Hey everyone! I'm so glad you've clicked this story because this is a collab between me and my friend Jaybirb over on awo3. We hope you like the story and please do not use any of our originally characters. We do not own Dangan Ronpa. Please Enjoy!
Ouka-noir and Jaybirb
Having faced despair head-on in the form of virtual Junko Enoshima and come out as the Ultimate Hope, Hajime Hinata should have been ready for anything now. He had never expected to feel so much hate in one room, but here he was standing before the heads of Future Foundation with a plea that would either save his life and those of his surviving friends or condemn them to death. While he couldn't see their faces, he could feel the concern of his friends who stood behind him as the guns turned on them seemed even realer than before as tension rose.
Hajime glanced back to look over his friends: Sonia Nevermind, the Ultimate Princess, stood resolute and confident despite everything before her while Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, the Ultimate Gangster, acted as if the guns and tension were no big deal to him (which wasn't so unrealistic seeing as he was the head of the largest yakuza in Japan) but Kazuichi Soda, the Ultimate Mechanic, eyed the guns warily and got a little teary-eyed as the chances of leaving with their lives grew slimmer and Akane Owari, the Ultimate Gymnast, slapped him on the shoulder and laughed in an attempt to lighten the mood. He smiled at the sight of his friends acting as they always had, acting as though the Killing Game had never happened. But the whole reason they were standing in the room was because the Game had happened and they, the Remnants of Despair, were the reason why it had resurfaced.
"Hajime Hinata," a voice boomed from the far end of the conference table, "or should we refer to you as Izuru Kamukura?" The silver haired man leaned forward on his elbows and lowered his brows to glare at Hajime. He shivered under the man's cold gaze and tried to calm his racing heart in order to respond. This was the former Ultimate Class President, Kyousuke Munakata, a man he had been warned about by Makoto Naegi when they had planned out the plea but he hadn't been prepared for a man so full of hate.
"I would prefer Hajime Hinata, if you don't mind," Hajime announced, not just to Kyousuke but all of Future Foundation. Fight fire with fire, that was what Byakuya Togami had told him to do, don't let them intimidate you. From their reactions, none of the branch leaders had expected such a comeback and glanced at Kyousuke expectantly. Instead of responding, the silver-haired man smirked and reclined in his chair so the leader of Future Foundation could speak. Hajime bit back a smile at the small win (don't let them see your emotions, as Kyoko Kirigiri had told him) and turned to look at the head of the table.
The leader was an elderly man, as was to be expected, who wore an expression that appeared aged and wise and even a bit hopeful despite the dark times that loomed over them. This was a former headmaster of the now non-existent Hope's Peak Academy, Kazuo Tengan, who had taken up the mantle of leader of Future Foundation after it was formed. According to Makoto, he strived for a world of peace and hope but did not believe that war was the path to it unlike some of the other branch leaders. He had helped Makoto to take the Remnants of Despair to Jabberwock Island in hopes of being rehabilitated, not knowing that a second Killing Game would take place and ten of the students would be comatose as a result. All the survivors from the first Game believed he would be sympathetic toward Hajime and agree to the plea, but there would be no guarantee.
The sound of a throat clearing drew Hajime back to the present and he met the eyes of Kazuo Tengan as he stood from his chair to look Hajime and his friends over. "I hope you do not mind that some guests will be listening in as well as us branch leaders." Kazuo waved a hand around to the upper levels where a small group of teenagers leaned over the railings eagerly to hear what was happening. Hajime looked over the group, unsure of what to make of them, until he noticed an odd atmosphere that clung to them. Fear. They were afraid of them, the survivors of the second Game and the Remnants of Despair. Now he understood: these were the few students who had or would have attended Hope's Peak but were forced to face the Tragedy head on and lose friends and family in the process. He recognized a few of them from a folder Kyoko had passed to him before the meeting that gave him the names of a handful of students who had agreed to work with him if the plea was approved. He felt a pang at the thought of causing them pain in his past life, but he couldn't focus on that right now.
He lowered his eyes, only to be startled to see Kazuo watching his reaction. The old man was quiet as Hajime regained his composure then spoke again. "I'll assume you know who our guests are, Mister Hinata, but I will reiterate it for those here who do not. These children are the survivors of the Tragedy, the future of Hope's Peak Academy, who have agreed to work with Hajime Hinata should his plea be approved by the majority of branch leaders." The room awoke with hushed words as the leaders spoke amongst themselves before returning to silence as the ex-headmaster continued. "Now, onto the plea presented to us.
"The plea consists of a plan to recreate hope and spread it throughout the world in a manner similar to that used by the Remnants of Despair during the Tragedy to spread despair. The students of the 77th class have volunteered to take charge of the program and work with the children to bring hope to them before spreading it to the world. As some of you know, some of the children have seen the cruel acts caused by despair and have lost loved ones to it as well as faced injury and psychological harm from it. Two subjects, named A and B for the sake of privacy are two examples: Subject A would have attended Hope's Peak Academy's 78th class but decided to drop out to make time for his sick mother. The Remnants of Despair burned down his house with his mother still inside, killing her. He turned to living in the streets and almost fell into despair had he not been found by Future Foundation and given the chance at therapy. He has since claimed that he would not have fallen into despair, but it is noted that he has seemingly not regained hope." Kazuo paused to let his words sink in before continuing.
"Similarly, Subject B was captured by the Remnants of Despair and kept isolated for a year before escaping to the streets where she was hunted down by Monokumas relentlessly until Future Foundation found her. While evacuating via helicopter, she witnessed her sister being brutally murdered by the Monokumas. She received therapy for the trauma but has not yet made a full recovery. Even so, she has willingly decided to join the program should the plea be approved. This is used as evidence to prove that before the program can spread hope it must give hope back to its students," he concluded. Kazuo set his papers down and glanced around at his fellow branch leaders. "Are there any questions regarding the plea?"
Silence remained until Chisa Yukizome raised her hand politely to speak. Kazuo smiled at the former Ultimate Housekeeper and motioned for her to speak. The pretty orange-haired woman stood from her seat as though she were a student in a classroom and cast a smile toward Hajime. "I would like to start by saying that I am for this plea and I believe that my students- excuse me, former students- would be perfect for the role," she said cheerily. "I am, however, concerned as to where this program would take place. If it took place at a Future Foundation headquarters, there is the chance it could be attacked by Remnants of Despair but if it took place anywhere else we would not be able to monitor their progress." With that, Miss Yukizome sat back in her seat and smiled at her peers despite the odd looks they gave her.
This was his chance to announce one of his conditions to the plea. "We, as the 77th class, would like to recommend Jabberwock island as the program's base of operations," Hajime declared. A laugh escaped from one of the seats, a loud and degrading laugh that made his insides crawl. He turned to meet the glare of the former Ultimate Boxer, Juzo Sakakura, as he reclined leisurely in his chair with his legs propped up on the conference table as if he owned it.
"Are you suggesting that we let a bunch of kids run around a dilapidated island and pray that they wind of spreading hope across the world rather than despair? In your dreams! If it was me, I'd just put the program in an underground facility and let Miss Yukizome teach the kiddies to hope again," he said, all the while glaring at Hajime as if daring him to respond. Hajime forced himself to remain calm and not let the underlying insult get to him. He knew he would face resistance when he brought up Jabberwock Island, but he had to persist otherwise what was all of this planning worth.
He took a deep, calming breath and met Juzo's gaze head on. The former Ultimate Boxer flinched slightly at being challenged but held the gaze. Hajime took his chance and began the next phase of his plan. "Perhaps, but we believe that with a little renovation and reconstruction, the Island would be a suitable paradise where the kids could live without fear of being attacked. I would like to remind the branch leaders that no one in Future Foundation even knew of the Island's existence until Makoto Naegi told you all about it. That makes it the safest place for hope to be created and Future Foundation can monitor the progress via the surveillance cameras scattered around the island."
"You mean that Future Foundation would have to spend the money, what little of it we have, to renovate an island for a plan that may or may not work, that is what you are suggesting isn't it?" Kyousuke asked lowly. He tapped a single finger against the file before him with an air of annoyance. "Is this just a ploy to get your island paradise remolded, Hajime Hinata?"
Hajime was taken aback by the amount of venom the man's words held but stood resolute. "That isn't what I'm suggesting. In order to give these kids hope, they have to be in the right environment; that was the whole reason we were on the island to begin with, it was a place where hope could grow." He looked to Miaya Gekkogahara, the former Ultimate Therapist and one of the programmers in the Neo-World Program. The tiny girl just stared at him for a moment before typing onto her keyboard and making the monitor in front of her come to life with a white-and-pink bunny that he recognized all too well.
"That's right-dechu!" Usami announced cheerily. "We programmers believed that a tropical paradise would be the best place for hope to spread amongst the 77th class; Sun, fun and no need to run, that was our motto!" An awkward silence filled the room as the "motto" set in before Hajime decided to speak again. "As you see, a paradise was the perfect environment for hope which is why I ask that Future Foundation help to rebuild Jabberwock Island in order to make it suitable for the kids. We understand that money is tight, but we only need a few supplies to rebuild the facilities and clean the water so that it is livable again," Hajime finished.
The room remained silent as he finished, the branch leaders exchanged unsure glances before turning their attention to Kazuo who stood from his seat slowly. "With that said I believe that it is time for the branch leaders to converse about the plea presented and vote. Until a decision has been reached, I would like to ask that those who are not branch leaders to please leave the room."
And with that, Hajime left his fate and that of his friends in the hands of the people who hated them.
Kazuichi had already begun bawling by the time they had exited the room, turning into a sopping mess on the sofa right before Hajime's eyes. "It's over, they are gonna turn it down and we are gonna die…" he trailed off as foam began to appear around the corner of his mouth and trailed down to his chin. His face was a mess and Hajime had a squint just to recognize him.
Akane quickly became annoyed at his chanting of "we are gonna die" that she grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook him around with more strength than was probably necessary. "Get a hold of yourself, idiot! We aren't gonna die, I guarantee it," she announced all the while giving Kazuichi a bad case of whiplash. "You've gotta stay positive, positive!" Hajime was about to step forward to stop her when he noticed Makoto coming out of the room.
"You did pretty well in there," Makoto said, holding his hand out to Hajime. The Ultimate Hopes clasped hands before Hajime turned to greet Byakuya who simply glared at him as per usual, except this time his glare seemed subdued. Makoto noticed this and asked, "Are you worried about Naō being used as evidence for the plea?"
The Ultimate Affluent Progeny visibly flinched and glared full force at the pair. "Of course not! She gave her consent to be part of this plea so I have nothing to be worried about." Byakuya crossed his arms and looked away until his features slouched and he glanced warily at the two. "I am worried that she isn't ready to be around others yet," he admitted quietly. "Not to mention that some of them are already killers or Remnants of Despair, I'm still not sure if it was a good idea to let her decide on whether to participate or not."
Naō Hoshino, or Subject B as she was referred to in the plea, was the newly titled Ultimate Empath who had been held captive by the Remnants of Despair during the first Killing Games. She had watched her sister die right before her eyes and subsequently lost her former title of Ultimate Twins that she had shared with her sister. From what Hajime knew, she was also a close acquaintance with Byakuya Togami. Even now, Hajime couldn't help feeling sorry for the girl even though she had asked him (through Byakuya) not to.
"It will be fine, Byakuya, there are a bunch of good kids who have signed up for the program, including one who would have been our classmate," Makoto assured. "I think his name was Mizuki Sōma."
That was right, the Ultimate Catalyst, Mizuki Sōma, would have been part of the first killing games had his mother not fallen ill. He had been found by Future Foundation and was to be killed had Makoto not stepped in and suggested he take part in the Neo-World Program but declined. Mizuki insisted that he didn't need therapy or a "cure" which had ultimately saved him from the second Game. They had had his consent to use him as evidence although he was probably regretting it now that he had heard how he had been used for their gain. In all honesty, Makoto and Hajime had hoped to use his talent as a catalyst to get the plea approved and they both admitted that they felt horrible about it when Kyoko had asked them if they were alright with it.
Fuyuhiko snorted when he caught sight of Hajime's downcast face. "Don't look so down, we are gonna win this thanks to that Sōma kid. You can thank him for it afterwards then apologize for using him and that girl like that." His reassurements fell short as the reality of his words set in. They had used both Mizuki and Naō for their own gain in order to get the plea approved. What kind of people were they if they had to use those who had suffered the pain of the Remnants of Despair in order to spread hope across the globe. In a sense, they were using mental violence in order to create a world of peace. If Kazuo felt the same way, then they really were finished.
Before Hajime could ask Makoto to give his apologies to Mizuki and Naō, the doors opened and Kyousuke looked out at them with cold eyes. He hadn't realized how much he had been dreading this moment but now that he was staring this moment in the face, he wasn't so sure he could go through with it. Hajime looked to his friends only to see them looking at him expectantly. Even now, when they were on the split of life and death, they all held a spark of hope in their eyes. Hope that he would get them through this ordeal alright. They believed in the hope he had given them. That was all he needed to face Future Foundation.
Kyousuke met his gaze and smirked at the spark of hope that glinted in his eyes. "It's time to hear the decision." He stepped aside to let the group past. Makoto and Byakuya stepped through the doors first, glancing back only once to give Hajime a small confident smile, then Sonia and Akane made their way past with Kazuichi supported between them and gave him a pair of thumbs up with their luggage raising a fist to air bump Hajime. Fuyuhiko followed after them and gave him a calm look with his one good eye. "Whatever happens, you did all you could." The yakuza turned and began through the doors only to pause and say, "You conquered despair. That is all that really matters in the end."
As Fuyuhiko stepped into the room, Hajime couldn't help being reminded of the class trials they had faced together not too long ago. Back then, all their lives had been at stake and now they found themselves in the same position. Live or die, that was the choice Monokuma- no, Junko Enoshima had forced upon them. Out of the sixteen he had come to know as his family only five had managed to live but the pain of those deaths always haunted them. I don't know if any of you can hear me, but there is a chance that we will be seeing you guys again soon, he whispered to whatever watched over him and his friends. But, I think it may be longer than that.
Hajime lifted his chin and moved towards the door with his head held high with pride. They were going to do it; they would live and spread hope across the world in order to atone for their sins. He would do everything he could to make it up to all those who had died and those they had hurt to get to this point. Mizuki, Naō, I swear that I will make this up to you. I will give you back your hope!
Sorry for the cliff hanger, but this is the prologue after all. For those who have watched the Future Arc of Dangan Ronpa 3, Jaybirb and I are acting as if it has never happened and this is our take on what happens after DR2. We hope you like it and we will try to get chapters out to you as regularly as possible.
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