A\N: Each AU snippet has a different narrator, including all members of the Mekakushi-dan plus Kenjirou and Hiyori. These AUs are all up for adoption if you're interested—just please credit me for the original idea and link back to this fic. Oh, and if you'd like, message me to tell me you're using it—I'd like to read some of these fics myself. If only I had time to write them all in their entirety…alas, I have other things to do.
Crossposted on A03 under the same title.
"There's nothing for it," Ene said, crossing her arms as she hovered in the middle of Shintarou's cracked computer screen. "That keyboard is ruined. You'll have to go outside."
"But—"
"Other people do it all the time!" Ene said firmly.
"But…the roaming gangs!" Shintarou protested. "The pollution! The people!"
"I can't believe it, but you really are most scared of that last one, aren't you?" Ene asked.
Shintarou frowned.
"Look, there's a mask on the desk, and you still have that baseball bat in the corner," Ene said. "You'll be fine."
Shintarou picked up the mask, and strapped it over his face. He put on his old red blazer, and then put a rubber jumpsuit on over it. Last on were the thick, brown boots.
He connected his iPod to the computer, and Ene immediately appeared on its screen. She looked very pleased with the situation—but she could, since she didn't have lungs to be poisoned or a body that could be killed and searched for cash.
He put on the headphones, picked up the baseball bat, and walked downstairs.
When he opened the door, he reflexively closed his eyes. Even though the thick brown cloud couldn't get through the mask, he couldn't stop himself from bracing for it.
Through the thick clouds, he could see dark shapes stealing their way through the desolation, trying to avoid the notice of everyone else. It was just depressing.
Things had been like this since—since the day he still couldn't bear to think about, the day when he found out about Ayano's death moments before his classroom was rocked by the shockwaves from the first of the explosions.
"I'm really glad you aren't here to see this, Ayano-chan," he said softly, his words distorted and muffled by the mask.
"What was that?" Ene asked, as the two passed through the threshold.
Shintarou didn't answer.
A/N:The exact nature of the apocalypse is left purposely ambiguous. The computer Shintarou currently has was scavenged by Momo at some point; her idol pay became useless after the world ended.