Silent Party Arc

The is an anime-original story arc that occurs in the latter half of the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S anime. It deals with Misaka Mikoto and her friends struggling against STUDY and the conspiracy that surrounds a mysterious girl they have met named Febrie.
The story arc serves as a way to apply the lessons she learned from the Sisters Arc, where she acted alone instead of seeking the aid of her friends. The story arc's structure is similar to the Poltergeist Arc, both having a new girl that is introduced to become friends with the protagonists, both having the girl become the target for the antagonist, and both ending with the protagonists gathering their friends for the final battle.
==Background==
===Chemicaloid Project===
Aritomi Haruki, the leader of STUDY, became disillusioned with Academy City after realizing that no matter what accomplishments a genius like him would get, his recognition paled in comparison to the espers, of which the city pours all its attention to.
One day, Aritomi thought about the uncertainty of the nature of esper power development, which is largely determined at birth, and how the production of high-level espers are based purely on chance. This uncertainty was something that Aritomi decides to eliminate by making an esper from scratch (i.e., making an artificial human being that possesses esper abilities). A new method of producing espers based on a completely different approach, a more reliable method to produce espers of a uniform quality, and as many as anyone could ever want, thus begins the Chemicaloid Project. Haruki joins up with several like minds to come with the plan, and presented it to underground organizations to gain their support. However, they did not see its worth, and among them, Kihara Gensei, whose Level 6 Shift Project would have become a competitor against their project, even called their plans a mere "summer school project." Dismayed by this, they determined to do the project on their own. Aritomi and his colleagues soon established the STUDY Corporation, and with their technology supplied Anti-Skill of their tools, and manufactured drugs and other chemicals of a wide spectrum. Most likely, these are fronts to fund their project.
The first two products of their experiment later bore fruit. Janie, the core of their plan, and Febrie, the spare, used the research of Nunotaba Shinobu as their "base program" to ensure that their automatic nervous functions keeps them alive. However, they made it so that their bodies produce a chemical that would kill them if not for a special lollipop whose ingredients are a closely guarded secret by Aritomi himself.
STUDY then began their preparations for their Silent Party, a city-wide terrorist attack with the aim of replacing the city's esper program with their own. Here, they deliver truckloads of Powered Suits through legal channels to the Academic Assembly venue, making blackouts and power outages to cover up its contents. This would eventually number approximately around 20,000. As they are already supplying Anti-Skill with tools, they need not worry about them and can easily exert their pressure on any investigation. Finally, they also hired under pretenses of a mission, hoping to use their Powered Suits on Mugino Shizuri and gather data from her to allow them to develop their mobile weapons.
===Aftermath of the Sisters Arc===
After the end of the Sisters Arc, Shinobu is later sold to STUDY by an underground organization. She cannot escape from them as she the underground organizations in the dark side of Academy City will be after her, as betrayal equals death. With STUDY, she later sees both Febrie and Janie for the first time and is haunted that her research led to their creation and continual bondage under the yoke of STUDY. With this, she opts to betray STUDY. She inputted the learning abilities and knowledge of both Febrie and Janie through Testament.
While STUDY is busy gathering data from Mugino Shizuri for their plans, Shinobu frees Febrie. She gives her as much of the lollipops that neutralize the poison that builds up in her body as she can, gives her one of her gothic lolita clothes, and tells her to remember the name of "Misaka Mikoto". Although she could not free Janie for the moment, she planned on secretly inputting human consciousness into Janie as well and eventually escape with her as soon as she discovers the recipe for the neutralizers, the lollipops.
==Chronology==
===Kongou Mitsuko meets Aritomi Haruki===
Kongou Mitsuko is with Wannai Kinuho and Awatsuki Maaya after aiding them in helping their upperclassman. While they are on the streets, a purse snatcher makes his move on a woman and accidentally bumps unto Kongou. Seeing him as a criminal, Kongou uses her powers to launch a nearby trash can into the robber, knocking him out immediately.
Kongou's rather heroic deed brings her applauses and praises from Kinuho, Maaya and nearby pedestrians. Meanwhile, Aritomi Haruki just so happens to witness this as well. After Kongou asks Maaya and Kinuho to contact Anti-Skill, Haruki approaches Kongou and admonishes her for using her abilities in public, making an appeal to probability fallacy to support his claims, convincing the bystanders who were previously impressed by Kongou and discrediting her act of heroism. Wannai Kinuho and Awatsuki Maaya shortly arrive after finishing their errand of summoning Anti-Skill to collect the snatcher, but Haruki quickly leaves before they can make a case against him.
Haruki's need to admonish Kongou in public left a strong impression on Kongou, Kinuho, and Maaya, and would later aid in his downfall as it became easier to investigate STUDY's action as they recognize his face.
===Meeting with Febrie===
After having Edasak Banri's party, Misaka Mikoto, Shirai Kuroko, Saten Ruiko. and Uiharu Kazari come upon a park where they see Febrie sleeping in a flower bed. After waking up, she introduce herself to them, but later mentions Misaka Mikoto's name for no reason. Mikoto is intrigued by this and tries to approach Febrie. However, she is somehow suspicious of her stays away, despite her efforts.
Night soon falls, and Kazari and Kuroko decide to contact Judgment for any information about a lost child that matches Febrie's description. To their disappointment, there are no reports of missing persons that match Febrie, and Anti-Skill cannot be contacted at that time. Ruiko then decides to take care of the then sleeping Febrie for the meantime, putting her experience over younger siblings to good use, although she also decided to ask some assistance from Kazari as well.
The next day, Febrie is introduced to Konori Mii, and everybody is introduced to Febrie's lollipops, which the others deem have an awful taste, though they cannot explain why Febrie loves it. Kazari continues to look for clues regarding Febrie but to no avail. Even after adding Febrie to the missing persons list, there has been no immediate responses, causing Kuroko to suspect that Febrie may be a Child Error. Soon, Erii shows up in the Judgment office after finishing preparations with her new apartment unit. The other girls soon fill her up on Febrie's current situation, and Erii shows her concern about her next place to call home, as she is anxious that not all facilities may treat her nicely as they hoped. Fortunately, Mikoto was able to ask permission fom the Tokiwadai Dormitory Supervisor to take Febrie into Asunaro Park, but the dormitory supervisor tells then that it would take five days to prepare the necessary papers for the transfer. Ruiko and the girls show their determination in taking care of Febrie during those five days, and Febrie is happy to hear about it, although she continues to ignore Mikoto, much to her despair.
Kuroko soon reminds Uiharu about the security meeting they need to attend for the upcoming Academic Assembly and the girls soon part ways with Erii, who was greeted with joy by Febrie, putting even more salt on the lonely Mikoto's wounds. As Mii, Kuroko and Kazari take the girls and Febrie to the venue for the security meeting, Mikoto vows to herself that she will make Febrie say her name before the end of the next five days.
===At the Academic Assembly venue===
The girls arrive at one of the participating facilities for the Academic Assembly, and Ruiko notices that it was empty, far from what she was expecting from a widespread event in Academy City. Mii explains that it is unsurprising for someone like Ruiko to have this kind of impression of the Academic Assembly because it was designed for research and development instead of celebrations and having fun. They are met there by Kongou, Kinuho, and Maaya, who is once again helping the latter two's upperclassman. The girls soon become quick friends with Febrie, much to Mikoto's frustration. After they leave Kuroko and Kazari decide to attend the security meeting, leaving Mikoto and Ruiko to handle Febrie for the rest of the day. Mikoto takes this as a chance to try to win over Febrie's heart, but Ruiko seems to have foreseen this, so she decides to leave with Uiharu under the excuse of going to the washroom. However, despite being alone with Febrie, try as Mikoto might, she is just unable to break the ice between them. When Mikoto turns her back on Febrie for a moment, Febrie catches sight of a man in a Gekota , and predictably becomes lost. Seeing this, Mikoto calls for help after being unable to find her on her own.
Meanwhile, STUDY is looking for Febrie as well, and finds out her whereabouts. Aritomi Haruki himself goes out to look for her to retrieve or kill her, leaving STUDY in the hands of Kosako Shunichi, and showing up in one of the venues of the Academy Assembly to personally double-check one of his deliveries sent to the venue. After confirming their deliveries have made it, he tries looking for Febrie. Having found her, Haruki sends out Security robots controlled Diffusion Ghost and attacks Febrie, but she is however found and saved by Mikoto in time. And thus, Mikoto earns Febrie's trust and becomes her friend. However, Haruki also sighted this event as well, leading to him to determine that they could use Mikoto as a tes subject for STUDY. He calls the others to a decision which everyone unanimously agrees to.
Mikoto, Ruiko, and Febrie later leave and say goodbye to Kongou, Kinuho, and Maaya. As Kongou continue on their way, they see Haruki. Wanting to tell him a piece of their mind, they opt to follow him. Here, they discover that he has a nefarious plot in store for Febrie, when he refers to "reclaiming" her. Kongou upon hearing this, tries to call Mikoto and the other girls but cannot connect with them. She later opts to find them, to which the other two tries to plead to her to take them, though feeling guilty with this, she convinces them let her go.
Haruki later meets up with Shunichi for the experiment, stores the Powered Suit in a warehouse in an isolated location, and installs detour signs for Mikoto and her friends.
===Empty Powered Suit attack===
After Mikoto, who bonds with Febrie, and her friends finish their use of the public bath, they separate with Mii and go on their way. Soon, the girls discover that the path ahead of them is closed, and they decide to follow the detours. Minutes later, they end up at a seemingly abandoned warehouse. Uiharu, perplexed by their current situation, decides to check the map function of her phone, only to be surprised that Kongou Mitsuko has been trying to call her and Mikoto dozens of times during their stay in the hot springs.
Then, the shutters of the warehouse burst open, and a machine which bears a resemblance to the HsPS-15 units emerge from inside, heading straight towards Mikoto. Ruiko, Kuroko and Uiharu stand back as Mikoto takes on the mechanical unit alone. To Mikoto's surprise, the machine was unharmed by her electrical attacks, and she suspects that this machine has no electronic components, leaving her confused about how it is able to move without those parts inside. Mikoto is forced to use another application of her ability, the manipulation of iron sand, to deal with the mechanical threat.
Ruiko barely leaves unharmed as Mikoto hurls the machine into several steel beams and almost fell down on her and Febrie. Kuroko manages to teleport her and Febrie away in time, but with Uiharu unable to contact Anti-skill due to a lack of signal coverage. Then, Febrie suddenly runs towards the Gekota she dropped in the chaos. Mikoto goes to take her to safety, but the mechanical enemy quickly approaches them for the kill. Suddenly, their enemy suddenly stops. Then, a steel beam comes flying towards the machine, throwing it far away from Mikoto and Febrie. Meanwhile, Kongou Mitsuko shows up and brags about her timely entrance. Once again, the girls are faced with a case of a machine that malfunctions with possibly lethal effects. But this time, the machine involved is expected to be piloted but is completely empty. Then, Febrie suddenly becomes feverish at the aftermath of the unexpected battle.
Kuroko manages to contact Anti-skill this time, and Aiho once more inspects the destroyed machine. Again, the machine involved had no batteries inside, and there are no pilots controlling the machine from the inside. What added to the mystery was that no security cameras recorded anything out of the ordinary, and that Uiharu and Kuroko's phone lost their coverage during the incident. Aiho decides to handle the case herself and advises Uiharu and Kuroko to focus more on their friend, which was taken into a nearby hospital after the incident. As Kuroko and Uiharu head to Mizuho Medical Institute, Aiho discovers an unusual transparent container inside the empty cockpit of the machine.
Back with STUDY, despite their machine deactivating they are confident with the experiment results, and later vote to forego "reclaiming" Febrie for she will die eventually as her lollipops, the poison neutralizer, is slowly being exhausted. There, they continue their preparations for the Academic Assembly, as well as the proper tuning of their main plan Janie, to which Shinobu herself confirms that she will do her best.
===The problem with Febrie===
Mikoto and Ruiko, who are in Mizuho Medical Institute, came with Febrie, who was just admitted into the hospital after what happened to her. As Mikoto tries to cheer Ruiko up, the doctors come out with Febrie still in a worrisome condition. To make things worse, even the doctors admit that they cannot do anything about her unusual fever. Febrie is then scheduled to be transferred to a bigger hospital as soon as possible. All Mikoto could do at that moment for her was to give the pink Gekota back to her hands before seeing her disappear into the hallway. Febrie is later transferred to A Certain Hospital. Mikoto has a hunch that the attack earlier that afternoon is targeting her alone. And seeing another civilian get hurt because of her leaves a bitter feeling in her heart. Kazari and Kuroko soon arrive, relaying the investigations currently done by Anti-Skill regarding the incidents. Kongou also shows up, revealing that she had been calling them to give a warning about a man she had seen earlier in the school premises during Febrie's short disappearance. She then tells them that she, Kinuho and Maaya overheard a conversation of that man with another person about "reclaiming Febrie". Kongou leaves shortly after receiving a worried call from Maaya and Kinuho. The four girls wonder about the phrase "reclaiming Febrie", finding it weird to use the word "reclaim" for a person, and Mikoto is clearly uneasy about it.
The girls spend the rest of the night in the hospital, and the frog-faced doctor tells them good news of Febrie regaining her consciousness. As Ruiko, Kuroko and Kazari accompany Febrie in the hospital room, the frog-faced doctor decides to have a private talk with Mikoto. Outside, the frog-faced doctor reveals that Febrie's condition improved on her own, and that he cannot do anything for Febrie because she is "fully and scientifically manmade." Mikoto is shocked to hear the truth behind Febrie's true nature, particularly the part where the "frog-faced doctor" explains how Febrie's body produces a poison that could kill her if she stops eating the lollipops she has been eating ever since. In fear of Febrie's well-being, Mikoto urges for information about where she could find the ones responsible for Febrie's creation, but the frog-faced doctor warns her that the ones linked with Febrie's existence belongs to the "dark side" of Academy City. Most likely, these are fronts to fund their project.
After talking to the frog-faced doctor, Mikoto returns to check up on Febrie and tells her friends that she can be discharged soon. Ruiko and Uiharu are excited to have Febrie back, but Kuroko senses that something is troubling her. Unfortunately, she loses the chance to ask her about it as Mikoto heads to her clone who is nearby.
Misaka 10032, after voicing out her insecurities over Mikoto staying up all night just to watch over Febrie's condition, eventually reveals that she found out about Febrie's "big sister" in a short conversation with her the night before. 10032 also observed some similarities in Febrie's thought patterns which she found similar to hers, which made her hypothesize that Febrie gained her knowledge through Testament as well and the one who installed them into Febrie's head was the same person who gave the Misaka Clones their memories. Mikoto is immediately reminded of Nunotaba Shinobu, the girl who once had her hand in the Radio Noise Project, and suspects that she may have been involved in Febrie's creation as well. Misaka 10032, on the other hand, just wanted to thank Shinobu for introducing her to the taste of milk tea.
===Mikoto calls for aid===
On his way back, Mikoto slowly pieces the clues she found throughout the past few days and focuses on the people who want Febrie "reclaimed". Mikoto thinks that the only way to get into the case is by asking the creators directly, so Mikoto finally decides to dive into the darkness once more. Kongou soon calls Mikoto and asks her about Febrie. Mikoto assures her that Febrie has been discharged with a clean bill of health, and a blissful Kongou anticipates telling Kinuho and Maaya about the good news. However, this also reminds her that she owes her two friends an apology for rashly heading into Mikoto and the others and leaving them behind. Kongou's words about friends staying together amidst good and bad things alike hit hard on Mikoto, but she had little time to ponder on them as Kuroko ushers her back to the Tokiwadai Dormitory.
Mikoto decides to prepare for a solitary mission for Febrie's sake, but Kongou's words continue to haunt her. However, she decides to push on, even saying the usual alibi to Kuroko. But unexpectedly, Kuroko seems fine with her leaving for the rest of the day. Mikoto then remembers about her short conversation with Kuroko during the time when she is still fighting against those responsible for killing her clones. At that moment, Mikoto decides to tell the truth to Kuroko, Kazari and Ruiko in the latter's apartment. The four girls are shocked to realize Febrie's true nature and Ruiko is clearly concerned about the little girl's well-being. However, Mikoto warns her friends that trying to save Febrie would mean facing a threat beyond the reach of the authorities and she is unsure that she will be able to protect them all. To Mikoto's surprise, the three has shown their determination in helping her out.
And as it was, the girls begin their efforts to help Febrie agains the darkness. Kazari uses her computer skills to search for any traces of activity related to Febrie and the Powered Suits similar to the one that attacked Mikoto, Ruiko asks for Heaven Canceller's help on the lollipops, and Mii spends her precious time babysitting Febrie. Kongou and her friends on the other hand, are tasked in aiding Mikoto and the others help search for clues regarding the man who wants to reclaim Febrie in the Academic Assembly venue.
Meanwhile, Kuroko and Mikoto personally ask Yomikawa Aiho about the Powered Suit and security robots taken by the Anti-Skill as evidence. Unfortunately, Aiho tells them that the main headquarters of Anti-Skill had taken over the case so the evidence has been taken there as well. Mikoto and Kuroko left a bit disappointed by this dead end, but Aiho decides to catch up to them and gives a transparent case with a strand of hair inside, found inside the Powered Suit taken the day before. Aiho explains that she decides to give it to them instead of leaving it be confiscated by the main headquarters, and soon warns them not to try meddling too deep into the case.
Mikoto and Kuroko soon return to Branch 177 of Judgment with the news, and the others quickly deduce that the "underground organizations" Mikoto had warned them about may have been the ones responsible for taking away the evidence. Kazari also found nothing except a camera blackout that happened during the Powered Suit incident. Ruiko then remembered that their phones did not work during that time as well, and Kuroko mentions an incident of malfunctioning traffic lights at the same time period. Kongou also comes out with nothing about the suspicious man they saw the day before, although she agreed to help with the Powered Suit case as her father's corporation handles a research facility that specializes in Powered Suits. Suddenly, Mikoto remembers Misaka 10032's observations and the mystery behind Febrie knowing Mikoto's name, Mikoto feels that Shinobu's involvement is becoming clearer to her. That leaves her motives yet to be determined.
===Deeper into the darkness===
Mikoto finds out that Shinobu was expelled from Nagatenjouki Academy. That leaves her with one lead: the mysterious case containing a filament-like substance inside. She visits the Heaven Canceller for his opinion on what it is, and he reveals that it is a strand of hair taken from someone similar to Febrie a "sister", as Mikoto speculates. Then he states some related news about Febrie. After his analysis of the candy Ruiko brought to him previously, the frog-faced doctor estimates that the lollipops in Febrie's possession would only last for 72 hours, pressuring Mikoto to pursue Febrie's creators even more. Just like last time, the frog-faced doctor asks Mikoto if she is brave enough to face the "darkness" of Academy City. Upon hearing Mikoto's affirmative response, the frog-faced doctor decides to help out by setting up an appointment with someone from the "darkness" itself.
Using his influence, Heaven Canceller allows Mikoto to visit Therestina Kihara Lifeline, now incarcerated in an correctional facility in Academy City. Mikoto clarifies things by going straight to the point about her mission to save Febrie. Therestina is clearly unimpressed about her heroism and refuses to help, but Mikoto does not want to take no from Therestina and waits for any response from her. Despite Therestina's attempts to break down Mikoto's resolve, the Railgun remains adamant in getting an answer. Therestina eventually gives up on trying to shake off Mikoto and soon mentions about a group of people who want to make themselves known by creating an entity called a "Chemicaloid", and that they'll prbably show it in some upcoming event, the Academy City Research Exhibition Assembly, just to prove it can be done. Mikoto sees it as something stupid, but an enraged Therestina reminds her that while she is a privileged guinea pig among others, a Level 5, there are some people who are not even given the chance to be a guinea pig and are instead forced to face the "darkness".
After the short talk with Therestina, Mikoto returns to Branch 177 of Judgment. Her friends were clearly shocked upon finding out about her visit to Therestina's cell, and they also receive grim news as Mikoto reveals that Febrie only has 72 hours to live. Soon, Kongou with her posse barge into the Judgment office, bringing a set of new clothes for Febrie to compensate for the fact that she was unable to contribute to the investigation. As Febrie is brought to a point where she needs to consume more of her "life-saving" candy, Kazari begins looking for more clues from Academy City's databases. The picture of a bespectacled man catches Kongou's attention, and she reveals that he was the man they saw earlier, whose name is revealed as Aritomi Haruki, a returning winner of the Academic Assembly. Kazari soon finds out that Haruki, as well as a lot of the participants of the Academic Assembly, did not join this year. Kuroko thinks that there is something to do with this and Haruki opting out of the competition. Her investigation goes into the night.
===Crossing of paths===
The next day, Mikoto and the others meet up at Branch 177 of Judgment once again. Uiharu Kazari shows her discovery of Aritomi Haruki acting as part of the board of directors of a certain Study Corporation, a company that produces drugs and other chemicals, with a factory located in School District 17. She finds it odd that the location, once a normal, old factory building, was purchased for an exorbitant price, and the other girls suspect that it may have been the production facility for Febrie or her lollipops. Mikoto decides to visit District 17 to investigate personally. As she rides a train to get there, she passes by a certain iron railway bridge, where she was confronted by Touma about her decision to take on Accelerator. Although she feels that the boy was too pushy in his dream, she thinks that having his kind of mentality would make things better for her.
Meanwhile, after being told of the STUDY's factory's location in District 17 by their liaison, wanting revenge after being used by STUDY attacks the factory. At the same time as this, Aritomi discovers that their first lab has been breached, although he is rather calm about it because it was a mere trap that entices those who has enough know how to break through its security. He then tells his colleagues that the lab only contained data for a particular poison neutralizer. Shinobu soon stands up and decides to visit the laboratory, to make sure that there are no variables left unchecked for their plan. But Haruki begins to suspect Shinobu of something, and follows her.
As begins their rampage the Powered Suits that defend that area were simply turned to wreckage by the attacking team. However, Mugino is angry at how everything turned out, as none of the Powered Suits were piloted and that they turned up at another empty facility. Meanwhile, Mikoto who has just arrived listens to their conversation, she discovered that 's very own AIM Stalker was able to track down the movements of the Powered Suits, leading her to think that there may be someone who is able to control the robots from afar using strands of hair as a conduit of sorts. After leaves the premises, Mikoto decides to investigate on the remains of the destroyed Powered Suits. As she searches the place, she senses some electromagnetic waves nearby and follows them to the source. She turns up in a console room, where Shinobu is busy doing something.
Mikoto confronts about her involvement in Febrie's case, but Shinobu instead finishes her job and hands over a stick-like storage device, which contains the recipe for the lollipops Febrie needs to survive. Shinobu then takes this opportunity to apologize to Mikoto for forcing her to take care of Febrie, as she thinks that Mikoto is the only one capable of saving her. At that moment, she is already relieved that Mikoto now has the key to making it possible.
Suddenly, Aritomi Haruki shows up at the console room, revealing that the data now in Mikoto's hands is a dummy, a part of his additional safety measures to keep vital information from leaking out. Now, Haruki has discovered that Shinobu is a traitor, and he forces her to make a painful decision. Haruki throws an injector filled with a paralyzing drug and tells Shinobu to administer the drug to Mikoto in exchange for keeping the safety of the true recipe for the poison neutralizing agent used for Febrie's lollipops. Although Shinobu is hesitant to do it, Mikoto tells her to push on for Febrie's sake. Shinobu stabs Mikoto with the injector as she requested, and Mikoto instantly collapses due to the effects of the drug. However, much to the shock of the two girls, Haruki destroys the precious data in front of them. There, Haruki tells them that Febrie's well-being is not important as she was just a spare for the greatest invention of Study Corporation, which they call "Janie".
Here, Aritomi conveniently divulges his life history, telling them on how they formed STUDY and why they started the Chemicaloid Project. Several minutes later, Mikoto wakes up in a room elsewhere, with only Shinobu to accompany her. Upon finding out that it is already 3:40 PM, Mikoto tries to get up, only for Shinobu to remind her that the drug she administered into Mikoto would render her unable to move for two more hours. Soon, Shinobu explains to Mikoto that she ended up in STUDY's side because she was sold by to STUDY shortly after her capture, and her works eventually became a platform of sorts for the Chemicaloid Project to push through. For this reason, she is also trying to thwart STUDY from causing her to commit another mistake like during the Sisters Project. Unfortunately, Aritomi had already destroyed the recipe for the antidote she needs to cure Febrie's "twin", Janie, and bring her out of STUDY's hands.
Desperation is slowly consuming Shinobu, but she was surprised upon hearing Mikoto's words about her "little sisters" wanting to thank her (particularly for introducing them to the taste of milk tea). Soon, Mikoto slowly picks herself up using her electricity to control the muscles in her body, a feat that shocks Shinobu, and reassures Shinobu that there will always be someone to help her, and she need not push on alone to resolve something. Shortly after, alarms blare outside, and Mikoto anticipates the presence of her friends as she had already made her presence known through the nanomachines that was injected into her bloodstream beforehand. Through this information, Kazari was able to pinpoint Mikoto's location while Ruiko goes on scouting and Kuroko marches forward on the offensive.
Mikoto decides to head out to help her friends in saving Febrie, and Shinobu finally asks for Mikoto to help her as well in her mission, to which Mikoto promptly affirms. Before Mikoto leaves she asks if Shinobu is coming, to which she says that she will stay behind for no one will be able to stay STUDY's hand if she is left alone with them. Moreover, as she has some still use to STUDY, they will not get rid of her immediately, and states that she will try her best to find the neutralizer while she is with them. Here, she also tells of STUDY's city-wide terrorist attack that will happen the next day. Kuroko eventually locates Mikoto, who is completely covered with her electricity to faciliate in her movement and the two make their quick escape.
Shinobu is later confronted by Haruki, Kosako Shunichi, and Sekimura Hirotada, handcuffing her. Haruki asks why she didn't escape, to which Shinobu reasons that if she did, the dark side of Academy City will be after her head. Haruki smiles at her response, and says that if she did leave they'd have to whip Janie more in order to meet their demands, greatly irritating Shinobu though she keeps quiet about it. She is later taken by them to their base of operations for their Silent Party, tending to Janie as the Silent Party is at hand.
===The eve and the dawn before the Silent Party===
In Branch 177 of Judgment, Mikoto tells Kuroko, Ruiko and Uiharu about Aritomi's attack on Academy City on the following day, using the ability of Febrie's sister Janie, Diffusion Ghost, which was also used control the mechanical units that had attacked Mikoto days ago. The problem lies with the possibility that a large-scale terrorist attack may take place, as Diffusion Ghost can also give out primitive commands to objects it control. Ruiko thinks that they should locate Janie immediately to thwart the attack, but no one, even their insider Shinobu, knows where Janie is kept, so they are forced to rely on Febrie's "link" with Janie to track down Janie. However, this also renders them unable to do anything until it actually happens. Mii then suggests looking for the possible locations of the Powered Suits that would be used for the attack. As Uiharu toils on the computer once again, Kuroko decides to see if the Anti-Skill can now help out this time. Unfortunately, not only was Yomikawa Aiho suspended from her Anti-Skill duties, she also tells the girls that most of the equipment used by Anti-Skill is now provided by STUDY Corporation itself, rendering Anti-Skill unable to do anything that concerns the company.
Shortly, Kazari manages to find a lead. To the shock of the girls, she found a report about a large number of Powered Suits being delivered into the Academic Assembly, just as Kongou Mitsuko and her friends make their way into the Judgment office. In unison, Kongou and Uiharu report an estimate of over 20,000 Powered Suits present in the Academic Assembly venues. The sheer feeling of helplessness amidst the situation has brought Mikoto to the point of concern for her friends, who may be endangered by this massive threat ahead of them. But, her friends refuse to back down for the sake of Janie and Febrie. Soon, Mikoto is reminded about what that "spiky-haired boy" had told her in the midst of her moments of despair, and her face lights up right after. As Febrie wakes up from her sound sleep, Mikoto tells her that she and her friends will help look for Janie.
That night, Mii calls her friend Yanagisako Aomi about "something important she should do". Apparently here, she asks her to rally all the Judgment members she can in order to aid them against STUDY. Meanwhile, Kongou asks her father if they can use the Ekaterina II S, who easily allows this. She later sends the instruction manuals for it to Ruiko and Kazari, memorizing it while they make riceballs with Febrie. In the Tokiwadai Dormitory, Mikoto decides to give up on alibis and abandons Kuroko's plan to cover up their absence, much to the latter's disappointment. Then, Kuroko, a girl who has always been skeptic of good luck charms, hands out a four-leaf clover to Mikoto, enclosed in a silk handkerchief.
Before the night ends, Mikoto makes a call to her Sisters, likely to ask for their help as well. As the dawn breaks STUDY anticipates the start of a revolution. All systems are go, and all it needs for everything to begin is a press of a button and a majority vote sans Shinobu who is worried for Janie. Mikoto takes Febrie up on the roof and gives her the last of her lollipops, awaiting for the Silent Party to start. Meanwhile, Kuroko; Mii; Kongou, Kinuho, and Maaya; and Ruiko with a bat and Kazari with her controlled security robots each stand guard on one entrance to the venue. There, their groups meet at least 20,000 Powered Suits controlled through Diffusion Ghost. With Diffusion Ghost activated, Febrie points to the way where it is located. With this, Mikoto takes Febrie to go there. Thus begins their counterattack against STUDY.
===Silent Party===
Thus at the break of dawn, the Silent Party begins. It was a disastrous attempt at a rebellion, as despite the 20,000 and more Powered Suits used for it as well as 2 mobile weapons piloted by two STUDY members themselves, they were unable to escape the Academy City Research Exhibition Assembly venue at all due to the efforts of several members of Judgment and the coincidental appearance of two Level 5s, Mugino Shizuri and Misaka Mikoto. Tragedy would've been the aftermath however after STUDY launches the AIM bomb on Academy City, but this too proved to be futile as it was stopped by Misaka Mikoto and her friends.
And with that, STUDY has been defeated, Academy City is saved, Janie is reunited with Febrie, and Shinobu is finally free.
==Aftermath==
There are no apparent casualties on either side. Of the Academic Assembly, it occurs as planned on the same day as the Silent Party, though there have been a delay and it is unknown if it involved the Silent Party. It is unknown what happened to the members of STUDY afterwards, though it is likely that they have been taken into custody.
Investigations on the Silent Party have been tampered with to give a favorable view of Mikoto and her group. Mikoto used her powers to manipulate the digital records, while Shokuhou Misaki, the 5th-ranked Level 5, used her powers to brainwash the authorities. This is only after Mikoto, who is usually antagonistic to her and her powers, laid down her pride and asked for help.
Of Janie and Febrie, they later leave Academy City for external facilities with Shinobu to readjust their bodies, similar to most of the Sisters. It is unknown what opinion Academy City has on Chemicaloids after the incident.
===Effects and future implications===
As it is a relatively new story arc introduced into the universe, its effects on the storyline is still unknown. However, it does foreshadow a few things, such as the usage of machines that mimics the powers of the Level 5s. However the machines featured here were a shallow reproduction of Mugino Shizuri's power, instead of a machine that attempts to surpass that of a level 5 as it's name, FIVE_Over.
Of Mikoto's development here in asking her friends in a battle against the dark side of Academy City, it contradicts themes built up in other story arcs such as the Tree Diagram Remnant Arc, where Mikoto is utterly adamant in not involving anyone, though this can be explained as the incident here is related to the Sisters. And later during the Daihasei Festival Arc in the Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, Mikoto's reluctance in allowing her friends to be involved is used by Shokuhou Misaki against Mikoto in order for her to do anything rash that would ruin her plans. Although the girls later get involved eventually, it is only Kuroko, a powerful Level 4 Teleporter and an experience combatant, that gets to be involved in actual combat against the dark side of Academy City, while Ruiko and Kazari stay behind in the office. However, this of course was of her own doing and not from being asked by Mikoto, as Kuroko's memories of Mikoto have been erased by Misaki as stated above. It is unknown if Mikoto will be forced to act similarly in this arc in future arcs as well.
==References==
==Navigation==
Category:Story Arcs
Category:Toaru Kagaku no Railgun Story Arcs