The Greatest Japanese Hero
Disclaimer:
Danganronpa is owned by Spike Chunsoft and Lerche
The Greatest American Hero is owned by Stephen J. Cannell
First off, many thanks to those who reviewed this fic, I really appreciated it and this gave me inspiration to work on the next chapter and here Celes' life is in peril as the mafia decided to make their move to swoop her in after they have had enough of her activities which depleted their methods of getting their commissions and this in turn would get Naegi dragged in on her mess once he gets in the crossfire.
Thus...the Celestia Ludenberg arc continues...
A few days later, the scene shift to a house where various heads of each mafia faction are assembled and are discussing about their next course of action. They are pissed that a mere girl was able to drive several casinos bankrupt and this in turn would cause their mafia collectors to hit a dead end and find other means to collect money, and after getting an ultimatum from Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, they banded together and pooled their resources and they all agreed to post every men to some casinos and take pictures of Celes so that they would know what she looked like and then plan their methods of bring her down to SAVE their means of collecting money.
"Okay...are we all in agreement?"
"Yes."
"I agree."
"I'm in."
"We must work together."
"To save our commission."
"Bring down that lady gambler."
"Off with her head."
After nearly 30 minutes of discussion, they all came to an agreement and there Fuyuhiko, who is overseeing the discussion, nodded his head and told Peko to summon his "top aides" as he has an assignment for them once the mafia heads' recons have acquired more information about Celes and there he would decide on what course of action he can make in order to solve their financial crisis.
Believe It Or Not by Joey Scarbury
(Opening Song from The Greatest American Hero)
Look at what's happened to me,
I can't believe it myself;
Suddenly I'm up on top of the world,
Should've been somebody else.
Believe it or not,
I'm walkin' on air,
I never thought I could feel so free;
Flyin' away on a wing and a pray'r,
Who could it be?
Believe it or not, it's just me.
Just like the light of new day,
It hit me from out of the blue;
Breakin' me out of the spell I was in,
Makin' all of my wishes come true.
Believe it or not,
I'm walkin' on air,
I never thought I could feel so free;
Flyin' away on a wing and a pray'r,
Who could it be?
Believe it or not, it's just me.
Ch. 19: Gyanburā no Nochi ni Fukitsuke
Several days later...
The scene shows that Celes arrived at Hope's Peak Academy, and is in high spirits after having won a lot of "collections" from the various casinos she went, and by now she amassed a lot of Yen and it was enough for her to be considered rich, and because she lied about her age and name, she was able to elude questioning from other various casino owners who are attempting to smear her so that she would be forced "return" the "prizes" she won. However, she kept this a secret knowing that a "minor" can't go inside casinos since such establishments allow those who are of "legal age". Because of this, she can buy anything she wanted and soon she became slightly famous in the gambling world though she managed to keep a low profile so that she won't be tracked down at her residence.
As classes are ongoing, Naegi noted that Celes was in a good mood throughout the day and he wondered if this is due to her continuous winnings and is unsure what to say to her after hearing about her background and he also wondered her her winning streak would get her in trouble one day but for now he concentrated on his studies and try not to get himself deeply involved as what happened to Kirigiri and Maizono.
"Celes-san..."
After that, the class went on smoothly without incident and by then lunchtime arrived, in which Naegi engages Celes in a casual talk and the Super High School-level Gambler decided to entertain him seeing that he can be a casual person to talk with, and decided to use him just to pass up the time while lunch break is up, and see how he can keep her busy at this time.
"Um, Celes-san..."
"Oh, Naegi-kun..."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Are you fine with this...I mean about gambling and all...?"
"Why not...that's how I got the title...and how I earned a living..."
"Well..."
"Say, Naegi-kun..."
Celes then told Naegi that she is "inviting" him to come with her to a casino so he can watch her gamble and said that she has "good luck" in winning the gambling games, though he politely refused as he feared that he could get in to trouble if someone were to see him going to a casino yet she assured to him that he will be okay though he kindly stated that he is not in to those kind of things and Celes smiled, seeing that in spite of this she enjoyed having a "leisure talk" with Naegi and soon the bell rang as it signaled the end of lunch break and the two classmates returned to their seats as the others arrived and took their seats as a teacher arrived and the next subject is about to commence.
-x-
Later within the afternoon, Celes left Hope's Peak and made a stop at a tea cafe and took to order her preferred milk tea and while having tea, she was approached by another person, who is in his late 20's and began to converse with Celes and though she appeared suspicious, she nevertheless accommodated the person, who is a guy and there they slowly formed a rapport as she learned that he too is a well-known gambler and she smirked seeing that she could get a lot of money from him.
"...so you're a gambler like me..."
"Yes, and I never thought that a fellow gambler would be this...pretty..."
"My...are you asking me out on a date...?"
"That depends..."
"I'm guessing that you'd challenge me to a gambling game..."
"Perhaps...if you'd like to accept my offer..."
"Really...?"
"Really."
The person is identified as "Mr. Moneybags" and offered Celes to come with him to a casino where he challenged her to a casino game and offered 80% of his money and winnings if she managed to beat him in which she accepted and there he said that his limousine is waiting outside and that there are also well-known gamblers at the casino they intend to go and said that they too wanted to challenge her, and Celes nodded as she finds it too tempting to decline the offer, so she finished her tea and went with him as they went to the limousine and there they head for the casino located at Roppongi.
-x-
At a casino within Roppongi, Mr. Moneybags introduced Celes to fellow gamblers and there they are taken aback at Celes, not expecting someone to be so young, and they appeared to use her appearance as basis to feel confident that she would lose everything, not even bothering to question her age and they began to play various casino games such as poker and baccarat, and in the span of 10 minutes Celes won the first round, amassing nearly half a million Yen and some of the gamblers are awestruck while others are dumbfounded, and they began risking their remaining money to try and win back their lost ones which Celes accepted.
"We challenge you to another round..."
"Please accept..."
"We will offer our remaining money..."
"You can have them if you accept..."
"Please..."
"Please play with us one more time..."
"Okay..."
"Good!"
As the second round commences, the gamblers did not notice that some of the mafia gangsters are watching and was able to identify Celes and are observing her as she gain another winning streak and soon the gamblers she played with went bankrupt and are at loss for words, and Mr. Moneybags smiled seeing that he is enjoying it, as it was soon revealed that he intended for his fellow gamblers to lose all of their money to Celes so he won't have any more competitors and then offered Celes a "lucrative deal" by having her as his "secret gambling weapon".
By the end of two-hour gambling game the gamblers surrendered and left, while Celes is counting her money and is pleased that she became more richer, and there she began challenging Mr. Moneybags to a gambling game but he politely declined and told her his intention, in which she was a bit suspicious yet when he offered her a "large commission" if she accepted his offer, Celes started to think about it, and there he invited her to his limousine so they can talk in private and negotiate, and she accepted as they both left the casino and head for the limousine, not noticing that some of the mafia gangsters are following them.
As the limousine left, the gangsters boarded a car and stealthily followed them, intending to catch them though their actual target was Celes herself. It was soon nightfall and the limousine left Roppongi and are at a suburban area where there are less pedestrians on the street and limousine stopped and there Mr. Moneybags began giving his offer to Celes and she slowly came to appreciate the offer, believing that she can earn more money at a faster rate and is considering accepting it, though she asks him if there are any guarantees that she would benefit from what he is offering.
"...yes, you will benefit a lot, Ms. Ludenberg..."
"And what are the chances? Will it be a long time?"
"It all depends on how you play..."
"Hmm...it does sound tempting..."
"You will benefit by winning the competition...I will get a percentage of the commission...we will both benefit financially..."
"so in the long run...I'll get richer and richer...right?"
"Of course...so what do you say?"
"Hmm..."
However, Mr. Moneybag's bodyguard noticed the car was near the limousine and cautiously approached it, and there the scene shows that the car's front windshield had a hole and a gun nozzle emerged and opened fire, and the bodyguard seek cover and began firing back with his handgun and a firefight ensued, in which the limousine's occupants are alarmed and stepped out, and there both Celes and Mr. Moneybags went to different locations but the gangsters inside the car opened fire to prevent them from escaping but the bodyguard managed to keep the car preoccupied allowing Celes to take a quick turn to a corner of the street while the car's occupants opened fire on the limousine, forcing Mr. Moneybags and his bodyguard to seek cover, and the bodyguard told his employer to stay hidden.
"Boss...stay hidden!"
"What's going on?"
"Looks like someone wants you dead..."
"Impossible! I did not gain any enemies!"
"Beats me...but they seem to want someone's head...!"
"Keep them busy...while I find a place to hide..."
"It's better to stay here...you might get hit...!"
"But...!"
Unfortunately, a stray bullet hit the limousine's gas tank, and this caused the vehicle to catch fire before it exploded, killing Mr. Moneybags and his bodyguard as their bodies were burned to death, and there the car's occupants began a frantic search for Celes, as they intend to bring her in, but a few minutes later, sirens can be heard and the two gunmen realized that they cannot let themselves get caught and knew that their employers would be displeased if they came back empty-handed yet they knew what they had to do in situations like this.
"Sirens!"
"Blast! Cops!"
"We'd better get out of here..."
"But what about the Celes-bitch?"
"She's probably toasted already..."
"The boss said they want proof that we killed her..."
"We'll worry about that later! Come on!"
"Damn!"
The two gunmen are forced to abandon their search for Celes and boarded their car and leaves the scene where two minutes later, a police car arrived after being alerted by someone after hearing gunshots and there one of the cops radioed for a fire truck and an ambulance, believing that there may be a survivor here, and the scene shifts to the corner of the street where Celes emerged after hiding behind a huge mailbox, in which the area was not well-lighted at the time, and the darkness allowed her to stay hidden from her pursuers and watched the scene as more police cars arrived and a fire truck came to douse off the flaming limousine and Celes sighed as she lost a potential "financial backer" yet she is fortunate enough that she managed to save her bag which contained the money she won from the casino, and then she hailed a passing taxi and instructed the driver to take her home.
-x-
Minutes later, Police Inspector Takāki Ishimaru arrived and surveyed the crime scene, and there he glanced at the charred remains of Mr. Moneybags and his bodyguard, seeing that their deaths are due to the explosion of the limousine as well as suffering from 4th degree burns, while at the same time he was shown the several slugs from the bullets used in the firefight and it didn't take him long to realize that this case is due a gang war involving gamblers, and yet he is unsure if Mr. Moneybags himself got in the face of the mafia as he previously checked Mr. Moneybags' records and the results are that he is CLEAN. There another investigator asks Takaki if he suspected anything that triggered this incident.
"Inspector Ishimaru..."
"Yes...?"
"Do you suppose that this incident is due to a gang war?"
"I suppose...since this person is a well-known gambler..."
"Why would someone want to kill him...?"
"We may have to consider the angle about wanting to silence him so that he won't win any more gambling games..."
"Shall I write a report?"
"Yes."
Seeing that there are no witnesses around, the investigators are forced to call it a night and leave the scene while the bodies are taken to a morgue, unaware that Celes was the lone survivor and she already left the scene while an investigation is about to take place and find out who would want to kill a gambler who is "clean", and are considering the angle of an "assassination" from rival gamblers.
-x-
At the hideout, "Al Capone" was berating the two hit men for causing a ruckus as they failed to bring in Celes and for causing a scene which the police came, though it was fortunate that no one saw the vehicle being used, and the two hit men reasoned that they were forced to defend themselves when Mr. Moneybags' bodyguard started it though Al was not in the mood to listen to alibis and told them to leave his sight or else they would get it, in which the two hit men reluctantly leave and the gangster sub-boss was seething as he knew that Fuyuhiko would give him the dressing down, but then "John Dillinger" came and told his fellow mob sub-boss that he would help as he brought in two RELIABLE assassins and said that taking down Celes would be a better option since she would continue her gambling ways and drive more casinos to bankruptcy, in which Al slowly sees the logic.
"You may be right, Dillinger..."
"Of course, Al...it's better if we see Celes' corpse in full view..."
"So what now?"
"Hmm...?"
"How can we find this Celes now that the police are starting to investigate the incident..."
"I know how..."
"Seriously?"
"Yes...and here's how..."
When Al asks on how eliminating Celes would work in their favor, Dillinger then called two of his hit men and the two person came and stood before them, a male and a female, about aged 20, and they appeared to pass up for lovers given their "young age", in which Al scoffed at their appearance seeing them as a "lovey-dovey couple" and doubted that the two would make excellent assassins, though the two hit men spoke and rebutted Al's comment and said that they are siblings, in which they claimed to have killed several rival gangsters and targeted their employers' targets with 90% hit rate.
"Sir...we're not a couple..."
"We're siblings..."
"And our reputation in the mafia world is well-known..."
"We will bring down any target you wanted us to find..."
"Our marksmanship is superb..."
"My brother is a better sniper than me..."
"That's right!"
"We promise to solve your problems..."
Dillinger then introduced the siblings to Al, and the siblings were identified only by their code names as Bonnie and Clyde, and even showed Al their records and Al was quite impressed and decided to give them their first assignment and showed to the two their first target, which he gave to the siblings the picture of Celes and told them what he knew about her and said that their assignment is to kill her on the spot, and if the siblings succeed, he will pay them handsomely.
"This is your target..."
"Her?"
"Is she in high school...?"
"Who cares...she caused my organization a huge headache..."
"So you want us to kill her?"
"On the spot?"
"Yes."
"We accept."
"We will bring her in...dead or alive..."
With both parties accepted the terms, Bonnie and Clyde leaves and they began their search for Celes,and Al watched them leave and is hoping that this would result in a good news unlike the hit men he sent earlier which resulted in failure and hoped that things would go well and not anger their mafia boss, who has high expectations on him and Dillinger.
-x-
Later, Takaki Ishimaru arrived home where he is greeted by his son Kiyotaka, and there the two bonded and talked, and there Ishimaru is quite shocked at the events that happened earlier, and by then Takaki asked his son about Celes having been told weeks ago that his son had a classmate who has a title of "gambler", in which Ishimaru confirmed and there Takaki cautioned his son about hanging out with her as he feared that the implications that would happen and that there is a possibility that she might be targeted given the fate that befell Mr. Moneybags.
"...that's why..."
"I'll be careful, dad...and you know me...I come home directly from the academy..."
"Mind if I ask, Kiyotaka? Have you noticed anything about Ms. Ludenberg?"
"No...nothing...except that she's flaunting her wealth...that's all..."
"Fine...just be careful..."
"I will..."
"And let me know if you run in to trouble..."
"Of course..."
After that the father and son bonded even more as the night went on.
-x-
At the Naegi residence, Naegi, Komaru and their parents were watching the news about what happened to Mr. Moneybags and the family was quite concerned about the recent events, and cautioned their two children from wandering at night, in which Naegi and Komaru nodded, stating that they always come home after school, and that they always stay out of trouble and there the two children assured to their parents that they will not cause them any worry.
"Yes, mom..."
"Onii-chan and I will be careful..."
"We won't wander at night..."
"We'll be at home after school..."
"Okay, Makoto...Komaru...just be careful as you saw the news..."
"Yes, mom..."
"We will..."
"Good..."
After that, Naegi went to his room and so does Komaru, and there Komaru sat on her chair facing her desk, where a sketch pad and pencil are assembled and several pictures of her elder brother are are shown, wherein the pictures show that he is wearing the red suit and cape, and she smirked as she decided to take a try, as she read a newspaper article stating that a manga company is looking for part-time manga artists/writers, and are offering a middle-class salary, and seeing the "materials" assembled, she decided to try writing and drawing a manga based on her brother even though she wanted to do a shoujo manga.
-x-
Meanwhile, at his room, Naegi is also in deep thought after watching the news, and Celes came to his mind recalling her title of "gambler" and is wondering if she too is a possible target though he is unsure if she do stay out of trouble, yet he couldn't shake off the worried feeling and decided to see Kirigiri at Hope's Peak Academy and discuss this possibility, and while preparing for bed, he opened the "black box" where the red suit is stored and he is pondering of bringing it with him in case things get intense as far as Celes' safety is concerned.
To Be Continued...
And this ends the second part of the "Celestia Ludenberg" arc, and though it showed Naegi, the spotlight focused on Celes as she showed her talents as the "Super High School-level Gambler" and used it to win a lot of Yen and drove many casinos into bankruptcy, and Celes is someone not to be taken lightly when it comes to gambling games, and she showed that even the difficult games in casinos are a piece of cake for her.
Much like Naegi, "luck" seemed to be her saving grace as she narrowly escaped death after being nearly killed in an ambush after a gambling game and meeting a potential financial backer who is also a gambler, but he was the recipient of the ambush that was meant for Celes, and now Celes is n danger, which will eventually caused naegi to come to her aid once the next chapters come in to play.
Kiyotaka Ishimaru makes an appearance here and is shown to be bonding with his dad, and Komaru is now set to make a manga based on Naegi wearng the red suit...
Preview:
Danger commences as the assassins managed to trace Celes at hope's Peak Academy and tries to kill her in a series of ambushes, and Naegi is going to go in to action, which Kirigiri gets dragged in as she is starting to learn the nature of the recent killings connected to a well-known gambler...