Punishment #1: Helter Skelter Shelter
Emi gasped as the collar wrapped around her neck, choking her as Kenji jumped off his podium to attempt to run over to her. Shiro grabbed firmly on his wrist, making him struggle to get away from him. "Taisei, get ahold of yourself!" Shiro demanded, but Kenji just kicked him in the knee, getting him away from him as he ran around the podium to Emi. There was a large thunk sound, as the room began to open up like it were on a hinge.
"Emi!" Kenji shouted, running toward her and reaching out his hand. Emi reached out hers, but just before they touched, a winch pulled the chain around her neck, dragging her along the floor to a pair of Monokumas waiting for her.
"KENJI!" Emi shrieked as she felt her fingernails began to tear on the concrete floor from trying too hard to grab the ground, blood trails on every one of her fingers as the Monokumas strapped her to a large table, and began to build a house, buckles on her arms and legs snapped, wrapping around her limbs and pinning her to the table she was on, as each Monokuma began to slowly build a house together.
They started with the frame of the house, nailing 2x4's with a hammer and a nail gun. Music began to play over a speaker so loud Kenji couldn't hear his voice, but he tried to run toward Emi anyway until another hand gripped him by the wrist.
"Kenji, don't be stupid!" Miho demanded, putting him in a hammerlock and wrapping an arm around his neck to keep him from fighting her. Kenji thrashed, but she was stronger than him, and he couldn't move.
The Monokumas built a foundation to the house, placing the frame on it before cutting flat pieces of plywood to cover the house in panels, along with cutting windows out of the walls and putting frames on them. They ran around the house a few times, putting up siding and insulation, then put in the windows.
Then they put on the roof, stapling on shingles at an extremely quick speed, leaving just the doors left. They put in the door frame, and went over to inspect Emi quickly. The table she was laying on was actually a door, it seemed. A double door, but the problem was they were stuck together.
The music kept getting louder, it felt like Kenji's ears were starting to bleed as the music began to speed up and go more and more off pitch. The Monokumas grabbed a nailgun, shooting nails into each one of Emi's fingers with a shriek and a splatter of blood on the hardwood door, pinning both her hands to the door, with one thicker nail being hammered into each of her palms.
Kenji could barely tell the screams from the music, but blood was leaking onto the doors and dripping on the floor underneath them.
A Monokuma wearing a hard hat hit a button on a remote he was holding, and a large sawblade popped up from the table, spinning and adding a painfully high pitched noise to the cacophony, the edge of the saw sliced through the mahogany door like butter, as Emi craned her neck up, tears streaming down her face as she mouthed some words Kenji couldn't hear over all the noise.
The two Monokumas began to push the door along the saw, the blade sliding up between her legs and beginning to cut her flesh with a guttural chugging sound. Blood geysered up and away from her as the saw began to sever her body tail to tip straight down the middle. The speed of the blade launched blood to the ceiling, before raining down on her and the house. Her screams were the loudest, most painful ones Kenji has ever heard.
Then it stopped, her body gave out, and she began to die, but the Monokuma's kept cutting. Her entrails, viscera and blood began to fly onto the house in chunks as it severed her torso, ribcage and eventually sliced into her neck, cutting her head in two as the cutting finally stopped.
The walls of the home were coated in blood, the floor was caked in gore and broken bones and the two Monokumas lifted each side of the door Emi's corpse was pinned down, attaching the hinges and slowly closing the doors, pushing the two halves of Emi back together.
Then the music stopped.
And in its place came more screams. Cries of pain and fear rung out through the courtroom. Kenji was thrashing in Miho's hammerlock, which had been weakened from the panic of what she had just witnessed. "LET ME GO! LET ME GO! EMI!" Kenji shouted, wet with tears as he broke free, looking back at Miho who was looking away with a grey and dead expression on her face. She didn't want to look again.
Kenji kept running, entering the hall that lead to the execution chamber. He ran faster and faster, he had to get to the house. He had to save her. He had to- *WHAM!*
Without warning, a pair of massive steel doors slammed shut, sending the hall into darkness. Kenji felt a sudden and violent tightness around his neck. He reached for his neck, feeling cold metal on his fingers when he was yanked away. "No no no no NOOOOO!" Kenji wailed as the winch dragged him from the hall, forcing him back into the courtroom and hitting his podium hard.
"And what do you think you're doing, Mister?! Think you're going to be the big hero, huh?! Think you'll save the damsel in distress from the scary monster?! Well guess what, Jack! There are no heroes in the real world. Everyone's a loser! Everyone has no real purpose except for the crap they make up to make them feel better at night. If you think you can do better, graduate from the University and PROVE IT, jackass!" Monokuma said, claws outstretched.
"Bring her back! Bring her back, you sick bastard!" Kenji screamed, voice hoarse and cracking.
"Bring her back? Bring her- boy, you really hit your stride, didn't you Kenji? Guess what. It's alllll downhill from here, so you better get used to the death, disorder and despair because I can't keep having you ruin my executions! Emi's guilty, so she's dead. That's all there is to it!" Monokuma shot back, Kenji still struggling against the collar on his neck.
"Damn it! Fuck you! You're just protecting the Mastermind! This is all rigged!" he wailed out, choking as the collar tightened around him.
"Keep it up, kiddo! I can keep you here all day if I like. Do you know what it's like to have all the cards in your hand? I do, and you never will. So you being a brat is just thrashing at nothing, understood?" Monokuma asked, getting up close to Kenji, red eye glowing bright.
"Hey! Bearshit! You let him go!" came a voice from the crowd.
"Haaaah? Who thinks they can boss around me, the Great Monoku-" he began before seeing a nailed bat fly towards him, dodging quickly. "Ah, ah, ah! I'd like to remind you that according to Enoshima University Regul-" this time he wasn't given time to rattle off his rules as Reiko had the bat right under his nose.
"Are you fucking deaf? I said let Kenji go! NOW!" Reiko shouted, Monokuma growling at her only to see that quite a few students were standing with her. Akira went over to Kenji's side, trying to calm him down.
"Now, you gonna let Kenji go or are we gonna have to cave your fuckin' head in?" Reiko demanded, Monokuma backing away slightly.
"Oh, all right! Sheesh! Ruin my fun!" Monokuma grumbled as he walked off. The collar soon came off.
"Kenji…" Akira said, only for Kenji to push her aside and run right for Monokuma.
"You bastard!" Kenji shouted before once again, Shiro grabbed his wrist.
"Taisei. There's nothing we can do from this point on. Emi's gone, this ordeal is over for the time being. Let's just go back to the University." Shiro spoke with a stern, but even tone as Kenji looked back at him, glaring. He readied a fist, about to punch Shiro, but Shiro was ready and caught his fist. "Really now? Is that all you can do, Taisei? Yell, scream, strike me all you want, but death is death, you can't have your way and your tantrums are becoming irritating." he said coldly, tossing him to the floor and heading to the elevator. "Let's go." he said, adjusting his glasses.
Kenji began to break down and cry, punching the floor with his fist as Akira softly approached him, gently gripping him on the shoulder in an attempt to pull him back up to his feet.
"L-let's go, Kenji. Maybe you should just go to bed and let it out in your room…" She asked, but Kenji seemed like he couldn't respond to her. Or wouldn't.
"Ya can't make him go, Akira." Miho said, walking up beside her and lightly placing a palm on Akira's shoulder. "He has to choose when to go back." She added, but Akira just clutched her gloved fists hard and sighed.
"I just… I want to help him, I don't know how, and it's frustrating..." Akira said, Miho giving her shoulder a tug.
"C'mon. We should get going." Miho said, pulling her toward the elevator. Slowly, everyone made their way to the elevator, Kenji watching with a blank stare, face soaked with tears. Thirteen students stood on the elevator, the click of lights turning off went down the hallway and into the class trial courtroom, leaving Kenji alone in the darkness, as Monokuma got on the elevator with the other students as well
"We're… we're not just gonna leave him here, are we?" Yukata asked, concern thick in his voice.
"I'll lower the elevator again once we get to the top. Kenji will leave when he decides to adult for a while." Monokuma replied to Yukata's question. Soon came the ding of the elevator, lifting off. Setsuki, face buried in her hood, waved to Kenji as the elevator ascended. Kenji simply stood in the darkness, staring at the light of the elevator before letting out an anguished scream.
Dinner that evening was still and silent, with only the occasional clink of silverware punctuating the void. Even Bam seemed to be at a loss for words. Monokuma popped up. "Good evening, students! I forgot something! As we have had a successful class trial, the unlocked doors rule has been lifted! Your doors will be locked again and you will be safe.. Ish. Kinda." he announced to no response. "And with that said, Shiro, I will be needing my Monopad back!" he said, Shiro standing up and walking over to Monokuma, handing him the pink Monopad. Monokuma then vanished.
"Any sign of him yet, Akami?" Akira asked.
"No… do you think we should go down and check on him? I don't want to be morbid, but in his current state, he might've-" he said, Akira holding a hand up.
"No. He's not dead. I can still see him on my Monopad. But I agree with your concerns. I've been worried about that too. Especially as we're coming up on nighttime. There's nine hours where we'll all be asleep and Kenji could kill himself." Akira said, sighing heavily.
Akami crossed his arms underneath his chest, looking at the floor. "If we have to have another class trial after… that on the very same day. I'm going to freak. I'm exhausted, and I was barely involved in it." he said, paling.
"Yeah…" Akira said, gripping her fork tightly, hand quivering.
"Kenji's up." Yukiji said, pointing to the doors. Through the clear glass of the door, they saw Kenji walk by, heading for the stairs without a glance toward his classmates.
"He still looks horrible… God, I feel awful." Akira said, pushing her food away.
"It… it wasn't your fault, Akira. Emi killed Rio, right?" Yukiji said.
"Y-yeah… but he believed in her. Kenji's not that foolish to believe anyone he hears… But Emi either lied, or this school started to take its toll on her sanity… and then… oh God..." Akira said, covering her ears as the screams rung out in her head. Miho sat next Akira, rubbing her back.
"It's okay, Akira. Emi's, Emi's in a better place now." she said reassuringly.
"I hope so, Miho. Sh deserves that, at least." Akira said, getting up. As she walked off, Monokuma cleared his throat.
"Oh yeah! Before you go, I have a special announcement planned for tomorrow morning! So be here for breakfast! If any of you see Kenji, pass the word to him!" Monokuma said, vanishing again.
"I fuckin't hate that bear…" Reiko said. No one else spoke, but it was clear that everyone agreed with her in this moment. Akira left the kitchen, heading up to the second floor. As she got to her dorm, she stopped. At the far end of the hall was Kenji's dorm. She walked down, knocking on the door.
"Kenji…?" she asked, getting no answer. "Kenji, it's Akira…" she said, still no response.
"Monokuma said he has a special announcement for tomorrow morning…." she explained. Silence. "Kenji, I can't tell you how sorry I am… I-I know that you and Emi were close, but- I-I just… all the evidence told me that she did it. But… but you can't give up yet. We're still here and we're gonna get out of here. We're gonna beat Monokuma. We have to beat Monokuma. For Rio and Emi's sake."
Still nothing, Akira sighed. She probably would've gotten a better response from the door.
"I'll keep an eye on him." came a voice to her side. She turned around to see Yukata standing there, pillow and bed sheet tucked under his arm.. "I overheard you and Akami… not hard when no else is talking. I'll stay with him and make sure he sleeps." he offered.
"Thanks Yukata. Don't know why I bothered. He probably still hates me…" Akira said, head hung low.
"I don't think he hates you. He may not want to talk to you for a while, but he doesn't hate you." he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Give him time. He's just taking this hard. We all are, ya know?"
"Yeah, I guess… thanks again, Yukata. I'm gonna go to bed." Akira replied, trying to force a smile as she left. Yukata gave a weak smile back, turning to Kenji's door and knocking.
"Kenji. It's Yukata. Open up, man. I'm rooming with you tonight." Yukata said.
"...There's only bed." Kenji muttered back.
"I can sleep on the floor. I know you're in a bad way right now, buddy. That's why I wanna be there for you." Yukata said, waiting for a response. After a moment of silence, the door opened. Kenji looked better than Yukata had last seen him, but his eyes were glazed over, and his skin was pale.
"Come in. You'd probably just sleep outside if I said no, right?" Kenji asked.
"Yep." Yukata replied, stepping into the room. Kenji hit the bed, lying down while Yukata picked out a spot to sleep on. He set down the pillow and laid out the bedsheet. "Goodnight, Kenji." he said as he tucked himself under the sheet. Kenji simply grunted, staring up at the ceiling. It took a few hours of silence, but Kenji did fall asleep.
CHAPTER 1 COMPLETE
14 STUDENTS REMAIN