[SS] Level 5 Community Service

[Shokuno Misaki]

July 19th

Insert Song: Heat Island

10 Traceable accounts of Mind Control
4 Traceable accounts of Memory Extractions  
7 Traceable accounts of Memory Alterations

Those were the charges printed out against the high class girl sitting across the desk still massaging her wrist while shooting daggers at the tall woman who ruled the all girls Tokiwadai Dormitory with an iron fist.

And under those paperwork, Misaki could vaguely make out another list of charges directed at yet another student.

21 Traceable Accounts of Vending Machine Vandalism/Destruction
12 Traceable Accounts of Electrocution
4 Traceable Accounts of Private Vehicle Destruction
7 Unconfirmed Destruction of Research Facilities (?)

...and the list went on.

Believe it or not, she was one of the Academy City's Level 5s while the woman who managed to single handedly restrain the honey blonde with pure physical abilities was a seemingly ordinary dorm mistress. Perhaps it was because there were 2 Level 5s residing in this particular dorm, or maybe it was all just a coincidence but Shokuhou Misaki had a hunch the woman interrogating her was specifically assigned to this dorm for her inhuman abilities. With a flick of a remote she could have easily dealt with any would be assaulter let alone the Dorm Mistress whom even that Misaka-san is afraid of, yet the unnaturally high stealth abilities and physical power possessed by the Dorm Mistress completely caught her off guard every time. Suppressing the stinging pain left behind on her wrist, Misaki patiently waited for the dorm mistress to assign her punishment while staring at her bag of remotes held by the Dorm Mistress.

If she had thought about biding her time to steal back her bags in the past, she's given up on that idea by now. The physical ability gap was too enormous and by record, the person before her was one of the few people she was unable to affect with her powers. For an ordinary Dorm Mistress, her stats and parameters were nothing but ordinary. Did that mean this woman terrified Shokuhou Misaki? Hardly... After all she was just an ordin...

"Shokuhou"

"Kyah!?☆"

An out of ordinary reaction came out on reflex. A brace for impact? If so no impact was delivered but instead there was cold unimpressed gaze coming from the Dorm Mistress as she waited for her prisoner to settle down.

"A-hem.."

Quickly re-adjusting herself back to the image of a dignified lady, she gracefully swept back her hair and watched the Dorm Mistress as though the events that occurred 5 seconds ago had never happened in the first place. If she was in reach of her remotes she would most likely have manipulated the memories of everything in 10 yard radius to forget what just happened at her convenience.

"You'll be spending 72 hours Community Service for the troubles you've caused, under the supervision of Judgment office 177..."

For just an instant her face lit up with energy. It was a very light punishment, something she can simply skip by abusing her abilities as Mental Out... or so she thought.

"Without your abilities."

"W-what!?"

Her prospects of getting off easy... ruined and that is exactly how Shokuhou Misaki began her day, wandering around in the 7th District. If there was one thing she was grateful for, it was that none of her followers were witnessing Shokuhou-sama's less impressive side which currently resembled that of a wilting beautiful flower thirsty and exhausted under the blazing summer heat. She knocked on the door waiting for a response while silently praying that she could go back to the dormitory and report nobody was there at the appointed time.

[Furuhashi Gou]

The 177th branch of Judgement had been the goal of the young maiden’s journey through the blazing heat. The tension of not exactly knowing what to expect at the act of knocking the door was hardly what made this scene so important. Much rather was it the decisive moment in between whether her freedom would be granted quickly or if she was about to face the iron clad tormentor, specially drafted by the vicious dorm mistress herself.

She door opened and…

…

«Hello! What can I do for you?»

A warm smile worn by a young girl, about three years older than our blonde heroine. Clad in the blue and grey colours of the rather mature uniform you’d expect from an orderly highschool, the glassed girl indeed fit the image anyone would have of a textbook senpai right on the mark. And if it wouldn’t be for appearance alone, the very way she acted granted her that kind of superiority. Not that it’d feel bad.

After eying the blonde she couldn’t believe was a middle school girl for a moment, Konori Mii finally put her lips into motion.

«Ah! You must be Shokuhou-san! You’re here for the community service program, yes? Come in, come in!»

Warmth. Every word spoken by that textbook senpai was coated in the kind of warmth that would melt your unease apart in no time at all. And along with that warmth came the cool breeze from inside the office, Shokuhou Misaki would be lead into the next chapter of the story.

The office itself was hardly out of place from any fantasy one might have. After all there wasn’t much to expect of an ordinary office, even if it was managed by students. They all looked the same and had the very same characteristics. Good air conditioning was one of them, another were the desks paired with the appeal of paper mountains here and there. Besides that however the lack of presence from people made it slightly more comfortable than the average; seemingly no bad air, no stress, nothing at all.
Besides Konori Mii, the one that had welcomed her, there were only two others present. One was a girl of about middle school age, or rather the colourful flowers ornamenting her head she would be able to make out in the room’s corners. Apparently, yet not quite truthfully, that one seemed to be a worker bee from the heavy amounts of typing she was currently forcing her keyboard to undergo. And the one besides her was…

…well how to describe him.

He was a boy of unnaturally outstanding height, grey hair on his head and a uniform that was buttoned up to the very top. His desk was a temple of office work, executed at its absolute best. The stacks of paper in front of him were the biggest in size, but obviously the most ordered ones as well, just like the rest of the office accessories surrounding him. It seemed his very glance would induce fear on any unwanted fold on any of the papers or any accidentally spilled drop of tea or coffee that’d make its way even close to the fortress that was his desk. Not to forget that he already had that delinquentish appeal you’d see from disciplinary committee members in all sorts of TV dramas and anime.

Overall, he was quite an odd one.

«Furuhashi-san! Your community service assistant has arrived!»

[Shokuno Misaki]

Insert Song: とある科学の超電磁砲

Judgment, a student based law enforcement organization composed of Academy City students of varying Grades and Abilities. In other words it was a Public Morals Committee operated entirely by students unlike their counterpart the Anti-Skill operated mainly by adults who also happened to be Teachers. Though what immediately came into Misaki's view wasn't the kind of image portrayed by a Level 4 Teleporter who also happened to be a part of this organization, but a giant plo....

>>'I-it isn't the size that matters, but the tautness and the shape... Oh no! I shouldn't say such things! I sound just like the whining girls who've said that to me!'<<

Under normal circumstance she would have instinctively reached out for one of many remotes inside her handbag by now. It was Misaki's habit of reading someone's mind before interacting with them and right about now would have been an excellent time to read the forecast of punishing events that will unfold in the later part of the day. Her hands reached deep into the pockets of thin air and grasped at the nothingness while studying the girl standing before her. A dreadful feeling emanated deep within her consciousness as the remotes that should be in her hand was absent.

As for the Judgment standing before her, if she wasn't wearing her highschool uniform and instead wore something casual she would have believed the person standing before her was a university student. At least when comparing her physique to another Highschool character she's acquainted with. Even so she wanted to ask politely.... Are you really a Highschool student~☆? But dismissed the thought instantly as it was something only an unrefined and uncultured people would ask.

Misaki, as tired as she was from all this travelling on foot, mustered the very best of her acting ability and she answered back with a cheerful smile on her face.

"Thank you for taking care of me today~★."

The cool breeze of the AC welcomed Misaki as she entered the office, now secretly hoping her duties today would be based indoors than outdoors. Looking at the others already inside filled her with hope that she too would be typing away at a computer rather than patrolling the streets in this blazing heat. Those kind of duties would probably be better suited for people who were more aerodynamic than Misaki and preferrably lighter than her in certain areas... as she thought of the perfect candidate for the job she couldn't help but giggle under her current facade of a cheerful middle school student.

As the cool air of the office exorcised the fatigue and improved her complexion, her facade ability also increased with it. It was a natural wonder why she never gave it much thought to perhaps debuting as a idol or an actress in the making. She smiled at the male Judgment member and introduced herself.

"Oh my my my~♥! Nice to meet you Furuhashi-san. I'm Shokuhou Misaki and will be in your care today~☆."

It honestly would have been easier to just press a button and skip the introductions but without that convenient power she was just a cute, lovely, beautiful, and innocent<?> girl who was able to use other powerful abilities such as her overpowered Charm and Scheming Ability. It was a small price to pay if it meant she would gain a reliable ally in this endeavor expected of her. Perhaps she could take it easy and leave the harder jobs to the reliable Judgment she's been paired up with.

[Furuhashi Gou]

Furuhashi Gou was a mysterious kid in many regards. While he was at the office on any day he had to be, never skipping an appointment, be it school lessons or Judgement work, even taking overtime occasionally, he was still somebody nobody really knew much about. It was as if there was nothing besides work on his mind, but that couldn’t be true.
For that reason anybody, especially Konori, tried to at least bring out the slightest bit of humanity from him. A great occasion for that was this special Community Service Program. Maybe interacting with a kouhai would wring out a different side of that fellow worker.

Konori Mii mustered another heart filled smile as she watched the two introducing themselves to each other.

"Oh my my my~♥! Nice to meet you Furuhashi-san. I'm Shokuhou Misaki and will be in your care today~☆.“

Faced with the charming, sparkling beauty that was Shokuhou Misaki, Tokiwadai Middle School’s greatest idol, a girl many boys would murder to even speak a word to, Furuhashi Gou…well he remained the same as usual, staring into her eyes calmly and coldly.

«My full name is Furuhashi Gou. Nice to meet you.»

A purely business like greeting, nothing else.

«I will be leaving the two of you now. Have fun!»

She may have been a little too optimistic in the way she behaved, but Konori Mii for some reason seemed to be quite sure that what she had done was the best solution she could have come to. With Gou handling their guest she wouldn’t have anything to worry and could now return to her own pile of work that had been increasing again since this morning.

«T-thank you…Ko-konori-senpai…!»

Mumbling so silently it would take a bat to notice, Gou had lost his composure for the length of an ultra split second so short, anyone could have missed it, even a pro stalker staring at him non stop for the past seven hours.

Besides that nothing really bothered him. Ignoring the presence in front of him, he continued with the paper work he had been doing before he was interrupted. Quickly sorting a few papers, stapling them, typing a few words into the computer on his left and then suddenly coming to a stop with an empty desk in front of him.
As if announcing something he clapped his hands together, before getting up from the office chair.

«All office chores for the next 72 hours are done. With that we can finally come to today’s schedule. The Patrolling of District 7 in search for any task we may be able to assist in. I hope you have everything prepared Shokuhou-san. We'll be out in exactly five minutes.»

There was one thing commonly known about the mysterious kid that was Furuhashi Gou: He was a hard worker, drawing the greatest enjoyment in life from finishing all tasks with inhuman precision and he would often believe others to share that view, too. Thus it seemed he assumed today’s partner to celebrate the fact that they would spend the whole of the next three days outside, bathing in the sun, while covered in the sweat of the truly hard working.

[Shokuno Misaki]

"H..huh~?☆"

For a brief second Shokuhou Misaki, a confused blonde beauty, couldn't help but put a finger on her lips and watched Furuhashi-san as though she was carefully trying to analyze and formulate a deep meaning behind an abstract art piece hung on a gallery. No matter how many different simulations she ran through her head she couldn't quite figure out what just happened. She expected a different kind of response than the stoic business like response she was getting from her prey. Was this an innovative method devised to hit on girls by careful use of reverse psychology? That was one of the possible answers but if not...

Could it be that her Charm Ability wasn't as high as she originally thought? Though she would never admit it, she was secretly researching ways to further improve the Ability just in the odd chance she would come across A Certain Boy. No she had unwavering belief that her continued efforts have not been wasted. Her powers allowed her to delve into the minds of her choosing and she made certain that her Charm Ability would work on just about anyone aside from the Ace of Tokiwadai.

Which could only mean one of the two things...

Furuhashi Gou was a Eunuch. Though what an odd and sad thing to be... She pondered on the real likelihood of such ancient practice being carried out on modern society but came to the conclusion it was highly unlikely... even if she didn't have anyways of uncovering the truth without her handbag. The other possibility was only slightly less of an improvement and that possibility belonged in a genre of forbidden books which was banned throughout Tokiwadai.

Furuhashi Gou might be an avid practitioner of Boys Love Ability.... which would have explained his solid immunity against Misaki's Charm Ability. Even so.... J..Just how high was his Pervert Ability to be able to perfectly counter her Charm Ability?! Regardless of the misleading accusation she pinned on Gou internally within her mind, the fact that she was to face the blazing outdoor heat in 5 minutes destroyed any hope she had before. Whether or not she was in PE uniform mattered little as she anticipated the heat and fatigue that was inevitable.

If there had been one uncommonly known fact about Shokuhou Misaki, was that she was brilliant tactician and a talented schemer. Even without her abilities as Mental Out, she was able to read an individual's thoughts and intentions to carefully plan her next course of action. But before she could begin to think of a strategy that will get her out of this mess...

"Come this way Shokuhou-SAN! I'll show you to the changing room!"

It was the other girl sitting on the opposite wall from Gou, Uiharu Kazari who pulled and led her by hand into the changing room. What drove her to be this friendly? Was she just fascinated by a Tokiwadai Ojou~?★ And why was this girl so strong despite looking so frail and short? If she had to compare, it was as if this girl posessed 1000 pidgeonpower.

"W...waaaaait~~☆" Was all she managed to say before she disappeared into the locker room now used by the girls in 177th Branch as changing room.

[Furuhashi Gou]

The sudden intrusion of his coworker Uiharu Kazari was somewhat strange, even for Gou who had now spent about two months at the office. But he guessed it was just her trying to be friendly to the new helper, so he settled on concerning himself less about the whole ruckus.

Girls need their own special treatment, huh?

Thinking to himself, he walked up to the office’s very own refrigerator, opening the door to take a glance inside. While it may have a great chance for him to work further on what he had been struggling to accomplish ever since, he had settled on executing his preparations to the fullest - just like any admirable worker would.

Thus he was now rummaging through his own partition inside it, sorting the already perfectly sorted items even more perfectly, before removing something, which on the other hand lead him to sort everything all over yet again. This taking up nearly three of the five minute time limit he had set, he would surely be caught in a hurry in the aftermath.

However, all his preparations would come down to in the end was checking if his phone was recharged, his uniform was in proper condition with his Judgement armband being in the right position and opening the rainbow coloured can of energy drink he had retrieved, taking a long relaxed sip from it, refreshing himself as reward for the hard work he had committed to himself.

With exactly three seconds for the clock to count down, he positioned himself right next to the door, emptying the can, which he would throw away once outside - of course into the proper bin!

And then after a wait of 13 seconds…

«Shokuhou-san is late…»

[Shokuno Misaki]

Click Insert Song: とある科学の超電磁砲 - 学舎の園

"Oh oh! What lovely silky skin you have Shokuhou-San~ As expected of a real Ojou!"

"W-Well Of course! I take great care to maintain it every morning~♥"

While Furuhashi Gou waited outside, Misaki was busy changing out of the sweat garb that was once an elegant Tokiwadai School uniform and into a PE uniform as suggested by Kazari-San who was overall fascinated with the helper today. Not that it was her first time encountering a Tokiwadai student considering her co-worker and friend, Shirai Kuroko, was also a part of Judgment 177th Branch but something about Shokuhou Misaki felt as though she belonged in a fairy tale with castles and princesses. For a brief second, she was reminded of a slender Tokiwadai upperclassman with long lilac ringlet curls.

"A-anyway, Kazari-san. What exactly did Furuhashi-san mean by Patrol~☆?"

Her charms might not have worked on the Hard-MUSCLE BL fanboy that was Furuhashi Gou, but it managed to work it's magics on his co-worker just fine. What better time to retrieve information than when they were both alone and isolated....?

"Ah! You can see the urgent job requests posted on the bulletin board next to the lockers."

She must have missed it just as she entered the locker room as the said bulletin board had been hidden from her sight behind the door. It was a dirty bulletin board which must have been used regularly with black marker smudges stained the once white canvas. On it there were several queries which must have been written up earlier this morning.

"Let's see.... it looks like the first one is about finding a dog who was last seen in the local playground. Next one is for an amusement park who seems to be urgently requesting for a fill in actress for a live stage Magical Powered Kanamin and the 40 Gekotas."

Somehow neither of those jobs sounded very promising for the Academy City's most unathletic Level 5.

"Below that is for a Panty Thief who seems to be abusing an Esper Ability to rob people's undergarments. Witnesses report the individual was shouting something about a true test of courage and GUTS."

Just how high was one's pervert ability to abuse their Esper Abilities for such things honestly! If there was one thing she wouldn't forgive would be individuals who abuse their Abilities for their selfish gains.

"There seems to be a large snake equipped with a ribbon which was seen in a shopping district and needs to be caught. Judging from another source of information there was a student who was looking for a missing pet that matches the description of the snake."

S-snakes?! Just what kind of jobs were these people tackling on a day to day basis! And what kind of people keep these things as pets for goodness sake!

"We've also got another investigation job which is regarding a mysterious middle school student who seems to be frequently vandalizing a local vending mach... ah! actually you can forget about that one Shokuhou-san"

The description felt oddly familiar she thought. So familiar almost as a child would recall the nasty pebble stuck inside their shoes after playing in the playground for hours. But she didn't read too much into it since less jobs meant less she needed to spend the day out in the sun.

"And last one on the board seems to be an ongoing investigation regarding a hentai mastermind in the underground Indian Poker community. He seems to be known by the community as BLAU."

As Uiharu finished her briefing, Misaki couldn't help but feel like today was going to be a very long day filled with many hurdles both challenging her physically and mentally. She can only hope that Furuhashi-san waiting outside will pick the more.... normal sounding jobs over the crazy ones listed on the bulletin board.

[OOC]

Pick one of the jobs listed on the Bulletin Board and Move onto the next scene where they are out patrolling~★

[Furuhashi Gou]

«Today, tomorrow and the day after we will work on completing all jobs posted on the bulletin board!»

That was what he had announced after scolding Shokuhou Misaki for being exactly 137 seconds too late. From the looks of it he was as dead serious as usual. However he at least had taken note of her decision to change her outfit, even though it still didn’t fit the expectations you’d have of your average guy.

«Good idea, Shokuhou-san. Picking the PE uniform for today might actually prove quite helpful considering the amount of physical work we are about to face.»

No nosebleed, no drool, no reaction at all. Sharp as always Furuhashi Gou remained absolutely untouched by this sight many would immediately develop wild fantasies upon seeing. But he had his reasons.

«From the looks of it, a little physical work would turn out quite healthy for you», he commented the fact that she didn’t seem to be the most trained students, quickly coming to notice the fact that her body was rather underdeveloped in terms of muscles and athleticism. Originating from that very fact he had settled on helping her out a little in that regard, of course with the good intentions a good senpai would always have.

Thus they would head to and arrive at a playground rather quickly, after only 13 minutes in the blazing heat, that’d even force a bead of sweat out of the invincible stone faced rule abiding model student.

«Alright, we’re here to tackle the very first job on the list, the easiest I would claim. We are to catch and bring back a lost dog wandering around somewhere around here.»

He took a breath before taking a glance around the scene, before continuing on with his train of thoughts.

«Now, Shokuhou-san, how do you suggest we should proceed?»

Asking with the intention of actually hearing a proper suggestion for a plan, Gou obviously wouldn’t take anything lazy as the proper procedure. What a vicious man he was for testing his lovely kouhai in such fashion.

[Shokuno Misaki]

What a vicious senpai he was. He kept talking about duty this duty that and continued to walk at a steady but increasing pace without even noticing his surroundings. By the time he turned around to ask how they should proceed with the task at hand, the first thing he should have noticed was the fact that Shokuhou Misaki was nowhere to be found. She was in fact several blocks away from Furuhashi who simply out walked her while immersed in his own thoughts.

"W....waiiiiit.... wait for.... meeeee."

Shokuhou Misaki was without a doubt very tired and out of breath. Never in her years did she have to go through so much physical ability tests until she was assigned to assist Furuhashi Gou the Muscle Yaoi Tyrant, MYT for short. Furuhashi Gou was power walking, did he do this intentionally and if so Misaki couldn't know, at least with the absence of her remotes. Eitherway she had been running as fast as she could to try and match his speed only to end up wheezing and gasping for breath. By the time she looked up, he was nowhere to be seen. Where was she?

Instantly she reached out for a remote to inquire a random stranger walking by, a habit of her's which was once again met with harsh reality.

She was lost. She was tired and sweaty and she wanted to go back to the dorm to apologize in hopes that all will be forgiven. Just as she thought that, she saw a great blot of fur darting from one end of the street and making its way straight for her. Was it a member of a dark secret organization who was after her life? She needed to dodge but her leg muscles couldn't comply with that order. By the time she turned to brace herself, she suddenly felt a great weight pushing her down as if gravity had increased twice-fold.

"KKyaaa~☆!"

When she looked up to face her would be assassin, her vision was obstructed by hairy fur and something slimy sliding against her face viciously as if she was a yellow popsicle. During this onslaught of attacks she caught a glimpse of a shiny nameplate dangling above her eyes which read...

"Tiny~★?"

One should wonder, how the Tree Diagram would be affected if the powerful Level 5 Mental Out was bested by the likes of a slightly large Saint Bernard...

[Furuhashi Gou]

«Shokuhou…-san…?»

Gone. Only after he had checked after not having received any sort of reply within the proper timeframe, the Judgement boy had realised that his assistant was gone. Square and simple there had been no trace of Shokuhou Misaki at all, it was as if she had simply been erased from this world.

Or maybe she had just gotten lost along the way?

Backtracking after that realisation took a while. Naive as he was Furuhashi Gou seriously believed that said girl had been lost somewhere along the way and would be waiting just for him to pick her  back up again. How likely however was such an event in reality? Nearly any normal student would immediately consider the lost person a run-away, he however did not.

And at the end his intuition had been right.

Having crossed a few blocks, Gou had finally found his kouhai…

in a rather bewitching situation…

Defeated by man’s best friend she lay on the ground, falling victim to the sticky soft tongue nobody could ever resist to. A sight to behold, especially if one considered the friendly fella her charms had attracted.

Unable to hold back the urge, the boy clapped with both of hit hands, a bravado to honour today’s heroine.

«Good job, Shokuhou-san! I’m impressed that you made it that easily. It seems I underestimated you quite a lot!»

For Furuhashi Gou to speak such praising words, was a rare occasion, yet it seemed he had considered her really deserving of those. And as she was, due to completing the first job on the eternally long list of righteous deeds, he already saw the best course to take next - of course he did!

«Animals seem to favour you a lot. Maybe we could use that to lure in that snake as well…?»

Yes, that was it! If Shokuhou Misaki’s ability to befriend animals that quickly came into play, dealing with any jobs involving those would become child’s play, which on the other hand would enable quick handling, leading them another step towards the completion of the goal they - so he thought - had set up for themselves!

[Misaka Mikoto]

Summer vacations only came once per year; it was therefore a student's duty to fully enjoy every single one that was given to them before they moved onto a stage of life where such luxury was no longer offered.

Play outside with friends or laze around at home with delectable refreshments against the scorching heat; such were the essential things that Summer vacations brought along that all (normal) students revelled in with little to no interruption as long as they behaved... Despite this, Mikoto could not figure out how for the life of her she had ended up in the alarming situation she was in instead of partaking in these banal activities.

“Kurokooo...” Mikoto called out in a long-winded whine as they, or rather only she, dragged her feet in the shopping district filled with dread and uncertainty. “Look, I'm sorry, okay? We don't need to do this!”

“Onee-sama, as a matter of fact, we do; this is the result of causing so much trouble that you were on the job request bulletin board.” Kuroko sighed with annoyed exhaustion, preparing herself for yet another rebuttal of far too many in this early afternoon. The task they had taken on was nothing pleasant and if there was one thing she wanted to do it was to get over with it as soon and as efficiently as possible so that she would never have to hear of it again. “If it was enough to apologise after the facts, you would not be here. Should you really feel that way then it is time for you to grow interest in more respectful and feminine activities than kicking vending machines to get free beverages, amongst your other crimes.”

“But Kuroko, we're talking about a snake here! Who even keeps a snake around as a pet, and why do I have to look for it just because I kicked a vending machine that stole my money when I arrived in the city?!” Kuroko halted to peek at Mikoto with a raised eyebrow, prompting the girl to add justification for her other crimes. "...Oh, come on, those were delinquents openly harassing people! I only really helped in the arrest and I even held back!"

Yes, a snake.

It may sound like a reasonable question, but one of Academy City's prides should know better than to question the oddities within the confining walls of the city. As Mikoto regardless openly questioned the integrity of a snake as a pet, Kuroko would occasionally go off-track to question people on the whereabouts of this snake that had escaped its owner and was hidden in the shopping district.

Upon returning, Kuroko sighed and resumed her reprimanding.

"Onee-sama, no matter what you say there is no such thing as an excuse for vandalism, especially seeing how you have gained far more from the vending machine than you ever lost. And must I really repeat myself to leave criminal apprehension to the authorities rather than do it yourself?"

“Haaaah...”

She was not looking forward to meeting with a snake, but since it was more than likely Kuroko wasn't either and she felt that there was no way to retort against her logic – she had no choice but to reluctantly admit Kuroko was right, after all – Mikoto just decided to slowly shift the conversation, seeking information instead.

“So, why did we start with the snake? Couldn't we have started with the dog instead?”

“The most vile tasks must always be taken care of first for the civilians' sake, Onee-sama. A snake, even if raised as a docile pet, can prove to be far more dangerous than a dog.”

“Right...” Fully realising the futility of any attempts at arguing against looking for it, Mikoto finally resorted to accepting her fate of encountering a potentially dangerous snake, hoping that nothing would go wrong even if she resorted to a bit of retaliation for the sake of self-defence.

(I may be a Level 5 but I'm not sure I can control my ability on animals as well as I do with people, I never tried it out... It'd be bad if I killed it instead of knocking it out, wouldn't it?)

On second thought, self-defence was a very bad idea she would have to put aside.

Goddammit.

“Seriously, with all I've done to...”

“Onee-sama, please spend less time complaining and more time searching so that we may be done with this displeasing task soon.”

Mikoto's sighs, whines and general mood seemed to be rubbing off as Kuroko allowed herself a much more subtle sigh. The day would be much more longer than it already would be if she kept complaining and Kuroko could only pray that Mikoto would find something to keep her mind off her seemingly never-ending stock of complaints while still focusing on the task at hand.

“Yeah, yeah...”

[Furuhashi Gou]

They had captured the dog, they had brought it back to their owner and they had been thanked many times. For Furuhashi Gou this felt like satisfaction, however that didn’t mean they would have finished. Much to Shokuhou Misaki’s dismay this was only the beginning of everything. After they had returned the dog, they headed towards a shopping district in District 7, of course they didn’t use public transports, but chose the joy that was a long healthy hike in the boiling heat instead. For one of them it was pleasure, for the other it was punishment.
Unlike before Furuhashi had made sure not to loose his kouhai again, thus making sure he would always be walking to her right. That was nearly all he did. Conversation was rare, wasn’t he the type to talk to others usually; only occasionally he would start a speech about rules, regulations and why they were that important to society, yet it seemed that was nothing any normal human being would endure just like that. The many would shoot themselves. All that would make that terrible hike even longer…

While it only took them 19 minutes to arrive at the location, it may have felt like an eternity.

The part of District 7 they had been sent to was just like one would imagine a little shopping oasis among the many schools, this place harboured as well. It was the type students would pass by on their way to the station or go to with their friends on a weekend. Since it was easily approachable from all directions it seemed to be quite popular, only that that wasn’t a thing today.
Less people had come, even though this was summer vacation. The heat wasn’t the source, Furuhashi Gou deducted, as people usually wouldn’t be too afraid of going out just because of that. Many actually enjoyed the good weather. He knew what may have been the source, turning to Shokuhou Misaki-san immediately.

«This really is the place. It (the snake) has to be somewhere around here. We should keep our eyes open.»

Switching from serious mode to even more serious mode, Gou checked the surroundings for any possible threat. He considered obtaining some sort of disguise as a probably useful method. Maybe fake beards, or camouflage?

«You already got us the dog, so can you work your secret arts again? If you could lure out the snake it would allow me to catch it.»

Unfortunate wording. It hadn’t crossed his mind that he would be using her like bait, but that was basically what it was, wasn't it?

Before there was a chance however to execute that «plan», something met his eyes amid the inspection of the surroundings and the people. Immediately he stormed forward with fast steps.

«And what are you doing here, Shirai?»

There was only hostility in his words. The moment he had noticed the presence of that small twin tailed girl, the tall Furuhashi Gou’s body had moved on its own, much like his tongue - that was how little he enjoyed this chance meeting.

«Didn’t Uiharu-san inform you about my plan to tackle the whole of the tasks on that bulletin board? Why are you interfering then…? And don’t tell me you were planning on executing those tasks in your own way, outside the proper protocols Judgement members are to stick to? I know you will, you always will! Always! and that is exactly why all you ever do is cause trouble! If you only would learn how great the importance of rules is in our every lives…»

It was like a dog barking at a tree. The moment Furuhashi Gou had fallen in another of his lectures there was no saying when an end would come to it, as he would pour his everything into those, expressing all he cared for just like that. Especially when he was dealing with Shirai Kuroko, who he didn’t have such a great opinion on, he was eager on piling words on top of words.

And while he was doing so, he totally forgot about both Shokuhou Misaki and that girl that was with Shirai…or the snake itself.

[Shokuno Misaki]

It took more than will power to keep up with Furuhashi senpai's pace and by the time he finally stopped to survey the area, the strongest Telepath was ready and willing to collapse into hibernation mode. If only she was a bit more aerodynamic and didn't have extra pair of weights to carry around, a childish body fast and agile, though it would be a heavy price to pay. Oxygen escaped her faster than she could breathe, at this rate for the first time in Misaki's experience she may involuntarily commit suicide through excessive exercise. Furuhashi Gou was a threat, perhaps even more dangerous the Dark Side of Academy City, a threat who was completely oblivious to the fact he was regarded as a threat. It hasn't even been a day and she was already tired enough to consider the option of challenging the system once more even whilst knowing she had no chance against the record keepers of her offences along with the impenetrable wall known as the Dorm Mistress.

Even without her abilities she was adept at formulating potential strategies by thinking ahead... but this meant little next to nothing when the only variable she had to work with was robbed of her key abilities. That is until she found the necessary element required to execute her plans standing before her who happened to be sharing a similar fate as Misaki.

"Ara ara if it isn't Misaka-san~★"

Her plans were already in motion as she removed any trace of exhaustion to the best of her Acting ability before the rival Level 5 of Tokiwadai, Railgun. While she didn't hold any ill will against Misaka Mikoto, they were on disagreeable terms. Potentially they could have been friends but one way or another both found the other intolerable to a degree. Yet for her plans to work effectively, there was a need to put aside their differences and work for a common goal. Freedom.

"Could it be that you're also here to participate in the involuntary community service?"

She didn't necessarily need to question it to know, she knew from looking at the pile of paperwork on the Dorm Mistress' desk that there was no other culprit that matched the profile better than Misaka Mikoto. The fact that Shirai Kuroko was accompanying her and the general displeasure reflected on Mikoto's non-poker face solidified any doubts she would have had otherwise from examining the Railgun.

Question she'd then need to ask would be quite simple, whether the Railgun would willingly co-operate with the risky venture of the potential perfect crime and assist in removing all circumstancial evidence, or be content to spend the majority of her holidays confined to the imprisonment of Community Service. The banter between two Judgment members provided the perfect opportunity and with the arrival of Misaka Mikoto, she felt as though she'd gained more cards to play in this struggle.

"My oh my!☆ Your Timing ability couldn't have been better today Mi-Sa-Ka -Saaaan~★"

All she had to do now was to examine Railgun's responses and see how she felt about their shared unfortunate predicament before playing her cards.

[Misaka Mikoto]

In the midst of this already rather annoying day, Mikoto found that the vile task of finding a snake would be the last of her trouble as a particularly deranged man she would later recognise by his arm-band as a Judgement member approached Kuroko.

«And what are you doing here, Shirai?»

He started to rant.

«Didn’t Uiharu-san inform you about my plan to tackle the whole of the tasks on that bulletin board? Why are you interfering then…?

And continued ranting.

And don’t tell me you were planning on executing those tasks in your own way, outside the proper protocols Judgement members are to stick to?

...

I know you will, you always will! Always! and that is exactly why all you ever do is cause trouble! If you only would learn how great the importance of rules is in our every lives…»


Goodness was this grey-haired who was barely taking any breaks to breathe was disagreeable! Mikoto felt like her head was about to burst and her electricity would leak in very unfavourable and dangerous manners if he didn't shut the hell up soon!

“Tackle the entire jobs of the bulletin board?" Ignoring Mikoto's visible annoyance, Kuroko astoundingly repeated what Gou had said. That Uiharu... had she forgotten to tell her about something so essential?! The flower-haired girl would find herself in worlds of trouble once she returned to the office. “I am most sorry for the inconvenience caused by my friend's negligence, but I see that you never change, Furuhashi-san.” She uttered with an exasperated sigh.

“Pray tell, exactly, why would I go through the bother of interfering with the work of another Judgement member? Ladies have more important matters to attend to than sabotaging their team-mate's work, and if Uiharu had warned me of your plans for the day then rest assured I would have taken extra care to leave you to handle the matter alone.” The curled twin-tailed girl declared with one hand on her hip, visibly annoyed by Gou's sense of self-centred paranoia. Sparks were starting to fly visibly, and for once Mikoto hardly had anything to do with it.

...Yet.

"Ara ara if it isn't Misaka-san~★"

Beckoned by a girl who had gone completely unnoticed as she and Mikoto stood at a fair distance from the two bickering Judgement members, Mikoto turned around to see the person she had expected least to be Gou's companion for the day.

“Tsk! You!” She growled as soon as she saw the girl, taking a step backwards in a very obvious way of preparing to fight or flee. But for once, the hostilities didn't start immediately; no threats between Shokuhou's clique and Mikoto herself as a discussion, only a mere question that brought much interest to Mikoto's mind.

"Could it be that you're also here to participate in the involuntary community service?"

“Also? Ahh, you've finally been caught for messing around with people all the time...?”

Even if she couldn't judge others, Mikoto found it fascinating that even someone with the ability to control the mind of whomever she wished would ultimately end up participating in community service to pay for her crimes.

(...The thought really annoys me but I guess we have a lot more in common than I'd thought.)

"My oh my!☆ Your Timing ability couldn't have been better today Mi-Sa-Ka -Saaaan~★"

The tone of the girl who had much more generous curves than her own despite their (highly questionable in Mikoto's mind) similar ages had Mikoto raise an interrogating eyebrow. “...Really, now? Because I have to say that between you, who I know wants something right now, and that very stressed Judgement member I just happened to think my timing couldn't have been worse.” Mikoto dead-panned as she adopted a more casual standing position with her arms crossed as her threat levels drastically went down after realising what Shokuhou Misaki was doing here.

“...But, what's his deal anyway? There aren't that many Judgement members with such anger issues, are there?” She slightly turned around and nodded towards the very stressed individual named Gou.

[Shokuno Misaki]

“Also? Ahh, you've finally been caught for messing around with people all the time...?”

"My my☆! That's rich coming from Misaka-san, it's just as fascinating that even someone with such high amazon warrior ability who is armed with the Railgun to be forced into community service."

It was true though, if it hadn't been for the Dorm Mistress there was no logical way for anyone to enforce Community Service onto Mental Out. As powerful as she was, there was little next to nothing she could do against an opponent who can flawlessly erase her presence and close distance on Misaki. By the time she noticed her it was too late to plunge her hand into the handbag, not when the Dorm Mistress held her wrist with a vice like grip. For an ordinary person, the Dorm Mistress was far too experienced at dealing with Espers, eerily in fact to the point Misaki wondered if she secretly worked for Anti-Skill. There had been wild rumors floating amongst her clique that the Dorm Mistress was in fact a special agent dispatched by Anti-Skill to monitor the two Level 5's of Tokiwadai, selected for her powerful abilities to neutralize even the strongest Espers with relative ease.

Perhaps it wasn't too far fetched then, to assume Misaka Mikoto had also been bested by the Dorm Mistress who had a far stronger Amazon Warrior ability than the Railgun. For a brief second Misaki stood there with arms crossed and deep in thought of how the battle between Railgun and Dorm Mistress would play out, she envisioned a scene where the Dorm Mistress closed her distance and using strange martial arts technique she pinned down the poor Misaka-san and pressed deep into agonizing pressure points which knocked her out. Had Misaka-san glimpsed into that thought bubble she may have retorted immediately with an "Oi!"

Breaking out of that fun imaginations, she came back to the reality of the current situation. She now had the possible unknown variable that was Misaka Mikoto and could execute an escape strategy.

“...But, what's his deal anyway? There aren't that many Judgement members with such anger issues, are there?”

"Oh Furuhashi-san? Ignore him for now we have much important things to worry about."

As she said that, Shokuhou Misaki proceeded to do something highly outrageous before Mikoto by shoving down her hand into her PE Uniform, which to be more precise she procured a small remote control hidden deep in between her breasts. It was the size of a thumb, probably designed for opening garage doors from a short distance but small enough to be stored comfortably inside her bra where no normal person would imagine storing things aside from a certain British Royal Family member. On the other side of the world, London, Knight Leader who had been sleeping peacefully suddenly felt a faint visible strain of vein popping against his eyebrow which vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

Before Mikoto could retort or voice her own opinions regarding the escape plans Misaki had yet to share, she pointed the small remote at the two Judgment members who were busy arguing fiercely.

Click~

Category 081 / Your target, Shokuhou Misaki, is the twintailed girl standing in front of you.

Click~

Category 092 / Your target, Misaka Mikoto, is the tall guy standing in front of you.

Suddenly the two people who had been arguing like strong supporters of Kanamin vs Donald Trump supporters stopped their banter and started to explain today's tasks to each other as if they were speaking to Misaki and Mikoto.

"The effects won't last long so we need to hurry. With Misaka-san's hacking ability and my Mental Out, we should be able to infiltrate the Dorm Mistress' office and destroy all evidence regarding our charges ♥"

[Misaka Mikoto]

Misaki's words that took a jab at her... “small” issue when it came to respecting the law like a proper citizen made a vein visibly pop on Mikoto's temple as she crossed her arms and huffed. She may have been the Level 5 Railgun, but what kind of mind controller couldn't even get out of that kind of situation anyway?! Her ability was much less convenient in terms of escaping punishment than Misaki's was!

Though she had to admit that seeing authority working on Misaki gave her a strong sense of satisfaction as if she had just discovered the fact that justice does indeed existed in this world.

However, she should have known.

(OST: Electric Chase)

Mikoto's eyes widened as she witnessed Misaki's hand slowly sinking in her chest to pull out a remote; the key element to her ability.

She should have known better than to think the Queen of Tokiwadai would simply complete her duties without any form of rebellion to regain her freedom and status where she was the one in control of the situation and not the other way around.

(What is this, some kind of manga?! Is she really a middle school student?!) Mikoto cried out in her mind as she witnessed the differences between the two girls; had she attempted to do such a thing there were no doubts in her mind that any item she would have tried to store there would simply drop to the ground the moment she let go of it.

That cursed fake middle schooler and her inflated bre– go. Ego.

Then again, she could control those items with magnetism, if there was any to manipulate, to give off the illusion that she did not lose out to this absurdly growing girl...!

...But wait. There was something much more important than Mikoto's inferiority complex going on here.

"The effects won't last long so we need to hurry. With Misaka-san's hacking ability and my Mental Out, we should be able to infiltrate the Dorm Mistress' office and destroy all evidence regarding our charges ♥"

That was it. The famed Queen of Tokiwadai, Level 5 Mental Out had finally snapped and it all it had taken was a little bit of community service. Mikoto could not help the look of pity she sent towards Misaki as if she was suddenly facing a very handicapped person though it certainly didn't stop her from honestly giving her opinion.

“I thought it would take a lot more to break the psyche of someone who specialises in mind control, but all that was needed to break you was some work, huh... Do you even understand that means we'd need to sneak into both dorm mistresses offices, and risk losing our lives in the process? Or did you completely forget why we were assigned to different dorms in the first place?”

The agitation Mikoto felt from this which could be described as nothing other than a desperate suicide plan had her voice raise more and more with each sentence, though she finally regained her composure as she coughed and affirmed her stance.

“No way, I'm not participating in this suicide mission. Do your work like you should."

[Furuhashi Gou]

The individual called Shirai Kuroko belonged to a certain set of rather unique individuals in Furuhashi Gou’s world. Right next to a certain delivery boy he had run into recently she was one of the greatest threats to the holy land of rules. She was his antithesis, the arch nemesis, the antichrist, the absolutely most problematic existence alive.
…and that even though they were coworkers.

So as usual, whenever said individual would come into sight he would immediately switch to combat mode: rant. Firing words after words, piling them with even more lectures and sharp comments that’d strike from the side; he would unleash his full fury, firing back whenever she fired back, countering her counters, clustering with even more things he’d suck from his fingers. He was boiling, no burning! If it was the individual called Shirai Kuroko, Furuhashi Gou would enter a new stage. He had to be superior! He had to rant her into the ground!!!

While those two were going at it passionately, the two Level 5s, they were to keep an eye on at all cost, could merrily conspire without anyone caring~

Barking like a watchdog at the milkman Furuhashi Gou didn’t give in. He just continued, much like Shirai Kuroko would. A clash that could have gone on for all eternity; the usual stuff.

However…

Category 081 / Your target, Shokuhou Misaki, is the twintailed girl standing in front of you.

[Mental Mumbojumbo]

As if a switch had been hit in his head, all of sudden all of that fiery fierce battle was swept away, only leaving behind a Furuhashi Gou that’d stand upright in similar fashion to a drill instructor looking down upon the cadet in front of his.

«All right. We have wasted enough time, Shokuhou-san. It is time for us to get going. As announced before, we will make use of your animal communication skills to lure out the target, so that I can capture it quickly.»

The stern expression on his face intensified. Strangely enough the stars that had visually appeared within his pupils complemented the already bizarre situation quite perfectly. Facing the twin tail girl he had been arguing with furiously before in a wholly different manner, a lot more respectfully, yet a little impatient, the tip of his shoe was hitting the ground repeatedly.

«Shokuhou-san, what is it? We need to get moving urgently, so that we can clear the board before that Shirai Kuroko can. We cannot afford to lose to someone as inferior to us as that. Therefore I will be fully relying on your special skills. And if you do, maybe I will allow you an unplanned 30 seconds break, giving you an early rest before the planned 5 minutes in 126 minutes!»

Giving in to his own ability to remain patient he would next simply grab her hand, in a blunt attempt to pull her along, for his own little World War III’s sake.

Most definitely. The individual that was Shirai Kuroko that had been standing in front of him just a moment ago, had been fully erased and perfectly replaced by Shokuhou Misaki, his innocent young kouhai, not leaving any room to question anything. What a scary power.

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