Chapter 2: Techos de cartón
'We aren't cracking this' his other said self taking a closer look. 'This isn't something we break through without the proper tools. He said slumping against the vault door. 'Sides... Those turrets don't look friendly.'
Esteban let out a sigh. He needed information and there was really only a way to get it. It could be pointless or could help. "Monokuma! You around?" He asked to no one in particular. Out of nowhere the monochrome bear appeared.
"Ya called?" He asked standing at attention.
"If I try to crack the vault door open will the turrents kill me?" Esteban asked. Monokuma looked at him as if evaluating his options.
"Nope. Go ahead and try! I promise the turrents won't activate!" The bear said.
"Somehow I doubt it." Esteban said sarcastically.
"Whaaaaa? You doubt me? I'm honestly hurt. I don't lie! Actually I'm interested in seeing if you can get through the door!" The bear said giggling.
Esteban slowly put his hand against the door. The turrents didn't activate as he let a sigh of relief. He turned again to the bear.
"Monokuma what is your endgame?"
"My endgame?" The bear asked confused.
"What do you get out of it?" Esteban asked. "Doubt it's money. So what is it? Infamy? Bragging rights? Your sick amusement?" Esteban asked as the bear looked quite puzzled for a second.
"I thought I left it quite clear. Despair!"
"Just despair?" Esteban asked perplexed.
"What do you mean just despair!?" The bear said insulted. "Well... Not everyone can have as lofty goals such as yourself." The bear giggled as Esteban tensed up at the implication.
"What?" He muttered.
"Puhuhu" the bear laughed. "I know everything about my students! You thought you could hide anything for me? How are the voices? I hope not too loud."
'Holy shit. He's got us there' his other self said his eyes wide open.
"Well you're full of surprises" Esteban said calmly. "Although I wouldn't compare my goals to yours."
"Awww. But we both fight for our goals."
"Look bear we can argue about philosophy all day but I have things to do." Esteban said.
"Buhuhu, you are so mean!" And with that he disappeared. Now alone Esteban let out a sigh, not many people knew about his situation. People he trusted with his life, people who wouldn't betray him.
'This shit is way too planned' his other self said. Leaning against the vault door.
'The resources you'd need to pull this off... I'm sure we walked into Hope Peak. So... The logistics to knock us all out and drag us somewhere else would be immense.'
'Not to mention suicidal. Cops would be all over it as soon as it happened.'
The more he thought about it the less sense it would make for someone to be able to pull such a large feat off. So the lost logical answer was they were still inside the school.
But that raised even more issues. Locking the school with such security isn't something that one can simply do overnight.
'Stop thinking about it.' His other self mused. 'We both know there is more to this than what Monokuma told us.'
'How long were we asleep?'
'No clue... And no clue what the fuck is happening outside. By now this should be more like Waco with tanks rolling through the walls.'
'I agree. Even though this is just a theory I think it has feet. We need to investigate more to see what we learn.'
'Well just keep it to yourself. Most people here would probably handle it poorly.'
'How about Kyoko? She seems to be the most level-headed one here.'
'Hmm... She could be trustworthy and she seems to have a good head on her shoulders but...'
'Do you trust anyone?'
'Not even myself! I just think she's off... Something about her doesn't fully click...'
'You do know we aren't in danger right. The only one who seems to be capable of actually tearing us a new one is Sakura and she seemed as disgusted as everyone else at the idea of killing.'
'You know... Your optimism is... Aggravating you know that?' His other self huffed.
'Isn't that part of what we believe in?'
'It is but you make it sound so damn easy...'
'We both know I'm an idealist but not a stupid one.' He said as he examined the door closer.
The keypad was of the highest quality. Six digits... He banged on the vault door a bit more.
"Hmm... Just a keypad? That would be too simple... There must be more to this... But what?" He said out loud. He then heard footsteps approaching him. They were light, Esteban tensed up a bit.
"Um... Esteban?" A frail voice said. Esteban turned around to see Chihiro and Junko? He was sure he only heard one pair of footsteps.
"Hello ladies, need something?"
"U-Um... We were wondering if you needed help?" He turned around surprised. Why would they want to help him? Didn't they think he was dangerous?
"Well while I do appreciate the extra hands aren't you scared?" He asked raising his brow. "Don't get me wrong I won't I just am surprised anyone would come to me." He then looked at Junko. "Especially you, considering I was an asshole."
"Eh, I get it, you're a criminal. So what? That might come in useful here." She said smiling at him, one that he didn't expect. He briefly blushed before composing himself.
"Well I appreciate the helping hands ladies." Esteban said giving them a warm smile. "Have you ladies made any discoveries?"
"Me and Chihiro found we each have a room. They all have keys with our names" Junko explained.
"Anything else? Every detail could be important." He said as he tried the first code a buzz telling him he had it wrong.
"T-the rooms are soundproof." Chihiro added, Esteban let out a sigh as again the door buzzed again.
"That bear really wants someone to fall to temptation" Esteban said unamused he looked over to them and broke the bad news. "This will be hard if not impossible to crack without a device running a program to crack it. Chihiro..."
"Y-yes?"
"If you were able to get your hands on a computer of sorts could you create that program?" Esteban asked "If I had access to my hideout I would have either used the code cracker I have or the beast to drill through."
"The beast?" Junko asked, he smirked at the thought of the behemoth.
"Used on my heist of the central metropolitan bank. A behemoth of a drill that used diamond tips to cut through the vault door."
"W-wow..."
"So Chihiro could you do it if we got you a computer?"
"Y-yes I should be able to!" She said as he smiled.
"Good, now the only issue besides the computer would be building the device. I could certainly do it with enough scraps."
"So we could probably escape?" Junko said with hope in her eyes.
"It is certainly in the cards." He then started pacing from one side of the room and knocked on it then to the other and knocked on it.
"What are you doing?" Junko asked. Esteban let out a sigh, the walls were solid. It sounded as if it had been reinforced with steel. Like most vaults it seemed it had all been made anyone from coming in or out through it.
'That solves one mystery.' His other self said whistling. 'Still this is hardly impenetrable with some of the hardware that would be brought to a situation like this.'
"Checking to see if we could punch through the walls. No luck walls are solid, reinforced with some sort of alloy. Probably steel..." He said his face darkening a bit.
'This is insane... There is something seriously off...' His other self said pulling out a cigar. 'The more we check the security in this place the less sense everything makes!'
'Tell me about it' Esteban said. 'The more I think about the crazier my theories become.'
"U-Um... Esteban... Are you okay?" Chihiro asked, Esteban noticed he had been looking intently at where his other self was. To the normal eye it seemed he had been looking at random corner for no reason.
"Y-yeah... Just... Thinking about what is happening and trying to make heads or tales about this."
"Any theories you 'ruffian'?" Junko said making him cringe.
"Dios mio... Don't call me that" he said groaning.
"E-Esteban... I've heard you use Spanish many times... Where did you live before this?" Chihiro asked a faint smile could be seen dorm.
"Lived in el Carmen. A town high up in the mountains. Up there we had three choices. Work in the mines, work the fields or turn to crime." He let out a sigh remembering his beginnings. "I can't say I miss the beginning but I miss the people I met there. Familia Chihiro... They are my family, El Carmen is my family and I love it."
"T-that sounds nice."
"So Junko... Anything you want to say?"
"So, as a criminal what do you think of what's happening?"
"Y-yeah I was wondering too..." Chihiro said, he didn't really want to tell everyone what he had come up with, if anything he was still debating if telling Kyoko was a good move. But a part of him told him he could trust at least these two...
'You aren't seriously going to tell them are you!?' His other self complained.
'Maybe...'
'Great yeah, a programmer and a diva. What an A team pendejo!'
'Callate puto!'
"Something wrong?"
"Nothing it's just... What I am about to tell you both is a secret you can't tell anyone." They exchanged looks and nodded. "I've planned heists which were borderline suicidal, that required extreme precision. With the knowledge I've gained planning those I have come to he conclusion something big is happening."
"W-what do you mean?" Chihiro asked fearfully.
"To kidnap 16 ultimate students from Hope Academy no less is nothing short of death sentence, police would lock the city before you even got close to leaving. Even the country for that matter considering that Togami pendejo."
"So what are we inside Hope Peak?" Junko asked.
"That is my belief. But that raises some more issues. All the changes to the school, the locked windows, vault door, reinforced walls. That is not something you could do in the minutes long time window you would have. Even if they did the impossible police would have already punched through the walls."
"Wait... What are you trying to say?" Junko asked fearfully.
"There are two possible answers, they aren't mutually exclusive though. Some major event happened outside or we have been asleep for longer than we think."
They both grew pale as he finished. He need to calm them down before they made a scene.
"I know how that sounds." He said empathically walking towards both of them. "But I promise, on my life we will get out."
"How can you be so sure!?" Junko asked horrified, shaking. Esteban grabbed her shoulders and hugged her.
"Señorita Junko, there is nothing I can't crack, there is no place that can hold me. I promise I will get you all out alive." She tensed up not knowing how to react.
Mukuro didn't know how to react, it had been so long since Esteban hugged her. She wanted to hug him back and tell him what she hadn't had a chance to tell him before. But the camera was looking directly at them.
Junko was watching and was probably enjoying herself with her sister's despair. Knowing that he had forgotten her, that he now saw her just as a bratty fashionista. That she probably wouldn't get the chance to tell him the truth... It hurt her to no end.
"I-I..." She barely croaked. He let her go as he looked over to Chihiro.
"Are you okay Chihiro?"
"I-I..." Tears forming in her eyes. "Why would someone do this?"
"Sometimes..." He began as he cleared his throat. "People act without rhyme or reason... Some people want to watch the world burn. But together we are stronger. Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise."
The moment was broken by Taka coming in loud as ever. "What are you doing to them!?" He asked running straight at Esteban. "Did you hurt them?"
"Hurt us!?" Chihiro asked horrified.
"Muevete pendejo" Esteban said his eyes narrowing. "Or I will show you what we do with bootlickers." He pushed Taka back.
"W-wait! He didn't hurt us!" Chihiro said getting between both of them.
"Yeah dumbass, we were just talking." Junko added as Take looked away... Embarrassed?
"I see... I apologize for jumping to conclusions Esteban." He said bowing. "I may have also overstepped when speaking about you, regardless of the situation we are all in this together."
'Jue, miralo...' His other self said amused. 'Mr Bootlicker himself bowing before us.'
"No worries Taka, I understand your worries of me being around anyone." He said smiling at him. "So did you need something?"
"Actually! We were planning on meeting up at the cafeteria to discuss our findings." While hearing him he saw a figure out of the corner of his eye, it was definitely Kyoko.
"Of course, you go ahead I just need to finish verifying something."
"You sure?" Taka asked.
"Yeah no worries." They all left leaving him alone, he leaned against the vault door and looked at where Kirigiri was hiding. "Good one but stealth is my forte." He chuckled as she stepped out unamused. "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to hear your theory" she simply stated, Esteban noticed she had something in her hands.
"Well as I told them it is just a theory. I don't want to worry anyone, I planned to only tell you but I decided to tell those two."
She looked at him confused. "Why would you choose me?"
"Señorita Kirigiri, out of everyone here you are the most level headed. In situations like this, we need people like you." He said calmly.
"I see... So I heard you are the ultimate heister" she simply said as he let out a sigh.
"Lo siento... If it looks like I didn't trust you or didn't want to tell you I can assure you that isn't the case."
"I understand that, it seems the timing was simply off." She conceded she opened what she had in her hand and showed it to him.
"I'm guessing this is a map of the first floor of where we are."
"It is..."
"Then... It lends a bit of credit to what I believe... Señorita Kirigiri, if I may... What is your talent?" He asked politely.
She seemed hesitant but something in her told her to trust him. Although he had just met him her instincts told her he could help. "I don't remember..."
"You don't remember?" He asked tapping his chin.
"Do you not believe me?" She asked a bit on edge.
"Not at all, I know how to smell out lies. And you aren't telling one."
'Que coño esta pasando aqui!?' His other self said.
'I have no idea, things are definitely more complicated than we could even fathom...'
"Kyoko, I promise you... On my life that I will find a way to return your memories." He said taking her aback. Why would he do that? What did he have to gain out of that? "And before you ask I earn nothing from this. I just hate the idea of having part of my identity ripped out. To atomize and dehumanize someone by taking their memories is truly disgusting."
"There is more to you than just being the ultimate heister right?" She deduced making him tense up a bit.
"How do you know that?"
"Your disgust for the rich, your fluency in Japanese, your definite sympathies for left wing ideas" she listed off.
"Well done Sherlock." He said amused as she looked at him stoically.
"Sherlock?"
"Well yes, you seem good at deduction." He explained, "so you're like the female version of Sherlock Holmes."
"Don't call me that." She said sternly.
"Oh well, I won't... So are these the current blueprints?"
"I wouldn't know"
"Well... It seems that they are the basis of what this place used to be. Whatever it is now is a different beast but... It gives me ideas."
"Of what exactly?" She asked raising her brow.
"Of us maybe finding a weakness in the building, blow it up and escape through the hole." He whispered giving his back to the camera.
"Can you build that?"
"You'd be surprise of how resourceful I am señorita Kirigiri."
"Who are you really?" She asked as he smirked.
"Find out yourself" he said calmly. "Welp we better move, the others might question where we are." He handed her back the blueprint. "You might wanna show them this."
They made their way to the cafeteria only to hear the screaming coming from it. Once they walked it they saw everyone at each other's throats they exchanged a look.
"In situations like this infighting is deadly." He said gaining their attention.
"What took you so long bro?" Mondo asked as Esteban smiled at him.
"Just verifying stuff at the main entrance." He said calmly.
"Wait... You and Miss Kirigiri arrived together... Were you two..." Hifumi started before Esteban's eyes narrowed.
"Finish that sentence and my boot will end up your ass got it camarada?" Esteban said his voice filled with venom taking everyone aback.
"I-I apologize! He quickly said bowing.
"No problem, just don't let it happen again." He clapped his hands and smiled. "Well what have we found."
"Kyoko! Where the heck have you been!? We already started the meeting without you!" Taka asked making Esteban sigh, unamused Kyoko put the blueprints on the table.
"Huh? What's this?" Makoto asked confused a bit confused
"Blueprints to the first floor of Hope Peak." Esteban said.
"Where did you find this?" Taka asked confused.
"It doesn't matter where I found it." She simply said.
"It does matter where you found it!" Taka protested.
"Professionals don't share their methods." Esteban joked as he smirked only to see Kyoko roll her eyes.
"Never mind that. What's it mean?" Junko asked, for a second Kyoko thought about it before speaking out loud.
"Just look at it. The building we're in right now is laid out in precisely the same way as Hope's Peak Academy." Kyoko explained to the rest of them.
"So what you're saying is...this really is Hope's Peak Academy?" Makoto asked.
"Close, but no. It seems that this place is Hope Peak but several changes were made to the design." Esteban butted in. "It looks like they decided to make changes to make it more like fort Knox than a school."
"So stupid it's not even possible. This is where the country's future elite are supposed to come and learn?" Mondo said skeptically.
"It makes the most sense, kidnapping all of us would be complicated, most logical answer is we are at Hope Peak" Esteban said calmly.
"But if this really is Hope's Peak, where are all the other students?" Ashina asked.
'Buen punto...' His other self said. 'If this is Hope Peak where the hell is everyone else?'
'That is something that I plan to find out.'
'Well... This is fucked.'
'I know.'
'We should have stayed doing our thing! Revolution! We do more good that way!' His other self said standing on the table.
'I want to minimize the bloodshed, too much blood spilled already.'
'That won't work and you know it! Look where it brought us cabron! Patria o Muerte!' His other self said.
"It's very simple. If you want to leave, you just have to kill" Togami said snapping Esteban out of his trance.
"How about you do us a favor and put your head in a blender rich boy." Esteban snarled Togami was taken aback by that.
"How dare you!? Then again I wouldn't expect better from a simpleton."
"Us simpletons change the world not you rich pricks. Together we will find a way out, you are with us or against us" Esteban said getting In front of Togami.
"You dare threaten me?"
"I do... Cabron... I don't fear you... I would rather die standing up to live life on my knees." He said as Sakura got in between them.
"That's enough!" She said.
"I agree, fighting won't get us anywhere. It is pretty late, I believe we should rest for today." Kyoko said.
"Before we go." Celeste interrupted "We all understand that we are trapped here. Which means we will be spending the night. However... You all remember the rule regarding nighttime, right?"
His mind flashed back to the rule of only sleeping in the dorms.
"So regarding this nighttime, I think we need to add a rule of out own." Celeste continued.
"What do you mean?" Makoto asked.
"Going out at nighttime should be prohibited altogether. The school regulations do not actually tell us not to go out at night. I would like to make it official." She said.
"Good idea, better than people getting paranoid." Esteban conceded.
"So you're suggesting we limit our activity at night as a kind of preventative measure." Sakura said.
"However, unlike the other rules, nobody can be forced to comply. We all have to agree to follow it." Celeste concluded.
"I see what you mean. But...I think I can agree to that. It's just like the little goth lolita said. Without something like that, we're just gonna self-destruct." Junko said.
"That we can agree on" Esteban said.
"What the hell are you saying we aren't escaping today!?" Mondo asked.
"No, you have to understand this was well thought out. It might take a bit longer to get out than previously expected but there must be a way."
As people started leaving each to their rooms Kyoko studied Esteban. It had not gone over her head he quoted Che Guevara, the more she spoke to him and saw him the less it made sense. He was hiding something and she was going to find out.
Mukuro made it as quickly as possible to her room. Taking off the wig and throwing it aside, she saw a familiar figure sitting on her bed. It was Monokuma, he played with one of her knives in his hand before throwing it at her.
She effortlessly caught it as Monokuma laughed. "Good to see your senses haven't dulled sister." A clear voice said through the bear. Unlike before there was no voice changer she could hear Junko's voice clearly.
"T-thank you Junko." She said blushing at the compliment.
"So... Pig I saw Esteban hugging you! Oh how did that despair feel? Knowing he doesn't know who you truly are." Junko squealed.
Mukuro was taken aback. Unlike her sister she didn't feel much from despair. She did all of it because she loved her sister and there was nothing more important to her than that.
"I-it felt great!" She forced with a smile.
"I'm so jealous! He seems so hopeful!"
"J-Junko... How much did you alter his memory?" Mukuro asked. It had not gone unnoticed to her that Esteban was not the same man she met two years ago.
"That's not your business you pig!" Junko chided. "I just did what I needed to. I want him to experience the best despair possible!" She said getting hot and bothered. "I want to see that face again..." She moaned.
Mukuro shifted uncomfortably as she saw how into it Junko was at the moment. "I-I see."
"Hmm... There is something that worries me though... He is piecing everything together faster than I expected." Junko said going back to her analytical self. "I am worried he will find one of those passages he built."
It had been an open secret Esteban had done something, as far as the despair twins knew he had built a series of complex tunnels with different entrances and exits. Passages not even they could find.
It was a pain in the ass. After all that was how the headmaster got away from their clutches. The unpredictability of Esteban's actions with his clear intent of sabotaging to reach his end goal excited Junko to no end.
"He seems to be a bit less... Erratic." Mukuro said, she played with the knife in her hand and smiled. It had been a gift from Esteban, maybe the only gift she had ever gotten on her birthday ever.
"For now!" Junko said giggling.
"What do you mean?"
"You flat chested pig wouldn't understand but try to keep up. Let's say he has a voice in his head that will be a real problem down the line..."
Mukuro for a moment worried about Esteban and whatever Junko had done to his mind.
Esteban laid in his bed. His room had been about what he expected with the exception of the many political theory books in a shelf plus his lockpicking set. He would test out the 'unbreakable locks' Monokuma had set up later. He threw a small red ball against the wall and caught it.
His other self had gone quiet, he didn't know why. A million scenarios played in his head as he threw and caught the ball.
These people didn't deserve this. Except maybe Togami that was. He wanted to get them out of there but he saw the fear, the paranoia and mistrust in some of them.
He wanted to keep them all alive, but he was not stupid one of them at least would give into the temptation of trying to kill. He would have to convince them against it or force them.
As he thought about it he started singing a tune from back when things were simpler. "Qué triste, se oye la lluvia... En los techos de cartón."
Here we go chapter 2, to be honest this chapter went through multiple revisions but I'm happy with the result.I hope you guys are enjoying it so far.
So I've decided to put the pairing up to a vote considering I have no clue which I should go down.
EstebanxMukuro: What we fight for
EstebanxJunko: Misery loves company
EstebanxKyoko: Stolen heart
EstebanxHarem: Total Anarchy
Those are the choices, the choice is up to you. Love it? Hate it? Tell me all about it! UltimateMetroMan out!