"David."

The boy turned, hearing someone call him. It was Cassandra.

"What do you make of this situation?" she asked in a serious tone. She was staring into his eyes again, trying to gauge his emotions. David remembered Monobear's words and tensed up, not letting his guard down. This girl could be someone much different on the inside than what she portrayed on the outside.

"I don't know what to make of it." he replied carefully. "Obviously I'm afraid. I don't want to be here."

"It is pretty troubling-" she said, still staring.

There was a moment of terse mutual eye contact until she blinked.

"-But it's nice to know you're not a murderer."

David's eyes widened. "How do you know?"

"You passed the test again. I can see it in your eyes. You're not going to hurt anyone."

David was impressed with her people reading skills, a good one to have for being a reporter. But what if she was wrong? Of course, he didn't peg himself to be a killer, but if the opportunity arose...would he do it to escape?

His hesitation to answer scared him.

He scratched the back of his head. "Thanks. I guess."

Cass nodded. "You know what else? You never met everyone."

That was true. The idea hadn't popped up, because of...the situation. But still, he didn't feel that was really the right time. "I don't think they want to meet me right now."

"Nonsense!" Cass faced the gym doors, where the students were dispersing to explore or do something of their own accord. "I hope you're up for a little walking though. Your slowness caused everyone to leave!"

"H-hey!"

Cass grinned, walking to the exit. David began to walk after her, stopping when a certain thought presented itself. Why was he trusting her? She was a stranger just as much as everyone else.

Then again, what other choice did he have? If he separated himself from the others, he'd be easy pickings. And he hated to admit it, but Cass interested him. She was the first girl to ever hold a legitimate, friendly conversation with him. It was weird, but he liked having someone to talk to, other than his parents or clientele.

So he followed her.

By the time he made it to Cass's side outside the gym doors, most of the other students were out of sight. He did see one idling by the gigantic metal doors, which blocked the only foreseeable exit out of the school. It was the boy who blew up at Monobear earlier, in his tight black blazer which barely contained his massive arms. David also noticed the white dragon design on the side, and the studded belt on his waist that had several empty holsters. His blue jeans were tattered and ripped, and he had a buzzcut styled close to his scalp.

"Why don't you start with him?" Cass suggested.

David found the boy more than intimidating, and felt that if he said the wrong thing to him he might end up being the first victim. But Cass was pushing on his back, ushering him towards the student who saw them approaching.

"Hello," David greeted, trying not to sound as pathetic as he felt.

"Hi." The boy acknowledged, throwing a sideways glance at the blocked exit and turning to face the pair.

An awkward silence hung in the air until Cass cleared her throat.

"Oh, right." David thrust his hand at the burly student. "I'm David, uh, Harland. The Web Designer."

The boy shook his hand in his calloused grip, then dipped his hands in his pockets. "My name is Pickering. Norris Pickering. SHSL Club Bouncer."

David nodded. It was a fitting title for his appearance.

"Norris is only 15, but he's served for clubs all over the continental United States and Europe!" Cass added.

"That's pretty thrilling," David complimented, silently thanking Cass for easing him into the conversation.

Norris shrugged. "All I do is stand around a door. Maybe get a few drinks."

Cass wagged her index finger in the air. "Please. Your record is spotless: you've never failed to keep a trouble-maker out. Patrons also would get in fights with you just to test your strength, but you bested them all! And, you rescued that one girl from being kidnapped right in the BassSpace's basement! That's nothing to dismiss."

Norris smiled. "I'm literally just doing my job. I don't need any praise for doing what I'm supposed to do."

"But those are some things to be proud of." David remarked. "I mean, I just sit in front of a screen all day."

"We all have our role to play," The bouncer said. "You have to be pretty good to get in here. So you must be pretty good."

David blushed. "I haven't done anything like rescue a girl, but thanks."

"Unfortunately, I'm not even sure if this is Destiny's Hope, anyways." Norris turned to the barricade. "There's no way they'd let something like this happen in their walls. Ain't no way you can get rid of an entire school's worth of people, either. This is looking more and more like some kind of kidnapping." He got lost in his thoughts, still glaring at the door in hatred. "There must be some way out of here…"

David felt a tug on his arm. It was time to go. "Well, we'll catch you later then." He said. Norris grunted as the two departed down the hall.

"Not so bad, huh?" Cass said. "In all honesty, he's a total softie. But he's not afraid to knock some heads if he has to!"

David chuckled weakly. "I could definitely see that."

The next point of interest was a stairwell to the second floor, currently barred from entry. Standing in front of it's gates was Wendell, who looked at them fearfully.

"I-I...please don't kill me…" He begged as they stopped in front of him, shaking.

Cass threw up her hands to show she had no reason to harm him. "No one's going to kill you, Wen. Did you think anyone fell for that bear's tricks?"

David nodded, trying to look compassionate. "We won't hurt you."

Wendell still looked untrusting, but managed to stop shaking. "I-I'm sorry. My nerves are s-shot to all-hell."

"We can understand that. This is pretty serious, after all." Cass answered. "But it'll be OK. You're among friends."

Wendell bit his lip. "Do you really believe that?"

"If we don't have each other, what else do we have?" Cass crossed her arms in a sober pose. "The bear wants us to be scared, to be divided. We have to trust one another."

Wendell looked at her for a moment, then sighed, finally calm. "I suppose so. I'm not used to this. Back home, I had a library to keep me company, and now I'm here with so many people my own age. But then I find out we have to go and betray one another."

"I'm not used to it either." David spoke carefully. "I didn't really mesh with people before now. However, in this situation you can't act alone. We have to work together to find a way out of this."

Wendell gave a small smile. "It is impossible to go through life without trust: that is to be imprisoned in the worst cell of all, oneself. Graham Greene said that."

David returned the smile. "You know, I realized we never really introduced ourselves."

"Oh! I apologize. Wendell Granville, Poet." Poetry. Made sense.

"David Harland. Web Designer." David responded. "You must do a lot with that to be called the SHSL poet."

Wendell put his arms behind his back, trying to look as humble as possible. "I write it, mostly. But I know all the best ones. It's a little cliche, but I love Frost, and Dickinson. I can...relate to Dickinson. Social recluse, hopeless romantic. Our lives mirror each other closely."

"That's not all bad, experience is as much an inspiration as anything else. Maybe you can write me something, sometime." David proposed.

Wendell blushed. "I'd love to...it might take a while, though. Can't write under these conditions. Heh heh."

"After we get out of here, then." David dipped his head in goodbye as he and Cass took their leave. Cass stuck him in the arm with her pencil, and he yelped.

"What was that for?" He demanded, rubbing the tender spot of his skin.

"It's coming to the point that I don't even need to be here. You're really getting into the swing of things!" Cass congratulated, sticking the pencil behind her ear.

David shrugged, feeling more embarrassed for himself than for Wendell. "I can relate to him. He seems as alone as I am- was."

"Soon you won't be able to call yourself that. You're getting good at social interaction. I'm so proud."

"Oh shut it." he said, but also feeling proud of himself. Talking to people face to face wasn't so bad, after all. He was starting to enjoy himself, as much as the whole "kill-your-classmates" predicament would allow.

The two made their way further down the corridor, aware of the things to see. There was a men and women's bathroom, and both of them checked the respective sex to see if any students were inside. Finding none, they continued to a set of doors with gaudy pink hearts painted on them.

"What's this room?" Cass wondered aloud. "A love shack?"

"W-why would that be in a school?" David's heart began to pound, suddenly wary of entering.

"Why not?" Cass giggled and pushed open the doors.

It wasn't a love shack, it was a brightly lit infirmary. There was a row of hospital beds on the left, with a heart monitor and empty IV drip laying next to each one. A desk and counter sat on the back, holding a small filing cabinet. A bigger, metal cabinet sat next to that, with glass windows showing all of the health supplies stocked on its shelves. A small refrigerator was in the corner, being investigated by a crouching boy with short, straight black hair, light blue jeans, white tennis shoes, and an oversized dark blue hoodie. He was rummaging inside of the fridge, but his frame obscured its contents

"Hello?"

Upon hearing Cass's voice, the boy jumped, knocking his head against the top of the storage container.

"Ow! Geez!" He stood up and turned to them, holding a blood bag and plastic tube in his hands. He was pale, with dark freckles scattered across his nose and cheeks and cloudy grey eyes, much darker than David's. He was also exceptionally short, maybe having only a few inches over a certain SHSL Baker. "You could at least knock, ya know?" He demanded in an angry southern drawl.

David's heart pounded even faster at the sight of the blood. "What are you doing with that?" The student looked down at the bag, as if just now noticing he had it in his hands. "Whoops, didn't mean to pick this up."

"Is that all that's in there?" Cass questioned curiously, gesturing to the refrigerator.

The boy nodded. "And some basic supply kits in the cabinet. If someone gets a splinter, we'll be just fine."

David smirked at the joke, his new-found confidence returning. He introduced himself to the student, who smiled. "Nice to meetcha. Dustin Savege, at your service. Though I prefer you call me Dusty." He gave a little bow, dropping the blood bag in the process. "Crap." He retrieved the bag and threw it, along with the plastic tube, on top of the fridge.

Cass took the floor with the rest of his introduction. "He's the luck guy. I mean, Super High School Level Luck. I'm not sure how winning a raffle constitutes as luck, though."

Dusty gasped. "It's the luckiest thing ever, to be accepted here! Back home, my grades were shit, my family was shit, my house was shit. This is a significant step up."

Cass tapped her chin. "Makes me wonder how the school can cultivate a talent like that. How do you improve someone's 'luck'"?"

Dusty shrugged, a carefree expression on his face. "Don't know, don't care. You have to be grateful when opportunities like this come along. Momma always said, 'open doors are still doors, which means they can shut you out, too.' That's my philosophy!" He pumped a fist in the air. "You gotta take what life gives you, the good and the bad. And life gave me something great!"

David thought this guy should've been called the Ultimate Optimist. He was full of energy, spirit and drive, despite their horrifying position. They'd need some optimism in the coming days. "That's a good way to think of things." He mused.

"Yep. Momma was wise beyond her years." Dusty frowned. "I hope she's all right. I can't stand the rest of 'em, but Momma...she's probably worried sick."

"Try not to think of that," Cass spoke, cutting into Dustin's suddenly depressing line of thinking. "Getting stressed about those outside isn't going to help us in here. Once we find a way out, we'll burn this place to the ground and see our loved ones again."

At her words, Dustin lit up. "You're absolutely right! Shame on me for not keeping hope alive! Momma also said that 'hope is the light, despair is the darkness, and if you turn on the light, the darkness recedes.'"

David nodded. "That's profound. You should get with Wendell, and tell him some of your mom's aphorisms. He'd appreciate that."

Dusty thought about it a bit, and agreed happily, running out of the infirmary at full speed and venturing to find the poet.

"What a nice boy," Cass said. "He'll be sure to enliven spirits."

"Yeah," David concurred. "Maybe his Luck could save us?"

"Not unless he plans to kills us all. Heh." Cass tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. David, unsure of what else to say, took the lead and left the infirmary with the reporter behind him.

In the hall, the pair found another set of trendy looking doors, glancing at each other before entering the next room.

It looked small, but was stuffed full of so many items and commodities it was probably bigger. There were shelves lined with school supplies like pencils, backpacks and paper, and useless junk, like smaller (and significantly less dangerous) Monobear plushies, trading cards, jewelry, candies, and more. What couldn't fit on the shelves sat on the floor or were crammed in the corner: this included strange golden artifacts and statues, giant portraits (all of Monobear in less than germane poses), and boxes full of old books. There wasn't much open space to walk through without stepping on some trinket, but the two continued onwards to the end. There, a girl stood in front of a contraption resembling a mix between a gumball and a vending machine, with a Monobear color scheme. Their antagonist thought a lot of themselves.

The girl heard the other Ultimates making their way noisily to her, and waved cheerily. She wore a short yellow sundress with yellow slippers, complimenting her tanned skin. Her medium length hair was colored a bright, bubblegum pink. Her eyes were pink also, though a more subdued shade.

"Hello!" she cooed, her voice pleasant and light. "Nice find, huh?" She held out a hand, a fake ring with an oversized scarlet gem in her palm. "I don't really like red, but this is so pretty I'll make an exception! Darcy Stidolph, at your service!"

Cassandra gasped. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you! I'm Cass, this is David...I-I loved your work on Pen Pals and Blue Nights! I love everything else you've done, too, but I'm still wondering how you could voice an entire cast for two shows!"

The girl beamed. "Thanks! It's not too difficult when you establish a character's personality and characteristics. Then I do what comes naturally to me. A Voice Actress aims to please, and I'm glad I've made my fans happy!"

Cass shook her head. "You've done more than make us happy. You've been an inspiration to more than a million children around the world! You really made people realize the merits of voice acting and you've helped kids pursue the dream no one else thought twice of!"

David hadn't even registered half of what Cass said. He was still in awe. "Y-you voiced the entire cast of Blue Nights? Even the chorus of old men and the orphanage kids? That's over sixty characters!"

Darcy shrugged nonchalantly. "My range is pretty wide. Granted it took a lot of practice to get the chorus right. Harmonizing with yourself six times is not the easiest thing to do, especially when it's not really you. But boy, movie magic is amazing."

David dumbly. "Truly amazing." He said, not referring to film editing.

"It sure is! Erm-" Cass fidgeted with her boot, pulling out her notebook and almost dropping it in the process. "-Could I, ah, have your autograph?"

Darcy,happy to oblige, took Cass's pencil and wrote her name on an empty page in large, curly letters. She even drew little hearts over her I's. "Here you are!"

While Cass expressed her gratitude excitedly, David remembered the weird contraption they were all standing next to. "What is this thing?" He asked, examining it. Inside of a giant glass globe perched on top of it were a multitude of knick-knacks and junk, though it was too blurry to see what exactly was inside. Underneath the globe was a dispenser and coin slot. The only problem was, David's money had been confiscated at some point and he suspected everyone else's was, too. He wondered how they could use a machine with no change.

"This is the Mono-Machine!" A familiar, annoying voice pervaded the room. There was Monobear, on top of the contraption and scaring everyone with his sudden entrance. "Cool, huh?"

Darcy shivered, trying to calm down from her initial surprise. Cass regained her composure the quickest, smoothing her hair behind her ear. "The what, bear?" She interrogated.

"Monobear to you, young lady!" He unsheathed his claws, red eye glinting nefariously. Then, he blushed, looking embarrassed with his paws behind his back. "You must forgive me. Headmasters should never threaten their students in such an uncouth way. The Spears of Gungnir will be enough."

"Huh?"

"Yes, your question- listen up bastards! This here is the Mono-Machine, constructed by yours truly for your school life needs! There's all manner of goodies in here, from gadgets to underwear to DVDs to an Escape Button!"

David blanched. "An Escape Button? Really?"

"Gyahaha! No!" Monobear laughed teasingly. "I learned my lesson from last time! No more of those! Alternate universes be damned."

"Get to the point." Said Cass impatiently.

"Alright alright! Any of these fine gifts can be yours for the small price of a Mono-coin!"

"Mono-coin?" David questioned. "Why not just use real money? We don't even have any Mono-coins."

"Of course ya do, David! Check your pockets."

David did as he was told, his heart racing as his fingers brushed against cold metal. He pulled out the gold coin, inspecting the design of Monobear on both sides. Cass, not having pockets, thought to check her boot, finding a similar piece of currency. "How-?" She was horrified. David was sure the coins hadn't been there a minute ago.

Darcy fidgeted, eyeing her chest. "Yeah. You don't find them in the most conventional of places." She had no boots, just her yellow flats, and of course her dress didn't have pockets. Upon realizing the only place Monobear could've hidden her coin, David felt almost as embarrassed as she did. This bear felt them up, too?

Monobear raised a paw to his mouth. "Puhuhu. I'm such such a generous bear. Anyways, put a coin in and see what you get! You might find something you like!" With that, he vanished without a trace.

Cass looked sick. "I'll pass on that offer. You do it."

David glanced at his coin, took a deep breath, and inserted it into the slot. There was a rumbling noise as the machine shook, and a second later, a small green bottle of bubbles and a pink wand spat out of the dispenser. "Fun." He commented, disinterested.

"Fun indeed! Darcy exclaimed exuberantly. "I'm so jealous! I haven't played with one of those in ages."

Cass smirked. "I'm sure he's gonna spend oodles of time entertaining himself."

David wrinkled his nose. "I'm not keeping this."

"You have to, you bought it with legal tender."

"You and I both know Mono-coins aren't legal tender."

Cass raised a brow. "I'm sure if Monobear took over a school, he could take over the U.S. Mint."

"Y-you're not serious?"

Darcy chuckled, concealing her mouth. "You two are so cute. I'm gonna leave before your talk about the Mint brings Monobear back. He doesn't need any ideas." With a quick goodbye, the SHSL Voice Actress departed, leaving a blushing pair of teenagers.

"Let's continue," said Cass, visibly uncomfortable and sticking her notebook back in her boot. David agreed, putting the bubbles and wand in his pocket as the two of them went on to the next destination.

Across the hall from the store was an AV room, wide and full of computer monitors powered off and stationed in pairs. Underneath each monitor was a DVD, VCR and CD player, with a Monobear insignia emblazoned on their sides. Stereos and speakers hung on the wall, as well as one large flat screen TV that sat at the front of the room. Underneath the flat screen was a student, browsing through a cardboard box full of VCR tapes. The student glanced up upon their entry, giving giving a wan smile.

"Hi," She greeted meekly. Her outfit was on one pastel colour scheme: simple white high-top shoes, a white sweater that exposed her shoulders, a short pink skirt made of gossamer and light brown leggings, lighter than her chocolate skin. Her beanie, sitting on the back of her head, was a dark brown, and a long black braid spilled out of it and down her back. She had reddish eyes that watched David shyly. "You're the Website Designer, right?"

David, surprised she knew him, nodded. "David. You are-?"

"Margaret Mills. Um...you helped me make my blog site last year." She spoke in a soft voice, not sure if she wanted to be heard or not.

David didn't need the reminder; now that he knew her name, he remembered her. "The Margaret? The blogger?"

Cass extended a hand, which Margaret shook. "Your stuff is cool, a wide variety and everything. But you dont post any pictures of yourself. It's nice to know what you look like."

David pinched her, making her exclaim in annoyance. "D-don't be weird!" He turned to the SHSL Blogger. "It's nice to meet you, I-I read all your updates and...y-you look nice..." He muttered, that last bit coming out strangled.

Margaret averted her gaze from him, heat rising in her cheeks. "Thank you."

"Oh! How do you like the site layout?" Asked the Web Designer, eager for more conversation.

Margaret chuckled weakly. "It's great, just like it was the last time you asked." David bit his lip, painfully aware of the awkward atmosphere he had created. Margaret's eyes widened. "Oh no no, um...I don't usually open private messages but I uh...open yours."

David was the one blushing now. "Oh." He turned to the box of tapes, sitting on a desk next to them. "What are those?"

"I, uh, haven't found out yet." Margaret answered in small voice. "I wanted to try putting one in the player, but there's so many..."

"Are they all unmarked?" Cass inquired, peering into the box."

"It looks like it," Margaret said. "I suppose I should try one at random."

She chose a tape and David helped her set up a VCR player while Cass booted up its adjoining monitor. After a few seconds, the screen filled up with the image of a grassy field at midday, the long blades swaying in the breeze. The trio watched this scene for a moment, the only change being a wandering band of wild horses grazing lazily and then moving off camera."

"Well this isn't dramatic at all." Cass said.

"Are they all like this?" David wondered.

Margaret ejected that tape and put in another one. This time, they saw a beach of pearly white sand, and bright blue waves licking at the shore. Seagulls flew overhead in a clear sky.

"I didn't think Monobear hoarded National Geographic footage." Cass joked dryly. "What could he be using these for?"

"Maybe to taunt us," Margaret muttered. "He's showing us the outside because we can't leave. Showing us what we're missing."

"Wanting us to kill so we can see it again." David said. "It's a very weak motive but...I can't say I don't already miss it."

Cass snorted. "You never left your house."

"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate nature." David retorted, crossing his arms.

Margaret gave a small smile. "I've, ah, always wanted to travel. My town is pretty small, so there isn't much to see."

"I hear France is nice this time of year." Cass commented wistfully.

The three shared a laugh, uneasy at first but becoming full of life. Laughter took their minds off things, even if it was only long enough for David and Cass to bid the blogger a goodbye and start on their way.

The next door they crossed was plain and had a twin, a few feet next to it.

"Classrooms." Cass announced, looking at them in contempt. "I'm pretty sure no one came in here."

"There's only two?" David wondered, staring at the hard wood of the first door in confusion. "I thought we all woke up in different ones."

"Well, I meant to ask you about that," Cass turned to him gravelly. "The other 15 of us woke up in that classroom, 1A, there-" She pointed to the other door. "It was at different times, granted. But you were absent from the group, which was why we sent that search party to look for you."

"I was just next door..."

"The classroom was locked when we first tried." Cass frowned. "So we all went to the entrance hall, and sent Wendell and Peggy to look in this direction. They, or rather Wendell, came back with you. Did you unlock the door?"

David, completely and utterly lost, shook his head. "I didn't know…"

"Strange." Cass went on ahead, this new tidbit of information rattling in her head. David followed her, much more visibly unsettled.