Stage III: The Great Outdoors
Chapter 27: Junko's Favorite
"Mmm… Half credit," Monochio decided. "You did well in eliminating Ms. Izumo, however…"
"Aimoto is still alive. Yes. We are aware. But we were in the middle of setting up a trap for her when Shiratori…" MM2 trailed off angrily.
"It is a good thing we saw her when we did." MM1 nodded gravely. She wasn't hoping to win "pity points" from Monochio by saying this, it was simply the truth that they were lucky to have caught Kurumi so soon after she stole the extra Implememor-Es.
One minute, the two Masterminds were setting up a trap using Rinku's Implememor-E. The next, they heard Kurumi skittering around in the darkness in the distance. The Masterminds were swift to hide, but lucky them, Kurumi was in such a rush to watch her stolen Implememor-Es that she didn't even bother turning on any lights before throwing herself in front of the nearest computer. All MM2 had to do was walk up behind her and swing the pipe she stole from her room (and would subsequently clean and return once she and MM1 were done with their mission).
After MM2 struck and retreated, MM1 followed up with an injection that was, as confirmed in the class trial, nonlethal. It was meant to essentially lobotomize the Ultimate Prankster for the rest of the Game, but not kill her.
I didn't want to be executed so early on, after all! MM1 smirked. So, I was only going to incapacitate… Then the Ultimate Luck came along, for MM1 at least. Miyu did the dirty work so MM1 could rest assured that anything… uncouth that had been seen by Kurumi would die with Kurumi, and she got to keep her hands squeaky clean! Even the trap for Rinku was meant to be triggered by someone else.
The Masterminds were cunning. They had to be, after all, or Monochio would not have selected them as its Despair Disciples. And in order to pull off such elaborate schemes as organizing a Killing Game while pretending to be participants, they had to be careful to distance themselves from all that they did as Masterminds in order to assure that no suspicion—or even attention—fell on them. It was not entirely unavoidable, but they tried. They would never know if their trap for Rinku would've worked, but if there was any silver lining, the door to the top floor was finally fixed.
"We are lucky Shiratori had no desire for our secrets!" Monochio remarked coldly, tail flicking in warning as its jagged red eye pulsed and glowed. "We are also fortunate that she was unable to inform Sakurada of anything before she passed!"
Part of the reason the body discovery and trial were so wild was because Monochio demanded a spectacle in exchange for their incompetence, almost creating a Game-ending security breach. Lucky them, the Headcatster was satisfied with their performance, so it allowed them to pass onto the next Stage. Though it was a far closer call than any of them would've liked to admit, even Monochio.
It is a pity Saki was lost so soon, it thought. I had a plotline for her Synesthesia, but alas, she discovered it before she was meant to. It is utterly Despairful. We shall never know who is truly to blame for that, and yet she was the one who had to pay the ultimate price.
But what was done was done. They had to focus on Stage III. "Since it will be outdoors, you should have more… creative liberty and inspiration," Monochio sneered down its nose at its two Masterminds. "I will also wake up one more of you to aid in the endeavor…"
ooo
"Rise n shine, feline!" Monochio purred as it towered over its third Mastermind.
"Hmm, uhhh, whuu…?" She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. "Did I miss my alarm again?" she yawned, but the moment she realized she was staring up at Monochio, she recoiled, scooting backward as fast as she could. It didn't take her long to hit a locked door behind her.
"Be not afraid. You are in excellent paws!" Monochio teased. "Your memories only need time to come back to you."
Sure enough, after long enough… "Oh my gosh, all of that really happened?! Why did nobody invite me into the Game sooner?!"
"We did not need your help then," Monochio replied smoothly as MM3 pouted and crossed her arms. "But we do now, so, are you prepared?"
"I… don't know," MM3 admitted, faltering. Monochio gave a Chesire cat smile. It knew she would say that. That was why it wanted her alone first.
Oh, the irony, I keep her around because I have the HOPE of converting her to Despair.
About half an hour later, even though MM3 still wasn't delighted, she agreed to Monochio's terms. "I'm an Ultimate Despair and Ultimate Mastermind, after all," she sighed as she held out a hand to shake Monochio's massive paw. And, I'm Junko's favorite.
It wasn't something Monochio told her outright, but it was something that came back to her the longer and longer they spoke. It was one of the first times Junko ever asked her to be an Ultimate Despair and Mastermind. Junko had greeted her in a warm, chummy, friendly, casual way, as if only asking for a girls' night out with a gal pal.
"See, girl? That's why I like ya!" Junko grinned. "You're just as wild and unpredictable as me! Nothing's ever boring with you!"
It was something Junko admired in a person even more than Despair. Despair could be taught, but the ability to be unpredictable enough for the Ultimate Analyst? That took a certain special spark that not everyone had, but MM3 did. "My Ultimate Despair Heir!"
As much as MM3 might've been Junko's favorite, though, it made her unpopular with the others from time to time. Those who preferred to stick to scripts or rules typically did not enjoy MM3's spontaneity. Perhaps Junko liked watching her Despairs argue for her entertainment, but they found it a stumbling block when trying to achieve their murderous machinations.
What they didn't know, though, was that it wasn't purely Junko's sadism driving her to assemble a team of individuals that only got along half the time. It was a quirk of hers to always allow for her opponents to defeat her. Life was more exciting that way! In the case of the Killing School Transfer, Junko's "Achilles' Heel" was her Masterminds and their unstable relationships. MM3 was the perfect spark to fan the flames.
It was also why she was not the first Mastermind woken up, despite being Junko's favorite. The others hadn't necessarily wanted her around. But with their first objective still incomplete, and their numbers already thin, Monochio was growing impatient…
Bit bummed that I missed out on the party earlier, but hey, guess it's never too late for a grand entrance! MM3 smiled at the Headcatster. It was a split-second decision; she thrust a hand out and a jet of fire shot from it, searing and scorching Monochio's metal face.
"Yyyeeeeooooowwwwww!" The Headcatster stumbled back, pawing frantically at the flames. MM3 lunged again, this time landing with her legs around its body. She held tight as it bucked, tugging the panel on the back of its head as hard as she could. Waiting beneath was a dial.
"Time for a little Russian roulette!" MM3 joked, spinning the dial as hard as she could before jumping off Monochio again. While it continued to yowl, struggling to paw at the panel on the back of its neck and bat it closed, MM3 only watched with a dry smile and crossed arms. Soon, roles would reverse. A new personality would open its eyes for the very first time and behold the glorious, burning visage of Junko's favorite!
And then, Stage III will REALLY begin! So, watch out, guys, cuz the fun's only just getting started!
