A/N: Here's Chapter Two Deadly Life Part One. Please read, review, and enjoy!
Danganronpa 4: Next Generation Killing!
Chapter Two: A Thin Line Divides Heaven and Hell!
Deadly Life Part One: Shuichi's Cowardice!
"Hey!" Koto whined as his father's hands covered his eyes.
"I can't see anything!" Kiri complained as Kyoko covered her daughter's eyes.
"…Is it safe to let them see now?" Maki asked as she held her hands over Mokubo's eyes.
Unlike his siblings, the boy waited patiently until Kyoko reluctantly permitted, "…The worst of it is over. I suppose it's safe for them to see."
Makoto nodded and the three of them let their hands fall. The twins sighed in excited relief before their eyes widened in shock.
"Wah! It's a skeleton!" Koto exclaimed.
"Who d-died…?" Kiri stammered.
"…It was Snake." As his siblings turned to him for an explanation, he explained "I caught a brief glimpse of his face before Miss Maki covered my eyes."
"But…why would anyone want to kill Snake?" Koto wondered as he and his sister stared at the skeleton on the screen.
"I don't know…" Makoto admitted. Why was Snake murdered? Did someone hold a grudge against him? Or did one of them have a completely different reason for succumbing to Monokuma's motive? Was Monokuma's motive even at play?
As questions whirled around Makoto's brain, Kiri asked "And where are Kirumi and Ryoma? Why aren't they here yet? Could they have…?"
Kyoko shook her head. "It's unlikely. Having three participants dead before a trial can be held would reduce the number of times Monokuma can hold a Class Trial."
Makoto grimaced in agreement. "Trust me, Monokuma lives for his Class Trials. He wouldn't allow for more than two people to be killed by the same person at a time."
Mokubo nodded in comprehension. "So, at most, only one more could have feasibly died."
"…We'll find out…"
Kyoko sighed as they turned to the TV. She bit her lip, anxiety dancing in her eyes as she watched her daughter's reaction to Snake's untimely death.
"Snake…" Kiki gasped, horrified by the sight of the blind man's corpse.
"Snake!" Shuichi gasped.
"Snake?!" Ace cried out in shock, shock and horror coloring his usually calm face.
"Wh-What's going on?" Seven demanded, clenching his fists angrily.
"I-I don't know!" Keebo shook his head. "I don't know what happened!"
All of a sudden, the pattering of feet echoed behind them. The group slowly turned, watching as Kirumi and Ryoma burst into the gym. The maid and former tennis pro panted, trying to refill their lungs with air that had been exhausted in their hurry to make it to the magic show.
Kirumi was the first to recover, apologizing as she lifted her head "Apologies, everyone. Ryoma and I overslept and missed breakfast. Did we miss the…OH!"
Kirumi gasped in horror, her eyes darting as she covered her mouth with her palm. Ryoma's emotions were more restrained, though even he couldn't keep his eyes from threatening to bulge out of his head in shock at the horrific scene.
"What happened here?" He finally asked while Kirumi collected herself.
"Th-that's what we-we're trying to figure out!" Teruaki exclaimed, stammering nervously.
"Yeah, why did Clover's magic show…where is Clover, anyway?" Gonta wondered.
"Hey?!" Everyone turned their attention to the curtain, watching as Clover walked out from behind the partition. "What's with all the commotion…" Clover trailed off as she turned her head, her eyes widening and her face going pale at the sight of the skeleton at the bottom of the now blood-filled tank. "EEEEEK! Why is there a skeleton in the tank?!"
*Ding Dong Bing Bong*
Everyone reluctantly turned their heads to the nearby monitor, staring grimly as Monokuma's recording appeared on it. "A body has been discovered! After a certain amount of time, which you may use however you like, the Class Trial will begin!"
No way…! Kiki thought, horrified as the screen turned black once more. We have to do that horrible thing again?!
"Hey, nobody's answered my question!" Clover demanded "Why is there a dead body in the tank? And who are they?!"
Lotus sighed, walking up to Clover with dead seriousness in her eyes. She rested her hands firmly on Clover's shoulders and sighed, "…Clover…I don't know how he got there…but the skeleton in the tank…is Snake's."
"S-Snake?!" Tears pooled in Clover's eyes before she scowled and brushed Lotus's hands aside. She then ran up to the tank and began to bang on it with her fists, crying "No! It can't be true! Light can't be dead! Light, that's not you, right?!" Clover shook her head, unwilling to believe that the skeleton inside the tank was her brother. "Please, tell me this is one big joke! Light?! LIGHT?!"
"Hey, Clover, calm down!" Lotus nearly yelled as she wrapped her arms around the crying girl and pulled her away from the tank. "Snake is…" Lotus's eyes softened just a bit, her maternal instincts making her want to soften the blow as much as she could. "We saw him floating in the tank before he got devoured by the piranhas."
"No, this can't be…no…NOOOOOO!" Clover sobbed into Lotus's chest, causing the woman to sigh as she awkwardly rubbed the girl's back.
Clover…
Kiki's heart went out to the girl who had just had her older brother ripped away from her. Her mind drifted to her family shown on her motive video.
I…I can almost imagine how she's feeling. I can't say I'd be calm either if I discovered my brother's skeleton.
"We should break the tank." The others turned towards Sokyu who explained, "We gotta check what's inside."
"Wha-? Break it?" Tsumugi gasped, only for Sokyu to nod.
"It'll take too long to drain it by hand."
"But what would we even use to break-?" Shuichi began, only to be cut off by Seven.
"I'll help. Gonta, Keebo, we're up."
"Huh?" Keebo exclaimed in shock. "What do you mean, we're up?"
Ignoring Keebo, Seven explained "Gonta, we're gonna throw Keebo as hard as we can! Let's use that robot like a battering ram!"
"Who are you calling a battering ram!?" Keebo demanded indignantly before he found both of his arms in the unbreakable holds of Gonta and Seven.
"Gonta will throw Keebo. Got it."
"N-Now wait just a second." Keebo tried to bargain his way out of the current situation, as his thrashing did no good against their superior strength. "You don't need to team up now-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"
Keebo screamed as Gonta and Seven threw him directly into the middle of the tank. The glass shattered, shards scattering all over the floor and the bottom of the tank. Water flooded out, carrying with it the piranhas and Snake's remains. The carnivorous fish and Snake's bones scattered haphazardly all over the gym floor. Keebo coughed as he struggled to get to his feet, glaring at Gonta and Seven.
"We should start by organizing the former contents of the tank." Kirumi suggested before Keebo could start a fight. "The piranhas need to be gathered so that they're not flopping everywhere, and we need to get the glass shards cleaned up so we don't accidentally cut ourselves."
Shuichi nodded in agreement. "Ah, but let's not disturb the crime scene any more than necessary."
Kiki nodded. "Yeah, good idea, Shuichi." She sighed "Alright, let's get to work. Lotus, can you help Clover calm down while the rest of us clean up the gym?"
Lotus nodded and resumed rubbing Clover's back, a motherly glow in her eyes as she tended to the grieving girl.
"Well…at least Kirumi and Ryoma are safe…" Makoto pointed out, though it didn't bring them much comfort.
"…But did they really oversleep?"
Everyone stared at Mokubo before Maki asked, "…Do you think they lied?"
"I…can't say for certain." The heterochromatic boy admitted with a sigh. "It just…seems a little suspicious, that's all."
Kyoko nodded before commenting, "Well, I'm sure the mystery of their disappearances will be resolved during the investigation or trial. For now, they need to focus on starting the investigation into Snake's death."
"Poor Clover…" Kiri's eyes drooped in sorrow.
"Poor Snake…" Koto mumbled. "Eaten by piranhas…that's such an awful way to go…"
Their parents nodded in agreement as they turned their attention back to the screen They watched as the survivors finished their cleanup of the crime scene.
"I've…gathered Snake's body and belongings…in one place."
Kiki frowned at Keebo's despondent tone. Keebo looks depressed…He was just used as a battering ram, so I understand why.
"He's been reduced such that he can be carried in one hand…" Ace muttered, sighing as he shook his head. "How fleeting and fragile life is…"
"I've cleaned up the glass shards and placed them in a pile in the corner of the tank." Kirumi gestured to a far corner of the bloodied tank, a small mountain of red-stained shards sitting neatly.
"Gonta put the piranhas in a bucket." Gonta gritted his teeth and bowed his head, closing his eyes sadly as he did so. "Piranhas all got big tummies. Gonta thinks they're full."
"I can't believe Snake became fish food…" Ryoma muttered, causing Tsumugi's face to flush green.
"D-Don't say such things…"
"Clover, are you okay?" Kiki asked hesitantly as Clover bit her lip, her tears having since dried.
"This…wasn't an accident, was it?" Kirumi reluctantly asked. "Does this mean…the killing game has started again?"
"H-How…!?" Teruaki stammered. "How…could this happen!? We…swore to each other, didn't we? We swore we'd never let the killing game start up again." Teruaki gritted his teeth, narrowing his eyes as he pointed wildly at the others. "So that was all just a lie! You guys are all liars!"
"Teruaki, calm down!" Kiki cried as she swallowed her own anguish in favor of trying to keep the peace. "We don't know anything that happened yet! We've just gotta stay calm so we can figure this out! Right, Shuichi?"
Kiki turned in surprise after she failed to hear Shuichi's words of encouragement. He averted his eyes, seeming to duck under his hat as he bit his lip.
"Sh…Shuichi? What's wrong, Shuichi…?"
"Hey guys!" Everyone turned to see the gym doors fly open, revealing a gleeful Monokuma as he strolled in. "How's it feel now that you've got a second murder victim on your hands?" He then cocked his head, seemingly confused as he laid his eyes on Snake's skeleton. "…Huh? Snake's transparent? Has my x-ray vision superpower finally awakened?"
"Wait, could you be a bear from the planet Krypton?" Tsumugi inquired, causing the others to sweatdrop.
"There's no way he has superpowers!" Seven exclaimed.
"…Oh, that's right, I don't! That just means he was reduced to a skeleton. Finally! I've been waiting for the killing game to start up again!"
"…Killing Game…?" Clover gritted her teeth and turned her head, scowling and glaring at Monokuma. "My brother's dead because of your killing game!"
"…And? That's how the killing game's supposed to go! It's not knowing who killed who that makes it so exciting!"
"How dare you call my brother's death exciting!" Clover nearly shouted, her eyes burning with fury. "Take that back, you-"
"Hey! This conversation is really riveting and all, but we should really get this over with!" Lotus interjected, cutting Clover off. "Don't we need to start investigating or something?"
"Lotus-"
"We're not going to get anywhere shouting at Monokuma."
She glared at Clover, silencing the distraught girl. Lotus's eyes softened, sighing apologetically.
"I know you're angry, scared, confused. So are the rest of us, but the only way we'll get justice for Snake is by finding his killer." Clover bit her lip but relented, sighing in defeat. "Alright, now give us what we need to start the investigation."
"You mean the Monokuma File, right!?" Monokuma tossed thirteen tablets into the air, causing the survivors to scramble and catch them. "I also investigated the cause of death this time, so read it to your heart's delight."
It's a start, at least… Kiki thought grimly. At least now we'll be able to narrow down how Snake died.
"Alright, no more hints! The rest is up to you! Make sure you do your best!"
Everyone watched as Monokuma sauntered out of the gym, a malicious grin stretching from ear to ear. "In any event…let us begin the investigation." Ace sighed.
"Investigation…So it's really going to start again." Keebo grimaced as Tsumugi's eyes lowered. "I can't believe it…One of us killed Snake…"
Someone among us…
"No more…" Gonta shook his head, interrupting Kiki's thoughts. "Gonta doesn't wanna investigate friends…not wanna suspect friends…"
"Gonta, I don't want to do this either!" Kiki exclaimed before she turned to the still despondent detective. "But we have Shuichi on our side. You'll see! He'll crack this case wide open and…"
"No…"
"Huh?" Kiki's eyes widened incredulously as Shuichi shook his head fervently.
"No…no more…I don't want to investigate anymore!"
Everyone's eyes seemed to widen as they digested Shuichi's words. "But…Shuichi-"
"The last time I put faith in my detective skills, Kaede died!" Tears trickled down his cheeks as he cried, "I don't want anyone else to die because of me!"
"That seems…rather irresponsible." Keebo commented.
"Shuichi…" Kiki gasped. "Shuichi…I know how you feel, but we need to-"
"No! I'm not gonna investigate, and that's final! You do what you want, but I'm not taking part in any more investigations!"
"Shuichi, wait!" Kiki called out as Shuichi barreled out of the gym, though her outstretched hand grasped nothing but air as he vanished from sight.
"Well…we're doomed…" Lotus deadpanned.
"Coward…" Clover spat. "My brother's been murdered and he doesn't wanna help because he's scared?! We're all scared!"
"Clover, that's not fair!" Kiki retorted before her eyes drooped towards the floor. I know how he feels, though. I don't want to do this anymore than he does…but we can't just sit here and do nothing. Besides…we need Shuichi's skills! How are we supposed to solve the mystery without him?!
"They're r-right though…" Teruaki muttered. "How are we gonna solve this mystery without a pr-professional detective?"
"I hate to say it, but they're right." Ryoma concurred. "We solved Kaede's crime because of Shuichi's legwork. How are we gonna conduct an investigation when our only professional is out of commission?"
Kiki watched as everyone muttered despondent thoughts, growing less and less confident of their chances of survival with each passing second. She shut her eyes and clenched her fists in frustration.
We need someone to lead the investigation…but Shuichi won't do it, so who will…? Wait…no, that's crazy…but…this whole situation we're in is crazy. Shikata wa nai… "…I'll do it…" Everyone turned to stare incredulously at Kiki, whose now open eyes were blazing with determination. "I'll lead the investigation in Shuichi's place."
"You…?" Sokyu raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Yes, me. Is that a problem?"
"Kiki, I don't mean to insult your capabilities, but last time, you just followed whatever Kaede and Shuichi did." Lotus pointed out. "Do you really think you're cut out for this kind of thing?"
"…No, no I don't." Kiki admitted. "There are probably a billion people out there more qualified to lead an investigation. But we don't have a ton of options right now. Our lives are all at stake, and I made a promise to Kaede that I'd do everything I could to make sure as many of us got out alive as possible. So…I'm going to do my best to lead this investigation! I'm going to need all of your help though. So please…help me to uncover the truth, so we can avenge Snake and focus on getting out of here!"
"…Very well." Kirumi smiled as she stepped forward, resting her hand on top of Kiki's clenched fist. "I shall do what I can to aid in your request."
"Me too!" Clover tore herself away from Lotus's embrace and ran up to Kiki, placing her own hand on top of Kirumi's. "If it's for avenging my brother's death, I'll do everything I can to help."
"I admire your spirit, kid." Lotus smirked and placed her hand on top of Clover's. "I'll see what I can do to help."
"Hahaha!" Seven laughed as he joined his hand. "For once I agree with the exhibitionist grandma. I'll help however I can!"
A vein pulsed in Lotus's forehead, but she held her tongue as Ace joined in. "Very well, I'll see how I can aid in the investigation."
"Hmph." Ryoma sighed as he walked up, resting his hand on the pile. "I already said I didn't plan to survive to the end…but as long as I'm still alive…I suppose I'll use my remaining time to help everyone else survive."
"Logically, the proper course of action would be to cooperate in the investigation." Keebo grinned as he rested his mechanical hand on the top. "So, if my robotic functions can aid in finding Snake's killer, then I'll utilize all of my programming to do so!"
"It's a true gentleman's duty to help those in need." Gonta's eyes sparkled as he rested his hand on top of everyone else's.
"Alright, then." Tsumugi smiled as she approached the group and joined with her own hand. "It'll be much easier to win if we have a full party, and with Shuichi out for the count, I'll just have to work extra hard for everyone!"
"Well…it's n-not like I have any other o-options…" Teruaki reluctantly muttered before he joined the team.
As everyone stared expectantly at Sokyu, he sighed "Oh, what the hell? It's not like we have anything to lose." He approached the group and placed his hand on top, his golden ring glimmering with their shared hope.
Kiki narrowed her eyes as they all raised their hands up towards the sky. "Alright, let's do this, everyone!" INVESTIGATION START!
"…She's just like her father…" Kyoko smirked wryly at her husband. "Rallying everyone together when they need a leader the most."
Makoto chuckled, scratching his cheek. "Hey, you were the brains behind our little group. I just…did what I could to keep our spirits up."
"Indeed…that's what they need right now. Someone to keep them together and working in unison as they investigate." Kyoko's lips drooped into a frown as she lamented, "I just hope whatever memory suppression she was subjected to hasn't affected her detective instincts, especially with Shuichi refusing to participate."
Makoto elbowed his wife with a teasing grin. "Yours weren't, so they should be okay." Makoto grimaced as he lamented, "I am worried about Shuichi though. I guess his amnesia made hm forget all the progress he made with his self-confidence."
"That's no excuse!" Kiri objected.
"Yeah, Kiki's doing her best and he just ran away!" Koto crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. "I can't believe we thought he'd be right for Kiki!"
"Koto, Kiri, lay off." Makoto glared softly at his youngest children. "This can't be easy for Shuichi. He lost one of the women he loved. I can't really blame him for wanting to run away."
Kyoko nodded as she too glared softly at her children. "You've never been in his shoes, and for your sake, I hope you never do. Am I making myself clear?"
"…Hai…" Koto and Kiri muttered.
"…Baka-tachi…" Mokubo muttered under his breath as he shook his head.
"It looks like they're about to begin the investigation in earnest." Maki gestured to the TV screen. "Let's see how your daughter fares in her new role as lead investigator."