17 The Calm.
The next couple days went on agonizing slow.
Alex basically hadn't slept since his initial night out. Even with his inhuman abilities, he still felt fatigued after a certain point, if only mentally.
It wasn't just night time that he was out and about. He was looking for any mobilization of the little sisters. The scientists or the directors of the experiment usually kept the clones 'sleeping' if they weren't in use.
The little sisters are connected by an network between them, though they must be conscious to access it. They could contact one another through this 'network' like a radio.
The bounded fields he put up at the safe house was blocking that 'network' so the ones he had rescued were cut off from the others. This disappearance caused a bit of issues with the researchers and they were scrambling to find the missing clones.
While they were funded by the highest levels of the city to oversee the experiment, they couldn't let the general public discover it. The world would be in an uproar over such inhuman experiments, even if the top levels of governments had a general idea of what went on in the city.
The obvious solution was to send out more little sisters and have them track down their counterparts.....only for those to go missing as well.
They obviously couldn't find the missing clones so they switched tactics and sent out their own forces to track them.
In the mean time, they continued the experiment but they set about with keeping a close eye on the clones that would engage Accelerator.
Or atleast they would have if an engagement occurred.
They didn't have the opportunity to deploy because the city was in a state of panic.
Someone~ or some group was going around and setting off 'explosives' in uninhabited areas around the city.
The city was basically crawling with authorities and police the entire night.
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As much fun as Alex had the past couple nights, he was frankly exhausted.
The kids hadn't been sitting on their thumbs the entire time thankfully, though they were moving a bit slow. He couldn't really blame them for that, they didn't have experience in situations like these.
It was actually Misaki who lit a fire under them.
A couple days ago Misaki was basically wrapped around Touma as they walked to her school, which happened to be the same school that Misaka Mikoto went to.
Touma had already been making appearances in the area with Mikoto and the school had taken notice. It's a school for all girls and they gossip. Adding onto the fact that she is pretty damn famous, the news spread quickly that 'she had a boyfriend'.
The ensuing chaos when the two girls met was a sight to behold.
After that encounter, Misaki found out that the two were hiding something and she was intent on finding out. Which didn't take long at all with her abilities.
She basically hijacked their whole 'operation' and started to coordinate it better, much to Mikoto's annoyance, it was more efficient when she took over.
Basically their first step was finding all the facilities that held Mikoto's DNA and destroy all the samples, and the facilities themselves just because fuck them.
What had taken Mikoto a couple weeks to accomplish, Misaki had done in a single night.
It was merely a difference in talents, Misaki was adept at coordinating and espionage more so than the the railgun. With her networks around the city, she found the facilities with ease.
They had taken any sisters they came across, Misaki had plenty of places around the city to stash them until the whole situation was settled.
Alex had been 'watching' over them sometimes as they went out.
The girls were getting along decently enough when it mattered. They at least had the sense not to cause any unneeded issues when out and about.
He was genuinely impressed, they had dealt a serious blow to the experiment in a single night. They made a good team.
Mikoto was the heavy hitter, Touma pretty much negated any Esper they ran into, and Misaki was the 'brains'.
They didn't realize it yet, but this would set the foundation for their future. There was no turning back for this group.
Trouble would be coming to Touma in spades and the girls wouldn't sit around and watch, it was better they get experience early.
As happy as he was that they were showing such promise...he couldn't help but feel sullen about the whole thing.
The world like to romanticize war and battle, but it was hell. The death that surrounded you was something you could never shake off. And he basically had a hand in preparing these kids for that very situation.
It was certainly a bitter sweet feeling. To feel both proud and disgusted at the same time.
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The morning was the same as it had been the past few days.
Touma had been keeping Index at an arms length, he didn't want her to get involved and knew she wouldn't sit still.
She wasn't stupid though, she knew something was going on but had the sense not to push it with Touma's current attitude. He had a very serious expression the entire time, like a lot was on his mind.
The magicians had a general idea of what was going on and Alex spoke to them every now and then to give updates.
He did notice some odd concern from them. Kaori expressed a wish to help Touma in her own way and even Stiyl made some off handed comments about kicking the boy's ass if he dies and makes Index cry.
They were also content for the moment to just spend all their time with Index catching up. It did remind them of the old days before they delved too heavily into their respective organization.
While the morning mimicked the previous few, Alex did notice something slightly off with Touma.
With the inside knowledge that he gleamed with following the group around, he was guessing they were going to make their final move soon.
They had probably been working up the confidence. Accelerator was number 1 for a reason, his power was ridiculously strong.
Alex could defeat the boy due to the nature of his powers being based on magic, they had to rely on strategy and a bit of luck.
Of course Alex wouldn't let anything truly happen to them, he would step in if they were about to die but they needed this. This true combat experience that pushed them to the brink.
He was also thankful that he may finally get some rest soon.
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He kept watch over the group, or more specifically Touma. He wore a blank expression the entire time he was at his school. Clearly his mind was elsewhere.
The day was surprisingly quick to turn to night. Touma had opted to not return home and just wander around.
Alex assumed they had worked out some kind of plan. He was trying not to pry in too deep and let the events play out to give them an idea of what to expect.
He silent followed the group as they stealthily made their way to a part of a the city that was under construction.
There seemed to always be an area like that, the city was always innovating and growing.
As they reached the area, they split up with a few words. Misaki had taken to high ground and Mikoto had found a hiding spot while Touma ventured inside.
Alex assumed they had a plan ready and scouted the area. It wasn't hard to assume that Misaki was able to acquire the location of the next 'battlefield' from one of the many facilities they ransacked.
It was eerily quiet until the sound of gunfire rang off in the vicinity.
Touma immediately sprang into action at the sound.
Alex also winced when he heard it.
It meant that they hadn't arrived as early as they had wanted. The little sisters were engaging Accelerator and they may have already suffered casualties.
Alex silent sought a better vantage point over the area.
He was able to locate the fighting.
It was indeed a group of sisters that were opening fire on Accelerator who was merely batting away the bullets with the use of his vector control.
He was laughing, he was treating the whole situation like a game. He could have ended them in a split second yet he let them continue to fire at him and have a false sense of hope.
Alex also saw that Touma would take a few moments to reach them.
Accelerator was approaching one of the girls who had run out of ammo and reached his arm out.
It only took a touch for him to utterly destroy something.
Alex sighed as he mentally sought out an item from the gate.
He couldn't let an innocent die like that just to make a plan go more smoothly.
He took out an odd looking staff. It was more of a mystic code than a noble phantasm. It one of dozens of staffs that allowed the user to use magic from the age of gods, if only a narrow application per staff.
He aimed the staff and fired off several light-based projectiles.
They quickly made their way to Accelerator who could sense them coming. Though it was more that he felt the shift in the wind. Having control of vectors gives him a very keen sense on projectiles being shot towards him.
He quickly turned his attention to the attack that was narrowing in on him.
He focused on his 'passive shield' that permeated his being. It basically shifted anything that would try to harm him away or destroy it before making contact with him.
The light-based projectiles had collided with it for merely a moment before he realized something was wrong and shift the angle of the projectiles to curve around him.
His eye's widened slightly. He had never run into something he wouldn't directly decompose or destroy before. He had to resort to merely shifting it away. If it was a bullet, he could disintegrate it on touch, but whatever those were, he couldn't directly interfere with its properties.
He was surprised when he turned around and the projectiles were coming back towards him.
He quickly pulled in various objects from the surrounding area to intercept.
The projectiles hit the mundane objects and let out miniature explosions on impact.
Accelerator merely shifted the explosions around him. He could theoretically survive a nuclear blast, explosions on this level were nothing to him.
Alex didn't fire again, he just needed to stall for a moment and that was enough.
As Accelerator regained his composure, he noticed a new figure standing between him and the Clones.
