"And besides, this time the one who needs saving is a Misaka," Shokuhou Misaki had said.
From the memory data she'd acquired, it wasn't hard to see that Kobayashi was particularly fond of the "Misaka" series of girls.
"Then what should we do next?" Keisaku Mitori asked again.
In truth, she hadn't fully understood Shokuhou Misaki's words—but she didn't dwell on it.
Right now, several researchers in white lab coats were working frantically in front of her, doing everything they could to keep Dolly alive through emergency treatment.
And yet, the two people who cared most about Dolly… could only stand to the side and watch.
Irritated and restless at her own helplessness, Keisaku Mitori could only force herself to shift her attention elsewhere.
"Shokuhou Misaki," she said with a frown, "even though you've already taken control of the First and Third Laboratories, the Second Laboratory—the largest one in Talent Workshop—isn't under your control at all. In this situation, how are we supposed to get Dolly out?"
"Don't panic. Just listen to me," Shokuhou replied, idly playing with the remote in her hand. "Once Wuming-senpai arrives, you grab Dolly and dash straight out. Don't worry about anything else."
"But"
"No buts," Shokuhou cut her off. "I'll cover for you. Trust me—once Nana-senpai gets here, no one will dare chase after you."
She spoke with absolute confidence.
"Instead of worrying about that, you should pray for Dolly properly. If she can't hold on until help arrives, then no matter how much we do, it'll all be meaningless!"
At her words, Keisaku Mitori hurriedly refocused on her dearest friend.
Looking at the tea-haired girl lying unconscious on the stretcher, barely clinging to life, Keisaku felt both terrified and desperate, tears welling in her eyes. She hated herself for not being a doctor or a nurse—for knowing nothing about how to treat her.
Seeing her new friend on the verge of breaking down, Shokuhou Misaki let out a quiet sigh in her heart.
Of course, she was anxious too. Of course, she was in pain.
But if Dolly was going to be saved, someone here had to stay calm, and that person could only be herself.
As for Keisaku Mitori, she was still just a child. She wasn't reliable, and there was no way Shokuhou could place such a heavy responsibility and pressure on her shoulders.
Thinking back made it obvious.
After discovering the secret of Dolly's existence and using her ability to obtain incriminating evidence from the laboratory, Keisaku Mitori's final decision was to negotiate with the researchers—to beg them to spare Dolly.
The outcome hardly needed explanation.
Even as a Level 3 Esper, Keisaku had been effortlessly subdued, then locked away in a pitch-dark room, cut off from the world.
After coming to the Talent Workshop and awakening her Esper power, Mental Out, Shokuhou Misaki had come to one overwhelming realization: Adults were not to be trusted.
The adult researchers inside Talent Workshop were all the same at their core. In their eyes, the children used as test subjects were no different from lab mice—mere "experimental animals."
Researchers who genuinely retained kindness and treated the children as human beings were rarer than phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
That was why Shokuhou Misaki would never "negotiate" or "discuss" things with adults.
She chose the simplest and most direct approach—
Using her ability to brainwash and control the researchers, turning them into her puppets.
Only then were they slightly trustworthy.
Because she had already seen spoilers within Kobayashi's memory data, when Shokuhou Misaki finally met Dolly in person, she felt an indescribable sense of strangeness.
Even so, she quickly accepted—and grew fond of—the girl.
Just like in the original storyline contained in the memory data, Dolly was destined to become her friend.
And because of that, Shokuhou Misaki felt an even stronger urgency to save the Dolly who was supposed to die.
She had even gone out of her way to meet Kobayashi-kun, trying to obtain more information to support her plan.
Under her subtle guidance, Kobayashi recalled the entire sequence of events surrounding Dolly and the Talent Workshop incident—and all of that information was, naturally, intercepted by Shokuhou Misaki.
That was when she realized something she'd overlooked.
Keisaku Mitori, Dolly's previous friend, who had been imprisoned for trying to save her.
Even if Shokuhou didn't approve of her reckless actions, their desire to save Dolly was the same. And judging by the "two years later" storyline, Keisaku Mitori's potential and strength were far from negligible.
Because of that, there was no ally more suitable than Keisaku Mitori when it came to saving Dolly.
Thus, on the very day Shokuhou Misaki returned from meeting Kobayashi, she went straight to the room where Keisaku was being held and freed her.
Since the entire First Laboratory was already under Shokuhou's control, Keisaku Mitori's "escape" caused no disturbance whatsoever.
After being rescued, Keisaku didn't leave the facility. Instead, she stayed behind—recovering her strength while following Shokuhou Misaki's instructions and preparing to save Dolly.
Having been beaten down by reality, Keisaku Mitori was no longer naïve. In fact, she despised and distrusted adults even more deeply than Shokuhou did.
Because of that, even when they had opportunities to contact the outside world, neither of them was willing to call the police or seek help from the Guard Department.
Under those circumstances, Kobayashi—the hero who had destroyed the "Dark May" plan and saved hundreds of boys and girls—was unquestionably the most suitable person to ask for help.
And so, the phone call at the beginning came to be.
In truth, Keisaku Mitori didn't know Kobayashi at all. Because she'd been locked in solitary confinement, she hadn't even seen his interview coverage.
The reason she called him for help—aside from Shokuhou Misaki's request—was simple:
Kobayashi wasn't an adult. And because of that, he was relatively trustworthy.
Talent Workshop was a comprehensive research institution composed of three major laboratories.
Among them, the Third Laboratory, Internal Evolution, where Shokuhou Misaki belonged, had already been completely taken over by her. The First Laboratory, established to cooperate with the Mass-Produced Esper Project, had also been infiltrated and controlled by her.
The real problem was the Second Laboratory—Ideal Ability.
In truth, this was the largest laboratory in Talent Workshop. Its direct supervisor, Kodō Shunzō, could be considered the de facto person in charge of the entire facility.
The reason the First and Third Laboratories existed at all was largely that both projects had the shadow of the Kihara family behind them. Kodō Shunzō sought to tie himself to the Kihara name, using it to secure more resources and benefits for his own plans.
The result was clear.
In terms of both physical scale and personnel numbers, the First and Third Laboratories combined didn't even reach one-third the size of the Second Laboratory.
For example, the research building Shokuhou Misaki and the others were currently in—
In essence, it belonged to Shundou Toshizou, who controlled the Second Laboratory.
(End of Chapter)
https://patreon.com/Omarfome
If you are enjoying the story and want to read 50 chapters ahead of schedule, join my Patreon.