Note: I fully admit that what happens here is ridiculous, but overall, I think it works since everyone is, more or less, in character. It essentially makes the premise much easier to swallow. Or, that's what I hope anyway.


In the Interest of Time

"And so, that's how it is."

Mugino Shizuri nodded to herself after apparently explaining everything.

Everyone stared blankly.

And Misaka Mikoto slowly raised her hand.

"I'm sorry but… what?"

The Number 4 blinked.

"What do you mean 'what'? Obviously, I just said what I needed to say, didn't I?"

"No. You didn't."

Misaka Mikoto spelled out what was wrong.

"I mean, okay, I get it. Supposedly, you've recapped prior events for us to understand the situation you're in, but… you can't just say 'that's how it is' and expect the audience to make that leap in logic. Between this scene and the last scene, literally nothing has happened. There's gotta be more connective tissue here, don't you think?"

"…"

Mugino Shizuri turned to everyone else.

"Anyone have any legitimate complaints?"

"Oi."

Vote

A string of quick cuts.

[ Shokuhou Misaki: X ]

"Making a movie? Ugh. That sounds like too much effort."

[ Kakine Teitoku: O ]

"If Fremea-chan is in trouble, I'll be glad to assist."

[ Sogiita Gunha: O ]

"Sounds like fun! Let's do it!"

[ Misaka Mikoto: X ]

"No… I, uh, don't want to? I don't even know who this Fremea person is…"

[ *static static*: X ]

[ *cut feed* ]

[ Mugino Shizuri: O ]

"And I vote that we make the movie. This means that it's 3 for and 3 against."

( Mikoto: Why are we settling this democratically?-! I don't plan on helping! Like, at all! And did something strange just happen after my part?-! I feel like something strange happened! )

The Number 4 glared at the Number 1.

"It's up to you then, huh?"

Accelerator and Meltdowner

The white-haired boy stood in opposition of Mugino Shizuri. He listlessly stared back at her.

"Huuuuh? Up to me? You know exactly what I'm going to say, don't ya'?"

He dipped his words in poison and let them slowly corrode with time.

In response, Mugino Shizuri stood her ground and coldly looked down upon him.

"That may be, but I just want to hear it straight from your mouth."

A drawn out breath…

Accelerator made his answer, almost as if he were gloating.

"As exciting a prospect as making a movie with this group of shit-wits might sound, I think I'll pass. But I'll tell you what, once I've lost all my self-respect, I might reconsider."

The Number 1 made a nasty grin.

"…"

And then the Number 4's lips curled into a smile.

"…?"

Dirt

"How interesting."

Mugino Shizuri swaggered as she closed the distance between them. Along the way, she grabbed Shokuhou Misaki's remote.

( Shizuri: I'm taking this. )

( Misaki: Ehh?-! Wha-?-! )

"I never knew you could be such a comedian."

The girl touched his shoulder in an overtly friendly yet incredibly venomous way. She leaned in to his ear.

"But you know… even jokes can go too far."

"…!"

Accelerator backed off.

Sensing the uneasiness in her prey, Shizuri Mugino went for the attack.

"What's wrong? Did I make you uncomfortable? Or… are you getting a sense that I might know something?"

"…"

The boy kept his mouth shut.

"I wonder… when activities were canceled the other day, what were you doing? Did you sleep the entire time? Did you go out and drink some coffee? Or perhaps… you were making a film of your own?"

The Number 4 pointed the remote at the ceiling and a projector revealed itself.

( Misaki: Ehh?-! It had that kind of functionality?-! )

The lights dimmed. On the wall of the clubroom was a projection.

[ A Misaka Network Production ]

[ Directed and Produced by Last Order ]

[ A cinematic experience… ]

Several environmental shots of a near-but-distant future waded by.

The setting was cityscape: dark, cold, and wet. The tone echoed of a sci-fi noir.

[ Voiceover: Violence in the media is overblown and overwrought. Every day, we're made aware of injustices right outside our doorsteps. And it 'desensitizes' society. That's what most people say. And after hearing it so many times, they start believing it.

[ But those same people… They don't see bodies first hand like I do.

[ Like needles through your skin, you never get used to it. ]

An interrogation room. A single girl sat at a fold-able square table. A lamp hung from above, beating an oppressive light.

[ Voiceover: It had only been a few months since I last quit my job. I never liked it much. It stirred something inside me, something I long thought I lost. But as much as I wanted to get out of the business, it wasn't through with me.

[ Probably never will.

[ This time… I was pulled in by a colleague to finish up an investigation. ]

The girl resembled a certain Level 5, except she wore rectangular goggles over her forehead. Hearing the door open, she lifted her gaze.

[ Voiceover: By the way. About my trade. They don't advertise for killers in the newspaper. But that was my profession. Ex-cop. Ex-murderer. Ex-Radio Noise Runner. ]

Entering the room was a trench coat-clad Accelerator.

[ SFX: *distant atmospheric saxophone noises* ]

Radio Noise Runner

The interrogation went underway. Accelerator started off.

"You're in a desert, walking along in the sand, when all of a sudden you look down…"

"'What desert?' inquires Misaka."

"It doesn't make any difference. It's completely hypothetical."

"'But why would Misaka be there?' asks Misaka, trying to make sense of the scenario."

"Maybe you're fed up. Maybe you want to be by yourself. Who knows?"

He continued apathetically, but judging by his mannerisms, he seemed aggravated.

"You look down and see a tortoise. It's crawling toward you. You reach down and flip the tortoise over on its back."

"'Do you make up these questions, or do they write them down for you, Mr. Accelerator?' Misaka wonders aloud."

"The tortoise lays on its back, it's belly baking in the hot sun. The tortoise is beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can't. Not without your help. But you're not helping."

The girl looked visibly shaken. It seemed like she was having a hard time.

"'What do you mean, Misaka isn't helping?-!' Misaka interjects!"

"I mean: you're not helping. Why is that?"

"They're just questions. To answer your query, they're written down for me. It's a test designed to provoke an emotional response."

"Ah... Is that so…"

A short pause. She looks down at the table. Her hands shivered slightly. And then… Without warning, the girl pulled out a handgun and shot Accelerator.

Instantly, a red mess. And another body.

Radio Noise Runner: Final Act

After a string of chase sequences, philosophical debates, and nifty light saber-umbrella on rain action: the final confrontation took place on top of a skyscraper.

Accelerator was on the floor, heavily injured from previous events. Last Order stood on the railing of a building.

Last Order began a monologue.

"'Misaka has… seen things you people wouldn't believe…' says Misaka as Misaka reminisces."

The little girl stared up into the clouded sky.

"Attack ships… on fire off the shoulder of Orion…

"Misaka watched C-beams… glitter in the dark… near the Tannhauser gate…

"All those moments… will be lost in time…

"'Like tears… in rain,' says Misaka as Misaka comes to terms with the futility of life."

Last Order gave one last look at Accelerator. She smiled.

"Time… to die…"

She leaned back. And disappeared.

[ SFX: *distant atmospheric saxophone noises continue* ]

[ Credits Roll ]

Shared Burden

After the movie finished, Sogiita Gunha stood up and started clapping.

Everyone else turned their heads to see the white-haired boy's reaction.

"…"

Accelerator blinked. He spoke quietly.

"Was it Worst? It was Worst, wasn't it…"

Mugino Shizuri confirmed it.

"I didn't even ask. She just gave it to me."

"Of course she did."

Rubbing his temple, the boy took in a breath and slowly exhaled.

"I owe Fremea Seivelun a lot of things, but currently my hands are full. You're free to do as you please, just don't expect me to help."

"Fair enough."

[ Accelerator: O ]

Task Force

Mugino Shizuri took control of the Misaka Mikoto Fanclub.

"Since I'm unfamiliar with the subject matter, I've went ahead and hired some specialists to assist."

Coming through the door, two other members of ITEM appeared.

"There are those here that already know me, but for those who don't, I'll super introduce myself."

The 12-year-old girl wore sunglasses and a dark-colored beret. On her sleeve was a red armband that had the imprinted characters for 'Super Director'.

"I'm super director Kinuhata Saiai, ( call me Super Director Kinuhata ) and I'll be in charge of Operation: Once Again Hamazura Screwed Up."

Behind her was an older girl in a tracksuit.

"Takitsubou Rikou… Sorry for troubling you all… If only Fremea-chan made a backup then-"

( Saiai: Oi, oi! Didn't we all agree that it was Hamazura's fault? That way she won't blame herself and feel super bad! Or worse, learn from her mistakes! Once a chick learns to fly, they'll super leave the nest, you know! )

( Rikou: Ah… that's right… )

"Erm… Well… We'll be in your care…"

Misaka Mikoto once again raised her hand. She seemed confused.

"Can I… Can I leave? This has nothing to do with the experiment, so I can leave, right?"

( Saiai: No. )

( Mikoto: Ugh. )

Roles

Super Director Kinuhata Saiai relayed the situation.

"After reviewing all current information, I've realized that we're in a super pinch. With a small crew and a deadline quickly approaching, there's no time to dawdle."

( Mikoto: If it's alright with everyone, I'm just going to go. )

"We're pretty much starting from zero here. The script we have is only a super rough draft, and I'm thinking most of our efforts will be revising it into something workable. As for casting, we haven't even figured who the super main lead should be."

( Mikoto: I'm just gonna gather my things up, and… Uh, I guess I'll see everyone later then? )

"And on that note, I've posted some flyers in the area. Hopefully we'll snag another person by the day's end, particularly someone who's not unfamiliar with being the center of attention."

( Mikoto: Yep. Not my problem. Not my problem. Goodbye everyone. )

The Number 3 opened the clubroom door in an effort to take off.

However…

"…?"

A certain spiky-haired boy stood in the doorway.

"Hey, I saw this flyer and… Huh?"

After a pause that was half-a-second too long, Misaka Mikoto shouted.

"THE MAIN CHARACTER IS HEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE?-!"


Timeline (condensed): 10, 1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 19-22, x, 3, x, 12-17, x, 5-7, x, 11

Next Scene: Misaka Mikoto changes her mind. And the heroine of the movie is decided?