TRUTH BULLETS

Chloe's Discovery
Obsession with Annabelle
Roles of the deceased students
Hatred for Adults
Prior Victims
Slave Labor
Glass Eye
Silenced Lachlan
Creation Room
Vacant Room
Empty Bear Shells
1 missing member of WoH

Chapter 37: Falling Kingdom: Act Two

11:59 P.M August 14th

Tokyo

Future Foundation Building (Meeting Room)

Kizakura gritted his teeth as he adjusted his cap. "How bad is it, Ikusaba?"

The Ultimate Soldier stared down at the report in her hand. "The United States and Russia both launched a nuclear strike approximately sixty minutes ago. However, all missiles were hijacked and redirected to new targets. Stalingrad and Las Vegas were completely obliterated. Estimates place the death total as high as three million, though it will take weeks - maybe even longer - to be certain."

"There can be no doubt that this was a clear message that any intervention from the outside will be met with reprisal. This is just like the Sea of Tranquility game all over again," Hayate pointed out as he rubbed at his chin. "It's in their hands now."

"Be that as it may, we should prepare for any eventuality. We can't guarantee that they will succeed in the same manner," Kyoko responded in a neutral tone before brushing hair out of her face.

Hajime sighed. "Kiri, I'm not sure there's much we can do if that island hits. At the island's current velocity, Japan will be left in a worse state than after the tragedy at its worst."

"Should we not focus on evacuations if that's the case?" Gozu asked in a deep voice as his planted his hands on the table.

The former scout sighed. "The airports have become a nightmare. People are even resorting to violence in an attempt to flee the country. I'm afraid we don't have enough time to evacuate millions of people. Fortunately, the Togami Corporation has provided personal helicopters and private jets. We're getting as many women and children as we can clear of Tokyo, while we can. Natalie is overseeing several of the convoys that are leaving the country."

"I thought she'd never let me hear the end of it for staying behind, but it gives me some peace of mind to know Alice and Shiori are bound for the UK. Even if this blows over, I told them it might be better to stay in London until after the baby arrives, especially with how Japan always seems to be the epicenter of all this shit." Hayate chuckled darkly.

Makoto offered a half-hearted smile. "I know that feeling all too well. I was pretty sure Hina was going to tear our heads off for deciding to stay behind. In the end, though, protecting what comes after us is more important than anything else in the world. Someone still has to be here if we do weather this storm. That way we can ensure chaos and despair don't seize the world again."

Mukuro wordlessly rested her head on the young man's shoulder. "Shame this isn't something I can just shoot. How the hell do you fight something like a falling island?"

"I might have a solution, but it would require someone capable of crunching numbers. There will be no room for failure," Shuhei said as he rubbed at the bags under his eyes.

Madison meekly leaned forward as she fidgeted with her hands. "Th-There aren't many things in this world that I'm good at… but I'm always right when it comes to calculations. What are you suggesting?"

The Scientist stared at the cup of coffee in front of him. "...Well, we need an opposing force that can counteract the weight of the island, and we need to know where to apply said force. However, the force itself would mean nothing if we can't obtain a close estimate of the island's weight."

"Hehehe, this is starting to get exciting!" Kokichi said as he moved his legs off the table before grinning ear to ear impishly.

"Tch. I don't mean to burst your bubble, kid, but there's no fucking way anything we come up with can stop an island falling from the sky," Juzo said in an irritated tone.

The Strategist next to him smirked. "Don't be so cynical all the time, or you're going to get wrinkles too early. It would be a shame to damage that pretty face. Besides, I think I know what Shuhei is getting at. It's reckless, insane, and even improbable, but I don't see any other viable options at the moment. Think you can figure out a rough estimate of the mass of that island?" he asked as he glanced at the Mathematician.

"Of course. You guys recovered schematics from Towa City, so I think I can use that to gather a rough idea. Uh, I have to ask... What in the world do you think can be used to stop the impact?" Madison questioned.

Kizakura offered a chuckle. "Let's just say we have our own secret weapon, one that's more powerful than any nuclear bomb."

12:04 A.M Day Fifteen

Resort District

Hotel

Basement (Trial Room)

A heavy tension filled the trial room as Meijikuma stared down at the nine survivors from her podium. Mizukuma and Saishikuma sat next to her in two smaller podiums, while two more empty podiums rested on either side of those bears. "You can all feel it, can't you? This is where the big showdown gets underway. I think we all could use a bit more drama for this final showdown, don't ya think?" The green bear chuckled before pressing a switch. "I figure we all could use a change of scenery."

Before anyone in the group could respond, the room around them shuddered and began to lower. Moments later, they found the entire courtroom suspended above the open skyline. The elevator was still within reach, albeit via a narrow walkway that hung precariously over the massive drop to the earth below. Much of the open floor space was now gone, save for a small platform that supported each of the podiums.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me. This is your idea of a changing the damn room?!" Naruhiko sputtered as he gripped at his podium tightly. "Watch yourself, alright, Shi? This ain't no time to be klutzy."

The Ultimate Runner offered a brief nod of her head. "I've never been more happy to be blind. I'll be careful, I promise!"

Tomoko stomached her anxiety, trying her best not to stare at the ground and sea looming far below her. "Remember, if we fail, we might as well fall anyways."

"Aye, no way around it. We have to weather this storm or we'll all be thrown into Davy Jones' locker - or worse," Kaizoku mused as he rubbed at his chin. "Ye mind telling us what we have to do to avoid that fate, ye scallywag?"

"Teehee, it's pretty straightforward. All you have to do is determine who is behind all of this, and of course how this park came to be," Mejikuma responded with a cheeky smile. "Oh, and I'd get your puzzlers going quick. We have less than two hours remaining. We may not be moving at terminal velocity, but you'll definitely experience the worst kind of death if you fail!"

Annabelle patted her cheeks to keep herself from glancing down. "'Kay, we've come this far. If we don't pull it together, everyone's deaths will have meant nothing. I'm sure we can solve this!"

"Of course we can. We just have to examine everything we've been through. I get the sense the person behind this wouldn't have designed a game that's impossible to solve," Haruto pointed out.

The Ultimate Dominatrix nodded. "Perhaps we should start from the moment we all first arrived here."

"You mean the coaster itself?" Dolly's brow knitted together. "Kurokuma made it seem like everything was completely random, that none of us would be standing here if the circumstances were different."

Seikatsu shook her head and narrowed her crimson eyes. "I think that's what they wanted us to believe. Let's examine how illogical that is. It seems someone already had preparations in place for Shiho and Laris in order to blackmail them. While it's true that Shiho and Annabelle nearly died, it's unlikely Laris was ever in danger of being launched. In fact, if we look at Sigmund's sister, it makes more sense that they somehow knew he would be alive after the coaster. Otherwise, they would have had to kidnap not only students, but also hundreds of hostages. I think the mastermind wanted us to believe we all survived by mere luck. However, I believe they orchestrated the entire thing!" TRUTH BULLET

A giggle escaped Meijikuma. "An interesting theory to be sure, but it gets you no closer to identifying the mastermind either way."

"Aye. I hate to admit it, but she raises a good point. Whether the beginning was random or not, it doesn't serve to answer anything else," Kaizoku said.

Tomoko cleared her throat. "Then let's focus on what we can be sure of. According to everything we've learned throughout the game and what I saw in the technology museum, it's clear Kuma Kuma Land was built off the labor of everyone who'd been taken captive, as well as anyone else the Warriors of Hope had crossed. The process of capturing students took a long time, which is why some of us remember being taken at different periods of time. The technology and infrastructure come from the Towa Group itself. I'd say it's safe to assume much of our memories were taken, just like those who participated in the Hope's Peak Killing Game!" TRUTH BULLET

"It would certainly explain why none of us recall what happened when we first awoke," Tiana added.

Shiho shivered as a strong gust of wind blew across the open room. "We also have the how, for the most part. Someone figured out how to implant the hearts of the dead into various kumas and bring them back to life in that form. Someone - maybe the mastermind - has been turning everyone who's died into kumas."

"Tch. Yeah, let's not even try to explain how the hell something like that works. All we know is it's definitely real," Naruhiko remarked.

Dolly rested a finger against her chin. "Maybe we should discuss what Chloe might have discovered? It must have been something important if the mastermind felt the need to silence her."

"The obvious answer, considering where she was exploring, is that she discovered the mastermind's identity. We all have alibis, so I think we can safely assume none of us are pulling the strings," Haruto mused.

"...Pulling the strings," Annabelle whispered before her eyes widened slightly.

FLASHBACK

"Hm, big surprise… We didn't find shit... unless you count those!" Becky gestured at the Kuma hat still sitting on Annabelle's head.

"Yeah, well, that's just how it is. Anything really worth knowin' is still probably hidden out there, but maybe someone here actually stumbled onto something," Lachlan said with a smirk towards the doll.

END FLASHBACK

"Annabelle, did you realize something?" Seikatsu asked as she eyed the child curiously.

The Forensic Investigator's brow knitted together. "M-Maybe. I think I might understand what Lachlan pieced together. When I think of what I found in the haunted mansion, it leads me to a single conclusion. I don't think Becky is just an inanimate doll. No, I think she's very much sentient, just like all of the bears."

"W-Wait, you think Becky is actually alive?" Dolly asked as she raised a hand to her mouth. "B-But I've had her since I was child! That makes no sense!"

"Aye, but if you aren't involved, it's possible someone used your doll just like the bears have been used to house the souls of the dead," Kaizoku pointed out.

Tomoko's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't be led in by her timid demeanor. Don't forget that she's been responding to everything Becky has said since the beginning. If I had to guess, she's just as guilty in all of this as the damn puppet itself!" TRUTH BULLET

Dolly fell silent, and a deep chuckle filled the trial room. Wordlessly, Meijikuma floated to an empty podium as a familiar figure crawled to claim the newly-abandoned spot.

Becky stared down at the group with a wicked grin. One of her eyes was missing and had been replaced with a glowing despair eye, reminiscent of Kurokuma's. "Jeez, I thought you'd all have a hard time piecing this together with the hot-sauce-loving sleuth gone. Seems I underestimated the kid. No wonder the Warriors of Hope want you to join their merry little band of despair!"

"Hah, we fucking did it! Now that we know the creepy doll did it, we can get the hell out of this damn place!" Naruhiko exclaimed with a wide grin.

Meijikuma giggled. "Did you really think it would be that simple?"

"Even for a demon, he's pretty stupid, don't you think?" Saishikuma asked.

Haruto looked from the unmoving Dolly back to between the podiums. "Haven't we done our job? What more is there to do?"

Becky snickered. "That's pretty simple, bucko! This is just like any trial: you have to determine who's the mastermind. Is it the puppeteer, or the living doll?"

"You can't be serious! If you're both complicit, doesn't that count as us discovering the mastermind?!" Tiana snapped irritably.

The Shogi Player frowned. "If we go by everything that's been established in the game so far, this would be like punishing an accomplice instead of the blackened. Though it's frustrating, we have to play the game. If they're doing this, it suggests one of them is in charge while the other is simply serving the other."

"That's true, so it's up to you all to figure out the truth," the Ventriloquist said in a monotone manner.

Naruhiko snorted. "What are we sweating this for? It's gotta be the one pulling the strings, right? Dolly has to be the one yanking our chains!"

"Blockhead. Do you think it's really that simple? We need to consider this carefully because I don't think we'll have the luxury of facing a death game this time around," Tomoko pointed out.

"That may be true, but please, Tomoko, be a bit more respectful. If there is anything this journey should have taught you, it's that we all need to come together," Seikatsu explained, smiling at the Shogi Player.

Shiho nodded along to the Tarotologist's words. "Yeah, we need to put our heads together and see if we have any clues that can help us."

Tiana folded her arms. "How can we make any headway? Even if they both admit to having involvement, is there really any concrete proof of who's in charge?"

"Actually, come to think of it… I might have something. The Warriors of Hope, from my understanding, resent demons, which they seem to consider adults and even teenagers. If we go by that logic, it's very unlikely they would follow Dolly," Haruto pointed out.

The Shogi Player nodded her head. "That's right! In the Museum, I saw something that said that the Warriors of Hope only respected someone named Junko Enoshima, a famous model who attended Hope's Peak. Beyond that, they seemed to resent any other kind of authority." TRUTH BULLET

Kaizoku raised a pierced brow at Tomoko's discovery. "I see. Are you suggesting that Junko is involved with this game, lass? Otherwise, the Warriors wouldn't be here, right?" Kaizoku questioned as he thumbed towards the Kumas.

"Based on what we know about them, I think it's safe to assume the Warriors of Hope would have never surrendered control to anyone but Junko," Tomoko responded.

Haruto's brow furrowed. "Well, Hope's Peak Academy and the Future Foundation were very dodgy about a lot of details, but I don't recall Junko Enoshima being listed as one of the survivors of that game."

"What if someone used some sort of weird voodoo shit and used her heart? I mean, that's not too crazy, right?" Naruhiko asked as he gazed around the open trial room.

"No. In fact, we've seen tons of examples of the deceased being turned into those bears. So, if this Junko didn't survive the first game, then the Warriors of Hope may have used that revival method on her, too," Annabelle said with a finger against her chin. "And we don't have a reason to think its only those creepy stuffed bears that it works on."

Seikatsu clapped her hands together as she grinned at the group. "It sounds like we have our answer, then. Does anyone have any complaints or doubts?"

Shiho timidly raised her hand. "I'm sorry to bring up something probably unrelated, but wouldn't it make more sense for Kurokuma to be Junko since the Warriors also listened to him? Meijikuma only took over once he died."

"Silly! Kurokuma or Shirokuma weren't Big Sis!" Meijikuma exclaimed. "Unlike the rest of us, they were the only true AI in this park. Even though they were based on Big Sis, they weren't the real deal!"

"Then that freaking covers it. If neither of those knuckleheads was Junko, and the Warriors of Hope only follow Junko, then Becky must be our mastermind!" Naruhiko said as he nodded his head.

Meijikuma squirmed slightly. "Uh, should we vote, then? I mean, you guys can take longer if you want, right, Becky?"

The doll snorted. "I guess the jig is up. What a boring way for this to end. Though it does fill me with such despair!" she exclaimed as her red eye flashed several times.

Suddenly the monitors upon the touch screens flickered to life as the visage of a stunning blonde appeared. She offered a cheeky grin and waved her hand. "I know I'm cute as a doll, but aren't I just smoking as my charming old self?" Junko asked as the audio echoed off of the podiums.

"So this who you really are. Jeez, I gotta say the doll doesn't do you any justice," Naruhiko deadpanned before earning an eye roll from the Ultimate Sailor.

"Lad, you know how much I love ya, but now isn't the time. We need to avoid any distractions," Kaizoku pointed out as he crossed his arms.

The image on the monitor changed as the girl pressed her chest together. "Aww is this making you uncomfortable? How's this for a distraction?"

Tomoko scowled. "I have to say, unlike Naruhiko, I definitely preferred your new form. Can we take this as your confession?"

Junko's avatar put on a pair of glasses as her demeanor became more serious. "You've drawn your conclusion, have you not? Clearly, my dear children would NEVER follow my little protege. The answer is staring you in the face."

"I-I don't know, this sort of feels too easy. What if it's a trick?" Annabelle asked as her brow knitted together.

The Parental Figure stared down at the avatar on his screen. "I have to admit, this does seem too easy. However, everything before us points to that single conclusion. It seems she abused her power over these children to bend them to her will."

"Ah, Monaca really wishes you would have died! You sound just like a know it all adult!" Meijikuma groaned.

Saishikuma nodded his hooded head vigorously. "Uh huh, only good demon is a dead demon! Shame I can't just banish him.."

Mizukuma looked between the other two before silent folding his paws with a contemplative look. He looked as if he wished to say something, and yet remained silent.

"Now Now, there's no need to get bent out of shape! As much as it sucks, they totally played the game and we gotta keep our end of the bargain!" Junko's avatar exclaimed in a childish manner.

Tomoko rolled her eyes. "Enough dicking around, let's just get this over with. We're not going to let you stall us to death."

The Ultimate Dominatrix stared down at her phone. "She's right, we've wasted nearly forty minutes and have barely over an hour left. Start the vote Enoshima!"

The blonde's avatar offered a downcast look as she tousled a strand of hair. "No respect at all. This is even worse than being dead. Fine, cast your accursed vote. Bring all of our merriment to an end."

"Finally, I hope this is the last time we ever have to cast a vote like this. Good riddance!" Shiho said as she used the braille on her screen to cast her vote.

Seikatsu stared unflinchingly at Dolly who had yet to stir before reluctantly casting her own vote.

A long pause followed.

Each of the survivors cast their vote one by one and waited with bated breath for the small doll and Junko's Avatar to address them once more. However, much to their surprise, Becky suddenly went limp against the podium as Junko's visage on the screen faded from existence entirely...

"Mistress?" Saishikuma questioned in a baffled manner as his head swiveled to stare at the limp automaton.

"Is it over? Did we win?" Naruhiko asked with a puzzled look.

Meijikuma eyes widened. "Something isn't right. This wasn't supposed to happen. Where is big sis?"

"Seems my suspicions were well founded after all," Mizukuma uttered quietly as he stared down at the blank screen.

A tiny giggle escaped Dolly, who lifted her chin. Her glossy skin shone in the moonlight as a sickly sweet smile spread across her face. Spirals began to swirl in her eyes. "You should have gone with your gut instinct, Naruhiko, because all of you just made a terrible decision," she said as she pulled a remote out of her pocket. Once she pressed the button on it, Meijikuma, Saishikuma, and Mizukuma all slumped over just like Becky. "It's funny what you can accomplish with a clever facade."

"Bullshit! J-Junko Enoshima was the only one that those little bastards would follow!" Tomoko said defiantly, though her voice was shaky.

"You just don't get it, do you?" Dolly skipped around the narrow platform before climbing upon the empty podium. "Junko Enoshima was never here to begin with. I just used her legacy to fulfill my dreams."

Annabelle looked away from Dolly and over towards the collapsed Kumas. Her eyes focused on the blue bear for a few moments before they widened. "Wait a minute! Mizukuma knew, and he tried to tip me off. He didn't trust you, unlike the rest of them, because he figured it out, didn't he? You programmed him so he couldn't tell anyone, just like with the rest of the bears."

"Oh, I had to take precautions with Mizukuma, of course, but the rest bought it hook, line, and sinker. They wanted their big sister back, so that's what I gave them. It was going perfectly till someone finally caught on. I couldn't have someone spoiling things now, could I? I have to admit, Lachlan surprised me. When he saw that doll in the costume shop, he immediately became suspicious. He even had the nerve to taunt me later like it was a game of cat and mouse. Unfortunately for him, my cat carried a pretty big sword," the Ventriloquist mused with a tiny smirk.

Naruhiko shook his head. "What the fuck does any of that mean? If Junko isn't in charge, then what the hell was that a second ago? And how does any of this other junk make sense?"

"It's quite simple really, technically it was Junko...though rather a programmed AI. You see Shirokuma and Kurokuma were already byproducts of Junko's personality. The AI in Becky was merely a combination of those. It was so convincing, that her devoted followers never could tell the difference," the Ventriloquist mused with a halfhearted shrug.

Tomoko's eyes narrowed. "That raises another question though, how could someone like you become so integrated in the first place. Somehow I doubt you're a master programer or have that many resources at your disposal. So there must be some sort of support coming from somewhere else."

Dolly smirked. "Let no one say that you're not clever. Yes I came from no exceptional wealth, nor am I as resourceful as many other ultimates. However there's a saying, sometimes it's not what you know, but who you know."

"So you became acquainted with someone deep within the despair's organization?" Seikatsu mused with a pointed stare.

"You've got it. You see the architect for the Final Horizon and Sea of Tranquility games had qualms with leaving someone like Monaca in charge of everything. The Warriors of Hope were useful to despair, but were unpredictable and chaotic. He needed someone that could reign them in, even if Junko Enoshima herself couldn't be physically here. I went from a captured subject, to being put in charge of an entire game. His resources, and his associates knowledge of the occult gave me the means to create our wonderful kumas you see dotting the park." Dolly explained matter of factly.

"Uncle... he set this all of this up," Shiho whispered before earning a giggle from the Ventriloquist.

"Yes, your dear old uncle may be half dead, but he's been keeping the Hand of Despair going strong. He didn't think much of me at first. In fact, as someone who, in many ways, had conflicting goals with Enoshima, he likely wouldn't have given me the time of day. However, I wasn't initially meant to be part of this game, but rather one that was being planned on Hora Island. When he learned my history with Junko, along with my skill set, he realized it was possible to control the Warriors of Hope. With his assistance, it was rather easy to create a believable Junko in Becky. When I arrived with their "Big Sister", it was all too easy to use that persona to convince them to turn themselves into kumas. After all, they so wanted to avoid adulthood, I merely played into that desire. They were simply led to believe the same process used to create the living kumas had been done to their idol. With the exception of Mizukuma, the others were all too willing to believe it."

"So you had no real connection with the real Enoshima then? This was a complete facade?" Tomoko questioned.

The Ventriloquist smile widened for a moment. "Oh on the contrary. You see I met Junko years before all of this. Back when I was doing small shows to practice my craft as a Ventriloquist. The moment she saw me… I think she saw how much I loathed humanity. That I had everything in the making to become a beacon of despair. She… gave me something I had never had. She presented herself as the first friend I had outside of Becky. I became her study, her protege. I would have done anything for her, and I believed at the time before the first killing game… that she truly cared about me. But then, when the time came for the first killing game to begin, I was abandoned and tossed aside like one of my lifeless dolls. I realized that I was merely a joke to her. That moment...it left me so hollow, but it also made me feel true despair. My loathing for humanity only grew as a result, and while the old me would have cowered, I longed for the opportunity to share my despair. Learning how to turn living beings into dolls I could control, it was everything I'd ever dreamed of. A world void of humanity entirely…"

"...What I don't get is how are these living dolls are possible? I mean who around this Doctor guy taught you that?" Annabelle asked.

Dolly's brow furrowed. "Saino didn't go into great detail when she was teaching me, however apparently she had taken a different method from a family from Greece and instead of creating new beings, she simply transferred the essence of one existing being into a new shell. I may have been a novice at first, but I became a quick learner. After all, I had plenty of subjects to test it on."

The Parental Figure squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to restrain his temper. "What about Nagito? What role did he play in all of this? Surely his being here wasn't some mere coincidence."

"It wasn't a coincidence, but it wasn't planned for either. You see Kuma Kuma Land didn't take skyward until a short time before you all awoke. Komaeda or should I say his clone, is completely twisted. He wishes to ignite despair and hope to see which is stronger. I'm not sure how he discovered it, but he knew that I really wanted to turn Annabelle into a doll. Not only to give the warriors of hope their missing member back, but I became so fixated upon her," Dolly admitted as she stared at the child with a wide grin.

"What does the wee lass have anything to do with Nagito?" Kaizoku asked in terse manner as he stared darkly at the girl.

The Ventriloquist shook her head. "Everything. He may have said he wanted to give you Despair to see if Hope would flourish, but I'm convinced he wanted to deprive me of the chance to add Annabelle to my family."

"Your family?!" Tiana snapped as she squeezed her crop tightly in one hand. "Anna does not belong to you or anyone. What is your obsession with her anyways?"

Dolly picked up her lifeless Becky before squeezing her. "Isn't it obvious? She's the mirror image of younger self, and of the Warriors of Hope. She's been surrounded by tragedy and despair, and yet she's not broken. It was initially infuriating and confusing to me, but now...I just want to add her to my collection. The Warriors of Hope could use a brave new fighter anyways or maybe a Hero class would be more appropriate for her."

Haruto clenched his fists. "You've preyed upon children and used their already damaged minds and souls to twist them further. You are the worst kind of person. If you think I'll allow you to do the same thing to Annabelle, you're sadly mistaken!"

"Don't act so self-righteous, Haruto! You have blood on your hands, too. All humans are terrible. It's why I gave the Warriors of Hope what they wanted: a way of escaping adulthood without truly ceasing to exist. I'm going to give you all that same opportunity. You all have failed to peg me as the mastermind, but I don't want to kill you. I want you to become part of Kuma Kuma Land forever. It's fairly simple: surrender yourself to despair, and join my other puppets. We can live for eternity in a world that is free from wretched humanity. There's another option, of course. You could refuse my generous proposal. However, if you do that, you will have the blood of millions or more on your hands, so I'd consider your choices carefully," Dolly said as her glassy eyes flitted around the group.

Tiana felt her shoulders slump. "...Our only options are becoming part of this freak show or being complicit in the deaths of countless people? What kind of choice is that?"

Seikatsu closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "In this case, I believe it is a simple choice. We can't weigh the nine of us against that many casualties, especially since we'd only be dying with them."

"Tch, calling it a choice isn't even fair. We're being blackmailed, which, considering what she did to Laris and Shiho, makes a lot of sense. We might as well already be puppets," Tomoko spat as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't believe we got this damn far only to lose everything."

"Jeez, losing me really must have made you lose your touch, babe. You idiots are really going to bow down to this nutcase?" A small bear waddled into sight from the open elevator door. It was none other than Lachlan, whose stitched mouth had been torn open.

"Lach?" Tomoko asked. She cracked her eyes open to stare at the bear in confusion.

Dolly rolled her eyes as she clicked the remote in her hand. "I should have known one of you would try to pull something like this. Did you forget I can shut any one of you off with a single press of a button?"

The little bear went limp against the platform a moment later.

"Yeah, we know you're super fast, but are you faster than the Ultimate Race Car Driver?" Otto barked as he suddenly landed from above and swatted at the girl with his claws, only to fall limp as she quickly pressed the same button again.

A look of surprise registered on the Ventriloquist's face. "Are you not in pain? How are you defying me?" She looked up to see several smaller figures falling from above while other silhouettes could be seen slinking out of the elevator.

"Pain is nothing new to us now. What we want is for this to come to an end," Soo Yeong said as he grappled one of the girl's legs.

Patrick's bear smirked. "How's it feel to be on the receiving end, eh? I may not have been fast enough to win my death game, but are you fast enough to stop us all?"

"Get back! All of you!" Dolly snapped. She switched off Patrick and Soo Yeong as she saw more of them advancing upon her. The entire platform they stood on trembled as the island itself seemed to be tilting slowly. "One more step and I'll drop all us right now!"

"I should have done this to you instead of Otto," a voice said. Chloe landed behind Dolly gracefully, smashing the latter's forehead into the podium. She flipped backwards with the remote firmly in her hand. "So this is how you shut them off. How about we fix that?" She quickly pressed a button and reactivated all the student kumas.

"C-Chloe? Where the hell did you come from?" Tomoko asked with a surprised and oddly relieved expression.

Dolly winced as she slowly raised her bloodied head to see that each of the kumas had latched onto her, effectively pinning her from moving. "How? You're supposed to be dead! Soo Yeong said he put your heart into the bear I built! He's not supposed to be able to lie to me..."

"Correction, I said I put Chloe's heart into the the bear's body," the Surgeon said as he eyed the Chloe bear standing several feet away. "However, I never said it was Chloe Bellemort."

Naruhiko grinned wildly. "'Bout time you showed up to crash the party, Chloe. You know how bad I am about keeping secrets."

"You're not the only one. I've never pretended to be anxious before," Haruto admitted with a sheepish expression. I'm glad you're alright, Chloe. I was starting to fear the worst."

The Fashion Designer smirked. "Well, let's just say I had my hands full collecting all of them and rallying the troops. Of course, we also had to find a way to reach you all. It wouldn't have been possible if Lari hadn't defied orders. She defied Becky's command to kill me. Based on what I've learned from the Free Butterflies, I like to think of this as our personal revolution. Now we just have to dole out punishment. That power will be in our hands for a change." With that, she tossed the remote off the platform.

Laris stepped forward with her small sword, but paused to stare at the sinking island. "Don't stain your hands anymore. Let us finish this. Let her be undone by her own creations."

Dolly began to let out a raucous laughter. "You think any of this matters? You just threw away your only means of remotely stopping this! This fallen kingdom will come crashing down right where the first game started. Humanity will see that despair can never be snuffed out!"

"And you thought I was crazy?" Utano shook his head before sinking his claws into the girl's leg. "Come on, there's nothing like a poetic ending."

The Ultimate Dominatrix finally shook herself from her stupor. "W-We need to get moving. Even if the odds are against us, I refuse to just stand here and await the inevitable!"

"Sh-She's right. So long as you're all still breathing, there is hope. Don't let go of that," Kanade said. She hopped onto an adjacent podium to grab Dolly's shoulder.

Naruhiko nodded tersely as he carefully picked up Shiho and tossed her over his shoulders. "Alright, we need to haul our asses to the elevator. Let's let them finish this. They deserve that much."

"I couldn't agree more. Let's take advantage of this opportunity we have been given," the Tarotologist said. She, too, exited her podium.

"Time to see if I really can sail this damn thing," Kaizoku mused. "I'm headed to the command center. You all need to get someplace safe, and maybe even find a way to escape. I'm sure they have something like that on this rock."

Chloe shook her head. "There's no damn point in looking for that. The controls for the island are in the command center as well. Just move!" she yelled.

As she said this, the platform began to tilt. Saishikuma, Meijikuma, and Mizukuma, who were still unmoving, were sent tumbling off the platform as the slant started to become more and more extreme.

"Everything you're doing is meaningless!" Dolly screamed. "Humanity isn't worth fighting for. Your lives aren't worth fighting for. Just embrace what's coming!"

"No. Unlike you, they still feel compassion and love for one another. That's something you can't feel anymore. We won't let you hurt anyone ever again," Churi said as she wrapped her little limbs around Dolly's midsection.

Sigmund's bear scowled darkly as he hobbled forward. "You mutilated my sister, you left her sister broke, and you turned me into this. I don't know if I believe in hell, but if such a place exists...I'll drag you there with the good arm I still have."

One by one, each of the survivors carefully made their way up the sloping path and towards the elevator until they were barely able to remain flat on their feet. As they looked back, they saw each of their deceased friends holding Dolly in place. They all could imagine what they looked like before being turned into such horrid abominations.

Laris offered a solemn nod as she turned and waddled towards Dolly. "This isn't atonement for my sins, but it's the last thing any of us can offer our friends now. This is the end." She latched onto the pile of kumas before, suddenly, the platform began to tilt and they all were sent flying through the night sky.

The Ultimate Ventriloquist marveled at the irony of her situation as the wind whipped around her violently. "Brought down by my own creations, huh? I suppose I was short-sighted, anyways. Even the most beautiful dolls eventually break. My only regret is that I couldn't be like the rest of you. I could've been free of my humanity. Maybe, just maybe, my wish will be granted after all." She giggled uncontrollably as she and the kumas she forged spiraled toward their final resting place...

9 Survivors Remain

OMAKE

The shot opened to show Utano cuddling up against Lachlan while Tomoko paced around the room, stress very apparent on her face. "Tomo, you need to relax," Utano stated.

"I will relax when I get the phone call," Tomoko snapped.

Lachlan let out a sigh before leaning forward. "Tomoko, as someone who's been through this process many times before, it's better for yourself and those around you if you forget about the audition. Otherwise, you'll worry yourself sick."

Tomoko let out a loud groan, but sat down nonetheless. "I hate this."

"You get used to it," Lachlan reassured.

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. "Hey, guys, can I come in?" Jason requested.

"The door's open," Utano responded. The door creaked open, and Jason entered the room with a sleeping toddler in his arms. A stuffed bear was curled in one of the boy's tiny fists. Utano and Tomoko both gasped upon seeing the child.

"Oh my God, he's so cute!" Tomoko squealed, keeping her voice low. She glanced up at Jason. "Is he yours and Juzo's?"

The blue-haired man cracked a smile as he nodded. "He became ours just three days ago. He's also one of the newest additions to the cast."

"For Bella's thing, right?" Lachlan inquired. Jason nodded.

"Gotta love corrupt foster homes trying to get kids into shows," Jason grumbled. "At least we got him away from that."

Lachlan nodded. "Well, he's a cute little bugger, I'm not gonna lie." The toddler let out a small yawn before cuddling against Jason's chest.

"And now I have diabetes," Utano commented.

Kanade entered the room, knocking on the open door to get everyone's attention. "Tomoko, Crit says you need to be on set. Filming starts in ten." She froze upon seeing the small child in Jason's arms.

"Jason, did you kidnap a child?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "He's my son. His name is Hideki, and he's only four."

Tomoko let out a sigh as she stood up from the couch and walked over to the door. She smiled at Hideki and carded her fingers through his hair. "Bye, Hideki, I hope you're awake when I get back so I can properly meet you." The young woman then exited the room, Kanade moving to the side to allow her through.

"For a four-year-old, he's pretty small," Kanade observed, moving into the room. She took Tomoko's spot on the couch.

"According to his file, he was premature," Jason clarified. As if the toddler was sensing the talk about him, his eyes fluttered open, letting out a tiny yawn. Jason smiled down at the little one in his arms.

"Hey, Hideki." Hideki stared sleepily at Jason before looking around the room. "Hideki, this is Utano and Lachlan. They're very talented at acting." The toddler nodded, rubbing at his eyes with his free hand.

Jason turned a bit so that Kanade was in the toddler's line of sight. "And this is Kanade. She's really good at playing the piano."

Utano clasped onto Lachlan's arm. "This is too much cuteness for me. I never thought I'd ever see Jason be this soft with anyone."

Jason snapped a glare over at the red-head. "I'm not soft."

"You're cooing at a wee-one in your arms, and I haven't heard you use a single swear word since you got here," Lachlan pointed out, a smirk on his face. "You're soft for the boy."

Kanade snickered. "I'd be more shocked if he wasn't soft for his son."

Jason let out a small sigh. "Okay, maybe I'm a bit soft."

Hideki stared up at Jason for a moment before running a hand through Jason's hair. He then did the same with his toy. He looked back and forth at the toy and Jason before nodding. "Papa's soft like Snowball."

Utano let out a small squeal, clutching onto Lachlan, while the Scotsman laughed like crazy. Kanade laughed as well, hiding her smile behind her hands. Jason just blushed. "Hideki, how about we go find Daddy before finding some of your less crazy aunts and uncles?"

Kanade raised an eyebrow, still giggling. "Jason, you call Juzo 'Daddy?'" She snickered. "I didn't know you were into that kind of thing." This incited a new round of laughter amongst the other adults. Jason sighed before walking out of the room, his face a bright red. The three were still laughing when the shot closed out.

*AN* I'd like to offer a bigshout out to the betas. I know we went back and forth a lot, but I think it ultimately made this chapter way better. A huge mention to Fee5H who actually was right with his initial theory, however I did admittedly change the ending here, as I had what I thought was a better direction. Which of course I can thank Petty for suggesting. Also thank you Bella for another wonderful Omake, and thanks you Grem for Dolly/Becky. I sincerely enjoyed their role in this story, I think it came out great!

Review Section:

Vulca

Yup. I thought it was pretty obvious myself, but Dolly being the MM was always the plan!

MudkipOfDespair

Hey you were actually on the right track bud =) Well least you were the second time :P

pokemansuperallstar

Bahaha, I love these made up bears. Fantastic work buddy ^^

Fee5H

Hah as I've already said you nailed it bud, I won't let you have credit taken from you because I changed my mind on something last minute :P

Yamomo

You are 100% correct. Dolly is indeed our MM =)

NSPunny

The funny thing is I never thought Chloe was actually suspected dead. She was never shown killed and offscreen deaths are rare in this series.

bellatrixshine

The wait is officially over! I hope it lived up to expectations!

doomqwer

Gotta go out with a blast don't we?

BirblordAlmighty

Wild ride indeed. It's about to come crashing down...