Time Squad

[Verite]

"We will figure something out... hopefully," Sion responded to Tracer's inquiry, closing her eyes and taking a brief breath in an attempt to compose herself.

Traveling through time was indeed quite the experience. She would have to recount what it felt like as soon as possible in a journal or so. Her mind flashed to what this could mean for science... and the stability of the multiverse. There had been theories in the past, she remembered, that true "time traveling" didn't exist, and that the act of it was simply traveling to (if not outright creating) a new timeline in which the differences are applied, such as the individuals appearing in the specified time and the ramifications of their actions going on to affect the future. Sometimes mutually exclusive.

However, if it wasn't before, the young woman could imagine that those kinds of theories were effectively debunked. If there only existed one kind of Murder Game going on within the multiverse, as in there could not be two Fiamma Incidents going on at the same time in the same multiverse, then the only plausible path to go from here for someone who disbelieved in time travel would be that Ilona instead possessed the ability to travel to entirely different multiverses. It was not a completely baseless and unheard of claim; she recalled one Ludger Will Kresnik of the Coalition being able to muster enough power (through... unconventional means) to perform inter-multiversal travel, and one Connor Duchannes, whose existence possibly was the sole piece of evidence for such a theory, as he was the result of an alternate version of the Arch Demon's Downfall in which two participants had mated rather than separated.

...

But it was far easier to simply conclude that Ilona was able to time travel instead. Especially with a curious case, an anomaly, a strange factor like Junko Enoshima present. Speaking of which.

"If you believe you can help, then by all means, Mister Starman, though I doubt it will amount to much if we are being honest here," Sion spoke, handing him the communicator and paying little mind to his words, her attention more focused on the task at hand at the moment.

Turning to the others, she cleared her throat. "If worst comes to worst, we may have to depend on you to detect Enoshima's energy, Miss Ilona. But then... Crude as it may sound, perhaps we are simply in an area in which the connection is faulty. If we move someplace else, maybe we'd be able to get a better reception. Shall we?" She inquired, beginning to move, acting as the de facto field leader for the time being.

She knew it was a somewhat silly thing to say; what difference would it make to inter-universal communicators if one party moved to another location? However, if nothing else, it would likely be best to not remain in one place for an extended period of time, lest they accidentally end up bumping into someone from the past, considering the amount of activity in this world happening at this point in time...

@york @Jeremi @Josh M @Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[York]

After musing over the whole situation with the communicator, it seemed that Sophie was next to clueless about what could be affecting it... From a multiversal standpoint anyways, but it was evident that Sion at least had a backup plan, should communication with "home base" become difficult.

Besides, she did also think it was a good idea to try and get a move on perhaps, as it could potentially clear up the signal a little. That and she was beginning to get a little antsy just from standing around idly, so with that in mind, she nodded... Eyeing the area for a moment before she finally spoke.

"Perhaps we can... Work on the communicator on the move..." She said quietly, looking towards Starman for a moment.

If his Legion Ring was able to help fix the communicator, it would definitely be a start, but staying in one place just for that might pose a very real risk of someone else, or perhaps a whole group running into them. Something else seemed to cross her mind, as she realized how much of a disadvantage she might be at, having to rely on someone else to navigate a place like this.

"Is there... A map of this place?" She asked suddenly.

The question came out of the blue, but not entirely without reason; it was pretty obvious that Sophie intended to get her bearings of this place one way of another... And a map happened to be her go-to way of doing this...

@Verite @Jeremi @Josh M @Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

With an uncertain glance, Ilona would nod to Starman. She honestly hoped he would be able to do something about fixing their device, especially after hearing Sion's alternative idea. When it came to her training, the young time traveler had spent most of her time learning to control and harness her abilities, but finding someone wasn't really her forte.

Tracking another individual was far outside of her range of comprehension, especially without guidance and a gentle hand of support from Lalonde. Her encouragement had played a big part in helping Ilona achieve all she had learned thus far. Could Ilona really figure out how to do this on her own? The girl wasn't entirely sure, and never had been too confident in herself.

"Mayhaps we should see if Sir Starman is able to fix the device while we continue to move along. Also, Sophie's idea of searching for a map isn't a bad plan either if such a map exists," Ilona replied. "Just another thought, but is it possible we have contacts in this time and place who may be able to provide us with assistance?"

While they walked along, the blonde reached into her coat and pulled out her journal. She leafed through a few pages, feeling sorely tempted to harness a bit of her powers to create a light she could use to read. Ilona had documented many of her travels, and she wondered if she could find anything of use about their current location in her writing. If not, at least she could reminisce, right?

@Verite @Atomyk @Jeremi @Josh M @york​

 

[Jeremi]

"We will figure something out... hopefully," Sion responded to Tracer's inquiry, closing her eyes and taking a brief breath in an attempt to compose herself.

Traveling through time was indeed quite the experience. She would have to recount what it felt like as soon as possible in a journal or so. Her mind flashed to what this could mean for science... and the stability of the multiverse. There had been theories in the past, she remembered, that true "time traveling" didn't exist, and that the act of it was simply traveling to (if not outright creating) a new timeline in which the differences are applied, such as the individuals appearing in the specified time and the ramifications of their actions going on to affect the future. Sometimes mutually exclusive.

However, if it wasn't before, the young woman could imagine that those kinds of theories were effectively debunked. If there only existed one kind of Murder Game going on within the multiverse, as in there could not be two Fiamma Incidents going on at the same time in the same multiverse, then the only plausible path to go from here for someone who disbelieved in time travel would be that Ilona instead possessed the ability to travel to entirely different multiverses. It was not a completely baseless and unheard of claim; she recalled one Ludger Will Kresnik of the Coalition being able to muster enough power (through... unconventional means) to perform inter-multiversal travel, and one Connor Duchannes, whose existence possibly was the sole piece of evidence for such a theory, as he was the result of an alternate version of the Arch Demon's Downfall in which two participants had mated rather than separated.

...

But it was far easier to simply conclude that Ilona was able to time travel instead. Especially with a curious case, an anomaly, a strange factor like Junko Enoshima present. Speaking of which.

"If you believe you can help, then by all means, Mister Starman, though I doubt it will amount to much if we are being honest here," Sion spoke, handing him the communicator and paying little mind to his words, her attention more focused on the task at hand at the moment.

Turning to the others, she cleared her throat. "If worst comes to worst, we may have to depend on you to detect Enoshima's energy, Miss Ilona. But then... Crude as it may sound, perhaps we are simply in an area in which the connection is faulty. If we move someplace else, maybe we'd be able to get a better reception. Shall we?" She inquired, beginning to move, acting as the de facto field leader for the time being.

She knew it was a somewhat silly thing to say; what difference would it make to inter-universal communicators if one party moved to another location? However, if nothing else, it would likely be best to not remain in one place for an extended period of time, lest they accidentally end up bumping into someone from the past, considering the amount of activity in this world happening at this point in time...

@york @Jeremi @Josh M @Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

Tracer time skipped next to Sion with her guns drawn. "Lead the way luv! Better be on the safe side. Never know what we'll stumble upon." She let out a small giggle you could tell Tracer was excited over what they were doing right now.

@york @Verite @Josh M @Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty

 

[Verite]

As the group moved on, tentatively led by Sion, they eventually came across a small field of trees. A very small one at that, as those with keener eyesight would be able to spot what seemed to be... buildings in the far distance beyond the trees. The pink-haired young woman let out a breath, before continuing to traverse forward. She recognized this place, even though she had never been there. Misaki Town.

A place that resonated with her past deeply, and she hadn't even been there before.

Leading them through the trees, Sion stopped at the edge of the trees that led into another wide clearing, which in turn would have led into the back alleys of Misaki Town. As they drew closer and closer to the town, a number of individuals came into view. One strange, pink-bodied entity here, a white-haired young man in purple robes there... An old, American man in black clothing and a skull painted onto his shirt, a pale little girl in purple clothing, a student with short blue hair and black clothing, and another student with the reverse color scheme; black hair and blue clothing.

If Ilona's and Misaka's memory of the Fiamma Incident served her well, she would recognize them all respectively as Kirby, Robin Tact, Frank Castle, Illyasviel von Einzbern, Minato Arisato, and Shiki Tohno. And they were all speaking to a mysterious woman with vibrant red hair that flowed gracefully in the cold, autumn wind.

It was then that it would have hit them, along with possibly everyone else around, that they were this close from interfering not just with the past, but with an infamous event set firmly into the stone. A Murder Game, but not just any Murder Game. The Fiamma Incident itself.

"... Tch."

Hiding behind one of the trees, Sion scowled, attempting to keep calm. She was riled up more than she ought to be, especially for someone who prided herself in her ability to keep calm and collected under even the most dire of situations. But then, no situation was quite as dire as this. After all, it went without saying that interacting with these people from the past, accidentally or not, would result in immense consequences. Best-case scenario, just one rip in the space-time continuum.

In the distance, as the people spoke, their voices were indistinct for the most part, a few words could be made out in the distance, notably by the aforementioned redhead, who seemed to just naturally speak rather loud. Judging from the confident way she held herself, from her chin that was perpetually kept up to her hands casually kept to her hips, she was undoubtedly someone who was incapable of being any manner of subtle.

"Ara, looks like I've overstayed my welcome. I've kept you all here long enough; you should probably reunite with your buddies if you're supposed to be part of that Murder Game," the woman spoke with a small laugh, patting the bespectacled young man on the back with enough force that it caused him to blink in surprise and stumble forward, not expecting the slap on the back, "Little Shiki here will lead you back to town. Just follow him and you should be well on your way back!"

"What, you're not coming with us, Sensei?" The boy named Shiki spoke, his voice... full of uncertainty and hesitation. Much less self-assured, much less... comfortable, than Ilona might have been used to if she'd compared how it to how he sounded during the Coalition Civil War.

More vulnerable, in other words.

"Nah, I've got other business to attend to. The Association is really up in arms around this time, y'know. You guys aren't the only ones this Murder Game is affecting after all, alright? Now get outta here, we all got places to be!~" The woman exclaimed, giving a wave to send them on their way, the group quickly deciding to take off and walk back towards town with that, before she turned around and began walking in the opposite direction... toward the small area of trees that everyone resided within.

"Damn, she's coming this way...!" Sion whispered, gritting her teeth as the woman drew ever closer to their relative position, before glancing at everyone around, "Embarrassing to say but... This outcome wasn't within my calculations."

@Jeremi @Josh M @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk @york​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Ilona quickened her steps. There was something adventurous about moving through the dark of night in this place. The feeling of a grassy field under her feet, cool air, and a tense aura brought on by the Murder Game taking place nearby made Ilona's heart flutter. Tracer wasn't the only one excited.

Being here was almost like being free. She always felt most at home while she moved along an unknown path having no clue as to what would happen next. It was the way she had spent a good majority of her life. Although they had a job to do, Ilona couldn't help but already feel better here than she ever had under the ODMA's care.

The girl began to hum as Misaki Town came into view. Being here brought back so many memories that her heart overflowed with a whirlwind of emotions. Details she had written in her journal as a child seemed real again, as if the story had leapt off its pages and transformed into the world around her. But this place was no mere figment of her imagination or hallucination. She was here again, at a time and place she had vowed never to visit again.

The time traveler ceased her humming and began to put her journal away when she would sense the presence of others in the distance. So long as these people were not participants of the Murder Game, the wouldn't have to worry. However, that wasn't the case. Every movement of her body, including the beat of her heart, halted when they became close enough for her to discern the identities of the people before her. The blonde's journal slipped through her fingers and tumbled onto the ground, her mouth hanging open afterwards.

"Ahhhh!"

Ilona's cheeks flushed immediately, and she scrambled to cover her mouth, embarrassed she had been unable to hold herself back in time from giving a shout. Adding a noise to the fact they had already been noticed by one of the individuals was not the best move she could've made. But how could she not react?

Some of the most precious people to Ilona were standing in that group. She remembered most of them, especially Sir Kirby, Sir Frank Castle, and... Sir Minato. Her heart fluttered in her chest upon seeing Sir Minato, and she couldn't help but outstretch a hand. The selfish part of Ilona wanted to call out to him, to run to him and hug him tightly.

"Sir... Minato..."

Inwardly struggling, Ilona reminded herself of the words she had written in her letter to Minato before ever setting out on this trip with the others.

Staying away from you is the only worthwhile gift I can give you, so I intend to do just that.

Ilona began to drop her hand, stopping when she would see Shiki next. He was here too. There was so much she still wanted to say to Shiki, but this Shiki probably didn't know her, right? They met during the Civil War Incident, and this point in time was long before it.

"Sir... Shiki..."

How ironic was it that two of the most important people to her were standing right in front of her, right within her reach, and she couldn't reach out to touch either of them?

Murder Games truly are vile. I'm not even a participant right now and this game has still found a way to hurt me.

Ilona would turn away and keep her eyes closed, dealing with her inner struggle until she would realize what Sion had whispered. Someone was coming and they needed to prepare. Fumbling anxious, Ilona glanced between the others.

"O-Oh no! What should we do? I-I, um..."

There was no way they had enough time for Ilona to teleport everyone away. She could possibly escape in time, but she couldn't just abandon everyone! Thoughts jumbled, Ilona began to tap on the side of her goggles. "No, no, why aren't they working?!"

Although she hadn't told anyone about them, Ilona's goggles were special. They were sonic goggles with the power to turn into various other forms of eyewear, so Ilona's thought was that she could turn them into some disguise to hide her eyes from the approaching stranger. They could be controlled mentally, but with how scrambled Ilona's thoughts were she couldn't get them to work right now.

@Verite @Atomyk @Jeremi @Josh M @york​

 

[York]

As they continued to move along, Sophie fell strangely silent all of a sudden, appearing to have become a lot more attentive to her surroundings. It seemed that her alertness was not misplaced though, as she spotted a group of people in the distance, a group of people she recognized a bit, from the Fiamma Right incident. Participants of the murder game to be exact, but at the very least, Cinder wasn't amongst them. Seems like she had ended up somewhere else.

Nevertheless, it was pretty blatantly obvious that they needed to be careful out here, considering just how close they were to accidentally tampering with the set timeline in some way. However, before she could even focus on figuring out a way to deal with the approaching situation at hand, she found herself startled by Ilona's sudden cry, making her turn to her direction... And it was only then that she noticed just how much she had longed to... Interact with those in the game...

In all fairness though, even if time travel had a part to play in it, she would have felt these same temptations if she ever had the chance to re-unite with one of her lost friends once again, or even... Simon.

But, looking at Ilona before her now, she knew she had to be stronger than that... They all were, if they were to get through this whole experience safely. With that in mind, Sophie prepared to say something in an effort to put Ilona at east, but before she could even utter a single word, she noticed that red haired woman coming their way, only further confirmed by Sion, an unexpected development, even to her it seemed.

With little time to act, and Ilona seeming to fiddle with her goggles for a reason Sophie couldn't quite be sure about, she realized she had to act, fast!

Seeing that they risked jeopardizing their entire mission if they were to run into that woman coming towards them, she acted the only way she felt she could in this situation. With a swift motion, she grabbed Ilona's free hand, motioning towards the others in an effort to get them to move, quietly mouthing a single word.

"Hide"

With the little window of time she had, it would be hard to find a good hiding place, but she figured if she couldn't find a rock, or some shrubbery suitable enough... She could try and pull Ilona behind a tree that was large enough, and pray that the red haired girl didn't happen to stumble across them.

All she could hope was that they all could find a place to hide in time...

@Verite @Atomyk @Jeremi @Josh M @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

What is the point in wearing these silly goggles if they do not even function!?

Continuing to fumble with her goggles, Ilona wouldn't notice the words Sophie would mouth to them. Regardless, after a moment, the blonde began to realize on her own that they should be hiding. Rushing, the girl hid behind a tree, gesturing for the others to follow her. She took in a deep breath afterwards, holding it as if the stranger could be alerted to their presence by a single huff of air from her lungs.

At this point, I almost feel it is pointless to hide from this woman. I fear she is going to see us no matter what we do. I can only pray that it is meant for her to see us... so that we do not ruin the timeline!

Having traveled all across the universe, this was the first time Ilona had actually ever been concerned about interfering with the timeline of any world she visited. She had always figured her powers brought her to places she was meant to visit and anything that happened there was meant to occur. This situation, however, being closely tied to a Murder Game was different.

While hiding, the girl's goggles would finally respond to the various commands she had given them. Changing form, the goggles would appear as a clown mask on the girl's face.

Mask

"Foul hardware," Ilona hissed quietly under her breath. "A clown mask again?" she questioned, as if this had happened to her more than once before.

I didn't ask for this!

"Don't ask," she mouthed to the others.

@Verite @Atomyk @Jeremi @Josh M @york​

 

[Verite]

Sion could feel her heart beat in her chest, so hard that it practically threatened to burst out. As she pressed her back against the tree, beads of sweat appearing on her face as she tried her best to remain calm, though knowing the consequences of disrupting the timeline, it was a task that the serious-minded young woman found rather difficult. She prepared for the worst, putting one hand on her whip-like weapon, as though willing to incapacitate the woman with vibrant red hair that contrasted greatly with the evening sky. She waited and waited for the woman to get close enough, and then...

...

And then the woman stopped in place, standing just out of the range Sion would have been comfortable with. It was an awkward display, silence permeating the cold air like a hot knife through butter. Before long, the woman would clear her throat, and then speak, her voice almost instantly causing Sion's heart to drop for a moment.

"... Ahem. Hellooooo. Any of you gonna say hi to me, or are ya just gonna stay there like this is hide and seek?" The woman asked playfully, making it abundantly clear that she was indeed acutely aware of everyone's presence beyond, "It's not like I'll--"

"Haaaah!"

"--bite."

After making a judgment call, Sion dashed deftly from around the tree, weapon in hand, and leapt for the woman, swinging her whip at her, only for the red-headed woman to swiftly and easily grab the weapon out of the air and yank at it, causing Sion to stumble and slide over below the other woman's position on her chest, being kept in place as the woman placed her foot down on Sion's back with strength unusual of an ordinary human, moving in this unorthodox manner practically as though it were second nature to her.

"Alright... Guess I look like the stranger here. Here, let me start again; they call me Miss Blue or Sensei, and... I suppose friends call me Aoko, 'cause that's my name, loath as I am to accept it," the woman sighed with mild exasperation as she rubbed her head in a jarringly nonchalant manner, making no move to harm Sion, but making sure she stayed on the ground just in case, "I assume you people aren't from around here?"

"Gnngh! Get... Get off! You don't realize what you've just done!"

"Ara? Have I? Any one of you willing to explain then?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk @Jeremi @Josh M @york​

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

This isn't going to help! Ilona mentally complained to herself, reaching up to try and yank the mask off her face. She grunted, however, when she would find herself unable to pull it on. It was as if the mask had been glued to her face, or was hanging on somehow. Idiotic malfunctioning contraption, release me!

After a moment of repeating her last thought in her mind, Ilona's goggles finally obeyed her. The mask came off, feeling equivalent to the sensation of ripping duct tape off one's face. The blonde let out a yelp, rubbing her cheek with one of her hands before thumping the mask with an index finger.

"Change back into goggles," she whispered to the mask afterwards, relieved when the device would listen and return to its original form. She placed them atop her head once more, however, found herself caught off guard when one of the straps would whip her right eye.

Goodness, that hurt. I've never known an inanimate object to have sass before...

Once she had reined in her goggles and re-focused her attention on the others, she would be just in time to see Sion try to attack Aoko. Ilona flinched, pressing her back up against a tree when the red-haired woman would easily take down her attacker.

The name Aoko sounds very familiar to me. Who might this woman be?

"Miss Sion, I fear it may be too late for us to escape this situation without explaining ourselves somewhat. She's already seen us, after all." Ilona glanced to the red-haired woman, letting out a sigh. "Miss Aoko, yes? Um, as you've suspected, we're not really from around here. We're simply searching for someone is all. Would you perhaps release our comrade and allow us to leave? It would likely be best if we went our separate ways."

Vague, yes, but she had just spoken the truth. Somehow, Ilona had a feeling that this wouldn't be enough to satisfy this woman, but it was still worth a try...

@Verite @york @Jeremi @Atomyk @Josh M
​

 

[Jeremi]

As Sion was grabbed by Aoko, Tracer blipped out of her hiding spot with her guns pointed towards the red haired woman. "We're just on a recognizance mission, luv! Nothin' a civilian needs to know about. Honest!" Tracer said still with her guns aimed at the woman. She really wasn't going to shoot her or anything, but her Aoko didn't know that...right?


@york @Verite @Josh M @Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty

 

[York]

Sophie closed her eyes, her heart pounding as she tried her best not to make a sound... Not to blow her cover, but evidently, it was all for naught; the woman came closer, and closer... And-... Wait, a minute. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Sion was poised to strike, to which Sophie frantically tried to gesture not to... Without making noise that is.

Since the last thing she wanted was for them to blow their... Cover.

Unfortunately, it looks like that red haired woman was already aware of their presense, and in that moment, Sion struck, or at least, she tried to. It turns out, Aoko, as she had then identified herself as afterwards, was quite strong, strong enough to render Sion's efforts in vain, and... She was looking for an explanation as to why they were here... Uh oh.

Realizing that it was no longer an option to remain hidden, Sophie hesitantly stepped out from behind her cover, swallowing a little before she decided to speak up, especially since Ilona and Tracer had already taken the liberty to do so themselves.

"Visitiors... We're... Visitors, from abroad. But... We would like our presense to be kept... Discreet..." She said quietly.

Her eyes darted around the forest, as she tried to discern if there was anyone else coming their way, before she decided not to say anything more...After all, they were not supposed to call attention to the fact that they were... Not from this time, and she was honestly afraid that by some bad fumble with her words, that she would let that little detail slip...

@Verite @Atomyk @Jeremi @Josh M @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Atomyk]

Like the others, Misaka grew tense at them being seen at all. Static bristled around her as if she was to explode at any moment, but after a moment, she realized this wasn't as terrible as it could be.

"Huh. We haven't even met before, have we?"

@Verite @york @Jeremi @Josh M @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Verite]

"My, my... Visitors on a mission from somewhere else, huh? Sounds exciting~" The bold woman spoke, still warily keeping her foot on Sion, who didn't seem as eager to talk as the others were. Haughtily putting her hands on her hips, she tilted her head. "Pardon if I might be intruding, but... When you all say that you're indeed not from around here, you wouldn't happen to mean that you're... not from this specific time, would you?" She inquired.

"!"

Sion gasped softly, ceasing to move in an instant as though the shock of an outsider knowing about their trek through time, but that should have been impossible! Unless...

"Ah, I suppose I should explain after dropping a bombshell like that on you all. See here... I'm a magician. But not just any old magician. Time is my specialty, and not only am I not bound to its rules, I always know when something distorts it even just a little bit," Aoko spoke, before clearing her throat, "You don't have to be so stiff around me. The fact of the matter is... You all look like pretty good people, but if you had to go ahead and distort space and time, you'd have to have a good reason, right? Oh, right... Sorry about this."

Eventually, Aoko lifted her foot, prompting Sion to swiftly roll away from the taller woman and back towards the group, before hopping back to her feet, still heavily wary of the redhead before them all.

"Anyway, yeah. Mind telling me who it is you're looking for? Perhaps I could be of some help. The world is so fragile right now... So many forces threatening its existence. What a paiiiin~," she sighed, stretching her arms above her head with a long-winded breath, her nonchalance seeming to have no end.

"..."

Sion remained apprehensive of the woman claiming to be a magician, her eyes staying narrowed as she continued to stand in front of everyone, as though intending to keep in charge of the group, further evidenced when she took it upon herself to be the first to speak in response to Aoko. "You, one of the five Magicians in known history, standing right before us? You couldn't really expect me to believe that without sufficient proof, could you?" The younger woman asked.

If Aoko was native to this world that the squad had traveled to, then that was something that she had in common with Sion, and thus, the two of them must know the same things in terms of the world's rules, and what the Five Magics of the Modern Age entailed if the woman's claim was true.

"Mmm... Hmm? You want proof? Well, I suppose I could show you a bit of my magic, but... Ah, it's such a pain. I don't think I've actively used it often in... it'll be ten years soon, I imagine. I never did enjoy the process, so how about this instead," Aoko spoke, before clearing her throat and facing Misaka.

"Nope. Never seen you before in my life, little girl, but... I can still feel something from you. A distortion from your presence, as if it's to say... There's two of you here running around in this world. And the other you's pretty close to us as well, even," Aoko spoke to Misaka, before glancing at the rest of the group, "As for the rest of you... Well, like I said, the identity of who you're looking for would be useful. That is, if you're willing to take me along your little journey. I'm always up for some fun~"

Sion only looked at the others uneasily, as though unsure of what to make of Aoko, and wondering what the others had to say about her.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk @Josh M @Jeremi @york​

 

[Jeremi]

"My, my... Visitors on a mission from somewhere else, huh? Sounds exciting~" The bold woman spoke, still warily keeping her foot on Sion, who didn't seem as eager to talk as the others were. Haughtily putting her hands on her hips, she tilted her head. "Pardon if I might be intruding, but... When you all say that you're indeed not from around here, you wouldn't happen to mean that you're... not from this specific time, would you?" She inquired.

"!"

Sion gasped softly, ceasing to move in an instant as though the shock of an outsider knowing about their trek through time, but that should have been impossible! Unless...

"Ah, I suppose I should explain after dropping a bombshell like that on you all. See here... I'm a magician. But not just any old magician. Time is my specialty, and not only am I not bound to its rules, I always know when something distorts it even just a little bit," Aoko spoke, before clearing her throat, "You don't have to be so stiff around me. The fact of the matter is... You all look like pretty good people, but if you had to go ahead and distort space and time, you'd have to have a good reason, right? Oh, right... Sorry about this."

Eventually, Aoko lifted her foot, prompting Sion to swiftly roll away from the taller woman and back towards the group, before hopping back to her feet, still heavily wary of the redhead before them all.

"Anyway, yeah. Mind telling me who it is you're looking for? Perhaps I could be of some help. The world is so fragile right now... So many forces threatening its existence. What a paiiiin~," she sighed, stretching her arms above her head with a long-winded breath, her nonchalance seeming to have no end.

"..."

Sion remained apprehensive of the woman claiming to be a magician, her eyes staying narrowed as she continued to stand in front of everyone, as though intending to keep in charge of the group, further evidenced when she took it upon herself to be the first to speak in response to Aoko. "You, one of the five Magicians in known history, standing right before us? You couldn't really expect me to believe that without sufficient proof, could you?" The younger woman asked.

If Aoko was native to this world that the squad had traveled to, then that was something that she had in common with Sion, and thus, the two of them must know the same things in terms of the world's rules, and what the Five Magics of the Modern Age entailed if the woman's claim was true.

"Mmm... Hmm? You want proof? Well, I suppose I could show you a bit of my magic, but... Ah, it's such a pain. I don't think I've actively used it often in... it'll be ten years soon, I imagine. I never did enjoy the process, so how about this instead," Aoko spoke, before clearing her throat and facing Misaka.

"Nope. Never seen you before in my life, little girl, but... I can still feel something from you. A distortion from your presence, as if it's to say... There's two of you here running around in this world. And the other you's pretty close to us as well, even," Aoko spoke to Misaka, before glancing at the rest of the group, "As for the rest of you... Well, like I said, the identity of who you're looking for would be useful. That is, if you're willing to take me along your little journey. I'm always up for some fun~"

Sion only looked at the others uneasily, as though unsure of what to make of Aoko, and wondering what the others had to say about her.

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk @Josh M @Jeremi @york​

Tracer got the impression that Aoko wasn't going to be a hindrance to them, but damn if she wasn't making Tracer feel uneasy right now, though she had lowered her weapons. "Honestly not up to me if we bring you along, innit?" Tracer responded to the crimson haired woman. "Can I just say while I totally back the whole more the merrier thing...it's kind of weird to just nab someone along for the ride, yeah?"

@Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Atomyk @Josh M @Verite @Jeremi @york

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

Like Sion, Ilona would find herself wary of the red-haired stranger before them. She tilted her head and gazed at the woman, humming thoughtfully in the back of her throat. It was unclear if this woman was a threat, but if she did intend to attack them she probably would've done so already, right? Then there was the fact that Ilona felt her to be familiar. But, then again, Ilona had met so many different people and read books at the Coalition about so many individuals that a lot of their faces had begun to blur in her mind over time.

"Are you certain we should trust her?" Ilona softly questioned Tracer, who seemed pretty laid back with the idea of the mysterious woman joining their group. "She opted not to give us proof of her identity. That in itself is a bit concerning, even if she does seem familiar in some manner..."

Clearing her throat she would address Aoko. "Miss Aoko, if your abilities involve time, I'm certain you're aware it could be dangerous for us to interfere with any individuals in this world other than the one person we're looking for. We're already interfering just by speaking with you. I can't imagine how much it would change things if we actually brought you with us. Are you certain that would be all right?" the girl questioned.

As for Aoko's curiosity about who they were looking for, well, Ilona said nothing on the matter. As far as she was concerned, the blonde was only along for the ride and not in charge of this mission. She would leave it to Sion or one of the others to tell Aoko that information if they decided it was okay. Besides, Ilona had gotten herself into trouble many times in the past due to opening her big mouth. Knowing this situation was delicate, Ilona was determined to try her hardest and not get them into trouble with her words.

@Verite @york @Jeremi @Atomyk @Josh M​

 

[Josh M]

Seeming lost in his own mind, Starman scathed his head. Looking at the large moon, he smiled behind the mask.

"Who is to say she's not supposed to come with us?"

It was clear by his more assured tone, Tom was in his right mind for the moment. Turning the ladies, Thom made his case.

"Let's all take a step back. If there one thing I know from traveling time is that sometime people and things and people need to be interacted wit. If we ignore her help, that might not be what's in the cards. What if ignoring her makes things worse. Sometimes risks need to be taken."

@Verite @york @Jeremi @Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

 

[Jeremi]

Seeming lost in his own mind, Starman scathed his head. Looking at the large moon, he smiled behind the mask.

"Who is to say she's not supposed to come with us?"

It was clear by his more assured tone, Tom was in his right mind for the moment. Turning the ladies, Thom made his case.

"Let's all take a step back. If there one thing I know from traveling time is that sometime people and things and people need to be interacted wit. If we ignore her help, that might not be what's in the cards. What if ignoring her makes things worse. Sometimes risks need to be taken."

@Verite @york @Jeremi @Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty​

"Beardy kinda sayin' what I was goin' to say." Tracer replied motioning towards Starman. "Like can't say I fully trust her or somethin' but if all she's sayin' is true, can we really stop her from comin' with us without a fight?"

@Verite @york @Josh M @Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

"Mayhaps," Ilona would utter after hearing what Starman and Tracer would say, her stance on the situation softening. "Everyone deserves a chance, I suppose. If all of you believe it best to have her come with us, I will wholeheartedly accept. Before now, I have always been fine with letting things play out without worrying about affecting the future. I was only being cautious because of the warnings our superiors gave us. If all of you decide it to be worth the risk, I will fully support the decision," she replied with a nod.

@Verite @york @Jeremi @Atomyk @Josh M​

 

[Verite]

"Aww, don't be like that! Besides, you haven't seen why I should come with you all!" Aoko said, her cheer not seeming to waver even as the rest of the group displayed a degree of apprehension to the idea of her company, as she hit her left fist against her right palm, an almost universal sign of being pepped up despite nothing in the conversation intending to do so, or so it seemed.

Turning to Ilona, she put her hands back to her hips. "Interfering? How do you know it wasn't meant to happen? It isn't like anybody is here to see us. What's that saying again... If a tree falls and no one's around to hear it, does it really make a sound?" She replied, briefly rubbing the side of her head, as though she couldn't simply stand still, "For all you know, maybe something like this was meant to happen," Aoko went on, her sentiments reinforced by Starman, who had a more enthusiastic response, before clearing her throat.

"But of course, if you want a more definite reason why I should come along, lemme show you a little something that I picked up earlier that I could sense was displaced from wherever it came from, just conveniently placed on a rock in these plains," Aoko exclaimed, before digging through her pocket, and producing a rather strange looking object.

"Ta-daaaa! I'm sure this cute little guy is sure to ring some bells!"

...

It didn't. At least, for most of the group.

In the uncomfortable silence as Sion attempted to ascertain the meaning behind the keychain, she slowly leaned over to Ilona, Sophie, and Tracer.

"... What is that thing?"

@Atomyk @Klutzy Ninja Kitty @Josh M @Jeremi @york​