Hello, here's another one.

For those slightly confused, I try to stick with the way Japanese display names. Instead of Firstname lastname, it's Lastname firstname, making Makato Naegi into Naegi Makato, and Mukuro Ikusaba into Ikusaba Mukuro.

Also, I was unsure about some of the lore in this one. If you see anything amiss, just tell me, and I'll fix it as soon as I can. Hopefully.

Anyways, thank for clicking, off you trot.

Ikusaba sat down on her bed. Her room was completely free of any personal items, and it seemed like there was never anyone residing in the dorm at all. Just like it was supposed to.

The only things that belonged to her were a few small guns, hidden around the room. They were practically invisible, and Ikusaba would use them only if matters turned for the worse. Even these lethal devices were soon to go, leaving no trace at all of her existence.

Everything was prepared. Everything was ready to go. There was only a small amount of time left before the lives of nearly every resident in the academy were dramatically altered.

And outside the academy, more terrible things were taking place. It had been some duration of time since the world around them had crumbled apart, and Hope's Peak locked up and took shelter within its own halls. This, of course, would lead to its demise. Cut off from any form of resistance, Ikusaba's sister could do all she wanted in peace.

Just a small amount of time. A few hours, at most.

At most, a few hours, before the memories of all her classmates were completely wiped. Then, her whole existence would be unknown to them. They wouldn't remember anything about their high school life together.

That was just fine. Ikusaba didn't care if the students still liked her or not, still recognized her face. But, something felt wrong.

Something felt very wrong.

An unfamiliar feeling filled her whole mind, one she was not accustomed to. There was something left. There was still something she needed to do.

But, she had done everything. She had made sure. She had made sure she had made sure.

Ikusaba knew, though, exactly what she needed to accomplish, to get rid of that foreign feeling.

Everything else was done. She still had a small amount of time.

If this was her last chance, she'd take it.

Naegi laid on his bed. It was around ten, and he was left with nothing to do.

On bad days, he'd have to stay up until one or two, terrified and afraid and unable to sleep, thinking of the outside world. Thankfully, today was not one of those days.

The boy had decided to go to bed early, but had yet to fall asleep. As usual, if he wasn't completely mentally and physically exhausted, his mind would be keeping him up. Even with his body at rest, his brain kept on running at full speed. It would take a while for it to slow down.

While Naegi thought of a great many of things as he lay on his bed, he was completely oblivious to the despair inducing events that were about to unfold. For him, it was just another night.

That is, until there was a knock at his door.

Naegi stood up and walked to the door, wondering who it could be. Nobody really needed him for anything, and it definitely wasn't a suitable hour to socialize, by his standards.

When he opened it, he was immediately greeted by the cold glare of one of his more mysterious classmates, Ikusaba Mukuro.

He was quite surprised. Ikusaba didn't normally talk to him - in fact, she didn't normally talk at all. Naegi wondered what had possessed her to come here, at this time.

Unlike Naegi, Ikusaba knew what was about to come. She was just making one last stop before the train to Despair Academy reached its destination.

For a few seconds, there was a silence. Whether it was uncomfortable, or tense, or just normal, was based on who you asked.

Naegi was beginning to suspect that Ikusaba had come to kill him. There was no other reason why she would come, and she was a mercenary. Then again, there was absolutely no reason he could think of that would make anybody want to kill him. If he was about to die, at least he'd be killed by the cute girl in front of him. Shame he didn't get to know her better. Maybe in an alternate universe, he had.

Ikusaba, of course, was completely emotionless. She just stood there, as if she were expecting something from Naegi.

After holding his breath for a moment, Naegi thanked the gods that he didn't have a bullet coming out the back of his head. Then he prayed that Ikusaba hadn't heard the comment on her cuteness. While it was true , he would be embarrassed if she knew he looked at her like that. And in the dead silence, he didn't doubt that his mind was the loudest thing there.

Ikusaba continued to stare.

She might be superhuman, in a sense, but she wasn't able to read minds. Right?

Naegi just gave up on her initiating anything, and decided to do was he should have done from the beginning: ask her directly why she was here.

"Ikusaba-san?"

"Yes." She said it in her monotone voice, making it seem more like a statement rather than a question.

"Do you need anything?"

"Yes."

The two stood there in silence once again, Naegi unsure of what he should do next.

He said, "All right... Come in, then?"

Ikusaba came into Naegi's room immediately. She walked to the edge of his bed, then turned to look once again at Naegi with her blank face.

"Come." She commanded him.

Naegi hesitantly walked over to her, wondering if she was going to kill him after all. Maybe she just wanted to close the door, localize the blood. Something like that.

So, the teenagers once again entered a staring contest. Naegi was very confused and uncertain as to what he should be doing, at this point in time.

Ikusaba was deliberating whether or not she should really do what she planned to.

Then, without any further warning, Ikusaba leaned forward and kissed Naegi.

It wasn't a long kiss, or a passionate kiss, or anything of the sort. It was just a kiss.

When Ikusaba pulled away, she could see Naegi's emotions clearly written on his face. His mouth was slightly open, he was blushing quite intensely, and he was looking at Ikusaba with a level of disbelief.

Ikusaba almost remained perfectly emotionless, nearly exactly replicating a stone. Almost.

"I-Ikusaba-san... What was that?"

"My first kiss, Naegi-kun. Please, take good care of it."

The expressionless lady turned her face away from Naegi. She wasn't quite worthy of the title anymore - while her features stayed mostly blank, a slight tinge of red showed on her cheeks.

Ikusaba's mind was in battle with itself. She was regretting her decision.

It was stupid to come here in the first place. See Naegi one last time? It was naive. It was dumb. It was brainless. It was foolish. Any and all other synonyms that you can think of.

But, while she scolded herself for her dim-witted actions, she also felt slightly pleased.

It wasn't because she was realizing a fantasy she had been dreaming ever since she got to know Naegi. She never had such thoughts.

Or that she liked the softness she felt when their lips met. Ikusaba wasn't going to be replay that scene every time she looked at Naegi's lips from here on out. No, of course not, no way, nope.

Naegi was still in complete shock. He couldn't bring himself to believe that just really happened. He's got to be dreaming. It wouldn't be the first time he had dreamt that he and Ikusaba doing somethi-

Never mind that.

The soldier turned to the door, her business completed, and made her way out.

"W-wait! Ikusaba-san!" Naegi snapped out of his stupor.

She looked over her shoulder at Naegi, waiting expectantly.

"Er... Well... Goodnight?"

From the flat tone of her voice, you would think nothing was amiss.

"Goodnight. Sleep well."

Ikusaba closed the door behind her, leaving Naegi dazed in his room.

He pulled himself out of it long enough to turn off the lights and fall onto his bed.

There was no way he'd be sleeping anytime soon.

So? Like it? Dislike it? Review. Because that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Which probably makes me slightly masochistic.

Have a good one!