Chapter 26: A Certain Collective Conscious

"Beta leader to gatekeeper! The tenth and eleventh floors are secured! We have civilian casualties in need of treatment!"

"I copy you, Beta leader, a medical team will be sent to you shortly!"

"Charlie leader to Gatekeeper! We've secured the upper levels of the theater, but there's no sign of the Aztec leader or the priest! Either they're in hiding, or they've fled the scene!"

"What? They left their army behind?" Yomikawa-sensei's irate voice snapped, "Unbelievable!"

"Gatekeeper! This is Alpha leader. We've linked up with Blue team above the stage. We are now entering the theater."

"You-kai! Keep an eye out for Railgun and Meltdowner but proceed at your discretion. It's time to bring this party to an end."

"Yes, ma'am."

The radio chatter continued in my ear as I emerged from the underground parking lot. Not a lot had changed since I went in with Accelerator. Even as I looked around with my new abilities, everyone was the same dull grey and blue. Yet, as I scanned the ambulances still parked along the plaza, I could also make out larger Anti-skill vans arriving. A member of Judgement was standing in the intersection and was guiding the vans to a different corner of the school grounds.

A few minutes later, Uiharu emerged with her bookbag, and we made our way towards Yotsuba school for performing arts.

Along the way, we met a stream of Aztec warriors coming out in handcuffs. Each were escorted by a pair of Anti-skill officers leading the prisoners towards the waiting vans. Shirai-san was waiting for us at the entrance, and she escorted us upstairs once we arrived.

The third-floor lobby had completely changed since I was last here. Gone were all the dozens of bodies of victims that still needed treatment. Instead, the Shorn One and his two followers now lay on gurneys. Despite their sorry state, they still wore their colorful regalia, and those bodysuits shimmered in the light even as its wearer lay motionless.

"Sugoi!" I exclaimed, "A few minutes ago, this was a total warzone!"

"It's almost over," Shirai-san said, "Hopefully, we can get what we came for, and then we can go home."

"I'd like that," I said cheerfully, "I'd like that very much."

Still, the theater continued to echo with gunfire, and I could hardly guess what was happening to those fighting inside.

Nearby, Kanzaki-san, Itsuwa-san, and Xotichil were sitting on the benches and receiving treatment from two EMTs. Coming closer, I noticed that the EMTs bore the Maltese cross, white on red, instead of the City's insignia. Shirai-san noticed too and quickly jaunted over to them. "Excuse me, sirs, might I have a word?"

Uiharu-san gazed up in wonder. Despite the damage caused by all the fighting, the sheer opulence of the lobby left the girl with hair full of flowers quite mesmerized. "Wow! This place is so beautiful! It so different to see this place in person! You just don't get the sense of scale on camera!"

Her was head lulled back, drinking in the scenery, so she didn't notice Saten-san sneaking up behind her, until…

"U-i-ha-ru!"

"Kyaaah!"

With a sing-song voice, Saten-san had sprung up and lifted the skirt of the unsuspecting girl. A moment later, there was a shrill cry as Uiharu-san struggled to push her dress back down.

"Mo! Saten-san! What are you doing at a time like this! Itsumo! Itsumo!"

Saten-san laughed even as the flustered Uiharu-san bopped her repeatedly on the head. "Gomen, gomen! You were just so far up in the clouds, that I had to bring you back down!"

"What do you even mean by that? I don't understand!"

I sweat-dropped as the flustered girl tussled with her friend. "Has Misaka-san come back yet?" I asked, "Is she still fighting Mugino-san or something?"

Saten-san shrugged as she fended off Uiharu-san's attacks. "Don't know, the theater's still a chaotic mess, so I haven't gone in to check on them."

I sighed and gazed wistfully towards the theater doors. "I hope they're alright!"

"There's no need to worry about them." Shirai-san said as she rejoined us, "We're talking about two level 5 espers, the most powerful in this city! Frankly, the only people I'm worried about are those who get in their way."

Saten-san laughed. "De shou?"

She and Uiharu-san came closer to us, forming a close circle. Then, Shirai-san held out a hand, and we all grabbed on.

"Sa, Ikou-ka!"

The next thing I knew, we were standing in a normal school hallway, though I could see that the rooms were furnished for artists to work in. Instead of the neat rows of desks, there were easels and stools arranged in concentric circles. Only the second elevator stood out of place, as the stainless-steel door contrasted sharply with the more traditional classroom doors.

Oni-chan was waiting along with the rest of his crew. Index stood beaming next to him, and Stiyl Magnus and the auburn-haired girl leaned against the wall. As soon as I saw him, I ran over and gave him a big hug. "Oni-chan!" I cried, "I've missed you so!"

"But we were talking just a few minutes ago!" He laughed and ruffled my hair. "Have you been a good girl?"

"Hai!" I nodded cheerfully, "I helped Shirai-san take care of the wounded people! And now, I'm helping you break into a secret evil lair."

"Secret evil lair? That's a good one!" Oni-chan laughed, "No, we're just raiding an old office that hold valuable information for the cases I'm working on. It's not an evil lair."

"Uh-huh," I said, smirking at him. "Tell me that when we aren't being attacked by powered suits, Aztecs, and zombified people."

Suddenly, there was a loud clatter as Uiharu-san pried off the housing on the card reader. Then, she connected some of the wires to her computer and sat down against the wall.

"Sorry, Kamijou-senpai," She said, "It looks like this is going to take a while to crack open. I'll let you know when I'm done."

"That's fine," He responded, "Take all the time you need."

He sat down on the floor and motioned for us to do the same. As we formed a circle around him, his cellphone buzzed in his pocket. Opening it up, he read the message and smiled.

"Good news, I just got a text from Fukiyose!" He said, "It looks like Tsuchimikado and Hamazura were both taken to the hospital in district 7. I'll let Komoe-sensei know!"

"Yo-gata!" Saten-san cheered, "That's very good to hear."

"So?" he said, typing away on his phone, "Can anyone fill me in on what was happening downstairs?"

I shrugged. "Honestly, I'm as confused as you. One moment, we were still fighting the Aztecs, but the next, they've all given up. All that's left is the battle in the theater."

"Ma," Shirai-san laughed haughtily, "I don't understand the details, but it seems they were shaken once the Shorn One was taken out. You can thank Kanzaki-san for that."

"Kanzaki-san?" I said.

"Eh!" Shirai-san nodded. "That yellow-clad mohawk face-painted geezer didn't stand a chance against that tall, sword-wielding beauty!" Shirai-san laughed proudly as she recounted the events.

"Oh sure, he put up an admirable fight, but then she overpowered him and then threw him over the railing. He plummeted all the way down to the third floor and nearly crushed a patient!" She sighed and shook her head. "Luckily, I teleported the victim away, before he landed hard on the floor. Honestly, he's lucky to be alive! Even if he were some strapping athlete with years of hard-earned endurance, he couldn't walk away from such a fall!"

"That Kanzaki-san is amazing!" Saten-san squealed, "She's faster than Accelerator and tougher than Hokaze-senpai! As soon as she dispatched the Shorn one, Kanzaki-san joined in with Xochitil and Itsuwa. Within seconds, the trio had completely decimated their weapons and then kicked them down to the balcony below. The rest of the army capitulated once they saw what happened."

"As expected of our resident saint," Stiyl said, smoking a cigarette, "Those Aztec freaks are no match against Kanzaki."

The brown-haired girl wrinkled her nose and pushed away from the fire mage. "So?" she said, "What happened in the theater? I heard that Mugino came to do something, but what happened?"

"As far as we know, Anti-skill is still fighting against the Aztecs," Uiharu-san said, looking up from her computer, "As for Shizuri-san, she was still fighting against Misaka-san the last time I checked."

"Is that so? Well, it's not up to me to ruin her fun," Kinuhata-san laughed.

Saten-san tilted her head as she scrutinized the girl. "I'm sorry, but have we met before?"

"Forgive me, I'm getting too relaxed about my manners lately," Oni-chan quipped, "Everyone, I want you to meet Kinuhata Shiai. She was part of the underground group known as ITEM, the same group Hamazura-san was part of."

"Used to," Kinuhata-san reiterated, "That organization is dead and long since buried! Good riddance!"

"ITEM?" Saten-san repeated, "Then, you know Frenda-san?"

Both Oni-chan and Kinuhata-san flinched at the name. Swiftly, the auburn-haired girl grabbed Saten-san by the collar and yanked her to her feet. "Who are you?" she demanded, "How do you know who Frenda was? Who told you!"

"N-no one!" Saten-san choked out, "We met in the second week of October. I was out shopping for some groceries, and we ended up bumping heads over some cans of tuna."

"Frenda loved tuna.," Kinuhata-san said quietly, "You'd think that she was a cat in her past life. Perhaps you were the last civilian to see her alive."

She let Saten-san go, who dropped to the floor on all fours, gasping for air.

"Anou," Saten-san gasped through her tears, "She saved my life that day, and I was hoping that I could somehow repay her. Do you know where she is?"

Oni-chan and Shirai-san exchanged worried glances but didn't say anything. Kinuhata-san sighed and leaned against the wall. "Frenda's dead," she said bluntly, "She was one of those many casualties in that dreadful month."

"Dead?" Saten-san gasped, "But how? Why?"

"It was the prelude to World War Three," Oni-chan said, "The board members were consolidating their power on Academy city."

"While we were playing with those Indian poker cards," Shirai-san said, "Many strange and terrible things were happening, and many people have died as a result. The higher executives kept it all under wraps, until Chairman Aleister's death."

Oni-chan sighed. "As I've said before, there are strings upon strings of darkness that are woven into the very fabric of this city. Frenda's death is one of these many threads that haven't seen the light of day. It's yet another reason why we're raiding GROUP headquarters today."

"About that reason," Kinuhata-san said, rounding up on Oni-chan, "Hamazura has told me much about you, ever since his trip to Hawaii, he's done nothing, but extoll your virtues. As far as I can tell you're just some meddling kid that sticks his head into things that don't concern him. Why are you even interested in this affair? Why can't you just let the dead rest in peace!?"

Oni-chan hesitated. "I…I owe Hamazura the truth. Before meeting Hamazura, I never knew about the true extent of Academy City's darkness. He was the one who told me about the thousands of people who lived in the shadows, many of whom were beaten, tortured, and killed in the name of Science. How could so many atrocities happen below our feet and never be seen or heard? At the very least, I wanted to pay Hamazura back by clearing Shizuri-san's name."

As he said this, there was a loud hiss, and the elevator doors parted, unveiling the elevator car inside.

Uiharu looked up and gave us a hearty thumbs up, and Oni-chan nodded in response. Together, we stood up and followed him towards the open door. Kinuhata-san sighed. "Well, whatever you find in there, I hope it's worth all the trouble."

"Are you not coming?" I asked.

She shrugged, "Don't take this personally, but I have no desire in diving back into the dark side ever again. If you think there is still something valuable hidden in those depths, then I won't stop you. That being said, you can count me out on this little adventure."

Oni-chan nodded. "To each their own then. Thanks for the help."

Kinuhata-san grunted and waved us goodbye, and the elevator doors slammed shut,

Between the lines: Love and Thunder and Meltdowner

"Blue leader to Gatekeeper! Railgun and Meltdowner just raced past us and up the stairs! Don't know where they're going or why!"

"I copy you, Blue leader! Keep your distance and stay out of their way!"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

"Ma-tte! Where are you going!?" Misaka screamed as she chased Mugino up the emergency stairwell. Meltdowner cackled as she watched the younger girl struggle up the stairs. "Come on, Railgun! What's the matter!?" The girl called, "Try to keep up!"

Gritting her teeth, Misaka sent a bolt of lightning up to the upper railings and used the electric attraction to slingshot herself up higher. Seeing this, Mugino twisted around to avoided Railgun's approach and then slammed through the eleventh-floor entryway.

Here, she found herself surrounded by a large crowd of Anti-skill and Paramedics assisting the wounded.

"Kuso! Just my luck!"

Holding her arms on either side of her, Mugino opened her hands so the palms were pointed to the floor. Then she charged up two balls of green plasma, rapidly heating the air around her and kicking up a mighty windstorm. Soon, there was enough thrust to lift her off the ground, and she hovered over all the people, while everyone else had to hunker down to avoid getting blown away by the powerful gusts.

"Perfect! Just what I needed!" Mugino smiled as the hallway opened up even more. She increased her speed and drifted towards the emergency exit. Just then, she heard a door slam open behind her and saw Misaka finally burst through the metal door and scan the hallway. It wasn't long before her eyes found Mugino, and when they did, they widened like saucers.

The fourth-ranked level 5 esper smirked. "Ha-ha, that little bitch! I bet she hasn't seen a girl fly!"

Not to be deterred, the middle school girl pulled herself up to the ceiling, and, using static cling on her hands and feet, began crawling towards Mugino at an alarming speed.

"Kuso!" Mugino swore, "What is she, a certain electric spider?"

Fortunately for Mugino, the maintenance balcony was free from any obstructions. As soon as she was out in the open, she hovered in the empty sky and looked down. She watched with satisfaction as Railgun appeared on the balcony. Misaka turned around and sent twin streams of electricity into the walls of the building and used the mutual attraction to fling herself up to the next level. She repeated the maneuver again, and again until she was a bit higher up than Mugino.

Not to be outdone, Mugino kicked into high gear and lit up twin balls of plasma beneath her feet. She rocketed skyward, and the wind shear threatened to rip the skin from her face and made breathing impossible. Mugino fought to stay conscious. Blacking out up here would have been fatal in more ways than one. Clearing the thirtieth floor, Mugino found what she was looking for.

An average-sized news helicopter was parked on the roof. Its passenger door was still open, and a large gathering of Hispanic boys surrounded the craft. They were clad only in a breechcloth, a padded tunic, and sandals, and they each carried an obsidian-tipped spear and an unadorned shield.

Swiftly, Mugino destroyed the rotors with her Meltdowner. There was a tremendous explosion, and the spinning blades went flying every which way.

"You monster! How could you do such a thing!" Misaka ducked as one of the blades came hurtling towards her.

"Oh, put a sock in it! It's not like I killed anyone!" Mugino laughed, "Besides, at least someone had to get these freaks before they escaped!"

Just then, two Hispanic men clambered out of the burning wreck. One was the king, dressed in his traditional Mexican garb, and the other was the priest, donning his crown of feathers. Only the pilot remained inside. The king hollered something in a foreign language, and the boys immediately formed up into phalanxes. They lowered their obsidian-tipped spears and prepared for a last stand.

Mugino jeered. "It's showtime!"