I like how someone made their own theory as to how this would end lol. I probably would've written it like that had I not completed everything before publishing.

And for that guy who wanted more destruction, Extra 1 is for you.

8

Everything starts off the same as it always has been. Awoken by the astoundingly loud alarm, at the exact hour of 7:55 in the morning. His previously lifeless body jumped at the first blare from the device.

He had everything planned and mapped out in his head, every objective and plans. Nothing had escaped his advanced mind.

His feets, Which already had shoes worn, a habit that he had always been grateful for, touched the flooring and moved at a calculated pace towards the front door. His hands clutching both his phone and the front door's handle.

He dialled a certain number as he jumped off the railings. Although it wasn't high in his list of priorities, the deaths of some thugs would definitely leave a bad taste in his mouth had he just let it be like that. It wouldn't be a perfect day where those kinds of suffering exist. At least one that he can prevent.

Through the ghetto he walked and its alleys he traversed, and emerged onto the main street he has.

"I single-handedly managed to successfully upgrade and deploy a new environmental illumination system with zero cost overruns and zero safety incidents."

"You mean you changed the light bulb?"

Ah, yes, that conversation again. He hasn't heard it in ages now, but he still remembers it as if it was just yesterday. Literally. Maybe he could get to know those brats as well?

Maybe in a few loops, because a surprised Ruiko had just collided with his barrier. And this time, he was ready.

He had taken the liberty to practice everything, down to the most mundane things like formulating words and possible reactions. He made sure to fuck some things up at the end of each loops as a deliberate act of blue balling himself to make sure that today would be as satisfying as possible.

And thankfully, this was one of those moments.

It was frustrating to just watch it and let her fall. So imagine his relief to finally allow himself to grasp that wrist. He noted how soft a girl's skin is. He wondered what else is there that's just as soft.

Usually, it was the girl that asked if he was alright even though it was only her who had fallen. So it felt right to do this.

Of course, doing things differently would result in a different outcome. He had anticipated it with a little over 30 possible reactions and replies.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. You okay?" Her usual tone of embarrassment as she put a small distance between them, rubbing the back of her nervously.

Uiharu jogged towards them, a concerned look covering her entire expression. "Don't run around on the streets. You never know who you'll crash into."

"Sorry." The two say simultaneously.

He noted that they have an apt to react to different tones when he speaks. They'd sunk who he's harsh, timid when he is gentle. His intimidating appearance and authoritative aura had been the playing factor in their response. Another could be that he was the opposite gender.

Either way, he was glad that things went the way they did.

He waited for a few seconds before humming in acknowledgement of their apology. He turned to the left instead of going straight like he always does.

"I told you to stop doing that!" Uiharu could be heard scolding her Ruiko, who ended up apologizing a bunch more times.

Back then, they would begin running off, almost not heeding his words. But he'd found out a few loops ago a way to avoid certain unnecessary things. And this was the best and the only way that had worked.

Once he went through the crossing, he entered an alley and emerged from another street. He'd saved himself 6 minutes like this without bringing too much attention to himself.

He doesn't know how, but this particular road was empty, unlike the crowded streets from the other side. For no less than 10 minutes, it was empty as a graveyard.

A chime rang as he entered the pastry shop. The smell of sweetness permeated the entire place, he could feel diabetes starting to inject itself through his lungs.

Aside from the fact at how cozy the place would be had it reeked of coffee beans instead, he still doesn't see anything so special about this place.

It wasn't the money those thugs are after. Kuroko wasn't a target either. He hasn't figured it out just yet, because the girl kept beating them after 2 minutes of struggle. So her claim of being fine wasn't a lie.

It was probably a setup for some racketeering operation or to send a message. Aside from this, he couldn't think of anything else.

"15 cheesecakes." There weren't that many people working in that particular office last he checked. But he'd made the mistake of thinking that a single one of these is enough to satiate the hyperactive, sugar-toothed pre-teens. And he's for sure not gonna make that same mistake again. So he ended up picking the amount Kuroko had ordered.

"15 cheesecakes coming up!" The middle aged lady responded, heading for the back to start doing the decors or whatever those things are called on said delicacies.

His eyes trailed over to the wall clock. The choice of colour was a deep, bright pink, similar to that of a cupcake. The hour is pointing exactly at 9:28. The woman has two of her colleagues assisting her. For the past few loops, it's always gonna be 3 minutes of work.

'Well shit.'

And at exactly 9:30, Kuroko walked in. She and the people who worked here know each other. It wasn't hard to imagine that she must've headed over here everyday when their exact words were. "15 again?"

"Yes please."

He was leaning on the far right of the desk, the exact place the girl would've chosen and ended up getting slammed down. With him now occupying said place, she heads over to the other end.

She eyed him for a second, having never seen him up until now before shrugging it off, leaning into the desk and peering right into the kitchen with curiosity as plastic bags filled with boxes were carried out.

The moment she placed it on top of the desk and typing in the billings, the door was kicked open. The timing was impeccable, it couldn't be any more perfect, even he was slightly surprised.

A person tried tackling him. The result was already expected, with the man cracking his ribs with just a leap.

The scream snapped Kuroko from her state of shock, blinking away as she reached for the straps on her thigh.

Two needles appeared out of thin air, piercing shriek came from another person, falling down as his footings lost balance. Pain coursing through his right leg.

With two fallen in just 2 seconds, the others immediately raised their guns, aimed directly at the closest person they could see. Which just so happens to be him.

The triggers pulled, its chambers heats up as hot lead shots at him at a rapid rate. The recoil from their automatic weapons causes the barrels to upwards, bullet holes scattered all over the ceilings, glass rains on them from the broken lightbulb.

Kuroko had been caught by surprise. The deafening blast has her heart rate shooting through the roof as she stares in terror at the figure before her.

The magazines eventually ran out, and so did their courage. The rest ran off, back to the alley they came from, leaving behind the fallen ones to whatever fate that awaits them.

It honestly surprises the albino. It didn't usually end up like this. Most of the time, he'd do 1 or 2 things. This is his first attempt at doing it all at once.

He turned around, assessing the damages surrounding him while he was at it. Nothing that his wallet could fix, he noted.

Kuroko was leaning onto the desk, her entire body weight supported by arms. She was pale. Sweats running down her face as her heaved breath and the trembling eyes being the only indicator that the girl was even conscious. She blinked.

"Y-... y-you're alive…?" She must've been expecting herself to be sprayed with his blood. She was so relieved.

She'd never seen death happen so close before. It was a good thing Lady Death had spared him, she thought.

He hummed in response to her statement. She sighed before trying to get her bearings at once. The cashier had already dialled Anti-Skills by then. She was told by them to take a seat. They themselves were shaking like crazy.

It was him who had to do all the talking.

The two perpetrators were detained quickly, and the place closed for investigations. The workers were insistent on not taking his money in the end.

"You need help?" He asked the girl, kneeling while her back was pressed onto the window.

"Thanks, but no." She got up and dusted whatever corner on her back that she could reach. Her mouth opened, but he beat her to it.

"You want these?" Gesturing to the plastic bags. She seemed confused, but visibly tempted to just say yes. "I lost my appetite." Of course, a lie. He never had one to begin with.

"You sure?" He nods. "Okay then." She gave off a small smile, taking one whilst he carried the second.

She takes the lead. Her adrenaline level had long since deteriorated, but the remaining ones had her leg slightly quiver. They had to stop twice because of it.

"Alright." She stretches after placing the bags below the table. "I'm gonna make some drinks. You should stick around for a little. The others are over at that table on the corner. Go join them."

He complies. He didn't bother to look where she was pointing. He could already hear the duo from here, even with the distance between them and the sound of quiet chatters and rustling papers.

And this time, it wasn't just a duo anymore. There was another presence. Their back was facing him, so he couldn't exactly see the newcomer's face. This is what he likes about this place. There's always something new.

He approached the table. He had seen her before, but couldn't recall her name just yet. He could, however, hear what they were talking about.

"That's not how it works!" The newcomer sighed.

"Yes it is!" Ruiko whines. "The past is a different country, and Portugal is also a different country. So that's, like, different country squared!"

He has no idea what they were arguing about, and it's definitely something stupid. Anything with Ruiko is almost always stupid. Hell, he could feel his IQ lowering just by standing near her.

Still, there's no denying the charm of the girl. She's all right when she's not ranting, or when she's not being a complete idiot. She's totally alright, or at least better than him, he decided. And that's something, especially coming from him

"Are your legs not tired?" Kuroko's voice comes from behind. She walked past him, looking at him oddly. The others turned, surprised to see him.

"U-umm, sorry, didn't see you there…?" The girl with glasses asked, stretching the last word. Yoshikawa didn't teach him anything about what that could mean.

"Aren't you that guy from the road!" Ruiko added in-between his silence. She frowned slightly. "What're you doing here? I didn't break anything, did I?"

"He brought us cheesecakes."

"You did?" Kuroko's quick response earned a starry glimmering eyes from the girl. Same goes for the other two girls.

Uiharu blinked it away when she realised something. "But, weren't you out to get us those to begin with?" That appears to cause the girl to flinch.

"They ran out." He answered hers in return.

Her friends were worried sick back when they discovered that she was hurt. With him the one speaking to the officers this time, they didn't get to ask for Kuroko's occupation and thus did not contact her office.

The girl with glasses, Konori Mii if he recalls correctly, was the one who informed the others of the incident. Kuroko was fine, but regardless was feeling quite guilty for causing such a ruckus.

"Yeah, he got it before me."

"They ran out already? This early too, huh?" The way she said it made it sound as if she had noticed something peculiar. Whether she did notice it or not, it was a good thing that she didn't voice it.

They were silent for a second, before shrugging it off and accepting the answer. The two got up and went for the bag after being told to distribute it to the others by Konori.

"I don't know what it is that you two are hiding, but I won't pry, so it better not be something bad." With that, Konori Mii heads to her office. Giving one last suspicious stare at the two before entering.

The girl was rather tense. He didn't know why she really wanted to keep this a secret, but he'll play along. He exhales and takes a look at the papers on the table.

'Oh boy, here we go.' He exhales and eyed them intently.

"Sorry for dragging you into this." He didn't bother answering, only humming to make it clear that he heard her. "I just… I don't want to make them worried, that's all. Earlier there was a report about… nevermind." It was the idea of boring him to death with useless details, he remembers her explanation. He was grateful for that.

The silence was rather awkward. And she doesn't seem like she's handling it pretty well. She sat down across from him. "You seem pretty invested in that, reading it I mean."

"You got any idea how that thing was supposed to be done?" The two had come back, with 4 boxes of their own in hand. "If yes, how would you like to make some quick bucks?"

"These are child's play, and you're me to do them for you? Are you stupid or something?"

Ruiko's eyes grew sharp, quick like a tiger. "Are you challenging me?"

"Umm... How many convenience stores have you been banned from now? Six? Seven?" Kuroko asks Uiharu. He doesn't know how this conversation started, it has been going on for several minutes now. Hearing this statement made him curious. How could someone like her be banned at anything?

The short haired girl shrugged. "Something like that, but it's not really that big of a deal since DoorDash exists and I can just get anything I want sent right into my dorm."

Ruiko sighed out loud, dropping her pencil and letting it roll over the table. He cringed when saw the crash with the tip hitting head first. "Yes, please brag more about how rich you are, it is a thing that we very much enjoy hearing about."

"Hey! How is taking advantage of the DoorDash Dash Pass for the low, low cost of $9.99 per month bragging about being rich?!" Uiharu retorted. "Plus it was you who got us banned, remember?"

"That's right! The DoorDash Dash Pass is so cheap right now, virtually anyone can afford it." Kuroko points out, her index finger tapping the side of the cheek, recalling a few more things she saw on the ad. "And with the new restaurants being added to Dash Pass every day, there has never been a better time to take advantage of the opportunity!"

(P.S. This fic is not sponsored by, nor is it affiliated with DoorDash. I can only wish it was. Imagine how much e-girl bathwater I could buy with that kind of money.)

The conversation suddenly became an argument between the three. He'd lost interest by then. Looking at the clock, he realized that it was almost the time they'd usually leave. And the amount of questions the two have answered are barely half. He'd been too lenient.

"Do you ever stop talking and just do your tasks quietly?" He asks. A few moments of silence pass. "It was a question, not a request, idiot."

"Well, yes, but wouldn't there be more work when you're not having fun while doing it, metaphorically speaking."

"The questions don't answer themselves by talking about DoorDash, dumbass."

"Hey! Who are you calling a dumbass!" She glared at him with a pout. "Not everyone's as interested in math as you do." She turned her head away in a huff.

"Well, wouldn't it be really convenient if there's a way to somehow absorb knowledge? A device maybe?" Uiharu tried to lighten the mood by pushing herself in-between the two's brief debates.

There's nothing wrong with the girl's motive nor was there anything remotely wrong with her words. But what she didn't know was that there was a device that served such purposes.

What he didn't like however was that the devices were used in those places. Used to speed up an Esper's progress. Why they hadn't publicised such machinery however, was due to the inhumane pain it caused. Why wouldn't it be? That shit literally messes up with your brain through the use of electricity, tampering with it while hundreds of equations are flashed before your very eyes at a rapid pace, forcing you to complete them while being tortured, sometimes for days.

He was fortunately not one of the many victims of such contraption. But he had witnessed the many children that were strapped to it, screaming their lungs out, scrambling all over the seat. It was NOT a pleasant experience.

"Conveniences are only blessings in small doses. Once they surround you, they become the norm and detach from any sort of convenience at all."

The reception of his musing was met with a snort. "That's the longest sentence you've spoken so far." Ruiko observes with a smirk on her face.

"Hn, I was deep in thought. It won't happen again."

"Oh come on! Don't be like that, you know we're just messing with you! Besides, you can't be that bad." He didn't claim he was one, this girl just keeps on talking about him like he's some unaccomplished, under-performing machine.

"Why don't you tell us your name beforehand. You kept on dodging that question for a while now." Kuroko points out, clearly annoyed from all the running around.

"I'd prefer not to." His words caused Kuroko's eyes to narrow down.

"The name's Ruiko! Now it's your turn." She said, her tone borderline offensive coated with sweet sugary poison. She wanted to move on and get the answer, and if he couldn't supply it to her, then the possibility of a massive headache is nigh unavoidable.

He averts his gaze, but the heat from the three's stares are getting up to him. Up until now, the only person he's ever told his nickname to was Touma, and that was just once, the rest of his loop was spent with him knowing nothing.

But telling them wouldn't be a bad thing, is it? It's not like they'll remember anything. With a small sigh he finally relents. "It's Accelerator."

Again, silence. And again, Ruiko snorts. "Cool name, did your mom help you come up with it?" She joked, the others giggled as well as she went on. "Alright, come one now, stop stalling and talk!"

The slightly indifferent gaze that was set on them daunts them meant that he wasn't joking about the strange name. Ruiko heard of it from somewhere but couldn't exactly pinpoint what it truly means.

"Wait… you're serious?" Kuroko subconsciously lifts her head from her palm. A genuine look of shock and astonishment shifts across her face. His nod, confirming her suspicion only heightened her surprise.

Uiharu blinked plenty of times at that. "Did you… come up with it?"

"No." He could tell exactly what she was gonna ask immediately after. "It was a title given to me. As for my real name…" He pauses for a second. He contemplates whether just to lie or tell the truth. This one, he's rather uncomfortable to discuss. They're good people, and he knew he could trust them. These brats are simply incapable of doing bad shits even to save themselves. But still, a topic like this.

She must've noticed the tension on his shoulder. A nudge on Uiharu's right foot and a slight murmur from the same direction has her sinking a little bit.

"You can… introduce yourself properly, perhaps, tomorrow maybe?" Kuroko says. Her words were supposed to be taken as a form of reassurance. "It's nearly 12am, and I believe you have somewhere to be yourself, don't you, Accelerator-san?"

He visibly cringes at the formal addressing of himself, but decides to let it slide. He got up first, excused himself and turned around, headed towards the door, leaving the three to awkwardly look at each other.

A block away, he moved inside an alley. He stopped and leaned his shoulder onto its damp wall, letting out a very long sigh. It wasn't exactly what he was expecting.

'A perfect day my ass.' There were too many unexpected variables. Those three, excluding the head of the office, had been unpredictable and almost never the same for each loop. Even the slightest bit of change was enough to cause a divergence. He had accounted for it, but he didn't realize it was going to be this much.

He could always repeat the loop, he thought. Learn their thought pattern, figure out how they process things and how they'd react to it. He could do this a hundred times if he has to.

His eyes narrowed.

'No.' Doing so would negate the magic, making it feel scripted. Artificial. Nothing fake could be perfect.

What he could do is just make use of whatever time he has left, be satisfied with just a portion instead of the full-on entire experience. He let out another exasperated sigh at that. He really didn't like how this was going. 'Well it is what it is.'

With just a few hours of daylight left and a gaping hole left in the major plans, he knew he had to make a few changes. He doesn't know them all too well. He learned what he wanted to learn, not get to know them. This was his mistake. So he has to readjust his scope. He can't do something that he has no idea of doing in the first place.

Misaka Mikoto and those three are thrown out of his scheme. He never owes Misaka anything, and not the other way around. He doesn't hold any qualms towards her, but he still finds her grating his nerves. The project SISTERs wouldn't be possible without her cooperation. Aside from that, there's really nothing that could make him hate her.

So that leaves him with one option left. He owed them a whole lot. Enough to last an entire lifetime and thousands more. He has about as much time now. He probably won't be able to pay back all those debts, because at some point, he'd go crazy from all the loops, perhaps lose whatever sanity he has left and just be a shell with no mind. Whatever it is, he'll do what he can.

Within less than 4 minutes of walking, he stares at a certain small, metallic contraption and a group of brats circling it. He sighed, cracked his hands and got to work.

"A-amazing! A never before seen skill! A billion-to-one true prodigy!" A little girl exclaimed, eyes filled with stars as she stared in fascination.

"His control of the claw is flawless, as if it's a fifth limb of his!" Another shout, a boy this time.

"Such a sophisticated level of mastery over this machination displayed in a place like this… we have been blessed!" One boy noted, fixing his glasses from slipping.

Their faces glow as their whispers of his unparalleled capabilities in the clawing machine were shown at full power. One after another, the Gekota toys fell into his basket, and the louder their words got.

A boy with a bowl cut passes by them, eyeing them with curiosity. Probably has something to do with the overreacting these guys are portraying. He was surprised himself, more so because of their eloquent words. All he did was use his Vector Control to cheat.

He sat for as long as he could. Eventually the group of kids grew tired, but still shows bits of appreciation of his cheating skills. They bid their goodbyes, speaking to him as if he was some sort of God.

With the machine empty and his basket completely filled with those disgustingly green toys after hours of sitting on the same spot, he stretched. He was wondering how he even managed to sit this long without having back problems. Looking back at his days at the arcade, he cringes slightly.

And in cue to his stretch was the sound of a footstep, which stopped after reaching a certain distance from him. He could hear a choked sound of some sort and a gulp. He knew immediately who it was.

He exhales quietly. Perhaps he spends a little bit too much time than intended. The commentary from those kids made him lose track of time.

He turned left to confirm who it was, and it was her. She was staring at the basket, filled with what he heard her call 'SSR' rarity frogs. Not because of how hard it is to obtain because it requires a certain set of skills to acquire, but because the amount was extremely low. It was less than 5 produced or something.

Her eyes were glued, pupils dilated at the mere sight of it. Her breath is heaved. Excited would be the more fitting word. Was she… sweating? Her reactions weren't this severe before. Well, he didn't get the entire claw machine last time though.

He wanted to just leave now and be done with it. But he can't leave her in a state like this, can he?

Actually, he can.

He shrugged it off, picked up the basket and went on his way. He could feel the heat from his back as her stares hardened. He felt a sense of relief after turning into a corner.

"How much for the entire basket?!" Misaka shouts at him as she comes out of the corner, eyeing him with such ferocity that he could feel his subconscious mind calculating at full force. His instincts were expecting a battle.

He cursed his entire existence for celebrating too early. "¥10 million?! 20 million! Name your price!" The desperation in her voice made it sound like her life was at stake.

"No."

"¥100 million! Just give me a number!" He began to question the length this girl would be willing to go just for… these things.

Did she have a dying relative who wants these things or is her hobby of collecting abnormal amounts of frog toys really running deep into her psyche? Whatever it is, she really is acting out of character for someone who is supposed to be the City's Favourite Mascot and ESP's Poster Child.

"No." It was a solid no.

She visibly deflated like a balloon as a shadow cast across her face. Her eyes stare longingly at it. "Can I… at least buy that one…?" She points at a familiar green pin.

Her persistence is astounding. To say that it is beyond desperate would be a slight understatement.

Her chin quivered slightly. She sighed in defeat as he rolled his eyes. "Just forget it. I'm just gonna go back." She whispered, turning around and heading back towards the corner she walked from.

With her now going in the opposite direction, it would mean that she will not meet with the clone. Not that it matters anyways.

He repositioned the basket to a more comfortable position and went on his merry way. It didn't take any more than a few minutes before he saw her figure, standing under a shadow of a tree.

The scraping of his shoe alerted her. She turned around and stared at him directly in the eyes.

"Hey." He greets. The clone appears curious, raising an eyebrow at the tone of his voice.

She didn't respond, merely keeping her gaze at his blood-red eyes. "You need help with that?" He gestures towards the tree, specifically the black cat that comfortably settles on one of its branches.

Although hesitant, the clone eventually nods. Her lips fall onto a flatline when he approaches it. With a tap, the branch the feline lays on bends softly to a range that can be reached by the clone.

She glowed in awe, taking the cat into her arms, though at the cost of it being awakened from its slumber. It didn't even try to conceal its annoyance at being awakened.

"Your help is very much appreciated. Misaka states, expressing her gratitude with a bow." She did just as she said. Standing upright after with a barely noticeable tug on her lips.

He softens at this sight. She then notices the basket. Stars formed in her eyes, mouth agape in surprise to see them in such quantity.

Her surprise multiplied by tenfold when he brought the whole thing over to her. She shot him a reluctant look, not daring to even touch the thing. This caution she has reserved for him speaks volume how much he truly fucked up back then.

"They're yours." He tried to speak as gently as he could. But with a voice as raspy as his, one that had been the primary nightmare fuel for these clones, it didn't affect it much.

He exhales through his nose, settling it down on the floor before walking away towards a bench. Watching her just as she watches him.

When she noticed he wasn't gonna do anything, she immediately kneeled over and looked at the whole thing, her face practically glowing as she checked out each and everything contents he'd acquired.

This whole act of hers made her look like a child. Her obsession towards these things is pretty much the same as the Original's. Perhaps more potent due to the fact that physically, they're no older than 2 years old. It didn't help with the fact that their minds were injected with common, everyday knowledge, but their mentality remains the same as that of an infant.

They're really just a child in the body of a teenager who just so happens to be the exact replica of the third ranked Level 5.

He chuckles. That has her head perked up. Of all the chuckles, grins or laughs he's let out were always filled with crazed animosity with the intent to shed blood. It always brings your hair to stand. Never before was it ever endearing to hear.

She stopped with her acts, eyeing him with genuine curiosity. She tilts her head. "Why?" That's it. That's all she asks.

To her, yesterday had been hell. She was murdered 16 times, once every hour. And now her supposed murderer is showering her with gifts that he shouldn't even know that she liked. What happened?

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just… done with it." There was melancholy in his words. It was hollow. He didn't even try to hide it. There was no reason to. Right now, he'd look more vulnerable than ever.

He blinked the pain away, putting on a scowl that he was most known for. "Brat," he called out. He opened his mouth but stopped. He gulped. "... You like ice cream?"

And that's what they get. The three, the cat included, stood outside of an ice cream parlor. It was a rare sight to see him there.

He watched, staring off as she licked her lips, licking the scotch mist on her tongue.

She giggled drily. The grin she gave him was bright, even though her eyes were blank as a void. "Ice cream?"

He grimaced at the endearment, biting back a groan. He hated sweets, but when you offer one to him like that, there's no way in hell he's not going to take it.

"Hn." He hummed. Taking the tiniest bite of the sundae. He put it back down, a thousand little thoughts forming in his head.

It's shit. He wasn't going to say that out loud. Of course.

The clone was staring elsewhere when he was done wiping his mouth. There was something in her eyes this time, even amidst the blankness in her eyes.

"It's nearly time. Misaka reminds him." She put the small feline down. "It has been a great pleasure. I thank you for this opportunity. Misaka bows in gratitude."

She got up from her seat, hoisting the case on her shoulder. "Shall we head to the place, Accelerator? Misaka offers with the best smile she could muster."

He knew what he wanted to say. But to think that this girl still has the guts to say this to him. Did she not realize his intention of the ceasefire? Or did she simply choose not to believe it?

Whatever. He'll make it clear right here.

He pulled his phone out and dialled a number. He didn't take his eyes off hers. The clone visibly sinks from it.

The speaker was on. Gensei's voice came from the other end.

"I quit."

There was a pause. "What-"

The eyes from the clone harden for a second. He chose to let his feelings out. "They're not the dolls you sought to make me believe, you bastard. They have souls that you people lack. They might be artificial, but they're more human than you Kiharas will ever be. So fuck you and your family of psychopaths." He slammed his phone onto the pavement. All without breaking eye contacts.

She stared at him, mouth open. She was shaken, but not stirred. "Why do you do that? What do you get out of it? What is your endgame? Misaka asks, curious to his reasoning."

He scoffed. "I told you. I'm done with this."

Her head lowers, lost in thought. "Is it worth it?" The clone mumbled.

He watched her for a second, then nodded.

"Yes."

A tiny smile graced the corner of her lips. She gulped a breath of relief. "Thank you." He watched as she went around the table, giving him an awkward hug by the arm.

Her grip tightens. "What do I do now? Misaka asks." Her voice is faint as she buries her face in his shoulder.

He shrugs. "Whatever you want. You're free." And he'll make sure of it. If he can, that is. Not like he'll get the chance. Better off like that than be a hypocrite.

He let go later on, bidding her goodbye when she received a signal from the other SISTERs. She waved as he walked back to where it all started, almost forgetting to leave a bundle of packet of nectar of heaven in front of a door at a certain dorm at district 7.

The door quietly closed. Back in this dimly lit room of his. It's gloomy as if it always has been. The hours he'd spent outside of this place. He remembered when he was relocated here. When District 19 was still a bustling street years ago.

He plopped himself onto his bed. He's exhausted. Today had been shit. He wasn't entirely happy with it. He hoped he could have done better. But one thing for sure.

He was satisfied with it.

The hours ticked by with the memory of her smile in his mind. He could feel the trace of her warmth in his arms. How much he would do to repay those debts.

The twenty-fourth hour of the day was reached, he closed his eyes.

He has accepted the fact that he'll never make it out of this hell.

[Fin]

Yes, it was shit. Yes, it was deliberately done like that. No, I am not fine with it. I was thinking of something else when working on this, a new fic idea that is. It was already 13 chapters in when this was published. Hopefully, you'll come around and read my stuff again when it comes out.

I'll see you again, in, like, 6 months!