Chapter 7: Masks: Act: Five
10:30 P.M Day Two
Ground Deck
Hallway
"N-No! H-How did this happen? Why would anyone hurt her?" Timothy choked out as he hugged himself with a clear look of despair on his face.
Galexialyn offered a mild expression before shrugging. "I believe that is quite obvious, don't you? It was naïve of any of you to think this wouldn't happen at some point."
"Now is not the time to be belittling those who were simply trying to have shred of optimism. For goodness sake, a little girl is dead… You could at least pretend to care," Amanda responded tersely before staring at the motionless form on the ground. "We owe it to her to punish the party responsible."
The Ultimate Cheerleader blinked back tears. "I-I'm so sorry, Amanda. If I hadn't been wasting your time, this wouldn't have happened. Kikurin would still be with us!"
"Don't do that to yourself. There might be blame to go around, but it should be on the one responsible for her death. If anything, I feel some sense of culpability for not stopping her when she slipped off earlier," Kasumi admitted.
"Alas, I can't see why she would have done so. Had she stuck by the plan we'd agreed upon, her safety would have been guaranteed," Frida mused with a look of frustration and confusion evident on her face. TRUTH BULLET
"I-I just can't believe she's...why would anyone...I..." Kaiyo trailed off with a distant look in her eyes.
The Ultimate Scrapper stepped forward and patted the blue-haired girl on the back, making sure to avoid the blood on her clothes. "Yo, you should probably go clean up and shit, right? You don't need to see this anymore."
The Diver numbly nodded her head in response as she turned and began to trudge back towards the dorms without another word.
"Alice, maybe you should get some air, too? You don't have to stay here," Nerai said in a quiet voice.
The Medic's shoulders quivered as she stared with a glazed expression at the pool of blood and the lifeless body. Her lips moved, but she failed to utter a response.
"Like hell does she get to get out of this. Isn't she a damn medic? Suck it up. This damn case file only has so much information. I'm not going to die because some of you can't get your shit together," Rene said bitterly as he stared down at his Monopad.
Monokuma Case File #1
Victim: Kikuko Akagi
Misc: ?
Cause of Death: ?
Time of Death: ?
Discovery: The body was discovered at approximately 10:20 P.M in the hallway near the Garbage Disposal Chamber
"Rene, now is not the time for such hostility. We have enough to contend with right now," the Merchant said in a placating tone.
The Coroner tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I don't agree with his crude manner of speech, but we could certainly use all hands on deck for this one. I'll need help conducting a preliminary investigation, and then I'd like to perform an autopsy in the morgue. The more we can discern before the trial, the better our chances are of survival."
"Wasn't me," Noelle deadpanned. A moment later, she tilted her head to the side and feigned confusion. "I think. You never know... I could've been sleepwalking; I guess you'd call it 'sleep-murdering.' Okay. Maybe it was me."
Shiori, who now sported an outfit more reminiscent of a real magical girl, frowned deeply as she noticed Kikuko's bare neck. "My magic wasn't strong enough." TRUTH BULLET
"Not to be dismissive, but we will need far more than magic to solve this. We will need to cover as much ground as possible. However, if access is limited due to curfew, that could prove difficult," Shuhei pointed out.
"Fear not! While the Captain is an ass, and though I cannot give anything directly to you all, access has been granted to all rooms on the Ground Deck. That includes rooms normally locked during curfew, as well as all of the rooms in the dormitory," a voice said as Nessa's holographic form appeared in the hallway near the gathered group.
"Least that's some fucking bright news on this otherwise shitty night. We should probably make the most of the time we have; we might not have long until our dickwad of a Captain gets bored," Jingai mused.
Hollie shuddered slightly as she turned away from the grisly scene. "Then it's good we have plenty of people. Time to put our time management skills to the test and catch a killer."
Kosaku, who had been very quiet, walked over before kneeling down, taking care to avoid tracking any more blood. His expression was unusually somber as he spoke. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there for you, little sister. It wasn't very long, but I was proud to be your big brother. I'm not very smart, but I promise we'll make this right. A big brother always keeps his promise."
10:41 P.M Day Two
Ground Deck
Dormitory Wing (Boy's Hallway)
"Why do you think someone would have hurt her? She was nothing but kind to everyone. N-None of this makes any sense," the Engineer said sadly as he searched the inside of a walk-in closet.
GAB3 chirped out a solemn response while puttering through the air next to him. "It's too soon to say, Master Tim. Humans can be unpredictable when cornered into difficult situations."
"He means that most people suck! Keep your wits about you, kid. I wouldn't trust any of these people," 5A1K0 responded as she poked out of the boy's rucksack.
"While exercising caution is important, there's a fine line between that and letting paranoia get the best of you," Shuhei said as he strode into view. He glanced briefly at the closet. "Find anything of note?"
Timothy meekly shook his head. "Nothing that I think would constitute as a clue. How much time should we spend in each of these rooms?"
A sigh escaped the Scientist as he turned back into the main part of the apartment. "Unfortunately, we must divide our time carefully. The last thing we want is to be unable to check all the rooms on this hallway. We have to have faith that the others will be thorough with the girls' rooms."
"I-I guess that really is the best we can do. It's nerve-wracking not knowing how much time we have," the smaller boy admitted as he trailed behind Shuhei. As his head remained hung low, he caught sight of something white that was barely visible from beneath the edge of a nearby couch. "I think I see something," he murmured as he trudged forward towards the article.
"Excellent job, Master Tim! I believe that certainly is a clue!" GAB3 exclaimed as he floated forward to inspect a very distinct hockey mask. TRUTH BULLET
"Heh, it might not be the murder weapon, but in this case it might as well be." SA1K0 chortled.
Shuhei thumbed at his chin thoughtfully as he watched the Engineer pick up the mask. "Let's not jump to conclusions without more evidence, however it does require further investigation."
The Robotics Engineer turned the mask over a couple of times with a wary expression. "If the mask and machete were gifted together, then they really do have a lot to answer for. "
"Pshh, why waste our time now? Let's just go nail this loser! We can solve this case before it even begins!" 5A1K0 chirped.
"No, that's not how a proper investigation should be conducted. While extremely suspicious, our evidence is circumstantial. We need something more concrete. Keep in mind what the stakes are," the Scientist suggested as he adjusted his glasses. "We don't get a second chance if we get this wrong."
"Well said, Doctor Kisaki! We have to do our due diligence. Not only so we leave nothing to chance, but also so Miss Akagi gets the justice she deserves!" GAB3 said earnestly.
Timothy nodded slightly in response. "Should we keep looking around here, then? Or should we move onto one of the other rooms?"
The Ultimate Scientist gazed down at the watch on his wrist. "...I say we spare a few more minutes for another sweep before moving on."
10:50 P.M Day Two
Ground Deck
Hallway
"I-I'm sorry, I just can't. It's not that I don't want to help, but the sight of blood… I just can't stop shaking," Alice admitted with a tightlipped expression. She refused to look at the body and kept her eyes squeezed shut.
Daniel offered an overly-dramatic sigh. "Oh dear, well that will simply leave more work for me to do back in the morgue. I suppose there's nothing to be done for it, though. At the very least, I believe we can start with determining a window for the time of death. That could very well narrow down our list considerably. I'd certainly say it's been less than an hour. Thoughts, ladies?"
"I am no medical professional, but Kaiyo mentioned the body was still warm when they discovered Kikuko at 10:20. So if it's been less than an hour, I'd wager the time of death was probably somewhere between five minutes till ten and when the body was discovered. That's a twenty-five minute window," Amanda offered.
Hollie frowned deeply. "There's a lot of blood pooled around where the body was found, but there are also drops cast out from when she was presumably stabbed. Those smaller bits seem like they're on the verge of drying. I'm sure that must help narrow the window of time." TRUTH BULLET
"...A single drop of blood that lands on a dry surface often dries in about an hour at room temperature. Blood that has collected in a pool dries much slower. The time it takes to dry also depends on the amount and depth of the pool in question. Things like temperature and humidity also play a large role," Alice added in a shaky breath. TRUTH BULLET
"Splendid. Then we can narrow the time frame down far more. Since some of the blood is almost dry, and there's only one visible wound we can assume the time of death occurred approximately between 9:55 and 10. That should do wonders in terms of narrowing down alibis," Daniel mused before tilting his head as the sound of wheels could be heard. TRUTH BULLET
Kosaku offered the group a faint nod as he entered with a wheeled stretcher, his normally cheerful expression still stony. "Just like you asked for. Think we'll be able to find the person who did this?"
"Of course we will. Don't worry, there's no way the killer will get away with this," Amanda said as she reached out and rested a reassuring hand on the bulky boy's arm.
The Field Medic offered a strained smile though she still took care to avoid regarding the scene. "She's right, Kosaku. When you really think about it, the odds are on our side: eighteen of us versus the person who did this. We just have to make sure we don't get thrown off the scent. I-I'll try to examine the scene once Kikurin's body has been moved..."
"Excellent. Any extra assistance would go a long way, Miss Bailey," Daniel replied cheerfully as he nodded at the Construction Worker. "Hey there, big fella, mind helping me get her on the stretcher?"
"Y-Yeah, whatever you need," Kosaku responded as he crouched down before tentatively picking the girl's small form and carrying it over towards the stretcher.
Hollie's brow furrowed slightly. "Daniel, are you always this nonchalant about death? You almost seem to be in good spirits. It's a bit unsettling."
The Coroner raised a hand to his chance before bowing his head slightly. "Oh dear, I'm terribly sorry for giving such a notion. Of course this is a tragedy. You just have to understand, I'm quite used to dealing with death. With my line of work it's only natural to become desensitized. I can't afford to crumble every time I see a body, otherwise I would be quite useless."
"All the more reason why I have to...I have to work through this. It's not fair to put others in jeopardy because of my own issues," Alice responded as she slowly turned to face the scene. Her breathing hitched and her shoulders shook, but she managed to keep herself from any further response.
The Child Psychologist offered a sympathetic smile as she extended a hand to pat the shorter girl's shoulder. "Don't push yourself too much, dear. Take baby steps. If you feel too burdened, don't hesitate to remove yourself from the situation."
"Better you follow her advice then go into some sort of catatonic shock. That would be of no use to anyone," Hollie commented as she watched Daniel secure Kikuko's body and the stretcher.
Kosaku took a step back away from the Coroner and the Child Star's body as he crossed his thick arms. "We'll be there for each other, to make sure little Kikurin gets justice. She's in your hands now."
"Ah yes, rest assured that I will take excellent care of her. Now if you'll excuse me, I have much work to do. I'd prefer you not disturb my work. I mean no disrespect, but I'm afraid you would only be in the way," the Coroner said before he began to push the stretcher down the hallway without awaiting any further response.
The Acupuncturist frowned into her scarf. "Should we really just leave him to do a big part of the investigation without someone else present? If he happened to be the Blackened, he could derail the whole investigation with a bogus autopsy report."
"I understand your concern, but I don't believe he could be the culprit. Shortly after the body announcement, he emerged from his room. However judging from the narrow time frame, I don't see how he could have returned to his room without running into those already in the dormitory. Frida's idea proved fruitful as it narrowed down the list of suspects greatly," Amanda pointed out. TRUTH BULLET
"Then that means our suspect likely is someone who didn't arrive in the dormitories until after the body announcement played," Alice offered as she pushed back a wave of nausea from the iron scent in the air as she slowly crouched next to the pool of blood.
"Wait! I think I found the culprit. Look!" Kosaku said as he gestured a series of prints that lead through the blood and tracked towards the dormitories. TRUTH BULLET
The Medic averted her gaze as she forced an anxious smile. "I see what you're saying, big guy, but remember it was Kaiyo and Scrappy that found Kikurin. She was even cradling her body when we all gathered. She was so caught up by her discovery that she wasn't concerned about evidence. I don't think those prints are connected to the actual culprit."
"He does bring up a good point though. With this much blood, how did the actual blackened not track or get blood on them?" the Acupuncturist questioned. TRUTH BULLET
"Perhaps that requires further investigation. Kosaku and I can search the rest of the deck and see if the culprit left any traces behind," Amanda said as she regarded the burly boy.
The Construction Worker nodded. "I just wanna help. Whatever is best for Kikurin."
"Great. I'll help Alice here to the best of my ability. Maybe there's something we've overlooked," Hollie offered with a shrug.
11:03 P.M Day Two
Ground Deck
Dormitory Wing (Girl's Hallway)
Nerai swept her gaze down the hallway as she looked at the series of doors. She glanced at the girl standing beside her for a moment before giving a small nod. "Alright... Let's just start on one end and go from there," the Sniper explained as she reached for the nearest door, opened it, and stepped inside quietly.
"You're the expert! Just consider me your plucky sidekick. There's no way I could just stand around, so it feels good to be doing something," Bridgette said as she fell in line behind the Sniper. "So, do you have any hunches already? Does anyone stand out as suspicious?"
"Nothing concrete, only what I can tell from a few people's actions and attitudes so far. Nothing I am comfortable acting on just yet," Nerai explained as she stepped into the center of the room. She idly tapped her chin in thought as she began looking around.
"Keep in mind that this is Amanda and Kikuko's room, so they will have more items to look through. It will be the same when we search mine and Alice's room," the Sniper added.
The Ultimate Cheerleader nodded as she let her gaze sweep around the entryway. "Playing your cards close to your chest, huh? Just like those bindings you're using? That's totally smart. It feels so weird to think Kikuko is really gone and that one of us actually did it. Bet that smug little bear is really enjoying this," she huffed as she glanced around the nearby sofa and coffee table.
"I know this probably sounds totally fishy, but there's probably no reason to search Jin Jin's and my room. I mean, I was with Amanda in our room when all of this happened. Plus, I'm pretty sure Alice and Shiori were getting glammed up by Jin Jin at the same time in Shiori's room. So unless we've just got extra time, it seems sort of pointless to bother with those rooms, don't ya think?"
"I see... So that's why Alice looked- Never mind, those alibis are reasonable. We'll leave them for last, if at all," Nerai said with a small nod. Her eyes remained slightly narrowed.
The Sniper stepped up to the closet and pulled it open. A large assortment of dresses filled the space, in various cuts and colors. "This is... quite the collection. I think there's more clothing in here, than I've owned my entire life..."
"No kidding! Sheesh, I gotta talk to Amanda, though. To have such cute underwear, she dresses like a little old lady," Bridgette commented before pausing momentarily to look up at Nerai. "...And that's totally not relevant to anything. Though it's pretty easy to tell where Amanda's wardrobe ends and Kikurin's begins," she mused as she gestured at the opposite side of the closet.
"Indeed..." Nerai raised her eyebrow for a moment before turning to a dresser drawer. She pulled it open and began sorting through quietly. Buried at the bottom was a tiny piece of paper that was shaped like Monokuma's head. The Sniper held it up for the Cheerleader. "Well, this might just be something..." TRUTH BULLET
The redhead's eyes widened as she suddenly bounded forward before getting only inches away from the other girl's face. "Woah! That's totally something! You know what it sort of looks like? Like a tag you'd see on a birthday or Christmas present. Course if I saw this thing, I'd trash it in a heartbeat!"
Nerai slowly inched away from the Cheerleader before I turned back to the Monokuma head. "Either way, this is odd. It's a bit like the coins some of the others found that had his face as well."
"He really likes branding stuff, doesn't he? That was in Kikuko's drawer, right? This is definitely a start. So what do you think, Rai? Think there's anything else juicy here?" Bridgette asked as she folded her arms.
"It's doubtful, but we may as well check. However, we may want to consider splitting up the remaining rooms after this. We may run a bit tight on time otherwise," Nerai explained as she set the paper down again.
The Cheerleader nodded earnestly as she bounced in place a moment. "Gotcha! Divide and conquer it is. You can count on me. I guess, to be fair, I'll check out the room you're sharing with Alice. Let's do this so we can nail the sucker who hurt Kikurin!" she said as she pumped a fist in the air before staring at the Sniper expectantly. "Kay it's your turn. Give it plenty of gusto! Nothing but your best!"
A long quiet moment passed before Nerai sighed. "The trial is coming. We need to search all that we can," the Sniper said as she turned around and began walking towards the door.
"...Aw come on! You really need to work on your spirit. Motivation and positivity can go a long way," Bridgette responded before blinking as she saw the other girl's form nearing the door leading out of the room. "H-Hey! Jeez, have it your way. Work now and talk later, I got it. Don't think this conversation is over though!" she exclaimed as she jogged after the Sniper.
11:11 P.M Day Two
Ground Deck
Garbage Disposal Unit
The Ultimate Chessplayer scowled as he gazed around the entryway of the GDC before letting his attention shift back to the Merchant. "I don't know about you, but I don't see a goddamn thing. I mean, shit, there's plenty of fucking junk, but I don't see anything incriminating. I figured with Kikuko being offed out there that we'd find something here, too."
"It's not a wrong assumption. We may just need to look a bit harder. A killer would have tried to tamper with the evidence," Konyu mused as she shifted her backpack with a shrug.
Jingai eyed the surrounding area carefully before turning his attention to his Monopad. "I wonder why someone didn't bring the damn murder weapon here, let alone the fucking body. Of course, there is a very simple solution: By the time she was dead, access was blocked off due to the curfew." TRUTH BULLET
The Merchant nodded as she turned back to the doorway. She slowly walked back up to the retracted gate and squatted down. "That makes sense. You can see some blood outside, but it didn't make it inside, so the gate must have stopped the rest."
"Well shit, that's about as clear cut as you can get. Bet the autopsy and investigation would have determined that, too. Still, this is a way of backing up whatever they come up with. I've got a theory about something else, though. Mind if I pick your brain?"
"Ooh, that sounds good to me!" Konyu said as she stood up straight again, giving the boy a smirk. "What are you thinking?"
"I didn't exactly want to bring this up in front of everyone else. Let's be honest, it's not gonna rub some of the others the right way, but I don't think our Child Star was as wholesome as she acted. At the very least I think she was hiding something from us. My theory is she was the one to receive Monokuma's gift. My thought is she didn't want to own up to her being the recipient, so she came here to dispose of it. She ran into someone though, and somehow things took a bad turn. It makes some sense if you think about it. If she received the weapon and it was turned on her, it explains why the killer wasn't allowed to walk, because the recipient became the victim instead," Jingai stated as he thumbed at his chin. "I could be wrong about what her intentions were, but I think the logic fits. It also explains why the hell she ditched the idea of helping search the various dorms at the last minute. She knew she'd be forced to explain herself..." TRUTH BULLET
Konyu nodded as she carefully looked over the Chessplayer. "That's a solid read of the situation, and I certainly agree on that assessment of Kikuko. But I suppose it'd be a joke to say that a girl who wore that much makeup had something to hide."
"Shit, she probably had some major insecurities about getting older. Look, I'm not here to judge her no matter what the fuck was going on. You just seem like a bitch who can play nice but also speak your mind. We could use that in the trial. Especially if people start going into denial, which I think is very likely..."
"Yes, that sounds about right. It's sure to be a hard pill to swallow for some of them, so we'll just need to be there to keep them on track. Can't have people losing the trial over their feelings," Konyu added as she stroked her chin in thought.
Jingai cracked a wry smile. "My thoughts exactly. Not gonna lose my neck because people are too stubborn to face the truth. Glad to see we're on the same page. Now why don't we split up and check some other areas? The dorms are being covered, but that still leaves plenty of places."
"True. While unlikely, there's no reason some evidence might exist elsewhere on the station. Though do keep an eye out; the blood is flowing now, and I'm not about to go assuming this was a one-time incident," the Merchant explained with a small wave of her hand, before she turned back towards the doorway.
The Chess Player regarded his Monopad a moment longer. "Hn, that's an understatement. If anything, this is only the beginning," he said under his breath before heading towards the exit himself...
11:38 P.M Day Two
Ground Deck
Morgue
"Jeez, what the hell is taking so long? I swear, if he fell asleep at the job, I'm gonna sock him good," Scrappy grumbled as he and Kosaku moved through the Infirmary and towards the door leading to the Morgue. "...Sorry, I shouldn't say that. I'm just pissed off, ya know? What am I saying? I'm sure you're plenty ticked off, too, huh?"
"I'm sure Daniel is doing his best... This is his talent, after all," Kosaku said. A small frown had formed on his face as he stared forward. "If anything, I hope he wasn't rushed by this whole thing. We need to get this right for Lil Sis!"
The Scrapper's expression softened. "Hey, don't sweat it, big guy. No way will the bastard who did this get away. You and I ain't no rocket scientists, but we're surrounded by a bunch of eggheads. It's only a matter of time before we-" Scott's words suddenly cut off as they passed through the doors leading into the Morgue. Whatever commentary he had was utterly silenced by the sharp and now familiar scent of blood.
It soon became apparent however that this had little to do with Kikuko's wounds. As the pair traversed deeper into the room they were met with a grisly sight.
Kikuko's lifeless form was on an operating table. A sheet haphazardly covered most of her body, with only a few hints of nude flesh visible. Laying on an adjacent table was another familiar figure, that of the Ultimate Coroner. He too was just as still and unmoving. At least six scalpels pierced his blood-splattered shirt, one was impaled through his right eye, and a final one was lanced into his groin, which was exposed in contrast to his covered torso. TRUTH BULLET
Standing several feet away with a clouded expression was none other than Rene.
Scrappy felt a mixture of disgust and rage building, but before he could erupt, a chiming sound cut through the room, causing Rene's head to snap up to a monitor along the wall. Monokuma's visage could be seen now with a wide grin.
"Pupupu, dear me! This is certainly a new one. A murder during an investigation. Maybe the first trial won't be such a slog after all. Ahem, if it wasn't clear enough...another body has been discovered. I'd suggest you kiddos adapt quickly. I'm not going to give you all night just because of these circumstances, so hop to it and give your Captain a good show!" the bear exclaimed before the feed abruptly cut off...
"Tch, I'm not here to be your damn entertainment," the Exterminator scoffed before regarding his Monopad. "Seems all the talk of peace was just as foolish as I thought. Least there's a file for this one, too."
Monokuma Case File #1
Victim #2 : Daniel Todd Morton
Misc: ?
Cause of Death: ?
Time of Death: ?
Discovery: The body was discovered at approximately 11:40 P.M in the Morgue
Scott clenched his jaw as he visibly fumed. "You fucking asshole! How can you be so fucking heartless? Not one but two people are dead, and that's all you can say? So why did you do it, huh? Why kill him? Was it to cover up what you did to Kikuko?"
The Ultimate Exterminator let out an audible sigh as he looked away from the case file before looking between the two boys. "I know it would be a first for you, but try to use your brain. Why would I just be standing here if I was trying to avoid being caught? Plus, someone turned him into a pincushion. You think I could do that and avoid getting blood on me?" he asked, turning once as if to illustrate his point. TRUTH BULLET
Kosaku, after a quiet moment, stepped closer, grabbed Rene's hands, and turned them over to look at his palms. His frown was wide as he stole a glance back at the bodies. "You could be using the excuse of staying here as an alibi since no one would suspect it, but you couldn't have done that, not with your clean hands..." the Worker explained in a low and angered tone as he raised up a large hand to point to the back wall. On it, written in fresh blood, was the word 'Psycho', clearly made by hand. TRUTH BULLET
Rene frowned as he folded his arms before glancing in the direction the taller boy had pointed. His expression seemed to falter as he stared at the word.
"Fuck me. Is this really happening? Kikuko...Daniel...are they both victims of some serial killer?" Scott asked with an unusually shaky voice.
"Well, that's what we have to figure out, right?" Kosaku said as he turned back towards the bodies.
"Can't argue that point. Though we need the people with actual training to examine Daniel's body and the rest of this room. The rest of us need to either be picking this station clean or determining where everyone was at the time of both deaths. Surely that will yield something. If not...we might as well kiss our asses goodbye," Rene stated in a sardonic manner.
11:49 P.M Day Two
Ground Deck
Briefing Room
"Fucking hell, what the absolute shit is going on?!" Jingai spat as he stood up before kicking a chair over.
The Ultimate Contortionist waved her arm sleeves through the air. "Nyeh, this is why you never split up. This is horror movie logic 101. Those who go off on their own always bite the dust. Strength in numbers...meow."
"Buried beneath your eccentric comment is something logical. From now and going forward, we should discourage any lone wolf attitudes," Kasumi commented with a troubled expression.
Amanda offered a curt nod in response as she crossed her legs. "Yes, I suppose we were so caught up in the investigation that the thought of anyone spilling further blood...wel,l it didn't even register. Jin or I could have possibly shared the same fate just due to carelessness."
"Alas, not so sure you both were in the same level of danger. It is possible that Daniel was targeted due to his work on the autopsy. It's possible that Kikurin's foul killer sought to cover their tracks. To that end, it may have required them to orchestrate this vile act," Frida said as she chewed on her thumb with a look of irritation. TRUTH BULLET
The Ultimate Diver, now wearing a fresh change of clothes, sat there with a solemn expression. Tears stung the corner of her eyes. "I-I can't believe two of us are gone just like that. Dragged down to the depths, and for what? Just a chance to escape. How can anyone sabotage so many lives because of their own selfishness?"
Shiori fidgeted anxiously before reaching out to tentatively pat the other girl's hand. "I-I'm not really sure. People can be really horrible sometimes, but not everyone is like that. Not everyone here is like that...or at least that's what I want to believe."
"Goodness, if only I could bottle that optimism and sell it right now. I think we all could use a dose," Konyu commented as she walked into the Briefing Room with her bag slumped over a shoulder.
"Meow, I think I've had enough doses today, Karen. Any more and I'll definitely overdose," Noelle muttered as she lazily pressed her cheek against the table.
Frida ignored the comment as she gave the Merchant a frosty look. "Care to explain where you've been all this time?"
"My, don't get any strange ideas in your head. It's not good for business if I go offing my customers. After Jin and I checked out the GDC, I explored a few other places. After the recent announcement, I figured I shouldn't be wandering the halls alone anymore." TRUTH BULLET
The Therapist nodded thoughtfully. "Of course that's a natural response. With Daniel's passing, this just became way more complicated. We really should make use of the time we still have."
"But where do we even start?" Shiori asked quietly as she peered around the room.
Jingai scowled as he finally returned to his seat. "That's hard to say, squirt. We don't know dick about Daniel's murder yet. The Monokuma Files don't offer much either. We need more to go on."
"Maybe we can help then," Scott announced as he and Kosaku entered through a separate doorway. "No fucking way do we have all the answers, but the two of us were there to discover Daniel along with Rene."
"Rene was there, huh? Interesting. I'm sure the others will fill us in, but care to share some details?" Kasumi asked as she raised a single brow.
Kosaku folded his thick arms. "...Psycho. That killer… Their name was written in blood on the wall. Daniel's body was messed up by a bunch of scalpels. Consider yourselves fortunate to not have to see it. He was completely brutalized."
"Good grief, we just can't catch a break. I wonder if this was the real deal or someone who wanted us to blame some boogeyman," Amanda said.
"Kekeke, a boogeyman, you say? That seems quite thematic, considering this motive," Chijimatsu chuckled as they slinked into the room. The Occultist offered a coy smile before taking one of the empty seats. "I'm inclined to believe we're dealing with genuine articles, though."
The Chocolatier raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure this isn't a foul deception? Also, would you care to explain where you've been?"
Galexialyn rested a hand over their chest. "Oh, am I now in the hot seat? How delightful. You see, while you all were beating the bush, so to speak, I decided to go and have a lovely chat with our AI. However, since no one else happened into the library, I suppose no one can verify that. Nevertheless, Nessa was able to provide some keen information."
"But I thought she was forbidden from assisting us with the investigations?" Kaiyo asked with a puzzled look.
"Ah yes, but you see there's always a loophole. I wasn't asking about clues, the blackened's identity, or anything direct. Initially, I was met with trivial responses, but after Daniel's demise...I decided to ask about our infamous serial killer. Of course the AI wouldn't give a direct answer such as their identity, but she did verify that said killer is among us. It may seem insignificant at first, but knowing that for certain means this could be far more than smoke and mirrors." TRUTH BULLET
The Ultimate Witch anxiously bit the inside of her cheek. "So Daniel's death could actually be from the real Mr. Psycho."
"Right now, that is ultimately irrelevant, though knowing that Nessa can be an asset is something to keep in mind moving forward. It doesn't matter if this serial killer is one of us or not. We still have a case to solve," Kasumi responded.
Frida rose to her feet before extending her arms. "The gods will expose the truth to us all. Shall we discuss each of our whereabouts during both crimes?"
"That does seem like a logical step to narrowing down suspects," Amanda agreed.
The Ultimate Contortionist cocked her head slowly to the side. "Meow, after getting the massage of a lifetime and grooming myself, I was asleep in my closet. Someone started banging on my door at one point, but I thought they were probably Karen so I just remained as a human pretzel. A short time later the body announcement played. As for Daniel-san's murder, I was being lazy and stuck with the group that came in here. Haven't left at all. Cue Phoenix Wright music," she said with a deadpan expression as she jabbed a finger out of her sleeves. TRUTH BULLET
"While her first testimony isn't the most compelling, I can say that I did knock on her door. If both murders were committed by the same individual it seems unlikely she's the culprit. Furthermore Frida, Kosaku, Timothy, and I were all in the dormitory wing in our attempt to confiscate the mask and weapon. This gives us all a pretty strong alibi for the first murder. Frida and I have been here in the briefing room as well since then," Kasumi offered TRUTH BULLET
Scott offered a grunt. "I was with the big guy when we found Daniel and also there to find Kikurin with Kaiyo. All I'm guilty of is bad fucking luck." TRUTH BULLET
The Diver offered a strained smile. "Y-Yeah, after Scrappy walked me back to the dorms, I quickly changed and came to wait in here. I feel so useless, but I didn't know what else to do." TRUTH BULLET
"Don't beat yourself up, dear. This isn't a normal situation by any stretch of the imagination," Amanda replied before sighing. "As for myself, I was with Bridgette at the time of the murder in her shared room. We were informed of Frida's plan by Kasumi and were about to assist shortly before Kikurin's body was discovered. As for the second death, Kosaku and I had split up to search some of the adjacent hallways, so I don't have much of an alibi beyond my own word," Amanda admitted. TRUTH BULLET
The Construction Worker nodded slowly. "Yeah, I didn't really see anything out of place after searching a while on my own. I bumped into Scott right outside this room. He had just led Kaiyo here, before the two of us decided to go see if Daniel had made any progress. You all know what happened then.." TRUTH BULLET
"Dontcha frown so much, Himbo! We're gonna get down to the bottom of this, 'kay? No way is some sicko getting away with this!" Bridgette exclaimed as she strode into the room with Timothy in tow.
Jingai snorted a bit at the girl's upbeat attitude. "Dare I ask what took you both so long?"
The Engineer flushed slightly. "W-Well, you see, Shuhei and I were searching the boys' rooms one by one. We were several rooms in when the second announcement played. After a short discussion, he thought it best to go help the second crime scene, so I continued searching the rest of the boy's rooms with GAB3, SA1K0, Pellie, and eventually Bridgette." TRUTH BULLET
"Yuuup! My story is pretty much similar. Only difference is after the first room, Nerai suggested we split up to cover more ground. When Daniel's body was found, Nerai took off to the Morgue. I finished the remaining rooms and saw Timmy still busy, so I helped him with the last couple of rooms," the Cheerleader explained. TRUTH BULLET
"Maybe I should go next? I was with Alice and Jin before K-Kikurin was killed. We were both getting makeovers. It feels so wrong now. While that was happening, she was..." the Witch trailed off a moment. "I've been here since the investigation began." TRUTH BULLET
The Chessplayer rubbed the back of his head. "Shit, don't be so hard on yourself. You two had no idea what was gonna happen. We were trying to be normal for a minute," he mused as he looked around the room. "She's right, though. I was with those two during the first murder. Konyu and I checked out the garbage disposal before splitting up to check a couple of other rooms. I eventually came here, which was right before Daniel was found." TRUTH BULLET
"I suppose that just leaves me and Chijimatsu and those not here presently," the Merchant mused as she gave a small shrug. "I don't have an alibi for either incident. No point in pretending otherwise. Words alone don't really have any value." TRUTH BULLET
The Ultimate Occultist offered a thin smile. "Agreed. As I said earlier, I was talking to Nessa when Daniel was discovered, though I suppose one could do that just about anywhere. As for the first murder? Well, I was reading in the library when the announcement played," TRUTH BULLET
"Sheesh, those aren't exactly the most compelling responses," 5A1K0 commented.
"Perhaps not, but it's too soon to make any snap decisions. At the very least we do have plenty of concrete alibis. Those will be essential for us to narrow down a suspect," Kasumi stated with a furrowed brow.
GAB3 floated in a lazy circle. "Yes indeed! Camaraderie will prevail. We shall ensure the guilty party is found and justice is served!"
11:53 P.M Day Two
Ground Deck
Morgue
"And this is exactly how you found everything?" the Scientist questioned as he shifted his gaze over to Rene.
The Ultimate Exterminator scoffed. "I'm not some fool. Unlike some people, I didn't tamper with evidence and have an emotional breakdown over a complete stranger."
"You'll excuse us if we don't exactly take you at your word," Hollie responded in a deadpan tone. "Though at this point, we don't have much choice until we've done our own investigation."
Shuhei frowned slightly as his attention shifted between the Sniper and Medic. "What do you two think? Psycho doesn't always kill in the same manner, so it's difficult to say. However, it certainly is brutal enough."
Alice repeatedly took sharp breaths as she had to periodically pry her gaze away from Daniel's body. The action seemed to serve as a way of keeping herself from overloading. "I-I'm certainly no criminal profiler, but this...it makes me feel the same way as the first time I saw Psycho's handiwork. Over the top, and excessively cruel.."
"Yes... even the other crime scenes of theirs I've seen were similar," Nerai added as she couldn't help from looking towards Alice before finally turning towards the bodies. TRUTH BULLET
Rene folded his arms. "Seems to me this nutjob killed Daniel to throw the investigation into chaos. If that was the goal, it worked like a charm. We've had to divert attention from the first murder to focus on the second. Then again...maybe they slipped up initially and had to silence our Coroner from something he may have discovered." TRUTH BULLET
"Seems like a big risk, but I suppose if it was damning enough...anything is possible," the Acupuncturist mused.
"For now this is all speculation. We need to focus on the facts. Ladies, anything we can use? Because I can't for the life of me rationalize how a culprit could have avoided being covered in blood after so many vicious wounds. Kikuko's attack was bad enough, but to walk away without a trace...it's puzzling." Shuhei admitted. TRUTH BULLET
"It is definitely a conundrum," Nerai added as she thumbed her chin in thought. After a moment, she turned again to the body of Kikuko and began to pull the cover off of her. "For now we'll just have to see if someone finds anything that can help with figuring that out. For now we should see if there was anything else to discover, if that was the reason Daniel was killed over."
Alice pursed her lips as she hesitantly let her gaze refocus on Daniel's body. "This attack was certainly far more...ruthless? The w-wounds are all of varying depths and severity. He must have been fighting for his life to the end, judging from the amount of blood coating his hands. I do believe he was alive up until the final strike. Which would have been through his right eye." TRUTH BULLET
Hollie paled visibly. "I suppose it was too much to hope that some of these were inflicted after death. It must have been excruciating."
"What about time of death? That's going to be important if we have any hope of finding a suspect," Rene pointed out as he stared at the blonde.
The Medic chewed on her lip a moment before glancing up at the clock resting on the far wall. "...Judging by the fact the blood hasn't begun to dry yet, and the state of decomposition...I'd say it's been less than forty minutes. If I were to put a time of death, I'd say around 11:20 P.M." TRUTH BULLET
The Scientist rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Excellent, that will make our job easier. Now if we can determine the motive for this murder, it might shed light on the whole investigation. It does concern me why Daniel is nude from the waist down. Was this done by the killer as a demeaning gesture or is it something more?" TRUTH BULLET
"Well... something more may be the case," Nerai responded as she gave a small sigh. She stood up from where she had knelt beside the Child Star's own nude lower body. "Kikuko is showing a bit of bruising down there. Most likely from sexual assault, and around her mouth is some already dried saliva. Unless it was the killer, it would explain why Daniel is in that state of undress." TRUTH BULLET
A look of disgust appeared on the Exterminator's face. "Are you fucking serious? So the whole deal of conducting an autopsy, was just so he could play with her body? Tch, well any sympathy I had for his passing is now nonexistent."
Shuhei shook his own head in response. "Daniel...certainly felt off at times, but I never would have imagined...this could certainly speak for an alternative motive. Psycho or not, I think almost anyone would have been enraged at such a sight."
Alice swallowed the bile rising in her throat as she regarded the Coroner's nether region. "...Oh god, I don't think there can be any doubt. There's definitely traces of semen. This must be why he was adamant about not being interrupted." TRUTH BULLET
"Whatever terrible things he did in life, he's still a victim. In the outside world he'd be punished. This isn't justice, though," Hollie offered quietly. "No one should be able to play judge, jury, and executioner."
"Pupupu, but that's exactly what you'll all be doing!" a voice exclaimed as the monitor in the room flickered to life. Monokuma could be seen grinning ear to ear. The voice began to echo in the distance as the broadcast went live across the whole Deck.
"This investigation is now over, which means it's time for this game to really ramp up. Head to the Bio Dome and go to the central elevator. You'll find it unlocked now. A trial wouldn't be complete without a proper setting, after all. You best bring everything you have, otherwise this will be incredibly boring!" Monokuma's laughter reverberated across the cold station before fading into oblivion once more...
18 Survivors Remain
CASE FILES
Monokuma Case File #1
Victim #1: Kikuko Akagi
Misc: The Victim suffered post mortem sexual assault
Cause of Death: A single stab wound through the victim's stomach via a Machete
Time of Death: 9:55-10:00 P.M
Discovery: The body was discovered at approximately 10:20 P.M in the hallway near the Garbage Disposal Chamber
Monokuma Case File #1
Victim #2 : Daniel Todd Morton
Misc: Victim sustained multiple varying wounds throughout the torso and even the groin.
Cause of Death: A scalpel having pierced through his right eye and into his brain.
Time of Death: 11:20-11:25 P.M
Discovery: The body was discovered at approximately 11:40 P.M in the Morgue
TRUTH BULLETS
Alice's Autopsy (Daniel)
Alice's Autopsy (Kikurin)
Amanda's Alibi
Blood Analysis
Blood on Daniel's Hands
Blood Pool around Kikurin's body
Bloody Footprints
Bridgette's Alibi
Chijimatsu's Testimony
Curfew and limited Access
Daniel's Nudity
Daniel's Time of Death
Frida's Curfew Search
Frida's Theory
Hockey Mask
Jingai, Shiori, and Alice's Alibi
Jin's Theory
Kasumi, Frida, Timothy, and Kosaku's Alibi
Kikurin leaving around Curfew
Kikuko's Time of Death
Konyu's Testimony
Machete
Missing Luck Charm
Monokuma Sticker
Nessa's confirmation about Psycho
Noelle's Alibi
Lack of Physical evidence (Daniel)
Lack of Physical evidence (Kikurin)
Psycho Killer Profile
Psycho written in blood
Rene's Testimony
Rene's Theory
Sexual Assault
Semen
Scott and Kaiyo's Alibi
State of Daniel's Body
*AN* As always I'd like to shoutout the betas. Particularly BouncingFish for his work on this chapter. Seriously thank you. Secondly, Koin I want to thank you so much for submitting Daniel. I truly will miss writing for him, he was one of my favorite characters to write for, but I had this idea that unfortunately required him to be an early death. Seriously though, thank you and I appreciate all of your work on the tropes and wiki page!
Review Section:
TJMike
Hey thank you so much for the review man. I really do like peppering in references here and there. Some of which can be innocent and others could be very meaningful. It's fun because the reader can't be sure what may end up being crucial later. Hope you enjoy what's to come =)
Jedi2020
I always love seeing speculation in the reviews. I can say you definitely were on the right track with one of these avenues. I think this chapter probably confirmed that for you in some way. Anyways, thanks again for reviewing. I'm curious to see if you can pin down whodunnit.
PotatoSorcerer
As per Danganronpa norms, things have to be turned on their head haha. Though I swear it's not just subversion for the sake of subversion. I think the best part of being a reader in this fandom is not knowing for certain where things are going, but being on a rollercoaster nonetheless. Thanks again for another thoughtful review!
Trust Me the Spider
Lol the trick with deathflags is to have so many people fly them that you can't pin down who actually is flying the legitimate one haha. Seriously though, I really enjoyed the scene with Hollie/Noelle. Thought it was important for people to see a bit more of our resident weirdo. I just think it's hilarious that people either love or loathe her. Seriously, I don't think I've seen much middle ground. Better to be one or the other than be forgotten I suppose.
RandomStranger48
I tend do have sections for collecting alibis in the investigation phase. That way not so much of that has to be done in the middle of a trial. I think it just flows better that way. Also because you can have the trial honing in on those who don't have alibis till the truth is exposed. I'm glad you're enjoying it. I really hope you enjoy what's in store next =)
Guest
Yup! This particular AU has had a discord for around 2 years at this point. Gosh it seems weird to think it's been that long. But yeah we're a pretty chill group. Just a mixture of Danganronpa, other games, anime, music, and fan art.
Logal
I'm super curious to see your full list of suspects. I think that's what I enjoy about these sections of these stories. I notice that almost everyone interprets things a bit differently. Sometimes people read too much into something, and other times they see the hints that were intended. Anyways, thank you as always for reviewing buddy, hope you enjoy the next chapter!