Kotetsu... [He whispers the name under his breath, eyes averted. He would be one of the idiots shouting at the Regent, if not charging in to outright attack them if Barnaby didn't stop him, and that's probably why this is all so hard to watch. There are many in this room who are more heroic than he is in this moment, and it would be an insult to Kotetsu's memory not to help them when his leash is loosened enough that he can do so.

And yes, Kotetsu would never abandon him. He always reined in Barnaby's more destructive impulses when he was at his worst, though he can't see why J would show anything like the same loyalty except out of self-interest. It's difficult to comprehend in circumstances like this why anyone should care about him on a personal level.]

He was the kindest person I knew. He always did everything he could for others. But I'm not naive enough to think everyone is the same.

[While J's insistence on not giving up at him does tug at his heart, it doesn't prevent that simple, internal contradiction: Kotetsu would never willingly serve the Regent. Listening to J's desire for him to not do anything rash would be the same as submitting to the Regent. So this time when he meets J's gaze once more, it's with a revised assessment:]

If you want to help me like he did, stand with me. If you want to drag me down, stay out of my way.