using one hand, why don't you pick something that goes well with your powers?"
Accelerator's frustration was palpable as he furrowed his brows, directing his gaze towards the newly enlarged battery prominently situated on his neck. The sight of it only intensified his annoyance.
"That's the problem. I can't rely on this thing."
"You don't like being tied down to your powers, huh?" Unabara remarked, his tone laced with curiosity. "But our tech team has made improvements, increasing the time limit from fifteen minutes to thirty minutes."
Despite the attempt at reassurance, Accelerator's expression grew even more discontented. His displeasure etched across his face.
"The time limit does not matter. Once this thing breaks down, it's over for me."
"Haha, so all the hard work that GROUP's tech team did to analyze that electrode was for nothing then." Instead of peaking his curiosity at the problem, Unabara simply brushed it off and laughed at his outlook on his electrode.
"(GROUP huh?)"
After Accelerator was brought in by the organization GROUP, he was introduced to the main operating group which had only consisted of three people. All of who he recognized.
-----------------------
Tsuchimikado Motoharu, a level 2 esper with a regeneration ability and someone who he saw during the Daihasei Festival. It was unknown whether he was linked to the incident with Kihara Gensei. However, during those three days, he had asked him about his affiliation with Gensei and he was stated to only have been finding another target.
His target being Oriana Thomson.
"But I heard that you already handled the situation with her already, so I just sat back and relaxed. Haha, but who knew you could do it Accelerator-nyan."
"...Does that mean you're a--"
Before Accelerator could finish his sentence, he was cut off.
"A magician? Yes. But I'm working undercover for both sides. And if possible, don't disclose this to anyone. Also, your first mission will be given to you in a few days, so be prepared."
---------------------
Next person was Musujime Awaki, a girl whose face he had smashed up when he was searching for the Tree Diagram remnant.
She's a level 4 esper with a teleportation ability that does not require her to come into contact with things in order to shift them through the dimensions. However, because of her past trauma, she has difficulty teleporting herself to places.
"..."
"..."
"Do I really have to say anything to you?" Musujime asked exasperatedly.
"Not really. But let's get along." Accelerator said sarcastically. "You wouldn't want to be my enemy again, would you?"
"Hmph."
----------------------
All he really cared about was getting to the core of everything but after the '0930' incident, he knew he had to be patient with everything that was going to happen. He did not want to go too deep into the darkness otherwise he might lose another one. But the title of number 1 would make it difficult for him to avoid being used.
He already had several missed calls from Oriana, Ayu, and Last Order. But he blocked all of their numbers before they could annoy him even more. The only number he had not blocked yet was Yomikawa's as GROUP had given her false information that he was going to attend Nagatenjouki Academy, the most elite school that houses the few top espers in Academy City.
He had figured that Ayu would update Oriana on his current situation but not Yomikawa as she would go to the furthest lengths just to find him and stop him from whatever he was doing as she didn't want him to fall any further.
Accelerator picked a FNX-45 Tactical as his weapon of choice as it was light on the handle, has very little recoil, and was accurate. Easy for a beginner like him.
They were both walking down a white hallway as Mitsuki finally informed him about the details of his first mission.
The white hallway was soundproof and floored with marbled tiles, making it look pristine with hardly any black markings.
"Academy City has been strengthening its Anti-Roman Catholic forces, meaning that the inner city defense is getting weaker."
They walk past a metal door that was pretty light to push through as Mitsuki pushed it away with ease and as Accelerator continued walking past the door, he continued.
"We've been tasked to clean up a group that's been using that opportunity to break the city apart from the inside."
"HAHA!! They want me to clean up their trash? What pathetic reasons to bring me along."
"Well, it was because of your own doing that led to this. You basically waged war on them when you decided to fight back against them the moment they tried to invade the first time."
As they continued to walk down another white hallway, there was a brief silence between the two of them.
"...How long did you know about it?"
"About what?"
"About the Roman Catholic Church. You're a magician, aren't you?"
"Heh...well, you're not wrong about that, but I've only learnt about them recently."
Accelerator grits his teeth as the tapping on his cane grew increasingly louder.
"Tch, you knew everything yet you fuckers didn't step in earlier?"
"Well, Vento of the Front would have disintegrated all of us with her passive spell on Academy City and Oriana and Lidvia were too difficult to track down." Mitsuki said with a sly grin spreading across his face.
"Then what about the Kihara bullshit? If you knew about the Tree Diagram Remnant, why would you not have known about that?"
"Oh, Kihara had the support of the Board of Directors. There was no way we could've stopped him unless he died."
Suddenly, Mitsuki experienced a jolting jerk on his immaculate suit, and before he could grasp what was happening, he found himself hoisted into the air by Accelerator. Despite the unexpected elevation, a sly grin remained etched across Mitsuki's face, contrasting with the piercing glare of murderous intent emanating from Accelerator.
"You fuckers framed me and now you want me to work as their dogs?"
"Oh no, that's not what we had in mind. We just wanted to put you in a more advantageous role for yourself. Think about it, if you affiliated with us, we have a much higher chance to overturn the Dark Side of Academy City. Everyone around you would not have to end up like HER now, would they?"
Accelerator's grip tightened as he grits his teeth harder. But Mitsuki continued, "Come to think of it, you haven't had the chance to visit her grave, have you? If you'd like, we can arrange a time slot best suited for you so you can grieve for her at her grave instead of--"
"SHUT UP!!" Accelerator hollered at him as he avoided Mitsuki's eyes. "I can kill you with a single touch, magician or not. One touch and you'll disappear without a trace on this earth. So you better watch your words with me, you fucking bitch."
His words grew softer as he slowly lets Mitsuki back on his feet.
"I'll be careful then."
This time, Mitsuki's countenance shifted into a solemn expression, his eyes reflecting a heightened seriousness, as Accelerator relinquished his hold on his collar and pressed onward.
Mitsuki brushed himself off as he fixed his suit while continuing to explain the mission to Accelerator.
"Our target is Skill-Out. You may be familiar with them."
"Yeah, they're a bunch of Level 0 dropouts that wander around Academy City trying to pick a fight with every esper they see."
"Apparently they're a rather formidable bunch for being able to demolish an entire Anti-Skill group and they seem to be making a 'toy' they can call their own."
"What do you mean 'toy'?"
"A piece of wood about 70cm long that they carved open and filled with explosives similar to an edo period fire arrow. They've been manufacturing them around the city for the past few days, leaving bicycles in front of emergency passageways and they've plugged up the gutters outside the entrances to VIP facilities with rubbish."
"Oi, these just sound like pranks that they're causing all over Academy City and we're supposed to clean their shit up?"
"On a glance, it might seem so. But in this current state of Academy City, if we have to spend our manpower dealing with the Skill-Outs as well as the Roman Catholic forces, we'll be at a major disadvantage. And if those fire arrows were to go off simultaneously, it will cause an error in the security system of Academy City."
Accelerator furrowed his brows as they reached the exit of the whole hideout. Though a long walk, they finally made it out to see the sunlight.
"If these errors keep building up, it might crash the servers, allowing Skill-Out to rampage across Academy City."
"What's their goal here?" Accelerator asked.
"We have no clue. It could just be a simple retaliation against the espers in Academy City."
"Tch, so we have to deal with both inside and outside matters of Academy City huh?"
"Yup. That's what GROUP's primary objective is."
------3rd October 4:06p.m.------
A large organization within the dark side of Academy City would sound like a luxury to some, having the funds to be able to have tons of weapons at their arsenal as well as have the backing of the Board Of Directors, one would think that transportation would be at the very least comfortable or maybe even put one at ease.
However, for Accelerator, whether it was because of his misfortune or whatnot, he was put into a white tracksuit with a white cap covering his white hair as he held the back of a garbage truck. The foul stench that reeked from the garbage at the back was terrorizing his pure white skin as he was not given a mask as well.
On top of that, he couldn't cover his nose as he was on a phone call with Tsuchimikado which meant he had to endure the stench that was brushing past him as they drove through District 10.
"Oi, why the hell am I at the back of the garbage truck?!" Accelerator hollered as he looked at the passing graffities at the side of the road.
District 10 was mostly an abandoned place where the dropouts or Skill-Out members reside. It was like home to them.
"Things are more convenient this way, it can also be used to dispose of bodies more efficiently. Mitsuki will be coming in twenty minutes to collect you. Be careful, the Skill-Outs can be creative when they're dealing with espers." Tsuchimikado said nonchalantly to the number 1 esper as if he had no experience with them.
"Heh they're just a bunch of small fries, aren't they?"
"You could say that, but thanks to their leader Komaba Ritoku, they've been able to hold their ground for the past few years in Academy City. If you can put him down, you might be able to stop their plans for good."
As soon as Tsuchimikado finished his explanation, the truck came to a decelerating halt. Accelerator immediately got off the truck as he cracked his neck. He hadn't hung up yet as he put the phone to his ear yet again.
"And one last thing. Do not trust us, Accelerator. You, me and everyone else in GROUP wouldn't want our work to be public knowledge. When you're surrounded by people like that, there's no way out."
"..."
"Find a way you can win in this situation. I'm sure I don't need to give you a tour around Academy City, right? You wouldn't want a repeat of the past."
"...Is that all?"
"Yep. Finish this quickly, Musujime should be starting up her part of the job any minute now."
Soon after, the sound of the line cutting off could be heard and the wall in front of him exploded as the red haired girl with bandages around her chest could be seen. Even with the debris falling over her, the both of them had a second to exchange eye contact as she clicked her tongue.
Soon after, she teleported away.
"Tch, what the hell is her role here?"
"She's after Skill-Out's funds. After all, it's better to burn it all instead of letting them run away with it."
"But wasn't she too mentally unstable to move?"
The rubble from when she crashed through the wall, or when a bomb possibly exploded, started to fall down around him.
As chaos ensued, Tsuchimikado simply explained, "Just like you, that's being compensated for."
A single beep in the chaos rang across the alleyways as a creeping smile slashed across his face.
"Alrighty then∼"
He took a single step forward as he propelled the wind around him away.
"Let's clean up the trash."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
dontouchme
dontouchme Hello guys, this was a short chapter as I wanted to write somethng more next chapter, but I just want to apologize for not uploading for the longest time. Actually, I was planning to start streaming and doing Youtube, that's why I havent been spending much time writing this fanfic. I'm so sorry for letting you guys down, but I will still upload chapters just maybe not as frequently as way before. Thank you for always supporting me!