AN: Hello! I decided, as mentioned at the end of the last chapter, to start including more personal chapters and segments of chapters that will be spent showing the relationships between characters and how the apocalypse has changed them. Hopefully people won't be too mad if this slows the story slightly but if that's the case and enough people want it I'll just skip straight to the main theme. (I'd also like to say, I had genuinely no idea I could reply to reviews until the day before writing this. I'm an idiot.) Enjoy!

Most of Makoto's days in the shelter were quiet. He would occasionally venture outside but only under the watchful gazes of Peko or Hajime. Although he appreciated how important they considered him to be, it would be nice if they allowed him to go out on his own or to just sit in the remains of the park with Kyoko. Other than their room, he struggled to find a time to be alone with his girlfriend. He was actually struggling to find at time to do anything personal with anyone he spent time in the Academy with. Aoi was almost always exercising and whilst Makoto enjoyed the conversation that came from that, it was difficult not to bring up something saddening or dark. That was the situation they were in, however. Everything could be harkened back to a 'lack of this' and 'I miss that.' The Swimmer herself missed her donuts and, of course, swimming. Yasuhiro missed his occult gear. Toko missed the books and literature she was almost always absorbed in. Kyoko clearly aimed to investigate the outside more but was restricted by the dangers of the outside. She clearly thought she was capable of handling herself but the earlier incident where Izuru was forced into saving her still put doubts in both her and Makoto's mind. Byakuya missed…something. Hopefully; it was unclear how fazed he truly was by the apocalypse and the loss of his empire. And then there was Junko. Since Chisa's first chat with the group two weeks ago, she had been surprisingly quiet. She no longer attempted conversation from her room and was gifted extra time outside of it as a treat for ending her jabs and verbal attacks. Not that she really made the most of this extended interval. The majority of it was spent trying to make small talk with 'her' Makoto. Although Kyoko remained wary (Toko insisted it was out of jealousy rather than concerns for his safety), he at least humoured the blonde with the occasional reply or, more recently, full-blown conversation. The topics in these conversations were often dull but Junko's eccentricity always managed to keep him engaged. As well as deeply concerning him. She did seem to care little for despair as she claimed before and it almost appeared as if she felt regretful. He knew that she wasn't. That didn't stop him hoping.

Besides Junko's gradual attitude change, there was a lot of differences in the shelter. Byakuya clearly held a lot of the group's hostility on his shoulders. His back injury was more severe than Hajime had first assumed; the swelling and bruising made it evident that it would take some time before he could reach his previous mobility. He spent most of his time bedridden as the pain was too great to allow for walking. Toko spent most of her time sitting with him, talking with him and pacing around the living room thinking about him. He seemed to bare her better than he ever had before but whether that was due to his inability to escape her or a newfound like for the Writer, no one knew.

Hajime was still preparing for their eventual exit; Nekomaru's men would be here in just over 3 months now if his estimations were correct. The group had met Hajime and his class 22 days ago but had rarely seen him relaxing. He had been moving supplies around and, judging by the slowly emptying nature of the pantry and the storerooms, they were going to another shelter permanently. Ibuki, Mahiru and Chiaki were trying to offer help to the brunet, but he refused and allowed them to instead talk to Chisa, who had been contacting them every day. Little by little, she was gaining a better overall view of life in the shelter and the circumstances that led to it's creation and use. Hopefully the class could reunite with her in person some day soon.

Makoto was sitting around on the couch as he did most days, attempting to finally beat Mahiru in a Smash Bros. 1v1. He hadn't beaten a single person yet, even Kyoko who had never played before. He was taken by surprise when Hajime sat down next to him and pulled a mobile phone from his pocket. It was an extremely old flip phone but it seemed to not only be working but sending text messages. ''I'm going to the hospital today if anybody wants to come with me.'' He spoke without looking up. Makoto glanced at him and nodded. The taller boy responded with a thankful smile. When the Luckster fixed his eyes back on the screen, he had already lost to Mahiru, who was staring at him with a gloating smile. He rolled with eyes with a grin before handing the controller to Chiaki. The Gamer struggled to hold both the device and Hiyoko so she allowed it to fall to the floor with a thud. ''Anyone else want to go?'' Hajime crooked his next back and yelled out. ''I do~!'' Aoi poked her head out of Ibuki and Mahiru's room. The Rocker also jumped out from behind the frame and thumbed at herself. ''Alrighty then.'' Hajime put the phone in his pocket and stretched his arms behind his head. ''You can ride shotgun Ibuki.'' The girl giggled gleefully.

It came as no surprise to Makoto that there was a vehicle the group could use. He just wasn't expecting it to be in such good condition. There was a house with a garage in the road behind the one the hatch was placed and Hajime had stored a large people carrier in it. The car had seven seats and had grey leather covers over each one. The car itself was painted dark blue which was certainly useful for avoiding unwanted attention at night. Hajime pulled the keys from his pocket and unlocked the doors. He ushered Makoto and Aoi onto the second row of seats, the two short teens buckling their seatbelts. Ibuki slid the door shut and traced around the car before hopping in the passenger seat. She put her feet up on the dash and laid back. Hajime slid the keys into the ignition and the car rumbled into life. ''Y'know, I used to have this car black and white like Monokuma.'' He tilted his head back so his voice reached the two behind him easier. ''Why's that?'' Aoi asked hesitantly. ''So bandits were afraid to come close. Who wants to attack a car that looks like a Monokuma droid?'' He stepped on the gas and they pulled out of the garage and onto the road. ''Wait, Monokuma droid?'' Makoto asked. ''Yeah, Enoshima released a bunch of Monokuma robots into the ruins just before the killing game started to kill people or make them watch your Killing Game with screens they had built in. Did Junko never mention that?'' Aoi looked at Makoto blankly and he shrugged instinctively. ''So everyone knows about Monokuma and the Killing Game in Japan?'' The Swimmer questioned, intrigued by this new information. Ibuki had clearly heard this before but was looking at Hajime in a way that inferred she was learning this for the first time. ''Junko really didn't demonstrate how far she broadcast the game, did she?'' Both of the pair in the back seats shook their heads. Hajime chuckled. ''The whole world knows who you guys are. At least, the surviving world.'' Makoto looked to Ibuki for confirmation. Her grin told him all he needed to know.

The rest of the drive felt strange to him. He hadn't been in a car or any kind of vehicle for at least 2 years. What came as the biggest surprise was the cleanliness of the route they were taking. There were no barricades along the roads and no rubble to redirect them. He told himself that Hajime had most likely done it purely to ease his access to the hospital. He and Aoi both chose to sit back and enjoy the journey. They eventually left the suburbs and exited the city altogether. The countryside was an odd site. The grass was certainly green and seemed healthy. ''Is the country less radiated than the cities?'' Hajime adjusted the mirror and rolled down the window. ''Breathe that air and tell me, Makoto.'' Makoto did as requested. There was a soft breeze that rolled into the car. It was cool and smelt… natural. Aoi sat behind Ibuki in the passenger seat and even she noticed the freshness of the air that flew in from the driver side opening. The Ultimate Lucky Student rolled down his window slightly too and took the opportunity to gaze off into the distance. There was what seemed like endless fields of green grass and new, budding bushes and trees. Yes, there were some patches of dead, brown grass that emasculated the overall image but it was refreshing to see something growing. Ibuki took her window down all the way and leant out of it. She exhaled deeply and let her arms hang out of the door. Makoto could see Hajime's warming expression and felt one appearing on his own face. ''If you guys like it here so much, why not just, like, live out here?'' The Ultimate Ultimate's smile wavered for a moment but quickly found itself renewed. ''You'll see during this car ride, I'm sure.''

The four sat in content silence, listening to the wind whistle past them and even the occasional birdsong. Had birds really not changed their migration pattern? ''Got a live one, Ibuki.'' Hajime sighed. Ibuki blew a raspberry as she reached for an object at her feet. Her hands emerged holding a baseball bat. She leant out the window again, this time leaving Hajime to grip her blouse as she pushed her entire upped body out the opening. She gripped the bat in both hands and waited. Makoto craned his neck to see what she was targeting. There was an enormous hovering bug on the horizon. It resembled a wasp but the blood and vile mass of tumours and matted flesh meant it was difficult to determine. It was probably ten times more disgusting than the rats. He was glad they didn't encounter them much in the city. As the car approached it Ibuki placed the bat on her shoulder in preparation for a swing. ''3 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi-'' Her knuckles went white. ''ONE!'' She yelled. With the strength of her swing and the momentum of the car, there was more than enough power to kill the monstrosity. The insect exploded into blood and viscera. A small splatter was left on the windscreen and Hajime turned on the wipers. A moment later that splatter became a watery smear. Ibuki fell back into her seat and flicked the blood off the end of the wooden bat. ''I take it that those kind of things are the reason you stay in the cities?'' He asked, unintentionally displaying his disappointment. ''They'll die out one day. When that day happens I'm going to take Hiyoko for a walk in the woods.'' Hajime shuffled in his seat and gave them both an enormous smile. Aoi clearly found it infectious, smiling so hard she had to squint her eyes. Those beaming faces lasted for another few minutes, until they left the overgrown roads on the outskirts and returned to the cracked asphalt of the suburbs.

Keio University Hospital loomed in the distance; the tall cuboid building remained slightly taller than the other buildings despite the destruction. The bombs had impacted on the opposite side of the city and, without plant overgrowth and the abandonment of property, there was little damage to this sector. The car slowed to a halt right outside the hospital's main entrance. Hajime motioned for Ibuki to get out as he exited his side. He slid the large door open and the pair in the middle seats hopped out. The road here wasn't overgrown and had no rubble along it's entire length, he noticed as his sneakers made contact with the floor. Hajime stood with his arms crossed at the bottom of the stairs and faced the two 78th class students. Ibuki jogged and stood next to him, arm locked in a mock salute. ''Before we go in, I have something to say. This hospital and the community within it is overseen by members of the 79th class of Hope's Peak. Though you won't remember them, they may remember you. Please try to bare that in mind.'' He nodded, spun on his heels and walked up the small flight of stairs. He thrust the doors open and made his way inside.

The interior was immaculately clean. The floor seemed to be freshly waxed and the walls appeared to have been painted within the same time frame. There were plenty of people walking around and they all seemed to be washed and in good health. Those who were close enough to see Makoto and Aoi's faces gasped and looked at them in pure admiration. Some even asked to shake his hand or get him to autograph something. Had their victory in the Killing School Life really meant that much? A tall girl with short silver hair and very pale skin stood talking to some children at the reception area. She had a large bang that covered her left eye and wore formal servant's attire under a doctors coat. She gave them a side eye and placed her clipboard on the desk. Hajime made a small wave and approached her. ''Hey there, Kirumi.'' ''Hello, Mr Hinata. Have you come to see Shuichi?'' He raised a brow. ''No one tell you we were coming?'' He seemed confused. ''They may have, but I've been very busy and may have forgotten. Forgive me.'' She bowed in apology. ''It's okay, no harm done. Do you know where he is?'' She stood upright again and pointed up. ''He is most likely in his office with Ms. Akamatsu. Would you like me to take you to them?'' ''No thanks, I'd actually like to introduce you to Makoto and Aoi.'' The two stepped forwards and the tanned girl offered a handshake. Kirumi slipped her gloved appendage into hers and shook lightly. She held her left hand which Makoto took without hesitation. She relinquished her grip and crossed her arms behind her back. ''I am Kirumi Tojo. At Hope's Peak, my talent was the Ultimate Maid. Please don't hesitate to ask me anything during your time here; my purpose is to answer any request.'' ''The job you've done cleaning this place is wonderful. It's a pleasure to meet you Kirumi, or would you prefer Ms. Tojo?'' Makoto asked politely. ''That is perfectly fine, Mr. Naegi. Feel free to address me however you like, Ms. Asahina. It is only fitting for my upperclassmen and the ones who defeated Junko Enoshima.'' She bounced on her toes and placed her hands on her hips. ''Anyway, I must be returning to my duties. Feel free to ask me for anything.'' As Makoto and Aoi turned their backs, she grabbed both of them by the shoulders. ''And I do mean-anything.'' The Swimmer turned bright red and Ibuki burst out laughing. Kirumi picked up the clipboard and went back to chatting to the children. The four started walking to the stairs with Ibuki still cackling at Aoi's slowly fading blush.

The 2nd floor was just as neat and tidy as the first. Makoto obviously had no idea where he was going so he just followed Ibuki who strode at the front of the pack. When she ignored everyone in the hallway and set course for the next staircase, neither Makoto nor Aoi questioned it. A couple sat on the first step and the man's face lit up upon seeing them. He waved with extreme vigour. Ibuki gasped. ''Maki Roll!'' She shrieked before sprinting at the two. A girl with jet black hair and red eyes sat with her head resting on her chin. She was evidently far less enthusiastic than the man to her left. He had spiky purple hair and a jacket that matched that same colour perfectly. As Ibuki narrowed the distance the girl stood and dusted down her blood red blouse and black skirt. She tugged on her partner's arm to get him to his feet and fixed the white dress shirt he wore under his jacket. Ibuki leapt into both of them, wrapping them up in her arms. ''How are ya, Ibuki?'' The man asked. ''Ibuki is fine! I should be asking you that after your operation!'' The man chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. ''I'm holding up pretty good, Izuru fixed me up real nice.'' He wrenched the Musician off him and lifted his shirt, showing an enormous scar that traced a path from belly button to just bellow his left pectoral. Makoto, having finally reached the three after Ibuki ran off, stared absent-mindedly. The spiky-haired boy gave him a quizzical look before doing a double take upon realising who was looking at him. ''Oh shit! You're Makoto Naegi! I love your work, man!'' He slapped a hand on the shorter boy's shoulder. Makoto flinched and yelped. He still experienced pain from the bullet wound he suffered before. ''Okay, come on.'' The dark-haired girl separated the two boys. And stood between them. She pointed at the boy. ''Kaito Momota, the Ultimate Astronaut.'' Then she pointed at herself. ''Maki Harukawa, the Ultimate Child Caregiver and Ultimate Assassin.''

Her face remained stoic and unfeeling throughout the introduction. ''It's nice to meet you.'' The Luckster considered a handshake but just wobbled his arm like an idiot while Maki looked on in disgusted confusion. He looked to the floor in embarrassment and shoved his hand in his jacket pocket. ''Riiiiight.'' Maki rolled her eyes and took a step back, making sure to pull Kaito back with her. ''Hold on, you have two Ultimate talents?'' Aoi piped up with a finger on her chin in confusion. ''I lived in an orphanage most of my life. I looked after the other kids before I was taken and trained by an underground assassins guild. I worked as an assassin to make money to support the kids.'' Aoi had a bewildered look on her face, only shaking it away when she noticed how Maki was looking at her. ''Are you good with kids, at least?'' The Olympian threw a hand over her mouth in shock at how condescending she sounded. ''I'm so so sorry! I didn't mean it like that.'' Her voice barely reached Maki. To everyone's surprise the Assassin smiled. ''It's okay. I know I don't look like much of a nurturer but… kids just like me. I don't know why. I actually teach a kindergarten class in the nursery downstairs every morning.'' A tiny smile snuck it's way onto her face and Kaito wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Maki seemed hesitant to show affection in front of strangers but leant into him gradually. Hajime took the opportunity to speak. ''As much as we'd like to stay and chat, we have to see Shuichi.'' He flicked his eyes to Kaito. ''Office?'' He pointed up. ''Y-Yeah. My sidekick should be in there.'' He grinned from ear to ear and gave the group a thumbs-up. ''I'll be showing these guys around some more after our little meeting. Feel free to find Makoto and Aoi later, yeah?'' Hajime quickly looked at both Kaito and his idols, eyebrows raised as if to invite confirmation. ''We can definitely talk later if you'd like.'' Aoi sounded confident but was clearly finding this scenario as awkward as everyone else was. ''Nice!'' He now had two thumbs up. Hajime began walking past the couple up the stairs and Makoto jumped into action to follow. ''Bye Bye!'' Ibuki hugged the two again and jogged up the steps to walk with the three who'd trudged off. Kaito spun and looked at Maki. He held out a hand and rotated his wrist as encouragement for her to speak. She sighed. ''We'll walk and talk.'' She sped off ahead of him. He smirked to himself as he chased after her.

The 3rd floor was equally well kept but had considerably less people roaming the halls. Hajime made a bee line for a room on the left side. He poked his head around the door and slowly turned the corner. There was a small waiting area outside of a large conference room. A girl with blonde hair lay on one of the couches asleep. She was in a serious state of undress, barely covering her breasts with a tech magazine. Everything else was on full display and Makoto had to make a hardy effort to look away. Ibuki was blatantly staring and Aoi placed a hand across her to stop her making a bad decision. Hajime crept over and clapped his hands above her face. The girl awoke with a scream. ''What the fuck!?'' She looked furious. ''Couldn't you let Shuichi wake me up like I wanted?'' She sounded extremely disappointed. She slumped back onto the couch seemingly unaware that her only cover had fallen to the floor. ''Put some clothes on please, Miu.'' A new voice came from the door to the conference room. Another blonde stood with a disapproving look on her face. ''And don't tell me you lost them like you tried to say last time.'' Both blondes puffed out her cheeks in frustration. This was clearly a common occurrence. Miu reached behind the couch and pulled out a large shirt. She sat up and pulled the white shirt on. She did the first 5 buttons and laid back down. The blonde at the door huffed. ''Um, bottom half?'' Miu groaned. ''Ever heard of crossing your damn legs you flat-chested hussy?'' The girl at the door dusted off her pink sweater before stomping over. ''Will you just leave? I'm not having you showing us up when we have important guests!'' She shook her arms up and down in annoyance. ''What guests?'' Miu said exasperatedly. ''Really?'' The girl with the musical notes skirt motioned towards Makoto and Aoi. ''These ones? The ones you flashed your b-boobs at? And god kn-knows what else?'' She gave the four an apologetic glance. ''Oh shit! You're the guys from that Junko bitch's killing game!'' She swung her legs off the couch and stood, looking them up and down. ''Makoto Nae-gay and Saggy Swimmer girl!'' ''Hey! What the heck!'' Aoi furrowed her brow and approached Miu. ''Eeeee!'' Miu shrunk into herself and held her hands out protectively. ''Wow, you're pathetic.'' Aoi appeared to be genuinely sympathetic. Miu hung her head and left. ''Is nobody gonna try anything while she's dressed like that?'' Aoi asked the mediating girl. ''As if a girl who did shirtless towel treatment on her balcony is aware of onlookers.'' Ibuki said as she stuck her tongue out at the tanned girl. ''Hey! I told you that in confidence!'' Aoi turned beet red for the second time today. It didn't help her that even Makoto was laughing. He was the first to know! It made sense that he'd never joke about it though. It was embarrassing enough to admit it to him alone and he knew that. She was shook out of her thoughts as the rest of their group followed the blonde into the conference room.

The blonde took a seat at the the head of the table next to a boy dressed in a dark suit and a black flat cap. Blue hair could be seen exploding out from underneath the headwear, providing a stark contrast to his ghostly white skin. ''Take a seat everyone.'' He had a voice that sounded eerily similar to Leon's but with more of a sophisticated air to it. Makoto took a seat at the other end of the table, a good 20 feet from the pale boy. The blonde giggled. ''You can sit up here, you know.'' He looked down in embarrassment and tucked his chair in. Hajime and Ibuki sat opposite at the 'business' end so he sat across from Aoi. The pale boy adjusted his hat. ''Welcome, Makoto, Aoi. I'm Shuichi Saihara, the 2nd Ultimate Detective. I run this hospital and govern the community.'' He quieted down. The blonde cleared her throat. ''I am Kaede Akamatsu, hopefully soon to be Kaede Saihara.'' There was an enthusiastic lilt on her voice as she finished that sentence. ''I hope we can all get along. Oh and I was the Ultimate Pianist.'' Shuichi was blushing from the earlier comment but found the words he needed despite the distraction. ''I was hoping that our two communities could come together for some trade and potential help against bandits.'' He laced his fingers together and rested his chin on them. ''We know that Hajime is the Ultimate Ultimate and we know that Makoto is the Ultimate Hope. We were hoping that those two talents combined could benefit the both of us.'' Hajime raised a brow in interest. ''We already trade on agreed bi-weekly intervals. What is it that you need so much you'd ask for more?'' ''Well, I know it isn't incredibly fair considering how little we give to you in return for your generosity and I'd like to offer you some more baby-related stuff as well as some more recreational gear.'' Ibuki grinned devilishly. ''What kind of gear?'' Kaede pointed behind Ibuki, who spun to find a bass guitar in a shiny, eggplant colour. ''Just one example.'' Kaede's eyes widened as Ibuki grabbed her shoulders and began shaking her in thanks. ''It's nothing really, I just remember how much you enjoyed playing with me in the school band during those first few months of my first year.'' ''Ibuki recalls! We even had Sayaka on lead vocals!'' She turned to Makoto and Aoi. ''You don't remember the band, do you?'' Makoto's face fell. Another pleasant school time he had no chance of bringing up in his head. And it involved Sayaka. ''No. I-I don't.'' The others could judge his expression and chose not to press him on the delicate issue. Hajime chose to continue the conversation before a silence so depressing hung over them to halt all future conversation. ''Why did you suddenly want to give us things for Hiyoko?'' The young couple looked at each other and smiled. ''Well we were thinking of having kids of our own. When we considered how difficult it would be to raise a child in this environment, we realised how difficult it must be for you.'' Hajime's face softened and he looked down into the wooden grain of the large meeting table. ''Having a child was one of the greatest things I've ever done. When I look at her little face, I know that Izuru is wrong; Emotion doesn't make you weak.'' His eyes were slightly glazed as if he were in a world of his own. He slowly looked up and waited for Shuichi or Kaede to respond. The pair of them seemed to be basking in the warm, fatherly glow that Hajime emanated. ''That's wonderful.'' Kaede gripped Shuichi's hand atop the desk. ''If I may offer some advice, however.'' Shuichi gave him a brisk nod. ''Try to make the time of conception as convenient as possible for you in terms of both supplies and the attitudes of those you care for. We made the mistake of conceiving without checking if we had the means to raise a child. Luckily, Izuru already planned for that scenario.'' His mouth was a straight line. He had no intention of joking and Makoto knew why. The conception had been unplanned, but not from Izuru's perspective. ''We'll be sure to make note of that.'' The Detective straightened his cap and stood. He turned to a whiteboard behind him. ''Now, about those bandits…''

The situation The Detective spoke of and The Pianist drew was nowhere near as complicated as it seemed to the hospital's scared residents. A small group of armed bandits had been spotted on the other side of a barrier created by the 79th class to prevent quick and effective theft. They had given them an ultimatum; hand over their leaders and allow their execution or 'face punishment time!' Makoto could only sneer inwardly at the lack of tact in their phrasing. They had until 6pm and had little time to prepare. Shuichi's class had told the residents that they were planning away and insisted upon their safety but the nearly 100 strong faction was growing restless. Miu was too unreliable to create defences despite her Ultimate Inventor talent and despite Gonta's (who Makoto had difficulty imagining based on description) physical strength he was not only too passive but would be one man against several. Maki had been indecisive of stopping the invasion force as it would change how the children she taught saw her. ''So what do you propose we do?'' Kaede gripped the pen tightly in her hand and swayed back in forth, her sweater smudging her colourful map of the hospital and it's neighbouring roads and buildings behind her on the board. Hajime laughed. ''Don't worry. I'll stick around to stop them. Just don't let anyone outside the barrier's boundaries until I give the all clear.'' He slowly got out of his seat and stretched. ''4:32pm now. I'll see everyone in a few hours.'' He strode towards the door. Makoto's face warped in confusion. He too stood, excused himself and ran after him.

''Hey! Wait up!'' Hajime narrowed his gait and allowed The Luckster to catch up. ''Why lie back there?'' Makoto purposely left his voice void of suspicion or anger. ''I assume you're talking about Hiyoko's conception.'' The younger boy nodded once. ''Listen, pal. Despite my mind not having much involvement in it, my body still helped create something wonderful. And I don't just think that because she's my daughter.'' He held his hands up as if to deflect invisible waves of accusation. ''Hiyoko is important for everyone. She was Peko and Fuyuhiko's inspiration to have a child and it's Shuichi and Kaede's now. People feel safe in the knowledge that a child can be born and raised safely in a shitty world like this. Why not keep up appearances when all this good is made from it?'' Makoto stumbled around the creation of a sentence before falling silent. ''You… You're right.'' Hajime's hand clasped around his shoulder. ''I knew you'd understand.'' He let his arm drop to his side and walked backwards towards the stairs. ''I'd invite you along but it'd definitely be too dangerous. Stay here until I get back, yeah?'' Makoto's head was still cast down into the floor but he lifted his thumb in affirmation. ''Good. See you.'' Hajime 180'd and jogged down the stairs.

''StAy HeRe UnTiL I GeT BaCk YeAh?'' Hajime perched atop a roof along the road leading to the barrier the bandits had appeared at. ''What stupid phrasing! I may as well have invited him along!'' He grumbled as he tapped the ground rapidly with impatience. ''Do you always talk to yourself like that?'' A sarcastic voice reached him and he felt slightly relieved. ''Do you always try to sneak up on people?'' Maki exhaled sharply in what he assumed to be amusement. ''Touché.'' She crouched next to him. ''What made you change your mind? About the kids I mean.'' Maki pulled a knife from a sheath on her boot and spun in around in her fingers. ''It was dumb of me to care anyway. If I don't do this then they either die or see me as weak and if I do… then they could be scared of me.'' The Assassin scraped the knife's tip against the surface of the roof. ''Is that what you fear most about this?'' Hajime's eyes caught movement in this distance. ''Of course not. The scariest thing would be dying. Though that isn't likely.'' She stood and pulled a single shuriken from a pouch on her belt. She placed it between her forefinger and middle finger and reeled back her arm. Her blood red eyes held an animalistic intensity. ''I'll jump down when you throw.'' He shuffled forward on his butt and dangled his legs over the side. Despite the fact it wasn't even 6pm, the wintery sun was already retreating behind the horizon. That would make his movement difficult to see. Maki took a deep breath. And threw. The sharp instrument glinted in the low light but still found a target towards the back of the group of low-lives. His throat erupted into blood, coating his comrades' backs. Hajime pushed off with his hands and fell directly down into a heap of trash. Not exactly the superhero landing he wanted but it was far more convenient. Maki leapt across rooftops and began launching more projectiles. The momentary confusion of the first kill had worn off for the bandits and they had begun to search with flashlights and weapons untold. Hajime ducked behind a barricade and peered over. 6 targets. 4 armed. All possessed close range weaponry. Easy work.

Maki had the bright idea of constantly changing her location and remaining up high. The barrage of shuriken failed to match the accuracy of her primary toss but a few had met flesh and caused injury. The group of adversaries had the not-so-bright idea of moving so far away from each other that they could be picked off one-by-one. He had already killed one of the raiders and left their body on an alley. He had yet to be discovered by the others and he doubted that they would ever find him. ''Gah! Shit!'' A panicked bandit stumbled forward and onto the ground in front of the rubble he was waiting behind. The distinct sound of a blade being pulled from a wound and a scream alarmed his friends on the other side of the road. Hajime hurdled the barrier, seized the injured man by his throat and hopped back over into his temporary lair. He snapped his neck as he had his previous kill and gently let the corpse droop to the cold asphalt. Two gurgled cries came from down the street and when he peaked over his cover a pair of men laid in the middle of the road with gashes on their throats. He hurdled the rubble again and sprinted towards the two remaining men. The Ultimate Ultimate was joined by The Ultimate Assassin as he sped towards the last remainders of the evildoers. Maki launched a knife at the man who lagged behind the other. If the edge was any sharper, it may have split his head in two as it lodged into his skull. The last survivor fell onto his rear and held his hands up in a measly attempt to protect his body. Maki and Hajime slowed themselves to a halt in front of the cowering man. ''Well, if it isn't the Ultimate Child Assassin.'' He mocked in a creepy tone. ''What?'' Maki held a hand outwards and gripped the end of the gas mask the short man wore. ''How do you know who I am?'' ''Nishishishi…'' Maki growled and clenched the nozzle at the end of the mask. The laughing became wilder and more about aggravating the dark-haired girl than humouring her. She put her boot on his throat and tore the mark from him. Purple hair. Crazy, almost inhuman eyes. Maki spat on the boy in front of them. ''Kokichi.''

Thanks for reading! I apologise for the lack of updates but I've been writing a new Persona 5 story. It won't take time from this but I'd like to get a few chapters fledged out whilst I update this story. Til next time!