The sound of a collapsing building filled the night's sky.
At approximately 1:52 am, building 6829 sent out an alarm to local law enforcement of an intruder on the complex. Just ten minutes later, around the time that Anti-Skill was able to respond to the alarm, the building had collapsed. No personnel were at the abandoned building and the security footage was lost in the destruction, so the cause of the destruction was immediately started, simply to try and figure out what the hell happened in this abandoned building.
No bodies were found on the base level, as well as the basement. The expansive underbelly was searched extensively, no sign of perpetrators could be found; as if whoever did this had whipped the area clean of their existence. Even after the search of the various piles of rubble, it was obvious that although the damage was catastrophic, there was no loss of life, provoking further questioning as to how and why the building was targeted. At the request of the director's board, which was directly contacted as per Academy City guidelines concerning damage in major scientific complexes, Anti-Skill started investigating the area containing the Internecine Driver.
It too, was damage, but it was much more passable than the rest of the facility. It didn't take long for the crew to find the tattered wreckage of the Internecine Driver; and the remains of the machine inside. It would take time to try and boot up the security footage in this area, noting that there was a separate system specifically for this room, as well as it being operational and simply not powered; they provided the power to the remains of the machine inside the Internecine. No form of data came from the machine, and upon scanning, it became apparent that the AI-Core for this expensive piece of military hard-ware was empty, as if nothing had ever inhabited this shell ever before. They only clue as to what the machine had experienced was its firmware log; at 1:35 am, the unit's AI-Core and all necessary drivers transferred out into an unknown outside network. The more they discovered, the more questions arose, it seemed.
Why did the alarm go off at only 1:52, while the facility's main security force was destroyed beforehand, in a situation where the security should have notified them the moment an intruder was spotted?
-Windowless Building-
"So… the facility was destroyed… the Internecine was damaged beyond repair, and the AI of the machine tasked with its defense is gone without a trace… I dare say that this incident was much more interesting than I initially anticipated." Aleister Crowley spoke in his usual mono-tone voice.
"Hey, don't you forget our arrangement. Information straight from the site without Anti-Skill's meddling is hard to get you informed." Tsuchimikado said.
"Of course, of course. Your compensation for acquiring such information has already been delivered." Aleister replied, closing his eyes. "And the details you were able to get about the conflict inside that building before it went up in smoke earned you a little bonus… it is rare that I'm unable to observe such a thing after all."
"…I am aware that my contract says I can't ask any questions, but may I go ahead and inquire about something?" Tsuchimikado asked.
"Our dealings are finished; you did your part, I did mine." Aleister replied in an amused tone. "Go ahead; the incident is over now anyway..."
"What was the true purpose of that facility?" Tsuchimikado asked. Aleister closed his eyes again, and remained in silence for a time.
"…An old personal experiment." Aleister replied. "The human race, by definition, is a race of pointless conflict over power. You've seen what happens when people get access to power; it corrupts them. Be it financial, political, magical, or esper-related, the abuse the power they have been given for their own benefit, and that in turn causes conflict. And when that conflict escalates; lives are lost. Be it for those foolish pursuits of power, or a quest to destroy those who seek power, human lives always end other human lives. It is more than obvious to me at this point that the human race will not go extinct naturally, oh no… the human race will end itself with its own hand; they have already been provided the tools to do so… so it is just a matter of time."
"Then what were the details of that little experiment then?" Tsuchimikado asked with a serious tone.
"To test my theory, you see." Aleister replied. "The Internecine Driver was designed to replicate objects as well as intelligent life; including human ones. Though our dear friend Dynamo found a much more… creative way of using it, the main purpose of that system was for my experiment." He paused for a moment, seeming to collect his thoughts. "Out of approximately 20,000 separate instances of creating a civilization, 16,312 incidents ended in self-destruction, while only 3688 were able to find a way to prevent mutual destruction. The experiment concluded that there is an 81.56% chance that humanity will end itself after 20,000 tests, leaving only a 18.44% chance of survival… as you can tell, these results are rather… unpleasant. But then I had a thought…"
"And that thought was…?"
"If something specifically designed to guide them, protect them, and eliminate threats, and furthermore, evolve with the race was present, would that change the outcome? Thus… the Hustler-One program was made. That machine was not only charged in security of the base, but also to keep the created worlds alive… by guidance, and by eliminating key threats such as people plotting destruction, and those seen as growing too powerful, possibly powerful enough to overthrow the Hustler-One program… although it appears that the system needed to upgrade its systems to properly evolve with the civilizations created, in the next series of test, the survivability rate rose to over 91%, just with the Hustler-One program in place…"
"And the remaining 9% were the ones able to surpass your system… but in the 91%, the forced death of destructive individuals, although harsh, lead to civilizations to flourish…" Tsuchimikado concluded simply. "Your security system in place was a left-over from the very last experiment; why did it hold off on contacting Anti-Skill? Judging from what I saw; your machine could have easily dealt with the intruders."
"…That answer is one that eludes even me, but I have a theory…" Aleister replied. "Perhaps in its absence of a civilization it could guard, it discovered the outside world… and judged that the outside world was its new tasked thing to protect. It very well could of let intruders inside on purpose to assist its main directive… and its involvement with protecting the Internecine, although a failure, was necessary, perhaps seeing some use for keeping it in place. And in its destruction lead the AI to escape in an attempt to preserve itself so it may accomplish its goal at a later date… the Railgun's electrical outburst is what caused the building's destruction, but while she was enraged, her electricity re-connected the facility to my network for a brief moment… and that's how it probably escaped, with the alert to Anti-Skill being an afterthought."
"If all of that is true, then here is… Hustler-One now?" Tsuchimikado.
"Somewhere in my network… probably biding its time, searching for a facility in which it can use. I can hear it whispering every now and then… it probably will leave my network soon; I monitor it so closely it doesn't have a chance to event attempt to take it over. I predict an old weapon's lab is where it will hide out…"
"And what if it does manage to revive itself… and sees you as a threat?" Tsuchimikado asked. Aleister chucked out loud.
"Then the next experiment will begin."
Kanzaki Kaori's leaving with reasons of persuading various magical institutions, including Necessarius, seemed to be something of a wise move.
Using her status as a saint, she was more than able to succeed in gaining support in making sure Endless Fiction couldn't be used. Although it became clear that the final confrontation had already happened, in hidden agreement with Anti-Skill, they started an investigation with three main goals.
1. Capture the thief known as Gilgamesh and retrieve his stolen arsenal of magical weapons.
2. Retrieve the Book of Divinations
3. Capture and eliminate Kureiji Shurui and her associate.
The second objective was completed almost right after the investigation's start; it was found under rubble; virtually unharmed from the destruction. It was promptly returned to his original location before its theft.
The first one, however, proved to be much more difficult. Gilgamesh left the country approximately 12 hours after the facilities destruction, his entire crew leaving with him. The only one able to make contact with the Big Bridge guild was Kanzaki Kaori herself, who promptly attacked the guild's leader. The clash was said to have lasted for at least five days. No victor was known, as the match happened in a private setting. However, the saint was unable to capture Gilgamesh, nor retrieve any of his stolen arms of war.
As side note, the actual duel between these titans of power was detailed in full in Gilgamesh's personal memoires, known simply as "The Many Epics of Gilgamesh." However, the details of this duel were still left unknown to most of the world, as the only ones able to read Gilgamesh's personal papers were Gilgamesh himself and his top three subordinates, promptly referred to as "The Three Fiends of the Big Bridge."
But that, along with other exploits of this famous Thieves Guild, is another story for another time.
The third objective, however, was never completed, or was its completion ever in reach. Even after five months of investigation, nothing turned up. As of the date of the facility's destruction, July 23rd, the pair of Dynamo and Kureiji Shurui, have been labelled as missing.
-Small Town, a Fair Distance Away From Academy City-
"Ah… ugah… huh…?" Shurui awoke slowly. She looked around; she appeared to be in a small room, lying on a bed. She was covered in white sheets, and the room appeared to be a dull brown. "Where… am I…?"
"A safe distance away." At her bed-side. Dynamo, in what could only be described as his causal clothes, was sitting. "I was starting to get worried; you've been out for a while."
"I have…?" Shurui asked. She looked around again; it was just a generic room, probably a slow-scale hotel. Probably with no security at all… considering circumstances, Dynamo probably broke into this room. But she put the details aside for now. "…What happened?"
"After you passed out, the facility started to cave in… I stepped in and got you out of there, and here we are… not much of a story." Dynamo replied. "It was a true final climax though… kind of makes me wish for a sequel for our little game, you know?" Dynamo joked. Shurui smiled in response.
"…Dynamo; do you remember that little town I told you I lived in… that small little house I told you about?" Shurui asked.
"I think so… you did show it to me a little while after we met." Dynamo leaned back in his chair.
"Good…" Shurui replied. "I know I've asked a lot for you in this past week… but do you think you could do me one last thing?"
"Em… I don't see why not…?" Dynamo said in a confused tone.
"Can you take me home, Dynamo?" Shurui asked.
"…Why? What about Endless Fiction…?"
"I learned something… I'm not very good at choosing who should live and who should die." Shurui replied. "That little fact is more than enough for me to decide against it… if I can't make the right choice about whether or not a single person should be allowed to live or be killed… I'm very ill-suited for the position of being the fixer of the world… besides…" Shurui turned toward Dynamo. "There is already someone out there making great strides toward fixing this rotting world anyway."
"…So you fell for him after all." Dynamo laughed. "Here I thought the rumors about this Kami-yan Disease were just rumors… hehe…"
"Stop mixing up respect with sexual desire, you game-crazed little jackass…" Shurui replied in a huff, turning her head away.
"…In that case, I'd be more than happy to escort you back to your home, Shurui." Dynamo replied, standing up. Shurui slowly turned her head back toward him with a small smile.
"Dynamo… thanks for everything you've done…" Shurui said, sitting up a little.
"…I don't know why you're thanking me. I'm just an opportunist after all; I've been doing all of this simply because I felt like it." Dynamo replied. Shurui smiled, and promptly pulled Dynamo down onto the bed suddenly, catching the Plasma Caster off guard. "Hey… what was that for?"
"You're such a bad liar, my little Dynamo." Shurui said in amusement at the sight of Dynamo lying on his stomach in her lap. Dynamo made a face of annoyance, but after a bit his face softened into a smile.
"Ok… maybe I lied about just doing everything just because I felt like it… just a little bit."
At approximately 2:30 am on July 23rd, Kamijou Touma was admitted to his usual hospital, treated in his usual room, and by his usual doctor. The only unusual thing was that there was an unusual girl by Kamijou Touma's side, one who refused to leave her position; no matter what Touma's Doctor told her.
Shortly after escaping the facility, when they managed to reach an area where they could rest, Touma promptly passed out. Mikoto frantically tried to awaken the Imagine Breaker, when the Accelerator walked up upon the scene; notably appearing somewhat angry. Worst must have done something after the facility went down, thus Accelerator's anger and Worst's sudden absence. Accelerator saw the sleeping Touma and the frantic Mikoto, and merely slung one of Touma's arms over his shoulder and with a look signalled Mikoto to do the same. The Railgun still had absolutely no positive feelings for Accelerator, but she did acknowledge that Touma was simply too heavy for her to carry on her own, so she merely nodded and accepted Accelerator's help.
Their walk was silent, but they eventually made their way to the hospital. Mikoto handled the admittance information, and once a certain frog-faced doctor, the Heaven Canceller, arrived, Accelerator took that as his assistance no longer being required and left without a word. Strangely, although Memory Trick was casted, the Heaven Canceller was completely unaffected, but Mikoto decided to leave well enough alone.
Kamijou Touma was unconscious for five days. On the fourth day, memory of Misaka Mikoto returned, and her cell-phone was bombarded with calls and messages from her friends, asking her where she was and where she'd been. It was the first time in the past four days Mikoto felt happy; the incident had finally been resolved. She was so happy, she went out and bought two 2000 yen Hot-Dogs; one for her and one for Touma, thinking that he'd wake up that day. Unfortunately, he didn't, and she ended up giving away the second one the Heaven Canceller, thinking it was a good thank you for caring for someone so close to her, as she had become aware the frog-faced doctor did so rather frequently.
On the fifth day, at 11:00 am, simply enough, the eyes of Kamijou Touma finally opened.
-Touma's Hospital Room-
"Mmm…" Touma hummed. "Ah… huh?" Touma opened his eyes fully, observing the room. It was his usual hospital room alright. Everything was the same as it always was when he was admitted here… well, except for one thing; Mikoto was sitting on a chair right next to his bed, with her body slumped forward onto the bed, her eyes closed, sleeping. Touma smiled. "She must have been awake all night… I wonder how long I've been out of it this time…" Touma decided to let her sleep, gently running his fingers through her hair, but it wasn't very long before she heard a pleasant hum from the sleeping girl before she woke up.
"Y-you're awake…! Eep!" Mikoto shot upward in reaction to Touma literally playing with her hair.
"E-eh… sorry." Touma replied.
"I-its fine… y-you just caught me off guard is all…" Mikoto replied, blushing. "S-so… how are you feeling…?"
"A little groggy… did you bring me here all by yourself?" Touma asked.
"N-no… Accelerator helped me… you've been out for five days you know…"
"Five days huh… no matter what I seem to do I always end up spending so much time here." Touma sighed. "Wait… five days… what about Memory Trick?"
"Completely gone." Mikoto replied happily. "The effects of it are completely gone, and they aren't being re-piled on; the fight is over."
"Thank goodness… I didn't want to have to fight either Shurui or Dynamo again…" Touma smiled and let out a relieved sigh. "So… you were ready to kill someone just over me, huh?"
"E-e-eh!?" Mikoto sputtered. "I-I-I d-d-don't know w-w-what your t-talking about!" She fidgeted in her chair. "B-b-besides! Y-you hate that kind of stuff!"
"Yeah, I do." Touma said. "But… knowing someone is willing to go that far for me is still rather flattering I guess…"
"I-I s-see…" Mikoto stuttered again. "…Touma?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you." Mikoto said. "Thank you so much… for everything. I-I know putting up with me must be hard so… thank you…"
"Don't think anything of it, Mikoto." Touma replied. "It's a boyfriend's job to put up with his girlfriend's antics, isn't it?"
"B-boyfriend… G-g-girlfriend… ahh…" Mikoto turned beat red and held her face, while Touma sighed.
"Still not used to this kind of thing…?" Touma asked, sitting up.
"I-It's s-still new to me- eep!" She let out a high-pitch sound as Touma lifted her face up and leaned in; planting a small kiss on Mikoto's lips. It was short, but to her, it felt like minutes had passed by. She was left speechless when they parted.
"I figured… a good way to ease you into this would be to do it personally…" Touma smiled as Mikoto's lips quivered.
"I-idiot… that's totally… not fair!" Mikoto shouted, pulling Touma's head toward hers; kissing him again. It was much more passionate; their lips brushed back and forth, occasionally sucking on each other's mouth and even a little tongue here and there. After a short while they parted, both of red faced.
"Wow…" Touma said after a short silence.
"I-I can take care of m-myself… you know…" She trailed off, looking away. Touma nodded, and rested his back against the pillow he was sleeping on. "….Touma?"
"Yeah…?"
"Is it really true… that your own memory won't ever come back?" She asked.
"…The only things that could possibly return my memory would be magic or possibly even esper abilities… but in that case, my right arm would cancel both out, even if they did manage to work." Touma replied. "…Technology maybe… but I don't think the ability to do so is available yet… otherwise the doctor would have told me the moment it was possible." Mikoto got up and sat on the edge of Touma's bed.
"So… it's not that it can't… it's that it might be able to eventually."
"Just what are you trying to get at, Misaka?"
"Touma; you fought tooth and nail, just to help this city remember me… I want… to be able to do the same for you." Mikoto replied. Touma opened his mouth in surprise.
"Mikoto… you… don't have to do that… it might not even be possible."
"It doesn't matter; I want to try." Mikoto replied. "Even if I can't… something good can be born from it anyway, so please… just let me try…"
"…I doubt if i said no, it would be the end of it anyway." Touma replied. Mikoto responded by scooting closer and hugging him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"You've just done so much more me… I just want an opportunity to return the favor… thank you so much…" Mikoto said. Touma smiled and placed one hand onto Mikoto's back and gently stroked it at Mikoto clung to him, enjoying the closeness; silently thinking of what the future holds… and whether or not Mikoto's desire will come to pass. But he put the thought aside; that was another thought for another day. Right now… he just wanted to spend his time with his little Railgun.
-We Have Come to Terms-
And there you have it. That was the Conclusion to Forgotten. So, my dear friends who have stuck it out to the end, what did you think of it all; this little adventure we've been on of you reading and me writing? Leave a review to tell me how well I handled this piece of work, and how much/what you liked about it.
Some of you may be asking if i'll do a sequel or not... all i will say is; not right away. It will more than likely be a long time before I re-visit to Toaru-verse created by Forgotten for a sequel... but keep an eye on my account here; i may surprise you. That said, I may also be doing some shorter works to kind of tide people over before I start working on a sequel, so keep your eyes ready!
All that said... I would very humbly like to thank each and every one of you for reading and supporting me. This is actually the very first story i was able to complete on , and i can only believe that it is your guy's support that made it all happen. So, I sincerely thank you all, I very much appreciate it! ^^
I'll see you all later, have a good day! ^^