Chapter 1: Buried Beneath: Part 1
1:48 P.M. Day One
First Floor
Cell Block A
The walls of cell block A had "Death Row Inmates" painted on them, and it sure did feel like being on death row. The prison had been eerily silent since the door slammed shut, at least to anyone still in the hall. The various traps that littered the hallways seemed to have shut off, and the screams of their victims had faded away. A girl stood quietly, staring down at the corpse that laid in front of her. The man's head was in an almost unrecognizable shape.
"Goddammit. What the hell's wrong with me? I can't keep doing this shit," she muttered as she bent down and picked up her golf club. She turned it over in her hand and inspected it. The club had been badly warped and was still wet with the man's blood. The girl sighed as she slid it back into the black golf bag over her shoulder. She started to walk away from the body, but stopped once she heard footsteps coming from behind her.
The white-haired girl quickly spun around and saw a man in his mid-twenties walk out of a prison cell. He adjusted his backpack as he looked first at the girl, then at the body. "Heh, you really did a number on this guy. Not that he didn't deserve it. I mean, come on, what kinda psycho resorts to trying to rape a chick as soon as he finds himself in jail?" the man mused as he made his way up to the corpse and crouched down next to it. "Hard to tell now, but I swear I know this dude from somewhere."
"Who cares? That asshole got what he deserved. Anyways, what the fuck's up with you? Were you just creeping in your cell watching me?" the girl asked, glaring at the man.
"Oh, nothing like that. I actually passed out again after those others got the door to this place open. I could hear screams coming from the rest of this place, so I decided to wait it out." The man moved to search the boy's pockets, but not before looking to the girl. "Ah, where are my manners? The name is Taro Ueda. I used to be the Ultimate Barber back when I attended Hope's Peak. What about you, kid? You an ultimate like everyone else who was trapped here?"
"Aiya Shizu. I'm the Ultimate Golfer, or at least I was considered it for a time," she explained with crossed arms. "Are you seriously robbing him right now?"
Taro chuckled as he fished the man's wallet out of his pocket and pulled out an ID card. He rose to his feet and casually discarded the wallet. "Randall Murray Guyver. Oh hell, I remember where I know this guy from. He is - or was, I guess - the Ultimate Television Host. Johanna and I used to watch his show. Seemed like a nice kid, too, but I guess you never really know a person."
"Tch, I guess it doesn't matter. I've wasted enough time here anyway. I can't believe I gave up escaping for my stupid grieving," Aiya muttered as she looked away from the Barber.
"Hm? You were grieving over that loser? Can't say I get that. I mean, the kid was pretty much asking to be put down after what he tried to pull," Taro proclaimed, giving a dry chuckle. "Looks like you're stuck with the rest of us chucklefucks, girly. I just hope you're prepared for what comes next."
"I wasn't grieving over this pile of shit..." the Golfer said quietly. She shook her head roughly and snapped her eyes back at the man. "Whatever. Why are you talking like a know-it-all? You're just as trapped as the rest of us, so it's not like you know a way out of here. Or are you gonna say some bullshit about being wiser, just because you're older than me?"
"Well, I mean, that goes without saying. After all, I'm not a hormone-addled, rage-fueled teenager anymore, and that makes me objectively superior to everyone still alive here," Taro snarked, a smirk spreading across his lips. "Besides that… well, I just have a funny feeling as to how this is gonna turn out. We must be still alive for a reason. If I had to say… I bet we're all about to participate in an entirely new killing game."
Aiya narrowed her eyes as she adjusted her golf bag. "Keep talking like that, and you won't have to worry about being in a killing game. Catch my drift, wise guy?"
"Ooh, I'm so scared! Truly, you are quite intimidating." Taro rolled his eyes. "Seriously, you're about as threatening as a newborn pup. Murdering a guy doesn't mean you're some big hotshot all of a sudden."
The Golfer turned back to the door with a huff. She glared over her shoulder at the man. "Go ahead and keep underestimating me, old man. No way that won't come back to bite you."
Taro snorted, flipping her the bird. "Yeah, yeah. What I'm hearing from you is all talk and no bite. Also, good luck surviving here with that tough-girl attitude of yours. I'm sure it'll make you all sorts of friends. At least I know I'm an asshole!"
"Then I guess that's just how it's going to be. Have fun jacking off in here or whatever you were doing in your cell," Aiya shot back. She walked through the door, not bothering to wait for a reply.
Taro watched as Aiya walked off, turning his attention back to the corpse on the floor. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "...She's right. Underestimating her might well prove fatal to me. Can't let that happen. After all I've been through, I'm not dying here. This is all for you, Johanna..."
1:51 P.M. Day One
First Floor
Corridor
Frieda sighed as she turned down another hallway filled with blood and carnage from the earlier escape attempt. "Jeez, this place is so gloomy. I need to find some more people," she muttered as she skirted around a few bodies.
The sound of rustling caught her attention as she was nearing another corner. The blonde perked up and practically dashed into the next corridor. She saw a girl with orange hair leaning over one of the bodies, but said girl was looking at Frieda as the blonde skidded to a stop. "Hey! I'm so glad I finally ran into someone here!" Frieda exclaimed with an enthusiastic wave.
The orange haired girl stood up, picking up the person's watch in the process. "Allo there, luv!" She brushed down her golden fur coat as she took a few steps towards Frieda. "Can I interest you in a quality second-hand watch?"
"Hmmm... Nah, I'm good. Looting the bodies, huh? You sneaky rogue," the blonde said, sticking her tongue out. She adjusted the hood of her cloak and smiled at the other girl. "Anyways, I'm happy to meet you! I'm Frieda Renner, the Ultimate Dungeon Master, though you may know me better by my alias: the Mistress of Berlin!"
"Mistress of Berlin? Sorry, but I don't know much about Europe. Dungeon Master, ya say? I think I sold some nerd gear like that for a bargain price, but that's enough of my rambling. My name's Danielle Haywood and I'm the Ultimate Street Vendor all the way from London. Pleased to meet ya!"
Frieda took the Street Vendor's offered hand and eagerly shook it. "Oh man, I am so glad I was able to find someone else. Heh, I was too scared to make a dash for the door myself. I got near there, but I heard a lot of gunfire coming from inside," the Dungeon Master explained. Her smile started to wane.
Danielle offered a toothy grin. "I knew there'd be trouble the moment I saw those doors open. I figured it was safer to stay back and see what happened, and I'm glad I did. I've now got all this quality gear to flog!" She gestured vaguely towards the corpses on the floor.
"Nice! Flex that charisma stat, girl!" the Dungeon Master replied with a wink. She looked past the Vendor and down the hall. "Ooh, is that your partner in crime?" She pointed down the hall, where a boy with messy green hair was crouching over a body. The guy kept looking between the corpse and a device in his hand.
Danielle looked over to the boy. "Honestly, I didn't spot him. Why don't we go and say hello?"
"Heck yeah. No time like the present!" Frieda cheered and swiftly moved down the hall. "Hey, dude, how goes the looting?" the Dungeon Master questioned as she started waving at the boy.
The green-haired boy snapped to attention and tucked something back into his trench coat. He turned to face the girls, revealing to them that his face was obscured by a mask and his wild hair. Only a single eye was visible. "Greetings, humans. I had not noticed you," he said in a cold and clearly synthetic voice.
Danielle raised an eyebrow. "What are you, the fucking Terminator? I mean, you're certainly not as handsome as good old Arnie, but you've got the flat delivery down."
The boy's head slightly tilted to the side. "Terminator? Arnie? Hmm, I do not have data on any such subject. I will need to rectify that. Regardless, I was designated Anjing Lijie. I function as the Ultimate Data Compiler. I was in the middle of recording the information of those that have perished in this place."
"Come on, Dani, you shouldn't be so harsh to the guy," Frieda said, playfully punching the Vendor on the arm. She turned back to Anjing with a nod. "Well, that's nice of you. That way they can be reported in, right?" The Compiler nodded, almost like he was mimicking the Dungeon Master.
"I wasn't being 'arsh. It's just that a bloke who speaks like a robot ain't something you see every day." She turned to the Ultimate Data Compiler. "Anji, was it? Who exactly are ya reporting all this to?"
Anjing shrugged as he fished the device from earlier from his jacket. "I just like recording stuff. If it could be useful, that would be great. Maybe someone from the Future Foundation would find it helpful."
"So, you're some kinda data-collecting robot who records whatever you see?" Frieda asked. Her eyes lit up in realization. "Oh, are you like that android guy from Hope's Peak?"
The Data Compiler sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Look, I was joking around. I'm not really a robot or anything. I'm just mute, so I got hooked up with this cool voice box that lets me talk," he explained awkwardly.
Danielle giggled. "Oh, I see, you're like that Stephen Hawking guy. Well, if you ever want to replace that thing, just get in touch. I'm sure I can hook you up with a box that'll get all the ladies on you!"
"I see… Perhaps a new voice would help me gain new insights. I will have to consider this," Anjing mused as he placed a hand against his chin.
"Well, before you think about getting an upgrade, how about we get looking for more people? I know you two don't seem to have many problems touching these corpses, but I think we should move on," Frieda muttered as she eyed the bodies.
"Sounds good me! Let's find some customers..." Danielle said, tucking the watch and the rest of her looted gear into her coat.
"I believe I will continue my recording instead. There are still many people left unattended," Anjing said as he stepped past the girls and kneeled down next to another dead body.
Frieda watched him work for a few moments before shrugging. "If you're sure. Let's just leave him to it, I guess." The blonde turned back towards Danielle, but not before offering her thoughts to the Compiler.. "See ya later Anj, stay safe." Anjing looked away from the body and back at Frieda. He offered the same nod from before, then returned to his work wordlessly.
"Well, this trip has certainly taken an interesting turn. What do you think happens next?" Danielle wondered aloud. The Vendor lifted her briefcase - Frieda wondered how she hadn't noticed it until now - off of the floor and walked down the hall.
2:06 P.M. Day One
First Floor
Infirmary
The bottles in the cupboard clinked against one another as a boy sorted through them. He hummed softly as he picked up a particular bottle. "There's not much medicine in this place, but more poisons than I know what to do with. This certainly looks like the ingredients of a killing game to me," the boy mumbled. He slipped the bottle back in the cabinet and closed the door. He was fiddling with his beret when he heard a voice behind him.
"Ex-excuse me, miss… are you a doctor?" A soft, feminine voice drew the boy's attention to the door, where a petite girl in a beautiful kimono stood. The girl stepped further into the room while clutching her injured arm. The smell of blood followed her.
"Something like that," he mused as he met her halfway, doing what he could to exaggerate the sway of his hips. "Hello there, cutie! I'm more of a scientist, but I know a bit about first aid. You can call me Vera Kos. I'm at your beck, call, and bell," he joked as flicked the small bells that hung off of his belt.
The short girl looked confused as she studied the Toxicologist. "Um… Thank you? Oh, I'm Junsui Tsumibito. If it wouldn't be to much trouble, could you please take a look at my arm?" Junsui asked shyly.
After a few minutes, the boy had gotten the wound cleaned up and dressed without much worry. Vera closed the first aid box and turned back to the girl. "Looks like we're limited on things that can actually help people. How'd you get hurt, kid? Some of the traps, I take it?"
Junsui nodded slowly and tentatively pushed her fingers together. "Yes. When all of the people were moving around, I was too scared to go out there and be around that big of a crowd. This is actually one of the first times I've ever been away from my shrine, so I'm not used to being around strangers, especially men that aren't very old monks. I was on my own and I wasn't paying attention, so this big spike trap came out of the wall. It grazed my arm and tore up the gown my Granny made for me," the petite girl explained sadly.
"Hey, at least you survived. Just gotta keep pushing forward until we get out of this dump, too," Vera replied with a shrug. Before either of them could say anything else, a voice sounded from the hallway
"Unforgettable, that's what you are," the soft and deep voice sang melodiously. Footfalls punctuated the singing as the person drew closer to the infirmary. "Unforgettable, tho' near or far."
"Whoa, it sounds like we've got a hunk coming this way, right?" Vera winked down at the pink-haired girl.
Junsui began to sweat nervously, and a light flush spread across her cheeks. "Is that what a teenage boy sounds like? To be honest, I've never met one before…"
Vera began laughing loudly and clutched at his sides. "Damn, kid, you really know how to insult a guy. I thought you were just messing with me. Can you really not tell I'm a dude?"
Junsui flushed further, this time in embarrassment, then bowed deeply in front of Vera. "I'm sorry! Please forgive me. I don't know how I could make such a mistake! Why didn't you correct me sooner, Mister Vera?"
"Jeez, take a chill pill, cutie. I just felt like messing with you, that's all. It's no big deal. Let's just move on, alright? Now, what was that about never meeting a m-?" Vera's question was cut short by the sound of a throat being cleared.
Standing in the doorway was a very short boy in a tuxedo. His beady, dot-shaped eyes were looking between them with evident confusion. "Excuse me if I'm interrupting something here. Are you two alright?" he asked with concern in his tone.
"Oh come on! First I wake up in this death trap, then I pussy out from going for the goal to escape, then a girl genuinely calls me a chick, and now I find out that some really sexy voice is coming from this freak. This day is just not coming up, Vera." He let loose a deep sigh, though he never stopped smiling widely.
"Mister Vera! That's not nice to say! This man did nothing but sing beautifully, so there's no reason to be rude," Junsui scolded, nervously looking between both boys.
The shorter boy still looked bewildered as he adjusted his hat. "That's nice of you to say, Miss, but I'm pretty used to that reaction. It's pretty much what I've gotten my whole career. Anyways, I'm Seth Stewan, and I'm the Ultimate Crooner according to Hope's Peak. I've always felt like it's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's true that I enjoy singing softly to people."
"It's nice to meet you, Mister Seth. I'm Junsui Tsumibito, the Ultimate Shrine Maiden." She bowed before pointing to the boy next to her. "And he is Mister Vera Kos. Oh, I just realized we never shared what our talents are. You are an Ultimate, right, Vera?"
"Yuppers. I'm the Ultimate Toxicologist, in fact. If you want to know what some poor son of a bitch was poisoned with, I'm your man! Given how packed with poisons this room is, that may make me pretty damn useful! You don't have to thank me, by the way. It's just what I do." He gave a thumbs up, but the two others in the room paled. "What, nothing? Aww, you guys are no fun. This room is getting pretty stuffy, anyways, so let's go look for more people. Maybe then my humor won't fall on deaf ears."
Without waiting for the others to reply, Vera folded his hands behind his head and made his way out of the room. Junsui shook her head. "I get the feeling that Mister Vera is going to continue being very… hard to deal with. Hopefully, someone else here can handle his attitude better than me."
"Heh, yeah. We probably shouldn't leave him on his own, though, 'cause he definitely seems like a handful. After you, Junsui," Seth said as he gestured to the exit. The three made their way back into the winding corridors of the prison, not sure where they were headed or just who else was trapped with them.
2:22 P.M. Day One
First Floor
Cafeteria
A brunette tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she waited for the others to settle at the same table as her. The furnishings in the prison's cafeteria were made of solid steel, as were the metal benches placed at them. All of it was bolted to the ground.
"I'm glad to see that I wasn't the only one who came here. This seemed like the logical place to meet any other survivors, though that wouldn't have mattered if I had just escaped. Had I not been too busy reading through all of the documents in the offices here, I could have. It's a shame none of them held anything useful," the girl explained, seeming to lose focus as she began to ramble. After a moment of silence, she looked up at the group again and flushed lightly. "Oh... my apologies. I have a habit of losing focus when I get caught up in a mystery. Anyway, my name is Yuzuki Enomoto. I'm the Ultimate Journalist."
The other girl at the table silently waved as she placed a plush fox onto the table in front of her. She quickly typed on a keypad on the back of the fox. After a few moments, the fox perked up, and a cutesy, electronic voice came from it. "Do not feel embarrassed, Yuzuki. I am glad to meet you all. I am Thalia Angelos, but you can call me Thally if you want. I like that nickname. I am the Ultimate Lyricist. I really hope we can be very good friends. I apologize if this is odd to you, but this is the only way I can communicate. I am mute, you see, so I can only talk through my friend, Kitsune Kumi."
A willowy boy eyed the Lyricist a moment before pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Fascinating... It seems it does not keep you from proper communication," the boy mused in a tired voice as he let his gaze wander. "Quite a curious predicament we find ourselves in, isn't it? One has to wonder whether or not our lack of motivation to escape with the others was wise. I suppose such quandaries are irrelevant now that the window has come and gone," he said as he idly played with his loose tie. "Ah, I suppose introductions are only proper in this situation. My name is Hotaru Akashi. I'm known as the Ultimate Scholar, but I must admit that my robust education did not prepare me for something of this manner."
A man wearing a clown-themed mask began to laugh creepily for a moment as he tilted his head. "Shishishi. I must agree with you there, Hotaru. There is only so much preparation one can do for a life-or-death situation. It all comes down to instincts in the end, and it seems like we all failed the test." He rested his head against his sleeve-covered hand. "Oh, and since everyone else already went, I suppose I'll do the same. You all can call me Airashi Tozoku. I'm the second-in-command of the giant criminal organization Dice, but I was given the silly title of Ultimate Juggler. Ridiculous, right?" Airashi said before spiraling into another round of laughter.
"Did you say Dice? I had heard that that group was just a gang of pranksters who all died in Towa City. Are you seriously saying that your boss Kokichi was telling the truth?" Yuzuki asked as she pulled out a journal and began furiously jotting down notes.
"Considering he's sitting here, it would seem that it's a bit premature to say they were all killed in Towa City," Hotaru said in a deadpan manner.
Airashi had sat up once he heard the Journalist's reaction and placed his hand over the mouth detailed on his mask. "I think I'm going to blush! I'm touched that you actually know about us. While we may have lost a few members, the Dice organization has countless members worldwide. Besides, don't you know the golden rule? If there is no body, how do you know that they died? Shishishi!"
Thally looked from side to side with a perplexed expression on her face. "Apologies, but I seem to be lost. If it is not rude of me, I would like to ask if this is relevant. Wouldn't it be more important to focus on the bigger problem at hand?"
The Scholar responded in a tone of utter indifference. "Perhaps, but it seems to be a pointless endeavor unless you can open the front gate. Either we've been shut in here till we all starve, or someone still has an agenda for us. Those two seem like the most probable scenarios."
"Given that this is easily the work of Ultimate Despair, it could be any number of things. Furthermore, I couldn't help but notice that there are cameras all over this place. That wouldn't be out of place for a prison, but I highly doubt Despair would miss an opportunity to broadcast this much death," Yuzuki theorized. "That being said, I think it is important to keep our eyes open. We could have easily overlooked something during the chaos from earlier.
The Juggler shrugged before patting the Lyricist's hand. "Shishishi. Don't fret about it too much, deary. I'm sure the person behind all this will appear soon to announce a killing game." His voice had dropped into a dark tone as he talked. "They've been all the rage lately, so I'm sure they won't leave us hanging!"
The Ultimate Scholar rubbed at the bags under his eyes. "Life without purpose has no meaning, so I would gladly take a killing game over languishing in this place until starvation sets in. That would be a dull, grating way to die."
Thally shifted uncomfortably in her seat, then picked up Kitsune Kumi and hugged it close to her. With a shaky hand, she began typing again. "Excuse me... Did you say... a killing game? Like the one at Hope's Peak? Haven't we been through enough death today?"
"As much as I don't like it, I get a strong feeling that Hotaru may be right. Unless something comes along, we seem to have no other options than to starve," the Journalist muttered.
The speakers in the room crackled to life and the group's conversation came to a halt. "It seems we have a few stragglers who were too incompetent to escape or unfortunate enough to stay alive. You all are trapped in my domain now, which I like to call The Bunker. Your chance to escape has been sealed away… for now. I will offer you the opportunity again soon. For now, everyone gather in the cafeteria. Be mindful; not all of the traps have been sprung yet." The voice was far different than the one earlier that spoke of the mysterious land known as Oasis. This one was far deeper and far more distorted. In that moment, everyone in the prison understood one truth: The prison break may have ended, but their suffering had only just begun.
*Author's Notes*
Hey guys want to first thank BouncingFish and TrustMeImMe for beta-ing this chapter. And a shoutout to Crit, Magus, Raz, and Super for helping me get this writing done.
I'm still waiting on apps that I have already promised to wait for. Once I get them I will make my final decisions for the cast, then we will get the next prologue. Until then, thanks for reading and I love you!