"I...think...we lost them.." Mikoto panted as she and Birdway hid behind a large building on the chrome looking cities of Psychic City."
"For now." said Birdway. "But it won't be long before they realize that we dissapeared from the building already."
"How did you get us out so fast?" said Mikoto. "I mean one moment we were there, then the other moment we were right outside the door."
Birdway held up a deck of cards. "I'm sure you're familiar with my cabal's particular brand of magic?"
"Major Arcana." said Mikoto. "Card magic..."
"To be honest, it's usually Mark Space who does the tarot magic, but I took a leaf out of his book and left an Ace of Swords card right outside the building. By using that, I was able to instantly transport us to that card's location." said Birdway. "I wasn't keen on beating up everyone again on my way out. Just too much trouble."
"Why didn't we stay and destroy the place?" said Mikoto. "That lab is evil!"
"Well, I'm sure you noticed from your little Roar attack back there, that the building can take a blow as powerful as that and only take a dent, trying to destroy it would waste time and get us captured. No, it's best you try and destroy those experimentations a different way..."2
"We." said Mikoto. "We are going to stop those experiments."
"Well I'm afraid I'm going to have to go back and say 'you' again." said Birdway. "I didn't come here to join you little assault against this Edolas. I actually came here on a rather different errand."
"And what would that be?" asked Mikoto. "And if this wasn't your mission or whatever, why did you save me?"
"Firstly, I saved you because it would be a rather devestating blow to those fighting against Dravis if you were to be physically and psychologically maimed for life." said Birdway. "And Secondly my mission is merely to confirm one crucial fact."
"Which would be..?"
"Well..." said Birdway with a mischievous grin. "To see if Dravis is indeed coming to take this world..."
"Dravis is WHAT!?" said Mikoto. "But he can't be at full power yet...I'd sense it."
Ever since her adventure in the kingdom of Fulmen, Mikoto had been bonded to Dravis Lord of Destruction's opposite and mortal enemy Elanis Lord of Creation. Thanks to her power inside of Mikoto, Mikoto could now sense Dravis...how strong he was, how nearby he was, where he was...it was nauseating at first, but thanks to Elanis's invigorating warmth and comforting presence, Mikoto had gotten used to it. At the moment, she sensed that Dravis was currently hiding in the Pacific Ocean, sleeping silently as his strength steadily grew on war and bloodshed.
While his strength had grown to near that of how strong he was when he first came to Academy City months ago, Mikoto could feel that this was only half his power, and thought that he would probably wait until he had a full reboost before going for multiversal domination.
Birdway seemed to guess Mikoto's thoughts. "Yes, I know what you're thinking, why attack before he reaches full strength? What's his hurry? Well I'll tell you why, Dravis is in a panic."
"Wait." said Mikoto. "Are you saying Dravis is getting scared or something? What of?"
"Well isn't it obvious?" said Birdway. "He's afraid of you. During your last fight with Diablo Etwatia, Dravis sensed the power that gave you the strength to fight that extraterrestrial demon. It was Elanis. His long old enemy returned and awakened within the one who was prophecsied to destroy him. Practically his worst fear. And the worst part is, Dravis's weapon Exisio, the one he designed specifically to destroy you, was unable to yet gain the power he needed to kill you thanks to Accelerator's interferance on Fulmen. He's in a right old pickle."
"So now he's throwing caution to the winds and taking over before he's at full strength." said Mikoto. "But no way is he that stupid, even when he's panicking."
"Right," said Birdway. "That's where this Edolas comes in. Tell me Misaka, which world in all the numerous Multiverse would Dravis attack first if he was at full strength?"
"Earth, our Earth." said Mikoto, "Then Fiore's Earth. He would do that because he would want me to know I failed and gloat over my misery at watching the world burn."
"Yes, but you see, his fear about you gaining the upperhand thanks to the failures of some of his later plans and the return of Elanis, has gotten Dravis to think that he has to move quickly before you start solving the riddle of the prophecy. And since he's aware of his lacking strength at the moment, he's had to think more strategically about his swift assault. Now he's playing a blitzkrieg tactic. First he has take down your world swiftly and carefully as Aleister Crowley and you both weigh heavily on his mind as major influences in his war. But in order to do that, he must first gain military strength."
"And what better way to do that then take over a place designed for war?" said Mikoto. "Psychic City!"
Birdway nodded. "And thanks to Psychic City not being aware of Dravis's existance, as his influence on this world has remained minimal, Dravis will be able to quickly take over without much trouble...then once he uses his newfound military resources to take Academy City and the rest of your world, he will use his further gained resources to assault Fiore's world. And then it will be on to the big fish."
"Big fish?" said Mikoto.
"Haven't you ever wondered where people go when they die?" said Birdway.
"Ummm...Heaven?"
"Well yes, I believe that will come with the Rapture, which biblical scholars who are aware of different dimensions believe will actually happen with the end of the Multiverse eons and eons from now." said Birdway. "But I'm talking about where souls go to rest in the multiverse before that happens."
Not being an expert on Revelations or the Bible, Mikoto decided to ignore the statement about the Rapture and move on to the current big picture. "Okay, so where do souls go?"
"It's a dimension that goes by many names." said Birdway. "The Other Side, Elysium, even Heaven, though it is not the true Kingdom of God as I just explained from the expertise Biblical Scholars. However it is more commonly known as The Soul Society. At least that's what it's residents choose to call it."7
"Soul...what?" said Mikoto. "Why does this sound like some sort of manga about dead people?"2
"It sounds a little outlandish I know." said Birdway. "But that world is the keystone to the balance of the multiverse. The ones who watch over it are duty bound to watch over the order and balance of many worlds. Dravis will take that out before he invades the rest of the Multiverse. By doing so, he will unbalance worlds throughout space and time, causing a rippling wave that will weaken any resistance to his will. However, the way to the Land of the Dead is not without it's challenges...it's door lies in one of 4 worlds...and can only be sealed by a key of extraordinary power."
"Key?" said Mikoto as she closed a hand around the part of her clothes the where the key Thundaarix gave her hung from her neck. "Are you sure it was an actual key? Like physical and not metaphysical?"
"Quite." said Birdway. "I believe the key is actually described in the first half of the prophecy you're in..have you not read it yet?"
"No."
"Well I'm sure you can get some reading done once this whole adventure is over." said Birdway. "For now though, I would focus on not dying in this Edolas. Ta ta.."
"Wait!" said Mikoto as Leivinia Birdway began to trek down the chrome street. "You're just going to leave me here!?"
"I have other bussiness to take care of." said Birdway. "Don't worry though, I don't know if you've noticed yet, but this city is surprisingly clean. Your Dragon Slayer sense of smell should be able to find your friends quite easily."
And like that Birdway dissapeared around a corner. Mikoto just stared for a moment. "Jeez...sometimes I really don't understand her."
Mikoto suddenly felt her blood go cold as she heard sirens in the distance. Not police sirens though, sirens warning of a containment breach. And obviously Mikoto was supposed to be the nasty biohazard.
Mikoto ran down the chrome street quickly, bustling past random school aged kids. Surprisingly enough, like Academy City, most of the people here were of school age. Maybe it was a school based city like it's Edolas version, anyways, looking at all the kids gave Mikoto an idea. She looked around the buildings until she saw what she was looking for...a clothing store.
Mikoto forced her way through the door and moved quickly along the aisles, picking out a green shirt with a black thunderbolt design and blue denim shorts. as well as a black hoodie jacket. She moved to the front counter and spoke to the lady behind the counter, trying not to sound out of breath. "Scuse me, Is there a changing room?"
"Oh, sorry, we only have one room and it's being occupied right now.."
"How about a broom closet!? Sorry, it's really important."
The lady blinked in surprise. "Are you sure Miss? Our broom closet is awefully filthy-"
But before the lady could finish, Mikoto ran over to the broom closet in the bakc of the store as quickly as she could and wrenched it open.
The closet was already occupied by a boy and girl about Mikoto's age who were both too busy kissing each other to know that they had been discovered.
"Sorry!" Blushing furiously, Mikoto wrenched the twosome out of the closet and closed the door on herself.1
She pulled off her uniform like a laundry hurricane and pulled on the clothes she had picked out from the store then kicked the door open. She then ran past the shocked couple and to the lady at the counter.
"Here!" Said Mikoto thrusting her neatly folded Tokwadai uniform into the lady's hands. "I don't have money, but these clothes are made out valueble material."
"O-of course.." said the lady feeling the clothes under her fingers. "They are quite...exquisite, but are you sure you want to give them up for some ordinary street clothing?"
Mikoto didn't answer as she had already left while the lady was talking.
Mikoto pulled the hoodie high over her own head as she bustled through the crowds of youths in the streets. As similar as this city's people were to that of Academy City, Mikoto could tell that Psychic City's layout was of a completely different state. She needed to find a map.
As Mikoto began to look for anywhere that might be a visitor's center or something else similar, several high tech looking metalic airships that looked like arial winged rectangles soared overhead with spot lights that shifted and moved from thier bottoms, searching over the crowds of people below.
Gritting her teeth, Mikoto did her best to resist the urge to run, depending on her new clothing to throw the observers off as the spot light passed over her. Luckilly, her disguise worked and the ships moved on.
Mikoto breathed a heavy sigh of relief and continued walking until she reached a building that looked like it was completely made of blue windows that had a large sign saying: Information Center.
Mikoto bustled past the groups of people, irritating several of them as she pushed through like a maniac.
Suddenly Mikoto fell on her butt as she hit what felt like a brick wall.
"Hey!" said the wall, which actually turned out to be a large muscular bald man in a white muscle shirt. "What the heck do you think you're doing girly!?"
"Sorry, in a hurry." said Mikoto making to get up.
Suddenly the man pushed her down again. "Hey! I didn't say you could get up now, did I?"
"Look," said Mikoto trying to keep her bangs from sparking. "I don't want any trouble-"
The man snapped his fingers and the chrome on the ground suddenly tore itself into metal pieces and wrapped around Mikoto's hands and arms.
"I don't think you know who I am..." said the man. "I'm the Metal Head, the top gangster in this city, and when pretty little girls bump into me so rudely like you just did...if you wanna come out with your pretty face still pretty..you're going to have to do something for me."
Awe great.. Mikoto thought. He's one of those idiots.
"Now why don't you come home with me and you can help me...I don't know, decorate my bed."
"Look guy, I don't care if you're the King of Mars." said Mikoto. "You can forget trying to make me your submissive pet..."
Mikoto's bonds sparked and ripped apart from electromagnetic force. She stood up and brushed herself off.
"Hmmm...Electromaster, probably a level 3." said Metal Head. "But I'm a level 4, so why don't you be a good girl and-"
"WHAM!!" The man fell into the street as Erza Scarlet bustled out of the crowd and punched him straight in the jaw.
"Keep talking dirty like that to my friends, and I'll have to wash your mouth out with my sword.." Said Erza glowering dangerously.
Metal Head whimpered and ran off crying.
Mikoto whistled. "Nice punch. By the way, how did you find me?"
The rest of the Fairy Tail group bustled through the crowd over to Mikoto as Erza jabbed a thumb at Natsu. "Turns out this City is so clean, that Natsu was able to sniff you out even with all these people around."
"Mikoto!" Elli flew over and hugged Mikoto as she embraced her too. "I was so scared they were going to dissect you!"
"They almost did." said Mikoto with a slight shiver. "Where's Meribeth?"
"We locked her up in one of the Maximum security cells. Lucy summoned Gemini to mimic her and report to the Psychic Supreme for us." said Erza. "Hopefully our cover isn't blown yet."
"Well mine definitely is." said Mikoto. "I'm now officially a containment breach of some sort."
"Well, we kind of figured that with the whole fasion change and trying not to be suspicious look about you." said Gray with a grin. "Where's your uniform?"
"I kind of used it to pay for these clothes."
"Mikoto, you realize your Dorm Supervisor is going to kill you right?" said Lucy.
"Aw crap.." Mikoto whimpered as she had a sudden image of a woman with a steely gaze and glasses preparing to karate chop Mikoto's head in half.
"We'll worry about that later." said Erza. "Right now, we need to find some place to set up a base of operations, Gemini won't last forever." (How long celestial spirits can stay in the human world depends on the summoner's magic energy.)
Just as the group were about to make there leave, there was the sound of a sonic boom that Mikoto knew all too well.
"GET DOWN!!" MIkoto screamed tackling her friends to the ground, just as bursting orange spark soared over her head and blasted into a sky scraper which collapsed in a massive explosive dust cloud.
Mikoto looked up to see a large air ship flying low to the ground as crowds of people fled screaming. Standing on top of the ship and clinging to the roof electromagnetically with her feet was Mikaris Misaka who had her Armor Enhanced Railgun gauntlett pointed at Mikoto and her friends.
"You thought you could escape me with a disguise?" said Mikaris. "Pitiful, you forgot that it's child's play for electromasters of extremely similar electro brainwaves to sense each other...after all, in a way, you are me, and that is similar enough."
"One me in this City is enough." Muttered Mikoto as she activated her wings.
"Mikoto! We can't fight here!" said Erza. "There's too many people!"
"Then what should we do!?"
"Crazy idea time!!" shouted Natsu.
"Eh?" said Lucy. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well." said Natsu with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "That's basically Misaka right? And we all know Mikoto's weakness!"
"Eh?! What weakness!?" said Mikoto.
"THIS!!" Natsu held up a familiar looking stuffed frog over his head.
"GEKOTA!?" said Mikoto. "Y-YOU STOLE THAT FROM MY ROOM!!!!"
"Hey Edo-Misaka!!" shouted Natsu. "Look what I've got!"
Mikaris's eyes widened as the air ship landed and she jumped off. "G-Gekota?"
"That's right!!" said Natsu. "If you want to see Gekota alive, you'll let us go, or I rip this frog's head off!!"
"NATSU YOU FREAKING AGGGHHH!!!" Mikoto tried to grab the Gekota, but Lucy and Erza held her back.
"Come on Mikoto, you know he's bluffing!" Lucy whispered frantically. "I think..."
"Gekota..." said Mikaris..."I HATE THAT STUPID FROG!!!"
Mikaris shot a thunderbolt from her bangs and immedietly Gekota exploded in a shower of stuffing over Natsu's head.
Natsu just stood there and stared at the leftover stuffing in his hands. "Ah...ah...this wasn't what I thought would happen."
Mikoto fell to her knees and picked up the burnt leftover stuffing. "G-Gekota....This was the limited edition version that Lucy got me for Christmas....G-Gekota..."
"YOU!!" MIkoto's wings blasted back into being with utter fury as she pointed at Mikaris. "I'LL KILL YOU!!"
"Ah...Mikoto..." said Natsu. "There's too many people around..."
"AND THEN I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!" Mikoto pointed at Natsu.
"I told you it was a bad idea Natsu!" said Happy. "Now she's mad at you again!"
"Eh..I didn't think this through.." Natsu muttered.
"Like you ever actually think things through." said Lucy shaking her head. "Anyone else have some bright ideas before we have to duke it out with the one Misaka who actually hates Gekota?"
"One.." said Gray. "And you all probably won't like it. has anyone noticed that if you stomp on the ground real hard there's a slight echo?"
"Wait.." said Charle. "You're not actually going to..?"
"Sorry about this!" Gray pointed his Ice Make stance at the ground below them. "ICE MAKE FREEZE LANCER!!"
Massive Ice projectiles smashed against the ground and tore the metal and concrete beneath apart, and the entire group fell through the ground screaming. Into a deep, deep darkness...to who knows where.
After the group dissapeared, Mikaris spoke into her disk-like communicator. "They've fallen into the Restricted Experimentation area...call General Accelerator...we need a hunter."
1. Mikoto sees Lucy as a big sister, At one point, when Magnolia town held outdoor games event, Lucy and Mikoto went on the big sister three legged race.
2. Including Erza, Mikoto is said to be the only one in Fairy Tail who is able to keep both Natsu and Gray in line. Gray is actually slightly more scared of Mikoto then he is of Erza.
3.Mikoto went on a solo job only once where she beat up a troop of Forrest Vulcans who were terrorizing a village. The townspeople were so grateful, they renamed their village Misaka. It's said if you even mention the job even once to Mikoto, she blushes really red and tries to change the subject.
4. Nicole Mavros has a secret crush on Elfman Strauss. Every day, she sits at the bar of the guild hall and stares at him, dreaming about the day in which she'll finally get to touch Elfman's muscular arms.