Chapter 11: Settle it in Smash!

Makoto's P.o.V:

The gym is left in a suffocating silence after Monokuma's revelation, some from shock, and others from horror. Even Jack, the infallible Jack, has fallen completely silent from Mukuro's sudden outing.

"What… What are you saying?!" Taka shouts. "That is Junko! Our friend! T-There's no way…!"

"Oh, but there is!" Monokuma cheers. "This dastardly diva has been impersonating her! Quite poorly as well, if I do say so myself! I mean really, rabbit hairclips are so passé! I hear bears are much more in right now! Upupupupupu!"

"Hold on!" I yell. "T-There's no reason for us to believe you! You're just saying this to get us riled up!"

He gasps in mock surprise. "Why Makoto, you of all people are doubting me…? But you're the one sweet little Mukuro defied me for!"

"W-What!?" I shriek, all stunned gazes shifting to me.

"Ah, it was such a touching moment!" He says, putting a paw to his forehead. "I had instructed her to off ya, cause, you know, you totally prevented this motive from working! I know for a fact that if your do-gooder self hadn't gotten involved like you had, someone would have murdered someone else! But nooooo, you just had to have yourself a little pity party and invite everyone to spill their baggage!" He sighs. "So I told her to kill ya. But here you are, still walking and talking like a person! It's absolutely infuriating to be defied like that, you know?"

My head snaps towards Mukuro, who refuses to meet my gaze. "Mukuro, you…"

"So I gave her the axe!" He says with a cheer. "She's always been disappointing, but this just took the cake! I can't even-"

"Sis… I'm sorry." Mukuro says flatly, cutting the bear off. "I know I'm a disappointment. I'll always be one in your eyes…" She turns her gaze to Monokuma, terribly sad smile on her face. "But Junko… I promise you… I promise you I'll deliver you the best despair I can. I'm going to make sure you fall into such a huge pit that you'll never be able to see the light at the top again. I will stop this plan. I won't let anyone else die."

Monokuma stares at her for a bit. "Upu… Upupupu…"

Suddenly Monokuma's voice isn't played anymore, instead ringing Junko's sickening voice through his mouth. "Gyahahahaha~! Oh, I hadn't expected that! Not one bit! You, my not even despairingly disappointing sister, revealing me like that!? How wonderful!"

Monokuma leaps away from her onto the stage. His body remains static after that, mouth not even moving as Junko speaks.

"But… if you think that's going to stop my plan…"

I notice a change in the floor around Mukuro's feet.

"Then you're even more disappointing than I had originally thought!"

Without warning, the Spears of Gungnir shoot out of the floor. I start to scream for her to move out of the way, but she's already several steps ahead of me, having leapt out of the way before they even got out of the ground. The look in her eyes as she lands is something I haven't seen before… a look that tells me that she's ready for the fight of her life.

"…How boring." Junko says. "You can't even die properly, just like how you were supposed to die that time, too. But it's okay! I still love you, even though you're like a bad zit that keeps growing back." I hear her sigh. "I won't let you say anything more, though. What's the point of this if they don't find out things on their own? You basically spoiled the biggest plot twist in this entire thing!"

"Hold on!" Leon screams. "What the fuck is going on!? I'm not following any of this shit!"

"Shut the fuck up, you punk wannabe!" Junko screeches, personality having shifted. "I'm Junko, she's not, and I'm the fucking mastermind! It ain't hard if you actually think with your actual head instead of your dick!" He stares at the bear in stunned silence.

She giggles, shifting again. "Of course, there's still lotsa things you all don't know yet! There's even things sweet little Mukuro doesn't know! Ah, but she's not allowed to tell you anything else that she does know! If she does, I'll have her head popped like a juicy grape with one of those lovely spears over there!" Another spear whizzes past Mukuro's head, who doesn't even flinch.

"My life holds no value, Junko." Mukuro says, staring at the bear blankly. "Even if I die, there are people here who will still foil your plan… I won't hold a single regret! You'll still feel despair either way…!" She launches towards the bear in a blur and leaps onto the stage, kicking the robot high into the air. It explodes into a ball of fire and fluff, Mukuro glaring at the remains as they float down. "Nothing matters as long as you fail!"

She leaps off the stage when gunshots ring out, giving time for another Monokuma unit to appear in the old one's place.

"Hm…" Junko falls silent, static ringing clear for a moment before she speaks up again. "Oh, I see! I understand now, completely! You're being disgustingly noble right now… sacrificing your disappointing self for the greater good… But, hey, that's alright too!" Without warning, another spear appears from the far wall above the stage…

"There are other people here besides you that I can skewer!"

And it's aimed right for Taka.

Mukuro seems to have noticed as well, the others still gaping at the bear. She immediately launches herself toward the boy just as the spear is fired out of the wall. With speed only the Ultimate Soldier could muster in such a short amount of time, she manages to shove Taka out of the way, spear burying itself deep into her right shoulder.

"Augh…!" She lets out a yelp of pain as it does, falling to her knees. I immediately rush over to her, others gaping in shock.

Taka stares at her impaled shoulder from his place on the floor. "W-What? You…"

"You see now?" Junko says flatly. "Failing to stay silent is going to cost someone else their life. I wholly suggest you abide by my wishes, otherwise I will not miss next time. You may be able to handle dying…" She lets out a sickening laugh, shifting once more. "But sis, do you really think you can let your precious friends die because of you!?"

Mukuro glares hard at the bear, a glare I'm certain is directed at Junko. "I… will not say anything else." She stands with a stony expression on her face, holding the spear steady with her left hand. "You have my word as a soldier… so if you kill anyone… I will come for you Junko. Sister or not, no matter how much I love you… I can't let you hurt anyone else here!"

She cackles over the speaker. "I'm sure!" Suddenly Monokuma's voice rings through once more, body moving freely once again. "Sweet little Mukumuku, who can't kill anyone! I'm pawsitively shaking in my nonexistent boots!" He turns away from us. "Alright, I'm out. This much exposition in such a short amount of time isn't good for my colon." He disappears in a cloud of smoke, and my attention immediately snaps back to my injured friend.

"God, Mukuro!" I say, taking a look at the wound. "W-We need to get that treated! Can you walk alright?"

She nods shakily, adrenaline finally wearing off. "I… think so."

I wave Chihiro over, handing him a clean hankie out of my pocket. "Chihiro, grab that end of the spear! I don't want this moving any more than necessary!" He nods and complies, grabbing a firm hold on it.

"I-I got it! Let's get moving!" He shoots Mukuro a worried glance, and with good reason. Though she's doing her best to appear strong, her entire body is shaking visibly and has gone extremely pale. I nod and sling her left arm over my shoulder.

But just as we make it over to the door, Celes steps in front of us, blocking our exit.

"And just where, pray tell, do you think you're going?" She says, crossing her arms at us. "I do believe we need to have a few words with her before anything else."

"Are you kidding me right now? She has a spear in her shoulder!" I say, gesturing to the offending item. "Don't you think that can wait!?"

"I don't think you understand fully Makoto. She was working with the very person who imprisoned us here! Are you saying you want to aid an enemy?" She says, mock-surprised look on her face.

"If you were paying attention at all to what just happened, this whole thing happened because she didn't kill me!" I screech, slightly frantic. "Not to mention the fact that she just saved Taka's life! Doesn't that at least warrant medical treatment!?"

"…I don't think you understand Makoto." She starts, dark edge entering her normally overly sweet voice. "She was working with the person who locked us in here. She is the reason we're stuck in this shithole of a school!" Her normal mask cracks, dangerous scowl prominent on her face. "She doesn't deserve shit!"

"M-Master Celes…" Hifumi ventures, but she cuts him off.

"Cut the crap lardo! This insufferable little twat not only lied to all of us, but she's related to the mastermind!" She yells, all composure gone. "Do you sincerely think we should let her live?! We're trapped here! Everything, everything I've worked for until now… it's all been put on hold because of some psycho and her dog of a sister decided to play Saw with us!"

"B-But Celes!" Hina squeaks. "I thought you of all people were fine with this…?"

"A lie of course!" She says, normal manner of speech returning slightly. "I cannot be trapped here for the rest of my life! It simply isn't conceivable to me that I'd have to give up everything I've worked toward in my life for this…" She stomps toward the injured girl, taking a hold of her chin and leveling a bone-chilling glare on her. "Tell me, did you enjoy watching us suffer? Watching us live in squalor… I bet you enjoyed every last moment of it, along with the real Junko…"

Mukuro doesn't say anything at first, taking a minute to find her words. "…No. I didn't. I care about you all…"

Celes clicks her tongue and squeezes Mukuro's face tighter, digging in her nails slightly. "I'd like to beg to differ. Otherwise you wouldn't have done it at all…"

Chihiro, who had been silent this entire time, finally snaps. "D-Don't you think she had her reasons too!? You're acting like you understand why she went along with Junko's plan, but you don't understand anything! You're making assumptions that have no basis!" I see tears welling up in his eyes as he continues, entire body shaking in anger. "Just because they're sisters doesn't mean that she did this because she likes it! You can yell at her all you want later, so can you save your unmitigated bad attitude for when she isn't bleeding out!?"

…

Well damn.

Celes stares at the small boy in shock, mouth opening and closing in a futile effort to form words. Without warning, Mondo breaks the silence by busting out into a laughing fit.

"Alright, way to go Chi!" He breathes between laughs, making the small boy flush.

Celes flushes in anger, completely furious to have been silenced by him. "You…!" She cuts herself off as a pair of Jack's scissors hits the door right by her head.

"Ya know, I don't mind people bleeding out, but I really don't think this is the time Twilight wannabe!" She cackles. "Unless you want that pretty little dress a' yours sliced to shreds, I suggest you get out of Big Mac and Chimichanga's way!"

Celes growls, ripping the scissors from their place and pocketing them. "You have quite a bit of nerve…"

"I believe you are the one with the most nerve." Sakura says, moving towards the girl. "Please move out of the way Celestia. We do not have any time to waste on this right now…"

Celes huffs in indignation and turns on her heel, shoving the door open. She stalks out without a word, and Chihiro and I quickly move to get through, Sakura following close behind.

"Where is it that you are even planning on taking her?" Sakura questions.

"Well…" I start, trying to come up with something convincing. "You know how things opened up after the last motive?" She nods. "I was thinking that maybe the infirmary opened up."

She grimaces. "Do you think that Mono- Junko, would even open something since no one was murdered? And even then, what makes you think that it would have opened up? It may still be closed off completely."

I shake my head. "I don't know, but… It's worth looking. If it's not, we'll carry her to the dining hall at the very least… there should be bandages and things in the warehouse."

She nods after a brief moment of contemplation. "Very well. I'll get the doors for you then."

Taka's P.o.V:

I'm left staring at the door in utter shock from my place on the floor. "That girl… Mukuro… why? She… lied to us. She's not Junko. But… she still saved me. Why?"

I barely register the approaching footsteps until brother stops in front of me, crouching down to my level. "Ey bro, are you alright?" He asks, concerned. "You've barely moved! Everyone else has pretty much already left!"

"Brother…" I manage, turning my gaze to him. "She saved me."

"Yeah, she did." He glances off to the side, irritated look on his face. "Whoever she is…"

"Why did she do that?" I question. "Why would she save me? I…" I trail off, tears pooling in my eyes. "I don't understand. She was the enemy! She lied to all of us! So… why would she do that-!?"

"Look, bro…" He starts, scratching the back of his head slightly. "I'm not gonna lie to ya, I'm having some serious trouble understanding what's been going on. All I can say is… her name might not be Junko, but it looks to me that she actually does care about us, or at the very least you n' Makoto. I don' think that she'd take a spear for someone she didn't care about at all, ya know? I sure as shit wouldn't."

"As absolutely irritating as it is to admit, he's correct." A suddenly present Byakuya says, glaring down at me. "What's even more irritating than that is that you of all people are sitting here like a dumbstruck fool. It's not like she's a stranger… though she may have been acting, I'm certain there are still aspects of herself that she kept in her persona..." He sighs and turns away, heading towards the door. "I recommend you stop acting like you're the one who got a spear to the shoulder and go see what you can do to help."

I stare at his retreating back. "She's… still the same person? She lied to us all about her identity… but… what if they're right? What if it really was just her name that she had lied about…?"

Mondo glares after him. "Man, that fucker knows how to grind my gears…"

I shake my head. "That may be so, but… he's correct! Regardless of what's happened, the fact of the matter is that she protected me!" I shove myself off of the floor. "So I must go and see what I can do to help her! And I'll be certain to talk with her properly after she's spear-free!" Without waiting for brother's reply, I dash out of the gym.

"I must know for myself!"

Makoto's P.o.V:

We arrive at the infirmary door, and I breathe out a sigh of relief when I see that it's not taped off anymore. "Thank god…"

Sakura quickly pulls open the door and walks in, Mukuro, Chihiro, and I following suit. I quickly ferry Mukuro over to one of the beds and sit her down, taking hold of the spear for a moment so Chihiro can get around to the other side of the bed.

"Alright…" I breathe out, scanning the room. "Where do we start…?"

"I think we should gather up disinfectant and gauze… and perhaps some medical tools as well." Sakura sighs, turning to the shelf. "I feel like it will be best if we have as many things as close by as possible."

"Right…" I say, glancing around the room. I start slightly when I see the cooler sitting in the corner and rush over to Mukuro, whose dozing slightly.

"Hey, Mukuro, what's your blood type?" She snaps her head up at the sound of my voice.

"I'm… AB+." She manages.

Chihiro breathes out a sigh of relief. "The universal receiver… thank god. You can grab any bag from in there Makoto, but get her AB+ if they have it!"

I nod. "Alright!" I dash over to the fridge and scan the bags, looking for the appropriate type. "Keep her talking, Chihiro! I've seen enough medical dramas to know that you're supposed to keep people conscious with wounds like this until they've got a blood transfusion! …Aha!" I pull out a bag of AB+ blood and hook it to one of the stands, staring at the end of it. "…Does anyone know how to put an IV into someone's arm…?"

"Allow me." Sakura says, carrying the stand over to the bed. "I've done this a few times in the past… I can only hope I remember how to do it properly…" She quickly attaches the needle to the tubing and takes a gentle hold of Mukuro's arm, tapping the inner part of it until a vein becomes visible. "Use a disinfectant wipe right here please." I quickly wipe the area she pointed out and she inserts the needle, doing something to the bag afterward to get the blood flowing through the tube.

"Wow, that was impressive Sakura!" I say, admiring her handiwork. "I wouldn't have been able to do that!"

She shakes her head. "It was nothing… what do you think we should do next?"

"Well…" I bite my cheek as I stare at the wound. "Before anything else, I think we should cut her shirt off of her. I don't want any clothing to get caught in there when we pull the spear out…"

"A wise choice." She says, bringing a tray of tools over. "Do you think that bandage scissors will do…?"

I shrug. "Well… I think so. If not we'll have to use a scalpel." I grab the scissors and start at the bottom of her shirt, sighing slightly in relief when I cut the fabric with relative ease. I make quick work of the front and move to the other side of the bed to start cutting the back and the area around the hole… but stop when the door flies open and scares the crap out of me.

"I have come to assist-!" Taka stops himself short when he sees Mukuro in her state of undress, and he openly gapes at her, face crimson. "W-Why is she…!?"

"We're cutting her shirt off so it doesn't get caught when we pull the spear out…" I explain. I don't think he hears it though, as he's very actively trying not to look in her direction. "What are you doing?"

"It's inappropriate for me to see her in such a state!" He yells. "It's also very inappropriate for you and Chihiro as well!"

"Er… Taka?" Chihiro manages. "S-She's got a spear in her shoulder… and we were the only ones who jumped to help her. W-What else do you expect us to do?"

No one in the room misses the grimace that covers his face. "I-I'm aware! I just… I suppose it's a little…!" He groans and crosses his arms. "Sakura can handle most of the work! She's here!"

"Brows… chill." Mukuro manages to shoot him a weak smile as he whips his head over to her. "I don't mind it. It's not like I'm completely naked anyway… I'm still going to be in my bra. Besides, I don't think either of them would be doing it if they didn't have to…"

His gaze stays on her chest for just an instant before he looks at her with a sad expression on his face. "You…"

Before Taka can respond though, Mondo walks in and slaps a hand over his mouth. "I thought you said you were gonna save the talk for after they fixed her up!" He sighs, glancing over to us. I don't miss the slight wince that comes out when he sees the wound. "You guys need our help? Or d'ya got this covered?"

"Well… we may need help when we actually pull it out." I say, biting my lip slightly. "Do you guys think you could go to the warehouse and pick up some towels and maybe a fresh shirt for her first? Something loose preferably."

"You got it, boss." Mondo mock salutes and drags Taka off through the doors.

Taka peeks back in after a moment. "Do not let any of the other guys see her like this! Protect her modesty as best you can!" He's yanked from the doorway by Mondo, door closing with an audible thunk.

Sakura turns to me with a raised eyebrow. "I must say, that was unexpected."

I sigh, continuing to cut the shirt off. "It's Taka. I don't even get surprised anymore."

"You have to be grateful for that during times like these though…" Mukuro chuckles slightly as she says this, but I can't help but frown.

"It's not just about the spear though, right?" I internally ask, silently cutting away at the fabric around the wound. "You were basically betrayed by your younger sister… I can't imagine Komaru doing something like that to me! How on earth are you possibly coping with this? Not to mention…" I glance to the door. "You're probably afraid of what he's going to say. Maybe him acting like him is comforting? But…"

I'm broken out of my thoughts by a tap on my shoulder. "Makoto…?" I glance over to see a concerned Chihiro looking toward me. "I-I think we better hurry up. Even with the transfusion, I don't like how pale she is…"

I make the final cut and pull the shirt bits off of her, grimacing as I see the back of the wound. "Agreed. The longer we leave it like this…" I trail off, not wanting to think about it too much.

"We won't let it come to that." Sakura states, grabbing a bottle of disinfectant. "I'm going to disinfect the wounds now… it's going to sting a bit."

Mukuro shakes her head. "Not as much as taking a spear to the shoulder. I'll be fine." Sakura nods before setting to work, dabbing around holes and the surrounding areas gently with the solution.

"S-Speaking of problems…" Chihiro starts, glancing around the room. "I… don't think we should leave her alone in here."

"What do you mean?" Sakura queries, gently wiping around her wound.

"W-Well…" He glances around slightly. "What if something happens to her when no one's around? L-Like if she goes into shock, or…" He trails off. "I-I really just don't think we should leave her alone in this state!"

"Chihiro… I understand your concern." Mukuro says weakly. "But I can still take care of myself, even with this-"

"He's right!"

I glance over to see a suddenly present Taka and Mondo, both carrying armfuls of towels and shirts. "Did you guys run or something? That was really fast!"

"Of course! More to the point though…" Taka places his bundle on a free bed, crossing his arms at the girl. "It is much too risky for you to be left to fend for yourself with that sort of injury!" She opens her mouth to protest, but he cuts her off. "Though you seem to be athletic, not even Sakura could be at her best with a hole in the shoulder! From this point forth you must be accompanied at all times, I won't even allow you to sleep alone!"

She offers a weak smirk. "Oh? Are you offering? I've got to tell you Taka, that's pretty forward to offer something like that to a girl whose name you just learned…"

He flushes to the tips of his ears. "Th-That's…"

Chihiro clears his throat. "W-While I'm glad you're okay enough to tease Taka, I really still think we should pull this out before anything else."

Taka nods, grateful for having the conversation derailed. "Of course! How are we going to go about this?"

"Well…" I scan her shoulder, biting my cheek in thought. "I guess the best way to do it would be to pull it out from the front… since that's the way it came in and all."

"Whelp, I don't have any better ideas." Mondo says, throwing off his jacket. "I'm guessing Sakura n' me are gonna pull it out?"

"Yes." She affirms. "We'd probably be able to do it the fastest. Taka, please take a firm hold of her shoulders from the back…"

I duck under the spear to make room for him and walk over to the pile of fresh towels. "Chihiro, come grab one of these… once they have it pulled out, we're gonna need to put pressure on it." He nods and walks over to grab one, quickly returning to his spot behind her.

I huff. "Alright… are you ready Mukuro?" She nods slightly, Taka taking a firm hold of her shoulders. "Alright. On my count…" Mondo and Sakura each grab hold of the spear, waiting for my signal. "One… two… three!"

On the three, they both pull as hard as they can and yank the spear free of her shoulder with a sickening pop. Mukuro winces as it flies out, taking deep breaths to cope with the renewed pain. I quickly duck under Mondo and press the towel to her shoulder, Chihiro doing the same on the other side.

"Gh... That was…" Mukuro says after a moment. "A lot more painful than I had thought it would be..."

"My apologies." Sakura says, shooting her a sympathetic frown. "There wasn't an easy way to do that… I had figured it would be better if we had done it as quick as possible."

"It probably would have been worse if you had taken it slow." Mukuro says with a breathless chuckle.

Mondo tosses the spear aside and grabs several rolls of gauze from the pile Sakura had prepared. He motions for Chihiro and I to move after the blood flow slows to a stop, quickly bandaging her shoulder and torso with practiced ease.

Mukuro runs a hand over the bandages. "This is… a very nice job." She muses, still shaky from the removal.

He shrugs. "You gotta know how to wrap someone up when you're a gang leader like me. Lotsa my guys won't bother to get actual help after a fight, so I had to learn how to do it right pretty damn quick."

"I-Its really cool that you know how to do that!" Chihiro says, smiling up at the taller boy. "Not to mention you learned how to do it for your friends…"

Mondo flushes slightly, turning away with a scowl. "It's nothin' really…"

I fight the urge to laugh at how bashful he's being and walk over to grab one of the shirts they had picked from the warehouse. I pick out a red and black plaid flannel button-up that looks like it's a few sizes too big for her and walk back over.

"Do you think you can put this on, or should I help you out?" I ask, frowning at her in worry.

"I-I'll do it." Chihiro says, not giving Mukuro a chance to decline. "I haven't done much to help so far." I nod and hand him it, Mukuro letting out a small sigh as Chihiro gently dresses her.

"I could have done it myself." She grouses, holding her hair out of the way.

"N-Not comfortably." Chihiro says with a gentle smile. "I don't mind helping you out, so it's okay."

"That's not what I…" Mukuro trails off and relents with a sigh. She glances to her hair. "Say… do you think that you could do me a favor? Since you want to help so badly and all…"

Chihiro nods. "Sure! What is it that you need?"

"Could you check the warehouse for hair dye and scissors?" She asks, thumbing the golden locks. "I'd rather go back to how I used to have it before this all started…"

Mondo raises an eyebrow. "So you aren't naturally a body double for your psycho sister?"

She raises an eyebrow back. "N-No…? Just because we're twins doesn't mean we look exactly the same… What did you think the magazine excuse was for?"

"I thought that twins were supposed t' be identical…" He says with a scowl.

"Actually brother, twins don't necessarily need to look exactly alike!" Taka states, starting to clean up the various bloody objects and trash we've left around the room. "There are several different types of twins-"

"Anyway…" Mukuro starts, stopping the lecture before it can begin. "I'd prefer black dye, but a dark brown will work as well."

"Understood!" Chihiro cheers, heading towards the door. "I-Is there anything else you need?"

She shakes her head. "Unless you think of anything else that I might need, that's pretty much it."

"Alright then, I'll be right back!" He says, straightening out his skirt.

"Oh, uh…" Mondo looks over to Taka, then over to Chihiro. "I'll come help ya!"

Chihiro looks up at him, a little confused. "Sure, but-"

"Let's get going!" He grabs his wrist and essentially drags him out of the room, leaving me staring after them in confusion.

"We should be going as well, Makoto." Sakura says, looking over to me. "There are a few matters that I would like to discuss with you…" She starts to make her way out the door, and I quickly follow behind her.

Once we're a safe distance away, I glance up at her. "So… was there something you actually wanted to talk about, or didja just say that to give them some time alone?"

"Ah, so I was found out?" She chuckles slightly. "But you know… while it was mostly to give them an opportunity to speak, there is something I'd actually like to question you about."

"Which is…?" I start, uneasy feeling forming in the pit of my stomach.

"Earlier… when Mukuro was first impaled by the spear… you said her name." She says in a low voice, stopping in a camera's blind spot.

"W-Well, yeah?" I say, uneasy feeling evolving into a nervous brick. "I mean, Monokuma had said it…"

"He had, but…" She gives me a hard look. "You had said it with such confidence. Forgive my saying this, but it seems odd that you'd have no issue calling her by a name you had only learned moments before."

I stare up at the girl in horror. "A-Are you implying that I'm a traitor as well…!?"

"Not at all." She says flatly. "…If anything, I'm implying that she'd already come out to you about her true identity. All I'd like is to hear your opinion on this thought."

I shake my head. "No, this was the first time I heard it." I say with mock confidence. "It was pretty easy to start calling her that… you know, especially after she exposed Junko. I guess it just sorta clicked in my head? Either way, this was the first time I had heard her name."

She stares at me for what feels like an eternity, making it extremely difficult to keep myself from having a panic attack and blowing the secret. Finally, she nods with a sigh. "…I see. I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that Makoto, but I had to be sure."

"It's fine." I wave her off with a smile. "I'm glad that I could put you at ease at the very least. We're in this together, right? I can't have anyone doubting me."

"…Of course." She says, small smile on her lips. "We are all definitely in the same boat. Ah, if you'll excuse me now, I'm going to go find Hina. I think a little training session is in order." I nod and she turns away, disappearing down the hall silently.

I breathe out a sigh of relief. "Thank god! I didn't think I could get it past her!" I glance around, wondering what to do next. "I can't really go back to the infirmary already… I guess I'll go help Chihiro and Mondo out?"

Taka's P.o.V:

I quickly finish picking up the different bits of trash and shirt pieces and discard them in the proper bin. With my task done, I quickly turn to Ju- Mukuro. "So… if you don't mind, may I speak to you for a bit?"

She nods. "…I would figure you have some questions for me?"

"Well… yes." I walk over and sit on the bed next to hers, though there isn't much space and our knees almost touch. "I'm… very confused about you Mukuro. Who are you really?"

She bites her lip and looks steadily downward. "Could you… hand me a disinfectant wipe please?"

I nod and stand, quickly grabbing one and returning to my spot in front of her. She takes it from me as I offer it to her, and starts to gently rub at her right hand. I'm about to ask what she's doing, but I start to see the slightest bit of black peeking out from where she's wiping.

"That is…" I start, squinting at her hand. My eyes widen in shock as I realize what it is. "A tattoo?!"

"Yes." She says, holding her hand out to me. "I got this when I was a part of a mercenary group known as Fenrir. My reason for being at Hope's Peak, my talent… is that I'm the Ultimate Soldier, Mukuro Ikusaba." She smiles at me, but it's by no means a happy one. "It's very nice to meet you, Taka."

"H-Hold on!" I say, trying to catch up. "Is Junko part of Fenrir as well?!"

"No, no." She assures. "I can already tell you that Fenrir has nothing to do with what's going on here… this is all my sister's doing."

"But how?!" My hands start trembling slightly. "How is it that a teenage girl managed to take down an entire school and turn it into a fortress!? It doesn't make any sense at all…!"

"I… can't tell you that." She glances over to the camera. "I'd be violating my promise not to tell you guys any more… and I don't want anyone to die for something I know you'll find out for yourself."

I frown. "That's another thing that's completely confusing me." I glance off to the side, not wanting to meet her gaze directly. "You are- were, working with your sister to imprison us here. I don't understand why you turned against her like you had! What made you change your mind?"

She pauses. "You know… I can't really say that it was ever made up. In the beginning I was treating this as another mission, another assignment for me to complete as a soldier... She gave the orders; I followed them. I never believed in what we were doing here."

I whip my head up to her. "Then why go along with it in the first place!?"

She keeps quiet for a moment looking as though she's trying to choose her words carefully. "A-All my life, Junko was the only person I've ever had… even though she's always been a little twisted, I knew she loved me. But when I had joined Fenrir, she scorned me even more than she had originally." She takes a deep breath. "I… she said that if I helped her with this, that she'd finally forgive me. Forgive me for always being such a disappointing sister… It wasn't a hard decision to make for me to join her, even though I personally didn't want to do it."

"But then…" She continues, looking right at me. "I… got to know all of you. It wasn't supposed to happen; it shouldn't have happened. Especially since I, the real me, isn't very good with people at all… but since I've been here that's changed bit by bit. Even though I knew you all weren't friends with the real me, I still…" She takes a deep breath. "I still didn't want to see any of you hurt. You, Makoto… all of you. So… I've resolved to make my sister the happiest she's ever been by saving you all."

I scrunch my face up. "I'm… not entirely clear on what you mean by that."

She shakes her head. "You'll understand it eventually…"

We stay silent for a while after that. Eventually I come up with something else to ask, something very important. "So… everything about you that we knew was a lie? Your personality, your stories, everything?"

"Well…" She bites her lip. "Not everything was. I could never fully become Junko… I just did my best to imitate her. I'm not as loud as I acted, and all of the stories were fake, but a lot of the things I had talked to you all about were from my own heart… as much as they could have been without making them seem weird anyway." She lets out a small laugh. "There were actually several times that I had messed up that I was almost certain that you'd all catch on."

"Such as?" I ask, leaning in slightly.

"W-Well…" She starts, a little flustered. "One time, Makoto had given me some rations… you know, the prepackaged food they have in the military. I had gotten so excited about them that he gave me a funny look! No model would actually enjoy those things…"

I chuckle slightly. "Oh really? What else then? I'd like to hear more!"

"Er… if you say so." She says, clearly not having expected this conversation to take this kind of turn. "Let's see… all those times I had lectured you on things were from me I guess. I had honestly thought all of those things were common sense, but…" She laughs a little. "It was good to teach someone who was more of a social invalid about something, you know? It made me feel more… normal."

"Well… as humiliating as it is to say, you have a point." I huff, not even bothering to take offence. "I am not the most… socially aware person. You've taught me a lot at the very least!" I smile over at her. "So! What else is there?"

She sighs slightly, tension leaving her shoulders a little. "Well there was this other time…"

Mondo's P.o.V:

When Chihiro and I reach the warehouse, he glances up to me with a confused look on his face. "S-So… why did you come here with me? Was it because you wanted Taka and Mukuro to talk?"

"Pretty much." I say, looking over the massive shelves. "Well, for the most part anyway. I figured you'd need help hauling over all the shit you'd need."

He laughs a little. "Y-Yeah… I figured I would need more than what she listed off. So, where should we start?"

I scratch my cheek. "Well… we should prolly see if they have the color she wants first."

"Right…" We start scanning the shelves in a comfortable silence, but just then something occurs to me.

"Hey, Chi?" I start, turning over to him.

"Yes?" He asks, peeking up over a shelf to me, having climbed up to search.

"Were you the one who threw that wash bin a couple of days ago?"

He loses his grip on the shelf and falls flat on his butt, letting out a squeak of pain as he does. I rush over to help him. "Holy fuck, are you alright!?"

He waves me off, cheeks blazing. "I-I'm fine! Really!"

I huff and plop down on the floor next to him, smirk stuck on my face. "That's good… but I guess I got my answer huh?"

He's basically doing his best impression of a tomato right now. "W-Well, ah… yeah. H-How did you figure it out though?"

"Things jus' clicked after a while." I laugh and rest my arm on my knee. "I gotta tell ya though, you scared the shit outta me! Wasn't exactly my nicest awakening, ya know?"

He frowns and looks downward. "I-I'm really sorry… I just didn't really know how to do it any other way! At first I tried walking up to you to do it, cause I had a towel on, but…" His face flushes again. "This and that happened, and well… I-I panicked."

I quirk an eyebrow at him, seriously confused. "This n' that…?"

"W-well!" He starts, looking away from me. "Okay, so…! I had walked over there to see who it was originally, and then I saw you there! So I started freaking out a little bit, but I was still going to go over and shake you awake, but then I tripped because I wasn't looking where I was going because my hands were covering my face! I-I landed really, really close to you and the steam wasn't thick enough so I saw everything, and then I started freaking out a lot, so I bolted!"

I look down at him, taking a moment to process his rambling. "So… ya saw me naked, and you panicked." He nods, still not meeting my gaze. I snort, then break out into a full laugh.

"W-What's so funny!?" He squeaks.

"Only you would have a crap attack about something like that! It's a bath, what the hell did you expect?"

"For there to be no one there!" He says, resting his chin on his knees. "I-I had just wanted to try it out… I couldn't go normally for some pretty obvious reasons."

"Oh yeah…" Cause he's a guy... right. "Well hey, now you can go during the guy's time! You won't have to lurk around or anything!"

He flushes. "N-No… I can't."

"Why the hell not?" I say a little irritated. "We all know you're a guy now, so what's the big deal?"

"That's just it…" He says with a sigh. "You all know, but… it's still weird for me, and even weirder for the rest of you."

"How do ya figure?" I ask.

"Yesterday... I'm not going to go into too much detail, but I was wearing a… bikini. And it was pointed out that neither Makoto or Byakuya would feel comfortable looking at my chest, so it was alright for me to wear it…" He explains, sheepish look on his face.

I frown, a little pissed I didn't get to see him in it… you know, when I thought he was a girl. "Is it any different now though? I mean, he's still cute one way or another… Maybe he'd put it on?" I stop myself short. "Hell no, of course it's different! He's a fucking guy! I mean, I know that but…" I glance over to see him still rambling. "Even though I know that, it doesn't help the fact that he's still really fucking adorable. Maybe it jus' hasn't sunk in yet that he's a dude?" Or is it something else?

Somethin' more… gay?

I frantically shake my head. "Like fuck! I've always been in to chicks, and I always will be! Jus' cause he just so happens to look like a girl, and is adorable as shit, that does not mean I'm gonna switch teams for him!"

"Er… Mondo?" I look over to Chihiro. "I-Is there something wrong…?"

Fuck. "No, nothin' at all! What gave ya that idea?"

"Y-You sort of started flailing for no reason…" He says, concern plain on his face.

"Huh, that? Oh, it was nothing!" I turn away a little, hoping my face isn't as red as it feels.

He frowns, not buying it at all. "If you say so…"

I stare at him for a second. "I'm only still feeling this way because I still haven't processed that he's a guy, right?"

So all I gotta do is confirm it!

"Hey, Chi! There are a buncha clothes in here… why don'cha try some on?" I ask, standing up from my spot on the floor.

"H-Huh?" He looks so confused.

"Ya heard me!" I motion over to the mounds of clothing on the shelves. "Now that we all know you're a guy, you should at least have a few pieces a' guys clothing to wear! You know, jus' to switch it up every now and again!"

I offer him a hand and he takes it, grimacing slightly. "I-I'm not too certain I follow…"

I drag him over to one of the piles. "Ah come on, jus' humor me a little!" I pick out a pair of cargo shorts and a tank top and shove them in his hands, him glancing up at me a little nervously.

"A-Ahm, do you mind turning away?" He asks, blushing slightly. "I'm not super comfortable changing in front of anyone…"

I'm about to protest, but it dies in my throat because of the look he's giving me. I nod a little and turn away. "I should still be able to tell he's a guy cause of the clothes though, right?"

I flush a little at the shuffling of clothes, and after a moment he speaks up. "O-Okay, I'm done!"

I turn around and stare at him for a second. "I can at least tell that he's a guy from how the shirt looks on him, but…" The strap of the tank top keeps sliding down, and he tied a belt in a knot just to keep the shorts up. Basically… he looks like a chick wearing her boyfriend's clothes.

…

Well shit… that didn't help at all.

"W-Well?" He asks, a little nervous, fighting to keep the tank top up.

"…It looks like you're wearing clothes that are too damn big for ya." I say flatly.

He sighs. "I-It doesn't help that they don't really make mens clothes in my size normally! I'd have to be in boys…"

"Well there goes that fucking plan!" I internally bitch, letting out a sigh. "Well whatever, ya might as well just get changed back Chi."

"Right…" He mumbles. I turn away so that he can get undressed. After a couple of minutes, I turn back to him.

"Hey, what's the hold up?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at him. He's currently gripping at the pants, or more specifically, the belt.

"A-Ah, well…" He flushes. "The knot I tied in the belt won't come undone."

"So?" I say, snorting slightly. "Just slip out of it. No one's gonna care if it's stuck."

"T-That's just it!" He says, a little frantic. "I can't just slip out! I tied it so it would stay on, b-but…"

As he says this, something clicks in my head. "Lemme try."

He flushes all over again. "H-Huh!? But-!"

Ignoring his protests, I put him up on one of the crates and crouch down. "This oughta do it!" I try had to suppress the smirk I feel coming up on my face. "This is just like an older bro helping out the younger one! Nothing feelsy about this shit at all! It oughta prove that I'm not into him anymore!"

So I get to work trying to undo the knot. "Jesus fuck Chi, you tied this really tight!" After a few moments of struggling with the knot, I glance up to him because he's being way too quiet for this not to be awkward.

He's looking steadily off to the side with a near permanent blush on his cheeks. The expression on his face is… I don't really know how to place it. Embarrassed? Pissed? He sorta looks like he wants to cry a little too.

And I'll be damned if he doesn't look absolutely adorable.

My face heats up instantly, and I automatically look down. "This totally fucking backfired! I jus gotta get this done as quick as possible!" I start to try again, a little more frantic.

"H-Hey, Mondo!" He squeaks. "Not so rough!"

"It's not gonna loosen up if I don't do this!" I grind out, a little irritated for more than one reason. "It's really fucking tight!"

"B-But if you do that, I'll…!" On one really hard yank, he scoots forward on the crate and almost falls off. "Ahh! S-Seriously, just slow down a little!"

Makoto's P.o.V:

…

I'm left standing outside the warehouse, face crimson.

"Wh-what in the world…?!"

A/N: I'm so, so sorry this took so long to get out! I was distracted by shiny things.

Lots of em.

Not to mention I've been lacking inspiration recently. I tried looking for new stories to read for ideas, but everything here is an SYOC. So then I got caught up reading things for Fire Emblem, and well... yeah. Excuses.