((Thanks so much to my super amazing friend, TheSaiyanJedi5, for his ideas and dialogue for this chapter! *gives him hope bagels* You're awesome!))

((Midori's POV))

I ran quickly to find a place where I could be alone. One where Tio and Chiaki wouldn't have to be hurt by me. Thanks to my Forbidden Action, if I said anything supportive to them, I'd die. And I don't want to have to use harsh words against my friends, I thought. I'd rather isolate myself from them until this is over, than say something to them I can't take back.  I looked down at the white section on my black and white bangle for the time limit and cursed. "Five minutes left...I need to find a hiding spot before then!" I continued to run, and just when I thought I'd found somewhere safe, I ran into him. Into Tio.

"Midori?" he said, smiling as he ran up to me. "Midori, you're okay! Thank god! I thought something might've happened to you!" He reached out to me, but I turned away and ran. "Stay away from me!" I called over my shoulder. "What? No!!!" Tio yelled, running after me. I ran faster. "I'll only make things worse!!!" I yelled, trying to lose him. He ran faster, until he was at my side. "Worse?! We're in this together!" He said. "All of us have to survive!" 

I stopped and looked at him, my face a mixture of anger and pain. "Don't you get it?!" I yelled.  "I can't help you all this time!!!" I pressed the button and showed Tio my Forbidden Action.

((Tio's POV))

I gasped as I looked at the Forbidden Action on Midori's bangle. "Supporting Someone Else".  Meaning, if she tried to help cheer someone up, she'd die.  "Midori..." I said softly. She looked at me, tears in her eyes. "So you see? In this situation, I'm useless..." She said, sobbing. "Midori, I'm so sorry," I said. She looked away. "I don't wanna say something I'll regret. Do something to hurt my friends..." I shook my head. "You won't," I assured her. "You don't know that," Midori said. "I can't help either of you. I'll die if I do..." I frowned. Whoever the Mastermind is, I'll make them pay for hurting Midori like this! I thought.

Midori sobbed heavily. "I don't know what to do...Nagito's gone...And so are the others....There's no hope here. Not anymore. No one's safe....We're all gonna die!!!" I grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently. "We won't! None of us will! Please listen to me!" I said. Midori sobbed more. She kept murmuring the same thing over and over again. "We're all gonna die. There's no hope here. No one's safe..." Chiaki walked up to Midori, knelt in front of her...and slapped her. Midori just sat there, stunned and surprised at what Chiaki had done. "Chiaki..." I said. I can't say I was surprised. She did the same thing to snap Akane out of her rage-induced state on Jabberwock Island. 

 When Chiaki spoke again, she was just as calm, cool, and collected as usual. "Calm down and focus. I know you're upset, but this isn't going to help," she said. Midori's face shifted from surprised to ashamed of herself. "Y-You're right," she said. "S-Sorry...I kinda lost it for a bit." "It's fine. Now...Please," I said, reaching out to her. She took my hand and stood up. "Okay..." She looked at the Time Limit on her bangle and frowned. " We'd better get somewhere safe. Before something terrible happens," she suggested. "Remember, the attacker only attacks us when we're sleeping. You'd better keep Chiaki close. Or you'll lose her again." I nodded. "I know. Let's find somewhere, fast!"

After a few minutes, we ducked into an abandoned room and waited. I sat beside Midori and noticed her looking at her Forbidden Action. She looked at me, tears staining her eyes. "Tio...Will everything really be okay?" she asked. "Am I going to...fall into despair...like last time?" I shook my head. "That won't happen! I'll make sure of it!" Midori smiled as the alarm for the Time Limit went off. "Y-You're right...I....I trust...you..." she said as she fell asleep. 

I smiled and fell asleep beside her, hoping and praying something wouldn't happen to her or Chiaki before we woke up. Please...Just let them both be safe, I thought. Let them both...Make it out...alive...

-A few hours later-

I woke up when the sleeping drug wore off and noticed Chiaki's head was in my lap. She was sleeping soundly. She was safe. And more importantly, she was alive. I sighed with relief. "Thank god," I murmured. I looked over at where I'd seen Midori before we fell asleep...And saw nothing. I gasped and looked around the room. "Midori?! Are you there?!" I called, hoping she was hiding. No one answered back. She was gone. Damn it! Please, let her be alright wherever she is! 

I felt movement on my lap and noticed that Chiaki began to stir. She was waking up.  She yawned in her usual way and stretched. I smiled. "Good morning, Chi," I said. She smiled. "Tio...You're okay," she said, relieved. I smiled more. "So are you. Thank god." Chiaki looked over and saw that Midori was missing. "Where's Midori?" I sighed. "I don't know...But if Juzo or Munakata found her, then she's in trouble!" Chiaki smiled and laid her head on my shoulder. "I'm sure she'll be okay," she assured me. I nodded. Midori...Wherever you are, please be safe, I thought.

((Midori's POV))

I woke up and moved to stretch, but cringed when I felt a burning pain every time I moved my arms. I looked into the mirror ahead of me and saw that my hands were bound behind my back. Someone had tied me up before I woke up. "What the-?! Why am I tied up?" I asked myself. I shook my head. Never mind that, Midori! Find a way out of this mess! Your friends need you! I thought. 

I looked around and noticed a small, jagged piece of metal debris. Small, but sharp enough to cut the ropes! I grabbed it with my feet and kicked the metal to the back of my hands. I grabbed it and started cutting. Within a few seconds, almost all of the ropes were gone. Almost...there! I thought. But before I could finish cutting... "Ghk!!!!!" I coughed as I felt someone kick me in the stomach, hard. I looked up and groaned. "I...I should've known...it was y-you...Juzo Sakakura!" 

Juzo smirked and, before I could react, kicked the piece of metal far from my reach. "Sorry, princess. You're not escaping from me!" he said. "I won't let any of the Ultimate Despairs live!" I frowned. "I already told you, I'm not Ultimate Despair! Not anymore! It's true, I made some mistakes in the past. Did things I wish I could take back...But that doesn't change who I am now! Not Ultimate Despair, nor the Ultimate Debater...Just me. Midori Reiko!" I said. Juzo scoffed. "And you expect me to believe that bullshit? Why should I listen to anything you have to say?!" 

Just when I was about to answer, a voice came over the intercom. A voice I knew all too well. Makoto Naegi's. "U-Umm...Can you hear me? My name is Makoto Naegi," he said. "Naegi?!" I said, my eyes wide. "He's alive!" "Not for long. Munakata will probably get to him before he can carry out his plan!" Juzo said.  I ignored him and listened as Makoto continued the announcement. "Bad news...The Great Gozu is dead," he said. "The attacker got to him while we were asleep." I gasped. "G-Gozu?! No way! That's impossible!" I said. 

Juzo just stood there in silence as Makoto spoke. He explained his true intentions and that he was only trying to save the Ultimate Despairs, and how he believed that the Neo World Program could help rehabilitate us. When he finished his story, he sighed. "So there. That's my story. We all have our point of view. We're all in our own circumstances," he said. "Even so, if we just talk it out, I'm certain we can set aside our fear. If we're sure to make it out of this in one piece, our only shot is if we stay together! To prove my point, I'm done. I'm turning my back on the game." Juzo scoffed. I could tell he wasn't believing Makoto's words anymore than Munakata would. "And just so you know, my Forbidden Action is running in the hallways," Makoto said. "You wanna kill me, that's how. Think about it. If I were the attacker, would I give you this information? Call it collateral. Please, just trust me!" After that, the intercom shut off. 

"Makoto..." I said, my eyes wide. I never knew that he went through all that trouble to save me and my friends from our despair. From Junko. Juzo scoffed, frowning. "Lamest speech I've ever heard in my life!" "What's the matter with you?!" I said, angrily. "If anything, that speech proves he's on your side! Makoto only did what he did to protect us! To keep us from falling into despair, and put us back on the right path again! If that's not hope, I don't know what is!" Juzo kicked me again. "I've heard enough out of you!" 

I coughed and hit the ground. Juzo put his foot on my back, pinning me to the floor. "Before too long, Munakata will put that son of a bitch out of his misery. Then afterwards, he'll move on to you and the rest of your friends. Starting with that traitor, Tio Minako and his bitch, the other Ultimate Despair!" he said, stomping my back. I coughed up a bit of blood and clenched my fists behind my back. "N-No! I...I won't..." Juzo smirked. "What was that? I couldn't hear you! You've got a mouthful of blood!" "I WON'T LET YOU HURT THEM!!!!!!!!!" I yelled. 

With strength worthy of Nekomaru's student, I snapped the ropes that bound me, freeing my hands. After that, I leg swept Juzo and as he fell, I stood up. He growled angrily and tried to kick me again. I grabbed his leg. "I knew it. I figured out your Forbidden Action. You can't attack anyone barehanded,  can you?" I said. Juzo growled angrily and covered his bangle. "How did you know?!" I smirked. "I pieced it together the moment you kicked me. If I remember correctly, before the problem with the bangles, you punched me in the stomach to knock me out. You could've easily used your fists this time too, yet you continuously used your feet. Both to kick me and stomp me. So I thought, 'Why can't the former Ultimate Boxer, Juzo Sakakura, use his hands?' Then it hit me. The only reason you couldn't do it...Is if your Forbidden Action prevented it!"

He turned away, and I knew right away that I was right. "Here. Since I figured out yours, I'll show you mine in return," I said, pressing the button. Juzo read it. "'Supporting Someone Else?' What good would that do?" I sighed. "Because every time my friends are upset, my natural instinct is to cheer them up," I said. "Whoever is behind this figured that out and used it against me via the Forbidden Action." Juzo scoffed. "That's the dumbest Forbidden Action I've ever heard of...But it's fitting for you. The girl who would die to protect her friends. Very fitting indeed." 

I thought for a while. "Tell you what Juzo...Let's settle this. Right here, right now. We'll fight. And if I win, I get to leave and find my friends. If you win...You can keep me held captive and use me however you wish." I said. Juzo smirked. "Do you have a death wish? You fight me, and I might just kill you, Ultimate Despair," he said. "Besides, how do I know you won't just use your hands?" I smiled. "I'm not one for an unfair fight...So I'll keep my hands behind my back the entire time. That way, we're on an even playing field." Juzo nodded, smirking as he did so. "Sounds good to me! Ready to lose?" "Oh believe me...It'll be a fair fight, but it won't be easy! I'll fight you with everything I've got!!!!" I said, taking my stance.

We waited a while and, as soon as a piece of rubble hit the ground, we started our fight. Juzo aimed a kick straight for my gut, and I dodged. I kicked him as hard as I could manage in his nose. He stumbled back a bit, and smirked. That is, until he noticed the blood running down from his nose. "Damn you!!!!" he yelled, aiming more kicks. "Oh sure! Get even angrier! That'll work!" I said sarcastically, dodging his blows one by one. When I leaned back after another of Juzo's kicks, I took advantage of the opening he left and headbutted him as hard as I could. It took a few seconds, but he fell down. Then, not too long after that, I fell as well. We landed beside each other. 

Juzo smirked. "You aren't half bad.  You're pretty decent when it comes to brawling," he said. I smiled, took a notepad from my pocket, and wrote something. "You aren't either, Juzo! As expected of the Ultimate Boxer. You were difficult to beat! It took me forever to find the perfect opening!" Juzo scoffed, acting like his usual tough self. "Well, a deal's a deal. You beat me, now go," he said through gritted teeth. I smiled. I could tell he was only trying to keep his tough image to please Munakata. He must be really important to him, if he feels that strongly about it, I thought. I looked back at Juzo and wrote something else. ((AN:The reason she's writing support is because she can't say it, due to her Forbidden Action.)) "I know you love him. Anyone with eyes could see that. Why else would you follow his orders and risk your life to protect him?" 

After I showed it to him, Juzo's face went red. "It's not like that! I just trust and respect him, that's all!" I shook my head, laughing as I did so. I knew he was trying to hide it. "Alright. Well let's just say that, hypothetically, you are in love with him," I wrote. "If I were you, I'd tell him. With this Killing Game going on, you have no idea if something terrible might happen to him. And when I was in the Neo World Program, I learned it the hard way. When I lost Nagito, any hope I had completely vanished. And I wished I could tell him I loved him...One more time. But because of what happened, I may not get another chance. So please...Don't do what I did. Tell him while you've still got the chance." 

Juzo looked away. "I could care less about the sob story you've just given me. Just get out of here before I change my mind." I nodded and turned to leave, but decided to write one last support to him before I did. "Hey Juzo!" I called. He turned around, anger obvious on his face. "What?! Didn't I just tell you to leave!?" I smiled brightly and showed him what I'd written. A little something from my good friend, Nekomaru Nidai. "SHOW SOME SPIRIT!!!!" Before I left, I could've sworn a saw a slight smirk (or was it a smile) appear on Juzo's face. 

I ran down the hallway, determination from my own written words showing in my eyes. Don't worry guys! I thought as I ran faster. I'm coming! Just hang on until I find you! 

To be continued..!

Next time: Hopeful Dreams! Midori and Nagito Reunite!