Keiko flinched when the police officer leaned towards her, then looked away, not wanting to see the contempt on his face even though she knew that she deserved it. She concentrated on the floor as her handcuffs were unlocked and then she was guided to a machine to have her details recorded.

"Name."

"Kei..Keiko Usui."

"Date of birth?"

"16th of March 2014…"

There wasn't any sense in hiding it, after all. Such basic details like that they would find out sooner or later, wouldn't they? And it wasn't betraying anyone to give her name and date of birth, her home address…her father's details. Oh. She supposed it was a betrayal of them, because the moment her father was contacted her family would know that she was not their reliable eldest daughter, older sister, niece, cousin. The one they could rely on for everything, the one who played with them and fed them and cleaned the house and made sure they could all go on with their lives.

Then again, she hadn't ever been that girl. Or at least, not just that girl. If that was all she had been, she wouldn't have been here in the first place, getting her photograph taken , cheek swabbed and getting her fingerprints taken-a process that reminded her of doing finger-painting with Ichiro and Mimi and remembering how they'd ended up deciding they wanted to toe-paint and elbow-paint and even nose-paint of all the things. It was a memory that made her chuckle, until she looked up and saw that she was being glared at. Quickly, she pressed her mouth into a thin line and looked down, hoping to radiate contrition.

Because she was contrite, really. Or partially, she supposed.

She then found herself taken to a room to change into prison-issue clothing, shapeless and all-covering. She had never had special feelings for her school uniform before, but she found herself trying not to cry as it got folded away and put into bags, as a female officer searched her body to make sure that she wasn't carrying any other type of contraband. Keiko cringed and flinched.

"It's a bit late for that kind of hysterics, now." The officer told her, even though she hadn't said a word.

"I'm sorry."

"Hmph."

Keiko closed her eyes and pretended that there weren't eyes roving all over her and picking out every imperfection, that she wasn't being prodded and poked and that it wasn't taking such a long time because of how much space she took up as a person. She imagined that she was back at the warehouse, sedating Class 99-A for the final time and carefully moving them to their resting place. How she'd made sure that Minah's hair was neat and smoothed away from her face, that her shoes had been taken off and left beside the bed before Minah was tucked into it, oh so carefully as if she was a sibling or cousin. How she'd made to walk away almost immediately but had then stopped just to look at her one more time, marvelling at her beauty before quickly leaning down to whisper the words she'd always wanted to say to her, even as she knew Minah would never actually hear them.

She tried not to think of walking away, and what it meant. She just tried to picture Minah's perfect sleeping form, and the way she'd looked all those months ago the day she'd walked into the laundry room all radiance and light. Just those two things, they had to be enough.

Oh, I hope that somehow, she'll be safe. I should have tried harder to dissuade her…we could have put someone else, grabbed a random group instead. I should have, we should have…

When a pile of clothes were shoved at her, Keiko realised that the search was over. Quickly, trying to shrink, she dressed herself in them and found herself feeling gratitude over the fact that the clothes camouflaged her, made her seem indistinct. They were a final mark of her condemnation and yet they made her seem shapeless. As if maybe she really could disappear. She was then led down a narrow corridor to a cell of her own.

"This is where you'll be staying until the detective is ready for you."

"Oh, thank you!"

"Hmph."

Keiko watched as the door was locked and the two officers who had led her down disappeared. She stared at the door for a moment, then down at her hands, the fingers till smeared with the fingerprint ink. This time though, she didn't think of paint, but of blood.

Because even if I didn't actually do anything hurtful up until now…I still have blood on my hands. Especially after now. Slowly, Keiko backed away, and sat down heavily on the thin mattress of the bed, tucking her legs up underneath her and folding her hands in her lap, staring down at them. She wondered where all the others were, what they were doing. She hoped sincerely that none of them had been caught, despite everything.

I'll have to make sure, won't I? That anything I say won't harm them…it's the least I can do.

Keiko wanted to cry with this thought, knowing that whatever route she took she'd already failed them, and that there'd be more people to fail along the way. But she couldn't cry, did not deserve to cry. So instead she just sat there, looking at her hands and hoping that eventually she'd start seeing the finger-paints again.

…

Mihoko couldn't tell if the tears in her eyes were from the smoke or not, but she couldn't afford to be able to tell for sure. If she told herself it was the smoke, it was one more reason to run away, to just set the final fires, drop everything and run, back into the crowds. To not look back at anything she had done.

To not look back at the carnage.

She hadn't expected the standoff to end that way, would never have seen it. Then again she supposed it made sense. As far as she saw, there were no words in the world that could have fixed a situation like that, no promises or bribes or insinuations that could have changed the facts or at least made the other party feel like the facts had changed. No amount of honey layered over or charm infused into them could have done anything. Skills in rhetoric were useless in the face of such damning, damning evidence.

But that was just what she saw. And she knew that such things weren't her forte at all. But they were Sosuke's, and if anyone could have found a way it was him. Had she not seen such skills in action over the year she'd known him?

So, why?

Regardless of if it was the smoke or something else stinging her eyes, she knew that it was definitely the smoke doing something to her throat as she coughed, having to pause briefly to get some breath back before careening onwards towards the crowds that were now gathering on the grounds. She was not the only one running, not by far, and quick glances gave her glimpses of mussed hair and shocked faces, snatches of hysterical voices. She did not stand out.

Slowing as she got further into the crowd, she found herself seeking out the faces of the others who were still around. She spotted Mizuki fairly quickly, as she was doing a pretty good job of making herself visible as she tried to help teachers maintain some kind of order. Mihoko watched her for a moment, then turned away before Mizuki spotted her and approached her, and kept looking for others as she kept walking, further and further into the crowd. Everything looked so much like they had all imagined it to be when they'd been back at the planning stage, and despite the losses Mihoko knew that at the very least they'd be able to begin.

No. No, that's a lie.

It was not despite the fact of those losses, it was because of them. Because of one in particular, the one she couldn't even put into words to herself, the damn hypocrite that she was. She hadn't realised initially what it was that he had been doing, since his back at been turned to her but it had become clear enough when calls for backup had been made, when his arrogant, straight-backed posture had started to buckle. When red had started pooling on the ground, perversely beautiful but making her want to scream. The so-called 'honourable' way out, though she had known him long enough to know that it was not really honour that he had been concerned with, just with making sure that he did not have to experience defeat directly.

And so that things could come crumbling down.

But then, there was one more reason that he could have possibly done it, and it was undeniable that it had worked. Otherwise she wouldn't have been able to weave through crowds as though she was innocent, innocent, innocent and she would not have been able to ponder on it in the first place. She wouldn't have been able to get away.

But could that really have been a reason he'd thought of, right at the end? Was such a thing really possible, or was this really nothing more than his final stand, an attempt to make sure that success couldn't happen without him?

I really am a hypocrite, aren't I? Mihoko thought bitterly. Not only can I even directly tell myself what happened, I can't even say his name.

"Sakurai-chan."

Mihoko whipped around and saw Mokomichi approaching her. She stilled, nodded at him as he reached her.

"You managed it."

"Yes, I did." Mihoko said simply.

"I saw that Usui got arrested…what about Mori-kun?"

Mihoko didn't immediately respond, instead taking a breath.

"He…." Say his name, dammit, say it. "He…also got caught."

Mokomichi tilted his head, considering her. Mihoko glared at him, sincerely hoping he wasn't going to try and play detective with her state of mind. It was hardly a secret, they would surely find out exactly what 'caught' meant sooner or later. What she was thinking or feeling about it was absolutely none of their business. She certainly didn't want to be ripped to shreds for it, as she was sure she would be. What would they understand of it, anyway?

No, she was saying nothing. They'd find out, sooner or later. When their collective last words reached the public sphere. Ah, I wonder, when that will be?

"Well then," Mokomichi sighed eventually. "That makes three of us now…and we still don't know what has happened to Kurogane-kun."

"You haven't heard from him?" Mihoko asked, relieved.

"No, not at all…we'll have to keep trying, but he knows how the plan was supposed to go, so I'm sure he'll meet us there instead."

Mihoko frowned.

"Oh, we're going?"

"Mhm."

Mokomichi pointed across the grounds where a Reserve Course teacher was standing with one of the staff versions of the Electro-ID.

"We just need to tell the teacher we're going home or that someone's picking us up, and we're not hurt so we can get 'signed out'…."

Once again, Mokomichi looked her up and down, and Mihoko stared him down blandly.

"Yeah, you'll convince her that you're not hurt."

Mihoko raised an eyebrow at him, but then nodded and walked off to do so. The process didn't take too long, as the teacher seemed apparently frazzled by volumes of students wanting to leave. She indicated to Mokomichi, even managed a smile, and the two of them began to make their sneaky exit. But even as they did, Mihoko was already thinking of her own separate exit. Because if she couldn't say his name, couldn't put into words what had happened, then at least she would honour the spirit of it all and get away by the time it all went down in flames, whenever that was.

She couldn't wait for the moment when they all realised that they had not actually won today, after all.

…

"Hold on, are we sure that we can't be traced by this radio?" Mizuki asked as Hatsumi fiddled with it.

"Naaaah, trust me, Daddy Dearest probably used it for some shady business deals, so it's encrypted to the gills."

Mizuki found herself briefly wondering if Oshino had any radio like that, or even if he particularly had to use them. It was not as if she could ask, anyway. He's probably worrying about me now, isn't he? And Aki will be too…I wonder how long it'll take for the media to reveal their names and for them to realise who else may be connected…Mizuki found herself half-listening for their names as the conversation around her continued.

"Remind me how, exactly, you managed to acquire an old digital radio of your dad's?" Azuki asked.

"Ah, I stole it from him years before, I packed it on that night," Hatsumi said breezily. "Dunno why but it's probably going to prove useful even if it is a bit old…ah, here we go!"

Hatsumi leaned back as part of a news bulletin came through.

"…it has also been confirmed that the arrest of another Reserve Course student yesterday evening may also have links with the morning's events, in which two students were arrested and a third resisted arrest by…"

"Okay, that I am still not over!"" Shino exclaimed suddenly. "I mean, that was the last thing I expected, boy like that I didn't think he'd ever want to get his hands dirty. I'm surprised we even managed to get him to help with the fires!"

"Kinda badass, though." Hatsumi commented.

"More like stupid," Azuki rolled his eyes. "I mean, that solves anything, how?"

"Eh, I dunno." Shino shrugged. "But hey, I guess it saves us worrying about whether he'd betray us or not, right? I mean, he was the snoot, after all. He'd probably try to take over or something, make himself look good by turning us in, right, Mihoko…hey, where are you, Mihoko?"

"Right where I've been the entire time."

This deadpan response came from the other end of the room, where Mihoko was sitting, knees drawn up to her chest as she watched them. Mizuki turned and studied her. Though she had changed her clothes the way the rest of them had, she hadn't cleaned herself up. Shino looked over and waggled their eyebrows at her.

"Well, I'm right, huh?"

"You certainly could put it that way." Mihoko said.

"Did…did you see him do it? Kill himself, I mean?"

All Mizuki's question earnt was a dead-eyed stare and complete silence. Mizuki glanced over at Shino, Hatsumi and Azuki who all frowned back.

"Yo, you there?" Shino asked.

"Yeah, I'm here." Mihoko said. "Are you not going to turn all that on?"

Mihoko made a waving gesture and it took a moment for Mizuki to realise that she was referring to the monitors set up to observe the killing game. Mizuki sighed and nodded, deciding to table any concerns for now.

"Yes, sure, let's do that."

Mizuki leaned over and started to turn everything on, with Shino helping. When they were done, Mokomichi slipped in with Riku behind her.

"Oh," Mizuki looked over her shoulder. "You're done?"

"Yep, with any luck they won't find our phones for a while." Mokomichi said. "And I found this one on the way."

"School ended early on account of increased riots and looting that the stuff at your school sparked." Riku explained. "I texted my parents to tell them that but now my phone is with yours so…yeah."

Riku bit his lip, wide-eyed and hesitant. Mizuki swallowed and nodded at him before then looking at Mokomichi who nodded and smiled gently at her, looking almost as tired as she felt.

"That's good, well done. Get yourself cleaned up, alright?"

Once everything was on and ready, Shino moved away to begin setting up in preparation for voicing the bear who would be the so-called 'school principal'. Mizuki sat down in front of the screens and leaned forward as she studied them, watching the 99-A students as they slept in the various positions they'd been dragged into the night before. Her gaze lingered on the screen that showed the camera feed where Minah was, sleeping in a room with Mawa. Curiously, she was tucked into her bed where Mawa had just been placed into hers, and Mizuki wondered who had done it.

"Do you know who put her there like that?"

Azuki glanced over, and Hatsumi peered.

"Oh, she looks so cozy…well, if it wasn't for the whole murder game thing." Hatsumi laughed.

"Yeah, I dunno." Azuki said. "Wasn't me, but that's kind of weird, anyway."

"Hmm…."

Mizuki continued to study the screen that showed Minah. It occurred to her that they'd never found out why or how the police had come to find out about the spider, and she wondered if it could have been Minah. The only thing she couldn't understand was how-if it had been, there was no way Minah would have done anything to put her best friend's brother under suspicion. Then again, Mizuki had presumed that she was their friend, too.

Then again, I've not really got the right to say that, not when she's there and we're out here…

"Ahh, I wonder how long it's going to take for them to actually wake up!" Hatsumi exclaimed, sitting on the table. "I want things to start!"

"Careful, don't break it." Azuki cautioned.

"Hey, you calling me fat?" Hatsumi protested.

"What? No! Also why's that your concern?"

Mihoko, still sitting in the corner, snorted derisively.

"Really?"

Mizuki spun the chair around to look at Mihoko again. She still had her knees drawn up to her chest as she stared at them impassively.

"Don't you want to come over here to see?"

Mihoko blinked once, slow and deliberate, but her expression didn't change at all.

"No. I'm fine here."

Mizuki supressed a shiver, and simply nodded.

"Alright then."

Riku and Mokomichi came back in and the latter dragged another chair over to sit with Mizuki. Then for a little while they found themselves chatting. Small talk, as if they were sitting in someone's bedroom or living room and not in an abandoned warehouse while surveying another abandoned warehouse. Well, most of them talked, but Mihoko remained on the sidelines, and no amount of encouragement or nagging got her to join and eventually Mizuki gave up until:

"Look."

"Huh?"

Mihoko stood up and pointed.

"Look, I think they're waking up."

Mizuki stared at the screens, and sure enough, in different places, some of them were waking. Shuuhei and Emlyn were the first to spring fully awake, immediately apparently looking for each other and falling into each other's arms once they realised they were in the same room. Mizuki swallowed down a lump in her throat and then looked at Minah's screen.

She initially still seemed like she was out for the count but then her limbs moved, and her eyes fluttered, slowly, slowly. Mizuki exchanged a look with Mokomichi, and then the others.

"It's beginning."

…

Minah's eyes felt heavy.

She tried to blink once, then twice and then finally on the third time she was able to keep them open, though the world remained blurry as she tried to sit up, having to prop herself up against the wall as she straightened and pushing the quilt away from her. What the…where am….? Her body felt bruised the way it did after a competition or a particularly hard practice session but she was sure that she hadn't been in either of those for a long while. She certainly didn't remember doing anything of the sort.

But, what did she remember?

She frowned, her head throbbing slightly as she pushed the quilt right away into the corner of the bed. Rubbing it gently to try and sooth the sensation she looked around her at the plain walls, the camp beds and the suitcases placed haphazardly at the foot of the bed…and the sleeping figure of Mawa on the other bed.

"I….when did I get here?" Minah whispered.

Everything felt like a blur, the only images in her head were little more than blurs themselves. Walking down the road, struggling….tiredness, so much tiredness. The sensation of being carried and…had she been tucked in? She had to have been, since she had had to push the quilt off of her. And then…

"I love you."

Those words were ringing in her head. Or maybe ringing was the wrong word for it, since as they replayed they seemed quiet and hesitant. But there they were, those words, stuck in her head. She didn't know who had said them to her, or even why.

"Minah? Minah!"

Minah startled and saw that Mawa had woken up, looking awful-pale with dark circles under her eyes, with her hair and clothes all mussed up…though, she was sure they were different to the ones she had been wearing. Looking down briefly at herself, Minah realised that the same applied to her. But she couldn't remember that happening either, a thought that made herself shiver before she silently scolded herself for it.

After all, she remembered the important things.

"Mawa! Are you alright?"

"What-what the fuck is this place?" Mawa shouted, getting up and gesturing around them. "Ah, dammit, my head but…but anyway, what is this place? What's happening?"

"I don't know," Minah lied. "I…I just woke up…"

"Yeah, I did too. I don't really…I don't really remember anything but…where's Teruya? Oh god, oh no, where is he?"

"Hey, come on, come on."

Minah shot across the small space to grab Mawa's hands, despite her head throbbing even more with the option. Stop it, stop it, you don't have the right to hurt.

"Let's go look for him…assuming the door is open."

The door was supposed to be open, she knew that, so that once they awoke they could all 'explore, find each other and then they could be told what was in store for them. She was the only one who knew exactly what that was, but it did nothing to quell the dread.

I have to be careful…

Looking into Mawa's eyes, she waited for her to take a breath before letting go of her hands and heading to the door, looking up at the camera that was there.

"Ohmigod, is someone watching us here?"

"I suppose so…"

Minah shuddered, wondering who was watching. She hoped it wasn't Kaneda. She wished she could get a signal to them somehow-it's okay, I won't betray you…please, please don't hurt me. But of course, she couldn't, for so many reasons. Instead, she just looked at it for one more moment and wondering what it was the friend on the other end was thinking before taking a deep breath and trying the door.

As she expected, it opened. Doing her best to smile, Minah turned.

"Let's go and look for him…I'm sure that he'll be awake too, and looking for you."

"Y-you think?"

"Well…I hope so, anyway." Minah bit her lip.

Mawa nodded, and then suddenly a spark seemed to relight in her eyes. Determinedly she marched forward and grabbed Minah's arm, dragging her along as they left the room and started blindly down a corridor. Minah let herself be dragged along.

And…I guess now it begins.

But I wonder, where will it end?

I think I mentioned before that I have an ending song chapter that pairs with this chapter, but I am going to release it separately. That way, I can be sure there will actually be an update for this later in the month or early in the next month, since Luciform is really gathering momentum and all.

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter!