Hope everyone had a Happy New Year! Let's begin the new year with some green!

Ben groaned as he found himself asleep in his bed back in his dorms. Slowly getting up, he turned to see the mask was propped on the pillow next to him, a cigarette in its mouth hole for some reason.

"I don't even want to know..."

Getting up, Ben made his way to the bathroom to get showered and dressed for the new day. Going to the closet to get some fresh clothes, he yelped when whole payloads of money spilled out everywhere.

"W-What the heck?!" He freaked out at first before pausing and turning to the mask. "Oh wait, I know what happened..."

Flopping on his bed, Ben stared at the mask, as if wanting it to react in some way, but it didn't. It just kept staring at him with that carved smiling face.

"You are going to get me in SO much trouble at some point, you know that?!"

Groaning, Ben put the money back in the closet and locked it tight before taking the mask and putting it in the drawer for safekeeping to make sure nobody wandered into his room and found it by accident. With everything set up, Ben finished getting dressed and made his way to class.

"Man, WHAT a night it was the other day!" Junko laughed as she spun around in her chair. "I still need to find that green-faced goof and give him my number!"

"He certainly knew how to dance, I'll give him that..." Mukuro said, feeling a sense of familiarity from the mysterious man's (*cough*Ben*cough) touch.

"That was some pretty old-fashioned jazz he was playing to," Fuyuhiko added. "And the way he fucked up that Towa prick was pretty...creative."

"An exploding baby doll!" Kokichi chuckled. "What are the odds of something like that, huh?"

Hajime listened as his classmates talked about the events of last night while pondering to himself. He couldn't help but feel like the green-faced gangster that came to the Coco Bongo was someone he knew, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. And then, it hit him.

"Wait a minute...I think I have a feeling who that guy was."

"You do, Hinata?" Mahiru asked as Hajime nodded.

"Yeah...I just hope he's doing okay. I have a feeling the way he was acting last night isn't how he usually is..."

"Hey, Ben!"

Ben perked up and looked to see Komaru smiling at him.

"Oh, you're Naegi's sister, right?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go see my brother and Toko after class. Do you wanna join me?"

"U-Um, sure..." Ben awkwardly said, turning to Sato, who smiled and nodded.

"It's okay, Ben. I'll probably be visiting Mahiru and Hajime as well."

Ben turned back to Komaru. "So, last night, huh?"

"Yeah, you didn't show up even though Enoshima-San invited you. What happened?"

"Um, well, I caught a really bad headache and I needed to lie down," Ben said, waxing his ear with his pinkie finger for emphasis. "But I'm all cleared up now."

"Well, that's good to hear. It's a really big bummer you couldn't join us at the Coco Bongo. You missed one hell of an experience."

"Yeah, I did..." Ben muttered, his eyes darting to the side nervously. He could not for the life of him tell Komaru, Sato, or even Natsumi for that matter that the charming green-faced man who crashed the nightclub was him in a transformed state due to wearing a mask of possibly magical and cartoony origin.

After classes in the Reserve Course ended, Ben went with Komaru to see Makoto and Toko.

"I gotta admit though, Sato and Natsumi are really at each other's throats. I'm kinda worried..." Komaru said as Ben nodded.

"They've always been like that. Hajime was there to help me quell the coming storms but he's with the Main Course now, leaving me to pick up the slack."

Komaru giggled. "You must do a pretty good job since Sato trusts you plenty."

"Yeah, she's my other best friend besides Hajime at this school. Though I guess Natsumi is kinda growing on me."

"She's kinda scary, to be honest. Like just one wrong word and she explodes at you." Komaru admitted.

"I can understand her anger. She looks up to her brother above all else. She feels like she needs to be better so she can stand by his side." Ben said as Komaru nodded.

"I think I can see that. I feel kinda bad for her, to be honest."

"Oh, hey you two!" Came the familiar cheerful voice of Makoto, who was being accompanied by Hajime.

"Big Bro!" Komaru smiled as she ran over and hugged her brother. Hajime smiled as he walked over to Ben and slapped him on the back.

"Hey, Ben. You've been holding out okay?"

"For better or for worse, yeah."

Makoto and Hajime decided to take Komaru and Ben around the school to check out some of the more specialized areas. The first place they went to was the library where they found Byakuya and Mayuri reading together. Mayuri was wearing a wig based on Byakuya's hair as well as similar glasses. He basically looked like a chubby but still refined and dignified twin of the real deal.

"Togami, Ooshida, how are you two doing?" Makoto asked as the Ultimate Scion and Imposter looked to the approaching group.

"Not much, Naegi. Though I must say I'm quite fascinated in these reports." Byakuya said as Makoto leaned over to see he was reading a confidential report about the mysterious serial killer roaming Towa City; Genocide Jack.

"Anything interesting the public doesn't already know?" Ben asked as he also noticed the report.

"Well, there is the interesting fact that Genocider Jack apparently crucifies his victims with his scissors. I remember reading about this in a similar file in my family's reading room." Byakuya said.

"As for me, I'm quite interested in that person from the Coco Bongo the other night," Mayuri said as he showed that he was reading a recent news article about the events at the nightclub. "They're calling him The Mask due to that strange green rubber mask he wears."

Ben visibly flinched, which only Hajime picked up on. Komaru looked over the news article and grinned.

"Yeah, he really showed Haiji Towa who's boss, huh?"

"Still, to think he would go so far as to mutilate the man. I'll admit the Towa Group are a bunch of impotent idiots with egos too big for their britches but even I am quite shocked at how this Mask Man was so willing to harm the scion of their company and get away with it."

"I did hear him say that Haiji 'likes 'em young'..." Komaru frowned. "Believe me, he said the same thing to me trying to see if he could hook up with me. I get that he's only 23 or so but I really don't think I'd be comfortable dating him."

"Especially what Monaca has told us..." Makoto said, also with an upset look. "He and his father treated her like an alien just because she was illegitimate and they felt she didn't belong.

"Still, as unpleasant an individual Haiji is, I feel like what happened to him was quite barbaric," Mayuri said as Byakuya nodded in agreement.

"And that's not even getting into what happened to Tokuichi Towa later that night. I heard that The Mask visited him in his office and...shoved an entire muffler up his rectum."

"Yeah, I heard about that too!" Komaru said. "I heard they had to remove the muffler with an industrial-strength bear trap!"

Suddenly, a strange smell hit the nostrils of those present. Komaru could easily tell who it was and turned to see Toko watching nervously from afar.

"Toko!" The Younger Naegi called out with a smile. "There you are!"

Byakuya gave the timid girl an annoyed look. " "It's for the best you go take a shower. You're stinking up the library."

Toko blushed in embarrassment and scurried off, Komaru quickly following after her but not before giving Byakuya the stink eye for his blunt comment. Ben also felt rather bad for the skittish author.

"You could learn to be a little more tactful, Togami," Mayuri said, fixing his glasses. "It won't help your presence at this school if you act so blunt and harsh to our classmates."

"That girl simply needs to pay more attention to her hygiene. Going too long without a shower cannot be healthy."

"Heh, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried about her." Makoto chuckled as Byakuya huffed and looked away.

"I'll admit, she's a very talented writer. My family owns all of her books in our private library. However, it is unwise of her to simply neglect her own personal health like that. There is also the fact that she seems relatively obsessed with me."

"Well, I dunno what to tell ya. Some girls are attracted to guys with bad attitudes." Ben said with a shrug. "Though if I didn't know any better, I'd say she also seems pretty close with your sister, Naegi."

"Yeah, Komaru was the first real friend Toko had before coming here," Makoto said. "Those two spend a lot of time together after school hours."

"I can only imagine how far their relationship might go," Mayuri said with a good-natured chuckle. "Perhaps in the long term, Komaru is the one for Fukawa-San."

"Perhaps." Byakuya agreed with a nod.

Makoto and Hajime continued leading Ben around Hope's Peak's campus when they came across Mondo and Kiyotaka in the middle of an argument.

"Ah, Naegi, Hinata, and you're Shigura from the Reserve Course, aren't you?" Kiyotaka said when he noticed the three boys. "You arrived at the right time."

Mondo scowled. "This chump here is accusing me of having no balls."

"Well, you don't!" Kiyotaka retorted. "You keep resorting to violence to solve your problems, ergo...YOU HAVE NO BALLS!"

"OH REALLY! AND WHAT?! YOU THINK YOU HAVE BALLS?! YOU THINK THEY'RE BIGGER THAN MINE?!" Mondo snapped back.

Next thing Makoto, Ben, and Hajime knew they were acting as witnesses for Kiyotaka and Mondo while they had an endurance test in the school's sauna room. Mondo had even kept his clothes on just to prove he was tougher.

"How long's it been?" Mukuro said as she walked by.

"They've been at it for forty minutes," Makoto replied.

"At this point, I think it's sheer will that's keeping them in there," Hajime said.

"O-Oh, Ikusaba! H-Hi, remember me?" Ben asked as Mukuro noticed him and stared at him for the longest time, which made him start to get nervous.

"You're Hinata's friend from the Reserve Course."

"Y-Yup, that's me!" Ben awkwardly laughed. "S-So, sorry I wasn't able to come to the Coco Bongo the other day...I had a bad headache."

"You missed quite the show," Mukuro said. "That Mask guy that's on the news now? He was there."

"Really, what was he like?"

"He was quite...eccentric. And he sure knew how to dance." Mukuro said a small tinge of pink on her freckled cheeks. "There was a certain air around him that was quite familiar..."

"R-Really? Sounds like a helluva guy..." Ben said, pink flushing across his cheeks as well. "Oh god, she's talking about me and she doesn't know it!"

"My sister and I have both been curious...do you think you could find a way for him to meet up with us?"

"S-Sure! Just set a time and date and I-I'll see if I can get ahold of him!" Ben said, catching himself from accidentally letting his secret identity slip.

"Thanks. For an ordinary guy, you're not too bad." Mukuro said with a small smile as she walked off. As soon as she was out of range, Ben felt his legs collapse as he clutched his heavily beating chest.

"Easy there, Romeo. Let's keep walking." Hajime chuckled as he and Makoto helped Ben back up to his feet and supported him as they walked to their next destination.

Ben, Hajime, and Makoto walked into the gymnasium area to find an interesting sight; Nekomaru was on the ground, his head resting on Akane's lap while Kiibo was using a built-in fan function in his hand to give the Ultimate Coach some air. Sakura was standing over them, Aoi and Kokichi raising her arm in victory.

"What happened in here?"

"Sakura-Chan and Nidai-Kun had a sparring match!" Aoi explained.

"She beat him in one move!" Kokichi excitedly said. "All Oogami did was counter an attack and she knocked him down! She's that powerful!"

"My scans also indicate that Nidai-Kun has a heart condition. It's stabilized, but it acts up from time to time." Kiibo explained as he continued fanning Nekomaru.

"Yeah, sometimes Coach pushes himself too far and it causes his heart to go crazy. It isn't as bad as it used to be a long time ago." Akane said. "He actually was inspired to keep pushing himself to be the best coach from a guy who was a hospital roommate of his who passed away before he could see his team win."

"The man has a lot of drive. I guess I can respect that..." Ben said, feeling respect for Nekomaru's dedication despite his health issues.

After visiting the rest of the class while they were doing their activities, Ben went back to his dorm room to unwind but was surprised when Hajime joined him.

"Ben, we need to talk..."

"W-What is there to talk about?"

"The Mask...the one that caused your nightmare a few nights ago? I think I'm starting to figure out it wasn't a nightmare." Hajime said. Ben gulped but soon bowed his head. He couldn't bring himself to lie to his best friend, so he went to his drawer, opened it, and pulled out the mask.

"This thing...it turned me into an entirely different person...I-I saved Tsumiki's life from that gang of rapists but what I did to them...oh god..."

"Ben, while what The Mask did was horrific, there's a lot of people actually praising you for taking those creeps off the streets."

"So why doesn't that make me feel better, Hajime?" Ben asked. "I still KILLED people! And then, just the other night, I mutilated Haiji Towa! I knew he probably, no, he definitely deserved it, but I still destroyed him for probably the rest of his life. And then I assaulted Tokuichi Towa, the second or third most powerful man in this area of Japan!"

Ben fell to his knees and grabbed Hajime's shirt in a desperate tone, tears beginning to fall down from his face as he buried his face in his friend's chest.

"You gotta help me, man! I think I'm going insane! I can even hear the damn thing TALKING to me! And now Enoshima and Ikusaba want to meet him!"

Hajime shook his friend before slapping him across the face to calm him down from his hysteria, giving him a stern look afterward.

"We need to see Korekiyo. He seemed to have a feeling about what kind of person you were when you came to the Coco Bongo that night. He's the Ultimate Anthropologist, so maybe he has the answers we need."

"My, my, to think I would see it with my own eyes..." Korekiyo said as he inspected the mask after Ben and Hajime brought it to him in his dorms. "Where did you say you found this, Shigura?"

"I-In the lake area..."

"I see...well, I've studied all sorts of cultures and learned of many different artifacts of human history. This is part of Norse mythology. Tell me, do you know of the God of Mischief, Loki?"

"You mean Thor's brother from the Avengers?" Hajime asked.

"No, not the fictional characterization of him, the actual real-life God of Mischief," Korekiyo said, shaking his head. "One of the things I studied about him was an ancient mask he crafted as a means of sowing mischief in humanity. He infused his powerful magic and trickery into the mask he carved from the World Tree in order to bestow humanity the power to manifest their deepest desires into reality. As punishment, Odin imprisoned him for a thousand years and locked away the mask before dumping it at the bottom of the sea."

"So this mask was made by Loki?" Ben asked as he looked at the mask.

"You betcha, Moe! You could say he's my Pops!" The Mask replied, glowing in tune to its words. However, only Ben could hear it speak as he clutched his head.

"Let me guess, the mask is 'talking' to you?" Hajime asked as Ben slowly and nervously nodded.

"Such a truly fortuitous find!" Korekiyo said in an enthralled state. "To think that a humble student from the Reserve Course would come across an artifact of tremendous power! Truly you have found a treasure trove of humanity's secrets within!"

"Kiyo, don't be weird...well, weird-ER." Hajime sighed. "This Mask of Loki is making Ben stressed out and he can't exactly get rid of it, either."

"Yeah...OH SHIT!" Ben gasped as realization struck him. "I gotta meet Enoshima and Ikusaba! And by me, I mean...well, the other me when I put on the Mask."

"Just be careful, okay?" Hajime asked. "If it gets too much for you to handle, try to take it off."

"I will, buddy. And Kiyo, thanks for the advice."

"My pleasure. Anything to discover more of humanity's beauty." Korekiyto said proudly as Ben put on the mask and in a quick green tornado and flash of lightning, he was once more the zoot suit-clad green-faced grinning gangster now dubbed 'The Mask'.

"OH, BABY! THE MODEL AND SOLDIER! TIME TO TURN ON THE CHARM METER TO 100!"

Taking out a meter with Charm written on it, the arrow went all the way to the red before the meter broke as Ben-Mask cackled and zipped off in a blur of green and yellow, leaving a cartoon smoke outline of himself which turned to Hajime and give him a big kiss on the lips before puffing away.

"Okay, that was weird..." Hajime said, coughing up a bit of smoke. "Does Ben have a crush on me too or something?"

"Well, all people have a preference for who they love," Korekiyo said. "It truly is yet another fascinating thing about them that I adore so much."

Next Time: Cuban Pete!

Ben-Mask charms the Despair Twins and then breaks out into a certain musical number when the cops show up!