'Thanks for getting this stuff, I was starving.' Makoto smiled as he took the banana Mukuro was offering him. 'Not a problem', she mumbled. 'How are you feeling now?' 'Good', he answered after taking a moment to swallow a mouthful. 'Honestly, I do think I'll be able to move around soon.' Mukuro raised an eyebrow. 'I'll be the judge of that. Just stay in bed and focus on resting now.' Her eyes drifted down to his torso, and for a moment she could still see the spear of gungnir piercing his flesh. She quickly looked back at his face. He was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, even in the dying light of the evening.

'You're in your element, though. This is probably better for you than being back at Hope's Peak.' She frowned slightly. 'What do you mean?' He looked up at her, somewhat sheepishly. 'Well... you always seemed to be most alive when you were talking about war or your time as a sold - sorry, as a mercenary. I thought that school was boring for you after everything you'd already done.'

She went silent, thinking. 'Mukuro, I'm sorry if I -' 'No.' she shook her head, dismissing his apology. 'It's alright.' She sighed. 'I'm sorry you thought I was bored. I just... I'm not good at talking to people. When I heard people talking about things I didn't know about, like music or anime or fashion, I just didn't know how to join in. So when I was able to talk to you... you guys about something I did know, I got excited, because I thought I'd be able to talk to you - I mean, you guys - properly.'

A moment passed. Then Makoto smiled reassuringly. 'Well, you can talk to me about whatever you want.' Mukuro blinked. 'Huh? Really?' 'Oh my god, of course not really, you fucking idiot!' Junko's voice suddenly burst into her thoughts. 'Do you really think that anyone wants to hear you drone on and on and on about which knife is the best one to use in a school massacre? I mean, maybe people would care if they wanted an excuse to look at you, but let's be honest: blind people can tell that you're ugly.' But in reality, Makoto nodded. 'Of course, I want to hear more about your interests! I'm your friend!' 'Lol', Junko smirked. 'Lmao. Friendzoned, get rekt.' Mukuro's heart stung, but Makoto continued on, oblivious. 'I remember one time, you started telling me about... what was it... the Battle of Alicia?' Her heart soared. 'The Battle of Alesia?! You... remembered me talking about that?!' He nodded. 'Yeah, it seemed really interesting, but something came up before you could finish telling me about it.' 'Remember what came up? You had to deliver some food to Ryota - you remember Ryota? Great guy, looked like a zombie, was great at animating, almost as autistic as you, helped us kill hundreds of millions of people - so that he wouldn't starve to death before we were finished him. I wonder what he's up to now? Eh, probably killed himself, like you should.'

Junko's words would have dragged Mukuro's heart back into despair, but just being in Makoto's presence somehow made her... hopeful. It wasn't that the words didn't hurt her, but they didn't hurt as much when he was around. 'He's like a bulletproof vest for my heart', she thought, blissfully ignorant of how embarrassing that would be to say out loud. 'Okay, so, the Battle of Alesia... it was in 52 BCE, in Gaul - basically modern France - and...'

Easily slipping into a passionate monologue, Mukuro explained how Julius Caesar had laid siege to the Gallic city of Alesia and won a decisive victory by building two walls: one to keep Alesia's defenders inside the city, and another to keep their reinforcements out. After describing how the walls had given the outnumbered Romans enough of an advantage to win (and focusing on the tactical lessons of the battle so that she could avoid mentioning the mass starvation of civilians and the fate of the Gallic prisoners), she finally asked Makoto 'So... what do you think?'

He smiled, warding off the tidal wave of self-conscious embarrassment that had been building in Mukuro's mind from the moment she finished talking. 'That was really interesting! I guess it shows how important it is to stand your ground, no matter what, when you need to.' 'I think it's more about the tactical value of prepared...' Mukuro started, then stopped. '... yeah. Yeah, you're right,' she smiled, blushing. 'You're teaching me to look at things differently, Makoto... thank you.' Makoto leaned closer to her, and her heart skipped a beat. 'You already knew that, though, didn't you? Back at Hope's Peak. You stood your ground against Junko.' Her smile faded. 'No, I... I should have done that before... everything. I should have let -' 'You can't change the past', he said, placing his hand on top of hers and almost stopping her heart. 'And... remember what I said. You've earned another chance, Mukuro.' She felt her eyes begin to get wet again. 'Thank you...' she whispered. 'I'd, uh... I'd better head upstairs and go on lookout again... make sure nobody sneaks up on us...' 'Okay,' Makoto said in his usual gentle, reassuring voice. 'I'll see you later.' 'Yeah, you too', she mumbled as she got off his bed and walked out the doorway.

As she hurried up the stairs to get away from Makoto before she could do anything that would make him think less of her, she couldn't help but think about what it would be like to fall asleep with him. Just imagining his arms wrapping around her, keeping her safe from Junko and all the thoughts that tormented her at night, made her heart sing as she continued up to the windows on the top floor. The fantasy was so intoxicating that she rear-ended Chihiro when she reached the windows.

'Oh, shit, sorry!' she grimaced, stepping back as she jumped back to reality with a start. Chihiro, who had just been staring out the window closest to the stairs, stared at her with wide eyes. A deafening silence filled the air. 'I should say something, but... what?' A million words rushed through Mukuro's mind, but none of them felt right. None of them seemed able to convey the regret and shame and self-disgust she felt about what she'd inflicted on Chihiro and the others.

Suddenly, Chihiro broke the silence. 'Mukuro...' he said, his voice quiet as he stared down at the ground. 'I... I do think that you'll help us. But... after what you did... you have to fix things. That's the only way that you can... make up for what you did. And...' Tears of fear started to form in his eyes, but he kept talking. 'And if you don't... Makoto... won't...' Suddenly, as if he had only just realised what he was saying, Chihiro stopped and seemed to shrink into himself. Mukuro stared down at him, a sharp pain stabbing at her stomach. But as much as his words hurt, she knew they were true. She couldn't even deny that to him, never mind herself.

'What should I do?' she mumbled. 'Put him out of his misery, duh', Junko sighed as she suddenly reappeared. 'Your entire existence revolves around killing, it's embarrassing to watch you try to do anything else.' Oblivious to the inner workings of Mukuro's mind, Chihiro anxiously glanced everywhere except at her, then cautiously opened his mouth. 'I... I want to know where my Dad is. Back at Hope's Peak... those videos we saw. You did something to him, didn't you? You and Junko?' Mukuro's mouth felt drier than a desert. She'd known this question would come up sooner or later. Maybe the others hadn't had time to think about it yet, or they didn't think it was the right time to ask. But they would have figured it out eventually. Yet, despite knowing that, Mukuro had no idea how to answer it. 'I just have to... tell the truth.' She didn't want to. She wanted to just avoid the topic entirely, and find another way to '... what? Feel better about myself? But... there isn't. And I need to be a... a good person now. I need to tell him. I need to.'

'He's being kept in an apartment in Tōwa City. His living conditions are good and he's being fed well', she said in an emotionless monotone. 'I think the conditions are good, at least.' Chihiro looked up at her, his face betraying his relief. 'So... so we can save him, right?' His voice quivered, but the determination behind it was obvious, even to Mukuro. She nodded. 'Yeah. But we need to get out of here first. I...' Her eyes couldn't meet his, but 'I need to say this.' 'Please... let me help you.' There were a few long moments of painful silence. 'What... do you mean?' Chihiro finally said. 'Let me help you get stronger... so you can survive out here.' Despite herself, a mixture of shame and desperation had crept into Mukuro's voice. 'I... I don't want you to die, Chihiro.'

Confusion quickly flooded into Chihiro's eyes and voice. 'M-me? Why... why me in p-particular?' Mukuro's hands started flexing as though she was preparing for a fight. 'Why is this so difficult? Why isn't at as easy as just fighting someone?' Blushing slightly, she forced the answer out of her mouth. 'Because... before, when it was just you and me... I'd never had a... a panic attack before, but you... you made me feel better.' A slight smile briefly flickered across her face. 'You even made me feel stronger. So... I owe you for that. And... I need to make up for everything I did before.' Junko retched. 'This is way more uncomfortable than watching you lobotomise someone.'

Once again, a suffocating silence fell over the two of them. Then Chihiro nodded. 'Okay. You can help me.' Mukuro felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her. 'Thank you,' she mumbled, smiling for a second before turning back to the stairs. 'I... I need to talk to the others. Shout if you see anyone coming towards us.' Without waiting for a reply, she started down the stairs. 'I have to tell him now. He has to hear it from me.'

By the time she reached the bottom, Kyoko was waiting for her. 'I heard you and Chihiro', she said with a raised eyebrow. 'I gather that you two are on good terms again?' 'Just how much did you hear?' Mukuro thought with a flash of annoyance that she quickly set aside. 'Yes, and... and there's something I need to tell you.' Despite the anxiety festering in her stomach, Mukuro forced herself to continue. 'It's about the video you saw at Hope's Peak...' Kyoko's body immediately stiffened. 'What about it?' Her voice was suddenly somewhat strained. 'Is this a good idea?' Mukuro suddenly thought, the anxiety now tearing her stomach apart. 'What's she going to do when I tell her? Attack me? Shoot me?! But what if I don't tell her, and Chihiro does? I could beat her in a fight, easy, but then what would the others think about me?' Sighing, she realised that she had no choice. 'This is definitewy going to go weawwy well and won't wesuwt in any physicaw wiolence, uwu', Junko giggled.

'Your grandfather is being kept in an apartment at Tōwa City. He's being fed and treated humanely.' Kyoko glowered at her in silence for a few moments, forcing her to look away from her in shame. 'So, you did help Junko take him hostage to give me a motive for the killing game', the detective said with a quiet menace. Mukuro could only nod. 'I thought as much. You will help me get him back', she continued, and Mukuro knew that it was an order, not a request. Kyoko stared daggers into her eyes for a few moments, then walked off in the other direction. 'That went... terribly. But better than I expected.'

Turning towards Makoto's room, Mukuro sighed and began walking. 'He does need to hear it from me. If Kyoko or Chihiro tell him... he'll never trust me again. And if he doesn't trust me, he'll never... but will he trust me after this? But if I don't tell him, then he definitely won't. I don't have a choice. I don't have a choice.' She opened the door, and stepped inside. Makoto looked up, surprised. 'Mukuro? I thought you were -' 'Your family's being held in apartments in Tōwa City, they have food and they're being held in good conditions!' She blurted out the words, desperate to get them out of her before she got cold feet. Makoto's eyes were wide, his mouth agape. '... what? How do you...' Realisation spread across his face. 'Yeah,' Mukuro mumbled pathetically. 'I knew all this time. I helped do it. I was just... scared to admit it. I... I'm sorry, Makoto.'

It felt like her guts were aching and shrinking and rolling around inside her, the tension and fear of what he would say next so unbearable that it physically hurt. She wanted to run out the door, but she couldn't feel below her ankles anymore, and her entire body was too stiff to move a muscle. She didn't even know how much time had passed since she last spoke, but it felt like an eternity. 'What do I do if he hates me? I'll... I'll just have to -' 'Kill yourself? Yeah, that sounds about right. Probably should have done that years ago and saved everyone the bother, if I'm being honest.'

'They're... being treated well?' Makoto slowly asked. She nodded, realising that her head was trembling. 'It's like... it's like they're just locked in a normal apartment.' 'So,' he smiled as tears formed in his eyes, 'they're alive... Mum, Dad, Komaru... they're alive.' After few moments, he wiped his tears and looked up at her. 'Mukuro... will you help me find them?' Her eyes widened. 'You want me to... you don't...?' 'Did you forget again already?' He was staring at her, a reassuring smile on his face, his eyes so full of hope that she began to feel some herself. 'You've earned another chance.' She blinked. 'I... had forgotten...' 'But... even after that? Your family...' The smile faded somewhat from Makoto's face, but the hope in his eyes remained. 'You said that they're being looked after, right? And you know where they are, so we can go and get them out. You can still make things right... and I know that you will.'

'How... how can he be so optimistic?!' Mukuro didn't know, 'but it makes me feel good. Like... Like I do have a future.' She nodded, with tears forming in her own eyes yet again. 'I... I won't let you down, Makoto. Not again. I promise. If I do, I'll...' She took a step closer to him as a strange calm and clarity washed over her. She knew, with absolute certainty, that this was the right thing to do.

'I'll kill myself.'

Horror spread across Makoto's face. 'What... no! You don't have to-' 'I do.' She sat down at the end of the bed and stared into his eyes. 'After everything you've done for me... I'd rather die than let you down again.' She glanced outside, and saw that that the sun had almost set. 'I'd better let you get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow.' Before he could say anything, she gave him one last small smile and walked out the door.

'Uh, big sis? Don't get ahead of yourself. He'll probably feel really let down when he finds out about what you did at Giboura. Just saying.'