Next Chapter: Accelerator finds his crutch.

Timeline: 42, 43, 44


After the events with Accelerator, Miko-chan was walking alongside the Heaven Canceller. Looking up at him and his flowing locks, she asked him a question.

"Can I touch your hair?"

( Heaven Canceller: What's with everyone wanting to do that? Does it look fake? )

"Sure. Just don't be too roug-"

[ SFX: *RIIIIIIIIIIIP* ]

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

Extra: Miko-chan's Side II

The room was somewhat crowded, housing two chairs, a table, and a video camera. No matter how you looked at it, the purpose of such a room was clear. This place was being used to record one-on-one meetings.

On one side…

Accelerator sat upright, brushing through the contents of a heavy portfolio. His red eyes quickly scanned paragraphs upon paragraphs as well as included charts and diagrams. Before laying it down, he lightly tapped the folder on its end to straighten out the ruffled edges.

Sitting opposite of him…

The 'subject' waited for him to start.

"…"

Taking his time…

The white-haired boy sat back and raised his dull gaze overhead.

Speaking aridly…

"Let's just get this over with."

One-on-One Interview Compilation

[ What is your name? ]

"Kakine Teitoku."

The small boy scowled. Leaning against the palm of his hand, he emitted an unpleasant aura.

"Mugino Shizuri."

The young girl crossed her legs and tilted her head up with a bored expression.

"Sogiita Gunha!"

Shifting himself forward, he pushed up a pair of glasses with his forefinger and radiated a misplaced confidence.

"Shokuhou… Misaki…"

The rather chubby girl spoke with an appropriately husky voice. She pulled out a chocolate bar and began stuffing herself.

"...really?"

"Huh? *nom nom nom*."

One-on-One Interview Compilation II

"What's with the surgical mask?"

Kakine Teitoku noted Accelerator's suspicious appearance. Attached his face was a medical mask.

"I'm not feeling well at the moment."

"I bet you're just trying to hide your ugly face."

In another interview, Mugino Shizuri scoffed at his excuse. Though, she wasn't wrong about the 'hiding' part.

"We're not here to talk about me."

"You definitely look like a bad guy. Your eyes and hair are super weird too."

Separately, Sogiita Gunha picked on the Number 1's uncovered traits without a hint of consideration.

"Moving on to the next question-"

"Wanna *nom nom* have some chocolate?"

Shokuhou Misaki continued to engorge herself.

"Can you… stop eating? Aren't there supposed to be rules against bringing food?"

"I have a *smack smack* crazy good metabolism. I can eat *nom nom smack smack* whenever I want."

Shokuhou Misaki pulled out another chocolate bar after cramming the rest of her current one into her mouth.

"It's all-natural ingredients. So it's good for me."

"…right. Sure. I'll just continue then."

One-on-One Interview Compilation III

[ Have you ever been known by any other name? ]

"You mean like a nickname? Kakky? No, wait. No one's ever called me that…"

Kakine Teitoku took his time to think over this.

"Shi…chan. M-Mugi-chan…"

Mugino Shizuri spoke quietly, almost as if embarrassed.

"Mm? Sho-chan… or Misa Misa, I guess."

The round Pillsburry-dough creature waddled in her seat.

"The Amazing Captain Japan."

Sogiita Gunha deadpanned.

"…"

"Sugi-kun, huh? Makes sense."

"Eh? Did you not hear me? I said, 'The Amazing Capta- '"

One-on-One Interview Compilation IV

[ Do you have any goals for the future? If so, what are they? ]

Sugi-kun stood up excitedly.

"To climb the Mt. Vinson!"

( Accelerator: Sit down. )

The Dr*gon Quest slime monster posed with her arms behind her head.

"To become even sexier."

( Accelerator: WellGenetics are a strange thing, aren't they )

Mugi-chan changed her answer mid-sentence.

"To get marri- I mean… find myself a devoted slave. Yes."

( Accelerator: As long as you know that there's a difference. )

The true Number 2 stated his goal firmly.

"I want to be the absolute best. The number 1 in everything."

"Yeah… Good luck with that."

"That sounded like sarcasm."

"You're imagining it."

One-on-One Interview Compilation V

After several more inconsequential questions, Accelerator broke the flow with a test.

[ What does this picture look like? ]

Accelerator held up a black and white abstract photo for the 'subject' to interpret.

"A dog."

"Cookies and Cream ice cream."

"A funyarinpa."

"An elephant-nosed demon sucking on a human being's brain."

Accelerator placed the picture down.

"Unfortunately, that's incorrect."

Revealing another picture, he displayed the zoomed-out answer.

"It's actually the Savanna Striped Giant Slug that briefly appeared in episode one of K*mono Friends."

Each time the Number 1 made this reveal, Accelerator was met with a similar 'whaaaaat?' response.

One-on-One Interview Compilation VI

Finishing off his fifth interview…

Accelerator collapsed in his seat. He was becoming more and more mentally exhausted as the activity went on.

The Number 1 finally had a moment to himself…

"Who would think that the Number 6 would be such a chatterbox…"

"…"

Languidly, glancing up at the empty chair before him…

It was hard to not notice the pattern of his 'guests'.

Dark Matter, Meltdowner, Mental Out, Gunha…

One after another…

It was too convenient to be a coincidence…

His arrival into the past… That, too, couldn't be a coincidence…

Slowly, Accelerator balled his fists.

I'm being toyed with.

The Puppeteer

From the get-go, this entire scenario had been prearranged.

And he was a piece that perfectly fitted into the larger mechanism.

Accelerator knew all too well that gathering Level 5s was difficult to orchestrate. It wasn't normal to have them all in one place…

So… How far had this been planned out? What strings had to be pulled to make this happen?

Rather, the question should be: How did Academy City even know?

At this point in time, the term Level 5 was still an end goal, wasn't it?

Also, come to think of it…

The Heaven Canceller couldn't be innocent.

At the very beginning… He connected Accelerator to 'Tree Diagram'.

He had brought him to this facility.

[ "Higuchi Pharmacology Laboratory 7." ]

Again, the name repeated itself.

"…"

[ "There's a place I'd like for you to go. And a task I'd like for you to complete." ]

Wording it in such a way made it seem like he had a choice in the matter.

He didn't.

Could choice even exist with someone pressing their thumb against his pulse?

Or maybe, due to an inaccurate interpretation, 'Tree Diagram' wasn't as kind as he was making her out to be. Either way, it mattered very little what he thought.

Everything proceeded without issue.

Accelerator was fulfilling his purpose.

And that purpose was most likely…

The Puppeteer II

[ SFX: *BAMM!* ]

Accelerator hands slammed down on the table.

"…!"

Without intending to, he stunned the small girl in front of him. Her fragile expression was teetering on the edge of fear.

"D… Did I say too much…"

He hadn't heard a single thing she said. In fact, he didn't even notice her come in the room. Accelerator had been so enveloped in his own thoughts, he wasn't aware of a damn thing.

How much time had passed since he arrived?

"…Um."

Apprehensively, the small girl's eyes wandered down to the floor. Her confidence quickly sapped.

"Sorry…"

"…"

Accelerator pushed his chair back, further alarming the girl. Standing up, he turned his head toward the video camera in the corner of the room.

"E-Eh? Is something wrong?"

The boy stumbled over to the device. Grabbing it, he-

[ SFX: *CRASH!* ]

"…!"

Miko-chan observed him hovering over the broken equipment.

"W-What are you-"

"Quiet."

He began harvesting the metal carcass.

Rage Against the Machine

"Err, um…"

Rightfully so, Miko-chan was anxious.

"I-Is this a part of the interview?"

"Hey. Shitty kid."

The girl reacted sharply. Suddenly being called a 'shitty kid' wasn't something she was accustomed to.

"How many people did you pass on your way here?"

"Ah? Two… I think…"

"Is that so."

Using the wall, he pulled himself back on his feet.

And he headed out.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"I'm getting myself something to drink."

Seeing an opportunity, Miko-chan jumped out of her chair.

"In that case! I also want to-!"

[ SFX: *GLARE* ]

"On second thought, I think I'll stay here."

She quickly changed her mind

Keeping Distance

"…"

After leaving the interviewing room…

Despite what Misaka Mikoto had said, there was no one in sight. In fact, the area seemed completely unguarded.

Accelerator had at least anticipated seeing Yoshikawa Kikyou somewhere, but she disappeared as well.

What's going on…

"Huh? That's strange? Where did everyone go?"

Immediately, Accelerator turned his head back.

"A-Aha-Mm… Nnn…"

The small girl re-closed the door.

And then opened it slightly.

[ SFX: *Jiiiii~* ]

"…"

The Number 1 turned away. Regardless of the circumstances, it didn't change the boy's outlook.

The game required him to wait for a certain Super Computer in the sky to contact him again.

After that, he would receive more information on how he could get back to his own time period.

It was, after all, 'Tree Diagram' that summoned him here in the first place.

That's what he surmised, anyway.

With that in mind, he pushed himself forward to find a vending machine.

And tagging along…

Keeping Distance II

[ SFX: *STEP-STEP-STEP* ]

The Number 1 walked at a stilted pace.

[ SFX: *STEP-STEP-STEP* ]

Behind him, a certain someone matched his uneven steps.

"…"

When he stopped, she stopped.

And when he started again…

[ SFX: *STEP* ]

She started too.

[ SFX: *STEP* ]

"Oi. What are you doing…?"

"…!"

Miko-chan dove to the ground and laid herself down flat.

"I can still see you."

Keeping Distance III

"Ahaha~ You found me…"

The small girl nervously scratched the back of her head.

"…"

"Umm, being by yourself gets to be a little lonely… So…"

"You expect me to keep you company?"

Miko-chan went stiff.

"W-Well… That is…"

"…"

Very clearly, Accelerator was not a 'people person'. In fact, it should be noted that all his interactions with this particular girl, in past and in the present, have resulted in a narrow emotional spectrum of bad to worse. But even so…

"I… also want a drink…"

With her hands behind her back, Misaka Mikoto gave the boy a squirrel-y smile. She couldn't look directly at him, as her eyes periodically flashed between him and the ground.

From Accelerator's perspective…

A separate image appeared.

Of the same girl but older.

With a hateful expressionBack from the time when they first properly met.

There it was.

The obvious dilemma.

Keeping Distance IV

Because this was the past… Because this was before any mention of the words 'Radio Noise' or 'Level 6 Shift'…

This girl didn't know.

So she acted accordingly without fully understanding what their relationship would become.

And… Because Accelerator did know, it would be thoughtless to give her a false impression.

Under no circumstances should this boy even pretend to be someone he wasn't.

It would be unfair to both her and him.

And such a situation could only have one kind of ending.

"I-I'll… go back. Sorry to bother you…"

"…"

Something like 'do-overs' did not exist in this world. You couldn't erase what's already happened.

Every action had a consequence. And with that, someone had to take responsibility.

Accelerator couldn't run from his problems.

And he had no intention of becoming her friend in any shape or form.

Keeping Distance V

A lone vending machine purred lethargically, unaware of the capabilities the Number 1 had in store.

Accelerator didn't have any cash on hand, so thus, he resorted to…

A light kick.

[ SFX: *ka-THUD!* *ka-THUD!* ]

Two cans dropped down to the dispenser.

"…!"

"A-Aniki! That was amazing!"

Looking down, he watched the small girl attempt to do the same with a roundhouse kick of her own.

"GHHHFGH!"

The next moment, she was hiding her face while covering her knee.

"…"

The Number 1 let out a breathless sigh. Kneeling down, he extended the canned coffee.

"E-Eh?"

"It's bitter. You'll probably hate it."

"…"

Reluctantly, she took the drink from him.

"…th-thanks."

Miko-chan blinked while sorting out her thoughts. She looked up at Accelerator with a wide-eyed expression.

"Aniki. You have a super evil face, but you're not that bad of a person."

"Yeah. Never mind and give it back."

Mini Chaser


A/N: So ends another chapter. As with the nth-child arc, the main focus is once again Accelerator and his relationship with Railgun, though handled from a different angle. I'll try not to repeat myself, but with the roles reversed, things should end out differently.

Also, head-canon, I'd like to think Shokuhou Misaki went through different phases in body development. (Child blob - Skinny NT11 incarnation - Modern Misaki ) It makes sense to me, as she never really exercises and monologues about how great cheeseburgers are. So thus, Fat-saki. Her face is so chubby, her eyes look like they're always closed.

Look forward to more.

-Rubix