Chapter 2

9 Months Before Rebirth

Brown eyes glanced up at the red sky above. Sitting on the ground, outside of and abandoned boarded up shop was a young red-headed woman in her mid twenties. Her hands were clutched nervously around a hand gun as she continued to stare up at the sky, trying to figure out when life went wrong. It was hard to believe she was full of hope and happiness a mere two years ago, thrilled at the concept of starting a life with her boyfriend of three years. Life seemed like any other day then, but no her she was cowering in fear whilst dressed in dirty white blouse, tattered black skirt, and brown boots.

She remained on constant guard until she heard the loud sound of glass shattering come from within the shop. A frightened gasp managed to escape the young woman's mouth as her jittery hands scrambled to readjust themselves around the gun's handle. It only took her a few seconds to see a young man with short, shaggy black hair and pale-blue eyes emerge from the shop whilst carrying a bag full of food.

"Crap, I didn't mean to knock over that jar in there." the man grumbled as he dusted a few glass shards off his dirty brown jacket, "Hisae, did we managed to attract anyone with that sound?"

Hisae frantically shook her head in response, causing the ahoge on the top of her head to bop a bit. Unfortunately as she finished her response, the sound of wild cackling filled the air. Her head darted toward the sound to see two men and one woman armed with crowbars, bats, and guns. Her eyes widened in gear when she noticed their faces were painted black and white with a red lightning bolt symbol painted over their left eyes. She immediately had come to familiarize herself with those colors and symbol, learning how both to hate and fear those features.

The dark-headed man clenched his teeth before shoving the bag of food into his companion's arm. His pale-blue eyes narrowed as he armed with the shot gun he carried on his back.

"Hisae, I'll hold these freaks off! Get to safety, now!" he commanded as he quickly cocked his gun.

"But Shiro, if I leave you then you'll be overtaken!" she yelled out of worry.

"Yeah but I'd rather have only one of us die here than both, now go!" Shiro commanded in a tone filled with anger and panic.

Hisae bit her lip, her body remaining still for a few seconds out of hesitance before finally she took off running. She didn't dare look back as the sound of a gunshot rang through the air, fearing that if she did she would only be greeted with the sight of her husband's death. So with that in mind, she kept running. The red-headed woman had no idea how far she had ran or how long, having barely paid any attention to her surroundings nor to her legs aching in exhaustion. She took in deep and heavy breathes as she began slowing down, hoping she had finally reached safety.

Glancing at her surroundings, she took notice of a worn down apartment complex. Her breath hitched as she took a quick glance around, making sure there were no despair filled killers like the ones she encountered before. Although the idea was risky, she hoped no one would suspect her hiding there, believing they would opt to search more secluded structures over more obvious locations. Making sure she remained as quiet as possible with her gun ready to fire, she entered the apartment complex. Shallow breaths escaped her mouth as she made her way up a few sets of stairs. The wooden steps creaked underneath her, but no other sounds gave any indication of her not being alone in the building.

After climbing the last few set of stairs, she immediately opened up the closest door to her. Inside she noticed the apartment room looked like a wreck with broken furniture, torn curtains, and ripped rugs. It was clear anyone that lived in the apartment no longer occupied it. Decided it was her best bet for shelter, she picked up the broken chair and pushed it against the door to provide as a temporary barricade. Hisae made her way into the living room area. Once there, she noticed a single television set that while slightly banged up, still remained in tact.

"I wonder." she muttered to herself as she knelt down and pressed the power button.

Within second she was greeted with the sight of a black and white bear taunting a group of teens. Hisae's body tensed as her eyes stared intensely at the screen.

"So even this television set is airing the killing game. No matter where we go, it's being shown to everyone and everywhere. Those poor kids, I don't want to imagine what anyone seeing their loved ones trapped there is feeling right now. It's a horrible thought, seeing your child trapped where they will either be murdered or-" she started but unable to continue.

She clasped her hand over her mouth with her eyes squeezed shut and her body trembling. The memories of the first execution were still fresh in her mind. Her heart couldn't help but ache for the terrified teenage boy that wanted to do nothing more than live. It was hard to believe she had watched his death unfold on the screen before her very eyes. She was stirred from her thoughts when she felt her cellphone vibrate within her pocket. The red-head didn't even have to guess to know it was her husband calling her. Without hesitation, she flipped open the phone and held it against her ear.

"I... I managed... I managed to deal with the attackers." she could her the young man pant, clearly out of breath, "Where are you?"

"I've taken shelter in an abandoned apartment complex and boarded myself up in one of the rooms. I seem to be alone thankfully." she responded, relief carrying in her tone from the fact her husband was still alive.

"Alright well sit tight and keep yourself safe. I'll try to reach you." Shiro finished before finally hanging up.

Hisae let out an exhausted and tired sigh as she slipped her phone back in her pocket. Her eyes glanced toward the screen when she heard the familiar demented laughter of the robotic bear. She had grown both to hate and fear that bear. Nearly every day she encounters a new maniac filled with despair to the point they try to make themselves look like their icon of despair. It was that bear she blamed for being responsible for the living hell she now currently resides in. Suddenly without warning, she felt a wave of nausea overwhelm her.

Out of panic, she quickly searched for the nearest bathroom. She managed to reach it in time before finally throwing up. She emerged from the restroom a few minutes later, coughing at the stinging sensation that now filled her throat. She considered it odd why she suddenly felt so sick. Searching her memories, she couldn't recall eating any rotten or bad food that would make her sick. But no matter how much she searched, her mind couldn't come up with an answer. Deciding to push her curiosity away for the moment, she made her way back to the living room area.

Many hours had passed that Hisae remained in the apartment, waiting for her husband to arrive. Worry filled her as she curled up on the floor with the killing game still being broadcast on the TV behind her. Many worrying and paranoid scenarios filled her mind as she considered what was taking Shiro so long. She worried he may have got lost or he may have successfully been killed by an attacker. All these thoughts seemed to fill her with despair. Her body tensed at that word she had grown to despise. It was a common feeling every day for her ever since the horrible event that took place at Hope's Peak Academy one year ago.

The news broadcast remained fresh in her mind to this day. Staring in utter horror at the footage showing many teens jumping out of windows and running into flames after committing a mass murder on the school grounds. It was a horrible event that refused to leave her mind and only filled her with despair. She let out another tired sigh until, suddenly, she heard a loud crash. The red-head immediately sat up with a terrified gasp. The crash had come from inside the apartment. Grabbing a hold of the handgun that lay beside her, she started searching for the source of the sound.

The young woman constantly berated herself for not checking the area better as she searched for the sound of the crash. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary except for the sound of something moving inside the single closet. Her heart pounded in fear as she reached a shaky hand out to the door handle. Holding her breath, she jerked open the door and aimed her gun. But what she saw in the closet surprised her, inside was a young boy at the age of eight with spiky purple hair and blue eyes.

"A boy?" she questioned out of confusion, her grip on her gun loosening slightly.

"Please don't kill me!" the child whimpered, "I was hiding in here from the horrible people and you showed up."

Hisae felt like her heart was near breaking from seeing the child staring up at her in fear. Though one thing that puzzled her was that, while fear was painted on the boy's face, his eyes seemed strangely calm. She didn't know if this was because he was partially relieved at finding a kind face, or if the child wasn't as terrified as he was trying to make himself out to be. It only took her a few seconds before, with a bit of hesitance, she put away the gun and knelt down before the child.

"It's alright, you just scared me is all. Poor thing, you must be scared to death." she ensured as she held out her hand.

She watched as the child cautiously stared at her hand before accepting it, allowing her to pull him out of the closet.

"So were you separated from your parents? A horrible question, I know but it has become the expected during these trying times." she asked as they made their way into the living room area.

"I haven't seen my parents since the killings started over a year ago." the child confessed as he sat down in the floor, "I was left in the care of two strangers that were combat experienced. Though told me to stay at their hideout, but I got worried and went out to search for them. Then those crazy people showed up, forcing me to run and hide."

Hisae pursed her lip's as she listened to the boy's tale. She didn't know why, but she could sense the child wasn't being completely honest with her. Once again the feelings of uncertainty overwhelmed her. First was the strange calm look in the eight year-old's eyes, now the fact the boy's voice seemed to imply he was lying about some of the details of his situation. She didn't know what to make of it, but decided to chalk it up as the child simply being cautious. After all, she had just met him. Suddenly her thoughts were cut off by the sound of knocking on the door.

At first she was frightened, until she heard the muffled voice of her husband coming from the other side. Her heart raced in relief and happiness as she moved the broken chair and swung open the door. On the other side, she could see her husband panting out of exhaustion, one arm leaning on the door frame and the other pressed against his stomach. A pang of guilt shot through her heart when she easily noticed the blood covering the young man's clothes.

"Quick, get me inside." Shiro rasped, prompting his wife to snap out of her shock.

Understanding that her husband needed help, she walked him over to the wall before boarding up the door once again.
Shiro let out a raspy cough as he lifted his arm away from his stomach to reveal a nasty bleeding wound. His breathing was heavy and his entire body ached in pain. In an attempt to distract himself, he allowed his eyes to roam around the room. That was when he managed to spot the purple-headed child staring at him. He face grimaced when he noticed the strange look of fascination that shined in the child's eyes.

"Hisae, who's the kid?" he managed to croak out, not daring to take his eyes off the strange child.

"I found him hiding in here. Poor thing was separated from his comrades." his wife explained as she knelt down next to him with bandages in hand, "I figure it wouldn't hurt if he stays with us until he finds his companions again."

A small smile managed to form on Shiro's face. He couldn't blame his wife for her kind and caring nature. It was a feature he always loved about her and something he believed a feature that was desperately needed during a time of despair. But still, he didn't feel comfortable around the child. From staring at his eyes, he could swore he could see insanity and excitement in those eyes. It almost seemed like the eight year-old was excited to see him in such a battered and bruised state.

Silence continued to linger in the air until, finally, the child asked "How did you get hurt?"

It seemed like an innocent enough question the the black-haired man, so he decided there would be no harm in answering.

"Encountered those weird freaks that pretty much praise that stupid bear. His face has been appearing a lot more lately and more people wishing to carry out despair in his name have appeared. I was forced to kill them because I knew they had no intention of letting me live. Unfortunately one of them managed to nick me with their crowbar." he explained.

"That isn't a nick. I hate when you try to downplay these thing, Shiro." Hisae stated in a stern tone.

Shiro did his best to grin bashfully in slight embarrassment, but it was quickly replaced with a hiss of pain as his wife starting removing his shirt.

"I wish I could have seen it." the purple-headed child sighed, "Seeing you fight against those psychotic killers to the death had to been an amazing sight. makes me wonder what's going through everyone's mind during such a conflict."

The red-headed woman couldn't help but pause in her actions at the child's words. The way he causally talked about her husband's encounter with their attacks worried her. In her mind, he sounded nearly insane as the people proudly declaring themselves as the Ultimate Despair. But those people she had came to understand had lost their sanity to despair; yet the child before her didn't seem to exhibit any kind of loss of sanity. Her brown eyes glanced over to her husband to see the same concern filling his pale-blue eyes. She understood he was just as unnerved and worried for the strange child's nature.

A part of her considered leaving the child behind due to his strange fascination with conflict, yet the other didn't want to be that heartless. After all, she had already told him that he could stay with them until he was reunited with his comrades. Deciding to push her worries away so she can tend to her husband's wounds, she began unraveling the bandages.

Many hours passed by as the three remained hidden in the apartment complex. Shiro's eyes were narrowed as he watched from the apartment window. With his wounds still fairly fresh, he knew venturing back out in the city would be an unwise idea. But at the same time, he knew they couldn't remain in one spot for long unless they wanted to risk being discovered by more insane attackers. He inhaled deeply from his nose as his grip on his shot gun tightened. From his window view, he could see the small number of survivors running through the streets seeking safety. Some he saw had traversed the streets successfully, others he had seen were seen ambushed and killed by the insane despair worshipers.

As much as the young man hated to admit it,he had since grown numb to the display and meaning of despair. He had witnessed so many people die ever since the Tragedy began that he had come to accept it. The one thing that kept pushing him forward was the drive to keep his wife safe. Recalling his wife, he turned to see her eyes glued on the television screen along side the young child. His teeth slightly clenched as he could clearly hear the demented bear's taunts come from the TV. He didn't have to guess to know they were watching the killing game. It was yet another event he had come to expect in his life.

A sigh managed to escape, one both of exhaustion and confusion. He didn't understand why the red-headed woman was choosing to torture herself by watching those group of kids kill themselves. It pained him to remember the sight of her sobbing the previous day, unable to tear her eyes away from the battered and bloody boy chained to the pole showcased on the television screen. The fact she was still watching the killing game after such a gruesome display puzzled him. He couldn't even began to imagine what was running through the young woman's mind as she watched the group of teens on screen.

Believing he had looked away from the window for far too long, he started to turn his head back until heard the purple-headed child ask "What is that guy's deal?"

"Which guy are you referring to? If it's Monokuma then-" Hisae started to ask.

But much to her surprise, she found herself interrupted by the child replying "No not the bear. I mean that Makoto guy. Why is he even trying to be friends with the others? I mean he did lose his dumb friend to that wannabe cool guy. Yet he's still putting his faith in others without considering that faith nearly got him framed for murder."

The young woman was stunned by the child's words. Turning her attention to the screen, she could see Makoto trying to discuss a plan of action to his companions.

"Well he just wants to hold onto hope during such a despairful time. Because if he doesn't cling onto hope during such a hopeless situation, who will? It's his only way to fight back against the Mastermind pulling Monokuma's strings. It's that kind of hope that pushes me to continue watching this horrible killing game. I hold onto the hope those kids will survive. I don't want anymore of them to die." she answered.

She ended up swallowing hard when she felt a lump form in her throat. She wanted the group of teens to survive and live out their futures. Well, at least what remained of their futures in such a despairful world.

"Huh, so hope can be a source of conflict too. Conflict of hope and despair." the purple-headed teen muttered to himself, "Then I guess I'll be rooting for that Makoto guy. Keeping on hoping Makoto guy!"

Shiro frowned whilst silent shaking his head. Without a word, he turned his attention back to his window. He didn't want to confess to his wife out of fear of breaking her heart, but he wasn't convinced any of the killing game participants would survive. In his mind, no one could truly win a game that resulted in nothing but death. He had no hope for any of those kids trapped in the school, believing the death of the pop star idol would only be the beginning of many more murders to come. In his eyes, there was no such thing as hope in a despair filled world.