Strongest Esper

After Eri had finally been sent to bed, the room's atmosphere shifted as Asphalt, Accelerator, and Velvet gathered around the worn wooden table to address the predominant issue at hand.

"So, before we decide our game plan, what do we focus on first?" Velvet asked in a serious tone, arms crossed, pushing out her ample chest. Her demeanor commanded attention.

"The mole? Or Jason?" Asphalt, seated across from her, replied. His face was lined with fatigue, and he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "If you ask me, both are serious matters. Have you reported anything back to Razoh?"

Velvet shook her head, her expression tight with concern. "Not yet. I want to make sure our methods of communication haven't been compromised."

"Smart," Accelerator hummed, tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the table. The rhythmic sound added to the room's tension. "But this leaves us on our own with no support, while this Jason prick has who knows how much backup." Asphalt sighed deeply, the weight of the situation evident in his weary posture.

"If he was able to disappear this easily, it's clear someone's been backing him from behind the scenes. Even before the council caught wind of his... hobbies, the money needed to afford half the shit we found in his... office," Asphalt's face twisted in disgust, ending in a growl. "How are we gonna find this fucker now?"

"By using the same methods he used," Accelerator simply stated, a can of coffee now being balanced in his hand. Velvet looked at him with surprise on her face, Asphalt looked like he expected it and lightly commented, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "I don't know whether I should feel concerned that a rookie came to that dark conclusion so fast or not."

Accelerator took a sip of his coffee before answering, "I know a guy. He's got contacts in the underworld."

"That's even more concerning," Asphalt muttered with a comically weary expression, his voice barely above a whisper and was left unheard as Velvet spoke over him, her eyes narrowing. "Is he reliable?"

"Surprisingly," Accelerator responded, raising a brow in amusement despite the tense atmosphere. "I can get in touch with him easily. He owes me more than a few favors."

"Now that is concerning," Asphalt added, rubbing his temples as if to ward off a headache.

"How good are his connections?" Velvet asked, leaning forward. "If we get any misleading info and make the wrong move, not only the council but Jason's mole—or Jason himself—could find out. The last thing we need is Jason knowing we have underworld contacts. Not even the council knows that."

Accelerator raised a brow in surprise. "Oh?"

Asphalt chuckled sarcastically. "It's a superiority thing," he explained. "They don't think associating with non-mages is 'becoming' of magicians."

Accelerator snorted. "So your governing force is filled with elitists. Good to know."

Asphalt laughed lightly at Accelerator's comment, shaking his head. "They believe magic places them above everyone else, and they don't want to tarnish that image."

Velvet sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. "So, we're on our own for now. We can't trust anyone outside this room."

"Right," Accelerator agreed. "But that can work to our advantage. If no one expects us to have underworld contacts, we might be able to move more freely."

"Still, we need to be cautious," Velvet insisted. "One wrong move and we could tip our hand. We need to find out who the mole is without raising any suspicion."

"Agreed," Asphalt said. "We'll need to set a trap. Something subtle but effective."

Accelerator nodded, his mind already working through the possibilities. "I'll get in touch with my contact. He's got ears everywhere. If anyone can give us a lead on Jason or the mole, it's him."

Velvet looked at the two men, a determined glint in her eye. "We need to play this smart. Jason's dangerous, and whoever's backing him is even more so. But we've got an advantage they don't know about. Let's use it."

The musty smell of dust and rust would have made Accelerator cough if it hadn't been for his vector shield. Even so, walking in such a filthy alley was irritating. The narrow pathway was lined with crumbling brick walls, graffiti marking the surfaces with symbols and messages that only the underworld's inhabitants would understand. Dirty puddles from a recent rain reflected the faint glow of distant streetlights, and the occasional rat scurried by, unbothered by his presence.

'Figures the bastard would wanna meet in a place like this,' he thought in irritation as a large, abandoned storage house came into sight.

The building was a relic of the past, its paint peeling off in large flakes, exposing the corroded metal beneath. Rusted chains hung loosely from the rafters, swaying slightly with the breeze that whispered through the gaps in the walls. The numerous creaks and squeaks, some not coming directly from the house, would have made anyone else uncomfortable. But not Accelerator. He had long since been dealing with the underworld in Academy City; it almost felt like second nature to him.

Using his ability, he moved the warehouse doors inward with a loud creak that echoed through the empty space. The sound was almost swallowed by the oppressive silence that followed, as if the building itself was holding its breath. The inside was dark and gloomy, the air thick with neglect and decay.

There were a few empty boxes and crates scattered around, their wooden frames splintered and broken. Cobwebs clung to the corners, shimmering slightly in the dim light. The only source of illumination came from the opening of the warehouse doors, casting long, eerie shadows that seemed to stretch out and grasp at the darkness. Each step Accelerator took sent a soft crunch underfoot from the debris littering the floor, adding to the sense of desolation.

As he ventured further inside, his eyes adjusted to the low light, revealing more details of the decrepit interior. The rafters above were lined with old bird nests, long abandoned, their twigs and feathers slowly disintegrating. The walls were marked with stains and graffiti, relics of forgotten disputes and secret dealings. The atmosphere was thick with an air of expectancy, as if the very building was waiting for something—or someone—to bring it back to life, if only for a moment.

Despite the unnerving setting, Accelerator moved with confidence. He had seen worse and dealt with far more dangerous situations, and dangerous people.

"Took you long enough," a slow, velvet voice echoed from the shadows, slipping through the narrow crack between two stacked crates. A figure emerged, stepping into the pale moonlight with a leisurely grace.

Accelerator fixed the newcomer with an emotionless stare. The man, Giran, with his gray hair, pink eyes, and an impeccably tailored purple suit, exuded an air of both arrogance and nonchalance. He smiled eerily, his circular glasses catching the moonlight and reflecting a glint of malice. A cigar dangled from his lips, its tip glowing faintly as he took a drag.

"Giran," Accelerator acknowledged, addressing the man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties. Giran's smile widened, revealing a hint of satisfaction. "I need you to pay back that favor you owe me."

Giran took a leisurely puff of his cigar, exhaling a cloud of smoke that swirled lazily around his head. He removed the cigar from his mouth, considering Accelerator with a knowing look that suggested he had been expecting this encounter.

"Ya know," Giran began, his voice dripping with a mix of amusement and curiosity, "I've been hearin' some interesting rumors lately." He strolled towards a nearby crate, leaning against it with the casual ease of someone who owned the place. "A fight between two foreigners and some white-haired punk…" He paused to take another drag from his cigar, his eyes never leaving Accelerator's face. "With red eyes."

Accelerator remained silent, his expression unreadable. He could argue that there were plenty of people with mutation quirks that fit that description but… arguing now would just prove the bastard right. So Accelerator kept silent and emotionless.

"Thought you didn't want anything to do with all this 'hero and villain bullshit,'" Giran mocked, mimicking the words Accelerator had once thrown at him when he had tried to recruit the boy into a fledgling gang or something similar.

Accelerator clicked his tongue in irritation, tilting his head down slightly as if the weight of his annoyance was too much to bear. "Yeah, well, shit happens," he muttered, his voice laced with frustration. "Life's a bitch, and I ended up getting dragged in anyway." He looked up at Giran, his eyes now gleaming with a dangerous intensity. "Just like you said I would."

Giran's smile broadened, the cigar shifting slightly between his teeth. The man seemed to relish the moment, savoring the fulfillment of his own predictions.

The moon cast long shadows across the deserted warehouse, the only sounds the distant hum of the city and the occasional crackle of Giran's cigar. Despite the calmness of the night, the air seemed charged with the promise of impending action.

"Well, well," Giran finally said, his voice a low, almost purring murmur. "Seems like fate has a funny way of proving me right." He took another puff, the smoke swirling around him like a sinister aura. "Alright then, let's talk about that favor."

"You sure about this?" Velvet asked, her tone laced with a rare seriousness as she stared at the papers in her hand. The documents felt heavy, not just in weight but with the gravity of their contents.

Accelerator's voice crackled through the phone, his reply sharp and unwavering. "Pretty damn sure."

Velvet let out a sigh, the sound filled with anxiety and frustration. "This isn't good," she muttered, more to herself than to him.

"You think?" Accelerator's sarcasm was biting, but for once, it didn't provoke her usual snarky retort. She was far too worried to even muster a comeback. "Asphalt's already searching for the leak, and he thinks he might have a lead," she said instead, her mind racing with the implications. "And with this, it might actually narrow down the search."

"How so?" Accelerator's curiosity was piqued, but his tone remained guarded.

"Because no one, and I mean no one, should even know about this place!" Velvet's voice was firm, almost desperate. "Not even Jason himself should know!" She shuffled the papers, her eyes sweeping over the damning words printed on them. "It was an old research site used by Nozah, one of the 13 Zodiacs, but…" She paused, collecting her thoughts as the memories resurfaced, unbidden and unwanted. "But after a series of 'inhumane mishaps,' it was shut down."

"Inhumane… human experimentation?" Accelerator's voice sounded numb, as if the words were something he'd grown used to.

Velvet swallowed hard, her throat dry and her stomach churning with nausea. "It was horrible… after it was shut down, everything was confiscated by the council, and… the victims were too far gone to be saved. So in the end… everything had to be—"

Her voice faltered, caught in her throat. The concept of death wasn't foreign to her; in her line of work, she had witnessed countless deaths and had even dealt it out herself. But this was different. The people in that laboratory hadn't been sociopaths or murderers. They had been innocent, ordinary people, caught in the crossfire of a madman's ambition.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. The images in her mind were relentless, a parade of horrors she wished she could forget. The sterile white walls of the lab, stained with evidence of unspeakable cruelty. The echoing screams of the victims, their pleas for mercy that went unanswered. The cold, detached faces of the scientists, their eyes devoid of empathy.

"The subjects at that… laboratory," she began again, her voice barely above a whisper, "they weren't criminals or enemies. They were just people… people who had the misfortune of associating with someone like Nozah. The worst of the 13 Zodiacs."

"Do you know what exactly they were trying to do?" he asked.

Velvet responded with ease, "no idea, but we know it has something to do with quirk and magic compatibility".

Accelerator was silent for a moment. "Could Jason and this Nozah guy be working together?" he asked. Velvet shook her head before realizing Accelerator couldn't see her and answered, "No," her voice came out stronger. "No! As much of a bastard as he is, he has way too much pride to work with anyone he deems intellectually incapable. And Jason was one of the people he rejected working with."

Accelerator's voice grew colder. "Velvet, if prince charming's involved, from what my informant's told me, his network runs deeper than we originally thought, some of the more old school villains are even sending him their personal funds".

"for what?" she asked, frustration tinging her voice. "Why would Jason be using a place like this as his hideout? Why would anyone, villain or otherwise be sending him money for? There's nothing special about that place, at least not anymore! What would villains with no knowledge of the magic world have to gain by sponsoring that bastard?"

"We'll find out once we catch him", Accelerator answered before pausing for a minute. "You're sure everything was confiscated by your council?"

"Yes!" Velvet stressed. "I was there! I was one of the magicians tasked with clearing it out. Top to bottom, we cleared everything out." She paced around the room nervously. "Electricity, water, plumbing system, everything! That place is no longer livable."

"… what about underneath?"

Velvet was silent. "Underneath?"

"You live in a world of heroes and villains; underground hideouts never once came to mind?"

A chill went down her spine. "Shit!" she cursed with gritted teeth. "I gotta make a call. Get here as fast as you can!"

Accelerator's tone turned grim. "Blondie, this isn't just about finding Jason anymore. He's got the kid with him; he might be trying to continue the experiments."

Velvet's heart skipped a beat. "Continuing… but that would mean—"

"More victims," Accelerator finished for her. "We need to stop him. Now."

Without waiting to reply, she hung up and rapidly began inputting a new number. The dial tone seemed to stretch endlessly, each ring amplifying her anxiety. Finally, a voice answered.

Accelerator stared at his phone for a moment before letting out a sigh. No matter what world he found himself in, some things seemed destined to remain unchanged. The weight of familiarity pressed down on him, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of resigned acceptance. Pocketing his phone, he sped down the bustling street, the city lights blurring into streaks of neon as he navigated through the crowd with ease. His mind raced as fast as his feet, all thoughts fixated on getting home as quickly as possible.

But then, as if an invisible force had grabbed him, he abruptly came to a stop. The suddenness of it was jarring, and he stood frozen in place. He found himself in front of a small, unassuming toy store. Its display window was cluttered with various dolls, action figures, and board games, each one vying for attention with bright colors and cheerful designs.

After a few minutes of staring, he took a deep breath and sighed again, the sound filled with frustration and a hint of disbelief. "God damn it," he muttered under his breath, the words barely audible over the noise of the city around him.

With slumped shoulders, he stepped forward, the weight of his hesitation almost palpable. His eyes, though reflecting a mix of embarrassed defeat, also held a spark of determination. He couldn't ignore the task at hand, no matter how much he wished he could. As he walked into the store, the bell above the door chimed softly, marking his entrance.

With a languid yawn, Eri slowly opened her eyes, blinking away the remnants of a deep, restful sleep. She could hardly remember a time when she had slept so soundly. In her past, anxiety and fear had been her constant companions, keeping her in a state of perpetual vigilance. Her sleep had always been restless, fractured by the dread of what lay beyond her bedroom door, which doubled as her prison.

But now, those days seemed like a distant nightmare. The door to her room still creaked open occasionally, but the sound no longer startled her awake in a panic. Instead, she merely stirred and settled back into her dreams.

With an adorable huff of determination, Eri pushed aside her blankets and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She stood up, her short legs still adjusting to the cool morning air as she padded across the room. This room was still technically Accelerator's, though he never slept in it. Even before Eri had come into their lives, he had always preferred other spaces. As a result, the room had quickly become hers, a point often reinforced by Saki. Despite this, Eri couldn't shake a slight twinge of guilt at the thought. She had never owned anything, let alone a room, and the experience was as new as it was bewildering.

Toddling on her small feet, Eri made her way to the kitchen. The aroma of freshly prepared food wafted through the air, guiding her to where Saki was busy plating breakfast. The kitchen was bathed in a warm, golden light, and the sound of sizzling accompanied the comforting clatter of dishes.

Eri's eyes scanned the room, her gaze darting left and right in search of Accelerator. Failing to find him, she turned to Saki with a slight pout of disappointment. "Where's Accelerator?" she asked, her voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and sadness.

The quiet, enigmatic teen rarely joined them for meals. In fact, Eri seldom saw him consume anything other than the mysterious black beverage in a can, which Saki referred to as coffee. Accelerator had assured her that he did eat, albeit sporadically, but Eri had taken it upon herself to change that. Appointed by Saki as the one to care for Accelerator, she felt a burgeoning sense of responsibility and eagerness to ensure he ate real food.

Saki smiled down at Eri, her eyes sparkling with warmth. "He went out with those two friends of his," she said cheerfully, her voice soothing. "He'll probably be back for dinner." She then pointed to the chair at the end of the table with a mysterious smile. "Why don't you take a seat? I'll bring you your plate."

Eri nodded, her heart sinking a little despite her efforts to stay positive. She understood that Accelerator, being older, had his own responsibilities and activities. Even though he was just a teenager and not yet an adult, his world seemed so much busier than hers.

As she approached the chair, she was about to pull it back when she noticed something already seated there. Eri's red eyes slowly widened, her breath catching in her throat. Sitting on the chair was the same unicorn plushie she had admired in the toy store display near the shop window.

With hesitant hands, Eri stood on her tiptoes and gently reached out, her fingers trembling slightly as she pulled the unicorn plushie off the chair. She held it close, feeling the soft, comforting fur against her skin. The sensation was foreign yet wonderfully soothing.

This was the first time, as far as she could remember, that she had ever received a gift from anyone. Back when she was held captive by Overhaul, her life had been stripped away from her. She had been tortured and used, subjected to constant pain—emotionally, mentally, and physically. Any expression of her suffering was dismissed, treated as if she were exaggerating or being overly sensitive.

Toys had only been given to her after her first two escape attempts. Colorful boxes would fill her dark, gloomy room, each one containing all sorts of toys. Yet Eri could never bring herself to touch any of them. The sight of those toys made her skin crawl because, even as a child, she understood that accepting them would be tantamount to accepting the cruel experiments inflicted upon her.

Despite often feeling that resistance was futile and hope was useless, a subtle part of her had continued to resist, perhaps without her even realizing it. She had refused to let herself be completely broken, even when everything seemed hopeless.

Nothing in her life had ever been free; everything always had strings attached.

The unicorn plushie's soft fur was a revelation. Without thinking, Eri pressed her face into it, inhaling its new, comforting scent.

Saki watched with a smile. 'Really… that brat's more soft hearted than I thought', she thought to herself fondly about a certain albino Esper.