This is a plot bunny that popped into my head. I am not certain if I will be continuing it or not

START

Shinji Ikari had had a lousy day. Sensei kept on and on about 'expanding personal reality via self visualization' or some such nonsense. The physics test had sucked. His head hurt - the voices just would not shut up. And it had started to rain on his way home from school.

Shinji Ikari had had a great day. It was almost a year after third impact, and he was alive. The world was still operating properly. The voices had given him the answer to that problem on the physics test. And the air smelled good.

Shinji sighed. It was summer in Academy City. But not like the endless, oppressive summer of before, in Tokyo 3. Maybe it was that Academy city was a cleaner, brighter, more upbeat sort of place. Or maybe it was just that he had changed.

Shinji glanced at his watch - it was getting late, and he still had to cook dinner. Having to take remedial classes over the summer really sucked. Being just a plain student was the best. As Shinji teetered between depression and joy, he decided to take a short cut through a maze of alleyways.

As he was navigating the narrow but surprisingly clean spaces between the skyscrapers that filled this city, he heard a sharp snap, like lightning, followed by a dull thud.

'Another Esper acting out,' Shinji sighed, 'I hope they aren't messing around in this alley.' He started walking forwards again, more cautiously.

It was then that he heard the pained scream.

It had come from the alley just ahead. Shinji dropped his book bag and ran in the direction of the noise, trying to recall the martial arts that Asuka had drilled into his head. Unfortunately, not much had stuck (not really surprising, since Asuka's teaching method was to hit him, and then call him an idiot when he didn't block correctly).

He rounded the corner to see a gangling white haired youth bending over teenage girl lying sprawled on the ground.

"Get away from her!" Shinji yelled and slammed into the boy, only to go flying in the opposite direction until he was stopped by the brick wall of the alley.

"What have we here?" Accelerator stood up, with his freakish smile splattered on his face, "Another little boy trying to play hero?" He walked towards Shinji, stepping over the girl, who Shinji could now see was clutching her side in pain as she lay bleeding.

Shinji pushed himself off the wall, "No more! I'm not going to let you kill her." now it must be said that Shinji wasn't usually the hero type. But what he most wanted was a normal world, where people went about their everyday life - shopping, cooking, going to school. No more monsters or angels trying to kill people and destroy the world. HE REFUSED. Which is why things were the way they were.

So Shinji faced off against Accelerator, and as the most powerful level 5 ESPer reached out to touch him (and accelerate the blood out of his head), a field of orange hexagons sprang up between them.

Accelerator smirked, and poked the field with his finger. Nothing happened. His brows beetled in surprise. Shinji choose that moment to charge his opponent, pushing the AT field into Accelerator. The frog faced youth staggered back "What? How?" he demanded in shock.

Shinji stepped over the girl, protecting her with his body. A fact floated into his head, almost like some ethereal person had just whispered it into his ear, "You're Accelerator, right? You can control all vectors."

Accelerator tried punching the orange hexagons. Nothing happened - it didn't even give. "Yeah, I know who I am. And who are you, punk?"

Shinji ignored his question. "You can't get through an AT field. AT fields don't have a direction, they just ARE."

Accelerator tried to smash his way through the annoying orange force field, again with no effect.

"It's a scalar field, you jerk." Shinji continued, channeling his inner Asuka, "You can't do anything to it" Though he watched Accelerator try to push his way in with worry on his face, just to be sure. "I can do this all night. I'm not going anywhere." He knelt down to the girl, who was now starting to sit up.

"Your aid is not required, Misaka says, grimacing in pain" She spoke calmly, "Everything was proceeding according to..., according to the experiment" Despite her brave words, her arm trembled as she pushed up off the ground.

"Yeah, kid, you don't know what you are getting involved in." Accelerator grimaced at the unique experience of being stymied.. "This fight is part of an experiment. The higher ups are going to be pretty upset if you interfere."

"Please let Misaka finish the fight, or the protocol will be disrupted." The girls said, slipping her combat goggles back over her face as she staggered towards her opponent.

"What, you want to get killed?" Shinji stared at the girl. Her almost emotionless reactions reminded him of Rei, "It doesn't matter who you are. You could one of a series of clones, for all I care, but you ARE a worthwhile person. You are unique. Please don't die!"

Misaka 10031 stopped in surprise, "Misaka does not wish to die, but that is why she is here. That is why Misaka is alive."

Accelerator smirked.

"No! No more dying" Shinji grabbed Misaka 10031's arm and glared at the white haired boy. "No more fighting."

Misaka stepped out of Shinji's grasp, "Misaka apologizes for disagreeing with you. You appear to be a kind hearted individual, and Misaka is deeply touched by your plea, but Misaka must complete the protocol" She looked dejectedly at the boy who had tried to save her, as she called up her electricity, encircling her right hand in crackling sparks as she stepped through the orange boundary field to engage her enemy.

Thump.

"Ow, whispers Misaka." The girl rubbed her nose.

Shinji smirked, "The AT field keeps people in, as well as keeping things out. I can do this all night. I WILL do this all night, if I have to."

The three teens stayed like this for several minutes, until Accelerator gave an exasperated sigh, "This so fucking stupid. We'll finish this next time" He turned and walked away, pulling out a cell phone as he went.

As soon as he was out of sight, a large group of girls gathered, as if from nowhere. Each one was the same build as Misaka, and each wore the same military grade image intensifiers. "You should not have interfered with the experiment. The protocol is now delayed." They spoke emotionlessly, one girl starting the statement, while another finished.

Shinji's eyes got wide, "You ARE part of a clone series!"

"Yes. That is why Misaka's life is not important. The Misaka series was created for the experiment. We live for the experim..."

SMACK

Her voice was cut off by Shinji slapping the injured girl on the face.

"Don't give me that! You, each one of you, is a human being. Your past may all be the same, but your future CAN be different. You are all becoming individuals."

"You are not correct, corrects Misaka. We are all neurally linked, so that we share thoughts. We are all..." Misaka 10031 trailed off, "Misaka can not feel the others. Communications is disrupted" She whispered quietly.

Shinji frowned puzzled, as the other Misaka's gazed on impassively, in an almost robotic fashion.

"This is very disconcerting. Misaka is alone, Misaka whispers in wonder and some fear." Misaka whispered, sinking to her knees.

Shinji started like a light bulb had gone off in his head, "Oh, it's the AT field. It defines the boundary of personal identity" He dropped the orange field that until now had still surrounded them. He knelt down next to the injured Misaka. "She needs to go to a hospital." He looked up at the clone swarm for affirmation.

"Misaka will transport Misaka to proper medical facilities, says Misaka"

As two of her sister-clones helped her up, Misaka 10031 turned towards Shinji and asked, "Misaka would like to know your name, Misaka asks with an unknown anxiety."

"My name is Shinji Ikari. I just transferred to Academy City after last term"

"Thank you Shinji Ikari. You are a kind person, Misaka replies as she tries to smile, despite not having much practice. Misaka wants to make a good impression on the boy who saved her. Misaka realizes that she is babbling."

Two of the clones looked at their sister in surprise.

"Good bye," Shinji waved awkwardly.

"Misaka hopes to see you again."

As they were rounding the corner, Number 10031 twisted almost all the way around in her sister-clones' arms and yelled "Wait! Misaka would like to know your phone number! Misaka pleads"

END