I'm still trying to figure out what to do for the next few chapters, so next week might break the 25 streak of continuous publishing.
Please understand!
His heart pounded in his chest as he stared at the figure before him. Kihara Amata, the man who had haunted his nightmares for years, stood there with a sinister smile on his face. The tattoo on his face seemed to dance in the dim light, adding to his menacing aura. His eyes, cold and calculating, were locked onto Hirano's, looking at him as if he was nothing but an insect.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of dread creeping up his spine. And the man seems to notice this.
"Surprised, aren't ya?"
"Shut it." Hirano's voice was low and menacing, his eyes never leaving Kihara Amata's face. The man's smile widened at the boy's response, clearly enjoying the effect he had on him.
"Look who's all grown up." Kihara said, taking a step closer to Hirano. The air around them seemed to grow heavier, charged with a tension that was almost palpable. The white haired boy stood his ground, refusing to back down from the man who had caused him so much pain in the past.
Even with the fear Hirano felt for this man, there was also a clear undercurrent of defiance and resistance in his eyes. But there was something else that overpowered everything. The burning hatred within him, the desire to just rip and tear him apart.
Kihara's eyes twinkled with amusement as he studied Hirano's face. "How does it feel, playing house with a bunch of bitches?" Hirano's grip tightened, his knuckles turning white as he struggled to keep his emotions in check.
The memory of his time in this place, the experiments, the pain, the loneliness, all came rushing back to him. He could feel the anger building up inside of him, a seething rage that threatened to consume him.
"You're dead." The man's smug expression faltered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Well, that's a little harsh, don't you think? I mean, we're just having a little conversation here."
Something inside him snapped. His right hand shot out. They were millimetres in gaps before the blond's head would burst, letting the man's consciousness fly away from his body. But in that same moment, time seemed to slow down for him as he felt a sharp pain on his side.
The force was heavy. Like he was being stabbed. The air was knocked out of him as he felt himself being thrown sideways, his body slams on the railings. His vision swam as he tried to focus on the figure standing above him, a cruel smirk playing on his lips.
He clutched his abdomen, feeling warm liquid seeping. He looked down to see it. The fabric was stained, slowly spreading as it turned red. He gritted his teeth, fighting against the pain and the urge to black out from shock.
The fear inside him became apparent to the man, Kihara Amata's smirk grew wider as he looked down at Hirano, who was clutching his side in pain. "Oh, did I hurt you?" he taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I didn't realise you were still so fragile."
Hirano's breath came in short, sharp gasps as he tried to steady himself. Kihara stood over him, his smile never fading. "You always were predictable, Accelerator. But a cut from a light jab? Now that's just surprising, even for you."
"H-how...?" Hirano managed to stutter out, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. He had been so sure that he could take Kihara down, his power literally allowed him to manipulate Vectors; including its directions and magnitude.
Nothing in this world can escape from his grasp, not even bullets or nuclear explosions. Yet, here he was, barely able to stand, struggling to breathe.
Kihara chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Ah, but there are always ways around things, aren't there?" he said, tapping the side of his head. Hirano could see a glove of some sort that reaches all the way up to his wrist.
"Your barrier is not absolute defence, brat. I made you, I know everything about you." The pain in Hirano's side throbbed with every beat of his heart, a constant reminder of his current predicament. He glared up at Kihara, his mind racing as he tried to come up with a plan. But every thought was quickly overshadowed by the burning pain.
This was the first time Hirano felt pain directly from a physical blow. The experiments he had undergone had left him with an immense power, but the cut on his side was a stark reminder of his current vulnerability. He knew he couldn't take another hit like that, not in his current state.
Kihara Amata seemed to sense his weakness. "Should we just call off the project and kill you off right here?" He states to the people behind him. He forgot they were even there. The man merely shrugged. Shinobu however, decides to step forward.
"Kihara-san, we can't afford to lose him. He's too valuable of an asset."
Kihara turned to Shinobu, his grin shifting into a more annoyed one. "I'm not asking for you, slut." His eyes moved from the girl onto the entrance. Emerged from it was a hunching, bald old man with a darkened birthmark on his temple. Kihara Gensei.
This bastard was present in Nanking.
Much like his family of twisted minded degenerates, the old man was the same, if not, worse in almost every sense. Of the 5000 possible Kiharas within the city, he was one of the oldest and could also be the most experienced of them all. Catching his attention is akin to calling out a wolf in the middle of a forest.
Every child of the family was bred and raised to serve their own twisted desires, while those who married into it were already sick human beings. All just to dig deeper into the depths of human knowledge and understanding, with no regard for morality or ethics.
Although everyone within the family was independently responsible for their own experiments and projects, the one who held most of the strings was Gensei.
The old man's eyes scanned the room, taking in the sight of Hirano on the ground, clutching his side in pain, and Amata staring at him.
"Amata, what is the meaning of this?" Gensei's voice was stern, his eyes narrowing as he looked at his younger kin.
"Old man, just testing out our newest project."
"Enough with it." Gensei's sharp tone echoed through the room, silencing Amata. "This is not the time or the place for such games. We have much more important matters to attend to." Gensei turned his gaze back to Hirano. "You'll live. Suck it up."
He walked towards the railings, looking down at the machineries. Suddenly, a smile spread over his face. He murmurs something under his breath, unheard by everyone else in the room. It was a tense moment of silence. Amata merely yawned, cracking his neck as he waited for Gensei's next move. Hirano, still on the ground and clutching his side, finally caught his breath and pulled himself up. The girl, Shinobu, approached him in an attempt to help, but was harshly brushed off by the boy who was still reeling from the confrontation with Kihara Amata. He held onto the railings for support, trying to ignore the pain that was still radiating from his side. His mind raced with questions and doubts as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Gensei, on the other hand, seemed to be in great spirits. He chuckled softly to himself, before turning to the group. "Have you told him what I asked you to?" He said, his eyes landing on Amata. The man nodded, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
The blond man clicked his tongue. "I'm not your messenger boy."
"Enough with your attitude." Gensei's sharp tone cut through the air, his eyes flashing with annoyance. "Just tell him already."
Amata sighed, his smirk faltering slightly, sighing out loud, rubbing the back of his head. "Fine, whatever you say."
He turned to Hirano, his expression made it clear this was something he finds to be extremely boring. "This project is sponsored by the City and Board of Directors. Nagatenjouki is willing to open a Junior High program, and you'll be attending it, monitored by this girl," He states with a robotic tone, barely hiding his disdain. "I'm sure you'll have fun. Fucking brats."
He spat, walking out the place, muttering something about it being a damn waste of time and Hirano slowly let go of the railings, his knuckles white from the grip he had on them. His mind was still reeling from the revelation that he was being forced back into the project. He couldn't believe that after everything he had gone through, he was still unable to escape from it. His thoughts were interrupted by Gensei's chuckle, the sound is like molten lead pouring into his ear.
The old man chuckles, his eyes closed. "The clones are still underway from their optimal development. They'll be ready in several months. In the meantime, you should prepare yourself. You'll be taking a lot of lives after all. 20,000 does sound a lot, right?"
His eyes widened at that. 'Taking lives?'. He's done it before. He's done it far too many times, too many for him to count. He was fine with killing as long as it was quick, no necessary suffering. But 20,000 lives? Killing Misaka Mikoto 20,000 times.
No. He's not doing that.
As if sensing his inner turmoil, Gensei's expression softens slightly, and he claps him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, they're dolls. They aren't alive." He says, his voice low and comforting, but with an undertone of threat. "Now go, all of you. I have some matters to attend to."
Hirano watched as the old man descended on the stairs. The girl, Shinobu, was the first to move, followed by the man, his grin long gone. The white haired boy stood there, clutching his side, his expression a mix of conflicting emotions. The pain on his abdomen was long forgotten, forgotten, replaced by a numbing sense of defeat.
He could destroy this place and everything in it with the mere tap of his finger. Yet he didn't do it. He knew the consequence. They're Kiharas. Gensei and Amata were extremely powerful not only because of the name and status they held, but also the influence they held altogether. If he were to be held accountable for their deaths, everything he fought, dreamt of will be gone forever.
It appears that as long as he's alive, he will never be free. The thought echoed in his head as he turned his gaze to the departing duo, feeling nothing but despair and hopelessness.
He limped out of the place, his pace slow and sluggish, as if he didn't have the strength to move faster. His subconscious mind seemingly stopped calculating, after years of constantly running formulas. The cold air of the underground corridor brushed against his skin, making him shiver, but it didn't seem to register in his mind. All he could think about was the weight that had been suddenly thrust upon him.
The underground corridors were long and winding, illuminated by dim lights. Hirano moved mechanically, his head downcast, his thoughts a whirlwind of conflicting against everything. He navigates through it like a zombie, unseeing and uncaring of his surroundings. The only thing he was aware of was the pain in his side, a constant reminder of the fight he had just been through.
Eventually, he arrived at the surface, climbing the ladder with difficulty, but he managed. The warehouse he emerged from was dusty as ever, and the twinkling stars up above was the only lighting the area received. There were no signs of life, no people or animals. It was as if the world had forgotten about this place.
He took a deep breath, relishing in the cold night air. It was a welcome change from the stale air underground. He leaned against the warehouse wall, closing his eyes as he let out a sigh. He contemplated his next move, knowing that he needed to escape this life that had been forced upon him once again.
The project, as they'd claimed, was approved and sponsored by the Board of Directors themselves. Meaning, if he were to suddenly go rogue, he'll be facing the entire might of Academy City all over again. His previous attempts to escape had been futile, ending with him failing to protect the only person he'd ever cared for. And now he has another one. He couldn't protect Aiho and Kikyou all at once, not against an entire city that has technologies well over 20 - 30 years more advanced than the rest of the world.
He is treading on thin ice. His chances of survival are slim to none. Ultimately, his choices were to either risk the life of those two women trying to regain his freedom, or to surrender and live as a slave to the project. Hirano stood there for a long time, lost in thought, his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides as he wrestled with his own tormented feelings. He couldn't help but feel trapped, as if fate had conspired against him to condemn him to a life of servitude. Eventually, he sighed, his breath shaky.
He can't do this shit alone.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose, his eyes squeezed shut. The weight of his situation seemed to press down on him, suffocating him. He struggled to think clearly, to come up with a plan. He knew he couldn't face the project alone, but he also knew he couldn't drag anyone else into this mess. No one should handle his fucking mess.
Besides, who would want to help him in the first place? Would anyone really be willing to face an entire city just so he could roam the streets free? He, Yomikawa Hirano, The Accelerator, a literal walking time bomb, ticking clock counting down to the day he'll go berserk and slaughter anyone within reach? Who would be so kind to brave such a fate?
No one.
He opened his eyes, staring blankly at the distant stars. A thought came to him, unbidden, unwelcome. It was the only real option left. The only one he could think of that would give him even a slim chance of survival. The only way those two women could live. The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
His only choice was to play along, to become a part of the project again and hope that one day, he'll find a way out. A way to make things right.
He sighed again, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. This was never really about him anyway. It never is. He's a joke for even thinking that he could change his fate. All he could do now was play his part and hope that one day, everything would be alright.
The fear gripping his chest, the dread sinking into his gut, they were nothing compared to the overwhelming sense of helplessness that had consumed him. He was powerless against the hands of fate that seemed to be twisting his life into whatever shape they pleased. His lips quivered, unknowingly a streak of tears running down his cheek. He wiped them away roughly, his chest heaving as he struggled to regain his composure. There was no use in wallowing in self-pity. Not now. Not when he had so much to lose.
Yet he couldn't help but pray for himself, for a miracle, for some shred of hope.
His mind was blank, His heart numb. The world around him seemed to spin out of control, and yet he felt oddly detached from it all. He didn't know how long he had been walking for, but he knew that he needed to keep moving, to keep going. The streets were empty, save for the occasional stray animal or a few punks who shouted some random slurs at him. The city itself seemed to have fallen into a state of somber silence, as if it too was waiting for something to happen.
His legs navigate him through the darkened alleyways and dilapidated buildings, his steps growing heavier with each passing moment. He wasn't sure where he was going, or what he was looking for. Eventually, he stopped at a familiar building.
He moved slowly, his body aching with the effort of maintaining his balance as he leaned against the smooth concrete wall. He gazed up at the building, its windows dark and lifeless. He breathed out; his exhale barely audible in the stillness of the night. His eyes closed as he willed himself not to break down.
The elevator opened with a soft ding. He walked out, making his way down the familiar hallway. His steps were slow, methodical, as if he was in a trance. He stopped at a particularly familiar door. He grabbed the handle and pushed it open. It was unlocked.
He'd accidentally left it unlocked earlier when he rushed out. The next few seconds were blurry, and he suddenly finds himself sitting on the couch. The apartment was empty, vacant of lights. Hirano let out a shuddering breath as he collapsed onto the couch, his fingers digging into the soft fabric.
But even just trying to lay still was hard. He grumbled, grabbing onto the hard object that was poking on his back. It was his phone. He'd forgotten to pick it up earlier. He groaned and retrieved it, flipping it open. There were several missed calls and text messages from Yoshikawa, all of them demanding his immediate response. He frowned a little, dialling her number.
The phone rang twice before she picked up. "Hirano? Where the hell are you?" Her tone was harsh, barely masking her worry.
"Home." There was a moment of silence before she spoke again, her voice softer but no less frantic.
"Are you alright? Did something happen?"
Hirano paused for a moment before answering, his voice strained. "I'm fine."
Yoshikawa was silent for a moment, not quite believing him. But then she sighed, her tone softening. "Okay... just... wait for me, alright? I'm coming home now." She sounds very exhausted.
The boy didn't respond when he heard the call end. Hirano didn't know if she was talking to him or not, but it didn't really matter either way. He sighed heavily, running a hand through his messy hair. He leaned back into the couch, feeling increasingly heavy and tired. He waited for Yoshikawa to come back. She always has an answer to everything.
He waited, looking at the ceiling above him, Contemplating her arrival as minutes slowly, painfully passed. He wondered if his fate was already sealed. Whenever he felt like he was living again, something would drag him back to the darkness. Would this time be any different? Or was he just fooling himself into thinking that things could change.
But Yoshikawa will fix it, she always has an answer for everything. She always does. She is the smartest person that he knew of. The very best when it comes to finding solutions to practically anything. There was nothing she couldn't handle.
Yes. She will fix it.
...
His head perked a little when he heard a rustling on the door. It opened with her almost running inside purely from force of will. There was an urgency in her steps as she made her way to the couch, and it spoke volumes to his untrained eye. "Hirano, what happened? Where did-" She stopped mid-sentence, her soft onyx black eyes catching on something.
He groaned a little, getting up from his position, sitting on the couch. "You're hurt," she breathed, her eyes set on the dried red patch on the side of his plain hoodie.
Hirano half laughed and half grunted. "I'm fucking stupid."
She frowned at this, eyes still set on his side. The worry was etched clearly in her face. She quickly moved for the bathroom, coming out with a first aid kit. She kneeled before him, her hand pulling at the hem of his clothes. He hissed, flinching at the sudden contact on his stinging wound. But he didn't protest as she began to carefully clean it, wiping it with cotton.
She grimaced at the sight of it. It was nothing serious, but for Hirano of all people to receive such a wound. It doesn't look good. Not one bit.
He held it in, a whimper. Her hands froze for a second, then resumed their work. "They're after you again?" Yoshikawa barely managed to keep the anger from her voice.
He hummed. "Kuroko told you?" Yoshikawa nods slowly.
Her voice was low, barely above a whisper as she asked, "What do they want?" He could see it in her eyes, that anger burning hot beneath the surface. That protective instinct that always flared up around him like a shield. It gave him something to hold onto.
"They want me to attend Nagatenjouki."
She stopped moving. "That's it?" There was genuine surprise in her voice, as if she was expecting something like his brain being probed again. She paused for a moment, seemingly considering his words. "No wonder they opened a Junior High program. Did they tell you why?" Her voice was soft now, almost gentle. It made it feel like they could discuss this like it was a normal thing, like nothing more than a casual debate. Like everything was going to be alright in the end.
"They'll be monitoring me there." Her frown returned, Yoshikawa scowled, closing her eyes for a moment. That was annoying. It worried her. Hirano would probably hate the idea of being under someone's microscope for the entirety of his middle school year, especially since it meant that he would have to be there.
"That doesn't sound good. Either way it's better than being locked up all over again. I'm just glad they won't be putting you in a dangerous situation this time around. Though not having a choice in the matter won't make it any better." She glanced up at his face for a moment, their gazes locking. "But... It sounds too good to be true. Do you think they're not telling us something?"
He was gonna answer that. The words were on his tongue, burning like fire. He wanted her to know. The things he will be doing, the sheer scale of the atrocity that he is gonna commit, even the most depraved mind could barely conceive of it. He wanted to tell her that it would make their threat of hurting him again seem like nothing more than a joke. That it would make everything they've done to him seem like mercy.
But he couldn't.
How could he do something like that, tell her that he'll be killing her student, his friend, 20,000 times? It's too cruel. Way beyond his capabilities. There was no way he could say it, not without inflicting unimaginable pain on her. She'll hate him for being a part of something like this, even if it was against his will. It would only hurt her more, and he couldn't bear to see that. So, he swallowed the words.
"Hirano...?" Yoshikawa's eyes gently pleaded with him to speak, but he only shook his head, the movement barely perceptible.
"No, that's everything."
He can't. He can't do it. The burden it will put on her shoulder, on her... it just wasn't worth it.
She looked down at him for a moment, unsure of what to say, feeling that discomfort beginning to grow inside of her. She is his guardian, and she's been through so much already... why is it always people close to him that suffer the most?
He just have to endure. Hope that she will forgive him fornot telling her everything. For not letting her decide what's best for him. For being so selfish. So stupid.
She sighed softly, continuing to care for his injury. "All right... Please, be careful. You've been hurt enough."
He didn't have anything else to say. He closed his eyes, the stinging from the alcohol and the dull ache from his wound fading into a distant background. His eyelids fluttered in exhaustion. "Thank you."
Uiharu couldn't sleep later that night. Her mind was filled with so many questions and concerns. She glanced over at her digital clock. It's already past 1 in the morning, and she still couldn't find peace in her slumber. She was troubled by what they had heard from Kuroko today and the strange reaction Yoshikawa had displayed.
Uiharu rolled out of bed and padded over to her computer, grabbing her emergency stash of sweet treats that she kept hidden in one of her desk drawers. Calling her a sweet tooth would be an understatement, given her love for all things sugary. As she snacked on a fresh daifuku, she began to search for information about Accelerator online.
There was nothing but the Accelerator Collider; a complex contraption meant to study particle physics. In fact, the very name seemed unrelated to whatever connection it might have with the strange events unfolding. Definitely not enough to warrant such a reaction from Kuroko and Yoshikawa. Whatever it is, it couldn't be found merely from a surface level search. Uiharu sighed, tired from lack of sleep but unwilling to give up. She closed out her search window and fired up a terminal instead. Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she hacked into various restricted databases, searching for any classified files that might contain information on Accelerator.
There was very little data regarding this enigma. All of them from nearly a decade ago. It was done on a test subject of unknown origin. No name, no birthdate, no age. Just a series of test numbers. The files were written by a Kihara, with full access clearance to all Level Z investigation documents. The purpose of the tests was to research the subject's powers and see how they can be improved, creating the foundation for a Level 6 SHIFT project.
That caught her attention. 'Level 6? But that's impossible...' Her curiosity now piqued, Uiharu continued to dig deeper into the classified files on her terminal. More information started to trickle in. The test subject had an alias, Accelerator. A name to his ability.
The name that Kuroko had told everyone.
And everything in the files she found were not normal. The security of it was top-notch. Couldn't even be classified a Level-Z anymore. These were the types of security only the Board of Directors themselves would normally be allowed access. It was clear that whatever this Accelerator was and the research done on him, it was something big; something important to the city.
Uiharu grins, a bright smirk informing her blue eyes. She had cracked through hundreds of passwords and firewalls to reach this treasure trove of information. This was more valuable than anything she could have ever expected. Leaning back in her chair, she folds her arms behind her head and closes her eyes. 'A real challenge... finally!'
For once, the 10 year old girl was grateful for the late nights and the sleeplessness that plagued her. It would all be worth it. She set her alarm for two hours and set about digesting everything she'd found. The files on Accelerator were lengthy, filled with dense scientific jargon that only a true researcher could understand. She had to look up the dictionary to understand some of the terms. Uiharu had plans for all this information.
She knew there was gonna be something dark hidden within these files. It was inevitable, as was everything related to the dark side of science. She didn't know what sort of malice had led the Board of Directors to classify all information on Accelerator as beyond Level Z, but she would find out.
And she found out the hard way.
Her triumphant smile was instantly wiped away. She gasped, covering her mouth. The picture before her was surreal. It burned right into her very soul; an image that would occur only in her worst nightmares. For a moment, all she could do was stare. Her eyes felt like they were burning, as if they were trying to tear themselves away from the sight before her. But it was impossible. Horror-struck paralysis held her in place.
The files about Accelerator contained information far more harrowing than Uiharu could have ever imagined. They detailed not only his incredible power, but also the horrific experiments that had been conducted on him in order to enhance and control it. And the very files she had stumbled into were records of past experiments and trials, accumulated and analysed over the course of a decade.
The most recent update was 4 months ago. It was the most tame compared to every other experiment done so far. Mostly just a psychological check up. But what the results of the test was being used on, that's what bothered her the most. 'Dark May Project', it was dubbed. 'That's enough, Uiharu. You've seen too much.'
Shaking uncontrollably, she forced herself to close the terminal window and the files it contained, lest the contents continue to haunt her any further. After everything she had seen, there was no way she could ever look at Hirano the same anymore.
She had always wondered why he was so quiet, when he was only a 3rd grader. He always looked so distant, as if unused to the way people are treating him. She thought he was just being snobbish. But now she knew the truth. The truth was far deeper and darker than she could have ever imagined.
"No more..."
Now more disturbed than ever, Uiharu hurriedly cleaned up any evidence of her late night vigil on the terminal. As she straightened up her quarters, her stomach knotted in a mixture of fear and anger. With a shaky sigh, she finally crawled back into bed. Despite her exhaustion, sleep eluded her. The grotesque images from the files kept flitting through her mind, refusing to be banished to the deeper recesses of her conscience.
As the first tendrils of dawn began to seep through her curtains, Uiharu finally gave up. Rolling out of bed, she headed straight for the bathroom to wash away the grime and sleep from her face. It was a futile act, but it helped to clear her head a little.
She stopped moving. Her gaze locked on her reflection in the mirror. Her blue eyes were ringed with dark circles, and her face was pale and drawn. Her posture was a little unsteady and frail, despite her youth, and there was something profoundly wrong about the expression on her face. Fear. She was afraid. Afraid of more than what she had seen. Afraid of what else might be hidden from her. Afraid of what it all meant.
"He has to know."
The room was bright white, like how you would imagine a sterile medical facility to be. Everything from the walls to the floor, the tables and even the air seemed scrubbed clean of any hint of impurity or life other than that within the subjects themselves.
Nunotaba Shinobu pressed her lips thin, her eyes set at the clipboards on her hand. The girl scratched the side of her head with her pen, fiddling with her short hair almost impatiently. The stool before her was occupied by a little girl no older than 11. Her slender legs dangled, swinging back and forth awkwardly, revealing the fragility of her youth.
Her chestnut brown hair fell to her shoulders, framing her pale face. She was the picture of innocence, save for the needle marks that marred her otherwise perfect skin. Her wide, hazel eyes looked around the room with palpable curiosity; a stark contrast to the otherwise listless atmosphere.
The girl was humming a tune, her head swaying lightly in rhythm with the words she mouthed silently, seemingly lost in her own world of imagination.
She looks and acts like a proper little girl should, Shinobu noted. Her body language is also quite natural, despite the circumstances. But that's what makes her unique. Every other clone besides her has been less successful in replicating the essence of humanity. Her humming suddenly stopped as she felt a cool touch against her arm where Shinobu had set the needle down. She looked up at the woman with wide eyes.
"It's just a little pinch," Shinobu lied, trying to reassure her. The girl, though reassured, frowned at the sting before looking back up at Shinobu with a tilt of her head. For the next few minutes, Shinobu took blood samples and measurements, jotting them down in her meticulous handwriting on the clipboard.
"It hurts..." The girl whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the machinery surrounding them. Shinobu gave her a comforting smile as she gently patted her arm.
"Don't you want a little sister, Dolly?" The girl, called Dolly, glanced down at her lap. Her arms wrapped around herself, as if hugging herself for comfort.
"I-I don't know..." she said quietly. "It just... hurts..." She looked up at Nunotaba Shinobu with her big, hazel eyes. "Will it always hurt?"
"Dolly..." Nunotaba paused, her voice softening. "It's not about the pain. Don't you want to stay healthy? You can't play with Mi-chan if you're sick, can you?" She forced a reassuring smile. Dolly bit her lip as she thought. Shinobu waited patiently for her response. Eventually, the young girl nodded reluctantly.
"I... I'll be good," she whispered. Shinobu smiled and ruffled her hair gently.
The needles finished, Nunotaba Shinobu set the equipment aside, and brought out a wrapped candy. The girl brightens up at that, perking up instantly. Her big, innocent eyes widened in surprise and delight as she accepted the treat. "Thank you!" she states gratefully, unwrapping the candy carefully. Her slim fingers handled it delicately, as if it were made of porcelain.
Shinobu doesn't know how to feel about this girl, even though she was a prodigy in biopsychology. She was responsible for making sure 20,000 clones, known as SISTERs, would one day fulfil their duties. It was supposed to be just a job, just science.
But this clone, Dolly, a mere prototype, the supposed benchmark of them all, left her feeling conflicted. Maybe it was because she'd been given a name, or that she acts and felt like a real human child. Either way, Shinobu knew she had to keep her distance. The teenager took a step back, wiping her hands on a sterile cloth as she spoke. "Alright, Dolly. That's all done for now. You can go back to your playroom."
The girl jumps from the metal stool, quickly bouncing on her feet as she adjusts to being upright again. Dolly smiled brightly at her, "Thank you, Nunotaba-san. See you next time!" she chirped merrily, skipping out of the room with the candy in hand. The door clicks shut behind her, leaving the room empty once more.
Nunotaba Shinobu exhales softly, already dreading the next check-up. She set her clipboard on the bench. The meticulous handwriting is a testament to her dedication and precision. She began rubbing her temples, murmuring words.
We'll decide in this chapter for now by just adding another person into the mix cause I know some of y'all are more than willing to just to turn this into a harem type story. It'll turn this from what i think to be quite a decent story into a hot steaming pile of shit.
Harem type stories are only good if they portray the characters correctly and have a balanced screentime between heroines. This fic is closing to its finish and I'm NOT writing another 10k chapter just so all of you can enjoy some half assed fluff. It's tiring as shit.
Anyways, Kuroko's now one of the two pairings that we'll have. I hope you're fine with that decision, democracy isn't always fair, so suck it up suckers.
New shit next week!
But then again, the girl was made through artificial cloning; she was only human in the sense that she had been given human DNA. Perhaps Shinobu should focus on the fact that Dolly was also an experiment, a test subject, and not let her innocent facade fool her.
After all, Shinobu reminded herself, clones aren't truly alive.
We've got several different nominations from both Wattpad (Don't judge me, this is the same platform my first ever fic was published, okay?) and FFN, such as Frenda and Ruiko, But both platform could agree on one person: Kuroko.
We'll decide this in this chapter by having you guys vote another person into the mix cause I know some of y'all are more than willing to just turn this into a harem type story. It'll turn this from what i think to be quite a decent story into a hot steaming pile of shit but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to commit. Cause I love you readers!
Harem type stories are only good if they portray the characters correctly and have a balanced screentime between heroines. This fic is already close to its finish and I'm NOT writing another 10k chapter just so all of you can enjoy some half assed fluff. It's tiring as shit. Had y'all asked for it earlier into the fic I might just do it.
Anyways, Kuroko's now one of the two pairings that we'll have. I hope you're fine with that decision, democracy isn't always fair, so suck it up suckers.
New shit next week!