Author's Note: Hey, peeps! New month and another new chapter!
Finished watching Danganronpa 3 and hey, it was one hell of a ride. Yeah, I'm aware that it suffered from its flaws and stuff, but it really gave us a satisfying ending. In know there are some people who didn't even like it, but after the shit these characters went through, is it much better that they should have a happy ending for once? And it delivered. So yeah, Side Hope, for me, is a great episode. It was floundering with hope!
Nowadays I am enjoying reading other fanfics, mostly the other Danganronpa stories and crossovers. And of course, the upcoming Danganronpa V3 game, where I finally found who are my favorite characters in that game, even its release will be next year.
So okay, here is the sixth chapter of Act I!
Disclaimer: I never owned Danganronpa or Metal Gear Solid.
Chapter 6: Homa
Guideline:
+Pashto+
Onboard Pequod
Afghanistan airspace
12:30 pm
Homa slowly opened her eyes as she woke up. That is because of the somewhat loud music she heard inside the chopper. The Hamid girl looked around. She saw Venom Snake on a seat and smoking a special cigar where the smoke is somewhat holographic. She looked in front of her and saw the one who rescued her.
It was Mukuro, still in her Sneaking Suit.
In addition, she was eating a ration.
Wondering what time it is, she turned to the eyepatched mercenary and asked, "Um, what time is it?"
"It is past noon." the eyepatched man replied.
When Mukuro saw the girl woke up, she said to the Afghan girl, "Hey, you're awake." Then Mukuro picked up a ration from the storage and handed it to her.
"You need to eat lunch. You have slept for so long. It's been 12 hours." she commented.
Homa took the ration from Mukuro and then the freckled girl handed her a water canteen.
"Here." she said.
"Thanks." the Afghan girl took the water canteen as starts eating her lunch.
"After we finish eating, you gonna tell us what you know. If... if you're fine with that..." Mukuro told Homa.
Homa turned her eyes on the freckled soldier. "Huh? No, that is fine. It's also part of my debt to you." She said with as smile.
She returned the smile and said, "Very well, then." Moreover, both of them continued eating lunch while Snake is still smoking on his cigar. Homa turned to Snake and tried to ask Mukuro.
"Hey, um, is that man smoking?"
Mukuro turned to Homa, her mouth being full. After she gulped the food in her mouth, she answered, "Yes, he does."
"But... I never smelled anything from that cigar. And the smoke, it's more like-"
"Holographic?" Mukuro finished the Afghan girl's sentence. "Yeah, that is what they call a 'Phantom Cigar'."
"Phantom...Cigar?" Homa wondered.
"It's... a different cigar and instead of tobacco, they used the wormwood plant." Mukuro tried to explain. "To be honest I didn't even try it, until now."
"Oh." Homa said.
"Um, maybe we should finish our lunch, eh?" Mukuro tried to shrug it off.
"Uh, okay." Homa also did the same as went on eating both of their lunch.
*Mukuro's POV*
After we finished eating lunch, both of us took breather. Moreover, since everything is clear and a bit of silence, Snake decided to begin.
"Alright, where do we start?"
"Homa?" I turned to the Afghan girl.
"Yes." She nodded. "But first, let me introduce myself. Again, I go by the name of Homa. In addition, I am part of the Hamid Mujahideen fighters here in Afghanistan. I was one of the young fighters who fought the Soviet infidels ever since."
"When did you start being a Mujahid?" Snake asked.
"Two years ago." Homa answered. "I was 15 years old back then. My family and I lived a peaceful life in our village. The Soviets invaded Afghanistan back in 1979 and it alarmed us. We still managed to live in peace… until 3 years after the invasion."
"You mean-"I tried to speak yet she cut me off.
"Yes." I see that she answered with a nod. "Our village is destroyed by those Soviet infidels. Some of the villagers died, but most of us forced to flee our homes. We evacuated to Peshawar and settled there for a while."
"Peshawar… it's a town in Pakistan." I said. "And as far as I know, it's just near between the Afghan borders."
"And that's where the Hamid group came from." Snake commented.
"Correct." she pointed out due to Snake's comment. "During my stay in Peshawar, not only I studied in a school but I also trained with the Hamid. They saw me how I fight so they decided to put me into their ranks. For the days I spend with them, we are like a family and I treat my fellow Hamid as my brothers.
"Those two years in Peshawar prepared me for war, which is against the Soviet infidels, to take back our land. My comrades and I engaged in jihad or 'holy war', using guerrilla warfare against the invaders. Yes, the Soviets have their weapons, choppers, and tanks. Nevertheless, we never back down from a fight.
"Until the Americans approached us and brought in a new weapon. Many of my comrades were at marvel when they tried the new weapon and how it works."
"And that weapon is the 'Honey Bee'…" I guessed as I looked at the 'Stinger' missile prototype.
"Exactly," She confirmed. "We used rocket-propelled grenades against Soviet tanks and armoured vehicles, but we shot down most of the Soviet aircraft with the 'Honey Bee'. Therefore, you could say that this could lead to the turning point of the war…
…until that day."
"That is where the attack occurred…" Snake spoke up.
"Yes." Homa answered. "I was stationed in Da Smasei Laman and we fought off the attacking Soviet forces. However, the enemy we faced… is unlike any other. It's more like a plague; a scourge."
"You mean the Skulls…" Snake said.
"Is that what you call them?" the Afghan girl asked and I answered with a nod.
"Alright, I'll continue then." I saw Homa took a deep breath as she continues to tell her story. "We managed the hold off the Soviets' advance while defending our fort. Then moments later, a strange mist has covered the whole fortress. We do not know where it came from, but I told my comrades to keep our eyes open, because at the time when that mist appeared, I always thought to myself 'I had a bad feeling about this…'"
"Then what happened next?" This time I asked Homa.
Homa looked me into the eye and answered, "They came. The Skulls, as you called them, have appeared and attacked us. My fellow mujahid are helpless against them and killed one by one. I tried to fight back, but they were too fast and too strong. And worse…"
I saw her seethe. Homa is damn pissed.
"I stood there watching my fellow Hamid die. It was not even a battlefield; it is more like a massacre.
"I tried to help, but… they told me to run away. I insist on helping them but… I felt my legs are shaking. Then one of the Skulls appeared in front of me, I tried to shoot him but he was too fast! It tried to kill me using his knife. However, it gave me the chance to run away just to save my own life. I kept running and running, very far from the fortress, from my comrades, my people…"
Snake and I remain in silence as we continued to listen. I saw Homa's emotions mixed up with anger… and sorrow.
"That is until I wander within the mountains. I cannot even find water or food, until I passed out; my legs gave away and I pass out, waiting for my death. I have no idea how many days I passed out but when I woke up, I realized that not just I am still alive but I am in Wialo Kallai, which is now a Soviet outpost."
"So you're under interrogation when they put you prisoner…" Snake guessed.
"Yes," Homa nodded. "Day and night they keep on torturing me; they keep on asking questions about where is the American weapon's location. But I never said a word or any of it."
"Wow, you're really tough, huh?" I remarked. "You're still a fighter even if you're captured…"
"H-hey, it's not like that." Homa chuckled. Seems there is a change of mood going on around here.
Then the Afghan girl continued, "Actually, the reason I still keep holding on is their last words before I ran. It still engrained in my heart…"
Flashback
During the Skull's attack at the Hamid encampment
Da Smasei Laman
+"Run, Homa!"+ One of the Mujahid told the girl as the Skulls' slaughter continues.
+"No! I can't leave you here!"+ Homa tried to refuse
+"Please, get out of here!"+ Her fellow Mujahid pleaded. "You must not die!"
Homa still insist, +"I would rather die fighting rather to run away!"+
But her fellow Hamid fighter puts his hands on the girl's shoulders, +"Listen to me, Homa! You are too young to die! You must live! We do not even know if we will die here, but remember this: You must live to fight another day for our land, for our freedom! +
+"You may fall, but you will rise again. You will come back to fight them once again, but you will become stronger than ever. That is what your name means."+
+"B-But-"+
+"You must go, child; whether we live or die, it does not matter. We die fighting, even if it's hopless." the Hamid fighter calmly replied. "Remember, Allah will always be with you…"+
In all of a sudden, a Skull stabbed the Hamid fighter in the abdomen. It made Homa tremble, but the Hamid fighter still managed to bring his last words to her.
+"P-please…promise me… when you return…in Allah's name… AVENGE US!"+
The Hamid fighter is dead as its lifeless body is now on the ground.
With nothing to lose, the Afghan girl began to run.
Present Day
Inside Pequod
"'You must live', that is their final words to me. As if they try to give me hope, a hope to fight rise up and fight once more," she said. "That is for the freedom of Afghanistan from Soviet rule. I know that we are not the ones who fought the Soviets in this war. There are different groups out there."
"But you always keep on thinking about your comrades, right?" I told Homa.
"Yes, I still am clinging into the hope that perhaps, I mean, perhaps some of them were spared or still alive." Homa continued as she turned to me. "That is why I refused to come with you in the first place, askar."
"Well, that makes sense." I pondered. "You have revenge in your mind."
"Yes," she nodded. "But when I returned at Smasei, I found out that it became a Soviet base. However, I am still bent on revenge; I want to take down the base… all by myself."
"You're trying to be a one-woman guerrilla?" I heard Snake made a comment.
"Why'd you ask, Big Boss?" I saw Homa stared at Snake.
"That's so brave of you." he gruffed. "But guerrilla warfare works in small groups; you can't do it all by yourself. It's too risky."
Homa huffed. "At least I tried to! Actually, I managed to kill some of them all by myself… while trying not to get spotted. When the time I was captured, that is where I learned the truth."
"Then how?" I asked.
"When I was incarcerated, they tortured me. One bilingual Soviet soldier came in front of me, he said that all of my fellow Hamid, my comrades… are dead. Then something had hit me: I remember about the Skulls attack. I am starting to lose hope after I heard it from that soldier. I am waiting for my death, until you arrived and took me in here." She was pointing to me. "And that's all I have to tell you…"
"At least we know what's going on, but don't look so gloomy, kid." Snake tried to console her. "We have one of the Hamid in our ranks. The mute one, I mean."
Then suddenly, I saw Homa surprised about what she heard from Snake. "Wait, you mean Pesah?"
I raised my eyebrow as I repeated the word, "Pesah?"
"Yes, I used to call him with that name since he is mute." Homa confirmed as she turned to Snake. "Is he with you?"
"Yes." I saw Snake nodded. "That man helped us out about the actual location of the 'Honey Bee'. Then I sent him to Mother Base."
"I can never tell how thankful I am." Homa made a sigh of relief. "He's like a brother to me; one time I am teaching him how to do sign language and he's still learning."
"You know, it really warms my heart." I mused.
"Well, you're welcome." Homa chuckled.
"When we get to Mother Base, you will go meet him." Snake told Homa, smiling. "I promise."
"I am grateful. Thank you so much." Homa thanked us with gratitude.
"Don't mention it. We're just doing our job." I said.
"Like I said earlier; I decided to join your group." Homa continued. "However…"
She looked on Venom Snake.
"'Big Boss'; that's your name, isn't it?" Snake nodded.
"Before joining your army, I have one request. And I need your help to fulfil it…"
I raised my eyebrow when I heard it; then I ask, "What is it?"
The Homa looked back at me and her composure remained calm. She gave me a serious look.
Two days later
Diamond Dogs Mother Base
Seychelles Waters
10:00 in the morning
It is another day at Mother Base in the Seychelles. Most of Diamond Dogs' staff members are doing their own jobs: some of them are on patrol duty; others are in dispatch missions, mostly from the Combat Unit; and a number of them are doing their respective tasks. However, some of them also spend time training and sparring, with Revolver Ocelot as an observer. However, he is spending time at the target practice, pointing his Tornado-6 and fire a couple of shots.
However, he is not alone shooting. Beside him is none other than Yuto Kamishiro, his apprentice. The once little boy turned young spy keeps on shooting the target with his revolver until it runs out of bullets. Then he reloaded his revolver, spins it and fires in rapid succession while in a quick draw stance.
"Fancy shooting you got there." Ocelot complemented.
Yuto turned and smirked. "Am I pretty good?"
"Heh, I give you that." Ocelot answered. "But you need a little polish if you want to go on par with me."
"Yeah," Yuto said as he reloads his revolver. "I still have much to learn; even I'm now a capable spy and a soldier under your guidance. You're a very good teacher to me, old man."
Ocelot just smiled as he points his Tornado-6 revolver and fires a couple of times. Then the former 'Ultimate Spy' continued to speak while pointing his own revolver on the other target. "There is something that's bothering me a bit."
"Let me guess: is that about Fenrir's last mission where she and the 'Boss' faced the Skulls?" Ocelot asked.
"Yes. Once when Mukuro and I ended up in this world, we have always thought that fate has given us a second chance and start a new life here. However, we never expect that something from our past would go back and haunt us." Yuto stated.
"Like…?" Ocelot tried to ask.
Then something crossed into Yuto's mind as he aimed his revolver: a flashback on his past life.
His time at Hope's Peak Academy is just what a normal kid would do: studying, hanging out with friends and developing his/her own talent. In Yuto's case, that is what he did.
However, everything changed when the 'Tragedy of Hope's Peak' happened. The Student Council participated in the first Killing Game where they forced to kill each other, resulting in their own deaths. That is why he vowed to find out the truth about this tragic incident. That is also the time where he met an amnesiac named Ryoko Otonashi. A series of investigations and encounters with other people (including the Madarai brothers and Mukuro herself) have led him into the whole truth until he met his own demise at the hands of Yasuke Matsuda.
Going back into his senses, Yuto replied as he fired another shot. "One of those Skulls… is a former student."
"I see," Ocelot continued. "So the kid had a hard time, huh?"
"That means we are not alone. Aside from Mukuro and me, there is a possibility that some people from our world are hiding here somewhere. Either they are captured or forced into joining into different groups, I cannot even tell."
However, Ocelot reminded the boy. "What about that female staff member in the Combat Unit, Hummingbird? She is one of best we ever had until Ikusaba arrived; she also spend time training with the other recruits. But hey, you seem… very close"
"Oh right, the former P.E. teacher." the young spy noted yet taken aback about what his mentor said as he faced the latter. "And no, we're not even THAT close!" He deadpanned.
"Hmm." Ocelot huffed.
"More like a teacher-student relationship if you ask me; especially we are formerly both from Hope's Peak Academy.," the boy continued. "We even shared stories left and right, though."
Ocelot said nothing as he continued listening. Yuto spins his revolver and puts it back into his holster.
"But unlike me, she had seen it all; not just the 'Tragedy of Hope's Peak' but everything that happened after that. She told me about 'The Parade', which is actually a protest made by the Reserve Course Students of that school. Then later on, chaos came right after. Where it plunged our world into hell; more like an actual 'hell on earth' scenario."
"You mean the so-called 'Tragedy'?" Ocelot guessed.
"Yes," Yuto nodded. "But you know… there is something that worries me."
"What is it?" Ocelot asked. However, before Yuto makes an answer, both of them heard the whirrs of a helicopter as they looked up; the chopper Pequod makes its landing. The doors of the chopper opened as Snake, Mukuro, and the newly arrived Homa stepped into the helipad.
"Is this-?" Homa looked around but Mukuro cut her off.
"Yes. This is Diamond Dogs.," the black-haired girl said. "And this is our Mother Base."
"Looks like our boys got some time sparring." Snake commented as they continue walking to approach his men.
The soldiers' training session came into a halt when they saw their commander approaching them.
"Huh, Boss?"
"It's the Boss!"
"Boss!"
"The Boss has returned along with the kid."
"Wait, who's that new girl? Is she a new recruit?"
"I have no idea…"
The soldiers gathered as they salute Venom Snake, which the latter told his men to stand down. The men left into their respective duties. Ocelot saw 'Big Boss' as he shrugged, "Welcome back."
"Spending time training and in the shooting practice while I'm away?" Snake commented.
"Come on, you're the leader of the pack, Boss." Ocelot replied. "Folks would get worried if you're gone for too long."
Afterwards, Ocelot raised his revolver and aims at the target, destroying after that one shot. Then he puts his gun back on the holster.
"Whoa…" Yuto cannot help but to marvel about what his mentor did. Is it because of the gun's firepower or the shooter's skill? That makes him curious.
Ocelot walked towards the trio, with Shadow Rabbit following him. Then the white-haired man smiled.
"But anyhow," he turned to Mukuro. "I'm very glad that our very own 'Ultimate Soldier' returned safe and in one pieace… and along with a guest." The tactical instructor finally saw the Hamid girl.
"The mission went well, sir." Mukuro said. "Me and the 'Boss' encountered some… threats but we handled them."
"So all I can say is 'good job'!" Ocelot complemented. She smiled with the former's comment.
Homa stepped in and confronted Ocelot. "If I may ask, are you the one who is in charge here?"
Ocelot turned into the young Hamid and replied, "I'm one of the staff here; I'm just a tactical instructor. But if you're looking for the man in charge, he's right there with you." he said with a smirk.
Homa widened her eyes a bit. "Huh?" then she turned to Mukuro and all she did is to point to her left, smiling. Then Homa turned into the horned mercenary, smoking his 'Phantom Cigar'.
"That means you're…?"
Snake turned into the Hamid girl. "You're right, kid. I'm the one who heads this place."
"So there's a reason why the people here call you 'Boss'…," she said.
"You're damn right." Snake nodded, and then he approached Ocelot. "I want you to bring the Hamid girl to Kaz."
"Right," Ocelot nodded and then he called Homa, approaching her. "Hey, you're coming with me."
Homa looked at Ocelot, surprised. "I am?"
"Yeah, don't worry. This is not an interrogation. We want to introduce you to our XO. He's inside the building." Ocelot assured.
"Alright." said Homa. Then she turned to Snake as she continued, "I will tell you everything I know, and about my request. Isn't that right, Big Boss?"
"We'll find a way. Rest assured." Snake told her.
"Request?" the white-haired man asked.
"I wonder what it is…" Yuto added.
Snake walked into Ocelot and told him, "You'll find out soon enough." Then the horned mercenary motioned Homa to follow them as she starts walking towards them. Ocelot followed shortly after as he shrugged.
"Ikusaba." Snake called out Mukuro.
"Boss?" the girl answered.
"Take your R&R. We'll handle the rest for our new girl here." Snake smiled.
Then Homa turned to Mukuro. "See you later, melgéree." the Afghan girl waved as Mukuro waved back at her.
Now she and Yuto are the only ones left, with the latter approaching the freckled girl.
"Mission accomplished, right?" Yuto spoke up.
"Yeah." Mukuro nodded.
Yuto continued as he asked, "By the way, what is with Homa and her… 'Request'?"
"Well, I'll tell you about it… later." Mukuro smirked as she stretched up. "I need to take a shower." She walked past the young spy as Mukuro is going to her quarters.
"Heh, take your time, Miss Beautiful Soldier." Yuto said as he bowed.
*Mukuro's POV*
I stopped for a moment when I heard that. Then I turned to Yuto.
"W-What did you just call me?" I asked.
"Hey, I said 'beautiful'." I saw him smirking at me. "I mean you have the freckles and you're somewhat flat-chested, but-"
I cut him off when I started to giggle. Then a few moments later, I laughed. It is not a forced one or something hysterical. However, it is more like a wholehearted laugh. An honest one, I mean.
"Is there something funny?" Yuto raised his eyebrow.
I answered with a smile. "You know, Junko used to call me 'fat, stupid, and ugly'; and believing that it's me in a nutshell. However, I don't mind her calling me that, as long as she is happy.
I looked up at the sky as I continued. "But it doesn't matter to me anymore. Those days of being a tool and a loyal dog to her are now a memory to me. This was the first time I felt freedom. It is more like a clean slate, though. And besides, it's the first time someone called me 'beautiful'." I ended as I turned my eyes back on the young spy.
"Heh, a woman who spends her life fighting and overcoming any challenge she faced… is something that I admire. Perhaps you will end up becoming like 'her' one day." Yuto said as he walks toward me.
"Who's 'her'?" I asked.
"No, I'm not referring to your despair-obsessed twin sister." Yuto shook his head. I remained silent as I stared at him.
"Then who?" I asked again.
"Perhaps you will know a later time." He said.
"What?"
"To be honest, Ocelot knows a lot about that subject. It's much better if you go and ask him." Then he smirked as he continued, "But here's a clue: she's a soldier, just like you; and on top of that, she's a legend."
"Really?" Then Yuto nodded.
"Okay, I'm going back to my room." I began to walk away, but I am not finished. "Oh yeah, you'll get your answer on Homa. Don't worry."
"See you around!" He called out.
As I keep on walking, there are many thoughts jumbled on my mind. The thought of seeing my sister again, rescuing Homa for good and her 'request', and of course my conversation with Yuto. Aside from calling a soldier like me being 'beautiful', he also mentioned a 'legendary soldier', but who is it?
Hm, no matter, that would be for a later time.
Inside a gym
Combat Platform
Diamond Dogs Mother Base
Seychelles Waters
2:00 in the afternoon
The Combat Platform is the home of the Combat Unit, the main fighting/sneaking force and a source of income for Diamond Dogs. Those who belong to the Combat Unit deployed into hotspots in every part of the world to take on various jobs. Escorts, breaking through blockades, search and destroy, holding the line, sneaking through enemy lines, security, etc. They are serious of doing their work and they made sure that their job or mission is a success. They are ready to put their lives on the line; it doesn't even matter whether they end up injured or death. They are soldiers. They are mercenaries, they are free to do and fight whatever and wherever they want. Nevertheless, for these people, they were the toughest of the bunch, one of the best.
Inside the Combat Unit platform are a series of rooms, including a gym for these soldiers to train and condition their bodies, to prepare themselves for any conflict or mission they have to face. However, there are sounds of fists pounding a punching bag, revealing that it was a woman who trained herself alone, sweat glistening over her upper body.
The woman had brown short hair and had dark grayish eyes. She wears a black mid sports bra, black shorts, and equipped with fingerless training gloves used for boxing and a pair of ankle support socks. Her skin is flawless and a fit and toned body.
Normal and strong punches are her current routine of training. However, her mood changed when she began to do furious strikes on the punching bag. The woman's mind fuelled with anger and rage as she keeps on punching…
…Until she performs a right straight on to the punching bag. The sheer force of her punch has echoed the whole gym. Exhausted, she took a deep breath to clear herself up. The woman walked into a stool where she took her towel to dry off the sweat from her head. As she placed the towel between her shoulders, she picks up a bottle of water and drinks it to rehydrate herself.
After replenishing herself, she walks into one of the tables near the wall and picks up her iDroid. As she opens it, she selects the "Mother Base Menu" and looks at the profile of each Combat Unit staff member, until she recognized a familiar figure.
It was none other than the profile of Mukuro Ikusaba, codenamed 'Fenrir/Fenris Wolf'.
At first, she could not believe it until Yuto came into her and explained everything. Because for her, the recent Diamond Dogs newcomer is not only a part of the 78th Class of Hope's Peak Academy and the 'Ultimate Soldier', but one of the people (along with her sister Junko) behind the so-called 'tragedy' that destroyed their world, plunging into despair. She would never forget
She frowned as she muttered, "Mukuro Ikusaba…"
She clenched her right hand as she slightly crumpled the bottle.
"You have a long way to go to atone for your sins," she muttered in silent anger. "If you can, you're going through me…"
CHAPTER END
EXTRA FILES (RADIO)
1. The Shadow Rabbit Tapes #1: The 'Tragedy' and Death…. and Life
Yuto: Since I've told you my story of how I died and end up here, how about you tell me yours?
Mukuro: Um, I don't know how I'm gonna explain it…
Yuto: Why is that?
Mukuro: Not just it's a bit… complicated, but perhaps that this would be a long story…
Yuto: Heh, be my guest. I'm an intel guy, after all.
Mukuro: Okay, let's start with the 'Tragedy'.
Yuto: The 'Tragedy', huh? Okay, go on.
Mukuro: You're indeed interested, huh?
Yuto: *chuckle* you got that right. Something to take note for… future references.
Mukuro: *sigh* Alright. When I entered into the room where Yasuke Matsuda was in, I found out that he was killed at the hands of Junko, where she is regaining her memories.
Yuto: Ryoko Otonashi…
Mukuro: After series of events, including the brainwashing of the 77th Class, we go all out and spread despair over the world.
Yuto: Wait, you said the Class 77-B were 'brainwashed'?
Mukuro: Right. Junko used a brainwashing video to drive the class into despair. And as far as I've known, Class 77-B witnessed the death of one of their classmates: their class representative, Chiaki Nanami.
Yuto: Chiaki Nanami? She's the "Ultimate Gamer", right?
Mukuro: Correct. And since she's the one who holds their class together, she's the final and perfect piece for Junko's scheme to make it work, and it did.
Yuto: That's some horrible shit right there.
Mukuro: Long story short, the whole of Class 77-B have turned into the "Remnants of Despair". And Operation: Worldwide Despair had begun a.k.a. 'The Tragedy'.
Yuto: Okay, so what happened next?
Mukuro: Then Headmaster Jin Kirigiri came up with a plan – do you know the old building of Hope's Peak Academy?
Yuto: Yeah, I remember.
Mukuro: The old building turned into a shelter and I, Junko, and the whole 78th Class helped out. Afterwards, we take the next of Junko's plan.
Yuto: And what's that?
Mukuro: We erased their memories. Then Junko took the role as the mastermind and started the "Killing School Life", with me disguising as her. And our 'headmaster' is a talking monochrome bear named Monokuma.
Yuto: "Killing School Life"? "Monokuma"? Can't believe that your sister is just that ridiculous.
Mukuro: But that's who she was, no joke. Oh yeah, that Monokuma was a robot bear.
Yuto: Uh, okay.
Mukuro: Now, moving on - Junko told me that the purpose of the game is for our classmates to kill each other. Of course, just for the sake of despair. Since I played the Junko role, I have no choice but to try to interact with everyone, including Makoto Naegi. You know, interacting with people wasn't my thing… until I got here, that is.
Yuto: Okay, I know that.
Mukuro: When Junko announced through Monokuma about Sayaka Maizono's death-
Yuto: Wait up! You mean the 'Ultimate Idol' was murdered?
Mukuro: Yeah, and she is the first victim. I have no idea who killed her. Only Junko knows since she is the one who watches us at that time.
Yuto: Damn…
Mukuro: We gathered inside the auditorium of the old Hope's Peak building. Then Junko through Monokuma made an announcement: the students will conduct a 'Class Trial' where we should find the culprit; if we do, the culprit will be executed. But if we get the wrong guy, all of us will be executed and the culprit gets scot free. That is the rules of that game.
Yuto: Never thought that the girl I've met who lost her memories is also a despair-obsessed bitch.
Mukuro: During that time, I walked forward and argue with Monokuma. But it was all an act.
Yuto: An act?
Mukuro: Right. Junko came up with this idea that we agreed with - Monokuma would trap me in a dungeon in order to "set an example" for the students not to directly rebel against him.
Yuto: So you stick up with her plan?
Mukuro: Hmm, not quite. It's just the opposite, actually.
Yuto: Wait, you mean-
Mukuro: She killed me, for real.
Yuto: Oh.
Mukuro: I mean, I've memorized the whole scenario and I'm expecting for a different outcome. But when that happened, it caught me off guard. I never expected that she would kill me.
Yuto: …
Mukuro: At first, I have no idea if she betrayed me or she was bored and all. Or perhaps, she did this in order to bring her despair… and to myself. But it's too late for me to comprehend and to think and question myself, because I died.
Yuto: Ouch. You've gone through a lot. So you're telling me that you, along with your sister Junko, caused all of those horrible things? You helped her and that is what she gave you? That's insane! *sigh* Perhaps 'she' is right…
Mukuro: 'She'?
Yuto: Oh, nothing.
Mukuro: You know, it's too late to ask her if she loves me or not.
Yuto: As a sister; as your own family. If you ask me, it's like someone who comes to you and says "I love you", and then when you turn away, that same asshole will just stab you at the back! That is what happened to you, is it?
Mukuro: Heh, you could say that.
Yuto: What kind of sisterly love is it? Adding up despair in that kind of relationship can make you become sick and twisted.
Mukuro: …
Yuto: But you know I am glad.
Mukuro: Huh?
Yuto: Despite of everything you've done, seems you want to redeem yourself.
Mukuro: That's what I'm doing right now. It's because of Makoto, though. Speaking of that boy, I even asked Junko if I should kill him, but she wouldn't let me.
Yuto: And why is that?
Mukuro: Because Junko saw him as 'unpredictable'. And perhaps he is the one who will beat her one day. I wonder what happened…
Yuto: Who knows, perhaps it happened.
Mukuro: I can't even tell either. When I opened my eyes, I found out that I was in Afghanistan, until the 'Boss' rescued me.
Yuto: I know. I came into this place to start anew; a clean slate. While you, it's not just a fresh start and a clean slate; but you want to take that 'second chance' for redemption, is that it?
Mukuro: Since I am now fighting for myself, I am now fighting to redeem myself.
Yuto: You have a long way to go…
2. Homa's Tapes #1: The Hamid Fighters
Homa: You are familiar with the Mujahideen, right?
Mukuro: Those are Islamic guerrillas. They are in small groups; they don't even belong in a single organization.
Homa: Exactly. You know that Afghanistan is a multiethnic country. You've got the Pashtuns, the Tajiks, Uzbeks, Hazaras...And each of them is split into their own tribes, large and small. Each ethnicity has several rebel organizations that their various tribes gather under. They're united under the banner of "Jihad" or "holy war", but that doesn't mean we work like a single standing army.
Mukuro: Different groups, one goal.
Homa: I mean, just look at the area around Smasei Fort.
Mukuro: Okay…
Homa: A lot of Tajiks used to live there, but they fled after the Soviets started their 'scorched-earth' campaign.
Mukuro: 'Scorched earth'; a military strategy that targets anything that might be useful to the enemy while advancing through or withdrawing from an area. Every army used that throughout history, particularly the Russians; from Napoleon to World War II.
Homa: With the area uninhabited, the Hamid fighters, who are Pashtun, decided to move in. I was part of that Hamid unit so I also spend time inside Smasei.
Mukuro: Well, that makes sense.
Homa: You should know that since the Hamid are based in the city of Peshawar, the Pashtun people have long lived in Afghanistan and western Pakistan; they used to travel back and forth frequently. So you can say that they're a lot like neighbours.
Mukuro: Okay, so you managed to go back and forth as well, huh?
Homa: Yes. Then Britain went in and established the border that still stands today. And I found out that the Hamid fighters get generous support from the Pakistani government.
Mukuro: So the guerrillas got their support from the government…
Homa: Actually, the government of Pakistan wants to use the Hamid to secure influence over Afghanistan, perhaps for diplomatic reasons. Either way, I am fine about it. Because I thought that Afghanistan and Pakistan are neighbours. After me and my family evacuated, I treat Peshawar as my second home.
Mukuro: I see.
Homa: The reason why we got the Pakistani government's support is we got help from the Inter-Services Intelligence; ISI, for short.
Mukuro: Wait, you mean Pakistan's own intelligence agency? All I know is that ISI was founded by British Army General Robert Cawthome in 1948; a year after the American CIA was established.
Homa: Woah, I can't believe that you know all of this.
Mukuro: Hey, I am a soldier and a mercenary so I know a lot.
Homa: Hehe, figures. To be exact, both the CIA and ISI worked together during our war with the Soviets. And because of their mutual cooperation, we have the 'Honey Bee' in our hands.
Mukuro: Well, that explains everything. No wonder why the Soviets had a lot of trouble against you.
Homa: Yeah... until that incident happened. I totally lost hope when I learned the truth. But everything changed when you came... and brought me into Mother Base.
Mukuro: Oh, how about that request of yours?
Homa: About that, don't worry. They're working on it.
Author's Note: And it's the end of the 6th chapter.
So we focused on Homa's backstory and yes, I will introduce another new character in my story. You will find out in the next chapter to see what happens when Mukuro finally meets this new character; it's still related on her past. And it will take a chapter or two before the next mission. I'm still working on my Danganronpa x MGR crossover.
I'm also planning to make a special chapter and it's a Christmas-themed one. The best thing about it is also Mukuro's birthday! I'm not sure about how I will write it but who knows...
Don't forget to read and review!