Oh boy, been a hot minute since I updated this story. I really didn't expect this to take so long I've been working on this off and on for the last year. But writers burn out made it hard to get far but here we are I'm sure you're very happy to see this story again Captain Imagenation you're this story's biggest fan. Anyway, I should probably give a trigger warning for mentions of Sexual assault if you've played or watched Ultra Despair Girls, you'll know what I mean but for those who don't please be careful it's not until the end and is skippable but I don't want to risk triggering anyone so I thought I should mention it here. With that said enjoy the chapter.
"So, how much longer until we reach the safe house?" Sora questioned, looking around the dark abandoned subway,
"Not long. We should be there in about fifteen minutes," Komaru replied,
"At least the Heartless have cleared up a little. I'm surprised we haven't seen any down here." Ventus commented,
"Hmm, that is weird." Goofy noted, scratching his head, "This place seems like the perfect place for them to gather."
"Maybe they decided to give up?" Toko suggested,
"Heartless, don't give up. They bide their time until it's time to strike." Emily explained as they continued walking. The group fell into silence until Komaru broke it.
"So, how long have you known Dakota for? She seems close to you."
"For years as her angels, we've known Dakota our whole lives." Emily explained, "I can't imagine a better leader. She's come a long way since she was five, and I couldn't be prouder."
"Wow, sounds like she's pretty strong…." Komaru realized, "I wish I had her level of strength. I'm just an ordinary high school girl. I've been trapped in this town for a year and a half now. I don't even know what happened to my parents. Makoto is the only one who I know is safe." She explained tearfully,
"I know how you feel," Sora spoke up,
"You do?"
"Yep, when I was fourteen, the Darkness invaded my island. I was separated from my family and friends. The only thing I had was Dakota and my Keyblade. Even though I was a normal boy, I had my friends to protect me, and I've become much stronger since then. Strength isn't about muscles. It's about how strong your heart is and how much you believe in yourself. That's what I've learned. You should believe in yourself more; Komaru, I can tell you have a lot of potential." Sora encouraged,
"See Omaru, even though Sora was facing an overwhelming situation, he didn't let fear get in his way. He doesn't make excuses like you do." Toko said harshly,
"Hey, you don't have to be so mean about it!" Komaru yelled back,
"Well, I'm sorry, but you really need to stop saying you're a weak normal girl who can't do anything. I've seen you fight; you're just holding yourself back." The writing prodigy argued,
"Um, that wasn't the point of my speech." Sora pointed out, scratching his cheek.
"At least you tried." Cindy sighed,
"Quiet, does anyone hear something?" Amy suddenly spoke up,
"It's probably the children. Those little brats are everywhere." Toko answered, starting to walk away.
"Hold on; I think I do hear something." Ventus piped up,
"It sounds like it's coming from over there." Rory pointed to a corner, the group walked over and carefully peeked around it, and the voice became clearer.
"Huh, no way." Mimi's eyes grew wide as they saw Pete the Cat leading a group of Heartless.
"Alright, you good for nothings. Our job is to follow those heroes and invade the resistance to turn all those cowards into Heartless. Now get out there and make Maleficent proud." Pete pointed to the tunnels, and the Heartless disappeared.
"Ugh, great, just what we need at a time like this," Mimi whispered angrily,
"Who, who is that?" Toko stuttered,
"Pete the Cat, Maleficent's henchman," Goofy answered,
"What's he doing here?" Donald questioned,
"Nothing good, I bet," Sora replied with a stern look,
"Looks like we found the source of our problem. It seems like Maleficent was drawn here too." Amy theorized,
"Toko, we have to warn everyone they could be in danger." Komaru feared,
"As much as I hate to admit it, you're right." Toko admitted, "We have to hurry before it's too late."
"While we're at it. We should defeat any Heartless we see. That should slow them down." Sora voiced,
The group set off defeating any Heartless in their path and rescuing anyone in danger, whether it was a kid or an adult.
"Ugh, don't these things ever give up?" Toko groaned, taking a Shadow out with her stun gun, "It's as if that cat has an endless amount."
"Unfortunately for us, no." Amy answered, "The Darkness is creating the Heartless, and since this world is filled with fear thanks to the kids. The Heartless will keep multiplying until they consume this world."
"That's crazy," Komaru replied,
"And I thought the Monokuma's were a pain." Toko groaned, "Oh well, at least we know where they're coming from. Let's find the safe house and warn everyone before it's too late."
The group continued traversing the subway and, a little while later, made it to the suer.
"Yuck!" Mimi gaged, covering her nose, "Do we have to go down there?
"Yeah, it stinks down there. I don't want that stuff ruining my clothes!" Emily complained,
"Sorry, it's the only way." Toko frowned, "But if there was another way, I'm all for it."
"Well, better suck it up and climb down before Pete catches up to us," Cindy said, being the first to climb down.
"I just hope we're not being followed," Donald remarked, looking around before climbing down.
As the gang started running through the suer, Nagito and I were about to face our own problem.
"Where did he go?" I asked, looking around for signs of the mysterious man.
"I'm not sure. He couldn't have gone far." Nagito replied, "The roads are damaged. You'd have to be superhuman to get around this quickly."
"Unless he is superhuman." Chirithy piped up, "What if he's been tainted by the Darkness? It might be too late to save him."
"I'm not giving up yet." I said, determined, "Werder things have happened; I'm sure that man has the answers we're looking for."
"Well, since you're so determined, I'll help in any way I can," Nagito reassured, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You are a shining light of hope, my dear."
"Aww, thanks, Nagi." I gushed, "I appreciate the help. Let's go. If we hurry, we might be able to find him." I ushered my group along. We climbed over rubble and fought back Heartless and Monokumas. But there was no sign of that mysterious man, but little did we know we were being watched by him.
"Hmph, so they are foolish enough to try and find me?" Izuru said to himself, "Maybe today won't be a dull day after all. I think it's time I put this girl to the test." He commented, pulling a spear attached to the back of his coat. "Watch your back, my dear. You have no idea what you're in for."
"Hmm, looks like another arcade room." Dandelion noticed,
"I think you're right. I recognize this door from the hospital," Chirithy commented, "Looks like we got to go through another challenge room." I frowned, wondering how many rooms did the kids set up.
"I'll hold the door for you." The luckster smiled politely, opening the door for us,
"Thanks, Nagi." I smiled going into the challenge room,
"Do you remember the spell to turn the machine on?" Nagito checked,
"I do. Move!" I shouted, firing a green spell, but the Monoku-man-machine didn't turn on. I tried again, and the screen was still pitch black.
"Hmm, that's never happened before." Nagito scratched his head, "I wonder if it's broken?"
"Hey guys, look over here! The Puffball Heartless called out, "This whole room is pitch black!"
Nagito and I ran out to see Dandelion was right. The lights were off, and there were no Monokumas in sight.
"Looks like Komaru and Toko cleared this room out." Nagito realized, looking around.
"If that's the case, then why is this door locked?" I questioned, trying to open it,
"Oh, dear, it looks like a power outage." Nagito frowned, "Let's turn around and find another way."
We were about to leave when we heard a child's giggle.
"Who's there?" I gasped, looking around,
"Hey, over here." She waved,
We turned around to see a little girl with a Monokuma helmet on her head.
"What are you doing out here?!" I questioned her, "Don't you know it's dangerous?!"
"I wouldn't worry about her. She's with us." Nagito reassured, "We call them the Monokuma kids."
"So, they work with the Warriors of Hope?" I checked, "That's good. I don't want these kids getting hurt by the Heartless."
"They won't go down easily. The kids have a tight hold on them thanks to the Monokuma helmets."
"So, it's like a hive mind." I theorized, tapping a finger to my chin, "Very interesting. I have to admit the Tragedy has led to some terrifying technological advancements."
"It sure has, though you have to admit it keeps things interesting around here," Komaeda stated with a slight dark look in his eye.
"So, what is the Monokid doing here?" I questioned, not noticing the look in Nagito's eyes,
"I have a clue for you. If you can solve it, the door will open." She stated,
"Well, that's very helpful of you. Thank you." I thanked,
"Here's the hint." The Mono girl said, "The naughty Heartless have killed the power; you need to restore it with the generator in the back. If you do that, the power will turn back on. Good luck." She stated, running off,
"Well, that was useful," I remarked,
"It was, but I expected it to be more cryptic," Nagito replied,
"Well, it's a start." Chirithy shrugged, "So, how do we restore power without jumper cables?"
"How about we use my Pikachu hat." I suggested, "I can use it to restore the power."
"You're going to need more than just a magic hat." Nagito said, "I can't find a cable to hook you up; if you use the hat now, it could damage the generator."
"What about your chain?" Chirithy suggested,
"Hmm?" He hummed, turning to face her,
"Dakota can use it as a lightning rod to hone in the electricity. It's a little risky, but it could work." The cat-like dream eater explained,
"Sounds like a smart idea." Nagito decided, "Dakota, are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be."
Nagito linked the collar around a poll and the generator. I grabbed it and, using Thunder Bolt; I gave it all I got. It wasn't long before electricity started to return to the building.
"It worked!" I cheered, "Nagito, it worked!"
"I can see that, Dakota. Good job." He clapped,
"Now, let's leave before the Monokumas come back," Chirithy stated, and we ran out of the building, still on the lookout for the mysterious man.
"Are we there yet?" Donald asked, dragging his flippers,
"Not yet, but we're almost there, just a little farther," Toko replied,
"So, where is this safe house located?" Chloe wondered,
"It's located at the top of a ladder." Komaru answered, "It's an old storage house. The children don't seem to know about it."
"Though considering that cat knew of its existence, I'm starting to wonder if the kids know as well." Toko feared biting her nail,
"Whether they know about it or not doesn't matter right now." Amy reminded, "What matters is everyone is in danger, and we need to help them before they get turned into Heartless."
"As usual, Amy's right. We can't waste any more time. The sooner we get help, the sooner we can save my girlfriend." Ventus spoke up everyone started running, taking out any Heartless or Monokuma in their path. Soon they made it to the entrance of the safe house.
"So, is this it?" Esamanda commented, seeing the door,
"Yep, here's hoping someone can give us some aid," Toko replied, being the first to open the door and head inside.
The moment the group stepped inside, a pure white Monokuma came to greet them.
"You're back. I'm so glad to see you're safe." He said,
"A Monokuma!" Everyone shouted, getting ready to shoot it.
"Wait, don't shoot. I'm not like normal Monokumas! I'm nice, see?"
"How do we know you're not trying to trick us?" Amanda questioned, rainbow wand outstretched,
"I would never hurt anyone. My name is Shirokuma. I'm a Monokuma with an A.I installed it give me the ability to think for myself. I don't know why I was built this way, but I want to help others in any way I can."
"I still don't trust it," Esamanda stated plainly,
"Aww, even after that speech I gave?" Shirokuma frowned,
"Now's not the time for that." Komaru cut in, walking in front of them, "Look, where's Haji? There's trouble."
"Oh, there is? Well, I'm afraid Haji is unavailable right now. He's gathering some adults to have a meeting. You're gonna have to wait a while." The white bear replied sadly,
"Well, tell him to hurry up. It's urgent. It could mean everyone's lives!" Toko pushed,
"What! Don't tell me the children found us!"
"It's worse than that, Shirokuma. This town has been invaded by these creatures called Heartless!" Komaru explained, "And there's this big cat named Pete who's sending them this way. If we don't do something soon, everyone is going to lose their hearts!"
"Oh, that sounds terrible." The white bear trembled, "Wait are the Heartless little black creatures that look like those girls?" Shiro asked, pointing to Emily and the others,
"Yes, have you seen them?" Sora inquired,
"Yes, I have," Shiro replied,
"Where?" Goofy questioned,
"Heeelp!" A woman yelled,
Sora and the others turned to the scream to see the Heartless had already invaded the safe house.
"Already inside the base." Shirokuma trembled,
"Come on; we have to stop them before they steal someone's heart." Sora ushered, and everyone split up and began to tackle the Heartless.
Dimentio used his clones to fire spells, destroying some of them, while Mabel and Rory worked together using friend abilities to take the fiends out.
"Come on, pick up the pace. We can't let the Heartless win!" Sandy shouted,
"That's easier said than done. They're everywhere, and my magic won't last forever!" Sora replied, casting another spell,
"Hey, Sora!" Ven shouted, "I think it's time for an attraction flow!"
"Great idea, Ven. Which one should we do?"
"How about Splash Mountain. That should get rid of them."
"Alright, ready, girls?" Sora checked,
"We were born ready!" Everyone shouted,
Sora used his Keyblade to unluck the Splash Mountain attraction flow water, and an innertube appeared, and the gang hopped on. Sora directed the raft creating water rapids around the base, attacking the Heartless. Finally, the raft sped through the path they made, and the waterway collapsed, creating a flood destroying the remaining creatures of Darkness.
"Phew, that should take care of them for a while." Mimi sighed, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"Ugh, who would have thought the Heartless would ambush us this quickly." Toko panted,
"Looks like they expected us." Amy stated matter-of-factly, "I wonder if we were followed?"
"You bet you were." Pete taunted,
"Pete!" Everyone shouted, turning to see the black cat with a group of Heartless.
"So, it was you who was taking out my army. I have to admit. I would be mad if it weren't for you leading me here."
"Even if we did. What are you doing here? I thought you would have ran back to Disney Town with the damage around here." Sora taunted,
"Gah! Hey, I can be brave. If Maleficent wants it, I'll go all out to fill her orders."
"Oh yeah, why's that?" Toko asked, not even impressed,
"Because I'm too scared to disobey her." The cat trembled,
"Hmph, I knew it. You're no better than the cowards cooped up down here." Toko insulted, "I bet you can't even fight."
"Of course, I can fight. I'll show you who's a coward." Pete spoke, getting riled up,
The gang split up again, ready to surround and corner Pete. Which was easy to do since the cat was outnumbered,
Sora and Ventus used their shot locks to take out the surrounding Heartless while Toko and Komaru took on Pete.
"Gotta admit, Omaru, I never expected this guy was the one controlling the Heartless." The Writing Prodigy admitted, "A big fat loser like him will be easy to take on. Even you can do it."
"Hey, I know I have low confidence in myself, but you don't have to insult me because of it!" Komaru yelled back,
"Alright, fine, just focus on chasing this guy out of here. This should be good practice for taking on those brats." Toko muttered,
Toko used her stun gun to paralyze Pete, while Komaru used her new Heart bullet to damage him. Pete retaliated by trying to ram into the girls. But Shirokuma intervened, smashing into the cat and knocking him to the ground.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" He asked, rubbing his head,
"I won't let you hurt these nice girls." Shiro stated, "Your kind is not welcome here. Leave now or else."
"Or else what? You're just a weaker version of a Monokuma. What is a pint-sized wanna be like you gonna do to me?" Pete taunted, laughing boastfully,
"He might not be able to do anything, but we can," Emily spoke up as everyone surrounded the lacky.
"So, what do you say girls want to give him the old heave-ho?" Mable suggested,
"Nah, let's save our energy and just throw him out," Rory replied with his fangs out,
"Uh oh, I uh think I left my oven on. I should be going now. See ya." Pete stated, running away,
"Hey, come back and fight, you coward!" Donald shouted,
Let him go." Amy insisted,
"Wak, why? If he's here, so is Maleficent. And we all know the trouble she can cause around here."
"Our main objective is to rescue Dakota and find the Keyhole. Once we lock it, Maleficent will be powerless against us." Amy reasoned,
"Aw, you're right." The court magician gave in, "I'm just glad everyone is safe."
"I wouldn't say we're safe, but at least those things are gone." A young woman showed up with a man whose arm was in a cast.
"Huh, I gotta admit you guys sure put up a fight. Don't you agree?" She asked the man,
"Yeah, I guess though, we would've been better off without you showing up. I'm positive those things followed you here." He replied rudely,
"Who are you? And a thank you for saving your lives would have been nice!" Esamanda insisted feeling ungrateful,
"My name is Hiroko Hagakura; I see you met my friends Koko and Fufu. I'm glad to see more survivors fighting back in this town, though now that I'm looking at you, I have a feeling you're not from here, are you?"
"Not necessarily. We were just passing through until we got ambushed by the Monokuma's and Heartless." Cindy explained, covering up the real reason they're here,
"So that's what those things are." The man realized, "Ever since they showed up, it's been nothing but trouble. Even worse than the kids, oh, I'm being rude. My name is Haji Towa. My father is the owner of Towa corp. That was until he disappeared."
"So, you're the owner's son." Amy thought aloud, "You must have a lot of knowledge about what's happening."
"You'd think I would. Unfortunately, I have no idea what's wrong with those crazy kids or the out-of-control Monokumas. And now that those things showed up, I'm even more lost." Haji admitted,
"We have an idea where the Heartless are coming from. We can help you get rid of them." Sora offered,
"Thanks for the offer, but we'll be fine. We just need to bide our time and wait it out. I'm sure those things will go away eventually." Haji declined,
"You couldn't be more wrong, pal." Lizzy spoke up, "But we could use some help."
"Fine, follow me. We're having a meeting to decide what to do with the recent chaos. Maybe we can give you a hand." Haji led the group to a room in the back where some other adults were waiting there.
"Sorry I'm late, everyone; a few things got in the way. But now that I'm here, we can start the meeting." Haji announced, sitting down, "Also, it seems we've got some extra guests. They saved us from the Heartless, so I think they mean well."
Everyone in the room gave a weak greeting.
"Geez, tough crowd," Dementio noted,
"Don't mind them. They've been through a lot. They don't mean to be grumpy." Shirokuma reassured,
"Now then, let's begin. We have a lot to talk about." Haji began the discussion about what to do with the trouble in town. Meanwhile, Nagisa was between a rock and a hard place. He was becoming more unsure about Monaca's plan to use the Heartless for their paradise. Not only that, but he was becoming worried about Nagito and me; he hoped we were safe.
"Hey, Nagisa." Kotoko greeted, snapping the blue-haired boy out of his thoughts.
"Uh, yes, Kotoko?"
"I'm heading out. I have a plan to take Komaru out and leave Toko in the dust." She explained,
"That's great, but are you sure it's safe out there with the Heartless? They've been getting more aggressive lately." The former lil ultimate wondered,
"I'll be fine. They might be adorbs, but I'm a fighter, so they should be no match for me," Kotoko reassured,
"Okay, just don't do anything illegal. And if you see Dakota and Nagito, let me know. I want to know they're safe."
"Geez, have you gone soft? We are way past legal rights at this point. As for Dakota and Servant, I'll be sure to give you any updates on their location." Kotoko nodded and hurried off,
Nagisa sighed and sat on the stairs. He wished he could decide what to do.
"Look, I know I'm not meant to speak unless spoken to. But you look like you need some advice." Kurukuma spoke,
"Like you can do anything," Nagisa muttered,
"Maybe, won't know until we try. Come here, lay it on me."
"Fine." Nagisa reluctantly agreed, sitting on the black bear's lap, "I'm not sure trusting the Heartless is a good idea. I don't want my friends getting hurt or becoming one of those things. I guess I'm starting to question this whole idea."
"So, you're losing trust in Monaca; that's understandable. She isn't listening to you and won't take no for an answer. If I were you, I'd dump her too." Kurukuma laughed,
"I never said I was losing faith in Monaca!"
"But it's implied don't try to deny it if you did trust her, you wouldn't be second-guessing yourself. Look, what do they say in that stupid Kingdom of Hearts game? Listen to your heart. Maybe you could try that." The bear suggested,
"Yeah, like that will help. Thanks for the advice, but I don't think this conversation is helping." Nagisa said, standing up, ready to leave,
"Hold on. I'm not down yet." Kurukuma stopped hastily, "Look, you have a lot of people relying on you, but you've never had a moment to think for yourself. Just think about it, okay, and if it works, let me know so I can use it against you next time you call me useless."
Nagisa pondered on the bear's advice and realized he had a point. "You know, for once, you might be right. I still need to think this over, but thanks." He smiled,
"No problem, that's what I'm here for. At least, I think that's what I'm here for. I actually have no idea what an adviser does." Kurukuma admitted,
Nagisa walked back to the main hall feeling a little better. He still needed to think things over a little, but for once, his heart felt light. He was about to head back to his room when a Heartless caught his eye heading into Kotoko's room.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing!" Nagisa called out, chasing after the Heartless,
The Heartless rummaged around until it found the controller to the Fighter robot,
"Hey, that's not yours. Give it back." The leader demanded,
The Heartless didn't listen as it popped out of the room and back into the main hall, using the controller to steal the robot.
"Get back here!" Nagisa shouted, but the Heartless was gone. Now the answer was clear as day the Heartless were an invasive species using them to achieve a hidden goal. He had to stop them, but he couldn't do it alone; he needed help.
"Never thought I'd be asking them for help. But I don't stand a chance on my own." He said to himself as he ran out of Towa Hills to find Komaru and the others.
Nagito and I had been traversing the damaged city for hours, and there was no sign of the mysterious man. We were about to give up, thinking we lost him, when we saw him in the distance.
"Nagito, look!" I shouted, grabbing his arm and pointing to the man walking down the street.
"Come on. He might know something." Chirithy ushered us; we ran to catch up with him when we suddenly stopped as we faced a large pile of rubble.
"What in the world?" I questioned,
"How do we get pasted this?" Dandelion wondered,
"We don't. We have to find another way around," Nagito stated plainly,
"Wait, that man went through here." I spoke, "How did he get past the rubble?"
"Maybe he is in league with the Darkness after all," Chirithy suggested warily,
"Or maybe he is superhuman. But I don't see why he would be here." Nagito said quietly,
"Nagito, do you know who this person is?" I asked,
"No, or at least not personally. All you need to know is we have to get out of here; we're in danger." The luckster explained seriously,
I didn't understand what he meant, but I didn't have time to dwell on it as we heard growling in the distance.
"Best Monokumas." We gasped,
"They found us?!" Chirithy trembled, hugging Dandelion,
"They must have regained our scent while we were running around." Nagito guessed,
"Now we really need to get out of here. How far do you think the Beast Monokumas are?" I asked, slightly panicked,
"It doesn't matter. They've surrounded us. We won't be able to escape. I was hoping you had one of your clever ideas." Nagito hoped,
I tried to think of one when I remembered the explosive bracelet.
"Nagito, do you still have one of those explosive bracelets. Maybe we can use it to clear the rubble." I suggested,
"I don't see why not, but be careful they cause a bigger damage than you'd think." He warned, giving me a bracelet.
"Let's hope that luck of yours works," I stated, quietly counting on our luck to get us out of here.
"You might want to brace yourselves," I warned. If Nagito was right about this, this explosion was going to be huge. I took a few steps back, aimed for the rubble, and shot the bracelet towards a streetlamp.
"You missed!" Nagito called,
"Wait for it." I halted as the bracelet ricocheted off the lamp, hitting a building, a Heartless passing by, and many more objects as Nagito, Chirithy, Dandelion, and I ran for cover in the nick of time as the bracelet hit the pile and exploded,
The four of us peaked out of our hiding spot to see if the debris was cleared.
"Wow, now that's what I call a clean sweep." Nagito was astonished at the quick thinking,
"Well, I don't like to toot my own horn. But I'll do it later. Come on. We have to go before the Beast Monokumas find us." I ushed running out of hiding,
"And I'm sure they heard that," Nagito noted, catching up with me,
We ran down the street, keeping our eyes open for the Monokumas when we found him. Well, more like he found us.
"So persistent yet so naive." The man spoke, coming out of hiding, startling us. "Running around trying to find me has become so boring. I was hoping my last trick would shake you off for good. But it seems I underestimated you, girl." He spoke plainly, looking at me, he had long dark hair, wearing a suit and tie, and a spear attached to his back.
"Who, who are you?" I questioned, now realizing this man wasn't normal,
"Humph, my name is of no importance to you. However, your light interests me." He stated, pulling the spear out, "Show me how well you can fight. Then maybe I'll get the answers I'm searching for."
All of us stood our ground. Whoever this man was meant business. I leaped into the air, ready to use my magic; when he dodged gracefully, Dandelion used her pollen to stun him, but that failed too.
"He's stronger than we thought! Don't let him overpower you!" Chirithy warned,
"Got it." I tried striking him again only to be counterattacked and grabbed,
"Ugh, let me go!" I grunted, struggling to break free,
"Your tactics are predictable, but your light doesn't disappoint. As much as I want to avoid bloodshed, I have orders. Taking you out." Izuru reveled, about to use his spear to impale me,
"No, don't." I struggled to get out as his hold on me tightened,
"Let her go," Nagito ordered, using his chained collar to grab Izuru's arm, causing him to lose his balance and release me.
"You dare to intervene; I expected better of you, Komeada." The Ultimate, Ultimate stated, lunging towards the Luckster, pinning him against a wall. "Remnant scum like you shouldn't be around beings of light. You of all people should know your place among us."
"You of all people should know I'm a being of hope I'd never stoop as low as Enoshima. She forced me into despair as she forced you, I found someone in need of assistance, and I plan to follow it through. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be on our way out of your hair." Nagito explained, but Izuru wouldn't let him go,
"You're not getting out of this that easily. An outcast like you should've been put out of his misery long ago." Izuru stated, tightening his hold around Nagito's neck,
"Let him go." I pleaded, making them look at me, "Please, I've been separated from my friends; I need him alive to help me find them. I can't navigate this city without him; the kids they're after me. Please just let us go."
Izuru saw the desperation in my eyes and was reminded of an old memory. A young girl filled with hope and determination who fell to her demise after being forced into Junko's death maze. He didn't understand who she was, but he couldn't shake the feeling that I was no different. Izuru let Nagito go and put the spear away.
"There is a refuge of survivors in an abandoned storage unit underground. Your friends should be there. But, if I catch any of you in my way again, you won't be as lucky. This is your first and final warning." He stated plainly and left. Leaving us confused and injured,
"Nagito, are you okay? I checked, walking up to him,
"I'm fine. I've been through way worse pain than that." He reassured, cracking his neck,
"Good, who was that man?"
"Izuru Kamakura, the Ultimate Hope, a man who was experimented on and gained every talent imaginable," Nagito explained,
"How were they able to do that?" I wondered, feeling very confused,
"Hope's Peak Academy has darker secrets than anyone could have imagined. The school wanted to artificially create talent. So, using the reserve course students, they picked one out who became the man you saw." He explained,
"But why is he like that? For a man called the Ultimate Hope, he didn't seem very friendly." I noted,
"That's because the school made a huge miscalculation. With so much talent in Izuru's head, there wasn't enough room for basic emotions. He couldn't feel. He doesn't know how to feel happiness, love, or compassion. All he feels is constant boredom. Which made him easy to manipulate; Junko used him to create the Tragedy, and now he's the head of the Ultimate Despair. We better pray we don't run into him any time soon; he'll make quick work of us if we cross paths again."
"Then we better find the others fast." Chirithy cut in, "Who knows what his motives are."
"Hey, Nagito, can I ask you one more question?"
"Sure, you deserve to know about this."
"Izuru called you a remnant. What did he mean by that?"
Nagito's face fell as if hoping I didn't hear that. "Remnants are what the Ultimate Despair are now. After Junko's defeat, the despair fell apart. Many members have been captured and punished now that the world has begun to recover. With fewer members at their disposal, they became the Remnants of Despair, the remaining despair that romes the earth."
"But why did Izuru call you that?" I asked warily, "You're not with them, are you?"
Nagito shook his head, "No, I don't know why he called me that. Maybe because I refuse to give in to despair; either way, we better get a move on. It's getting late. We should find a place to sleep for the night."
"Okay, Nagito, I trust you." I smiled forcibly, but a part of me couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something from me.
Meanwhile, back at the base was chaos; no one in the meeting could agree on what to do with the kids or Heartless.
"I say we blast them." One adult suggested, "I'm sure we can get our hands on some weapons and blast those creatures to bits."
"As much as I like that idea, it's not that easy." Haji shot down, "It's too dangerous with the Monokuma's running amuck. They would waste them on those bears if someone were to go out."
"Then how about we try to reason with them. Surely, they're not as unreasonable as the kids." Another adult spoke up,
"Are you stupid!?" Emily cut in, "Heartless, don't talk. Well, not normally, but they can't be reasoned with their after hearts to recomplete themselves. There was a time they were once humans."
"So, the Heartless are a lost cause. Let's forget about them and focus on the kids." Haji decided,
"Actually Haji, I was wondering if there's any way to reason with them?" The friendly Monokuma wondered,
"What, have you gone mad? Shirokuma, you know those demons are beyond saving."
"Maybe so, but what if all they need is someone to listen to them? Most kids act out when they want attention, so what if the Warriors of Hope need some too?"
"Hey, if you don't mind my asking, but how well do you know these kids?" Cindy wondered.
"Not well at all." Haji answered, "They just showed up and hijacked the town, not to mention brainwashing the rest of the children. Then they forced us into a twisted game of cat and mouse and had the nerve to call us demons."
"You should have met them." Komaru added darkly, "They are seriously messed up."
"Messed up how? I'm pretty good at psychology. Maybe I can explain their behavior." Amy suggested,
"Well, I don't see what good it will do, but we'll give you a run down of the first two." Toko and Komaru told the group about the first two members they defeated, and the gang couldn't be more horrified,
"It, it sounds like they're victims of child abuse." Cindy realized sickened that anyone could do that to their child,
"Abuse!" Toko yelped, hating that word since she was a victim as a child,
"Toko, you were a victim of child abuse. Did you notice the signs?" Komaru wondered,
"Of course not; I don't go actively looking for signs of abuse! I was with you. I thought they were just a group of messed-up kids. And my abuse was not normal. It was torture!"
"Toko, you were abused too?!" Sora gasped,
"Well, duh, you don't just get Split Personality Disorder from being born; my parents are the reason Genocide Jack is a pain in my side!"
"Toko, what happened to you?" Chloe questioned gingerly, knowing it was a touchy subject,
"Well, it's a long story, but my father cheated on my mother and got his mistress pregnant when they found out they killed my half-sister and planned to kill me too. But they failed, and I grew up having two moms who hated me. I was nothing but a reminder of the horrible man they fell for and took that anger out on me. They locked me in a closet for days without food or water, they nearly drowned me, and to make matters worse, I was ridiculed by half my classmates. And I have a serial killer with a split personality. It was the worst years of my life, even worse than the killing game itself. I I HATE MY LIFE!" She yelled, breaking down in tears,
"Ahh, Toko, I'm so sorry I shouldn't have asked!" Chloe apologized as she and Komaru rushed to the crying girl's aid and hugged her.
"I-It's okay. I'm used to being hated. I guess I understand what that little artist went through. Being hated by his mom, forced to wear a mask he didn't need, thinking he was ugly when he wasn't. He… Was just like me." Toko realized the room went silent. Some pitted the writer for what she went through. Others couldn't care less, but Sora and the gang cared. They cared deeply.
"Um, I know this is a bad time, but the kids captured our leader and best friend. Do you think you could help us?" Cindy wondered,
"Oh…" Haji didn't meet Cindy's eyes, "I'm sorry if she's in those monsters' base. She's good as dead; the same goes for all of us if we go out there. I don't know if you've noticed, but most of us here are either injured or traumatized. If we go with you, we'd be killed the moment we step foot out there; Not to mention the Heartless make things impossible."
"So, what, you're just gonna take it? You're not going to do anything about it?!" Emily spoke up,
"Hey, weren't you listening? We are doing something we're- "
"Let me guess you're just going to hide like rats and wait it out." Toko interrupted now that she regained her composure, "Hmph, excuses, excuses, you're no better than that worthless cat who's following his orders blindly. You do realize the more you wait, the higher the risk the kids will find you, right?"
"How about you stay out of this. Unlike your foundation, we have no fancy gadgets or guns. We're defenseless. The only thing we have is Shirokuma and our hideout."
"He's right, Toko." Komaru backed up,
"What, you agree with him?!"
"Yeah, I do. The adults here are different from us. They don't have hacking guns, or Keyblades, or magic, or even protection. They're nothing like I was before Byakuya gave me my gun."
"You are not nothing!" Toko yelled, grabbing her friend by the shoulders and shocking us all. "I don't ever want to hear you say that again, you hear me?! You are not worthless. You're- you're my best friend. You believed in me when no one else did! You made me stronger and kept me going when the going got tough, and I know you feel the same way. Y-you make me happy, Komaru. You're the only person in the entire world who made me feel I was worth something. So please stop it. Being self-deprecating is my thing!"
"I really mean that much to you?"
"Of course, you do. Without you, I'd probably be lost to the Heartless by now."
"Wow, Toko, I never knew you felt that way." Komaru smiled, "Alright, for you, I'll try… No, I will be stronger for both of us."
"Good, come on, Komaru, we don't need them. We've got everything we need to save Dakota right here."
"Are you saying what I think you're saying?!"
"Yes, if it's alright with you. I volunteer to help rescue your friend."
"Are you serious?!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy gasped,
"Yeah, we are." Komaru confirmed, "I'm going to show those kids I'm not afraid anymore. And maybe we can save them too."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get them!" Donald cheered before getting smashed by an opening door.
"Haji, you have to see this." A man interrupted,
"What is it now? Don't tell me the Heartless got in again."
"No, it's worse, or maybe it's better. Haji we might have a chance."
Everyone looked at each other in fear. Whatever it was sounded like bad news, and it was.
"Citizens of this miserable city!" Maleficent announced, "I have come to you all bearing a gift. A gift to get rid of these pests and regain your freedom."
"No, don't listen to her!" Sora yelled, "Maleficent's the reason the Heartless are here in the first place."
"Shut up, kid; we're trying to get our freedom back." A woman snapped,
"As you all know, Heartless can be quite vicious when they want to be." The evil fairy explained, snapping her fingers as a Shadow attacked a survivor, turning them into a soldier.
"But if you give them a little training, they can do the dirty work for you."
"What's the catch?" Someone called out,
"No catch or condition, all you need to do is tap into the power of Darkness. And throw your so-called leader into a cell where he belongs." Maleficent smiled evilly,
"There's no way in hell we're listening to you!" Haji refused, "Listen to her, guys. Are you seriously believing this nonsense? Power of Darkness? Did you see what those creatures did to our own? This is stupid. There's no way you believe this, right guys?!"
Everyone surrounded Haji and seemed ready to attack.
"Wait, what are you doing?" Shirokuma trembled,
"Guys, what's gotten into you?!" The owner's son demanded,
"She's right. We can use the Heartless to free the city from those demons."
"We were wrong to trust you Haji. You're not a leader. You're a coward who's been holding us back."
The adults rallied around Haji, holding him captive.
"Hmhm, it seems they've made their decision. Maybe you should have taken action instead of letting your half-sister continue her range of terror." Maleficent chuckled with satisfied glee.
"Half-sister, what's she talking about?" Mabel questioned, but she didn't get an answer as the adults haled Haji away,
"Hey, wait?!" Dementio called out,
"Take those kids too; they'll stop at nothing until the Heartless are erased. Do you want them to get in your way of freedom?"
The adults faced everyone, and that was when they knew it was time to go.
"Quick, let's get out of here!" Emily yelled, but it was too late. The survivors captured everyone with ease.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?!" Toko yelled, struggling to break free.
"Let me go!" Komaru shouted. Soon everyone was placed into a cell that was locked and the key thrown away.
"We've been trapped in this hell for far too long. It's time we did something about it."
"And no one is getting in our way; no rotten kid or hero is going to stop us."
"No, stop," Esamanda called out, hands on the bars,
"Great, now how are we supposed to save Dakota?!" Emily inquired,
"I don't know, Ems. I really don't know." Amy stated sadly,
"I guess the only thing we can do now is to wait." Mimi frowned, sitting on the ground,
"Hang on, girl's help is on the way!" Shirokuma cheered,
"Shirokuma!?" They gasped,
The little bear waddled his way to the cell. Breathing heavily, "I am so sorry that mean witch trapped you all. I know you're only trying to help, so please take this key and get going. I'll try to save Haji."
"Thank you, Shirokuma." Chloe thanked, unlocking the door,
"Come on, gang, let's save the others!" Lizzy ordered,
"You better hurry. I saw a little girl with pink pigtails heading towards Toko and Komuru's cell." The friendly Monokuma warned,
"If she's with the Warriors of Hope, they're in trouble. Come on, gang, godspeed." Amy ushered, and the troops ran off up to save the others.
"Ugh, I can't believe this!" Toko groaned, "First, that creepy witch showed up and brainwashed the survivors, then they took our weapons, and now we're trapped in a cage. Ugh, how much longer will it take me to save Master Byakuya?!"
"Not to mention, what about Dakota? The longer we wait, the higher her chances are of getting killed." Komaru replied, "Toko, what do we do?"
"I don't know Komaru. For once, I'm at a loss." Toko frowned. Both girls sat in solum silence until they heard footsteps,
"Toko, do you hear that?"
"I do; it must be Sora and the others. Hey, we're in here!" She shouted, but the hope was soon crushed when they saw who was really there.
"Hello, it's me, Kotoko Utsugi, the fighter. Are you two in there?"
"Ahh, Toko, it's one of the kids!"
"I can see that, Komaru. What is she doing here?!"
"I'm here to rescue you, silly; step away from the door." The two girls did as Kotoko said, and the little fighter used her strength to kick down the door.
"Whoa, impressive for a little kid," Toko muttered,
"Phew, been a while since I've done that. Cardio isn't my strong suit, but a fighter will prevail, thank you very much."
"Um, uh, thanks for your help. But why did you free us? I thought you hated adults?" Komaru questioned,
"Oh, I still hate adults; when I get the chance, I'll kill each and every one of them for what they've done to me. But the thing is, you are totally adorbs. I just can't let you rot in a rusty cell, so I decided to release you." Kotoko explained with a pleasant smile.
"I don't know about this Komaru. She may have saved us, but who's to say she'll backstab us."
"I understand the hesitation. Why would you trust someone who trapped you in a death game? But as I said, you're so adorable I can't let you die; just take one tiny step out the door, don't be shy."
"Komaru, find Shirokuma and save the others. I'll deal with the kid." Toko insisted,
"Toko, are you sure?"
"Don't argue with me; that witch could come back any second it won't do us any good if we're recaptured."
"Alright, Toko, I'll be back." But before Komaru could take two steps, Kotoko whipped out a weapon hidden behind her skirt.
"Komaru, watch out!" Toko yelled,
"What?!" Komaru gasped as she got bit by a toy mouth projectile and collapsed to the ground.
"Ah ah, Toko help me I can't move."
"Hey, what's the big idea? I thought you were saving us."
"Wow, you're more naive than I thought. Did you really think I'd let you go? After everything, you demons did to me. How could you think I'd let you rome free when there are a hundred more kids out there who are just like me?" Kotoko explained darkly,
"Just like me." Toko repeated, "Cindy was right. You are a victim of child abuse. Look, kid, I'm just like you. My parents hated me more than anything, but that doesn't mean you should take it out on everyone else. Take it from me; we can help you. I go to therapy three times a week; we can do the same for you."
"What makes you think I'm going to trust you? For all I know, it's a trap; anyway, I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got some motivating to do, so night night." Kotoko bid farewell about to shoot Toko when.
"Not on my watch, brat!" Emily yelled, using her rainbow wand to tie her up,
"Hey, no fair, no fair, I was supposed to trap you!"
"Huh, you guys escaped?"
"Yeah, thanks to Shiokuma." Ventus nodded,
"What happened to Komaru?" Goofy questioned, looking at the girl's unconscious body,
"Why don't you ask her." The writer grumbled, eyeing the young girl,
The gang faced the little Warrior of Hope, "You must be a part of The Warriors of Hope." Sora guessed,
"Wow, you got that on your first try I like you already." Kotoko grinned,
"Really?" Sora hoped,
"No, of course not; I'm acting. Right now, I have such an overwhelming hatred for you it could fill a whole cup."
"You know it's not healthy to hide your emotions. It's okay to let it all out." Goofy advised, "Yeah, we understand. Why don't you tell us how you really feel." Donald kindly pushed,
"Oh, trust me, you wouldn't like it when I'm angry. If I were to stop acting, that would be bad."
"Alright, then whatever makes you more comfortable. Ventus shrugged, not very happy to be faced with the one who kidnapped his girlfriend.
"So, what should we do with her?" Toko questioned,
"How about we turn her in? Maybe we can convince the others to let us go," Emily suggested,
"Yeah, let's do it but not before she tells us where Dakota and Master are." Toko agreed,
"No, p-please don't turn me in." Kotoko pleaded, making everyone turn to her, "P-please, I've had so many things happen to me because of adults. But if you do, don't let them touch my body. Please, don't let them be gentle, anything but gentle!" She yelled, showing true panic in her eyes.
"God, this girl has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Emily realized,
"What could have caused that?" Sora wondered,
No one needed to guess. Judging by Kotoko's body language and shivering, Amy was able to figure it out.
"Sexual induced trauma. She must've been assaulted or groomed." She figured,
"That's sick!" Sora yelled, horrified something so awful could happen to a young girl.
"My mom wanted me to become a star." Kotoko shakily explained, "So, her and dad enrolled me in acting lessons, but that's not the only thing when I became old enough. My mom took me to her shoots. She's in the adult industry, and the directors loved me so much that they wanted me to be a part of it. I became a child prostitute at the age of ten. It hurt so much, they made sure the men were gentle with me, but it makes me fidgety; if they were going to push my insides out, then you may as well hurt me!"
Everyone was horrified about Kotoko's account. Toko was on the verge of throwing up as she held Komaru's unconscious body. Chloe was in tears. Ven and Sora were stunned silent, wishing they could take away Kotoko's pain and trauma. And the rest didn't know what to think except Emily, who was filled with pure rage.
"That's fluffed…." Toko was the first to find her voice, "That is so fluffed up. I swear I'm going to break my censor bar."
"How." Sora trembled with rage, "How could someone do that to their own kid!? Parents are supposed to love us and keep us safe from the bad of the world. Not exploit us for money and fame. Did they even take into consideration what you wanted?"
The pink-haired girl sniffled, "No, they didn't, I tried to tell them to stop, and it was hurting me, but they didn't listen. They never listen, and it's not just me. Monaca, Masaru, Jataro, and Nagisa have their own baggage. But it's not in my place to tell you, so you'll have to ask them yourself. But I'll do anything. Please let me go."
"Sora, let's bring her with us." Emily decided, "It's not fair to her if we leave an already traumatized child in the hands of her triggers."
"I agree with you. She can help us find Dakota." The spikey brunette nodded,
"And if I see her parents, I'll be sure to have them burn in hell for their sins. How could they do that to a child." The festy angel grumbled, walking up to the former little ultimate. "What's your name, kid?"
"K-Kotoko Utsugi."
"My name is Emily Jones; I'm one of Dakota's guardian angels who happens to be someone you kidnapped. We'd like her back."
"I'm sorry we don't have her anymore. She escaped with that traitor of a servant." Kotoko explained,
"Wait, so that means." Ventus hoped,
"Yep, she's still out there somewhere in the city. We've been trying to recapture her, but she's slippery. I bet our servants' luck has something to do with it."
"Servant? You have a servant?" Rory questioned,
"Yep, Nagito Komeada, I believe his name is. I didn't bother to memorize it."
"Komeada?" Emily gasped at the familiarity, but she couldn't place the name due to her lack of Danganronpa knowledge.
"Yep, he's a total weirdo too. Can't go two minutes without yammering about hope. He's a terrible cook as well. Can't even make milkshakes. So, I'm guessing you want my help with finding Dakota, right? Alright, I'll do it. Anything is better than being trapped with Demons."
"Well, at least we found a lead, but first, can you wake Komaru up? Carrying her around the safe house will slow us down." Toko requested,
"Sure, there's an antidote in my skirt. No need for a syringe. Just pour it into her mouth." The young girl instructed,
Toko carefully felt for the antidote, not wanting to trigger Kotoko any feather, and got a hold of it. Unplugging the vail, she poured a little down Komaru's throat. Who began waking up.
"Ugh, T-Toko is that you?" She drowsily wondered,
"It's me, Komaru. You're safe. We're going to get out of here, and Kotoko's helping us."
"Wait, what?"
"It's a long story; I'll tell you later. Kotoko, how did you get in?"
"I found a hole in the wall. I think the Heartless did it. If you let me go, I'll take you there; fighters honor no tricks this time." She answered, still a little shaken,
The group nodded and let Kotoko go, "Follow me and be careful there's a lot of security. Those adults are really railed up all of a sudden."
Everyone understood, knowing the collateral damage Maleficent caused. Slowly and carefully, the group started their escape, now even more determined to save their friend.
Man, I've come a long way with this story. I had a lot of fun getting back into it, I hope you enjoyed this chapter I wanted it to be one whole reunion, but the chapter was getting a little too long, so I'll need to two part it. Anyway, I've got more plans for this summer, so I'll see you again soon love you guys.