'Get back to the others! Get out of here! I'll find you later!' As Makoto watched, Mukuro ran off up a nearby hill without another word. 'Wait, Mukuro, what are you -' Before he could finish, she'd disappeared into the forest.

The bizarre music that had suddenly assaulted his ears was still obnoxiously loud, but it its volume was quickly decreasing. 'It sounds like it's coming from somewhere up ahead', Makoto thought. Mukuro had told him to get the others and get out, but there was something about the music that demanded his attention. 'I... I need to make sure that everything's alright... I don't know why, but I need to.' Without a second thought, he stepped forward. As he got closer, he realised that the music was coming from a small old single-storey building pockmarked with bullet holes. A bright, blue light was visible through the window. The door was ajar, and he walked through it to find the source of the music; a laptop sitting on a table in an empty room. All that was visible on the laptop's screen was a notification:

Incoming video call! Accept?

Yes Yes

Makoto gulped, stepped forward, and accepted the call. The music immediately cut off, replaced by another sound. 'Oh, hey Makoto! I was hoping you'd be the one to find me!' A familiar grin filled the screen. He'd always seen it as a smile of friendship, of fun, belonging to someone he could trust and even confide in. But now he knew better. Now he could see the darkness and insanity behind it.

'Junko.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Yeah, it's me, no shit! Did you hit your head or something?!' He sighed. 'I... I have to try.' 'Junko... please. Just... don't you remember? We're your friends. There's no reason for you to do this! If you need help, then we can help you!' To his surprise, Junko's smile had been replaced by what seemed like sadness... but with a small glimmer of hope in her eyes. 'Makoto', she sighed, 'after everything I... everything I did... you'd really help me?' 'This is actually working?!' He covered up his surprise with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. 'Of course, Junko... you can stop all of this, and I'll do whatever it takes to help you!' She glanced to the side, her anxiety obvious to anyone watching. 'There... there is one thing you can do, Makoto...' He grinned. 'Tell me, and I'll do it!'

'Kill everyone else.'

His heart sank. 'What?' 'You heard me. Kill all our other classmates, and I'll stop all this.' Now Junko was grinning. 'I mean, really, it's for the best... killing fourteen people to save the world is a proper bargain, innit? And you'll be saving your family in the process, won't ya?' Makoto shook his head, disgusted. 'I won't do that... ever!' She raised an eyebrow. 'Ever?' Her hand slowly reached up to her chest. 'Not even if I show you my... bahongachongas? My bahowzerwowzers? My gahoogachoo-' 'No, shut up!' Makoto yelled. 'She's just... how could I ever think she was my friend?!' Junko's hand dropped and she rolled her eyes, letting out a frustrated sigh. 'Ugh, fiiiiiiiiiine! Sakura probably would have just ripped you in half and turned you into a protein shake anyway... which reminds me, I had this really cool idea, where if Sakura was executed in the killing game, her execution would have her, like, being turned into donuts and stuff? And then Hina would have to eat the donuts - the ones made out of Sakura - so she wouldn't be able to ever eat donuts again because of the trauma.'

Makoto's jaw was hanging open. 'She's insane... she's... completely insane...' 'Oh, and in case you're wondering', she continued, 'yeah, we were only going to punish the personality that actually killed someone, so Toko and Jack - is it Jack, or Jill? Anyway, if whatever-their-name-is killed someone, we'd just cut out the bits of the brain they were in and leave Toko's parts in. I tried it on some other people with multiple personalities, and it actually worked! I actually removed specific personalities, and left the remaining personality in sole control of the body! It was perfect, apart from all their drooling and incontinence and their inability to speak or walk or stand once it was over. But hey, Byakuya would probably find Toko more attractive like that! Speaking of which, his execution was going to be rea-' 'Shut up! Why are you telling me all this?!' Makoto could feel himself shaking as he screamed at the screen. 'This isn't... it can't be... she was my friend!' 'Because... you're my friend,' Junko replied, and for a moment Makoto wondered if she could read minds. 'You... you are my friend, aren't you?' She was staring up at him now, her big eyes brimming with tears as her lips quivered. 'You said I could tell you anything, remember?'

Makoto did remember. It had been a few weeks after he'd started at Hope's Peak, and he'd seen Junko sitting by herself, miserable. He'd comforted her. He'd always thought he'd look back at that as the moment he formed a true bond with Junko. But instead... 'I'm not your friend, Junko', he stated. 'Awwww!' She pulled a sad puppy dog face, leaning towards the screen with big wet eyes. 'You're a big meanie! I don't want to play with you anymore! I'm just going to play with Leon and Sayaka and not you!' 'Sayaka?!' Makoto lunged towards the laptop, gasping. 'What do you mean?! What have you done with her and Leon?!' She petulantly crossed her arms. 'Not telling you, meanie! Although... hmmm...' With exaggerated movements, she stroked her chin, a parody of a thoughtful expression on her face. 'You seem a lot more concerned about Sayaka than you do about Leon... I wonder why?'

All Makoto could do was stare impotently at the screen. 'There's nothing... nothing I can do or say... what did she do to them?!' Again, as if psychic, Junko answered his thoughts. 'Relaaaax, you'll find out what they're up to eventually! Maybe?' She laughed, waving away his desperation. A dense, suffocating silence fell over Makoto as his mind raced. 'What if they're dead?! What if she's torturing them? Or is she sending us back t-' 'Okay, fine, fine!' Junko suddenly shattered the silence, whinging at the top of her voice. 'I suppose I should be nice and help you out a little.' He stared at her, dumbfounded. 'What... what are you talking about now?!' She rolled her eyes. 'Ugh, I just said! I'm helping you out a little! Seeing as you're screwed right now.' 'And why would I ever trust you!?' He felt exhausted, as though just hearing Junko's voice sapped his body's strength. She shrugged. 'Dunno, but can you afford not to? Because... well, I know that Mukuro is with you. But do you know how dangerous she really is for you guys? Let me tell you a secret...'