Chapter 3: Everyday Life with the Ultimate Soldier


Hello again everyone! I hope your New Year started off well. I hope you will all continue to enjoy this story in 2018. I've been replaying the games to refamiliarize myself with the story of Danganronpa so let's hope that makes for a better story.

This time we will explore Makoto's relationship with the Ultimate Soldier herself, Mukuro.

While I have stated in the past that I do not own Danganronpa, I must also point out that I do not own Red vs. Blue either, Rooster Teeth owns that. Don't worry, I haven't decided to write a DR/RvB crossover or anything like that (I don't believe that I could anyway), but I must confess that a character in RvB reminds me of Mukuro. Try and guess which one while you read this note and see if you're right. Anyway, that character and how they developed will be a part of this chapter, I think you will enjoy it.

Also, as hinted at in the first chapter, Naegi will show Ikusaba what it means to be a good older sibling.

Fair warning: I will be using pieces of RvB transcripts, but just the parts I think parallel Mukuro, and in some cases Junko and their relationship. Those will read like a script. So, spoilers for the Chorus Trilogy if you haven't seen it. Go ahead and watch it now if you want, I'll wait.

Are you back? Good. I'm going to assume that many of you know who the characters of Red vs Blue are, so I apologize if this seems a more than a little esoteric.


Present Day

The dishes were done and Naegi had just made his way to the common area of the dorm when he spotted one of his first friends at Hope's Peak watching something on her phone.

"Hey?" one of the characters in the video asked.

"Yeah?" the other responded

"Do you ever wonder why we're here?" the first asked.

"It's one of life's great mysteries, isn't it, Ikusaba-san?" Naegi answered as he came up behind the girl, Ikusaba Mukuro.

"Were you waiting for that, Naegi-kun?" Ikusaba asked, while pausing the video and trying not to laugh at her friend and crush.

"No, I had no idea that you would be watching Red vs. Blue. I didn't think you would like it this much when I showed it to you," Naegi answered.

"It's funny; the stories are good; and watching it together is kind of our thing," she told him, although she said that last part too quickly for him to catch and blushing all the while.

"What was that last part?" Naegi asked.

"Nothing," she responded.

Naegi looked at her with a smile. The one that says everything will be alright; that she was accepted; the one that she fell in love with.

"What?" Ikusaba asked, blushing.

"Nothing, I just noticed how much you've changed since we met," Naegi told her.

"That's all thanks to you, Naegi-kun," she said.

"I don't think I did anything special. We would talk about the responsibilities of being the older sibling and we would watch Red vs. Blue," Naegi said honestly while scratching the back of his head.

"To me it was special. I've seen many places but my world and my understanding of it was very small before I met you. Before meeting you and all of our friends, my world only had two people in it," Ikusaba explained.

"Oh, well I'm glad I helped you Ikusaba-san, but I still think you could have done all that on your own," Naegi said.

As humble as ever. So cute, Ikusaba thought. Shaking her head, Ikusaba said, "I don't think so. In fact, I owe you more than you could possibly know." If it hadn't been for you, she thought, Junko-chan and I would be doing God only knows what and I would still be her slave.


Hope's Peak Academy

Third Day of Classes

Naegi had no idea what to expect when classes had started. Hope's Peak Academy is the school that is above all others after all, so it would follow that the course work would be difficult, right? Wrong. Not only did the course work seem to be the same as one would find at any other school, but attendance was optional. If it hadn't been for Ishimaru, Naegi doubted that half of his classmates would have shown up at all.

I really don't understand how a school can function like this, Naegi thought as he sat listening to his teacher's lecture and taking notes.

Naegi wasn't the only one distracted during the lecture though. The Despair Sisters as they called themselves were thinking of other things as well.

Focus on the lesson like a good student, you hopeful little shit, soon I give you a crash course in Despair 101, Enoshima thought as she glanced at Naegi.

Ikusaba, following her sister's line of sight, saw that Enoshima had been looking at Naegi. An unfamiliar feeling had begun to overtake the Ultimate Soldier, a feeling of dread. Is Junko-chan planning to do something to Naegi-kun? But why? He's just one student. And why do I feel so scared, is this despair? But Junko-chan said it was supposed to feel good, so I must be feeling it wrong. I'll keep trying Junko-chan, I'll try to feel despair the way you do. I'm the only one who can understand you, I'm a good big sister. But I don't want anything to happen to Naegi-kun, maybe I can convince him to side with us. He invited me to talk to him about being the older sibling maybe I can convince him then. The poor girl's thoughts continued on like that until the lesson had ended for the day.


Hope's Peak Academy – Girl's Dorm

Evening

Dinner had been good, in Ikusaba's opinion at least. Koizumi and Saionji were no longer suspicious of everything Naegi did, even though it was clear they both hadn't completely accepted his presence yet. The other girls either seemed to enjoy his company, or they didn't really feel too strongly about the situation anymore. She couldn't help but feel angry at Saionji and, to a lesser extent, Celeste. While Celeste acted like Naegi was a live-in servant at least she appreciated what Naegi was doing for them, she especially appreciated the tea he made her. Saionji seemed to want Naegi to act like her slave. For the second time today, Ikusaba had a strange feeling come over her. Of course, I shouldn't like that one of my upperclassmen treats my classmate like a slave. I especially don't like that Naegi-kun just takes it. So, why did Junko-chan laugh so hard when I said that? I know Naegi-kun offered to do all of this but still…

After shaking her head to clear her mind for the task ahead, Ikusaba knocked on Naegi's door. Soon enough Naegi opened the door and although he was surprised to get a visitor, he was clearly happy to see Ikusaba.

"Ikusaba-san, good evening. Is everything alright?" he asked.

"No! I mean yes! I mean, I just wanted to talk," Ikusaba said, flustered. I thought I was ready for this, what's wrong with me? she asked herself.

"Okay, I'm free to talk, just let me close this," Naegi said as he grabbed his phone.

"Oh, if you're busy I can come back later," Ikusaba told him. Truth be told, she was torn. She did not want to leave but she had no idea how to start a conversation with Naegi now that she was here.

"No, it's fine. I've already seen this episode anyway," Naegi said. Before he closed the app on his phone, a thought struck him. "Hey Ikusaba-san, do you want to finish watching this with me?" he asked.

"What is it?" Ikusaba asked back.

"Red vs. Blue, it is a great show about two groups of soldiers. Well, that's how it started out anyway," Naegi explained.

"Okay," Ikusaba said simply. Naegi wasn't exactly selling her on the idea of this show, but she sat down on his bed anyway. At least this should give me time to think of what to say, she thought.

"Well, it's better when you watch it, I promise," Naegi assured her. He then asked, "Do you want me to start the episode over?"

"No, but could you set up the scene for me?" Ikusaba asked.

"Sure. The one in the steel colored armor with yellow trim is Agent Washington. He's about to fight a mercenary called Locus. Locus, his partner, their men; and their boss started a civil war on this planet called Chorus to wipe out the population so that they could then plunder the alien weaponry; reverse engineer it; and then sell it on the black market," Naegi explained as he sat down next to her.

That sounds like a mission Fenrir would have taken. Maybe not wipe out a planet but incite a civil war, Ikusaba thought. After pushing that thought aside she said, "Okay, start it."

Washington: (to himself) Last mag, Wash. Make it count.

He runs out of cover, but Locus is nowhere to be seen.

Locus: (offscreen) Why do you continue to help these people, Agent Washington?

Washington: (softly) Where are you? (he walks forward slowly)

Locus: (offscreen) You have nothing to gain from them. No reason to fight for them. And yet, here you stand with your life on the line for them.

Washington: Is that so hard to understand?

Locus decloaks and fires at Washington, who dives for cover. He runs back out, but Locus has cloaked again.

Locus: (offscreen) You used to be so much more.

"What does he mean?" Ikusaba asked as the video continued to play.

"That's kind of a long story, but here's the short version. Washington was originally a part of a super soldier program, Project Freelancer. The Red and Blue armies were really just for training purposes. Part of simulations to train the Freelancers, but that eventually fell apart and Wash settled in with the Blue Team."

"Wash?"

"Every member of the main cast calls Agent Washington, Wash. If you want, I could send you a link to the channel for the entire series," Naegi suggested.

"I'll think about it," Ikusaba said before returning her full attention to the video.

Locus: (offscreen) You were once an enemy to these men. You were ruthless! You were a survivor!

Washington: I was a different person.

Locus: (offscreen) No, you were a soldier.

Wash notices the air shimmer and watches it suspiciously.

Washington: You say that like they're two different things.

Locus: (offsceen) When a true soldier is told to kill, he kills. He does not question why, he does not mourn the fallen; he fulfills his role and moves on to the next.

Washington: Is that what you want to be? A true soldier?

Locus is revealed to be cloaked and standing on a catwalk above Wash, his gun aimed at him. He decloaks.

Locus: No, that is what I am!

Locus fires, but Wash avoids it. He aims back at Locus, but he's disappeared again.

Washington: Damn it!

"What are they talking about?" Ikusaba asked.

"Well, Project Freelancer was a group of elite soldiers, as I mentioned. Wash was in the top six, although he was the worst member in his squad, he actually got a grappling hook stuck to his crotch, or so he said." Giving Ikusaba time to giggle, he continued, "What he and many of the Freelancers didn't realize, at least not until it was too late, was that they were working for the bad guys. Later we find out that they were fighting even worse guys and that their boss, the Director, started out with good intentions, but that would take us through seasons six through thirteen. Anyway, something happened to make Wash a lot like Locus, and some, possibly all, of his actions during that time are not something he's proud of. If Wash had continued the way he was going, he would have turned out a lot like Locus, at least I think that's the conclusion we were supposed to draw here."

"I'm not sure I follow," Ikusaba admitted.

"Well, you'd have to watch the whole series to get the whole picture, but Locus thinks that Wash choosing the path that he did made him weak, while Wash thinks that this true soldier that Locus claims to be is nothing more than a monster," Naegi explained.

For reasons she did not understand Ikusaba was afraid of his answer, but she still managed to ask, "What do you think?"

"Well, I think Wash will explain most of it pretty well, but I know that things are more complicated in the real world. I also realize that having compassion for the enemy in the middle of battle would be a dangerous thing, but even in the middle of battle soldiers are still human. Humans can think and reason, but we also feel. I think having empathy is a good thing, it allows us to reach out to others and understand them and they in turn can understand us, although I realize some people don't want to understand or to be understood," Naegi said, before he realized that he was going off on a tangent. "Sorry, I guess that didn't answer your question, but I will say that I think Locus has the wrong idea about what it means to be a soldier," Naegi apologized.

"No, I think I understand what you mean," Ikusaba said. It wasn't like what Naegi said offended her. She knew that someone who had never been a soldier couldn't really understand what it meant to be a soldier, only now she was beginning to think that she didn't either. It's just a show on the internet, why is it bothering me so much? I follow orders, I complete my mission, what else is there? she asked herself before focusing fully on the video again.

Locus: (offscreen) I'm a professional, Agent Washington. I complete my-

Washington: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you complete your missions at all cost. You can say that as many times as you want, but I know what you really are. You're a coward.

Locus: (offscreen) Ridiculous.

Washington: You keep trying to play yourself off as some sort of weapon. That you don't care about anyone or anything. But the fact that you're trying so hard to understand me breaks your entire act! No matter how hard you may want to be, you're not a machine, you're a murderer. But you hide behind the idea in your head, because you're too afraid to take responsibility for what you've done.

The air shimmers behind him.

Washington: I know, I used to be a real piece of shit. But at least I'm trying to do something about it.

Locus decloaks and tackles Washington. Cut to the capital, where Kimball is hunting Doyle. She finds him in the command center, alone. They aim their guns at each other.

Doyle: Stop right there!

Kimball: (angrily) You... (she advances on him)

Doyle: (scared andretreating backwards)D-don't make me use this!

Cut back to the beach. Felix picks up his pistol, and Tucker holds himself up, clutching his side.

Felix: You still don't get it, do you? The entire reason you sim-troopers were allowed to live this long, (chuckles) is because you're all losers! Control was confident that you'd do more damage to these people than they could ever do to themselves. I mean, a bunch of idiots in charge of an army? Come on, it was a recipe for disaster! Locus and I figured we'd let you rack up the casualty count then kill you after a few weeks. Oh, but then you did something special! You gave these people hope! And with that came a new level of motivation. To fight harder, to die faster! All with the belief that their sacrifice might actually mean something. But you know what? It all means nothing! At the end of the day, if I'm stronger than you and if I'm faster than you, then I can kill you! And that's better than anything money can buy! (he aims the pistol at Tucker)

While Felix was speaking Naegi heard an unintelligible noise beside him. He looked to the side and saw a shocked look on Ikusaba's face. That almost sounds like something Junko-chan would say, she thought.

Worried for his friend, Naegi paused the video and asked, "Ikusaba-san are you okay? Is the video bringing up bad memories?"

"Sort of, but I'm okay, we can keep watching," Ikusaba told him, although she didn't quite believe it herself. Talk about art imitating life, this is just eerie, she thought.

Naegi didn't really believe her either, but he acquiesced, his favorite part of the episode was coming up after all.

The rest of the episode didn't seem to bother Ikusaba, but she still tensed up when Locus and Felix were in the scenes. Once it was over Naegi said, "I always enjoy how the Reds and Blues outsmart the mercenaries. As good as I think it is, this episode wasn't really a good place to start for new viewers, so I'm sorry if you were lost."

"It was fine, you explained things well enough that I wasn't completely lost," Ikusaba assured him. Once she said that she got up, surprising Naegi.

"Wait Ikusaba-san, didn't you want to talk about something?" Naegi asked, standing up as well.

"I did, I mean I do but it can wait, it's getting late," as she reached for the door.

"Well, if you're sure," Naegi said hesitantly.

"Yeah, we can talk some other time," she assured him.

"I hope the video didn't upset you."

"It didn't. I mean Locus and Felix remind me of people, but it's not a big deal," she said, putting her hand on the doorknob.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I was actually kind of happy to watch it with someone."

"I'll just come see you earlier next time, we can still watch more episodes and still talk," Ikusaba said as she opened the door.

"Sure, it's a date," Naegi said, the last part much more quietly than the rest, his eyes looking beyond Ikusaba.

Ikusaba turned and saw what made Naegi go quiet. She herself became terrified as she saw her younger sister standing in the hallway.

With a wide smile Enoshima said, "Oh please, do go on."

"This isn't what it looks like," Naegi said quickly blushing.

"Are you sure?" Enoshima asked.

"We just watched something on the internet," Ikusaba said, just as flustered as Naegi.

"Something to set the mood?" Enoshima asked, enjoying herself immensely.

"Junko-chan!" Ikusaba shouted, something that surprised her and Enoshima.

She's never done that before, she always just takes it, what kind of effect does this hopeful little shit have on her? Enoshima thought.

Oh God, I yelled at Junko-chan. Why did I do that? Ikusaba asked herself.

"I never meant to monopolize your sister's time Enoshima-san," Naegi assured the younger of the twins.

"Oh, it's fine Naegi-kun. Come on Muku-nee, tell me everything that happened," Enoshima said as she put her hands on Ikusaba's shoulders and led her to her room with a plastic smile.

"I guess I should consider myself lucky Komaru isn't here," Naegi said, knowing full well that his little sister would misinterpret what had just transpired the way he believed Enoshima had. Silently wishing his friend luck, Naegi went back into his room and got ready for bed.


"So, did you have fun?" Enoshima asked, still keeping up the act.

"Junko-chan, I-," Ikusaba started.

"Forget it, I don't care. Do you think I don't know what you're doing?" Enoshima asked.

"I just watched a show on the internet," Ikusaba said, trying to pacify her sister.

"Oh, not that, you think that there's actually something you can do that will make me leave him alone. That I'd actually let that hope boy live after he disrespected me. Maybe you thought that I'd even let you keep him as a pet or something if you convince him to side with us. Do us both a favor Muku-nee, don't waste your energy thinking, you suck at it. And the part that disgusts me the most about all of this is that you were hoping you could succeed. One of the Despair Sisters had hope in her heart," Enoshima said in a grave voice with no emotion whatsoever.

"Why are you so fixated on Naegi-kun, he's not even a threat to you," Ikusaba said, now terrified, both for her sake and Naegi's.

"Oh, I don't know, I can't actually get a proper read on him. And whether he is or not, so what? If I'm smarter than him and if I'm more talented than him, then I can do whatever I want to him, even kill him. And that feeling, as hope dies and only despair remains is the most wonderful feeling in the world," Enoshima said with a look of euphoria on her face as she finished.

At the end of the day, if I'm stronger than you and if I'm faster than you, then I can kill you! And that's better than anything money can buy! Felix's words echoed through Ikusaba's mind as her sister finished speaking. It's a work of fiction! Ikusaba told herself, I'm not Locus and Junko-chan is not Felix. We are not monsters, Junko-chan always knows best and I'm a…soldier following orders, that last thought, the way she had just tried to justify her own and her sister's behavior terrified her.

"Hmm, you know what, I'm feeling generous. You have fun with the little hope bagel. I plan to take my time with him anyway. Your despair will be that much greater when he's gone so I guess it's fine with me. Just don't ever forget your place. You are just some disappointing murder machine that is only fit to follow my orders," Enoshima said before she left her sister's room.

Ikusaba felt confused, usually she took Enoshima's insults happily because of the attention but now she just had a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. After Enoshima had left, Ikusaba curled up on her bed and started shaking. She was so glad that the rooms were soundproof, she felt like she could cry. Something that Naegi had said earlier crossed he mind, I think having empathy is a good thing, it allows us to reach out to others and understand them and they in turn can understand us, although I realize some people don't want to understand or to be understood. Upon remembering those words, Ikusaba thought, Maybe I don't really understand Junko-chan. Maybe she doesn't want anyone to understand, not even me.


A Few Days Later

After Class

Ikusaba was heading back to the dorms after classes were over for the day. Her time with Naegi and her conversation with Enoshima afterwards had shaken her. Naegi and some of her other classmates had asked her what was wrong, but she kept assuring them that she was fine. As she was passing by the fountain in the courtyard she saw Naegi sitting at the bench talking to someone on his phone. Naegi, upon seeing her, patted the spot next to him. The smile he gave while doing so melted any resistance Ikusaba may have had and she joined him. From her spot next to him she could make out what the person on the phone was saying.

"Onii-chan, when can you get me Maizono-san's autograph? You know I'm her biggest fan," a young female voice said.

"I know you're her biggest fan Komaru. I'll ask her, I just don't want to bother her with this right away. I have to go though. I love you." Naegi said.

"Onii-chan," the girl, Komaru, said. Ikusaba could hear the embarrassment in her voice, but then, "I'm just kidding, I love you too."

She sounds so happy to hear that and to say it in return, Ikusaba thought. She sat there remembering the last time she had told Enoshima that she loved her. The response she got, in its entirety was, "Love. Sure. Great." She couldn't help but be jealous of Naegi at the moment.

After he ended the call, Naegi turned to his friend and asked, "Are you alright Ikusba-san? If there's something bothering you I'd be happy to help if I can."

"I know you would Naegi-kun, but I'll be alright," she answered. Attempting to change the subject Ikusaba asked, "Were you talking to your sister?"

"Yeah, that was my little sister Komaru. She wanted to know if I could get her Maizono-san's autograph, but I'm trying to tell her she needs to be patient," Makoto explained.

"I'm sure Maizono-san wouldn't mind," Ikusaba countered. The idea of making Enoshima wait was unthinkable to the soldier.

"While I think you are right, I'd like to give everyone a chance to settle in before badgering her for an autograph. Plus, it wouldn't hurt Komaru to have more patience," Naegi explained.

"I'm not sure I follow," Ikusaba told him.

"Well, back when Komaru was born, I was determined to be the best big brother ever. I spoiled her far more than I should have. I wasn't the only one spoiling her of course but I think I was the worst. Once she was old enough for school I learned that I had to stop and how selfish I was being," Naegi told her.

"Selfish?" Ikusaba questioned.

"Well maybe this will help it make sense: Like I said, I had wanted to be the best big brother ever and as a little boy that meant giving Komaru everything she wanted. I felt like what I was doing was right because Komaru kept telling me that I was the best big brother in the world. I wanted my little sister to love me the most because that would be proof of how great of a brother I was, at least that was how I saw it as a little boy. When Komaru started throwing tantrums when she didn't get her way and I had to correct her I realized that I had the wrong idea about what it means to be an older sibling. I was supposed to teach Komaru: what I was teaching her was that she could hold people's emotions hostage to get her way. Thankfully, she was too young to realize that and Kaa-san, Tou-san, and I could correct that behavior, but she was actually trying to pick friends based on what they could do for her. My parents explained that things like friendship and love are supposed to be unconditional, you don't love someone just because you want something in return and you shouldn't befriend someone just because you want something from them," Naegi said.

"So, what happened?" Ikusaba asked.

"Well, I realized that I couldn't let Komaru act like that. She may have been very young, and her behavior wasn't unusual for kids that age, but she was old enough to learn that she was wrong. It wasn't easy, let me tell you. She first asked if I didn't love her anymore, that hurt but I told her it was because I love her that I had to tell her no, that she could not get her way all the time," Naegi explained.

"That sounds rough," Ikusaba said.

"It was: she kicked; she screamed; she told me she hated me, but I was firm. She ran to her room crying after saying she wished she didn't have a brother. To tell the truth, I was ready to give in, but my parents told me that it would be fine. Komaru was too young to understand but she would eventually. They were right of course, Komaru gave me the silent treatment for a while but she came around pretty quickly. Her behavior improved, she made a lot of friends, and she eventually told me she still thought I was the best big brother ever," Naegi said with a smile.

"That's great," Ikusaba told him. Honestly, she felt a little jealous, it sounded like Naegi and his sister were very close.

"Yeah, but I'm sure you know all of this already. Being an older sibling isn't easy: We need to know when to step back and let them make their own mistakes and face the consequences; and when to step in to protect them, from themselves and others," Naegi said.

"From themselves, huh?" Ikusaba questioned.

"Well yeah, I mean you wouldn't let Enoshima do something you know is wrong, right?" Naegi asked. It was meant to be rhetorical, but he wasn't aware of just the kind of relationship the Despair Sisters had.

"N-no, of course not," Ikusaba stuttered. Have I been a bad sister? she asked herself.

Seeing that his friend looked distressed, Naegi tried to change the subject. "Ikusaba-san," he said, "I was watching an episode of Red vs. Blue before Komaru called. Do you want to finish watching it with me?"

I guess that would be alright, I'm sure the similarities I noticed last time were just a coincidence, she thought. "Alright," she answered, "but you'll need to set it up for me again."

"Gladly. Felix and Locus are at an alien temple that Tucker accidently activated. All of the equipment that Charon Industries, that's the company paying Felix, Locus, and the space pirates, reverse engineered, the alien tech/human tech weapons, blew up," Naegi explained.

"Why?" Ikusaba asked.

"It turns out that the alien weapons that they had been collecting weren't broken, they were just deactivated. Tucker's sword activated the alien temple and now the Reds, Blues, and the people of Chorus have a chance to beat the space pirates who have lost their superior weapons."

"What about the alien weapons?"

"Charon probably didn't keep many because they thought the weapons were broken. The temple that Tucker was at when he activated all of the temples on Chorus had a vast arsenal of alien weapons and now the Blues are trying to get them for the people of Chorus. The space pirates and Charon scientists are at this temple they received coordinates for and are investigating. There is a teleporter at the temple and supposedly they need a 'true warrior' finish the process of activating the temples across Chorus. Felix sent one of his men through the teleporter and the man had visions of everyone he had ever wronged. Since they don't have a lot of time, Felix and Locus just went through the teleporter and now we get to see what Locus is afraid of," Naegi finished.

"O-oh," Ikusaba said, a little less inclined to watch the video now that Naegi had said that last part.

"You don't have to watch it if you don't want to," Naegi told her. He didn't understand the cause, but he could tell his friend was distressed.

"No, it's fine. Let's get started," Ikusaba told him. With that, Naegi un-paused the video.

Locus ends up on some form of space platform. He is alone. He tries to cloak, but the module malfunctions and he is thrown out of stealth. Locus walks down a nearby ramp.

Locus: Felix, I've made it through the gateway, equipment is malfunctioning. If you can hear this-

Locus is interrupted by a booming alien voice.

Alien Voice: SHALOUKUUAA. SURAKIE SUTO YOH?

Locus: I don't understand.

Alien Voice: WHO ARE YOU?

Locus is suddenly surrounded by a squad of four UNSC soldiers wearing Aviator, Warrior, Recruit and Scanner helmets respectively. All four have their guns pointed at him.

Aviator Soldier: Freeze!

Locus: What?!

Aviator Soldier: Don't move!

Warrior Soldier: Don't you fucking move!

Recruit Soldier: Lower your weapon or we will shoot!

Warrior Soldier: Put the weapon down!

Locus lowers his shotgun. Another UNSC soldier walks into view.

Captain: What do we have here, men?

Aviator Soldier: Caught us a monster, captain. I think it understands what we're saying.

Captain: Really? Then how about you tell us what you're doing here?

Locus: I... came through the gateway.

Warrior Soldier: Speak English, motherfucker!

Locus: What? ...Wait... I know you.

Warrior Soldier: (distraught) Why is it looking at me?!

Past Felix: (mockingly) Maybe you're just its type.

Locus: No... Felix...

Felix shows up, wearing the tan and green armor the mercs wore back during the Great War.

Past Felix: I say we blow its brains out.

Past Locus: That's your answer to everything.

Locus: (mutters) Impossible!

Captain: Hey! You quit eyeballing my men and give me some answers. Are you alone?

Locus: I- I don't understand. You're all supposed to be dead!

Aviator Soldier: What's it saying?

Locus: (to his past self) You're me.

Past Locus: Sir, I think it's trying to surrender.

Past Felix: Bullshit, I think it's stalling! Sir, this feels like a trap.

Locus: Why don't you recognize me?

Captain: Private, I did not ask you for your opinion-

Locus: Listen to me!

Warrior Soldier: Hey, watch it!

Aviator Soldier: It's getting hostile!

Past Felix: Sir, this thing's wasting our time and we're in no position to start taking prisoners.

Captain: (sighs) Fine. (to Felix and Locus) You two, move into one of these buildings and take it out. Quietly.

Locus: What?

Past Locus: Sir, it's scared.

Captain: If it's smart, it should be.

Past Locus: If we could restrain it, we could-

Captain: (interrupts) Son, you listen here!

Locus: No.

Captain: You're a soldier! In this war, you are nothing but a suit of armor and a gun! So when I give you an order you damn well follow it! Do I make myself clear?!

Locus: (raises gun) NO!

Past Felix: Drop'em!

All soldiers open fire on Locus. A bright flash and Locus is back at the Temple.

Ikusaba clutched her head as she was hit by a number of memories: Every instance of her sister's verbal and physical abuse from a young age until the present played out right before her eyes. A mindless murder machine like you should kill people for less than that! her sister's voice echoed. You are nothing but a suit of armor with a gun, the Captain's voice followed.

"Ikusaba-san, are you alright?" Naegi asked, worried for his friend's well-being.

"I-I'm fine, the Captain reminds me of one of my old commanding officers," Ikusaba lied. She then asked, "What did we just see?"

"We just saw how Locus was broken during the war," Naegi explained.

"What exactly do you mean?" Ikusaba asked.

"Locus's ideology stems from the punishment for insubordination he endured under his commanding officer during his time as a soldier of the UNSC. We've just seen that Locus was once a more compassionate individual, but when Locus tried to show compassion to a "monster" he and his squad were supposed to interrogate, his commanding officer snapped at him, explaining to him that he was nothing more than a suit of armor and a gun who should follow orders without question. The trauma of having his values shattered in front of him broke Locus. To cope, he tried to become what his superior had demanded from him all along; a living weapon that carried out all orders regardless of their consequences," Naegi explained.

"Are you sure you aren't the Ultimate Armchair Psychologist?" Ikusaba asked jokingly.

"I've binge watched this series more times than I care to admit," Naegi said as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly. Getting serious again, he asked, "Are you absolutely sure you're okay Ikusaba-san?"

"I am Naegi-kun, don't worry," Ikusaba assured him.

"Of course, I'm worried. We're friends, aren't we? Plus, we're classmates and we live together," Naegi said. After he realized what he said, Naegi followed up, "That last part sounded more innocent before I said it."

Laughing a little at how cute Naegi was, Ikusaba said, "I know what you meant Naegi-kun, and thank you."

"You're welcome. I might not have some amazing talent like the rest of you, but I think if I can help out amazing people like you Ikusaba-san even a little, then accepting the invitation to Hope's Peak was definitely the right decision," Naegi said with conviction.

"I'm not amazing, I've always been a disappointment, at least according to her," Ikusaba meant to say the last part quietly but Naegi still heard her.

"According to who? A former commanding officer?" he asked.

"Something like that," Ikusaba said.

"Then I'll say it until you believe it too. You're amazing," Naegi told her.

If you knew what I have done and what Junko-chan wants to do you wouldn't say that, Ikusaba thought. Still, with a blush on her cheeks and a tear in her eye she said, "Thank you, Naegi-kun."

"You don't have to thank me, Ikusaba-san," Naegi said with a kind smile. Then he noticed that the episode had ended and said, "Looks like we missed the ending."

"That's fine, we can watch it again whenever," Ikusaba told him.

"Are you sure? Out of the two episodes we've watched, both seemed to make you uncomfortable," Naegi pointed out.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. It's just a show on the internet, nothing to get so worked up about," Ikusaba said. Even if it is raising uncomfortable questions and digging up unpleasant memories, she thought.


The Following Weekend

Girl's Dorm-After Breakfast

The uncomfortable questions and unpleasant memories that accompanied them did not subside before the weekend and Ikusaba was not sure how she felt about that. She wasn't sure how she felt about anything anymore but what did it matter. She was not the smart sister, that was Enoshima. Enoshima telling her to do something she didn't agree with; she'd do it in a heartbeat. Junko-chan is always right, had been her motto for as long as she could remember, why was she having doubts about it now? But the fact was that she was having doubts and she didn't know what to do. Who could she talk to? Who did she trust enough to confide in? Though she wasn't expecting answers it seemed the universe was prepared to give her one: Naegi Makoto happened to be sitting on one of the couches in the dorm's communal area, with his phone in his hand and the YouTube app open.

Resolving herself, Ikusaba called out to him, "Hey, Naegi-kun? Can I tell you something?"

"Just me? What is it?" Naegi asked.

"To be honest, I'm getting fed up with all of this." Ikusaba said softly.

"I don't understand. Fed up with what?" Naegi asked.

"We're all ultimates, right? So, we get carried away and rush face-first into stuff. Even I have to wonder if it's okay to live like that. Dreams are meant to change as you grow up, right? Depending on where you're at- kindergarten, elementary school, junior high, high school…. but I've had the same dream since I was a little kid, and I've been rushing towards it ever since. So, I've never really had to think all that hard about my dreams." Ikusaba finished off with a bit of frustration in her voice.

"But what's wrong with that?" Naegi asked curiously. "It just means you still feel the same way, right?"

"That's what I used to think." She admitted. "But if it doesn't change, your possibilities can't grow, right? That's how new opportunities are born. And up until now, I never did that. I never let my dreams grow. All I saw was that one dream. I put everything I had into that one narrow little world. I feel like there's so much more I could be doing that I'm not, and I don't like that feeling. So, I think I'm going to start looking for it. Is it childish of me to think like that? Am I just being a baby?"

"No, not at all." Naegi replied. "I'm the same way. I'm still trying to figure out what it is I want to do. And sometimes I feel like I'll never find it. I feel like maybe I'll spend the rest of my life looking for it. But I'm not sure it's even about finding it or not finding it. Maybe the important thing is that you're looking for it."

A new voice said. "Wow Naegi-kun, you actually sounded kinda cool just now!"

That voice filled Ikusaba with dread, but she still managed to get out the owner's name, "Junko-chan!"

Naegi, embarrassed by Enoshima's comment stammered, "N-No, that's not what I was trying to-"

"W-when did you get here Junko-chan?" Ikusaba asked, fearing the answer.

"Right at the end, why? Were you discussing something I shouldn't have heard?" Enoshima asked while looking very much like the cat that caught the canary.

For some reason that sounds like a lie, but why would Enoshima-san lie? More importantly, why would it be a problem if Enoshima hears it? Naegi asked himself.

She's lying, she heard everything. The question is, what is she going to do now? Ikusaba wondered.

"Well, who cares when I got here or who said what," Enoshima said suddenly. She then asked, "What's that you're watching Naegi-kun?"

"I was watching an episode of Red vs. Blue. Ikusaba-san and I have been watching it together every so often," Naegi explained.

"I've heard of that show. Is it any good?" Enoshima asked. Ikusaba was the only one who could tell but the interest Enoshima was showing was completely false.

"Oh absolutely. It started out a comedic series, but it got more dramatic as time went on. There are still plenty of moments of levity but what really gets me is the characters; the themes surrounding them; and how they've grown," Naegi said.

"That's good, because there really is nothing worse than a character that is the same joke over and over," Enoshima said.

Odd, for some reason that sounded like the most self-unaware comment I will ever hear. I wonder why? Naegi asked himself. Ignoring that feeling, Naegi asked, "Would the two of you like to watch this episode with me or did you have plans?"

"Not that I know of," Ikusaba said, hoping against hope that her sister had shown up simply by random chance.

"I've got nothing better to do. Set it up and let's watch," Enoshima said, surprising Ikusaba.

What exactly are you planning Junko-chan? Ikusaba wondered.

Naegi didn't really think much of it though, and after giving Enoshima a basic overview of Red vs. Blue and the Chorus Trilogy, he eventually got to the episode that he had planned to watch. "So, at the end of the last episode Locus asked the Counselor about the Meta," he explained.

"What's the Meta?" Ikusaba asked.

"The Meta was a Freelancer code named Agent Maine. He received and A.I. fragment from Carolina, Sigma the fragment that represented ambition. The Counselor will explain a lot of it, but Sigma used Maine to kill other Freelancers to take their A.I. fragments and equipment. I guess a good way to describe him would be an Ultimate that could steal talent from other Ultimates," Naegi explained.

"Like an Ultimate that could possess all talents?" Enoshima asked.

"Pretty much," Naegi confirmed.

"Interesting," Enoshima said. More like useful. In a world that sees talent as hope, the corruption or destruction of something like that would go a long way in advancing despair. I wonder if Yasuke-kun could do something about that? she thought.

Hope's Peak Academy Courtyard

The Fountain

A boy that looked like a taller version of Naegi and Nanami Chiaki were sitting at the water fountain playing video games when suddenly the boy sneezed.

"Are you feeling alright, Hinata-kun?" Nanami asked.

"I'm fine Nanami-san," the boy, Hinata Hajime, said. I wonder what that was about? he asked himself.

"Yeah, he was a good villain, but the Meta had his weaknesses too. The armor enhancements were meant to be paired with an A.I. and couldn't run on one suit of armor without requiring large amounts of power," Naegi said, not realizing that he and Enoshima were thinking about two different things.

"Why did Carolina give Maine an A.I.?" Ikusaba asked.

"He was shot in the throat on a mission and lost the ability to speak. Since the A.I. can manifest themselves as holograms and speak and Maine needed a way to communicate it seemed like a good idea at the time. Carolina thinks the Director had some idea that things would play out the way they did since each A.I. was paired with the Freelancer that the Director thought suited them best, but I think that was just resentment talking," Naegi explained.

"Ah," was Ikusaba's simple response.

"I still clutch my neck every time I watch that episode," Naegi admitted.

"Alright enough background information, are we watching this or not?" Enoshima said impatiently.

"Sure, I wasn't very far in, would you like me to restart the video?" Naegi asked.

"No, it's fine," Ikusaba said.

"If you aren't that far in, I'm sure we won't be too lost," Enoshima told him. Not that I couldn't figure out what had already happened anyway, she thought.

"Okay," Naegi said as he tapped his phone and resumed the video.

Counselor: (off screen) The Meta?

Locus: (off screen) Yes. (Cut to the interior of the Tartarus where the Counselor is seen talking to Locus through a screen) Any additional information we can gather on our enemies is vital to success.

Counselor: Would it not be more beneficial to discuss Agents Carolina and Washington?

Locus: No. I have a full understanding on Washington. His background no longer interests me. The same can be said for Carolina.

Counselor: Very well. What would you like to know?

Locus: The Meta had the potential for perfection. How was it possible that he was defeated by a group of incompetent simulation troopers?

Counselor: Agent Maine survived numerous injuries during his time with the Freelancers. Most would have been lethal had they been inflicted upon any other man. However, in the end, four puncture wounds in his suit resulted in asphyxiation by liquid. He drowned.

Locus: I'm aware of how he died, I want to know why he was unable to prevent it.

Counselor: As did the rest of us. It seemed impossible at the time but as you've already seen, the simulation troopers are extraordinarily resilient.

Locus: He had every possible advantage.

Counselor: But they had each other. They had what our agents never fully achieved: complete and total faith in one another. I think it's important to note that had the Reds and Blues combated Agent Maine prior to the destruction of his A.I., it's possible events may have played out differently.

Locus: Why is that?

Counselor: You must remember that Agent Maine and the Meta are two distinctly different psyches. The Meta was the result of the Sigma A.I. manipulating Maine. His sole objective was perfection. (as he speaks, outside, two asteroids float towards each other slowly) When the A.I. fragments were destroyed by Agent Washington, the Meta was destroyed along with them, (the smaller asteroid smashes into the larger one as he says this, breaking it into pieces) leaving behind a damaged shell of a man. Unlike Sigma, his only remaining goal was to obtain power. His actions were more reckless. His behavior, more sporadic.

Locus: (cut back to the Counselor) And before Sigma? What was he like then?

Counselor: A brute. Strong. Unrelenting. Fearless. He had no qualms when asked to do the unpleasant. The morally questionable. Because, despite what many thought of him, he knew he was, at his core, a soldier, and his actions inevitably served the greater good.

Locus: The greater good is irrelevant. His actions should have been his orders. Nothing more.

Counselor: No. That would make him a slave.

Locus: (looks away momentarily) Would you say Maine performed at his best when controlled by Sigma? When the Meta strove to be the perfect weapon.

Counselor: You're mistaken in assuming Sigma's definition of 'perfection'. The Meta never wanted to be a weapon. The Meta wanted to be human. (a moment of silence between the two) Is there anything else you wish to discuss?

Locus: ...No.

Counselor: Have you noticed a change in your behavior since entering the gateway? I understand the portal attacked the minds of its inhabitants; confronting them with their greatest fears. That could have lasting effects on an individual.

Locus: (defensive) I'm fine.

Counselor: I'm inclined to disagree.

Locus: You're overstepping your boundaries, Counselor.

Counselor: I'm merely doing my job.

Locus: Your job is to -

Counselor: (interrupts him) Would you like to know what Felix is afraid of?

Locus: ...I –

"Wow, way to tease us, am I right?" Enoshima said as soon as Felix interrupted the Counselor.

"Well yeah, they can't give everything away mid-season," Naegi defended.

"Fair enough," Enoshima conceded. She continued, "That guy, I believe you called him the Counselor, he's pretty creepy."

"A little. I suppose in most characters always holding an even tone would be, but I would think an even, calming voice is a good characteristic for therapists and counselors to have, particularly if they exclusively treat soldiers," Naegi said.

Ikusaba, meanwhile, was thinking back on her time in Fenrir and the times she had followed Junko's orders, A soldier's actions serve the greater good. Simply following orders makes one a slave. Am I a soldier or a slave? Her sister's voice soon snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Boring, I really thought you two were up to something and all you've been doing is watching videos on the internet," Enoshima said while sporting a pout.

"I believe we told you as much Enoshima-san," Naegi responded.

"Yeah, but come on, you could at least lie and say you were doing something else. Give me something to actually tease you two about," Enoshima half pleaded.

"Romance, real or imagined, isn't something someone in my situation can indulge in Enoshima-san. You know boy in the girls' dorm?" Naegi reminded her.

"Ugh, I guess," Enoshima huffed in mock frustration.

Noticing that Ikusaba had been silent, Naegi turned to her and asked, "Ikusaba-san, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ikusaba answered. Not that she could say much else with her sister there and she dare not tell Naegi what was really on her mind.

"Ikusaba-san, I know I ask this every time but are you okay to watch these? The parts with Locus and Felix really seem to upset you," Naegi said.

"And I answer every time, I'm fine," Ikusaba said more forcefully than she meant to. Realizing this she immediately apologized, "I'm sorry Naegi-kun, I know you want to help but it's not something I really want to talk about."

"Well, it's not really good to keep things bottled up, but I won't force you," Naegi said with a hint of resignation. He then said, "If you ever do want to talk though, I'm more than happy to listen. I might understand better than you think. And not just me, our class, our senpai in this dorm, Yukizome-sensei, and Enoshima-san, we're all here for you."

"Yeah, Muku-nee, spill your guts," Enoshima said with what Ikusaba knew to be a fake smile while flashing a peace sign. Really, do it. I could use some despair after spending all this time with the two of you, she thought.

"I'll think about it," Ikusaba said slightly hesitant, while Naegi may have been right about the others Ikusaba knew that even if Enoshima couldn't read her, confiding in her sister was the worst thing she could do.

Looking at his phone, Naegi noticed the episode had ended. "It never fails, when we watch Red vs Blue we start some conversation and miss the episode," Naegi said, laughing.

"Sorry Naegi-kun," Ikusaba said.

"Yeah sorry. Oh, I know, how about a date to make it up to you," Enoshima said.

Blushing like mad, Naegi still managed to keep his composure and say, "N-no, I mean, it's really no big deal, I've seen all the episodes and can watch it again later whenever I want. There are some things I need to take care of but if you two are interested we could meet up after lunch and watch some more episodes."

"I'd like that," Ikusaba said.

"I thought you were turning down my offer of a date and you turn around and make one of your own," Enoshima said, giving Naegi an incredulous look.

"No, I just-," Naegi stammered.

"You are so easy to tease. I'll think about it, feel free to start without me though," Enoshima said.

"Okay, until then," Naegi said as he got up and went about his business.

Once she was sure Naegi was out of ear shot and that there was no one else around, Ikusaba attempted to talk to her sister, "Junko-chan, I-"

"Shut up, we are not talking about your feelings," Enoshima barked. Gone was the false image of the teasing yet kind high school girl, the real Enoshima Junko had taken her place.

"I wasn't going to," Ikusaba said as she tried to make herself smaller, as if that would protect her from her sister.

"No, that's what you have Hope Boy for. You know what, I've changed my mind; let's talk about what you said to him. You're getting fed up with all of this, huh? What else can you do though? What else is out there for someone like you? My ugly, plain, idiotic, smelly sister. You are my own, personal killing machine. You think someone like Naegi-kun can change that for you? How willing would he be to help if he knew the real you? A disappointment that only knows how to kill," Junko said.

"You don't know, you said you can't read him," Ikusaba had not meant to say that but it still slipped out and she immediately covered her mouth in shock when she realized that it had.

"You're right, I can't, but I don't need to. Not to know this. He may know that you are a soldier, but have you told him about your time in Fenrir? You can't hide behind some claim of 'the greater good.' You were a mercenary; you operated out of the Middle East in conflicts that even if they had anything to do with Japan you wouldn't have known, and your group probably didn't care. It didn't matter why you did it, all that mattered was how much money your boss could get," Enoshima told her.

Ikusaba had no response.

"I don't know how that hopeful little shit can inspire that defiance in you but do something about it. We both know nothing is ever going to come of that type of attitude, not from you," Enoshima said a she got up and left the room.

Once she was sure she was alone, Ikusaba started to sob as the empty feeling she felt after her last conversation with Enoshima had returned. She knew she was feeling despair after what Enoshima had said. It didn't feel good, it never did, not for her. She never got to ask why Enoshima showed up when she did. Had Enoshima been keeping an eye on her? Why? Enoshima had said she didn't care what she did with Naegi. Was there something Enoshima was afraid of? If that was the case, then why had Enoshima allow her to continue to spend time with Naegi alone until now? Ikusaba did not have any answers, she wasn't sure there were any. She also no longer felt like meeting with Naegi after lunch, but she had promised after all, and it would be nice to spend time with someone who admitted that they enjoyed her company. She just hoped she wouldn't look like she had been crying when the time came.


Later that day

Girls' Dorm Common Area

Ikusaba did not look like she had been crying when she met up with Naegi again, but he was still able to tell that something was wrong. She was distracted, jumpy, and more quiet than usual. She assured him nothing was wrong, and although Naegi was not convinced, he let it slide. He hoped that she would open up to him as they passed time together. They had watched two episodes and had just begun the third when Naegi attempted to improve the mood with a joke, "Two episodes in and we haven't gotten side-tracked by a conversation, that's a personal best for us."

"Sorry," was all Ikusaba said.

"No, I'm sorry Ikusaba-san, that was a poor attempt at humor. I shouldn't be joking when one of my friends feels bad," Naegi told her, pausing the video to give her his full attention.

"I'm alright," Ikusaba responded.

"No, you aren't, I can tell. Did you and Enoshima-san have a fight or something?" he asked.

"Sort of," Ikusaba told him, it wasn't exactly true, but he was close.

"It might be none of my business, but you know you can talk to me, right?" Naegi asked.

"I know," Ikusaba said. Do I? What if Junko-chan is right? Will Naegi-kun think I'm a monster? I mean Junko-chan is always right, isn't she? But she can't properly analyze Naegi-kun so what if she isn't? Ikusaba thought. She was being forced to question so much of what she thought that she knew so quickly, and she had no idea how to deal with it.

"Well you don't have to tell me the details, but just know that I understand how hard it is when you have a fight with a loved one," Naegi told her.

"Yeah, it is," Ikusaba responded, not that she would know. Just taking verbal abuse could hardly count as a fight, but that was hard too.

"Do you want to stop so you can get things sorted out?" Naegi asked.

"No, I'm okay to keep watching," Ikusaba assured him.

"Alright," Naegi said, figuring it was best to go along with Ikusaba for now.

Cut to the Jungle Temple. Felix is seen activating the sword.

JUNGLE TEMPLE

Felix: (laughing) Oh, I will never get tired of that.

Locus: We lost too many people.

Felix: Fewer people, bigger cuts. Besides, we have all we need right here. (to someone else) Isn't that right?

Santa: If you now possess the key, then you have proven your worth.

Felix: That's what I like to hear. So, when we activate this Purge-

Santa: The Purge should only be activated as a last resort, if the inhabitants of the planet are not worthy.

Felix: Buddy, trust me, I've meet the guys, sooo not worthy. I just wanna double check and be sure that we won't be wiped along with them.

Santa: (sighs) Those residing within the temple will be spared.

Felix: Perfect! Now how exactly do we activate-

Locus: What about our remaining forces? They'll be killed guarding the communication temple.

Felix: Look, they were good men. ...Well, actually, they were disgusting, murdering bastards! But the point is what they don't know won't hurt 'em... until they're dead.

Locus: Some of them are former partners.

Felix: But orders are orders.

Locus lowers his head.

Felix: (sighs) Locus, when have we ever looked out for anyone other than ourselves?

Locus: They trust us.

Felix: And what, that gives them some sort of immunity? Survival isn't a right, it's a privilege. It's earned. That's the one thing we've always agreed on. If they deserve to live, then they'd be strong enough to stop us and smart enough never to trust anyone. Hmm, we'll need to come up with something to tell Price on the Tartarus, you know, once it's done. Maybe the money will be enough.

Female Space Pirate: Sirs, Control just sent us a new transmission. They don't sound too happy about losing Armonia's artifacts.

Felix: (scoffs) Great. You wanna take that?

Locus: I thought you were the people person.

Felix: (scowls) Man, you suck. Just ask this thing how to activate the temple, then let's go. (walks off then stops) You know, I wonder how much Hargrove would pay... for an alien A.I.? (leaves)

Santa: My creators believed the key and their gifts could only be wielded by a true warrior. I was skeptical of the first human... and then even more so of this one. I shall prepare all necessary data for the activation of the Purge.

Locus: You guard these relics. You spoke to me in the gateway. Created the things I saw.

Santa: Correct.

Locus: Then can you tell me... what did Felix see? What is it he's afraid of?

Santa: ...Is it not so obvious? (disappears)

Santa disappears. Locus ponders. Cut back to Crash Site Bravo where the Blood Gulch Crew are seen formed in a huddle.

"I didn't expect that," Ikusaba said.

"What?" Naegi asked.

"I thought Locus didn't believe in compassion anymore," Ikusaba answered.

"Locus cares about those who put their trust in him. Even at his worst, he had a few redeeming qualities. He understood that even though those serving under him pledged their loyalty to Felix, him, and Control, he has a duty to them as well. I think it is important to remember that loyalty should go both ways. The commanders need to know that the troops will do their job and the troops need to know that their commanders won't be careless with their lives. I mean I know that war isn't that simple: There may be times when disobeying an order may lead to a major victory and unfortunately there will be missions that go horribly wrong despite even the most careful planning or are suicide missions. That said, troops shouldn't go out of their way to disobey orders and commanders shouldn't go out of their way to endanger the lives of those serving under them," Naegi explained.

"Loyalty should go both ways," Ikusaba repeated.

"Loyalty, respect, trust. I think any unit where a chain of command or any type of relationship for that matter similar type of structure exists like, say, a family or like Owada-kun's gang needs to understand that to function. I mean you can you really be loyal to someone you can't trust or respect? Can they be loyal to you if they don't trust or respect you? I think partially, maybe, but is that enough? I really don't think that it is," Naegi said.

Ikusaba did not voice her response, but Naegi had given her something to think about, Loyalty, respect, trust. Junko-chan is my little sister but is that enough of a reason to follow her?

Realizing that he had gone off on a tangent and believing that he had made the girl uncomfortable, Naegi quickly apologized, "Sorry Ikusaba-san, I got carried away."

"No, it's fine, I thought that you raised some good points," Ikusaba said, trying to reassure the boy.

"Yeah, but it's still the perspective of a civilian though, you can't really understand these things the way a soldier does, let alone the Ultimate Soldier," an all too familiar voice added from behind them.

Turning around the two were met with the smiling face of Enoshima Junko.

"Well, I guess I can't really say that you're wrong Enoshima-san," Naegi conceded. He then asked, "When did you get here?"

"Right when you started talking about loyalty, I thought it was pretty good, it is such a wonderful thing after all," Enoshima said as she looked at Ikusaba out of the corner of her eye.

Even though he thought that that last part had sounded weird, and maybe threatening, Naegi brushed that off and said, "Sorry to leave just as you arrived Enoshima-san. I know lunch wasn't that long ago but I'm going to see if I can come up with any ideas for dinner. Making enough portions for all of us takes a while, after all."

"I don't doubt it, especially when you factor in how much Owari-senpai eats," Enoshima added.

"Yeah, so I'll see you both at dinner. Ikusaba-san, I hope you feel better," Naegi said before he left to dig through the kitchen for ideas.

Ikusaba had been silent since Enoshima had shown up, preparing herself for another verbal onslaught. However, that is not what she got.

"How naïve can someone be? Respect and trust are required for loyalty? Bullshit, you just need to let people know how superior you are. Isn't that right Muku-nee?" Enoshima asked.

I used to think so, but now I don't know, Ikusaba thought.

"No answer? Come on, it's yes or no. I believe in you! Actually, no I don't, but still even you should be able to give a one-word answer," Enoshima mocked.

Ikusaba stayed silent.

Giving up, Enoshima just said, "Fine don't answer. I didn't think it was possible but you're more boring than usual." Enoshima got up and left. To do what, Ikusaba wasn't sure, but she soon realized something. She had just ignored her sister and she was surprised by how little she cared.


That Evening

Ikusaba Mukuro's Dorm Room

Ikusaba Mukuro was restless.

In her short time at Hope's Peak Academy, Ikusaba had learned a few things but not from the faculty. Her friendship with Naegi had been forcing her to question a lot of what she believed and of what she thought she knew. She had found some answers; answers she knew Enoshima would not like, but to her shock she was not as concerned with her sister's opinion as she once was. That said, she still did not know what to do. Following the orders of her superiors had been all she had known, whether they were her commanding officers or her sister.

From her first conversation with Naegi to the present, Ikusaba felt as if her mind had been in a fog. It was not a feeling she enjoyed. She had always believed that Enoshima was right; that no matter how terrible her actions were, no matter how much she disagreed with them, as long as they led to Enoshima's love and respect nothing else mattered. That was the perfect sister she had strived to be since a young age; but was that right? She wasn't sure anymore, she knew her own sister well enough to know that they loved each other in their own way but did Enoshima respect her?

She doesn't, does she? Blindly following her hasn't changed that, if anything I think she respects me less. I think I've always known, but I didn't want to admit it, Ikusaba thought.

She may not have had all the answers, but she knew where she could get some, perhaps all of them. She got up and made her way to Naegi's room with a question that she thought would help her understand everything.

Knock, knock.

Opening the door, Naegi peeked out and saw his friend with a serious look on her face. "Ikusaba-san?" he asked, surprised by her sudden visit.

"What is Felix afraid of?" Ikusaba asked.

"Huh?" was Naegi's response.

"I need to see that, and I need to talk to you," Ikusaba said.

"I'm not sure I understand but okay," Naegi said as he picked up his phone and pulled up the episode with the information Ikusaba wanted. Both took a seat on Naegi's bed and watched the episode in silence. Ikusaba's did not take her eyes off the screen once and her focus only increased when Felix and Locus were on screen.

Felix: Wake up! (he throws the SAW into Locus' arms.) I told you we'd make it.

Locus: (groans) Felix... it's over...

Felix: (activates his sword) Run your camo, and stick to the shadows. I'll draw them out.

Locus: The Tartarus is destroyed, our numbers are falling, the mission-

Felix: FUCK the mission! Jesus Christ, for once in your life, would you forget about following god damn orders! I'm not doing this for Hargrove! I'm doing this for me.

Felix trudges off. Cut to Washington at the battlefield.

Tucker: (over radio) Wash! Locus and Felix are alive! And they're here!

Washington: What?!

Tucker: (over radio) We need help.

The Mantis faces Washington and charges its weapons.

Washington: (noticing the Mantis) Damn it!

Washington runs off as the Mantis fires on his position. Cut back to the temple control room where the Blues and Doc are seen hiding from Felix.

Washington: (over radio) Tucker, I hate to say it but you're on your own.

Tucker: But-

Washington: (over radio) I believe in you...all of you. You can do this.

Doc: He thinks we're gonna die...

Sarge: (over radio) No. That time… he meant it.

Felix: Tucker! Where are you?!

Tucker, Doc, and Caboose silently stare at Felix, who walks past.

Caboose: So...are you gonna answer him?

Cut to Locus, who struggles to walk. He finally falls over and rolls himself onto his back in exhaustion.

Santa: (appearing) Why have you come here, meddler?

Locus: To kill the simulation troopers.

Santa: Will this secure your victory over their forces?

Locus: No...

Santa: Then what purpose will it serve?

Locus: I don't know...

Santa: Then why are you trying?

Locus: I don't know...

Santa: What do you know?

Locus: I don't know!

Santa: Then what do you want to know?

Locus: I-I want to know...what Felix is afraid of.

Santa: You were broken by war. It was his goal to see you never healed...because despite what he may claim, only one of you needs the other to survive.

Locus: (groans) What are you saying?

Santa: Ignorant creature. Your partner is afraid of you.

That seemed to be the answer that Ikusaba was looking for since she started nodding.

Naegi, still not sure of what was going on turned to her and tried to get her attention, "Ikusaba-san?"

"I'll explain after the episode, just know that watching this series and talking to you have been oddly cathartic," Ikusaba told him.

"Okay," was all Naegi said in reply.

Felix: Locus, what are you doing? You're supposed to kill them!

Locus: No.

Felix: (shocked) What?!

Sarge: (confused) What?!

Tucker: (confused) What?!

Locus: No more killing.

Felix: What are you talking about? You're a soldier, remember?!

Locus: I'm not a soldier. I'm a monster... like you.

Felix: (standing up) Locus, we're...partners. Survivors. We need each other. Wh-what about our orders? Our reward?! Becoming the ultimate weapon.

Locus: I'm not doing this for the reward. I'm not doing this because someone told me to. I'm doing this for me.

Felix looks around and sighs.

Felix: (darkly)Then you can die with the rest of them.

"Good for Locus," Ikusaba said.

"Ikusaba-san, this visit had nothing to do with you enjoying Red vs Blue did it?" Naegi asked.

"No, I mean, I have enjoyed it, it's just-," Ikusaba started.

"And the reason you've been freezing up during these videos has nothing to do with your as a mercenary, does it?"

"I don't think I ever told you I was a mercenary," Ikusaba said surprised.

"I mentioned your tattoo and Togami-kun explained what it meant," Naegi explained.

Accepting his explanation, Ikusaba then admitted, "Somewhat, but not completely,"

"Why don't you tell me?" Naegi suggested.

And so, she did: her abuse at Enoshima's hands from an early age; her time as a mercenary; her missions; everything. Well not everything, she left out Enoshima's plans to use Hope's Peak Academy for despair, she wasn't sure how to explain that and since nothing had happened yet, she figured there was no need to. When she was done she looked at Naegi, who had been silent throughout her story. She was afraid, in the short time that she had known him, Naegi had become important to her. If he thought that she was a monster she was not sure she could handle it.

Letting out a breath Naegi said, "Wow, that's a lot to take in."

That wasn't bad, but it wasn't good. Ikusaba started to worry.

There was no need. "I never thought that Enoshima-san was that kind of person. I just thought that she was milking being a younger sister and took it too far, but this is awful," Naegi said.

Ikusaba just stared at him with a confused look on her face. She finally managed to ask, "Did you hear everything else I said, Naegi-kun?"

"I did, and it's not good Ikusaba-san, but do you remember what you told me earlier today? About how you were fed up?" Naegi asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"You meant that, right? That's not who you want to be anymore?"

"Yes, I did mean it. I didn't just mean that but, you are right," Ikusaba told him.

"Well, you can't change the past. If you believe that you were wrong, then you should find a way to do something to atone. Who you were is important, but so is who you are and who you will be," Naegi explained.

Ikusaba shook her head and said, "Every time we talk you make me see things in ways I never thought to before. Thank you, Naegi-kun."

"Don't mention it, we're friends right? And like I told you before, not just me: our classmates; our senpai at this dorm; Yukizome-sensei, I'm sure they would all be willing to help you when you need it, even if you just need someone to listen to you," Naegi reminded her.

"Yeah, I think you're right. It doesn't just have to be me and Junko-chan anymore," Ikusaba said.

"I'm glad we had a chance to talk Ikusaba-san, I'm happy you trust me enough to let me in," Naegi said.

"Me too," Ikusaba agreed. Looking at the clock, Ikusaba said, "I'll let you go to bed now Naegi-kun, I need to talk to my sister."

"Are you sure she'll even be awake, it's almost lights out?" Naegi pointed out.

"She's been waiting for me to finish up in here, her true talent allows her to know things like this," Ikusaba told him.

"Her true talent?" Naegi asked.

"Junko-chan is the Ultimate Fashionista, but her real talent is lies in her analytical abilities. They are so great that she can predict the outcome of everything with perfect accuracy and know everything there is to know about a person after just meeting them," Ikusaba explained.

"That's, pretty terrifying actually," Naegi said.

"There is one exception, Junko-chan has admitted that she can't analyze you, or at the very least, not to the degree she can others," Ikusaba told him.

"Why not me?" Naegi asked.

"I don't know but be careful. Junko-chan hasn't forgiven you for trying to correct her behavior on the first day," Ikusaba warned.

"She's mad about that? What does she plan to do?" Naegi asked. If he did not know what he now knew he would think he should just be wary of a prank. Ikusaba did not convey just how horrible Enoshima could be so Naegi could not truly know the danger he was potentially in, but he was now expecting something painful.

Ikusaba, who did know what Enoshima was capable of, just smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'll protect you. I'm a soldier after all."

Naegi noticed her smile and said, "I think that is first time I've ever seen you smile, it makes you look cute."

Ikusaba's face turned scarlet. After calming herself down she got up to leave but before that she needed to ask Naegi for a favor, "Naegi-kun, about Junko-chan-."

"Don't worry, I won't act any differently around her, but for your sake not hers, not yet anyway," Naegi assured her.

"Thank you. Good night Naegi-kun," Ikusaba said as she opened the door.

"Good night, Ikusaba-san. Oh, Ikusaba-san, what if any of the other girls find out you were in my room until now?"

"Don't worry, I'll tell them what happened. I'm pretty sure they'll believe me."

"Good. I'm sorry it has to be like that but most of the others don't completely trust me."

"They will, good night."

As soon as Ikusaba closed the door she heard the voice of her sister ask, "Did you two talk about anything interesting?"

Turning to Enoshima, Ikusaba just said, "Not here," and motioned for Enoshima to follow her.

Angry at being ordered around by her sister, Enoshima nevertheless followed. The soon arrived at Ikusaba's dorm room and went inside. The first thing Enoshima did was try to attack Ikusaba for daring to give her an order. Aiming a kick right at her sister's stomach, Enoshima soon found her foot caught in Ikusaba's grasp.

"No more Junko," Ikusaba said.

"No more what?" Enoshima asked, seething.

"No more causing pain, no more killing, no more despair," Ikusaba answered.

"A gross murder machine like you doesn't get to decide that," Enoshima countered.

"Murder machine, yes I suppose I was, maybe I still am since I haven't done much to change. But you heard what I told Naegi-kun, I'm fed up with it, so no more," Ikusaba said.

"Mukuro, you can't be serious. You're my sister, we're the Despair Sisters," Enoshima said, sounding desperate.

"Yes, we are, and it's because I'm your sister that I'm saying this now. I love you Junko, and you've been using that love to blackmail me. Well, I'm finally going to act like an older sister and keep you from causing trouble for other people," Ikusaba told her.

All emotion leaving her face and voice, Enoshima said, "Wow, I thought the sister card would pull you back in. You're acting like you're going to stand on your own but you're just going to lean on Hope Boy instead of me."

"You're right, but I still think it's an improvement. Even after I told him what I could: about us; about Fenrir; about your true talent; everything except your plans for despair, he said he'd help me if I needed it. That's more than you've ever done."

"I thought he also told you love was supposed to be unconditional?" Enoshima asked mockingly.

"Mine has, you've been doing everything to convince me that I have to work for yours. Well now Muku-nee has decided a tough love approach is needed because she didn't correct your behavior long ago," Ikusaba said, not even surprise that Enoshima knew about that conversation with Naegi.

"Can you let go of my foot?" Enoshima asked. Once Ikusaba let go Enoshima said, "Mukuro, I love you. I hope that all of your dreams come true one day."

Ikusaba knew what Enoshima was trying to say with that and responded, "You can try to cut ties with me Junko, but I'm not going to cut ties with you. I'll always be your sister. And it's because of that that I hope you'll understand that I'm saying all of this for your own good, I have to protect you from yourself. I'm just going to protect everyone else from you too."

"Oh, I'm so scared of the Ultimate Soldier," Enoshima mocked. "This isn't that web series you two were watching, I'm not afraid of you," she continued.

"I know. I also know it isn't me you're afraid of," Ikusaba said. Thinking of something, Ikusaba asked, "Just curious, how many of your plans don't rely on me being the muscle?"

Enoshima had to think about that one and responded with a childish, "None of your business."

"Thought so, good night Junko. I love you," Ikusaba said.

"Piss off," Enoshima said as she left. As she made her way to her room she thought, I never really thought that Hope Boy could cause that to happen. Mukuro is so full of shit, me afraid of Naegi. Still the despair of having my sister bail on my plans; needing to scrap them completely; and the sickening realization that I actually did need her. I guess the little hope bagel can live while I break him slowly. How to do it though? I need some time, oh well, I've never had a challenge before, but I've never had someone I can't analyze before. Coming up with plans on the fly could be pretty interesting. Naegi Makoto, your fall into despair has shot to the top of my list of priorities.

Back in her room, Ikusaba let out a long, tired sigh. I hope you will understand Junko-chan. Maybe then I can finally understand you. For real this time, not as a lie I tell myself. An image of her and Naegi flashed in Ikusaba's mind. I know that Junko-chan was telling me she was cutting ties with me, but I hope my dreams come true too. I think I've finally figured out what it is that Naegi-kun makes me feel. Love definitely feels better than despair.


Present

"You don't owe me anything, Ikusaba-san, we're friends right?" Naegi asked.

"Yeah, friends," Ikusaba agreed. Though if it were up to me, we'd be more than that, Ikusaba thought.

"Naegi-kun! Don't just pay attention to Muku-nee," a voice the two were very familiar with said. Behind Naegi, with her pigtails smoothed out and her eyes unusually big was Enoshima Junko.

"Junko-chan," Ikusaba warned through gritted teeth.

"Enoshima-san, how are you?" Naegi asked.

"Vewy bad, Muku-nee is trying to take Naegi-kun for herself," Enoshima said, still in her cutesy persona.

"You said that you hoped all my dreams came true," Ikusaba reminded her.

"Just not the ones with Naegi-kun, duh," Enoshima responded.

While the sisters argued, Naegi said, "I have to go take care of something girls, I'll see you both later. As he left, Naegi thought about his relationship with the twins formerly known as the Despair Sisters, When Ikusaba-san and Enoshima-san finally told me everything, I was shocked, but I guess by that point I was mostly desensitized to it. Hope's Peak has been through a lot and so have I. I guess we should all feel lucky that no permanent damage has been done. A lot of good came out of it so I guess it's alright. I'm amazed at how much those two have grown since the beginning of the year. Ikusaba-san is her own person now, and Enoshima-san has become a much better person. He was soon shaken from his thoughts by two voices.

"Sayaka-chan, you and Ibuki can change the entire world of music if we team up," the ever energetic Mioda Ibuki said.

"I'm not disagreeing with you on that point Senpai, but I don't know if our two separate styles can properly reconcile," the sweet and melodious voice of Maizono Sayaka responded.

"Mioda-senpai. Maizono-san," Naegi greeted.

"Naegi-kun!"

"Makoto-chan!"

The Ultimate Idol and the Ultimate Musician. Ikusaba may have been my first close friend here but these two certainly weren't far behind, Naegi thought as he approached the two girls.


Well this chapter was a lot longer than I expected it to be. A good bit of that is the transcripts from episodes of RvB but I still thought it would be shorter.

Now I believe I owe you all an explanation: I'm sure some of you are wondering about my thought process with the Mukuro-Locus Felix-Junko connection. To be honest, I don't remember when that first started, but I think it was definitely after Felix revealed his true colors. I realize that the parallels are not perfect. But they were both broken and unable to function without orders, and both, at some point realized there was more out there. Sadly, Mukuro would never get the chance to act on that.

The Felix-esque line I gave Junko was for more than just story reasons. A lot of what she did and how she thought leads me to believe that while she wants to do these awful things due to boredom, she may also think she has a right to do it because of her analyst talent and if she could get as far as she did then that was proof she was correct.

"…if I'm stronger than you and if I'm faster than you, then I can kill you! And that's better than anything money can buy!"

Now compare that to her claims of perfection in DR1, her reasoning for causing the Reserve Course suicide when asked why she didn't keep them around as more brainwashed minions and I think the line I gave her makes sense:

"If I'm smarter than him and if I'm more talented than him, then I can do whatever I want to him, even kill him. And that feeling, as hope dies and only despair remains is the most wonderful feeling in the world."

Kind of makes sense now doesn't it?

Don't get me wrong, if I had to pick a Rooster Teeth villain to compare Junko to it would be Salem from RWBY, but that's another discussion for another time.

I hope I portrayed the Despair Sisters well enough, I know I made that joke about Junko being one-dimensional, and her motives may be, but she really isn't. Mukuro was even harder, but I guess that's what I get for making a chapter about her breaking free from Junko's control. We already had Naegi smile at her in Chapter 1 so rather than when she fell in love with him, it had to be a chapter about Naegi helping her break free.

Don't worry, I don't plan to do other chapters the way I did this one, where I switch to a transcript format, but I wanted it to be clear that they were watching something, not that I was writing two stories in one chapter. Also, I'll try to keep esoteric references to a minimum in the future.

I wanted to explore what it means to be siblings a little more, but I realized there are a lot of things Mukuro could not tell Makoto and then I remembered that she was the Ultimate Soldier and how I drew parallels between her and Junko and Locus and Felix.

Also, that using a loved ones' own emotions to blackmail them or to hold them hostage, trust me when I say I do know how that feels. My younger sibling was suffering from benzo addiction and they attempted to dictate terms to us because we were afraid of what would happen if they left home.

Sorry for bringing down the mood like that.

Let me know what you think in the reviews.

If you liked it, tell me.

If you didn't like it, tell me what I can do better. Don't just say I suck, give me an example, I don't want this fic's review page to turn in to the review page of my old Naruto fic.

If you really, really hated it, make your worst enemy read it or tell me if you'll use it to cause despair.

Good news. I wanted to hold off on this, but I think now is a good a time as any to start the vote. The Sayaka and then the Ibuki chapter are next but vote for who you want next.

Akane

Aoi

Mahiru

Sonia

I think I'll start off with those four. I want certain things to happen in certain chapters but these four right now are harmless. For those disappointed that I didn't put Mikan, she will be after these four because I want to do Hiyoko's chapter right after that and I want Mikan's chapter to lead into Hiyoko's. Full disclosure, Chiaki, Chisa, and Junko will be last for this group of girls. Then I will introduce the V3 girls. Believe me there is a method to my madness, I promise.