Chloe checked her watch as she waited in the hospital lobby. Odafe was scheduled to be released any moment now, if what the receptionist told her was true. The sooner the better; the Psychologist didn't have too many fond memories attached to hospitals. The pristine white walls and sterile decoration always struck her as…untrustworthy somehow. A lacquered façade to hide the violence lingering in the foundation; a shopping mall built upon a burial ground.

Maybe she was just being morbid. Visits to the Ultimate Programmer usually put her in that sort of mood.

In fairness, she had plenty to be dour about. It had been three days since her duel with Maki in the Forbidden District, and though the nanomachine's in the Psychologist's bloodstream had mended her wounds, the news coming out of the ensuing investigation was anything but encouraging. All they could confirm for sure was that the fugitives fled into the train station, and from there into the abandoned subway below. Tracing their steps from that point on, however, was proving to be impossible: not only was the old rail line a labyrinthine tangle of maintenance corridors and unfinished construction, but it also connected to a series of bomb shelters buried deep beneath the city, each with their own series of sub-chambers, passageways, and dead-ends. Worse still, the entire system had been built before the Burning Age, meaning many of the blueprints were lost in the fires of war that followed.

It was perhaps not surprising then that the drones and investigators of the metropolitan police had turned up nothing, but that didn't make it any less troubling. Chloe's fears were all but confirmed: the search for the Ultimates was going to be a long and arduous one. And it was only a matter of time before that news reached Lady Hope, who would likely form a task force to continue the hunt in response. Whenever that happened—and it would happen soon—Chloe needed to make sure she was on that team.

And to do that, she needed Odafe. Unfortunately.

The elevator closest to her chimed, snapping the Psychologist out of her thoughts. She stood as Odafe stepped out of the elevator, the Programmer's surprise clearly written on his face as he stepped into the sharp fluorescent lighting. He was dressed in the clothes he had arrived in, his fine silk coat still torn and flecked with blood from his wounds. Still, he carried himself proudly as his dusty shoes clicked against the tile floor, as though there was nothing strange about wearing the remnants of a hostage crisis.

Well, at least one of them was comfortable. "Glad to see you're well, Odafe," Chloe opened with a nod. "I assume there were no complications with your recovery."

"We wouldn't be speaking if there were," the Programmer answered, trying to covertly look around the Psychologist towards the exit. "Which brings up a good point: why are you here?"

"I'm your ride," Chloe stepped aside, gesturing for Odafe to follow. "I'm parked just outside."

He hesitated. "I believe I've already ordered a car."

"And I believe I'm providing one." She stepped closer, lowering her voice to make sure she wasn't overhead. "We need to talk. Now."

The Programmer sniffed, trying to appear annoyed, but clearly reading the seriousness in Chloe's expression. "Very well. I suppose I owe you at least this much."

"Very magnanimous of you," Chloe quipped, heading for the exit.

The doors slid open as the two Ultimates stepped into the chilly autumn sun. Chloe's car was waiting at the curb, its shining black surface no longer bearing the scars of the previous battle. She raised the passenger door before circling to the other side, sliding into the driver seat and starting the car as Odafe buckled himself in. He turned to face his window as the car pulled away from the hospital and left the parking lot, an uncomfortable silence settling in as Chloe maneuvered down the exit road towards the highway. The Psychologist let him stew in his thoughts for a moment, allowing him the courtesy of re-initiating the discussion. Negotiating with the Programmer was a delicate dance: she would have to guide the steps while still making it seem like he was the one taking the lead. For man who fashioned himself a one-of-a-kind genius, he had inherited a lot of typical, aristocratic tendencies along with his family name.

"I suppose you think this whole affair very amusing," the Programmer finally said as they merged into midday traffic. "I assume provisional authority of your role, only for you to swoop in and save the day as the whole world watches. A fitting climax for the Schwarzblum saga."

"That's a hell of a way to say 'thank you,'" Chloe sighed. "Would you rather I left you with the 53rd instead of jeopardize your precious titles?"

"Don't act like your actions were purely altruistic. Admit it: a part of you was thrilled to have the opportunity to capitalize on my…misfortune."

The Psychologist snorted. "The thought had crossed my mind."

"And? Am I now speaking to the newly re-instated Head of Security?"

"I don't know yet."

Odafe's eyes widened. "You mean you haven't spoken to her yet?"

"She hasn't called me in, and I didn't want to raise the issue," Chloe met Odafe's gaze. "Not until I spoke to you first."

Odafe grimaced. "What, do you want my blessing? Or perhaps to prostrate myself in front of our boss for your benefit? Just take the damn title, Schwarzblum, and be grateful you got it so easily."

Alright, that was enough. Chloe set the car on autopilot, turning so she could face Odafe in full. "I'm not sure you comprehend exactly what is happening here, Odafe," she hissed. "Five Ultimates are now unaccounted for. Three of them have talents with the serious potential to threaten the security and stability of our society. And all of them have reason to bare a grudge against Team Danganronpa. There's more at stake here than the company pecking order, so I need you to put your little power plays on hold and actually work with me as a colleague for once."

Odafe flinched at the Psychologist's admonishments, but quickly recovered. "O-of course I am aware of the larger picture, Schwarzblum. But surely you acknowledge it's prudent to consider our own position therein."

"That's why we're having this conversation," Chloe exhaled, recomposing herself. "To talk strategy."

Odafe regarded Chloe warily. "Strategy?"

The Psychologist nodded. "Now that we're both in full health, and the results of the police investigation have been released, a summons from Lady Hope will arrive on our doorsteps any second now. More than likely, the hearings that follow will determine our fate within Team Danganronpa."

The Programmer titled his head. "Yes, and in that case I imagine my rescue will be quite the feather in your cap. So I'm not sure what more you…"

"Just listen for a moment. Even though I prevented a worst-case scenario, the end result is still far from good. Not only that, but in the process of rescuing you, I broke multiple company and municipal laws, all while under investigation for past mistakes. There's nothing clear-cut about this case: depending on how Lady Hope analyzes it—and what the other Heads are whispering in her ear—I could just as easily end up commended as condemned."

For once, Chloe's words seemed to be sinking into Odafe's shaved skull. He stroked his chin, his eyes tracing a line of thought across the gleaming skyline. "I see. So you really do need my help."

"We need each other," the Psychologist corrected. "Since we're the only two that have encountered the fugitives, our word will carry weight if we back up each other's claims. We minimize our own failings, and highlight the 53rd as unparalleled threat, one the entire company—no, the entire world-was unprepared for. We then argue that, due to the unique nature of our targets, whoever intends to pursue them will be operating in uncharted territory. Unless..."

"Unless they already have experience going up against the 53rd," Odafe finished his colleague's conclusion. "You want us to turn our failures into reasons for us to lead the task force."

"It's an argument with merit," Chloe nodded. "Especially if we have each other's backs."

"And you think this will lead to us recouping our former titles?"

Chloe hesitated. "It will earn us a shot at redemption. And right now, I think that's the best either of us can ask for."

Odafe mused this over for a second, tilting his head from side to side, as though he could literally see every angle to Chloe's reasoning. Finally, the whisper of a smile flitted across his features. "You're sharper than you look, Schwarzblum," he admitted. "Most of the members of your department are narrow-minded meatheads. But you…I could see us going places. With you as my subordinate of course."

Chloe had to literally bite her tongue to stop from snapping back. He really didn't have an off switch, did he? "It's not just a matter of reclaiming our standing," she said. "I genuinely believe this outcome is the best for preserving Danganronpa. And the world."

"Perhaps," Odafe mused, reclining in his seat. "Though I think you may giving the 53rd too much credit. Remember: they're teenagers whose personalities were specifically engineered to breed conflict and distrust. Obviously, that doesn't mean their incapable of cooperation. But eventually, their natures will get the better of them. Especially with that obnoxious runt in their mix."

Chloe said nothing to this. It was true that Killing Game classes tended to be built to prioritize volatile and incompatible personality types: it was the only way to make sure murders occurred, after all. Yet doubts still lingered in the Psychologist's mind, their shadows forming a dark hypothesis. It was a notion that occurred to her after Paris had escaped the Americas Killing Game some years back, and now, after seeing the 53rd class in action, there was a chance her theory was becoming reality.

Her fight with Maki shouldn't have ended the way it had. Chloe had read the scenario perfectly, deployed a textbook attack on her opponent's psyche, and brought the Assassin to her knees. Yet in the last moment, she was thwarted by none other than Himiko Yumeno, a childish girl who had never acted alone or without prompting in her life. Himiko, the tiny vaudevillian who had been nothing but a figure of sympathy or ridicule since her creation, had single-handedly saved her friend and thwarted Team Danganronpa's most skilled soldier. So: what could account for that discrepancy?

There was a chance it was a fluke, or a simple miscalculation on Chloe's part. But equally likely…was that the opposite of Odafe's theory was true. The students weren't bound by their nature; they were bound by the context of that Killing Game. And, if Chloe's hypothesis was correct, now that the context was removed…

…The 53rd class was changing. And not just along the lines of Tsumugi's narrative, but into something else entirely. Something strange, unprecedented, and unpredictable.

In other words: something very dangerous indeed.