If someone were to ask how Kousei Oogimiya felt at that moment, the answer would've been simple, furious.
Not the kind of anger that burned bright and loud, but something deeper. Heavier. A quiet, poisonous rage that clawed its way up from the pit of his stomach and settled behind his ribs, coiling there like a living thing.
His hands shook, not from fear, but from restraint. Every muscle screamed to do something, to lash out, to tear the world apart until it hurt as much as he did. The metallic scent of blood still lingered in his nose, crawling down his throat like acid.
He could still see her, lifeless, discarded, treated like a piece of broken machinery. And that thought, that single image, lit a fire so blinding it almost drowned out the grief.
If someone were to ask how Kousei Oogimiya felt… He'd tell them he wanted to destroy something. No, he wanted to destroy someone. Accelerator.
That name alone made his blood boil. That monster didn't fight them, he toyed with them. He didn't respect them, he mocked them. Those girls hadn't even been enemies to him. They were targets in a sick experiment, playthings to be broken and tossed aside.
I know Accelerator had it rough in Academy City. I know about the level 6 shift to an extent. But it still grinds my fucking gears seeing him kill someone in cold blood. I looked up at Touma and finally said something after a long while. "Touma, don't bother calling Anti-Skill, it won't change anything. He looked at me like I grew a second head before he responded to me. "Oogimiya, what the hell are you talking about? OF COURSE I'M GONNA CALL ANTI SK-"
Before he could continue I decided to cut him off. "I think we should tell Misaka first, she deserves to know about her sister's death." Touma, after a moment of conflicted hesitation, seemed to agree. He pulled out his phone with trembling hands and dialed.
I watched his face as he spoke, explaining in a rushed, horrified whisper what we had found. He asked her if she knew about the dead Sister. There was a beat of silence from the other end of the line. Then, a sharp, definitive click.
She had hung up. Touma stared at his phone, stunned. "She... she just..."
Before we could process the implications of Misaka hanging up, a soft rustle came from the alley's entrance. We both turned. Another Misaka Sister stood there, identical in every way to the one lying dead on the ground. Her expression was as placid as ever, her goggles resting on her forehead.
"Wha…?" Touma's voice was a choked whisper, his mind refusing to process the sight. The new Sister's eyes scanned the scene, lingering for a moment on her deceased double before settling on us. "I apologize. I planned to return once I completed my work, Misaka says, offering an apology to start off."
It was then that his eyes caught on something he'd missed. It was the sister holding a small bag. I watched as Touma started putting the pieces together, figuring things out and watching it all click inside his brain.
"Why the hell are you carrying a sleeping bag?" He cried out in shock.
"…? You do not know? Misaka responds with a question. I had thought you were related to this experiment because you were present in the test area, but…I see. You certainly do appear to have little to do with the experiment, Misaka answers by intuition."
Experiment…? Kamijou was quiet for a moment. He didn't understand her at all.
"Just to be sure, I will confirm with the password, Misaka says, as she promised. ZXC741ASD852QWE963, she tests." "Wh…at? Hey, what have you been going on about?" "As you cannot decode the password, it does not seem that you are a participant in this experiment, Misaka says, supplementing her intuition with evidence grounded in logic."
It might as well have been an alien language coming out of her mouth at this point. He looked at her dubiously, but she continued. "Sister was meant to go inside the sleeping bag."
Replying to his doubts was indeed Little Misaka's voice… But, from behind her, he heard a clap of footsteps approaching. For some reason, the voice was coming from somewhere more distant than Little Misaka's. It was like it had reached him from farther down the alley. And, in reality, Kamijou's sense was right on the mark. With only the clip-clap of footsteps, somebody was approaching Little Misaka from behind.
"I apologize for leaving the black cat behind, Misaka asserts." The person who appeared out of the darkness—it was a girl who looked cut from the exact same mold as Little Misaka. What? She has the same face… Does that mean this one is Mikoto? Touma thought, desperately trying to find logic in the madness. "However, I was not willing to drag an animal into unnecessary conflict, says Misaka, defending herself."
But he was wrong. There hadn't been just one set of footsteps. "I'd like to apologize to you for all this as well, says Misaka, bowing her head." Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten—the number of unique sets of footsteps was increasing endlessly. From the shadows behind the first two, more figures emerged. An endless procession of identical faces, identical uniforms, identical vacant stares. They filed into the alley, a silent, placid army surrounding us, their collective presence swallowing the space until the walls themselves seemed to press in. They were everywhere. A sea of sisters.
"It seems that we have caused you unnecessary worry because of the experiment, says—" "However, there is no need to fear—" "The fact that you called the original was also—" "A correct judgment— "Is the black cat safe? Asks—" "All of the Misakas here are Misaka, so—" "However, if I were really the killer, then what did you plan to do?—"
Touma could only stare in stunned silence as the chorus of overlapping voices washed over him, and more and more Misakas continued to step out of the woodwork. While he was still getting his thoughts together one of the clones decided to explain.
"You are currently in an extreme state of stress, observes Misaka" "The Misaka you have interacted with before now is serial number 10032—in other words, this Misaka, she responds." She motioned to herself with her free hand and continued. "Our brain waves are linked to one another by means of Misaka's ability to control electricity. This is all no more than the other Misakas sharing number 10032's memory, Misaka adds to her explanation."
"What exactly are you all?" I said finishing Touma's inner thoughts. "We are the Sisters—somatic cell clones of our big sister, who is one of only seven Level Fives in Academy City—created for mass production in the military, answers Misaka." "I apologize once more for getting you involved in today's experiment, says Misaka, bowing her head. "
Kamijou rested his back against the wall of the alley, alone, the black cat in his arms. The multitude of Misakas slowly disappeared into the darkness. They were most likely bringing out the corpse and wiping off any and all worthwhile evidence. In addition, those "experiments" would continue. He didn't know what they were exactly, but they probably involved more Misakas being killed and their corpses being dragged away, all without anyone knowing.
"Cmon Touma, let's go." He just looked at me with a dead stare before replying. "You're right, Index is gonna get angry if we stay out too late?" I turned to him with a mischievous smile on my face. "Who the fuck said we were going back to the apartment? We're investigating this mess whether they like it or not." Touma just looked at me before stealing his resolve and nodding his head. "We'll take the bus to her dorm room and press her for answers, now c'mon I don't have all day for you to be sulking."
Time Skip
We arrived at the Tokaiwodai Middle School Dorm. "I'm pretty sure their dorm room is 208, let's go find her and get on her ass." "WAIT WERE GONNA WHAT?" I look at him with a deadpan look before replying to the idiot. "I MEAN WE'RE GONNA PRESSURE HER INTO GIVING ANSWERS NOT LITTERALLY FUCK HER DIPSHIT."
After that whole fiasco I put my hand on the apartment intercom. We waited for a little bit before a voice came from the other end. "Who's this?" The voice asked in suspicion. "It's Oogimiya and Touma, we need to ask Misaka some questions. The voice on the other end was quiet for a bit before responding, "I believe she'll be returning soon, If you need her I recommend entering and waiting for her."
"C'mon Touma lets look around for a bit, this building is large as hell." I said calling out to Touma, who was trailing behind me. Upon arriving to her apartment building Kuroko told us to just come in since it wasn't locked.
Touma looked deeply uncomfortable, hovering near the doorway despite having permission. Kuroko noticed his unease and gave him a small, knowing smile. "I'm sorry. This room is really only for sleeping in, so it's not set up to treat guests properly. If you're waiting for Big Sister, please have a seat on the other bed."
"…Er, I don't think so. I don't have her permission, and—" Touma started. "There is no need to worry. That bed is mine." I, having no such reservations, promptly flopped down onto the indicated bed. It was surprisingly firm. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Touma exploded. "WHAT ARE YOU, SOME KIND OF PERVERT, ROLLING AROUND ON SOMEONE ELSE'S BED LIKE THAT?!"
I propped myself up on my elbows, a wicked grin spreading across my face. "Oh? Is this bed not big enough for the three of us?" I teased, my voice dripping with false innocence. "Or do you want the bed with only you and Misaka? I wonder what you'll be doing in it. Groping each other? Having sweaty sexual intercourse when no one's looking?"
Touma's face went from red to a spectacular shade of purple. "HOW DO YOU EVEN ARRIVE AT THAT CONCLUSION?!" he screeched, his voice cracking spectacularly. "THAT'S NOT—WE WOULDN'T EVEN-"
Kuroko, who had been observing this with an unreadable expression, cut him off. "My, such a vivid imagination. Though I must insist, any such activities involving Big Sister would require my direct supervision and participation. But let's drop the topic, why are you two really here anyway?"
Before we could start actually having important conversations a few steps outside interrupted us. Kuroko looked at us in fear but I cut her off before she could talk. "Touma follow me, the dorm supervisor is coming." I opened up a portal to fit 2 people and stepped inside of it. After Touma followed behind I closed my portal before we could get in trouble. "So, Oogimiya, where are w—" Touma began, but the moment he took a proper look around, his words died in his throat, his jaw dropping to the floor.
We stood within a seemingly endless vault. Mountains of gold coins, glittering jewels, and legendary artifacts were piled high, stretching away into a golden-hued darkness. The sheer, unimaginable wealth of the Gate of Babylon surrounded us. I waved a hand in front of his stunned face. "Oh? So you don't like this place?" I teased, a mischievous glint in my eye. "I'll just have to hide you somewhere a bit more... cozy, then." "Wait, wha—" he managed to stammer before I snapped my fingers. A smaller portal opened directly beneath his feet, and with a yelp, he dropped through it, the portal closing instantly.
Back in the dorm room, under Misaka Mikoto's bed, a new portal spat a disoriented Touma Kamijou onto the floor with a soft thump. Before he could even make sense of his surroundings the feline started clawing on his face. "Ow, stop. Please don't scratch me
"Ow! Hey, stop it! Please don't scratch me!" he whispered frantically, trying to gently pry the feline off.
In the struggle, his hand brushed against the surface of the stuffed animal's cloth. His palm felt something stiff and hard, quite unusual for a teddy bear. It felt like something was hidden inside. Giving it a closer look in the dim light, he saw that a few of the stitches had been modified into zippers, creating little secret pockets. As he ran his hands over it, he felt what seemed to be a small jar or bottle. Maybe she's hiding perfume in it, he thought, figuring the cat's nose didn't like the smell. It seemed like Mikoto was concealing something against school rules.
He sighed, about to remove his hands from the bear… when he noticed something else.
"Huh?"
A thick collar, like a pants belt, was wrapped around the bear's neck. Written on it was "Killerkuma" or something, but that didn't matter. Looking from above, he saw a zipper hidden by the collar, set up to be difficult to open. A rugged padlock was attached. This zipper was clearly different from the others.
Whatever is hidden in there is probably the thing she most wants to keep secret, he realized. He didn't consider going all the way and seeing what it was. But the zipper was half open. The corner of a paper was sticking out. I should just leave it, he thought. Digging around for other people's secrets is bad. It's bad.
But on that paper, he could make out words written in the font of a word processor: "Trial Number 07-15-2005071112a Relating to the Sisters, the mass-produced Radio Noise espers, the Level Five One-Way Road 'Accelerator's'"
Touma gave a start. The paper was only sticking out a little bit, so he couldn't read any more. He shut his eyes. This was probably something he wouldn't be able to come back from once he saw it. So if he didn't look at it, he could still turn back. This was his final warning.
The cat, now bored of his face, took a long, menacing breath near the bear.
"…"
Touma pondered for a moment, then opened his eyes. Pretend I didn't see it…? If I was clever enough to do that, then I wouldn't be in this situation in the first place.
To get the sheet of paper out, he needed to open the zipper all the way. The collar with the padlock was wrapped around it, presenting an obstacle… for anyone else. But this was a stuffed animal. He squeezed the bear's head as hard as he could. The soft stuffing easily deformed, widening the gap between the bear and its collar. Then he shoved his fingers into the gap and pulled the zipper open.
Close to twenty sheets of report paper slid out. The data was dense and technical, but the title at the top was chillingly clear:
"Utilization of the Sisters: Method for the Level Five Superpower 'Accelerator' to Evolve to Level Six." Level Six? Touma thought, confused. The highest is Level Five. He crawled out from under the bed, his heart pounding as he skimmed the pages. The report was cold, clinical, and utterly horrifying.
It stated that Accelerator, the city's strongest Level 5, could reach the theoretical Level 6 by accumulating 250 years of combat experience. Since that was impossible, the scientists had devised an alternative: real combat simulations. His blood ran cold. Real combat. The words connected directly to the dead Sister in the alley.
The report calculated that Accelerator needed to kill the Level 5 "Railgun"—Misaka Mikoto—128 times to evolve. But they couldn't use the real Railgun. So, they used the "Sisters." Mass-produced clones of Misaka, grown in labs. Their specs were lower, only Level 3. The calculation was adjusted: to achieve the same result, Accelerator would need to kill 20,000 of the Sisters.
Touma's hands shook. His breathing grew ragged. Twenty thousand. This wasn't an experiment; it was a systematic, pre-scripted slaughter. Each Sister's death was a line in a scenario, a step on a monster's path to godhood. He thought of the Sister who helped them, who was kind to the cat. She wasn't a lab rat. She was a person. And this report treated her life as disposable data.
But then, a detail caught his eye: a pair of barcodes in the corner of the page. The terminal rank was C, but the data rank was A. An impossible mismatch. She hacked it, Touma realized. Mikoto didn't get this report legitimately. She wasn't a collaborator; she was an intruder. She had stolen this information.
He kept flipping and found a large, folded map of Academy City. Several locations were marked with a red 'X'. Using his phone's GPS, he cross-referenced the coordinates. Kanasaki University Muscular Dystrophy Research Center Mizuho Agency Pathological Analysis Institute Higuchi Pharmaceuticals Seventh Pharmaceutics Research Center
The names meant little to him, but they triggered a memory: the news on the blimp screen. Several research institutes related to muscular dystrophy had recently and suddenly shut down. The black cat meowed uneasily.
Before he could arrive at any more conclusions a golden portal opened up. "Hey Touma, did you find anything useful?" I asked, hoping he'd find what I wanted him to. He just looked back at me with a grim expression. "Follow me I'll explain on the way" he replied with despair written all over his face.
Kamijou grabbed the black cat by its neck and burst out of the room. He wasn't paying any attention to the fact that someone might see him. In total disregard of any onlookers who may have been present, We ran down the hallway, darted down the stairs, threw open the door at the entrance, and burst out of the building.
Kamijou and I rushed through the shopping district. "So this is basically some weird ass experiment trying to make the top rank esper a level 6?" I asked, trying to put everything together. "That's the gist of it, let's hope we can find Misaka and get more answers out of her."
We ran aimlessly, but he had to look for her. The contradiction made us needlessly impatient. For now, he needed to run through the dark clouds to seek out Mikoto.
"Hey Touma, look up there. The wind turbines are turning without any wind." I yelled out to him. He looked up and sure enough, they were turning without any wind whatsoever. "If we follow them we'll be able to find her."
…
End of chapter, ya I know ending it like this was kinda ass but fuck off man I'm tired ok. Also I just wanna clear some things up before I go into the next chapter. This SI has watched A Certain Magical Index, He only remembers events, not the whole show but sometimes when something happens it triggers a memory. He's watched all from Season 1 to 3, but past that he's completely clueless. By the way, I'm looking for someone to proofread my shit ngl. Help if you can please :C