A/N: FlightfootKeyseeker: I'm not quite sure what you mean. If you're talking about her class, read on. If you're talking about something in DR3, I have to say I'm gonna be really tight-lipped about anything there as we get closer to the end. Sorry.

To say Kirigiri Kyoko was unhappy when Naegi-kun told her he planned to meet up with some supposed refugees, alone, was an understatement. She found their claims of being afraid of Future Foundation, of only trusting the Ultimate Hope and wanting to meet with just him, suspicious. Innocents had nothing to be afraid of, after all, and Naegi-kun was probably the Remnants' most hated person. It seemed all too likely to her this was a trap. They'd argued about him going for a long time.

Eventually Kyoko managed to compromise—no guards, as the callers had asked, but she'd go with him, and Togami-kun would stay with the helicopter, ready to fly if needed. Maybe she couldn't stop Naegi-kun from walking into danger, but she could certainly walk into it with him.

The meeting place was Hope's Peak's now ironically-named "new" school building, the one destroyed by the Reserve Course. Unlike the old school building, converted into a shelter, it had laid in disrepair for years. Kyoko's first thought, when they stepped inside the entrance hall and saw their upperclassmen spread around, eyes gleaming bright red, was a grim I knew it was a trap. She reached for her phone to call Togami-kun.

But when her eyes registered what they were actually seeing, she paused. None of Class 77 had made moves to attack, or were in positions suitable for an ambush. They were lounging about, some chatting, some eating, some sparring. One of them was even lying down, eyes closed, attended to by the Ultimate Nurse. It took her a moment to catch a glimpse of white hair and recognize him as Komaeda Nagito.

They looked…disturbingly normal.

At the sound of their entrance, thirteen heads snapped over in a single, eerie motion. One of the Remnants, a dead-ringer for Togami-kun except fatter, stepped forward. His talent was impressive; even though she knew otherwise, Kyoko had to consciously remind herself that this was the Ultimate Imposter, not her classmate. "So you've finally arrived. It's about time, we've been waiting awhile." He fixed Kyoko with a searching stare. "And I see you brought a friend."

Naegi-kun smiled his famously disarming smile. "Just Kirigiri-san and Togami-kun—er, the real Togami-kun, that is. He's outside. They only came because they were worried about me; I promise no one else is around."

The Imposter tilted his chin at Nidai and Pekoyama. "Sweep the area. Make sure he's not lying."

As the two nodded and moved off, Kyoko stepped forward. "Is Hinata Hajime here?" Though her tone was steady with practiced cool, her skin crawled, distinctly uncomfortable by how outnumbered and surrounded they were. Almost instinctively, she began calculating escape routes if things went south.

"The brooding one said he would be at the zenith of this place, amidst ruins that held memories dear to us," Tanaka boomed. Kyoko noted the four small coffins hanging from his belt, but otherwise there were no signs of his usual animal army. She marked that as a point in the "not a trap" category. "He imparted we send you his way when you answered our summons. Then, like a bolt of lightning, he disappeared, leaving nary a breeze behind…quite a good trick."

Upstairs, in a classroom, then. Naegi-kun must have worked it out too, for he immediately hurried to the stairwell. Kyoko hesitated, torn between following him to protect him and staying to watch the Remnants. She still wasn't entirely certain this wasn't a trick of some kind.

"You can relax," the Imposter said, seeing her indecision. "Our call was genuine. We have no interest in fighting you, as long as you were true to your word." As if to punctuate his point, the other Remnants finally turned back to their activities, dismissing her as unimportant.

It sounded reasonable, but Kyoko wasn't ready to let go of her doubts just yet. "It's odd this supposed Hinata is the one who called us, yet he's not here…and you seem to be handling the leadership role instead." If the Imposter could mimic anyone, it was entirely possible to fake being Hinata, wasn't it? She'd never seen his name mentioned in any of Future Foundation's files, after all.

Perhaps she should have gone with Naegi-kun.

An odd smile crossed the Imposter's face. "Hinata is…complicated. He gathered us together, but he prefers not to be around people. Therefore, I take the manacles of command unto myself in his stead. I suppose you could consider me a lieutenant, of sorts."

She turned at the sound of footsteps to see Pekoyama and Nidai returning. "The perimeter's clear," Pekoyama said, immediately heading to Kuzuryu's side. His eyepatch was in his hand, gently being cleaned, and when he glanced at Pekoyama the motion brought a single, bright blue eye out of the shadows of his fedora. Kyoko's mouth tightened almost indiscernibly.

The Imposter nodded at Kyoko. "There, you see? You haven't betrayed us, so we won't betray you."

Kyoko frowned, but dropped the topic. It appeared she could trust them...for now. Still, the sooner this was over, the better.

As they waited for Naegi-kun and Hinata, a hacking cough tore from the corner of the room. She turned her head, regarding Komaeda. "…He's sick. How badly?"

"K-Komaeda-san had a fever when Hinata-san found him," Tsumiki said breathily, glancing up. "He's b-been swimming in and out of consciousness…"

The mop of white hair lifted, glassy red eyes peering up at Kyoko. "Ah, senpai!" he exclaimed in an oddly chipper voice. "I'm so sorry about that trouble with the bomb. It's awful that someone as worthless as me was merely suspended, while you—"

He broke off into fits of coughing, and Tsumiki hurriedly pushed him back down onto the blankets. "…and he's delirious," she surmised, as Komaeda's eyes fluttered shut. "I d-doubt he even remembers Hinata-san fetching him, o-or us all gathering together. But his condition is improving, so I think in a few days he'll recover."

It was unnerving. All of this. The Remnants were hanging out as if they were friends relaxing after work, not despair-filled terrorists. Tsumiki was acting exactly like a concerned nurse and classmate, fretting over the health of her patient. She was even holding Komaeda's hand, stroking it over and over to provide him some comfort. It was almost sweet, until Kyoko took a closer look and saw—

Revulsion coursed through her. It wasn't his hand, but a woman's; small and delicate, with long fingers topped off with sharp red nails. Tsumiki had a wide smile and deep blush on her face, looking at it with the reverence of one gazing upon a holy relic. Her motions weren't ones of comfort, but of longing, fingers dancing over the skin possessively.

Kyoko turned away, briefly tasting bile. That hand, Kuzuryu's eye, there was no question who they'd belonged to. It was grotesque. She didn't doubt Naegi-kun would still want to help them, but…could they even be helped?

As if her thoughts had summoned him, Naegi-kun returned, lips pursed in thoughtfulness. Kyoko's relief at seeing him alright was only temporary, overshadowed by unease as the long-haired man on his heels. It wasn't so much what she saw in him as what she didn't see. His face, his eyes, his body language, all of it was blank. It was like trying to read a corpse.

No, not even; corpses had truths to them too. It was like trying to read a foreign language. Encoded.

"Kirigiri-san," Naegi-kun said, stepping over. "This is Hinata Hajime-kun. He says he used to go to Hope's Peak, but he was in the Reserve Course."

That would explain why she hadn't recognized his name. "You and your classmates requested clemency." She wasted no time getting down to business. She sensed no malicious intent from him, but this entire situation was still too tense for her liking. Best to resolve it as swiftly as possible.

Hinata inclined his head so slightly she might have missed it. "And Naegi has promised it." His voice was rough, as if disused, and barely audible.

She crooked an eyebrow at Naegi-kun, who gave her a sheepish smile. It was endearing, but she wouldn't let herself be distracted. "Has he?"

Reading her unspoken question, Naegi-kun threw Hinata an apologetic look. "Hinata-kun, would you mind if we had a few moments alone?"

He just blinked indifferently. Taking that as a no, the two hurried to a corner as far from the Remnants as possible. "Naegi-kun," Kyoko whispered, aware of the eyes fixed on their back. "You do know they're—"

"Remnants of Despair," he finished. "I know. I knew the minute I saw them. And I know you're going to say this is a bad idea, but I still think we should help."

Exasperated affection flooded her. "Naegi-kun, I don't know if that's possible. The things they've done can't just be waved away with words."

"I know that! But they want to be cured of their despair. And that's what we do, isn't it? Save people from despair?"

The depths of Naegi-kun's compassion and optimism never failed to astound Kyoko. She'd seen them be thrown in his face, she'd seen them pay off. No matter the outcome, though, he never wavered. It was impossible to be around that and not be even a little affected. She wasn't sure if she believed an actual group of Remnants could turn themselves around, but if anyone could help them, it was Naegi-kun.

Whether they deserved the chance, well, that wasn't important now. What was, was her and Naegi-kun's safety. She doubted they could just leave. If they tried to go back on their word now, the Remnants would probably attack them. Bringing them in, where they had a controlled environment, was substantially safer. But then there was what came after…

Mistaking the pensive look on her face, Naegi-kun added, "If you're worried about getting in trouble, Kirigiri-san, don't be. I'll take full responsibility—"

"That's not it," she sighed. "We will effectively have to go rogue for this. Even if we cure them, it's very likely we'll face opposition from Munakata-san. We'll have to conceal them until we finish rehabilitation, then persuade the rest of the foundation of our innocence afterwards. It'll be a difficult task, and I only want to make sure you know what we're getting into."

Surprise etched itself on his features. "'We'?"

Her lips twitched. She didn't know if she'd ever met anyone simultaneously both so intuitive and so oblivious. "You didn't think I'd let you go through this alone, did you?"

His face brightened, a dazzling, broad smile stretching from ear to ear. Her chest warmed at the sight. "Thank you so much, Kirigiri-san!"

She brushed a strand of lavender hair behind her ear. "It's no trouble. Now, I'll get Togami-kun and convince him to at least fly the Remnants out of here. Then we can sit down and brainstorm ideas on how to help them." Gekkogahara-san had sent out an email to all branch heads about the completion of some virtual therapy project, hadn't she? Perhaps they could start with that.

"SURPRISE!"

Chiaki squeaked at the unexpected shouts, her finger missing the D-pad on her Game Girl Advance and dooming Link to death. Her head jerked up, eyes growing rounder at the sight before them. Her classroom had been transformed, party balloons and streamers hanging from the ceiling. A table in the center held assorted snacks and a large, fluffy cake. And in the center were her smiling classmates.

Intelligently, she asked, "Huh?"

"You're running a little late," Koizumi-san said disapprovingly. Her face morphed into concern. "Is everything alright?"

"Sorry," she said automatically. "No, everything's fine. I was just...doing something else." They'd asked her to meet here two hours after school, but she'd been waiting for Hinata-kun before then. She knew most people would call her foolish for clinging to old sentiment, to her feelings for him, but the thought of abandoning him made her stomach roil. It felt like admitting he wasn't important to her after all, and what kind of friend would she be then? What if the day she wasn't there was the day he came back?

She wondered whether she should tell her classmates about him, ask them for help—but they looked to her as class rep. It wasn't right that she burden them with her troubles, was it? She had to be a good role model.

"If people are going to go to this effort for you, you could at least show up on time!" Saoinji-san snapped, tossing her ponytail haughtily.

"Sorry…"

"S-Saoinji-san," Tsumiki-san said timidly, "it's only by about fifteen minutes—"

"Who asked you, pig barf?!"

"Who cares? Now that Nanami's here, we can start eating!" Owari-san didn't even wait for a response, just dove for the food and began shoveling it in her mouth.

"OWARI!" Nidai-kun bellowed. "Show some respect! It's Nanami's birthday!"

"Haffy erfday 'anami!"

She was still feeling a bit slow on the uptake. Chiaki looked around in amazement, her Game Girl Advance almost slipping from her fingers. "You guys…you all set this up?"

"That's right," Sonia-san smiled. "I admit I am nervous, I have never planned a Japanese birthday party before! They are so different from those in Novoselic…I hope you aren't too disappointed by my first efforts."

"I think you did wonderful, Sonia-san!" Soda-kun interjected, eyes starry at the chance to support the Ultimate Princess. "Beautiful and graceful as always—"

But she'd already turned away, blushing at a muttered compliment from Tanaka-kun, which Chiaki couldn't quite catch.

As Soda-kun sulked, a lump lodged in Chiaki's throat. Nobody had ever celebrated her birthday before. She sniffed and dabbed her sleeve against her wet eyes. "Guys…thank you all so much."

But before they could start the fun, there was a knock at the door. "Oh, that must be Hinata-kun," Yukizome-sensei smiled, and that was odd. When did she get here? She should still be in the Reserve Course, right? "Why don't you let him in, Nanami-san?"

That also struck her as strange. Hinata-kun was…somewhere else, wasn't he? But eagerness to see him again eclipsed that niggling voice of concern. Grin widening, Chiaki bounced over to the door, throwing it open—

And found a stone hall lined with monitors.

That was the moment she realized that she was dreaming. Panic set in, and she tried to turn away. But a hard push sent her stumbling out. The door slammed shut. Against her will, Chiaki's feet turned down the path she'd trod so many times before.

She gritted her teeth, trying to force herself to go in other directions, to step differently, to not trip the first trap that would slice a thin line of fire along her arm. But it was like she was in a video game and being railroaded to follow the plot; she had no control. Tears filled her eyes as pain jolted through her nerves, as Enoshima's gleeful laugh rang out.

Wake up! You know it's not real, you've already been here! Wake up!

Running. Running. She recognized this part too, knew where the pressure plate was. Nothing she did directed her feet away from it, and she watched in frustration as it sank under her weight, as the spikes shot from the ground and pierced her right foot. Her momentum lost, she fell back, scraping the palm of her hand against the stone floor as she threw it out to catch herself. She couldn't stop the scream tearing from her throat or the renewed wave of tears.

Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!

She didn't. She only got up and continued trudging on, through a seemingly endless wave of traps. Some she managed to avoid, others she didn't. And no matter how much she tried to force herself to wake up, she kept running the maze.

Chiaki spared a moment for a quick glance over her shoulder, checking how far ahead of the boulder she was, then turned her gaze back front—

And choked as an iron grip clasped around her throat, lifting her into the air by her neck. The force of it made her vision swim, but she could still recognize the person holding her up. Baffled, because this was different from all the other times she'd dreamt about this place, she stammered, "Kamukura-kun? W-What are you doing here?"

His red eyes were steely and cold and utterly unfamiliar. "I found my answer. And it does not lie with your beliefs. You failed, Nanami Chiaki."

She clawed at his hand, trying to get just a little bit of breathing room. Her feet kicked, dangling in the air. Stars winked in front of her eyes as she choked out, "Ka…Kamukura-kun…"

"Your hope is boring." His fingers tightened, and she gagged as her windpipe started to crumple. Faintly, she could hear something ringing. "And so are you."

Chiaki jerked awake with a sob, tears spilling over her eyes. The ringing was still present, loud, annoying. Her alarm clock. Her blind hand groped about, slamming it off by pure coincidence. Gasping for air, she stared up at the ceiling. She was safe. It was just a nightmare. She was safe. Inanely, a memory came back, snuggling into Kamukura-kun's chest, safe, safe, safe. The contrast between the memory and the nightmare was so sharp, it almost brought an ill-timed laugh to her lips.

On shaky legs, she staggered out of bed and over to Yumigami's. Her rabbit knew the drill by now, blinking awake at the hands pulling her up, but otherwise unsurprised. She nuzzled her comfortingly as Chiaki pulled her close, chasing away the remnants of the nightmare with the tactile softness of fur.

Her dreams about that place had gradually decreased in frequency, but they still lurked in the shadows of her mind. Every time she started to think they were gone for good, they'd come back. It was an old, tired dance, and she was sick of it.

Eventually, Yumigami squirmed, and feeling somewhat calmer, Chiaki put her down. The rabbit hopped over to her water bowl, dipping her head to drink. With a sigh, the Ultimate Gamer glanced at her clock. 7:10. She had to get ready to leave.

Grimacing, she began to get dressed, pulling on the stark black blazer, skirt and tie of her uniform. Then she clipped up her hair, which had grown out to partially down her back, and reached for the wig, throwing it a resentful glare. She hated the thing. She hated everything it symbolized. She was tired of pretending to be another person. She was so lonely she thought she might choke on it. She missed her friends. She missed Kamukura-kun. Tears bit at the corners of her eyes again, but with a shaky breath she wiped them away.

Her thoughts drifted back to his presence in her nightmare as she put her shoes on. She swallowed, remembering the harsh nothingness in his eyes. Dreams are not omens, like in video games, she told herself. They're just your subconscious thoughts and emotions coming to the forefront of your mind. Nothing is wrong with Kamukura-kun and the others. Don't—don't think like that.

It was impossible not to worry about them all, though. It had been three days since Gekkogahara-san had announced the Neo World Program's completion, and she hadn't heard anything about her friends or if Naegi-kun was using it.

She really needed to start planning what she was going to say to him, didn't she? If the Neo World Program worked, she was sure he'd announce its success. Fifteen Remnants of Despair, cured and renounced to good? That would be such a strong message of hope to the populace.

But how could she come forward? "Hi, I'm Nanami Chiaki. I'm back from the dead, could you please let me be the therapist for my entire class? Or at least not throw me in jail? I know I was saved by a former Remnant, I know I've been hiding things from the Future Foundation for two years, but I'm honestly not an enemy!"

She sighed, rubbing her forehead. Nothing had changed from when she first joined up. There was still no reason to believe the Future Foundation wouldn't be suspicious of her. And, she was forced to admit, she hadn't exactly won herself any friends in her time here. There weren't many people to support her claims of character.

Shaking those thoughts away, Chiaki grabbed her standard issue Future Foundation gun—handed over once she'd passed the necessary test and obtained a license—from its hidey-hole under her bed. She went through the process of checking the safety and bullets before stowing it in its holster. Then, determined to do her best again today, she stepped outside to go to work.

It was a special occasion, after all; she didn't want to be late.

It was an odd combination of meeting and graduation. But then again, their internships had been an odd combination of college-level studying and working. At the end of the work day, Gekkogahara-san had, unsurprisingly, called the interns and their supervisors to their usual conference room for the speech.

"It's been almost two years since you guys joined the Future Foundation. In that time, you've been hard at work as interns in our therapy training—trying to accumulate practical hours, studying the field, and learning basic combat. As of today, you have all gathered the requisite number of hours and passed my final test. Your internships are at an end." Usami raised a party toy, confetti shooting out of the end. "Congratulations! As full-fledged members of Future Foundation, you enjoy several benefits, such as an increased pay and more opportunities. However, you still have one more test to pass before you can become practicing therapists.

"That's right, it's the board exam for your license! The next one will be held in two months, and starting from today you have two weeks to submit your application. As you're no longer under supervision, you will not be able to take on clients until you pass, so I recommend taking it as soon as possible."

Usami smiled. "That said, you don't have to worry about your jobs—we still have plenty of assistance work for you in the meantime. So don't be stressed, and do your best!"

Applause filled the room. Chairs scraped back as people milled about, chatting and offering compliments. Chiaki remained seated, eyes far away. She had never really thought about actually getting her license. Oh, she'd supposed it would happen eventually, in a detached way. But now, now it seemed real. It could be real in just a few months, if she tried for the exam.

She shook herself. It wasn't a matter of if she tried—a matter of if she passed. She'd be taking that exam. She had to get that license as soon as possible. If she couldn't take clients until she got it, she wouldn't be available to help her friends.

Nodding to herself, she made her way to the door. Most of the other interns had paused on their way out, stopping to chat with and thank their supervisors. Ueno-sensei was chatting with a coworker, rolling an unlit cigarette between his fingers. "Congratulations," he said drily when she stepped up. The man he'd been speaking to nodded at her politely and left.

"Thank you for your guidance, Ueno-sensei." She bowed.

He waved a hand. "Don't get a swollen head, you aren't there yet." He narrowed his eyes. "Take this last piece of advice: even when you get your license, you won't be done. There'll still be things for you to learn, and you'll still make mistakes. You will be chasing 'there' all your career. Understood?"

"I think so."

"Then think on it harder until you know so. I expect to be hearing good things about you." It was half-compliment, half-order.

Just then, Gekkogahara-san rolled up, crinkles around her eyes indicating a smile. "Oh, don't be so grouchy, Ueno-kun! Let her celebrate. She and the other interns have worked hard."

"I am not grouchy," he sniffed. "And I'm not saying she can't. Just that people should never be complacent."

"Learn to relax! Go home. Find a girlfriend."

"Stop trying to set me up with people. I'm perfectly happy as a bachelor, thank you very much."

"But it might do you some good to blow off some steam."

Chiaki choked on her spit. Ueno-sensei rolled his eyes and brought his cigarette to his lips, though he still didn't light it. Gekkogahara-san turned to Chiaki. "Congratulations, Watanabe-san."

"Ah, thank you. I just hope I can make you and everyone else proud."

The smaller woman patted her arm. "Don't worry about that. If you can be satisfied by what you do, that's enough. I think the world would be better if people stopped dwelling so much on lofty standards and took pride in themselves."

She thought of Hinata-kun, and her heart pinched painfully. "…Yeah. Me too."

Three weeks later, Chiaki was having lunch in the seventh division cafeteria; even though the entire branch ate at the same time, the noise level was low. Most people didn't want to talk, especially not about work. As she poised pork into her mouth, the cafeteria doors opened. This was nothing unusual and she would have ignored it, if someone nearby hadn't gasped and squeaked. Then she glanced up and dropped her chopsticks.

Impeccable in all white, Munakata Kyosuke stood in the cafeteria entrance, surveying them. A sheathed katana was held tightly in his left fist; rumor said he'd personally killed one hundred Remnants with it. Other rumors whispered he'd fought the Ultimate Swordswoman to a draw, and still others claimed he'd pried the katana from the grave of a famous samurai. However, the one thing all rumors agreed on was this: Munakata Kyosuke's hatred for despair knew no bounds.

And he was walking right towards her, Chiaki realized in horror. Her heart began beating a panicked staccato as her imagination ran away—he'd found her out, he was going to arrest her, he was going to try to make her betray Kamukura-kun—

He stopped and stared down at her regally. "Where is Gekkogahara? I don't see her here."

Oh. He'd only come over because she was closest. Chiaki felt at once foolish and relieved. "Um, Gekkogahara-san doesn't eat here on Tuesdays. I think she has lunch with her mother instead."

"When will she be back?"

"Soon? Lunch started thirty minutes ago…" His scowl deepened, and she made a snap decision. "I can show you to her office. You can wait for her there."

Munakata-san considered her, and she tried very much not to squirm, feeling like a bug under a microscope. But he jerked his head up in a short nod. Hurriedly gathering her things and stashing them in her bag, Chiaki threw away her empty bento box. Then, murmuring "this way", she led Munakata-san down the hallway. He raised an eyebrow when she hurried past the elevator, pushing open the door to the stairwell instead, but didn't comment. Perhaps he simply thought it was out of order.

The seventh division building had six floors. The first floor was open to the public and had basic places like a receptionist desk, archive, some offices, and the cafeteria. The second was where all therapy was held; the third was for those working in the cyber department. The fourth, more offices and conference rooms. Fifth, combat training. Sixth, well, Chiaki wasn't sure what was there. Top secret stuff probably. Gekkogahara-san had opted against having an entire floor to herself, stating she wished to be close to her employees. Her needs and status meant she did have a larger office than normal, though, and actual privacy.

"Thank you," Munakata-san said curtly when they arrived. "You may leave now."

She nodded. Continuing down the corridor, Chiaki left him standing in front of Gekkogahara-san's door, looking impatient. Once she was around the corner, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

What she was considering was unbelievably stupid. She couldn't even imagine the trouble she'd be in if she was caught. But there was something deep inside her telling her this was important. What could make the vice-president personally visit the creator of the Neo World Program only weeks after its release? It was a slim hope, but she couldn't shake it. And lunch wouldn't end for another half hour. She had time.

Twenty-five minutes later, she was weighing the pros and cons of staying versus leaving when she heard the telltale squeak of wheels and a surprised, "Munakata-san? What are you doing here?"

Peering around the corner, she saw the vice-president's back as he addressed a surprised-looking Gekkogahara-san. "Gekkogahara," he greeted in clipped tones. "We have matters to discuss."

"They must be important if you came here to speak to me directly, without even arranging a meeting."

"Critically. I've only just obtained this information, and it can't wait." His head turned, scanning the hall, and Chiaki ducked back behind her corner. "Let's take this inside your office."

Usami made a vague noise of assent. There was the sound of a door opening, then closing. Chiaki stepped out from behind her corner and stared at it. It was just a door, she knew, but it seemed imposing and ominous in that moment. Fear briefly seized her, but she thought of her friends, of Kamukura-kun, and her spine straightened.

She licked her lips. Glanced around again. The hallway was still empty—of course it was, everyone was still in the cafeteria, though that'd be changing soon. Chiaki pulled her glasses off and placed them on the floor. Then she dropped down, pressing her ear against the crack in Gekkogahara-san's door.

"—Naegi-kun?" Usami's voice was loud and easily recognizable.

Munakata-san's baritone was somewhat more muffled. "He's been absolutely silent for weeks. Given what I've recently learned, I suspect him of treason."

"Treason? I can't imagine someone like him—"

An angry thump, like Munakata-san had pounded his fist against a table. "Fifteen Remnants of Despair have been whisked away from right under our noses! I've received reports that suggest he was the one who captured them, yet he failed to bring them in for extermination. What else can it be, if not treason?!"

A stunned silence. Munakata-san spoke again, sounding calmer. "I'm here because you're in charge of the foundation's cyber security. You must have a way to find his location. Trace his emails, hack his phone, something."

"Yukizome-san can't—"

"Yukizome's looking too, of course, but I want all bases covered. Can you find him?"

"...I might already know where he is."

To Chiaki's frustration, the voices grew lower and hushed. Fighting back a growl, she pressed her ear harder against the door and closed her eyes to focus—

Footsteps. She scrambled away, pushing up onto her hands and knees. She pretended to be searching the floor just as the Acting Head, Akagi-san, rounded the corner, flipping through papers. He stopped when he saw her, blinking in surprise behind his spectacles.

"Um…what are you doing?"

"Oh, I just dropped my glasses." 'Accidentally' bumping her hand into them, she let out a triumphant "Ah-ha!" and plopped them on. She bounced up to her feet, hoping her smile wasn't too strained.

He gave her an odd look, but for once her isolation was a blessing—he didn't know her well enough to press the issue, nor care. "Al…right." Stepping up to the door, he knocked, calling for Gekkogahara-san. The voices inside stopped, and Chiaki discretely made her exit before anyone could think to ask what she was doing here.

Her legs were shaking as she retraced her steps. She could scarcely believe she'd just pulled that off. Part of her expected Munakata-san to run after her, grab her arm and yell that he knew what she'd just done.

But the only footsteps in the hallway were her own. When she was far out of sight, she rested against the wall, closed her eyes, and reviewed what she'd just overheard.

Fifteen Remnants, Munakata-san had said. It had to be her classmates and Kamukura-kun. Then…was it likely they were at the Neo World Program? Her heart briefly soared, before sinking. Munakata-san's tone indicated Naegi-kun was in trouble for what he'd done. And his faction of Future Foundation politics, the extremists, favored harsh punishment and absolute extermination.

But surely Munakata-san couldn't get away with executing the Ultimate Hope? If—when—her friends were cured, the rest of the Foundation would have to understand that his methods weren't the only way to remove despair. And with fifteen former Remnants confirming what had happened to Yukizome-sensei, Future Foundation would have no choice but to believe them. Then she'd get the help she needed, and the organization would have to be more lenient about Despairs, or else be hypocrites. Everything would be alright, somehow.

Feeling somewhat reassured, she set off with a bit more spring in her step.

When Munakata-san left, Miaya sighed and closed her eyes. While she greatly respected him for what he'd done, she would be lying if she said she wasn't frightened as well. His zealotry had only increased over the years, to the point she sometimes felt she didn't recognize the man who'd first approached her as the Tragedy rained down, asking her to help him create a future for the world.

Sometimes she felt she didn't recognize the Future Foundation either. It was sad, but the reality was that they were a house of cards, teetering on the brink of a cliff, with Munakata-san's extremists a strong wind that could knock any of them off. Though the extremists were not the only faction in the foundation, they were comprised of some of the branches with the most power, such as the second, fifth, and sixth. The rest of them simply couldn't match up.

And she'd just pointed him in Naegi-kun's direction. Guilt dropped in her belly again like a stone. He'd told her it was okay to save herself if she was asked about her involvement, that she could lie and claim to not have known his intended patients were Remnants, that he would take all the blame. Still, Miaya wished she'd been braver. She'd never been very brave—not brave enough to learn to talk without Usami, not brave enough to try surgeries to help her cerebral palsy, not brave enough to stand up for someone else she respected. She hadn't even been brave enough to go to Jabberwock with Naegi-kun and his friends.

But if she'd pretended not to know, and Munakata-san later found out she was lying, she'd earn his wrath as best. At worst, she'd end up pronounced guilty of treason as well. And if something happened to her, what would become of her mother, ailing and alone?

I'm sorry, Naegi-kun. I hope you finish rehabilitating the Remnants soon, before Munakata-san tries to arrest you…

A/N: Some of you might be disappointed Chiaki didn't go to Jabberwock, and this was something I thought long and hard over. But in the end I decided I couldn't justify it. Makoto, Kyoko and Byakuya were clearly acting as rogue elements; I can't imagine them bringing an entourage with them, much less an intern from another branch. In fact, what seems most likely to me is that it was just the three of them there, with very few others knowing at all.

It's never actually said where Makoto caught the Remnants, but I'm assuming it was in Hope's Peak, since there were desks and the patterns on the destroyed doors matched the ones in the new building.

Cerebral palsy, which Miaya briefly mentions, is a group of disorders that affects one's movement and muscles, and is my headcanon for why she's in a wheelchair.