And Then There Were None.
Chapter 1: Trigger.
President Constance Castle stared down at the small robot on the floor. With white metal representing fur, and sugary blue eyes that shone, she knew that the boy had outdone himself. He had met nearly all the requirements she had asked. He was truly the top of his field. Yet, as her piercing green eyes scanned over the small figure, she knew that there was many flaws. Too many to count.
He was great, but alas, not perfect.
"He's... average at best," her cold tone filled the room. The figure, standing in the shadows, winced. "I understand your methods. He's no doubt the most impressive thing I have ever seen from one of our students. However, do you have the original designs?"
The figure frowned. "Why would you need those?"
"I believe that he needs some adjustments to meet the requirements, that's all." Constance leaned in her chair, the leather squeaking. "What can he do?"
"Everything," The figure replied eagerly, aiming to please. "I've programmed him to do any task that I type in from my computer. Just give me a moment," His fingers flew furiously over the laptop in his backpack. The robot sprung to life, flipping in the air and landing gracefully. The figure smiled, but Constance was complacent. "You... you don't like it?" His heart fluttered in nerves.
"He's very much like a living cartoon."
The figure flinched, fingers clenched on the keyboard. "He's... he's suppose to be real," He smiled shyly. "I wanted to make him friendly."
Constance shook her head. "I don't need friendly, I'm afraid. I need menacing. But no worries. I'm sure that a few adjustments won't take you too long."
Hate boiled under his skin. He had always been told that things were never to the taste of others. He nodded curtly and picked the robot up, hugging him close to his chest. "Yes ma'am." he uttered quietly.
"Good boy," Constance smiled. "Bring him back to me tomorrow when the requirements have been met. I would like less child and more villain. Also, the white metal is cliché. If you could change that," A sickly smile creeped on her face. "Then I'll be more than happy to send him to the board for review."
Still holding his robot, the boy backed out of the room. Every part of his body wanted to scream and cry at the same time. He felt weak, undermined, useless. He fled down the winding staircase and out of the Main Hall's glass doors. The bitter Canadian air breathed down on him, sending a shiver up his spine as he crossed the campus. It only seemed to fuel the fire deep inside.
He passed The Quad, the outdoor band stage looking mighty and weathered under the faint moonlight. Up the grassy knoll, following the pebble path towards his dorm, Sorbus House, that loomed tall with shadows stretching across the entire campus.
No-one would be home. Summer had a desire that made the students flee to tropical islands or home to their wonderful parents. It always left a bitter taste in his mouth, knowing that compared to others, he had to prove himself twice over. They got to enjoy themselves. He had to stay and work, just to ensure graduation was even possible.
This was his final piece. Top grades, President Castle had told him. She wanted him to claim top grades. To do so, a project needed to be made.
The answer was his friend, Monobear.
Flinging open his door, he flicked the light on and placed Monobear down on the work station. His blue eyes looked up at him with innocence. His only friend; the only person to ever understand him and his feelings. Monobear would understand this. He would understand the changes he would need to go through, in order for his owner to succeed in life. You only ever got somewhere if you graduated from Fenrir Academy.
"I'm sorry..." the figure whispered, screwdriver in hand.
Whilst every other house stayed in darkness, Sorbus House broke through the night, a single, eerie light on the second floor.
The figure fell back into his seat. His once lively creation was hideous. He stared in a mixture of disgust and pride. The white fur was cut in half, black now dominating the right side. A sugary blue eye was replaced with something menacing, a red light shining through a lightning-shaped eye socket. A sweet smile now holding a smirk.
His friend was but a monster.
He slowly pressed the keyboard. Monobear's head tilted up, mechanically moving from side to side. The figure imputed some movements and Monobear followed them through. He even asked him to speak.
"You're my best friend, upupupu!" The robot giggled.
He smiled sadly. "And you're my best friend, Monobear. I'm sorry... but I need to graduate. You understand, don't you?" His fingers typed in the answer for the machine.
"Of course, upupupu! You don't need to justify yourself to me, bestie."
The figure only hoped that President Castle would like it. He needed to meet those requirements, otherwise his scholarship would've been for nothing. Just the thought of leaving with a failed grade made his stomach churn. He stood up, the faint ghost of the morning sunrise peeking through his curtains. He hastily shoved his laptop into his backpack and fought away his constant yawns. Scooping up Monobear, he ran out of his door and down the stairs. He raced across the deserted campus, knowing full well that President Castle would be heading to her office in a few minutes.
He bolted up the staircase, passing the floors that contained his major and his best friend's class.
Sixth Floor, Room 4. Headmaster's Office. He knocked two times before a quiet response made him open the door.
"Ah," President Castle smiled. "Well, doesn't he look... frightening."
He placed Monobear on to the table and stood back. A smile was curiously peeling on his face, but he tried his best not to get his hopes up. Constance leaned across her desk and carefully checked the robot over, poking and prodding at the new details. Gone was the sweet and cute Monobear, and now reigned the dastardly, child's book villain that she wanted.
"He's still very cartoon-like, isn't he?" Constance commented. "I believe you've made some average alterations, but I'm just not scared like I should be. He doesn't make me shiver. Only cringe." She added harshly. The figure winced once more, a reminder of last night. "The deadline is approaching fast. I'm just not sure you'll make it. Graduation is coming far too close. You only have a few more weeks."
The figure could feel the warmth on his cheeks. He felt humiliated, as if he just wasn't good enough. They chose him. They invited him to this damn Academy. It's their fault if he wasn't good enough. The hate inside burned through all other emotions.
Slowly, he pulled the laptop from his backpack and placed it on the President's table. He flipped it up and turned it on.
"What are you doing?" Constance asked, leaning back into her seat.
"Booting him up," The figure mumbled. Monobear's eyes illuminated, a more vicious tone to the gaze. He stared down Constance Castle with an unnerving glare, matched with a sickly smile. "He can do much more now. I promise... I promise he's a villain."
Constance stood. "Yes yes, I understand but that isn't the point. I just don't believe that he's go-"
Her words were cut off. A scream pierced the air. Constance's body pitched forward, hitting the table with a thud. The figure blinked a few times, their body frozen on the spot. He just... stared at the now dead body. Each part of his body was locked, tight, heavy, a finger jabbed on the enter key. Monobear's chubby finger was still pointing at Constance Castle, the tip flipped open, smoke whistling from the clear finger-shaped gun.
Despair flooded his body. He allowed it to swallow him. Fingers furiously flying over the keyboard, Monobear turned around. "Upupupu, best friend. I helped you, bestie!"
A disturbed smile peeled on his face. He entered a few more words and Monobear cackled. "I helped you, bastard!"
It sounded better. It sounded more deserving.
He gingerly placed the laptop on the table and helped Monobear to the floor. That's when his eyes ghosted over a stack of golden, sequined letters. He knew exactly what they were for. With Fall fast approaching, the seniors would need replacing. He should've been graduating with the rest of his class. But no, that witch was making him stay longer, saying that his grades just weren't the standards of a graduate from Fenrir Academy.
Swiftly, he pocketed the invites. He needed a plan; for now, he could at least hold off the new class from joining so soon.
That's when it hit him. The anger inside of him - burning and boiling like lava - was a great example. He was never good enough. These kids, these high school seniors, they would be next. They were greatly accomplished in their own fields, otherwise Fenrir Academy wouldn't have bothered to look at them.
With Monobear in tow, the figure pushed Constance from her seat. She hit the floor, blood pooling around her lifeless body. He tapped away at her keyboard, sending out the mass e-mail.
Fenrir Academy would be closed indefinitely. Funds were far too stretched. Tulameen was complaining that their town was losing more and more people due to their opening. All perfect answers.
In his state of confusion and anger, there was only one thing on his mind: despair. The despair that was eating away at his blackened soul. Everything went wrong. He didn't mean to. But it was too late, too late to change his actions and pulse life through Constance's body. He could only allow the emotions to fuel him. Monobear was stagnant, staring at the wall.
His only friend had helped him...
A new window on the screen. Fingers flew across the keyboard once more. To all students, telling them that the Academy would be closed. Sincere apologies from the great Constance Castle, a graduate in her own right. Recommendations would be posted. To all seniors, prom would be cancelled and refunds possible.
But the Academy wouldn't close. He could feel the invites grow heavy in his pocket. The world would feel his despair and his pain. The greatest minds would realise that their talents would be exploited and corrupted at some point in their life, just like his had.
It was his excuse for bleaching the carpet and scrubbing away the blood. For locking the heavy, metal gates down the hill, stopping people from entering the grounds. For carelessly disposing Constance's body in the Academy's furnace.
The fire glowed in his own eyes as the flames suffocated her flesh. There was no going back. There was no hope now.
Only despair. Lots and lots of despair. The freshman would realise this when they arrived.
I hope this seemed different. After looking through many SYOCs - and having completed over seven in my old fandom - I wanted something different. Clearly, this is AU, with Hope's Peak never existing. A whole new kind of despair.
Everything is located on my profile. Go there for more information on this AU, and for the form. At the bottom contains the free/closed spots. Send me the forms through PM only. Feel free to send as many as you like, but for now, I'm only accepting one per submitter! Please bear in mind that the Japan Despair never happened. I'm looking for North American students, less anime and more normality etc.
Please review! I'm grateful for each one.
