Danganronpa: Next Generation of Despair

Chapter 1: Party 'til Midnight at Hope's Peak Academy

"So how are we supposed to make alcoholic beverages without alcohol?" Botan asked as we stood in the kitchen. Daisuke, Homura, Botan and me were in charge of beverages.

"Simple." Daisuke spoke out subtly. "We mix in pure ethanol."

"Ethanol?" Homura was struggling to pronounce the word.

"Ethanol...the substance in alcoholic beverages which makes it alcohol." I explained to Homura. "Ethanol is just often known as alcohol and its concentration is often shown on bottles of beverages."

"Ohhhh…" Homura realized.

"But where do we get ethanol from?" I asked.

"Simple, from the chemistry labs on the fourth floor." Daisuke replied.

"Alright!" Homura spoke out passionately.

"Ok...Botan and Homura start preparing the juices...Taka and I will go retrieve the ethanol." Daisuke instructed. He looked at me and I nodded in response before we took our cue to leave the kitchen. As he headed through the kitchen we saw Ilaria, Akira and Tomo in the kitchen as they were preparing the food party.

"I am not sure how to do this...but I will do try anyway!"

"Don't worry...I will cover the pastries…" Ilaria said smugly Daisuke and I left the kitchen into the cafeteria where Masaaki and Kohana were picking up tables and taking them out of the cafeteria.

"Where are they taking the tables?" I asked Daisuke.

"They are taking them to the gym." Daisuke replied calmly as we too left the cafeteria.

"Hey, Daisuke? Why did you choose me to find the ethanol?" I asked out of curiosity as we slowly ascended up several set of stairs.

"Due to your Ultimate talent. Like Phoenix Wright I believe you can use your observation skills and knowledge to find it." Daisuke replied as we continued up the stairs.

"Why thanks!" I smiled slightly flattered before we arrived on the fourth floor. We strolled down the corridor before approaching a door on the right side which said ' Chemical Supplies'

"This is entrance to the realm of chemicals." Daisuke said before opening it revealing numerous wooden cupboards with transparent glass filled with small glass bottles. They were several red signs with complex science words on the cupboards like on one of them it said "Weak Carboxylic Acids." Whatever the heck carboxylic acids are.

"So, ethanol is an alcoholic molecule so it should be listed with them." Daisuke explained as he walked deeper into the room resulting in me following behind until I was greeted with the sign.

'Alcohol' on the cupboard.

"Daisuke, I believe it is here!" I called out resulting in the Geek coming to my location as I slowly open the shelf. Propanol, Butanol, Pentanol… My eyes hovered over the numerous chemicals present. However one of them catches my eye. Methanol. The bottles for this chemical had the words 'Toxic' and 'Flammable' present and it appeared to be half empty while all the bottles were filled fully.

"Here it is…" Daisuke spoke as he withdrew 4 bottles of ethanol from the cupboard.

"Hey, Daisuke...this bottle is partially empty." I said in slightly concerned tone as I withdrew the Methanol bottle to show him.

"That's peculiar…" Daisuke noted. "Is there the possibility that it was half filled prior to the summer school."

"Nope! I made sure to fill all the chemicals before the Summer School started." Monokuma abruptly appeared out of nowhere startling me."Meaning one of you must have used it!"

"What?!" I exclaimed in shocked.

"But what use can a high-school student have for methanol?" Daisuke asked calmly to himself.

"Maybe there are trying to poison one of their fellow students...or even kill….Pupupupupu! Both Ethanol and Methanol are flammable but Methanol is poisonous...Pupupupu!" Monokuma started giggling before his face turned red and he started sweating. His body was shivering with pleasure. "To think one of you will bring despair in such a manner…"

"No! I won't accept it! I have hope and faith in everyone!" I spoke out passionately

"Even in Teinosuke?..." Monokuma added triggering me to hesitate."Pupupupupu….HAHAHAHA! Oh that reminds me if you are to take a chemical out of the cupboard you must take a Hazard sheet!"

Monokuma handed me two pieces of vibrant yellow paper which had been lamented. One of which had 'Methanol' written at the top while the second one said 'Ethanol'.

"Oh have fun at the party…" Monokuma spoke before swiftly departing.

"What should we go?" I was still holding the bottle of methanol.

"We best leave it." Daisuke suggested as I nodded in agreement returning the bottle of methanol to the self. I then picked up 4 more bottles of ethanol making a total of 8 bottles before we left to return downstairs.

"There you are!" Isobel exclaimed as we arrived on the first floor. "Daisuke your assistance is required in the gymnasium! Something about the lighting…" Isobel said vaguely.

"Oh...I will be right there. Taka can you take these?" Daisuke extended his hands out before I hugged the remaining bottles out of his hands. I waddled slowly as if I was walking on eggshells towards the cafeteria as carrying eight glass bottles with two pieces of paper is some feat. Just when I was outside I noticed Hirano walking out the kitchen holding two water bottles in her hands.

"Hey, Hirano! Can you give me a hand!" I called out to the Composer but I did not get a response as she walked past. "HEY! HIRANO!" I shouted out louder causing her to stop in her tracks and turn around.

"Oh, Taka...sorry I didn't hear you." Hirano turned around.

"That's okay. Could you help me?" I asked.

"Come again?" Hirano replied walking towards me.

"Could you help me?!" I spoke up a bit as I start to notice the glass bottles began to slip from my grasp.

"Oh, sure!" Hirano agreed placing the water bottles on the floor before grabbing four glass bottles out of my hands. "What do you plan do with Ethanol?" She asked as we walked through the now empty cafeteria. It looks they were able to move all the tables. I thought to myself. Suddenly the smell of burning filled the air.

"I hope they aren't burning anything while they cook…" I laughed.

"Yeah things could heat up...like you and me in bed…" Hirano had a lustful face on as her face got closer to mine with her tongue sticking out. Suddenly smoke came rolling from the kitchen and poured heavily into the cafeteria.

"What the hell?!" Hirano exclaimed before heading towards the kitchen snapping out of it.

"H-H-Hirano! Wait! Ethanol is flammable!" I warned her, still a bit thrown by her previous comments.

"Oh yeah!" Hirano spoke before placing the Ethanol bottles on the floor outside the kitchen before entering it. I proceeded to do the same and I was surprised to what I saw next.

"Akira! I told not not to go stunts in the kitchen!" Tomo yelled as Akira waso the floor rubbing her temple. Flames came from a pan as Ilaria was waving her apron in a futile attempt to extinguish the flames.

"Sorry! I just wanted to make sure I nail it for the party today!" Akira apologized as she stood up.

"Alright ladies! Move away!" Botan declared holding a fire extinguisher in his hands. He started pulling at the tag for the extinguisher but it wasn't going to be removed that easily. "It's….struck…" Botan groaned pulling away at the tag.

"Try pulling harder!" Homura bellowed from behind Botan."You can do it!"

"I am pulling as hard as I can!" Botan reported.

"Give it her!" Homura yanked the fire extinguisher out of Botan's hand while he still had the tag in his left hand resulting in the fire extinguisher to release its contents in cloud of form and gas that consumed most of the kitchen and covering Tomo and me in foam. Hirano, Ilaria and Akira escaped clean as well as Homura and Botan. The flames still raged on.

"It's empty now!" Botan said shaking the metallic cylinder. "Uggghhh! Why don't you think things through!"

"Hey! Act now! Think later!" Homura justified her actions.

"Guys! The fire still going!" Tomo returned everyone's attention back the flames and the smoke that consumed the room while attempting to shake of some of the foam that encased her.

"I would love to stay…" Hirano spoke up. "But I need to get rid of this urge!" Hirano was sweating alot and her face was blushing while her tongue was like snake rushing out of her mouth. She quickly dashed out of the kitchen.

"Hirano!" Akira called out trying to follow her also departing

"What's up with her?" Botan asked.

"Beats me!" Homura shrugged.

"GUYS!" FOCUS!" Tomo once again brought everyone's attention back to the flames. "Taka! Can you get me a damp towel?"

"I'll try!" I accepted the request before dashing past the smoke before a reaching for a towel.

"Ilaria, fill up a sink up with water!" Tomo told her.

"Sí!" Ilaria nodded while I wash rinsing the white towel with water.

"You two try and find another fire extinguisher!" Tomo instructed Botan and Homura.

"Aye!" The pair said before dwelling further into the kitchen.

"Here!" I gave Tomo the damp towel which she lobbed onto the pan resulting in a huge sizzling sound to fill the air as the flames reduced.

"Hey guys!" I turned my head to the source of the sound and see Akira holding two glass bottles in his hands. "We can extinguish the flames with this bottles of water I found outside the kitchen." Akira approached the pan. Glass bottles...outside the kitchen...ETHANOL! I concluded in my mind.

"Both Ethanol and Methanol are flammable…"

I recalled what Monokuma said. "NO! AKIRA STOP!" I yelled out as she casually started pouring the fluid onto the pan.

"Huh?" Akira was a bit confused as suddenly huge flames erected from the pan and roared upwards causing Tomo, Akira and me to backup in retreat. Suddenly water started showering the whole kitchen from the ceiling as the sprinklers activated ultimately reducing the flames to just smoke.

"Oh, so now the water thingies activated!" Ilaria noted with an irritated tone.

"Akira! You nearly killed us!" Tomo scolded her. The entire kitchen was soaked.

"Sorry!" Akira apologized with a smile on her face rubbing the back of her hand.

"I am all wet!" Homura moaned as Botan and her reunited with us.

"Well I am going to need to take a shower…" Tomo spoke as she and me were still covered in foam.

"I may do the same." I spoke out.

"Hey, that reminds me did you bring the ethanol?" Botan asked.

"Yeah I left it outside the kitchen…" I replied.

"Oh so that's what this stuff is!" Akira realized as she looked at the bottle.

"Well go have your showers we can take things from here…" Ilaria replied.

"Oh...Akira , please do not do anymore stunts! We don't want more stuff being burnt." Tomo advised.

"Don't worry I won't practice in the kitchen! I will practice in the cafeteria!" Akira roared out!

What was up with Hirano? And how will the party go down!