AN: Hello everyone! First of I'd like to apologise for the last chapter. I felt it would be strange to have a long chapter right of the bat, so I tried to ease readers in with a short insight. I realised that by doing that I left no context for the actual story, because I'm a novice idiot. All chapters going forward will be longer and hopefully better lol. Please remember that there will be things that didn't happen in the game/anime that are simply there for the story. I will give explanation for most of these soon enough when it works best for the fic, so for now, just use your imagination to fill in the gaps. Thank you for reading.

WARNING- THIS CHAPTER WILL HAVE DARK THEMES

They had made a poor choice leaving at the time of day they did, as by the time they gotten into their stride, it was beginning to get dark. As a result of this, it was also becoming quite cold, something that the group varied in their ability to handle. To make matters worse, it appeared to be Winter, or at the very least Autumn, due to the condensation building up on what remained of the glass in shattered store windows. Asahina insisted that she wasn't cold, but her bare legs had concerned Makoto to the extent that he forced leg warmers onto her, which she claimed she only accepted as they looked ''sporty.'' When Makoto looked at Kyoko with the same concern, she quickly returned with a look that warned him not to even think of trying on her. Byakuya and Toko both gave him the excuse that they would wait until they found a safe place to sleep, which Makoto was intent with. Hiro asked if they could find him at least a pair of fuzzy socks, as his toes were practically begging to get frostbite in sandals. Junko was practically blue and was shaking heavily, but Byakuya demanded they offer no help as she would be happy with the despair of freezing. On closer inspection, Makoto did notice the swirls on her eyes that he had seen when she attempted to end her own life.

They eventually reached what they recognised to be the outskirts of Tokyo. It had never really dawned on Makoto just how close Hope's Peak was to the megacity, which made him even more fearful that if there were any survivors of the desolation of the city, they would be deranged or angry enough to result to attacking them. He acknowledged that he himself was unusually quiet, though he was pleasantly surprised with the rest of his friends who seemed to at least exchange idle chit-chat or talk about the things they used to remember before they were destroyed. Makoto smiled inwardly, realising that the hope he had instilled within them would remain strong, even in the face of utter despair.

There seemed to be more plant life the further into the city they got, with most of the pavement being at least slightly mossed over or green. Did the buildings and skyscrapers provide enough covers from the blasts for life to grow? Not only was there more greenery, but a lot of the buildings were significantly more intact, giving the Ultimates a choice of where to spend the night. Byakuya practically made the choice for them. He spotted a bookstore with plenty of tables he claimed they could forge a barricade with, and after hours of walking, the group of students weren't willing to argue. The few who claimed that they would winter-proof themselves when safe did no such thing, going off to form the barricade without discussion. It only took around 10 minutes to make the best improvised barricade they could, Byakuya's content ''muh'' being enough to signal that it was passable. The group used their bags or jackets as cushioning as a sacrifice for warmth, as the windows of the store were broken on one side, exposing them to the chilling air outside.

Kyoko sat seemingly perturbed slumped against the wall closest to the broken window. Makoto came over to her and sat down gingerly, afraid of rejection from the Detective. He pulled a small blanket out of his bag, shuffling closer to her. She smirked and rolled her eyes at him but didn't voice any opposition. He draped the blanket over the two of them instantly feeling the heat from being so close to her. She allowed her head to rest on his shoulder as she often did in private; the night they had spent together in the Academy had allowed her the emotional space to show at least some affection to him.

''You are too thoughtful for your own good sometimes.'' She said quietly, her eyes fluttering open from her position on his shoulder as he turned to meet hers. ''That's why you're the strongest of all of us, and… the reason I feel more human.'' Makoto gripped her gloved hand under the blanket and gave it a soft squeeze, never breaking the eye contact they had established moments prior. ''I don't think any of us would be here, if you weren't the worlds greatest detective. I would say that I was half as good as you, but I couldn't even tell that '11037' was 'Leon' upside down.'' He laughed, remembering how clueless the 78th Class was during the 1st trial. ''I'm not the world's greatest detective, Makoto.'' Kyoko said grumpily. Makoto looked at her inquisitively as she closed her eyes and nuzzled further into the crook of his neck. ''Batman is.'' She mumbled, a tired smile creeping onto her face. Makoto chuckled softly as he rested his cheek on top of her head. ''Looks like I taught the ice-cold detective the wonders of humour.'' ''It's more likely that watching Hiro try to function as a normal person is the source of my jokes.'' Makoto laughed slightly harder at that and fell silent. They stayed like this for a few minutes. He could hear her breathing, it was rhythmic, but Makoto knew she was still awake. He decided not to call her out on it. After all, the quieter it was, the more likely she was to fall asleep instead of acting as a watchman for the night as he knew she intended to be.

Eventually Makoto found that he and Byakuya were the only ones left awake, which wasn't surprising, as Toko had managed to fall asleep with her head in his lap. Byakuya seemed very unhappy with this revelation but didn't wake her, which Makoto assumed was due to the fact that she could wake up as Genocide Jack, an equally annoying but highly unpredictable figure in the eyes of the Progeny. Makoto gave him a small smile, which Byakuya responded to with a look that screamed ''go to sleep, you imbecile.'' Makoto was inclined to agree, and went about trying to force himself into slumber, which worked in his favour after around 5 minutes.

His eyes shot open when he heard a muffled scream from inside the room. He scanned his surroundings, instantly finding the problem and realising his current worst fear. Junko was rolled over onto her front, her hands still bound and her gag still on. 'Dammit Byakuya, I said to at least ungag her when she slept!' She was sleeping up against the barricade closest to the broken window when Makoto drifted off, meaning that not only was she the closest potential victim, but also the easiest to victimise as she was bound to a leg of one of the tables in the barricade. A dishevelled man stood over her, a look of lechery and rage in his slightly glazed eyes. He had her skirt in one hand, the other scratching a patch beard caked with dirt and what looked like dried blood. She had obviously noticed that Makoto was awake, as she stared desperately in his direction, though he couldn't tell to well as the sun had only just began to rise and send light through the gaps in the buildings across the street. There were no tears in her eyes and no sign of worry on her face, Junko had been almost completely composed, which was of little surprise to the Luckster. Kyoko was slumped onto her bag on her right side, allowing Makoto space to shift he lay without waking her directly. He slowly rose to his feet, he legs slightly numb from the position he slept in.

''I recommend you stop what you're doing right now, sir.'' The face of the man instantly became visible as he turned to face the source of the voice. He had almost colourless eyes in this light, the slightest hint of blue in his pupils. His hair was damp and matted, and it couldn't be determined what colour it was or used to be. He had a look that displayed more excitement than it did fear at the sight of Makoto. It was made even more strange when he smiled at the Ultimate Hope. ''Been suh… so long since I last saw another survivor, let alone a woman this sexy.'' His voice was dry and slightly gravelly. He knelt down and rubbed the back of Junko's bare thigh, his smile somehow growing wider. ''You kids must do this to her all the time, right?'' He asked as if he knew the answer was yes. ''Why else would she be dressed like a whore if you weren't gonna treat her like one?'' He giggled like a child as her started to pull off one of her boots. Makoto stayed in silence, slowly inching his way towards him. ''Stop.'' A simple request, but one he almost knew wouldn't be regarded. The deranged man looked up at the short man tiptoeing to Junko. ''You mean you ain't gonna let me have her, you fuckin' runt?'' He almost spat in his direction as he managed to wrench Junko's boot off her squirming leg, tossing it at Makoto's feet. ''Of course. She isn't yours.'' He spoke as slow and as deep as his voice would allow, hoping that he would come off as intimidating. Then the most awful noise met his ears.

The safety of a gun. One pointed in his direction. The expression of Junko's assailant changed from one of childish glee to one of contempt and hatred. Makoto looked around him, everyone except Hiro on the far side of the room. How long they'd been awake, he didn't know. Had they watched this whole event, or had it been the click of the safety or the boot hitting the floor that had awoken them? If the man thought that the boy who'd almost been crushed by a press was scared of a gun, then he would be unfortunately correct. Makoto lost almost all of his composure, visibly sputtering when he saw the glint of the revolver's barrel. He made no attempt to move closer, staying a few yards away making sure his empty hands were visible to the hostage taker. It was not only his life at stake, but Junko's and the rest of the group. The man switched the pistol into his left hand, leaving his dominant hand to continue stripping Junko. He put one leg either side of her torso, clamping her between them to limit her struggling. He crouched down over her, taking his eyes off Makoto. A loud smacking noise resembling footstep resonated in the Makoto's ears. The next thing that Makoto heard was a gunshot.