Finnian Harris's Story

Vivara's hand reached up to touch the blue quartz Faqir had given her. "Balance, strength, and relief of doubt. Eriko died with the Tiger's Eye in her hands, close to her heart. Perhaps she was channeling it so that she could move on peacefully."

Finnian walked over, kneeling next to the body. "If she was holding it when she died, then that probably means she saw it coming, right? What does the Monokuma file say about her death?"

"Let's see," Vivara muttered, flipping the file open. "The Monokuma file says this: the time of death was around 11:09 AM. The body was found on the floor of the casino. The cause of death was a blow to the head made by a blunt instrument, killing the victim instantly. No additional injuries were found."

Mercy rubbed her eyes, watching as Vivara read it aloud for everyone to hear. She didn't remember when they'd gotten it, but assumed she'd just been too wrapped up in her own head to notice. Taking a deep breath, she attempted to stand, but found the dizziness was rather debilitating.

"M-Mercy?" Finnian asked, watching her warily.

"What do you want?" She muttered, hand pressing against the back of her head. The pain wouldn't go away.

Cautiously, he took Mercy's arm from behind her head and stared. It was bloody. "Vivara, I trust you can handle the investigation of this room without some of us?"

Vivara looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, but why?"

"Mercy, Faqir and I are all going to take a fun trip to the nurse's office," Finnian explained, wrapping Mercy's arm around his shoulders so as to help her stand up. "Right, guys?"

"I'm fine," Mercy muttered, pulling away from him. Contrary to her statement, however, she stumbled backward, balance non-existent. Finnian caught her arm, using all of his strength to keep her upright.

"I'm sure you are," he replied sarcastically. "Come on."

She scoffed, but found herself leaning into him for support. He helped over over the door, then glanced over at Faqir, seeming to be thinking. "Graham, can you help me out?"

Graham blinked, then nodded. "Yeah. What do you need?"

"Can you help Faqir if he needs it?" Finnian asked. "Something tells me there's more wrong with him than meets the eye. Not personality-wise, I mean, just--you get it."

Mercy thought, trying to recall what had happened with Faqir before she'd been knocked out. It took a moment to come back to her. "I'm fairly certain I smashed a glass bottle across his face."

Finnian blinked. "You what?"

Her response was delayed. "It was with good reason."

"Yeah," Finnian muttered, leading them toward the door. "I'm going to have to ask you about that after I make sure your head is still intact. Let's try and hurry, okay?"

Romano finished shifting through the bar and returned to stand with Madoka. "Do you know of any other places that may be worthwhile to look?"

Madoka thought for a moment. Where had Clair come out of when they saw her? Had she just appeared out of nowhere? "...The rec room. I-I want to look in the rec room."

If Clair had any sort of reaction to that location, her face didn't express it. Madoka had to drag her along to the next room as they exited the premises. She followed along as though blind, stumbling behind Madoka.

When they entered, the rec room was perfectly in order. The one thing that caught Madoka's eye was the trash can, where a couple of the paper towels from the bathroom in the bar had been tossed.

He lifted one out, examining it. Small amounts of blood were dotted into it throughout the surface--feeling it may be used as some sort of clue, he tucked it into his pocket.

Romano knelt by the doorway. "I do not see anything out of the ordinary. Have you, Master Madoka?"

Madoka shrugged. "Just these paper towels. They came from the bathroom in the bar."

Romano looked thoughtful. "You are certain of this?"

"I'm positive."

Clair mumbled something under her breath, then headed for the pool table. She touched it briefly, then suddenly withdrew her hand and began fiddling with her earring.

As her hands moved, Madoka noticed an odd stain on the side of her jacket. Romano seemed to notice the same stain--he stepped closer, peering at Clair from a distance so as not to disturb her. Madoka crept closer, examining the stain.

They both realized what it was at the same time. The two men looked at each other, eyes wide (or at least intrigued, in Romano's case). A silent vow was passed between them--they would bring this up at the trial.

Blood stained Clair's jacket.

Clair...what have you done?

---

Faqir reached up to touch his face, suddenly aware once more of the blood dripping down his cheeks. He flinched, glancing at Mercy--when she and Finnian were sufficiently out the door, he began to follow.

His head spun, but the dizziness didn't bother him as much as the horror of what had happened. Did he have something to do with this?

He felt he could remember a face if he tried hard enough. Just a flash, but his vision had picked them up--the killer. If only his memories would work.

He stumbled into a wall, sighing. "Yo, Graham. I'm trusting you not to pickpocket me, bro, but I could kinda use the support if you don't mind. I think I lost a good five inches of skull in those two attacks..."

Two? Two. There had been two, hadn't there? Faqir didn't register it until saying it out loud.

For once, he could be quite useful.

---

"Sure, bro," Graham said, walking over to Faqir, who after a brief moment of contemplation, he ended up carrying bridal style. "This probably feels awkward, but it's faster, and also there are stairs ahead of us. Stairs are dangerous."

Finnian blinked, seeming suddenly aware that there were in fact stairs ahead of them.

Mercy gave him a look. "I'm trusting you not to drop me, nerd."

"I-I'm not making any promises," Finnian replied immediately. Considering he was a fairly scrawny science nerd and she was someone who made a career out of shooting guns, he was already having a bit of trouble keeping her upright in the first place, but was somehow managing.

Graham quickly caught up with him, seeming relatively unaffected by Faqir's weight. Mercy imagined his experience in hauling piles of gold was contributing to that somehow. "We should hurry. We only have until the trial starts to make sure they're not about to die, right?"

"They should be okay, but yes," Finnian replied, attempting to quicken his pace. Mercy managed to keep up with him, though it was clear her coordination was severely off. "And I hate to drill you guys when you're like this, but it's kind of important. What happened? Or more specifically, how did this happen? Did you guys do this to each other?"

Graham thought. "Well, Faqir. You mentioned two fights, right? Assuming one was with Mercy, what was the other about?"

All the sudden, Mercy felt like she was forgetting something. The feeling confused her at first, but the more she thought about it, the more it began to bother her. She absentmindedly broke one hand away from Finnian to check her pockets. She felt her handbook where it always was, and...

...Eriko's handbook. It was missing.

"Eriko's handbook," she repeated aloud. "Sh-she gave it to me. She--she knew someone was after her, and she was scared, and she gave me her handbook, but it's not here anymore. Where did it go?"

Finnian perked up. "Wait, she knew someone was after her?"

"Yes," Mercy confirmed. "I-I can't remember when, but she came to me. She asked me to stay with her in case anything happened, and then Madoka asked us to...Clair. Clair."

"What about Clair?" Graham asked.

"I don't know," Mercy admitted. "Just something. Clair has something to do with this, and I know it."

Finnian nodded, taking in everything Mercy was saying. "Alright, let's see. According to what you're saying, Eriko knew that she was going to die, or that someone was after her. Out of fear, she asked the Ultimate Hunter to stay with and protect her. On top of that, Eriko gave Mercy her handbook, which is now missing."

He paused, thinking. "Somewhere in there, you ended up getting into a fight with Faqir. We're not clear on what happened there yet--maybe he knocked you out, or... I don't know. Faqir also mentions a second fight, which opens things up to other options, so there's that too."

Graham pursed his lips. "Maybe this is just me, but I find it kinda hard to believe that Faqir of all people had the balls and the smarts to knock out the Ultimate Hunter. Even if he got the jump on her, I don't think he could've won."

"Good point," Finnian muttered. "Then maybe the third party had something to do with it? I don't know."

Graham paused. "If Mercy was protecting Eriko, then they were probably together, right? Do you think it was actually Eriko who threw some punches?"

"No way," Mercy muttered, shaking her head. "She was terrified the entire time."

"Terror is a great motivator," Graham pointed out. "But she is kind of tiny. I don't know that she'd be able to dish out any moves strong enough to really do something."

Finnian shrugged. "With a good enough weapon and enough strength, you could do some decent damage to anyone."

"True," Graham replied.

They'd finally arrived at the nurse's office. As Graham laid Faqir down on one of the cots, Finnian assisted Mercy onto another and almost immediately took to the shelves.

Faqir yelped at being picked up, but seemed to adjust to it oddly easily. Somewhat mockingly, he draped his arms over Graham's neck. "My hero."

As the conversation turned to their injuries, Faqir shuddered. Two attacks--the first was Mercy, right?

"Excuse you, sir, I will have you know that I have balls of steel, thank you very much. As a matter of fact I did attack Mercy." He allowed a pause for amazed gasps. None came. "...Okay, so she totally turned the tables in the first two seconds and smashed me in the face with a glass bottle. But still! And the second..."

His head was still fuzzy. Faqir was placed onto a cot; he released Graham and stared at the ceiling, trying to recall the details of what had happened.

"I think...no, definitely, Mercy went down first. I had my eyes closed at first, but when I realized she wasn't trying to strangle me anymore I opened them. I barely got a glimpse, I feel like...if I could just recover from injury, somehow I could...I can't remember," Faqir said at last. "A bit of time and I'll get it. Don't worry."

Whoever had killed Eriko couldn't be allowed to get away with it. And if it was Clair...she had a lot of explaining to do.

B*tch.

---

Madoka and Romano had just finished scanning every inch of the library just in case when the announcement played over the speakers--"Time's up! Everyone, report to the red door so the trial can begin!"

Madoka glanced at Clair, who had spent most of her time hanging in the back of the rooms. He looked at Romano, who met his eyes with a look that said, "I'm sorry, but she's definitely the one."

Madoka refused to think about it. He headed for the stairs, Romano trailing behind and Clair hurrying to take his arm. The others joined them, and as everyone piled into the elevator for the second time, Madoka couldn't help but feel Oni's comment the first time had been spot-on--this was hell.

The elevator careened to a sharp stop and the doors opened. The group went to take their places--Madoka realized more clearly now that he was standing right next to Clair. She had regained her composure for the time being, but still looked off into the distance with glassy eyes.

Monokuma popped up into his seat, rubbing his paws together. "Good, you all made it! Time for a review of trial rules. Your job is to find and vote on the blackened. If you get it right, that twerp gets punished for their unbearable crime! Get it wrong, and you all go walk the green mile instead! Now, let the trial begin!"

Madoka dreaded everything about this trial. As last time, Romano spoke up first.

"Pardon me for asking, but I was away when we received the Monokuma File and have not had a chance to review it. What was the cause of death?"

---

"'A blow to the head made by a blunt instrument,'" Vivara recited, crossing her arms.v "The time of death was around 11:09 AM, and as we all know, she was found on the casino floor, Tiger's Eye in her hands."

A somber expression passing over Finnian's face. "Right. And the way she was holding it, as well as Mercy's testimony, implies that Eriko knew she was going to die. For those who don't know, she... she was holding it to her heart. Let us pray that the Tiger's Eye gave her the strength she needed to pass on peacefully."

Vivara nodded. "Yes, let us pray."

She paused, then took a deep breath. "And let us make sure we find the person responsible for killing such a sweet young girl. Eriko wasn't here for as long as we would've liked, but for every second that she was, she brought joy wherever she went. Her smile was contagious and her passion inspiring."

Mercy held her stand for balance, heart knotting. It should've been me.

"As for finding her killer, we found some promising leads inside of the casino. Namely, these." Vivara held up a bloodstained piece of jewelry, her eyes almost immediately falling upon Clair. Upon looking closer, anyone could see that it was one of two emerald earrings that Faqir had given the Ultimate Makeup Artist. And as if that wasn't enough to point all fingers at Clair, Vivara held up in her other hand a lock of hair that had striking similarities to Clair's hair.

Mercy's eyes shifted to Clair, silently thankful she wasn't placed anywhere near Eriko's stand. Seeing her picture crossed out would only drill in the fact that she was dead, which as much as she hated to admit, Mercy had been trying to avoid from the moment she saw the girl's body.

"Clair," Vivara began, "anything to say about these?"

Clair.

Suddenly, it clicked. Mercy straightened her posture, grip tightening on her stand. "Clair asked Eriko to come to the casino. She specifically asked Madoka to bring Eriko to the casino, and when we got there, she was nowhere to be seen."

"One of the machines was cleared out," Vivara pointed out suddenly. "In the casino. Someone had taken all of the stuff out of one of the machines, making a space big enough for a small person to fit. A place small enough for someone like Clair to fit."

"Explain yourself," Mercy very nearly growled.

Oh my gosh. This is happening. This is real.

Madoka felt cold all of a sudden. He dreaded looking at the stand next to him. This was all just a horrific nightmare, right? It was all just a terrible dream, right? Clair wasn't a murderer. There was no way she was a murderer.

For her part, Clair was silent for a few seconds. She shook her head suddenly, as if composing herself. Madoka forced himself to watch her; her facial expression was calm and pleasant, but he could see the deadness in her eyes.

"Right, um...well, my good luck charm can help me explain that. Right?"

Madoka nearly fell. He clutched his stand. "C-Clair, please..."

"I'm embarrassed to say, but..." Clair's cheeks flushed, and she looked towards the floor, her eyes flickering up past her lashes every once in a while. Madoka couldn't see who she was looking at, but he could only assume it was Faqir, the one she'd been active with in the casino.

Was that what she meant? Madoka gulped.

"W-we got a little rough." Clair laughed nervously, fiddling with her hair. "I lost that earring in there long before Eriko ever arrived."

What? No...th-that's wrong...

Madoka shook. His whole body felt heavy, his head swirled, and his palms sweat. There was no way Clair had actually killed anyone, right? There was just no way.

And yet...

And yet...Eriko would...

"Isn't that right, good luck charm?" Clair smiled softly at Madoka. Madoka's eyes followed her tongue across her lips--plump, perfect...she was so perfect. There was no way. "You heard me in there. I-it was embarrassing at the time, but now you can really save me. You know that wasn't from the murder."

I'm so sorry, Clair.

"N-no...you're lying."

Clair's expression instantly changed to shock. "W-what?"

I have to do this. I'm the only one who can...

"I-I saw you..." Madoka clutched his bracelet until his knuckles were white and the stone had imprinted into his palm. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't, and yet... "I-I...I saw you after you were with that guy in the casino. You were finishing at that point and told me to get Eriko. And at that time...you still had both your earrings in."

Clair didn't move. Her body seemed frozen, her eyes returning to their glazed state.

"Oh my God, you killed her," Faqir whispered. "Clair, you b*tch! You killed her! How could you?!"

"N-no!" Clair insisted. "I didn't kill her, I swear! It was just--I don't know how I lost it, okay? I didn't kill her!"

"I want to believe you," Madoka nearly sobbed. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the incoming tears. "C-Clair...p-please, I'm begging you...please prove us wrong!"

Please, please prove us wrong...

---

Mercy closed her eyes, trying to think through the cloudiness in her mind. All of the evidence was stacking against Clair, which felt right, but there was something wrong at the same time. She pursed her lips. "Faqir, why did you attack me? You came out from the casino like you knew we were going to be there."

She paused, rubbing her forehead. "Right. I should probably mention for those who don't know that Eriko confronted me after the morning meeting, afraid that someone was going after her. She refused to tell me who, but asked that I stayed with her all day as a bodyguard of sorts. I did, and everything was fine until we went to the casino, and..."

Vivara tapped her chin. "You said Eriko knew her would-be attacker. If she did, it doesn't make much sense that she'd come to the casino upon Clair's request, assuming Clair is the murderer here."

Mercy frowned. "Eriko did not want to come. She only reluctantly agreed after hearing that Faqir and Madoka were coming too, and even then she still seemed terrified by the idea. In fact, if I'm remembering correctly, the only reason she was going in the first place was because she felt bad for Madoka. She was half-convinced her intuition about someone wanting to kill her was paranoia, anyway."

Vivara raised an eyebrow. "Why was she worrying about Madoka?"

"Something about Faqir and Clair getting it on and him being jealous and awkward," Mercy replied.

So Eriko had known--that was why she was so reluctant.

Madoka felt a weight press down on his shoulders. The tension was thick enough to slice, but he couldn't muster the courage to do so.

"You used us!"

Conversely, Faqir didn't seem to have trouble talking at all. Madoka was glad of it--he wasn't sure he could handle voicing his own feelings.

"You told me to attack if someone came with Eriko!" Faqir continued. He turned to address Mercy. "Remember what I said about this all being a joke and how I didn't actually intend to hurt you? She was the one who told me to! God, I can't believe I fell for it, too...you used me and you let me take the fall for you! I thought we were friends!"

I thought...I really thought... Madoka's legs wobbled. He couldn't stand it anymore--Clair couldn't have done it, and yet...

"The spill." Romano crossed his arms, eyes narrowed. "When Master Madoka and I went to check the bar for clues, we found a shattered bottle. The spill had mostly been cleaned up--however, Miss Clair commented on the spill as if she had seen it before, which would be impossible unless she had previously been in the bar when the bottle shattered. Perhaps hiding after her crime?"

Clair finally spoke up. "I was just guessing, I didn't actually know what the drink looked like! I was just suggesting that maybe the stain on the barstool wasn't blood."

"So then the answer is obvious!" Oni declared. "THE BUTLER DID IT!"

Romano frowned. "Why is it you seem to want me to be guilty? I am afraid to tell you it would be impossible. I was with Master Madoka when the body discovery announcement was made and was already cleaning during that time. I would have had to kill Eriko, clean up my crime scene, enter the cafeteria, and begin cleaning all before Master Madoka had finished one very quick, very panicked search through the hotel."

Oni seemed disappointed.

"I didn't kill her," Clair insisted. "You believe me, right, good luck charm?"

He desperately wanted to.

But the more Madoka thought things through, the more sick he got. He had been a pawn in Clair's little game too--being sent to get Eriko was obviously a diversion. She knew Eriko would be comfortable with him and that the girl's kind, compassionate heart would drive her to want to help Madoka even by putting her life at risk. She had manipulated and used Madoka as some sort of tool. After everything he had done, after he had been so terrified of losing her...did she even care about him as a friend?

An unfamiliar emotion caused him to speak up. "Your jacket."

Clair hesitated. "What about it?"

"Clair..." Madoka forced himself to continue. "You're colorblind, right?"

Clair cocked her head. "Well, yeah, but I don't see how that has anything to do with this."

"Th-the drink." Madoka's throat felt closed. He longed for a glass of water--something had to get him through this. He had to. He had to...

I can't.

To Madoka's immense gratitude, Romano sensed where he was going and continued. "The drink in the bar was spilled on you, Miss Clair. Perhaps in a panic as you were hurrying to hide your crimes. When you were checking your body for any stains, you must have missed the one on the right side of your jacket and mistaken it for part of the drink due to your colorblindness. However, those of us who can distinguish shades recognized that stain as blood."

Clair's eyes widened as she realized the severity of this clue. She looked around wildly, as if desperate for someone to speak up for her.

"That is not all," Romano continued, seeming more fired up as he went. "The paper towels in the rec room, which you came out of suspiciously soon after the announcement was made. They were dotted with blood, if I remember correctly. Blood that must have come from your earlobe after you tore the earring out--it was far too small to be from any other injury. Additionally, these towels came from the bathrooms in the bar, meaning that you must have been in there, thus connecting you to the spill. I believe this is where I am to say, 'Checkmate, Miss Clair.'"

"N-no..." Clair's eyes darted back and forth. She stared pleadingly at Faqir, who hissed at her. Desperate, Clair turned to Madoka. He faced her, eyes wet with tears and his body shaking with terror.

"C-Clair, you wouldn't..." he whispered. The apatite dug into his palm as he clung to it for dear life. "You...y-you wouldn't...s-so why did you?"

The Ultimate Makeup Artist was silent. She stared down at her stand, expression unreadable.

"It's her!" Faqir shouted. "She's obviously guilty! Monokuma, get us the vote so we can lynch this witch already! Burn her at the stake!"

His sudden personality change was jarring, to say the least. Madoka could only guess it was due to a mix of betrayal, grief, and delusions from his head injury.

Not that Madoka could blame him--his own stomach threatened to dump itself on the floor any second now.

He took a deep breath. "Clair...please, just...just tell me why. Please. I have to know."

She was still. Monokuma seemed ready to activate the voting.

And then Madoka heard it.

"...ahaha...ahahahaha...!"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Madoka withdrew, staring at Clair in a mixture of terror and shock. Her laugh, once musical, was now stuffed with insanity and crazed intent. Out of the corner of his eye, Madoka noticed Braeden flinch.

But most terrifying...were Clair's wide, dead eyes, swirling with insanity. She was unrecognizable, her posture hunched and her body shaking. Her nails scratched at her arms, a wide, unsettling grin painted across her face. Her beauty was marred by a twisted expression, her whole being suddenly seeming replaced by someone else as her laughter echoed across the trial room.

Monokuma leaned forwards, intrigued. "Woopsy! Looks like we can't start the voting yet. Sugar's got something to say!"

"Shut up, you stupid bear!" Faqir yelled, pointing accusingly at Clair--if this madwoman could even still be called Clair. "She's obviously guilty! Let's just vote and get it over with!"

"You're wroooooong~."

Clair's voice had returned to a sing-song, childish tone that was somehow more bonechilling than Xhevona's crazed shouting during the first trial.

Faqir slammed a fist on the table. "Stop lying to us, crazy b*tch!"

"Ahahaha...I'm not lying, silly. I didn't kill her." Clair's eyes still radiated crazed intent, her smile etched into her face. "But good job connecting me to the crime! Just sucks for you that I didn't actually strike the killing blow."

Braeden suddenly seemed more alert. "Clair, what the h*ll're you talkin' about?! Ya got caught, 'kay?! Nothin' you can do 'bout it!"

"Au contraire...babe." Clair leaned across her stand, leering at him. "There's a lot I can do about it."

Braeden's face contorted. "You little--"

"Awww, Brae, baby!" Her expression switched on a dime to more mournful--Madoka could still feel the insanity floating off of her in waves. He held fast to his apatite.

Who is that? This isn't Clair. This can't be Clair. Please, don't let this be Clair...

"We used to be such good friends." Clair licked her lips, though this time the gesture seemed vaguely horrifying. "Alright, it seems you guys are ready to stop being witch hunters and listen to the truth. Stop focusing on the evidence linking this to me and focus on the facts. Fact one, the motive: do I have one? Fact two, the murder weapon: would I be able to get it out alone? Fact three, the cause of death: am I strong enough to kill her in a single blow? And fact four..." Her eyes darkened. "Who would I want to take the fall in this? A friend, or someone I already hate?"

Braeden's fist slammed onto the stand. "Clair, you better shut that pretty li'l mouth 'fore I go over there and rip it off!"

"Harassment!" Clair cried melodramatically, throwing herself against the stand. "Abuse! I call abuse!"

Braeden hissed at her. Her lighthearted giggle only made Madoka feel worse--he clutched his stomach to stop himself from throwing up all over the floor.

Draped backwards over her stand, Clair gazed at the students out of the corner of her eyes. "But really, think about this and I think you'll understand: I did not kill Eriko, but I do know who did. I wonder, can you figure it out? Or will you need my help? After all, I was the one who ordered the kill, ahaha~."

No. This can't be real. This can't be real.

This can't be real...

---

Mercy hated the fact, but it clicked.

Whatever felt wrong suddenly solved itself when another person was added to the equation--or more specifically, when Braeden was added to the equation.

"Faqir was a distraction," Mercy realized, trying to ignore how everyone shouting back and forth was making her headache so much worse. "Clair had Faqir attack me to divert my attention so that when I was dealing with him, someone could sneak up from behind and knock us both out. You knew Eriko was wary of you attacking her, so you manipulated everyone into doing your bidding so that you could get her right where you wanted her."

Vivara frowned. "Of all the people here, I would think the Ultimate Hunter and Ultimate Yankee the ones most able to kill someone with one strong blow."

"I agree," Mercy said. "And considering I was unconscious during the killing, the permanent dent in my skull and Faqir's recollection of the event serving as my proof, that leaves one person. The same person who Clair seems to be waggling her finger at, I should warn, however."

"Lastly," Mercy said, "as for motive, consider this. We all know that Eriko had a habit of sticking her nose into other people's business. The habit alone is annoying on one level, but was fantastic about Eriko was that she could easily find out all of the things we'd dread anyone ever hearing by just asking us the right questions."

Vivara seemed to be catching on. "You're suggesting that Eriko found out something rather unsavory about Clair, and that this thing was in fact so unsavory that it lead to her death?"

"Yes," Mercy replied, thankful that Vivara had finished off the thought for her. Projecting her voice so that everyone could hear was making her head pound even more.

"There's nothing to back it up at the moment, but it is entirely possible," Vivara decided. "But if we're suspecting Braeden now, what would his motive be? The same thing?"

By now, Braeden was frantic. He glared furiously at Clair, who waved to him.

“She’s insane, I had nothin’ to do with this! It was all that crazy sicko!”

Clair laughed, shooting up and whirling to face Braeden forwards. “Listen to how desperate you sound! Think about it, really--what does the killer get if they get away with a kill? Remember that, and you’ll see what I’m saying.”

Madoka swallowed. What did the killer get? To escape, right--

Oh…

“They...get to escape the school.” The realization hit Madoka like a ton of bricks. “But Clair, you...you don’t want to leave the school.”

Clair squealed, clapping childishly. “Congratulations, give the boy a prize! See now? It’s a lose-lose situation for me to kill--either I get caught and die, or I get away with it and I’m forced to leave and return to hell. So what’s a girl like me to do, huh? Huh? See if you can guess, good luck charm!”

“Shut up!” Madoka recognized the fear in Braeden’s eyes. The sight surprised him--he never imagined a guy who got into the school by intimidating others and running a whole city through an underground crime ring could be scared by a flimsy little girl.

The pieces began to fall into place.

“That guy you were with,” he realized. “In the casino. I-it wasn’t Faqir...it was Braeden.”

Everything was beginning to make sense. Madoka was right, Clair wasn’t the kind of girl who would hook up with anyone who wanted her.

She was worse.

“Wait,” Faqir blurted. “Hang on, did you think I was getting hot with Clair?”

Madoka blushed. “I-I couldn’t hear the other voice and I saw you poking your head out of the casino! S-so I just...figured it was you.”

Faqir pursed his lips. “I mean, before now that would have been a compliment, but now I’m offended that you think I would sleep with this psychopath!”

“Everyone,” Romano called, raising a hand. “As amusing as it is listening to your soap opera drama, we do have more to discuss. We still have not determined exactly how Master Braeden ties into this crime, not to mention his motive, Miss Clair’s true role, or how the murder actually takes place.”

“I couuuuld just tell you all that,” Clair cooed, resting her chin in her hands. “But it’s kinda funny watching you all scramble around! How about I give you another hint? Hey good luck charm, here’s a riddle for you: what have you got in your pocket?”

“M-my pocket?” Madoka’s hand flew into the pocket where he’d hidden the screws. He drew them out, staring at them. “...Th-the barstool. Someone unscrewed the barstool and used that as the murder weapon. When I was looking for Clair after I left Eriko and Mercy, I-I checked the bar first and found the stool missing and the screws on the floor. So...I took some with me. When Romano and Clair and I returned to the bar later, th-the stool was back but it was missing some screws. These screws. That...should be enough to prove the barstool was the murder weapon, right?”

“That, and the hints of a remaining blood stain on the cushion of the stool in question,” Romano added.

“And if that’s not enough to convince you I had an accomplice…” Clair grinned--that wide, unstable, unsettling grin--at Braeden. “Think about what you would need to unscrew that stool and how you might get a hold of one. Ooh, isn’t this exciting? I’m about to lock you in, baby!”

“Clair, don’t you dare say another word, ya c*nt!” By now, the desperation in Braeden’s eyes was breathtakingly obvious. Madoka found he couldn’t answer Clair’s question--not if it meant condemning Braeden.

“You mean the tool kits all the guys got, right?” Faqir confirmed. “We got screwdrivers and pliers and hammers and everything. I used mine a bit to make that jewelry I gave everyone. You’re trying to say that you must have had a male accomplice since you have the sewing kit given to girls.”

Clair hummed, looking pointedly at Madoka. “There’s more proof, good luck charm.”

Madoka hated being at the center of this trial. He hated being forced to disclose this information. He hated having to send someone to death.

He hated that Clair had forced him into it.

He shook his head miserably. The words just wouldn’t come. Madoka felt like he was drowning in unexpressed sobs, his body convulsing once with a hiccup.

Romano looked thoughtful. “Master Madoka, those paper towels. Did they all come from the men’s bathroom in the bar?”

Madoka only nodded, immensely grateful for Romano’s assistance. He had never been more glad to have the butler on his side.

Romano nodded. “That is the other proof you have referred to. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that there were two persons involved in this murder--Miss Clair, and a male student selected as her accomplice. We have concluded that the weapon used was the missing barstool from the bar. However, beyond his speed and advanced physical strength we still have no damning evidence pointing towards Master Braeden. Master Faqir and Master Madoka have alibis, however--the former was unconscious when the murder occurred and the latter was with myself the entire time. This also gives me an alibi, as Master Madoka can vouch for my being far from the place of the murder when it occurred.”

Faqir looked thoughtful. “Now I’m not saying he did it because I don’t think he did, but wouldn’t Graham have the strength for this too? Like, the guy carried me no problem and seems to have no issue hefting large chairs around the hotel.”

Madoka was surprised at how quickly Braeden latched onto that.

“Ya gotta be quick an’ strong to be a thief,” the Ultimate Yankee insisted. “So if all we know is it’s gotta be a guy an’ he’s gotta be strong, ya can’t pin this just on me! And forget what that b*tch is sayin’, she’s insane!”

Clair clicked her tongue. “You guys are never going to figure this out if you keep focusing on the physical proof. Another hint: focus on the emotional."

Emotional? Madoka had a feeling he knew what she meant, but he was far too drained to even say a word. He could only hope someone would speak out so he didn't have to.

"The emotional?" Vivara echoed, tapping her chin. "Are you referring to motive? I don't remember Graham or Braeden mentioning anything in the past that could be applied here. Not anything specific, at least."

Finnian frowned. "Well, hold on. Graham, do you have an alibi?"

Graham shifted. "Uh. Not a good one. I was in my room, alone, at the time of the killing, rearranging my collection."

"I hate to point this out," Finnian muttered, "but one of Graham's motives could've been wanting to get out so he could reunite with all of the stuff that he's stolen over the years. He talks about it a lot, after all."

Graham seemed genuinely taken off-guard. "Woah, hold on a second. I know I'm crazy, but that doesn't mean I'm so crazy that I'd actually kill someone."

"Yes, well, I don't think any of us thought Clair was crazy either, but look what happened," Vivara muttered.

"I didn't kill Eriko," Graham said firmly. "Think of it this way: if I was going to kill anyone, I wouldn't do it with an accomplice. It's too risky, and even then, among other thieves I have a reputation for working alone. Not to mention, if I somehow did end up teaming up with someone else, it wouldn't be Clair. She's been way too fond of this place, and not to mention, sweet--at least that's what we thought before the death--so I'd just assume she'd tell everyone the moment I approached her."

"Wait," Faussin muttered. He'd been quiet this entire time, though he suddenly stood up straighter, something apparently catching his attention. "I get it. That's what Clair's talking about. If she orchestrated this whole thing through manipulation, then the only people involved in this are the people she could actually manipulate."

Graham snapped his fingers. "Exactly!"

Faussin nodded. "Madoka and Faqir were her friends, and to be honest, there was something else going on there too, so that's how she manipulated them. But she and Graham never really talked much aside from some minor interactions and Graham... I feel like he'd make out with a chair sooner than he would with a girl. No offense, Graham."

"I'm not sure how to take that, to be honest," Graham admitted. "But go on."

Faussin continued, nervously, his eyes falling on Braeden. "But Braeden flirts with all of the girls a ton. If we're being honest, it's kind of creepy. Clair could've used that to manipulate him, right? Didn't Madoka say something about him and Clair doing some weird stuff in the casino right before everything happened, too?"

Vivara nodded. "Clair also mentioned that she'd rather manipulate someone she hates into performing the killing blow rather than someone that's her friend. Considering their past interactions, it's safe to say Clair isn't very fond of Braeden. Of course, her and Graham weren't particularly close either, but there were never any harsh words exchanged between the two of them."

"Sorry," Finnian said suddenly, "it's just kind of hard to follow the psycho's hints and assuming she's not leading us in the completely wrong direction."

"Regardless, there's no use in not exploring it," Vivara pointed out. "Does anyone have anything they'd like to add?"

Madoka let out a breath, then immediately covered his mouth with a surge of bile threatened to come with it. Everything had moved so fast--it was still so hard to believe that Clair was even there. The woman standing beside Madoka now was a stranger.

"I..." Braeden looked around at the group, realizing that at this point, it seemed the group had locked onto him as the only viable suspect. Madoka gripped the stand--he couldn't stand the thought of someone else dying here. "She...you..."

Clair giggled, twirling her hair flirtatiously. "Look at you go. You guys are pretty good at this deduction stuff. Not a bad leap, Fauss! Yep, you're right on the nose. If I was going to have someone take the fall, they'd have to be gullible enough to fall for me and despicable enough to deserve it."

"You lied to me!" Braeden suddenly shouted, nearly vaulting over the top of his stand. "You b*tch! You promised you wouldn't tell 'em! You promised you'd take the fall! You promised I'd get home, back--back to Mom! You promised, you f*cking b*tch!"

A smirk tugged at Clair's lips. "I broke our other promise too, why stop now?"

"She made me!" Braeden insisted, eyes wavering. "I didn't even hate the girl or nothin'! She told me she'd take the fall, I just..."

Madoka swallowed, trying to clear his throat enough to get a word out.

Only one came.

"Why...?"

Clair's expression faded, her face now blank if not vaguely annoyed. "Why don't you ask the teddy?"

"Huh? Oh, right." Monokuma shrugged. "But you can't pin this all on me! You're the crazy sicko who orchestrated the whole thing! It's a great story, you should tell it!"

"Oh?" Clair smiled softly. the sight made Madoka want to bolt out the door. He pressed his head into the stand, scratching at it. "...Alright, then. I suppose we've figured everything out by now. Then, with your permission, I'll explain everything."

Please do. Madoka let out an angry sob, pounding a fist on the stand. I need to know. I need to know...

Clair eyed him, then centered her gaze on Monokuma. "...It started with a secret. A very, very important secret. A secret I absolutely must keep no matter what. Even if it means..."

Her gaze flickered to Eriko's picture at her stand. Madoka tilted his head to peer at it past his tears.

Clair took a deep breath before continuing. "...Those of you who know Eriko know she was a bit nosy. And Monokuma here was kind enough to inform me that she had uncovered something she really should have kept her nose out of. No matter what. No matter what, I can't..."

Oh my gosh. Of course. It was him. It was that bear. It was all him.

Clair bit her lip, drawing blood. "I began planning right away. There were a lot of variables, but with enough help I could account for those. First, I needed backup--a plan to get out of the situation in case things went wrong. That backup came in the form of Braeden Carmichael."

Braeden hissed something under his breath, averting his eyes. His fists shook on the table--Madoka realized his was too.

"I invited Braeden out to the bar upstairs. While we were there, I brought up that Eriko was getting a bit nosy. Some revealed cleavage, some sweet talk, a bit of flirting, and I had him wrapped around my finger. We made a deal--he would back me up and help me with this plan, including dealing the killing blow if I ordered, and in exchange I would get myself voted as the killer so he could escape. To sweeten the deal, I promised him a night alone. In hindsight, he should have realized how bad of a deal it was--if I took the fall and you all got it wrong, well...we'd all die, and that would defeat the purpose. Secondly, it's not like Monokuma would actually let us sleep together. There's a rule, after all."

Hearing Clair so callously spell it out with that vacant expression and monotone voice tore Madoka's heart in two. He buried his eyes in his sleeve, trying to drown out her voice with his own sobs.

"I needed more than that, though. Eriko was too smart to come visit me if my only other companion was a literal gangster. That was where Faqir and Madoka came in. Thanks for that, boys!"

Faqir hide his face in his hands. Madoka let out a choked wail.

I can't believe it. She really used me. She used me...

There was a noticeable pause before Clair continued. "Right after the morning meeting, Brae and I got to work. We slipped into the bar, unscrewed the barstool that would be the murder weapon, and hid it in the casino. Braeden opened one of the machines and emptied it out enough for me to hide so I could create some kind of panic or alibi for myself. I couldn't let Brae give up on me, so I gave him a little tease in the casino while we waited for Madoka. Sorry you had to hear that, but I supposed it bought me a bit of time and gave you a nice excuse to use."

Every word she spoke only hurt more. Madoka's whole body trembled.

"After I sent Madoka away, I found Faqir and brought him back to the casino while Braeden found a place to hide. Faqir was the backup for the backup--if Eriko arrived with someone else or Madoka refused to leave, I told him to attack. Supposedly, they were in on the joke--the 'joke' in this case being 'getting attacked by someone you thought was your friend'. While Eriko's companion--Mercy--was distracted dealing with Faqir, I sent Braeden out to knock her and Faqir out and get Eriko into the casino. And then..."

There was silence--thick, heavy silence. Madoka forced himself to look over at Clair.

She was crying.

Tears had begun trickling down her cheeks. She forced a smile, fake and twisted with emotion. Her eyes had faded out once more, as if she was witnessing a vision.

"I...I just didn't want her to tell anyone." Clair's lips trembled, but she continued. "I just wanted her to promise she wouldn't tell anyone. Because if anyone found out who I really am...i-if anyone knew, if--"

Her voice grew more frantic with every word, taking on an odd tone as her hands gripped her hair. It was as if the world around her had faded out--she was in her own world, and from the sounds of her cries and the horror in her voice, it was not a pretty one.

"I can't go back! I can't! I-if this gets out, he could find me! He'd find me, and then he'd make me go back! I can't go back! You have no idea, y-you have no idea how thrilled I was...t-to arrive here, to find out we were trapped but I was safe, th-this is miserable but it's not true hell! You don't even know the hell I went through, you don't know real hell until you've spent days in a row staring into the jaws of death and knowing there's no escape, there's nothing you can do, you're helpless and all you can do is hope one day he'll finally kill you! I WON'T GO BACK!"

Her hands tore out fistfuls of her hair, sobs escaping her throat and her eyes squeezed shut. Where once Madoka had felt nothing but hot fury and chilling betrayal, he felt a familiar sense of protectiveness rise in his throat.

C-Clair...what happened to you? Who are you? Who...who hurt you?

Desperate to calm her enough to get her to finish the story, Madoka feebly reached out to try and touch her. His fingers tapped the edge of her stand. Clair continued to sob into her stand, scratching at her own face until blood fell onto the wood. Clair..

"Do you get it now?!" she shouted, her voice breaking in an odd pitch. "I-I can't let her ruin everything! I worked so hard just to pry myself away, j-just to...j-just to climb that mountain and tumble into another abyss...I-I just wanted her to keep quiet! I didn't want her to have to die!"

A moment passed. Finally, Romano spoke up. "Then why did she?"

Clair was quiet, taking time to recover her wits. When she had finally recovered enough to speak without breaking, her story concluded.

"Because of Monokuma."

Madoka tried to keep himself from throwing something or cursing out the bear who sat at the judge's chair. Monokuma watched the proceedings unfold, quiet.

"H-he told me...h-he said, if I didn't...if no one died then he would...tell all of you. H-he was going to spill the secret I've thrown my entire life away to keep. I-I couldn't let that happen. I-I...just want to be safe..."

"Clair..." By now, even Faqir looked torn. He looked between Clair and Eriko's podium, fiddling with the chain around his neck. "Geez...whatever this secret is, it's so important you would kill someone for it?"

"You don't understand." By now, even Clair's voice was nearly unrecognizable. She cleared her throat, resuming her speech with the lilting tone she was known for. "I...I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I just...I wanted to let her go, but if she lived then...th-then I'd have to go back. I can't go back. I would do anything to stay away from there. Even if it means..."

"Even if it means condemning two souls to death." Romano looked over at Braeden, remarkably calm. "Master Braeden, have you anything to say regarding these accusations?"

Braeden remained quiet, staring at his podium. After a moment, he reached over to unhook the chain Faqir had given him from his belt loops, laying it on the stand. "...Only that they're all true. I...killed Eriko. One blow with that barstool was all it took. ...She didn't suffer. Neither of us wanted 'er to suffer."

The trial room felt bathed in negative energies. Oni began reciting Bible verses, scrambling for a vial of holy water. Her words came as practiced proclamations, as if chasing the bad energy from the room. Oddly enough, it made Madoka feel significantly more calm--or perhaps it was the apatite he clutched in his palm.

---

Mercy pounded her fist into her stand, feeling her composure start to slip.

Anyone else. She closed her eyes. That stupid f*cking bear could've taken anyone else and it would've been fine, but he just had to...

She laughed suddenly, fists clenching. "Of course."

"...Mercy?" Faussin asked, tentatively.

"Don't you get it?" She spat, a bitter smile stretching across her face. "He made an example out of her. We're never going to obtain peace here. No matter how hard we try, no matter how much we adjust, no matter how safe we feel, he's just going to find a way to sabotage it all."

Vivara shook her head. "We don't have to listen to--"

"How much are you willing to bet that he knows everything about us?" Mercy asked, her body beginning to tremble. Tears slid down her cheeks as she stood unsteadily, unstable and overwhelmed by grief. "He knew Clair's oh-so-terrible secret, didn't he? How much do you think she's done to cover that up over the years, huh?"

"That--"

"This is hopeless!" Mercy shouted.

"Don't say that!" Faussin cried back, tears suddenly forming in his eyes. "You're only going to make things wore if you do! We're stuck, and yeah, we may as well be in Hell, but just don't say that!"

Mercy laughed even louder. "Why?! You think ignoring everything is going to make everything better somehow? You know, you're a magician, why don't you just wave your magical f*cking wand and make everything better, huh?"

"I--"

"You can't, can you?! Nothing can make this better!" Mercy yelled.

"That's not true!" Faussin cried.

"Relying on the power of 'friendship' to save you, is that right?! Think about this, Fauss! More than half of us would kill another without blinking if given the right motivation! It's just up to Monokuma to find out what it is, right?"

"Stop!" Faussin demanded.

"What's your trigger, Fauss? What string does someone have to pull to make you stick a knife in someone's gut?"

"I-I would never--"

"Never kill someone?" Mercy finished. "Gee, well I think Faqir and Madoka thought the same thing before they helped Clair sign Eriko's death certificate. Isn't that right, guys?"

"That wasn't their fault!" Faussin shouted, growing oddly agitated. "Mercy, would you just lis--"

"Would you just listen?" She countered.

"I--"

"You're naive, Fauss!"

"No!"

Mercy paused, taken aback by the boy's sudden surge of anger.

He stared at her, exhaling slowly. A moment passed. Collecting himself, he continued, his voice startlingly low. "No. You can't call me naive when you don't even know a thing about me. Yes, it's true, things are terrible, but that doesn't mean we are going to give up hope. When you've fallen to the lowest of the low, when you're alone, scared, beaten, and bloody, when you'd rather die than live to see another day, hope is all that you have."

He made a movement with his hand, summoning a deck of cards from thin air. "You can always have hope--you can always have magic. When things have gotten absolutely terrible, you cling to hope and and magic, and that's how you find the strength to get through it."

"There is a way out of here," Vivara said, solidly. "And we will find it. Together."

"Viv is right. And you know what?" Faussin pulled a specific card from his deck, eyes glazing over with water as he held it up for everyone to see. "Eriko would've said the same thing."

Mercy choked back a sob, staring at the card he had pulled.

It was the Queen of Hearts.

Madoka wiped his eyes, staring with a subtle sense of awe at the trick Faussin had performed. His eyes stuck to the card--the Queen of Hearts, the symbol of everything Eriko had worked so hard for--and the longer he stared at it, the more courage began to rise.

They still had hope. They had to still have hope. If they didn't have hope, what did they have? A growing sense of dread? Hatred? Fear?

Despair?

As he looked around the room, Madoka realized almost everyone's eyes were drawn to the card. Faqir wiped tears away, his usual carefree smile springing to his lips. Romano's stone-cold expression shifted slightly to show a warmth in his gaze. Oni had stopped mumbling her verses, soaking up the light Faussin's card had brought.

The only two who still seemed consumed were Clair and Braeden. Clair had stopped screaming and her eyes seemed drier, but she continued trembling miserably against her stand. Braeden...

Braeden silently passed his chain to Vivara.

He looked around at the others, taking a deep breath. "...'Thank you.'"

Clair sniffled, looking up from her hands.

"Eriko..." Braeden paused, as if composing himself. "Eriko had some last words she wanted me to tell all o' you. ...Those words were 'thank you.'"

Madoka felt tears return to his eyes, but this time they felt different.

This time, he wept to honor Eriko's memory, not to grieve it.

Braeden stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking over at Vivara with a bored expression. "...Yo. Ya said you were workin' on somethin' with those jewels. ...So before all o' you send me to the choppin' block, I want you to promise you'll include mine."

"Braeden..." Even if he had committed the killing blow, Madoka found he couldn't hate the Ultimate Yankee. For the first time, he remembered they were all high school students, forced into something they couldn't control, forced to act to save their own skins, forced to confront a terrible reality that they could do nothing to fix...all of it was outside of them.

For the sakes of those who had acted on that helplessness, Madoka felt more strongly than ever that they had to find a way out.

Braeden looked up at the ceiling, oddly contemplative. "She was grateful to have met us. All o' us. ...Man, that one sure was a queen."

He paused. After a moment of thought, Braeden drew his hands out of his pockets and clapped once.

"Yep, that was it. Don't think she asked for anythin' else. ...Listen, ya gotta vote for someone, a'ight? An' if ya vote wrong, this world loses twelve lives instead o' one. Not like this 'one' ever contributed anythin' to society, anyways. If anythin' you'll be doin' everyone a favor pressin' that button. I've done a lotta really sh*tty stuff. ...But if a sewer rat like myself even deserves any last requests, then mine's this: you gotta get outta here. You gotta get outta this place, get back to your homes and families, and...you gotta tell my mom I'm sorry. Tell 'er I really tried to make 'er happy. Tell 'er that even if I was a mistake, I really did love 'er. Tell 'er..." Braeden took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "...Tell 'er I tried."

Clair's eyes flickered with realization. She nearly bolted upright, her face contorted. "I'm so sorry, Brae. I-I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, I-I...I'm so sorry."

"Little late for that now, Green-Eyes." Braeden offered an awkward smile to Clair, eyes sparkling. "...And one more thing, if it ain't too much trouble."

"Nothing's too much trouble for you, man." Faqir smiled at Braeden, who returned the gesture with a nod.

Oni reached out to touch Braeden's podium, eyes watering. He touched her hand.

"Then this one's the most important." Braeden cracked his neck, a fire in his eyes that made Madoka realize why he had been the Ultimate Yankee. "Kick that f*cking bear's a*s."

Faqir "whoop"ed. Monokuma looked aghast.

"Well, I never!" Folding his arms, the bear looked out over the students. "Geez! Save the emotional breakdowns for the last trial!"

Madoka surprised even himself by the words that came out of his mouth. "This is the last trial."

Braeden laughed, all previous tension seemingly alieved. "There's that spunk, kid. Keep that attitude up an' maybe you can actually escape this place with everyone else."

"B-Braeden..." Madoka swallowed. He had to say something.

"Let the voting begin, then!" Monokuma cheered. The buttons popped up on everyone's stands, and slowly, one at a time, the students locked in their picks. Madoka stared at his panel, then glanced up and locked eyes with Braeden one more time.

"I forgive you."

Braeden's eyes shimmered; he reached up to wipe his eyes, chuckling. "...Go ahead an' press it, kid."

Taking a deep breath, Madoka's finger pressed down on his choice.

...

...

...

"And there you have it! The blackened, voted in by majority rule: the Ultimate Yankee, Braeden Carmichael!"

Madoka realized the wording--"majority rule" versus "nigh-unanimous vote". He wondered in that moment just how many of the students had selected someone other than Braeden.

"As mentioned, only whoever made the killing blow is counted as our blackened, so..." Monokuma grinned. Madoka tried not to look at him. "Let's give it everything we've got! IT'S PUNISHMENT TIME~!"

Punishment. The word weighed heavy in Madoka's mind.

By the time he had decided to beg Monokuma to reconsider, Braeden was already gone.

---

---

---

---

The battlefield was a deserted street. Police sirens wailed in the background, a crowd of Monokuma robots dressed in various forms of street clothing slowly closing in on the lone human in the center.

Braeden noticed a rusted crowbar by his feet and lifted it, gaze swapping from quizzical to amused as he bopped it in his hands. A laugh escaped his lips.

"Ya gotta be kiddin' me."

As the first Monokuma launched itself at Braeden, he whirled and caught it in the ear with the crowbar, leaving a fist-sized dent in its skull. The thrill of the fight seemed to kick in--adrenaline pumping, Braeden charged the next group, mowing them aside with expert accuracy. The numbers steadily increasing didn't even seem to slow the momentum of the Ultimate Yankee, his fists, feet, and crowbar connecting smoothly with each would-be assailant as they advanced with metal pipes and iron knuckles.

Cutting down the Monokumas was surprisingly easy. Some "punishment". Ya gotta do better'n a fight to kill me, b*tch.

A light appeared near the end of the street. Laughing uproariously, Braeden charged for it, barely hindered by the always-approaching robot bears.

The light took shape into Melissa.

Braeden froze. Melissa turned, slowly, and seemed to spot him. She grinned, opening her arms.

Mom?

Barely looking, Braeden smashed an incoming Monokuma to the ground, taking cautious steps towards his mother. She beckoned him closer, her features soft.

Mom.

He broke into a sprint, kicking up dust on the way towards home. Somehow--through some miracle--their hope had been worth it. Monokuma had been soft. Did the evil creature really expect to actually hold Braeden back using something as mundane as a street fight? He'd been in hundreds--no, thousands--of those.

He was going to live. He was going to survive, get home to his mother, finally prove himself--

The Monokumas threw away Melissa's disguise just before Braeden could reach her fingertips.

A bullet surged into his shoulder, throwing him backwards a few feet.

And as the remaining Monokuma robots caught up, iron rods, iron knuckles, and robotic feet smashed him until the blood was drained from his body.

In the background, a single siren carried on into the night.

---

All was silent.

Mercy stared. As it all finally came to a close, the weight on her shoulders suddenly felt heavier, but the pounding in her head steadier. Almost no one moved, and no one made a sound. It was an unspoken moment of silence for those they had lost that day.

When Mercy thought about it, she realized how much she would've wanted to be angry. But looking at Braeden's blood body, she only felt emptiness. A kind of emptiness she wasn't used to.

Graham looked toward the elevator, frowning. "We... we should go back. Standing here will only mess with our heads more."

Vivara closed her eyes, nodding slowly. Fingers wrapped tightly around Braeden's chain, she began to make her way over to the elevator, her footsteps echoing.

One by one, people began moving over to the elevator, the air around them thick and heavy.

"If we leave," Mercy whispered, still staring, "then that means we'll have to move on."

I don't want to move on, she almost said, an unfamiliar sadness reflecting in her eyes.

Faussin looked back at her, something like understanding showing in his expression. Sliding his deck into his pocket, he walked over to her, taking a place by her side. She expected him to gently nudge her toward the elevator, but surprisingly, he didn't say a word. Instead, they both stared for a time, neither saying a word.

After what felt like a long time, Mercy stepped back silently. She took one last look, then turned and headed toward the elevator, leaving Braeden's body behind her.

She could feel the tears trickling down her cheeks, but they were quiet this time.

Faussin caught up with her, hands stuffed into his pockets. They both stepped into the elevator, doors creaking shut behind them. Mercy resigned herself to a corner of the lift, gaze lowering to the floor and arms crossing. She shifted, feeling something against her leg. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

Checking her pockets, she took out the Queen of Hearts. Scowling, but smiling despite herself, she slid it back into her pocket.

Quietly, Madoka moved towards the elevator. The others had crowded in already...aside from Clair, he realized. Shortly after Braeden's death, the mastermind of the trial sank to the floor, toppled onto her side and curled into the fetal position. She wept, nails scratching at her skin.

Madoka's body was heavy. He was exhausted--this trial had drained him emotionally and physically.

And yet, as he began to step into the elevator, he knew he couldn't leave Clair behind. Even after everything she had done--even after she had revealed her true nature to the group--he just couldn't leave her behind.

Taking a deep breath, he returned to her side, reaching out to place a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Clair. Everything will be alright--"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Her hand smacked his away just as his fingers brushed her body. Madoka drew back with a jerk, nearly falling back. He glanced over at the other students as if begging them for advice.

Clair...let me in, please...

"It's okay," Madoka swore. "P-please, Clair...I-I forgive you, so it's okay...please, let's just get out of here."

She offered no response beyond her continued sobs. Madoka glanced down at the apatite encircling his wrist. He bit his lip.

Relieves grief.

Silently, he worked to remove the bracelet from his wrist and placed it on Clair's hand. She grasped it immediately, bringing it close to her face.

"Mado." The leftover harshness in Faqir's voice was not lost on Madoka. He fiddled with his fingers, staring at Clair. "She's not coming, okay? Leave her. If she wants to be like this, just...I want to get out of here, okay? We all do."

"I'm not leaving." Clair hadn't left Madoka during the first trial and the days following. She hadn't left him when they all ran around like chickens with their heads cut off after Monokuma's announcement. Even before the trip took a terrible turn, she had brought him along with her as her companion and led been his source of strength.

Now it was Madoka's turn to be hers.

Hesitantly, he hovered his hand over her shoulder. "...Clair, let's get you back to bed, okay? It's going to be alright. You'll see. We still have hope, right? And as long as we have that, there's...nothing to be afraid of. Because we have each other. You..."

Clair choked, holding tightly to the bracelet Madoka had passed to her. Deciding it was worth the risk, he began to lower his hand, recoiling again when Clair writhed at his touch.

"Clair...it's me. I-it's just me, okay? I-it's all going to be alright. Because..." Madoka swallowed, trying to relieve the dryness in his throat. "Because...I'm your good luck charm, right?"

She quivered at the foot of the podium, silent.

Slowly, her head turned to look at him. Her eyes, dull, lifeless, and full of tears--her makeup, smudged and dripping off--her body, trembling like an earthquake...

For the first time, Madoka realized how young she was. Without the mask her makeup had given her, he saw all her imperfections, all her vulnerabilities, hidden only by her hands covering her jaw. She may have been Madoka's source of strength, but she was still human.

He couldn't stand it. Steeling himself for any horrible reactions she might have, Madoka pulled Clair off of the ground and into his arms.

At first, she thrashed frantically, trying to pry herself free--but when Madoka's arms only tightened around her, she slowly relaxed, going almost limp in his arms. One hand rested on Madoka's back, her face burying in his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay," Madoka whispered. "I-I'm not going anywhere, okay? I forgive you. I forgive you for everything. It's going to be alright. You're safe now."

"S...safe," Clair sounded out, as though the word were foreign. After the events of the trial, Madoka was certain it was.

Slowly, he drew the quivering girl to her feet. Clair instantly collapsed against Madoka, and he stumbled, adjusting his grip to hold her up. Exhausted as he was, Madoka couldn't find the energy to carry her.

Slowly, Romano emerged from the elevator, approached the pair, and bowed. He took Clair from Madoka's arms, lifting her into his own. She didn't move, staring off into the distance. Grateful, Madoka followed Romano back into the elevator.

As the grate slammed shut and the car shot upwards, Madoka moved closer to Faussin, feeling in full force the sheer severity of what they were suffering.

This would change everything. Knowing it horrified him.

---

---

Two days had come and gone since the events of the second trial. The hole left by Eriko and Braeden was palpable--even Faqir had been quiet and somber lately.

But more than that...

Madoka placed his hand against Clair’s door, biting his lip. She had locked herself in her room ever since the last trial, refusing to show up for meetings, get breakfast, or even talk to anyone. Even so, Madoka was determined not to lose her--he had barely avoided losing her physically, and he could not--would not--lose her emotionally.

The mastermind behind the last trial had been thoroughly broken by her previous experiences. Faqir's grudge against the girl stuck, and Madoka was sure others would still hate her, but he just couldn't bring himself to abandon her. When no one else would visit, he left food outside her door in hopes she would eat, told her stories from his life before Hope's Peak in hopes she would listen, and passed along all the information from the meetings in hopes she would come to the next one.

Nothing seemed to work.

"Clair?" Madoka’s voice sounded weak. He waited for a moment, hearing no response. "...Clair? It's Madoka, your good luck charm. I, um...I noticed you didn't eat the dinner I brought you last night. Or lunch...or breakfast."

Her room was silent. Madoka took a deep breath.

"I have a bagel with cream cheese here," he said brightly. "I-I'll just leave it here for you, okay? So if you get hungry, you don't have to walk all the way to the cafeteria. Um, what else, what else...oh! Romano cleaned off your other earring now that we no longer need it. I-if your ear has healed, maybe you can put it back in."

Not a sound from inside. Madoka's hand closed into a fist.

"...I miss you," he said quietly. "I hope you're doing alright in there. I'd love to come in and just...just see you again, just one more time. I'm really worried about you, you know, y-you're not eating and...and I just don't...want to lose you."

The air was still. Casting one last longing look at the door handle, Madoka slowly backed away, beginning to head for the meeting.

"G-good...luck...charm?"

Madoka nearly jumped. He whirled around, spotting Clair's door only slightly ajar; he couldn't even see inside the room, but at least he heard her.

He wondered back, taking cautious steps, afraid to spook her back into hiding. Madoka crouched outside the door, reaching towards the crack. Clair's fingers extended from within, just barely entangling with Madoka's.

"How are you feeling?"

Her fingers twitched. "Why..."

Her voice was hoarse, dyed with the strange pitch she'd slowly descended into during the trial.

Madoka heard her coughing and was immediately worried about her hydration levels. Thankfully, he'd thought to bring a water bottle with the breakfast--maybe he could convince her to take it.

"Why...d-didn't I...die?"

Madoka's fingers gripped at hers instinctively. He hesitated, trying to find the right words. Nothing came.

"Why didn't...y-you kill me...? I-I wanted...I tried, I...I-I really tried..."

What can I even say to her? How...how can I save her?

"I-if I died..." Clair's voice was still choked with sobs; Madoka wondered how long she had been crying. "If I died, would...would everyone forgive me? I-if I bleed, w-will they still hate me? I'm trying...I-I'm really trying...w-why didn't I die in that trial?"

"I already forgive you," Madoka insisted. "It's okay, really. N-no one hates you. It's okay."

"Please don't lie to me." Her fingers started to withdraw. Desperate, Madoka yanked them further out until he could see her whole hand. He grabbed it, holding tightly to her wrist. "M...Madoka, I deserve...I deserve to be hated. I-it's okay that you do. I deserve to be punished for this. I deserve to die."

Madoka's mind flashed back to Clair's screams about her own personal "hell" during the trial. His brain made the connection quickly, but for her sake, he decided not to ask.

What can I even do for her? She's broken. What can I do?

"I'm sorry. I'm so useless." Clair chuckled, mirthlessly. "...I can't even die properly. What kind of failure can't even die?"

"I don't want you to die," Madoka blurted. "I-I don't want to lose you. I don't want you to die here, I want you to make it out of here with all of us!"

"And do what?" Bitterness hung in Clair's words. Madoka stared at her hand, clutched in his. He realized for the first time how much weight she had lost in just those two days. "Go back home and do it all over again? Return to my apartment, where I live by myself, with no friends, no family, no...nothing? Get back to my normal life, where I spend all my time staring at myself in a mirror until I perfect the mask I wear every day? Hate myself, drown in my own self-loathing, draw my blood until it stains the floors so deep I can no longer get it out? Walk the streets and exercise the only control I have by manipulating and dumping men in an endless cycle even though I don't even like men? Stress myself out by hiding everything from everyone, protecting myself, keeping everything bottled up like I always do, putting all my shattered pieces just so I can go out and get them shattered again, then go home, make myself perfect again, and go out into the world as this image of perfection, of control, of charm...only to betray everyone who has ever looked up to me when they realized I'm just a selfish, worthless, broken, shameful whore?"

Madoka wasn't even sure how to start responding. He waited for Clair to continue.

"Madoka...I don't have any hope. I...I have nothing to hope for. And I've...grown so used to it, I-I've gotten so attached to it, that it's...just a part of me now. It's a part of me that I try so hard to hide, every day...a part I so desperately wanted to keep hidden forever, a part I never wanted you to have to see. I wanted to be strong for you. I...I wanted to feel like maybe, just maybe, I was important to someone. Maybe...maybe someone would...actually care if I died."

"I care!" Madoka insisted, clutching Clair's hand with both of his. "I-I care, Clair, I care so much, please...p-please, listen to me, I-I just...d-don't leave me..."

For a moment, Clair didn't respond. Madoka hated how cold her hand felt in his.

"I wonder..." Her voice was wistful when she finally spoke again. "If you knew the truth...if you knew the secret I've fought so hard to protect, would...would you still care about me?"

"Of course," Madoka swore. "I know all of this about you--y-you did what you did and I still love you, how--"

He realized too late that he had said "love". Unfortunately, Clair heard it too.

"Madoka..." She was quiet. "...I'm...I'm sorry."

"S-sorry?" Madoka willed his voice to stop shaking. "Why? This isn't--"

"I'm sorry I let you fall in love with me." The odd pitch returned to Clair's voice; she cleared her throat. "It...it can't happen. I'm too broken, Madoka. You deserve better. Besides, I..." Clair hesitated. "I...hate men."

Madoka flinched.

"Not you," Clair insisted. "I could never hate you, not...not really. But through my life, all they've ever done is hurt me. Physically, emotionally, sexually, however they can. I've been beaten, I've been belittled, I...I've had things stolen from me that I can never get back. Even if I know you would never be like them, I...I can't. I just can't do this. I'm sorry, I just can't."

Madoka took a deep breath, an unfamiliar pain in his heart. "R-right. I-I understand, i-it's okay. ...I just want us to be friends."

"I don't think you really want that." Clair paused. "I'm just going to end up hurting you. It's all I know how to do now. It's a drug to me--string people along, finally gain some kind of control so I can hurt them, so for once I can be the one causing others pain instead of the one getting hurt. I'll just end up hurting you too, like I did when I used you and tricked everyone and...and rejected you."

Madoka bit his lip. For the first time, he noticed strange wounds on Clair's hand and wrist.

"Can I...can I just rot in here? Alone, where I can't hurt anyone else, where I can't see them all glaring at me. I just want to waste away in this room like I deserve to."

"No."

Madoka's newfound courage continued to surprise him. Faqir's bracelet had worked, it seemed--his boldness was beginning to grow.

"I won't let you die. If you die after you let Braeden take the fall for you, then what's the point in it, right? He died so you wouldn't, so the least you can do is live for him."

"I killed him," Clair whispered. "I killed Braeden, I killed Eriko...why stop there? I'm a murderer. I'm a psychopath. I'm a slut. I'm a b*tch. I'm nothing worth protecting."

"Neither am I." Madoka's hands shook; he gripped Clair's tighter. "I-I'm nothing special. I've done nothing wrong and nothing right. I'm not amazing, I'm not horrible, I'm just...me. Look at you, y-you're such a fantastic makeup artist that you were awarded the title of 'Ultimate' and here I am, only getting here through sheer chance and still managing to fall in the middle of the road. I...I'm useless too, Clair, b-but you still wanted to protect me. You still decided I was worth something, e-even though I...I'm not! Even though I have nothing to offer you, e-even though I'm just some guy, even though I'm nothing, you still...y-you were still my friend."

He felt her hand shaking too. Scooting a bit closer, Madoka rested their hands in his lap, leaning his forehead against the crack in the door.

"So then..." Madoka paused, reaching up to wipe the tears from his eyes. "If I'm useless and you still cared about me, then...I can still care about you even if you're useless. And maybe we can be useful to each other, even if it's just to give each other a real friend, s-someone we can actually talk to and someone who can carry us when we fall, who can be strong when we're weak even if...even if they're weaker than anyone else in the world, that just by looking at each other, we can...we can find the courage to be strong. B-because that's what you did for me, y-you made me feel like I could be strong, that for once in my life maybe I could be more than just 'some guy', because you were there and you cared and...and I loved you for it."

Clair sniffled behind the door. Madoka smiled warmly.

I won't lose her. Not like this.

"C-Clair, what if...I move into your apartment with you?"

She released a soft gasp, silent.

"When we get out of here," Madoka continued, "I'll move in with you, so that way you won't be alone and we won't have to say goodbye. I-I can take care of you, and then everything will be fine, right? You can have something to look forward to, something that you actually want when you get out, so you wouldn't have to give up. I...I'm okay that you don't like me back, i-it's not a problem, I just want to...to be around you. I just want to be with you, even if it's just friends, because you're important to me and you're the first person who has looked at me and seen someone worth...protecting. And I see you as someone worth protecting too, so we can be there for each other. I-I'm a clean roommate, I-I promise, a-and I'm not very loud and I don't take long showers and I guess it might be awkward living with a boy b-but I would never hurt you! I'd never want to force you into anything o-or whatever, you can trust me, I promise, w-we can even put locks on all the doors so I couldn't get in even if I wanted to, which I don't...y-you're a beautiful woman b-but it's not like--"

Before he could finish, the door flew open and Clair launched herself into his arms, sobbing. Madoka hesitated, startled, then slowly hugged her back, feeling his eyes close.

This is...how I want it to be all the time. I just want to be around her. Even if she's broken, even if she's useless, even if she's cruel. She's Clair, and Clair is the woman I love most.

"I'd like that, good luck charm." Clair's voice had returned to her usual tone, but Madoka could detect the brokenness even in that now. "That...I'd really like that."

Thank goodness.

"Th-then..." Madoka swallowed, hesitating. "Will...do you want to go to the meeting? E-everyone else is probably waiting. Oni was asking about you. W-we can walk there together, and I won't leave your side all day, okay? E-except to go to the bathroom and all that. W-when we have to, but...yeah. I'm not going anywhere, is what I mean."

Clair drew away, wiping her eyes. Madoka quickly realized she was wearing less makeup than he had ever seen her in; her features were less pronounced than he thought. "I'm scared of seeing them. They won't want to see me. I should just stay in my room..."

"Of course they want to see you," Madoka insisted. "How about this? Let's go down there and see them, and if you're still scared and they all hate you, I'll walk you back to your room and keep bringing you meals until you feel better. D-does that sound good?"

Clair nodded then shook her head. "I-I really don't want anyone else seeing me like this."

"Then I'll wait here while you pull yourself together a bit, and then we'll go."

She sighed, smiling up at him with an odd look in her eyes. "You're really not going to give up on me, are you? Geez...you remind me of my best friend before..."

Madoka found himself dying to confirm his suspicions. "Clair, you..."

"I'll go get cleaned up, okay? Wait here." She stood--Madoka realized her body was still shaking. Her eyes darting around reinforced it--Clair still hadn't fully recovered.

Of course she hasn't. You're not a miracle worker, Madoka.

"Wait," Madoka began. "I-I just want to know. Were you--"

"Please don't ask." Clair clutched her arms, the deadness returning to her eyes. "...I-I don't want to have to think of it again. Lately I haven't been able to stop, and if that keeps up I'll really kill myself next time."

Madoka bit his lip, dipping his head. Taking the cue, Clair ducked back into her room, closing the door behind her. Madoka stood, sighing miserably.

She was talking, at least--that was a plus. Still, Madoka knew in that moment that the Clair he had once known was officially gone. In her place was a ruined shadow of herself, a caricature of the composed, mysterious woman he'd once known. Her soul was bare, her heart broken, and her mind raw.

It was more important than ever for Madoka to look out for her.

When she finally emerged, Clair immediately grabbed onto Madoka's arm, standing half-hidden behind him. He could feel her body shaking.

Silently, he reached into his pocket, removed Clair's earring, and passed it to her. She took it, placing it in her jacket pocket, and fished out Madoka's bracelet which he had given her during the trial. Madoka held out his wrist and Clair helped him put the bracelet back on before clinging to his arm once more.

The two began moving towards the conference room to catch the meeting in silence. Despite the lack of spoken word, a thought passed between them, felt and embraced in the heart.

You're not alone anymore.

---

Faussin frowned. He hated how empty the conference room felt.

Of course, there were the four chairs that would never be filled again, but there were several other chairs that were also missing their inhabitants. He shifted uncomfortably, already knowing the reason behind two: Clair hadn't come out of her room since the trial ended, and Mercy had recently made a point of being by herself at all times.

But everyone else should've been there. Currently, the only people there were him, Romano, Oni, Ysabel and Graham--in other words, more than half of them were missing.

Before Fauss could voice his concern, Graham beat him to it. "Where is everyone?"

"I was thinking the same thing," Ysabel admitted, glancing over at the door, then at the clock. "The meeting started fifteen minutes ago, didn't it?"

Graham nodded. "Yeah, it did. I mean, I guess I can see some of 'em being late, but Viv? Viv's always early, isn't she?"

As if on cue, Vivara hurried in, holding something large and rectangular in her hands. She'd thrown a sheet over it, as if she didn't want anyone to see what it was. "Sorry I'm late, I was--I was putting on the final touches. Is everyone here?"

Finnian came in behind her, carrying something awfully similar in shape, sheet also thrown over it. He waved to everyone, slightly out of breath. "I was helping Viv and am now also late. Apologizes."

"You're fine," Graham replied. "What are those?"

Vivara walked over to a chair, using one hand to brush a strand of hair out of her face. "You'll see in a moment. Is everyone here?"

Faussin shook his head. "No. We're missing a lot of people, actually."

Vivara pursed her lips, then passed her suspicious rectangle to Finnian, who carefully took it into his hands. "I'm going to try and lure Mercy into the conference room. Excuse me for a moment, and do not peek under the sheets, please."

This only seemed to entice Graham. Just as Vivara walked out of earshot, Graham scooted his chair toward Finnian and the rectangles. "Finn. Here's the plan. We all look, and when Viv gets back, pretend nothing happened. When she reveals whatever that is to us, we can all act surprised, and she'll be none the wiser! Oki doke?"

"No can do, bro," Finnian replied, stepping away from Graham. "We've gotta wait for everyone else. It's important."

"At the cost of my suffering?" Graham gasped, holding his hand over his heart. "Very well. I'll wait--somehow."

The Ultimate Thief's melodramatics helped to calm Faussin down. Fauss had always been prone to getting nervous, and when it got too out of hand, well... he shifted. He didn't like to think about that.

If nothing else, becoming Oni's "Demon Butler" gave Romano something to do.

The young exorcist had started following him around lately. Though at first it was obnoxious--Oni's loudness did not mix well with Romano's easy annoyance--slowly, the girl had begun to grow on him. In her quieter moments, he saw that she truly did want what was best for everyone, even if she didn't quite know how to show it.

"Your queen demands to know what is going on!" Speaking of Oni, she placed her hands on her hips, feet spread. "BUTLER! CHECK UNDER THE SHEETS!"

"I would far rather obey Miss Vivara's command." Another thing Romano didn't mind about Oni--she didn't seem to get sarcasm, which was sometimes amusing. For now, she pouted.

The door swung open, Madoka slowly emerging inside. Pressed up behind him was Clair--or at least, Romano guessed it was Clair.

The Ultimate Makeup Artist had her jacket zipped up all the way. There was a distinct lack of her usual makeup, though she had given herself enough to remind everyone why she had been assigned her Ultimate. Even from where he stood, Romano could tell she had lost weight--likely due to not eating, though Romano briefly wondered if she had been throwing up as well. She was clearly terrified, watching everyone warily as though she was afraid to be around them. Not that Romano could blame her--everyone had been highly shaken by the previous trial, and it was unlikely for everyone to forgive and forget so easily.

For his part, Romano's feelings had always been complicated. He wasn't unused to blood--in fact, given his background in the mafia, he was rather used to it--but the sight of a dead body he knew was quite a bit different. Still, an unshakable façade was essential to both a butler and a mafia son. Romano had mastered his.

Clair met his eyes. Offering no other response, he bowed.

Oni folded her arms. "I see the demon has emerged from its den! Good work, General Himura!"

Madoka scratched his neck. Clair winced behind him. "M-maybe don't call her a demon? I-I barely managed to get her to come out of her room and I don't want her getting scared."

Oni scoffed, pursing her lips. "It was a compliment, to be hailed as one of The Great Demon Queen's mighty kin."

"Have you seen Master Faqir?" Romano asked. "Miss Vivara has something to show us and is looking for everyone. He is usually quick to arrive."

"You've been talkative lately," Madoka observed. "W-when we first met, you barely said a word."

Romano nodded. "As we are now rather low on company, it is more important for me to fill the silence."

Truthfully, there were few things Romano disliked more than silence--at least this kind of silence. This silence was the kind left by broken hearts and broken bodies. Those bodies had once spoken, and now...

He was reminded of the second trial. Romano refused to look at Clair, instead focusing on a collection of crumbs on the table.

---

If the mood had been somber before, Clair's presence had made it downright depressing.

Even Graham, who was making jokes not even seconds ago, looked to the side, warmth fading from his features. Ysabel drummed her fingers on the table, while Finnian held the rectangles closer to himself, apparently trying not to stare.

Seeing everyone act this way made his heart twist. That had to have been such a terrible feeling--to walk into a room and see everyone look away. Even if what Clair had did left everyone in pain, it was clear that she'd acted out of fear and dread, which was only human. Biting his lip, he stood, ignoring everyone else.

He approached Clair and Madoka with a small but sincere smile, a bouquet of beautiful flowers appearing between his fingertips. It was an amateur trick, but it was one of the first ones he'd learned, and it almost never failed to put a smile on his brother's face. "Good morning."

Everyone made mistakes. Terrible, horrible, sometimes unforgivable mistakes. But that didn't mean they had to be treated any differently, right?

She's still human.

Romano chose not to watch Faussin, instead moving to another section of the table to clean up more crumbs. Admittedly, he didn't want to make Clair feel any worse than she already did--for that reason, he resolved not to say a word to her until he was sure none of them would be cruel.

"Good morning, Fauss!" The pep had returned to Madoka's voice. Risking a glance, Romano saw Clair staring vacantly at the flowers. She looked over at Madoka as if asking for permission to take them. Madoka gave a small nod, and Clair reached out cautiously to take the bouquet from Faussin, smiling for just a split second.

Romano returned his gaze to the table. Beside him, Oni shuffled, clearly noticing the influx of negative feelings.

"Yo, homies!" Faqir suddenly pushed the door open, sauntering inside. "How's it--oh."

What followed was a brief, uneasy silence. Romano turned to face Faqir, bowing.

"Good morning, Master Faqir. Miss Vivara was hoping for everyone to arrive. Have you seen the others?"

"None of the others I wanted to see." Faqir made a beeline for Graham, skirting around Clair entirely. Romano noticed her wince visibly. Her lips parted as if she would say something, then she apparently thought better of it and bit down on her bottom lip. "Anyway, sorry I'm late. I spent the last three hours jerking off to a recording of Clair and Braeden in that casino. Turns out the computer lab has video surveillance footage, who knew?"

Clair hid further behind Madoka, tugging on his arm. She whispered something in his ear. Madoka frowned.

"I've been in the computer lab and we're denied access from the security cameras. Those would be in the security offices we can't get into."

"Boo, you always ruin my fun. Can a guy not make terrible jokes in peace anymore?"

"She already apologized, Faqir."

Oni tensed. Romano didn't need her incredibly sharp intuition to notice where the conversation was steering.

"There is quite a lot of lingering tension after the events of our last trial," he said calmly. "However, I for one would love to ignore this tension for now so we may enjoy the gift Miss Vivara has prepared for us. To that end, I propose a temporary truce."

Madoka frowned. "If it will get everyone to stop."

Faqir snorted, staring at the wall. He kept quiet, however, leading Romano to assume his speaking up had at least calmed him for now.

He watched the door, longing for the rest of the group to enter so they could hurry to address more important matters--calming everyone down.