As expected, Misaka had a hard time whit Kukoo - Kuroko duo, when what she normally had to deal with when she was with just one of them, she now had on stereo. That's why she didn't pay too much attention to anything that was happening at their table, but she had to admit that their lunch was quite tasty. From what they were talking about, she finally figured out that her roommate wasn't kidding about having an Alternative Treatment arranged for her, and the one who was supposed to perform it was specifically the older version of a certain redhead, sitting on the table. The brunette wasn't sure (who meant what) under the terms Alternative Treatment and she definitely didn't wanted to find out or get involved.
But, from the way these two were vibing, flirting, arguing and causing a stir on her nerves, Mikoto had the feeling that Kukoo was trying to (boil/cook) Kuroko with the help of her hugs, which the first-year student from Tokiwadai wasn't exactly thrilled about. It even seemed that the little one was partially turning into boiled vegetables with steam rising from bot of them. In a clear defensive stance, Kuroko was literally at a loss. That's why the little teleporter was almost crushed, when Kukoo saw that the princess was starting to fell like her stay in the restaurant is dragging for too long; adventurer suggested, that they postpone their conversation for now and continue it next time. She was saying that she would like to start taking care of Kuroko chan, so she can be fit as soon is possible. On top, she didn't forget to flirtatiously mention the booked hotel room just for the two of them.
Anyway, Railgun disappeared from there almost at a gallop, setting off on her way to the aforementioned metro station. It was like a direct staircase road on metro platform as if made only for that restaurant. Kukoo did mentioned that the restaurant probably refused to move and its a possibility it was literally swallowed by the always changing city. But how it get two stories under the street level is a question.
Thanks to this, Mikoto remembered a certain comment about a certain fox hole in the fence to the garden of flowers. Since it bothered her, not be sure if its true or false, she decided to take a hard look at this nonsense. All she needed to do was a hastily purchased handheld computer that fits into a pocket, a mathematical formula comparing a satellite map with an official city map, plus a few service maps of engineering networks, and with the help of her skills, she found her first candidate for verification this theory.
That's why she raised her eyebrows when, just outside the walls of the education garden, she entered an extremely suspicious side alley and stared for a moment at the gap between buildings, where was an unlit and unsecured narrow staircase leading to underground. At first glance, it resembled a long-forgotten entrance to a civil defense bunker, or a service staircase leading to an abandoned subway depot. As urban legends go, there is a lot of abandoned train tracks and service tunnels, down under the surface of this city as its rapids change keep altering plans and such. One specific rumor is talking about strange pipes crawling under entire city and all of them leading toward the windowless building.
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Descending the stairs, as a Level-5 and Electro-Master who could use her abilities as a personal radar and sonar in one, she had no reason to fear the darkness or the potential pitfalls of the underground maze, when the light from her flashlight could serve more as a decoy than a tool for navigating in the dark.
So, thanks to this skill of hers, she sensed someone's presence down there, while wandering through the underground labyrinth. That someone, by pure chance, seemed to be walking towards her. Of course, she tried to hide in the pitch black darkness in a pitch dark side corridor. But as soon as she caught a signal that had become all too familiar to her in recent days, any excitement or adrenaline from avoiding a potential guard of the underground complex was gone. Therefore, she leaned her back against the wall (as if she was doing nothing important) and folded her arms across her chest. With a neutral expression on her face, she waited for the arrival of the (unknown), who, if he had seen her, might have mistaken her for a hooligan waiting for some distraction.
Regular steps approached as if the figure was walking straight towards an inevitable fateful meeting with Railgun. The (Guard) was steadily approaching the corner behind which Mikoto was hiding as if it were his path. The flashlight in his hand illuminating the corridor through which the stranger was approaching indicated the exact position of the person and its distance to that corner. So when this person finally reach the crossing and turned around the corner, as if aware of the presence of a visitor, he aimed that flashlight at his own face. So that the light illuminated the same face as that of a certain number-three. Except that the expression on his face and voice; was simply too emotionless. "Buhuu, Misaka says like a ghost to Onee-sama, in a spooky context fitting into this dark environment where even shadows creep in."
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But whatever her sister's intention was, it missed the mark by a mile as Railgun remained cool and gave her Imoto an observing look. "No… It dint work for me. You didn't impress me in the least. Not only was there nothing scary about what you said, and done, but the vibe dint matched with the setting. Yet, the fact that I don't need my sight to recognize my immediate surroundings in this darkness made this whole ordeal a very strange experience. What are you doing down here anyway? Because it doesn't look like there's anything down here."
Her sister tilted her head to the side. "Isn't Onee-sama trying to find the supposed hidden treasure? Because the very fact that she's here, lurking like a spider on a web, only confirms that she came here with a purpose."
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Mikoto almost grinned, averting her gaze in random direction. (("In a way, she's right. A secret passage under the walls would mean a ready-made treasure for someone. But on the other hand…")) She turn her head to look at her sister. "I guess you don't intent to tell me, that someone at school let its loose mouth for a walk, invented or developed some gossip and you picked up on it, right?"
However, Imoto tilted her head to the other side. "Shall Misaka understand it as, that Onee-sama is on a rare quest in pursuit of XP? And since she's already cleared the surface, she decided to visit the dungeon itself, farming more XP on a raid creeps? Plus to collect rare loots to maintain her position in the front line?" [A technique for experienced players to most effectively progress through an online RPG game (or such) and increase their level, so that they can keep up with other players on the proverbial front line. That is, among the best on the top ranks. (New area/level was found/opened today? Front liners already storming it.)]
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Older girl seemed calm. "Those gamer expressions again. I should probably ask where you all got that from, but I'm not really interested. Who had the misguided idea to turn a navigation app for avoiding delinquents into something that would help them get into a trouble and fight with delinquents?" She shook her head in disappointment to get the excited semi-Emo look on Kukoo's face out of her mind. "I'd better get to the point: Did you enter this underground from the Garden of education side?; (Yes or no?)"
But the younger Misaka looked away, gazing onto the other corridor for a moment, as if she was thinking about her answer. Yet she glanced back at original. "Suspicious! Onee-sama just asking her questions, trying to extract important information from Misaka, while purposefully avoiding a topic in which she would mention her own knowledge of the game map that she has already explored. At the same time, she didn't even suggest a compromise in the form of creating a game party in order to conquer the dungeon, as if she had already firmly decided not to share the final treasure with anyone and keep it for herself. Misaka is explaining the correct game etiquette for a positive game experience to a leading player who probably hasn't heard of teamwork yet, as Onee-sama is know for her habit to call dips and solo the boss."
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Normally, her eyebrows would have risen, but she simply couldn't make such an excuse, so she glared at her mirror image. "You're lost, aren't you?"
That slight twitch and looking away again gave the whole conversation a slightly awkward feel.
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Railgun admitted that she probably wouldn't get an answer and rather than receive evasive comments, she decided to let it go. "This is meaningless! What did I expected, when even for a moment, I gave any weight to what that naughty girl ranted? It seems that I won't find anything significant here that would be worth checking out anyway." She sighed dissatisfiedly. "Well then... I think it's time to return to the sun, because whether we like it or not, staying in the dark underground is not doing any good for both of us. Besides, I'm pretty sure that you have nothing better to do, than wander through these corridors right now. That's why you should follow me." She smiled at her amiably, turning ON the powerful LED flashlight on her Gekota phone again to light the way, since she was no longer in the mood to sneak around.
As the older girl walked out the way she had come to this side alley, her little sister gave herself a second or two of inner thought before deciding to follow her. When she caught up with her and they walked side by side in such a carefree manner, it might seem to a casual observer, that the uninitiated girls were participating in the legendary 'test of courage' when they had to walk down a narrow path through a dark forest and somewhere there was something/someone waiting to scare them.
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And so this duo not only surfaced, but as time went on, on their stroll through the city they got caught up in an interesting conversation, which was being conducted by a pair of (high school?) guys almost directly in front of them, walking in the same direction as them. So to speak, they were hanging out on their stroll through the city not so different from the pair behind them, whom they had no idea about. One of them seemed like he liked to prove something to himself or someone. On the other hand, the other one was bursting with mockery and sacrilege.
"Ha! You're saying your Sunday experience was incredible? Duude, then you won't believe what incredible things I saw! I happened to have a quick money job from Saturday to Sunday at that new luxury water park. One of the bigwigs thought he'd cash in on the publicity that Tokiwadai was getting like a vacuum cleaner with their Saturday festival and generously offered the participants a full-inclusive tickets with a date for the next day to the still unfinished park. Of course, I don't have to explain to you, how it must have been for the person in question when he ran into that fact, (Its not ready!), and had to really hit his pocket to finish the park on time. Even though they hired so many people for a quick job, who were working there like ants for entire night, I didn't believe in the slightest that we would make it, by morning. On top of that, no one will convince me that that brilliant organizer lady, who by the sound of her voice couldn't have been any older than me and whom none of those who were there had ever seen her, wasn't actually a properly advanced AI."
"That's sixk Broo, so the real reason why the park is being written off for the general repairs and refit, is right at distance of my hand, because you had your fingertips on it. I can clearly see it, that you cannot help yourself, and simply must tried to flirt with her over the phone. Am I right?"
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"Cut that shit-fest for a moment! Okay? What I want to actually tell you, happened when they kicked us out of there early in the morning so the VIPs wouldn't figure it out. I was one in the last batch to get out, and I was already leaving through the parking lot when the first minibus rolled up. I thought, (Whatever!), I'll wait a minute before leaving and at least take a look at those Tokiwadai VIP babes. But Duude, seeing of what got out of that minibus almost killed me."
"Broo, the fact that you still think you're not mentally dead is a big plus for you. So-- in fact, they were guys, and the whole of Tokiwadai is full of 'Ojo-sama, traps.' in clear 'Cross-over role-play', since officially, only girls are allowed in their ghetto. Yet there is a twist, that they off limit school is one great theater, that the main condition for passing the school is not to let be discovered by anybody, that you're not a lady with refined manners. Its says that in Tokiwadai, blood not just running through veins of girls, but through school halls corridors too. I can see it! Like when you will kneel on knee in front of Tokiwadai babe, and rise a bucket of red roses toward her." He tried to make a handsome voice accent. "Will you marry me? ♥" Then he tried a lady like voice. "I appreciate the sentiment, but… ♀♠" Then he tried the most deep male voice he can manage. "I am guy. ♂"
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The first one grinned at that with laughter. "Not at all! You won't be able to talk your way out of your defeat today! Because they were actually a group of quite adorable girls. Well, except for one thing."
"Broo! If you keep teasing me to get excited about it, and if it's not worth it in the end, I'll smash you with my fist."
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"So when the minibus stopped and the passengers started getting out... So the first chick was a nice babe. A bit of a Tom-boy inher Tokiwadai High School uniform, with short brown hair and brown eyes. Plus her modest bust was beggingly asking to finally start blooming properly. As she got out and started looking around, she looked right at me and our gazes meets. Then fate decreed, that a gust of wind blew across the garage and lifted her skirt. So I,-- about five to then meters away from her, about for a second or two,-- had a great view of the white and blue stripes."
"Wow! Did she notice? Did she start to freak out? Or at least you got the proverbial: (Kiaa!) and blushed? Or are you trying to tell me that you advanced a base? Or accidentally, did you score a one, when actually; it was her who make a score when she made another cut/crawl/dent/scar in the woodwork?" [she keeping her score written by cuts onto the wooden plank]
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"Duude, there's no way she wouldn't notice a gust of wind capable to moving the flag high on the flagpole. We had been in the subterranean garage, dang it. But the way she stood there looking at me with that stony stare, I suddenly felt like I wasn't even there."
"Well,-- it wouldn't be the first time you've been totally ignored by some chick. I was ready to mock you with a note, that her passionate stare was mentioned for the pillar behind you. But ignoring someone to the point where one starts to doubt whether he even exists? -That is a record. Whoever started it must be a real monster. Or at least a Level-5 who wouldn't care. What about the other chicks?" [#8 often zoom out to the point one will think that this one is mind absent. But even if marked/described by sin of Ignorance, at same point is marked/ described by virtue of awareness. One might think it dint paid attention, but in reality is aware to the point, someone call it medium. It just dint care to react, most of time.]
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"That was the brain hammering case. The second one came out-- Duude..." He made a significant gesture to say that he wasn't joking in the slightest. "An exact twin. She stood next to the first one and looked at me too. Both of them, like eggs, looked at me lifelessly with a blank, almost dull look, almost as if they were doing it on purpose."
"Broo, you're really lucky to see something like that. I can totally imagine that they were expecting a prince with perfect smile and mane, on a white horse or with a bear [a luxury Mercedes or other vehicle of the rich with its own driver], who would immediately kneel at their feet with a bouquet of roses so big that you would give a year's salary for it. But the only person they saw there was a student par-time worker with a scooter."
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"Ha, ha! That will be a good weed. But no! Now it's starting to get more rambling. As soon as the third babe came out and lined up with the two of them, I'm telling you, there were triplets staring at me. Like egg to egg."
"Broo, you're rambling! Has been you high from working whit the insulating foams?"
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"The fourth one got out..."
"Let me guess! Quadruplets?"
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"Exactly. So standing there in line, one would think their EMO looks were from their lackluster family life, when someone ignored the fact that there were four of them and always refer to them in single name."
"And you, as a great savior of the day, deigned to think that you would save them from that blank life, by showering them with your unfailing love that would melt their cold stony hearts. Right? But instead, you're going to tell me that there was a fifth one, so that they would be quintuplets. Am I right?"
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"A hit to the black center Duude. But this fifth one was a little different. She didn't have the stony expression like the others, but she seemed very shy. But despite that, she stood up next to the others and looked at me. At the same time, from the way she was squirming and almost cautiously peeking at me, I began to think that she would soon hide behind her sister's back, that look like she dint care about me the sightless."
"Don't say-- And now the wind blew and the whole mirage disintegrated into thin air right in front of you! Then you shockingly realized, that they was never been there and you're actually standing in front of the vending machine, and drooling over identical bottles of drinks behind the glass. The promo one who have picture of people on it."
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"Not this time, Duude! Fate had acted again and again; then a sudden gust of wind arose. So strong that the skirts of numbers one to four were flying like flags high on poles on a windy day. But this EMO foursome was unresponsive, as if nothing was happening to get them excited. Like (I don't give a fook!) It was extremely intense how they didn't care about the sudden wind that was blowing their skirts around, they kept looking at me and I could see the striped foursome in blue and white."
He clicked his tongue in displeasure. "Tcs! While I won't believe that you didn't make this up, I admit you won this round." He applauded him as a winner for a moment before turning into clear sarcasm. "So what happened to number five? Oh great writer? How does the future winner of the literature prize get out of this dead end?"
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"If all those writers with gilded trophies were just describing what they experienced, someone would have already made it up. But like I told you, the fifth one was shy. No, a coy! When the wind picked up, she was the only one who panicked and desperately tried to keep her almost mini skirt in place. The others looked at her like (Why she getting worked up?), not acting cool like them. I have to admit that even though I clearly knew there would be blue and white stripes, I somehow couldn't take my eyes off her."
"Hmm-- Perfect teamwork to get someone involved. That was really a pro wing-man move, to get you fall for the fifth one. Is there a sequel to this?"
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"You're right! An old man with a half-bald white maned head and in a white doctor's coat, got out of that minibus. When I saw his face, my jaw dropped."
"Did he look like them?"
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"Not at all. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of it, and in short: (frog face). So when the gust of wind stopped,-- and the foursome started a hardcore discussion trying to figure out what the number five was doing,-- in a style that they would like to convince the listening audience on a radio, that there were not just five of them standing there, but a whole colony hidden somewhere, where there were tens of thousands of such babes. Even though I didn't really hear all details, the old man, like some patient coach toward his sport team, said something to the effect that the fifth one had a relatively natural reaction to the situation. He added that if they felt shy like she did, they too would be able to charm the audience with their personal charm and become their favorite with coy girl fan service. The foursome let it go through their heads and a moment later they quarreled and threw themselves at the fifth one in clear jealousy, bulling her when they got fed up with the fact that she had more charm than them, despite the fact that all being completely identical."
"Hey, you said that grandpa was a frog? And he had a lab coat?, that would make him fit in perfectly with those blinded senile scientists? Broo, I vaguely remember some old literature and legend about a frog demon who kidnapped people and then disguised his tadpoles in human form, or something like that. And you're teasing me that he brought a whole group of identical, slim, almost flat EMO babes who could have been froglets in disguise?,…" He rise his voice for a last of that sentence: "...into a VIP event? No wonder there's so much conspiracy talk about why they dropped a nuke on that aqua park and failed to destroy it. How come you survived at all?"
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"Interesting that you ask... A passenger car arrived like some private taxi, parked right between me and the bickering group. As soon as it stopped, the back passenger door loudly flew open from someone kicking it furiously from inside. I had the feeling, that if they had been kicked harder, they would have come right off their hinges, sliding across the asphalt. Immediately, a black haired babe with two long ponytails on the sides of her head and a cut tongue started to squirm out of the back seat. In short, at first glance, she looked like an assistant to an extra lazy celebrity who was abusing the fact that she needed the position of assistant and couldn't afford to quit. Whoever this one will very well go with dominatrix costume and extensive use of a horse whip. Forget about the kinks thing, this babe look partially mental.
This big-mouthed sassy girl was constantly irritably complaining as she tried to pull the busty long-haired blonde in a white dress out of the car, who wouldn't wake up even though she screamed at her and shook her in a vain attempt to get her to her feet. I'll tell you, buddy, that body with those developed sexy curves, were the Royal Deluxe.
Then a brunette tween sister number six came out of the other back door, trying to help the blacky with the sleeping queen. She had been in civilian clothes and had long hair; and had this happy carefree girl aura around her. She look at me and smile so~o innocently at me, as if she knew something funny that I had been missing, or was just having a good time at a comedy duo. At that moment, I realized that something wasn't quite right about that setting and I should get out of there."
Even if it wasn't seen directly, the second guy mus frown in displeasure, as his body language tell. "Oh, so they even brought a heavy weapons with them, in case some rich guy resisted the usual temptations of the normal froglets too much."
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"The gust blew for the third time, but this time, it was the blacky whose explosive reaction made everyone present feel like they were not responding enough. Almost in a fit of emotion, she started shouting into the headwind something like: (Who dare?!, asking for a spanking, so early in the morning?! Nevertheless with such a childish joke?! Just when the big numbers are scheduled to start arriving?! And top of that, the curtain hasn't even been drawn yet?!) One of the four, who stopped skin-shipping the fifth for a moment and just stood there in a group hug, made a comment about the ATA of those numbers. [Actual Time of Arrival - the expected arrival of individual Level-5s] At the same time, another from the group, suggested something about soaking the sleeper's palm in a bowl of warm water. Immediately after that, the third suggested leaving the blonde on the beach chair and simply leaving. Finally, the fourth reminded them not to forget to place a hidden cameras to record the unexpected awakening on an unknown island. Then the six, long-haired one, mentioned something about jellyfish/medusa washed away on a shore, and looked at the Royal blonde, like she want to find out."
"It's like a movie script about the perfect plan for the heist of the century, where it starts with the act itself, showing no evidence of who has done it. Then, the whole movie is about certain genius detective and his group, trying to reconstruct what actually happened in the first five minutes of the movie. In the end trying to crack the perfect crime. So what happened after that?"
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"The furious blacky pushed the still sleeping blonde with saliva on her mouth, to the long-haired six hands. The wildly smiling brunette made a remark that as her black-haired friend got angrier, she reminded her more and more of their Onee-chan, since she was acting exactly like her. [For us (oldest) sister Mikoto san, but to Dolly: older sister Mikoto chan.] At this remark, the blacky crazy gaze fixed on me and I felt chills all over my body. She reach for a hipflask bottle on her belt, and a moment later, a slimy figure resembling liquid metal began to form next to her. At that moment it occurred to me:-- No matter what I say in my defense, this furious babe, will blame me for that gust of wind and she will punish me. Without hesitation, I turn on my hell. I ran away, shouting that I was innocent and that I was not to blame for anything. Only once did I dare to look back over my shoulder and I saw the metal thing resembling that a blacky babe with two ponytails in her hair that now resembled the tentacles of a sci-fi monster. But instead of hands it had two giant stabby blades. I had never moved my feet so fast in my life as I did that morning, and I had just finished the night shift."
"You're kidding Broo?! You just described the ability to shape-shift into appearance of someone else! Then an ability to create a copy, and that one summoned a fighting type to silence a witness? Are you crazy?! If you only had hallucinations from overworking, you should get to see a doctor to look at your brain, because I'm starting to get really worried about you."
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"I hadn't finished fraging out there, running away at full speed down the road, from the underground garage up into the street, when another car came towards me and the driver was in a Blues uniform. [Anti-Skill] I was ready to jump into the road, stop the car and warn them of the danger. But when I looked over shoulder back, the thing wasn't chasing me at all. If it had me followed out, now it had just disappeared from sight."
"It make a sense it vanished to hide, when a Blues show up. [Anti-Skill] They had to keep it a secret or they will be wipe out by Academy futuristic weapon. That leave you empty handed and without an another person testimony, your nonsense would be considered delusional, by the Blues, that's why."
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"You may be right, I was shocked that the monster was suddenly gone, but I wanted to call the car anyway. I tried to reach out, but it was already passing me and I caught sight of a pair of brown-haired babes sitting in the back. One was exactly like EMO number seven and was looking straight at me, exactly like the first four as if she already knew about me. But number eight was not looking at anyone with her eyes closed, resting there. On top of all that, she had a kind of high level aura around her. Not only the way she sat, and her posture, but also her appearance indicated that she was not like the others, as if she were a real lady... And that's when it hit me,-- Duude,-- number eight must be the one they mentioned early: Their Onee-sama."
"Frog Princess?!-- What's next?! Stars in your eyes for the famous starry gaze like from the manga?! I must admit, this is more believable that the sly high school champ [champion], who make a hit on 100 girls challenge, acting cool like a date sim protagonist, a true simp. But to his surprise, all 100 babes self proclaimed to be his girl friend. Now hes Fook-up and cant end the game, because half of his harem having aura of a Yandere, mentally unstable, or straight bloody hands. Hes screwed, because if he make a move on one of them, the rest of them will kill her. He will not survive outside the prison bars, if they snap out and go full battle royal."
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"Where is you sense for adventure? Now you start telling me that the maids in training are just a government propaganda and all of them are Academy city secret assassin working on they social skills."
"There is no way, that the one, riding atop a cleaning bot, wasn't sus. [suspicious] Those clankers will not be such obeying if not for something. Anyway this is your win." He rise his open palm toward his friend. "Time for our signature hand shake."
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Yet the first one refused. "I do not doing that silly thing."
Whoever the second one was suddenly throw a pointing finger pointing at the other one in (Ha! I got you!) gesture, stating a reveal in detective case. "That's what the real doppelganger will say!" Then he risen his voice. "Who are you?! And what did you do to my Broo?! Reveal yourself!,-- you filthy doppelganger!! Throw off that human disguise and show yourself as a frog you are!!"
As the pair of guys started fighting among themselves, believing that one of them was a con artist in disguise, they stop moving forward and become and obstacle on the sidewalk.
Mikoto was no longer going to tail them, listening to this story, which she had originally thought would yield something useful for her investigation. She pulled her sister's hand, with intention to walk around the fighting duo. She wasn't sure what had derailed her more: Was it the story itself?, which was so reminiscent of what she had read on Monday in that diary left in the infirmary? Maybe it was the reaction of the two of them, which, although normal from one perspective, gave Mikoto a very strange feeling. Or it was just the idea, that she would be involved in something like that and would have to speak up, her heart raced and she picked up her pace.
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The first one urged the second one. "Trust me, Duude, it's still me! I am not a doppelganger! Ask me anything, and I'll give you the right answer that only the real one can know!"
Since the other one, noticed a pair of girls walking around them, so he quickly compromised. "Okay, I believe you for now, but first answer my question. The ones from Tokiwadai, did they have a hair clip in their hair?"
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"Now that you mention it, yes. A simple clasp on the right side, and as far as I remember,-- the eighth one had a different one. I guess..."
"Flowers?"
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"Yes, how are you...?"
"Look!" They both looked at the pair of brown-haired girls who were walking away from them at a quick pace.
Since a little ahead of the girls, there was a pedestrian overpass, as safe crossing above larger roads intersection. This passage way not just led to the other side of the road, but also in multiple directions. Mikoto hurriedly pulled her Imoto as they were heading for a staircase leading up.
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Both boys were in awe. The first one tried to address the twins in a stammering voice. "He-- hey!-- could-- could you be..."
Except the other one quickly silenced him and pulled him towards the stairs so forcefully that they began to ran after the sisters.
However, Railgun and her Imoto were not even halfway up the stairs, when they stopped ascending. The older of the pair, let the hand of other and turned back. With a menacing look on her face, she looked down at the boys below. Letting out a single spark from her temple, she verbally threatened her pursuers, skipping all formalities. "I warn you! Drop it!"
Her sister followed the original's example, except she lacked the fighting spirit and retained her EMO status.
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Of course, the duo of boys heading after the Tokiwadai girls, completely stopped before trying to stepping onto the first step of the staircase.
Mikoto again released a warning discharge/spark, strong enough to make the proverbial electric crackle, slithered towards them like a snake.
As the boys' words trailed off, and the EMO sister then turn to look at her older sister, who seemed to be about to resume climbing the stairs again, she decided to take this chance to break the silence. Turning her gaze to her pursuers, she spoke. "Misaka wants to clarify certain erroneous statements in the testimony of the then-present viewer. It is understandable that the extra commentary, mainly from the then-absent commentator, as an assessment of what happened is certainly erroneous in many points, when the commentator was not present at the scene or does not have all the key information about what happened at his disposal. As for the numerical designation, obviously not all Misakas were counted. However, since the older sister is used to talking about the actual number of Misakas simply by asking; (How many of them, do you see now?), what should be a delusion that she has a traumatic experience, Misaka will overlooks this offensive misunderstanding. However, Misaka cannot tolerate, that the older sister is being designated as number eight! First, because that number belongs to another Misaka and secondly, the aforementioned Onee-sama, is a special one for Misaka as the one older sister who accepted all Misakas as her younger sisters. In this regard, Misaka would like to ask to draw the attention of the then-present viewer and the then-absent commentator right now on the big sister, who despite her childish hobby of Gekota fashion, today exceptionally demonstrates her charm as a real big sister with her unique fan-service of brave girl, which is not seen in her just like that, because she is very reluctant to do it. It should be emphasized that despite her hobby - disproportionate to her age, she at least tries to symbolically act like an older sister with a fashionable coal black color design. Additionally, white symbolically belongs to Misaka as Imoto for Onee-sama, Misaka adds proudly, to proudly blow steam from her nose."
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The couple under the stairs, as if on command, bent down a little to get a better (view) of the aforementioned pair of colors.
Only now did Mikoto realize… No! Only now did she remembered, that a certain fashion accessory [underskirt shorts] was currently missing from her outfit, and that short skirt was currently at a disadvantage up on the stairs. She immediately bristled with yelp, blushed in panic, swung her body on spot into an almost fighting stance, and defended her skirt, by pressing it down with her hand. Not even a moment passed when the blood rushed to her face, before she take they action as an insult, and sent an electric volley at the pair of offenders down there.
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Since she wasn't aiming the bolt, it missed both of them. Yet, both of them got startled as they fell sideways on their butts in surprise. The bolt that hit the pavement, was so strong that it fry the ground a bit, leaving a black mark. At which point, both of them widened their eyes, clearly imagining what would happen if it hit them.
The worked out brunette started to shout at them with a red face: "That's enough!! What's with all this nonsense about stories where I'm the main character who gets into the weirdest situations and stuff, in setting of (Mice/mouses having a party when the cat is not home)?!! The story concept of a sleeping princess, right after they watched me sleep really got on my nerves. But if she thinks she's just going to switch it to a frog princess concept just because it's connected to my hobby and stuff, then that icy author deserves a pretty long conversation about changing the source of inspiration for her literary work!! What do you all have against Gokoto's!!?" Like anyone who takes their hobby with passion, she was always ready to defend the mascot or rather the icon idealized by it, whenever necessary with a flaming heart and a determined look. "Just so you know, he's a pretty popular character that you would definitely fall in love with if you gave him a chance!!"
In contrast to the almost desperate cry of the older brunette, the younger one was extremely cold and immediately had to stand up against certain claims, waving her palm in front of her own face in a clear deny gesture. "No, no, not even by a mistake! Misaka is devastated, that Onee-sama still holds such a childish opinion, which is statically popular only in a certain age category that she no longer fits into. It is especially devastating for Misaka when she can no longer take back the praise she gave her older sister." She remained EMO despite the fact that Railgun looked at her in disbelief with a fallen jaw-bone and the only thing she emitted was a snort.
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But the couple below were in awe. "Hey Duude, EMO Troller Imoto..."
"Broo, and explosive tsundere like Onee-sama for six younger sister."
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The boys exchange glance. "Hey, I told you I counted eight. And as far as I remember, there was something written on the net about some prominent VIP from Tokiwadai having eight sisters who look almost exactly like her."
At this, he also exploded and started barking at his friend. "Isn't this really a joke?!! What kind of monster pretending to be a human woman would give a throw birth to nine human children??!! It's so scary, it's amazing!"
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"Wasn't she that green-eyed super model from the festival? The one who was to fast to declare a 'death penalties', firing her 'green death ray' without a warning? She was merciless to anyone who dared to step out of line, or on her nerves."
"Do you mean the merciless wolf on the plains of the economy? Or was it a corporate lioness?-- Of course I can imagine her to think about frying a few of them to reduce the maternal mental burden on her. Either way, having such a psycho for a mother and we don't need more questions to ask in this crime case. That is, as long as we want to survive."
But that exchange caused Mikoto to bark. "You idiots!!, will you stop this nonsense already?! You're completely mistaking!" Right after she threw an electric curtain at them to zap them (a little), sending both of them to the ground; she grabbed her sister by the hand and started pulling her up the stairs. Jet she shout back at them. "Erase everything you saw there from your hollow heads!!"
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However, the pair on the sidewalk didn't get hit hard enough to get knocked out, and it was just a slap that made their muscles tingle for a few minutes. "Hey,-- Duude,-- did you notice?"
"Of course,-- love at first sight,-- Broo." They both slowly, battling the pain, extended their fists towards each other and in a brotherly gesture they joined them as a sign of unity. Immediately after that, they grinned and maybe even started to giggle.
Railgun, on the other hand, was puffing like a locomotive. She didn't let go of her Imoto's hand even after they reached the overpass, pulling her like a connected wagon to their next destination.
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[notes, explanatory notes]
-The Academic City has a lot of underground facilities, corridors, canals and shafts. Although many tunnels are blind, there is literally a labyrinth down there. Rather than burying and then digging up some networks (cables, pipes), they prefer to dig a service tunnel into which they fasten these networks. Therefore, it is not so unusual to encounter such highways covering the ceilings or walls of these corridors in large numbers. In order to meet the condition of the possibility of transferring, removing or adding more, these cables are placed in a place with a sufficient length reserve, winding from side to side, and therefore no one who has a phobia of snakes should go into the service underground. The most famous network is of course the metro. Probably no one know the complete massive network. This includes the legend of a certain train that supposedly never stops and crosses underground tracks forever and ever. The most mysterious is a network of mysterious cable-like tubes of unknown origin, which supposedly all connect under a windowless building, and no one knows what they are actually for.
-A ghetto is a part of a city, usually demarcated by the majority of the population to a minority, i.e. a place where people of the same religious, national or racial origin, etc., live, either voluntarily or involuntarily. The term began to be used in connection with the Venetian ghetto, where local Jews had to live.
-Dolly's comment that Kouzaku Mitori's anger reminds her of Railgun is perhaps just a coincidence that arises when you practically take care of defiant children with a tendency to ignore higher intentions and from whom you have to force obedience and respect. But the fact remains that Mitori was briefly linked to Mikoto using kidnapped M.I.S.A.K.A network during certain incident, and Mikoto is a Level higher.
-Simp, an internet slang term describing someone who shows excessive sympathy and attention toward another person, typically to someone who does not reciprocate the same feelings, in pursuit of affection or a sexual relationship. This behavior, known as simping, is carried out toward a variety of targets, including celebrities, politicians, e-girls, and e-boys. The term had sporadic usage until gaining traction on social media in 2019. (Wikipedia)
-tadpoles or froglets[frogs], can be used for describe a young babe, lacking the woman curves. Like "Who let the tadpoles onto drunk party? Do you tried to get us into a prison?"
-Hi, readers, Dretnoth here. Before I went to journey to remake this story in English, I was playing with the idea of translating this particular episode first. Then look of how it will be accepted.