Intermission
The Path I Shall Take
Approximately 8 Years Ago…
September 15th, 2012
California, United States of America
FINT Con
The convention center had been bustling for hours on end. Companies of all kinds had come together to discuss business, deals, revenue, and partnerships. It had been a place for the multimillionaires, budding business folk, and those that had a fascination for how such corporation worked.
It was the last day of the convention, yet still a great many lingered around afterwards. With the convention being a major success and a lot of new partnerships, deals, and ideas formed, it seemed like a shame for it to be over what felt too soon. One soul in particular had good reason to stick around.
Malcolm Foxtrot finished up his conversation with a CEO who happened to be a big fan of his work. Fans that high of standing usually had ideas they wanted to share, and while most couldn't or wouldn't be used, it was still nice to hear such excitement. It let Malcolm know he was doing his career correctly.
Despite this overall pleasant experience the convention had been, Malcolm found himself heavily distracted as he walked towards the parking structure where his car was. Something nagged at him, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe the sheer amount of incredulousness of what he was considering was the problem.
His cell phone vibrated. The name "Christina" with a heart emoji was on the screen, and he smiled as he answered it. "Did you add that emoji on my phone again, you minx?"
"You should learn by now that you cannot pick a password that your wife cannot guess," Christina said with a laugh. "Sorry, I cannot help myself."
"If I wanted a predictable life, I wouldn't have married you. Though, is everything alright?"
"Oh, nothing's wrong, just our little angel was asking about you."
"Seriously?" Malcolm leaned up against a wall, adjusting his hat as he felt a rush of paternal warmth wash through him. "Did you tell her I'll be home tomorrow?"
"Oddly enough, I did, and she seemed to understand."
"You're not exaggerating?"
"We're raising a budding genius, dear. Guess she got both of our big brains in that little noggin of hers."
"Well, to be honest, her father might be going a little crazy, so I don't know how much I want her to pick up after me."
"Something wrong, honey?"
Malcolm rubbed his forehead, as he walked to his car. Trying to hide anything from the detective he married was pointless, he learned that long ago. "I came to this convention to see if I could find a good idea for a plot, and I think all I really got was a conspiracy."
"Malcolm, we talked about this. Conspiracies are not what bad writers use."
"Well, wait until you hear this one, Christina. It'll definitely sound like one. Apparently, there seems to be a cult of sorts that is traveling around the globe, and embracing all kinds of business. From the multibillion dollar companies to the street performers, including aspects like the adult entertainment industry and Olympic sports industries, there is a growing trend of people who want to bring down the structures they are figuratively in."
Malcolm scratched his blond hair under his forehead, as he continued. "There were a lot of different business types here, including medical, cartoon creators, and even other writers like me. The convention was full of all kinds of different types, instead of just CEOs and businessmen this time around."
"What on Earth do all of those things have to do with a cult, Malcolm?"
"I told you it would sound ridiculous…"
Malcolm got into his car, but, as he had always promised his wife, he didn't start it up. "So I heard from more than a few people about this conspiracy that someone planned a total, global collapse. Like, the apocalyptic kind, where one bad day could ruin everything mankind has made.
"You see, there's even a bunch of ideas that, if you can imagine, that the civilized world is held up by a series of wires. Someone wants to cut those wires."
Christina was silent for a second, then said, "Sounds like a cartoon super villain's plan, destroy the world just to do it. For all of the novels you've written, Malcolm, you never did something like that. It might be too much like a stretch."
"Yeah, that's what I thought as well. Still, the idea that someone could do it, out of spite and malice, it has my interest. Maybe people are a little paranoid."
He was surprised when he heard his wife laugh. "You know what I think it is? That Mayan prophecy, you got a bunch of people terrified that December 21st is going to be our final day."
"Ha! I hadn't thought of that! But you know what, I rather like this, I'll talk to you more about it when I see you and our little genius tomorrow. Kiss her good night for me, will you?"
"She's already gone to bed, Sam was here to help me out."
"You don't have to kiss her good night for me as well."
"Well, maybe I wanna kiss her good night, what about my needs, Malcolm Foxtrot?"
"I'll tend to those as well when I get back home, Christina Lupin."
"Love you, honey."
"Love you more, dear."
Malcolm started up his car, pulled out of the garage, and started on his drive to his hotel. The novelist drove through the heavy traffic, all the while pondering what he had just discussed with his lover.
"Okay, maybe it is Doomsday dread, but there does seem to be a bit of establishment in this rumor," he thought. "After all, you don't get titles and details unless someone has put more than a little thought into it. It is a bit like a novel, but you have to have established canon to make it official."
"But the idea that someone from any type of profession or career could start such a following? Can you really convince people to end the world? What kind of sway would you have to have?
"Whoever this Entity of Chaos is, with such a bizarre title, they may be taking themselves too seriously," Malcolm considered, shrugging off the weight of such a possibility. He had left the trafficked area and was driving through a housing area. "Then again, it's worth looking a little more into. I've found more by looking into less.
"Who knows? Maybe book number twenty-three should be about a global conspiracy. It would be a nice change of pace, with the stakes being that high."
Malcolm drove on as he pondered his next step. The only thing that distracted him was the thought of his daughter asking about him, and he once again felt that swell of pride and joy that nothing else could match.
He didn't notice the car barreling down towards the crossroads, because it didn't have its headlights on. There was a terrific impact as it slammed into the driver's side door, the sounds of the crash echoing into the night.
September 19th, 2014
Office of Detective Christina Lupin
"Chief, you need to stop this awful habit of yours."
"It is not a habit, and you damn well know that," Chief Duncan Seeds said to the detective, who was slouched over at her desk. "I need you to pull yourself together, I cannot cover for you any longer. And I refuse to see you ruin yourself."
"It's already ruined," Samantha muttered bitterly. "Two years, two Goddamn years, and I haven't found anything yet. I thought that I would be over it, better than that, but no… every fucking case that comes remotely close to Malcolm's just sends me through a roller coaster."
The chief sighed, sitting down in the chair in front of her desk. "Lupin, no one ever truly gets over these things. You've spoken to the families and loved ones of victims, and you work harder than anyone I know to find them some sort of closure."
"A 'physician, heal thyself' speech is the last thing I need, Chief."
"No, this is the last thing you need," he said as he leaned forward and tapped the water bottle at her desk that definitely didn't smell like water. "You need to take the rest of the day off, and pull yourself together. I will put you on leave if need be."
"Hmph, you should have thought of that before assigning me to a hit-and-run case… wait no, no no no."
Christina rubbed at her face, and adjusted the hat on her head that she had been wearing for two years now. "I'm… I'm sorry. I just don't know what to do. I haven't felt this helpless in… forever."
"Can you drive home?"
"Not a chance, I had too much… water, Chief."
"Can someone come pick you up then?"
"… Yeah, I think I have someone."
An hour later, a lady wearing a nurse's uniform from the nearby hospital entered the precinct, holding a three year old girl's hand. The detective blanched when she saw the little girl, and hid in her office.
"Why'd you bring her, Sam?" Christina asked, refusing to look at them when they entered her office.
"I am not leaving her alone, no matter how resourceful she is," the nurse said.
"Mommy?" the little girl spoke up. "Are you okay?"
Christina looked at her daughter, and those brown eyes pierced through her heart. She had her father's eyes, the inquisitive kind that said they wanted to know the answer.
The detective started to sob, and she couldn't stop herself. "N-no, sweetie," she admitted. "Mommy's not fine… mommy… misses your father too much…"
September 21th, 2015
Home of Detective Christina Lupin
Christina walked towards the doorway of her daughter's room, glancing over her shoulder at the four year old lying on her bed, wrapping up in sheets and clutching a plushie of some odd, green animal. The detective smiled, flicked the lights off, and left the room.
In the living room, her nurse friend was finishing watching an episode of a little kid's cartoon. Christina noticed this, and couldn't help but let out a little laugh. "You watch this even after she goes back to bed, Sam?"
"The duck makes me laugh, he has such a silly voice," Sam admitted, giggling before she turned the TV off. She stood up, straightening out her clothing, before stretching and letting out a long sigh of relief. "Another day of watching over the most curious child complete!"
"Sam, you," Christina started to say, lost her nerve for a few seconds, then found it again as she spoke. "You've done so much for me."
"It's no problem."
"No, it is. I mean, how long have we known each other? How much does your career as a nurse mean to you? I recall when you couldn't shut up about how much you wanted to be one throughout all of college, and now that you are one…
"You're putting it on hold to take care of my daughter and me… and it's mostly me at this point."
"Christina, please."
Samantha walked over and hugged her friend tightly. "You mean more to me than anything in the world, you should know that by now. And that goes to your daughter too, she's… she's like…"
Now it was Samantha's turn to lose her nerve, and she let go of Christina to step back. Her blush was evident on her pale face, and she tried to hide it behind her dark brown hair. "I… I said too much."
"Samantha, it's okay…"
"No, it's not okay! She's your daughter, she's Malcolm's daughter! I love you both, and it hasn't been that long since… oh my God, I'm so stupid. He was such a good man, you two were so happy together. More happy than I ever saw you, and… I'm so selfish."
"Selfish? You are the last person who is selfish, Samantha Bliss!"
Sam sniffled, as she stared at Christina. "Really? Because I'm only thinking about what I want…"
"What is that? Please, talk to me. I want to know, because you saved me, you pulled me from a dark, terrible place that I would have died in. I want to know how to help you now."
"It… it would be better if I showed you."
"Okay…"
Summoning all of her courage, Samantha tried to dry off her face as much as she could. She walked over to her best friend, and kissed her. Christina's eyes went wide, she didn't have a response at all at first.
Though when Sam wrapped her arms around her, the detective felt something warm and happy inside of her, something that kicked all of the frustration, self-pity, and anger away to make room in her heart for something, or rather someone, new.
Christina returned the kiss at the last second, and the two ladies looked into each other's eyes. Both let out nervous little laughs, and kissed again. Both were intrepid, slow at first, but then it started to pick up.
And when they were full-blown making out, they found themselves lost in the moment entirely. Arms wrapped around each other, hands groped and grabbed and held…
Then Christina heard her daughter calling out to her from the other side of the living room.
"Mom? What are you doing with Aunt Samantha?"
Both women froze up, and stared like deer in the headlights at the tiny girl who had caught them. This was going to take a lot of explaining to do.
March 21th, 2016
Home of Detective Christina Lupin
Samantha Bliss sat down on the couch, trying to think of what she was going to say. It felt so odd, struggling with such a subject, when her field of work was about the health and future of people. This wasn't a matter of life and death, or maybe it was with how much her heart could take depending on what was said.
She turned to the little girl who she had asked to sit with her, and folded her hands. The girl did the same thing, as if impersonating the lady was the best way to have an adult conversation.
"Your mother and I wanted me to talk to you, sweetheart," Samantha started off, "because there is something I need to address with you."
"Okay," the little blond girl said, nervously fidgeting. "Is this about Mom and helping her with her work?"
"No, it's not about that. It's about… you and me."
"Oh?"
"I… I love your mother, very much," Samantha admitted. "I was her friend for years, since we were in high school together. It was only recently that those feelings became romantic, and I… I want to live with your mom and you."
Christina stood out of sight of the two in the next room, listening in, figuratively and almost literally holding her breath as she eavesdropped.
"But, I need to see if that is okay with you first," Samantha said, "because that means I'll be living here with you too."
"Are you going to be my mom too?" Christina's daughter asked, tilting her head to the side. "I don't understand how that can work."
"It… it can work like that, in a sense. I know you're not your real mother, I… I don't want you to think I'm replacing anyone, sweetheart."
"What do you mean? Like my dad?"
Both Christina and Samantha flinched, feeling a cold sense of dread race down their spines. Sam took all of her training to keep calm during bad situation to heart, and spoke patiently.
"I'm not replacing your father. I love your mother, and I love you. I've been taking care of you for so long now, I have thought of you like my own daughter. But, I know it's hard to ask this of you, I need your permission."
"To do what?"
"To… be your mother's partner, and to be part of your life."
The little girl blinked in confusion, four years of experience not really enough to have her consider all angles. So she merely smiled and spoke her mind, the honest truth of, "Aren't you already?"
"What?"
"You already watch over me, you help me out, you love me, you're already like Mom! And really, I know you love my mom. I don't really get all of the kissy stuff yet, but I believe I'll get the answer to that eventually."
The little blond girl giggled, then moved across the sofa to hug Samantha. "You're like my sweet mom, and I love you too. Of course I want you in our lives, you make Mom happy."
Samantha let out a sob, and wrapped her arms around the little girl. She could hear Christina crying happily from the other room, and couldn't help but smile a little; she knew the detective's insatiable curiosity would lead her to listen in.
She tenderly squeezed the girl in her arms, and felt so warm and happy inside as she heard this child that was now, what truly felt like, her daughter.
"Thank you so much," Samantha whispered, "Annabelle."
June 17th, 2016
Japan, Hope's Peak Academy
Headmaster Jin Kirigiri's Office
Jin raised an eyebrow at the official talent scout of Hope's Peak. "You're serious?"
Koichi Kizakura chuckled as he adjusted his hat, plopping down in the closest, comfy chair. "Damn straight, boss. The kid was everything I was told she would be. Sweet, curious, and knowing more about biology and science than I do."
"All at the age of five. She was helping her mother with fact checking, though, it wasn't really her who solved the mystery. I kind of had to pitch in as well."
Jin sighed as he rubbed his forehead, before glancing at a picture on his desk. It was him holding up a very young Kyoko, younger than five, but just as precocious and sweet. The lavender-topped toddler was waving her hands up in the air, her unblemished fingers spread out as she tried to flap her arms like a bird.
"You really think we should consider her, Koichi?" the headmaster asked. "I mean, we have enough on our plate as it is."
"That's what I get paid for, boss man. I know, things aren't looking real good, but you gotta plan for the future. There's a lot of budding talents out there, and I think it's something to stick a pin in, so to speak."
"There's something you're not telling me here. Prodigies are amazing, yes, and it would be grand to have someone like that here; however, I think you're hiding something for me."
Jin stared down Koichi, though the suave scout barely reacted from such a steely glance. "What are you saying without saying it?"
"Yeah, well, I didn't fly over to America just because I heard of a prodigy; I also happened to hear she was the daughter of Malcolm Foxtrot."
The headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy blinked in surprise, but maintained a calm look. "A daughter of a mystery writer and a detective, who is now following in what seems to be both their footsteps, at the age of five."
"Of course, we're going to have to consider that she may not be able to come, since, you know, even if we wait a few years, she'll still probably want a guardian with her before traveling across the ocean to go to school here."
"Koichi…"
"Something up, boss man?"
"You really think I don't know what you're trying to do here?"
Koichi let out a coy laugh, and said, "Jin, you seem to think I got an angle for everything. Whether or not you decide to put her in the records is your decision, ultimately, if you'll forgive the pun.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I got jet lag, a severe lack of a good drink, and I promised Chisa a bunch of souvenirs for her class. I think that girl that always lectures me wanted photos. Take care, boss man."
With a simple salute, Koichi strut out of the office. Jin sighed and rolled his eyes, wondering why the scout always had to make things a touch difficult. Still, when he looked down at the profile of the little girl, he noticed the picture of her.
Annabelle was waving to the camera with both hands, making a cheerful face that looked like a kid posing for a photo. Though it was a total coincidence, Jin wondered if some higher power had it so that the prodigy was spreading her arms in the exact way little Kyoko in the photo was.
"Maybe some time in the future, young Lupin," Jin quietly said, as he wrote a couple notes on Annabelle's profile, and stored it with potential future interests.
June 30th, 2020
USA, California
Police Station
The horrible impact of someone being slammed against the wall was followed up by punching sounds that wouldn't let up. The interrogation room door had been barricaded with a chair, as the officers tried desperately to get in.
"WHERE!" Detective Lupin shrieked as she punched the woman in the stomach, robbing her of breath. The woman arched forwards, face squinting as she took the hit, and then leaned back up. Her face contorted with a wicked grin, sneering at the detective.
"IS!" The detective socked her stomach again, making the woman cry out this time, but it dissolved into manic laughter.
"MY! DAUGHTER?!"
The officers broke in at this point, and pulled Christina from the suspect. As she was forcibly removed from the room, the woman was cackling now.
"It's too late! It's too late for your little one, it is in chance and malice's hands now," the woman said, as spirals emerged in her eyes. The Japanese lady was not fighting, but the officers, experienced with Despair fanatics, pushed her into a chair and handcuffed her. "Your future student is now a future contestant!"
"You bitch!" Christina shrieked, desperately trying to break away from the others. "You fucking bitch, where's Annabelle? What did you do?!"
Nothing stopped the woman from laughing her head off, and she had to be restrained and sedated, as she started to bang her forehead against the table, almost concussing herself. Christina was pulled off to one of the side rooms, as she had to pace back and forth to prevent her from making a beeline back to the interrogation room and beating the shit out of the suspect.
Chief Duncan Seeds stormed into the room, but by the time he got there, Christina was sobbing miserably. She was clutching at her chest, as if afraid that her heart would die. "My… my baby," she sobbed, as tears flowed from her eyes.
"Christina," the chief said as he went over to her. She glanced up at him, as she heaved in terror, unable to contain her emotions.
"She knows where my baby is," Christina explained through her heaving gasps. "She said so herself. She… said she's been chosen for despair."
"That woman will never tell you what she knows now."
"She'll never tell us ever! She's a Despair fanatic, they're corrupted to the core and there's no turning them back. She came all the way from Japan, she came here… she took my baby… my Annabelle…"
Christina collapsed into a sofa, shivering hard. Duncan sat next to her, as she tried so hard to contain herself. "She's been gone for twenty-seven hours now… the timeframe of losing her is getting so much lower… I… I cannot-"
"We're going to find her," Duncan assured her, rubbing her back. "We are going to do everything in our power to find her."
"I… I just don't know what else I can do. My poor baby, where is she… she's only nine… she just… Annabelle."
Before she could pull herself together, her phone started to vibrate, feeling like some rabid animal trying to escape her pocket. She scrambled to pull it out, and saw it was a text from Samantha.
[Come to the hospital, Christina.]
[I have a suspect here, Sam, I cannot leave.]
Christina stood up, trying to keep herself together. She knew Samantha was suffering too, and she wanted her lover with her at the station so bad; however, a terrible accident led for her skills at the hospital to be invaluable.
The detective stared at her chief, and started to say, "I… what do I do? I cannot-" before her phone vibrated again.
[This isn't Samantha Bliss. This is the person holding a gun to her back.]
Time stopped, her heart almost killed her by skipping several beats as her body turned icy cold. She stared at the screen, as if trying to will that message to not become real.
The icon showing that the person was typing a text message showed up, and then another message appeared. [Come to the hospital, Christina. Third floor, room 35, and come alone. Should anyone else come…]
…
…
…
[Let's just say that your darling daughter will lose another loving guardian. You'd best be here soon, if you want to see Samantha in one piece.]
Christina shook in unbridled panic, and stared at Duncan. He could see the outright terror in her eyes, and asked, "What is going on?"
"I… I need to go to the hospital."
Christina felt the elevator chime echo like an announcement of death. When she stepped out, she had her hand on her gun, ready to take it out of the holster at a moment's notice. She didn't want to startle the staff, so she didn't have it out…
However, there was absolutely no one there. No staff, no patients, no one, and it was completely quiet save for the machines running. It was so unnerving, she wanted to scream and disrupt the deafening silence.
Moving swiftly, she headed straight for Room 35, pulling her gun out. The door was closed, and she aimed to stay out of sight from the small window. As she approached the door, she listened in…
"Drop the gun, Detective Lupin."
The voice came from behind her, from the room opposite of 35. She did as she was told, and turned around slowly. Samantha was standing in the doorway, shaking in dread, and someone was behind her. That someone was wearing a coat, dressed like a doctor.
The person behind Samantha grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back into the room, saying simultaneously, "Come on in, detective. We need to have a little chat."
Christina followed after, and the scent of blood and death hit her as soon as she entered the room. A man lay on the bed, obviously a patient, shot in the head.
"Brutal, is it not? That is the nature of calamity and chaos, the roulette of life and death," the being behind Samantha said. "One room had to be chosen, and this poor soul had to be taken care of. Could have been anyone, but it was him."
Christina stared down the being behind Samantha, while regarding her lover. Sam had obviously been crying, and she was gripping her arm; there was blood, she was hurt. The detective had to fight every desire and instinct to run over to her, but she could see the gun in the malevolent person's hand pointed at Sam's back.
"What do you want?" Christina asked, forcing her voice to remain to calm.
"Where's our daughter?" Sam asked, looking over her shoulder at the one holding her hostage.
"Presumptuous, are you not?" the malevolent being said. "She's not YOUR daughter, Samantha Bliss."
There was a flash of undeniable determination in Sam's eyes, as she defiantly replied, "Yes, she is."
"…"
The entity took aim at the back of Samantha's head.
BLAM!
Christina didn't know how long she stood there in shock. She was screaming and moving without any control left. Her arms wrapped around Sam's body, holding her tightly, sobbing as she saw blood flow out of the bullet hole that had stolen her life away in a second.
"I so detest being lectured."
The being chuckled, and the click of the gun preparing for the next shot came as they pointed it at Christina's head. She was clutching Sam, refusing to let go, as she stared down the barrel of the gun of her lover's murderer.
"You know, your husband was going to look into me. It seems fitting I take out his replacement, before I finally have the delight of wiping you all out."
Christina couldn't form words, she was holding Sam to her, her reality shattered.
"Your daughter was taken by Despair, and she'll be taking part in a rather intriguing game soon. I'm fairly certain she won't make it, the odds are completely against her, so the collection is prematurely complete.
"When I heard she had become a brilliant little prodigy, I had so wanted to be the one to snuff her out with you. But Despair beat me to the punch, and, well, Chaos and Despair have that non-compete clause and such; you know how it is.
"Wait, do you? I mean, maybe it was so long ago, or did Malcolm never tell you what he was curious about?"
Christina felt her body shiver, and her mind raced so hard that she had to fight from passing out. "The Entity of Chaos," she responded.
"Oh, so he did tell you?"
"It was in his notes."
"Heh, I guess that's all I can expect from an amateur doing the job. You shouldn't know me as that title, you should know my actual name.
"I am Apophis. I am Chaos incarnate, and I will bring about a Tragedy far grander than the one this little planet recently have.
"The reason I am telling you this is because word seems to spread, even amongst the dead. So when you go to Heaven, Hell, or whatever afterlife or darkness that greets you, spread the word. Maybe it'll help your daughter find you faster wherever you're going."
Apophis stepped forward, and the barrel of the gun was a mere foot from Christina's forehead. She held Sam's body tight to her, and spoke defiantly.
"My daughter will be the end of you."
BLAM!
No one knew what happened at that hospital that day. The bodies of Detective Christina Lupin, Nurse Samantha Bliss, and a patient were discovered when the staff ventured to that wing, confused as to why so many people had been moved around that hour.
The police and detectives that had been hiding incognito around the hospital failed to find whoever did it. Everyone was checked out before leaving that day, and the gun was found inside of the room with its victims. Chief Duncan Seeds couldn't comprehend how something was possible, and the department mourned the loss of Christina Lupin, and her family.
The devastation did not stop there. The Lupin/Bliss household was burned to the ground in a very obvious and destructive arson case on the same day. A suspicious detective who was on suspension destroyed all of Detective Lupin's belongings at work. Samantha's belongings at the hospital were stolen or destroyed.
In less than two months, the world was sent a broadcast from a floating island. One hundred possible students on Hope's Peak scouted lists were put on a roller coaster, and sent on a ride that resulted in eighty of them dying brutal, violent, and senseless deaths.
Annabelle Lupin was almost one of those, if it had not been by the quick reaction of Tiana Blake. Surviving the roller coaster, Annabelle moved onwards with the others who had made it through the ride of death into another broadcasted Killing Game.
With a good deal of the students watching over her like mother and father hawks, the forensic investigator survived. Though it wasn't until the final battle that something clicked with her, her captors intense and vicious hatred of all adults, demons in their eyes. Her innocence that she had clung so tightly to, belief in a happy ending, to get out of this place and show her captor what for, it was all gone with this sudden revelation.
"I… I bet my moms are smiling down from heaven with my daddy," she said as she lay on the ground, staring up at the sky as Haruto and Tiana moved towards her. "They're proud of us all."
Later that day, she would know it to be true. The American girl did not return back to her home country, she stayed in Japan, with the Future Foundation, with those that she had grown close to during the Killing Game. With the nine other survivors, those who had made it through Despair's Killing Games, and a handful of other strong-willed people, they aimed for a better future.
Despair was still playing, and now Chaos was entering the field unofficially.
? PM, September 15th, 2020
Tokyo, Japan
Future Foundation Building
Kyoko Kirigiri mumbled her in her sleep, her gloved fingers coiling and uncoiling repeatedly. She appeared to be having some kind of dream, becoming more agitated by the minute. When the lights turned on, she was awake in a flash and a sharp cry.
"Kyoko! Are you okay?"
The lavender-topped detective shook her head, running her hands through her hair as she quickly settled herself into reality. Without saying anything, she pulled herself off of the bed.
Makoto moved over to her, grabbing her when she nearly lost all balance and fell forward. Kyoko steadied herself, and muttered as she looked into his eyes, "Thank you. I'll be seeing myself out now."
"Now you wait a minute," said a voice from the doorway. This rest area, complete with several beds for people who needed the sleep during the nights at the Future Foundation's headquarters, was now impossible for Kyoko to leave.
The fully dressed detective stared down Mukuro, undaunted by the Ultimate Soldier standing her ground. "I have to get going," Kyoko said firmly. "I've spent too long here."
"You really should listen to Koto first," Mukuro said defiantly. "And maybe take a shower, because good grief, I can smell you from here."
Kyoko didn't make any sort of disgusted noise or reply to this, she merely turned towards Makoto Naegi. The brunet Ultimate Lucky Student was staring at her with visible concern. It was just like him to be so worried about his friends, so determined to keep the well-being of others up.
"I don't understand what I need to talk about," Kyoko said to him. "You know I have to leave, I need to investigate more."
"Kyoko, it's been over two weeks. We all are very concerned, but you're running yourself ragged. This is the fourth time we've had to carry you to this room."
The perceptive, purple eyes of the detective widened for a moment, then she merely chuckled and glanced away. "I got my sleep, that's what I needed."
"Kyoko, you're not eating."
"Are you making deductions now, Makoto?"
"I can tell you're not eating, I don't need to be a detective. You're not eating, you're not sleeping, you are going to get yourself killed out there if you keep going at it like this."
"As far as I see it, I'm the only one who can handle this case. I don't require assistance, and I certainly don't need to be mothered. Now if you two are done…"
She felt a hand wrap around her gloved hand. Her eyes went wide again, and this time stayed that way. Makoto was holding her hand, something so forward that it was practically violating her. Her fingers quivered slightly, as she looked into his eyes.
They had only held hands twice, in the time that they could remember. Kyoko couldn't think of what to say to this, she could practically feel his concern and empathy with that very gentle squeeze against her palm.
Her burned, scarred hand inside of her glove felt like it could break, and yet she didn't fear the pain or possible ruination. No, this was something else.
"Kyoko, you know you can trust us," Makoto said. "Please, we all care about you too much to see you run yourself down like this."
"I'm not telling our children," Mukuro said from the doorway, "that Aunt Kyoko is never going to visit them again."
Kyoko had her eyes locked on Makoto's, and she shivered when she started to feel the intensity there. Something inside the back of her mind said, "You cannot do this. Not again, even if you don't remember it. Don't you dare. Don't you dare, Kyoko Kirigiri."
"If I promise," she said quietly to Makoto, "to eat and shower and all of those necessities, will you stop bothering me?"
"You know I'm not doing this to bother you," Makoto remarked, his hopeful eyes boring into her soul. She took a deep breath, as she resisted the urge to react in any way; she only failed in one regard, when she rubbed her thumb gently against the back of his hand.
"I know," she whispered, "but you have enough going on. You don't need my set of issues in the mix."
"Kyoko…"
"I'll do all those things that you request of me, then I'm going to leave and follow up on a lead I think I have. Just please stop worrying about me so much. And Mukuro?"
She walked past Makoto to the Ultimate Soldier, and said, "Don't follow me again, please. You have many skills, tailing someone is not one of them."
Mukuro let out a frustrated sigh as Kyoko walked on to more of the rest area's sections. The Ultimate Detective was quiet the whole way, as her mind reviewed the case over and over.
She showered, removing the unpleasant feel and scent of an unwashed body from her at long last. The detective even took the time to trim her hair, as it had started to grow a little longer than she preferred. Her stomach grumbled repeatedly in gratitude when she had a decent-sized meal, washing it down with a cup of noodles.
Kyoko walked through the Future Foundation building, an inconspicuous sight to most of those there. She rarely ever talked to them, so they had no reason to talk to her. Kyoko was practically a ghost here, which was how she preferred to be.
The lavender-topped detective was almost at the exit when she heard someone hurrying to catch up with her. She turned, and was surprised to see Annabelle Lupin jogging up towards her. The nine year old girl was wearing a backpack, and it almost appeared as if she was late for school.
"Miss Kyoko Kirigiri," Annabelle said as she approached her, "I need to talk to you. Please."
Kyoko was slightly confused, but she didn't see the harm in conversing with her. "I'm sorry, Annabelle, I'm in a bit of a hurry."
"It's… important, and related to your case. I need your help, and I think you'll need mine."
Now the detective was interested, though cautious. "What are you talking about?"
"I… received this letter today."
The young forensic investigator reached into her pocket, and pulled out an envelope. Kyoko opened it up, and when she took the paper out, she noticed how unusual the font was.
"It's very shocking," Annabelle warned her, "and personal, but I need you to read it. You're mentioned in it."
The letter was as followed:
"Dear Annabelle Madeline Lupin,
I am sure you are aware of what day it is that you receive this letter. September 15th, what a day that must be for you. Eight years ago, your father was killed in a hit-and-run. Such a shame, even if you were too young to remember him.
You should know that this was my doing. He was going to investigate into me, and I so do detest anyone who dares try to challenge me. I was so sure this would destroy his family too, get them to back off.
No, that was not the case, as you very well know. So when, shortly after Despair kidnapped you, I made my own move. It was part of their plan from the beginning, so I beat them to it. I wonder how it makes you feel…
How much hatred can a youthful heart yours handle to hear that I shot Samantha, the woman who deluded herself into thinking she was a mother to you, in front of your actual mother? It was just to see your mother in agony in her last minutes, and then I took care of her.
Though now you've made me look like a fool, as I told your mother how you would most certainly die during that Killing Game. Against all odds, you survived, and now you're under protective care…
Would you like revenge? Answers? Justice? I believe you have earned that chance, let us see if your time is borrowed or destined.
If you are selfish enough to bring someone into this, you should talk to Kyoko Kirigiri. I know she is investigating something, a disappearance, as you might know about. She will be interested in this town, because it also has answers she is looking for.
But she will be in great danger here, should you ask her to join you. Also, I warn you, if you bring anyone else, Annabelle, their lives are forfeit. This is between you, me, Kyoko, and the town of Penjar.
Do you wish to know about Despair?
Some want to destroy Despair.
Some wish to control it.
Some hope to study Despair…
And some desire to wield it.
Though you should know it was CHAOS that slew your father, your mother, and that imposter who claimed to also be your mother. Chaos will rise up and smite the world far grander than anything you can imagine, more than the Tragedy, more than your little Killing Game in the sky.
On the back of this paper is a map and directions to Penjar. I look forward to seeing you soon, and to see if I will complete the collection.
-The Entity of Chaos"
Kyoko stared at the paper, incredulous and a little outraged, before flipping it over. There were written directions, as well as a drawn map. It also had a small sketch of Monokuma, with his colors flipped, as if to present a different form of him.
"I know it's weird," Annabelle said, "but I know it's legit. I mean, he even knew my middle name."
The lavender-topped stared at the directions, and then down at the prodigy. "Well then, thank you, Annabelle. I'll be going now."
She turned and started to walk to the door, while Annabelle gaped for a second before realizing dawned on her. "He-hey! Where are you doing?"
"I'm leaving, I'm going to investigate this place called Penjar."
"I'm coming with you."
"No, you're not."
Kyoko pushed the door open and hurried on outside. Annabelle practically slammed against the door as she followed after. "I gave you that to look at, not so you could keep it!"
"You're not going on a quest for revenge that will get you killed," Kyoko replied without looking back at her. "You will stay here, with those that care about you, and stay safe."
"You cannot stop me from going, Kyoko! I already memorized the directions! I'll get a bicycle and ride there if I have to!"
Kyoko stopped and turned around. "Then perhaps I'll go back in and tell the others you're planning on leaving."
"And maybe I'll do the same about you," Annabelle snapped, frowning up at the detective. "If I'm not going, you're not either."
"I'm an adult, they have no authority over me."
"You're not stopping me from going."
The two ladies stared each other down, not budging an inch. There was a small, electronic beep from Kyoko's pocket, then a deep voice. "You shouldn't dismiss her like that, Kyoko."
Kyoko wordlessly reached into her pocket, and pulled out the cell phone-like device. On the display was Ryoma Hoshi's, the Ultimate Tennis Player, AI form. The virtual version of the deceased man flicked a cigarette from his mouth before staring up at Kyoko.
"You know she's responsible," he argued some more.
"Hi, Ryoma," Annabelle called out to the AI.
"Hey there, kid. So, Kyoko, are you really going to be this stubborn over getting a partner? I don't mind taking second place for a while."
"She's a child," Kyoko calmly said, "and she's running off to a place where she can get killed. It hasn't even been a month since she was saved from Kuma-Kuma Land."
"She's more than just a child, but that's besides the point. We all have our lives to lead, decisions to make. You shouldn't deny her this."
"I can and will, Ryoma. I won't let her get herself killed for revenge."
"Tell me, Kyoko," the AI continued, staring at her with the soul-piercing look that Ryoma had, even in this form, "is it for her sake, or yours, that you don't want her to go?"
Kyoko froze, then glanced at Annabelle. The blonde girl scratched her head, and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
The lavender-topped detective let out a small sigh, and turned towards the girl. "You know how my father, Jin Kirigiri, was the headmaster of Hope's Peak Academy?"
"Uh-huh."
"I'm fairly certain Junko Enoshima murdered him," Kyoko said, her tone and face calm as ever, "when she took over the lockdown we had during the Tragedy. I never got to say good-bye, and, from what I have discovered, it seems I forgot about other things that happened between him and I. Things I will never remember happening, because of that woman.
"I know you want to avenge your father, Annabelle, but that anger, that desire to punish someone for what was done, it won't get you anywhere. It'll eat you up, and that's why you cannot go."
"You know that's not the main issue," Ryoma said, shaking his head. "Come clean, Kyoko."
"Ryoma."
"Kyoko, I'll do it if you don't."
Annabelle tilted her head to the side. "What are you two talking about?"
"Kyoko's father was a big fan of your father's work," Ryoma said. "It is one of the reasons you were on the list for possible future students for Hope's Peak Academy."
Annabelle thought back to when that nice man had visited, and helped her solve a case. It was such a thrilling and humbling experience. As she thought about it, something clicked in her head.
"So, wait, are you saying she feels guilty over that?" Annabelle asked. "Kyoko, you really think because your father considered me, that was the reason I got involved in the Killing Game?"
Kyoko didn't answer, she turned around and started walking away more briskly. Stuffing the Ryoma AI into her pocket, she tried to hurry off.
"It wasn't your fault! It wasn't your father's fault!"
Annabelle was sprinting to keep up with her. "Please, Kyoko! This isn't about revenge or vengeance or any of that stuff! I just want to stop people from being hurt! Please, I'm begging you!"
"And what would you do?!"
Kyoko whirled around, so fast that Annabelle almost crashed into her. The young, forensic investigator stared into Kyoko's eyes, which had an intimidating blaze to them. "You think you can run off and confront the person who killed your family? You think it'll be as simple as that?"
"Nothing is ever simple," Annabelle replied, matching her stare. "But please, Kyoko, I have to know the truth. If I can stop this awful person, whoever he or she is, I should do that. These crazy, evil people, they leave themselves open like this, I need to take advantage of it."
"And what do you plan to do with them if you find them?"
"We're gonna lock them up and throw away the key! Send them to Jabberwock Prison, in the deepest cell they got on that island! I'll boat them to Alcatraz if I need to!
"But the last thing I'm going to do is sit around and let the chance to stop the violence from spreading. And… I want to help you, Kyoko. So please…"
The young American girl got on her knees, placed her hands on the ground, and bowed her head. "I'm begging you. Don't shut me out of this."
"Kyoko."
The detective pulled Ryoma out of her pocket, as the AI of him stared at her. "Let the kid come with us. She's not only earned it, but she's strong. You know this, she's so much like you, though a bit more animated."
"You really think that I should bring a child with me to somewhere dangerous?"
"You are the woman that Mukuro, Makoto, and Aoi trust to take care of their children when they're gone. Even if you aren't true to your deepest feelings, you are a woman who is highly capable and reliable."
"What's that about 'not being true' to my feelings?"
"Hehehe. Kyoko, you still got a ways to go. Come on now, we need to bring the kid… no, we need to bring Annabelle with us."
Kyoko stared at the screen, then at Annabelle, who was still in that begging pose. "I… you do know that the moment you're gone, Haruto and Tiana will lose their minds. They love you too much."
"I already told them," Annabelle said as she slowly got back up, "that I would be going with you to help with the case you're on."
"You did, huh?"
"Tiana and Haruto, I love them, very much. But," the blonde girl nervously tugged on the straps of her backpack, and said, "this is about my moms, my father. And no one else can come on this venture, the letter said as much. I refuse to put them in danger, because this person, this Entity of Chaos…
"Whoever they are, they killed my father for being curious about their existence. They murdered my mothers out of spite. And the way they keep insisting in that letter that Samantha wasn't my mother, there's a kind of cruelty that makes me realize that they would most certainly kill Haruto and Tiana if they came.
"We're already taking a chance, bringing Ryoma with us."
"Annabelle, I'm already dead."
"You know what I mean, Ryoma."
"Ever the compassionate soul, concerned about the survival of an AI. Where does such a kind heart come from, I wonder?"
"Huh? Do you want me to be mean or something? Like, say something rude? Would that be better?"
Kyoko let out a small laugh. "Are you even capable of making such a remark?"
"I… I cannot think of anything, maybe I could say what I overheard Naruhiko say once about Ryoma… erk! No! Wait, forget I said anything."
"Tell us," Ryoma and Kyoko said in unison, both with bemused smirks. Annabelle stared in confusion and worry, then let out a defeated sigh.
"I, um, I don't really understand what it means, but Naruhiko says a lot of things that I'm not supposed to repeat. He once said that Ryoma is the man who managed to get into Kyoko's pants. … Whatever that means."
The two mentioned were silence for a moment, as Kyoko's unreadable smirk was still on her face. Ryoma let out a scoff, and said, "Weird guy, that one."
"Indeed he is."
"I don't get it, is it a sex thing?" Annabelle inquired. "I mean, you are literally in her pants when she puts you in her pocket, Ryoma, so I don't get what he means."
"Annabelle?" Kyoko interrupted her chain of thought, and stared at the girl. "Are you ready to go?"
"Um, yes. I packed a bunch of stuff into this backpack, made sure my goggles were working properly, and said good-bye to everyone."
Kyoko walked over to the young investigator, and handed her the letter with the map back to her. "Then come with me, we are going now."
"Okay~" Annabelle cheered, walking alongside Kyoko as they made their way to her car. "A detective, a forensic investigator, and a super cool sidekick, we're the perfect team for solving crimes."
"Oh, I'm the sidekick now?" Ryoma inquired. "I've been with Kyoko for two years now, kid, you've got a long ways to go!"
"Hmmph! I'm so not sidekick status!"
As Ryoma and Annabelle continued the discussion, Kyoko glanced back at the Future Foundation Building, specifically at the windows. No one was in any of them, much to her surprise, so she carried on forward.
She missed when Mukuro leaned back in to watch her leave. The Ultimate Soldier glanced over at Makoto, both of them highly concerned and unable to hide their anxiety over this.
? AM, September 14th, 2020
Penjar, Housing Area
Isaac Bellamy and Hara Pathik's House
Isaac stirred in his sleep, grumbling as he felt his head swirling. The intensity grew and grew, until he sat up while clutching his forehead. He glanced over at Hara, who had the sheets played over her for the most part. It was rather cold, he couldn't blame her.
There was a draft in the room, and he turned towards the door. It had been left ajar, and the mists were creeping into the building. Isaac sighed as he got up out of bed, and moved over to the door.
When he was near the window, he could see the mists outside flowing down the road. They seemed thick, the flow almost liquid, in a way that was so unnatural that it started to unnerve Isaac. He didn't know why, he just couldn't bear to look at it anymore.
The reporter swiftly moved to the door, and started to close it. It was then that a hand reached in and grabbed along its side, tapping pointy nails against the wood. There was a snicker from the other side of the door, as well as an awful smell coming from outside.
"What's the matter, Isaac?" a female voice from the other side asked. The voice made Isaac lock up in fear, his body betraying him into not moving an inch. "Do you not want me to come in?"
The hand from outside clenched the door, and threw it open, into the house. Standing in the doorway was Shizuka Akui, dressed the same way she was when she had killed his family. She was holding a metal bucket, filled with steaming hot wax.
"Are you sure you don't want me to come in?" the Beautician of Death asked, grinning ear to ear at Isaac. "Maybe I already did!"
Isaac sprinted back to the bed, grabbing the sheets and yanking them off of his fiancé. "HARA! Wake up-"
She was lying there, skin burned off with all the hot wax that had been poured on her. Hara was unrecognizable, save for her engagement ring, which gleamed amid the dull wax color and blood. Hara was almost sealed to the mattress, her body reeking of that terrible, unforgettable smell of wax mixed with death.
The Beautician of Death grabbed Isaac from behind, throwing him to the floor effortlessly. She held the bucket up, and shouted, "It's time that I finish what I started a long time ago! Hold still, Isaac, it hurts more when you move!"
Isaac, who was screaming and shivering without being able to stop, crawled away and sprinted, trying to get away. Wax was poured where he had been sitting, and he could feel the heat from it searing the air, splashing on his skin and burning it.
He could only run into the bathroom, the only place in the house he could hide in. Struggling to find a place in there to hide as he shut the door, he was sobbing, gasping, unable to stop the terror gripping his heart.
It was then that he realized that blood was leaking from his nose, dripping from to the floor. Blood was in his tears as well, he could feel the warmth of it staining his face. It leaked out of his mouth and hit the floor.
Then it grew hotter, and hotter still. Blood wasn't leaking from his orifices, it was wax. Wax from inside of him, coming out.
"Come on out, Isaac," the Beautician of Death called. "I'm not done with you yet! Do you want to see what I did to the rest of your family?!"
"ISAAC!" Hara, sounding like she was in agony, shrieked from the bedroom.
"YOU CANNOT KEEP HER SAFE! YOU CANNOT KEEP YOURSELF SAFE! COME!
ON!
OUT!"
Isaac, gripping his nose, his mouth, trying to stop himself from running wax. He was starting to suffocate himself, but he didn't care. Stop the flow, stop it… it was killing him…
Killing…
Him…
When he started to lose vision, he could feel hands grip his wrists, struggling to pull them away from his face. He fought back, he could hear screaming, he had to stop the flow.
When he got a glimpse of who was in front of him, he saw Hara's eyes. He saw her skin, her mouth, her hair, everything about her that was so sweet and lovely, everything that was alive and well.
He stopped struggling for a second, and Hara yanked his hands away from his face. She pinned him down on their bed, holding him in place to stop him from suffocating himself.
Before she could say anything to him, he screamed as the panic of bleeding wax to death led him to believe, there and then, he was going to die by Shizuka Akui's work.
Saiko Kobayashi heard the scream from her friend, bolting upright in her bed. Despite her lack of appropriate wear or footwear, she was out of her bed and outside in a few seconds.
The mists weren't terribly thick right now, but they were running through the sidewalk and in front of the houses. Though when she started to head to Isaac and Hara's house, she felt like there was something fighting against her. The mists weren't visibly thick, but they felt physically so.
It was almost like wading through molasses, something awful and inhibiting. She didn't care, she had to get to her friends. As she moved, the mists were harder and harder to get through.
Where was their house? Was she heading in the right away? She was fighting hard against the physical setbacks, her body wasn't really meant for this, but she was going forward anyway.
A hand wrapped around her ankle, and pulled her down. She fell down and her hands grabbed at the ground, unable to cling to something. Whatever hole the hand had gripped her from, it was big enough to pull her down.
When her legs and hips were pulled down into the hole, she grabbed at the ground and struggled to pull herself up with all her might. The hand around her ankle struggled back.
Then there was another hand grabbing her other ankle. Other hands grabbed at her legs, some gripped her at her hips. She pulled against them, but she was losing inch by inch.
"SAIKO KOBAYASHI!"
The voice of Legion bellowed from right behind her. She couldn't look back, she wouldn't look back, she had to fight…
"You have been found guilty of falsifying evidence, for your part in the execution of an innocent person! You are hereby…"
A snake slithered on the ground, one with a human-shaped head. It turned towards her, and she saw the most hideous, demonic faces in her life.
"DAMNED!"
The hands all pulled at her, and she felt an awful heat down in the hole she was being dragged into. It was Hell, Hell was chomping at the bit to get her. She shrieked and clawed at the ground, kicking at the hands pulling at her, their nails biting into her skin.
She fell…
Fell…
…
…
…
…
Her head hit the sidewalk, jarring her awake as she gripped her noggin. She shrieked and thrashed, then lay there, feeling hot and in pain.
She realized that blood was leaking from several wounds in her legs, the same shape as fingernails having clawed into the skin.
Souma walked through the endless hallway that looked surprising like the Hall of Fame in the northern plaza. He didn't know the people who were in the portraits on the left side, but he knew those all too well on the right side.
"Father," he said softly as he walked by the one of his dad. "Mother… sister… hello. What are you doing here? What is going on?"
The hallway never stopped, it kept going, like if the other side wasn't to be found simply by walking. The portraits were still of his family, and many more people he knew, all of them looking normal.
Normal at first, then there were pictures of them horrified, pictures of them screaming, pictures of them bleeding and dying…
"Souma?"
The public speaker jumped in shock when he heard someone calling out to him, in front of him. He glanced down to see Eisei, standing there, somehow managing to sneak up on Souma despite looking like he had been walking in from the other side.
"Eisei, what's going on?"
"I would have to believe we're being shown my family… and yours too," the dentist said, glancing over at the wall that had the framed pictures of Souma's family being brutally murdered. "That is your family, correct?
"That is mine," he said, glancing over at the other wall. Souma looked to see Eisei's parents in separate portraits, and also their heads separated from their bodies. The public speaker glanced back at his friend…
And there were copious amounts of blood dripping from Eisei's hands.
"Metaphorical become reality," Eisei said, as he regarded his hands, then glanced at Souma. "It seems it is the same for you."
Souma flinched when he brought his hands up, blood having coated them, running in awful waterfalls as if his palms generated them like a machine. His Future Foundation uniform, that sleek white look, was covered in bloody handprints.
Glass shattered throughout the entire hallway, echoing endlessly. The people in the portraits started to climb out, blood flowing from inside the broken pictures. They fell to the ground, and stood up on ravaged limbs, and stared towards the two.
"Souma?" Eisei whimpered. He was terrified, more than he had ever been in his life.
"I… I don't know what to do," Souma admitted, shaking as he saw all of the ravaged and snarling bodies of their families heading towards them.
Ken fell to his knees, staring at the ravaged, blood-soaked roads of his home in Novoselic. He had woken up in his old bed, and come down to see everything, and everyone he knew, completely destroyed.
Smoke billowed out into the sky all across the horizon. Sounds of sirens and people screaming in agony, or laughing in psychotic frenzy, echoed from far away. Bodies lay in the road, bodies of people he knew.
Most prominently there were his fellow knights and cavalrymen, people he had known for years. The royal family was there, left in front of his house as if they were presents for him.
"You failed us," he heard a sinister voice coming from somewhere. Was it from one of the dead bodies? Was it from in one of the houses?
Was it… was it in his head?"
"You failed all of Novoselic. You failed the royal family, your princess, your fellow fighters, you failed yourself. Fail fail fail, the word makes no sense anymore because you made it describe itself so much that it failed to keep up.
"You should not be alive right now, not when so many are dead! Your time has ended, you cannot do things. YOU ARE UNFIT TO BE NOVOSELICIAN!"
He managed to peer up, and saw Laris Nevermind, the Ultimate Knight, staring furiously down at him. She had her sword in her hand, and was dressed in the same casual clothes he wore. Blood had soaked through her hoodie where she had apparently been stabbed.
"Why don't you do what you do best and run?" Laris demanded. "It's impossible for you to see any colors other than yellow, you coward! SEE THE COLOR OF YOUR TRUE NATURE!"
The knight, screaming unintelligibly now, raised her sword and swung down towards Ken. He darted back as she slashed through the ground, and then came after her. Ken followed her suggestion, and sprinted away from her.
Everywhere in Novoselic was burning, bloodied, and/or decimated. There was no avoiding that.
"ANZU!" Hikari shrieked, as she grabbed at the actress's wrists. She was trying to pull her friend back into the house, fighting against all of the other hands attempting to pull her out.
Anzu couldn't speak, she was so strained by all of the physical strain she was going through. She cried, struggled to free herself, but nothing worked. She felt hands grabbing her all over, grasping her, pulling so hard that she couldn't breathe or even scream.
Then she felt something coil around her ankle, and there was a mighty tug that pulled her back at speeds faster than she could register. When she hit the ground, she heard Hikari scream, and the door slam.
Anzu struggled to stand up, before a fancy black boot stomped down on her chest. She looked up to see Celestia Ludenberg, holding a black whip in her hand, glaring down at her.
"Frauds deserve to die," Celestia spat out, twisting her ankle to dig her heel against Anzu's chest.
The gambler's classmates swarmed down on Anzu, tearing off her clothing, grabbing her, laughing and cackling. She saw all of their faces, heard each insult and sadistic laugh individually. Each one wanted her to suffer.
One of them in particular was aiming for her throat, wrapping a gloved hand around it and squeezing hard enough to stop her breathing. Kyoko Kirigiri leaned in, and started to whisper something into Anzu's ear.
When Kyoko was done, Anzu tried to scream as she saw the students of Class 78 descended on her. The hand around her throat clenched tighter, tighter…
Hikari yanked Anzu's hand away from her own throat with a desperate pull, stopping Anzu from strangling herself in her sleep. The actress woke up in a horrified, sweating, panting state, kicking and struggling to grasp what reality was now.
Yitro sprinted down the road of the housing area, clutching his sword as he raced after his target. The air in Penjar was stifling, trying to sap his strength with every breath he took. It made his head heavy and woozy, his vision becoming blurry, but he didn't stop.
He saw his target race into a house, and try to close the door, but Yitro slammed into it with all of his might.
Samson was knocked back into the room, and then he scurried onto the empty bed. He was laughing as he hacked and coughed, turning towards Yitro with Chaos bubbling in his eyes. "You should have known Monokuma wouldn't execute me," he shouted at Yitro. "I was spared, I got the second chance! Unlike that bitch, unlike your brother, unlike anyone you ever cared about-"
Yitro swung his sword for Samson's head, but the soldier ducked and lay prone on the mattress. He was grinning up at Yitro, as if daring him to try when he was in this position. "Do it, murderer. I'll have the last laugh!"
The swordsman climbed onto the bed, and pinned Samson down with his knees. He raised his sword up, and hollered, "I'll finish the job myself then!"
He started to swing down, when he heard Samson shriek in a voice that wasn't his. At the last possible second, something inside Yitro's head thought, "That isn't him!"
With reflexes that were highly trained, he twisted his wrist so that the sword stabbed to the side of the bed, instead of into the mattress and the person on it. Yitro strained as he shut his eyes, unable to stand the awful screaming that felt like it was penetrating into his soul…
Then he heard a familiar voice. "Yitro? Please get off of me, I beg of you."
Yitro's eyes opened in shock, as he saw he had pinned down Drake on his bed. The swordsman quickly got off of Drake, as the young cartoonist shivered in terror. Words couldn't be found, as shame filled Yitro's body and soul.
Drake was sobbing, quivering in fear over what Yitro had done. He was watching the swordsman with wide, wet eyes. Yitro didn't know what he could say or do, he was so confused and ashamed.
"Drake, I'm so… I'm so very sorry," he said, his voice dry. "I… don't know what happened, I was in my house. I was having a nightmare… you were Samson…"
Drake slowly pulled himself up, as he watched Yitro intrepidly. "You were sleep walking?" he whimpered.
"I've never done it in my life. I cannot explain it…"
"If you did, then… OH MY GOD!"
The cartoonist sprinted out of his house, with Yitro following after. The young man had beelined for Ignatia's house, and burst in through the front door.
Ignatia was standing up and facing the wall, one of her arms behind her back as if someone was holding her that way. Her head, with her eyes softly shut, pulled back and slammed against the wall. It appeared to be a rather impressive mime routine…
Though the blood on the wall and on Ignatia's head showcased a ghastly, different scenario. Drake sprinted over and tried to pull her away from the wall, but she struggled.
Yitro helped out, and his superior strength stopped her. He held her down until her eyes opened, and she stared up at the two men holding her down. She winced, and was quickly aware of the pain and blood at her head.
Ignatia hyperventilated, as Drake held her tightly, and Yitro collapsed against the side of the bed. "Is this," the swordsman asked, "the new motive?"
Emanuel snarled at Fiora, staring down at the movie maker who was tied to a chair. The Bête Noir shrugged as he peered around the room they were in.
"Really? Nothing here does it for you!?"
There were bloody saws of various nature placed all over the room. Baseball bats and chainsaws and bowling pins, with more of that life fluid splattered on them, lay on the floor. There were knives, surgical tools, and even a dentist drill next to the chair Fiora was tied up to.
Body parts and more blood stained the floor. The walls were wallpapered with demonic pictures, torture victims, and sadistic threats. Even the ceiling had more of this devilish imagery, papered with more of the same, evil pictures and words.
There was even a CD player with every CD of Kids Bop nearby, connected to gigantic stereos that made ones ears hurt to even consider noise coming from them at close range.
Fiora glanced all over the room, then shrugged. "Nightmares doo'nt work on me. They never scared me, they inspire me."
"INSPIRE!? How is this inspiring? You're in a torture chamber with the man who hates you more than anything! How can you be inspir-"
Fiora's arm slipped from the bonds and swung at Emanuel, socking him across the face. As he stumbled backwards and bumped against the wall, Fiora stood up and brushed off her bindings.
"You underestimated me once a'geen, Emanuel," Fiora said cheerfully. "No nightmare is going to control me!"
"I… I don't know how you're doing this, puta," Emanuel snarled angrily, "but if I cannot scare you or control your body in the real world, the one thing I can do is keep you from waking up.
"So you're still stuck with me, and you cannot wake up at random! How does that feel, huh? How's it feel-"
Fiora grabbed the CD player and swat this evil version of Emanuel in the head with it. The beating continued as the Play button was turned on, and the music filled the room as the movie maker beat him to the beat.
Ishiku was panting hard, breathing heavily. He was tied down to his childhood bed, a limb for every bedpost. As much as he wanted to struggle, his body felt so tired, leaden from exhaustion.
That meant he could only watch his mother sharpening her knives, preparing them as she could see, in the reflection of the blades, the spirals of Despair in her eyes. The more she looked at herself like that, the more her sinister grin grew.
"Mother," Ishiku pleaded, tears rolling down his face, "don't do this. I beg of you!"
"I ran out of neighbors," his mother said, gesturing to the bathroom, where flies buzzed over a large collection of mutilated bodies. "Be a good son and stop complaining."
"Mother!" The magician screamed, shaking as he tried so hard to twist out of the ropes. "Stop it! Don't let the despair win! You're stronger than this!"
"Oh, it already has won, my boy. Your father and I have killed so many people, it's only a matter of time before we are hunted down. So we have to do right by you, and make sure that you don't see that happen."
His mother stared into her carving knife, admiring herself in the reflection. "It's such a terrible thing, to fail so badly as a parent that you're taken away by the police in front of them. I won't let that happen, I won't let anyone take you away from me. Or your father."
As if on cue, Ishiku's father walked into the room. He had a great deal of tools, most of them with dried blood on them. Chuckling maliciously as he set the toolbox on the table next to the bed, he smirked down at Ishiku.
"You should have run when you had the chance, Ishiku," he said to his son. "Though didn't you run when you saw us like this, in the real world? Then I guess you can fully experience what we would have done to you if we had caught you."
His father reached for the staff that Ishiku treasured so much, and snapped it in half over his leg. As Ishiku cried out in horror, his father took the broken staff and poked the splintered edge against Ishiku's side.
Ishiku felt pain, blood running from his side from the scrape he had received. He started shivering uncontrollably, as his father added, "Oh, and it may be enough with what's going on. Now, to let your mother begin the party. Don't complain, Ishiku.
"Or do. I've always been curious to see what my son's last words would be. That morbid curiosity… that could only make a father feel despair… it'll help us out greatly with what we're about to do."
"No," Ishiku pleaded, watching his mother approaching with the freshly sharpened knives, "this cannot be real! This isn't real!"
A sharp pain against his side, cutting his clothing and creating another bloody scratch, drew his attention back to his father. The spirals of Despair were like a storm in his eyes, as he leaned in towards his son.
"You know it's real."
"STOP. PLEASE! MOTHER! FATHER! STOP IT! HELP!"
Ishiku was screaming so hard that his voice went hoarse immediately, tears flowing from his eyes as he saw his mother prepare the knife to cut into his skin. His father pushed the broken staff against his side more, making Ishiku shriek.
Hands grabbed his shoulders. He had his eyes squeezed shut, unable to watch the horrors coming at him. Someone was shouting at him, shaking him. His face was slapped, snapping his eyes open as he gasped in shock.
He was in his room at Penjar again, back to reality. Pain was still coursing through his body, he couldn't stand it. Ishiku was panting hard, whipping.
"Ishi? Ishi, look at me."
Soft hands cupped his face and brought him to look straight up. Someone was on top of him, he could barely see with how blurry his vision was. Though as that blur started to wear off, he could see someone was straddling him, holding him down, staring into his eyes.
"Ishi, calm down. Take deep breaths. It was a nightmare."
The hyperventilating turned into a slow and deep breathing session, as Ishiku pushed the images of his murderous, Despair-ridden parents out of his head. His blurry vision wore off, and he finally saw who it was.
"Fannie?!" he balked, staring upwards.
The white 'n pink-topped lady beamed down at Ishiku, holding him in place. She had on an olive-green school jumper, with a white-and-orange plaid tie that was dangling down, draped on his chest. Fannie smiled at him, and whispered, "It's okay. It's just a dream. I won't let it hurt you."
"But… but… you're here. That's not possible, right? How do I know I'm not dreaming anymore?!"
Fannie cupped Ishiku's face gently, and moved down slowly to kiss him. Her lips had that familiarity and sweetness that Ishiku remembered, and she was ever so tender.
"I'm here, Ishi," she whispered to him, touching his face. "I'm the real thing."
"H-how?"
"You know that science lab Crystal was trapped in? It works still, you all are just not allowed in there. Only the Kubs are allowed there, so I had access."
"And you used it?"
Fannie sniffled, resting her forehead against his. "I saw two of my brothers die. Taro was ripped apart, after losing someone he loved. Monosuke was callously killed, for no reason, by Monokid when he wanted to murder Monodam. I… I couldn't take it.
"I don't want to be part of Despair anymore. I didn't want to be, I've always had an adverse reaction to the violence… but I couldn't find the courage, until now. I don't know why exactly, but I do know one thing…
"I wanted to be with you again, Ishi. I'm leaving my father, I'm not a leader of Penjar anymore, because I want to be with you. I hope you still want me. I hope I can become friends with others."
She blushed, hiding her face away for a few moments. "Sorry, I'm overcome with desire to make this into a big deal. You must have a lot of questions."
Ishiku leaned up, his limbs no longer leaden and sore. He moved his hand to her face, and gently caressed her cheek. She leaned into it, and smiled at him earnestly.
"Is one of the questions," she asked timidly, "that you want to have sex again?"
"Um, maybe we should wait on that for the time being. There's a lot of very important things I… wanna ask you…"
They were stuck staring into each other's eyes for a moment, gently touching each other's faces. Fannie shed a tear, as her happy smile quivered emotionally. Ishiku also felt himself crying, and he sniffled.
"Fannie, I… I have to ask, what was that nightmare?"
"That was Father's latest motive, I'm so sorry. All I know is that he plans on the nightmares worsening, and what you are all going to see in Penjar will be terrible. I don't know a lot of the details, but I do know that the nightmares are so strong, that you might lose control of your body when you're asleep…
"And whatever you feel in the dream will be so intense, your body may think it's happening to you. Like… oh no."
She was staring down at his body, and saw blood staining his side. Ishiku pulled up his shirt, and saw that the scratches that his father had given him were there.
"Fannie," he said, "we have to make sure no one hurts themselves like this! Let's go!"
Ishiku and Fannie got off of the bed, and headed out together. As they hurried outside, they would find themselves in the calamity of the next motive.
The nightmares of Penjar were becoming reality. The psychopath Monokuma was on a warpath for a bloodbath.
…
INTERMISSION OVER.
THE NIGHTMARE RESUMES…
WITH A TERRIFYING VENGEANCE.