Mondo does not give himself time to grieve his own life.
He is not afraid of death, but is terrified of Monokuma's version of it. When he closes his eyes to clear them, he sees the dying golden light illuminating the outline of Leon Kuwata's body. The bone that nearly jutted out from his forearm but couldn't break his skin. The way his left foot dangled from his leg like an item in a bag, completely disconnected. Swinging. He didn't see his face in the darkness. Somehow that makes it worse.
He deserves it. Everything Leon endured and worse. He killed Chihiro. He killed somebody utterly defenseless who came to him for help. And -
...And he killed Kiyotaka's only friend. That is the piece of this that guts him. Whatever is about to happen to him, he doesn't have to live through it. He doesn't have to keep existing on the other side. Kiyotaka has to live, he has to see it, he has to hear it. The image and sound and smell of whatever Monokuma does to Mondo is going to be branded on the inside of Kiyotaka's head for as long as he's alive.
"I'm sorry." He manages. There is a knot in the back of his throat. "Kyoudai, I-"
... But it's too late. It is too late. Whatever he was about to say, and he doesn't even know what it would have been, is stolen from his mouth as he's pulled.
He is strapped to the back of a bike. On a platform above a waiting audience. Of course he is.
A gate stands between him and the others. His eyes scan for Kiyotaka, but all he can see is blinding neon bleeding over the crowd. He can make out one set of eyes, though. Makoto Naegi.
With his hands behind him, Mondo tugs on his sleeve, the only part of his coat he can reach. With his eyes, he pleads with him to know what he’s asking - to give Kiyotaka one last thing to remember him by. Something to ground himself in when he needs it.
Mondo still sleeps in Daiya's jacket, sometimes. It's only right.
... He closes his eyes, again. Tries to center himself. Leon died in less than a minute. It would not be long. Just like riding a roller coaster, right?
When Monokuma launches the bike, his stomach twists.
The cage opens. Death by G-Force. Okay. Okay.
The initial speed isn't terrible. His vision greys at the edges. Mondo prays quietly that blood loss to his brain takes his consciousness before anything else. That he does not die awake.
...I get it. Why you did it. Because if it was you, and it you killed anyone else in this fuckin' building, I'd die alongside every one of these people to set you free.
It’s not you, though. It’d never be you. So you better get out of here. Get them out. Every last one of ‘em. They’ll rally behind you. I know I did.
The pressure hurts. His vision is almost completely grey, now. But it isn't gone. The tunnel encroaches in on itself, ready to plunge him into darkness at any -
The room goes dark, all at once. It isn't gradual like his vision loss.
..He hears them reacting to it. And what's more -
He can feel himself slowing. Definitely not in any graceful way, either. The pressure in his head lessons to bearable levels, even as he has no idea what his vision is like right now.
The realization that he's about to lose centripetal force hits him almost too late, and it only occurs to him to brace for impact seconds before the motorcycle drops from the side of the cage, crashing down hard in the middle. It lands directly on his left leg. Probably breaks it.
Mondo is in no position to move. He doesn't even think to scream. So for now, all he focuses on is freeing his hands from the chains.
jbbartram-illu
kianamaiart
izzy806
snowghoul
origamiaround
annaxmalina
turnnoffyourmind
