Capítulo 7: Chapter 7
"So, you're telling me that no hospital in Shibuya ever contacted you about the disappearance of one of their staff, a doctor who seems to have quite a reputable reputation?" Aizawa questioned the officer on the phone. "No, sir," he answered. "No phone calls from any hospitals in any district were made about a missing doctor."
"Right... I see, thank you for your time." He hung up. Aizawa could feel a headache coming; he really needed some coffee right now... and his cats. "Hey, any luck?" Fat Gum, who had been interrogating the staff alongside a few officers who'd arrived on Tsukauichi's orders, approached Aizawa with a wave. "There were plenty of calls made from the Shibuya district, but none about any missing doctors," Aizawa answered, slipping his phone into his pocket. "What about you?"
"The receptionist thinks she knows a suspect, a kid; somewhere around his teens, and a woman; somewhere in her twenties," Fat Gum answered.
"Why'd she pick them?"
"Apparently, they were the last people to ask for the Doc and were in a hurry to see him. The teen was real pushy 'bout it too. Went rushin' the moment she gave 'em the guy's room number, and only after a few minutes did they rush out... not sayin' a word 'bout 'why' to nobody." Fat Gum brought a hand up to his chin. "It's way too suspicious to be a coincidence."
"We were given the 'go-to' to check the security cameras," Fat Gum said as he pointed to one of the security cameras in the building. "And she gave us a clear description of the two, so we should be able to spot 'em."
"Right," Aizawa rubbed his tired face with his hand. "And what do they look like?"
"The woman didn't seem to stand out much appearance-wise. They had an appointment with the doc under a fake name, we checked. And the receptionist said she might have been American."
"A foreigner? Okay, and the boy?"
"Teen with white hair and red eyes. Said he was really pale too, almost looked like a..."
"Ghost?"
"Yeah..." Fat Gum looked at him in surprise. "I'm guessing you might know him?"
"No, I don't... but I may have come across someone with that description, once."
"Well then, let's find the good Doc, shall we?".
The security guard assigned to watch the footage admitted to having fallen asleep sometime around 11 and had woken up around 2. It turns out Shibuya's government buildings were more understaffed and underpaid than most.
Aizawa, Fat Gum, and Tsukauichi were seated in the middle of an empty room. A laptop, placed on the table in front of them, displayed the first video footage of the entrance hall, which began to play. Initially uneventful, it showed a few emergency patients, but nothing of significance. Fast-forwarding, Tsukauichi promptly stopped the video when he spotted something.
A boy rushed through the sliding door, not hesitating to approach the receptionist, who eyed him suspiciously. "It's him," Aizawa confirmed. Though his eyes weren't visible, his distinctive features, from his hair to his complexion to his lanky, weak-looking body, were recognizable. Fat Gum groaned, "I'm guessing this thing doesn't have audio, does it?" Tsukauichi smiled faintly, "Unfortunately, the entrance cameras don't, but the rest do." The boy appeared to argue with the receptionist until a woman with blonde hair and hints of strawberry red approached them.
The woman exuded calmness and confidence, with an air of elegance. 'Someone from a well-off family, perhaps?' Aizawa mused. Her clothes were impeccably neat, made of high-quality material. After a brief exchange, the two headed down one of the hallways.
Tsukauichi, without a word, pulled out another file and entered it, revealing footage of a hallway. Aizawa watched as they rushed past most of the cameras before they began to slow down at a more predatory pace, while the woman seemed more aware and nervous. "Audio, Tsukauichi, the audio," Aizawa requested almost immediately.
"-immediately," the woman's voice came through the speakers, causing the boy to look at her in confusion. "...and what the hell is that?" he asked her, his aggression evident in his tone. The woman's gaze lowered for a moment, her expression revealing guilt. "Basically... the Council intends to force Eri into a comatose state and... remove her brain."
'What!?' Aizawa's eyes widened at the woman's shocking statement, mirroring the reactions of Fat Gum and Tsukauichi, who looked both shocked and disgusted. 'What the hell were they talking about?'
Almost immediately, the woman was pinned to the wall by an invisible force, presumably the boy's quirk. 'Telekinesis, and a strong one at that too.' "I'm done playing nice," the boy growled. It was a tone that sent goosebumps down Aizawa's spine, his years of experience screaming danger, even though he wasn't the one who had earned the kid's ire.
"You're going to answer every question... and you're not doing it in any bullshit roundabout way... unless you want me to overturn every blood vessel in your body."
'Okay then, not a telekinetic then.'
"Where is she?" he demanded, his tone cutting through the tension like a blade. "Is she here?"
The victim, perhaps... Eri. The boy was desperately trying to locate her.
"No," the woman whispered, her voice barely audible. "…Asphalt had hoped you would arrive before they left, but... mid-way, Hayate intercepted him... Asphalt had no choice but to give the girl to him. He should be on his way here for Hamazura."
"Hamazura, is he a magician too?"
'A what!?'
"No, he's just a shady doctor we've had dealings with before… he doesn't know much, but... we think he suspects something, though he's never actually said anything."
'That's good to know.'
"Why do they need him?"
"The operation… it's not the ritual. They need a professional to force Eri into a comatose state and to dissect her brain from her body carefully… the ritual is meant to ensure that nothing happens to the grimoire and to make sure that her brain can be preserved in a near functional state."
"Why?" he spat out, his voice seething with anger. "WHY?"
Aizawa felt his face soften; it was clear what the boy was asking. It was a question buried deep beneath all the anger, but Aizawa could hear it.
"Because it was deemed that it would be a lot safer and-"
"-easier to control all that power, huh?" the boy interrupted, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Why are you helping me," he demanded, "no offense… actually, take offense… you don't exactly look like you're against this magical Council of yours."
"If you were," he continued, "your partner would have never handed Eri over to… Hitatitty, or whatever the hell his name is." The woman was silent for a moment before she locked eyes with the boy, conveying a sense of sincerity despite her restrained position. "We do what we're ordered… we work for the Council, but the one we follow is Razoh. The 8th of the Zodiacs, and something like this… he would never allow it to happen."
Everything stood still for a moment before the boy released the woman with a scoff and strode forward without another word, the woman trailing behind him.
Tsukauichi paused the footage once the duo left the camera view, then looked up at Aizawa and Fat Gum. "Well, it seems like you've stumbled upon quite the case, Eraserhead," he remarked, as he deftly replaced the footage with the next one. "Quite a mystery indeed." Aizawa sighed, "More like a headache," he muttered. "And an upset stomach," Fat Gum chimed in, nodding in agreement.
"Well, regardless," Tsukauichi continued, "it appears there's more to this than meets the eye. I'll reach out to a few more heroes; it sounds like we're dealing with some sort of cult."
As they watched the footage of the boy and woman bursting into Doctor Hamazura's office, revealing an empty room with Hamazura already missing, Tsukauichi added, "And based on my experience with cults, things tend to escalate before they improve."
Accelerator sighed in relief as the familiar apartment finally came into view. Saki and Eri walked side by side, their laughter filling the air as they chattered away (Saki leading the conversation while Eri listened intently), while Accelerator dragged his feet behind them. 'I am never doing this again,' he swore to himself, now understanding why so many men dreaded going shopping with female companions. It was pure torture. Why would they even buy all that stuff!
Accelerator let out a mournful sigh.
The subtle sound of footsteps made Accelerator pause. Eri and Saki, oblivious to the presence silently following them, turned to face him as he stopped. "What's up, punk?" Saki asked in an arrogant tone. "Sad you aren't invited to our sleepover?" Accelerator clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Like I'd want to spend any more time with you than I have to, damn hag," he grumbled under his breath before turning to walk away from them. "Where are you going?" Saki called out. Waving his hand dismissively, he said, "Out for coffee. Be back soon. Don't let the brat out of your sight."
Saki pulled a face at him. "Disrespectful little shit! Thinks he can order around his elders," she growled under her breath before flipping her hair at him. "Whatever!" Eri looked up at her as she smiled down at the little girl. "Let's turn our sleepover into a girl's night. That'd make him jealous." Eri, looking up at Saki with innocent desire, asked, "Can Accelerator come too?" Saki sweat-dropped. 'Girl's night means it's just for girls but…' She gave Eri a gentle smile. "Sure, we can paint Accelerator's nails! OH! And we can braid his hair!"
The alley was shrouded in darkness, but Accelerator easily discerned the bulky figure of the man, leaning against the wall, his upper body concealed in the shadows. "Is lurking in alleyways a hobby for geezers your age or something?" Accelerator remarked with a hint of sarcasm as he approached. "I AM NOT OLD, YOU SHIT!!" Asphalt roared, his veins throbbing with anger. "Whatever," Accelerator casually dismissed the man's irritation, giving him a questioning stare. "So? Why are you here now?"
Asphalt composed himself, coughing into his fist before speaking. "Fucking brat, you need to learn how to greet people properly," he grumbled under his breath. Locking eyes with Accelerator, he continued with a serious tone, "I'm here because I have a message to deliver… from the Council, about Eri." Accelerator's gaze narrowed, but Asphalt pressed on undeterred. "Basically, after our reports on the situation—delivered separately by me, Velvet, and Hayate—the Council deemed you an unavoidable threat. They were prepared to dispatch as many of their Magicians as possible to retrieve the girl…"
Accelerator tensed, ready for a fight. "But!" Asphalt interjected with a smile, "Lucky for you, Razoh intervened and practically called them insane… It was chaotic, but the Council has decided to take a step back and monitor the situation." Accelerator relaxed slightly, but remained wary. "However…" Asphalt's tone grew serious again. "Razoh's intervention came with a condition: you must be willing to undertake certain… 'missions' when called upon." Accelerator raised a brow, prompting Asphalt to continue.
"Our boss…" Asphalt paused, gathering his thoughts. "Razoh is deeply concerned about maintaining stability within the Council and ensuring that potential threats, such as yourself, are kept in check. He sees immense potential in you, Accelerator—a formidable asset that could be pivotal in furthering the Council's objectives. However, this arrangement comes with a price. You'll be expected to carry out tasks that align with the Council's interests, even if they may conflict with your own agenda."
Accelerator listened intently, his mind processing the weight of Asphalt's words. The idea of being utilized as a mere pawn by the Council didn't sit well with him, yet he understood the leverage Razoh's support could provide—protection and resources crucial for safeguarding both himself and Eri.
"My priority, for now, is the kid's safety," Accelerator finally replied, his voice laced with a dangerous resolve. "I'm willing to cooperate with your boss's requests, but on my terms. If your magic Council wants something from me, they'll have to earn it."
Asphalt nodded, acknowledging Accelerator's stance. "got it," he conceded. "Just be prepared, Accelerator. While the Council's intentions may align with yours for now, they have their own agendas, and I might not always be able to help or give you a 'heads up'. Let's hope they remain content to observe from the sidelines."
Accelerator fell silent for a moment before continuing, a hint of skepticism in his tone. "No offense, but there's more to it than just your morals," he sneered. "i'm pretty sure your boss's interest in me goes beyond mere principles. After all, he's going through great lengths to tether the governing force of your secret society." Asphalt's expression softened slightly as he spoke. "You're not entirely wrong," he admitted. "While Razoh initially acted based on his principles, he has developed a distinct interest in you."
Accelerator's eyes narrowed, skepticism evident in his gaze. "I know it's difficult to trust us after everything that's transpired," Asphalt continued, "but believe me when I say this: we are not your enemies."
Accelerator remained silent, his gaze fixed on Asphalt, before finally speaking. "I'll be the judge of that," he declared, his voice firm. "I don't see you as an enemy... yet." Asphalt gave him a smile, "That's good to hear," Asphalt chirped in a tone that made Accelerator want to roll his eyes into another dimension. "So, your 'Council' won't try to stir shit up with me just because your boss, Razer, says so?"
"Razoh! And… yeah, as long as it looks like Razoh's got you on a leash—"
"—What?" An angry twitch danced on Accelerator's forehead.
"—Figuratively speaking," Asphalt hastily clarified, "they won't see you as a threat… well, kinda."
"Kinda?"
"You scared the shit off a lot of people… Some even doubt you're human to even survive an attack like that. Curiosity might get the better of them."
"So, you're saying they'll try subtle shit to off me?"
"To either give you the boot, nab the Living Library, or both."
"Terrific," Accelerator muttered with all the enthusiasm of a kid facing broccoli for dinner.
"You signed up for this rodeo… unless you wanna hand me the g—"
"Finish that sentence if you want a first-class ticket to the retirement home, grandpa."
"I AM NOT OLD!! DAMNIT!!"
"Sure thing."
Accelerator trudged to his apartment, weariness etched into every line of his face. Contemplating all that Asphalt had told him, he couldn't shake the nagging doubt that taking in Eri and vowing to protect her wouldn't truly make up for the dark deeds of his past. 'I… am no hero,' he reminded himself, no matter what he does at this point or any moment in the future, the bloodied, battered bodies of the Misaka Sisters will never leave his mind, even if he had saved Last Order, the youngest of the sisters, his hands were soaked in blood, blood that can never be washed away.
As he sank into his thoughts, a voice shattered the silence of his solitude.
"Accelerator!"
Looking up, he watched as the tiny figure of Eri toddled up to him, her eyes bright with excitement. Cupped in her hands was a small, badly packaged pouch, which she eagerly offered to him. "It's for you!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with innocent joy. Accelerator hesitated for a moment before accepting the offering, opening the pouch, he found a handful of poorly baked cookies inside, their misshapen forms a testament to Eri's efforts, Eri's joy was palpable as she watched him inspect her handiwork, her eyes shining with anticipation. "Saki taught me how to make them! We ate them!" Eri announced proudly, her serious expression juxtaposed against the simplicity of her gesture. "But I saved some for you too!"
Accelerator was quiet before he let out a sigh, "…thanks". Eri's face glowed and… a small, subtle twitch on her lips appeared, before disappearing just as fast. Accelerator's breath hitched in shock, but Eri, not having noticed, ran off to pull out her new clothes.
'Whatever… I've already made my choice, no point regretting things now'.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder