A Certain Missing Esper (Arc 4 Main Story)

"Hold on!" The new face said before slamming her fist on the driver's cabin.

The shock startled Tsubasa a bit.

"Everyone okay?", the person asked them. Tsubasa stared at this person for a bit. It was a girl, with an androgenous look, similar to hers. It was an odd coincidence.

She then turned to the other girl and asked her: "Friends of yours?"

'I'm certainly not', Tsubasa thought to herself, 'but maybe the others are.'

This other new girl had beautiful silver hair tied up in two braids.

Yep, never met her before.

"If by okay you me alive, then I think I'm doing okay... for now anyway. I feel awful."

“Hai. I am also alive here, and also feeling awful~”

"Yeaaaah, both of these dorks", she said with a hint of non-malicious teasing in her voice as she pointed at Saito and Aoki, "need urgent medical attention. But I'm good."

"Thanks for the help back there. If I was on my own I may have been able to get away, but I wasn't going to leave these guys behind so you're a real life saver. I'm Aiko by the way. Who are you guys?"

Her friend then put her hand on Tsubasa's shoulder, to signal to her that she wasn't in a critical state, which was reassuring. Tsubasa nodded at her, smiling slightly, a huge wave of relief washing away her worries.

"I'm Tsubasa, Watabe Tsubasa", she decided it was time to introduce herself to the others too.

After her introduction, she remembered something else.

"Oh right. What about the other crazy van and its driver? Was that a part of your plan too? Is it okay to leave them behind?"

By nature the queen’s pleas were answered with a befitting act. Even if it was an act that made her even more flustered than she’d already been.

«This isn’t what I asked for!!!»

However before she could fall into the indignity of the ungrateful, more pursuers appeared just when they had thought they’d finally shaken them. Once more and probably many more times after. This wasn’t going to end, was it?

«Fine. I’ll make sure to ruin their chasing ability once and for all! Just carry your queen to safety my loyal servant ☆»

In direct consequence to her declaration, Shokuhou Misaki would once more aim her remote and unleash the #5’s infamous wrath upon the shadows in the distance. A wrath taking the form of many punishments and delusions, hailing down upon the enemy until even the last of them would be stopped in their tracks. No matter how many it’d take. There was an end to everything…

…was there?

The moment from which it was just Kohaku and Naoto turned into a vast group of strangers of various colors felt like a blur. Within one instant, Naoto had called out for the escapees to enter their vehicle. In the next, the wallflower was one among many. The girl who was clearly not fit for long bursts of action was not one among the people who had pulled others to (relative) safety.

But the older girl who was teasing the others was right about one thing.

“Looks like a few abrasions and cuts.” The silver-haired girl made her way to the one referred as Aiko who was clearly bleeding from her head.

Kohaku landed a hand on her shoulder and peered at the abrasion. “I see a scrape on the head, but nothing dangerous. It’ll bleed a lot, but it can be stopped by putting some pressure on the wound.”

But given that she was the one who looked the most roughed up, Kohaku took extra care to make sure she read…

“Minor concussion secondary to brain trauma.” The girl placed her hand upon the younger girl’s bleeding head. “Multiple abrasions secondary to trauma. Thoracic cage intact. Abdominal cavity intact. She should recover if we stop the bleeding and let her rest.”

The girl, laser focused on what was going on in her hands, however, finally realized something.

“Ah. I didn’t introduce myself. Call me Kohaku.”

"Thanks for the help back there. If I was on my own I may have been able to get away, but I wasn't going to leave these guys behind so you're a real life saver. I'm Aiko by the way. Who are you guys?"

“Hai. I am also alive here, and also feeling awful~”

"Yeaaaah, both of these dorks need urgent medical attention. But I'm good. I'm Tsubasa, Watabe Tsubasa. Oh right. What about the other crazy van and its driver? Was that a part of your plan too? Is it okay to leave them behind?"

Maybe it was the relief from their narrow escape, but Naoto felt that the group in front of her seemed in remarkably good spirits, considering how close they'd come to dying. In truth it was a relief for her, too. Usually, her 'clients' were shaken and paranoid on the verge of breaking down, or sullen and withdrawn to the point of silence. She watched from the far end of the van as Kohaku made her observations. Naoto, whose only knowledge of medicine and diagnosis came from her own visits to underground doctors, and unaware of Kohaku's abiltiy, could only guess at how the girl drew her conclusions. She was using sophisticated terminology, so presumably, she had some sort of training. It only deepened Naoto's (slightly childish) belief that doctors and nurses were basically magical.

“Ah. I didn’t introduce myself. Call me Kohaku.”

With introductions being made left and right, Naoto waited her turn.

"And you can call me Naoto. I'm not really one for formalities." She decided to keep the easy atmosphere, even if her numerous questions had her feeling uncertain. "As for the other driver," She faced Tsubasa, whose question had prompted her to answer, "They weren't with us, so I can only guess what was up there. To be honest we just took advantage of that whole mess. It wasn't part of the plan." Her slight smile betrayed a hint of pride. "But we're good at adapting, ain't that right?" She raised her fist up to the window leading into the driver's cab and the bleached blonde youth at the wheel reached behind his shoulder to tap his knuckle to hers.

"That's right, boss."

"As for who we are," Naoto's face turned to Aiko next. "We're just upstanding, concerned citizens, that's all." She quipped modestly. "We like to lend a helping hand to people in tight spots. And when we heard Kurama's crew were stirring up trouble around the warehouses we figured we'd step in and help. Anyone who pisses that twerp off can't be that bad, after all." There was a twitch of a grin as she said that. "So I have to ask... what's your deal?" She addressed the question to the whole group, Saito, Reina, Aiko and Tsubasa. "I'm guessing there's a good reason for you guys to be picking a fight with the mad dogs of Skill Out?" Even among the 'lawless thugs' that made up Skill Out, Kurama's group was known to be violent and savage.

"It's because of me." Reina said, a little surprised at herself for speaking up. Her voice, normally so quiet and unsteady, now seemed clear and firm, at least for her. "They've been fighting to help me." She'd felt guilty because of that fact. Since the beginning, she'd been grateful, even as she felt helpless to aid them. When Tsubasa and Saito had tormented their captive, when Aiko revealed her secret, all of it had caused Reina to doubt them. And yet despite all of that, through this entire nightmare, they'd never hesitated to protect her. They had no reason to help her, nothing to gain from it, and yet they did. And what's more, they did it without hesitation. Perhaps some of their courage had rubbed off on the small girl, because for the first time she'd cast aside her fears for herself to drag Saito to safety (or at least try.)

Naoto listened in silence as Reina, occasionally hesitating, sometimes stumbling over her words, explained the events of the past few days to the best of her understanding.

"Huh. Well, things are starting to make sense. It's been popping off all night." Naoto said, looking down at her phone. While she'd been waiting with Kohaku at the station she'd been receiving regular reports from her contacts. A number of Kurama's hideouts had been hit with devastating force. No witnesses had been left standing and no one had seen the perpetrator. Naoto's group was already speculating that it was the work of one of the city's rumoured wetwork forces. Maybe even connected to the people chasing Kohaku. "Someone's been tearing up the city. I figured it was you guys. But now..." Looking at the state of them, she doubted that was the case.

***

One by one their pursuers fell to Misaki's ability. After a few blocks had passed, Guy called to Misaki in a voice that was surprisingly level considering the distance and the fact that he was carrying a passenger.

"How's it look back there?"

When she gave the all-clear, he slowed to a halt.

"You sure you're not enjoying this?" He cracked a smile as he lingered for a moment, hesitating to set her down. Guy took a deep breath as he lowered Misaki to the floor. He may not have been totally exhausted, but their escape had clearly taken its toll. He steadied himself on a nearby wall and wiped the sweat from his brow. And as he looked up at the night sky in that brief moment of respite, he realised he was no closer to finding Rachel than before. And they were running out of leads. For a moment his face betrayed his weariness, losing the ever-present smirk as his eyelids drooped heavily. The expression passed rapidly as he straightened his back and rolled his shoulders like an actor preparing to go back on stage.

A rhythmic chime sounded. Guy felt his pocket buzz.

It was the phone he'd taken from the fallen thug at the start of the night. Guy glanced at Misaki before answering. He didn't speak.

Because the person on the other end spoke first.

"Yo! This is Agito's phone, right? That means you must be the one who's been giving us so much trouble." The relaxed tone of that voice made Guy uneasy. "How about I make this easy for both of us. I'm going to cut you a deal. If you're interested, then come meet me in person. I'm sending the address now~. Looking forward to meeting you, Mr troublemaker."

The phone beeped with a new message and the line went dead.

“Hai. I am also alive here, and also feeling awful~”

"Yeaaaah, both of these dorks need urgent medical attention. But I'm good. Oh right. What about the other crazy van and its driver? Was that a part of your plan too? Is it okay to leave them behind?"

At least it seems like everyone's relatively jovial tone had managed to survive that encounter unscathed. Aiko had been to engrossed in the fight to give the first van that came crashing through the wall much thought, but looking back, where had that van come from and was the drive alright? Aiko hadn't seen anyone else getting out of the wreckage.  

“Looks like a few abrasions and cuts.”

The white haired girl had then stepped over to Aiko and placed her hand on her should before beginning what could only be described as a comprehensive diagnostic.

“I see a scrape on the head, but nothing dangerous. It’ll bleed a lot, but it can be stopped by putting some pressure on the wound. Minor concussion secondary to brain trauma. Multiple abrasions secondary to trauma. Thoracic cage intact. Abdominal cavity intact. She should recover if we stop the bleeding and let her rest."

As she finished speaking, Aiko noticed the white hair girl's gaze lock on her hand, or more likely the gun in her hand. Aiko then tried reassure the girl that it posed no danger while slipping it back into the holster on her leg.

"Ah, don't worry about this. I used up the last of the ammo back there anyway."

"Ah. I didn’t introduce myself. Call me Kohaku.”

"And you can call me Naoto. I'm not really one for formalities. As for the other driver, They weren't with us, so I can only guess what was up there. To be honest we just took advantage of that whole mess. It wasn't part of the plan. But we're good at adapting, ain't that right? As for who we are, We're just upstanding, concerned citizens, that's all. We like to lend a helping hand to people in tight spots. And when we heard Kurama's crew were stirring up trouble around the warehouses we figured we'd step in and help. Anyone who pisses that twerp off can't be that bad, after all. So I have to ask... what's your deal? I'm guessing there's a good reason for you guys to be picking a fight with the mad dogs of Skill Out?"

"It's because of me. They've been fighting to help me."

Before Aiko could explain anything, Reina spoke up for the first time in a while and explained the whole situation in a bit more detail then Aiko would have liked. It probably wasn't her primary concern at the moment, but Aiko would have preferred if Reina hadn't mentioned her connections to TASK to the people they just met.  

"Huh. Well, things are starting to make sense. It's been popping off all night. Someone's been tearing up the city. I figured it was you guys. But now..."

"We've only hit one other of their sites so probably not us. It may have been Guy, a... friend of mine. We bumped into him back there and it seems like he's been having it out with them as well but we split up during the escape. I just sent him a text to let him know we got away so I might hear back soon. For now though..."

Aiko didn't even finish her sentence. Sitting back up had been a mistake. That Kohaku girl had been right, she probably had some kind of concussion, was losing blood, and was very dizzy. Aiko laid back down on the floor of the van, closing her eyes and placed her arm over the scrape on her head to put some pressure on the wound. She wasn't quite asleep, but resting was probably the right idea in her condition.

“Ah. I didn’t introduce myself. Call me Kohaku.”
"And you can call me Naoto. I'm not really one for formalities."

Hirashi felt like death, but thanks to that girl with the silver hair, it was more from being tired than from actually dying. Now that the relief from escaping is fading, The cogs in Hirashi’s brain began turning as usual.

“Who are these people? And what reasons did they have for saving us?”

"As for the other driver…”

“And the other driver?”

Hirashi had assumed the leading van was unmanned. After all, who in their right minds would drive recklessly through a warehouse like that? A small piece of memory in Hirashi’s head was flagged by that description, and it sent a chill down his spine. *

“Could it really be… No, it must be just a coincidence.”

“We're just upstanding, concerned citizens, that's all."

Avoiding a straight answer, but that was to be expected. You simply do not lay out all your cards in front of someone you just met.

"It's because of me."

It seemed like some of Hoodie Girl’s forthcoming and trusting personality has rubbed off on Gown Girl, Hirashi tried his hardest to not let his despair show on his face.

"We've only hit one other of their sites so probably not us. It may have been Guy, a... friend of mine. We bumped into him back there and it seems like he's been having it out with them as well but we split up during the escape. I just sent him a text to let him know we got away so I might hear back soon. For now though..."

Hoodie Girl did not get to finish her sentence before she collapsed (again) on the floor of the van. The rate of her breathing indicated she was conscious, but it was probably better if she did not move around for a while.

As for Hirashi, he sat quietly, leaning against the side of the van. They have already provided a lot of information, and as much as he hated it, they were completely under this new group’s power right now. Keeping his mouth shut until he understood the situation better would be the best course of action.

---

*For context, Hirashi had been through a particularly short but wild road-trip with Kisaragi. For more details please refer to page 4 of Curfew Carnival

«Impressive. I didn’t know they taught you to outcompete any top athlete in your training. Is that Japan’s new strategy to snatch globally relevant titles in major sport events?»

That voice was still coming from the choker around Kisaragi’s neck and oddly enough even though she was once more pouring her everything into treading the pedals, she could hear every word loud and clear. However, given these circumstances and the fact that she was right in the middle of a chase and escape scenario, she held zero tolerance for this kind of casual chit chat.

«Couldn’t you have told me from the beginning that she was on that car?»

Currently, her single focus point was the objective before her. The other car that had been at that warehouse. The one, she had learned, Kohaku was aboard. Its nature, however, hadn’t been revealed to the kunoichi yet. Hence, she not only had to force her legs to compete with a run-the-mill engine but also had to do so while keeping sufficient distance and low enough a profile to not be recognised as a chaser.

«If I had, wouldn’t you have been even more reckless?»

And as if that wasn’t enough, that man’s joyous presumably funny comments put even more oil into the fire that were her over raging emotions.

Still, among his attempts at pointless conversation there always was this odd sense of calculatedness, as though all was going according to plan.

«Besides, I still do have purpose for Aoki Aiko, as well.»


Chaos reigned supreme on the grounds of the warehouse. The thugs that had been enchanted by the #5’s mind control had yet to break free of it and were therefore still swinging their fists, crowbars, and baseball clubs at one another. When it’d end could only be assumed. Not that it mattered.

After all, the one crossing through that turmoil did with little care for any of that. All this was highly irrelevant from their point of view. Only another hold up.

Instead, the main attraction to them was straight ahead: The ruins of the container adjacent to the building. Stepping through the giant hole in its wall, that individual stepped into the domain of the true fight. The domain of the true predator.

«I have to commend you. I knew your skills were one of a kind, but this was quite thrilling to watch.»

Outside of the obvious albeit cold admiration, their voice gave away nothing. No age. No gender. Nothing. In fact, nothing about them gave anything away. Their very existence was like a blank spot in the world. Devoid of any perceivable identity, this figure could only be describes as ambiguous. A shadow in the darkness.

«Still, to put it frankly: Your approach to the matter was also overflowing with inefficiency. Look at the outcome. Was all that fanfare really necessary? Couldn’t a little more subtlety have turned out more favourable?»

After the introductions were done, the girl named Naoto answered Tsubasa’s and Aoki’s questions respectively.

"They weren't with us, so I can only guess what was up there. To be honest we just took advantage of that whole mess. It wasn't part of the plan. As for who we are. We're just upstanding, concerned citizens, that's all. We like to lend a helping hand to people in tight spots. And when we heard Kurama's crew were stirring up trouble around the warehouses we figured we'd step in and help. Anyone who pisses that twerp off can't be that bad, after all."

“Heeeeh~ Now that’s a fun coincidence~ We’re so lucky~”, Tsubasa interjected in her usual playful manner, but her suspicions and worries about what they were told and the extent of its truthfulness were probably clear to whoever had any kind of experience in reading people.

"So I have to ask... what's your deal? I'm guessing there's a good reason for you guys to be picking a fight with the mad dogs of Skill Out?", Naoto asked the group. It seemed she too was having her own share of questions about them.

"It's because of me." Reina suddenly answered, "They've been fighting to help me."

As soon as Tsubasa was about to answer herself, she was taken aback because, out of all the people present, Reina was the one she least expected to talk in this intense situation.

"Huh. Well, things are starting to make sense. It's been popping off all night. Someone's been tearing up the city. I figured it was you guys. But now..."

"We've only hit one other of their sites so probably not us. It may have been Guy, a... friend of mine. We bumped into him back there and it seems like he's been having it out with them as well but we split up during the escape. I just sent him a text to let him know we got away so I might hear back soon. For now though..."

But Aoki didn’t get to finish her sentence as she laid back down once again on the floor of the van. She seemed to still be dizzy or have a headache at least, because she was pressuring the wound with her arm over the scrape on her head. This prompted Tsubasa to look at her worriedly, fear for her friend’s well-being evident in her eyes. She decided against voicing out her thoughts however, and shoved her questions to the back of her mind. She didn’t want to put Aoki on the spot. That girl needed some well-deserved rest.

Instead, she decided to speak with the rest of the group.

“Maybe we should’ve waited for the other person, I wonder. At least to see if they’re an ally or not. I don’t know why, but it just keeps bugging me. Why would someone barge into the building like that? They surely had a good reason for that… right? They can't be so insane as to do it for no reason, haha... Does anyone here have any idea or a guess who it could’ve been in that van?”

‘Last of the ammo?’

What was she talking about? The more she thought about it, the more she realized that one of the girl’s hands was wrapped around something, based on what she had seen through her scan. Given the girl’s delirious-sounding response, Kohaku could only fathom a guess as to what that object was. But, it was probably best to let sleeping dogs lie at that point.

But, between that and what she was hearing from all the other new entries, she found herself getting more and more confused. All things considered, she was doing quite well.

“Well, things are starting to make sense.”

They were? As much as Reina claiming that everyone was fighting to protect her meant something, Kohaku still had little in the way to understand the whole story.

Unfortunately, Kohaku had to give a shrug to Tsubasa’s question as she was totally unaware. She was still not fully aware of the situation, but she still didn’t want to interrupt the flow of conversation by pressing for more information. It was a bit of a selfish thing to do.

“I’m not going to have the answer, but is knowing that going to be helpful for us to start our next steps? If not, I would suggest we focus on that while everyone still has the chance to rest rather than focusing on things we have no answer for.”

After giving her blunt response, the girl moved over to Hiraishi with as minimal attempts to bump into the others as possible and placed each of her hands on him, one on his head and one on his neck, as she made her attempt to read him. Admittedly, the most tactless response possible from the silver-haired blockhead.

"We've only hit one other of their sites so probably not us. It may have been Guy, a... friend of mine. We bumped into him back there and it seems like he's been having it out with them as well but we split up during the escape. I just sent him a text to let him know we got away so I might hear back soon. For now though..."

Naoto was doubtful that the attacks could have been the work of a single person, but she kept those suspicions to herself. But the more she heard the more she felt like the truth was coming into focus. The pieces were there. She just couldn't sort them. Solving riddles and deducing the truth like a detective had never been her style.

“Maybe we should’ve waited for the other person, I wonder. At least to see if they’re an ally or not. I don’t know why, but it just keeps bugging me. Why would someone barge into the building like that? They surely had a good reason for that… right? They can't be so insane as to do it for no reason, haha... Does anyone here have any idea or a guess who it could’ve been in that van?”

"Well, if you want to hang around in the middle of that mess then be my guest." Naoto meant the comment in good nature but between her reserved affectations and dry sense of humour it might have seemed like a flippant dismissal. "If they're crazy enough to pull a stunt like that then they can take care of themselves."

“I’m not going to have the answer, but is knowing that going to be helpful for us to start our next steps? If not, I would suggest we focus on that while everyone still has the chance to rest rather than focusing on things we have no answer for.”

It was a good point. Right now the most sensible way forward was to recover from what had surely been a rough ordeal for the motley crew in front of her. They could figure out the rest in the meantime.

"I agree." She voiced her support for Kohaku. "We've got a safe house for you guys to lay low at if you want." She made the offer "Or we can drop you off somewhere. I can't blame you if you find us a little shady." She tried for an easy smile but the expression looked forced as if it was unsuited for her face. "Not everyone has a good opinion of Skill Out. But I can assure you, we're not all like... that." She nodded in the direction of the warehouse that had long disappeared from view. "For now all I can do is share what I know. Who knows, maybe you guys can piece it all together better than me." She crouched against the wall of the driver's compartment and took a deep breath, considering where to begin.

***

«I have to commend you. I knew your skills were one of a kind, but this was quite thrilling to watch. Still, to put it frankly: Your approach to the matter was also overflowing with inefficiency. Look at the outcome. Was all that fanfare really necessary? Couldn’t a little more subtlety have turned out more favourable?»

Kazuma raised an eyebrow.

"Well, a good showman has to put on a performance if there's an audience." He kicked the ground, scuffing the concrete with his leather-soled shoe. "But if you're worried about the outcome, then relax. We're professionals. I know what I'm doing. You may not trust me, but you do trust the boss, right? And he trusts me. All this..." He gestured broadly to the chaotic scenery about them both. "It's just my style, is all." And he flashed that individual a smile that brimmed with playful malevolence.

***

A short while later, a response would reach Aiko's phone. The message was short, but it confirmed her hopes.

"Same here. Close call but we got out safely. I'll be in touch if I find anything new."

Guy neglected to mention his latest destination. It wasn't distrust of Aiko and her allies, but rather a purely rational assessment of the situation as he saw it. The more people were involved in this transaction, the more chance there was of something going wrong. He felt wary enough of taking Misaki along, but he suspected that he wouldn't be able to shake her off if he tried.

Well, a light jog might do the trick, he supposed, shooting the girl a sympathetic look as they neared their destination. They'd been walking for quite some distance now and even at that leisurely pace, she seemed to be struggling. A physical powerhouse, she was not.

The truth was, he was grateful for the help. The more strength he could bring to bear on this problem, the more tools he could turn towards it, the better. If he could, he would have brought Mikoto and her railgun to rain down destruction, but things were precarious. There was no clear enemy to aim that firepower at. Until they had a target, subtlety was required. And that made Misaki the perfect ally.

The nightclub was still open despite the late hour. There weren't many places like it in the city, but they existed. The older students and younger adults needed someplace to indulge in their vices after all.

Guy stopped opposite the club and turned to Misaki.

"This isn't a place for a middle schooler, much less a Tokiwadai girl." He said. In the distance, manning the door a pair of college-aged girls dressed in bunny suits enthusiastically greeted the guests waiting in line. "I don't think you're going to be able to get in."

“Maybe we should’ve waited for the other person, I wonder. At least to see if they’re an ally or not. I don’t know why, but it just keeps bugging me. Why would someone barge into the building like that? They surely had a good reason for that… right? They can't be so insane as to do it for no reason, haha... Does anyone here have any idea or a guess who it could’ve been in that van?”

Aiko didn't think she knew anyone crazy enough to drive a van through the side of a building... actually scratch that, the rest of TASK were all pretty crazy. She could somehow picture them doing something that dumb, but seeing as this wasn't a TASK mission and they'd been told specifically to stand down, Aiko doubted it would be any of them.

“I’m not going to have the answer, but is knowing that going to be helpful for us to start our next steps? If not, I would suggest we focus on that while everyone still has the chance to rest rather than focusing on things we have no answer for.”

"I agree. We've got a safe house for you guys to lay low at if you want. Or we can drop you off somewhere. I can't blame you if you find us a little shady. Not everyone has a good opinion of Skill Out. But I can assure you, we're not all like... that. For now all I can do is share what I know. Who knows, maybe you guys can piece it all together better than me."

Their safe house or be dropped off somewhere. The chance to just have them drop her off back at the entrance to the school garden was tempting. Aiko could really use a nap. Though returning to the garden all bruised and bloodied like she was would probably freak out Miyako and she doubted she'd get any sleep. Besides, she had no plans to run away at this point. She'd thrown her lot in here and she intended to stick it through to the end concussion or not.

"I've decided to trust you, though mostly because in this state I couldn't fight you if I didn't, you also saved us so bonus points there, so if you've got a safe house that is safe, I thick that'd be best. I could really use a less bumpy place to rest."

A moment later, Aiko's phone buzzed and she checked to see Guy's message.

"Same here. Close call but we got out safely. I'll be in touch if I find anything new."

A slight smile appeared on Aiko's face as she confirmed her teacher was safe. She sent back a single smiley face before resuming her extremely important task of laying on the floor not moving while wishing her headache would go away.

“Does anyone here have any idea or a guess who it could’ve been in that van?”

Hirashi did have a guess, but going off any gut feelings was just not Hirashi’s style. It is dangerous to come to conclusions that are not based on solid evidence, it may plant bias in one’s mind and make one begin to pick facts to suit the theory rather than the other way around. Hirashi suppressed the thought and continued to sit back.

“We've got a safe house for you guys to lay low at if you want. Or we can drop you off somewhere”

A safehouse or to be dropped off. The option was obvious, Hirashi had no idea who their assailants were, or if they knew Hirashi’s identity. It was too dangerous to simply go home, even Hoodie Girl with her fancy school security will not help when their adversary may be connected to the very top of Academy City itself.

"I've decided to trust you, though mostly because in this state I couldn't fight you if I didn't, you also saved us so bonus points there, so if you've got a safe house that is safe, I think that'd be best. I could really use a less bumpy place to rest."

And as usual, Hirashi’s ever so talkative companions voiced their opinions first. That suited Hirashi just fine, after all, Hirashi subscribed to the belief of “the louder you talked, the faster you died”. But Hirashi’s plan to keep to himself was shattered, as with seemingly all his other plans as of late, when the silver haired girl cut across the van before placing her hands on Hirashi’s head and neck.

“!”

Hirashi was taken aback, and flinched away from the contact. It was more than just the usual shock of a stranger touching you out of nowhere, but also the underlying fear Hirashi had for potential esper powers. Maybe their saviours were not as benevolent as they presented themselves to be, and were just using them to gain information. Going after the quiet and intellectual-looking one with some mind reading ability maybe? Or implanting some sort of tracking device to keep tabs on them. Or…

Hirashi’s paranoia kicked in again, and tried to lean away from the intruder of his personal space. But after being knocked around and dead tired, Hirashi instead fell backwards awkwardly and banged his head on the back of the van, falling ungracefully on his back.

«You’re mistaken. I don’t trust anybody. That’s the secret of my trade.»

Instead of showing the assassin the courtesy they asked for, the figure instead cut back without any emotion whatsoever. Instead they would state everything as though it was entirely factual in nature.

«The other secret is to abide to the law of discrete minimalism to extract maximum efficiency. However, I do admit that your way did meet the needs’ ends, if that makes you happy.»

That, paired with a completely different brand of professonalism.

«Either way, I didn’t step out here to chit-chat. My superiors have a stake in this as well. And I have to communicate their desires to adjust the conditions of our joint venture: As it turned out, there is another faction among our enemy we did not predict. In fact, their appearance at this stage of operations forms a threat we should not leave unignored. Or rather a threat my group can not leave unignored. Therefore, it is mandatory that I see to matters personally in this case.»

For how distant they had been throughout this endeavour, they finally raised a need to partake more actively in matters. Yes, it may have sounded like a minor necessity, but that figure had to emerge from the shadows and onto the actual stage. Clearly, a choice they did not take favour making.

«I’ve sent you the details of the subjects in question. If you come across them, leave them. They are mine to deal with.»

After all that back and forth that went beyond any decent lady’s – let alone queen’s – physical prowess, that filthy teacher declared his intention to ditch Shokuhou. And what for? To enter an establishment so steamy, it in itself was too cliched to be real: The epitome of an adult club.

But hadn’t he learned his lesson yet?

«Who do you think you are talking to? A lady of my calibre ability not able to get in? My my, just watch and learn ☆»

That was all it took for the previously dying lump that was Shokuhou Misaki to get back to 110% of her energy bar and lead the charge towards the doorstep of the night club. There, without any hesitation she’d pull out a remote from her handbag, point it at one of the bunny girls and press the button.

«Category 103: Shokuhou Misaki has been your coworker for a few months!»

Then once more for the other, only this time there would be another command following on top.

«Category 112: Your shift has ended and you will now hand over your uniform to your favourite coworker Shokuhou Misaki!»

That and a short detour into an adjacent back alley was all it took to force this unpenetratable doors to the adult world open. Now, emerging from the back alley was a honey blonde bunny suit girl who so naturally fit into the attire, one would truly believe she’d been born for the job. Although, she was clearly uncomfortable having to appear before someone she actually knew in that new role.

«…I think it’s a little tight around the chest area. So…don’t even dare to let your gaze wander, yes?!»

At this point, the safe house wasn’t a viable option. While Anko would have probably wanted Kohaku to keep herself safe and disassociate from what was going on as soon as possible, she could not do that anymore.

“As long as I can reunite with Anko-chan and ascertain her safety,”

At this point, she couldn’t simply let bygones be bygones.

Until she was certain of Anko’s status, she could not let things go.

“I’ll stick with you guys.”

"I've decided to trust you, though mostly because in this state I couldn't fight you if I didn't, you also saved us so bonus points there, so if you've got a safe house that is safe, I thick that'd be best. I could really use a less bumpy place to rest."

The rich girl (or so Naoto assumed, judging by her uniform) voiced her opinion. When none of the others spoke up to contradict her, Naoto took that as agreement. She didn't miss the boy's alarm when Kohaku approached, or the fact that he had been silent for the entire journey thusfar. But whether that was from stoicism or shock, she didn't dare to venture.

“As long as I can reunite with Anko-chan and ascertain her safety, I’ll stick with you guys.” Kohaku's statement was in line with what Naoto expected. That sort of loyalty and firmness of conviction was uncommon, but it was unmistakable when witnessed.

Knocking again on the back of the driver's cabin, Naoto called to the youth behind the wheel.

"You heard 'em. Let's get home on the double. And try to make it a smooth ride."

***

A short while later the van approached a set of rolling doors in a non-descript building somewhere deep in the city. The driver had done his best to keep the ride comfortable, but to those inside the many winding twists and turns made it difficult to plot a course to their destination. That was the point, of course. Not to hide the safehouse from their passengers, but to keep it from anyone who might be tailing them from the outside.

The doors raised in perfect timing with the speeding vehicle, which came to a skidding halt inside the bay of an underground parking lot.

Naoto threw open the door of the van and stepped out with the proud bearing of a captain surveying their ship. The scene that greeted her looked less like a parking lot and more like a youth center. Tables and chairs, vending machines, arcade cabinets and even what appeared to be an impressive home theatre set-up had been packed into the low-ceilinged space. No fewer than 30 boys and girls were going about their business inside. One of them approached with a swagger, pulling his hands out of the pockets of his hoody for just long enough to slap Naoto's hand with a high-five.

"You guys must have really done a number on Kenji's boys. Word is he's melting down." The boy cackled. "Wish I could have seen his dumb face."

"Me too, but he wasn't there. Littler twerp's probably punching a wall somewhere." Naoto's smile was a little more subdued than her comrade's. "Thanks for the tip-off, Sonoda! Tell the girls we picked up the passenger safely." She called out to the girl with dark tanned skin, bleached blonde hair and an indecently arranged uniform who sat at the far wall staring at her phone. The other girl raised her hand silently in acknowledgement without looking away from the screen in front of her.

Naoto returned her attention to the group as they filtered out of the van.

"Make yourselves at home. It's probably not what you're used to, but for the time being I hope you don't mind sharing a roof with us Skill Out."

***

«Who do you think you are talking to? A lady of my calibre ability not able to get in? My my, just watch and learn ☆»

Guy tilted his head in a silent apology as he stood back to watch Misaki do her thing. She approached the task with her usual subtlety, wielding her power with tyrannical pragmatism. In a few moments she had her disguise and also a great deal of information. The girl whose uniform she donned was a talker and she happily divulged the gossip from that evening's shift. Among the typical details of co-worker romances, infighting amongst the hostesses and complaints about pay she mentioned that tonight they were hosting an important guest who had taken a booth on the mezzanine overlooking the dancefloor. They'd been under strict instructions to give this guest everything he wanted, but also to keep out of his way and very explicitly to not ask any questions about what they saw or heard.

As Misaki stepped out from the back alley, Guy opened his mouth to say something only to be immediately cut off.

«…I think it’s a little tight around the chest area. So…don’t even dare to let your gaze wander, yes?!»

"Of course." There was a wryness to his response that made it difficult to take him seriously. He turned his eyes to the doorway once more. Going in via the front was an option now he had Misaki to let him in, but he wasn't keen on playing into the enemy's hands so eagerly. "Remember, your safety's the top priority. Don't go doing anything too hasty. Keep your distance and just keep an eye out. If anything happens..." He tapped his phone. "I'm trusting you to watch my back."

As he turned away from Misaki towards the back entrance of the club he couldn't help himself.

"It suits you, by the way." He gave a sly wink before dipping into the alleyway.

As everyone made their declarations to stick with their rescuers, one in particular caught the attention of the semi-conscious Aiko.    

“As long as I can reunite with Anko-chan and ascertain her safety, I’ll stick with you guys.”

Anko? It couldn't be Kisaragi could it?

As much as she wanted to ask immediately, Aiko's body decided that this would be a question to ask later as she slipped into unconsciousness for the rest of the drive.  

***

Aiko was roused from her slumber as the van skidded to a stop at their destination. A bit less than a gentle awakening but she was up. She sat up from the floor and looked around, taking in her new environment. Aiko wasn't sure what she was expecting for a safe house, but what was in front of her certainly didn't fit the bill. There were kids running around all over and the place was hooked up with what looked like a home theater setup and vending machines. Who even refills vending machines in a safe house? Pushing that thought away Aiko stood up and stepped out of the van and into the building. Naoto seemed to be already out of the van and talking to the people in the safe house.

"You guys must have really done a number on Kenji's boys. Word is he's melting down."

"Me too, but he wasn't there. Littler twerp's probably punching a wall somewhere. Thanks for the tip-off, Sonoda! Tell the girls we picked up the passenger safely. "

While Naoto was talking with the other occupants, Aiko decided to make her was over to Kohaku to confirm the suspicion she had.

"Kohaku-chan, you mentioned an Anko-chan earlier. That wouldn't happen to be Kisaragi Anko would it?"

It was then that Naoto turned back to the group from the van.

"Make yourselves at home. It's probably not what you're used to, but for the time being I hope you don't mind sharing a roof with us Skill Out."

Skill Out. As a Tokiwadai student and dark side agent, Aiko's experiences with skill out in the past have never really been pleasant. The fact that she was now, based on what Naoto said, in a skill out safe house didn't give her many pleasant feeling. Especially not with her in her Tokiwadai uniform. Aiko then moved closer to Naoto, lowering her voice in some attempt at discretion.  

"Hey Naoto-san. You wouldn't happen to have a change of clothes would you. No offense, but skill out and people from my school generally don't have a good relationship... also I'm not a huge fan of wearing clothes covered in bloodstains if I don't have too."

“Kohaku-chan, you mentioned an Anko-chan earlier. That wouldn't happen to be Kisaragi Anko would it?"

Ah that is not good…

Hirashi’s ears pricked up at the mention of his past nightmare. When he got involved in all this earlier, he was counting on some plotting and scheming to resolve everything. From the fact that everything went wrong (again) almost straight away in a strikingly familiar sequence, Hirashi should’ve known that crazy deadly individual would be involved.

But besides reliving past trauma, Hirashi was also taking in his new environment. When Hirashi heard the word “safehouse”, a parking lot filled with children did not come to mind. From the conversation which followed, it seemed the girl in the cap was quite famous and popular here.

However, just because someone is well-liked does not make them immune to betrayal, in fact, Hirashi felt even more exposed from all the attention the group received as they arrived in the “safehouse”. Not all betrayals are voluntary, no matter how tightly-knit and loyal a group is to each other, coercion or just a simple slip of the tongue can leak critical information, with lethal consequences.

Thinking this, Hirashi sinked into even deeper silence, trying to blend into the background.

"Well, if you want to hang around in the middle of that mess then be my guest. If they're crazy enough to pull a stunt like that then they can take care of themselves."

Tsubasa wasn’t very pleased by the flippant tone she got from Naoto’s response, but she decided to stay silent and not make another scene. She had made enough scenes for today.

"I've decided to trust you, though mostly because in this state I couldn't fight you if I didn't, you also saved us so bonus points there, so if you've got a safe house that is safe, I think that'd be best. I could really use a less bumpy place to rest."

She heard Aoki declare her trust for their new companions. Tsubasa mulled a bit over the issue, and decided to follow suit.

“If you’re trusting them, then so will I. You know, because I trust you.”

‘Even though I don’t like that Naoto fella that much yet, honestly.’

---

They tagged along and were dropped in front of the so-called safe house. A safe house… filled with kids and vending machines.There was even a home theater in this place.  This certainly defied her expectation of what a safe house was. It didn’t mean it was bad though. She kind of liked how colorful the atmosphere was. This was a nice change, compared to every other place they had visited today.

“Wow. Cool! It’s so nice here, I like it.”

Tsubasa noticed Naoto talking to other people, who she assumed to be other Skill-out members.

Honestly speaking, she didn’t have the best history with Skill outs. The ones she met in the past had always done something or another to get on her nerves. But it seems that, from what she could gather from the previous events of today, Skill Outs weren’t a harmonious group, but formed of different factions, who each operated separately. Maybe the ones she encountered were just the worse ones. With her luck, she didn’t doubt it could be the case.

Tsubasa later heard Aoki talk to Kohaku, which piqued her interest so she decided to listen in on their conversation, trying to be discreet. It’s not that she was jealous of this Anko person or anything. Aoki might be Tsubasa’s first friend since Hajime, but it didn’t mean she was Aoki’s first friend. She certainly had plenty of friends, with how kind and friendly she was.

Right…

Tsubasa was certainly not feeling jealous, at all.

That would be so petty.

Naoto then turned back to her and the rest of the group.

"Make yourselves at home. It's probably not what you're used to, but for the time being I hope you don't mind sharing a roof with us Skill Out."

“I don’t mind.”

Tsubasa might have said so, but she was actually worried to bump into any Skill Out member whom she had encountered (i.e. caused trouble to, potential beat up) in the past. She truly wished to avoid causing any other scenes.

«It suits you, by the way.»

For once has lucky to be let off the hook, as Shokuhou Misaki was both too flustered by the tightness of the attire and nervous about the overall situation. She’d pictured the infiltration to a bit more fluent than what was before her. After all, from the moment she had stepped out that back alley, all eyes had wandered towards her, giving her more attention than one needed in these situations. Especially that kind of attention was one she didn’t take favour in right now.

They were staring too much. At places she would normally easily brag with. But not here. Not with this clientel. Here, any kind of admiration would feel wrong. Wrong, because the very underlying intention was just too wrong in the first place.

Either way, putting on a carefree smile and embracing her eyes’s sparkly nature, the honey blonde underage bunny girl would set foot through the main entrance of the adult club.

It being a first, the loud noise, the sparkling lights and the tightly gathered youngsters, were another thing for a sheltered lady to get used to. A thing she could fake, but not get hold of entirely. It was like swimming for the first time in her life, out in the open sea, having to fight the tides and surrounded by all kinds of sharks. Only that she couldn’t show any of that. She had to act professional through and through. Somehow. Even if it meant confidently wearing tight stockings that left hardly any room for imagination about her delicate legs or the corsette that helped to amply expose her chest department.

The back entrance should connect to the employees only area. All I have to do is get through here and in there.[

All she had to do was cross the hall, smiling, interacting with customers where needed and ideally dodging anything that could turn out problematic in whatever way, be it the gropey customer, someone approaching with service questions, or the occasional coworker or security guard. After all, these tightly packed spaces were not the ideal terrain for her ability to unfold.

When she had heard the words ‘safehouse’ and ‘hideout’ being thrown around, she expected something like what she had seen with Anko in Skill Out just last night. Something a bit run down with minimal amenities and minimal fixtures, run by suspicious people.

Suffice to say that only one of those qualifiers seemed to apply when she entered the safe house to see something far more vibrant than she had expected. It felt more like an old school arcade than a congregation of delinquents. Though, to some, there was probably some overlap between the two distinctions.

"Kohaku-chan, you mentioned an Anko-chan earlier. That wouldn't happen to be Kisaragi Anko would it?"

Hearing that question, Kohaku gave Aiko a short, but quizzical look before wiping it all away and continuing to walk into the safehouse while giving Aiko a smile.

“Are you a friend of hers? I didn’t realize she had more friends. She never did feel the sociable type.” As blunt as ever, Kohaku immediately brought to mind her new friend. Granted, she was probably not the best candidate to criticize how sociable others were, but that was nothing important to the moment at hand.

Making her way in, she stretched her arms and back, keeping an eye on Aiko in anticipation of her response.

"Hey Naoto-san. You wouldn't happen to have a change of clothes would you. No offense, but skill out and people from my school generally don't have a good relationship... also I'm not a huge fan of wearing clothes covered in bloodstains if I don't have too."

Naoto gave Aiko a quick glance over. She wasn't particularly well-versed in fashion or clothing sizes, but she guessed that Aiko would probably be able to fit into the kind of off-the-rack sizes one might find in a regular department store. Lifting the flat cap from her head and brushing the short, dark hair underneath with her hand, Naoto pursed her lips thoughtfully.

"I think we've got some spares in the back room, yeah." She left out the fact that they'd been 'acquired' from some hijacked shipments bound for the shopping district's boutiques. "Not sure if they're up to your standards, but you're free to take anything that catches your eye." She moved to a small office at the rear of the lot that must have originally been a break room or something similar. A number of cardboard boxes were stacked up inside along a few simple cots.

"If any of you need a rest..." She gestured to the cots. It wasn't luxurious, but the room at least offered a little privacy.

Reina had, as usual, stayed relatively quiet, sticking to the back of the pack as if in an attempt to blend in. She was the type to avoid drawing attention to herself and with her small, unassuming build, found it easy to remain unnoticed as long as she kept from speaking up. Looking around the first thing that struck her was the unexpectedly peaceful atmosphere that pervaded the 'safehouse'.

Although surrounded by the type of rough and rowdy looking characters one would expect to find lurking in dingy alleys, there was a sense of coziness and comfort among the group. Their 'auras' were less sharp and seemed to spread over a far wider area. If she had to compare it to something, it was like seeing the colours of a painting blend and fade into a muted, warm tone. Like the sound of chatter on a TV melting into a sort of white noise.

Even the gamblers around the table, whose game was rising into heated insults, retained a sort of relaxed aura that was disarming to her. It was almost jarring in a way, after being hounded by similar 'thugs', to see this 'other side' of the underworld.

Beside her, Tsuabasa was a different story. Reina felt a little amused when she saw the rising wave of envy in the taller girl's emotions.

As if answering Tsubasa's worries, one of the boys who had been sitting around the TV stood and slowly made his way over with a grim mask of an expression. He stopped in front of her, fixing her with a stern look from beneath a prominent brow.

"You probably don't remember, but you gave me a hell of a beating a couple months back." He uttered in a low voice. For a moment even Naoto was worried the situation was about to escalate and she gently shifted closer to intervene. That was, until...

"You've got a pretty mean right hook." The boy said, lifting his chin in a quick nod of respect. He pulled his hand from his pocket, a can of cold beer clasped in his fingers. The sort of peace offering that only a delinquent could come up with.

***

Guy was able to open the back door of the club with surprising ease. A slim piece of plastic packaging from a nearby trashcan slipped readily into the gap between the frame and the door and with only a quick jostle it came open. Once inside he made his way along the corridors of the back rooms in the direction of the thumping music. Remaining undetected was a simple task. Act like you belong and you can get almost anywhere. Walking confidently and purposefully, he stepped out from behind the bar, deflty picking up a bottle of cheap beer from the counter as he weaved between the patrons on the edge of the dancefloor. Spying Misaki from across the room he caught her eye and shared a subtle nod of acknowledgement.

Someone approached Misaki from the crowd. An older looking woman, possibly college-aged. Unlike the other girls she was wearing a comparatively modest looking suit and pencil-skirt.

"You must be one of the new part-timers." She said over the din of music and chatter. "The VIP area needs a new ice-bucket. Think you can handle it?" She asked, but it was clearly less of a request and more of a direction. As if anticipating resistance, she added "Don't make eye contact and be quick and you won't have any trouble."

The dancefloor was busy. A press of people that moved like a tidal swell around him. He took in the interior, looking about for any obvious signs of trouble. The upper mezzanine circled the room in a balcony where groups of guests lounged across couches with tables of drinks. And above the DJ booth and stage, one area had been sectioned off by a thick curtain. Keeping his eyes fixed on that area, Guy pulled out the 'acquired' phone and dialed the last caller...

“Are you a friend of hers? I didn’t realize she had more friends. She never did feel the sociable type.”

"Aha, I don't know if I would call us friends. More like acquaintances, or maybe more like co-workers? We work together and are part of the same team."

Aiko wasn't sure how much Kohaku knew about what Kisaragi actually did, though she seemed to know her already so there was a good chance she already knew.

"I think we've got some spares in the back room, yeah. Not sure if they're up to your standards, but you're free to take anything that catches your eye. If any of you need a rest..."

Aiko walked into the back room and took a look at the spare clothing laying around. Naoto was right in that it wasn't what she'd normally consider her style, though Aiko wasn't really in a position to be picky. Digging around she found a plain black t-shirt and black pants that fit her, along with a large poofy jacket several sizes too big for her that she also grabbed. She then re-emerged from the back room with her new outfit and walked back over to Kohaku.

"If you want, I can try and send Kisaragi a text to see where she is and if she's alright. For now though, I think I'll take up Naoto on the offer of those cots over there. I think the bleeding has stopped but I probably should be moving around very much right now."

With that Aiko made her way over to the cots and collapsed into it like it was the most comfortable bed in the world.

Hirashi decided against sleeping, he did not feel just that comfortable with their new companions yet. He did, however, take one of the cots anyway for the privacy it offered. He reckoned the less time he spent in other Skill Outs’ view, the better. The bed was nothing special, but in his condition, it felt dangerously soft and comfortable as he laid down. The walls are thin however, and Hirashi could still clearly hear the mumbling Skill Outs, and that strange silver haired girl from earlier striking up a conversation with Hoodie Girl.

“Kohaku-chan, you mentioned an Anko-chan earlier. That wouldn't happen to be Kisaragi Anko would it?"

Ah damn it.

It seemed Hirashi’s hunch was unfortunately correct, and his Adventures with Miss Scary Eyes may be back for volume 2 . The fact that someone of Miss Scary Eyes’ calibre was involved was not surprising considering how high up in the city’s leadership this goes, it was the prospect of Hirashi creating more traumatic experiences with her way too soon.

Hirashi did not plan to sleep, but given his physique and all the running around he did recently. Sleep had managed to sneak up behind him and walloped him with a strike to the head. Before he knew it Hirashi blanked out and fell into a dreamless sleep.

It had taken a while, but ultimately the van she had been pursuing entered an underground parking garage, which clearly was its final destination. Based on the assumption that there was no longer an urgent need for her bicycle, Kisaragi Anko once more tossed it into nearby bushes, keeping it at the ready just in case. Then, she proceeded to circle around the permitre, assuming the disguise of an ordinary passerby whilst scouting the area on a surface level. Once done with that, she immediately shifted from passerby to ghost In that new role she would utilise her well-honed skills to sneak past the thugs standing guard, either by manouvring through their blind spots, causing minor distractions by tossing pebbles around, or exploiting the opportunities held by the environment – namely the shadows. As such, unlike the presumed complexity, the kunoichi made it to the heart of that Skill Out fortress with great ease. However, her topmost priority had not only been to get in, but uncover the truth of the circumstances. In fact, what mattered most was to find Kohaku and confirm her safety.

However, before she could complete that elaborate straight lined scheme, that girl’s very sight may or may not have caused her to slip up. Suddenly, ignoring all protocol, the burdeaux tracksuit kunoichi emerged from the shadows, right behind Aoki Aiko, placing her palm onto her shoulder and announcing her presence to everyone around: «That won’t be necessary.» Cold eyes, coupled with the nonchalance of someone who clearly thought they stood above the entire situation served as her calling-card.

Yes, there may have been a better approach to all this. Maybe…possibly, she should have kept scouting and spying for just a tad longer just to gain a better understanding of the situation. Just maybe rushing in like that neither enabled her to fully comprehend nor put herself into an ideal spot. But… «Apologies, Kohaku, I didn’t mean to ditch our rendezvous.» Handling sincere remorse hadn’t been one of her strengths.