Recap #1

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…

…

Well.

That hurt.

I awoke in a rather dimly lit room, staring up at a ceiling with the design of several different death scenes decorated onto it - with what looked like tacky water paint or something of the sort (they were very poorly done, almost as if painted by a child).

Thankfully, the pain I just endured from my recent death was gone, and the only thing I felt now was anxiety and stress from having absolutely no idea where I could possibly be.

"Hey, Sonoda!"

A familiar voice called for me from nearby. But it's a voice that I should have never been able to hear again. Because…

"We saw what happened, it looked so terrible." She said, concern and compassion ever so present in her voice. "Are you ok?"

Again, this should be not at all be possible, but I suppose I can entertain the idea of her actually being here. It won't hurt to just take a look…

I lifted my body from the ground in order to face this mysterious person with a talent for mimicking her voice. And what I saw was something that I could have never expected.

Satoko Kiyomizu, the second victim of the killing game was standing right in front of me, looking unharmed and alive as ever.

"But...that can't be possible." I said, my eyes wide in astonishment. "I saw your dead body for myself!"

Satoko sadly smiled. "Yes, you did. However, remember, you just died didn't you? So think about it. If you're dead, and I'm dead, then that means…"

"This place is the afterlife?" I surmised with a questionable expression. "I'm sorry, but that's incredibly hard to believe."

"Well, believe it, bud." Another voice said. I turned to see the cold blooded first killer, Ritsu Kuroyama, crossing her arms and looking annoyed. "Jesus, we've gone through this with every single person. You're dead as a door nail and are stuck here with all the other dead people who died in the killing game. Believe it now and make it easier on yourself." She said in a cruel tone.

Ah, I see. I was initially surprised to hear the Ultimate Spy speak so crudely, but if I remember correctly, she was only bubbly and positive to deceive people from her true nature as a spy: cold blooded and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

"Ritsu, I don't think that's exactly the most comforting thing to say to someone who's just died." Satoko sighed, facepalming. "Try to be easier on him, ok?"

Ritsu rolled her eyes. "Whatever…"

"Still ever so pleasant, Ritsu." Hiiro Sayoama, the second killer, commented, suddenly coming into view.

Interestingly, he chose to stand next to Satoko, who did not look at all bothered to be standing next to her killer.

So, it appears there's four people here with me.

Ritsu, Satoko, and Hiiro, who all died one after the other.

However, there's two people missing. One before Ritsu and one after Hiiro…

"S-Sorry, I'm here now!" Nadia Levitsky quickly said, running up to me and the others. "I just finished my third crying session, I think I am better now…"

"That's what you said last time." Hiiro deadpanned.

Nadia is the third victim, and the current case that we were trying to solve before I got axed.

"Nadia!" I gasped. "You're also here?! Who killed you?!"

Nadia narrowed her eyes. "...I have no idea."

"Really?" I asked. "Even if you don't know the exact person, you should at least have some sort of clue, yes?"

Nadia shook her head. "No, actually. I think Satoko explained it well enough to me, she can let you know why I'm so clueless."

Satoko nodded as Nadia spoke. "Yes. Sonoda, who killed you? You were murdered too, right?"

"Yes, I was! And the person who killed me was…" I started to say, before finding myself at a loss for words. "The person who killed me...was…"

"Well?" Ritsu raised a brow. "Spit it out."

"...I can't." I frowned. "I...can't remember. I know for a fact I was killed, and can picture someone doing me in, but who they are is a mystery to me."

Satoko nodded. "That's right. The way it works here is, you don't remember who killed you or any important details about the case until the living students solve the murder. Take a look around you, and you'll realize where you are."

I did so, turning my head to view everything around me.

I quickly realized I wasn't in front of the pearly white gates of Heaven or by the fiery infernos of Hell. Instead, I was in a movie theater.

We were currently situated at the very top of the theater, standing/sitting on the dark red carpet strewn throughout the room. There were about a dozen rows of fancy red leather movie chairs, and of course, a ginormous movie screen at the front of the room, which I just realized is displaying the living students, gathered in the garden and staring in shock at my dead body while Monokuma gave them the usual spiel. There wasn't any sound, and I noticed the muted symbol at the bottom of the screen.

"We don't really watch or listen to the movie screen." Hiiro said. "We find it more depressing than anything to see the living students. Plus, it feels like a major invasion of privacy."

"Additionally, whenever there's a murder going on, we're prohibited from seeing who dun it." Satoko continued. "For example, we could see when both you and Nadia met your ends, but instead of showing the killer, we just got to see some sort of dark grey figure."

"And then when someone dies, they arrive in this place." I realized. "With no memory of who killed them, until they see it play out during a class trial."

"Exactly." Satoko nodded with a smile. "You catch on quick! I didn't realize it was Hiiro who killed me until the moment the others started to discuss it during the trial."

Hiiro grimaced. "Again, I apologize for that…"

"We'll be the same way, Sonoda." Nadia said to me. "We won't know who killed us until the living students know."

"I see…" I said, catching on to what these people must have been going through. Ritsu especially has gotten to witness all of our deaths, everything said about her, and who knows what else. They've had to welcome every dead person and explain everything. For me it's unfortunate to have died, but something I suppose I can accept. For people like Nadia, however, things must have been a lot more difficult...

Ritsu, Satoko, and Hiiro looked so nonchalant, as if they had just accepted this supposed afterlife. Nadia still looked anxious as per usual, but even she looked as if she was getting used to this idea.

But I had a lot more concerns that I needed addressed before I could just sit back, relax, and watch my living classmates.

"Don't you all think this is a bit strange?" I commented. "I mean, we die and our afterlife is some movie theater place where the only people in it are people who also died in the killing game? If that's true, than everyone who's died with a group of people, like an apartment building fire or a natural disaster, have awoken in the same movie-theater-esque room and watched the lives of the survivors play out for the rest of eternity?"

Ritsu shrugged. "It is a little weird, but what do you want us to say? We die and have woken up here, this is clearly the afterlife. If not, then what else could it be?"

"Many different religions follow a similar set of beliefs regarding life after death," Satoko said. "From Heaven and Hell, to reincarnation, all the way to the idea of eternal oblivion. These are the most common beliefs held by people, but what if they were all wrong? Instead of those ideas, the afterlife is something different for everyone. In our case, we all died during an unusual and traumatic event in a similar way: being killed by someone who snapped or being that person who snapped because of Monokuma's motives and being punished for being found out. Our souls may all be tied together, resulting in the afterlife we now see here."

As Satoko spoke, I took a few moments to look up at the ceiling and examine the deaths portrayed. They all looked rather unsettling: a navy haired girl sitting dead with her back against the wall, a brunette haired boy being electrocuted (or melted?) in a electric cage, a robot looking creature surrounded by a pool of...something, a blonde boy surrounded by a pool of blood with a horrified expression, with several others. In all, there looked to be about around two dozen extremely unique scenes of murder.

Something about them reminded me of what I've seen so far. Silver's body sprawled on the floor, Ritsu's body sliced by lasers, Satoko lying in the pool, Hiiro melted into ash, Nadia frozen to death in the penguin exhibit, and even my body surrounded by a pool of blood in the garden. They all just seemed so unique and random, but there's no way these random dead people are at all related to our deaths…

Right?

"Worrying about what exactly this afterlife is won't do us any good." Ritsu commented. "We're dead. We're stuck in a movie theater for eternity, there's nothing we can do about it."

I frowned. "You know, Ritsu, I know you're not the most positive person, except when you're lying to us all, but you've been so incredibly negative this entire time. I don't mean to be rude, but what the hell is wrong with you?"

Ritsu narrowed her eyes, her expression softening. She didn't say anything however.

Satoko sighed. "Ritsu has been waiting on a certain someone to appear here, but he has yet to. She wants to apologize to him, but hasn't gotten the chance and it's eating her up inside."

I immediately realized who Satoko was talking about.

Six people have died so far in the killing game, but there's only five people here.

The one missing is the first ever victim, Silver.

"Where could he be?" I asked. "As the first victim, he should have been the first one here."

Ritsu shook her head. "When I died and woke up here, I was alone. It wasn't until Satoko died that I finally had someone else."

"I helped Ritsu look all around the theater, underneath every single chair, but there's not a trace of Silver anywhere." Satoko sadly frowned. "I think we can all agree that we would have been the most pleased to see him again out of everyone who's died, but that may never happen…"

She's right. Silver bore a certain air about him that everyone else lacked. Although very mysterious and a little shady (but not more than me, if I do say so myself), Silver was the one who helped put a smile on our faces and brought us nothing but joy during his time on the ship.

The last time we got to experience that joy was during Takumi's 'Welcome Home' party, when he hosted a trivia night for us all.

"Perhaps he is in a different afterlife?" Hiiro suggested. "As the first victim and one who believed the killing game would not commence, it's possible he is somewhere else than us, who've experienced the killing game first hand."

"I do hope he is ok…" Nadia said. "He was always nice to me and I never got to tell him that."

"Well, we do get to see him live every single hour." Ritsu rolled her eyes. "That stupid recap thing."

"Recap thing?" Nadia repeated. "What does that mean?"

"That's right," Satoko said. "You two haven't gotten to see it yet! It's a video of Silver recapping everything that's happened in the killing game so far. It plays every so often, about every hour."

"It's the only way we get to see Silver." Hiiro said with a small smile. "It's kind of nice, actually."

"Well, it's about to play here in a bit." Ritsu sighed. "I guess we should pay attention to what the big man has to say...even though it's the same thing 90% of the time."

Everyone but Nadia and I began to walk over to the top row of chairs and casually took a seat. Nadia and I gave each other a puzzled look, before hesitantly following suit.

The screen currently showed a puzzled Seizo reading the Monokuma file, trying to solve my murder.

Suddenly, the screen cut away and went black.

Then, about a second later, it switched back on to show the smiling face of the Ultimate TV Host…

Standing in front of a plain white screen, Silver looks happier than ever.

"Well, well, well, it's been a while, hasn't it?" Silver says with his signature charming smile. "In case you've forgotten, my codename is - or was - Silver and I was the Ultimate TV Host."

"Let's recap on everything that my old friends have gone through so far." Silver says. "As we all know, twenty of us were kidnapped and brought aboard a spaceship known as the HFH Enterprise.

Twenty Ultimate students, I should say! They're all amazing and talented in their own way, and I can't help but gush over the success of their careers! They shouldn't need an introduction, but I suppose I'll give them one anyway.

First up is the arrogant yet friendly neighborhood actor, Mr. Seizo Morine, whose codename was Crimson. He's the Ultimate Actor but is one of the most genuine people here, with a true heart of gold despite his obsession with himself.

Next is the quirky and kind Ultimate Cryptid Enthusiast, Mr. Akumu Tsubasa who went by Azure for his codename! He's Mr. Seizo's sidekick and a trustworthy ally who just wants us all to get along - much like myself.

Ms. Satoko Kiyomizu is the Ultimate Prodigy, whose codename was Rose. Arguably one of the most intelligent students onboard, she also happens to be the youngest!

Brrr, it's cold in here! Frost, or maybe you'll know him by his real name, Mr. Hiiro Sayoama is the Ultimate Barista whose awkward personality and standoffishness frequently made him the subject of many private jokes behind his back.

Money is the object of Mr. Sonoda Eisen's eye! As the Ultimate Salesman, Mr. Onyx is obsessed with the green and doesn't really think of much else!

Ms. Ritsu Kuroyama! I won't spoil too much, but she's certainly one of my favorites here, for a very specific reason (as he spoke, he winked.). This Ultimate Spy who went by Noir is quite the character…

Diamond is her codename, and Ms. Leonia Taylor is certainly just as luxurious as one. The Ultimate Photoshoot Choreographer exudes money and is by far the most mature student on board.

Mr. Shiro is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Kuro is his Mr. Hyde! The two personalities went by Cloud and Shadow respectively, and share the same slightly unsettling title of the Ultimate Occultist.

He almost died before me: Mr. Takumi Kyoshi, or as I knew him: Mr. Cotton! He's the clever and sweet Ultimate Escapist who still hasn't succeeded in escaping, unfortunately.

He may not tell it to people, but I surely know that Mr. Sunrise's real name is Mr. Jirou Takahashi! The Ultimate Pilot is full of air but serves as a leader figure for many of the students onboard.

Ms. Evelyn Bryant is an avid reader of many language books which made her the Ultimate Translator! I do wish I could've spent more time with Ms. Merigold.

Ms. Lava's real name is Ms. Isami Kanagi, which fits the very chill and mellow girl so much more!

A lot of people don't get along with Ms. Mari Tamatsuki, due to her total Royal behavior, but I for one don't mind a little bit of sass from the Ultimate Runway Model!

Mr. Jack Masaki may be on the quieter side of things, but the Ultimate Card Dealer previously known as Mauve can be quite loud when it comes to defending those he loves!

She's shy, quiet, and a little awkward, but we all adore Ms. Nadia Levitsky aka Indigo! She's the Ultimate Daredevil, and don't worry, she'll definitely be sure to tell you!

Mr. Norikazu Kanno is the Ultimate Illustrator and although he isn't the nicest, I'm sure we're all glad he didn't meet the same fate that a Sage typically does…

Ms. Francesca Croft is the savvy Ultimate Archaeologist, but she'll frequently refer to herself as the Ultimate Treasure Hunter. She does go digging and often finds Emeralds after all!

And last but not least is the Ultimate Modern Dancer, Ms. Scarlet who I care for oh so fondly. Ms. Clara Odette is as sweet as can be, except when targeted by an obnoxious pilot.

Our overseer and Pilot, Monokuma, said that in order to escape, we would have to kill each other." he explains and gestures to the screen behind him.

A picture of Ritsu Kuroyama displayed on the big screen.

"We all seemed to be getting along well - we even planned a party for Mr. Takumi Kyoshi! Unfortunately, I was not afforded the opportunity to get to know him." Silver sighs. "I met my hand from poisoned Long Island Iced Tea following a fun game of trivia."

"As we all know, my dear friend Ms. Ritsu made the unfortunate mistake of guessing that I was the Mastermind of our kidnapping because of the note she found on my person." he explains. "Clearly, I was not…"

"I don't hold it against her - my murder, I mean. Ms. Ritsu fully believed I was the Mastermind. She didn't kill me out of malice or ill-will." Silver says genuinely. With a clap of his hands, the screen behind the Ultimate TV Host switches to the first trial room.

"When she realized her mistake, Ms. Ritsu fought for her life in the trial and during her execution. She had assumed that she was correct in my being the Mastermind and had no intention of ever making use of the first motive, the Savior Perk, but seeing as how she was wrong, Ms. Kuroyama intended to take Ms. Koko Kagawa back with her to Earth. Unfortunately, that plan never saw the light of day as Ms. Ritsu was executed for her crimes…"

Silver cleared his throats and claps his hands once again, the screen turning to a picture of Satoko.

"Victim Number Two is Satoko, who was trying her hardest to find the 'deceased' students who fell victim to a bad round of Traitor/Truce. You see, the second motive Monokuma introduced was a cruel game pitting two students against each other." Silver explains. "They're given a choice to SPARE or ELIMINATE each other. If a student voted spare but the other eliminated, they'd have to undergo a punishment. Alternatively, if both spare or eliminate: both are safe.

The game was going well until Mr. Kuro decided to take things into his hands following the announcement of the true motive." The screen changes to a picture of Kuro smirking evilly following the 'death' of Seizo.

"Mr. Kuro was afraid of the motive coming true and harm coming to the body he and Mr. Shiro share. Thus, he eliminated anyone he could in Traitor/Truce and eventually managed to convince a fellow student to kill Ms. Satoko." Silver says, the screen changing to a picture of Hiiro in the trial room.

"Manipulated by Mr. Kuro, Mr. Hiiro murdered Ms. Satoko with a baseball bat. He almost got away with it, but his antics were ultimately discovered and he found himself punished for his crimes." Silver sighs, shaking his head.

"Both two terrible cases!" He says sadly. "And now, we unfortunately have another one on our hands.

Monokuma's third motive is the dreaded Monokuma's Face Your Fear Challenge Extravaganza, which preys on the student's deepest and darkest fears. They appeared to have found a solution to the motive that made it null and void, but someone clearly didn't think that was enough.

This time, TWO students met their end! Ms. Nadia and Mr. Sonoda have both been killed by one of their classmates, in brutal ways that have stumped the living students now more than ever before!" He dramatically says, clapping the screen to a picture of the Ultimate Daredevil and Salesman.

"The case is just beginning, and I know you're getting a little bored in there, but be sure to hang on!" Silver says to the audience. "We're getting closer and closer to the truth, so please stay with me! I know Mr. Seizo and the other students are capable of doing it, so believe in them with me!" He says with a smile as the screen changes to a picture of the twenty students all gathered at the dining room table during the first days of the killing game.

"We may be dead, but we can't give up hope now," Silver says. "I love each and every one of you! Until next time, Silver out!"

The screen flicks off, Silver giving the audience one last wave before doing so.

…

I found myself a little teary eyed. I'm not exactly sure why.

I didn't care for Silver all that much, but something about hearing him speak and the words he was saying just ended up getting to me…

But why? I feel like I'm forgetting something so important, and it's hurting my heart…

"Silver…" Ritsu mumbled, staring at the screen that now displayed the living student's investigation. "I'll see you again. And when I do, I'm apologizing to you from the bottom of my heart."

Looks like Ritsu has been beating herself up about this for a while. Unlike Hiiro, she's never been granted the opportunity to apologize to her victim and reconcile with him. And as an even crueler cosmic joke, she's forced to watch Silver speak every day.

"This afterlife is so strange." Hiiro commented, changing the subject. "I'm not sure what to expect next."

"Me neither…" Nadia admitted. "It's a little scary."

"No need to be scared." Satoko smiled. "You heard what Silver said. Seizo is going to end this killing game and solve the mystery we've all been waiting for answers for. We just need to stay positive and believe."

I narrowed my eyes as she spoke.

Part of me wanted to desperately see the truth once and for all, but another was hesitant and afraid. Why were we all trapped onboard a spaceship?

Forced to kill each other?

Why did we end up in this weird movie theater for an afterlife?

And lastly…

Why is everyone referring to Seizo as some kind of anime protagonist?!

A/N: I have nothing to say. LOVE YOU ALL!