2:45 PM, Day 1
Hotel Mirai, 1st Island
After everyone finished their impromptu lunch, Kaede got together with Byakuya to confer on what to do next. After a brief discussion with him, they both decided that splitting up and thoroughly searching the two islands they had access to was the best way to proceed.
There had been some indecision on how best to split everyone up until Nagito suggested the idea of drawing lots. That had solved things nicely, and from there the groups had all been chosen!
Mukuro, Miu, and Ibuki had been sent over to the airport; Sonia, Korekiyo, and Teruteru had gone over to the farm; Chihiro, Mondo, and Yasuhiro decided to go investigate the Rocketpunch market; Tsumugi, Sayaka, and Hifumi had gone over to Jabberwock Park; and Akane, Shuichi, and Toko had volunteered to check out the Administration building.
That just left her, Byakuya, and Nagito himself at the hotel, to investigate the grounds. Well, Rantaro and Mikan had been left over too, but he certainly wasn't in any condition to go about conducting a search: and with Mikan refusing to leave his side, the two of them had just been left alone in Rantaro's cabin.
At any rate, Kaede had searched the hotel itself with Byakuya and Nagito, going through the floors they had access to. They still couldn't get the elevator to work though, which just left the door to the stairs to open up. Which, well, was easier said than done.
"It's no use. The doorknob won't turn no matter how I try to turn it, and I can't force the door open either; at least, not without potentially breaking it, and risk breaking a rule," Byakuya reported, grimacing in distaste. He crossed his arms, staring at the offending door. "Unless we find a key for this door, or the elevator starts working, we cannot access the upper floors."
Well, that was a shame, but not unexpected. There wasn't much else they could do about it too, really, without breaking one of Usami's rules. After seeing what she'd done to Rantaro...well, Kaede didn't want to do anything to piss that white rabbit off, no matter how much she hated her.
"Well, I guess we'll have to try the other floors another time. Maybe someone will find a key somewhere, if we're lucky," Kaede suggested, giving a slight shrug. "So, I guess that just leaves the old hotel building to explore."
They nodded at that, and Kaede soon left with them to head over to the more rustic-looking building. They had already done a cursory look of the cabins and what they could access in the hotel, so there was only one other place for them to search.
"I must admit, not having a cabin of my own is...a tad annoying," Byakuya spoke up, as they entered the building. "I can't help but wonder if Usami chose her staff based on that fact."
"Perhaps; it's hard to say, one way or another. I don't think anyone explored the cabins all that thoroughly before meeting in Jabberwock Park, so it could have been changed after the fact," Nagito chimed in.
"Well, whatever the case, there is a farmhouse, yeah? I'm sure you and the other Staff can stay there, at least until we open up the hotel, maybe!" Kaede declared, giving Byakuya a cheery smile.
He smiled himself at that, giving her a brief nod. "You do have a point there, Mistress. At any rate, I shouldn't complain too much. As a servant, I have trained myself to adapt to all kinds of quarters I am given. I would be satisfied with just a small cot in the corner if it came to it."
"Ah, well, let's hope it doesn't come to that," Kaede said before they came across a pair of doors.
Investigating them proved one to be a simple bathroom and the other an office of some sort. The lights did come on when they flicked the switch, thankfully, allowing them to search the room thoroughly. However, there wasn't much to be found in there, and they ultimate left to continue their search.
A full search of the building didn't turn up much. Besides the bathroom and office, the old building itself consisted of a kitchen, a storage room, and a grand dining room. Had it just been that, she would have written off the venture entirely. However, she saw something grand and majestic in the corner of the dining room.
A pristine piano was settled against a wall, and while she'd seen better and newer looking pianos, right then and there it was the most beautiful thing Kaede had ever seen.
Before she knew it, she'd already taken a seat at the bench and lifted up the fold to reveal the piano's keys. At once her fingers rested against them, and she began to play.
For what felt like an eternity, Kaede was able to forget all about her worries, as she let her fingers dance across the keys of the piano. The sweet sound of music filled the air, and she was able to lose herself within the melody. An old, familiar tune soon worked its way through her initial play, and she eagerly gave herself into it, letting her body act as a conduit for the music within her.
However, she was abruptly brought back to reality by a hand firmly shaking her shoulder.
A discordant note ended the song, as Kaede jumped in surprise. She turned her head, seeing Byakuya standing by her. He had an apologetic smile on his face, as he stared down at her.
"I quite enjoy your playing, Mistress Kaede, but I'm afraid we don't have time to indulge ourselves. There's still a lot we need to do before we can sit down and relax," he pointed out.
"Yes, I must agree. That was simply beautiful! I never imagined that a piano would sound as lovely as that. Such a splendid talent you have, Kaede!" Nagito agreed, clapping his hands as his face broke out into a pleasant smile. "But, well, Byakuya has a point. There's plenty of time to play later: for now, we really do need to keep exploring."
"Ah, r-right..." Kaede agreed, turning her head away as she felt her cheeks heat up once more. She quickly stood up, and soon made her way out of the dining hall; her cheeks flushed all the while, of course.
It figured that she'd make a fool of herself in front of two cute boys. That was just her luck! Ugh, what was wrong with her?! They had more important things to worry about right now, and she'd just wasted their time! She couldn't let herself do that again...
As she recriminated herself, Kaede led the charge out of the building and out of the hotel grounds itself. Just as they were coming out though, an out of breath Mikan came running up to them.
"Th-there you are!" she exclaimed, bending over slightly as she caught her breath. "R-Rantaro says he wants to talk with you all. It, um, sounded p-pretty urgent."
"Really?" Kaede questioned, blinking in surprise. She looked over to Nagito and Byakuya for a moment, before facing Mikan again. "Well, lead the way then!"
She nodded and turned to lead them back to Rantaro's cabin. Kaede stepped in first after Mikan, her eyes immediately searching for him. She expected he'd be on the bed, but instead Rantaro was standing in front of a full-length mirror in the room, shirtless.
Her eyes widened, and her breath hitched in her throat as she caught sight of Rantaro's naked upper body. She wasn't sure what she expected from someone known as the Ultimate Survivor...but seeing his torso riddled with scars wasn't something she had ever seen coming.
Scars of all sorts crisscrossed what she could see of Rantaro's torso. They varied between stabs and slash wounds, to burn marks, and what looked to be gunshot wounds. At least, that's what she supposed the majority of the scars were. Regardless, they were all over his chest, back, and arms, reaching up all the way to the nape of his neck.
She was broken out of her horrified studying when Rantaro glanced back at them and finally addressed them. He smiled at them, and proclaimed, "Sorry to drag you all over here, but there's something I need to bring up, and sooner rather than later."
"Well, if it was to inform us of all your scars, I think you've done the job quite well. Is this a result of your talent at work?" Nagito questioned, sounding amazed, of all things. "It seems like a miracle you survived all these wounds. Perhaps your own survival rivals my luck?"
"Mm, perhaps. We may just find out soon enough. But, that wasn't why I asked you to come here. Well, not entirely. There is a scar I wanted to bring attention to, actually," he admitted, before turning back over to the mirror.
He used his non-injured arm to reach behind himself, and with his fingers, slowly traced the length of a stab scar that was located near his left hip.
"As the Ultimate Survivor, I'm no stranger to danger and the risks that come with it. My body is a temple to the many times death has tried and failed to take me. However, this scar here? Before today, it didn't exist. At least, I think so. I guess what I'm trying to say is: I have never seen this scar before, ever," Rantaro announced.
Kaede looked over at the scar he had traced, studying it more intently. At the same time though, she wasn't quite sure what Rantaro was getting at.
"I'm not sure I fully understand what you're implying here," Byakuya spoke up, voicing her own confusion.
"Sorry, I should explain some more. I know every scar on my body. Each and every scar has a story, a chapter of my own sordid past. But this one? I've never seen it before. I do not remember getting it. And if I have a scar that I don't remember getting...well, those have some interesting implications, don't they?" he asked, pausing as he turned around to face them once more.
Rantaro's face took on a dark look, his wild hair seeming to cast shadows around his eyes. "It makes me wonder just how long we've really been here."
3:15 PM, Day 1
Airport, 1st Island
Mukuro walked into the airport the second time that day, her eyes once more scanning the area within. Aside from the absence of an unconscious Hifumi, nothing seemed to have changed though. The lobby looked oddly pristine as before, and one lone plane could be seen just outside. The conveyor belt to the right seemed to be working still as well, though she could see no actual luggage on it.
"So this is the airport, huh? Looks boring as fuck," Miu abruptly declared, looking around the lobby with vague disinterest. "I don't see how we're supposed to find much here. I don't know what Kae-idiot and Fat-kuya were thinking, sending us out like this..."
"Ah don't be like that Miu, they just want to know about all the mysteries on this island," Ibuki explained. She twirled around before stopping to point at the plane out on the runway. "Which is lucky for them cause this whole place is jam-packed with mysteries, I bet there are even mysteries in the mysteries!"
Mukuro gave a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose slightly as she glanced back at the peanut gallery. She looked over to where Ibuki had pointed, though, and studied the plane a second time.
"I checked out the plane the first time I came to the airport. It seems in good, working condition. No way to tell if it's properly fueled though. There's no visible way to open the door on the plane, except for a keypad. And until we learn what the code is...well, it's as good as useless to us," she grumbled, glaring at it.
"What the fuck are we gonna do with a plane, anyway? I mean, do any of us even know how to fly?" Miu flippantly asked, giving a little scoff. Mukuro redirected her glare to her, which caused Miu to whimper and cower.
She sighed after a moment though, looking away as she reluctantly conceded the point. "I...dabbled in flying, back in Fenrir. Not enough to get a pilot's license...but, well, I imagine it's better than anyone else here."
Ibuki ticked her head to the side as she closed her eyes. "Hmm, Ibuki understands. In that case, we are very lucky that you are one the staff Mukky, that way you can stay safe!"
"...Mukky?" Mukuro questioned, making a face as she considered that new nickname.
"Heh, I think the name suits you, 'Mukky'," Miu sniggered, giving a haughty little laugh. An abrupt glare from Mukuro sent her reeling though, as she gave a small 'eeep' in reply. "Ah! Wh-what's with the scary l-look on your face...?"
Mukuro sighed, rolling her eyes slightly at her. For all her bluster, it seemed she was all bark and no bite. "At any rate...I suppose it is lucky. Still, I don't feel as...confident in my flying abilities as I'd like."
"Oh? Well in that case maybe we only need to wait for the game to end. The escape has probably already been plotted out anyways," Ibuki said with a shrug. "That is, Ibuki is pretty sure that's how all these sorts of things work!"
Mukuro glanced over at Ibuki, surprised to hear her say something like that. "Mm, maybe. Though I think that'd end with a lot of people dead before the end. Besides, that plays into Usami's hands...and I'll be damned if I let that rabbit get any satisfaction from this."
"Yeah, I'm gonna have to agree with Titless over here. Fuck that rabbit, and fuck this stupid piece of shit island!" Miu eagerly agreed. Though she started whimpering and squirming again when Mukuro gave her yet another glare.
"B-Besides, if we find that key-code, we're g-golden, right? Mukky here can fly us out of here!" she was quick to add, chuckling a little nervously. "I-I mean, it's not like she's crashed a plane before or anything, s-so..."
Miu trailed off, looking at Mukuro in concern when the girl in question started blushing and looked away. Mukuro tugged at her collar, clearing her throat a little before explaining herself. "It, ah, might be a good time to mention that...I've never really...successfully landed a plane, during my...brief training period with them," she mumbled out, looking decidedly ashamed.
"Gyaaah! That's like the most important part Mukky!" Ibuki shouted grabbing the side of her head.
"Oh God, please don't let that nickname catch on," Mukuro groaned, giving an aggravated sigh. "A-And it's not my fault! It was just...bad luck. The first time it was a mechanical failure, the second time the engine caught fire, the third time the control stick...broke on me...none of that was my fault!"
"Jeez! You sure you aren't the Ultimate Bad Pilot, Titless?" Miu jabbed, staring at her in disbelief. "And that last one sounds like it was totally your fault!"
"Looks like we don't have any choice then. Hmm, do you think if she tried to work on the robot they'd malfunction too?" Ibuki asked looking between the two girls.
"Heh, probably. Oi, Mukky, maybe we should try that out! I'm sure Usami wouldn't see it coming! Ahaha!" Miu laughed, hands on her hips. Only to cringe and whimper when Mukuro unexpectedly reached over and thumped her on the back of the head.
"Unless you're actually the Ultimate Pilot or something, I doubt you'd do any better," she grumbled.
"W-why do people keep doing that...?" Miu sniveled, crouching down low as she clutched her head. At Mukuro's words though, she paused. "...I don't think that's my talent. Shit, my head fucking hurts whenever I try and remember...this shit is fucking annoying..."
Ibuki walked up beside the amnesiac and began patting the top of her head. "Don't worry Miu, I'm sure you'll remember soon. Maybe your talent will save us all! Or at least make things more entertaining!"
"Y-you really think so?" Miu asked, staring up at Ibuki hopefully. After a moment she looked away, giving a slight cough as she adopted a more haughty look. "I-I mean, of course, that's fucking right! Once I remember my talent, I'm sure it'll be something great! And I'm gonna use it to save all you cucks! Well, maybe if you beg me to, at least!"
Mukuro, meanwhile, just sighed as she shook her head. "Why did I get stuck with you two, of all people?"
"Hee hee, because the lots knew it would be good for you to have fun for once Mukky!" Ibuki cheered as she pumped her fist into the air. "Anyways, we really didn't look around this place, huh? Should we just head back now?"
"I swear to God if that catches on..." Mukuro grimaced, crossing her arms. She took another look around though, trying to find something, anything really, that might require further investigation. Nothing really popped out at her, though. Except maybe...
"Hm. Actually, I can't help but wonder...where does the conveyor belt lead?" Mukuro pointed out, gesturing to the device. Despite there being no luggage on it, it continued to loop in on itself, feeding into two small openings in the wall. "Maybe...there could be another room here. A hidden storage room of some sort? After all, that belt has to lead somewhere, and I didn't see any openings or anything for it outside."
"Well let's stop wondering!" Ibuki mused as she started stretching. After a few moments, she broke out into a short sprint and dove onto the conveyor belt. Screaming cheerfully the whole time as she was carried off.
Mukuro stared after Ibuki, gaping at her as she let herself get taken away by the conveyor belt. "W-wait! There could be something dangerous on the other side, damn it!"
She raced after Ibuki, Miu following after her. In the end, all three of them got onto the belt.
The belt led into just what Mukuro theorized: a hidden storage area. The room was about as wide as the lobby and was stacked to the brim with tall shelving units, most of them packed full of boxes and other such storage containers and luggage. If even half of the containers in the room were full, it'd take all day to sort through it all.
"Well, I'll be damned. Looks like Mukky was right," Miu observed, looking around with wonder.
"Ha, it's just like Picasso always said, 'Fortune flavors the bald!'" Ibuki exclaimed triumphantly, placing her hands on her hips.
"Ibudiot, that isn't even remotely correct! Its fortune favors the bold!" Miu retorted, sneering over at her.
Mukuro, meanwhile, ignored them both as she stared around the room. "Well, we've found something all right. There's no telling what's all in here...assuming all these crates and boxes are full. Maybe the passcode for the keypad is here somewhere?" Mukuro suggested.
She paused though, when her eyes spotted a nearby upturned crate, its contents spilled out onto the floor. Something within it caught her eye, and she immediately dashed over to it.
"Well...aren't you a sight for sore eyes," she practically purred, as she pulled out a handgun from the crate! An eager gleam in Mukuro's eyes as she weighed the gun in her hand.
Ibuki had stuck her tongue out at Miu before turning towards Mukuro as she spoke. "Huh, what are you saying Mu- AGHHH!"
The girl began to practically froth at the mouth, before dropping to her knees.
"W-woah! She's packing heat!" Miu yelped, taking a step back from Mukuro.
She ignored them both, looking fondly at the gun as she tested its grip. "It's not my preferred kind of pistol...but I suppose this will suffice, for now."
That said, she suddenly whirled around, and pointed the gun directly at Miu! She shrieked, dropping to the ground besides Ibuki, even as Mukuro pulled the trigger.
"Bang," she deadpanned, before holding the gun up. "It's empty. There aren't any bullets in the chamber. Although there might be additional ammo in the crate...or elsewhere in the room, maybe."
Ibuki seemed to shake out of her panic as she shot up to her feet. "Wow, I wonder what else we can find in here? Let's split up and search the mystery boxes!"
Mukuro nodded at that, even as Miu shakily got up herself. With that, the three proceeded to search the room.
3:51 PM, Day 1
Administration Building, Central Island
"Toko, f-for the last time, those aren't my intentions at all! I swear!"
"Yeah, right. I know what you're really thinking, y-you perverted e-emo boy! D-Don't think I-I don't kn-know what you're r-really after!"
Akane heaved an aggravated sigh, glancing back to glare at Shuichi and Toko. The two of them had bickered the entire ride over to the central island. All it took was one offhand comment about Toko's prowess as an author, and that had set her off!
"I-I was just trying to give you a compliment! I mean, y-you're one of my favorite authors—!"
"Ha! Now I kn-know you're lying! No one's that sincere or h-honest! Y-You just want to sw-sweet talk me into dropping my p-p-panties, huh?!"
Christ, this was getting old! They hadn't even had the courtesy of stopping when they got into the Administration building. They were supposed to be searching this wrecked shithole for any clues, but these two chucklefucks hadn't let up on their argument at all!
"Wh-what?! No! That's not the case at all! I just...I just wanted an autograph, that's all!"
"Oh, so now I'm not p-pretty enough for you, huh? Tch, typical m-man! You're just like Kei was!"
"I-I don't even know who that is!"
Akane growled under her breath, tensing up as she curled a hand into a fist. She felt tempted, oh so very tempted, to knock them both over the head right now. But, well, she didn't want to mess with the boy-toy of one of the group leaders. Kaede was a bitch, but she had a lot of support at the moment; wouldn't do to get on her bad side.
"Look, Toko...of c-course you're pretty! I mean, you're, uh, a lovely young woman. I just don't—"
"So you do want to get under my skirt, you p-pervert! Don't p-pretend that isn't the c-case! I see the p-p-perverted l-lust hiding in your eyes!"
"Oh my god, just fuck already!" Akane finally thundered, fed up with it all.
That seemed to earn her some blessed silence, thank god. Akane glanced back at that, feeling supremely satisfied at their shocked faces.
"Yeah, that's right, I'm still here, you fuckwits. Look, are we going to search this place, or should I just watch while Shuichi bends you over, Toko? At this point, I really don't mind if it's the latter if it gets you two to shut up."
Shuichi's face flushed a bright scarlet-red, while Toko looked at her in aghast horror.
"Ugh! Wh-what a v-v-vulgar s-suggestion! Th-there's no way that is ever happening! I-I'm not about to let Shuichi treat me like some cheap h-harlot!" Toko fiercely protested.
"Great, so does that mean we can actually do our jobs, and search this damn place?" Akane retorted, crossing her arms as she stared at them both. After a moment of silence, she gave a pleased nod. "Good! Let's get crackin', then."
Their argument sufficiently derailed, Toko and Shuichi could only nod at that, and finally pitched into searching the Administration Building.
Though to be honest, it was a task easier said than done. Unlike every other place they'd come across so far, the Admin Building was an absolute wreck. Some serious shit must have gone down here, as there were bullet holes, scorch marks, torn furniture, shredded paper, and all sorts of other signs that a significant fight had gone down here.
Which made searching the place all the harder. If there were any valuable clues here, they were either destroyed or mixed in with all this debris and shit. They'd need to search with more than three people to make any significant headway if that were the case. Not to mention how many different doors and pathways there were in the damn building...
Eventually, they reconvened after searching the floor thoroughly. About the only room that wasn't turned over with Usami's office...and for good reason, all three of them avoided that area of the building like the plague.
"I got jack shit. You?" Akane inquired, grumbling in distaste as she dropped a partially torn folder.
"Sorry, haven't found anything yet." Shuichi dutifully reported.
"I, uh, m-might have found s-something," Toko admitted, looking somewhat pleased with herself. "I f-found a door that seems to l-lead to a b-basement or something. I-It's pretty d-d-dark down there though, so I...d-didn't go down to investigate..."
She grimaced at that for some reason, but Akane didn't really care about that. Instead, she found herself rather intrigued. "A basement, eh? Sounds like a place to hide all sorts of dirty secrets."
"Well, I guess there's only one way to find out. We'd better search it," Shuichi declared.
Toko rather reluctantly led them over to the door she'd found, which sure enough revealed a set of stairs that went downward. It was dark as fuck though, so Akane couldn't tell at all just how deep it went.
"Our pads have a flashlight app on them, so that should help us see in the dark. Though hopefully, we'll find a light switch somewhere down there," Shuichi said, before getting out his pad. Akane followed suit, fiddling with it for a moment before she figured out how to turn on the flashlight function.
"D-Do I really have to go down th-there? I m-mean, you t-two could search it pretty w-well without me..." Toko stuttered, grimacing again as she peered down into the dark abyss of the basement.
Akane rolled her eyes, sending a glare over at the other girl. "Hey, stop being such a crybaby. We're all going down there, and you're gonna like it."
Toko glared at her in turn, grumbling under her breath, but she got out her own pad after a moment, begrudgingly turning on the flashlight.
That done, the three of them soon headed down the stairs, Akane taking the lead. It didn't take long to reach the basement floor, and while they searched for a light switch, none was readily in sight. Thus they had to make do with their admittedly weak flashlights, as they searched the area.
As they looked around, Akane slowly got a good feel of the layout of the basement. It seemed to be a storage area of some sort, the place littered with boxes, containers, filing cabinets, and all sorts of other junk. More than a few odds and ends littered the floor too: a wrench there, an oil-soaked rag there, an empty bottle of pills there. Whoever had been here last certainly hadn't bothered to pick up after themselves.
"So...who's Kei?" Shuichi asked after a moment, breaking the silence that had descended upon them.
"Huh?" Toko regarded him with a confused look; seeing that, he quickly elaborated.
"Earlier...you mentioned someone named Kei. I guess, uh, I was just curious about that. But uh, you d-don't have to answer if you really don't want to..." he explained.
Toko remained silent for a moment, before speaking back up. "N-No, it's fine, I guess. Kei Niijima was...a boy I liked back in middle school. I uh, th-thought he liked me, too. I mean...we hung around each other all the time. Or...so I thought. In reality, he h-hated me, and c-couldn't stand to be around me. He r-rejected me when I confessed t-to him. Tch, I guess I wasn't g-good enough for that bastard. But he moved away not long after that, s-so...it d-didn't really matter in the end."
"Kei Niijima, huh?" Shuichi mused, sounding a bit distracted by the name, for some reason. "Well, I'm...sorry to hear that Toko. That was awfully cruel of him, to dismiss you like that. I mean, I don't know you all that well, but...I'm sure you're a nice, pleasant young girl. He just couldn't see that."
Toko made a weird little noise at that, but otherwise didn't reply, perhaps grateful for the comment. Or maybe she was still suspected that Shuichi wanted to get into her panties; quite frankly, Akane didn't care either way.
Their search continued on for another few minutes, as they slowly navigated their way through the basement area. When they finally made their big discovery, it was Toko who found it first.
She gave a sudden, shrill shriek, and promptly fainted, collapsing to the ground. Shuichi and Akane rushed to her side immediately: finding out just what it was that had frightened her into unconsciousness.
Tucked in between two filing cabinets was a little girl in a wheelchair. She had short green hair and green eyes, and a red ribbon tied in her hair. She had on a knee-length black dress, black knee-high socks, and white shoes. What really caught Akane's attention, though, was the absolute ghoulish smile on the young girl's face. It was a smile unlike anything she'd ever seen, that spoke of madness, death, and despair.
But then she blinked, and when Akane did a double-take, the vile smile was gone, replaced by a more innocent visage. She rubbed at her eyes, double-checking that she wasn't seeing things, but sure enough, the little girl was still there, and her smile remained unchanged.
"Oh, hello there!" she declared, beaming at them brightly. "Monaca thinks it's very nice to meet you both!"
"...Hi," Akane replied at length, giving the little girl an odd stare. She shared a look with Shuichi, and he seemed just as flummoxed about her presence.
"Hi there...Monaca, was it?" Shuichi asked, to which the girl nodded. "Um, what exactly are you doing here? I...wasn't aware anyone was down here at all."
"That's a very good question! Unfortunately, Monaca doesn't have the answer to that," she declared, giving an admittedly cute little pout. "Monaca just woke up here not long ago, all in the dark! She had no idea what was going on! But now, you two are here, and it's not so lonely anymore! Hooray!"
Akane stared at the girl some more, not quite sure what to make of all this. Considering she'd thought everyone had been accounted for...well, it was startling to find someone new, let alone a little girl. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the kid.
"You woke up here all alone, huh? That must have been really scary. Don't worry though, we'll get you out of here!" Akane declared, crouching down to get level with the girl. She gave her a reassuring smile, reaching over to pat her head.
That said, she took a step back, eyeing Monaca's wheelchair before nodding to herself. "All right, I'll carry Monaca and her chair upstairs. Shuichi, you can carry Toko's lame ass up yourself."
"Huh? Wh-why me?" he sputtered out, looking rather surprised.
"'Cause I can't carry Monaca, her wheelchair, and Toko at the same time. You're gonna have to pick up the slack. Unless you wanna carry Monaca instead?" she inquired, glancing back at him. Shuichi at least had the credit to look a little embarrassed as he shook his head, and bent down to pick up Toko.
"All right then, Monaca! Let's get you out of here!" Akane declared, to which the girl gave an enthusiastic cheer.
4:34 PM, Day 1
Hotel Mirai, 1st Island
By the time everyone regrouped in the restaurant, quite a few unexpected revelations were made: but perhaps the most pressing of them was the sudden appearance of this new girl, Monaca Towa, as she'd introduced herself. Kaede could hardly believe that a little girl, of all people, was now stuck in this Killing Game with them: but then came another surprise, on top of that.
"Big Brother! You're here!" Monaca suddenly cheered, catching them all off guard. At the same time, Rantaro and Mikan had just walked inside to join them. And the moment Rantaro heard her, and laid eyes on her...
"Monaca?" he spoke aloud, staring in blatant disbelief at the little girl. "You're here too?"
"Monaca is, Big Brother Rantaro!" she affirmed, nodding her head. She wheeled over to him until she was close enough to reach over and hug his waist. "Monaca is unbelievably happy to see you! Monaca had no idea you were here too in this weird place, but she's glad you're here!"
Rantaro blinked rapidly, still bewildered by the sight of his little sister. Kaede, meanwhile, took a moment to study them both...and kicked herself, wondering how she hadn't seen this coming in the first place.
Green eyes, green hair, they even looked startlingly similar. They were obviously related in some way, for sure. Besides, hadn't she heard Rantaro mention something about having some little sisters or something like that?
"Damn, she's your sister? Huh, can't believe I didn't see it. I mean, the resemblance is rather uncanny," Akane voiced, unintentionally echoing her own thoughts.
"Ah, yes, she is. Sorry, I'm just a bit...overwhelmed by this," Rantaro confessed, reaching down to hug Monaca back with his good arm. He cleared his throat after a moment and looked back at everyone at large. "Right, well, everyone: this is my little sister, Monaca Towa. We don't share the same last name, I know...but that's mainly because I use my mother's maiden name. My father...disowned me some time ago, so I chose to use the family name of my mother, instead of his own."
"Yup yup! Monaca's father is a big ol' meanie, who hates Big Brother, so Big Brother decided to go out on his own, and took Monaca with him!" she confirmed, finally letting him go as she turned herself around. "Monaca's also the Ultimate Roboticist! Monaca is a child prodigy, or at least that's what Big Brother says. Monaca got her letter from Hope's Peak the same time as Big Brother did! Big Brother and Monaca were leaving to attend their first day of school together! But, Monaca doesn't remember much more after that..."
She gave a frustrated little pout at that, tapping her chin in thought as she tried, and failed, to recall any further memories.
"Another Ultimate, huh? I guess that makes sense..." Shuichi murmured, looking rather pensive as he stared at Monaca. "Still, to think Usami would even bring a child into this..."
Kaede nodded her head at that, feeling rather ill at ease herself. It was one thing to have a bunch of teenagers caught up in all of this; but to get a child involved, too? Not to mention that Monaca was stuck in that wheelchair! This was just sick! Then again, Usami seemed capable of doing anything, no matter how awful it might be.
"Well...now that we've all been introduced to Mistress Monaca...perhaps we should move on? There are other matters we need to discuss," Byakuya pointed out.
That seemed reasonable enough, and soon even settled down to properly go over their findings. It didn't take all that long to address the other elephant in the room, though.
"I cannot help but feel worried over the...arms that Mistress Mukuro discovered during her group's search," Byakuya proclaimed, glancing over uneasily at her.
Mukuro sat at the far end of the room, her eyes closed and her chair leaning backwards, seemingly disinterested in what Byakuya said. The tables and chairs nearest to her were devoid of people: practically everyone here had given her a wide berth the moment she had walked into the restaurant.
"Yeah, I gotta agree with Byakuya. I uh...think we all feel a little bit intimidated by Mukuro's findings," Kaede agreed, doing her best to mask her own discomfort. A task easier said than done, given the equipment Mukuro was now sporting.
Her group had found many things in the hidden storage area in the airport, and it wasn't limited to the handgun they had initially discovered. In fact, between everything they had found in that storage area, Mukuro was now outfitted to commit her own personal war.
She had on a camo-colored tactical vest, with all sorts of little pockets and pouches stitched into the fabric. At her side was a gun holster which now housed her pistol, and at the other, she had a small pouch with the handle of a knife sticking out. Meanwhile, she carried an AK-47, or some variant thereof, in her hands. Finally, holstered on her back was what seemed to be a sniper rifle, and a rocket launcher (?!) of all things, as well.
"Would you rather someone inexperienced be handling all this weaponry?" Mukuro countered after a moment, opening one eye lazily as she glared over at them.
"Ah, no, not really, but...well, it uh, feels intimidating to see you...walk about with all that...gear. Couldn't you, um, maybe tone it down a little?" Kaede asked, feeling a tiny bit of sweat drop down her brow.
"Hn. I'll consider it. Besides...if it makes you feel any better, there wasn't any actual ammo for any of this in the storage area," Mukuro admitted after a moment, sounding rather frustrated.
"W-wait, really? Oh, well, that is a relief—!" Kaede began before Mukuro interrupted her.
"Well, that's not entirely true. There was some ammo for the assault rifle, thankfully, but it's not much. I've only got a single clip's worth of ammunition for that. I may as well not have any ammo for it, for the good it'll do me," she declared, sounding rather despondent at that.
Kaede managed to keep a bright if frayed smile on her face. On the inside though, she couldn't help but scream.
"R-Right. Be that as it may..." Byakuya spoke up afterward, clearing his throat. "Were there any other...significant findings?"
"Nothing major to report," Mukuro conceded, shaking her head. "Granted, we didn't have a lot of time to go through all the boxes and crates. There was a great deal of them. Besides the weapons, we found some clothes, toiletries, and other such items. Nothing too uncommon from what you'd find in someone's luggage."
Well, that was both a relief and disappointing. Kaede was glad that, for now at least, no other weapons or ammunition for them had been found...but at the same time, it was disappointing they hadn't found any clues or hints about the keypad on the plane. If any such clues existed, one would think it'd be in the airport itself.
The others spoke up after that, most of them saying they hadn't found much more of note, or any important when they did find something. The thing that most stood out was the report on the farmhouse. A more thorough examination of it had revealed it to be two stories, with five bedrooms total in the house, and a working bathroom. There was also a cellar it seemed, that they'd found in the back of the house. But aside from some booze, there hadn't been much to see down there.
For her own part, Kaede kept quiet about the disturbing observation Rantaro had made. It had been a difficult decision, but she, Byakuya, and Nagito all agreed to keep that quiet for now. After all, until there was conclusive proof, there wasn't any need to make anyone worry, or more so than they already were.
"So it seems like finding Monaca was the biggest discovery we've made so far," Kaede summarized, crossing her arms as she frowned a little. This definitely could have gone a lot better, but it was a start. If nothing else, at least they rescued poor little Monaca from that dark, creepy basement!
"Looks like it. Though I'm rather grateful for that discovery," Rantaro openly voiced with a gentle smile on his face.
He used his good arm to hold Monaca close to him, the little girl now out of her wheelchair and sitting on her brother's lap. Monaca herself seemed quite pleased with the arrangement, her face half buried in his chest as she clung to him.
"Hey, that reminds me. Why was she even down there, anyway? I mean, her eyes should have adjusted to the dark eventually, yeah? Why didn't she just walk over to the stairs and out of the basement?" Yasuhiro asked, scratching his chin in confusion.
Before anyone could think of a reply to that boneheaded question, Rantaro slowly turned his head to face him. A serene smile on his face, he proclaimed, "Ah, sweet, stupid little Yasuhiro. Yes, I'm sure my sister would have had an easy time climbing up the stairs in her wheelchair. Yes, very easy indeed. I'm honestly surprised she didn't think of it before."
"O-Oh, right, sorry," Yasuhiro mumbled in reply, paling rapidly as he shrank back in his seat.
"Yasuhiro isn't very bright, huh Big Brother?" Monaca cheerily stated, giving a little giggle.
"No, no he's not, sweetie," Rantaro easily agreed, chuckling himself.
A moment of awkward silence passed after that. When Kaede couldn't take it any longer, she cleared her throat and spoke up.
"R-right, anyway, moving on! We next to discuss our next plan of action. Maybe—!"
"Oh, oh, I have a suggestion! Maybe you should all start killing each other! Huh? How's that sound?"
Kaede jumped, reeling backward as Usami appeared out of nowhere, landing right in front of her. Her chair almost fell backward onto the floor, but Byakuya managed to catch her in time, keeping her stable.
"As if we'd listen to anything you have to say," Byakuya proclaimed, staring dismissively at the rabbit. "What are you even doing here, anyway?"
"Aww, can't I just check on my students' wellbeing? I mean, I am responsible for you all! I gotta check up on you guys once in a while so I'm here when someone finally croaks and dies!" Usami replied, giving a malicious little chuckle.
Kaede frowned, her hand tightening up into a fist. She wasn't one for violence, but she still felt the strong urge to deck the stupid rabbit. She held herself back though, not wanting to do anything to incur Usami's wrath.
"Look, I don't care what you want us to do! It's not gonna happen! We may not know each other very well, but we're not about to murder each other! We aren't gonna give into your insane desires anytime soon!" Kaede forcefully stated, giving Usami a measured glare.
She didn't back down at all, though: in fact, the white rabbit tilted her head in curiosity, clearly intrigued by her statement. "Is that so, huh? Well then...why don't we make a little bet, eh, Kay-day?"
"Huh?" Kaede replied, rather taken aback.
"Yes, a bet! I think that will work very well here! Fufufufu," Usami cackled to herself, bringing her paws up to her mouth. "I think that will help you realize the full futility of your situation. Normally, this is the part where I think up some motive, to get you all to turn on each other and spread some kills, chills, and thrills! Buuuut...I wanna do things a bit differently. After all, why shouldn't I start the Second Annual Killing Game with something special!
"So, here's the deal, sweetcheeks: I'm not gonna give you any motive. I'm not giving you any special incentive or goal to prod you to commit murder. Ohoho, no, it won't be that easy."
Usami leaned in close to her, her beady, black eyes staring into the depths of her soul. Kaede, for her part, managed to stand her ground, though she still felt a nervous sheen of sweat run down her brow.
"I give you all four days, tops. It'll take ninety-six hours or less, before someone here commits a murder, without me lifting a finger to make it happen. That's right! I'm willing to bet that, without any interference from me...some poor schmuck is gonna get killed. No motives, no incentives, nothing from me that would tip the scales either way. Someone will commit a murder here within four days, and it'll be completely unrelated to me whatsoever! How's that for a bet, eh, Piano Freak?"
Usami leaned back, cackling madly as she made her bold declaration. Her laugh radiating with malicious intent.
"So that's the deal: Make it that long without committing a murder, and I'll let you all go, scot free. No Killing Game, no trials, no fuss, no muss. Just go four days without a single murder, and you all get to go home! Of course...there's no way you're gonna make that deadline. After all, your failure is inevitable."
With one last laugh, Usami scampered off, leaving them all to deal with the ramifications of her 'bet'.
21 Students Remain
Review Responses:
Crit: Haha, glad you're liking it! And yup, Usami is utterly ruthless and merciless. She ain't afraid of crushing the wills of anyone who dares to oppose her.
Kobold: Heh, I had a lot of fun coming up with that idea. I've got plenty of plans in store for Miu, and it should be interesting to see where it all goes.
JC: Oh, you better bet Nagito was eager to pounce on Mukuro; in a non-sexual way, that is. The Ultimate Soldier would make for a good partner in crime, and he already knows that Mukuro has a good reason to want to escape the island. Unfortunately, it seems someone else has already approached her with an offer...
D-Kirb: It is going to be something of a struggle to keep everyone united, with all these dynamic personalities and conflicting interests involved. But I'm sure it'll all work out! And Miu's gonna be in for an interesting time, I'll say that much.
Reader: That's like asking Nagito to have any sense of self-worth. It ain't gonna happen. xD
Anon: Regardless of what happens, Nagito was always destined to go off, as it were. He's a time-bomb waiting to happen! Makes it interesting to consider what his plan here might be, too...
Trust: Glad you're taking a liking to Rantaro! I've really enjoyed writing this version of his character. I was always disappointed with how V3 treated his character, so I'm happy to build up on him for this continuity.
Guest: It's doubtful I'll have any full-fledged lemons in this fic. It's not completely impossible, I'll say, but it remains unlikely for right now. I won't shy away from showing any sexy scenes though, or risque stuff in general. So there is that!