Next part coming at full force.
1) Previous part's edit has been completed.
2) Some small Penryn and End of Days references found in this part as well.
3) Thanks to Fallenstreet01 deciding to follow the story.
4) Enjoy.
5)I do not own Danganronpa or Penryn and End of Days.
The unbelievably freezing tropical wind reaches up to me even though I'm not fully outside yet. I wait for the girls leaning back on the wall next to the back entrance trying to avoid the horrible view and smell, crossing my arms as if that will provide the warmth I already miss. They decided to use the restrooms on a last call in case we have a really long way to the golden hospital – no more unwanted surprises are wanted. I already did what I needed, after all, I stayed in the cozy hotel room all day.
As for the hospital, it's kind of arguable whether the way is long or not. If we happen not to run into any murder worshippers we could get there for two hours also considering that we have to hide and have ninety-nine eyes for any hints screaming "die" I have already observed the water levels – ankle height isn't that bad. Two hours aren't that bad-
As if in cue the cursed wind decides to call karma I don't deserve and hit me coldly. I shiver for a good minute. Maybe the wind can be a little troublesome but I'm pretty sure when I hear the gangs it won't matter. Hell, I'd swim among sharks if I need to get out of here.
Or maybe not.
The girls come back and we are good to go. More likely, cold. As we head out quickly from the back entrance we are located in a shopping street consisting of anything that can come to mind. We might be on a tropical island but it certainly is as modern as San Francisco. I can beat Celes-chan's stereotypical nature with that fact when I see her again. If I see her again.
The unmeasurably long street doesn't seem that damaged as the malls and some of the little shops, assumingly for tea and coffee, still look like ones. It's a matter time until the angels strike again, though. I have clearly been convinced they ruin everything they get their filthy hands on.
Fortunately enough there are still cars around and we decide to cover each other from one to another so we stay unnoticed at least until we reach the "Green Zone" – a huge forest-looking place and dividing the central part of the city, which we are in, and the outskirts where our safety ticket for the next week is. We've gotta be extra careful in which direction we head – things aren't that simple. There's a particular bridge we have to cross from the end of the forest that can cause problems if it's also ruined. And there's a great chance it is. But a small chance it isn't as well. I've seen the huge pit covered in water on the bottom in one of my normal vacation evenings and I don't want to fall there – neither the depth of water or accurate height of fall is known, at least for me. Too risky and spooky.
As we try not to make too much sound by traveling around cars and water I can hear Fujisake-san's panting. As an athletic authority I'd say that her stamina is below weak but as a friend that she can handle whatever happens and that's what I do. She smiles assured and puts extra effort in her zig-zag hops. Meanwhile, Maizono-san is dazzled by the repetitive movements but doesn't complain. Just how lucky I am to be having people who don't complain and keep going.
My positive thoughts are interrupted by a loud crash and I know it's the gangs destroying the hotel we left fifteen minutes ago, yet aren't that far away. Our trio becomes extra cautious of anything and one of us is constantly scanning the not-so-close back entrance area for any dark souls who might see us in the night. I don't shiver anymore – I quicken my pace when convinced I won't get my head chopped off and so do my peers.
However, I do start to slow down after a while, of course, and somehow end up in the middle of the street waiting for the other girls. I'm aware of that I'm forcing my luck but it's tiring enough and as a bonus I feel down after I remembered I forgot my precious lemon donuts back at the hotel. Damnit.
I catch my breath and straighten up after half a minute and wait for the other girls come. They do move...
..until something slowly and gently falls onto my head and lands in my hands. Something red and fluffy. Something like a feather from… a bird. A bird. It can't be anything else. Just a coincidence. Besides, angels have only white wings anyway, right?
My thoughts don't match my facial features as the dread is spreading around much faster than a sport car. I'm hyperventilating before I know it. And I'm not the only one. From the corner of my eye I see Fujisake-san about to do the same while Maizono-san is stoned. They saw that too. That's why they stopped. Did they see something else?
The nearby crashing outcurricular activity has stopped as if the gangs know what is coming.
But what is coming?
The eerie atmosphere just like in a horror movie where you all wait for something sudden to happen plays in my head. I don't need the melody. The quietness suffocates us primarily. I see a shadow of a human being hiding behind a nearby house. Wait, it's not just one shadow. There are two of them. Now it's even scarier. Who else is here?
No, I won't be staying in this place to know more. Just before I forget the water that's gonna make hell of a lot of echo and start running, I give an intentionally scared look to the girls and mentally tell them what I will do. No more than a milisecond and I'm sprinting down the street still aiming for the forest.
The loud splash noises of our trio already gave away that we are still around. Screw that. Run. My life is more important, and so is my head, than a bunch of my people chasing after me before getting exhausted and giving up. Did I just think my people? Is that how I will divide the species barriers?
I'm glad that the girls didn't freeze within the wind that somehow has stopped despite my desperate actions to catch it. I don't need to look back to see that the gangs already are outside.
"There they are! Catch them! KILL them and take everything they've got!" Predictable. One of them, probably the leader, says it loud enough t terrify us even more but I don't think that's possible anymore. There are abnormal creatures on the lose. They are the ones we cannot outmatch in any case. Apart from that though, we have a head start and maybe, just maybe , we still have a chance to-
Suddenly – a gigantic yellowish-red bird.
From above.
Falling.
Falling with high speed.
Falling right where I am.
I can't even move and close my eyes like that's gonna save me.
I hear a powerful thud and splash. Ouch.
I open my eyes after it basically showered me.
I have the impulse to scream but it covers up by Maizono-san's one. Yep, we are definitely spotted. Not that Double Shadow and the gangs didn't acknowledge us already.
I'm frozen in place by the view in front of me. One or two more watery steps and I could've just become a human pancake underwater. Wait, that wasn't a gigantic bird.
I narrow my eyes on rising corpse of something red. Someone red. Someone with red wings. An angel with red wings. A Godzilla in comparison with my petite height.
And it's close to me. Too close. I see it rising and can make some of its features such as the blond hair which is covered in blood, dirt and water, endless bruises and deep cuts all over his chest his and something shining from its eyes. Glasses? What? No time to investigate my killer. He wouldn't do that for me. The adrenaline overflow makes me kick him in the face before he sees mine. Quite possibly.
And I kick him hard. I know I've reached my limits as I literally take his breath away. I strike a facial wound accidently. He does something in between groan and hiss loudly and collapses once again and I almost feel guilt of doing that before he showers me again. Then I remember that creature is nine thousand levels above my strength. Maybe despite his wounds.
I swallow my heart back into my chest and back off abruptly. I don't want to look at it. I want to go home or somewhere where I'd be like someone disappeared from this world. I just wish I could wake up from this nightmare or faint so I forget that it's not a nightmare. I don't know which. I. Don't. Know. I even forget about the lemon donuts for a second.
Before desperation wins over me I see our alternate way straight up after the crossing paths with that living red angel who struggles to breathe. I didn't realize we have gone this far to reach the base of Green Zone. Perhaps, we have travelled more than just twenty minutes. That reminds me of the gangs whose forms come alive in the background chanting "Take them down." I'm still lost in thoughts before I feel someone pulling me over to straight where I saw our last hope, passing the angel who still tries to get up. Why is he even injured? Apart from my assistance.
It's Fujisake-san who pulls me and she's saying something. It sounds like COME ON ASAHINA-SAN. Why can't I hear her. Am I in some sort of shock? I can't feel anything.
I glance for the last time back towards the gangs and then towards Reddie who manages to kneel before… more angels appear landing in my position and around the back to block him from escaping. Completely different wings, skins, hair, eyes. So they can be different from each other. And with that I add hostile towards each other and that the white wing stereotype is gone. It's now four of them but I can't distinguish between their visual characters. I do get the vibe they want the bird dead, though. Would he be up already if it wasn't for my Falcon Kick?
As another unwanted surprise, he's up in a second or two and already defending himself. I, a human, kicked him and he got glued to the ground like a wet leaf and now he jumps like he has the time of his life?! I see how much bigger he is than the others. Is that why four of them are needed to put this birdie down?
The smaller angels lunch at the bigger one with some sort of swords but he somehow lands for a second and in the next - his wings somehow start differing completely from the others. I don't need an up-close examination to see how pale Little Guys become. What's up with his wings... I was preoccupied with the images of my head flying away to observe them. They get kind of a demonic but not entirely Just what is this dude?
Not good enough? The gangs show up. Why are they even keeping on chasing us? Don't they see the thread? Do they want us dead that much? And why do they have to go over the angels for that cause? I question everything until they fight the angels instead of us. I see why – they are at least ten and think they can take them down.
And as the new world has come to a beginning, new marketing strategy has as well. Angel parts can make you instantly important and safe. Just like money. I don't think those guys will be winning the gory lottery tonight. I see them flying like penguins until…
… I can no longer look the action because we are entering the forest. Wait… I wanna see if he survives or not- I mean it will be partly my mistake if he died. We might've been watched and the messengers could report me to some of his buddies this time. What if they come for me?!
I trip over something muddy and Fujisake-san lets me go before getting herself some air and balance. We are in the forest. The Green Zone.
Wait. W-what happened? "What just happened?" I murmur out loud my blank expression never changing. I feel like I've been missing on something contrasting the fact I saw pretty much of "too much".
Maizono-san collects some breath and looks up to me. "Please, Asahina-san… Don't ever freeze like that again." She looks as if teasing but I know she's smiling because we actually somehow made it to the forest. Alive and in one piece.
"Hey-" I try to lighten up whatever case just happened "- at least the gangs are gonna be machine-smashed by those birds. We still stand a chance in the food chain." That makes them both look at each other simultaneously and laugh while shaking their heads. Happy shake. "In case you don't freeze again we will be on track in any time." I chuckle a bit myself and subconsciously look at the sneaker that went right up Birdie's face. It's bloody. 'Oh, nice shot back there. Not really smart but fair and awesome." So they saw me.
Damn. I really did do some real Jackie Chan back there throwing away the fact I chickened away right after. I can only hope he didn't see my face. Otherwise he'd probably return in in a triple combo. I do appreciate my face and life after all.
I still don't know, though, what just happened or if the angels will come after us even when they took no notice of us running away. I might be paranoid or maybe just naïve. There's a fine line between these two. Yet I do have a feeling that…
this is not my first and last encounter with them.
Chapter 1, Part 2 End.
