A/N: Well, I finally got around to finishing this chapter of Zetzubou-Hen. This one will be the conclusion to the paintball fight from last chapter. I hope I did it justice, as I did try to include fights between several characters, though they all seem pretty lacking to me, but it was relatively fine, so I didn't feel the need to start over. This is a more light hearted chapter, especially after all of the despair that we've all been getting this past week. I don't know when the next chapter will be, but expect it soon. After this, there will be a small time skip, to a few weeks and will most likely be the events of Episode Two, at least with the Potion bit. I hope you all like this chapter as much as I liked writing it. Leave a review if you like it, or if you didn't...I don't care.
The End of Hope's Peak Academy
Zetzubou-Hen
Chapter 4
Daisuke's Colorful First Day
Part II
It had been twenty minutes since Daisuke and Ozzy had left the latter's house, heading toward the address that Chisa had sent him. He didn't know why, but he had grown very anxious. He was looking forward to this game, not only because it was a bonding experience but it was also because it had been a long time since he had actually done something of this nature, with a huge group of people no less. It was making his experience with his new classmates a little better than he thought it would be initially, and for that he couldn't complain.
Ozzy pulled the truck over after a few minute, looking around at the street signs, he hummed to himself, drumming his thumbs on the steering wheel. Daisuke looked at him, concern written on his face.
"Something wrong dude?" he asked.
"No, I just don't know which street to take. That address wasn't a specific place." he muttered.
"That's Chisa for you." he said with a shrug. He pulled out his phone, dialing his teacher's number.
"Here, you can talk to her." he said, passing it over to him. Ozzy looked at the phone oddly, before placing it to his ear.
"Hello, Daisuke are you almost here?"
"Actually, this is Ozzy, the guy that's letting them use the paint stuff."
"Ozzy? I knew the name sounded familiar, do you remember me? We were in the same class together."
"Hmm...oh shit, I remember now. There was a reason why your name sounded familiar, how's it been?" he asked. Daisuke looked at him curiously, before looking out the window. He was a bit paranoid that some cops were going to pull up behind them or something of that nature.
"It's been great actually. Kyosuke was able to land me this job, and I'm now a teacher's assistant, though Class 77B is more than just my class. How are things with you?"
"Eh, I didn't graduate last year, so I'm still in school, class 76 now. I am doing better on the tests though so I'm sure I'll pass the year this time. Listen, we can catch up a bit later, right now I need you to tell me where you want the kids? I'm sort of on an open street right now."
"Oh, I want you to bring them to the academy. I was able to get the headmaster's permission to use the old school building. Is Daisuke next to you?"
"Yeah, I'm using his phone. Are you sure that's a wise idea though?"
"I'm sure. I want you to take him to the back of the truck, you have sleeping gas right?"
"Of course, you aren't seriously suggesting I do that to them right?"
"I am, we'll wait until night time to start the game, so that sleeping gas better be effective."
"I can't just do that Chisa. It's morally wrong."
"You can and you will, just hurry up and get here."
"Alright, talk to you later Chisa. Bye." the man said, hanging up the call. He handed Daisuke his phone, the teen shoving it in his pocket.
"Something the matter?" he asked.
"No no...It was just your teacher, she and I we're in the same class together three years ago. Class 74 was my original class, but since I failed I couldn't graduate with them." he said.
"Oh, that makes sense. Small world." he said, leaning back in his seat. Ozzy once again took off up the road, changing his direction toward Hope's Peak Academy. Sweat started trickling down the side of his head, was he seriously about to do this to his friend?
Then again, he could treat this like a training exercise. He had done this before to officers in training, to give them a sense of danger and bring them to a real life scenario, he could treat it the same way. He glanced at Daisuke, who had closed his eyes, humming a song to himself. He suddenly pulled to a stop, jerking the truck forward. He heard several cries of disdain from the back but ignored them.
"Dude, what the fuck was that for?" Daisuke asked, glaring at his friend.
"Get out of the truck." he said.
"I'm sorry?" Daisuke asked.
"Out of the truck Daisuke, now!" Ozzy said, pulling out a marking gun from his leg holster. Daisuke rose his hands above his head.
"What the hell are you doing man? I thought you were helping me?"
"I got new orders, thems the breaks. Now out of the truck, hands on your head." he said. Daisuke opened the door, jumping out of the truck. Ozzy did the same, still aiming his gun at him. Daisuke ducked down, grabbing his M4, pulling the slide back he took aim at Ozzy only for him to slam the butt of his pistol onto his forehead, he cried in pain, letting go of his rifle. He felt himself being pulled to the back of the truck. Finally they stopped, long enough for Ozzy to open the back.
"What the fuck are you doing man? This is bullshit." Daisuke cried, rubbing his new sore spot. The truck door fully opened and he was tossed inside, alongside his rifle.
"I'm sorry man, but orders are orders." he said, slamming the shutter door closed. Daisuke punched the door, growling angrily.
"What's going on?" Sonia cried in worry.
"Yeah man, it's not fun being jerked forward like that." Akane added. Daisuke turned around, looking at his classmates.
"It seems that Ozzy has gone AWOL from his mission. Chisa put him up to this, that's certain." he said.
"Great, the Ultimate Gunner basically kidnapped us. This is all your fault Daisuke." Hiyoko cried.
"Hey, I just made a suggestion, stop taking it up the ass already." he snapped. They all heard a sudden fizzing, looking at the corners, they saw a thick smoke coming from some canisters. Daisuke's eyes widened.
"What the fuck is this?" Fuyuhiko cried.
"Let me out of here, I don't want to die." Kazuichi cried, tears running down the side of his face.
"It's sleeping gas...he's putting us to sleep." the story teller said, holding his shirt over his nose and mouth.
"Why, why is he doing this?" Peko asked.
"He must be trying to make this all seem like a real scenario...that must have been Chisa's plan all along, get our friendships to strengthen by putting us through a trial like this. It all makes sense. Don't breathe the gas, it's designed to be quick and effective." he said.
"Too...late." Chiaki murmured, already falling victim to the gas. All around him, his classmates started falling asleep. He grit his teeth, feeling the effects of the gas starting to kick in.
"Ozzy, you bastard you are going to pay for this one."
That was his final thought before falling to the throws of sleep.
He didn't know what time it was when he woke up, but he realized he was being shaken awake. His eyes fluttered open, and he sprung up, looking around, expecting to be in the middle of the woods. Instead he was greeted with the familiar tile floors of the Hotel Plaza. He looked around, seeing that he was laying on the floor, just across from the cafeteria.
"What the hell?" he muttered. He rubbed his eyes, the stinging sensation he got finally leaving. He stood up, grabbing his discarded rifle. He cracked his neck as he walked, heading toward the cafeteria.
Looking around, he didn't see anyone else, but he saw the large Blue flag by the kitchen entrance, no doubt the flag that his team was supposed to protect. He reached for his bag, only to realize that it was gone, along with his story book. Checking his pockets, he noticed that his phone was also missing. He grit his teeth.
"Ozzy, you son of a bitch. What the fuck is the meaning of this?" he snapped angrily, as if the man could hear him. Knowing the Ultimate Gunner, he probably could.
"There you are you bastard."
He turned around, only to get slammed into a table. His arm had been pulled behind his back, at an odd angle almost about to break. He grit his teeth in pain, trying to look at his assailant, only to see Peko Pekoyama standing beside him. He struggled to move, but the pressure on his arm got stronger.
"Let me go. This wasn't my plan you know!" he snapped.
"I don't care. It was you that brought this fucking idea up in the first place, and now we we're put to sleep and dumped into the academy. What the fuck man?" Fuyuhiko cried loudly, increasing his pressure.
"Peko, what the hell? Get him off me!" Daisuke cried. The silver haired girl looked indifferent, most likely mad about the situation she found herself in. She hadn't bothered putting on a vest, instead remaining in her uniform. She did however have the same odd black chest plate that he found attached to himself, along with a black bokken, that had a white tip at the end. At her hip was her chosen weapon, the FN Five Seven, along with several magazines topped with vibrant pink paint. Her crimson eyes bore into his own.
"Fuyuhiko! Let him go this instant!"
"Finally, the voice of reason." Daisuke cried, glad to see his rescuer was none other than his roommate, the Ultimate Princess. She had a pissed off look on her face, a look that just screamed 'Don't mess with me'. The Ultimate Gangster sighed angrily, letting Daisuke go. The teen stood up, massaging his numb arm.
"Damn, for a short kid you sure as hell are strong." he said.
"Call me short again, and I'll cut your fingers off." the blond boy said. He was so mad that his face was red. He walked away from him, finding himself a seat at a round table.
"Daisuke, do you happen to know what is going on?" Sonia asked, her voice filled with concern.
"I'm just as much in the dark as you are. One second we're driving up the street, the next I'm in the back of the truck. Turns out Ozzy and Chisa we're in the same class a few years back, so she most likely talked him into this." he said.
"Great, that woman sure has become a pain in my neck as of late." Peko muttered dryly, her calm tone filled with anger.
"Yeah, what's up with her anyway? Why is she so adamant that we all show up and be friends?" Daisuke asked.
"I don't know, but it frankly pisses me off. It's not as if I skipped school before all of this crap." Fuyuhiko said, placing his legs onto the table.
"What about you Peko?" he asked, looking at the Swordswoman. She gave him a shrug.
"I didn't meet her until just yesterday. I almost hit her in the throat with my bokken, she was lucky I was holding back." she said with a smirk.
"Honestly, I think what she is doing is beneficial for the rest of us, wouldn't you say? We are closer now than we were before." Sonia said, a bright smile on her face.
"Ugh...you never change. Always so happy-go-lucky. Can't you just go to your room and watch those slasher films I got ya and be out of my hair?"
"So, it was you that got her those?" Daisuke asked, looking at the shorter lad. He tsked, looking away from him.
"She wouldn't stop talking about Serial killers and all that crap, and I had a few extra copies at home, so I just passed them up. No big deal." he said with a shrug.
They heard footsteps, and looked toward the doors, seeing the cheerful Ibuki, her face which was normally happy twisted with concern. Beside her was the Ultimate Lucky Student, Nagito Komaeda, a bright pink dot on the center of his forehead, dripping down the sides of his eyes and face.
"What happened to you?" Daisuke asked curiously.
"It seems my hideous face scared Miss Mioda here, and she accidentally shot me. It was a bit of bad luck, but I was lucky enough to find this when I fell to the ground." the teen said, holding up a silver case.
"Whoa, that must be our instructions. I remember Ozzy talking about this once. Since he handles the training for Police officers and Military officials, he often times puts them in real time battles, giving them objectives to complete. They vary from Rescues to Search and Destroy, to even Capture the Flag like we have now. Usually, he leaves a suitcase that has either the motive, or something detailing their current objective. They're designed to open when the whole team is gathered. That's a good find Nagito." He said, a smile on his face.
"It wasn't all that good. I just happened to find it by chance." he said, handing the case over to Daisuke.
"Pfft, my ass." he heard Fuyuhiko say.
"So, we're missing Nekumaru and Peko. Where do you think they could be?" Sonia asked curiously. They all heard a rumble, coming from down the hall.
"Well, I have one idea." the blond gangster said, a smirk on his face.
"What? What's the idea? Am I missing something?" Daisuke asked.
"Nekumaru normally takes very long...trips to the men's room." Sonia said. Her eyes were closed and she had a forced smile on her face.
"And normally, one of us has to go get him. But there is no way in hell I am getting close to him. That's practically why he stopped showing up for class." Fuyuhiko said.
"Oh...so you need to find someone to go get him. In that case, nose goes." Daisuke said, quickly placing his finger on his nose. Fuyuhiko almost fell over, but was quick enough to place his finger on his nose. Sonia and Nagito we're also quick enough, leaving Peko as the only one who hadn't reacted fast enough. Her eyes widened.
"Really? You want me to go get him? It's the men's room." She said.
"No one will judge." Daisuke said.
"If that is the case, why don't you go find him?"
"How about we both go find him. That way we both get the job done, and I get someone to talk too. After all I am interested in learning about all of you, you all would make for interesting characters in one of my stories." he said with a grin.
"If you insist."
Daisuke grabbed his rifle, slinging it around his shoulder. One couldn't be to safe after all, though the closed gate was enough for him to theorize that the only people there we're members of his team.
"So...is there anything you want to know about me?" Peko asked, crossing her arms.
"Tons, I guess I'll start with something simple. When was it that you started Kendo?" he asked.
"I suppose I started at a young age. It's been so long that I barely remember. I didn't have the luxury of growing up with my parents, so as I grew up, I had to find things to distract myself from wanting to find them. Kendo just happened to be the most interesting thing at the time." she said.
"You're...you're an orphan?" he asked.
"Yes...I try not to let it bother me. If my parents wanted to take care of me, they wouldn't have given me away. I've learned to deal with it as I grew up, and I do have someone in particular who has been by my side since I was young. But enough about me, what about you? I suppose the same question applies, when did you start writing stories?"
"When I was four. My mom said I was a really creative little boy, from a young age, I apparently liked writing things on the walls with crayons. The machinations of a four year old mind was apparently interesting, not only to her but to my little sister, who always read everything. In fact, I think she learned to read because of me. I normally wrote in Spanish, due to me being born in Spain. At around six, I started writing short stories, the teachers didn't understand me at all. They always kept saying that my reading level should have been set to what the other students level was, and they even yelled at my mom for letting me read other forms of literature." he said.
"The teachers yelled at your mother?" she asked curiously.
"Yup, on more than one occasion. I got in trouble for reading Moby Dick at recess, and when I was asked to bring something to show and tell, they didn't let me participate because I brought in my copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. They told her, that if the other kids couldn't read that level of literature than I wasn't allowed to bring it to school. That's when I was put through a private school instead. My life only got worse from there. Singled out by the other kids for being smarter than them in literature and other creative writing classes, told by my father that reading and writing wouldn't get me anywhere, and the biggest part of my childhood, when my father left me and my family out on the streets in the middle of winter. It certainly was the lowest point of my life." he said, frowning a bit.
"I suppose that's when you decided to fully dedicate yourself to your craft?" she asked.
"Yup! I worked hard every day, improving my vocabulary, and writing as many stories as I could. Over time I also started putting together my story book filled with original works and works that caught my interest. My sister always told me that I had a knack for story telling, but I never really believed her, seeing as my father always said otherwise." he said rolling his eyes. As they reached the bathroom, the building rocked again, making him feel like was in the middle of an earthquake. He caught himself easily, using the wall to keep balance.
"Well, time to face the music. You can wait out here Peko, I'm not going to force you to come in here." he said, grabbing the door handle.
"Alright. Maybe after all of this is over, we can talk some more. Your story got me hooked, so to say." she said, a smile on her face.
"Sure, I don't mind sharing more about myself. So long as I get some information in return." he said, giving her wink. He opened the door, stepping into the room. He gagged, covering his mouth with his shirt.
"Jesus Christ, somebody get a match!" he cried out.
"Sorry! Daisuke my man, could you do me a solid?" Nekumaru cried out.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Hand me some paper. I've run out!" he cried. Daisuke grimaced, but he decided to heed the man's request nonetheless, after all, he would hate to be in that situation himself. He walked over to the closet, opening it. He grabbed one of the large rolls and walked to the middle stall, holding it over. The man grabbed it with ease.
"Thanks, you are a life saver! I will be out in just a minute, so sit tight."
"Alright! Just meet us in the cafeteria okay?"
"YOU GOT IT!" the man cried loudly, his voice rattling the entire room. Daisuke was quick to leave, taking a deep breath as soon as he walked out. Peko looked at him, a bit worried.
"You alright?" she asked.
"I was holding my breath. Fuckin stinks in there...sorry I almost made you come here alone." he said.
"No worries. I've dealt with worse before." she said. His brows furrowed but he didn't question it further, instead heading back toward the cafeteria. He was happy to see that Mikan had found her way there, and was already talking to the others. He gave them a small wave, walking toward the center of the room.
"Nekumaru will join us shortly." he said.
"Ohohohoho, this is all so exciting. Ibuki can't wait to blast her foes into next week. Yahooo!"
"Ugh...must you be so loud?" Fuyuhiko said, glaring at the Musician.
"Ibuki is sorry if her voice annoys you, but she will express herself however she likes." the girl replied.
"Um, let's not start fighting alright? Infighting in a team isn't good." Mikan said.
"She's right. Now is the time to come together as a team, and show that little shit who she's messing with." Daisuke said firmly.
"You really want to get that picture back huh?" Sonia asked, earning a nod from the Story Teller.
"Yes I do. You have no idea how bad that picture is, and I certainly don't want the Gazette getting their hands on it. Besides, I play to win!" he said with a smirk.
"Well said. And we will definitely show Hiyoko who's boss. RIGHT BLUE TEAM?" Nekumaru cried, finally making his appearance.
"YEAH!"
Meanwhile, up in the Botanical Garden, Hiyoko was finally coming too after being put to sleep by the gas. She sat up, groaning a bit as her back popped loudly. She looked around, eyes widening when she saw the large flower she had been sleeping under.
"The Botanical Garden?" she muttered to herself. Looking around, she saw a large Red banner, stabbed into the soil near the Azaleas. Standing up, she brushed herself off, walking toward it. She felt something hitting her leg, and reached behind her, feeling the barrel of the Shotgun she had selected. She grinned to herself, already imagining the pain she would inflict with the weapon. Finally reaching the flag, she looked around, trying to find the others.
"Where the hell is everyone?" she cried out, earning a groan as her reply. She looked down, seeing that she was actually standing on Kazuichi Souda's back. The teen struggled to move, trying to reach for the flag post.
"Get...off...me." he said, trying to take a breath.
"Why? I feel so tall up here." she sneered, digging her heel into his back. Oh if only she was wearing her wooden sandals. Kazuichi quickly turned over, knocking her onto her bottom, making her cry in pain.
"You'll pay for that you brute!"
"Piss off. You shouldn't stand on people like that Hiyoko." he said.
"I'm sorry, are you implying that I can't stand on people beneath me? Because that would mean you were someone above me, are you above me Kazuichi Souda?" she asked.
"I'm taller than you, so yes I am above you. Now cut the shit and tell me what's going on."
"How should I know? All I remember is falling asleep, this is that bastard Daisuke's fault."
"Hey, how is it his fault? He just made a suggestion, it was that Ozzy guy that did this to us not him." he said.
"It's his fault and that's that. After all, you should hate him, he is sleeping in the same room as Sonia. Think about it, them sharing a room together, every single night. He gets to watch her come out of the bathroom after a nice steamy shower, probably gets to touch her silky skin and run his fingers through her long flowing hair."
"Gah, that bastard! How come Miss Sonia volunteered to let him stay with her? Why couldn't she ask me to stay with her? I wouldn't have given a shit if we traded rooms!" he cried.
"You wanna know why? Because she doesn't like you, and it's obvious she wants to ride him!"
"That's enough Hiyoko, stop messing with Kazuichi's head." Mahiru said, appearing next to the two, missing her camera. She was pissed, especially because she wanted to take pictures of the whole thing.
"Big sis, where we're you?" Hiyoko cried, her tone changing. She pointed behind her, toward the shed.
"In there, I woke up just a few seconds ago. Tanaka is over by the Chicken coop, convincing them to be his Minions of darkness of whatever." she said.
"That's four people then, where the hell are the others?" Kazuichi asked, looking around.
"Well, we're on the fifth floor, and this happens to be our base, that means this entire floor belongs to us. They must be somewhere else. Kazuichi, go look for them." Mahiru said.
"What? Are you serious?"
"She is your general soldier and you will do as she commands, unless you want me to force you." Hiyoko said. He grumbled under his breath, stuffing his hands in his pockets before leaving the room.
"So, what do you think our plan of action will be?" Mahiru asked curiously, looking at her friend and leader.
"Shoot first ask questions later. There's no way in hell I am losing this, after all the blackmail I got on Daisuke is way to awesome for me to give up!" she exclaimed. She reached into her pocket, happy to still have her gummies with her.
"That...doesn't seem like a good strategy." she said, scratching her cheek.
"Well, look at it like this, we have two floors under us that we can use to disorient them. We did take a lot of smoke grenades, so we can use those to our advantage. Plus, the third floor has all those posts everywhere, which we can use as cover. Besides, we have Akane with us, and she's super athletic, and we have Kazuichi...which we can use as a meat shield I guess."
"Hiyoko, that's horrible." Mahiru said.
"You're right. We can use Ryouta instead, he's way fatter and squishier, so he has a greater surface area." the blonde said.
"Jesus, Hiyoko stop acting like this."
"Acting like what?" she replied, making a cute face. Mahiru sighed, looking away from her. She hated when she got like this.
"I heard the mortal dancer speaking about our current strategy. I believe I have a solution." Tanaka said, appearing next to the two. His Dark Devas were sitting on his shoulder, all balancing on each other.
"What would you be willing to add Gundam?" Hiyoko said.
"You fool. What have you done? You must not breathe that name, those who hear it are condemned to suffer a thousand years of death and pain." the teen said, dramatically falling to his knees.
"Oh yeah, because I'm totally feeling that death and pain." the blonde said, rolling her eyes.
"Everyone, we're back. And we brought something with us." Kazuichi said, leading the others back into the garden. Akane was holding a silver case in her hands. Chiaki was, surprisingly wide awake and smiling brightly, while Ryouta was looking around nervously, obviously tweaking since he was missing his tablet.
"The hell is that?" Hiyoko asked, glancing at Akane's hands.
"I dunno, I'm hoping it has food inside." she said.
"Why would it have food inside it?" Mahiru asked. The tan gymnast shrugged her shoulders, handing the case over to Hiyoko. The girl looked at it closely for a few seconds, her nose scrounging up a bit.
"Um...how does it open?"
Before anyone could reply, the case made a hissing sound a bit of steam coming out of it. It opened up, revealing a small slim tablet, which rested within. Hiyoko grabbed it, looking at it oddly. She held it up, trying to find the on button.
"What the hell is up with this thing? There's no power button." she said. Suddenly, the screen turned on, with a small blinking dot in the center. The words hold still kept flashing over and over again, before a small antenna appeared, scanning her face.
"Hiyoko Saionji, identified starting message. Red Team, this is your commander. For now, I shall remain anonymous. You have been brought to the Fifth Floor of Hope's Peak Academy for a very special mission. In your possession, is a sensitive package that was stolen from the Blue Team. It is up to your team to keep it and your flag safe from harm. Should you lose your flag, or the package, the mission will fail. You must protect this package with your lives. Hostiles were detected on the first floor of the academy and will soon start making their way toward your location. The chest plate you are all currently wearing is your life line, if you get shot there, it is an instant game over. If you are shot on any appendage, or get paint of any sort associated with the other team, your weapons will lock for five minutes before you can return to the fight. Paint that is already on the ground is safe.
Red Team, it is up to you to finish this mission with success. If not, the fate of the world is at stake. You have until sunrise to take out the enemy team. If you run out of ammunition, a care package will be delivered every 45 minutes. God be with you."
"Well...that certainly was anticlimactic." Chiaki said, her voice dropping a bit.
"Hmm...but it does raise the question, would it be possible for me to get the other girls out of their clothes if I bathe them in paint?" Teruteru asked, a grin on his face. Hiyoko slammed the tablet onto his head, making him shout in pain.
"We have our mission, it's time to annihilate the Blue Team. Come sunrise, we will be the winners of this little game." she said, cocking her shotgun.
Daisuke nodded, flicking open the case Nagito had found. Inside it was a tablet. He held it up, allowing it to scan his face. Once it was done, it began the message.
"Daisuke Fuji identified, beginning message. Blue Team, this is your commanding officer, for now I shall remain anonymous. You have all been brought to this academy to recover a very sensitive package, that is currently in the hands of the Red Team. Your mission is to retrieve this package, along with the Red Team's flag, but be aware, as the enemy has various soldiers hidden across the field.
The Academy Hotel shall act as your base of operations, defend it well because if it falls into the hands of the Red Team, this mission will fail. If you see an enemy, engage them safely and take them out. The chest plate currently attached to your gear is your life line, if it is shot then it's game over for you. If you are hit on an appendage, or get any paint associated with the other team, your weapons will lock for five minutes before you can return to the fight. You have until Sunrise to complete this mission, Blue Team, I wish you the best of luck. If you run out of ammunition, there will be a care package delivered to your base every 45 minutes, god speed."
"Hmm, so it seems the other team is coming after us. That means we'll have to engage them later on. The third floor should be middle ground, that means we can't let them have the second floor. I want people there as soon as possible. Nekumaru and Nagito, I know you guys will do everything in your power to keep the flag safe." Daisuke said.
"COUNT ON US CAPTAIN!" Nekumaru shouted, giving him a firm salute.
"Don't worry, if it comes down to it, I'll shield Nekumaru and the flag with my useless body. It shall be a stepping stone to our victory." Nagito added, a smile on his face.
"Lady Sonia, I trust that you'll be able to find yourself a good spot?" Daisuke asked, only to realize the girl had already left. He shrugged and looked at Peko and Fuyuhiko.
"Alright then, it falls onto us three to be the main line of defense. Let's give it our all." he said firmly.
"Count on it. I got your back." the gangster.
"As do I, I will keep you safe captain." Peko said, a smile on her face. Daisuke nodded, grabbing his rifle off the table. He loaded a fresh round into the chamber, a smile on his face.
"Let's go hunting."
xxx
Everything was quiet within Hope's Peak Academy, not a single sound could be heard. Daisuke was sure the other team had already started their move, but he hadn't found anyone yet. Fuyuhiko had remained on the first floor, and would let anyone know if they had gotten past him, while he and Peko had moved onto the second floor. He hadn't seen Sonia at all, the girl had disappeared, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He himself had been positioned at the foot of the stairs, his rifle cocked and ready to fire.
"What is going on? How come we haven't seen anyone yet? It's been half an hour." he muttered to himself, peeking up the stairs. It was still clear, which made him worry. He heard a small hiss in his pocket, and dug his hand into it, pulling out his talkie.
"This is Daisuke, come in." he said quietly.
"Captain, I have visual on one of our targets, Ryouta Mitarai, he's on the Fourth Floor, do I engage?"
"Lady Sonia? Where are you?" he asked.
"I'm in a good place, trust me."
"I trust you. If you have it, take the shot."
"Copy that."
Sonia ended her transmission, steadying her breathing. It had been hard getting to the spot she had been in, but she was glad it had turned out for the better. Getting underneath the stage in the music room had been a hassle, especially with all the sneaking around she had to do. Her experience sneaking around her palace back in Novoselic had been more than enough training. Ryouta had been keeping guard outside of the Music Room, walking back and forth. She licked her lips, her finely manicured finger resting on the trigger.
"Man, if Ashton was here he'd be having a field day." she whispered to herself. She was about to pull the trigger, when she noticed Kazuichi speaking to Ryouta, forcing him to turn around. She grit her teeth.
"Shit."
"Lady Sonia, did you take the shot?"
"Sorry captain, I lost visual on the target." she muttered quietly.
"Uh...did you hear that Ryouta? It sounded like a radio." Kazuichi suddenly said, looking into the music room. Sonia's face hardened, her finger still on the trigger. Ryouta and Kazuichi made their way into the music hall, and started looking around.
"I won't be able to nail them directly, but if I get a limb shot, I can buy myself some time." she thought to herself. She aimed at Kazuichi, a smirk on her face. She pulled the trigger, the gunshot echoing through the room. The Mechanic's howl of pain followed soon after. Sonia pulled the bolt back, quickly lining up her second shot.
"What the hell? Where did that come from?" Ryouta cried, back turned to the stage.
"I don't know, but hurry up, my guns are locked." he cried. Another shot rang through the room, nailing Ryouta in the back, his cries of pain echoed through the room.
"Fuck, why does it hurt so much?" he cried. Sonia grinned.
"Better get out of here while I still can...what a hassle."
Daisuke looked up the stairs, cringing a bit. Even all the way down on the second floor he heard those cries of pain. Sonia must have nailed them good. He heard footsteps and held his breath, taking a peek up the stairs, seeing that it was the Ultimate Gamer, Chiaki Nanami. She honestly looked sleepy, as if she had just been woken up from a nap, but her choice in weaponry had been a little odd. She was carrying a Honey Badger, which was a nice sleek black in color. He also saw the stock of an Uzi, which was strapped behind her back. Several magazines could be seen sticking out of her pockets. Knowing their rate of fire, he figured she wouldn't be aiming for vital spots, especially with the spread. Daisuke slowly started making his way toward the library, hoping he could hide in there, only to find it was locked.
"Of course. Lock the library to protect your books, but not my ass. Where do I go?"
He heard the sound of a gun cocking behind him, and turned his head, seeing Chiaki taking aim at him. She had a bored expression on her face, but he could see the fire in her eyes.
"Chiaki."
"You can't run Daisuke. I happen to be on the top of the leader boards on every Call of Duty match I've ever been in. This to me is nothing more than a Virtual Reality setting." she said.
"If you say so. How about I put my hands up nice and slow, that way you can use me as a captive or whatever. Hiyoko surely would like that right?" he asked.
"She would like that...I think." she said, holding her gun up at him. He slowly put his hands up over his head. He flicked his wrists, dropping two rings onto the ground near her feet. Her eyes widened in shock as two black canisters burst, filling the area with smoke. She opened fire into it, hoping to nail her target. Sadly for her, she missed every shot. The smoke cleared, showing the glowing red paint all around her.
"You can't hide from me Daisuke." Chiaki cried, walking further into the area, dropping her spent magazine. While she searched the room around, Daisuke found himself in their classroom, hiding in the locker in the back of the room. His breaths echoed in the small locker, and he held his hand over his mouth, trying to quiet himself.
"Daisuke, are you alright?"
"Fuyuhiko, I'm in a bit of a bind." he said quietly.
"Clearly! I heard the gunfire. Do you need assistance?"
The door to the classroom opened, and he quickly shut the radio off. He grabbed his pistol, pulling the slide back and holding it up, ready to fire. Chiaki walked into the room, already scanning it, her red laser bouncing off the walls. Her eyes we're narrowed in concentration as she walked deeper into the room. He swallowed hard, closing his eyes, just waiting for her to make it to the back of the room, just as she was about to open the locker, the door slammed open with a bang.
"Hello~ Ibuki makes her appearance!"
Chiaki turned around, opening fire at the door, only for the Ultimate Musician to dive behind the desk. Bright red paint splattered on the back wall, leaving several glowing dots behind, the shell casings clanging loudly to the ground. Chiaki's gun clicked empty, an audible click filling the room. Ibuki came up from her spot behind the desk and opened fire, forcing the Ultimate Gamer to dive behind the desks. Daisuke almost cried out when the locker he was in was repeatedly hit with hot pink bullets. Chiaki knocked some desks to the ground, using them as cover.
"Chiaki can't hide from Ibuki! She's the Queen of this game!" The musician cried, ducking down when the gamer opened fire.
"This is intense, how the hell do I get out of here?" Daisuke thought to himself. He closed his eyes in thought, trying to drown out the gunfire, when he remembered the paint grenades. He knew Ibuki had grabbed several of them. He made a mental note to grab some when the first care packages were launched. He tightened his grip on his gun.
"Ibuki, throw a hot potato!" He cried loudly. Chiaki turned around, grinning a bit.
"There you are!" she cried, as she was about to stand up, a black canister hit the side of the locker. She groaned, already knowing what it was. A loud explosion rung through the room, pink paint flying everywhere. Daisuke opened the locker, holding back his laughter as the Ultimate Gamer was literally swimming in paint. She used the inside of her shirt to clean her face.
"You win this round Daisuke." she said.
"Sorry Chiaki." he said, trying to avoid the pink paint. He gave Ibuki a high five, both of them leaving the room.
"What the hell do you mean you lost her?" Hiyoko snapped, glaring at Kazuichi and Ryouta, who were sweating bullets under the short girl's gaze.
"I dunno. She was there one second gone the next, I wasn't expecting her to hide under the stage. Besides, I can't shoot Miss Sonia." Kazuichi said, a love struck look on his face. All three of them we're currently on the third floor, hiding near the Art Room. Tanaka had been keeping guard by the entrance, hoping to hit someone as they passed by, but so far no one had dared come to the Third Floor.
"God you guys are useless. Chiaki what's your status?" Hiyoko cried into her radio.
"I'm currently serving a penalty. Ibuki and Daisuke got me with a paint grenade." she replied.
"Shit! When your weapons are back online track their asses down and take them out!"
"Hiyoko, we got tangos approaching us from the north sector, how do we proceed?" Tanaka said, appearing in front of the door.
"Shoot them." the girl cried. The three men nodded, getting ready for their fire fight.
"You guys ready?" Kazuichi asked, drawing his pistol, he knew his Sniper wouldn't be good for a close encounter battle.
"I am. Hopefully." Ryouta said.
"I don't need these firearms to destroy the enemy. I can take them out with my bare hands." Tanaka boasted. A loud bang rung through the hallway, nailing the teen in the center of the chest. His blood bag burst, sending crimson paint everywhere. He dropped to his knees, making a gagging sound.
"This...isn't...the end." he muttered, falling to the ground.
"What the hell was that?" Ryouta cried, he saw something moving across the shadows and held his gun up, opening fire. Kazuichi stood beside him, providing cover fire.
"Behind the post, hurry." the mechanic cried, as he dragged the animator toward one of the wide posts in the room. The ducked behind one, just in time to avoid a gunshot.
"Who the hell is shooting us?" the animator cried fearfully, replacing his spent magazine.
"Miss Sonia, that's the sound of a Sniper rifle. I didn't think she'd be that good. What a drag, I don't want to hurt her." he said.
"But she killed Tanaka, we have to get revenge."
Kazuichi looked torn, would he let the girl that he loved go? Or did he follow the Guy Code and avenge a fallen friend? He took a deep breath, holding his pistol tightly.
"Okay, pincer attack, lets box her in." he said. Ryouta nodded, holding his gun up.
"I'll go left, you go right. We'll push them back to the arcade and take them out there."
Kazuichi nodded, and ran from behind the post. Ryouta raced toward the arcade from the other side, panting as he ran. He stopped, looking around. He shined his light in the area, sweat trickling down the side of his head.
"Come out, I know you are there." he cried.
From the shadows, came out Peko, an emotionless look on her face. She had her bokken out, ready to strike if need be. He swallowed hard, taking a few steps back.
"I'll shoot...stand down." he cried. She continued walking trying to shorten the distance. He grit his teeth, pulling the trigger. Peko ran forward, holding her sword tightly. Time seemed to slow down for her, as she easily spotted every round going in her direction. Time returned to normal as she swung her sword, blocking the bullet flying toward her. She blocked the next bullet, flipping through the air to deflect the next two. Landing on her feet, Peko easily blocked the remaining rounds coming her way. One final round threatened to take her down. She closed her eyes, swinging her sword. Little drops of red paint flickered all around them, none hitting her body.
"What...what the hell?" Ryouta cried, dropping his spent magazine. Peko drew her pistol, flicking the safety off. She let off five rounds, nailing Ryouta on his arms and leg. He heard the beep of his guns locking, and jumped back, trying to get away. Peko however jumped forward, the tip of her sword out stretched and glowing a fierce blue. She slammed it against the center of his chest, sparks dancing across Ryouta's body, as the sword shocked the living daylights out of him. Finally, after three seconds, his blood bag exploded and he fell to the ground. She let out a breath, looking around the hallway. She quickly dove into the arcade, as to avoid any potential bullets. From the bathroom, Kazuichi grimaced.
"I am never going to mess with her. Ever." he muttered. He heard the sound of a rifle being cocked behind him, and slowly turned around. He saw Sonia's grinning face, her finger already on the trigger.
"Mama." he cried, his tone high pitched. Soon, his screams of pain echoed through the room.
"Damn it. How is it that we already lost three people?" Hiyoko shouted, having used Peko's attack as a distraction to get back to her base. Akane was by the door keeping a look out, while Mahiru and Teruteru were beside her, the two having remained in the base to protect the flag.
"Well, they were pretty useless in this game. We weren't expecting on Daisuke's amazing defense. You should know however that Mikan and Nagito we're taken out by Chiaki, she's deep within enemy lines, currently battling with Fuyuhiko." the photographer replied.
"And how is that going?" Hiyoko asked.
xxx
"You can't hide from me you little shit. You maybe good in a video game, but this is real life!" Fuyuhiko cried, as he ducked out of the Laundry room, he didn't see the light pink eyes of the Ultimate Gamer, watching him from inside one of the washers.
xxx
"I'm assuming really good, if she was able to take out Nagito and his luck." the redhead said.
"Still, we have to deal with Peko Pekoyama of all people. I guess I'm going in, stay here to guard the flag, and under no circumstances will you leave this place. You are our last line of defense." Hiyoko said, flicking the safety off her shotgun.
"Captain, permission to enter the game?" Akane asked. The blonde narrowed her eyes, weighing her options.
"Fuck it, go ahead in. Mess them up." she said. The gymnast grinned, hands tightly gripping her rifle.
"Daisuke, Chiaki took out Mikan and Nagito, she's really close to the base."
"Shit, copy that Lady Sonia, Ibuki get down there and give Fuyuhiko some cover fire. There are only four people in her team left, we got this in the bag." the Ultimate Story Teller said, earning a salute from the Musician. They had been successful in pushing the Red Team out of the third floor, and we're now in their third hour in the game. They were tired, hungry, and full of adrenaline but none of them could deny that they weren't having fun.
"Alright then, I say we push them back into their base go in there and wreck some..." Daisuke stopped mid sentence, seeing the laser on Sonia's chest. He pushed her out of the way as the single shot rung through the hallway, nailing him in the arm. He grit his teeth.
"Damn."
"Daisuke, I got this, just get Sonia out of here." Peko said. Several bullets were flying at them. She swung her sword in all directions, blocking every single round and stopping them from making contact with her teammates. Daisuke and Sonia ran off, searching for suitable cover until his time limit wore off. Peko spat on the ground, panting a bit as she stared her opponent down.
"Man, you truly are the Ultimate Swordswoman. Blocking all of those bullets, you must be tired." Akane said, loading a fresh magazine into the receiver of her AR.
"This is nothing, I've been put through worse than this." she replied. Akane smirked, her gun ready to fire. Peko stared her down, making a plan of attack. If she backed away, she'd be followed, if she pushed forward, there was a chance she would get eliminated. She thought of Fuyuhiko, and how pissed he would be if he found out she pussied out. Nodding to herself, she raced forward. She swung at Akane's arm only for the gymnast to dodge the attack. Flipping across the floor, she aimed her gun at the silver haired girl. Pulling the trigger, she opened fire on the Swordswoman who blocked every single round.
"You can't win Peko. There's no backing down and you can't push forward. You saw me take on the old man." she said. Peko grit her teeth, the tiredness of the game was finally getting to her, but she wasn't about to give up, she raced forward, knowing Akane still had to reload, only for a blast of red paint to hit her in the knee. She cried in pain, hitting the ground rather hard. Her sword rolled out of her hand.
"Poor little Peko. You need to keep your eyes peeled." Hiyoko said, cocking her shotgun. She stopped in front of the silver haired woman, pulling her up to her knees by her hair.
"Whoa Hiyoko, no need to be so rough." Akane said.
"She is our enemy, so she'll be treated as such. Any last words?" the blonde asked, only for Peko to spit in her face. Akane cringed, knowing it was most likely revenge for the hair pull. Hiyoko however replied with a single shot to the chest, taking her out of the game. She wiped her face free of spit and turned to Akane.
"Let's go." she said.
Daisuke and Sonia we're back in Classroom 2-B, hiding inside the locker. It was a bit awkward, especially since they were pressed together chest to chest. The blonde was too busy checking out through the cracks in the door to notice the bright blush on his face.
"We should be safe here." she said quietly.
"Um...Lady Sonia, I'm sorry." he said.
"What for? I'm having fun." she said quietly.
"No I mean, for shoving you into this locker. We're squeezed together and it's a little embarrassing." he replied.
"Oh...it's alright. There's nothing to be embarrassed about." she said, giving him a bright smile.
"Yeah, you aren't dealing with a nice pair of breasts being pressed onto your chest."
"Daisuke, get your ass out here. You can't hide from me!" Hiyoko cried, slamming the door to the room open. She looked around for a few seconds, promptly leaving right after. They both let out a sigh.
"That was a close one." Sonia said softly.
"Tell me about it. Times up, let's go." he said, slowly opening the door. He held the Princess out of the locker, carefully stepping over the paint.
"I feel bad for whoever has to clean this up." she said quietly.
"Tell me about it." he muttered dryly.
"Banzai!" Akane shouted, slamming into Daisuke. The teen cried in surprise and pain as he flipped over the railing next to the teacher's desk. He scrambled to get his gun, only to see the barrel of a rifle to his face.
"Cheers love!" the gymnast said, about to pull the trigger, only to be slammed into the wall by Sonia. She looked at her captain, eyes filled with determination.
"Go! I'll hold her off."
He nodded, grabbing his rifle and running out of the room. Akane easily pushed the blonde back a few paces, causing her to slip on the paint, though she easily caught herself.
"Oh Princess, what a shame that you must die young."
"If I must die, then I'll die with honor on the battlefield. Come at me!"
The blonde princess ran forward, holding her fist above her head. Akane shook her head, throwing a punch of her own, nailing her right in the chest. She cried in pain, being launched all the way to the back of the room by that single hit. Akane cringed as the young princess fell to the ground in a heap.
"Whoops, sorry Sonia, I forgot to tone it down a bit." she said, grinning to herself, though she lay on the ground unrresponsive. Worried, the brown haired gymnast walked over to her fallen classmate.
"Sonia? You alright?" she asked. She knelt down, shaking the blonde a bit. She noticed the small cut on her forehead, which was bleeding slightly, tinging her platinum blonde hair pink.
"Oh shit...Sonia, don't you do this to me. I didn't mean to hit you so hard."
Sonia chuckled, her eyes fluttering open. She had a grin on her face as she weakly placed a silver pin on the ground next to the gymnast. Her eyes widened in shock.
"Too late!"
A loud explosion rung through the area, as both girls were bathed in purple paint. Akane groaned as her weapons locked up. She stood up, shaking some paint from her body.
"This is going to take days to get out of my hair. Good going princess." she said.
"I'm sorry. I had you make sure Daisuke was alright, he is my captain after all." she said. Akane slammed the butt of her rifle into her chest, causing the blood bag to burst.
"You...won't...get away with this." she wheezed.
"Over dramatic as always. Don't worry, Daisuke's ass is mine." Akane said, leaving the room.
"Daisuke, you need to get your ass back down to the base. Nekumaru just got taken out by Chiaki, god there's paint everywhere."
"Hold her off Fuyuhiko. I'm in a bit of a bind right now." Daisuke said, hiding behind one of the crates that had been placed on the fifth floor. He had been trying to take out Teruteru, but the Ultimate Chef had been an agile bastard to deal with. He was running out of ammunition for his rifle, and he hadn't stocked on anything. He grit his teeth, having to change positions again for the third time in the last ten minutes.
"There's nowhere to run Daisuke. Just come out nice and slow." Teruteru called out. The Ultimate Story Teller grit his teeth, his fingers running over his last remaining smoke grenade. He could throw it in there, but that would be a waste. He could see the flag from where he was, but he couldn't risk it.
Looking around, he noticed Mahiru, trying to sneak over to where he was. He smirked, grabbing the smoke canister beside him, pulling the pin. He lobbed it behind the photographer, startling her a bit as the canister hit the wall. Smoke started filling the area, covering her in a thick gray mist. He dove in the smoke, using it as cover. He grabbed Mahiru, placing the barrel of his pistol to her forehead.
"Hey there, would you like to play a game?" he asked.
"Damn it. Let me go!" she cried. He forced her to walk, moving her out of the smoke and into the view of Teruteru.
"Alright Chef, we're going to do this nice and slow. You are going to bring me the flag, and I'll hand you over the girl. Make a false move and she gets it, and then I'll be after your ass." he said.
"This isn't fair Daisuke. Are you sure I can't...make you think about it?" he asked, his voice sounding a bit sensual. Daisuke turned the gun on him, firing right at his chest, instantly taking him out of the game. He fell over, the red paint pouring out of the bag. He pushed Mahiru forward, grabbing her handgun from behind her back.
"Alright then, you bring me the flag, nice and easy...and don't even think about going to the care package." he said. He shot her in the leg, causing her to scream in pain.
"What the fuck Daisuke, that hurts!" she cried.
"Sorry, it's an insurance policy. Now move." he said, pointing his handgun down the hall while he pointed at Mahiru with her own gun. His eyes shifted between the two, making sure he was covered, thankfully, there wasn't a hallway behind him so he knew no one would sneak up behind him.
"That's not very nice Daisuke!"
His eyes widened and he stepped back, dodging the paint grenade that had been thrown at him. He grit his teeth, looking around for the source, only to see Chiaki running at him. He opened fire, hoping to hit her, only for her to dodge every bullet fired. He raced into the dojo, pressing himself against the wall. He tossed Mahiru's gun aside and holstered his own, grabbing his rifle.
"I'm in the dojo, I need back up!" he cried into his radio.
"Roger doger. Ibuki is on her way."
Daisuke nodded to himself and turned to the door, opening fire at the Ultimate Gamer, who ducked behind cover. He would have to wait her out until Ibuki got there, but he was dangerously low on ammunition, three magazines in fact, and he couldn't afford letting her gain an advantage over him. He grit his teeth, dropping his spent magazine.
"Damn it. I should have gotten a refill back at base...was I having so much fun that I ignored that basic strategy?" he muttered to himself. He hated to admit it, but for the first time in a long time, he was actually having fun. The fire fights had been insane, especially the one he had seen with Peko. Going to to toe with Chiaki on the second floor, and facing off against Teruteru, it felt like he finally smiled, a real smile and not a forced one like he was used to. The sound of gunfire brought him out of his musings, and he nodded to himself, turning to keep Chiaki at bay.
"I'm not letting my team down you hear me. I will get that flag." he cried, his aim not wavering. Chiaki grit her teeth, hiding behind the crate. She suddenly cried in pain, not realizing her foot had been sticking out a bit to far. He guns locked up, and it had been the chance Daisuke needed. He raced forward, bounding toward the crate. He jumped over it, aiming his rifle at the gamer, finally taking her out of the game. He breathed a sigh of relief as he did so. He grabbed her discarded Uzi, along with all of her magazines.
"Thanks for the loan Chiaki, for all it's worth, you were an awesome opponent." he said with a smile. He looked up, only to see Ibuki racing out of the Botanical Garden, the red flag in her arms. Mahiru's body could be seen, laying next to Teruteru, both bathed in red paint.
"Yahoo! Blue Team Rules!" Ibuki cried, Daisuke ran off, following after her.
"Fuyuhiko, we've got our objective, come back!" Daisuke said.
"Daisuke...I'm sorry, they snuck up on me."
A single gunshot rung through the radio, forcing the two to stop. Fuyuhiko had been taken out, and he had been the last line of defense to their base. They nodded and raced down the stairs, heading across the Fourth floor and down to the third.
"We need to set up an ambush. Ibuki, you need to protect that flag with your life alright? I don't know just how you made it alive this far, but I need you to take it back to base, just run for it." Daisuke said.
"Ibuki can't do that. The reason Ibuki made it this far was because of her paint grenades, but she ran out. Ibuki can't let her captain down." she said. They got to the second floor, hearing the sound of a rifle being cocked. The two faced Akane, who was bathed in purple paint. She tilted her head, a smirk on her face.
"You know, the Princess was good fodder, but I like my captains well done." she said.
"That...made no sense." Daisuke said. The girl opened fire, causing the two to dodge to the side. Ibuki tossed the flag to Daisuke, and grabbed her rifle, taking aim at Akane.
"Akane, this bout is between you and Ibuki. Go now captain, I know you'll make it."
He grit his teeth, running past her as she started down at Akane. The gymnast smirked as she raced forward, preparing for her battle with the Ultimate Musician. They clashed in the middle, pushing their guns as hard as they could. Ibuki shifted to the left, making Akane fall forward. She opened fire at her back, only for her to roll away. She hastily stood up, taking aim once more, only for Ibuki to kick her rifle out of her hands. She jumped at her, hitting her in the chest with the butt of her rifle. Akane groaned in pain, having lost the air in her lungs.
"Any last words?" Ibuki asked, glaring at the gymnast. She tore her shirt off, revealing several paint grenades strapped to her body. She pulled a string she had rigged to it, pulling all of the pins at the same time.
"Vaya con Dios." (Go with God)she cried, just as the grenades exploded, causing an ocean of red paint to fly in all directions. It was safe to say neither survived that battle.
Looking over his shoulder, he couldn't help but worry over Ibuki. The girl had just given her life in order for him to get the flag back to base. It was just them two now, and that's just how she wanted it. Bursting into the Plaza, he saw Hiyoko, standing by the cafeteria doors with their flag in hand. The bodies of Nekumaru, Fuyuhiko and Nagito were all tied together, all three of them covered in paint. Mikan had been forced to act as her chair, the poor girl's arms shook with strain.
"About time you showed up, you kept me waiting." the blonde said, standing up from her seat. Mikan practically fell down, apologizing over and over again as she did.
"Seriously? Did you have to use Mikan as a chair?" he snapped, a little angry at her actions.
"Of course, what better way to cement my dominance than by taking advantage of your team. She's out of the game, but that doesn't mean she isn't useful."
"You little bitch." he muttered.
"Ah ah ah, you wouldn't want this to be leaked out would you?" she asked, holding the picture of him above her head, a grin on her face. He hissed, clenching his jaw.
"Don't listen to her Daisuke. Get the flag into the base...you can do it." Fuyuhiko said.
"YEAH! WE BELIEVE IN YOU!" Nekumaru cried.
"Even a useless pawn like me trusts that you will win this battle." Nagito added.
"Please...I don't want to be a bench anymore." Mikan added, giving him a tired look.
"You will lose Daisuke, of that I am certain. After all, you abandoned your base, and let your teammates down." Hiyoko said, a grin on her face.
"Alright that's it. How about we settle this with a duel. No bullshit, ten spaces, winner gets the flag." he said.
"Pfft...if you say so." the girl said.
"Alright, in the center. We stand back to back and take ten paces." he said. The girl nodded, setting the blue flag down. Daisuke did the same, walking toward the center of the plaza. He stood back to back, sneering as their own plans were forming in their heads.
"One...two...three."
The two captains started walking, counting their paces as they moved. They both had their hands on their chosen weapons, getting ready to fire when ready. Once they got to ten, they rapidly spun around, opening fire at each other. Daisuke dropped to the ground, avoiding all of the red paint flying at him, while Hiyoko used her dance skills to dodge every single bullet. Daisuke's gun clicked empty and he tossed it aside, pulling his pistol from his holster. He bounded toward the blonde haired girl, who took aim at him with her shotgun. She pulled the trigger, only for him to some how dodge it. However he slipped on some paint, taking a tumble to the ground. He groaned in pain, his gun having slipped out of his hand.
"Oh...look at this. The Blue team's hope, is lying on the ground full of pain." Hiyoko said. She fired at his arm, the red paint smearing all over his sleeve.
"Fuck! That hurts Hiyoko, jeez." he cried.
"There's nowhere to run, and nothing you can do. I own you." she said, grinning widely. She turned her gun around, aiming the stock of her gun at his chest. Everything seemed to go slow motion for Daisuke, as he saw her gun coming down on him. He quickly moved, causing the gun to hit the tile. He quickly grabbed it, trying to jerk it from her grasp.
"What the hell are you doing? Let go!" she cried.
"If you say so." he said, letting go of the gun. The barrel of it hit her side, causing her to lose her grip on it. Daisuke quickly reacted, slipping his hand around it. He pulled the trigger, nailing the target. The blood bag burst as she fell back, howling in pain.
"God...why does that hurt so damn much?" she cried. Daisuke stood up, tossing the gun aside. He limped over to where the red flag was, and started moving toward his base. Grabbing the blue flag, he walked inside the cafeteria, setting both of them down. A loud bell rung through the entire school, signaling the end of the game.
"WHOO. GO BLUE TEAM!" Nekumaru cheered loudly. Daisuke fell back, panting for breath. He was tired, sweaty and hungry, but he was happy that he and his friends had a fun game.
Xxx
As it turned out, Chisa hadn't actually gotten permission from the Headmaster, so when Ozzy came to collect everything, he had come along with Mr. Kirigiri and Mr. Tengan, both wanting to know what the hell had been going on. As punishment for having a paintball game within the academy, he forced the entire 77th class to clean up the mess they made, while Chisa filed everything in the man's office. It had been an interesting week to say the least.
Now that it was Monday, Daisuke waited patiently for the new Hope's Peak Gazette to be delivered, to see the fruits of his labor. Sonia sat in front of him, the bandage on her forehead finally gone.
"You seem awfully happy."
"Oh I am. It's finally Monday, and we get to see those embarrassing pictures." he said.
"That game was insane dude. I didn't think Peko was that good with a sword." Kazuichi added.
"Yeah, certainly taught me a thing or two about her talent." Ryouta said, his blush a bit more profound on his round face.
"Still though, we should do that again sometime, maybe at a real place instead of the school." Fuyuhiko said.
"And you were totally against it in the beginning, it's good to see you bonding with everyone." Ibuki said, a grin on her face.
"Everyone, the Gazette is in." Mikan said, hurrying into the room, holding the newspaper in her hands.
"Well, I gotta go, I got things to dismantle, machines to invent." Kazuichi said.
"Me too, I'm a few frames behind on my work. See ya." Ryouta said, the two teens left the room, practically running. Daisuke rolled his eyes, and took the paper from Mikan giving her a small thanks. He flipped through the pages, finally finding the news article he was looking for.
"Class 77B has full blown paint war in the academy. Late last Friday, the students of Class 77B we're convinced by their teacher that they should have a paintball fight within the school. What happened after was nothing short of chaos, as literally every room within the school became a battle ground. There was so much paint, that they needed large amounts of paint remover just to get it all off. The students also had a bet, the losing team having to post embarrassing pictures of themselves in the newspaper. Turn to the next page to see them all. Oh boy, this will be good~." Daisuke said, flipping the page. He instantly started laughing, when he saw a five year old Kazuichi dripping from head to toe with motor oil.
"Aw, he's so cute." Sonia cooed.
"I doubt that's what he wants to hear from you, when used in that context at least." Akane said. She had been the only one from the Red Team not to leave when the paper had arrived.
"Aw, look at Mahiru. She looks so adorable with that toy camera in her hands." Ibuki added, looking at the picture of the Ultimate Photographer.
"Look at Teru, he looks so weird in regular clothes, and with his hair short." Fuyuhiko said.
"Wow Akane, you were a pretty tall kid growing up." Daisuke said.
"Yeah, it's a genetic thing. My dad is taller than my mom, and I'm taller than both of them. I'm still growing too." she said with a grin.
"I can see that." he said, trying not to make his comment obvious. After they had all seen the pictures, he turned to the next page.
"Wow, Tanaka looks...surprisingly normal." Peko added, looking at the Dark Lord's picture. He had five hamsters in his arms, along with a few bunnies which were bouncing around him.
"And Chiaki looks right at home with all those retro games." Nekumaru said, chuckling at the picture the Ultimate Gamer had submitted. She was smiling widely, though her eyes had some dark bags underneath, possibly from not sleeping. She seemed to be eight or nine in that picture, and her hair was down to her waist. The final picture was of course of the team captain herself.
She had been sitting on the dinner table, her arms crossed with a pout on her face. Her blonde hair was a bit short at this time, being just past her shoulders. She was dressed in a light blue kimono, with a light pink obi tied around her waist. Looking at the picture, it seemed as if a hurricane had whipped across that dining room, as everything had been knocked around, there were even broken plates on the ground.
"Damn, even as a kid she was insufferable. She's like five years old in this." Akane said.
"And she still acts that age." Fuyuhiko added.
"I dunno...she looks kinda cute. She has the pout down by now." Daisuke said. He handed the paper off to Sonia, who was still looking it over.
"Where are you going?" she asked curiously.
"To find Hiyoko. I didn't apologize for shooting her in the chest. Shotgun shells hurt you know." he said with a smile, as he left the room.
"Maybe I should have told him." Mikan said.
"Told him what?" Peko asked curiously.
"Well..."
She flipped the page, showing them the super sized picture that had taken an entire page. The name Daisuke Fuji, age three written on the bottom. All of them broke into laughter, unable to contain themselves after seeing the image.
Daisuke walked into the Music Hall, surprised to see it empty save of course for the person he was looking for. A soft melody filled the room, as the small blonde took short careful steps across the stage, her eyes closed in concentration. She was holding a paper fan in her hand, and moved her arms slowly. The look on her face was one of tranquility, and he could tell that she had mastered this a long time ago. He watched entranced for a few minutes, until the music slowly died down, and she ended her dance with a bow, opening her eyes.
"That was beautiful." he said.
"Of course it was, it was me wasn't it?" she said, rolling her eyes. He sighed, shaking his head. After a week with the traditional dancer, he was beginning to get used to her rudeness.
"Hiyoko, I'm sorry about shooting you in your own gun. I know how much that shit hurt, and I honestly should have just used something else. It was in the heat of the game, so I forgot." he said, frowning a bit.
"Don't be sorry idiot. It was a game, no matter how painful it was, that's all it was. A game. Jeez, you are such a dork!" she said.
"A dork? Really?" he asked, crossing his arms.
"Yup, that's my new nickname for you. Dork. Unless you would prefer the term slave instead?" she asked.
"Jeez, leave it to you to ruin my good deed. Whatever, I'm going back to class, why don't you try to show up today? We won't laugh at ya too hard." he said, giving her a wave.
"What are you talking about, no one is going to be laughing a me. Didn't you see the paper?" she asked.
"Of course I did, and for the record, you look really adorable in your picture, I can see that pout is a molded part of your face now." he said.
"No...what...forget it. Did you turn to the last page?" she asked.
"Huh?" he asked curiously. She grinned, holding back her laughter.
"Oh boy, you didn't see it. Looks like it's time for me to hit the old dusty trail." she said, walking off the stage, toward the exit. He noticed she had left behind her copy of the newspaper. Quickly grabbing it, he turned to the last page, eyes widening.
"HIYOKO! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE YOU LITTLE SHIT!"