"How many survivors do you think there will be?"
Sayaka asks the question almost offhandedly, perched on a crate covered in scratch marks and chipped paint. She swings her legs idly, swaying from side to side, as if there's a song to be heard.
Junko swivels around in her black leather chair, a grin on her face. Her bright red nails click together as she thinks, and her lips press together.
"I think there will be three," Junko says eventually, the gleam in her eyes getting brighter.
Sayaka replies, "Oh? That's very generous of you. Who do you think it will be?"
Junko responds with a sly smirk, "You, me, and little Muku-chan! I'm sure of it."
Sayaka glances up at Mukuro, who's lying draped over the top of the security screens like a cat. She hasn't said much since they'd woken up in the biology lab on the fifth floor.
It's kind of interesting, being up in the data centre, seeing everything from above. It's like watching a movie, except the actors die instead of the characters they play.
Junko suddenly spins back to the screen, and taps excitedly on the computer. She presses an earbud up to her head, grinning.
"The class trial's getting heated! D'you guys think they can figure it out?"
Sayaka shrugs, "Depends if Naegi-kun can stop thinking of me as innocent."
Mukuro snorts. Both girls look up at her expectantly, and the soldier says, "It depends on if Kirigiri-san decides to stop being cryptic, and if Togami-kun gets his head out of his ass."
Junko giggles, "We'll see! Oh, quiet, quiet! They have a question for me!"
Sayaka stops kicking her legs, and Junko picks up her microphone.
"Upupupu!"
They're in the classroom on the fifth floor when it happens.
One second, they're talking peacefully, and in the next, one of them is lying on the ground, blood seeping out of her neck.
The survivors stand in silence, until one of them picks her up, and they walk her into one of the freezers in the biology lab.
Neither of them worry about the blood; the room was covered in it anyways.
"I guess she was wrong," comes a quiet murmur.
(Three survivors.) Two survivors.
Leon Kuwata is the first person to die in the Mutual Killing Game.
Pummeled to death by one thousand baseballs, merely the first punishment of many to come. That's what Junko tells them.
She also tells them that they deserve a break for all their hard work, and awards them with the night off. It's how Sayaka and Mukuro find themselves in the music room, perched on the grand piano.
Sayaka dangles her legs, while Mukuro keeps her whole body on the large instrument. They sit in silence, the hairs on their necks pricking out of fear.
Eventually, Mukuro speaks, her voice scratchy, "I can't do this."
Sayaka slides closer, "What do you mean?"
Mukuro replies, "I don't want to be a mastermind. I want to keep my friends alive… And I've already failed."
Sayaka takes hold of Mukuro's hand, and says, "We can still walk away. There's places we could go, places-"
Mukuro shakes her head, "You don't understand. I've never defied Junko-chan once in my entire life. There's no telling what could happen."
Sayaka thinks for a moment, then says, "In all those stories we read about Europe, what did the peasants do when they disliked their king?"
"Rebelled. And were then executed by the same king," Mukuro responds dryly.
"And ignited a revolution," Sayaka breathes, a smile forming on her face.
Mukuro sighs, "I don't think it's that simple."
Sayaka shrugs, "I bet you could do it. You're the strong one after all."
Mukuro doesn't reply.
"And think… think of all the bright places we'll find once this is over," Sayaka adds gently.
Mukuro looks Sayaka in the eye, "What if it doesn't end?"
Sayaka replies, "What do you do when you don't like your ruler?"
When Mukuro doesn't respond, she whispers in the raven haired girl's ear, "You overthrow. "
Mukuro had assumed that Sayaka meant one of them would take the power away. Maybe they'd tie Junko up, and laugh at her.
Sayaka had assumed that Mukuro would be okay if she killed Junko.
(Mukuro wasn't.)
"How many survivors do you think there will be?"
Sayaka asked the question idly, almost as if she was talking to herself. She lay on her back on top of a few boxes, her hair falling loosely, nails digging into the crate.
Mukuro swivels around on the chair, her chair, and says, "I think… two survivors."
Sayaka rolls onto her stomach, and looks up at Mukuro, "Really? Who?"
"Only you and I," Mukuro says decidedly, "We're the only ones strong enough."
Sayaka smiles, "Damn right we are!"
Mukuro leans close, and pecks Sayaka on the cheek. Sayaka giggles.
It was an accident.
(Two survivors.) One survivor.
"We don't have to do this anymore."
Mukuro makes her statement early one morning, the morning that Junko had planned to introduce the second motive.
Sayaka fiddles with her hair, "What do you mean?"
Mukuro replies, "We can end the killing game. Nobody else has to get hurt."
Sayaka sits up, then says, "I don't know. I wouldn't feet right about leaving Kuwata-kun alone with your sister forever."
Mukuro tenses, then says, "Okay. But just once more, okay?"
Sayaka nods, "Sure! I'd just feel bad if they were alone, y'know?"
Mukuro swallows, then presses a button on her keyboard. She picks up the microphone, and says, "Hey, bastards! You all need to gather in the gym, stat! No lates or absences!"
She releases the button, and whispers, "It'll work out, right?"
Sayaka nods, "It's okay. It's just one trial. No problem!"
"No problem."
(There is a problem.)
"How many survivors do you think there will be?"
Sayaka asks the question, like she's asked it countless times.
"Only one," comes a reply.
Sayaka tilts her head, "Ooh? Who's the lucky one?"
"You, Sayaka-chan!"
Sayaka grins, and feels herself getting dizzy as she turns around in the chair. Right before she spins herself again, she catches Mukuro's cold, unblinking eyes from across the room.
Sayaka hasn't realized that she's talking to herself again.
"You said one trial!"
Mukuro stares at her, a look of betrayal on her face, "You said we'd have one more trial. Why did you release another motive?"
Sayaka shrugs, "I… I don't really know. I just… I felt like I had to."
Mukuro holds her head in her hands, "It's going to be taken seriously by everyone. What were you thinking?"
"I wasn't," Sayaka admits.
Mukuro sighs, "You don't get to do that again. We'll deal with the repercussions of this trial, but then we stop the killing game for good. Promise?"
Sayaka nods, "I promise."
(Promises are made to be broken.)
Sayaka finishing swiveling around on the chair, and looks over at Mukuro. The raven haired girl hasn't spoken in days, she's merely stared blankly at Sayaka.
The idol strolls over, and strokes Mukuro's cheek, "You're kinda starting to stink up the place, Mukuro-chan."
Mukuro doesn't reply.
Sayaka muses, "I guess I'll have to freeze you. It's too bad, I really like having you around."
She holds her girlfriend gently in her arms, and carries her up to the biology lab. There, she slips Mukuro into one of the freezers, and shuts the door.
"Sorry," Sayaka says softly, "But at least you're living up to your name!"
Mukuro had assumed that she could trust Sayaka blindly.
Sayaka had assumed that Mukuro wouldn't mind a surprise.
(They were both wrong.)
It's four in the morning, and they're lying in the garden. They pretend like everything's still okay, like they can still get out.
Mukuro says quietly, "I can't believe three people died."
Sayaka replies, "That's how it works. With the right motive, anyone will kill."
Mukuro sighs, "I didn't want anyone else to have to die."
"At least they're not alone."
Mukuro shrugs, "I guess. Either way, we're ending this tomorrow. I can't let anyone else die. I'd never be able to forgive myself."
Sayaka says softly, "Really, you couldn't?"
Mukuro nods, "I feel guilty enough as it is. I can't do this anymore."
Sayaka smiles, and Mukuro does too. It's the last moment they share before Mukuro finds a knife in her chest.
She dies so quickly, and Sayaka just watches, watches in silence before saying, "Luckily, I can."
One survivor.
Everything will be okay.
(The thumping of the machine is getting closer.)
She did some bad things, but her heart was always in the right place.
(The sound is etching itself into her mind.)
Mukuro will forgive her.
(Six sets of eyes are locked on her.)
They'll find the bright place they were looking for.
(The machine crushes her.)
"How many survivors do you think there will be?"
Sayaka asks the question offhandedly. She might as well be talking to herself, at this point. She's peering over what may as well be a hole in reality, staring down at the six escapees of Hope's Peak Academy.
They look nervous, but also like they can take on the world. Sayaka chuckles at their naivety.
Out of nowhere, Junko speaks, sprawled on the ground, "I think there will be three."
"What makes you say that?" Mukuro replies, perching above the two.
Junko beams, "Well, it'll be you, me, and Maizono-san! I know for sure this time."
Sayaka smiles, looking at the two of them. They've forgiven her, despite everything.
And it is bright.
(Three survivors Two survivors One survivor)
No survivors.