AN: I have posted two chapters what is this? Remember to check the one before this to make sure you read it.
Day 33, 1521 Hours, Trial Room
The room was a movie set this time; or more accurately a sound stage, with the actual set off to one side and the podiums set up in the area where all the props and effects were set. The pictures of the recently deceased had joined those of the long dead; Jane and Chloe's pictures were set up with the customary plain red xs while Ferris had a red question mark over his portrait.
John took a moment to stare at the out of place marking before taking his spot in the circle, looking at the few classmates that remained. Alexander, Mary, Atsuko, and Paris; add him in and they had five out of sixteen students, with Ferris possibly six, wherever he was. However, that was something that was going to change very fast. Monokuma had already said his piece, probably calling them bastards while he was at it, and Alexander had not started the trial yet, no one had.
John cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention before he spoke, "So, Jane died sometime since the last trial, and with no clear time of death we can't say for sure if anyone had an alibi."
"How exactly did she die? Sure her neck was broken but did someone snap it or what?" Mary asked, shifting behind her podium as she spoke.
"I believe she died because she and the other person went over the balcony edge together," Paris said, "I think they landed on her and that's what broke her neck."
"What exactly makes you say that?" Alexander said, turning to look at the soccer player with a flat gaze.
"W-ell, we-ll, I-I-."
Seeing that Alexander was unsettling her and causing her stutter to take over, John decided to help Paris.
"If she had gone over on her own she probably would have been able to run, so the fact that she was exactly by the balcony suggest that her neck broke in the fall, which wouldn't normally happen but if someone else fell on top of her."
Paris nodded at John, swallowing before finally saying, "Yes, that's w-hat I wanted to say."
Alexander shrugged and fell silent, opting to let the others solve the trial from what John could see. When no one else jumped on the chance to speak John offered up the next thing he could think of.
"Jane was the attacker and was killed when the person defended themselves."
No one really reacted, which John felt was a bad sign. Normally the other students would give some indication that the information had some emotional impact, that they were invested in staying alive. No one seemed to care about what might be trial-, well, they had just started and he had spread the information around to, almost, everyone. He couldn't remember but he might have not told someone so the lack of reaction was suspicious, or maybe it was just apathy.
Either way, John could tell that he needed to just start talking and work through the information and hope for the best.
"How do you think it went down?" Paris asked as he steeled his resolve.
"I believe Jane waited in a position to ambush the next person to approach the file room, this had to be sometime after I left it, before nighttime yesterday," John said, pausing in case anyone wanted to accuse him, but no one did, letting him finish, "She retrieved a weapon I was unable to find," John gritted his teeth before continuing, "and lay in wait, leaping out and attacking when someone drew near; they fought until they went over the balcony, Jane died and the culprit ran away."
The others nodded, accepting his explanation without question. John looked amongst them for anyone who seemed ready to add on to his thoughts but they all seemed to be waiting for him to work through the trial before voicing any evidence they. Or maybe they were just going to go with whoever he pointed out as the culprit. They could also just want to die, to give up.
John decided to press on as the silence dragged on.
"Does anyone have their whereabouts for the past twenty-four hours? I was in my room for the most part and then I was with Atsuko up until we found Jane's body."
Paris spoke up right as he finished, wasting no time, "I was with Mary the entire time, we were in the art room, sorting through her art and well, I saw Jane look in on us for a moment before leaving."
Mary nodded, looking down to her hands, starting as she realized she had been scratching her hands. She lifted her hand to look at the blood she had drawn while Atsuko confirmed her whereabouts with John, adding that she too had spent time in her room.
They all turned to look at Alexander, who was staring off into the distance with a blank look. John called his name a couple of times before the tactician turned to look at him.
Alexander was silent a moment before he said, "I was in my room, going over what little information we have."
John nodded before deciding to move onto the next idea he had, since no one could definitely prove his, Atsuko's, or Alexander's alibi for the full time the murder could have occurred.
"There was definitely a struggle so there should be someone with some injury here, so everyone roll up your sleeves so we can inspect your arms."
John watched as everyone complied no one questioning him. John rolled his sleeves up as well, showing his injury free arms just look everyone else.
Exactly like everyone else. No one had any bruises on their arms or any other form of injury. Surely Jane would have been able to land at least some form of blow on the aggressor right? Well, maybe against him and Atsuko, but Alexander was a trained soldier, self-defense had to be a part of that right?
"Everyone lift your pant legs."
John looked over at Paris in surprise, as did everyone else.
"Jane could have kicked her attacker, so lift your pant legs," Paris said looking down at her feet.
John nodded at the logic behind the command, before complying; his example moving the others to follow suit. This time, there was someone with bruises. Alexander had a few discolored marks across his shins as he rolled the leg of his uniform up. There couldn't be any doubt about who was the most suspicious. Alexander was trained to probably disarm and subdue opponents, but caught off guard and if Jane was struggling enough and they moved just too close to the edge.
There wasn't any more time to consider this as Monokuma suddenly spoke up.
"Why are you guys being so boring? Where's the arguments, the passion? This is so boring I'm being put to sleep!"
"What did you expect as our numbers dwindled, we'd become panicky like Citizen Jane?" Alexander said, "No, this is us simply losing the ability to care about any of this anymore."
Monokuma scoffed before saying, "Well then, you all can just vote now if you're not going to put any effort into this."
There was a general murmur of relief, although John was slightly panicked by this. He only had the inkling that it was Alexander who killed Jane, and they hadn't definitively proved that the tactician had killed Jane but…maybe it was enough?
They were out of time now, and everyone was looking to him to cast the final vote. John had to pick Alexander, and did so, triggering the wheel to appear from the floor.
They watched as the Monokuma ball appeared and spun around the wheel, before slowing down. It came to a rest in front of John, and there was a loud buzzing sound. John looked up in horror, along with the others as Monokuma laughed upon his throne.
There was a sudden clunking sound and the entire wheel spun to face Alexander, before playing the usual fanfare.
"Upupuupu! Your faces are priceless! But, fortunately for you in the closest vote yet, you chose right in selecting Alexander Hayes the Ultimate Tactician!"
Alexander looked down, although John wasn't sure if it was from shame or disappointment. No one spoke as they all digested this information. John couldn't help but wonder who voted for him. He guessed Alexander might have to try and save his own skin, but then again he might not have. He doubted Paris would have voted for him, which left Mary and Atsuko.
John wasn't sure whether or not to feel betrayed. Then again, he probably had that coming considering whoever voted for him had probably paralleled his betrayal of trust to this crime. Probably some convoluted line of thought Ferris would have come up with, or Rowland could have thought of that too.
"I concede."
Alexander said this quietly, without emotion.
When no one said anything in response Monokuma sighed and said, "Wow, and here I was thinking our despair would actually be entertaining. Don't get me wrong it's awesome and the best thing ever but it's just not all I thought it would be."
Monokuma brought the gavel on the button, causing the words Alexander Hayes has been found guilty, Punishment commencing. Alexander didn't resist as he was dragged away by the chains, letting himself slide across the floor into the execution chamber.
M-Day
Alexander was dumped onto an indoor beach, an army of monochrome Shi-rus surging around him as they fought their way up the beach against an onslaught of Monokuma bots. It was an obviously one-sided battle, with the Shi-ru's going down in droves and for each Monokuma taken down two more appeared with more dangerous weapons. After observing this scene for a second, Alexander laughed. He reached down and picked up a fallen pistol from the ground. He put it in his mouth, and paused. The fighting seemed to slow as he stood, calmly, with the pistol in his mouth. Finally, he took the pistol out of his mouth and charged the Monokumas.
They opened fire on him with everything.
No one stood around to watch, and Monokuma didn't force them, only laughing in triumph as they walked away, crooning about the glorious despair.