Chapter One
A low buzz made itself known in the back of my mind as I tried to dig my face into my pillow. The buzz grew louder and I grit my teeth, throwing the covers away and opening my eyes.
The small apartment was in complete darkness, the sun having yet to rise. I swung my feet off the thin mattress, letting them touch the cold hardwood floor. Grimacing, I stood and gripped the sheets, giving them a good flick to quickly make the cot.
Now wide awake, I immediately pushed out the unwanted presence, giving me a clear head. I let out a long exhale, walking toward the kitchen with closed eyes. Without much thought, I grabbed a plastic bowl and spoon, along with generic brand cereal.
Leaving the breakfast on the counter, I acquired a cup and opened the fridge door. Cool air sent shivers up my arms as my eyes adjusted to the automatic light. A second later and the door was closed, a quart of milk in my hand.
Everything was finally coming together as I poured milk into both the cup and bowl. Once the milk was back in the refrigerator, I dumped a decent amount of cereal into the bowl. The bag crinkled and crunched as the flakes floated atop the milk.
Leaning on the counter, I hesitantly brought the spoon to my mouth. It was… okay, it wasn't that bad. But after having it nearly every morning for who knew how long? I was getting sick of it. If it were up to me, I'd have egg and toast. Add a glass of fresh whole milk and a large Fuji apple too.
Biting back a verbal complaint, I scarfed down the remaining flakes, knowing I'd need all the energy I could get.
I set the now empty bowl and cup in the sink. Water slowly dripped from the leaky faucet, regardless of how long I glared at it. Testament offered a lot of knowledge, but plumbing wasn't one of them.
Moving through the apartment, I swiftly reached the bathroom. Keeping the lights off, I tried to avoid looking at the mirror as I found my toothbrush and toothpaste. Lifespan of a couple years or not, dental hygiene was still important.
Cringing, I couldn't suppress the thought as it came to the front of my mind. In just a few years, my body would die. That is, if I wasn't killed before then.
Spitting in the sink, I wiped away the foam from my lips. Losing focus for just a second, I accidentally glanced at the mirror in front of me.
I was met with the sight of an adolescent girl with a killer scowl. My gaze instantly turned away, but the damage was done.
…
Three months ago, I was born.
Or rather, grown in a tube.
My memory regarding those first few weeks were a bit fuzzy, but I assumed that came with having an undeveloped brain.
Shutting my eyes, I gargled some mouthwash before finally leaving the bathroom.
At some point during those early weeks, I overwrote the brain of a test-tube baby and took over its body.
Is it even rewriting if the body didn't have a personality to begin with?
It was a decidedly more palatable conclusion compared to the theory that my memories were fabricated. But judging by the lack of testing from the scientists, I wasn't worried about that being the case.
Anyway, skipping ahead a bit, I got put through Testament and was given a decent amount of information regarding this new world. Stuff like living in a super futuristic city in Japan called Academy city. The existence of espers who can control facets of the world through weird science powers. Et cetera.
I was half sure this was some sci-fi anime I hadn't heard about. On the other hand, it might just be some alternate reality. Leaning on the sci-fi anime option, personally.
Filing the thoughts away for later, I passed by my cot. In the corner of the apartment was a dresser. Inside were several sets of clothes, all of which were identical.
Reaching into the dresser, I pulled out a collared blouse, skirt, and a tan vest. Frowning, I stared at the uniform for a moment before undressing.
Why I had to wear a schoolgirl uniform, I couldn't say. Maybe it was a weird request by the original? Aside from what I got from Testament, as well as rumors around the city, the donor for this whole experiment was a conundrum.
The skirt zipped on easily enough. Buttoning the shirt took a little longer. And second to last was the pull over vest. There was one final thing in the dresser to grab, though it was noticeably out of place.
A pair of Electron (NV) goggles. Standard equipment for Level 6 Shift participants. I let the eyewear settle above my forehead, matching it as close to my fellow experimentees as I could.
After all, it wouldn't do to look, act, or for a moment even seem any different from the rest of the mass produced clones!
Y'know, the scientists, enforcers, and the original should all go die in a ditch. Especially the original.
With a heavy sigh, I walked over to the exit of the apartment. Gently wiping a hand down my face, I imagined a mask. An impenetrable mask with no emotion. No fear. No sorrow. And certainly no joy, but I didn't need a mask for that.
My hand dropped to my side and I left my sanctuary. My cold, heartless sanctuary.
V V V
Each step was measured, careful, and ultimately quiet. It'd taken a couple weeks to perfect it, but it was all worth it to completely hide my presence.
Now, I wouldn't have had to learn this skill if I was allowed to wear tennis shoes instead of these awful school loafers.
The alleyway smelled of must and alcohol. Underneath a nearby extruding vent was a broken bottle of who knows what. My breaths became shallow as I quickened my pace, but by only just a hair.
Most of my focus was on my sight and hearing. Directly ahead of me was an upcoming intersection into another alley. What lay beyond that could be anyone or anything.
I could hear the sound of air conditioners humming and heaving. An argument in one of the upper floors faintly echoed down the tall concrete walls. And not too far was one of the exits out of the alley. There was the rumbling of car engines and the whirring of vacuum robots.
The alley intersection was nearly in front of me. Slowly, I reached into my pocket and retrieved one of the few items I allowed on my person. A small hand held mirror. Back against the chilly wall, I angled the mirror and glanced around the corner.
Completely empty, bereft of any signs of life.
Nodding to myself, I waited a couple seconds longer before making the turn and continuing down the new path-
The sound of voices, far too close to be in a building or outside the alley. Without thinking, I leapt behind an electrical box. Blood rushing, I strained my ears for whoever was skulking through these grungy halls.
It was… a couple school girls, idly chatting to each other. Intermittent giggles sprinkled in their likely uninteresting conversation.
I relaxed my shoulders, loosening my grip on the mirror.
Just some kids. I thought to myself.
Not that my reaction was unreasonable, of course. The project was supposed to be top secret, or something to that effect.
Turning my head, I glanced at the white mop of hair sitting next to the electrical box.
My chest tightened, heart nearly exploding. I scrambled away from the box, a silent scream leaving my lips.
My palms scraped and scratched against the gravel ground as my back hit the other side of the alley.
Badum. Badum. Badum.
There was a hammering against my chest. A rushing in my ears. A- wait, that wasn't hair.
Rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand, I stared at the literal white mop, tinged gray due to use.
Oh. That's kind of… Y'know what, I'm going to pretend this didn't happen.
Standing up, I found myself face to face with the two girls, having stopped to see what all the commotion was. Brushing off my skirt, I gave them a curt nod of the head before stepping past, continuing my scheduled patrol.
If the scientists decided to dissect me over this mishap, then maybe I deserved it.
V V V
Tripping to the side, I barely kept myself standing as a damn oversized roomba zoomed by, having given me no time to properly react. Clenching my fist, I glared at the robot as it faded into the distance.
After the morning patrol of the alleyways came the next part of my schedule. That was, going out in the open and familiarizing myself with the city proper. Why I, a clearly illegal mass produced clone, part of a secret underground experiment, was ordered to patrol in broad daylight was beyond my comprehension.
Skyscrapers and other glass buildings towered into the sky. The sidewalks were fairly sparse, as the majority of the population were in class at the moment. Because apparently, 80% of that population were students.
I mean, I get it. The city is literally called 'Academy city', but isn't this a little fantastical?
And what would nearly 2 million students be learning about in this wondrous city of academies? Controlling esper powers, of course! Made all the better that the majority of the students were 'level 0', without any discernible or scientifically notable abilities.
And just like any power system, the higher the level, the stronger the user, with level 5 being the strongest found in the city. Rare enough that only 7 exist in the city. One of which was my oh so gracious donor.
Speaking of, if my donor was the third most powerful esper, then why didn't a single student recognize me?
Well, I knew the answer, but it still boggled the mind.
Simply put, the level 5s weren't celebrities. They weren't active on social media, they didn't have PR teams, they didn't host charities or other events, so on and so forth.
In just the three months I'd been alive, I'd heard more about my donor than any of the other level 5s combined. 7 and 6 might as well not exist. Mental Out was a Tokiwadai student. Meltdowner was… a woman? And I was skeptical about Dark Matter's power, though that was my own personal thoughts rather than anything concrete.
Then there was the Railgun. Don't get me started on her-
Something moved in the corner of my view, causing me to look toward the sky. It was the news blimp. Academy city's very own airship, flown for the express purpose of keeping the student body informed and knowledgeable of current events. Totally not biased or manipulated to serve a particular narrative whatsoever, no siree.
Not that I had any proof for that, but it seemed like the exact sort of thing you'd find in a high school urban sci-fi anime.
And judging by what it was saying now?
…I should've brought an umbrella.
V V V
Rain dripped down the curved covering of a park bench. My hair was damp, but I fortunately found cover before it could get worse.
Even better that this particular park was on my route. It was a nice little walk, with a large grass area with sparse trees. Near the center was a quaint little playground with a sandbox and swings. Yet again, I couldn't quite understand why I had to go to a park. At this point, I was beginning to question the intelligence of the scientists behind this.
Well, just a little more than usual.
Something thick, wet, and very soggy brushed against my leg. A gasp was harshly caught in my throat as I pulled my leg back, staring at whatever monstrosity was violating me.
…
It was an orange tabby.
Clearing my throat, I returned to staring at nothing, keeping my peripheral in the forefront of my mind. It wouldn't do to be caught by surprise. Especially by… something or other.
The cat went for another hit and run, leaving my other leg completely soaked. I inhaled and held it for a second. Just ignore it. Don't let it distract you.
The orange cat went for a third pass. I kept my hands on my lap, worried I might regret what I'd do otherwise.
Then, the cat started to meow at me. And not the annoying kind you'd expect from a Siamese, but the cute kind where you can practically hear it begging for love and affection.
"Meow. Meooow. Meooooow."
It'll go away soon. It always does.
And finally, the cat did indeed stop bugging me. Unfortunately, it wasn't because it got tired, but because it found someone far more receptive to its attempts.
"Hey, look, it's Shy girl!" In the corner of my eye was a group of grade schoolers, all of which had their own little umbrellas.
A girl with dark black hair crouched down as the cat ran under the cover of her umbrella. "Aw… was Ichigo-san being mean to you again?"
The kid who spoke first, a boy with brown hair and gray eyes, stomped over to me. "You should answer when being talked to! Mom said so!"
Then another kid (jeez, why are there so many of them?) picked up his pace to stop next to the boy. "But you didn't talk to her at all! You just yelled and pointed at her."
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Eek!" The girl let out a surprised shriek that quickly turned into laughter as she retracted her hand from the tabby. "Neko-chan is super wet!"
This got both the boys' attention as they clambered to touch the cat. "Woah, he is! Super wet!"
Uhg… can't they do this somewhere else? Why does my patrol have to line up with their path home?
I paused, considering that thought. I knew that a good portion of students lived in the on campus dorms, but most of them lived elsewhere. Was that 'elsewhere' outside of the city? Was there a border wall for Academy city? Did the students need to flash their student IDs to get in, or did they need passports?
Briefly looking at the kids, I wondered if they knew the answer, before dismissing the thought entirely. I was supposed to be an emotionless, robotic clone. Who knew what would happen if I broke the mold in public?
Yes, I was being serious. That stuff with the mop was a one time thing!
"Shy girl isn't talking today. Let's go home, I'm getting cold." Boy number two abruptly started walking away, a skip in his step.
"W-wait up!" The girl rushed after, the first boy giving me one last look before following the two.
Okay, so maybe I answered a question or two of theirs. They just wouldn't shut up, okay? And I felt kind of bad for ignoring a bunch of kids, regardless of my own need for survival.
Hopefully, I won't get caught and scrapped because I told those kids my 'serial number'. I thought with a measure of disgust.
It probably wouldn't lead to anything. At least, nothing outside that little nickname the kids gave me.
No, not 'Shy girl'. Ichigo. Honestly, I had no idea where they got the idea from. Maybe it was some Japanese pun Testament couldn't quite translate.
Blinking, I realized it was time for the last portion of the patrol. Standing up, I stepped into the rain, wishing I could've asked one of those kids for an umbrella.
At the very least, I'd get to take a long, warm shower once I got back to the apartment. I only had one more place to visit after all.
The trainyard wouldn't patrol itself.
V V V
Dark clouds rolled across the evening sky, blotting out the waning sun. My head was heavy, hair rain soaked. Clothes both pulled me down and clung to my skin as I trudged forward.
Mud and gravel mushed beneath my shoes. To make matters worse, my socks were completely drenched, courtesy of a deceptively shallow puddle.
A heavy wind buffeted my face and I instinctively grabbed my skirt. I grumbled to myself, feeling far too exposed. At the very least, I didn't have to attend school in such a ridiculous getup.
That's not much of a silver lining. Why should I be thankful I don't have to attend high school when I've already graduated?
Taking a step, I almost tripped over another puddle. This time, it was because I couldn't see it, rather than my own mistaken perception. Clenching my fist, I held back a frustrated sigh, opting to lower the Electron (NV) goggles over my eyes.
For a moment, my vision was blacked out. I hit a button on the side of the goggles and the world flashed, turning a vibrant shade of green. There was a subtle whine while my eyes adjusted to the change in light levels.
Following that, I was able to make out the shapes of large shipping containers, steel beams, and other less discernible objects.
As I took in the surroundings, slowly scanning the area, a low buzz began to poke the back of my head. Like waving away an irritating fly, I tried to push away the presence. Unfortunately, that only seemed to invigorate it.
Clenching my jaw, I glared at nowhere in particular. "Get out of my head. You already gave me the patrol instructions, so let me finish up in peace." I growled beneath my breath.
For a moment, I worried that it would break through, but a second later it disappeared. It was as though it were never there to begin with.
If my situation wasn't awful enough already, I was constantly under watch by some omnipresent hivemind.
It was usually through the so-called Network that I got patrol schedules and the like. I assumed that the scientists in charge disseminated the information through the Network rather than going to each clone individually.
I guess it isn't all bad. I reluctantly acquiesced. After all, it gives me a reason to never talk to anyone who's a part of the experiment. But I still don't like the idea of having my mind read. Or God forbid, tampered with.
In the corner of my sight there was movement. Immediately crouching down, I squinted, trying to make out what seemed to be a figure in the distance. I wiped away the water from the glass of the goggles, but it didn't help much.
What's someone doing in the rain at this time of day? Damnit, do I really have to contact the Network now?!
When coming into contact with an unknown person in restricted areas, it was usually expected of participants to shoo away the interference. Most of the time, I found excuses for avoiding confrontation, but with the Network as present as it was, it might already know about the disturbance.
Meaning it was likely waiting for me to request reinforcements. Because let's be real, what can a short Japanese school girl do against a potentially armed and dangerous adult?
Nothing on her own, that's what. But based on the info from Testament, it's probably safe to assume that other experimentees have access to a variety of firearms and other military tech.
Uhg. If I really need to let in that… thing, then I might as well gather as much info about the target as possible. Maybe if I take long enough, he'll leave on his own.
And so, I approached the figure carefully and cautiously.
As I got closer, I was able to more clearly make out the individual. Likely male. Either an adolescent boy, or a shorter than average man. He was skinny. Almost to an unhealthy degree. His long hair obscured his eyes, draping down like a raggedy curtain.
Suddenly, I caught more movement, but not from the target. Prone on the ground was a smaller figure, weakly crawling away from the male.
My eyes widened as I scrutinized the scene further.
Woah, what the hell is happening here-
Something clicked in my head. Like a gear finally making its turns. Or the pulling of a trigger, the hammer slowly falling down. A pin was pulled, a fuse ignited.
White hair, tinged gray. Pale, gangly figure. A manic grin creeped up his cheeks.
Vibrant red blood coated his hands.
It coated his hair, his feet, his face.
There were bodies. Dozens. Hundreds. Thousands.
Green overtook my vision, crimson fading away to nothingness. I fell backwards, hitting the ground harshly. My chest was on fire. I could feel pricks and pains everywhere. From every cut. Every bullet. Every evisceration.
In front of me, with strenuous effort, the prone figure tried to pull herself forward with the only limb that remained unbroken.
It was as though there was molten liquid flowing through her body. Jagged rocks pressed into her wounds, digging into her fingers with every beat.
The seconds slowed to milliseconds. Then to microseconds. And then nanoseconds.
Accelerator put his foot on the back of the clone in a deceptively gentle manner. Even with her full strength, the clone could no longer move forward. There was no escape.
His mouth moved, but the words were subsumed by the rain. Thunder rumbled as he tilted his head back.
I watched in horror. In agony. In despair.
That girl, she needed help. Respite. Reprieve. She was dying. She was going to die. I was watching her demise.
My fingers twitched. My breath caught in my throat. My legs couldn't move. My arms couldn't rise. It was as though the strings that dragged me for all these months had been cut. Did I ever really have control over this body to begin with?
Before me was the experiment. Level 6 Shift. To achieve godhood, the deified level 6, Accelerator needed to kill 20,000 clones of the Railgun. A trial of endurance and patience, since he clearly didn't need any effort in his bloody quest.
This was evil. It was reprehensible. It was such a…
I could feel my legs again. My hands shifted against the ground, ready to push away. To spring forward and halt this crime against all that is right.
Blood rushed to my head, pounding. Pounding like a mallet.
My legs brought me to a stand. And then, I was free. Completely free to make any decision I so desire. Nothing held me down. Nothing kept me in place. And at that moment, I wanted someone dead.
Never before had I ever wished such a thing. Never before did I wish to grip someone by the throat. Clench my fists and wring the life from his body.
And so I stood there. My boiling fury, my screams for justice, my calling for a simpler, kinder world.
And so I stood there.
I stood there.
Nothing.
All that emotion. All that ranting and raving, internal as it was, meant nothing.
Not compared to the hand that held my heart in a vice grip. My legs were locked. Throat tightened. I couldn't blink nor take a breath.
If I took that step, I would die.
So, at that moment, I made a choice. I chose to stand my ground. To remain planted as I was. To watch. To wait.
To let an innocent die before my eyes.
Accelerator's foot sunk into the clone's back. Like a knife through butter, he twisted his foot for extra measure, pulverizing her ribcage.
Lightning flashed and white encompassed my sight, painting the world bright. Static filled my head, playing with my mind like putty. The walls closed in, threatening to crush me.
I ripped the goggles off my face, taking in deep, labored inhales.
The world felt a little bigger. The walls faded away, as though they were never there. But something replaced them. Something very real.
Opening my eyes, I found myself surrounded by clones. Each looked identical, sporting the same Tokiwadai uniform and green glowing goggles. Their expressions were unreadable, as though not a single thought passed through their heads.
And I couldn't look away.
So I ran.
O O O
A/N: I've actually wanted to write a Misaka clone SI for a long time. Ever since I came across an Evangelion SI back in 2020.
It was that one Rei clone hivemind SI over on Sufficient Velocity. I think in the thread, there was mention of a very similar fic, that being a Misaka clone SI. Ended up reading a bunch of those before finally deciding to give Railgun a try.
I had actually watched the first arc of Index about a year or two earlier, but found the show boring. So I was surprised when I enjoyed Railgun as much as I did. Especially the Sisters arc. That arc, on its own, is in my top ten anime.
Just don't ask me what my top ten anime are.
I was super inspired by the different Misaka clone SI that were out at the time. But with Toaru being as large as it is, I felt intimidated by the idea of tackling such a fic. Especially as an inexperienced writer.
But I still wanted to write, so I compromised and put together Base of Energy. A fun project that, somehow, got a decently large following. It's my most popular fic by a very large margin.
And man, do I have issues with it. The me from three years ago is decidedly different from the me now. I kind of worry about touching that fic.
With the research I've been putting into story writing, I'm hoping that by the time I finish the first arc of this story, I'll be able to do something with BoE.
Anyhow, if you decided to read through this little A/N, thanks for your time. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.