Kyouko Kirigiri lay in the bed, her body curled around the baby, as if trying to protect her child from harm. Outside the window, thunder crashed just before another lightning bolt struck down, proceeded by another crash. The baby seemed to sleep through it, sleeping as still as ever. Kyouko couldn't sleep. Her body hurt from the day of running, running with her small, unnamed child, trying to find a place to hide. She had found it, eventually. An old hotel that was somehow still standing in the mess that the world was. She'd hidden away in one of the rooms, locked all the doors and windows, making sure that he couldn't get in. But she knew deep down that even if everything was locked, he'd get in anyway. He was somewhere in this city. She knew, she'd seen him, had his hands on her like that night so many months ago. She feared him now. Feared what he'd do to her and their nameless child.

'Kyouko, Kyouko, you can't always run away.' His last words to her echoed through her head. It had been two days since she'd last seen him. Two days since she'd given birth in an abandoned building, alone, scared and in pain. As she'd been holding the child to her breast, trying to feed her, he'd found them. He'd looked at her with those eyes. Those cold, dead eyes, and then touched her. Her hair, her face, her breast, his hands wouldn't leave her. She'd cried for him to stop. Kyouko had been weak, so tired, in pain. She'd just wanted him away. He didn't leave. He took the child away from her. She'd screamed at him, though her strength was fleeting, to give the child back. He'd ignored her. eventually she'd fallen asleep from exhaustion. When she awoke, he was touching her again, his lips at her throat, telling her how much he loved her. How no one else could ever have her. Kyouko had hit him, tears in her eyes.

Thunder crashed again and Kyouko shivered, hugging the child tighter to her. She'd never wanted one. But she made the mistake of letting him fuck her without protection. Once. Only once and it was enough. And now she wanted to protect it. The mistake she'd made. Why? She asked herself why every day she'd carried his child. Why am I doing this?

There was a knock on the door and Kyouko's eyes widened. No. He'd found them. She remained silent. Maybe she could make him think no one was there. That she'd gone somewhere else. But she knew better. He was too smart, even for her. Then again, he was better than everyone. That was just how he was. The school's insane experiment. She closed her eyes as she heard the lock break. Heard the door swing open. The baby woke up and started crying, as if she knew something bad was happening. But the noise only drew him into the room. She opened her eyes to slits, seeing him standing in the doorway. Lightning struck and his features were illuminated. His eyes on her, almost glowing red. His expression was calm as ever. No, not calm. Blank. Did he even have emotions? She didn't know. As for Kyouko, she'd left her iron mask behind. Her face showed pure terror.

He walked into the room, approaching the bed.

"No." She whispered.

"Why?" Kyouko felt his hand on her shoulder. It almost stung, even though he was merely resting it there. She stared up at him, clutching the crying child to her chest. He met her eyes. A flicker of sadness crossed his features, "Why do you reject me, Kyouko?" His hand reached to stroke her dull, messy hair as he asked her the same question he had every time they'd met. He'd been asking since she'd left Kibougamine. Since she knew him for what he was.

"You're a monster." She said, "Stay away from us." She didn't care how her words stung. As far as she was concerned, he didn't have emotions. She had never seen him truly care about anyone. She thought she had. Back in school. Thought he'd cared about her. Then he'd told her it was all because he could see the despair within her. He loved her despair. He fed off it. Everything he'd done was for her despair. All so that the monster could grow stronger.

"I'm not." He gripped her hair, his brow furrowing. The child's cries grew louder. Kyouko glared up at him.

"I'm nothing to you. Leave." She hissed, swatting his hand away.

"You're everything to me." Rage. He pulled her hair so that her head was at an odd angle. "Don't you get it? You. Your despair. It. Is. Everything." He hissed, grabbing her head, his thump pressing into her eye. She screamed in pain. Blood flowed from her eye socket as the baby wailed, "Yes Kyouko... Despair... This is how much I love you." His hands were on her again. Squeezing, pulling, separating her from the child. He smiled as the two of them cried, "I love you enough to hurt you, Kyouko." He put his hands on either side of the weak, scared girl, ignoring the child's cries, "I love you enough to make you despair. So please..." His fingers pressed into her throat, "Let me do this for you, love."

Izuru Kamukura lay in the hotel room, holding his nameless child in his arms. The girl would never remember the events of six years previous. She had only been an infant. She was sleeping peacefully, soundly, barely moving. He stroked her hair, trying to calm himself more than anyone else. He'd watched her grow, a child born of despair in a world of despair. The Future Foundation wanted to take them both, he knew. But he would never let that happen. Not to his lovely child of despair.

"I love you so much." He whispered, "I love enough to hurt you."

Then a knock came at the door.