A/N: Alright, here's Chapter Eight of Execution Failed, as commissioned by StealthPhotographer. Please read and review, and enjoy!
Despair Arc: Execution Failed!
Chapter Eight: Chiaki vs Despair!
"Hello, we've come to pay Chiaki a visit. Are visiting hours still in effect?"
Kyoko, Makoto, and Sakura cautiously backed up, forming a protective circle around the injured Ultimate Gamer. Kyoko scanned the room before her eyes settled on the timid Mikan.
Ah, so that's how they knew to find Chiaki here… Kyoko deduced before her eyes flashed to the black-haired stranger that burst through the window. And that must be the stranger Makoto and Mondo encountered while I was investigating. Kyoko bit her lip as she cursed Damn, we're completely surrounded; this is the worst possible scenario! We need…
"…Untie me." The others turned their gaze to the still restrained Mukuro, who argued "You'll need all the help you can get to fend them all off. I've beaten Pekoyama before, and as the Ultimate Soldier, I stand the best chance against Kamukura. Perhaps together, Ogami and I can…"
"I'm not that stupid." Kyoko spat. "Even if we succeeded, you could easily try and kill us again. I'm not handing you a weapon, Ikusaba."
"…It's your funeral…" Ikusaba muttered after she sighed in resignation.
…She does have a point though… Kyoko admitted to herself as she began to sweat nervously. I may have training in martial arts, but there are at least a handful of Class 77 who are skilled in martial combat. Not to mention Kamukura, who brushed Owada aside as though he was nothing more than a cockroach. Plus, Makoto can't fight to save his life, so with just me and Sakura able to actively defend, our chances don't look good…
"No…" Makoto, Kyoko, and Sakura turned in shock to see Chiaki struggling to sit up as she wheezed "No…no more death, no more despair! I'm tired of lying down…while Enoshima continues to taint the school and the people I love with death and despair!"
"Nanami-senpai!" Makoto exclaimed as he rushed to support her. "You should be resting, you're still weak…"
"I don't care!" Chiaki cut him off, seemingly invigorated by her renewed resolve. "I need…to see my friends, my teacher! It's my fault they're consumed by Enoshima's despair! I need to…to try and snap them out of it!"
"…Are you certain?" The others turned to Izuru in shock as he interjected "The vestiges of the previous identity would be…extremely displeased if you were killed so soon after being saved."
Chiaki's eyes widened in shock as she breathed "Are…are you saying…that Hajime's…still in there…?"
Izuru grimaced before he reluctantly admitted "…The news of your survival seems to have awakened the remains of his subconsciousness in my mind. He was…extremely adamant about seeing you again. If you were to fall now, his thoughts would become even more annoying to listen to than they are now."
"I…I see…" Chiaki muttered, overjoyed that Hajime's personality wasn't dead after all, though hurt by his alter ego's insult.
"I won't stop you from attempting this futile plan of yours, but if you do, then for my own survival…" Izuru sighed "…I'll protect you."
"…Hajime…" Chiaki uttered before she smiled and whispered "Thank you…" She then turned to her protectors and assured them "It's okay, let him pass. He can help us get my teacher and classmates back to normal. He won't hurt me, I promise."
Unconvinced, Kyoko shook her head and told her "Nanami, we have no evidence of Kamukura's honesty. He could very well be deceiving you to…"
"It's okay, Kyoko." Kyoko turned with shock at Makoto, who smiled as he explained "I believe in Nanami-senpai, and she knew Hinata-san, so if she believes he's still inside Kamukura-san's mind, then we should believe her. Nanami-senpai is the best equipped to help her teacher and classmates return to normal, so let's leave this to them!"
Kyoko stared intently at him, her purple eyes searching his hazel ones before she sighed and acquiesced "Foolishly open, the both of you…don't think I won't chew you out in the afterlife if this gamble of yours fails."
Makoto chuckled and scratched his cheek while Sakura nodded and the three of them parted just enough for Izuru to approach Chiaki's bedside.
"Thank you…" Chiaki whispered as Izuru wrapped an arm around her back and helped her to stand.
Once she regained her fragile center of balance, Izuru supported her as they approached the brainwashed Class 77 and Chisa Yukizome.
"Chiaki, it's so good to see our class representative up and about!" Chisa smiled as she greeted her pupil.
Chiaki frowned as she commented "You're speaking with her voice alright, but I can sense the malice and despair hidden beneath it. Your sense of right and wrong, your values of friendship that you all pushed us to believe in, they've been overtaken by Enoshima's love for despair. But…" Chiaki's eyes narrowed as she finished "…they're not gone completely. I promise, I'm gonna free you from Enoshima's despair…all of you!"
As Chiaki gazed at her classmates that she bonded so deeply with over the past two years, Chisa grinned and exclaimed "I'd expect nothing less of my pupil! So, if that's your decision, then do your very best! Use the bonds of friendship you've forged to make us forget all about despair!"
I promise I'll do just that, Yukizome-sensei! Chiaki vowed as she took a deep breath and turned to her other classmates. "Teruteru, remember your dream, your dream to take over the Hanamura Diner so your mother can relax and take care of herself! We all loved your cooking, and even if it was the cause of a couple mishaps, we can all say we loved taking part in eating your handiwork, as your friends!"
"Ma…Mama…" Teruteru grunted as he held his head in pain.
"Ultimate Imposter!" Chiaki turned to her unnamed classmate as she told him "I may have only known you as Ryota Mitarai before the last couple days, but even knowing you're not the real Ryota, I still count you as one of my closest friends! We all do; we've shared joy, sorrow, anxiety, relief, everything together as classmates! Remember all that we've shared together!"
"What…we've…shared…" The Ultimate Imposter grunted as he too held his head in pain.
"Mahiru!" The redheaded photographer stared at her classmate as Chiaki continued "You're the best photographer I know! You've captured so many priceless memories of us as classmates, and you've given us things to remember each other by even after we graduate and part ways, all thanks to your photography!"
"My…photography…?"
Chiaki nodded before she turned to Peko and began "Peko! You used to isolate yourself, focused only on your talent of being the Ultimate Swordswoman. But now you've bonded so much with the rest of us, you took up arms to defend us when we went to rescue Mikan!"
"De…defend…my…classmates…?"
"Ibuki!" Chiaki turned to the Ultimate Musician as she continued "You used to be so lonely after you left your old band, but after you started a band club and invited us to play with you, you really brightened up! You have lots of friends now who love to play music with you, and even if our tastes don't always mesh in a real concert, we're happy to play and listen to your music because you're our friend!"
"Ba…Band…Club…?"
"Hiyoko!" Hiyoko nearly jumped in her kimono as Chiaki exclaimed "We love seeing your dances and how you fight to preserve their traditions. And even if you can be a bit of a bully sometimes…we'll always forgive you because you're our friend!"
"You…love…my…dances…?"
Chiaki nodded before she turned to the Ultimate Nurse and called out "Mikan!"
"What? Why are you sta…staring at …me…?" Mikan stammered, quivering under Chiaki's intense gaze.
"…You treated me while I was unconscious, didn't you? If you were really overtaken by despair, you could have killed me, but you didn't. Your desire to help the sick and injured recover, I know that's still in there, Mikan!"
"My…desire…to help…?"
"Nekomaru!" Chiaki turned to the ripped Ultimate Team Manager and reminded him "I saw how much you helped Akane train to perfect her gymnastics! You want to see us all succeed in what we do, and you've shared in all our individual triumphs and defeats!"
"Our…triumphs…and de…defeats…?"
"Gundham!"
"What is it, injured soul?" Gundham smirked as he challenged "Do you think the light of your hope can overcome the darkness of my despair? Very well, show me your pure hearted powers!"
Same old Gundham… Chiaki smiled as she continued "I've seen how much you care for your animals. From your Dark Devas to that giant bear you brought to class one time, we all know how much you care for them. You're amazing at what you do, Gundham, and this class wouldn't be the same without you! But this despair isn't you, Gundham. You're a master of dark magic, not a servant of despair."
"Urgh…not a…servant of…despair…?"
"Nagito!" The elder Luckster looked at Chiaki curiously as she addressed him "When you first enrolled in Hope's Peak Academy, you thought you were worthless trash, unworthy of being in the same room as us simply because you were the Ultimate Lucky Student. But you still befriended us and bonded with us. We all missed you during your suspension, Nagito!"
"You…missed…worthless trash…like me…?"
Chiaki nodded before she turned to Fuyuhiko and addressed him "Fuyuhiko, I know it was hard for you when Natsumi died. But we all shared in your pain; we cried together, we got angry together. We did all that because we're your friends and we cared about you. We helped you move forward from your grief, and look ahead of happier times. Remember how much we supported you!"
"Na…Natsumi…" Fuyuhiko grunted as tears trickled down his cheeks, clutching his head in agony.
"Akane!" The Ultimate Gymnast turned to her class representative as Chiaki continued "You're really strong, Akane. Your competitive spirit drove us all to be our best! We're all better people because of you!"
"Be…your…best…?"
Chiaki nodded before she moved on and called "Kazuichi!" Once she had gotten his attention, she continued "Before you enrolled in our class, you were lonely because people took advantage of you, and you didn't get to really enjoy school because you couldn't afford to take part in the extracurricular. But now, you're an irreplaceable part of our class. Things wouldn't be the same without you, Kazuichi!"
"I'm…irreplaceable…?" Kazuichi geared up as he held his head in pain.
Chiaki nodded before she turned to her final classmate and addressed "Sonia?"
"You may speak, honorable peasant!" Sonia permitted, allowing Chiaki to nod and begin her speech.
"When you came here, you were one of the few to attend class regularly. You wanted to fit in and be a normal Japanese high school girl. And now you are; I don't see you as merely a foreign exchange student, or as a princess, Sonia. I see you as an irreplaceable, normal girl, who's one of my most treasured friends!"
"Most…treasured…friend…?"
All of her classmates were now holding their heads as splitting headaches overcame each and every one of them. Hope and despair clashed within their souls for dominance as Chiaki's words inspired their hope to regain control and banish the darkness of Junko's despair.
"…She really has a talent for bringing her class together…like somebody else I know…" Kyoko commented as she smiled at Makoto, who blushed as he scratched his cheek.
Mukuro watched, impressed by the results of Chiaki's speech as she thought She's good, I'll give her that. No wonder Junko saw her as a threat.
Chisa applauded as she praised "As expected of my finest class representative, Chiaki! I knew I was right to expect great things from you!"
I wouldn't have been able to get this far without your guidance, Yukizome-sensei, and I'll repay you by freeing you from Enoshima's grasp! Chiaki took a deep breath as she began "Yukizome-sensei, I used to be a recluse, thinking my only talent was being a gamer. But you…" Chiaki smiled tearfully as she continued "You showed me that I could use my talent to bond with people. We're as close as we are because you helped us get close, Yukizome-sensei! Remember, please remember how you taught us the importance of forging bonds of friendship!"
"Bo…bonds…of…friendship…?" Chisa uttered. "That's right, just like me and Juzo…and Kyosuke…"
"It's working!" Makoto exclaimed as Chisa held her head in pain. "Nanami-senpai's getting through to her!"
"Indeed." Kyoko agreed. "Though it doesn't seem her words are quite enough to rid Enoshima's influence completely, merely inspire them to fight against it. They need another push."
"Agreed." Sakura nodded. "But…what can we do…?"
"Hey!"
Class 77 and Chisa turned towards the entryway, only to be assaulted by a bright, blinding light.
"Na…Nani?!" They all exclaimed as they raised their arms in a vain attempt to protect themselves from the blinding sensation. Wha…what's happening?! They wondered as they felt the darkness and malice in their hearts scream in agony before they gradually evaporated.
Eventually, the light dissipated, leaving them to shake their heads as their vision refocused.
"Wha…what happened…?" They wondered as Makoto, Kyoko, Sakura, Mukuro, Izuru, and Chiaki's eyes widened at the sight of the Ultimate Programmer standing in the entrance, flanked by the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader as she held a now closed laptop in her hands.
Fujisaki?! Owada?!
