~ Forgotten ~【Komahina】

Chapter 34 - Missing

Izuru Pov

I get awoken by a panicked Komaru rushing into my room.

'Izuru! Have you seen Toko or the kids anywhere?' She asks frantically, 'I haven't seen them since last night!'

I shake my head slowly. 'No... I thought you were meant to be looking after them?'

'I- I was!' Komaru says defensively, 'I just... lost... them...'

I sigh and stand up. 'Well, I guess we should look for them...'

'Okay, let's go!' Komaru says, her face lighting up.

After grabbing my hacking gun, I follow Komaru out of the apartment building and into Towa city.

'Why can't Makoto help?' I ask, shooting a Monokuma.

Komaru giggles. 'Um... I kind of burst into his room... and Byakuya was there...'

'You- He- What?' I stutter, choking on air.

'Anyway, I brush it off and ask Byakuya whether Makoto could come out to help, and...' Komaru says, 'He said that he didn't think Makoto was up for that...'

Komaru suddenly bursts out laughing. 'I'm now officially scarred for life...'

'Komaru! Look behind-'

'E-Eh-'

Komaru slowly lowers her head and looks down at a blood-stained metal claw poking through her chest.

I raise the hacking gun and shoot the Monokuma. Komaru stays standing for a second before slumping to the floor.

'I-Izuru...'

Komaru reaches a hand out to me. 'Izuru... I don't want to die...'

I drop to my knees and stare at the growing pool of blood. 'It's... okay...'

'No...' Komaru says, clearly finding it hard to talk, 'It's-'

She suddenly coughs, and blood sprays out of her mouth.

'Ah...' I say. I want to say more. I want to say that it'll be fine. I want to say that I can help her with my Ultimate Talents. But I can't. So I don't want to give her false hope. Nothing is worse than false hope.

'Oh...' Komaru whispers, 'I w-won't make it, w-will I?'

Tears start to drip down her cheeks. 'Izuru...'

'Yes?' I say, trying to hide the fact I was close to tears. Close to feeling things.

'Find... th-them for me...'

'I promise.' I say, closing my hands around hers.

'Also...' Komaru looks at me with a pleading look in her eyes, 'Tell T-Toko that I'm sorry... t-that I couldn't s-stay with h-her...'

I nod, a numb feeling of despair passing over me as Komaru shudders, before going still.

I stare at her body for a minute, before leaving, taking a quick glance back at the apartment building. I won't be going back there.

*****

Hina's dead, Kyoko's dead, Hiro's dead, and now Komaru is dead. It's only a matter of time before Byakuya and Makoto are next.

Suddenly, my ears pick up the sound of quiet footsteps. I turn my head towards where it came from. Nothing there...

I turn around and walk towards where I heard the noise, doubling back on my path. After walking for a few minutes, I find myself in a small alleyway between two buildings.

I notice a small object out of the corner of my eye. Amidst a pile of scrap metal, I see a speck of bright silver among the dull, dirty trash. I reach down and pick it up.

A silver pin with a star in the centre. The one that the Warriors of Hope all wear.

'You have something that's mine.'

I turn my head to see two figures at the end of the alleyway. The taller one moves, and a moment later I feel a stabbing pain in my shoulder.

I look at the growing stain as my vision goes blurry. A fuzzy shape catches my attention, and I try to focus on it.

And then I see it.

In the middle of the blood, stabbed into my arm is a pair of sharp scissors.