Chapter 11: Deadline

3:00 P.M Day Two

Coach Car

Sitting Area

Yumei and Axel walked from the viewing car into the sitting area. They had been training for the last four and a half hours, and while Axel was covered in sweat and a few light bruises, Yumei was still in top condition.

"Wow... I... I haven't had a workout like that in years, Sensei. You think this'll really work?" Axel asked, panting.

Yumei smiled. "Of course, but remember, Axel, your success must come from within. I can show you the door with my training and mediation regime, but only you can walk through it. Only then will you be able harness your inner strength."

"Sounds like a waste of her time to me, but hey, it's not like there's much else to do on this damn train," Sarah remarked from a chair she sat slouched in. "Whatever floats your boat, but all that training isn't going to stop our captor."

Yumei's eye narrowed at the Graffiti Artist. She looked to the Soccer Player. "Axel, go on ahead, I will meet with you later."

"O-Okay," Axel said nervously as he walked out of the car.

Yumei turned to Sarah. "And I see you're making yourself very useful at the moment," she said sarcastically.

The Artist shrugged. "Not less useful than you wasting your time on that idiot. Let's just face the facts: you're only helping him because you pity him. You know that he's unlikely to survive long, and your bleeding heart won't let it go. You should waste less time on helping him. After all, it's only a matter of time till the bears chuck him off the train for not having his ticket."

Yumei scowled. "I don't appreciate you speaking of my student like that. Axel is a good man and, while he clearly has demons that cloud his mind, he has still tried to make an effort to improve himself. That is a truly admirable trait, one that most lack."

"Look, I'm not saying he's a bad guy. I'm just saying he's deadweight that's only liable to drag you down in the process," Sarah retorted.

Yumei leaned against the wall. "We were all once 'deadweight', Sarah. Look at me." She pointed to her white hair and single red eye. "I'm an albino. Chinese society does not look kindly upon differences, especially not a girl who is different. My own parents abandoned me, but the monks never did. I will not abandon Axel, not while he is willing to learn."

The Artist shrugged. "You had more than a week to adapt, I'd wager. My point is, he won't be able to cut it. He's just too soft."

The Monk closed her eye. "I don't expect him to become an expert within a few days. I just want him to be strong enough to overcome his fears long enough to find the one who stole his ticket. Then, when we have defeated the one keeping us trapped here, we may progress onto further training, but that will be his decision to make."

"Look, it's not that I'm heartless; I feel for the guy. You just have to be more pragmatic. Are you going to let someone like him drag you down in the process? You and Tonbe have to be the two toughest on the entire train, but if you let someone like Axel or Emizel cause you to lower your guard, it'll only end up hurting you both," Sarah explained with a thoughtful expression.

"Lower my guard?" Yumei said, raising an eyebrow. "What are you implying?"

A sigh escaped the Artist. "Think about it. If another motive is presented, and those two are as friendly with each other as they seem to be… it means that they'll have to target either Adohira, Tonbe, you, or me. If they become desperate enough, they could use your good nature against you. It's unlikely they'll try to target me or Adohira, because the two of us aren't nearly as trusting as you and Tonbe. All I'm saying is, they may be friendly now, but if push comes to shove, they'll turn on you if it means survival."

Yumei looked at the Graffiti Artist in silence for a moment. "You've experienced betrayal before, haven't you? To live a life with so little trust, it must have come from somewhere." Yumei sat in one of the chairs. "You're from New York, aren't you? Tell me about it. Is it truly such an honorless place?"

"When you live on the street for so long, you only trust the crew that has looked after you. You find out really quickly who you can trust when the chips are down. Sometimes, even those people have their limits. I know it sounds cynical as shit, but everyone has their breaking point. Loyalty sounds great on paper, but people's desire to look after themselves… Well, it always comes down to that."

Yumei grimaced. "I was betrayed by my government, so I understand the feeling of treachery. However, when you become a shaolin monk, you swear an oath to each other. You swear to protect each other with your lives. I am truly sorry that you have not had that companionship in your life, but if we are to overcome the forces of despair, then we must learn to face it together." Her expression darkened. "Once you fall into despair, the pain that you can bring to those around you is beyond anything you can imagine."

"You're not the only one who knows a thing or two about despair," Sarah said as she slowly worked her jaw. "The reason why I don't trust people is because I've been a rat myself in the past. I did it just to save my own skin. I don't want to believe people are shit, but I've lived that life. I know how it feels to be cornered, when your only choice is a horrible one."

The Shaolin Monk took a deep breath. "We have all done things we are not proud of. What matters is that you try and become a better person because of them." She rose to her feet and headed for the exit. "It was good talking to you, Sarah. I... may have misjudged you." Her words echoed in the car as the door closed behind her.

The Artist stared wistfully at the shut door as she worked her jaw. "...No, you were probably right in whatever that judgement was. A leopard can't change its spots, and I'm not about to change who I am either..." she murmured to herself.

6:00 P.M

Dining Car

Dining Area

Emizel sat in the dining car, drinking a glass of orange juice that he had gotten from the fridge. Dinner had not been served by Sabankuma that day, so the group had been forced to fetch food for themselves in the kitchen.

He sat there alone with his thoughts until Axel made his way from the trial car and into the room.

"Hey, Axel!" Emizel called out. "How ya holding up? You feeling better after this morning?"

The Soccer Player offered the Overlord a tired smile. "I-I would be lying if I said I wasn't still anxious about everything. Yumei really helped me calm down, though; she's officially taken me under her wing as a pupil." He chuckled as he took a seat next to the shorter boy.

"Oh, that's awesome!" Emizel exclaimed. "You're gonna be like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan with all those kung fu moves. Hi-yah!" He struck a pose to resemble a martial artist, grinning all the while.

"Hah, I think there could be ten of me and I still wouldn't touch Sensei. She's crazy good!" Axel exclaimed as he rested a hand against his chin. "It did help me get a lot of stress out, which I needed after this morning and yesterday."

"Good to hear," Emziel replied. "By the way, Tonbe's my new big bro now!" he said, puffing up his chest. "He's so cool and he's a really good listener. He calmed me down after Adohira and Sarah were being big jerks."

Axel smiled fondly at the other boy's demeanor. "I"m glad to hear that. Ya know, we really need Yumei and Tonbe to help deal with how Sarah and Adohira can be most of the time."

"Yeah, I don't know why they have to act like that. It's so uncool." The Overlord pouted. "I don't get it. We're all prisoners in this game, so why can't they be more helpful? I know that if we teamed up, we could definitely kick those bears' asses!"

"I'm not sure. I think maybe they're just super paranoid or something. If we could just prove we don't mean any harm… maybe we could get through to them," the Soccer Player suggested.

"Trust me when I say that relying on other people in a game like this is a one way ticket to getting a knife in the back." Hoshukuma's voice suddenly rang out as he entered the room. "They're being smart, but of course you two - Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber - wouldn't realize that."

"What do you want?" Emizel growled.

Axel nervously rubbed at his arm. "C-Can't you just leave us alone ? P-Please?"

"Leave you alone? Surely not! Axel, we need to discuss your little ticket issue. We have a thief on this train, and it's our job as the staff to help you in any way we can," he said with a mocking grin.

"Y-You're not going to throw me off, are you?" The Soccer Player's voice cracked as he tried to keep himself from having a panic attack.

Emizel jumped from his chair and pulled out his sword. "If you want him, you're gonna have to go through me!" He roared at the bear.

"Woah, woah!" Hoshu exclaimed, holding his paws up. "Who said I was going to ask for your tickets now? No, that would be such a waste of a... waste of space like you. We've got a far better idea in mind. A little... motivation to get you started."

"Motivation? W-What kind of motivation?" Axel stammered out, before shutting his eyes as he tried to steady his breathing.

The bear's eye glowed bright red. "Well, here's the deal: You have forty-eight hours starting from now to find your ticket. When that time comes, we'll have a ticket check, and I don't care if there's a murder at that time. We'll pause the damn investigation if we have to. If you don't have your ticket by then, we'll throw you off this train. Trust me when I say it's a painful way to go." He took out his wrench and started to pat it in his paw. "If it turns out you won't find it in time, you could always commit a murder. At least then you won't be completely screwed. I'm sure you could smash someone's skull in with that leg of yours pretty easily."

The Soccer Player's eyes snapped open as he choked back a sob. "T-Those are the only options I have? W-What kind of choices are those?"

Emizel snarled. "Of course those would be the only options. You bears are just trying to get another murder, aren't you? Have you no honor?!"

"Honor?! HA!" Hoshu spat. "Listen, kid. Honor, friendship, and all these other ideas of yours are bullshit. People will abandon you the moment it becomes easier for them, especially women. Those bitches will sell you out the moment the next piece of hot muscle walks through the door."

"People don't always have to be like that. Not everyone is like that!" Axel yelled as he clenched his fists. "...People aren't all the same. It's not fair to say something like that..."

Hoshu paused for a moment and looked at the pair in silence. "I used to think like you, but then reality slapped me across the face and showed me the truth about people. You can't trust anyone. From the moment you're born to the moment you die, you're alone. You can only rely on yourself in this cruel joke of a world," he said with an almost pained tone.

Emizel lowered his sword. "Why are you doing this? It's clear you've suffered, too. You don't have to do this. People can be cruel, but I choose to believe most are decent."

"Emi is right! People can be better than that and, even if they mess up, they can always change. You don't have to keep doing this. You all can end this right now!" Axel insisted as he stared at the bear with a pleading look.

The bear looked between the Soccer Player and the Overlord, as if deep in thought. "You two have so much hope in your eyes." He turned around and made his way out of the car. "I can't wait until that light is snuffed out. Once you both finally realize the truth about this world, you can come join us in the dark." The door shut behind him firmly.

8:00 P.M

Sleeper Car

Corridor

As the Ultimate Marionettist made a beeline toward his room, he noticed Tonbe, but offered no response to the Seismologist. His briefcase remained firm in his hand as he neared his door.

"Adohira, please, can we talk?" Tonbe said as he placed a hand on the Marionettist's door.

A sigh escaped the boy in question as he slowly glanced over his shoulder. "Can't you entertain yourself with the Monk or Overlord? I'm not in a chatty mood."

"Look, I'm going to cut straight to the chase," Tonbe said, folding his arms. "I can tell you've been through a lot, but you can't keep antagonizing Emizel and the others like you did earlier. What if you caught him at a bad time and things got ugly? Emi's a good kid, but he can get quite emotional. I just don't want anyone else to get hurt."

"Alright, I guess I'll break it to you. Things are about to get a lot uglier. I could offer lukewarm words of reassurance, but that won't help anyone... No, let me correct myself. It shouldn't help anyone." Adohira rubbed his brow. "All of you need a wake-up call. We're not going to survive by cuddling and hoping for the best. Sure, Sarah's a bit overzealous, but she's not too far off the mark. I don't really believe any of you are this blind, so it's time you all see what's at stake."

"You think I don't see what's at stake?" Tonbe said with a scowl. "Of course I know what's at stake. Those despairs are trying to turn us into animals. They want us to rip each other to shreds for their amusement. Well, fuck that! We can beat these bastards, but we have to work together!"

The Marionettist turned to fully face the much larger boy. "They have full control over the train, access to the heat and AC, turrets in the viewing room, and God knows what else. If you have an eloquent solution, I'm all ears. Believe me when I say that there's somewhere I'd much rather be than here..."

"I... I don't know. I really don't know right now, okay? But that's no excuse to be a total fucking asshole who keeps stirring the pot!" Tonbe took a deep breath to calm himself. "Do you want to be these bears' puppet? All you're doing right now is playing right into their hands."

Adohira shook his head. "You know the answer to that already. I just don't see what alternatives have been provided. If you cannot provide a better solution, then we have nothing to discuss."

The Seismologist grit his teeth. "Maybe my words are meaningless to you, but I'm not going to give up. The kids at Hope's Peak got out. Sure, I admit a lot of them died, but these despairs can be beaten. They can be outsmarted. We survived the tragedy, and we can survive this. Please, just have a little faith."

"Faith..." Adohira asked as if he was trying to process the meaning of the word. He stared blankly for a long moment. "It's been a long time since I've put stock into anything I can't see for myself."

"Maybe not faith in a god, but you have to have faith in others." Tonbe's gaze softened. "I've traveled the whole world. I've not only seen some of the worst mankind has to offer, but also some of its best. There are good people out there, no matter how hard it is to see them." He paused. "Sorry if I got a little emotional back there, but Yumei and Emizel mean a lot to me now. I can't bear the thought of losing either of them."

A few moments passed before Adohira decided to respond. "Then look after them. You don't appreciate what you have until it's already gone... What a simple concept. It shouldn't even have to be spoken," he mused wistfully. A brief look of confusion flashed across his face as a metallic clang resonated from within his briefcase. "Excuse me, I think I need some rest."

Tonbe raised his eyebrow at the case. "...Err, sure. If you need any help, feel free to talk anytime," he said as he walked into his room, a slightly baffled look on his face.

Adohira nearly dropped the case as he heard what sounded like a disembodied voice whisper, "...Master.."

Quickly, and without a word, he rushed into his room. The door slammed shut.

8:15 P.M

Sleeper Car

Adohira's Room

With trembling hands, Adohira softly set down his briefcase on the bed. After some hesitation, he gingerly undid the latches of his briefcase. As the case opened, he was met at first with the limp body of Akazukin. Her body was folded neatly as per usual, but after a few seconds passed, he heard the rolling of joints. Slowly, the doll sprang to life. She raised her pale, little chin and stared up at him with her glassy eyes. Her joints popped again as her delicate hands moved to grasp the bottom of the lacy, red dress she wore.

"Master, I bid you good evening. I thank you for giving me life." Her soft, mechanical voice filled the room as she offered the boy a curtsy.

In response to her curtsy, the bewildered boy instinctively began to bow, before stopping himself short. He stood frozen for a few moments, before letting out a long, raspy sigh. "Oh. I see. I finally lost it..." Adohira gently shook his head as the color drained from his face. "I'm amazed it took this long, really..."

Akazukin reached out and pressed her porcelain hand against the boy's chest. "Master, are you well? You look pale. Have you eaten today?" Her mechanical voice surprisingly held a great deal of inflection, as did her silver eyes.

Upon feeling her cold hands, Adohira nearly fell back. "Wait... Wait. What? Eh?" He could barely put together his words as realization began to dawn on him. Perplexed, he pressed himself against the wall, his tangerine eyes wide open as he stared at the living doll before him.

Akazukin moved forward, albeit with some difficulty, before she came to rest on the edge of the bed. She slowly crossed her legs in a very human-like manner. "Master Adohira, please don't be upset. I mean you no harm. I only wish to serve you."

"No... no, no, no, no, no..." Adohira quietly repeated to himself. "This... this can't be real... Who are you?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

The doll tilted her head to the side. "I am Akazukin. Do you not remember the name you gave to me? I could not exist without you, Master."

The Marionettist briefly ran his fingers through his hair, cracked his neck, and seemed to regain some of his composure. He numbly stared at her as he grabbed a screwdriver from the wall and took a step toward her. "This is just a trick... I'm... I'm going to open you up now. One of the bears must've rigged you up with something while I was asleep. Don't worry, Akazukin, I'll make sure you're clean and back to your usual self."

"M-Master, how very bold of you," Akazukin said as her tiny hands rested on her face. "But, if it is you, I will let you do as you please. Just be gentle, please? It tickles when you tinker with my insides."

Adohira blinked rapidly before taking a deep sigh. "Don't let those bears get to you... this is just some silly trick of theirs. They think they can mess with me that easily, huh?" Adohira shook his head, slightly irritated.

"Alright then... Akazukin, please, turn your back to me and lift your dress," Adohira asked stoically, but perhaps there was the slightest tinge of embarrassment to his voice.

The doll shuffled in a somewhat timid manner, before she slowly turned her back and lifted her dress up as ordered.

"Like this, Master?" she asked as her head swiveled around 180 degrees to stare at the Marionettist.

"Ermm, yes. That will be just fine, thank you." Adohira promptly began to unscrew her back panel. The head of his screwdriver lightly drilled into the narrow crevices of her pale, porcelain rear. From the fluidity of the Marionettist's movements, it was clear that this intimate act was extremely familiar to the pair.

Akazukin let out a small squeak in response to the prodding at her posterior. "Master, I do apologize if this is e-embarrassing for y-you. I-It's just that, oh! T-That really t-tickles," she murmured as a few of her joints audibly popped.

Upon removing the paneling, the boy saw absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, there wasn't even any signs of tampering let alone devices to explain her movements or speech.

Adohira's screwdriver clattered to the floor, and his mouth became ajar.

"What?" he uttered in disbelief.

"M-Master? Are you quite done? Having my intimates exposed is embarrassing... Could you please cover me back up?" Akazukin pleaded as her little hands still clutched at the hem of her dress.

In a wordless manner that seemed more automatic than anything else, Adohira's hands flew into the pockets of his coat. A fraction of a second passed, and when they came out, his fingertips were adorned with steel rings. The Marionettist forcefully, yet deftly shoved a ringed hand into Akazukin's dark insides. His orange eyes were intensely lit.

The porcelain doll let out an audible gasp. In a blur of motion, Adohira looped her internal wires around his steel rings, and with a single gesture that betrayed his thousands of hours of practice, the young Marionettist forced her body to rise.

"Master, could you be a bit more gentle? That really stings," Akazukin said in response.

"I'm sorry..." The boy found the sorrowful words coming out of his mouth before he even realized it. A moment passed, and he hardened his glare. "What's going on... What are you?" Ironically, Adohira's voice now lacked all emotion, as if he were the puppet and not her.

"A-K-A-Z-U-K-I-N," she said, enunciating every syllable. "Haven't you ever heard of a living doll before, Master? We imprint on our owners and, if given enough attention and care, cease to be lifeless. That is why I said you gave me life."

Adohira's hands rested tensely against the wires connecting his fingers to her. "No, of course I haven't heard of a 'living doll' before... Excuse me for my minor freak-out, but... this is beyond reason."

"Master, not everything in the world has a rational explanation. I do not know how my existence works entirely. I just know that the tenderness you've treated me with has given me motion. Despite your surly demeanor, your love made me real. I just want to help you, Master, be it to survive or fulfill your great ambition," Akazukin responded.

Adohira blinked. "Love...? Akazukin, if you've been with me this entire time, then you should know that I'm a man of very little faith... Tell me I'm not hallucinating you right now..." Adohira's voice seemed to weaken.

"Master, you weren't always this way. You're still a good person deep down. That much I know," the automaton responded. "I may not be flesh and blood, but I am still real. Whether you use me or not, you should know that you are not alone. You are very precious to me, Master."

Adohira's lip trembled slightly as his head fell. A moment later, he gently flicked his fingers, causing the doll to soar through the air and into his arms. He embraced her as unfamiliar tears began to cloud his vision.

The petite doll's arms raised ever so slightly as she did her best to return the gesture despite her short reach. "I will do everything I can to protect you, Master. You are my world."

"You... You still haven't told me you're not a hallucination... If this is a dream, then please don't wake me up..." Mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted, Adohira began to go limp. He finally nodded off with tears staining his cheeks and Akazukin in his arms.

6 Survivors Remain

*AN* As always thanks for all your help betas and especially Super. Rewriting a lot of this from scratch has been a major undertaking, but I'm proud of the work we've done so far. I know this fic is a little more low-key compared to some of the others, but I do genuinely appreciate all the reviews and comments. Thanks guys, it means the world to us! =)

Review Section:

Magus1108

Yeah it really helps having more time to develop and flesh out some of these characters haha.

NSPunny

Lol your meme game is strong. I love it

bellatrixshine

Yeah we're having to write a lot of these scenes from absolute scratch xD

BirblordAlmighty

Definitely. It's great to have more conversations with characters who barely interacted in the rp =)