Chapter 1: Urban Despair Part 3 (Daily Life)

Citizens Remaining: 17

While we were walking towards Enoshima Park I saw Espio looking around for something worriedly.

"Something up?" I asked him as he turned to me.

"I'm missing my kunai, the damage one could do with a weapon like that…"

"Did you really leave that thing around in a place where anyone could take that and murder someone? Why are you carrying around weapons like that in the first place? Unless YOU are planning to gut someone." Kaiba scoffed at the unfazed chameleon.

"I understand the repercussions of carrying such weapons, yet as a ninja I know when the right time is to use them. I would not use them to kill an innocent person, and I would rather use those weapons for defending them." He responded to Kaiba.

"Hmph, well your ninja skills apparently aren't good enough if you left that thing lying around. Idiot." He finished as we made it to the "Twin-Tailed Goddess" statue, I wish I had a baguette on me to hit this rich snob with.

Monokuma jumped out once again from behind the statue, yet another thing I want to hit with one.

"Good moooorning everyone! Now how are you all doing this fine morning?"

Ishigami yawned, that guy must have gotten barely any sleep from the looks of things.

"That answers my question. Anyways… WHY AREN'T ANY OF YOU KILLING EACH OTHER YET! It's not like you have much of a choice, you all have disappointing lives to get back to!"

"Hey, I live a pretty exciting life back in Scuttle Town! More importantly, you can't make us murder one another, we have no reasons to!" Shantae pointed out as a few of us nodded in agreement.

"Oh? No reasons? Upupupu~, it's time to show you one then! A very common one at that! Since you brought this up Ms. Half Genie Hero..."

Monokuma clicked a remote with a button on it and a large hole in the ground opened up and what came out of it was a tv screen. It clicked on and it showed a large old man, a girl with a bird on her shoulder, a green haired girl (who looked like a zombie like I do), and a blue spiky haired young man with a yellow bandana. They looked unconscious until they woke up having swirls in their eyes and smiles on their faces.

"Uncle, Sky, Bolo, Rotty… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM?" Shantae yelled at the bear.

"Upupupu~, looks like Scuttle Town's gonna get even more exciting with new Remnants of Despair around!" Monokuma kept chuckling to himself as the video changed.

"Ah… it can't…."

I was frightened as I saw Sakura, Junko, Saki, Yugiri, Lily, & Tae in the same condition. It then panned towards Kotaro as he removed his sunglasses to reveal the crazed eyes as Romero, his zombie dog, jumped at the camera.

"You monster… YOU MONSTER." The anger I felt in that moment was intense.

It unfortunately continued as the rest of us saw our friends, family, people we cared about being put under Monokuma's control.

"With this many new remnants, we've gone past the amount needed for replacing the old ones! Now we can spread despair across many other worlds!"

"Mokuba…" An angered Kaiba let out.

"Charmy, Vector..." Espio had dropped his calm demeanor.

"Mom, Dad, how could this happen?" Miles clenched his fists, trying to resist the rage.

"That's the first motive! And what a twist on the kidnapping loved ones idea! If one of you manages to murder another citizen, they will leave Monocity AND save their loved ones. If you don't, then the new Remnants of Despair will take over your world! Think that over, would ya folks? See ya!"

"YOU BASTARD!" Trunks unsheathed his sword as Monokuma went away with the screen in tow.

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"He's making it up… he's gotta be lying…" Marty tried to lighten up the mood, but the majority of us were not taking this well, myself included.

Sitting down at Na-EGG-i Diner, I'd sarcastically laugh at that strange name if I weren't feeling so mad towards a robotic bear. Not everyone was here, understandable after what we went through an hour ago.

"We saw it happen, how could he manage to fake all of that?" Aoba asked that question towards him.

"I need… to get out of here… we're all going to die…" I heard Ishigami in the corner.

"Don't say such things! We're all just playing Monokuma's game if we just accept this!" Emma stood up from her booth, milkshake straw in her mouth.

"We just need to find out who's controlling him! He's a robot, so if we take down his master, then maybe they'll open the way out!" Alice explained.

"How are we even going to find them anyways? We've searched this area top to bottom, and the other areas won't open up until a murder happens. Basically, we're just sitting ducks as our loved ones wreak havoc!" Killua was by the jukebox munching on a chocolate bar.

"Wait… maybe if we don't play his game then he'll get bored and open up the other areas! The more locations, the more opportunities for him to see a murder. Monokuma will continue to try and get us to kill each other, so if we don't listen, we'll be able to keep searching the city until we find the mastermind!" I slammed my fist into my palm as I brought up the idea.

"Well now flower girl, what if he just decides to get rid of us himself? Create a bigger explosion than he did last time?" Aoba once again asks a question like this.

"That wouldn't be as entertaining for him, he wants to see betrayal, thought out plans, executions, he'd want us to experience it all." Miles told him.

Aoba crossed his arms and leaned against his chair, I could never read that guy. Afterwards, I went to check out the places others went to yesterday, in case they managed to miss something and I saw Gold and Misato talking at Despairbucks.

"Just meet me in my room, I want to apologize for how I acted yesterday."

"Huh? Alright then, if you want to."

Misato walked away, presumably to the Hope-tel, leaving Gold confused.

"That seems suspicious." I said, walking up to him.

"Yeah, especially after what we just saw. Though, I kinda still want to go in case she really does want to patch things up."

"Really? How come?"

"First off, because I don't wanna be blown up like this morning."

"Okay that's fair. (you deserved it though for giggling)"

"Secondly, I wanted to improve my attitude somewhat. I can make quite a bad impression on people, to the point where they think I bring danger wherever I go."

"Yeah, I can tell…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Do you think she really feels the same way though?"

"Not a clue, but I think I saw in her eyes that she needed a friend, so might as well go be one."

Gold's actually pretty caring despite being rude and careless about what he says sometimes. I feel like I might have learned more about him today.

"Plus she's kinda cute, maybe she's looking to ask out the Johto Hero from New Bark Town, heh heh…"

I take it back.

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I spent a lot of my day looking around the shopping district, not a lot of interesting stores, just a lot of Monokuma themed merchandise and a costume shop. It felt oddly refreshing to take a walk after seeing what happened to my fellow Franchouchou members. It still stung, knowing that Saga would probably need saving from them when we were formed in order to save it, how ironic. I then noticed someone took a wig off the rack, it was right next to the Mondo Butter guy's outfit, and upon closer examination it was the outfit the guy from the "No littering" sign at Enoshima Park.

"Hm?" I noticed a single black hair was left there, which means I was correct in assuming the costume was based off of him, but why did someone take one of these wigs?

That questioned that in my head as I walked into the Hope-tel, looking to rest. I heard Bernadetta crying in her room and as I tried to approach it I ran into Miles who was next to it.

"Oh, 'sup Ai?"

"Nothing much. I just went to check on Bernie and it looks like you're already doing it."

"Yeah. I felt that it was my responsibility to help out a friend in trouble."

"Responsibility? That's pretty kind of you." I smiled at him as he rubbed the back of his head.

"It is? Ah, um, yeah. Just doing my job, ha." He said in a deeper voice, which made me keep that smile, even gave me a quick laugh. Today of all days too.

"Ever since I put on this mask, I wanted to protect people." He took out the black mask he wore when we first met.

"I'm my dimension's only Spider-Man, so I gotta be a hero. Figured doing pep talks to those who needed it would help me grow as one too."

"Well, with that attitude, it's no wonder that you're leading the team alongside us."

"Could say the same for you, earlier in the diner, that idea sounds great. Glad you're taking charge of this situation, despite all of us feeling down after earlier."

"Thanks, I'll try my best to help you all, I may not be a 'Spider-Man', but an idol has to make people smile."

Miles and I enjoyed our time hanging out with each other. I felt like we grew a lot closer just now.

We both knocked on Bernadetta's door in order to help boost her confidence, but then we heard something.

*Ding dong dong ding*

"What is it now, Monokuma?" I asked as he appeared on our e-Handbooks holding a wine glass.

"A body has been discovered! Now then, after a certain amount of time has passed, the city trial will begin!"

…. WHAT.

"GUYS COME QUICK!" It was Gold and he called us over.

Bernadetta opened her door and wiped the tears off her face as the four of us ran across the Hope-tel guest floor. We saw a door wide open, and the name on the door was "Misato Tachibana". Walking in we saw ash on the wall, looks like she fired one of her weapons. A few black hairs on the floor, the mattress tipped over, also covered in ash. And in the corner... was Misato.

Blood pouring out her chest, covering the carpet and the wall around her. Upon further inspection, the object sticking out of her chest was Espio's kunai. He looked on horrified at what we were seeing, as were the rest of us.

Misato Tachibana, The Ultimate Arsenal, had been murdered by one of us.

WELP. No comment folks. You all probably have things to say about how this chapter went, so I'll let you say EVERYTHING you have to say in your reviews/comments. Who do you think did it? I… didn't make things very obvious. This chapter was kinda rushed.