Summary: AU. Misaka Mikoto dies and everyone is devastated. Touma meets a Misaka doppelganger and decided to train her to become the new Misaka Mikoto.
Guide:
—this is Touma’s narration of things—
this is current Touma’s thoughts
HOW TO TRAIN A CERTAIN SCIENTIFIC RAILGUN
CHAPTER 02: A Certain Railgun Doppelganger
It’s been a week since Academy City’s level 5 esper’s demise and just yesterday, Touma attended her funeral. He saw how much Kuroko and the rest were devastated because of their loss. Their friend. Touma himself had to admit he haven’t gotten over it.
After leaving Index with enough food supply to last her a day, he left the house to ‘find a life’. He needed to find a way to get over his problem as soon as he could. The pain in his heart is choking him endlessly. And despite the feeling of being choked, he doesn’t run out of air, he can breathe and he still lives. But he would always question himself how long will he live like that?
While walking in the casual streets of Academy City, he finds himself staring at a Gekota store that was built recently. He could imagine a certain someone would always be hanging around nearby and would most probably be a regular customer in such a store. He smiled as his imaginary Misaka was staring at the window of the store, peeking at the items in the store. Touma decided to allow himself to believe that the imaginary Misaka was real and that for some reason they are playing a game of ignoring each other.
But as he walked passed his imaginary Misaka, the wind blew her skirt and revealed striped blue and white panties instead of Misaka’s usual undergarment. Touma’s eyes widened as he halted his movements to have a better look at those striped underwear.
It can’t be!
His eyes that were locked on the underwear blinked when the skirt had fallen down. Furious that he failed to examine it, he knelt down to raise the skirt after going back, he stared and blinked and scratched his eyes but it didn’t change.
“Come on! I’m not imagining Misaka like this!” He scolded himself, still thinking that the glimpse of imaginary Misaka’s underwear was his doing.
But this made Touma realize he was actually touching the girl’s skirt. And that whoever it is, is a real person. And not his imagination. Immediately, he pulled away and stumbled backwards, eyeing who the girl was. He was caught in for another surprise to see a familiar Tokiwadai uniform, the pin, those eyes, the medium length hair.. it’s no one else but..
“Biribiri!” He exclaimed.
In fear of any electrical shock from her, he closed his eyes and covered his face with his arms. But there was nothing of the sort. He opened one eye to peek if somehow his hallucinations had taken him to the next level, but no, the girl was still there, staring at him.
It was odd because she was unusually quiet and calm about it. Usually they’d run for it because she did one of her tantrums and overheated another security robot.
The silence between them was getting thicker by the second. Touma couldn’t talk, not knowing what to say. He was glad that there aren’t people to see him do what he did. When the girl in front of him realized he wasn’t gonna speak, she decided to start the conversation.
“‘You’re that crazy fellow at the alley.’ MISAKA states as she points a finger at the boy in front of her.”
“E- Eh?”
Crazy fellow? Back at the alley?
Touma couldn’t place it but somehow he finds her way of speaking oddly familiar.
“‘You were fighting an enemy you can’t see.’ MISAKA supplemented, hoping to clear the confusion.”
“A- Ah! You’re real!” Touma points back at her, his tone mixed with joy, relief, anger and disbelief. He couldn’t understand his own feelings, so he decided not to listen to it until he’s sorted it out.
“‘MISAKA sadly informs you that the act you showed last week is under the degree of insanity.’ MISAKA informs as she dropped the pointed finger from him.”
Touma raises a brow on her, all mixed feelings disappearing almost immediately. Something wasn’t right but the way Misaka offends him before was still there. Something else was not right.
“Are you.. really alive..?” He asked without thinking.
“‘Certifiably insane. No doubt.’ MISAKA praises as she mocks a laugh. ‘Ha-ha.'” However the way the girl laughed had no feelings nor did it sound like a laugh that mocks him.
“I would’ve lost my cool if you didn’t laugh.” He muttered, almost wanting to hit his head on a pole.
Is this really Misaka? Did she miraculously survive in exchange of her brain or something?
While he was stuck in thought, he looks back at the girl to see that she was muttering loud things to herself.
“‘He’s commenting on MISAKA’S laugh. Ha-ha, he must be jealous, ha-ha.’ MISAKA whispers to herself.”
Touma swore he wants to hit his head with something. Something was entirely different with Misaka that morning.
“I can hear you, you know?!” He yelled at her.
No, this can’t be her. It can’t be. She’s too.. different.
Frustrated with the fake Misaka, he hits his own head with his fist, forcing himself to erase hallucinations that he was seeing and talking to. The girl tilts her head to the side in confusion towards his actions. It wasn’t anything she could comprehend.
“‘Is something wrong with your head?’ MISAKA asks, disregarding his angry shout earlier.”
Why? Why is she acting like this? Where is the Misaka I once knew?
He stopped hitting himself when the ‘hallucination’ didn’t disappear.
“You’re not real.” He said weakly, his hand covering his eyes.
“‘MISAKA is real.’ MISAKA confirms. ‘MISAKA can eat, talk and do everything that everyone can.’ MISAKA adds, hoping to be enough proof of her existence being true.”
But Touma wasn’t satisfied with her answer. Touma was sure she was different from thr Misaka he knew.
He dropped his hand grabbed the girl by her vest, his hold gripping on her clothes. His eyes sharply staring at her, trying to intimidate her dead blank eyes.
“You’re -not- the Misaka I know. You’re not.” He told her but she didn’t faze.
“‘MISAKA haven’t seen you before, other than the time back then.’ MISAKA clarifies that the boy was still a stranger.”
“Then why are you calling yourself ‘MISAKA’?!” he inquired, his anger causing him to push her towards the wall, people nearby heard him and soon if he won’t let go, someone will call for Judgment.
“‘Because that is MISAKA’S name.’ Replies MISAKA.”
But Touma couldn’t force himself to believe it.
Another Misaka? Isn’t she an only child?! Why is there another..?
“‘MISAKA doesn’t have a phone number so you cannot contact her by using-‘” the girl’s speech was cut short when Touma pulled her from the wall to drag her to an isolated area.
“What? You’re Misaka’s sister or something, what are you to her?” He asked. Curious why she looked like Misaka.
“‘MISAKA is from the MISAKA network. There are 20001 clones over all and we are scattered all over Academy City to fulfill a task in playing with a certain powerful esper. We..'” While the girl was speaking, Touma was lost not even half of it.
Someone who looks like Biribiri.. her hair, her eyes, her height.. not everything is right but if.. what if.. I train her to be like her? To be like Misaka Mikoto.. that way.. everyone.. everyone would be back to normal.
With the thought in mind, he felt happy with his evil plan. A genuine plan.
When the girl was finished- no, cut finished by Touma, he smirked as he observed and examined everything that needs work.
“‘Were you even listening?’ MISAKA asks the crazy fellow as she squinted her eyes at him.”
“Listen Imouto, I want to tell you something.” He started to introduce his scheme when he’s finished examining the girl.
“‘MISAKA’S serial number is-‘”
“You’re Misaka’s Imouto to me.” He cuts her off for the third time. “You’re not her, just someone who looks like her and the best way to explain why is because you’re her imouto. Understood?” He said, but it wasn’t like he was waiting for an answer.
Imouto gave him a look that says ‘so you weren’t listening after all’ but Touma failed to notice it since he was too caught up with his genuine plan.
“When it’s only the two of us, I call you Misaka’s Imouto but to everyone else, you’re Misaka Mikoto, the Railgun.” He stated his rules to implant into Imouto’s brain what needs to be followed.
“‘The original.'” Imouto was supposed to say something else but she expected that Touma would cut her off again so she kept it that way.
“Yes, she’s the original and you’re a copycat.” Touma nodded. “And I want you to pretend to be her for the meantime.”
“‘You thought about this without thinking if MISAKA does not want to be a part of it?’ MISAKA asks, purposely discouraging him not to expect too much.”
“Yes. It’s not much of a choice. It’s a must and an order.” Touma said strongly. It was a long shot but he was desperate. He needed Misaka on his side.
“‘MISAKA will think about it.'”
“But-!”
“‘MISAKA is given a free will to do what she wants.'” She informed him and he was taken aback. He almost forgot that in front of him was another human being with a life and most of all- she was not Misaka.
He let her go and steps away from her, finding himself a threat to her safety and her free will to do what she wants.
“‘MISAKA agrees to your terms if you agree to MISAKA’S terms.'” the girl added and she saw the glimpse of happiness in his eyes again, almost relieved.
“Of course! What terms?”
“‘MISAKA is looking for her goggles. She needs help in finding them.'”
Seriously?
Stunned by the simple request, Touma wanted to confirm it before assuming anything. “Is that all?”
“‘Yes.’ MISAKA confirms.”
Stupid and simple.
He forced a laugh and felt comfortable around her the moment she had confirmed it. He knew that after he’s fulfilled her request he can turn her into his own fantasies of Misaka.
He scratched the side of his cheek and asked, “So where have you last seen it?”
“‘On MISAKA’S bedside table.'”
“At your house? Shouldn’t you be looking for it there?” He said as a matter of fact way.
“‘MISAKA lives at the hospital. MISAKA already checked twice but did not find it so MISAKA thought the doctor took it but MISAKA doesn’t know where he lives.’ MISAKA says calmly as she tries to explain the situation.
Misaka, Misaka, Misaka… this is annoying.
“Once I’m done with your terms, you’ll submit to mine right?”
“‘Yes.'”
Good.
“Okay then. So what were you doing back there?” He remembered seeing her by the new Gekota store, so he pointed a thumb at the direction of the store.
“‘MISAKA thinks the doctor lives there.’ MISAKA replies as she passed by you to head back to the store.”
Gekota huh? I thought for sure you’ve got the same taste as her.
Touma chuckled internally at the resemblance of Gekota and the doctor but then it dawned him that they haven’t properly met and that Imouto is on his way towards the store.
“Hey wait up!” He called and ran after her.
“‘MISAKA can speak to the doctor after she finds him.'”
“I know, but didn’t you gave me your terms and said you needed my help?” He reminded her. “So I’m helping.”
“‘Understood.'”
“My name is Kamijou Touma by the way.” He said and was about to stretch a hand forward but stopped himself halfway. “Just saying.”
“It’s nice to know ‘crazy fellow’ has a name.’ MISAKA compliments before turning around to head back to the store.”
“H- Hey that’s a compliment?!”
It’s good to know you have a name too, Imouto.
The two entered the store and finds the cashier reading a magazine, an obvious boredom painted in his face.
“How can I help you?” The cashier asked as soon as he spotted the customers enter through his peripheral.
“We’re uh, looking for some goggles.” Touma said with certainty so Imouto took a step forward.
“‘MISAKA is looking for a doctor. Does he live here?’ MISAKA inquires.”
“Misaka?” The cashier repeated, somehow recognizing the name. Touma’s heart skipped a beat and immediately locked his eyes on the cashier. “The Railgun?!”
As soon as the cashier spoke those words, Touma was troubled that news will spread fast about Misaka’s doppelganger before he could train her to become the real Misaka.
“A- Ah she’s, err, she’s a cosplayer! And man she’s a big fan of Misaka Mikoto!” He stuttered his excuse, the best he can come up at the moment.
“Huh?” The cashier seemed confused.
“We’re trying to memorize a line from a famous author! So uh, we have to go.. after uh, buying this.” He randomly grabbed a Gekota keychain and placed it in the counter.
Awkward and obvious, instead of suspicion the cashier was confused. But either way punched the tag so that Touma and tbe ‘cosplayer’ could buy it.
“Please come again.”
When they left, Touma and Imouto were walking in the streets with no direction where to go. Imouto was just following the quiet and humliated Touma. Not like it was new to him.
“‘We still haven’t found my goggles.’ MISAKA decided to break the silence and reminded Touma about the missing item MISAKA needs.”
“I know.” He mumbled. “Until we find it you can’t be Misaka..”
Imouto knew he was talking to himself but since she could hear it, she decided to speak up.
“‘While we’re in the process of finding MISAKA’S missing goggles, MISAKA can learn a few things to be the original.’ MISAKA states.”
This quickly lightened up Touma’s mood and hugged her without warning.
“Awesome! I’ll teach you everything you need to know!”
When he released her, Imouto puts a hand on her arm, feeling the leftover warmth from the hug.
“I’ll train you to be the certain scientific Railgun that everyone wants and misses.” Touma declared.
jadetalesyeah 