In Academy City’s seventh district, inside a certain hospital, Accelerator laid on a bed, waiting.
Tick-tock-tick-tock went the clock.
If he could talk at the moment, he would wonder out loud what was taking so long. The problem was that the frog-faced doctor had to perform some maintenance repairs on his choker. That meant for the meantime he was as powerless as an ant because his link with the Misaka network was severed.
He heard someone coming, and thank god it was the doctor with his black choker in hand.
“My apologies it took so long. Hopefully the nurses kept you distracted.”
He reconnected the thing with Accelerator, and he was eager to stand up with the help of his cane.
“That took too long. Growing rusty at your age?”
“Not exactly. I added some functions you should be interested in.”
“Ah?”
“First of all, you won’t have to use the physical switch anymore to enter ESP mode. Just think it and it will do it on its own. Not perfect if you’re unfocused, but try it.”
True enough, with a single thought from the albino, ESP mode activated and was quickly deactivated with another.
“Second, power consumption is twice as efficient. So now ESP mode…”
“…lasts 30 minutes?” Accelerator finished.
“Neat don’t you think?”
“I never asked for it.”
“Knowing you, you’ll find some way to get in a situation where it will be a life saver.”
Life saver huh?
Accelerator considered his powers to only be good in causing pain and suffering, not to protect and save. Hearing such a thing secretly made him irritated.
I might have saved that shitty brat and researcher before, but two saved lives won’t balance the scales.
“Finally, I upgraded the-“
The frog-faced doctor was interrupted by a panting nurse.
“Doctor! We’ve got an emergency!”
When a nurse is pleading for help, Heaven Canceller jumps to the occasion. The two of them quickly made their way to the troubled patient.
“He’s bleeding out and not even a tourniquet his helping him. I think one of his arteries is badly ruptured.”
They arrived in the emergency room. Heaven Canceller took a good look at the knocked-out, battered boy. His face was covered by medical equipment struggling to keep him alive. The wound on his lower stomach definitely was bad and his clothes were bloodied, but…
“It’s not bleeding?” The nurse sounded surprised.
“Of course it’s not.”
The reply came from Accelerator who stood by, with his ESP mode active. It was like he had done with Yoshikawa, except today it was entirely conscious.
“What are you waiting for?”
Hours later, Accelerator, for reasons beyond him, waited to hear from the doctor.
Honestly? Now I’m acting like I give a shit?
He helped save a complete stranger that possibly could be a scumbag that deserved to die. Some incompetent Skill-Out that got his money’s worth. On the other hand, it could be an innocent bystander.
Like Last Order…
“There you are,” the doctor stood before him in his surgical gown.
“What made you think I’d still be here?”
“Curiosity on your part I’m guessing. Was I not right when I said it could be a life saver?”
“Tch.”
Indeed, he had used about 20 minutes of ESP mode to control the bleeding long enough for the doctor to do his job. With his previous time limit, that wouldn’t have been possible.
“He was deeply grateful when I told him somebody had saved his life.”
“Big deal.”
“You’re saying this, but you’re feeling some pride deep inside. Am I right?”
“Shut up.”
The aged man whipped sweat from his brow before asking, “Would you like to meet him? He said he wanted to thank you in person if possible. That poor kid always gets in all sorts of mess. Kind of like yourself.”
Why not…
Reluctantly, the level 5 alongside Heaven Canceller went to the room of the boy.
“Now, here is the one I spoke about.”
The room with a single bed and nightstand was lit by the light of the setting sun passing through the simple rectangular windows.
The recovering patient, now lacking most of the headgear that obscured his face, instinctively bowed down repeatedly from within his bed.
“This Kamijou is very grateful! Thank you! Thank you!”
Accelerator took a single glance at the teen, and his face distorted into anger.
This guy…!
He kept on expressing is gratefulness, but Accelerator heard none of it. His eyes were boiling red, even more so that usual.
“Eh?” The level 0 lifted his head and met Accelerator’s gaze.
Instinctively, Touma threw his Imagine Breaker right in front of him for protection.
Yet nothing came. Accelerator could only stand there, thinking about just tearing that guy apart. His thoughts however betrayed him because he couldn’t mentally activate ESP mode, and so he put his hands on the physical switch.
Though it remained untouched.
“What’s with this unfriendly atmosphere?” Heaven Canceller wondered.
“I saved that fucking guy!” The albino started to shout.
Then it hit him. He saved the hero. The one that stopped the Level 6 Shift Experiment with a single punch. The one who saved the Misaka sisters from his bloody hands. The one that had broken his illusions of grandeur.
“Ha… Hahahahaha!”
Accelerator started to laugh maniacally at the situation. Touma could only replicate this in a vain attempt to please him. He had enough trouble for one day.
“Now you’re acting like best friends. Kids these days…” The frog-faced doctor muttered to himself, and made his leave. He just wanted to sleep after a hard day’s work.
“Touma! Touma!” A soft voice called out.
What appeared to be a nun with long silvery-blue hair walked into the room, interrupting the laughter of the two. Alongside her was an abnormally tall man in dark robes with shoulder-length hair dyed red.
“Touma, I’m hungry.”
Accelerator had met this nun before. His wallet was still itching from the encounter.
“Index-san, I’m afraid I won’t be able to-“
Chomp.
“Such misfortune!”
The ear piercing shriek didn’t shake the albino one bit. In fact, he enjoyed seeing that Kamijou guy suffer, if only a bit.
“Now who might you be?”
That question was asked by the man with the barcode tattoo under his right eye.
“The people that ask that question are either retarded or from abroad.”
“Accelerator is it? The strongest esper around.”
Apparently he isn’t thick after all.
“Oh! It’s that kind man that treated me before!”
The nun stopped biting Touma, letting him lick his wounds.
“Is he your friend Touma? Whoa, what a coincidence! If I had know before I would have sought him out when you’re not feeding me.”
“Tch! I don’t know him and I certainly am not his friend.”
Besides, a hero like him can never get along with a villain like me.
“Well, seems you haven’t died yet. What a shame,” Styil commented.
I like his style, Accelerator chuckled to himself.
“Is that all you can say after I went through all that?” The spiky-haired teen said with bitterness.
“If I had know I could have left you to die and we would be much happier. Isn’t that the truth?” The albino spat out.
Styil nodded.
“Such misfortune.”