Discovery

Home could be a place, a group of people, a feeling. When something wasn't quite the same, it meant the person had changed. The only thing Mikoto registered while she walked the streets, she used to call home, was emptiness.

Her breath unraveled like frayed white ribbons in the clouded December sky. Returning to the bustling streets of Academy City, filled with ever-shifting digitized billboards and the latest technological advancements should have been familiar. They had been away for barely a week. It wasn't enough for the sights to become this odd and foreign.

At the same time, it hadn't felt like just a week. Only in the beginning, right after hurriedly evacuating the city and Tokiwadai Middle School's subsequent trip to Bali. Visiting the beach, fooling around the swimming pool, sunbathing, were too normal activities for Esper students of their caliber. But those moments had been the most mundane since this entire crazy year began. Not that Mikoto had enjoyed them to the fullest. Her attention had been divided the whole time; searching for news about Touma and his group of misfits to track them down in case they needed her help. Even without her father's warning, she knew something of a grander scale was transpiring again. She had been allowed to leave Academy City without much of a fuss after all.

Nothing prepared her for the whirlwind of the past few days though.

Days, huh? Mikoto let the sounds of the crowd wash over her. It was only three days.

This wasn't the first time her life had turned upside down this fast. And yet, these series of battles had been different. Maybe because she could finally grasp the truth about the enemy. She had even acquired the appropriate weapon against Magic and its users. However, it hadn't offered her any advantage. She had been a fool. Catching a glimpse beyond the narrow laws of Science didn't equal a complete understanding of this other world. This arrogance of hers had backfired spectacularly when everything was said and done, leaving Mikoto with only a fuzzy recollection of last night's events.

They were supposed to celebrate the war's end, only for another fight to break out. This time amongst themselves with Touma as the centerpiece and, surprisingly, Misaki as the accomplice. Truth be told, Mikoto hadn't expected the Queen to lose her cool in any sort of battlefield. Shokuhou Misaki was stuck-up and obnoxious in most of their interactions, but her strategic and resourceful mind had made her a valuable ally as well. If anything, they had reached some sort of understanding, or so Mikoto had thought.

But guess I was wrong.

Ever since they had arrived back to Academy City, Misaki acted as if using their mental link from handing the Anti-Art Attachment to subdue her hadn't been a big deal. But when Mikoto had awakened in the destroyed ballroom of Windsor Castle—clinging to the scorched remains of A.A.A. like a ragged doll—Misaki had been bleeding to death near the exit. Whatever transpired during Mikoto's brainwashed coma didn't turn out well in anyone's favor. Still, no one had bothered explaining it to her and she was left to deal with these murky feelings on her own again.

"Sissy." Kuroko's voice burst through her bubble with crystal clarity. "Could you please pick up the pace?" Her words were tense, her body language too—like she didn't know how to behave around her beloved person anymore. "We're already late for the assembly."

"Is that so?" Mikoto asked absentmindedly.

"We wouldn't be here if someone hadn't stormed out with all of our bags," Misaki said with a dramatic flick of her golden hair over her shoulder. "I had to send the car I arranged away. Do you have any idea how humiliating that was?" Leaning into Kuroko's space, she bopped the teleporter on the nose. "But you just had to get jealous, Ms. Shirai."

Kuroko cowered away from her. "Nonsense! You were the one being shameless in public!"

"My, my. Wasn't that simply a misunderstanding on your part?" Misaki's teasing smile, once a source of mild annoyance, angered Mikoto to the point she couldn't bear seeing it anymore.

Deciding to ignore this conversation, Mikoto examined their surroundings for the first time since they left the airport; the bus ride ringing like a faint memory of hushed voices and the clanking of handles in the back of her head. They had stopped next to one of the many canals running through the city. The crowd was thick on both sides of it, everyone happily chatting away and strolling about without a care in the world. What Mikoto wouldn't give to be able to join in their excitement.

I wonder if Saten and Uiharu are free later, she thought. The girls had been shielded from the war, so she hoped they'd be their regular zany selves. She desperately needed the distraction.

Something bright caught her attention from the canal's other bank. Upon closer inspection, it revealed a familiar slender silhouette wearing a white coat with a fur-lined hood. One she had barely noticed leaving the packed airport ahead of them.

Her eye twitched. Him again?

Whenever the world was on the brink of collapse, Accelerator would appear in her vicinity as if the predicament itself had summoned him. This war had been no exception.

Mikoto had spotted him when she and Misaki had crashed into Edinburgh Castle's cemetery—a pale ghost standing among the tombstones as if he belonged there. Something transparent had been hovering around his shoulders, but the enemy Magician had directed their attack at the newcomers before she could identify it. By the time the two girls had gotten their bearings again, Accelerator was gone. After that, Mikoto didn't see him in any of the other fights. But as one of the strongest fighters on Touma's side, he probably had been out there somewhere. Their win wouldn't have made sense otherwise. Although, it infuriated her to admit this fact even in the privacy of her mind.

"Your wrinkles are getting worse," Misaki whispered in her ear.

Mikoto jolted, sparing a glance over her shoulder. As per usual, Kuroko stood frozen with a vacant look on her face—a clear sign of Mental Out being in use.

"Don't manipulate my friends whenever it's convenient," she spat out. "And what's this obsession with my looks anyway?"

"I find this disinterest about your appearance quite concerning. No one is worth ruining your beauty sleep for them." Fiddling with the remote in her hands, she leaned against the railing. "Then again, you prefer to glare at people, expecting them to magically figure out what you want, instead of talking to them."

"That's not it! He never bothered—" Cutting herself short, Mikoto crossed her arms. "On second thought, why do I need to explain myself? You wouldn't understand. You don't even know him."

"I know who he is," Misaki said. "Did you honestly believe I wouldn't read the whole file?"

"I didn't think you'd care enough," she admitted. "You've used the Sisters to blackmail me quite often."

"You can be so cruel, Ms. Misaka. What kind of fiend do you take me for?" Huffing exasperated, she turned her gaze to the other bank. "Oh! Speaking of the Sisters, this is a face I haven't seen before."

It was easy to find Misaka Worst in the crowd. Her pale pink hanbok stood out amongst the school uniforms, even while wearing a puffer jacket on top of it. There was an older short-haired woman at her side, sporting the kind of winter gear someone might put on an expedition to the Antarctic. They were talking casually, Worst seemingly relaxed around her as if they were close. She even waved at Accelerator for a greeting.

But his attention was directed elsewhere. A little girl with shoulder-length brown hair and a matching cowlick had stopped in front of him, gesturing animatedly at the bag in her hands.

Something twisted uncomfortably in Mikoto's stomach. This pain was worse than getting kicked in the gut or scrapping her back against uneven concrete.

She looks like...Mikoto gripped the railing, allowing the cold to ground her. She looks like me from back then. But how? There aren't supposed to be any more clones!

"What a development," Misaki said a bit too cheerily. "To think she can smile so innocently around that person."

"You knew about this?" Mikoto growled.

"No. But there is a way to find out more." She pointed the remote in their direction. "He and that older-looking clone will notice so that leaves me..." Humming thoughtfully, she wavered the control between the other two. "Eeny..."

"Wait, what?"

"Meeny..."

"Maybe it's not—"

"Miny..."

"Shokuhou!"

"Moe."

The click of that button echoed as thunderous as the shout that succeeded it.

Worst rushed to grab the woman by the waist before she hit the ground. Bystanders stopped in their tracks, flocking around their group like a pack of stray dogs. Accelerator's voice rose over the chatter, yelling at them to back off as the mini-clone hid behind him.

"What the hell did you do?" Mikoto demanded.

Misaki ignored her and pressed a different button. "Oh, Ms. Shirai~ There is someone that needs your assistance."

"Huh?" After shaking her head in confusion, Kuroko noticed the commotion and pulled out her Judgement armband. "What happened?"

"I don't have the slightest clue," Misaki said innocently. "That woman simply collapsed out of nowhere."

Kuroko eyed her warily but teleported over there anyway.

"Dammit!" Mikoto clambered on the railing. "I told you to keep my friends out of it!"

"I must have missed the memo since I don't speak barbarian. But you have no reason to go as well, do you?" The sparkles in her honey eyes were glittering. "I can show you."

"After the shitshow, you pulled yesterday?" She asked with all the disdain she could muster. "No thanks! I don't want you anywhere near my head."

Misaki booed playfully at her. "Your loss."

"If you explain yourself, I might consider it."

"Oh my, aren't you being bold?" She chuckled behind her hand like the epitome of a proper lady. "I will have to decline. It's none of your business, frankly."

"Figures."

Mikoto jumped, using her magnetism to land on the other railing. People made way for her to step onto the sidewalk. It was already too late though. Kuroko had kneeled next to the woman—asking her if she was alright—when she got a glimpse of Worst's face.

"Sissy?!"

Worst narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about? You look nothing like Misaka."

"That would be me," Mikoto interjected before things escalated into a direction she couldn't salvage. "It's a nickname. Don't mind it."

Kuroko was staring from one to the other, flabbergasted. "I didn't know you had an older sister?" she offered.

"Because I don't." Conjuring every ounce of calmness in her body, Mikoto smiled. "She's my...cousin."

"Yeah, yeah," Worst stifled a snicker. "Whatever she said."

"Then I suppose that little girl over there is your cousin too?"

"What's with the first-degree?" She pointed at a nearby bench. "Isn't getting the injured person somewhere comfortable more important right now?"

In Worst's arms, the woman moaned in pain. From up close, she didn't look any older than most teachers. Mikoto had the feeling she'd seen her somewhere before but couldn't put her finger into it.

"Alright, alright." Kuroko returned to Judgement mode. "Let's move her over there."

As both worked together to carry her, Mikoto registered the glare burrowing at her back hadn't eased up one bit. She turned around, coming face to face with a furious Accelerator.

"Show's over," he shouted at the crowd. "Piss off."

People grumbled about his attitude and resumed walking until only the three of them remained. Mikoto couldn't help her gaze drifting to the mini-clone. She peeked from behind his leg as Accelerator put a hand protectively in front of her.

The wolf protecting the lamb. Mikoto thought. That's a first.

"Tell me," he growled. "Is that bimbo over there responsible for this bullshit?"

From across the canal, Misaki was watching them with a scheming smirk on her face.

"My, my. I'm surprised you can see so far." The voice belonged to a random schoolgirl who stopped near them, but the tone and manner of speaking were definitely Misaki's. "Aren't albinos supposed to have poor eyesight ability?"

Accelerator looked ready to throw hands with the poor bystander, so Mikoto stepped between them.

"In a way," she said. "That's the Fifth: Mental Out."

"The so-called Queen of your rich-girls' school?" He sneered. "Know what? I don't have time for whatever stupid catfight you have going on. Take it somewhere else or I won't hesitate to kick your asses. I've already beaten up one Queen today and she was a lot more challenging than your parlor tricks."

"Right," Mikoto drawled. "You heard the guy, Shokuhou. Wrap this up and let's go."

"I'm not doing anything," Misaki said. "Ms. Yoshikawa is fine. Her mental defense mechanism was too layered for my approach, so it needs a few minutes to rebuild." She tapped her cheek in thought. "I didn't expect any less from a former researcher though. They always have to beware of telepathic attacks."

This was bait. Some part of Mikoto recognized it, knowing she didn't have to play this game. She could just research things at her own pace. But the opportunity was right there and by letting it slip away, she'd be an even greater fool.

"What project was she a researcher for?" she asked.

"Level Six Shift, of course~"

Static buzzed in her head, the world going out of focus. This kind-looking woman used to be one of those monsters? Mikoto chuckled. Why am I surprised? Anyone can be cold-blooded enough to supervise that sort of massacre.

Someone grabbed her arm. "But she's not anymore! Misaka says as Misaka defends her guardian." The mini-clone's eyes were so earnest, so full of emotion. For a moment, she was the spitting image of the naive child that handed over her DNA map to help save people.

Feeling queasy, Mikoto snapped her hand free. She didn't miss how much this seemed to hurt her clone. "I don't understand. How can you vouch for these people?"

"They almost died protecting Misaka—"

"That's enough." Accelerator pulled her back to his side. "You attacked first. We should be asking the questions."

"Is that the arrogance of the strongest? Because I think you're misunderstanding something," Misaki said. "If I wanted to attack you, there are other ways to go about it." The substitute waved a hand at the clone. "Starting from where it hurts you the most."

"If you snoop around Last Order's head, I'll make you regret it."

"That's why I didn't. After all, Ms. Yoshikawa proved knowledgeable enough. You saved her. You saved them both. How gallant~⭐"

"Are you done?" Accelerator didn't raise his voice. But his words carried a sort of cold authority that made all of them jolt.

"Oh, dear. Was that sensitive information?" Misaki chuckled. "I only did this because Ms. Misaka was oh-so curious about this little girl."

"Cut the crap!" Mikoto grabbed the lapel of the substitute's uniform. "You could have done this without drawing anyone's attention. Don't pin this on me!"

The sparkles in the substitute's eyes dimmed. "That's rich coming from the person who didn't confirm if the project was terminated and created this mess."

"You're no saint yourself, Shokuhou. Look at what happened in Windsor Castle because of your personal drama!"

"Which I'm under no obligation to explain to you!" And with that, the girl she was speaking through collapsed in Mikoto's arms.

Misaki stormed out, the crowd swallowing her like a faceless sea.

The stranger woke up, disorientated. Mikoto told her she had fainted while asking for directions. After profusely apologizing for the inconvenience, the girl left.

"Now that this train wreck is over," Accelerator said as if nothing had happened. "Leave us alone."

But something did happen, and Mikoto wouldn't stand for it any longer. "You think I'm done? Someone has to explain this and looks like it's your unlucky turn. So, start talking."

On any other occasion, his confused expression might have been hilarious. But she was enraged at her breaking point. If his answer wasn't satisfying, she would unleash a thunderstorm right then and there—bystanders be damned.

"What the hell are you on about?"

"Her!" Mikoto said. "Worst told me she was the Third Season. I thought that meant she was gonna be the last clone this damn city will make of me." She pointed at Last Order. "Who is she then?"

Accelerator glanced at her and back. "You don't know?"

Before Mikoto could berate him for wasting her time, Last Order spoke. "Misaka's name is Misaka 20001. She is the last clone created for the Level Six Shift project, Misaka says as Mikasa introduces herself to Big Sister."

"Misaka 20001? The file I found didn't mention any clone like that."

"Surprising isn't it?" Accelerator scoffed, shifting his weight to his other leg. "It was in the fine print since she wasn't gonna fight me. Her role is being the administrator of the MISAKA Network. She's the reason they can share memories and communicate telepathically."

"But the Sisters never said anything!" Mikoto cried. "More importantly, why is she with you?"

"Like I had a choice. She appeared in front of me out of nowhere, that asshole researcher chasing her for his laughable revenge plan." Rubbing the back of his neck, he sighed. "I just did what had to be done. She decided to stay."

Last Order nodded with a sheepish smile.

"Why go to him for help? He..." There were too many unrelated parties eavesdropping to drop a bomb like that in public. "Hurt the Sisters," Mikoto added instead. "Am I not strong enough?"

"You never replied to #9982 with the correct entry code." She rocked on the balls of her feet. "As far as this Misaka is concerned, Big Sister was no less of an outsider to the experiment than Kamijou Touma. You wouldn't be able to help her find the correct facility, Misaka says as Misaka explains her reasoning."

"Don't be ridiculous! You wouldn't have to go through all that if it wasn't for my stupid decision! You can't…You can't erase that sin so easily!"

Tears were stinging the corners of her eyes and she squeezed them shut. I can't cry here. Not in front of him.

"Do you regret it? Misaka Misaka asks with some reservation."

Mikoto did. Every passing second, every passing minute, every passing day she didn't have to live as the Railgun. When she could exist without anything else keeping her occupied, her mind would latch at the crushing guilt and let it drop on her shoulders like a guillotine. But she couldn't bring herself to explain all this with someone she loathed present.

"Yes," she said instead. "Not you guys existing though. It might be selfish. But I want to continue looking over you as the Big Sister I should be, even if it is make-believe."

"That doesn't mean you need to be the only one protecting us, Misaka points out as Misaka tries to appeal to Big Sister's feelings."

"Of course. How rude of me." Rubbing her eyes, Mikoto smiled despite the ache in her chest. Her hand hovered in the space between them. "I know it doesn't mean much, after this long, but if you ever need something…" She gently ruffled her clone's hair. "I'll gladly hear you out."

Last Order touched the spot and nodded with a hum, her cowlick swaying like an agitated antenna.

Accelerator had been awfully quiet, observing Mikoto with a skeptical frown. There was no malice directed at her, as far as she could tell, neither indifference. If anything, there was a sort of curiosity. Like he was noticing her for the first time. Mikoto wasn't sure if she wanted to shy away from the attention and run away to never cross their paths again. Instead, she clenched her fists and stood her ground.

"Since you decided to protect them," she told him. "You better follow through."

He looked away first. "I don't need to hear that from you, third-string."

Last Order pulled at his sleeve. It seemed like Yoshikawa was able to stand again as she was calmly thanking Kuroko for her help. Worst called for the others to move their asses, or they would be eating cold food. Something rippled across his face, and without another word, Accelerator allowed Last Order to lead him their way.

Mikoto took a deep breath she didn't notice she had been holding. As she came down from the adrenaline rush, her heart pounded like a drum squad parading in her chest. Nothing had happened. Of all their meetings so far, this had been the most ordinary. They had made the impossible feat of finding each other in Academy City after half a year since they met. Sometimes Mikoto had wondered if he even lived inside these walls anymore. Yet, she couldn't shake off the tension coiled around her body like a tight wire. Maybe Last Order being so chummy with the last person she should have been was what had shaken Mikoto to the core. A small part of her whispered this was only a ruse, something to deflect her attention from the real issue. Because if she allowed herself to think about this encounter further, one thing came to mind with crystal clarity. This was the first time an emotion akin to happiness had appeared on Accelerator's face.

"Sissy, are you feeling under the weather too?" Kuroko's voice echoed like she was standing a million miles away.

"Yeah." Mikoto forced her hands to unclench and muttered. "Can we go home now?"


A/N: I didn't plan to post this around the date Last Order and Accelerator met. I thought it's a funny coincidence and it did fire me up to finish the chapter. Tbh I hadn't planned for this to get as long as it did either. Of course, I did mention that Mikoto's angsting would get extensive but not like this. These two were supposed to just see each other and move on until the climax in the fourth part. But then Misaki started talking and stole the show, forcing my hand along with Mikoto's haha. It made me realize though that to have the next confrontation, it was important for Last Order to also talk with Mikoto. The inciting incident pulling the little actual plot this fic has forward, one could say. After all, this was Mikoto's lowest point. She needed to think some things over before we get to Accel's nadir next time.

On a side note, canon events went a bit differently because I mixed the locations. For some reason, I remembered Accelerator showing up in a cemetery and thought it was Edinburgh. Oh, well. This is a Canon-Divergence fic at the end of the day~ (*ˊᗜˋ*)

EDIT: I always forget to mention my socials (because they are about a mix of different fandoms). But you can find me on my main Tumblr or Twitter (they are both under lupizora) if you wanna chat (or scream) with me ;)