Note?: Yeah, I actually did write another chapter for this. Woah, am I right? Anyway, I'm going to answer a few questions I've gotten here. Nanami and Usami will still be here, but will play a much smaller role. I wasn't planning on including exactly how I think the SDR2 cast fell into despair, but I might if I can fit it in. I chose these three for the story because they were three I didn't remember interacting with each other too much (it's been a while since I've read it though, so I dunno). I made Gundam awesome because that's how I imagine how he acts in a crisis. Taking charge and trying to fuck shit up.
Another quick note, trigger warning for gore-y stuff close to the end of this chapter.
A few months had passed, and the three non-despair had already recovered from their years out in the despair of the wastelands, as they were known. They had been feed actual food, given new clothes, and slept in clean beds. The Future Foundation had run a multitude of tests on them, and had performed a bunch of psychological research on them. They, as it turns out, were very, very valuable to the Future Foundation, having 'the Despair' but not having succumbed to it. Gundam stares out at the ocean through the frosted glass of the window. Some staff or something had taken Saionji and Komaeda to run a few tests, leaving Gundam alone. They don't let him go outside unsupervised for some reason, so he's forced to sit inside a lot. It's not like he's going to run away. Not without them anyway. He turns to the person who had approached him before they could speak. They seem surprised that he heard them, but not scared like the people who work here. It's one of the survivors. A girl, tan skin, ponytail, red track jacket. She greets him with a peppy bounce.
"Ah! Tanaka! Perfect! They want you down in the biolab!" Gundam huffs in acknowledgment. He hates being down there. Those sick tests they perform on the animals there makes him want to vomit. But he's here as a privilege and doesn't want to get kicked out or anything.
"Very well. Thank you, Asahina." He stands up slowly and, to his surprise, the swimmer grabs his wrist and pulls him along. He lets out a surprised grunt and stumbles after her, nearly tripping multiple times. "Wh-what are you doing?!"
"Just c'mon!" She happily drags him along, running through the pristine white corridors of this Future Foundation base with the animal breeder barely in tow. She speeds past the cafeteria, the gym, and even his room. Gundam glances back at the door leading to his residence. Well, the residence he shared with the dancer and the luckster. He wants to get Radiant Golden Phoenix Sho-N, a canary they had given to him when they had gotten here. The gentle avian had always helped calm his nerves, and now would have been a great time to have some support from the majestic flier. Unfortunately, Asahina has other plans, practically throwing him into the elevator when they get there. Gundam leans against the wall, out of breath from sitting around all the time. The girl with him seems perfectly fine, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She hits the biolab button, the elevator lurching into motion. Asahina chatters to him as they descend into the bowels of the building, into its concrete intestines and steel lining. She talks of swimming and exercise and donuts and other things, and Gundam finds it hard to believe someone like her survived a brutal session of murder spurred on by one of the most vile forces in the world. But she, along with Naegi, Togami, a girl known as Kirigiri, and two other bumbling fools, managed to make it out alive and take Junko Enoshima down along the way. It's rather impressive, to say the least. He realizes she's still talking.
"-But my favorite is probably chocolate glazed. I mean, yeah it's simple but it's simply amazing, you know what I mean?" Gundam is cut off before he can even start speaking. This is how 'conversations' with her usually go. It's somewhat refreshing, to be honest. "Yeah! But like, custard filled is good too! You know they make different kinds of custard just to put into donuts? It totally blew my mind the first time I heard of it like whaaaaaaat?" Just as she finishes, the elevator dings and the doors slide open. The swimmer reaches for his wrist again, but Gundam pulls away.
"I can walk." Asahina looks at him, head tilted, before rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.
"Oh! Of course! Hehe, sorry. Let's go though, they're waiting for us!" Gundam raises an eyebrow and runs after her, the swimmer racing off the instant the doors open all the way. Whom is waiting for them? He finds out when he turns a corner and nearly barrels into Togami, who grunts angrily at him. They're all there, and Gundam shares a confused look with Komaeda, who is standing off to the side with Saionji. He takes this moment to look over his companions. They were all a lot more healthy, but Saionji especially was a lot more different now that they had more optimal living conditions. She's so much taller than he remembered from the beginning, reaching the middle of his chest in height. She has also grown rather considerably in other places too, and Gundam is rather glad that she's as short as she is. As for Komaeda, well, the boy is, more or less, the same as he was before, if a bit bulkier and with a bit more color in his skin.
"Big bro Tanaka!" The dancer runs over and wraps her arms around his waist. An unusually affectionate action. Gundam quickly yanks up his scarf and shoots an accusing glare over at Naegi, who shrugs at him with a sheepish smile. Saionji motions for him to lean down and he does, letting her whisper into his ear. "I had a bad dream last night..." Gundam pats her head comfortingly, straightening his back.
"It is fine. It was only a dream. You have nothing to fear now, for the great Gundam Tanaka is here to protect you!" He throws back his head and laughs, drawing a similar one from Komaeda. Saionji tries to hide her smile. Meanwhile, the six survivors watch them.
"Can we really trust them Naegi?" Togami doubtfully watches the trio laugh together. It's Kirigiri who responds to him.
"Who else can we?" She looks at Togami questioningly and the heir shakes his head.
"Anyone. Maybe one of the, oh I don't know, five thousand people working here? Or perhaps one of the employees of the Togami Corporation. People I trust?" Naegi wedges himself between the two, holding up his hands, a calming grin on his face.
"Hey, hey, hey. Let's not argue here. Look Togami-kun, I understand your hesitation, but these kids are our best bet to getting into their heads. They know, or um... knew them from before. Plus, we can't risk sending anyone else in. As much as I don't like to say it, these kids are not only our greatest, but also our most uh... expendable asset." Hagakure and Fukawa share a glance, and Asahina raises her eyebrows in surprise. Togami chuckles, closing his eyes.
"Finally taking some notes from the great Byakuya Togami, are you Naegi? Very well. Do as you please." The heir takes a step back, leaving the six in a loose circle. A crackle cuts through the air, and Hagakure fumbles for the radio strapped to his belt. The other five glance at him, and he nervously scratches at his head before putting the radio up to his ear.
"Yeah. Uh huh. Okay." The fortune-teller shoots a glance at Naegi, an anxious grin on his face. "They're ready, Naegi-chi. You're the one taking them down there, right?" The Super High School Level Hope glances around at his friends, scratching his cheek in disappointment when they all avert their eyes when he looks at them.
"Uh... yeah. I guess I am." Hagakure lets out a huge sigh, nudging Fukawa with his elbow.
"So glad, cause me and Fukawa-chi have some uh... 'important' things to do. Over there. On the other side of the building." Fukawa nods in agreement.
"Y-yeah. We want to be over there doing uh... work... things. Where it's safe. Bye." The two speed off, Asahina in tow, yelling at them to let her 'work' with them. Togami slips off without him noticing, leaving him alone with Kirigiri. The detective lays a gentle kiss on Naegi's cheek and walks away, mumbling 'good luck' as she passes him.
The trio looks up as Naegi approaches them. He clears his throat and simply says "Come with me please. We uh... need your help with something." He motions for them to follow and begins walking down one of the many corridors there. The three, somewhat reluctantly, follow. "So um... you guys are from the 76th and 77th classes, right?" They nod, and Komaeda clarifies.
"Me and Saionji-san are from 77th. Tanaka is from 76th. Why?" Naegi just shakes his head and continues leading them down what seem to be random twists and turns.
"I'll tell you when we're there."
It didn't take too much longer to get where Naegi was leading them. They stand in what appeared to be a cell block. Gundam hears sounds pertaining to large mammalian and reptilian creatures. Ah. This is where they barbarically hold those too large to be contained in minuscule glass boxes. Ugh. Naegi stops at the entrance to what appeared to be a high-security section of the containment cells area. He turns to the trio and sighs, a grim expression on his face.
"Okay guys. Here's the thing. I- we, the Future Foundation, have... recovered some uh... kids." Ice flows into Gundam's veins. He doesn't mean... "We- I think you may know them. If that uh... is the case, then I have an idea, but I just want to make sure." He places a hand on the door handle, glancing back at the three. "Guys I just... you need to remember that they're not themselves. I'll be there to pull you back, but don't... just be careful." With that, he pushes open the door, which beeps in acknowledgment, and walks further into the new area. Frozen outside the door with the others, Gundam can barely think, much less move. There's no way... It's a voice singing out melodically that catches their attention and draws them in. They stumble forward towards the voice and Naegi, who stands outside the first cell quietly.
"Naaaaeeeeegi. Come closer, I want to take your picture!~" Saionji gasps, breaking free from Gundam's hold, and sprints toward the cell. Komaeda and Gundam quickly follow, leading them to the first captive. Gundam recoils in surprise. The cell is more or less traditional, but, instead of bars, there is a pane of Plexiglas several inches thick. The dancer is pressed up against the glass, with the figure pressed up opposite to her being none other than Mahiru Koizumi. She's a filthy mess, Gundam notes. Her clothes are torn and soiled with both blood and dirt. She's covered in lacerations and bruises, mainly on her wrists and legs, and her cuts slowly ooze blood. The part that makes Gundam feel nauseous, however, is the fact that one of her wrists is wrapped in a bandage. While normally this wouldn't be too out of place, the part that makes him sick is that the hand attached to it isn't hers. The skin is too pale, bordering white, and the nails are long, red, and obviously fake. Gundam feels bile rising into the back of his throat. Saionji notices it and falls backwards, whispering 'no, no, no' over and over and over. Komaeda just stares forward in shock, his eyes empty. The photographer giggles dementedly, admiring the hand that isn't hers.
"Ah! I see you guys like my hand! Well... it's not reeeaaaaaally mine! But Junko-chan was so nice, she told me that when she died I could have it! Now I think of her every time I take an amazing picture! Although it is kinda hard, cause I can't move her fingers. But that's Junko-chan for you!" Saionji lets out a wail and scoots backwards, and Komaeda actually throws up. Koizumi's eyes cloud up, and she sniffles pathetically. "Aww... you guys don't like it? And here I thought I could get my camera back. There were some really good photos there..." It's now that Naegi switches off the speaker transmitting the sound from inside the cell. He grimaces before addressing the trio.
"I'm sorry you had to see that. But by your reactions, I can tell that you know her. I was going to show you the others... but we have records linking most of them to her," Naegi motions toward Koiuzmi, who has gone to sulk in the corner of her cell, "and since you obviously know her..." He shakes his head and steps over the puddle of Komaeda's vomit. He helps the luckster to his feet and Gundam helps up Saionji. The four head out of the cell block, and they're all silent all the way to the elevator. The three older kids are in shock. Saionji wraps her arms around herself, tears streaming down her face. Komaeda clutches at his head, muttering something about despair. Gundam feels sick and holds his stomach. It was true. They really did cut her up... he takes a deep breath to try to steady himself, but Koizumi's arm with Enoshima's hand floats into his mind and he starts coughing, feeling his stomach nearly release its contents with every rattling sound. And then Naegi does it again. Just like in the academy. They enter the elevator and Naegi turns to them with a smile on his face.
"Don't worry guys. I know what you saw was horrifying, I can relate. Kind of. But you can't lose hope!" The words shake something up in Komaeda, who straightens up with a smile. "We'll save them!" Naegi's comment sends a wave of warmth over Gundam, and he stops coughing. Naegi's voice fills him with hope, somehow. "They'll be they way they were before, I just know it! Trust me." Finally, Saionji snaps out of her stupor as well, wiping her face with the sleeve of her new kimono. Gundam understands why the other five survivors flock to the former luckster. "I promise you guys that it'll be sooner than you think. In fact, we're heading to the place it's going to happen right now!" The three turn to look at him in disbelief.
"R...right now?" Komaeda manages.
"Yeah. Just trust me, alright?" He presses a button and the elevator continues its descent.