A/N: Obvious things that shouldn't have to be said: Time travel is confusing. Water is wet. Lelouch was the cart driver.


The Boy Who Leapt Through Time

On the wall of the clubroom, a clock systematically ticked. Though, the second hand seemed to be gradually slowing down.

[ SFX: Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. ]

"Time... travel?"

Unsure of what to think, Misaka Mikoto half-smiled as a default reaction. And in response to the Number 3's uneasy inflection, Nunotaba Shinobu reflected that attitude.

[ "Well… That's what I believe, anyway." ]

...

"That..."

Sogiita Gunha finished the thought.

"That seems a little too highbrow for a fanfic like this. Are you sure Accelerator didn't get hit by one of those de-aging laser gun doohickeys? That would make more sense."

[ "There's no such thing." ]

Time Travel 101

[ "I do not claim to be an expert on the topic, and I doubt anyone else in Academy City can either. Time travel… is a difficult concept to grasp. As we speak, Academy City is making little to no progress with cracking the code. Partially because there aren't any substantiated frameworks to build upon. And partially because of how broken the concept is. Really, if Kamachi ever tried implementing time travel to the story, it would render all the novels pointless. The idea of time travel would have to be dropped faster than magic gods." ]

[ "But even so, I'll explain some basic concepts." ]

Nunotaba Shinobu began.

[ "One event will naturally lead to another. Eventually, a sapling grows into a tree. A child will age to an adult. Grapes ferment into fine wine. Etc." ]

Kakine Teitoku took a dry erase marker and began drawing.

Normal Passage of time illustrated:

A → B

[ "If you're familiar with fiction involving time travel, then you've probably heard of the 'many-worlds interpretation'. Abstractly, it's a claim that multiple parallel universes run alongside our own universe." ]

Many Worlds Interpretation illustrated (simplified):

1. A₁ → B₁

2. A₂ → B₂

3. A₃ → B₃

[ "The 'many-worlds interpretation' is a flexible way to think of time. It's a view that proposes events in time can be altered. In a classic tale of time travel, a hero goes back in time to prevent an atrocity from happening. This results with a change to the hero's present or future.

"Conceptually, this means that the hero had abandoned his original timeline and traveled to a different parallel universe where he created a different outcome." ]

Many Worlds Interpretation + Time Travel illustrated (simplified):

1. A₁ → |B₁|

2. |B₁| → C₂

3. A₃ → B₃

[ "The 'many-worlds interpretation' is used to avoid several paradoxes. Namely, those that would destroy the 'hero's existence' or 'purpose'. If the hero traveled back in time to prevent his lover from fatally dying and then succeeded in that effort, that success would erase his reason for going back in the first place. With the 'many worlds interpretation', this justifies that there are at least two universes existing simultaneously: one where the lover is dead which causes the hero to go back in time (1) and one where the lover is rescued (2)." ]

Sogiita Gunha looked around the room in a confused manner.

"Are we… Are we actually talking about time travel here? I mean, it's cool. But I don't think anyone reading this is expecting any serious discussion. In fact, I can already feel our audience getting disinterested. So, uh… well…"

Time Travel 201

Ignoring the Number 7…

[ "There are still other paradoxes associated with the 'many-worlds interpretation', but it provides a base for an entertaining story to ride on. Of course, that's not the only way to view time travel. There exists another classic tale." ]

[ "The hero who lost his lover goes back in time… and inadvertently becomes the reason for her death." ]

Predestination illustrated (simplified):

1. A → B

Expanded:

1. |B*| → A → B → |B*|

[ "This view implies that there is only one universe. It also implies an inevitability in events. Eternalism. All points in our universe, past, present, and future, are set in stone. The hero who went back in time was meant to do so in order to cause the death of his lover." ]

[ "Paradoxes in this view resolve themselves in that… the timeline is resilient to them. Because nothing can change, everything should be as is." ]

Sogiita Gunha spoke up again with a nervous look.

"O-Okay fine! Everyone gets it! Time travel is somehow involved here! Do we really need to go this deep? If we do, our viewership is gonna plummet! I can feel it in my gut!"

[ "However…" ]

[ "The situation at hand isn't quite 'time travel' but more closely resembles a 'time swap'. In this case, it's a swap with one self's past and one self's present." ]

Time Swap illustrated (simplified):

Past Self: a

Present Self: A

a|A → A|a

A|a → a|A

[ "Most time travel stories don't account for the loss/gain of mass and energy when a time traveler leaves and enters different times. With the previous examples, mass and energy seemingly appear and disappear out of nowhere. This is inconsistent with the laws of physics… however, a 'swap' might be the solution to avoid this paradox." ]

[ "While it doesn't make complete sense, there's reason to believe that Accelerator(a) and Accelerator(A) have swapped places. Once again, I'm not an expert on the topic, but with current circumstances as they are, it's certainly a real possibility." ]

( Gunha: Gah! This pseudoscience is confusing! Everyone! Please stay with us! The jokes are coming! Really! They are! )

Time Travel 301

[ "So taking into account 'time swapping', the following situations are possible." ]

Predestination + Time Swap illustrated (simplified):

1. a → A

Expanded:

Past: a → [ a₁|A₁ → A₂|a₂ ] → a

Present: A → [ A₁|a₁ → a₂|A₂ ] → A

[ "With predestination, we can assume Accelerator(A) will eventually swap back with Accelerator(a) because his past self has to eventually grow up into his present self. ]

Many Worlds Interpretation (simplified):

1. a₁ → A₁

2. a₂ → A₂

Many Worlds Interpretation + Time Swap illustrated (simplified):

1. a₁|A₂ → ?

2. a₂ → A₂|a₁ → ?

[ "But with the many-worlds interpretation, the present Accelerator from our universe(A) is stuck in past of parallel universe (1) leaving us behind in the original universe (2) along with the swapped past Accelerator(a)." ]

( Gunha: How are you writing all this out?-! You aren't receiving any cues here! )

[ "Oh! But where does the butterfly effect fit in you ask?" ]

( Gunha: No one was asking. Well… one person asked. But still, how long is this going to take? We're almost a third of the way through the chapter. )

[ "There is no butterfly effect in predestination as it's assumed all events are predetermined." ]

[ "And with the many-worlds interpretation, only the time traveler, not those left behind, should notice the results of the butterfly effect. That said, Accelerator(A) will experience the butterfly effect if he were to travel to the future of that parallel universe (1). The original universe (2) shouldn't be effected in any way since it's technically separate from Accelerator's(A₂) actions." ]

[ "This has been Nunotaba Shinobu with your daily does of exposition~❤! If anyone has any questions to how time travel works in Super Seven, please address them to rubix22 through a PM. The author will send a message back with a slightly more thorough answer. Maybe~❤!" ]

( Gunha: Don't change your character all of a sudden! If you're unsatisfied with your role as Ms. Exposition, send your own PM to rubix! )

Paradisus Paradoxum

[ "In any case, this is the assumption I'm making." ]

Kakine Teitoku capped the dry erase marker.

[ "If time travel really is involved here, I need to search through Academy City's records to check if a tear has appeared anywhere else in the past. There's no guarantee that I'll find anything, but it's a start." ]

Misaka Mikoto apathetically studied the whiteboard.

[ "The way I see it, there are three components that need to be gathered. This child is one-third of the equation." ]

Mugino Shizuri played with her phone, moving her thumbs in an almost calculated pattern.

[ "The second third is the Accelerator that's been transported, which has its own share of problems." ]

Shokuhou Misaki sleepily stared out the window.

[ "And the last third..." ]

Sogiita Gunha listened quietly.

[ "... is the time machine." ]

Somewhere outside, sitting on a park bench…

A child with white hair and red eyes held a paper charm.

"…"

He laid it down beside himself…

Getting up, the boy began walking away.

Lost and Found

"'Ah! Wait! You forgot something!' shouts Misaka as Misaka grabs the strange paper charm!"

"Eh?"

Accelerator-kun turned around. And behind him was a little girl with blush stickers on her cheeks.

"'You should take better care of your things!' reprimands Misaka as Misaka hands the presumably precious item back."

"Sure. Thanks."

Slowly, the boy reached out and took the charm back. He put it in his pocket again.

"…"

"Well then, I'll be-"

"'Hold up,' says Misaka as Misaka holds her hand out to block any escape."

The girl's voice seemed oddly disjointed with her appearance.

Last Order gave a sweet smile.

"'In today's world, not paying back one's good deeds is bad manners. Misaka went out of her way to lessen the burden of your forthcoming frustrations. Don't you think it's appropriate to give something back other than fruitless words? Or perhaps, you're a piece of trash that like enjoys being in debt to feeble little girls like Misaka,' says Misaka as Misaka instills the feeling of guilt."

"Uh, well… I said 'thanks'. I don't see why I would have to do anything mo-"

Her eyes darkened.

"You're coming with Misaka."

Abduction

Last Order began dragging Accelerator-kun off.

"Eh? Hey hold on-!"

"'Is there a problem? Most boys would feel overjoyed at the thought of holding hands with such a cute girl like Misaka,' says Misaka as Misaka seeds the thought that you might be calling Misaka 'ugly' if you object."

"Err, no... That's not it..."

Noticing that he indeed was holding hands with a girl, the boy's face started to flush.

What's going on here… Why am I… Wait…

Studying Last Order for a bit, he noticed.

She sorta looks like that other girl back there… Maybe… a younger sister?

"…!"

The two stopped abruptly.

Reaching a darkened alleyway, away from the public eye…

"Hmm? Looks like you've essentially made it back in one piece."

Stepping out of the shadows…

Fremea Seivelun revealed herself. She gave a malicious smile.

"And, essentially, you've brought a guest too."

This girl's sleeves flapped as she raised them to the air.

[ BGM: something grandiose ]

"Essentially, welcome to our domain! Welcome to 'The Dark Side of Academy City'! Nya ha ha ha~!'"

"'Ufufufufu~!' giggles Misaka as Misaka joins in!"

"…"

The boy stared blankly.

Small-scale Darkness

Fremea Seivelun extended her hand.

"Now then. Essentially. Give it."

"…Give?"

The boy didn't understand. He blinked several times.

"Give… Give what?"

The small girl said it straight-faced.

"Are you dumb? Essentially, your wallet."

"Eh?-! What?-! Is this some kinda shakedown?-!"

Accelerator-kun glanced back and forth between the two seemingly innocuous girls.

Last Order reacted to his incredulous reaction by wrapping her arm around his shoulder. She leaned in to his ear and whispered softly, causing the boy to go red once more.

"'Relax. Just let it happen,' advises Misaka as Misaka breathes gently."

The boy stepped away in embarrassment. He stammered in a fluster.

"Y-You're too close…! Girls shouldn't be this shameless, dang it…!"

"Hey."

Fremea Seivelun's hand was still extended.

"Essentially, a man's worth is only determined by three things. Looks, strength, and money. You've got an average face. You don't look particularly strong. So obviously we'd be after your money, right?"

"What's with that hard hitting fact of life?-!"

Origins

While Accelerator-kun held his hands up…

Fremea Seivelun and Last Order patted the boy down.

( Accelerator-kun: This is uncomfortable. )

"'Ehhhh? Other than that strange charm-thing, he's not carrying anything else on him. How worthless,' scoffs Misaka as Misaka regrets not finding someone flashier."

"How essentially unfortunate…"

After sighing, the blonde-haired girl stood up in front of him. However…

Her 'act' faded away.

"Looks like you have no choice but to join our group then!"

Oi, oi! This turn of events is way too weird!

"'Misaka thinks so too! He's got real potential!' says Misaka as Misaka adores the thought of expanding our operations!"

You two were literally trying to rob me a second ago! Why would I want to join this fishy group after that?-!

"Essentially, you have no choice! I've decided! You'll be our third member!"

So there are only two members?-! How is that a group?-!

The two girls struck an idol-like pose together.

"'Don't worry about falling behind while learning of the dark ways of Academy City!' says Misaka as Misaka winks~⭐"

"Essentially, your senpais happen to be experts on this subject!"

I haven't agreed to anything yet!

What's in a Name

"Ah, we essentially need to introduce ourselves!"

Fremea Seivelun pointed out something important. She led off with her own introduction.

"Fremea-chan!"

Following that…

"Last Order!"

And then…

"…"

Accelerator-kun let out a short breath. He said his name.

"[REDACTED]."

At this…

Last Order made a reaction.

"…?-!"

"White hair… red eyes…"

The girl seemed to realize something strange here. Her eyes widened.

"That name…"

Last Order was making the connection…

"That name…"

"'It doesn't suit you at all! From now on, you'll be called 'Recruit'!' decides Misaka as Misaka spins around carelessly!"

( Accelerator-kun: I feel like you were supposed to say something more important, but whatever. )

5:00 PM

Back in the clubroom…

Nunotaba Shinobu had finished her impressions of the situation. The six Level 5s of Academy City more or less sat in silence.

[ "Knowing that much, what will you do now?" ]

A certain heaviness weighed down the air.

[ "I believe the current time is 5:00 PM. That means the experiment is now over. So knowing everything I've told you… what will you do now?" ]

Slowly, Mugino Shizuri stood up.

"Nunotaba Shinobu. Was that your name?"

The Number 4's tone was flat.

"Well, I appreciate you for explaining the situation. Because of that, I have a better idea of what's going on…"

"But I'll tell you the same thing I told Hamazura… before he sprinted off like an idiot."

Her voice became more cut.

"The only thing I've agreed to do is spend one hour a day in this room. I'm not obligated to do anything else."

[ "…" ]

"If anyone I cared about were in any apparent danger, it might be a different story, but that doesn't appear to be the case."

She took a breath.

"It might be wrong for me to speak collectively, but I believe this is how we feel."

"None of us owe the Number 1 anything. This is your mess to clean up. Not ours."

Separate Ways

Looking up, Mugino Shizuri acknowledged everyone's glances.

"Am I wrong?"

"…"

Silence.

"I guess that's how it is then."

On the other end of the line...

There was drawn breath.

[ "I understand... The two of us will handle the situation by ourselves..." ]

The researcher added on.

[ "However... if you do notice anything strange, I encourage you to make a call to this number. That much would be appreciated. Thank you for taking care of Accelerator-kun during the short time he was in the clubroom. I can't speak much about him, but I'm sure he was a handful." ]

"…"

...

The line lingered for a bit. Maybe out of hope…

But eventually…

[ *click* ]

After that...

The Level 5s proceeded to disperse.


Timeline (condensed): 1͘0͏, ̷1̸, ̶2҉,̸ 4,͝ ̕8,́ 9͠, 1̶9-͏2̨8, 3̡,̨ ҉29-3̨1̨,̸ ͠x҉,҉ 12-͡17,͝ x,̀ 5̕-7͢,͜ ̧x, ͏11̡