"Time and a Half"
Co-written with @Ver
A division of ODMA, now officially known as the "Time Squad" had seen a massive overhaul as of late. After their first mission had been met with some difficulties, as well as the loss of one of their lead researchers, the group had its work cut out for it. Junko Enoshima was still in their custody, though she had come a long way in controlling her wayward abilities.
"I just got Ilona to bed," Lena Oxton, otherwise known as Tracer, said as she walked back into the meeting room.
"Poor thing's exhausted. Guess that mission really did her in."
The room was pretty empty, aside from the new sole leader of the group, Ritsuko Akagi, and their newest recruit, a girl named Phi. It took Lena a moment to notice Mikoto Misaka, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and eyes closed. She seemed to only be listening, giving Lena the briefest of nods at her arrival.
"That's one of the girls who were jumping across time?" Phi asked, having already heard the gist of what the group was about.
Lena let out a small laugh.
"Well yes, but can't you do that as well, Phi?"
The other girl shook her head.
"It's not like that at all. It's switching my consciousness with another version of me in another alternate dimension. It's fundamentally different than most established practices of time travel."
"What if two versions of you existed in the same dimension then?" Lena asked.
Phi seemed to hesitate.
"... I suppose that might technically count. Either way, if for example, I did not exist in the 1500s, I could not travel to that time period. It is different mostly in that way."
"It doesn't help that the correlation between space and time isn't linear," Ritsuko Akagi, co-administrator of ODMA, piped in, nonchalantly lighting a cigarette as she stepped into the room.
"Within that kind of dimension, for instance, time flows at a much faster rate than others, so it'd be an arduous task for those like us, mere outside observers, to identify any problem and intervene in a timely manner. In the time it's taken us to even talk about this, entire days could have already passed for them like seconds for us."
"My ability, the power to SHIFT, would only be a solution then if I happened to have been involved in the event in question," Phi said.
"It is something that a few could learn... but not a solution to that problem."
"I hear ODMA is working on better analysis software," Lena interjected.
"To predict these kinds of things before they happen."
"As interlocked as space and time are, we've really only been able to figure out the mechanics of space as itself. However, with the help of the new Great Spirits, we may yet be on the verge of pinning down time as well," the blonde woman shrugged, taking a swig of her cigarette, maintaining a cool and cold exterior as she always did.
"However, we've got a lot of other things on our mind as well. Between the Othinus Incident and Zero Hour, it's like the multiverse has been shattered with a hammer and pieced back together with glue two times over. Even though they managed to piece it back together, there's still some cracks in the multiverse," Ritsuko continued, giving the other women present a pointed look.
"In other words, we may have avoided complete calamity, but we still have our work cut out for us. Manipulating reality, as it turns out, has consequences. Aftershocks in the form of energy that we're only now observing, but... that's another story for now."
Suddenly, Mikoto spoke up.
"Can I go now?"
Lena turned to her.
"What?"
Mikoto shook her head.
"Can I go? Now that you guys have Enoshima, there's no real reason for me to be here now. I have lots I have to do back home..."
Ritsuko let out a soft breath that almost sounded like a stifled laugh. Her expression remained as it was initially, but as she began to speak again, the air around her grew lighter as she looked at Mikoto.
"Yes, you may. You've been an essential help to our operation, and for that, I'd like to... reward you for your hard work."
An uncharacteristic, wry smirk tugged at the older woman's lips as she spoke, though she seemed to neglect to elaborate on what she meant.
"A certain someone will be waiting for you as you make your way out. Trust me, you'll thank me," she said with a wink.
Ritsuko wasn't normally in the business of playing matchmaker for kids, but she figured she'd had enough experience working with them to know what they wanted, better than even they knew themselves.
Mikoto's bored expression at Ritsuko's "reward" was in stark contrast to the sudden worry she was feeling inside. She couldn't mean...
him could she? Mikoto hoped not as she politely excused herself and left the three women to their chat.
As she left their respective wing, Mikoto entered a reception room, only to find that her hopes that someone like Ruiko was waiting for her to be dashed. It was none other than him, the boy she couldn't seem to escape from... even from within her own thoughts!
"Y-You..." She took a few steps toward Touma Kamijou, though quickly stopped and looked away. She crossed her arms in front of her.
"I don't know why she thought to bring you all the way here for me."
"Hi to you too," Touma replied to Misaka with a smile, more than used to her manner of greeting at this point. With one hand pocketed, the boy had been casually leaning against the wall waiting for Misaka, for once given a moment to breathe and relax where he was. To say that the past few days had been hectic for him was an understatement of his understatement, after all.
The boy wasn't so well-versed in the greater workings of these multiversal organizations; he barely knew about any other organization beyond the Coalition even during the Revanchist War, so it was a bit of a surprise when Ritsuko Akagi had approached him out of the blue when he was ready to return to his home world, to meet with Misaka of all things. The very same alternate Misaka he'd become acquainted with in the past. Small multiverse.
In response to Misaka's words though, Touma raised a brow slightly.
"That Akagi lady told me you wanted to tell me something, so I dunno what to tell ya here," he shuffled with a slight shrug, before standing in awkward silence for a second. In these rare moments where there wasn't a pressing emergency, Touma didn't quite know what to do with himself, much less with other people. In a way, the boy had come to realize somewhere down the line that he was connected to this Misaka of another world than he was with his own world's Misaka, even though they were so similar.
Speaking of, he could imagine Misaka felt the same way. He was fond of his own world's Misaka in his own way, and to that end...
"You know... Earlier, I ran into Princess Carissa during the Revanchist War," he said, a mischievous smirk tugging at his previously good-natured smile,
"Was real surprised to hear you even know who she was. Told me you made some cookies for Alternate Me when he was in the hospital. What was up with that?"
"Whaaat?!" Mikoto said dramatically.
"I don't know how that's relevant to... to... anything!"
Her face had turned a bright shade of red, perhaps even brighter than usual for her.
"I mean, with everything that's happened, I barely remember any of that at all!" She crossed her arms and seemed satisfied with that answer.
"And as for something I'm supposed to tell you..." She went quiet on that, thinking.
"I-I don't even--"
Mikoto stopped herself, deciding to quickly change the subject.
"Well, how have you been?! You were caught up in all of that business more than I was, right? So, I-I guess... Are you okay?"
"Hah, nothing that a few days of relaxation couldn't fix," Touma said. Of course, the healing process after everything his body had suffered from the Othinus Incident all the way into the end of the Zero Hour was a bit longer than he was accustomed to, since back in his home world, he'd had Heaven Canceler to... well, cancel his premature trip to the afterlife, but after running into Pucci, the boy had seen enough of "Heaven" to last a lifetime.
It felt odd to say he had been taking this rare opportunity to enjoy a vacation away from home, but hey, considering how slow the flow of time his world seemed to go compared to others according to what Dr. Akagi had told him, he'd be able to come back home before he'd be missed by Index and others
too much, hopefully.
Beyond all that though, if there was one thing even more strange feeling than taking a vacation away from home, it was just... being able to stand around and exchange pleasantries -- as pleasant as they could possibly be, at least -- with Misaka. Every time they'd met, there was something urgent going on that drove everything they did in that moment, so when they were finally allowed respite, the boy didn't quite know what to do with himself. A pause speared through the air as Touma didn't entirely know what else to say; if Misaka didn't know what to say to him, then what was Dr. Akagi talking about? Was this some sort of prank? Old people sure did have a weird sense of humor, but whatever. May as well enjoy the chance to chat while he could.
"Uh... What about you? I guess with all this multiverse business over with, you'll just go on back to your home world then. A place like this doesn't really suit you if you ask me," he chuckled casually.
"Still, you're almost as good as running into trouble as I am, looks like! Guess you and I have more in common than we realized in the end!"
"Tsk...!" A flash of annoyance went across Mikoto's face. Perhaps Touma might not realize it but it came off to her like he was downplaying everything he'd went through. Why did he think she bothered to ask? That was so typical of him!
"Y-You..." She let out a long sigh.
"Yeah, guess we do. So much so that it's hard to... think of you as not from my world..." Ugh, what was she saying? She had more to worry about than if there was multiple of anyone running around. Once she was back home, she could forget about all this, couldn't she?
"I... don't plan on getting caught up in this stuff anymore. If it wasn't for that Enoshima girl...!" A spark of electricity circled around Mikoto's fist as she thought about it.
"I guess I was just wondering what you're gonna be doing from here... you know?"
Touma blinked slightly, as though finding Misaka's question rather strange. Not that the question in of itself was weird, nor was asking it really. The boy may have been dense, but even he was on the cusp of realizing there might have been an ulterior motive to it.
"Hmm? Uh... I was just gonna go back to my home world. With the Revanchist and GREMLIN pretty much disbanded, there's still Thor on the loose. Ollerus and Othinus guessed that he'll have returned back home, so we'll have to go after him once we get back," he said matter of factly, idly scratching his temple as he spoke, before an endearing smile crept up on his features.
"Though, 'course, even if that weren't the case, home's home. And you should know as well as I do, there's always something going on in Academy City. Can't leave it alone for too long, right?" Touma said with a soft laugh, though he wondered if this was truly the best way to go out. After all, short of a freak coincidence again, this would be the last time he'd see this version of Misaka, right? This different version of Biri-Biri that was just like his own, but... not.
There was just something special about her that set her apart from all the others, that must definitely have been the case.
Awkwardly kicking at the ground upon realizing this, Touma's casual demeanor seemed to stiffen just a bit as he pocketed his hands.
"... So, I guess this is it, huh? For real this time..."
"This, it... I-It doesn't have to be it," Mikoto stammered out, her voice going low and breathy. She was unable to meet Touma's gaze.
"F-For all your hard work, I could at least, maybe... let you take me somewhere, once." Mikoto's brain, at this point, had essentially emptied itself.
"... Just the once!"
...
A pregnant pause permeated the air following Misaka's words. Touma froze up, as though needing to take a moment to register her words, his face stuck in his casual smile before the boy suddenly blinked after a while, eyes widening as he finally processed it. And so, he said something really intelligent.
"H-Huh?!"
A pink flush invaded his features as the boy found himself stammering and stuttering unintelligibly in response to Misaka's declaration. The boy had faced down entities who declared themselves the ultimate power in the whole multiverse, and yet the one thing that gave him pause was a girl asking him out?!
This continued for a few more seconds, until Touma finally saw the look in Misaka's eyes, finding a strange earnestness that he'd never seen from her before, or even her other incarnation that he knew. Looked like Alternate Misaka was pretty different from his own world's Misaka in certain ways after all! His gaze gradually relaxed as he let out a deep breath, composing himself before letting out a soft chuckle, as though suddenly finding the situation funny, if not farcical entirely.
"Ahaha... That'd be nice. I'd really like that, I think," he said softly, smiling at Misaka.
"Y'know, I've known my own world's Misaka for longer than I've known you, and she never came close to asking me out like that. I guess you're even gutsier than she is in that regard!" He exclaimed.
With a sheepish chuckle, the boy scratched his cheek briefly, in equal parts flushed yet also finding Misaka... cute, in this moment. In a way he'd never really looked at her before.
"S-So, uh, going out with the Railgun herself, huh? It's a shame I can't tell anyone else about it back home. Just my luck, huh?" He teased swiftly, though his words only served to offset his own embarrassment.
"Did you... have somewhere in mind? I'll bet you've hopped through so many worlds, you probably know a thing or two about fine multiversal cuisine!" Touma exclaimed half-jokingly.
"A-Asking you out?!" Mikoto practically screamed.
"You have to be out of your mind to think that's what that was! That other Misaka, she-- I-- We just have common sense! You better believe you can't tell anyone back home, or else it wouldn't be her you'd have to worry about, it'd be me!"
The air grew heavy as unconscious static electricity built up around Mikoto. She was glaring at Touma, red-cheeked and mortified, but not seeming like she was about to lash out like he was likely so used to from her. It took her a moment, but eventually Mikoto calmed down slightly and gathered herself.
"Hmph. Well, this isn't what you think it is. And besides, I said you could take me somewhere, so it should be on you to find a nice place for us! I've been too busy cooped up in this insufferable lab!"
"Y-Yes, yes, whatever you say!" Touma exclaimed, his face a strange mix of fear yet amusement in the face of Misaka's power manifesting itself before him as she initially threatened him. Hell hath no fury like a Railgun scorned, after all, but it was... familiar to him. Nice, even. A return to the normal world that he'd fought so hard to preserve, even when it seemed nothing else remained.
Still, after all this time, Touma could no longer deny... Misaka always did look seriously cute like that. It wasn't his fault she was easy to tease! Even if the downsides were, for one, it could end with a barrage of zaps that not even Imagine Breaker by itself could protect him entirely from, and two, Touma found that his own inexperience with girls meant that pushing too far could result in an embarrassing situation for himself as well.
But hey, such was youth. Maybe it was time he earned a break from saving the world, and just let himself be a normal, high school boy.
With a genuine smile and a light breath, Touma wrapped his arm around Misaka's shoulder and pulled her next to him, beginning to walk with her in tow.
"Fine, fine. I'll try and think of someplace. It'll be so great, not even Alternate Me would ever be able to top that!"
...
"If you ever ask him out too, that is. Never thought I'd think about being in competition with myself..."
Electricity flared up around Mikoto, threatening to explode around her. "What... did I just tell you...?!"
As a power surge erupted around ODMA headquarters for a moment, those stationed inside could only wonder what was the cause...