Prologue 3: The Unknown Players Part 1
Yo it's me, the Author Again…Here to introduce some of the crazy cast and shed a little light on the situation. I've worked my Butt off making this chapter, so I hope you guys are happy with it.
And hey, tell me how I'm doing, when I'm portraying you Characters. I'm doing my best to try and make them in character so your feedback will be a huge step in doing so.
Anyway, thanks for giving my story a chance and I hope you enjoy.
...
Sometime later…
…?...
The figures meet again in an area deep underground; entering a room with the mark of a bolt at the door. The room itself was rather luxurious, having an expensive beige sofa and a large flat screen TV complete with a high tech stereo system and a large shelf filled with movies and games. The other side of the room also had a small bar with the shelves lined with all kinds of expensive alcoholic drinks, and another masked figure ,who seem to be dressed like a bartender, was bowing to the other figures from the counter. The walls were decorated with Plaques of Golden Records, and the center of the room had a fooseball table. The very floor was just a giant aquarium; housing mechanical sharks that swam beneath the area they stood. At the very end of the room, the figures gather around a filthy desk , covered by multiple empty glasses of drinks, and several documents scattered all over the floor. Someone seem to be there as the office chair was facing several monitors behind the desk; the sound of laughter coming from it.
Suddenly the person at the chair notices the other people in the room and suddenly turns the chair around; revealing not a person but a small black and white teddy bear with a drink in hand. It's red bolt shaped eye glew as it chugged down another shot before throwing the glass on the wall; shattering it. The strange bear gives a loud burp before it starts talking.
"Ah, so it's you guys. Did you manage to get everyone in?" It's voice sounded quite comical, much like it was trying to sound cute or something. Yet those words held a heavy tone underneath, showing how serious this toy really was.
The figures continue to stay silent leaving the bear's question unanswered. The bear merely chuckles at the minions' quiet behavior.
"Don't worry assholes, I already know you got the job done… for once."
The bear pulls out a remote out of nowhere and 18 monitors turn on; each screen showing a different teenager. The bear focused on the teens with an indifferent expression on his face.
"Do you guys know what I like about the Nightlife? Well that's because the best moments happen after dark!" The bear asks, but it immediately answers its own question; knowing full well the figures weren't going to give it an answer.
The bear continues to monologue.
"All kinds of amazing things happen at night! People party their asses off at night clubs, they head to bars to drink away all their mundane problems, and there's even the hot sexy fun times at cheap hotels!" The bear blushed at the last statement before pulling another drink out of nowhere; chugging it down. "I mean hell that's basically what I do every night! I'm a nocturnal animal after all, and my main habitat is the dance floor and I prey on only the finest of drinks and women! Upupupupupu!" The bear chuckled.
Suddenly its' face, all of a sudden, became tense as it stared back at its minions coldly.
"Upupu... But you know what I love most about the night life?"
The bear stood silent trying to build drama for his minions, but alas it was a fool's' errand. The figures just stood there, with no reaction whatsoever. Sighing; the bear answers his own question once more.
"The Dark Itself." The bear said "That's it, just the plain old pitch black cloak that the night provides for creatures like me." The bear poured another glass and then turned the chair to face the monitors. "Do you know why Ninjas or assassins in those lame-ass action movies always strike at night? Well it's because it's harder for their victims to see them in the dark. It's basically nature's all natural cloaking device, and the best part is that no one is usually ever awake at this time so it's one of the ideal times for murder." The bear flashed a crooked smile revealing its' sharp teeth. "And it's not just murder either; theft, prostitution, gambling, street fights, illegal drug deals, all sorts of things happen under the moonlit starry night."
The bear chugged down his drink yet again before it started to laugh. "Maybe that's why people are afraid to go out at night and live a little, am I right guys?" The bear tossed the glass at an unsuspecting minion and they fell to the ground when the glass shattered on the masked face. Yet despite that, the Figures remained as stoic as ever; ignoring their fallen comrade.
"Yeesh not even a reaction from that? Ugh such boring idiots. BORING WORTHLESS IDIOTS I SAY!" The bear growled.
The bear, thoroughly done with talking with these no good morons, turns to face the monitors again and he leans forward in interest.
"...Oh? So those bastards are finally awake huh? And not even before the train arrived…" The bear looked glum but suddenly got better faster than when he felt down. "Oh well, at least I can be entertained with these guys… especially him." The bear faces a monitor with the number "1" before him. Staring at the monitor; he sees a lanky boy with a gray hoodie and baggy jeans. The hoodie shadowed the boy's face hiding his facial features, but as it was unzipped it revealed a slightly toned body covered by a white tank top with multiple colored stains in various areas and a metal dog tag necklace hanging around his neck. The top was also a little bit big and so one of the strings went little below the shoulder. He was also wearing black and red sneakers and a pair of headphones with a similar color scheme on his ears. He also had a pair of sunglasses hanging from his hood's pocket. The boy was fast asleep as there was some slight drool dripping from his mouth.
The bear looked at the boy with much interest, because out of all the files he got from the minions, his stood out the most. He was an anomaly, someone who didn't belong in this group. And yet, here he was
inside the train along with the other unfortunate bastards.
The boy suddenly started to stir and the bear stood up and stared at him eagerly .
"My My My… it seems Mr. Protagonist has finally awoken." The bear smiled. "You of all people have peaked my interest, so you better not disappoint me…"
…
As of right now we must sadly take a different perspective if we're ever going to continue the story. But don't worry the narrator will be just as interesting. After all, he is the protagonist of this story.
…
...Car #10…
"..."
"..."
"...huh?" I slowly open my eyes and look around. However it was dark, really dark, with the only source of light being the blinking lights on the ceiling. "What's going on? Where am I?"
I try to make sense of what's going on; recalling everything that has happened before this. "Alright, so I was on my way home after I had that boring appointment back at Hope's Peak about my enrollment, and when I got to the train I took a quick nap...at least I thought it was quick ..." I take off my headphones and survey my surroundings. It still looked like I was on the train, and from the rumbling I feel like it's still in motion. "Have I been here all day?" I pondered. From the emptiness of the car it looks like it had already passed business hours."But wait, wouldn't someone at least wake me up?" I shake my head in worry "What the hell is going on here? This is way too creepy to be real."
Out of worry, a paper happens to slip out of the pockets of my hoodie. "Huh? Oh my Hope's Peak Papers... Hm?" Upon closer inspection I realize that it wasn't my invitation to Hope's Peak; it was just some crayon scribbles plastered on a paper.
"Did some kid happen to snag it while I was out and doodled?" I scratch the back of my head "Ah well it doesn't matter this is garbage anyway...Hello, what's this?
I take a closer look at the paper and notice the so called scribbles were actually hastily written words. Trying to make out what it says, I read the message aloud.
"GReeTiNGZ MR. PRoTaGoNiZT! U HaVE BeeN GiVeN DA AZZTouNDIN RoLE AZ DA STRAY KAT OV SHIBUYA IN HoPE'Z PeaKZ' NiGHT CLaZZ"
Ugh, I think I almost bit my tongue trying to say that. Thinking about what exactly the message meant.
"So Hope's Peak huh? … Wait What!?"
I skim through the paper again, to see if I was reading it right. But despite my efforts, the words, "Hope's Peak", were still there.
"… So Hope's Peak is behind this mess? I don't know whether that's a good or bad thing."
Hope's Peak was a school for the best of the best. Where the most talented of teenagers are gathered to learn and become leading experts in their respective fields. There was also a reserve course outside the main one where normal students could attend. Tuition fees were expensive but in an academy that guarantees success, it's a small price to pay.
While this may seem appealing to most people, I didn't see it that way. That's because when you live in the streets for as long as I have, you tend to hear a few things… bad things.
For me, I just happened to hear about a rumor going around that the school was really a laboratory to study talents , while taking the appearance of some prestigious school. It was all just conspiracy theories though; nothing concrete. Personally, I didn't believe in that crap, but from the circumstances of my situation… they might be true.
Oh gosh, am I gonna get a probe up my ass or something? … I sure hope not.
I swallowed a little at the thought.
I take one more look at the paper to check if there were anymore clues ,and for the umpteenth time I groaned.
"Stray Cat!?" I stare at the ridiculous title that seemed to be referring to me. "I'm no Cat! Hell I'm even allergic to those furry bastards!" I put my hand to my face and drag it down. "Don't tell me Hope's Peak knows That." I can't help but say that aloud, jeez and after all the trouble I went to make sure no one knew about it.
"... Hm. What's this?"
Just as I thought that things couldn't get any weirder, I notice a strange black bracelet on my wrist, when I was dragging my hand down my face. Taking a closer look; the bracelet had a small screen and a strange emblem that resembled a red lightning bolt. I try to take it off but for some reason, I felt my skin tug when I pulled on it.
Was this thing embedded to my wrist or something !?
Realizing that taking off the bracelet wouldn't work I decided to take a closer look at it and see if there was anything else. And lo and behold, I see a small button at the side. Eagerly pressing it; the tiny screen lights up and a message appears on the screen.
"Head to the Front of the Train"
Head to the front car huh? Should I go? This still sounds too fishy, but if there's a chance...
My thoughts were completely interrupted when I hear the door to the car behind me slide open.
When I turn to look I see a small ,slightly tan, petite girl with violet eyes and dark pink hair tied into twin braids that reached all the way to her back. She wore an oversized, unbuttoned, baby blue, knitted sweater that revealed the pastel pink blouse underneath. She had a pair of dark brown pencil jeans, completed with a pair of red high top sneakers . The girl also had a black bracelet on her wrist as well and she seemed to be just as confused as I was.
Oh? So there are people here? Oh well that's just peachy. Just what I needed... Unfortunately. I give an internal sigh to myself.
I hate dealing with other people. I find it annoying and unnecessary to talk to others unless it's something important to say. But, sadly, this is one of those times I must ask for information if I'm ever going to figure out what's happening.
"Hey you!" I call out to get her attention, "Do you have an idea what's going on-"
Before I manage to finish that sentence, the girl jumps and tackles me onto the floor; placing me in an armlock.
"Ok Ow Ow! What the fuck!? Why are you hurting me!?"
"Don't you play dumb with me, you are obviously a kidnapper!" The crazy girl replied
"What!? How am I a kidnapper-ow!" Her grip on my arm became tighter as soon as I asked, making me wince.
"Isn't it obvious !?" She stated proudly, "You're hiding your face with that hoodie and so that makes you a suspicious creep!"
"That's it!? That's all you got!?" I give an annoyed yelp.
That was why she attacked me!? Either this girl is stupid, or she watches way too many action movies... Possibly both.
"Ok First off, I'm just as confused as you are! Second I'm just a Highschool Student!" I try to explain. "Don't believe me; look at the paper right there on the floor! And ow! Could you please let go!?"
I turn my head to point at my strange note that fell on the floor after I got tackled.
The girl looked at it skeptically for a moment before reaching for the paper; skimming through its' contents she looks at me in realization and immediately gets off.
"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry!" The girl bows apologetically "You just looked like a suspicious person and so I had to act! I never thought I was hurting someone who was a fellow classmate." The girl scratches the back of her head and gives a huge smile. "Oh well, water under the bridge I guess!" The girl laughs as if nothing has happened. Her perky attitude attitude irritated me, and I wanted to leave. But alas, something she said peeked my interest.
"Classmate?" I asked confusingly. I scratch my head for a moment before putting the pieces together.
Oh right this was set up by Hope's Peak apparently. So does this mean she's supposedly an Ultimate? She seems to be around my age so it's possible.
"That's right! I'm going to Hope's Peak, same as you!Anyway, it seems we've got on the wrong foot" the girl flashed a goofy smile and reaches out her hand for a handshake.
"My name is Harue Minami, I am the Ultimate Freediver!" She says proudly with a huge smile on her face. "Let's become friends!"
"..." I stare at her hand with a visible frown on my face.
Ok that's it.
"I'm out of here." I simply reply as I turn and walk towards the next car without batting an eye.
Forget obtaining information, I had to get out of there.
Why you ask?
Well the answer was pretty simple, she wanted to be "Friends" with ME.
Sorry but I'm not interested in making friends. So long freak. Thanks for being useless.
"Hey!" The girl calls out to me before running in front of the next sliding door and blocking my path. "I was talking to you!"
"..."
I try to move her aside to pass but she immediately ran to the door before I could escape. She was puffing her cheeks out.
She's not going to let me go easily huh? I give out a sigh in surrender.
"Ok, what do you want?" I ask. The sooner I can get this done the sooner I can leave.
"Tell me your name and your talent." She demanded; putting her hands on her hips and pouted. "You never gave me a proper greeting!"
"Is that it?" I asked skeptically.
"Like I said it wasn't a proper greeting!" she puffs her cheeks , "It seems we're both going to the same school so I want to greet all my future friends properly!"
I winced a little at the word again.
Really? You of all people want to be friends with me?
What a joke, but if that's what it takes for you to get out of my face then so be it.
"Ok if you insist..." I take a deep breath, "...Kuroshiro Yoshimura. Ultimate Graffiti Artist." My answer was quick and simple. Just enough to answer her question.
Honestly could I even be considered an Ultimate? All I ever did was tag a whole bunch of my Graffiti around Shibuya. Nothing all that special.
"Kuroshiro… Yoshimura" The girl repeated my name, and chuckled, "Wow that's a mouthful!'"
A vein almost seemed to pop when I heard her say that.
You're the one who made me say it!
"So can we be friends?" The girl follows up with a question
"No." I replied "Making friends isn't that easy"
"Sure it is!" She smiles "You just need to make it easier!"
"Yeah sounds great. Whatever." Sarcasm was bleeding through my voice as I said that. I was even waving my hands to show my "enthusiasm".
Unfortunately, this girl was dumber than she looked.
… No. Dumb would be an understatement.
"Great! Glad we can agree on something!" She says with a bright smile. "Now we can be friends!"
"No" I replied.
"What!?" She looked shocked at my answer, "but you said it sounded like a great idea!"
"I was being sarcastic!" I yelled out; completely annoyed.
Ugh, I feel like my brain cells are committing suicide the more I talk to this girl. I had to end this now if I'm ever going to get out of here!
"Alright, that's it! I'm outta here!" I yell out; shoving the nuisance out of the way before heading straight for the next car.
"Hey Wait!" She called out, and began to run after me. In response I tried to run faster.
...Car #9…
I soon enter the next car with my pursuer right behind me
"Get away from me Stalker!" I yelled out as I zipped through the train.
"Not until we become Friends!" She screamed back
"HELL! NO!"
How many times do I have to get this through that thick head of yours!?
Still this girl's determination was scary. Better to keep my distance.
Sadly I was running so fast I didn't bother to look what was in front of me and I consequently bumped into someone.
"Oof!" I landed on my butt. "Alright who's blocking the road!?"
I look up to stare at the roadblock and I come face to face with a young man much like myself.
He's a bit of a hefty fellow, not exactly fat, but he's not in the best shape. He had quite a bit of body hair that covered fairly pale skin, but it seemed to be groomed and shaven around his face. His eyes are dull brown, and his long messy hair had a similar color wore a long sleeved, white shirt that was covered in several paint splotches and felt patches. His blue jeans were similarly full of patches as well. He also had a thick, brown coat lined with several pockets, His shoes were a pair of brown slip-ons, and his socks are fuzzy wool ones, with a red and white striped pattern. Much like me and stalker, he also had a black bracelet on his wrist.
The guy looked to be in deep thought and scratching his chin for a good straight minute before he finally noticed me.
"... You know you should watch where you're going." He said nonchalantly.
Really? You took all that time to think and that's all you had to at least you seem like better person to talk to in this situation. Maybe I should press him for info.
I get up from the ground and dust myself off. "So I assume you're also an Ultimate coming to Hope's Peak?" I asked, hoping to see if I could get any answers.
The man looked at a little wide eyed. "... How did you know?"
I point at the bracelet on his wrist and then show mine. "I got a weird note saying that this was apparently devised by Hope's Peak. You should've gotten one too, right?"
The man nodded before reaching into one of his many coat pockets; pulling out a note similar to mine. Pulling out my own, I read his note and compare it with mine.
"GReeTiNGZ BaZTaRD! U HaVE BeeN GiVeN DA AZZTouNDIN RoLE AZ DA HyPoKRiTiKaL LoZeR KING IN HoPE'Z PeaKZ' NiGHT CLaZZ"
Reading both side by side, I notice the similarities between them.
First, The Handwriting for the notes were the same so whoever wrote this musts be the same person. (And very poor penmanship skills).
Second, It seems that we are a part of a "Night Class" that Hope's Peak set up. Night Classes are basically education courses people ,mainly adults, take during the evening when they're too busy during the day. These types of classes are usually taken during College but very rarely do private schools do this sort of thing. So is that why, it seemed so dark? It is a possibility.
Finally, He also seemed to have a weird title.
"So you're the Hypocritical Loser King huh?" I couldn't help but snort from such a ridiculous title. It was just as ridiculous as my own. Huh, Wonder what Stalker's Title is then? She said she was a Free Diver so I think something to do with the ocean. Maybe Like Sunken Fishtick or something like that?
The young man was quick to react to that title though
"H-Hey! Don't call me that!" He snapped back. "I'm not a Loser! I'm Sergay Kramnik! I am the Ultimate Grandmaster and I never lose at a game of Chess!"
"Yeah, Yeah, Cool story bro." I calmly say. "So do you have any idea what's going on Fatty?"
"F-Fatty?" He asked me , slightly offended "B-but I'm not Fat! Also my name is Sergay Kram-"
"Dude, it's a waste of brain cells to remember names except your own". I quickly interrupt him "So I make it a policy to use nicknames instead."
(AN: By the way, to those that didn't get it. Harue's nickname is now Stalker)
"Got it Fatty?" I knew the dude wasn't that fat, but I needed an answer fast, and from how long he took to say one thing, this was the quickest way to do it. "Or do you wanna be called Chubs or Big Bubba?"
I continue to mock him; smirking at his annoyed expression at me.
"What's the matter Fatty? Can't answer? Or are you going to go think REAL HARD for a comeback and waste more of my time?"
"Ahem!" A voice from behind me calls out
"!?"
A slight shiver went down my spine as I turned around to see the girl from the last car standing there with a annoyed pouty face.
Oh that's right… I forgot about her. How long was she standing there?
She took a good look at me for a moment before facing the other guy.
"So Kuroshio, you seem to be making friends without me."
"Oh you mean Fatty?" I try to regain my composure. "He's just answering some questions."
The guy still seemed offended but decided to brush it off and greet the stalker.
"Hi there, my name is Sergay Kramnik, Ultimate Grandmaster, nice to meet you."
She grabs his arms and shakes it
"Hello Sergay, my name is Harue Minami, Ultimate Freediver!" She said with a perky smile before turning her head to me. "And this is my soon-to-be friend Kuroshio Yoshimuta! He's the Ultimate Graffiti Artist!"
"My name is KUROSHIRO YOSHIMURA you stupid stalker!" I yell out. Geez, if you're going to ask for my name at least get it through your thick head to remember it.
"And Another Thing!" I added "We are not going to be friends!"
Sadly my cries were ignored as the two of them seemed to be in deep conversation.
"So you're a Grandmaster huh? Does that mean you know Kung fu or something!?" Her eyes lit up as she got into a fighting stance.
Fatty's seemed pretty contempt with Stalker's crazy antics and answered her questions calmly. "Well no, you see I'm actually a Grandmaster at chess. So I don't know anything about martial arts…"
"Aww…" she groaned, disappointed before her eyes lit up again. "Hey then maybe we can have a game of chess! I'd love to compete with you!"
Fatty seemed to wince at her proposal. A piece of sweat dripping on his face. "Sorry, but I would rather not."
"Awwww…" she lets out another groan of disappointment.
Hey I think you bastards are forgetting about me!
It seems I was pushed aside for more trivial questions than answers!
…
Hey, wait a minute.
I suddenly realized.
Now that they're too busy talking with each other, I can slip out and avoid stalker and get some real answers from some normal people. Shame I couldn't press more info from Fatty but it's a small price to pay. After all, I don't think we're the only ones in this train.
Sorry morons, but I have to do something productive unlike you guys.
A smile creeps up my face as I sneak away into the next car ahead.
...Car #8…
Sneaking into the next car on the train I take a quick look around and make sure to close the door quietly to avoid alerting those idiots. Once it's closed, I snickered a little at my handiwork before making my way to the next car. It seem to me like this part of the train was unoccupied. That was until I happened to notice something move from under the seat; something furry much like a tail.
Out of curiosity, I couldn't help but look underneath to see what was hiding, and I come across red beast eyes staring back at me. It looked like some kind of dog. The hell was it doing here?
"... Hello?" I call out to try and have it come out. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt ya. I like dogs."
The dog seemed to whimper at the sight of me as it reeled back further into the darkness. It seemed to be afraid of me. Was it because the of hoodie? Well Stalker did say I looked like a creep with it hiding my face. Well I don't want to take it off though… I mean I have my reasons of course. I let out a sigh.
"It can't be helped I guess." I get off the floor and prepare to make my way to the next car. It's weird that a dog is here but I need to head to the front of the train if I'm going to find answers.
"W-Wait!"
I stop dead in my tracks and turn around, only to see nothing.
"Huh, weird I thought I heard someone."
I try to brush it off and say I was hearing things before I moved towards the door again, but the voice calls out again.
"P-Please Wait!"
I just stood there confused until I saw something crawl out from the area the dog was. My eyes went wide when I realized, however, that what was under there wasn't a dog.
The creature stood up and revealed itself to be some anthropomorphic canine with a majority of his slim body that towered over my own. It's body covered in dark blue fur and the inner area, from his hair to tail, being gray. He was wearing a black hoodie that was unzipped, showing a blue t-shirt with an Okami Design and black shorts that only went down to his knees. The thing wasn't wearing any shoes so I could see it's Digigranite feet. It just was just staring back at me with its red eyes.
"... Hi…" It said to me. The thing was acting rather shy as it pulled its hoodie over their head.
As for me I just stood there with my jaw out, flabbergasted at what exactly I was looking at. It definitely looked like some overgrown husky or something but yet it walked and talked like a human.
Am I High Right Now!?
I was beginning to panic from the sight of the strange creature before me but I managed to calm down and shut my mouth. Normally people would freak out at the sight of this monster but from the way it acted under the seats, I could assume it means no harm. Of course, the moment that thing starts to growl at me, I'm gonna bounce.
"...Hi?" I answer back, trying to keep a level head near it. "Uh… What exactly are you?"
The Dog man stared at me intently with its eyes full of confusion.
"... You're… not afraid of me?..." The creature asked.
"... Not Exactly…" I answer him again. "I was just surprised is all… I wouldn't think I ever saw a walking mutt… well at least not on the internet."
The dog actually blushed as it heard my words and looked away. There was an awkward silence between us for a good minute before the thing started talking again.
"Oh that's right, sorry! I forgot to tell you who I was!" The dog man apologized, "Greetings, my name is Balto Kyumitsu, I was accepted into Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Werewolf. Please Take Care of Me!" The Thing bowed before blushing again.
"... Wait. You're an Ultimate!?" I couldn't help but show my surprise. I even finally noticed the black bracelet on his wrist as well; covered by the hood sleeve.
"U-um yes…" the wolf man stared at me with sweat on his head. "Is there something wrong?"
"Uh no… Just wondering why that of all things is a talent." I responded. "I mean, what does that even mean?"
"Oh… well you see, I am the first ever non-human human being to attend school, and Hope's Peak took an interest in me and they invited me to come."
"Seriously!?" I looked shock. "That's it!?"
"Yep." He replied
So he gets to attend this school just for being a walking Furry? That sounds pretty ridiculous to me, and that says a lot about what kind of strang people this school recruits. The next thing you know they'll even allow robots to attend.
"P-Pardon me, but could I ask for your name?"
"Huh? Oh right."
The Wolf pulled me out of my thoughts and I look back at him. Fortunately, now that I saw him as no threat, I managed to talk normally with him. Though to be honest, this Wolf seemed to be more of a wuss than I imagined. I almost felt embarrassed that I was afraid of him. Not that I would ever admit it.
"Kuroshiro Yoshimura. Ultimate Graffiti." I responded.
"O-Oh. Nice to meet you Kuroshiro…" The Wolf looked away and blushed.
"Yeah… Whatever." As I shrug him off. Well now that I can get him to talk, I might as well ask some questions.
"... Hey Wolfy."
"Wolfy?" He asked
"Names are a waste of brain cells. So I just use nicknames."
"O-oh… I see…" He seemed offended but decided to nit bother with it.
"I wanna ask you something." I looked at him seriously, which made him step back a little, "When you woke up on this train, did you also get a note?"
He looked at me wide eyed. "Uh yeah! Of course!"
The wolf reaches into his pocket before showing a hastily scribbled note.
Huh, now that I think about it… I never got to see Stalker's note…. Eh maybe later. If she's not trying to be friends of course. Putting my inner thoughts aside, I read the note.
"GReeTiNGZ BioTCH! U HaVE BeeN GiVeN DA AZZTouNDIN RoLE AZ DA BiG BaBY WuLF DaT CRieZ MaMA IN HoPE'Z PeaKZ' NiGHT CLaZZ"
There were some slight changes in the note but it was all the same thing, no new clues whatsoever. Bug that title…
"You're the Big Baby Wolf that Cries Mama!?" I couldn't help but snicker at the ridiculous title.
Wolfy looked at me offended. "H-Hey, don't laugh! I might not be the bravest person, but I am not a big bab- eep!"
The wolf flinches as I feint him with a punch; giving a little smirk as he cowered from me.
"So you really are a big baby huh?"
The wolf hid beneath his hoodie and blushed a little.
Huh, with an attitude and appearance like that you'll definitely get bullied… Not my problem of course.
Feeling like he wasn't going to give anymore info , I begin to walk away.
"H-Hey! Where are you going!?" He called out to me
"Looking for answers." I replied. "Sadly you don't seem to have been much help either."
The wolf looked down when I said that before looking at the ground as I leave for the next car.
...Car #7...
Entering the next car, I quickly come across another two who seemed to be dancing around the car. The didn't seem to notice me immediately though, so I had to call out to them to get their attention.
"Hey you!" I yell out, and the two people turn to face me.
One of them, was a girl with long red hair ,with yellow clips, each having a star at the end of them, in a ponytail tied by a big white bow. She had red eyes and light skin. She was also rather slim and was about my height. She was wearing a black and white striped shirt with a big sports jacket covering it. The sports jacket had black cuffs and a black line running down each of the arms. She had a red, pink, and white plaid mini skirt with white thigh length socks and matching red high-tops. She was wearing the black bracelet on her wrist.
As for the other person, they looked like a doll. Skin white as snow, long eyelashes, large sapphire eyes, soft red lips, and brown hair with black highlights tied into a ponytail as well. They were wearing a tight fitting black sweater with blue skinny jeans and black knee length boots. They almost would've looked like a girl, almost. After all, this guy was a dude. How could I tell? Well his skinny jeans are a little "lumpy" in a certain area. He was hanging on the train pole.
They both had the bracelets on their wrists
The two of them smile and greet me.
"Hello, nice to see there are more people here than us!" The red haired girl exclaimed
"Yeah, I was feeling totally creeped out by this weird atmosphere the train was giving off and the strange notes we got. It's like totally something from a Horror movie am I right?" The feminine dude added.
Huh, it seems they also got the notes, but judging from the previous notes, it won't be any help. Though I am curious about the titles. Well might as well, greet them before asking questions I suppose.
"Kuroshiro Yoshimura. Ultimate Graffiti Artist. You guys?" I keep my sentences quick and simple.
The red haired girl smiled, "Hi there! My name's Ayumi Amori. I am the Ultimate Cheerleader! I hope you we get along!" She seemed to bounce at her last proclamation.
Well the girl does seem to have the energy and spirit, I can tell her that. And from the looks of it, she might be a little bit of an airhead. I bet she brings smiles to whoever is around her.
How annoying.
The feminine dude chuckled at the girl's greeting. "Well aren't you just full of sunshine?"
The red haired girl laughed at the feminine dude's statement.
"Anyway, I'm Nathan C. Valentin my talent is the Ultimate Pole Dancer, but you can call me whatever you'd like~"
My body shivered at the last part. Was this guy trying to be a creep? Because it's working.
I shake off some horrifying thoughts in my head and keep a straight face. These guys are annoying, but they might have some info, sadly.
"Do you know anything about these bracelets?"I asked.
They both give a shrug.
"Honestly, I'm not sure. Aren't we supposed to go the front of this train or something?" The red haired girl asked.
"Well that was what the message on the bracelet said, but honestly I'm like very skeptical about it." The Feminine dude added.
"What do you guys mean?"
"Well…" the red haired girl thought for a moment, "Why do we have to go in the first place?"
"Yeah like even if we wanted to the way to the front is blocked."
"Blocked? What do you mean?"
If the way forward is blocked, then I would need to figure out how to get through if I'm ever going to find out what's going on.
"Well…" the girl paused for a moment "...There was just this big statue or something standing by the door and no matter what we did it didn't move. It was almost like… it was alive."
"Yeah it was like totally spooky!" So we just went back and tried the other way but Ayumi baby wouldn't let us go because apparently saw a dog in there!"
The girl's eyes watered up a little "... dogs are scary…"
They must be talking about Wolfy. I snickered at the thought.
She's scared of the wuss? Now that's funny.
I took a moment to assess the information they gave me about this "statue". How it was apparently big and alive seemed to conclude that it might be a person, and I should know since I know someone who fits that description. But I doubt it's who I think it is. After all, what are the odds of him being on this train.
I try to sound confident in my head and doubt the odds, but then again, this is the crazy school that allows these weirdos like him in, so it's still possible… unfortunately. I put my hand to my face again.
"If I have to deal with that idiot again…" I mutter to myself
"Is something wrong?" The redhead asks, her face with worry.
"Hm? Oh it's nothing to be concerned about." I wave my hand to shoo her off, "Thanks for the info Redhead."
"R-Red Head?" The girl seemed to be confused.
Do I seriously have to explain it again? Yeesh this is turning into such a pain. Well might as well make it quick.
"Hate remembering names. Use Nicknames. Shut Up."
The girl seemed to be slightly shocked and frowned at me.
"Aw Kuro-baby, you don't have to be so rude. But hey I find the nickname thing all cute~. What's mine sugar?" He asked seductively.
In return I gave him a deadpan stare.
"Stripper." I bluntly said. That's basically what he is after all.
Redhead looked at me wide eyed and the Stripper man looked at me with a crooked smile, a cold sweat dripping down on the side of his head.
"...What?" He seemed to be confused at my statement so I decided to say it again.
"You're Nickname is Stripper. Simple as that."
The guy winced at my statement.
"You know I really hate to be called a Stripper, so could you please not call me that?" He tried to ask nicely, but I could tell that he was grinding his teeth.
Was he mad? Well it's too late for that I suppose, I'm not taking back what I said. It's the truth after all.
Meanwhile Redhead was just standing there unsure of how to defuse the situation, but it was already too late as I decided to put the final nail on the coffin.
"What's Wrong with Calling a stripper a stripper? It's like saying Roach is not a Bug."
My last sentence was apparently the last straw as the guy was fuming. He comes up close to me and to yells at my face."CALL ME A STRIPPER ONE MORE TIME I FUCKING DARE YOU!" His eyes were locked on to me fueled with rage. His near 180 almost made me jump back from surprise if I wasn't prepared for it. Still I couldn't help but laugh, the fact he gets worked up over something like that was hilarious.
Not that I'm much better, it's just fun to see others be like that.
"WHAT'S SO FUNNY ASSHOLE!?" The stripper, who was still pissed, furiously asked me before trying to hoist me by my collar. But, as I was taller, it looked a little awkward. I found it irritating that he was touching me though. As for Redhead, she looked like she was about to intervene and try to stop the feud. But just like before she was already too late, as I shove him aside heading for the next car.
"HEY I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!" The stripper tried to reapproach me only to be blocked off by Redhead who finally stepped in to stop him. She looked like she was about to cry as she was lecturing him, but I honestly didn't care to pay much attention.
Believing that I was about done here as well, I decided to give them one last remark before I leave them be.
"Thanks for the info. Not that you guys did much."
...Car #5…
Leaving the last car and passing through the vacant car after, I enter the what seems to be the 5th car of this train. Once there, I come across the so called "Statue", that Redhead and Stripper were talking about.
The "Statue" was covered from head to toe in Golden Paint; wearing a matching top hat and shorts. However it lacked any shirt, so it's torso was exposed. It was also wearing boots as well and had blonde hair. A black bracelet was on his left wrist. The statue was facing the wall in a strange pose.
I pinch the tip of my nose in irritation as I stared at the "Statue" blocking the door to the next car.
"This idiot…" I mumble to myself. I was fully aware of WHO this statue was, and he was NOT a statue.
His name is Yukata Matsumoto, he's a street performer who poses around the streets as one of those living statues. I usually call him Shades because he always wears apparently came from somewhere far away and got lost as a kid when he was on vacation with his parents. He ended up being raised by some old man off the streets, who was also a street performer. But that's all I really know. The only reason I got to know him I usually ran into him a lot since we worked around the same area. Eventually he noticed my artwork and gave me a note to give him a better paint job than the normal yellow or brown he plastered on himself. So since then, we were business partners. However, I don't really consider him a friend.
Judging, by my previous encounters I assume he's an ultimate as well; possibly the Ultimate Street Performer. This school is definitely just picking weirdos off the street if they're gonna freaks like Wolfy or Shades. But hey, I won't judge if you wanna move around as a target for bird poop, in fact I find it hilarious if that happens.
"Hey. Shades." I call out to him bringing his attention. Shades was always a shy person, so he would never try to talk with anyone. That's practically one of the reasons I can tolerate him better than other people.
He shook a little at the sound of my voice and gave me a quick glance before turning around. And in that split second, I noticed a crucial detail that was missing from him.
"Where's your Sunglasses?" I ask. I could hear a slight whimper coming from him when a I said that.
That's weird, normally Shades has his shades, so where are they? That's probably why he has his face to the wall; trying to avoid eye contact.
Shades had a problem with looking at people, so he wore sunglasses to cover his face. I learned from experience, that when he takes his glasses off near people he would usually panic. So the only way for him to usually cooperate was to get his glasses back on. But I haven't seem to find any items like that on my way here, and I don't really want to go backtrack and deal with all those idiots again.
Trying to figure out what to do, I look down and see my own sunglasses hidden in my Hood Pockets. Pulling them out I give out another sigh. "Ok look man" I try to get his attention again, "You can use my own glasses for now if you let me pass, got it?"
Shades turned around his hazel eyes staring at the sunglasses for brief moment before putting them on. He seemed to have calmed down now as he stood face to face with me.
"Just give them back when you're done, got it?"
He stares back at me before pulling his hat and showing a paper. I pull it out and read it.
"Thank you Kuroshiro, I owe you big time! :)"
"Really? Emojis?" I give him an annoyed look. "Well whatever, just let me go now."
Shades moved aside; opening the way for the next door. Afterwards he gets into another weird pose.
Is now really a good time to act like a statue? I scowl at his strange pose and walk out the door.
...Car #2…
Moving through the next few empty cars, I make it all the way to the second to first car. Beyond that should be the destination that strange bracelet told me to go, and hopefully some real answers as to what's going on.
I took this time, as I walking, to collect my thoughts and from all my findings so far, I concluded that we're all unaware of what's happening right now and that we all have these weird bracelets as well as titles. What could they possibly mean?
"Not to mention where the hell is this train going in the first place." I couldn't help but blurt out. I ended up stopping dead in my tracks, after realizing what I just said out loud.
Now that I think about it… where was this train headed on the first place? Was it going to Hope's Peak? I never even thought of where this train was heading in the first place. This is quite troubling indeed.
I continued to walk through the car. Unfortunately, I failed to notice the people calling out to me when I was spacing out and thinking to myself. They weren't pleased with my ignorance though as one of them literally grabbed me from behind and boogied my head. I regain my sense of reality as I struggle trom their grip.
"H-Hey Get off! This actually hurts!" I scream out as I try to get away. But this person was strong and their grip didn't loosen.
"Hey, it's rude to ignore two beautiful girls like that! It's only fair if I tease ya!" A feminine voice called out.
"No it's not!" I yelled at my attacker. "Who are you!?"
"Let him go Yuki, I think l'homme has had enough." A more assertive voice responded, chuckling a little.
"Eh? Seriously Lucille? Well Alright I suppose." The girl seemed to sound a little sad but she suddenly stopped; letting me go.
Free at last I turn around to see two slightly tanned girls staring at me with smirks in their faces.
The girl on the right who seemed to be my attacker had a medium rectangular,round face, and brown almond eyes. She had shoulder length black hair with white tips and long bangs that covered her forehead; sweeping to the right. Most of it was covered by a long light grey beanie though. She was wearing an open white parka light brown fur on hood and cuffs that had little to no had a dark blue t-shirt, black snow pants with the outer zipper vents open and black snow boots with matching fur at the top. She looked like she was getting ready for winter.
As for the other girl she had a thin, toned body with long limbs and a moderate bosom. She had blonde hair done in a short ,boyish cut and green eyes. There was also a behind her left ear. She was wearing a red F-1 Racer suit. The top having white lines going along the sleeves to the shoulder and numerous sponsor patches all around it. The most prominent one was a stylized "B" and "L" done in the shape of a clock tower bell, on the back. The pants are cut for her body and, like the top, are red and have a white stripe going up the legs to the waist. The shoes are simple white, low-top sneakers without treads. She also had a gold locket around her neck. She had the look and attitude of a tomboy.
They both had the bracelets on their wrists as well.
"Sorry about that" The beanie wearing assaulter apologized, "People always said I have trouble respecting people's personal space, but I just can't help it." She gives me a goofy smile. "So who are you anyway? Are you an ultimate as well?"
"Do I really have to say it?" I was starting to get tired of talking with people, and I just wanted to leave.
The Blonde Tomboy replied, "Hey no need to be so impolite, we just want to know who you are."
"Well I don't want to know who you are." I reply
"Oh Allez!" She shouted, she seemed to be speaking French, though I didn't understand what she said, I could assume she was starting to get impatient. "It's not that hard to apprendre à connaître! So just say it!"
"Alright fine." I quickly give up, seeing as how she didn't want to let me go just yet. "Kuroshiro Yoshimura. Ultimate Graffiti Artist. There are we done?" I was also losing my patience.
"Hey let us introduce ourselves first!" The beanie girl answered.
"Fine. Make it quick." I answer back. "I'm a little busy at the moment and I want to get to the front of the train as soon as possible. I show my visible irritation with the two girls and they frowned.
"Grossière…" The tomboy mumbled. For some reason I felt like those words were directed towards me, and not in a good way. Not that I cared of course.
The beanie girl didn't notice though and greeted me with open arms.
"My name is Yuki Sanmyaku, the Ultimate Snowboarder!" She stretched her arms out, and held her left wrist with her right hand. "Let's do something fun!" She stopped stretching and gave me a thumbs up.
"No thanks" I give her a dismissive look
"Yeah, well aren't you a buzzkill." The Beanie girl didn't look pleased with my answer.
"Don't let him get to you Yuki." The tomboy. "He's just a grouchy con."
For some reason I think she just called me a dick.
"Well anyway, Bonsoir Kuroshiro, I'm Lucille DuCarde, the Ultimate Formula-1 Racer, and just so you know, I think you're an asshole." She offered her hand towards in a truce-like manner, "But as classmates, I hope we can still get along.
I slap away her hand. "Yeah, hope we get along swimmingly!" My words were sarcastic, showing my disinterest in her proposal.
She shook her head, "Heh, suits yourself… peigne-cul." She mumbled a little at the end, and again I felt like she was insulting me. Oh well.
They show no signs of further interest in me as they start to talk with each other.
"Now then Madamoiselle… shall I escort you to the train?" The tomboy said flirtatiously
"Oh, well aren't you the charmer." The beanie looked pleased with her gestures. "Sadly, I must decline, I ain't no damsel in distress after all."
"Ooooh?" The tomboy raised her brow in interest. "Then how about a challenge?"
"Challenge?" The beanie head perked up at the tomboy's proposal. "What do you suggest?"
The tomboy pointed to the final car. "First one to the front car wins. Whoever loses has to do what the winner says, deal?"
"Deal" The beanie girl replied.
And then all of a sudden both of them dashed towards the first car in huge burst of speed. I, who was stupidly standing near them, ended up being knocked back and falling to the floor. They left a trail of dust as they passed by, and entering the last car. From my position, I couldn't tell who came in first, but what I could tell was… that hurt.
I groan as I get up and dust myself off. "Jeez, I can't just catch a break can't I?" I shake my head as I continue to walk to the last car and catch up with those hot headed morons.
Everyone in this train was all vibrant and colorful, each of them with varying qualities and talents. The very fact that this train had nothing but them here made me sick to my stomach.
"Hopefully once this train stops, I can finally be left alone again." I say to myself.
I never liked to deal with people. How they laughed, how they cried, how they always try to support each other. I never liked any of it.
I don't need anyone, and I they don't need me.
Meeting all these faces, all these so called Ultimates, they just took my precious time. They didn't even give me decent information.
Just goes to show you that in the end, you can rely on only yourself.
I put my headphones back on and pull out my iPod. Luckily I still had this with me. Turning on some music; I head to the first car, to see if I can finally find out what's going on.
…
And that ends the intro for the first unknown players of the game.
What are your impressions on the characters so far?
What do you think is going to happen?
Is the Protagonist an asshole?
Well kinda.
Anyway, I'll get to work on the second wave of players so catch you guys soon