Truth, Perjury, and Sacrifice

Final Confrontation

"I'm not letting you go in alone," Byakuya said.

"I won't be. Sakura and Kyoko will be with me, and everyone else will be on standby," Karen said.

"Then I will join one of the teams you've arranged."

"No! If both of us get killed, then what happens to Kotoko and Nagisa?" Karen asked. Her adamant demeanor shook surprise in Byakuya. "Hence why only three of us are going on. I'm not saying we're expendable," she turned to Makoto to say. "But we need to think of damage control right now. I don't want anyone to get hurt or worse killed, but that's the risk we are taking right now."

"Don't worry about us!" Nagisa blurted out from the living room entrance. "Why do you insist on being stubborn about us?"

"Nagisa, stop it!" Kotoko pulled on Nagisa's arm.

"Because you are important to us!" Karen blurted back. She took a deep breath to calm her bundled nerves. "After dealing with Monaca, I thought all of you would be the same. But I was wrong. Now when I look at you and Kotoko, I see two kids who deserve another chance at a good life." Karen took a moment to stare at Nagisa. His face was contorted with a mix of confusion and anger. "Go upstairs, Nagisa. Please."

Kotoko took Nagisa's hand and yanked him toward and up the staircase.

"The goal isn't to manage whatever damage happens. The goal is to avoid getting anyone hurt at all costs." Kyoko said. "We don't know what to expect, so stay vigilant." Everyone else in the room looked around at each other, slightly worried.

"We are not going into war, guys," Karen said.

"You don't know that," Fuyuhiko said. "This could all be some elaborate trap to kill us off. We all know about the hate groups that are after anyone involved with the school."

"And what if going in teams is what they are anticipating?" Sonia asked. "They could separate us and leave you stranded."

"Then what will we do?" Peko asked.

"Guys, I think we're all getting ahead of ourselves," Makoto said.

"Are you sure?" Byakuya asked. "I think I can speak for everyone here when I say that we're worried that some of us might not come home."

"I'm worried too, Byakuya!" Makoto glanced at Kyoko. "I know where you're coming from. I know what it's like to watch the person you care about die." The silence that fell was oppressive. "But we wouldn't have escaped before if we didn't try."

Kyoko pulled out two large, black cases from beside the couch, and set them on the coffee table. "Everyone needs to take one of these," she opened the cases to reveal radio communicators from Future Foundation. "We will check in once to make sure everyone is in place and then when we are about to go in. Once we tell you that we are going in, do not use these until we confirm that everything is okay or you hear or see anything suspicious." She looked at Hiro, "And I mean really suspicious. Are we clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The room resounded.

Karen and Kyoko glanced down at the drawn map, then back up at the old warehouse they stood in front of. "Is it possible that this was all a joke?" Sakura asked.

"At this point, I suppose I wouldn't be surprised," Kyoko said. "But the only way to find out is by going in." She lifted her wrist closer to her mouth, "Is everyone in position?" Multiple confirmations came over the communicators. "Remember to not speak to us unless absolutely necessary."