Episode 16 - Sisterhood
Mikoto stands protectively in front of Misaka 10032 as the furious Accelerator turns toward them. He demands to know why she's so determined to protect these "wind-up dolls" — wondering if it's because of vanity, jealousy, or for some kind of penance. Mikoto replies that it's none of those things: it's because they're her little sisters, and it's her duty to protect them. She apologetically tells Misaka 10032 she doesn't have the right to say that after everything she's done, but asks if they'll let her stand in that role.
Her sister replies, "Yes."
Then, from where he's been lying on the ground nearby, Touma slowly stands up. Wondering how the boy is able to continue after all this, Accelerator screams in frustration, then turns and launches himself at Touma one last time. And Touma meets him with his right fist... one last time.
As Touma's fist is about to connect, Accelerator has a sudden flash back to his childhood. Feared, ostracized and constantly attacked because of his destructive power, he learned early on that he could never have a normal life. Then the scientists of Project Level 6 Shift made him a proposal: what if he were to become so powerful that no-one could ever even dream of opposing him? Could he achieve a normal life then?
Touma's fist smashes into his face with the full force of his own accelerated charge. Flying backward, Accelerator's last thought as he loses consciousness is to wonder what on Earth he's been doing.
The next morning, Mikoto, carrying a small paper bag with the Seventh Mist logo, makes her way to Touma's hospital room. He shortly wakes up to find her standing by his side. Mikoto, embarrased, presents the bag and says she's bought him some expensive cookies as a thank you. Touma, with characteristic tact, remarks that homemade cookies are more traditional as thank-you gifts. When Mikoto retorts that his expectations are a bit high, he concedes that perhaps she wouldn't be much good at making them. After she tries to add some electroshock therapy to his treatment, Touma says that Misaka 10032 visited him during the night and informed him that Project Level 6 Shift has been cancelled.
Mikoto goes down to a small park on the hospital grounds, where she finds Misaka 10032, heavily bandaged but otherwise looking well. They walk around the park together; Mikoto says she's willing to help the Sisters figure out how to live normal lives — then realizes she's talking to the air. She looks around and sees Misaka 10032 playing on a swing set to the amusement of two young girls.
The younger of the two girls then asks her sister to push her on the swings some more. The older girl is reluctant, but Misaka 10032 tells her that older sisters must indulge their younger sisters, to Mikoto's bemused exasperation. Noticing the resemblance, the younger girl asks if Mikoto and Misaka 10032 are sisters. She sees Mikoto's Gekota-themed phone and guesses Mikoto must be the younger sister. Before Mikoto can respond, Misaka 10032 corrects the girl. She says that even though Mikoto is childish, short-tempered, unrefined and unable to be honest with her feelings... she's still the big sister who put her life on the line for her sisters.
Mikoto and her sister sit down and talk for a while. Misaka 10032 says that she was supposed to have died last night; now, she and the other Sisters have no idea what their future holds. Mikoto says again she'll be there to help them.
A day or two later, Saten and Uiharu are tidying up in Saten's kitchen. It seems Mikoto came over to bake some cookies with Saten for some unknown reason. Saten notes that Mikoto refused to say who the cookies were for, so the pair have some fun speculating.
Mikoto is walking along the street towards the hospital, carrying a bag of her homemade cookies and trying to work herself up to giving them to Touma. Just then, she sees Touma himself, bandaged and on crutches, coming the other way. She asks why he's left the hospital already; he just mutters something about bills, and having to look after his roommate. Preparing to give him the cookies, Mikoto starts to stammer out a thank-you, but is unable to get the words to come out. After a few confused moments, Touma starts to leave, calling Mikoto Biri-Biri and saying he'll see her around. Mikoto snaps that he should use her real name, and says it's about time he learned to remember it. Touma pauses, then smiles and calls her "Misaka" before slowly walking away. Mikoto, still clutching the bag of cookies, stands frozen, apparently unable to move.
A moment later Kuroko appears and hurries up to Mikoto, saying she has bad news. Seeing Mikoto's (hidden) face, she stops and asks what the matter is. Mikoto quickly says everything's fine, then asks what the bad news is. Remembering herself, Kuroko informs her that the Dormitory Supervisor has found out about Mikoto's many absences.
Mikoto hurries off and Kuroko follows, reflecting that she'd never seen that particular expression on Mikoto's face before...
Tropes
- Adaptation Expansion: Compared to the Index version of this story, this one adds a lengthy scene with Mikoto standing up for the Sisters as she confronts Accelerator note . This is implied to be a major factor in the Sisters' acceptance of themselves as real people — thus managing to give Mikoto a more active role in saving them without retconning Touma's accomplishments.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Mikoto and Touma may be utterly wrecked — her emotionally and him physically — and 10,031 Sisters have died... but the horrifying Level 6 Shift project has been cancelled, the remaining Sisters have been saved and are free to live their lives, and Mikoto now has perhaps the biggest family in the world.
- Face Palm: Mikoto, when she realizes Misaka 10032 has wandered away from her attempted heart-to-heart, and is now goofing off on a playground swing set.
- Harsh Word Impact: Happens to Mikoto when Misaka 10032 is listing off her various personality flaws in front of the kids.
- My God, What Have I Done?: This seems to dawn on Accelerator a split second before Touma's fist renders him unconscious.
- Not So Above It All: Misaka 10032 may be a highly-trained and emotionally repressed military commando... but she can't resist the urge to spontaneously start playing on a swing set with a couple of little girls. She shamelessly follows up a few moments later by criticizing Mikoto for her childish personality traits.
- Unreveal Angle: We don't see Mikoto's reaction to Touma using her name for the first time, as she's facing away from the camera. Kuroko does see it, albeit unaware of the context, and notes that she's never seen Mikoto wear an expression like that before.
