What is up my peeps! Now is the time, now is the hour to take a little trip into a despair ridden world! But the despair has yet to commence, tis only a prologue you say! Nein! I assure you, the despair will begin shortly! However, this story isn't like The School Life or the School Trip. You already knew beforehand who the casts were, so the prologues were shorter and they had less people. The First Arc of this story is going to be a prologue sadly, but it is necessary when 40 people need to be introduced.
40 you say? Yeah...I lied once again...you never know when three OCs will be introduced to you in the middle of the night. It was like...oh...oh AAAAHHH, and then their profiles get written and bam, they're part of the cast. Lol...that's it though, no more characters. Gotta keep you on your toes I'm afraid. Their profiles will be given to you once Class 24 of Morning Hope Academy is finished being introduced. Here's how the prologue will work.
The first will be Mei-Ling's side, where she will get to know the students of Class 24 within the first floor of Morning Hope Academy. So you all get to meet the oc's that I have created and gotten submitted through her eyes. The second half will be Jonathan's side, where he and Veruca will meet CLass 79A of Hope's Peak Academy. Trust me, it's hard to juggle two classes, I'm replaying the Prologue of V3 so I get to know the characters again, so I can write this. It's really putting me off, but hey I never said it was going to be easy. As my friend Crit Fail said, the first chapter is always the hardest. Hell I already know who's gonna die in Chapter 3. I don't know why, but Chapter 3 seems to be the middle ground, I know who will die, how and why...but Every other chapter is just not there yet. I mean...I know who the mastermind is at least. Huehuehue.
So yes, I do truly hope you like this chapter. Ah yes...I will remind you again...I do have a Discord for this story. My username is CelestialSkyDragon#5453 and the server is called Morning Hope Academy's New Semester of Killing. That's where you can theorize, discuss, get in touch with me and stuff.
I will also be posting some shitty hand drawn maps of the school on there, as well as my DeviantArt...maybe. No I will be posting the maps yes but I haven't decided if I should post them on DeviantArt yet. I don't have a scanner so I gotta take them from my phone and I don't want to get shadows on the paper. Or worse, my Cat Juvia. She pisses me off. I layed the map out on the floor to see if I was missing something and to see how the building would stack and she tore one of the papers, making me redraw it. I swear she does it just to piss me off. Anyway...that's it for now...I hope you like this chapter and the characters introduced, let me know what you think.
Special thanks to Crit Fail, DeadLyokoBrony, danieltruong1917, ColMeliCol, MikeDew7h3Dew, Restless Rose, BloodyDemon666, and GrandMasterCastiel for your amazing OCs. If your character debuted in this chapter and I didn't mention you, I apologize. But when you have 40 characters to write, you forget who submitted who. So shoutouts to you too! See you all in the next update! if you weren't mentioned, your character will debut in the next chapter. Have a good night guys!
Morning Hope Academy's
New Semester of Killing
Prologue to Despair
New Semester (Part 3)
"Oh my...this is very awkward." Mei-Ling thought, as she glanced at Calem. The Strategist had remained silent since their meeting at the Gymnasium.
She was still very confused as to what was happening. All she remembered was walking up the way with Christopher. Then she woke up within Morning Hope Academy, and the windows are sealed shut with iron. Now, Jonathan and Veruca had told her that the front entranced had been sealed up with blast proof doors. To make matters worse, she didn't see anyone else. No students, no faculty, no one. While normally she would be freaking out, she had remained calm, knowing panicking would never help in a situation. She frowned as she glanced at her feet, the glossy red heels looking purple in the blue lighting.
"Miss Mei-Ling, I'd like to apologize to you. I know I haven't said anything since we departed from the Gymnasium. I hate to admit it, but I have trouble speaking with girls." Calem said, flushing slightly as he glanced away. Mei-Ling looked up, giving the boy a smile.
"It's okay...I wouldn't exactly know what to say. Still...it very scary situation we are in. I don't even know where to go." the girl said, frowning slightly.
"Have you checked your pockets? I was looking for my cellphone earlier, and I managed to find this." the boy said, showing her a small device. It was the size of a smart phone, completely white in color. Mei-Ling took a hold of it looking it over.
The emblem of Morning Hope Academy was emblazoned onto the back of it, in bright gold. It was exactly as she had seen it, a beautiful eagle, clutching thirteen olive branches in one of its talons, a ribbon in its beak with Morning Hope Academy's name in it, surrounded by exactly 50 Stars. The device looked indistinguishable from a cellphone, in fact it reminded her of her own missing cellphone. It had a button on the side of it, as well as a home button on the bottom of the screen.
"What is this?" she asked curiously, handing it back to the boy.
"I believe this is a form of identification. When I turned it on, it showed my name, along with my profile. However it had no other information. There was a map but it only showed facilities on the first floor, along with the courtyard and dormitory building. Aside from that, nothing else is available." he said. Mei-Ling nodded, deciding to check her own pockets. Despite her outfit being a tight fit, it did have two pockets, barely visible on the waist. To her surprise, she ended up finding a similar looking device resting within.
When she turned it on, her own name greeted her. She was brought to the home menu, which displayed a Map, along with her Profile. Clicking on it, she looked at the card, seeing her own picture along with all of her stats. She glanced at her height, a frown on her face.
"Great, another reminder that I'm short."
"Miss Mei-Ling, size doesn't matter. It is your talent that matters in the end. You are hailed as one of the most intelligent young women of our current generation. After all, you were able to find those ancient scriptures deep in those Thailand caverns." Calem said, making the girl giggle.
"I suppose you are correct. Besides, my father always told me that I wasn't short. I was just fun-sized, and I'll be sure to show all of our classmates that too. Anyway, I looked at the map and this floor has quite a number of interesting places."
"Indeed, the Theater and the Weight Room are the bigger ones. However, it seems the School Store and the Cafeteria are in the same place, yet when I passed by it earlier I did not see signs pointing to it. That is something we'll have to investigate." the young man said, earning a nod from the girl. The two suddenly stopped when they heard something clattering to the floor. They looked toward the Nurse's Office, as the sound had come from within.
"More people."
"So it would seem...careful, wouldn't want you to get hurt." Calem said, deciding to take the lead, sliding the door open.
The Nurse's Office was a lot bigger than she had been expecting. To her surprise, the lights were white rather than blue like in the hallway. The back of the room had various fixtures, including back lights which had X-rays attached to them. The back wall was lined with drawers, a green counter top and sink being visible. The back shelf was filled with bottles of pills, closed behind two glass doors. There was a desk off to the left side of the entrance, which had a computer placed on it. There were six rows, each having a gurney resting within, the curtains being drawn back. Mei-Ling took notice of the camera and the monitor, placed at the very back of the office, slowly panning around the entirety of the room.
There were two students inside, both of them preoccupied with something that had fallen at the back of the room. Mei-Ling locked on the only male in the room, as he was the larger of the two. He was a tall young man being over six feet in height. He was wearing a crimson red tee shirt, along with a pair of blue jeans and black boots, with several belts which had been left unfastened. He was wearing a black hat on his head, which Mei-Ling recognized as a Plague Doctor hat, making her swallow the lump in her throat. He had shaggy, shoulder length blue hair, somewhat spiky, but she couldn't tell due to his hat. He also had a round beard, which was perfectly neat.
The other person in the room was young woman. She had extremely pale skin, most likely from not going out in the sun much. She had medium length straight hair that was black in color. It had layers of shimmering purple running through it. Her hair seemed to have a strange cow lick coming from the center of her head. While she herself seemed like a rather small girl, her chest was something else entirely. Mei-Ling's eyes were focused on them, finding them to be nearly the size of her own head, perhaps even more. She was wearing a large over sized hoodie with various patches sown onto the sleeve, names that she recognized from various companies. The hood itself had a pair of cat ears, but was currently off her head. She was wearing a black shirt, which had a cat printed on it, barely visible due to her bulging chest. She was wearing a pair of basket ball shorts, along with a pair of fuzzy pink slippers on her feet. Mei-Ling noticed she was actually sitting in a power scooter, making her feel bad for the girl.
"Excuse me, is there something wrong? We heard something fall from outside." Calem said, taking the initiative. The tall boy glanced up from the floor, standing up firm as he turned to face the two new students.
"Ah yes, that was my fault. I had grown curious about something and ended up dropping it to the floor. It was my mistake, so I do apologize." the man said firmly. Mei-Ling shuddered a bit at the man's odd voice, she didn't know exactly how to place it, but she felt rather crept out by it.
"I told you not to blame yourself. It was my fault, I knocked it off the shelf." the girl replied, her voice sounding firm and apologetic.
"Oh wow...are you from the United Kingdom too?" Mei-Ling asked, having instantly recognized her accent. The girl nodded, turning her chair slightly to face her.
"Why yes I am. I happen to be from London England, I have traveled quite aways to be here. However I seem to have woken up in a rather precarious situation. My laptop is missing, that is my lifeblood, I tried searching for my cellphone but it is gone as well."
"The same thing has happened to me. My drawing tablet is missing, I fear that my work could be jeopardized." the man said firmly, a look of worry on his face.
"Well...we haven't found any of our missing items either. I remember coming here with my cellphone, along with one of my gaming consoles." Calem said. The girl's eyes lit up, an excited look on her face.
"Oh oh! What console was it?"
"Huh? Oh it was an Xbox One."
"Oh...here I thought it was a Playstation 4." she said, a frown on her face.
"Does it matter? I mean they do play video games so it's not really an issue." Mei-Ling asked curiously. The black haired girl adopted an almost hurt look.
"I say, you don't know anything about video games. The Playstation 4 is the go to system for Role Playing Games. Not only that, but I happen to play one of the best MMO's on there, Final Fantasy 14. I do have an account on my PC, but I find using a controller to be much easier."
"Um...perhaps we should share our names. We are strangers after all."
"Then I shall go first. My name is Calem Kurogane, I happen to be the Ultimate Strategist. It's a pleasure to meet both of you." the blond boy said politely.
"I'm Fa Mei-Ling, the Ultimate Folklore Researcher. I do hope we can get along, if you have any questions about folklore, feel free to ask." the small girl said, giving the two a polite bow.
"Oh, you are just the cutest little thing! But before I forget, my name is Lucy Cadwell, I am the Ultimate MMO Player."
"Likewise, my name is Anaji Hora. In this school's jargon, I happen to be the Ultimate Horror Concept Artist, I truly do hope we can get along."
"Hmm...now that I think about it, I believe I have heard of you Lucy. There was talk online about a very famous player, capable of playing various games at once." Mei-Ling said, glancing at the black haired girl, who just brushed it off as if it were nothing.
"Several games? Please...I was able to play the Final Fantasy 14, Overwatch and World of Warcraft at the same time. Not just that, I was successfully able to take down one of the hardest bosses in Final Fantasy 14 in 15 minutes all by myself. I know the in's and out's of various MMOs. I was once the leader of a very powerful guild, however I went dormant after awhile." the girl said, deflating a bit.
"Why was that?" Calem asked, seemingly interested in what the girl was saying.
"They realized I was only eleven. They couldn't believe that a child was leading one of the strongest guilds in the game. We were all high leveled, with end game equipment. Yet what bothered them the most was that the guild master was eleven. I moved on from that game though, and found amazing communities online. I've even been sponsored by several people, I get a lot of free stuff." Lucy said, seemingly happy with her skills.
"Age shouldn't matter, it comes down to skill. I'm certain your strategies have lead your comrades to victory. Worry not about what they think, think only about your own merits, that should be enough for now yes?" Calem said firmly.
"I thought you couldn't speak to girls?" Mei-Ling asked curiously, causing the boy to flush.
"Uh...well, MMO's are strategy games too...I feel like we have something in common." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Miss Fa, you happen to know a lot about folktales correct?" Anaji asked, causing the petite girl to look over at the tall man.
"Yes I do, and you can call me Mei-Ling if you'd like, or just Mei is fine." she said, earning a nod from the young man.
"Alright then Mei, I would very much like to speak with you later. There are some very interesting folktales in this world of ours. Including ones filled with monsters, I'd like to draw some of those creatures and bring them to life. I've worked on various video games and other works in the past, so this will be good practice for the future." Anaji said.
"Sure...I'd love to talk about folktales. Perhaps we can start with Gryla, one of the scarier creatures of Icelandic Folklore. It is said that this creature eats bad children on Christmas night, as a means to teach them a lesson." Mei-Ling replied, causing Lucy and Calem to shudder.
"S-seriously?" Lucy asked. Mei-Ling nodded, a small frown on her face.
"I will admit, this is one of the scarier tales I know...there are others that are far, far worse than that. But I'll leave those for another time. Incidentally, do you know where anyone else is?"
"Not at the moment...I awoke in Classroom 9-A about ten minutes ago. I didn't see anyone, but there was one camera in there, facing me. I also noticed the windows were barred by thick iron plating. As I was coming to the gymnasium, I noticed the office door was open and found Miss Lucy sleeping on one of these gurneys."
"I don't even remember getting in one. I was in Northern California, and I remember my father telling me he'd drop me off at school. It was an overnight trip and I fell asleep on the drive. Next thing I know, I'm laying on this bed right here, being awakened by Anaji." Lucy said, a confused look on her face.
"I see...it seems as if we share something in common then. Mei-Ling awoke in a classroom that was barred as well. I myself woke up in the Ladies Room on the first floor. Two other students, Jonathan and Veruca awoke within lockers. However all of us share one thing in common, not arriving at the academy." Calem said, resting his hand on his glasses.
"That is rather odd...being unable to remember something so detailed. I remember everything else, just not getting here." Lucy said, looking rather worried. Mei-Ling noticed this, and gave the girl a warm smile.
"Hey, it'll be fine! We're going to find everyone in the school, for now would you two mind waiting in the Gym? That's where we've decided to send everyone." she said.
"Of course, I'll guide Lucy there while you two search for the others. Once again, it's a pleasure meeting the two of you. I do hope we get along." Anaji said, giving Lucy a nod. She started toward the door, leaving the Nurse's Office. Mei-Ling caught the small sign on the back of Lucy's chair, that said"I'm not Handicapped, I'm HandiCapable." which made her smile happily.
"Even in that situation, Lucy is full of life. I can tell there are some things she is hiding. Anaji sounds like a nice person too, a perfect friend to have if you wanna illustrate nightmare fuel." Mei-Ling thought to herself.
"Shall we be off then?" Calem asked, earning a nod from the girl. They left the Nurse's Office, heading back into the hallway. The two of them stopped before they reached the hallway, finding a grate blocking a stairwell leading up.
"I passed by this earlier. It seems there is a second story, however access is barred to it."
"Do you have any idea why?" Mei-Ling asked curiously, glancing up at the Strategist. He shook his head, placing a hand on his chin.
"I can only surmise, that whoever brought us here, finds an advantage in keeping us here. There are only so many places we could all venture. Either that or something happened above us that prevents anyone from going there."
"It makes sense...they blocked it for our safety then. Still...it is unnerving. I do recall Morning Hope Academy having 5 stories." the Folklore Researcher said, her lips slightly pursed in thought.
"Yes, I recall the same information. Morning Hope Academy was designed to be similar to its sister academy. Hope's Peak Academy, which also boasts five stories. However, despite both academies being drafted by the same people, this one has more up to date technology." Calem said, leading the girl toward the hallway.
"I am worried though...I haven't found Christopher yet. He didn't seem like the best person to be around. But he is the only one I remember meeting before waking up here."
"We shall find him soon. Let us examine the theater, it seems like the doors are open." the blond boy said, pointing toward the large doors. The two teenagers made their way toward them, with Calem throwing the wooden doors open.
Despite it being called a Theater, this room looked more like an auditorium. It had several rows of felt red seats, each of them bearing fifteen separate chairs. Each row was labeled with a letter, ending in Q from where Mei-Ling could see. There was a door at the right of the entrance, leading to a stairwell that would lead to the balcony. She figured the last of the seats were up there. Calem and Mei-Ling walked forward, taking notice of their surroundings. The floors were covered in plush blue carpets. The Theater had a large ceiling, with a crystal chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling. The walls were covered in oak paneling, that had a dark finish. The light fixtures were in the shape of candles, the bulbs being the shape of a flame. Ahead of them, was a large wooden stage, surrounded by tall felt curtains that were currently drawn. Mei-Ling glanced over her shoulder at the balcony, noticing the large stage lights being aimed at the stage. The railings were painted white in color, the outer edge of the balcony being white. Mei-Ling noticed the camera attached to the underside of the balcony, aimed right at the stage. She also noticed the one that had been placed on the stage, aiming right at the seating area. There was a monitor attached to the wall at the side of the stage, much like the ones she had spotted in other areas of the school.
"This place is huge! I feel so tiny in here." Mei-Ling cried out, taking a full 360 look of the Theater. Calem remained silent, his eyes focusing on the two people that were standing near the stage, lost in conversation.
"We aren't alone, let's go greet these students." the boy said firmly, causing Mei-Ling to look forward, seeing the two people Calem had been referring too.
The first was a young woman, with cascading platinum blonde hair, that fell down past her shoulders. The ends had a natural curl to them, streaks of sky blue dye running through them. She had a light tan complexion, with a beautiful face, a small button nose and full lips, that were pink in color. She was wearing what looked to be a leotard, which had a tie-dye design to it. Over it, she was wearing an unbuttoned white cardigan, her legs being bare. She was wearing a pair of boots on her feet, which looked almost plastic from afar. She was shorter than the boy, being around five foot five in height.
The young man beside her was a lot taller than her, almost six feet in height. He was wearing a bright red Hawaiian shirt, with white hibiscus flowers printed on it, which he hadn't bothered to button up. He was wearing a pair of khaki shorts, with large pockets on the sides, along with a pair of beat up sneakers. Around his neck, he was wearing a lei, that consisted of blue and white flowers. He hat short blonde hair, reaching down to the nape of his neck, his bangs being parted slightly, and dyed crimson red. He had a lean body, with toned arms and abs. Mei-Ling bit her lip a bit as she looked at the boy.
"He's a hunk! Look at those abs, they look so perfect, and he has a cute tattoo too! What a handsome face, it's so perfectly chiseled too, I wouldn't mind being carried by that beautiful beast." she thought. She rapidly shook her head, her face flushing crimson.
"Keep it together Fa Mei-Ling! There is no time for that stuff here!" she mumbled to herself. Calem pushed his glasses up his face, pretending not to hear what the girl was muttering.
"I'm telling you sis, some crazy shit is going on here. I remember us getting on a plane in Honolulu and that's it." the boy said, sounding quite distressed. The girl sighed, a frown on her glossy lips.
"It's going to be alright Kai. There is no use in freaking out now, we'll call Mom and Dad when we get the chance. For now we have to remain calm alright?"
"If you say so." the boy said, seeing two figures out of the corner of his eye. Both turned at the same time, being surprised by the arrival of two strangers in the theater.
"Hello, I hope we didn't startle you." Calem said politely. The girl shook her head, placing a hand on her chest.
"No no...we just weren't expecting more people. We just woke up in this theater not that long ago."
"Yeah...let me tell you dude, sleeping on wood is killer on the back. It's why I prefer a hammock." the boy said, giving the boy a smile.
"I see...may I ask a personal question? I couldn't help but overhear a bit of your conversation. You two don't remember getting here, do you?" Mei-Ling asked.
"That's right, I take it it's the same for the two of you?"
"You would be correct in that assumption Miss."
"Ah...sorry...allow me to introduce myself. My name is Tsubaki Aulani, this is my younger brother Kaikane Aulani." the girl, now known as Tsubaki said, giving the boy a firm handshake. She did the same with Mei-Ling, who had been shaking Kaikane's hand before.
"We may not look it, but the two of us are twins. Tsu doesn't let me live it down, especially because she's the older twin."
"Wow...I wouldn't have guessed you two are twins. You look so different." the folktale researcher said, looking at the two with wide eyes, a look of awe on her features.
"They are fraternal twins, often times fraternal twins don't share identical features. Even so, they share everything, from genes to blood type. I can certainly say natural beauty falls in your genes as well." Calem said, flushing a bit. Tsubaki let out a small laugh, leaning back against the stage.
"Well...I didn't take someone so stiff as a flirt. What's your name sugar?"
"Calem Kurogane...I'm the Ultimate Strategist."
"My name is Fa Mei-Ling, I happen to be the Ultimate Folklore Researcher. It's nice to meet you two...especially twins!" Mei-Ling said happily.
"Nice dudes! Fellow Ultimates! Me and my sister traveled all the way from Hawaii to be in Morning Hope Academy. I'm the Ultimate Surfer. I was able to hang ten with the Big Kahuna of Waikiki Beach. Not just that, I surfed all the way from Sydney Australia to Oahu. It's one of my greatest accomplishments." Kaikane said, a bright grin on his face. Tsubaki sighed, crossing her arms.
"He brags about that all the time. Little brother, sweetie you need to be a bit more humble."
"Humble? Tsu weren't you excited to tell everyone about your talent? That you had finally been selected to represent the United States of America in the Olympic Winter Games?" he asked, causing the girl to flush.
"No...shut up!"
"The Olympic Winter Games? Oh my that's an honor...what are you participating in?" Mei-Ling asked curiously.
"Figure Skating, I happen to be the Ultimate Figure Skater. I haven't entered any Olympic competitions, but I have first places trophies from every contest I have entered. Surya Bonaly and Tonya Harding happen to be some of my idols. Surya Bonaly was the first girl to perform a Backflip on ice, a move that was banned from the competition. It is allowed if you land on one leg though."
"I recall seeing something about that online. She didn't win because she was African American correct?" Calem asked.
"Yes that's right...she didn't fit the "Ice Princess" mold the judges were going for. While her competition relied on her movements on the ice, Surya relied mostly on her own physical strength. She ended up hurting her knee during practice and still managed to perform the Backflip. She received a Silver Medal, but she refused to stand on the box to receive it, despite her deserving the gold."
"Tonya Harding was the same though...she had a fall from grace. She became famous for performing a Triple Axle, which was almost impossible. Despite that, there were a lot of scandals surrounding her. She was practically black balled from future competitions." Kaikane said, earning a nod from his sister.
"That's so interesting, what about you Kaikane, who do you find inspiring?"
"Jackie Chan of course!" the boy said with a wink.
"Jackie Chan?" Calem asked.
"Of course! The dude is a legend, I mean look at all of his movies! The man ended up breaking every bone in his body at one point. He got up like a total boss and still kept acting. He's a singer, a dancer, and a martial artist. I just find him completely inspiring, how despite breaking his bones he still moves on. That is a really brave dude right there."
"Kai only likes Jackie Chan because he wanted to do martial arts as a kid." Tsubaki said, glancing at her little brother, brow quirked.
"Heck yeah I did...what about you Mei-Ling? Do you know martial arts?" Kaikane asked. Tsubaki cringed, deciding to remain silent. Mei-Ling sighed, but decided to answer his question anyway.
"Sadly I do not. I wasn't interested in Martial Arts as a child, nor did I take to math. My older sister Fa Ju did take math seriously though. I just find Folklore more fulfilling. Speaking of which, you two hail from Hawaii, which is at the tip of Polynesia, would you mind sharing some folktales with me? Only if you know them of course."
"Sure, we can teach you about some of the gods. Our grandmother always taught us about Maui and his origins, how he was able to pull islands from the water with his fish hook. I believe you'll find his exploits quite interesting." Tsubaki said, earning an eager nod from the girl.
"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you two, Tsubaki, Kaikane. Could we trouble you to head to the Gym? That's where we agreed to send everyone we came across."
"Yeah sure, no problem dude...come on sis. Maybe we'll meet more people for you to bore with your Ice Skating nonsense."
"Kaikane don't make me spank you! Mom isn't here, which means I can take care of you the only way big sisters know how!" Tsubaki snapped, holding her hand up at the boy, who shuddered a bit. The twins walked out of the Theater, having gotten in an argument of sorts.
"Those two have an interesting bond. I wasn't expecting to meet twins while I was here. I'm looking forward to getting to know them, especially learning of their folk stories!" she thought, a look of excitement on her face.
Mei-Ling and Calem had finally arrived at the First Floor Plaza. This had been the first time the young researcher had seen it. The plaza was absolutely grand. The tiles seemed to be a marble white color, though she couldn't exactly tell due to the blue light. Off to the side, near Classroom 9-C was the Men's Room, along with what looked to be a Laundry room, which was currently empty. Tucked into the corner near the entrance to the Theater was a small lounge area, a large plush sofa pressed up against the wall. There was a glass table as well, which had various magazines neatly stacked on it. She noticed the doors to the School Store were opened, though she couldn't see well from where she was. To the left, was the doors that lead to the Entrance Hall, there was a Maple Tree in the middle of the plaza, fenced off with black iron fences. There were four granite benches surrounding the fenced off area. Mei-Ling also noticed there were four cameras in the plaza, scanning the four corners of the plaza in its entirety.
"You know...I don't understand the point of these cameras. Are they for our personal safety? Or are they being used for another purpose?" Calem asked curiously.
"I'm not exactly sure. Maybe it is for our safety, there are a lot of people in this school right? I do recall there being an Ultimate Marksman here." Mei-Ling said, earning a nod from the Strategist.
"Yes...that would be the more probably cause...regardless let us check the Entrance Hall. Perhaps others have tried to get out." he said, taking the lead once more.
"Um...Calem, we've gotten to know some of the others but...would you mind if I asked you a question?"
"I don't mind at all, only if you allow me to ask one in return." the boy said, giving the girl a warm smile.
"Okay...um, you are Japanese right?"
"Indeed, but I am only half Japanese. My mother was born in Tokyo Japan, while my father was born in Seattle Washington. We used to live in Japan, but after an incident, we ended up moving to Seattle. I was able to grasp English rather quickly, so I barely have an accent anymore." he said, placing a hand on his glasses.
"Ah...I've only been in America for two and a half years. My father taught me some English, but I decided to come here to learn more. I'm currently studying Native American folklore. I was supposed to meet a local Chief after orientation today, but I don't think I'll be able to make that meeting." she said.
"Why do you say that?"
"Well...look at this all...we're locked in this academy." Mei-Ling said, sounding a bit disappointed. Calem chuckled, giving her a small smile, despite the flush on his face.
"Keep your head held high, Miss Mei-Ling. We might be able to get out of here rather fast." he said.
"You're right...I shouldn't give up yet! Maybe the doors are already open!" she said excitedly. She took the lead, grabbing a hold of the glass door, pulling it open and holding it for Calem.
The two entered the Entrance Hall moments later, their eyes widening when they saw the blast proof doors. Just like Jonathan and Veruca had said, they were made out of thick slabs of steel. The entirety of the Entrance Hall had been modified to put this door in place. Mei-Ling noticed the Mini-Guns aimed right at the doors, making her shiver a bit, especially when she saw the bullet chains being fed directly from the ceiling.
"Goddamn it! Fucking open already you piece of shit!" a voice cried, followed by a loud thump. Mei-Ling's eyes fell on a group of three students, one of them currently trying to force the doors open.
The one kicking the door was a tall young man, standing at roughly six feet in height, give or take. He had a mop of dirty blond hair atop his head, shaking a bit as he continued kicking the door. He had a lean build, and was delivering powerful side kicks to the center of the door, hoping it would fly open. He was wearing a bright green shirt, with a faded Mountain Dew Logo printed on the front. He had a pair of blue jeans, tucked into tan colored Timberland boots. Around his waist was a brown utility belt, which had various tools sticking out of it, along with a pair of work gloves. There was another belt around his left hip, which seemed to contain cans of some sort.
Standing beside him was a concerned looking woman, much shorter than the boy. She had reddish violet hair which felt down to her shoulders, falling down in curls. She had a small braid falling down the side of her head, decorated with a small pin in the shape of a starfish. She was wearing a white lab coat over a blue tee shirt, that read "Fish a friends, not Food" with a picture of Bruce the Shark beneath it. She was wearing a pair of fitted jeans, blue in color with heeled wedges, her fingernails and toenails being an aqua color. She was also wearing a headband on her head with small fish attached to it. A small pair of glasses could be seen on her face.
The final person in the room was another young woman, leaning up against the wall, arms crossed. She had a bored look on her face, her eyes bring tightly closed. She also had her lips pursed, most likely in annoyance. She had lengthy strawberry blonde hair, falling down to her mid back. She has a slim figure, with some rather large assets, though they weren't the size of Lucy's. She was wearing a black shirt, with a leather jacket over it, along with some camouflage pants and knee high combat boots. She cracked a single eye open, bright emerald green greeting the hazel eyed researcher. The other woman seemed to have taken notice of the two students, grabbing the boy by the shirt.
"Hey look, there are others here." she said. The boy turned around, glancing at Mei-Ling and Calem with a calculating eye.
"Let me guess, woke up in the school and have no idea how you got here?" the boy asked.
"Yes...it seems to be a common theme among the ones found here. This is the first time we are seeing the doors though."
"Any luck opening them?" Mei-Ling asked, a hopeful look on her face.
"Little man try to open door for ten minutes. That blast proof door will not budge. Trust me, I have seen doors like this before." the silent girl said, pushing herself off the wall. She had a thick Russian accent, her voice soft yet firm and alluring.
"I already told you Ana, we're gonna get this damn thing open." the boy said, earning a glare from the young woman.
"Chert voz'mi, ya skazal tebe ne nazyvat' menya tak!" (Goddammit, I told you not to call me that!) the young woman snapped angrily.
"I'm sorry, I don't know where the restroom is." the boy said absentmindedly, taking a drink from a can. Mei-Ling hadn't even noticed him pull it out. The other woman sighed, shaking her head.
"I think we should take a break for now baby...no use wearing yourself down already."
"You two seem friendly." Calem said, brow quirked as he glanced at the two.
"That's because she's my wife buddy. You got an issue with that?" the boy said defensively.
"Wife? But you're so young!" Mei-Ling said, earning a giggle from the woman.
"Actually sweetie, the two of us are almost 20. We've been married for a year now. Oh my mistake, I should introduce myself. My name is Cara Rose Gardner, this is my husband, Nickolas Ladd Gardner."
"Damn right I am...would you care for a drink?" the boy asked, taking Calem and Mei-Ling by surprise.
"Uh...sorry I'm not thirsty." Calem said, politely turning him down.
"Yeah, same here...thank you anyway." Mei-Ling said.
"Toss me one little man." the strawberry haired girl said. The boy nodded, reaching for his waist, tossing the girl an orange can.
"I created that belt myself, it keeps my favorite drinks cold. It's my finest work as the Ultimate Craftman after all." Nick said happily. The girl cracked the can open, taking a gulp from it.
"You have good taste, orange soda happens to be my favorite."
"Might I trouble you for a name miss?" Calem said, glancing at the girl. She gave him a once over, giving him a slight nod.
"Priviet, I cannot say the circumstances are...favorable to meet. But you can have my name. It is Anastasia Katrina Klevorick. It's pronounced Ana-STAH-sia, if I catch you mispronouncing it it, I will cut off your tongue, da?"
"Whatever you say Ana." Nick said, earning a glare from the young girl.
"Um...is there anything else we could call you? A nickname maybe?" Mei-Ling asked, trying to diffuse the situation before it started.
"Da...call me Tania. Before you ask, I am keeping my Ultimate Talent a secret, for your safety and not mine. I shall be heading to the gymnasium, Do Svidaya for now." the woman said, taking her leave before anyone else could ask anything else.
"She certainly leaves something to be desired." Calem said, once the girl had left.
"Calem! It's not nice to say that about people!" Mei-Ling said, puffing her cheeks out slightly. The boy flushed, glancing away.
"Um...not to disturb you or anything but um...you haven't seen any faculty members have you?" Cara asked curiously. The two students shook their head.
"Not yet, in fact we were sure the entire place was dead. But we've been finding other students and sending them to the gym." Mei-Ling said.
"I see...that's troublesome."
"Why?" the Ultimate Strategist asked.
"Oh...I haven't told you yet. I happen to be the Former-Ultimate Marine Biologist. Despite my age, I have already graduated from Morning Hope Academy. My thesis on Marine Biology, and how Global Warming is affecting our oceans granted me entree into the academy ahead of my class. I had met Nick at my middle school, by the time he was in 9thgrade, I had already graduated."
"I see...so wait, does that mean you are a teacher here?" Mei-Ling asked curiously, earning a nod from Cara.
"She happens to be the Marine Biology Teacher here. It's odd though, I remember getting into my car, and driving here. But I don't remember anything other than that. Only snippets of last weeks project, me reading my acceptance letter, and vaguely meeting some people." Nick said, a worried tone on his voice.
"It's the same for me...I remember everything up until a few weeks ago. I remember getting the curriculum ready for the new students. Nick was coming into our academy. Even though he's in eleventh grade, he starts as a Freshmen in Morning Hope Academy, which is odd because I feel he was already a Sophomore here." the Former-Ultimate Marine Biologist said, a frown on her face.
"Hmm...do you know how long ago this memory lapse is?" Calem asked curiously.
"For me? I remember everything clearly...I got into my car this morning and then everything is a blank. I think I started the engine, and then I woke up in the Laundry Room. My face was in her muff if you wanna know." Nick said, jabbing his thumb at Cara, who flushed crimson red.
"Hey! Don't fucking say that, Jesus!"
"I'm just kidding honey, not about my face in her muff though. That was true." he said, earning a slap to the arm.
"What about you Mrs. Gardner, what was the last thing you remember?" Calem said, ignoring what Nick had said.
"Like I said, I was preparing my new year curriculum, and then everything goes blank. The first day of school was supposed to be October 5th."
"What? But my acceptance letter told me it was supposed to be September 5th, not October." Mei-Ling said, her eyes widened in shock.
"Mine said August." Nick admitted, taking a slow drink from his soda.
"I see...so it seems our memories are all jumbled together. I have a bit of an idea about what's going on. However I'll need information from the others in order to confirm anything. For now, Mrs. Gardner, would you mind keeping an eye on the others in the Gymnasium? You're our only Staff member at this point."
"Sure thing, I tried looking for my Faculty ID, but I couldn't find it. Without it I can't access anything in the school network, or even open the grates leading to the second floor. Also sweetie, feel free to call me Cara, all my students do."
"If you say so, it was nice meeting you Nick, Cara." the boy said politely. The two left hand in hand, with Cara clearly arguing with Nick about his discretion.
"To be married young...those two must love each other a lot. I doubt I'd consider marriage that early in life. I can tell Nick is a handful though." Mei-Ling thought, a small smile on her face.
"Hmm...while disheartening, it seems we aren't leaving our little prison yet. What Nick and Cara have shared is interesting...it seems we all forget everything once we decide to come to this Academy. But why is that? Why is there a blast proof door? Who's behind this and what's their endgame?" Calem asked curiously.
"I'm not sure...I think they're a few paces ahead of us."
"Yes...sadly I don't even know the positioning of their pieces to make an adequate move. We'll have to continue looking around for now." he said, swiveling on his heel. Mei-Ling spared a single glance at the doors, deciding to once again follow Calem.
Finding themselves in the plaza, Calem decided it would be good to check Classrooms 9-A and 9-B, in case someone had decided to remain in place. However as they were passing by the Maple Tree, Mei-Ling noticed it was rustling, as if there was something inside it. She saw a few leaves falling to the floor, she craned her neck a bit, trying to look up at the high branches of the tree. Due to the blue lights, it made it a lot harder to actually see into it.
"Something wrong Miss Mei-Ling?" Calem asked curiously.
"I saw the tree shake...maybe there's a squirrel in here?"
"I believe you are seeing things Miss Mei-Ling. I didn't see anything, nor did I hear it rustling. Come, let us examine the classrooms." he said. Mei-Ling's nodded, falling into line with Calem, sparing a glance back at the tree.
"I know I heard something in that tree...maybe I am imagining things."
Classroom 9-B was the nearest classroom to them. Mei-Ling grabbed a hold of the handle, pulling the door open, only to find the room completely empty. Calem meanwhile checked Classroom 9-A, being met with the same result. With nowhere else to turn, they decided to instead check the Audio Visual Room, as it was nearby. Mei-Ling's attention was however brought toward a pair of red doors. They looked as if they had been made out of felt, and felt plush to the touch. She tested the doors, but they were firmly locked.
"Find anything?" Calem asked curiously.
"These doors...they don't open." she said, a small frown on her face.
"Hmm...perhaps there's something behind them we aren't meant to see. I took a look at the map, it seems two places are barred. The stairs leading to the Second Floor is one of them. The Weight Room happens to be the other. Its image is dark on the map, and when I try to tap it, it doesn't do anything." he said, showing his Student ID to the girl. She tapped it with her finger, giving the boy a nod.
"I wonder why that is."
"I'm not sure, but whatever is going on, they don't want us in there yet. Perhaps we shall find out after orientation." he said. Calem reached for the A/V Room door, holding it open for Mei-Ling.
"Xiexie." the girl said softly.
"Hmm?"
"Sorry, it means thank you in Chinese." she said, flushing slightly.
"Don't be embarrassed, I think it's nice hearing people use their native tongue. Here, I'll teach you the Japanese word for Thanks. It's Arigatou."
"Ari-gatou?"
"You almost got it, there's no pause though. It's just, Arigatou." the boy said.
"Arigatou."
"There you go. If you'd like, I can teach you some more words...but only if you teach me some Chinese."
"Sure, that would be amazing!" the girl said happily.
The two entered the Audio Visual Room moments after, finding themselves in quite the spacious room. Before them were several tables, all of them being lined with Computers, all of them being Mac's. They all seemed to be the latest model, which Mei-Ling was unsure of, as she only used Windows. There were at least 70 computers in the room, all of them black in color. All of the cables were running straight down into the floor, being carried under the floor boards to the sides of the room where various plugs had been installed. Mei-Ling could see an area of the room that had a T-2 line, various Ethernet Cables being hooked up to it. At the very front of the room was a large projector screen, along with a wooden podium bearing the crest of Morning Hope Academy. The walls were painted a dark color, there was a fire door on the right side of the room, the glowing green Exit sign pointing toward it. At the corner of the room was another surveillance camera, along with a monitor. Near the front of the room stood a young woman, who was bent over slightly, eyes firmly focused on a computer screen. There was another girl on it, feverishly typing into it.
The first young woman was a medium sized young lady, who was wearing a black Prussian uniform with silver rope laces, and a fur cap on top of her head. Her lengthy blonde hair was tied into an English Braid, which was resting on her left shoulder. She had smooth skin, free of any blemishes or scars. She had a well developed shape for her age, having a medium sized bust. Mei-Ling noticed various medals pinned to her left breast, all of them gleaming in the low lighting of the room. She had a firm look on her face, as she looked at the computer monitor.
The second girl had a petite frame, and was very small, something that made Mei-Ling very happy. She had smooth brown hair that fell down her back, with side swept bangs. She was wearing a button up shirt, with a red ribbon around her collar. Over it she was wearing a worn looking brown coat, that she had left unbuttoned. She was wearing a navy blue pleated skirt, long white stockings and black wedge sneakers. She had a lanky frame, and looked rather delicate for a girl her age. This was enough to make Mei-Ling concerned. She took a good look at her facial features, seeing no blemishes on her face, though she could tell her face was caked in foundation. She reached for the mug of coffee beside her, taking a gulp from it.
"Have you found ze password yet?" the blonde girl asked, causing the brunette to shake her head.
"Fraid not...I've been trying to connect to the school network. But I got nothing, no internet access, no routing codes. Hell, I'm surprised this computer even works. It's safe to say we are disconnected from the world." the smaller girl replied.
"Verdamme allens! Iz dere nothing you can do? Anything at all?" (Dammit)
"Listen, I already did what I could. I'm a media critic, not a computer programmer." the girl said, sounding rather annoyed.
"Um...sorry to bother you. Is something wrong?" Mei-Ling asked, deciding to grab their attention. The blonde girl instantly stood up straight, her vibrant blue eyes.
"Whoa...cool it soldier girl, they mean us no harm." the brunette said, causing the blonde to relax a bit.
"Entschuldigen Sie. I cannot relax, being trapped here...unable to leave, it's not a good sign." the girl said. (Sorry)
"Are you from Germany? I think I recognize you." Mei-Ling said, earning a nod from the girl.
"Ja, I came here to America from Berlin. I am Victoria Louis, zhe Ultimate General. Vhat is your name?" Victoria asked, a small smile on her face.
"Oh...my name is Fa Mei-Ling, you can call me Mei if you'd like. I'm the Ultimate Folklore Researcher. My friend here is Calem Kurogane, the Ultimate Strategist." she said, glancing at Calem who was looking around with a curious look on his face.
"Something wrong with him?" the petite girl asked, taking a drink from her mug.
"I believe he's studying this place."
"Hmm...I see...Kurogane huh? It seems were from the same land then. Setsuko Inoue is my name, this school has given this young woman the title of Ultimate Media Critic. Do you have a Facebook account? I'd like to read your stories."
"No...I don't have a Facebook, I find social media to be a waste of time." Mei-Ling said, causing Setsuko to frown.
"Why? It is the most entertaining form of media there is. Sometimes, I like ghosting around on Twitter, waiting for someone to throw shade at someone else. The most entertaining people are Kanye West and Jaden Smith, they have...serious mental issues."
"Setsuko, zhat is not a nice thing to say." Victoria said, a firm look on her face.
"It's true though. Have you actually seen Jaden Smith's Twitter? How are mirrors real if our eyes aren't? Who seriously writes that?"
"Miss Setsuko, are you sure you are unable to access the outside world from here?" Calem said, suddenly joining the conversation. The brunette sighed, giving him a nod.
"I tried for awhile, but without an internet signal, there is nothing I can do. The T-2 lines are probably cut off from the school server. Alas, there is nothing I can do, which means there's nothing for me to criticize online."
"Is something wrong Calem?" Mei-Ling asked curiously.
"Yes, are you perhaps onto something?" Victoria asked, a hopeful look on her face.
"I'm afraid not...this is just a strategic point for us, a room filled with computers. If we are cut off from the outside world, then that means whoever brought us here cut us off on purpose." he said.
"I see...so zhis is the var I have been thrust into...nein, zhere is no var...not yet at least."
"Could I trouble you to head to the Gymnasium? We're kinda sending everyone there. We don't know how many of us are in here, so it would be best to meet up there." Mei-Ling said, earning nods from the two girls.
"If it can't be helped...ugh, what a pain." Setsuko mumbled, grabbing her coffee mug. She held back a yawn as she prepared to take another drink. Victoria followed after her, giving her a look of concern.
"That's two more people...that brings are total to 13. There are supposed to be Sixteen of us in Class 24. Perhaps Jonathan and Veruca found some other people outside." Mei-Ling thought, placing a finger on her chin, as she lost herself in thought.
"Have you figured something out?" Calem asked curiously. Mei-Ling shook her head, glancing up at the taller boy.
"No...I'm just keeping count. There are thirteen of us in total, out of the sixteen that are supposed to be in our class."
"Yes, I've been keeping track myself. By our count, I believe the last students should be within the School Store/Cafeteria...shall we take a look?"
"Of course...I'll take the lead this time." Mei-Ling said, earning a nod from the boy. He remained silent as the petite researcher lead him out of the A/V Room. Both teenagers were still lost in thought, neither of them were mentally prepared for what would happen a few minutes in the future.
End of Prologue Part 3
OC's introduced...
Fa Mei-Ling-Ultimate Folklore Researcher
Jonathan Hyles-Ultimate Songwriter
Veruca LeGume-Ultimate Nut Specialist
Calem Kurogane-Ultimate Strategist
Lucy Cadwell-Ultimate MMO Player
Anaji Hora-Ultimate Horror Concept Artist
Tsubaki Aulani-Ultimate Figure Skater
Kaikane Aulani-Ultimate Surfer
Anastasia Katrina Klevorick-Ultimate ?
Cara Rose Gardner-Former Ultimate Marine Biologist
Nickolas Ladd Gardner-Ultimate Craftsman
Victoria Louis-Ultimate General
Setsuko Inoue-Ultimate Media Critic