Just a note: I have never seen or played DR: AE. So if a certain character seems off, that's probably why.

The Mastermind

Something dripped in the desolate room. The floors were made of weathered, cold tiles; the walls, of blank concrete. Hidden deep within the bowels of the building, no natural light could penetrate this lair. A single overhead light, suspended over a flat, metal table, illuminated the room. The light tapered off into darkness before it hit the walls, making the space itself appear endless. Upon the table, there lay restraints: leather loops caked with old blood.

The room's thick door squealed as it opened. A short person in a suit entered. His fedora hid his face, save for a pair of red eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. The boy stepped aside and held the door open, watching as a much bigger, much stronger being crossed over the threshold. This newcomer held something tight within his powerful hands, something that cried and whimpered and thrashed. With a grunt, the newcomer tossed his victim into the center of the room, and Naegi Makoto hit the ground hard before scrambling underneath the table.

"You little shit!" bellowed the Ultimate Coach. "I can't believe he was here the whole time!"

Naegi wrapped himself around one of the table's legs, and squeezed his eyes shut. Please. Please please please pleasepleaseplease -

"Why are we standing here? Let's smash his head in!" shouted the Ultimate Gymnast. Although her skin hung off her skeletal frame, there was still power in the fist that smashed into her other palm.

Naegi could feel the step of the Coach as he began to take the Gymnast up on her suggestion. But then the Ultimate Yakuza stopped that cold, saying, "Are you guys serious? You want to kill him just like that?"

"He's going to die anyways, so let's get it over with!"

"Use your fucking brain a little! It's stupid to kill him without taking advantage of this."

"Yes." That quiet voice oozed so much menace, that Naegi was compelled to look. The Ultimate Nurse glowered at him, a palpable miasma of danger surrounding her. "He murdered my beloved. Death is much too good for him!"

They stared at him like starving animals. All he could see were the predators surrounding him. Even when his eyes closed, he saw those red eyes in the darkness. He pressed closer to the table; his sweat-soaked hands slid down its leg.

A single figure separated from the crowd, and pulled out a gleaming sword. "Young Master, what is it you wish me to do?"

"Didn't you listen to a single word I said? I said not to kill him!"

"I am aware, I wanted –"

"But you never listen, right? You're so fucking useless, Peko. I don't know why I bother keeping you around!" The more insults the Ultimate Yakuza flung at his subordinate, the more excited and gleeful his voice became.

" . . . My apologies. Please forgive me, Master." Her eyes cast downward, the Ultimate Swordswoman stepped back.

Kuzuryu kept slinging abuse at Pekoyama as she withdrew back to his side. But there were blades other than hers to fear. The Ultimate Cook was circling the table, knife in hand, eyes cold. And those metal tools attached to the Ultimate Mechanic's belt weren't anything to scoff at.

"Well, if you guys don't want to kill him, then what should we do?" asked Soda, scratching his head with a wrench.

("This is why you're just a tool, Peko. Because you're a useless waste of-")

Somebody made a suggestion. It was horrible. The second suggestion was even more so. Chills swept down Naegi's back; his arms locked into place. The world was spinning -

"I want him to suffer."

Tsumiki's breath was icy cold on his neck. He flinched away, still keeping himself attached to the table leg, unwilling to release his grip on the one stable thing he had.

"I-I'm sorry," he said. Wild eyes darted back and forth, trying to keep track of everyone. Tsumiki's face was a blur to him. "I tried to –"

"He's talking!" the coach yelled. "He's going to start preaching!"

Pointed teeth gashed together. "Gah! Shut up! Keep your dumb speeches to yourself."

He only saw a flash. The wrench slammed into his temple and black exploded in his vision. Something hot and wet pooled under him. He didn't even feel the impact when he hit the ground.

Somebody pulled him. He couldn't tell whom; doubles danced before his eyes. The overhead light was blinding. What was happening?

The back of his skull smacked against the tabletop. A sickening pain rolled through his body, and he coughed up bile. With an almost audible pop, the world slid back into focus, and his brain reorganized itself and began to understand –

". . . cut it out and stuff it down his throat," said the cook. "It'll be like making him choke on his own words, hmm?"

A rock-hard grip closed around his right ankle and left wrist. A rush of bodies surrounded him. He didn't . . . what was going on? He didn't know. But he fought anyways. His arms and legs thrashed in the little space they had, uncaring of what or whom they hit. And when they started to handle the leather restraints, he screamed and fought harder.

But then the Gymnast had his legs, and the Coach, his arms. His back shrieked as they drew him straight. The Cook approached, knife held high as the Yakuza ordered his mouth to be held open. It took them a couple of tries ("He bit me!" yelped the Mechanic), but then the Nurse's long fingers were digging into the inside of his bottom lip, as his jaw twitched and fought to stay closed –

". . . Really? This is the best a group of Ultimates could come up with? It's just so . . . disappointing."

The knife lowered.

Naegi bit back a sob. Ultimate Despair was glaring at the intruder, poised like a pack of wolves about to go on the attack.

"Sh-shut up!" Tsumiki screeched. "I found him in your room!"

Komaeda shrugged easily. He idly picked at his sleeve. "Of course you did. It was so despair inducing to watch you wonderful people fighting so hard to find him when he was right under your noses -"

"Yeah? Well, we found him!" Soda said. "So, you can go away, you . . . you hope-obsessed freak!"

A couple of people gasped at the insult. Komaeda stared blankly at Soda. He had yet to glance in Naegi's direction, and Naegi found himself searching desperately for the other's eyes, begging Komaeda to look back at him, to give him a sign that he was going to help. . .

"To think that the Ultimates could be so short-sighted . . ." Komaeda sighed heavily. He seemed annoyed with the proceedings. "And here I thought your loyalty to Enoshima-san surpassed mine."

The vice-grip around Naegi's limbs slackened. Soda's mouth had dropped open. Tsumiki's fingers withdrew from Naegi's mouth, leaving crescent-shaped cuts behind. She raised a shaking arm, and pointed straight at Komaeda.

"How dare you!"

Komaeda smiled, but it was a type of smile Naegi had never seen before. It was a smile made of scorn and impatience, more suited to Kamukura's face – if the former Ultimate Hope were capable of such expression.

"I thought you loved her, Tsumiki-san," Komaeda said. "Or is it possible you haven't realized you're about to destroy the last of her?"

"W-what?" Tsumiki's face was grey.

"Naegi, come here."

He listened. He kicked out, and neither Nidai nor Owari stopped him from wrestling free. He threw himself at Komaeda, burrowing into his side, hiding within Komaeda's baggy hoodie. His arms wrapped tight around the Luckster, hands grasping fistfuls of fabric as blocked the rest of Ultimate Despair from sight. Komaeda . . . Komaeda had come for him. Komaeda would shield him.

Komaeda hardly reacted. After a few moments, his hand tangled in Naegi's hair. His thumb swiped back and forth, stroking comfortingly, like a master acknowledging a needy pet.

"Ah, you've made him wet himself." Naegi didn't even mind that Komaeda said that loud enough for everyone to hear. How could be ever be upset with the other boy now?

"Hey!" Kuzuryu shouted. "Explain what you were saying before."

"You need me to help you again? Very well." Komaeda shifted slightly, moving Naegi further out of the direct sight of Despair. "The Ultimate Detective, the Ultimate Swimmer . . . all of them existed before the Tragedy and Despair. Except for Naegi-kun. Enoshima-san created him with her own two hands."

"So what?" Owari demanded, earning a high-pitched, half-choked giggle from the Luckster.

"Look at him," Komaeda purred. "She's left her mark all over him. It's our duty to preserve that, isn't it? It's unfortunate for the rest of you that his talent turned out the way it did . . . but isn't this outcome the most despair-inducing? To think her final creation opposes everything she stood for . . . she must have done it on purpose."

Komaeda lifted Naegi's chin. For the first time, their eyes met. Komaeda's overflowed with fondness, but something about them was wrong. There was a hardness there, a blankness that Naegi associated with one holding back their true emotions. In his peripheral vision, Naegi could see the other members of Despair staring at them.

"Her final creation," Owari repeated uncertainly.

"Of course! Think about it. If Enoshima-san personally created him, then . . . well, doesn't that mean he's the closest possible thing to her child?"

There was weight to those words, one that made it obvious they were aimed at someone in particular. Perhaps that was why Tsumiki's stare suddenly doubled in intensity.

"Her child . . ." Tsumiki repeated.

"Don't tell me you're seriously listening to him!" Kuzuryu shouted. Pekoyama had been protectively in front of him, but Kuzuryu shoved her aside to face Komaeda directly. "He's crazy! Why would you ever listen to a guy like him?"

"A broken clock is right twice a day," Komaeda murmured, never taking his eyes off Naegi.

"Her child . . ." Tsumiki whispered.

"Fuck you! You don't get to boss me around!"

Kuzuryu started forward, but Tsumiki grabbed his arm, causing Pekoyama to raise her sword in response. Kuzuryu yanked his arm free.

"Her child!" Tsumiki hissed at him.

"I-idiot! Komaeda's just speaking nonsense." Kuzuryu fixed his fedora. Then, he lifted one arm, pointed straight at Naegi, and snapped. "Peko -"

" . . . Still arguing? How tiresome. There's a very easy way to settle this."

Naegi couldn't explain what changed, but the room suddenly felt much smaller than it was. Kamukura watched them all from the doorway, his long hair projecting a hood-like shadow. The entire room of people shrank back from him. Even Komaeda stiffened a little.

Kamukura said, "Ask Junko what she thinks. There's a digital partial copy of her in Towa City we can contact."

A digital copy . . .? Like Alter Ego?

"I'll set up the communications." Kamukura left as suddenly as he had appeared.

Ultimate Despair lingered for a while, silent and confused. Kamukura's proposal had sapped them of all their deadly energy, erasing their enthusiasm like a pin popping a balloon. Naegi buried his face in Komaeda's side again. He was shaking so hard, he doubted he would have been able to keep himself upright without the Luckster's support.

Nidai said, "Uh, so I guess we should met Kamukura-kun up there?"

"Bring the kid," Kuzuryu barked at Komaeda. "We'll hunt you down and feed you to Tanaka's pets if you don't."

Komaeda hummed softly, dipping his head in acknowledgement. He watched the others with friendly, yet guarded eyes as they walked past.

Then, they were alone.

Komaeda immediately put his hand to Naegi's temple; it came away red. "You're bleeding pretty badly."

Was he? He hadn't noticed.

"Here." Komaeda gently peeled Naegi off him, and then took off his shirt. "Press it to your temple. Don't worry about getting it dirty. There's blood all over it now, anyways."

Naegi obeyed numbly. He stared blankly ahead as Komaeda zipped up his hoodie.

"Kamukura-kun's idea is either a stroke of good luck, or bad luck. I wish I knew." Komaeda looked wistfully at the door. "We'll have to go up there soon, but I think I need a few seconds. I'm not certain about what he's planning."

Naegi said nothing. Weary, he leaned against Komaeda again. Komaeda's arm went around his shoulder, and the older boy gave him what appeared to be a worried look.

"I should be used to almost dying," Naegi muttered. He wanted to go back to his room.

"Don't worry about that, Naegi-kun. Ignore what I said before. We're both lucky. It'll work out, I know it!"

Naegi wished he could be that confident.

"I probably shouldn't carry you this time. It would make the others angry. Naegi-kun, can you walk?"

He nodded.

"Alright. Let's go."

The TV screen took up most of the wall. When Naegi and Komaeda entered, the other members of Despair (save for Kamukura) were on their knees at the bottom of the screen. More than one had pressed a hand against the glass. Kamukura stood near the back of the room, observing.

The TV screen showed a plain background with a single throne-like chair, but it was what sat on the chair that was worth paying attention to. Monokuma. Or, at least . . . at least Naegi thought it was. It was a bear – no doubt about that – and not a natural bear. The only reason Naegi hesitated to call it Monokuma was the bear on the screen lacked a black half. There was a seam going down the robot's center where the division between white and black should have been, but both sides of this bear were white. Additionally, there were bandages wrapped around the bear's right limbs, and over the head where the red eye should have been.

And lastly, the bear was waving. And smiling.

"This . . . this is real, right?" he whispered. Komaeda made a noise of agreement.

"Naegi-kun!" The bear clapped its paws together. "You are here! Izuru's already explained the situation."

This was so, so wrong. Naegi backed straight into Komaeda, until his head was up against the other boy's chest. "This isn't Enoshima-san."

"Am I scaring him? But I'm a nice bear, Naegi-kun." The bear's ears turned downward, reflecting its disappointment. "Oh, I've tried so hard not to look scary anymore."

The bear sounded friendly. The bear was acting friendly. Its smile was warm and safe. The black button eye, possessing two small lashes, begged him to trust it. But he couldn't. He couldn't trust this robot that was Monokuma's kin, and bore Enoshima's name and voice.

It was something that didn't go unnoticed. Kuzuryu sneered. "So, the kid's terrified of his 'mother', huh?"

Naegi cringed, but he couldn't refute that. Thankfully, Komaeda was opening his mouth –

"No, he's probably just embarrassed because he wet himself."

. . . Naegi didn't even care anymore.

The bear put a paw over its mouth. "I wouldn't make fun of him for that. But Naegi-kun, you think of me as a mother?"

"You created him," Komaeda said. He had his chin atop Naegi's head, and held the younger boy by the shoulders. "If you think about it, the real you died in childbirth."

Soda said to Komaeda, ". . . You are really messed up in the head, you know."

"You shouldn't pick on him. I hate it when people fight!" the bear said. (Soda threw himself on the ground and blubbered apologies). "And I'm male, anyways. All Monokuma units are . . ."

The bear froze. Naegi blinked. For a few seconds, he thought the video had frozen.

Then, the shoulders bobbed up and down.

"Upupupupupu. . ." Naegi's ears rang with trepidation –

"I forgot who I was talking to!" The bear declared that loudly, jumping from a sitting position into a standing one. "Never mind! One hundred percent female! Make sure none of you forget that."

The bear sat back down. Her stubby legs crossed one over the other as her paws rested on the top knee.

"So, you disgusting piece of garbage, what are you up to?"

"Just doing my part to raise the next generation," Komaeda said. "It would be such a waste if he died without leaving an impact."

"Naegi-kun's already made a big impact! Gah, the despair the real me must have felt, I can only fantasize . . ." The bear panted heavily, the sounds almost sexual in nature. Then, she paused before asking, "What about the rest of you? Are you helping him out or just standing there like idiots?"

A loud chorus of umms and confusion went around. Nidai spoke first, saying, "Uh, do you want us to help?"

Shivering, holding herself tightly, Tsumiki began, "If he really is your child . . ."

Her arms suddenly seemed to wrap around her like snakes. Her head tilted back and sideways at an impossible angle, and a sickly sweet smile grew upon her face.

" . . . Then I will give him everything."

The bear's smile faded. She spoke in a monotone. ". . . You realize this is the same classmate I trapped in the Killing Game and personally tried to murder, right? You're naming the Ultimate Hope as the child of the Ultimate Despair. And . . . and you want to adopt him. My loyal subordinates are going to foster the person who murdered me and ruined all of my hard work."

The silence was its own sound. He could feel Komaeda's breath hitch. Naegi might have panicked then, but he felt Komaeda turn towards Kamukura, and decided to look himself. The former Ultimate Hope stared at them meaningfully, a clear message in the lines of his face.

"That's . . . that's . . ."

And below the bandages, the red eye gleamed so brightly that it showed through the white –

"That's so incredibly despairful!" The bear shrieked like a kid receiving a present. She fanned herself with a paw. "I'll have to think about you all fawning and fussing over my murderer every day while I rot among these stupid, smelly, ugly adults! Naegi-kun, you really know how to reach a girl's heart. "

It . . . she was okay with this? That was it? That's all it took to convince her? Naegi had been expecting something more like the final trial.

"Oh, don't give me that look!" the bear said, as its body attempted to imitate Enoshima's 'cutesy' personality. "I'm not that kind of girl who's all take and no give. You benefit from this too, Naegi-kun. Now, you get to be part of all our wonderful despair!"

What . . . what did that mean?

"You hear me, everyone? Make sure you raise him with all my love."

Laughing again, the bear reached forward for something off-screen, and the TV went dark. Though the bear was gone, her last three words echoed throughout the room.

Kuzuryu's next words summed up everyone's thoughts quite nicely.

"Well, shit."