A Certain Scientific Academy City

Chapter 1.8 - Enigma

2nd September 13:30

In the medium-sized staff car park of Dristrict 24's one of many hospitals, an abnormally large black car with tinted windows on the 2nd column to the left and 4 rows back to the hospital staff entrance near some trees and it was parked there lifelessly. Beside the car was a skinny albino with crimson red eye and a middle-aged man with blue eye, this was of course Accelerator and Irido. Next to the pair was a industrial pod on top of a heavy-duty, wheeled table.

Irido moved behind the abnormally large car and lifted the rear door. Accelerator moved the the table the pod was on to behind the car and noticed a few odd things about the car that made the albino question the doctor. For starters, he noticed the door was abnormally thick for a normal car and that the interior was oddly laid out - it had the same seating area that a standard car would have with 2 in the front and 3 behind then behind that was a huge, spacious area that didn't seem to fit inside the car.

The duo loaded the pod into the rear, after a small adjustments it seemed to snap into place as if there were magnets inside it. Irido then closed the rear door and moved onto the driver's side while Accelerator moved to the passenger side of the car. When the albino opened the door he also took note on how heavy it felt to pull open the door ,as well as the abnormal thickness of the door - it made Accelerator think to himself curiously.

Accelerator: Thick, heavy doors. Meaning this car is heavily armored but why would a doctor need a heavily armored car furthermore, why was he so keen to reveal information about himself to me and help me without doubt. Hell, he wasn't fazed when I mentioned I got the pod from criminals. This doctor is a lot more than what he lets on, just what's his intentions?

Accelerator was suspicious of Irido and concluded him for now to be a very enigmatic figure but kept silent as he didn't care too much. While on the hand, Irido also thought of Accelerator as enigmatic. They both entered the car and sat on their seats. Irido plugged his key in to the keyhole next to the dash board, which made the car start as well as the large screen in the middle of the car. Before Irido started driving he looked towards the albino teen sat adjacent to him and warned him in a concerned tone, while carefully choosing his words.

Irido: Beware that the facility from my memory is located in what is now District 40 though luckily towards the edges of the disctrict.

Irido's wording of his warning ,as well as the tone made Accelerator wonder due to his lack of knowledge of this Academy city before asking him a question.

Accelerator: Beware? What exactly is special about District 40? What's special about the district Irido?

After hearing that Irido looked at him with a completely puzzled face before sighing and responding to the boy with a confused tone.

Irido: Do you live under a rock or something?

Accelerator: Hah?

Accelerator looked at him puzzled, he was questioning himself in his head if what he said was wrong before being interrupted by Irido speaking to him

Irido: I guess you don't know then.

Irido paused for a few seconds before continuing.

Irido: District 40, around 15% of Academy city. At it's center it has a crime rate that makes slums seem safe.

Accelerator only nodded in response now knowing what Irido meant by 'beware', the doctor noticed and put his foot on the brake and reversed the car out of the park slot then onto the accelerator next to it and while turning the steering wheel, navigated out of the car park and the 2 set off to an old facility interested to find the secret behind the girl in the pod and why a criminal organization is involved.