A/N: This twoshot takes place after "Mr. and Mrs. Hinata!" Please read and review, and enjoy!

The Ultimate Detective and The Ultimate Hope Gaiden: Kiki Learns the Truth!

Chapter One: History Class of Horrors!

"…she's like the latest evolution in ghost technology!"

"There's a limit to how much ridiculousness I can tolerate…"

Kiki sweatdropped as she sat at her desk, watching the footage from the Killing School Life in her social studies class.

"Um…Kiki…" Tsumugi leaned over and whispered in Kiki's ear. "Was your Uncle Hiro always such a…nitwit…?"

"Well…he's always been on the silly side, but he never struck me as an idiot. I guess he matured since high school…" Kiki muttered in reply.

Tsumugi nodded and went back to watching the footage, leaving Kiki to her thoughts as the young girl watched the video.

I still can't believe this is how I got to see Mom and Dad's old friends I heard about when I was a little kid. Now I have some inkling as to why Nakajima hated Mom and Dad so much, even if it's not really their fault.

Kiki grimaced, recalling the gruesome execution she and her classmates saw in class.

When Mom and Dad ended that bedtime story when I was five, I never once imagined that they were trapped in a killing game! No wonder they didn't tell me that part; I'm still processing all this, and I'm just observing it after the fact!

Kiki sighed as she recalled one of the dinner conversations that happened shortly after they began studying the history of the killing games in school, the day after she saw Leon's execution.


"Kiki, is something wrong?" Kiki stopped picking at her food and looked up at her concerned mother, who asked "You usually have a much more voracious appetite."

"Something on your mind, pumpkin?" Makoto asked with equal concern. "If something's bothering you, you can tell us."

"Nee-chan?" Mokubo asked in worry. "What's…wrong, Nee-chan?"

"Onee-chan?" Koto and Kiri chimed in, worried looks in their eyes.

Kiki forced a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she assured them "I'm fine, guys. I was just…lost in thought, that's all." I know I shouldn't keep secrets from my family, but I just haven't processed this. I'm not ready to talk about it.

Unconvinced, Makoto and Kyoko sighed before the headmaster replied "Okay, but if you need to talk about something, we're all here for you, okay pumpkin?"

"Okay, Dad." Kiki replied with a slightly more genuine smile. "Thanks, you guys, but I really am alright."

The others reluctantly nodded as they went back to their dinner. Kiki made a more concerted effort to eat her dinner, trying to push away her thoughts until she could process them in the privacy of her room.


All this time later, and I'm still no closer to processing all of this… Kiki lamented as she watched the debate unfold on the tv screen. I know for a fact that Mom and Dad didn't kill Mukuro, and neither did Uncle Byakuya, Aunt Hina, Aunt Toko, or Uncle Hiro. So I just have to watch Mom and Dad work together until…

"I'm not the only one without an alibi. Makoto's explanation is still insufficient."

"Huh?"

"Huh?!"

Kiki's eyes widened as Makoto's guilt was implicated by none other than her own mother.

"Kiki, what's going on?" Tsumugi whispered in surprise. "Is your mother really implying that your dad did it?"

"I…I don't know…" Kiki stammered, shaking as she tried to process what was going on. What's going on? Why is she doing this?! I know Mom and Dad sometimes argue, but they're too lovey dovey with each other to be at each other's throats like this! I mean, sure, she sent him on that dangerous mission after Celeste's execution, but she didn't know the mastermind would attack him! And yeah, she gave him the cold shoulder earlier, but she apologized, more or less! So why…why is she doing this?!

Kiki focused on the screen, hoping for some kind of answer that would explain why her mother had inexplicably turned on the man she loved.


NO! Kiki screamed in her head as her father's face appeared on the slot machine, signifying him as the blackened. This can't be happening, this can't be happening! Dad wouldn't hurt a fly! Okay, maybe a fly, but that's it! He's not a murderer, and Mom knows it! So why…why didn't she fight for him?!

Kiki barely held back tears as the recording of her father turned to Kyoko before the obviously guilt-ridden detective muttered "I don't expect you to forgive me. I know this is all my fault."

Then why did you do it, Mom?! This doesn't make any sense at all! This…this can't be real! This has to be fake, doctored! It can't be what happened all those years ago! If it's real, then tell me why!

"Let's give it everything we've got! It's PUNISHMENT TIME!"

Kiki wrapped her arms around her torso as she watched her father, now strapped to a desk, sweat in nervous fear as he was pulled down a conveyor belt, a kami-knows-how-many-tons garbage press continuously slam down behind him. The pounding of the press slammed repeatedly in Kiki's ears as she felt the fear her father faced so many years ago.

Dad! DAD! DADDY! She cried out in agony as the press prepared to snuff out her father's life, only to be stopped by Alter Ego as the floor opened below Makoto, depositing him into the garbage room.

Alter Ego…Alter Ego saved Dad…no thanks to Mom…Mom abandoned Dad to die, and she still hasn't explained why…

She watched, only half paying attention as the scene shifted to the ensuing confusion after the execution.

Why?! Why aren't you telling them why you let Dad almost die?! I don't understand! If I don't understand, I can't accept this…

"Okay class, that's enough for today." Nagisa announced as he stopped the video. "Class dismissed and have a good weekend."

"Alright, let's go home and…Kiki?" Tsumugi frowned as she gently shook her friend's shoulder. "Kiki, are you okay?"

Why? Why? Why is this happening? This has to be fake, it has to be?! I can't accept…

"Naegi-chan?"

"Huh?" Kiki looked around, startled, until she saw Tsumugi and Nagisa look at her in concern.

"Oh, Shingetsu-sensei, Tsumugi…"

"Kiki, class is over. Are you alright?" Tsumugi asked.

"Naegi-chan, I know the footage in these videos can be scary and unsettling, so if you're upset at all by what you see in class, you can tell me." Nagisa assured her sympathetically.

Unable to smile, Kiki shakily stood up and got her backpack as she stammered "I'm fi…fine. I just…I have to get ho…home. I'll see you la…later…"

Nagisa and Tsumugi watched with concerned frowns as the shuddering girl tumbled out of the classroom.


Kiki sighed as she walked down the sidewalk, her head hung as she tried to process the video she saw but without any luck.

"I don't understand it. That class trial, Mom and Dad at each other's throats…it's just not like them. They'd do anything for each other, so why would she just sell him out like that? That video has to be doctored…right…?"

Kiki sighed and looked up at the sky, staring at the clouds longingly.

"I'm so confused…what would you do if someone told you one of your parents abandoned the other?" Only silence greeted the girl, who sighed and lamented "Yeah, I guess it would have been too much to ask for your advice up there, Kaito."

The girl continued to walk down the sidewalk, tears trickling down her cheeks as she dreaded arriving back home.

There's no avoiding it now…I need to get the truth from Mom and Dad, find out from them if that video was faked. And if it wasn't…I need to know why…why Mom would have abandoned Dad to die!


BOOM!

"What?!"

Makoto and Kyoko jumped as Mokubo, Koto, and Kiri looked up to see the door slam open, revealing a very distraught Kiki. Her eyes were tinged red as dried tear tracks stained her cheeks. The usually smiling girl's lips tugged into a scowl as she grit her teeth, the bright optimism in her eyes nowhere to be found.

"Kiki, what's the…"

"We need to talk, Mom. Now."

Unnerved by her daughter's unusually harsh and direct tone, Kyoko was struck speechless, only able to nod as her husband gently ordered "Mokubo, Koto, Kiri, go to your rooms please while we talk to your sister."

The three gulped as the serious tone in his voice and obeyed without complaint. Nobody said a word; the twins didn't even argue as they disappeared down the hall.

Once they were out of earshot, Makoto asked "Alright Kiki, what is it you want to talk to us about?"

Kiki looked them straight in the eye, not a hint of humor in her pupils as she answered "I have one question and I need you to be honest with me."

Why would she ever think I wouldn't be honest with her?! Kyoko thought with shock before she nodded agreed "Alright, I promise to be honest with you, Kiki. Now, what is it you want to ask me?"

Kiki took a deep breath and asked "Did you ever, ever, abandon Dad to die?"

Kyoko gasped as her and Makoto's eyes widened in shock before he asked "Kiki, what's this about? Why are you asking such a horrific question?"

"Because I saw some footage in history class today. Footage of you guys in the Killing School Life where Mom implicated you as a culprit."

"You…you saw that…?" Makoto asked in shock and horror, his fears confirmed by a nod of Kiki's head.

"Yeah, I saw that, alright." Kiki confirmed. "So Mom, I need to know…is what I saw on that video doctored? Is it fake, or…did you really abandon dad to die under that trash compactor?"

She saw my execution too?! What on earth were they thinking, showing her that?! Makoto thought as Kyoko gulped before she lowered her eyes, staring at her boots in shame as Makoto's execution flashed over and over on repeat in her mind.

"…It's true…" Kyoko forced out, admitting "I won't make any excuses for myself. In an effort to save my own life, I shifted blame onto your father, and I stood by while Monokuma tried to execute him for a crime he didn't commit. What I did was unforgiveable…"

"THEN WHY DID YOU DO IT?!" Kiki cut her mother off, screaming her heart out and truly scaring her parents as she clenched her fists. "Why did you let Dad almost die? He covered for you, so why didn't you cover for him?! I thought you two loved each other, so why did you let that happen?!"

"Kiki…" Kyoko breathed as she reached out to hug her daughter, only for her hands to be slapped away as Kiki glared at her.

"I HATE YOU!"

Kyoko's heart shattered as if struck by a bullet, causing her to gasp as she brought her hands over her mouth. Tears pooled into her eyes as Kiki's expression appeared genuinely hateful, horrifying her parents. After a minute of silence, Kiki wordlessly turned around and stomped off towards her room.

"Kiki, come back here!" Makoto called out, barely keeping his emotions in check. "You need to apologize to your mother for…"

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

The echo of a slam could barely be heard as Makoto sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Makoto stopped shaking his head as he heard a sniffle close by. He turned and stared in shock as tears streamed down his wife's cheeks, and her knees buckled. She fell to a kneeling position as she broke down, sobbing in despair at the loss of her daughter's trust.

"Kyoko…" Makoto muttered as he kneeled in front of her and wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her into a hug.

"…I knew this would happen, Makoto. Kiki hates me! My daughter hates me! I…I should have told her the truth before! But I was too scared to and now my sweet little girl hates my guts! Is this…is this how my father felt when I lashed out at him?!"

Makoto rubbed her back as Kyoko sobbed unintelligibly into his shoulder, staining his shirt with her tears.

"…It's my fault too, we both should have told her earlier. But we were scared; we didn't know when was the right time to tell her something so awful and gruesome."

"…What's going on down here?" Makoto and Kyoko turned their heads to see a weary Maki, bouncing a toddling Haruki in her arms as she informed them "I could hear you guys from the bedroom upstairs."

"…Sorry, Maki." Makoto apologized and explained "Kiki apparently saw some disturbing footage of us from the Killing School Life in class today, and when we confirmed that it was real, she…didn't take it well."

"I see…" Maki nodded in understanding and asked "So what are you going to do? I can't imagine that this kind of tense atmosphere can really continue."

Makoto sighed and lamented "…Guess we'll just have to talk to her and clear the air." He volunteered "I'll go and…"

"Before you do, why don't I talk to her?" As Makoto and Kyoko looked at Maki in confusion, she explained "Kiki's still upset, and even though you're her father, you were also directly involved in the incident. She might not be receptive to hearing you out, at least not immediately. If I go and talk to her, I can make her more receptive to hearing an actual explanation, since I was never involved in any of the past killing games."

"That…does make sense…" Makoto admitted, grimacing at the realization that he couldn't immediately act as Kiki's father to clear the air in her current state of mind. "What do you think, Kyoko?"

She eagerly nodded, sniffling "A…anything to make things r…right…we need to explain everything surrounding that awful trial. If Maki can help her to listen to our explanation, the explanation we should have given her years ago, then we should let her."

Maki nodded and replied "Very well, I'll go right now."

The heartbroken husband and wife watched hopefully as Maki walked down the hallway, hoping that the former assassin could reconnect their weakened family bonds.