A/N:
G͙͓͔̱͚ͧͯ́̎ͭ̃̉͊̾͡o̰̰̗̳̰̠͕͂̚̕̕ò̶̹̤̰̪̘̎̔̔ͨ̓̎́d̛͗̌҉̠͍͓͓̙̘ ̱͉̖͋̋Gͯ̓͌ͬ̐̽҉͈̦̖̯̭̣́͡į̫̼̠̪ͪͤ̔͡r̵̜̓ͦ͛͑ͣͥ͌̃ḽ̢̞͍̭̯̖̝̥͌͒̄ͣ̐̽ͧ̾̕͞ ̫͈̲̳̯̪̩̂̉̈ͤͨ̕ͅMͬ̉͗̄̎ͥͦ͠҉͖͓͙̠̱͓ĭ̡̞̙̖̩k̷̙͉̖̫̠̞̟̊̐̌͜o̡̠͚̣̞̣ͩ̔̇̒ͩ̇̈́́̚͜t̸̖̞̯̜͂̀̽ͣ̀͞ǫ̸̥̤͕̲̫̫ͩ
11:00 ᴘᴍ
ᴏɴᴇ ʜᴏᴜʀ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ.
Most places were closed during this time of night, however, streetlights continued to glow ever bright. This neon radiance called out to a different type of crowd, a crowd that outsiders wouldn't normally associate toward academically-involved students that this city supposedly promoted. The people active at this hour weren't wide-eyed sheep but wild-eyed wolves. They were a bored type. A rowdy type. A type that could only thrive on loud isolation. Vibrantly cluttered together. Violently strewn apart. An wild dissonance of adolescent beauty.
If these such characters were the focus of this fanfic, I have no doubt that this narrative would take on a much more frantic and thrilling pace, but… of course, that's not what this fanfic is about.
Instead, the focus here is on a group of unrelatable individuals that don't get along well with each other. There is no action. There is no adventure. Only a string of loosely connected events with a very natural conclusion.
So…
Let's look away from this scene and ask ourselves…
Where were the stars of this non-action, non-adventure, comedy?
Where was Kakine Teitoku?
Perhaps he wandered the alleyways at night, patrolling for any would-be disturbances in the red-glowing district of Academy City.
Where was Mugino Shizuri?
Perhaps she was keeping herself company in a high-class hotel room, having a drink while contemplating her role as a daughter of an affluent household.
Where was Shokuhou Misaki?
Perhaps she was in her dorm room, glaring at a monitor and furiously pounding her keyboard because an online personality made a slight against something she liked.
And where was Sogiita Gunha?
Perhaps he tossed and turned in bed, unable to rest. The girl who confessed to him earlier that evening wouldn't leave his thoughts anytime soon.
…
But as for Misaka Mikoto…
…
She stood alone.
A docile figure on cobblestone and grass. Hefty foliage shimmered from above. Insects faintly hummed from a distance.
Underneath a fading sterile light, the girl held a phone next to her ear and…
Monosound.
[ Ring.]
From her backside, she was stout and dependable.
[ Ring. ]
Cool, calm, and collected. As expected from the Ace of Tokiwadai.
[ Ri-*click-click* ]
Hearing the line pick up, Misaka Mikoto pleasantly smiled.
[ "Misaka-san?-! If you're calling, then does this mean-?-! Were you able to find Accelerator-kun?-! Where are you right now?-!" ]
From the other end, Nunotaba Shinobu's voice came through clearly. Maybe due to the stress of her situation, she seemed anxious.
"Huh? Accelerator? Oh, hrmm…
"I did a little searching around, but I haven't seen him anywhere. If you're still looking, I guess that means he's still out there then?"
The Number 3 tilted her head. Placing a hand on her face, she made a thoughtful pose.
[ "…" ]
[ "That is… correct. He's still missing." ]
Disappointment. Mixed with frustration. The prospect of progress had vanished with one sentence, and with high hopes raised, it was unsurprising that her tone fell flat as well.
But with a new sense of awareness… apprehension surfaced.
[ "Was there… something else you wanted to talk about?" ]
"…"
…
Unexpectedly…
Misaka Mikoto made a girlish laugh.
"Ehehe~ It's a little silly but~ Do you remember? You said that I could give you a call whenever I felt overwhelmed, right? I just want to complain. Juuust a little bit~"
And displaying another emotion, she suddenly became mindful.
"Ah…! Do you mind? I don't want to force you into listening to the boring protests of a middle schooler. And I know you must be busy handling… what was it now? Time travel? I could call at a more convenient time if you'd like."
[ "…" ]
[ "I don't mind. Did something happen?" ]
The girl smiled once more. As she spoke, she playfully twirled the ends of her hair with a finger.
"Well, not much really happened… but I guess a lot did, huh?"
Her grin widened.
"Being invited into an experiment, being forced to found my own fan club. Grocery shopping and… I even took part in some amateur movie, you know?"
[ "I know of it. I've seen it. I thought it was quite entertaining." ]
The girl's back abruptly straightened.
"Ah!-? D-Did you now?-! Ohhhh~ How embarrassing! It's definitely something I can't ever show my friends or family… but, it might already be too late for that…"
Misaka Mikoto's head sank.
"Nnnnh! That movie is one of those things that makes you think 'Ara? Is that who I think it is? That person must have lost a bet or something! Right?-! Right?-!'"
[ "You aren't wrong." ]
"I thought so…! If only I could erase it from existence…! Or go back and rethink things a bit more…! Ahhhhh~!"
The girl stamped her feet in a light tantrum.
She sighed.
And then…
A moment.
…
"…"
[ "…" ]
Perhaps…
She was being too forceful.
…
[ "Did something happen?" ]
The question repeated itself.
And Misaka Mikoto's expression showed signs of wear.
…
"Nunotaba-san…
"I've… been getting myself caught up in everyone else's pace too much, haven't I?"
[ "…" ]
"It's to the point where I feel like… I'm constantly falling forward…
"And I'm starting to hate myself for it.
"It's…
"Aggravating. It's irritating. I've built up so much stress, I'm finding it hard to sleep at night.
"I get worried. I get flustered. I get angry. There are so many times where I just want to stand up and scream. And when I start shouting, everyone stares at me like I'm the crazy one. What's up with that, huh?"
[ "…" ]
"I…
"I tried. Believe me. I really did try.
"But…
"As I thought. This sort of thing isn't going to work.
"I have to ask myself…
"What's the point? Why am I doing this to myself?
"And really, I've got no answer.
"It's… tiring."
[ "…" ]
…
"So… I think I'll give up."
…
A declaration.
"I quit. I don't want to do this."
She said it quickly.
"Project Super Seven or whatever you called it. It isn't worth it to me anymore."
The line of reasoning was clear. And this was Misaka Mikoto's answer.
…
With that out in the open…
She waited…
…
"I… I just thought I'd let you know. Before I stopped showing up. That seemed like the right thing to do."
…
She waited.
She waited for her reply.
[ "…" ]
[ "Misaka-san… ]
[ "I'm not supposed to say much about this, but…" ]
…
[ "Before Accelerator disappeared, I had him take an assessment." ]
"…"
[ "I read several words aloud to him, and he was to assign a number to each of those words." ]
"Hm? Why are you telling me this?"
[ "Paranoia. Ignorance. Foolishness." ]
"Are you trying to change my mind?"
[ "Contempt. Arrogance. Cowardice. Self-Disgust." ]
"What does this have to do with-"
A snap.
[ "How would you have answered, Misaka-san? ]
[ "Tell me. Which category do you think you fall under?" ]
…
Misaka Mikoto went silent.
[ "I had him take this assessment. Would you like to know how he answered?" ]
"…"
[ "He left everything blank." ]
…
…
The girl gritted her teeth. Her voice slightly shook.
"That… That doesn't mean anything to me!"
[ "It shouldn't, but… I think it does. And that it means a lot." ]
…
The girl gripped her phone.
"The heck is this- Are you even listening to anything that I'm-"
[ "Listen? Listen? Why don't you listen to yourself, Misaka-san?" ]
Nunotaba Shinobu's voice turned cold.
[ "I don't understand. Why did you call me? Now out of all times? What's the urgency? ]
[ "Why not leave an e-mail? Or stop appearing altogether? Did you think my feelings would be hurt? Do you really see me as such a sensitive girl? I may have understood your intentions if you left without a word, but… you called me instead. ]
[ "I can't help but feel like… The reason you called wasn't to 'resign'. Rather, weren't you looking for an argument? For a reason to stay?
[ "Why call me if you didn't want to be talked out of it? Just what else did you expect me to do, Misaka-san?" ]
"…"
[ "So here it is. I'm giving you an excuse. It's not much, but it's something to think about. ]
[ "Of course, if my assumptions are wrong, then go ahead and quit. I don't care." ]
Misaka Mikoto's expression slowly turned.
[ "It puzzles me how you're complaining about being pushed and pulled. Isn't that exactly what you wanted? To stumble into the problems of others and be told what to do? To finally have a role in a place you don't belong?
[ "Even now, you're using me like a crutch to shape your decisions. And while I'm appreciative, Misaka-san, it's also troubling." ]
"Shut up."
[ "If you want to leave, leave. If you want to stay, stay. Those are things you should be able to decide on your own." ]
"Don't act like you understand what I'm going through!"
…
[ "…" ]
[ "That's right. I don't understand you. I don't understand what it's like to shoot a railgun. Or create dark matter. Or control vectors.]
[ "I can't relate to any of you. And probably, not many people ever will. ]
[ "But even as a Level 5, you should know.]
[ "Being abandoned is the worst possible feeling." ]
"…"
…
Those words hurt more than they should have.
Digging deep and clawing through.
Her breath stopped.
[ "Accelerator is still out there." ]
Why…
Why isn't everything going my way…
[ "There are some things only you can do, Misaka-san." ]
Just this once…
I thought that everything could be…
[ "It isn't too late." ]
…
This was enough.
It was as she said.
Misaka Mikoto could end things by her own hands if she wanted.
…
…
The flashes of anger that were so prevalent…
Those feelings evaporated…
Leaving behind an emptiness…
Gradually, light faded away from this lonely scene.
Of a good girl with good intentions.
…
Once again, the sounds of buzzing began to overwhelm.
And…
…
"I'm not as kind as you think I am."
She hung up.
…
…
Crumpling to the ground…
The Number 3 buried her face into her knees.
Hiding herself away from the rest of the world.
Where she hoped no one would see her.
…
…
"Do you… really want to leave things as they are?"
Stepping out, the researcher appeared in person, still holding her phone by her side.
Slowly lifting her head, the expression Misaka Mikoto showed her was…
A death sentence.
The King called for Melos, the traitor, to be executed.
Realizing the severity of his situation, Melos begged on his knees.
He begged for three days. His sister was to be wed, and he wished to live long enough to attend her wedding.
The King agreed but under a certain condition.
If he did not return within those three allotted days, his friend would be killed in his stead.
…
In brief, this is how the short story 'Run, Melos!' starts.
It's a tale about friendship and trust. It doesn't have much to do with the current situation, except for 'Melos' who shares the name with the cat Last Order, Fremea Seivelun, and Fräulein Kreutune came across earlier. Likely, they chose the name 'Melos' because of how fast the animal ran. Or maybe they chose the name at random. It was hard to tell if any thought was put into it.
Currently, 'Melos' held an important item.
And so, the boy with white hair and red eyes began the search.
Alone.
…
C̺̺̯̜̏ͥ̓̄ͅo͖̎̓ͅn̢͕͉̝̖͇̟ͧͯ͌͗́ͪṇ̵̣͙̥̻͇̯͐̀̍e̥̮̔c͍̙̩͈ͧ̄̈́ͣtͯ̆ͪ̂̑i̶̫͔̲o̸̪̊̇n̖̦̹̺̺̝̮͋ ̲̟̂͆̄ͧ͒ͬF̙͔̱̼̖̦̝̊ͣ͟o͇̐̿ͩ́ú̦̰͍͈͐͐ͫ͒͆ͧ͢nͩ͆̌́̏ͨd͑ͭ̄͗̑̐̒
"Maybe...
"Maybe… around here?"
In front of a darkened movie theater, Accelerator-kun wandered while keeping a keen eye. There were less people in the area. And those present were headed back to their own places of residence, paying no mind to the child.
Stray cats are typically active during the night. So, if it's searching for food now…
The boy held up a can of tuna.
It was before he became distracted by an enticing manga called 'Unrequited Love 100%'. The boy entered a convenience store with the intention to obtain some cat food.
When I think back, I've been doing a lot of crooked things… Two cans of coffee is 240 yen… I didn't catch the price on the tuna… so I'll round everything up to 1000 yen.
Yeah. The amount I owe is 1000 yen. That should be enough.
The boy's mouth turned into a jellybean frown.
Accelerator-kun lowered his head and he let out an exhausted sigh.
And…
Another thought surfaced.
He hadn't accounted for the bowl of ramen, something else he needed to pay back.
[ Would you like to try it? A date, I mean. ]
…
…
He didn't want to think about it.
…
I'll… figure that out later…
Objectives needed to be fulfilled one at a time. Now, he needed to focus.
Scouring for a place where cats might gather, the boy came across an empty lot.
It was a dirt patch between buildings where brush was beginning to grow. The boy made his decision.
[ SFX: *Tssssk-kah!*]
Pulling the tab on the can of tuna…
…!
As if he performed a familiar summoning ritual, the boy instantly found himself surrounded by cats. He underestimated the sheer amount of felines that survived by preying on humankind's weakness of feeding cute animals.
[ SFX: Nyaa! Nyaaa! Nya nya nya!]
A multitude of them gathered around his feet. Some of them even already had collars on their necks. The boy briefly enjoyed the feeling of fur rubbing across his legs.
"…"
Then…
"Ah?"
Accelerator-kun was surprised.
It was too easy.
( Melos the Cat: …Nya? )
Tilting its head, Melos the Cat sat a few meters away from the hungry crowd. The charm was still hanging from its mouth.
"M-Melos!"
Attempting to step away from the mob of cats, he became overwhelmed. They started climbing his legs and over his back.
"Eh-?-! What the-!"
Melos observed this popular boy struggle and fall. The purring mass engulfed him like a rising tide. Though, instantly becoming bored, Melos strutted away from the scene.
"Wait-wait-wait! Melos! Come back!"
Accelerator-kun ditched the can of tuna, which allowed him to separate from the group. He chased after.
But, if you know cats, you'd know that chasing a cat is-
( Melos the Cat: Nyan~! )
Counter-intuitive.
Melos moved at a brisk pace, zigzagging across the street. The boy with white hair and red eyes haphazardly followed.
"M-Melos! Err, wait. I guess you don't know that's supposed to be your name…"
"I'm not your enemy here! I'm a…! Well…! Okay…! I might be an enemy…! But still…! Can you slow down?-!"
Even if Melos understood human language, the cat most definitely would have remained unpersuaded.
Out and out.
Up and down.
Left and right.
These directions eventually led the boy to a spiral staircase with an intimidating number of steps. Melos had no problem leaping up towards the top.
( Melos the Cat: Nya! Nya! Nya! )
Accelerator-kun, on the other hand...
( Accelerator-kun: Oh… Oh boy… )
He briefly hesitated before trekking upwards on foot.
His pace took an immediate dip.
Up and up.
"…"
Up and up.
…
Up and up.
…
Up and-
( Accelerator-kun: I'm gonna throw up... )
The ascent turned into a slow crawl. His stamina wasn't up for the task.
"…"
Stopping… He needed to catch his breath.
( Accelerator-kun: Melos, you ass… )
…
By the time Accelerator-kun saw the top...
Melos had already reached the summit. For some reason, the cat hadn't gone much further. In fact, it appeared to be waiting.
"…"
…
Ah, right…
Realizing his previous error…
Instead of rushing, the boy took slow steps.
"…"
Nonthreatening steps. Non-provoking steps. Slow and steady.
And…
He caught up.
The boy took a seat next to the animal.
[ …(static)]
A room with a single bed.
Whispers from outside.
Low. Hushed.
[ "You know the rules?" ]
[ "Whatever you do, don't touch him." ]
[ "Keep your distance." ]
[ "Don't let him get close." ]
[ "Keep interactions minimal, and you'll be fine." ]
…
A click.
And a smile.
[ …(static)]
C̡̏͗ͨö͈͈̜̫̮͍͈͊̋̽͑n̷̊͂n̶̠̝̳̺̖̻̦̐ͥ͂e̦̖͎̫̝̪̫͗̓̇ͤ̉̚c̲̝̺̫̠̫̱͗ͦ̾ͬͥ̅̎͝t͓̭̠̗̪̻͍ͣ͑͋̒̏ͧi̮͉̽̊ͤ̈ͨͩͯon̗̣͊̾ͬ͋ͨ ̯̪̰̮̫̯̻̈́̿͝L͙͍̝̞̘̺̓̎̀ͮ̀̾o̸̺ͯ̑s̺̱̫͕ͫ̀͛͂̍̕t͙̮̻͕͉ͥͣ͜
…
The boy with white hair and red eyes hadn't spoken a word yet. It didn't particularly matter since Melos couldn't speak Japanese, but still… he wanted to choose his words wisely.
"…"
"That charm… it isn't yours, you know?"
…
Turning its head, Melos gave him an expectant look. The cat was probably fishing for a treat.
Delicately, the boy moved his fingers closer and caught a frayed string. Accelerator-kun pulled the charm from out of its mouth, albeit with a bit of resistance.
"How about I help you out?"
Taking the charm, the boy began fashioning it into a makeshift collar.
"You'll probably make better use out of it than me."
…
…
As he felt the charm…
…
[ It… would be so much easier if you didn't exist. ]
…
"…"
He could hear it in her voice.
She was serious.
…
…
"Do you mind…?"
…
Slowly, the boy reached his hand out, hovering it over Melos' head.
And noticing this…
She leaned over to him. Allowing the boy to caress.
He began softly scratching behind her ears.
"…"
Feeling something rough and scratchy…
"…?"
Melos was licking the boy's fingers. At the time, they must have smelled like tuna.
"Hold still for a bit. I'll put this on you."
Taking advantage of the moment, he positioned the collar. And-
"Nnnnnh!"
A bite. And a brisk leap away.
"H-Hey… I thought we were over this…"
The boy shook his hand before standing up again.
From there…
Accelerator-kun saw they were on an unusually tall overpass. A truck zoomed down the road below. They were at least 15 meters above ground level.
Taking note of this, he also took note of Melos…
Who had taken a liking to the side railing.
…
An unnerving feeling.
…
Accelerator-kun followed close without disturbing her too much.
"H-Hey now. Come down."
The boy raised his hands in a sign of nonaggression… and also in the event if something were to happen. He was getting nervous.
"Melos…"
He tried raising his voice. Melos didn't stop. She continued walking the thin line.
Thoughts pressed forward.
Uneasiness surfaced.
And then-
…
The wind picked up.
…
In that split second…
Accelerator didn't think.
How did the story of Melos end?
Well, if you didn't know…
Melos arrived back on the third day and freed his friend from captivity. The King, touched by this act of friendship, gave Melos impunity. Melos would live on to see another day.
It was a happy end.
A good end.
…
Though…
There's an implication here that is somewhat worrying…
If Melos had arrived a minute too late…
Not only would his friend have been executed, but Melos would have likely been taken and killed as well.
You see, the King was neither good nor evil, but he acted solely on passion and circumstance. A heartwarming reunion could have easily turned into an upsetting tragedy.
Ţ͎̫̰̬̯̑̿͋̿̔ͧ͝h̓̈́̇̓ͤ̉̅̚͏͏̰̰̗̬͈̫͡e̸̝̖̫̻̻̪͛̇ ̢̗̽ͭ͑̀D̡͉̥̼̥̿ͤ͛͑̄ͧi̥͖ͭs̶̟͔͉̥̬͔͋̉̄̐̊͛̾ģ̷̮͍̦̦ͨ̋̈́̄̉̔̔̅̋ͅů͍͎͎͍͈s̛̭͙̫̝̗̙̍ͬ̾ͨt͈̣͇͉̥͔͂̒̊͆̊͆͜͢i͈͊̂͒̐ͯ̓̎́́̚n͚̜̩̔ġ̨͈͇͎̻̯̗͇̯̲̿ ̸̰̬͔̥͕͚̃̎̄̑ͭ͂͑ͨA̸̧̱̙ͨ͂̇̋ͥ̾̚͠c̨̣͚͉̪͚̻̜̮̄̓͐ͮ̽̾̒̆̒ͅc̷̪͓͇̯̘̹̈ͤ̃̌̈e̷͇̱̩̗͖̯͓ͤ̐̌͡l̖͍̬͕͔̬̋̎ͦe̿̎́̍͋ͯ̓͐ͤ́͏͞ͅr̻̳̲͇͔̜ͦ̈ͥ̌̾ͤͭ̅̉͞a͎̙͕͍̾t͚͈̦̑ͬ͋̊̋̌ͪő̧͚ͪ̈ͣ̐͞r̦̭̱̜͇͖̞̪͊ͥ͋̊̕
…
When the boy opened his eyes…
Melos was nowhere to be seen.
Around him was a crater of metal and concrete.
Surrounding noises blurred into a single mess of sirens.
…
The boy attempted to stand…
But his palm slipped on something slick.
Feeling something warm, he looked down.
He was confused.
…
Where could Melos be?
…
Everything was spinning.
For some reason, he wanted to scream.
For some reason, he wanted to throw up.
For some reason, he wanted to run away.
…
Melos? Where are you?
…
He protected himself from the fall.
He protected himself from being hurt.
He had no broken bones or scratches…
But…
…
Why wasn't Melos there?
Melos should have been safe, right?
Melos should be in his arms, right?
But… Melos disappeared.
That… was what he needed to tell himself.
…
[ You did everything wrong. ]
[ You hurt so many people. ]
[ It would be so much easier if you didn't exist. ]
…
…
He could feel it.
It called out to him.
And slowly… he grabbed his head.
Shut up.
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.
「Sᴘᴇᴀᴋ ɴᴏᴡ. Wʜᴀᴛ ɪs ɪᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴇsɪʀᴇ, ᴄʜɪʟᴅ?」
"…"
The noises were too loud. The light shining on him was too bright. There was too much of it. Too much of everything.
He couldn't handle it.
Not now.
Leave me alone.
I want to be alone.
I'm tired of this.
I'm tired of everything.
I… don't want to deal with this anymore…
…
…
…
「ᴀs ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪsʜ.」
…
As the charm drew in blood, color in the area began to unnaturally fade.
…
From inside…
Pressure.
Enough to rupture his insides to pieces.
Thin black lines started to appear from his back.
But from a distance, they might have resembled…
Wings.
Timeline: