To Aru Majutsu no Index part 2

Chapter 1: An Unmistakable Gun, Unheard by All. Compass.

1

October 9.

Today was the anniversary of Academy City's independence, and a holiday within its walls.

The hospital in District 7 was no exception. Since morning, its air had felt relaxed. A frog-faced doctor left through the front entrance and felt the soft morning sunlight on his skin.

Beside him stood a small girl of about ten.

She was called Last Order.

On September 30, the Hound Dogs, led by Kihara Amata, had kidnapped her and used a device called Testament to input specific data into her brain. The hospital had been working to remove that data, but the job was now done and she was being discharged.

"Finally leaving the hospital and nobody's here to greet you," said the doctor, sighing.

Last Order didn't seem too worried.

"Misaka can ride the taxi by herself, says Misaka as Misaka sticks out her chest."

"Well, we've eliminated the virus in your brain, so I suppose there's no more cause for worry. Yomikawa-san has paid the taxi fare in advance, so go straight to her apartment, all right?"

Just then, a taxi arrived at the roundabout in front of the hospital. The frog-faced doctor waved it down, then put Last Order, who was holding her belongings, into the back seat.

As he watched, the driver asked, "Where to today, miss?"

"The amusement park in District 6! says Misaka as Mis—"

"To the Family Side II apartment in District 7. Don't forget, all right?"

The frog-faced doctor had stopped the nonsense about to come out of Last Order's mouth—in the end, he was the one looking after her.

The driver gave a pained grin. "I understand."

"Do you need me to give you directions?"

"No, there aren't many apartments in this city—it's all student dorms. And I can just put it in the car's navigation system."

When the frog-faced doctor pulled his head out of the car, the back door closed automatically. With Last Order on board, her hands on the window and her eyes staring outside, the taxi began to gently roll away from the hospital.

After it vanished from sight, the doctor went back to his hospital. He walked through an uncluttered hallway and into a space for conversation with only a simple sofa and table, then went to the vending machine along the wall and bought a coffee.

This vending machine was the kind that used paper cups. There was no liquid coffee inside the rectangular metal box; instead, it made it automatically, starting with grinding pre-roasted beans. It took a bit longer this way, but it tasted good, and was a nice way for him to switch gears.

The doctor exhaled.

(Next I've got to finish the Sisters' adjustments and release them from here as soon as—)

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted.

Someone had pressed a gun to his back.

The doctor froze.

He listened to the shallow breathing directly behind him, thought for a moment, then spoke.

"Already back from Avignon, are we?"

"Shit. Where the hell did you get that information?"

The voice was familiar—Accelerator.

In his right hand, he held a walking cane designed with a modern aesthetic, but since they were in a hospital, it didn't make him stand out very much. And he'd used his body to hide the gun in his left hand from others.