Chapter 3: Sums For Our Fallen Grace (Deadly Life #04)
Warning: This fic contains intense violence, lots of cursing, character death, gore and blood, sexual innuendos (thanks Maggi- Wait. You're dead now. Meaning there are no sexual innuendos!... Maybe! Hooray!), and possible spoilers for the Danganronpa series, most notably the first one. But hey, everyone lurking in this fandom has at least played the first Danganronpa so no need to worry much there!
With that said, please enjoy!
"C-Carter?"
Carter froze.
It was in the Therapy Room that he was found. Carter had been trying to situate the Robo Justice suit on top of the trolley. And he was caught in the middle of his plot, red-handed.
"W-What are you doing with that?" Barracuda asked. "W-Wasn't that thing originally in…?"
"A-Ah, Barracuda," Carter chuckled sheepishly. "Wh-What are you doing here? I'm just… y'know, making a science project."
"...A science project?" Barracuda raised an eyebrow. No. This was all off. Before, he would've fallen for something like this but if there was even a chance that Maggie was perhaps in danger, he had to be smart. He had to be smarter than he usually was. "...Is there something you're not telling me?"
"W-What?" Carter started to sweat. "O-Of course not! This is meant to be a surprise so…"
"...M-Maggie's in there, isn't she?" Barracuda clenched his fist. "You're planning to kill Maggie, aren't you?! Y-You can't fool me!"
Carter paused.
Barracuda was wrong and right at the same time. To be off the mark and yet on it was nothing more than miraculous. Carter knew that as soon as Barracuda said it, there was no turning back. It was already too late. He needed that cash, and this big idiot was in the way. And he hated that he was in the way!
"...W-Why'd you have to barge in?" Carter quietly asked. "W-Why'd you have to ruin things for me?"
"S-So… it's true, you really do have–" Barracuda was about to say before Carter shook his head.
"N-No no, she's not in the Robo Justice," Carter confirmed. "But I am going to go kill her. And I can't let you stop me."
"C-Carter you–" Barracuda was about to restrain the nerd before he suddenly stopped. He was like a deer in headlights. And the headlights belonged to the speargun that Carter had pulled out of his pocket.
"...I'm sorry," Carter felt tears form from his eyes.
Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger…
…
And the spear was launched straight into Barracuda's chest.
"A-AGH!" Barracuda yelled in pain.
The spear was lodged in his chest. His hands instinctively touched his wound, staining his hands with blood. He quivered as he dropped to his knees. Someone as small as Carter was able to take him down. It was just his luck too. He wasn't going to be able to save Maggie like this…
"W-Why Carter?" Barracuda whimpered. "W-Why?"
"W-Why?!" Carter clenched his fist. "I never wanted to shoot you! Why'd you have to barge in on me?! I was only supposed to kill one person. I was only supposed to kill Maggie. Not you and Maggie!"
"W-Why Maggie?!" Barracuda coughed up blood. That's when he noticed something detrimental to Carter: the spear was still attached to the chain and connected to the speargun. "W-Why her? What did she ever do to you? I thought you two were…"
"...I need that money," Carter darkly stated. "I'm sorry Barracuda but I need that money. And you're getting in the way of what I owe…"
Carter inched closer to him. Barracuda recognized that killer instinct almost immediately. Yeah. That's right. He was going to finish him off. Silence him forever.
"I'm sorry Barracuda…" Carter closed his eyes as he held the speargun by its muzzle. "I really am…"
"...Y-Yeah," Barracuda took a painful deep breath before grabbing the middle of the chain. "M-Me too…"
"H-Huh?" Carter widened his eyes.
With a strong tug, Carter's weaker arms were unable to hold onto the weapon he had possessed. In fact, that speargun had now fallen to the ground and so did he. Desperation started to form in the columnist's eyes.
"W-What are you doing?!" Carter exclaimed. "W-What the fuck do you–"
"This is for Maggie, motherfucker!" Barracuda roared before using the last of strength to swing the speargun…
…
CRACK!
…
Carter fell to the ground, blood seeping out the side of his head and mixing in with Barracuda's. With a heavy sigh, Barracuda started to tear up. He felt his vision fading. His pain was increasing. And his usual strength was starting to weaken.
"I… I hope this is enough to… make up for what I've done Maggie," Barracuda coughed up blood. His hands trembled. He didn't even dare to touch the spear lodged in his chest.
He started to pass out. "I… I'm so sorry…"
Pass in and out.
Never noticing the third party that would stumble onto the scene and use this to her advantage.
…
…
…
Barracuda instinctively touched the bandages on his chest. He felt the notable stitches underneath him. That stinging pain never eased and the blood seeping from his mouth never ceased. Tears continued to form in his eyes.
"...I did it… I guess I really did…" Barracuda clenched his fist.
"B-Barracuda, you obviously didn't mean to," Mimi looked down. She just couldn't catch a break. She was losing everyone she really looked up to. Losing those she had grown to care about. "This… This isn't fair! Why is it that you have to die for something you didn't mean to do? Why is it that the one person who did it on purpose gets to live. This is… This is…"
"Bullshit?" Haruto finished Mimi's sentence as he folded his arms and directed his gaze toward Cassandra. "Yeah, it really is."
"Not my fault, that's how the rules work," Cassandra smirked. "Isn't that right Monohebi?"
"Rightfully so," Monohebi nodded.
"So that's it then," Abigail was also as pissed as Mimi and Haruto were. "Barracuda dies and Cassandra lives? Surely there has to be something we can do."
"But there isn't," Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Let's just get on with the vote. Come on, get to it, Monohebi."
"Very well then, I shall ready the–" Monohebi was about to say before Arthur interrupted the snake.
"Not so fast," Arthur frowned. "There is a way we can still give her the due punishment she deserves…"
"And what would that be?" Cassandra smugly asked. "Lock me up in Cell #66? Sure, go for it! I'll live!"
"That is not what I was referring to," Arthur shook his head. "I was referring to something that was mentioned in a previous Trial."
"Hey, what happens if we split the vote?" Cassandra turned to Monohebi.
"C-Cassandra?" Zuri blinked. "What are you saying?"
"You don't get it?" Cassandra asked. "We're going to tie the votes between Kane and Holland. But before we even try that, I wanted to ask the snake what would happen."
Monohebi flicked her tongue. She eyed Cassandra carefully before speaking.
"Well, I suppose that should the situation arise…" Monohebi began. "If one of the tied votes is the blackened, then both will be executed. But if both are innocent, the two and everyone besides the blackened will be executed. Of course, this is the default rules of this Killing Game. Master White Collar may change them as he pleases…"
"Then we got nothing to worry about here," Cassandra smirked. "Kane seems to be the most likely suspect at the moment and Holland was the one who started this entire shit. I'd say this doesn't seem too much of a loss once we split the vote."
"Y-You want to tie the vote?" Zuri widened her eyes.
Cassandra dropped her smug look as her eyes widened.
"If we tie the vote, Barracuda won't be the only person executed," Arthur surmised. "Cassandra will be too. And therefore, one of the blackened will get the punishment they deserve."
"W-What the fuck are you trying to pull here Kingston?" Cassandra gritted her teeth. "I… I… Monohebi won't allow this! R-Right?"
Monohebi blinked before flicking her tongue.
"It is part of the rules," Monohebi stated. "I see no issue with this."
"N-No, you can't!" Cassandra clenched her fist.
"Oh yes we can," Arthur coldly stared at Cassandra, hatefully. "I warned you. Mess with a member of the Kingston family and I'll have your head."
Cassandra widened her eyes. He really did make good of his threat. She tried to smirk through this. She didn't want to show weakness.
"Y-Yeah, but remember, it wasn't me who kidnapped Ina and locked her in that suit," Cassandra tried to argue. "Carter was."
"True, but you still used her to cover up your crime," Arthur glared at her. "Instead of helping her, instead of easing my anxiety, you still used her, and I cannot forgive you for what you put my sister through."
"Arthur, please," Ina glanced toward her half-brother in slight concern. That was already another addition of proof to how much he truly did care about her. After all, he was willing to condemn a person to death for her. But it still felt so wrong…
"As much as Cassandra did kill someone, condemning her to death is overdoing it," Jared narrowed his eyes. "I vote no."
"Yeah, this is just…" Zuri shook her head furiously. "This isn't right!"
"Nah, fuck that," Haruto shook his head. "Cassandra lives for killing someone intentionally, but Barracuda dies for something he did in self-defense. Sorry, I'm voting for this bitch."
Abigail firmly nodded her head in agreement. Clearly, she wasn't happy with the idea that Cassandra got to live either.
"You fucking–"
"Very well then," Monohebi decided to jump into this debacle between what everyone would do. "I shall now prepare the vote…"
"W-Wait!" Cassandra turned to the snake suddenly.
Soon, everyone's eHandbooks started to ping, notifying them that they were now ready to vote. Cassandra was starting to sweat. There was no way these idiots would possibly tie the votes like that right? Right?!
Oh, who was she kidding. These people were petty as fuck. They would totally…
…Unlike the previous Trials, the voting process was a little longer and much more time-consuming as they had thought. A lot of thought was put into the votes. To tie the vote. And if so, how could they tie the vote? They needed some proper coordination with this did they not? But just based on what everyone was saying, it was somehow done. The voting that is. It was somehow done…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
Barracuda: 6
Cassandra: 4
...
"With the votes tallied, I can now formally give my final verdict on the supposed blackened of this case," Monohebi announced, her head turning to the rather solemn-looking Barracuda. "My final verdict for Victor Marakovich, the Ultimate Fitness Trainer:
…
…
…
GUILTY
…
…
…
…That is all."
Monohebi smacked her tail down onto her throne as if she had just slammed down a gavel to conclude these Prison Trial proceedings. Flicking her tongue, the snake continued.
"This Prison Trial has concluded," Monohebi announced. "Congratulations prisoners. You were correct. The blackened of this case was indeed Victor Marakovich, the Ultimate Fitness Trainer. Do with that information how you will."
TRIAL ENDS
When the Trial officially ended, Cassandra stormed up to Arthur and slapped him across the face. She was pissed. No. Beyond pissed. She couldn't believe this asshole just tried to pull that scummy move on her of all people!
"You fucking asshole," Cassandra glared at Arthur. "You were going to fucking put me up for execution out of spite."
Arthur rubbed his cheek before glaring toward the rest of his peers.
"Someone here didn't help us tie the vote!" Arthur was visibly frustrated by this outcome. "Who here didn't help tie the vote?! If we had only one more vote on Cassandra, we could've–"
"It was me."
...
Everyone turned, surprised by who did not vote for Cassandra. It shouldn't really be surprising that they didn't want to tie the vote but the fact that they could've voted for Cassandra simply because of what she did… It was…
"B-Barracuda?" Mimi widened her eyes. "W-Why didn't you vote for Cassandra! I mean, she killed Maggie! She had to pay for what she did so–"
"No more!" Barracuda exclaimed, his eyes welling with tears. "Just… stop. No more of all of this blood. Carter and Maggie are dead. I'm going to die too. I can't have you guys go and vote for someone else to die as well. There's been enough blood on everyone's hands here."
"So, in other words, you voted for yourself?" Zuri covered her mouth. "I… would've thought you'd be one of the people to vote for Cassandra."
"...It's true," Barracuda looked down. "Cassandra did kill Maggie. And of course, I can never forgive her for that. But the truth of the matter now is that I'm the one who's on the chopping block. This Trial was meant for everyone to accuse me of killing Carter. Not Cassandra killing Maggie."
Mimi felt her own eyes begin to water. Then, suddenly, she rushed toward Barracuda to give him a big hug, burying her eyes into his otherwise, wounded chest. It hurt like hell, but Barracuda didn't care. In fact, those forming tears started to trickle down his cheek.
"I-It's not fair," Mimi meekly stated in-between sniffles. "Why do you have to die? You didn't do anything wrong…"
"...That's not true," Barracuda slowly collapsed onto his knees. "I… Did so many things wrong. This entire Trial. It's all my fault. I was the one who put the bounty on Maggie's head. Because of that, Cassandra went ahead and killed her. If I had just Trusted her, maybe she would've been…"
"I told you Barracuda…" Abigail stepped forward, a solemn look in her tired eyes. "You can't blame everything on yourself. Not everything is your fault. Cassandra has to be blamed for–"
"But blaming myself is all I can do!" Barracuda tried to wipe his tears. "All I wanted to do was protect Maggie and make up for what I did. And wouldn't you know it, I was too late for even that. I… I just can't do anything right."
Barracuda turned to Cassandra, his voice starting to quiver.
"B-Before… Before I die," Barracuda started to shake. "I just wanted to know. Why? Why kill her? Did you really need the money so badly? Why her and why not the others with a million-dollar bounty on their heads?!"
Cassandra glanced away. The expression on her face was an expression no one could really read. But the fact that she remained somewhat indignant to the consequences of her actions, was really pissing people off.
"I don't need to tell you any of that, do I?" Cassandra didn't bother to try to make eye contact with Barracuda.
"I have to know!" Barracuda tried to stand up, but his sudden movement forced him to cough out blood. "I have to know why she died! Why did it have to be her who died?! Please! Tell me!"
Cassandra sighed. She hated being pestered like this. She rolled her eyes.
"I'm the Ultimate Scam Artist," Cassandra plainly stated. "My entire life's goal is for the money. That's… the only thing I care about in my cruddy life. And Maggie just happened to make it easy for me. Why not take the chance she gave me for the easiest million dollars I would've ever made in comparison to scamming a bunch of losers online?"
"She… made it easy?" Barracuda blinked; his heart slowly sank. "Didn't she try to fight back? Or try to stop you?"
Cassandra remained silent as her mind wandered to what had happened between her and Maggie yesterday.
"..."
Maggie didn't move. Her mind snapped out of her weakened state. Well, she was still weakened emotionally, but she just chose not to move. She felt a presence. And she clenched her fist. This wasn't what she needed right now.
"So, you're finally here," Maggie frowned. She turned to face someone, her eyes slightly widening at who it was before glancing down. "...I... I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I know what you're here for, so why don't you just get it over with?"
Cassandra walked in with Justice Hammer #4 in hand. She twirled it around without much care in the world as she stopped right as Maggie turned back toward the scam artist.
"...So, you know exactly what I'm going to do with this hammer, right?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "And you're not even going to arm yourself with one of those faulty hammers over there? No fighting back? You're just going to stand there and let me do this, huh?"
Maggie said nothing.
"That Barracuda guy sure did a number on you," Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Men, am I right?"
"I don't see why you're taking your sweet time taunting me," Maggie crossed her arms, unamused. "You came to kill me because of the million-dollar bounty on my head, right? So, get to it. At least then I'll be useful for something other than just fun times in bed."
Cassandra stared at Maggie for a moment.
"You've truly given up, haven't you?" Cassandra remarked. "The toll of this game has finally knocked you down. I hate to say 'I told you so' but I'm going to do it anyway. I told you so. Friendships in games like these never last."
Maggie scoffed as she looked away.
"But you can't say that you haven't felt the same way with some people, right?" Maggie pressed her fingers over her cheek. "Namely, how much you've been hanging out with Jared as of late?"
"...Jared means nothing to me," Cassandra frowned.
"Oh yeah?" Maggie didn't believe her. "And yet he's your go-to person for whenever you want to do something with someone. Admit it, you're happy you have at least someone to talk to. If Jared wasn't here, you'd be all alone. He's literally the only person that's keeping you company out of everyone here."
Maggie paused as Cassandra folded her arms.
"Then again, you probably can't admit it," Maggie chuckled to herself. "Otherwise, Cassandra Mura would be a hypocrite..."
"You're so full of it, you know that?" Cassandra rolled her eyes.
Maggie shook her head but not before bursting into a small fit of laughter.
"What's so funny?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow.
"...I can't believe it," Maggie couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm probably about to die soon and my last moment is literally sharing an actual conversation with Cassandra Mura. No insults. Just... a nice, small talk. What a cruel joke…"
Maggie squatted down, positioning herself accordingly. She took a deep breath, letting a tear slowly trail down her eyes. She hated herself. She hated how stupid she was. Barracuda and she were never going to work out; regardless of friendship or romance, it was never going to work.
She knew that now and yet even in her last moments, she still thought of Barracuda. Perhaps that was the lust taking over…
"Anyway... I guess I'm ready now," Maggie mumbled, her eyes flooding with tears now. "...Please make it quick."
Cassandra raised up Justice Hammer #4, her eyes filled with opportunity.
But deep inside her, she wasn't sure how to feel about all this.
The opportunity was there and yet...
Cassandra bit her lip.
No weakness. She had the initiative. It was time to show a little follow-through.
"With pleasure," Cassandra said.
…
CRACK!
…
Cassandra had swung down, hard.
Maggie, toppled toward the ground, lifeless, as sticky blood seeped out of her head.
Cassandra could do nothing more than stare at the supermodel's lifeless body. There was no sign of remorse or guilt on her face yet there was disappointment. She dropped her weapon onto the ground and turned to the hammers on the wall.
With a sigh in relief, she headed to the wall. After all, the best thing she could do now was cover up her crime… right?
"So, Justice Hammer #1 was planted at the scene of the crime before the incident with Carter," Arthur surmised. "And all this time we thought it was used to make it seem like Carter and Maggie tried to kill each other."
"That was the second version of the original plan," Cassandra explained. "Originally, I left that decoy weapon there to get some idiot to believe that Maggie fought back against her attacker. That someone here had an injury somewhere and it would've been one big wild goose chase. The plan wasn't fool-proof anyway. At the time, I only thought about the money. And Maggie was pretty much begging me to do it anyway so I did us both the favor."
Barracuda said nothing. Instead, he clenched his fist and let his heart pain from the sorrow and guilt.
"But to my surprise, you guys dicked around in the Auditorium a lot longer than I thought you would," Cassandra slightly laughed at that. "The kick of it all was that by the next day, no one had even realized Maggie was dead. That's when I decided to plant the ice packs. Make it seem like she died today instead of yesterday. It wasn't until I went to get rid of those that I bumped into a much wilder opportunity."
"The aftermath of Carter and Barracuda's fight," Jared nodded in understanding.
"As soon as I saw Carter's body and Ina in that suit, I saw a way to hide my crime," Cassandra looked proud of herself. "Saw a way to get me to ride right under the radar and get away with what I did."
"But wouldn't it have been easier to just have left Carter's body in the Therapy Room?" Abigail asked. "If you had just called out to everyone for help, and we found exactly what you found, Carter's body would've been discovered first, and the Trial would still end with the same verdict."
"Well, here's the thing about that," Cassandra folded her arms with a smirk. "I couldn't have known about the rules of the Double Murder Trial. I mean, how could anyone? They were first introduced when both bodies were found, remember?"
"Not so fast, Mister Caertas," Monohebi shook her head. "You see, this next Trial will be a little special given the circumstances of the situation for two reasons."
"This is because of it being a double murder, isn't it?" Cassandra narrowed her eyes. "You must have some interesting new rules set in place for this."
"Of course," Monohebi nodded. "As this is your first Double Murder Trial, it is important to recognize the rules and what you should be preparing to discuss during said Trial."
"So that meant that at the time, all you were really thinking about was how to cover up your own crime," Jared lowered his hat in thought.
"Exactly," Cassandra stared at her nails. "And I would've gotten away with it too…"
"If it weren't for us meddling kids?" Mimi frowned.
"Pft, no, fuck you," Cassandra stuck her tongue out.
Barracuda still remained silent, however. Cassandra had explained her side of the story. Her reasonings for why things happened the way they did. And yet, all he could focus on was the Maggie aspect of her tale. He couldn't believe how badly he had messed up.
How badly he hurt Maggie.
To the point where she ended up giving up her life to Cassandra…
"Alright, so you obviously did it for the money and shit," Haruto rubbed the back of his neck. "But what about Carter? Why'd the fuck did he go and try to do it as well? All that planning and for what?"
"You want to know Carter's motive?" a familiar voice slowly creeped into the room. "Why don't I tell you then?"
…
White Collar stepped into the scene with Monohebi slowly slithering by his side. Stepping forward with his hellish cane, the man's entrance was something that not everyone could really take kindly at the moment.
"White Collar," Jared clenched his fist. Oh, how he really did want to wipe that smile off of that mask. "Of course, you would know why Carter went ahead and planned out his role in all this."
White Collar chuckled as he shook his head.
"Of course," White Collar placed a hand over his heart. "I know it all."
"Then, is Cassandra telling the truth?" Barracuda asked, eyes practically pleading toward the Devil himself. "Did Maggie really let herself get killed by…"
"Unfortunately, yes," White Collar confirmed. "Miss Mura told a truth. For once."
"Okay, but what about Carter, huh?" Haruto glared at the man in the mask. "Why'd he go and do what he did? Why go through all that preparation just to go for the same target? Why'd he need the money so badly?"
"To understand that you'll need to see something important," White Collar began as he held out an eHandbook.
Carter's eHandbook.
Slowly, he lowered it down for Monohebi to grab. With a firm nod, the snake had wasted no time in taking it and retrieving the projector used for the Minigames. Then, placing the eHandbook inside, she scrolled through the applications before finding his one Motive Video. Then she pressed play showcasing a familiar scene:
White Collar with a glass of wine.
"To my humblest and dearest Carter Franklin," White Collar greeted, sitting on his throne as he glanced back toward the audience that was watching. "The one who tries so desperately to fit in with the group. But you know you will never find comfort with your allies. Because you've already found and lost comfort… in the form of your old high school teacher…"
…
White Collar evaporated into static as the image switched to a rather older man talking to a police detective. This was Mr. Rowan, the teacher that taught Carter everything there was to becoming a great opinion columnist. Only this time, he didn't seem to match much of what Carter had hyped him up to be.
He seemed to be somewhat of a shell of his former past. An old man who seemed tired of it all. Tired…
"Carter Franklin," Rowan sighed. "He was a great kid. Just had a lot of issues. Family issues to be exact. Turned him into a timid, little mouse who just needed guidance. Had small little talks and sessions with him and at first, he didn't show much of anything. Too shy to show anything I would guess."
Rowan then smiled softly.
"One day he comes home and suddenly, he shows me what he could have been," Rowan reminisced. "He showed a lot of promise in writing so I helped him out. Helped get his name around the newspapers. All the people loved what he had to say about specific subjects. All the people... except his family."
Rowan's smile turned bitter.
"I don't know exact details but after he submitted his first essay to the national newspaper, the kid just upped and moved," Rowan frowned. "Carter Franklin was the happiest when he was writing. It made no sense that he would just up and move. And now… you say he's gone missing. Six years after he moved away."
Rowan shook his head as he glanced toward the police detective.
"With all due respect, why are you asking me about this?" he questioned. "If there's anyone who forced him to move and disappear into the middle of nowhere, that would be his parents."
"Well, that's the thing, sir," the police detective seriously stated. "His parents accused you of kidnapping him."
"That's absurd," Rowan furrowed his eyebrows.
"Their logic is that Mr. Franklin admired you more than he did anyone in his family," the police detective explained. "That he must've ran away to come and find you."
"Well, if he did run away just to find me, he hasn't found me yet," Rowan shook his head. "I haven't seen Carter Franklin in six years. And clearly, he isn't doing well if he's missing. Now, if you're thinking I'm holding him somewhere like one of those classic creepy teachers, you can search my classroom or my house all you like. I had nothing to do with Carter Franklin's disappearance."
"Then who do you think did it?" the police detective asked.
"As I said, his parents," Rowan stated.
…
The video abruptly ended, revealing White Collar's image once again as he sinisterly grinned toward his audience. He swirled his glass of wine.
"I have shown you Mr. Rowan," White Collar declared. "Your high school teacher. And I do have to admit, he is someone quite admirable. Probably the only teacher I would ever grow to respect in this day and age…"
White Collar set his glass of wine onto his desk.
"Unfortunately, as per the rules, there is still the matter of the Disadvantage," White Collar began to say.
…
White Collar leaned forward with a distorted laugh.
…
"If no one dies in the next 24 hours, Mr. Rowan will die by my own hands. That is the way the world will work sometimes…"
Sitting back, White Collar's grin widened.
"That is all," White Collar held out his glass of wine as if he were making a toast. "Do with this video and my words what you will, Carter Franklin."
White Collar started to laugh.
"And goodbye."
When the video ended, the remaining prisoners were quiet. Ina started to bite her fingers nervously. She had remembered what Carter had told her about the day after their first Minigame.
"I…" Ina didn't even know how to respond to that. No. As a matter of fact, she stopped herself from responding. Carter was deeply upset about the disadvantage he had received from the Minigame and Ina was entirely at fault for that. "...I'm sorry Carter. I really am. If any case, may I know what Mr. Rowan was to you? Or at least, show me what White Collar sent you?"
Carter seemed to tense when asked about showing someone what he received on his eHandbook. Ina recognized and cleared her throat.
"Or just, Mr. Rowan would be fine," Ina stated.
"...H-He was my high school teacher," Carter looked away. "S-Someone I could really look up to. H-He was just… the one person wh-who actually sh-showed me w-what I was c-capable of. And I d-did so many things for him. I made myself who I am because of him."
"...Sounds admirable," Ina looked away.
"H-He is," Carter looked up and smiled. "H-He's the most important person in my life. He t-taught me about writing as an opinion c-columnist. I owe everything I own to h-him. Th-That's how much I respect him as a t-teacher."
"So… that was Mr. Rowan," Ina noted. On a first glance, he seemed respectable, but what was this whole nonsense with Carter's family that they kept mentioning. From the looks of it, Mr. Rowan… didn't like Carter's family one bit.
"Does this mean that Carter wanted the money to support Mr. Rowan?" Zuri blinked.
"Far from it actually," White Collar began to explain on his own terms. "Mr. Rowan was the only person in Mister Franklin's miserable life that truly understood and cared for the boy. But what should've been the boy's original main comfort zone, was ultimately a vessel for his pain and misery."
"Original main comfort zone?" Jared raised an eyebrow. "What? His family?"
"Don't tell me Carter's family was fucking abusive as well," Haruto clenched his fist. The last time he saw an abusive family member was Mayu's grandfather and that shit was hard to watch with all the insults he'd been spewing toward her.
"Sister, actually," White Collar leaned against his cane, looking visibly displeased. "That cruel girl: Holly Franklin."
"Holly Franklin?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "Why does that name sound…?"
"Familiar?" White Collar's mask slowly widened into a grin. "It should…"
"Carter mentioned having a sister that hated him!" Barracuda widened his eyes as he remembered that important detail from his conversation with him.
"M-My older sister," Carter sighed. "Sh-She's… Sh-She's had a history with mental health problems. Sh-She's always getting mad and tormenting me. Blaming me for everything. S-She's hated me ever since I was born…"
Carter clenched his fist. Barracuda listened.
"I… I wrote an opinion piece," Carter frowned. "I thought that I was doing something good for her for once. And I wrote about how important taking care of mental health is and… and… I mentioned my sister."
"So… because of that…" Barracuda tried to think about the consequences of that.
"Because of that, everyone who knew me, knew my sister to be crazy," Carter grimaced. "And she lost everything. Her friends. The respect from her peers. People stayed clear of her. I really thought I was doing a good thing for her. B-But once again, I made her life miserable."
"You… can't really blame yourself for that," Barracuda tried to say. "And even so, your sister… from the sounds of it… was really mean to you for a long time."
"...I kn-know," Carter frowned. "S-So in the end, it was accidental v-vengeance for the abuse sh-she put me through. I had to m-move because of what I did. My p-parents were equally d-disappointed."
"Yes, and I imagine that Carter Franklin also told you he used his talent to write a piece about mental health issues," White Collar explained. "And in the process of doing so, he outed his older sister."
"Outed his older sister?" Mimi blinked. "Like, he just exposed her for having…"
"Precisely," White Collar nodded. "He exposed her and her issues. Mentioned her by name. Posted all of that information to a national newspaper. And soon, the entire country knew of the psycho older sister: Holly Franklin."
"...Holy shit," Cassandra slowly widened her eyes. "That bitch was this twink's older sister?!"
"You know about this story?" Zuri turned to Cassandra surprised.
"Anyone who bothered to read a newspaper knew," Cassandra explained. "Holly Franklin was a psycho who was cut off by her own therapist due to some shit about health insurance or something like that."
"Of course, that was what was explicitly stated in his article," White Collar nodded. "But the nation, as usual, twisted this story for their own amusement. Soon, the story of a girl who got cut off due to monetary issues became the story of a girl who got cut off… because her therapist couldn't handle her case. Because she was too… destructive. Insane. A ticking time bomb, ready to explode."
"Th-That's terrible," Zuri gasped.
"As you can imagine based on what Mr. Rowan had said," White Collar continued to explain. "This was the reason Carter Franklin moved. His parents were forced to separate him from his sister and blamed his teacher for helping him tarnish Holly Franklin's reputation."
"So that's why Carter needed the money," Arthur folded his arms.
"Huh?" Mimi turned to Arthur, confused. "Why did he need it…?"
"...I imagine Carter must've felt guilt over what he did to his own sister," Arthur frowned. "After all, he ruined her life. The money he would've been trying to get… it would've all been for his sister."
"So, in other words," Barracuda gritted his teeth. "He felt as if he had to owe her life back. That he still had a debt to her to pay off…"
He could easily relate to that notion.
"An interesting theory, Mister Kingston," White Collar slowly grinned.
"Okay, but at the same time, this Holly Franklin chick sounded like a fucking bitch anyway!" Haruto glared.
"H-Haruto," Abigail snapped toward Haruto.
"No, I get it," Haruto folded his arms seriously. "Having your life ruined and getting exposed like that, sucks. But at the same time, Holly Franklin wasn't such a saint either. You said it yourself, Collar. This girl was abusive to Carter. And judging from what Barracuda said as well, she's been doing this shit ever since he was born! I say she deserved what happened to her in the end!"
"You know what, I guess you're right. I mean compared to Carter… wouldn't it have made more sense to drag her into this Killing Game, instead of Carter?" Abigail had to agree with what Haruto was saying. "I mean, she seems to be a little worse than what Carter did. If anything, you could argue that Carter could have worded his article better. It's not like he did all this intentionally."
"Do you really think that what Carter wrote was just a misuse of words?" White Collar perked his head, curiously. He started to laugh. "That would make no sense. No sense for the Ultimate Opinion Columnist…"
"Wait, you mean, Carter ruined his sister… on purpose?" Zuri gasped.
"A fit of revenge over the years of abuse from his older sister?" White Collar asked. "Precisely. Ultimate students like yourselves are supposed to be worthy of the title you possess. For an Ultimate Opinion Columnist to make a mistake and write something that would end up ruining his own sister's life… that is simply not possible. Such an act can only be with intent."
"But then, if he did it on purpose, then why bother with this whole murder plot?" Jared questioned. "It still doesn't make sense. You're saying he did it with intent and then felt guilty afterwards? That's…"
"Strange?" White Collar perked his head before shaking his head. "You are right about that. If he did it with intent, there was no reason for him to bother sending money to a sister he hated. But then again, there is one detail I forgot to mention."
"And what would that be?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.
White Collar's mask curled into his signature sinister grin.
...
"Holly Franklin is dead," White Collar simply stated.
"Wh-What?" Mimi gasped.
"She… She's dead?" Abigail blinked before her eyes widening. This felt all too familiar. "N-No! You don't mean…"
"The wound on Holly Franklin's image would never heal ever since Carter Franklin published his article," White Collar explained. "She became an outcast in society. The damage her younger brother had done to her was too much. And finally, she had enough. She was found hung in her own bedroom one summer evening. The only thing by her side was a note, cursing her little brother for what he had done to her."
"N-No way!" Mimi covered her mouth.
Abigail turned away, closing her eyes. She didn't want to hear something like that. It hit too hard. It really did.
"Now you understand what that money was for?" White Collar chuckled. "It was compensation for his parents. It was what he owed to the life he destroyed. The life he stole from his own sibling. Oh, how it reminds me of a Bible story…"
…
"Carter," Ina turned away as well. "I had no idea he had such a tragic backstory."
"A tragic backstory derived only from sin," White Collar bowed. "But now that you all understand why Mister Franklin did what he did, I suppose we move on to our blackened… Mister Marakovich."
Barracuda tensed up.
Was it time already?
Barracuda had nothing to be scared of. He expected this outcome the moment he was accused of being Carter's killer. He clenched his fist tightly, standing tall as if he was being forced into roll call by an army general, which was not a feeling he wanted to feel again.
"Victor Marakovich," White Collar mused. "The Barracuda."
White Collar walked toward the fitness trainer with his cane aiding him. He noticed just how much he was trying hard to not show any fear. To show just how strong he was. It was pretty pathetic to be honest.
"Everyone here thinks you are a sweet and innocent young man," White Collar pointed the protruding sharp point of his cane toward him. "A man who can do no wrong. You killed someone, yes, but it was in self-defense. A murder committed and everyone seemed to agree that Miss Mura should be the one executed instead of you."
White Collar perked his head, his mask grinning.
"But, do they know?" White Collar asked.
Barracuda said nothing. The moment White Collar exposed what Carter really did, was the moment he knew he was going to expose him too.
"Do they know who Victor Marakovich truly is?" White Collar cooed. "Victor Marakovich. The criminal. The killer."
"The… killer?" Mimi widened her eyes. "Th-That can't be true! Barracuda's no killer! At least, not an intentional one!"
"Grk!" Barracuda gritted his teeth as he clutched his head. This wasn't something he wanted to hear! This wasn't something he wanted to remember! This was supposed to be all in the past! Ever since he…
"...I doubt it would surprise anyone to know that Victor Marakovich is not an American citizen," White Collar announced to the remaining nine. "He's a refugee. A man to be persecuted in his home country of Russia. If he even steps one foot on Russian soil, it's off with his head by Putin's hand."
"S-Stop," Barracuda whimpered.
"Victor Marakovich," White Collar slowly taunted as Monohebi handed him a file. His file. The Devil began to read out the most important details from it: "Born under a family stuck in poverty, you enlisted in the military in hopes to fund their lifestyle. Your father and brothers were more or less pleased. They all counted on you. Looked up to you. You were the only reason they even had a roof under their house, after all."
"S-Stop, stop…" Barracuda slowly began to shake.
"Until one day," White Collar continued before suddenly closing the file. "You gave up on everything. You broke out. Left the country. Leaving behind everyone you cared about to fend for themselves."
"N-No!" Barracuda yelled. "You don't know the whole story! You don't know how bad it was in that camp! You don't know how much pain and abuse I had to go through! I couldn't take it anymore! I had to leave!"
"Did you really, I wonder?" White Collar handed the file back to Monohebi. "You knew it was illegal… You knew what the consequences were if you left. And yet, you still decided to leave everyone you cared about behind."
"W-What were those consequences?" Zuri asked, afraid for what White Collar might reveal.
"An act of escaping the military draft is typically punishable by 18 months in prison in Russia," White Collar explained. "But since Mister Marakovich escaped to America, that punishment had to go to someone else. Someone else to take your place."
Barracuda clenched his fist. His eyes started to tear up. These were details he wasn't too sure about. But the consequences. It seemed that he really did know about them.
"D-Do you know who it was?" Barracuda gritted his teeth. "D-Do you know who was… Was it, Papa?"
"Your father?" White Collar shook his head. "Your father is an old man. You were just a teenager when you went into service. So naturally, the punishment had to go to a teenager as well."
"M-My brother?!" Barracuda stared at White Collar with pleading eyes. "Which one of my brothers?! Who was it?! Who took my place?!"
"...Does it matter at this point?" White Collar asked.
"Wait, is that what you mean by…" Jared narrowed his eyes.
"Yes, Barracuda, the killer," White Collar started to sinisterly chuckle behind his mask. "One of your brothers took your place in the gulags. And… sadly, they died... due to your selfishness."
"Gnk–" Barracuda dropped to his knees, his eyes and face pale. "I– I'm not a killer…"
"...You knew what would happen if you left and yet you still chose to leave," White Collar started to berate. "You left your family to fend for themselves. For your dear brother, who looked up to you as an idol, only for him to take your place in prison. I can't imagine how your brother would've felt. How your family would've felt knowing that their one graceful son could put them into such a worse situation than before…"
"H-How could… B-But that's not part of the Russian law…" Barracuda muttered.
"...Perhaps, but you also had beef with one Ruben Nikolayev, yes?" White Collar perked his head. "The same Ruben Nikolayev who had big connections to some of Russia's higher officials?... I suppose you can figure out what exactly happened there…"
"Th-That bastard!" Barracuda pounded the ground. "My brother! M-My brother!"
"H-How terrible," Zuri looked away.
"Jesus Christ," Abigail muttered.
"Fuck dude, so Barracuda unintentionally killed his brother?" Haruto blinked.
"Nothing is unintentional when they know the price that would have to be paid for their greed," White Collar answered. "Isn't that right, Mister Marakovich?"
"I… I didn't know…" Barracuda fought back tears. "I didn't know he would be arrested. I didn't know he would die. I just did what I had to… I just did what I needed to…"
Monohebi slithered back toward White Collar after setting Barracuda's file away.
"Is it time now, Master?" Monohebi asked.
"...I thought I told you– Nevermind," White Collar sighed. "I suppose that it is indeed time to end this poor sinner's suffering."
"N-No wait," Mimi stepped up toward Barracuda, trying to block Monohebi and White Collar from approaching the broken man. "I… I won't let you! B-Barracuda made a mistake! He's done nothing but make mistakes his entire life! He doesn't deserve to die because of those! He's still a good person! I know he is!"
"M-Mimi?" Barracuda looked up, his eyes getting red from all the tears he was releasing.
"P-Please, don't kill him!" Mimi yelled. "I… I can't lose another person I call a friend!"
"Please move, Miss la Vega…" Monohebi hissed, her eyes glowing red.
"N-No!" Mimi shook her head. "I won't let you! I won't let you kill him! He's still a good person! He has a good heart! He's…"
"...N-No…"
Mimi turned around to see Barracuda slowly stand up. He clutched his aching chest. The speargun wound still hurt as he miserably looked down at the ground.
"White Collar is right," Barracuda started to choke through his tears. "I… I'm not a good person. I'm a bad person. My freedom in America didn't come without a price. I… I ruined my family name. My father and brothers… My brother… They were all counting on me and I screwed it up. I've been doing nothing but screwing up ever since I enrolled into the military. In fact, thinking about it now, enrolling in the military for money was probably one of the biggest screw-ups I've ever made…"
"B-Barracuda?" Mimi blinked.
"B-Because of me, one of my brothers died in my place," Barracuda looked down, gritting his teeth as tears started falling from his eyes. "And just like I did with him, I… I killed Maggie too."
"N-No, you didn't!" Mimi pleaded. "Cassandra did!"
"But it was because of my mistake, wasn't it?" Barracuda placed a hand over his eyes. He let tears flow through them. "It was because I voted Distrust. I made her a target and she was killed. It was all because of me. Papa. My brothers. Maggie. They all suffered because of me…"
""B-Barracuda, I told you already, you can't–" Abigail tried to say but Haruto held her back.
"I'm a screw-up," Barracuda repeated. "A disappointment. No matter what I do… I can't do anything right…"
White Collar turned to Monohebi and gave a nod. Then he turned back to the prisoners and clapped his hands together.
"Does this mean we can get on with your punishment, Mister Marakovich?" White Collar asked with a sinister grin.
Barracuda let his tears fall as he glanced back toward the devilish man in the mask. What else was there to do now? He lightly brushed Mimi aside as he stared at White Collar in the eyes. He began to cry again but slowly nodded his head.
"Excellent," White Collar's jagged eye glinted as Mimi tried to grab Barracuda's hand and pull him back.
"N-No, Barracuda no!" Mimi screamed. But before she could even make contact with his hand, Haruto had pulled her back. "H-Haruto! No! L-Let me go! I have to…"
"No kid, there's no telling what White Collar might end up doing to you if you get in his way," Haruto restrained the kicking Mimi.
"Ready the punishment, Monohebi," White Collar ordered Monohebi.
"Of course, Master," Monohebi nodded as suddenly chains shot out of nowhere, latching themselves around Barracuda's neck and this time his wrists together as well.
"B-BARRACUDA!" Mimi screamed as she struggled under Haruto's strong grip. "N-No no no no no no no no!"
Barracuda turned to Mimi.
But to her surprise, he was giving her a small smile. A smile that made her stop struggling and slowly start to tear up.
Haruto was right.
He's accepted his fate.
"It's alright Mimi," Barracuda tried his best to smile, a tear still trailing down his eyes. "J-Just… promise me… No more blood okay? No more killing. For… For me, Maggie and even Carter's sake. Okay?"
"B-Barracuda…?" Mimi looked absolutely hopeless.
And then the chains dragged him away into the execution chamber by his neck and wrists, with the last thing Mimi would ever say to Barracuda:
His name.
"B-BARRACUDAAAAAAA!"
Monohebi slithered toward a large red button and slapped it with the end of her tail. With a single hit, the button clicked, bursting into stars as a pixelated screen showcased Monohebi dragging Barracuda by the neck.
Below this scenery were the words:
...
VICTOR MARAKOVICH HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY
COMMENCING PUNISHMENT...
...
Barracuda clenched his teeth together as he found himself standing on a large treadmill in the middle of a gymnasium.
His wrists were bound together with a chain. His neck, also attached to the same chain that was used to drag him to his execution. And both chains connected to his wrists and neck were also attached to the handle of the treadmill machine. On the treadmill machine, were two things: a dial and a meter, to state just how fast the treadmill was moving. In this case: 0 mph. But Barracuda showed more worry over what was behind this machine. Because one glance behind him and he could easily see what he was being forced to do:
Run.
Because attached behind the treadmill was a grotesque-looking machine, equipped with blades and a motor hidden underneath a chute. Simply put, it was a shredder. Widening his eyes, he failed to notice Monohebi slithering up to the treadmill's handle, wearing what seems to be a yoga shirt, but made for a snake.
The tip of her tail swung a whistle around before she let her lips blow into it, letting Barracuda know that his execution was to commence!
Cardiovascular Workout (It's Shreddin Time!): The Ultimate Fitness Trainer's Execution
As soon as Monohebi blew into the whistle, the shredder and the treadmill started. The treadmill's mat started to move, and the shredder's blades started to turn. Of course, like any good cardiovascular workout routine, the treadmill started slowly, and Barracuda was forced to walk along the track.
It wasn't so bad!
It was a nice chance to make up for all the missed leg days!
Except, of course, like every execution, Monohebi was dissatisfied, and the tempo slowly began to increase. Shaking her head in disappointment, the tip of Monohebi's tail slowly turned the treadmill's dial, increasing the speed and the incline of the machine.
50 mph.
Widening his eyes, Barracuda had to ditch his walking speed and start running.
Run.
Run.
Run!
That was a problem. Because there was also the issue with his wounded chest and his poorly done stitches. Every time he ran, his wound started to hurt. It started to hurt even before the main painful parts of the execution started.
But Monohebi had just increased the dial up to its max speed and incline.
100 mph.
The treadmill was moving at an incredibly fast speed.
And its slanted positioning was just asking for Barracuda to fall into the shredder.
But Barracuda couldn't give up. He had to live. He started to sprint onto the treadmill. Cold sweat started to formulate from his forehead. He wasn't going to give up! All he had to do…
…was run as fast as he could and turn down that dial!
That was his only Hope!
His legs started to move as quickly as they could. His chest started to pound in pain. His eyes were getting tired. His head, sweating profusely. All of this, just so he could avoid falling.
Of course, Monohebi was displeased by all this and tried to increase the dial once more. But since 100 mph was its max, the dial couldn't move any more. She hissed at the machine and turned as hard as she could until finally…
...
…the dial itself broke.
The meter started going haywire.
The treadmill started to malfunction.
The machine itself was now going at an impossible speed that Barracuda was unable to keep up.
And the shredder was moving faster and faster, taunting Barracuda to fall in its mouth, like a shark waiting for its prey to hop back into the water.
Barracuda was trying to keep up to the tempo.
Trying to run as fast as he could.
His mind started to get hazy.
He was starting to sweat more and more.
He felt one of the stitches from his chest start to open back up.
And then another.
And then another.
He began to scream in pain until finally…
…he tripped.
Landing face-first onto the treadmill's mat, its impossible speed began shredding off his skin, something that can very well happen when sandpaper-like material at high speeds makes contact with skin.
There was blood on his face.
His glasses had long been lost into the shredder, shredding it into dust.
But he was still alive. Still in pain as his wound was opening up with every second and the sandpaper-like material on the treadmill continued to peel off his skin, but still alive. How?
The chain attached to his wrists and neck. All components that were keeping him on the treadmill and away from the shredder.
He started to shed tears.
His blood stained the treadmill mat.
And it wasn't stopping anytime soon.
He was continuously being dragged against the rough sandpaper mat, continuously staining the treadmill mat with blood. He couldn't get up. No matter how hard he tried, it was too fast to get back up. It wasn't until finally his bleeding face glanced up toward a rather impatient Monohebi that he realized he was in serious trouble.
The snake had a key ready. With a flick of her tongue, she unchained the chain connecting his to wrists, freeing his hands and forcing him to get dragged by his neck.
The skin on his elbows slowly began to peel as he instinctively clutched onto his neck.
He screamed.
More blood.
More of his body being dragged against that rough sandy surface.
All of his stitches had opened up and began spewing out his blood from that speargun wound.
And finally, he felt Monohebi release his last chain…
…The chain on his neck was released and he was instantly launched into the chute of the shredder.
The last thing Barracuda would see…
…was Monohebi waving him goodbye with her tail.
…
It certainly didn't take long before the shredder did its job, shredding up Barracuda into nothing more than flesh and blood and spewing out the results. The results being that there was nothing left of Barracuda but tiny pieces of his body and his blood.
The treadmill and shredder slowly came to a halt as Monohebi slithered toward the wall where what was left of Barracuda was spewed out onto.
She wrote something on a clipboard before taping it to the bloodied wall.
It was an evaluation report for how fit Barracuda was:
Below average.
An F.
Clearly, he needed to try harder next time…
Victor Marakovich slowly got up from his bed.
As he silently peeked underneath his bunker, he found his duffel bag which was filled with everything he had packed. For the past few weeks, he had gathered everything he was going to need. Pocket money. Passport. A weapon or two. Some food for the road. All to finally do what he should've done three years ago:
Escape.
He had to.
He couldn't take it anymore.
The abuse.
Ruben.
He couldn't handle the stress anymore.
So slowly, he got dressed up in his warm winter clothing and made sure to keep quiet. He was in a room with fifty other men, all sound asleep. He's been planning this for months. Years even. And now this was his best chance to enact his plan.
He let the snoring from his fellow comrades be his disguise as he slowly tiptoed out to the exit.
He armed himself with a weapon should it come to the moment that he would be stopped.
He had to do whatever it took to leave.
That was all on his mind right now.
Leaving.
Freedom.
An escape from the hellish place he had admitted himself toward.
He took a silent breath and hurried his pace. By the time he had made it to the door, he felt freedom waiting for him. The chance to leave and start all over again. But at the same time, he felt guilt.
Because what he was doing was illegal.
It was illegal to leave military service in Russia.
And by doing this, he was going to have to face the facts.
He would never see his family again. He would never be able to step back into his country again. He would forever be a criminal. A refugee from the place he had called home. A new face added to their 'Most Wanted' list. Victor cursed in Russian.
He didn't care.
This was what he had to do.
He had to do this.
He clenched his fist, holding onto his bag tightly as the moment he felt the cold winter air, he sprinted down toward the fences. Barbed wires were adorned over them but he had a work around that. Inside his duffel bag was a set of pliers.
Yes!
That is how he was going to get past that obstacle!
Immediately, Victor tossed his duffel bag over the fence and began to climb, arming himself with the pliers to slowly trim each wire from the top of the fence, hoping to God that however much he trimmed would be enough to allow him to climb over.
But there was one thing he didn't account in his plan:
Ruben.
"Marakovich!" came the voice of his general. He started to laugh at what Victor had been planning to do. Then he spoke in his fluent Russian. "You coward. Can't take the pressure so you go and leave, da? You know what will happen when you do. What will happen to your family if you decide to do this, da?"
Ruben could only grin.
"Want me to remind you?" Ruben pulled out his gun. "You know this is how our government works now… So, get down, go to bed, and maybe we'll let your Papa and brothers off easy. Da?"
Victor stopped in his tracks.
He was in a debacle.
If he had gone over the fence, he'd be risking his entire family's reputation. All for the sake of his selfishness. His desire to be free from Ruben's tyrannical control. But if he retreated and did what he was told, who knows what would happen. What more hardships he'd be forced to endure, but at least his family would be safe.
…Right?
Obviously, the best choice was his family, but Victor knew he wouldn't handle it. Whatever Ruben had planned for everyone next; it would be the death of him. He couldn't take it anymore. He can't take it anymore. He won't take it anymore.
"Make your choice Marakovich," Ruben snarled, turning the safety off on his gun. "Or I make choice number three for you."
Victor gritted his teeth.
No more.
No more, Ruben.
No more!
Victor slowly climbed down the fence and held up his hands, one hand still on the cutting pliers of course. Ruben couldn't help but smirk as he stepped forward, pocketing his gun and getting ready to escort Victor back to the bunkers.
But then, something unexpected occurred to the general.
Victor Marakovich bit back.
As hard as a barracuda…
"You leave my family alone, Nikolayev," Victor growled before swinging down the pliers onto Ruben's head.
Instantly, Ruben's head started to bleed as he wailed out in pain. Victor heard it now. People were beginning to awaken from Ruben's painful screams. He had to move quickly. So, without further ado, he sprinted through the snow and climbed up the fence without a problem.
Then, with the wires officially cut, he chose path number one and jumped over the fence, rolling across the snow. He turned back and picked up his duffel bag, but not before seeing Russian troops gather around Ruben, who pointed toward him, yelling out in Russian.
Fuck!
Victor had to move.
He sprinted toward the woods as Russian troops began to exit the military base one by one. He was going to get free. Because there was no way these Russian troops would follow him into the woods. The woods were his choice of freedom. One foot in and they won't be able to follow him.
He had years to plan this out.
This was foolproof.
This was his escape.
His freedom.
He continued to sprint, listening to the yells of the Russian troops and his former general spewing out a rageful outburst. His former general, saying things that have forever since haunted him…
"Your family is dead to this country!" Ruben cursed Victor as he tried to stop the bleeding from his head. "You and your family are dead! I will make sure of it, Victor Marakovich!"
Victor Marakovich fought back tears as he slid into the woods.
As expected, the Russian troops stopped, unable to follow due to just how vast the woods were.
He finally got it.
Freedom.
Free at last.
…
But at what cost?
"B-BARRACUDAAA!" Mimi screamed. "B-BARRACUDAAAA!"
Haruto held back the urge to puke. It was at this point that he let go of Mimi, feeling somewhat faint over what he had just seen. For sure, it was a thousand times worse than how gross his leg looked after it broke.
Good fucking Lord!
What happened to Barracuda was cruel. It was so much worse than what they had witnessed from Kane and Mayu's execution, and yet both of those were still traumatizing in their own right. But what happened to Barracuda was unethical and horrible. In fact, there wasn't even a body left to be seen.
Just… bits and pieces. Blood. Shredded into miniscule pieces.
"And yet, another one bites the dust," White Collar mused. "In this case, literally."
"You sick, demented piece of–" Haruto was ready to strike down White Collar with his own fist but was held back by Abigail.
"Don't," Abigail shook her head, trying to hold back the basketball player. "Not again. Not… today. Just stop."
"B-Barracuda!" Mimi wailed, her mind having to continuously fail to process what she had to witness. Tears were streaming down her face. Barracuda didn't deserve this. He truly didn't. Why did he deserve to die such a cruel death? "B-Barracuda!"
Jared lowered his hat. He didn't even want to be reminded of the cruel punishment he saw. Instead, all that hate, and frustration was stuck in a single, cold glare toward White Collar himself. He instinctively trailed his hand down to his gun holster. Empty. Unfortunate. He didn't have his gun.
If he did, he would've shot this man down with no hesitation.
Enough was enough.
"The Final Nine," White Collar mused. "You've made it farther than others! Congratulations on that front! Tomorrow, the next round begins!"
"I– I don't want to keep playing this game," Mimi wiped away her tears between sobs.
"...None of us do," Holland stoically stared at White Collar. "But we don't have any other choice, do we?"
The remaining nine could only face the man who had imprisoned them in this sick game. Seven of them had fallen and now all they could do now was carry on their legacy and try to survive what else White Collar would throw at them. But if three people died in this round, just how far will things go in the next?
That thought scared them…
"It seems you still have time to do whatever you wish throughout the rest of the night," White Collar announced. "There is no more I wish to discuss with you all. So have a goodnight, dear prisoners. And of course… Remember, the fires of Hell don't burn easily."
White Collar bowed before gesturing Monohebi to follow behind him.
"Let's go Monohebi," White Collar ordered. "We're done here."
"Of course, Master," Monohebi nodded her head. She noticed White Collar pause for a moment before continuing. She really couldn't get that through her thick skull, could she?
…
Once White Collar and Monohebi left, the remaining nine prisoners had one last debacle on their hands: Cassandra, who had stayed behind, folding her arms and had long expected the large number of disappointed looks and stares on everyone's faces. At the same time, most of them seem like they just had nothing more to say to her. What else could they say?
They were all mad and disappointed. Anything they said, she'd probably brush aside.
Abigail had escorted the weeping Mimi to one of the Voting Chamber elevators, but not before giving Cassandra a dirty side-eye.
Arthur escorted Ina to one of the Voting Chamber elevators as well, his eyes notably comforting for the revolutionary to see.
"We'll get you cleaned up in your room," Arthur assured her. "Because as far as I'm concerned, you won't be staying in Cell #66 this time around."
Arthur turned to Cassandra with a cold stare. As soon as the two passed her, Arthur stopped.
"You got lucky this time, Mura," Arthur coldly stated. "The only reason you're even alive is because that fish decided to spare your life. He's twice the person you would ever wish to be…"
Cassandra rolled her eyes and scoffed. Petty Arthur wanted her dead? Whatever. Though, she didn't expect him to compliment Barracuda's actions.
Arthur then moved with Ina into their own Voting Chambers.
Then followed behind Haruto, who flipped her off.
Then Holland, who didn't even look at her. He didn't even want to look at her. What she did? It was a million times worse than what he did… And what he tried to do was bad.
Once Holland made it to his Voting Chamber, he stopped and waited for the last remaining people to head back: specifically, Zuri.
…
"Since Ina's time in that cell is up, it's your turn," Zuri frowned toward Cassandra as she walked over to her. "What you did. It was vile and unforgivable."
"Pft, whatever," Cassandra rolled her eyes.
Zuri clenched her fist but before she could even begin to escort the scam artist, Jared called out from behind her.
"Wait," the police officer ordered. He walked up to Zuri and held out his hand. The bassist could only stare at him in confusion. "Key."
"The key?" Zuri blinked. "But why–?"
"You really think I'm going to trust you to hold on to that key from now on?" Jared raised an eyebrow. "You let Carter steal that key from you. Because of that, Carter was able to kidnap Ina and cause everything that happened between him and Barracuda. And in the end, Barracuda killed him. He died because of your irresponsibility."
"...Is this really how it's going to be, Jared?" Zuri looked at him, hurt at his words. "Are you really going to just blame me for everything just because you have no one else to blame?"
"No one else to blame?" Jared shook his head. "I'm blaming you right now, aren't I? A true leader has to take the fall for all the good and the bad that's happened. It's not a role that you can just play dolls with. It's a sacrifice."
"I… I…" Zuri bit her lip. She didn't even want to be a leader until…
"...That's enough," Holland walked up to assist Zuri. "You want to be in charge of Cell #66? You can be in charge of Cell #66. Just leave Zuri out of whatever feud you're trying to start with her…"
"Tch," Jared lowered his hat before taking out a pair of handcuffs and cuffing Cassandra's wrists behind her back.
"Th-The fuck?" Cassandra blinked. "You've had those the entire time?! And also, ow! That's too tight!"
"Shut up," Jared ordered as he pushed Cassandra toward one of the Voting Chambers.
This left Holland and Zuri alone.
Normally, Holland would be happy that they were finally alone. But this time was different. Or rather, it wasn't the right time. Zuri was looking close to tearing up. All because of… Jared? Right?
"...Don't listen to him, Zuri," Holland tried to assure her. "You've been doing–"
"Great?" Zuri started to shake, trying her best not to cry. "Don't lie, Holland. Even you know I'm a crappy leader."
Zuri started to stammer. She avoided gazing up toward Holland.
"I… I got to go," Zuri hurried to a Voting Chamber.
"W-Wait," Holland tried to hurry behind her.
But she had long entered a Voting Chamber and was already on her way up. With no time to spare, Holland followed behind in a Voting Chamber of his own…
(Cell Block S)
It was quite a quick feat for Jared to escort Cassandra to Cell #66. And throughout their journey, Jared was silent, and Cassandra was constantly wincing at how fast the police officer was trying to move her.
"Jesus, did I piss you off too?" Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Can't say you should be pissed off. You were going down the same path I was so–"
"Ultimate Scam Artist, huh?" Jared stated. "Can't say I saw that coming. But then again, it was so obvious from the get-go."
"Oh, what are you on about now?" Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Just lock me up in Cell #66 and leave me to rot why don't you–"
Then she widened her eyes.
They had made it to Cell #66, but they weren't inside it. And what's more, she heard a click and suddenly her hands were free. Turning around, Cassandra was half-expecting to see Jared point a gun at her, but he didn't. He was merely pocketing away the handcuffs and flicked his hat up, glowering down toward her.
"O-Okay, this is weird," Cassandra folded her arms. "You're expecting to just walk in or are you just gonna push me in…?"
Jared leaned forward.
"Not a word of this to anyone," Jared frowned. "I'm not locking you up."
"W-What?" Cassandra blinked before narrowing her eyes. "S-Seriously? Are you suddenly simping for me or something?"
"You wish," Jared frowned. "Did you already forget the plan?"
Cassandra took a moment to process what he meant before realizing what he was trying to do. He was giving her an opportunity to enact Plan B. An opportunity to end this Killing Game. At least, that was what the two had somewhat agreed on.
"...Plan B," Cassandra couldn't help but shake her head. "You're still thinking about that? Are you really sure you can trust me for that? I did kill someone, you know?"
"And I tried to kill the mastermind of this Killing Game, so what's your point?" Jared rolled his eyes. "Judging from what I know about you, you're leaving out something about why you really killed Maggie, anyway."
Cassandra stared at Jared with the police officer tipping his hat down to hide his only visible eye.
"We're both damned one way or another," Jared told her seriously. "But the best thing we can do for ourselves at this point is end this damn Killing Game. So, whatever you have planned, do it and don't mess it up."
Cassandra glanced at the police officer for a moment before giving him a firm nod. She walked past Jared, leaving him behind to wonder…
Did he make the right choice?
"Hm hm hmmm hm… hm hmmmmm hm hmm… hm hm hmmmm hm hmmm hm hm…"
In his desperate attempt to find Zuri, Holland succeeded, following what appeared to be humming in the girl's bathroom, along the route to Cell Block A, the decommissioned Prison Lounge, and the Cafeteria. Though the game designer knew he really shouldn't enter the girl's bathroom for so many different reasons, he did it anyway because he knew Zuri needed company.
…This was for her after all.
…
And what he found was, of course, Zuri on the ground, humming a tune and moving her hands and fingers as if she were playing the notes on an actual guitar. But what Holland noticed most was her solemn face.
"...Z-Zuri?" Holland's face was neither of worry but still emotionless. But deep in his heart, he was concerned. He walked over to her and sat next to her.
And without looking at him, she solemnly responded to his presence:
"You know this is the girl's bathroom, right?" Zuri questioned.
"...The rules of gendered bathrooms don't apply to me when it's clear that you need someone to talk to," Holland assured her.
Zuri didn't say anything. Instead, she just hummed the same tune. It was clear she was doing this just to avoid crying. Holland watched her strum air guitar before slowly reaching for her hand. The moment he made contact, he held it gently, forcing her to stop.
"...Stop," Holland told her as he noticed tears slowly forming from her eyes. "Just… let it all out."
Zuri stared at the ground, hopelessly. She was trying to fight it. But no matter how hard she tried; she knew they would come out eventually toward the one person who she felt she could easily let out her emotions toward. Her eyes started to pour, and she started to sniffle.
"It's all my fault…" Zuri began to cry.
"...No, no no, don't say that Zuri," Holland shook his head as he held her hand tightly. "None of what happened is…"
"If I had kept better track of the key, Carter wouldn't have been able to kidnap Ina," Zuri continued to cry. "And Barracuda wouldn't have stumbled onto what he was going to do. Both Barracuda and Carter died because of me. Jared was right. I'm such a horrible leader…"
Holland stared at her. He wasn't able to show much emotion on his face, but he knew the first thing he had to do in her moment of need was one simple thing:
…
He hugged her close.
…
"...Stop letting Jared get to you," Holland told her. "None of this is your fault…"
"...Why'd you make me leader, Holland?" Zuri could do nothing but return his hug and bury her face into his shoulders. "Why'd you force me to take responsibility for everything?"
"...I'm sorry," Holland said.
"I never wanted the leadership role," Zuri sobbed. "I never asked to be someone who could keep the peace between everyone. I never asked for that role. I just… I just… I knew I wouldn't be able to do it."
"...Yet you really did try despite thinking that..." Holland pointed out.
Zuri paused before miserably noticing just how nice he smelled despite everything that had happened today.
"...You don't even know why I kept trying..." Zuri mumbled.
Holland was silent, allowing her to speak.
"I just kept trying because I thought..." Zuri shook under Holland's grasp. "I thought it would make you happy..."
He widened his stoic eyes the moment he heard that.
"...Z-Zuri?" Holland blinked. "Y-You…?"
"I only continued to do it because I thought it would make you happy," Zuri slowly released herself from the hug, repeating what she said and wiping away her tears. "You… You seemed to be so proud of the idea of me being out there instead of the background. So, I…"
Zuri slowly let the tears stain her cheeks.
"God, I'm such an idiot," Zuri covered her face. The guilt was eating her up inside. "I let all of this happen. I let Cassandra get away with killing Maggie. I let Carter and Barracuda practically kill each other. This is all… This is all my fault…"
Holland blinked before he realized something.
His hand was still on Zuri's.
And neither were letting go any time soon.
He took a deep breath.
"...Remember when we were in the Cafeteria," Holland asked. "And I told you exactly why I chose you to be our leader? I… Even now, even when you still blame yourself for everything, I haven't stepped down from what I said."
Zuri turned to Holland, allowing her free hand to wipe away a stray tear. To her surprise though, he held up the hand he had been holding and placed his other hand on it.
"I mean every word when I say this, Zuri," Holland stoically told her. "I believe in you. Even when you don't, I will always continue to believe in you."
Zuri's were a faint pink. Her eyes avoided Holland's. Shame was all she felt. After all, with all the guilt on her mind, how could she even feel worthy of Holland's approval at this rate.
"...And this time is no different," Holland continued. "Even when you don't believe in yourself, I won't stop believing in you."
"...How could you still believe in someone who messed up so badly?" Zuri looked down, ashamed. "I just… I just don't get it…"
"...Because Zuri," Holland held her hand tighter. "...You were the one who convinced everyone to give me a second chance. I… I wouldn't be free from Cell #66 had it not been for you. And despite what I've done to you, you never… never gave up on me."
Zuri glanced at Holland. She had stopped crying as she listened to Holland's words.
"...You never gave up on me," Holland repeated. "So… why should I give up on you? If you can convince an entire group that a scumbag like me deserved a second chance, then I can convince everyone that you, Zuri, are not a failure but instead, the best, kindest, and most precious person in this game…"
"H-Holland?" Zuri widened her eyes, her cheeks feeling warmer. Her eyes started to tear up again, but this time, for a different reason.
Her heart started to pound.
His heart too.
"...And… And… Maybe I…" Holland started to feel nervous. Why was he starting to feel nervous? This was what he wanted to talk to her about, right? This was what he wanted wasn't it?! "Maybe the reason why I believe in you so much is because… I…"
Was this right?
Was this even the right moment?
Was this even the right… feeling?
Did she… Did she feel the same thing?
"...I… I…" Holland couldn't continue any further. He avoided gazing at her. He couldn't do it. He was feeling selfish. This was supposed to be a moment to comfort Zuri and yet he was using this time to…
"...H-Holland, do you…?" Zuri felt her heart beat harder as she noticed his cheeks form a tint red, just like hers. "Do you…?"
"...I'm sorry," Holland bit his lip. "I… I'm new to this kind of thing so I can't be sure but I think I'm…"
Zuri watched him slowly avoid eye contact. She looked down before she slowly placed her free hand onto his. Now both of their hands were on the other and Zuri's tear-ridden eyes looked serious.
"Look at me Holland," Zuri whispered.
Holland sheepishly glanced at Zuri. But the moment he made eye contact, he felt himself struggle to maintain it. It was getting harder to look at her. Because the longer he did, the more he felt the urge to…
…
Zuri dove in to peck his lips.
…
The moment she retracted, Holland was left speechless. This time, it was Zuri's turn to avoid eye contact, but her face was blushing hard from what she had just done. Holland's face turned even redder as his mind tried to process what had just happened.
Zuri cleared her throat.
"W-Was… Was that what you were trying to say?" Zuri asked. "A-And if it wasn't then… I'm sor–"
"Yes…"
Zuri turned to Holland, her eyes widening. There was a sense of tension. Tension between her and Holland. Her heart was pounding ever so quickly. She did it so fast the first time she wanted… she wanted more of it. She wanted a real one. A serious one. The urge. The same one Holland had when trying to maintain eye contact.
And now, Holland was here, admitting it.
"...I…I really really really like you… Zuri," Holland glanced away, rubbing the back of his neck. "I really do. So… please. Stop beating yourself up over everything. I… believe in you. And I want you to believe in yourself too."
"...H-Holland," Zuri blinked.
Her emotions were running wild. For Holland to continuously say those things… her eyes slowly released all of her tears. But this time, these weren't tears of sadness. They were tears of relief. Her face was much redder.
And it was about to get much redder as she slowly took one hand off of Holland's hand and slowly turned his head back to her. With a small smile, she slowly leaned forward. She was going to get her wish now.
That serious one.
That one that will beat that really quick peck she did.
And Holland? He didn't move. He closed his eyes and let it happen.
…
Zuri and Holland's lips made contact and this time, they stayed in their position for about a minute before Holland pulled her in closer. The tears continued to fall from Zuri's eyes as she let herself savor the moment that she desperately needed. Savor that feeling of comfort…
And Holland? He finally found what he was looking for: closure to what these feelings were. Closure to what they had almost done shortly before everything went to shit. For once, they were in a moment where they could leave all that shit behind and just be normal teenagers… together.
…
By the time Zuri and Holland separated, it was Zuri's turn to respond.
"...I… I like you too, Holland," Zuri cleared her throat. "I think… I think I liked you for a really long time…"
"...Me too," Holland gave her a small stoic smile. "I think I liked you for a long time too..."
The two sat next to each other as Zuri rested her head on Holland. For once, they could just do normal teenager things. For once, they could just do all of that. For once, they felt free.
And of course, throughout all of that, they never once let go of each other's hand…
(Auditorium)
...
"Attention all prisoners," Monohebi's voice announced. "It is now midnight. Curfew hour begins now. As such, all prisoners must report to their confinements. Anyone who is caught outside of their confinements will be punished accordingly. Be sure to review the rules on the Rules App of your Handbook. That is all."
...
The Nighttime Announcement was played, meaning it was time for everyone to head back to their rooms unless they had that Nighttime Advantage, which was on whoever had Yuumi and Haruto's eHandbook at the moment. But Cassandra did not have such an Advantage and at the moment, she was losing time.
She needed to speak to someone.
Someone important.
And at the moment, she was in the Auditorium, checking the Main Stage and waiting around. Of course, with everyone else heading back as well, she didn't want to be seen away from Cell #66. She didn't want to be seen, period. She shouldn't…
"Now, where are you…" Cassandra frowned, as she dug around the back of the stage. Of course, the stage itself had literally nothing but she was trying to look for someone. "...Where are you, Monohebi?"
She was trying to look for the snake.
And by the time she could finally announce that she was going to have to try this another day, a voice behind her ears made her jump.
"You called?" the voice asked.
Cassandra turned around.
As soon as she did, she felt a painful sting on her neck.
Her eyes trailed down to what might've caused that painful sting and then she saw it clear as day. Her eyes slowly widened before feeling sleepy.
On her neck was a snake.
And that snake...
Well, it was clear what was happening now.
She was being bitten.
Bitten by Monohebi…
Her eyes felt hazy. She felt weak. And she started to fall to the ground. The last thing she would see was Monohebi slithering up to her paralyzed body. And the last thing she would hear was Monohebi's voice speak to her.
"You're lucky Master wishes to speak to you…"
Then everything went black.
Cassandra jolted awake.
She found herself in a room that she did not recognize. A room that was dimly lit, with the only source of light being the fireplace in the corner of the room. As her eyes quickly adjusted to her dark surroundings, a slight feeling of dread overshadowed her current feeling of confusion. The room, although small, felt big.
Every shade of red plagued the room's decor, making it seem like she was in Hell itself. It was certainly a room she would never see herself entering alone. A broken gramophone eerily looped in the far corner, playing an old recording of an old Steinway piano.
A waltz.
A somber and lonely waltz.
Elegant.
Beautiful.
Haunting.
Cassandra groaned to herself as she tried to rub her eyes but the moment she did, she immediately found out something was wrong with the situation she was in. Her wrists were bound to the blood-red mahogany chair. She shuffled her wrists around, struggled in her bindings, allowing the zip ties that bound her to the arms of the chair to cut into her skin.
"Agh!" Cassandra winced in pain.
"You're awake."
A familiar distorted British voice caught her attention. She may have noticed the decor of the room but what she had yet to notice was where she was exactly situated: the end of a dining table, with White Collar himself, sitting on the other side.
Immediately, Cassandra instinctively struggled harder, letting the zip ties dig deeper. She winced once again.
"Monohebi, could you please untie our guest of honor?" White Collar asked Monohebi, who was currently serving him some food. "How can she eat with her wrists strapped to the armrests?"
"But Master…" Monohebi began to say.
"That's an order, Monohebi," White Collar strengthened his tone.
Monohebi didn't say anything in response to her Master. Instead, she did as she was told and complied to White Collar's demands. Slithering toward Cassandra, she slowly made her way up against Cassandra's chair, leaning directly into the scam artist's ear.
"Try anything, I'll kill you," Monohebi whispered a nasty hiss into her ear.
Cassandra scoffed as the snake begrudgingly released the girl from her bindings before slithering back down toward the ground. Then, rubbing her wrists, Cassandra was at least glad to see that there wasn't any permanent damage to her wrist, aside from a few cuts and blood seeping here or there.
"Some service," Cassandra frowned bitterly toward her wound. "If you were going to release me anyway, why bother tying me to the chair?"
"I apologize," White Collar swirled a glass of wine. "That was all Monohebi's doing. She didn't trust the idea of the two of us being in the same room together."
"Can't imagine why," Cassandra rolled her eyes as she stood up from the dinner table.
"Oh?" White Collar perked his head curiously, his mask grinning. "Leaving so soon? You just got here. Why not have some food? Monohebi served us some delicious chicken cacciatore."
"By chicken, you mean the dove that suddenly appeared out of Mimi's hat during the Trial?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow.
"How dare you?!" Monohebi's eyes lit up with hatred. "I feed Master White Collar with only the best of meals! Five-stars! Always!"
"Five-stars for a snake," White Collar noted before gesturing for Cassandra to sit down at the dinner table. "Please, sit. We have much to discuss."
Cassandra glanced around the room.
She didn't know where exactly she was. She was surrounded by a snake that clearly wanted her dead and a psychopath in a devil's mask. And that music. God, how eerie it was. She was at a standstill. No use in trying to run around to find a way out. She slowly seated herself on the seat where she had been restrained to.
Her eyes trailed down to the food.
Chicken Cacciatore.
It smelled good. It looked good. But the taste… Her eyes followed the table to White Collar, who was watching her intently. Seriously creepy…
"How do I know you didn't just poison it?" Cassandra frowned. "Or, if your little pet did…"
"Are you insulting my cooking?" Monohebi hissed.
"Monohebi…" White Collar directed a firm tone toward the snake. "Play nice. She's our guest and thus, you must treat her like one."
"Our guest just insulted my cooking," Monohebi mumbled to herself.
"Apologies again," White Collar chuckled behind his mask as he slowly caressed Monohebi's head. "Monohebi is rather overprotective of me. Comes with the programming. She was designed to always do my bidding. To serve me. To… care for me. Truthfully, I don't know where I would be without her sometimes."
Cassandra didn't say anything. What could she say to someone she genuinely felt nervous around? She watched as White Collar petted Monohebi on the head. The snake seemed to genuinely love that. Perhaps a little… too much…
"But, as programs are, they can only serve so much," White Collar released his hand from her head. Monohebi looked slightly disappointed when he said that.
"Can't imagine you saying that to a snake that cooks and kills for you," Cassandra folded her arms, rolling her eyes. "You know most people out in the black market would kill for a pet like yours?"
Monohebi flicked her tongue hatefully.
"...Yes, they would, wouldn't they?" White Collar stifled a chuckle. "To have a loyal pet that does whatever you command them to do. You say jump, they ask, 'how high', 'how much', and 'how far'. That level of power is something the common man would certainly find greed over. But that's just the problem. That's the problem with Monohebi here. She's too loyal."
Monohebi glanced toward White Collar in confusion.
Cassandra was starting to get a little tired from whatever White Collar was saying. She banged her fist on the table, forcing some of the silverware and wine glasses to shake and cling together.
"Look, I didn't just get kidnapped and thrown into your shitty dining room just to talk about your stupid snake," Cassandra glared at White Collar. "I came to–"
"Yes, yes," White Collar sighed behind his mask. He glanced back toward Cassandra, his mask slowly widening into that signature grin. "You came to me for some business. I suppose bonding time is over then. Shame, it was quite nice speaking to someone that wasn't Monohebi for once."
"M-Master?" Monohebi slightly gasped as she turned her head abruptly toward her master, slightly offended.
It was White Collar's turn to stand up. He grabbed a handkerchief from the table and wiped his mask's mouth. The kick of it was, he hadn't touched his food either, so such an action was both pointless and a little offensive. A mocking gesture toward Cassandra no doubt.
"You've been trying to get in touch with me for quite a while Miss Mura," White Collar leaned against the dining table. "Ever since Kane was punished in fact…"
Monohebi could finally look down without forcing her head up. Disappointment felt whatever mechanism her heart was made of. White Collar didn't like what she had made. Her Master was disappointed with her.
She flicked her tongue and stayed frozen, coiled up alone… Alone that is until a voice forced her to turn her head rapidly.
"Hey."
It was the end of the first Trial.
That single word belonging to that single voice had been a small mystery. But now, it is known. That voice belonged to none other than Cassandra, who looked desperately peeved at the situation she had found herself stuck in. This was only the fifth day and already two members of the group had died.
"I need to speak with your boss," Cassandra frowned.
"I apologize but Master White Collar does not take any appointments or visitors," Monohebi shook her head.
"I have to ask him something," Cassandra clenched her fist.
"Whatever it is will have to wait," Monohebi flicked her tongue. "It is curfew. Master White Collar does not like to be disturbed during curfew hours. Therefore, you should return to your room… unless you wish to be punished like Mister Amao."
Cassandra twitched. She gritted her teeth. Then she turned around and left, but not before mumbling quietly to herself, "Stupid snake bitch. Ruining everything…"
She stormed into the one of the Voting Chamber elevators, but not before noticing an eye watching with slight confusion and curiosity.
"What the fuck are you looking at cop?" Cassandra glared at Jared.
"Let's not lag behind alright?" Jared sighed, shaking his head.
Cassandra glanced away from White Collar. Just remembering what she had tried to do after the first Trial made her remember a small detail just yesterday.
Huh.
That was probably how he found out…
"You think I don't know what you're trying to do?" Jared checked the gun to see if the ammunition was kept nice and tight. "That you don't have a plan of your own."
"Pft, Monohebi said you didn't like to be disturbed after curfew," Cassandra rolled her eyes. "What changed this time? It's past curfew. And yet here we are…"
"Why are you feigning ignorance?" White Collar's red eyes stared at Cassandra curiously. "Wasn't this a part of your master Plan B? After all, that is the other reason why you killed Miss LaDroubi, is it not? To get my much-needed attention?"
Cassandra froze. She remained silent for a few minutes before scoffing.
"Yeah right," Cassandra shook her head. "I just wanted the money. Getting to have dinner with the great White Collar was obviously just a bonus."
White Collar watched her closely. Cassandra was tapping her fingers. She thought she could be tough in his presence but what she was dealing with wasn't a guy trying to do the right thing in the wrong way like Jared or someone who wanted to have a little fun with the Killing Game (before the sister revealed that was) like Arthur. No. This guy was a serious threat. Dangerous even.
She was glad she could at least keep a calm composure.
"But you know, now that I'm speaking to you face to face," Cassandra hummed in thought. "There is one thing I wanted to ask you about."
"Ah, let me guess," White Collar's mask curled into a sinister grin. "This is about your father, isn't it? After seeing that video, you must've been so worried. Worried enough to try to talk to me about it. See if I can pull some favors for you just so you can say some heartfelt things to dear old dad. Worried enough... to try to make a deal with the Devil..."
Cassandra didn't say anything. He was right on the money with all of that.
"You also wanted to check if I fulfilled my promise as well, yes?" White Collar asked. "That when you killed Miss LaDroubi, the million-dollar bounty on her head would go directly toward your father."
Cassandra remained silent. This man has her all figured out. Smart and crafty but still easily readable to some of the more intelligent people in this damn facility. It made her nervous.
White Collar chuckled behind his mask before leaning toward her.
"Don't be nervous," White Collar whispered, his mask curling into a much more sinister grin. "I'm a man of my word. That money has long been delivered to your father."
Cassandra sighed in relief.
"I envy your father, Miss Mura," White Collar took his signature cane and walked over to the shelf as he glanced toward the framed picture. "I really do. To have such a loving and dutiful daughter. A love so strong that you killed someone just to pay for his hospital bills. You really are something special to him."
Cassandra blinked. She turned to White Collar.
"W-Wait," Cassandra wasn't sure if she heard him right. "Did you just say… h-hospital bills?"
"Oh?" White Collar perked his head curiously. "Did you not know? Or did you simply not remember? Your father has been in the hospital for quite some time now. Collapsed shortly after the police found out who you were… Cam."
Almost immediately, Cassandra grabbed one of the steak knives from the dining table and pointed it directly toward White Collar's neck. Her eyes looked wild. Frantic. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She didn't want to believe what she was hearing.
"M-Master!" Monohebi prepared to charge toward White Collar but was halted by the sudden stomp of his cane. "M-Master?"
"You're a liar," Cassandra felt the desire to slit this guy's throat. "You're a fucking liar. My dad isn't in the hospital. He's back at home. He should be enjoying the money I sent him! He should be enjoying his fucking life right now!"
"A life without you?" White Collar calmly asked. Unlike Jared's incident, he was certainly handling this attempted murder much more calmly. Almost confident that she wasn't going to even dare to do anything to him. "Let me know if this sounds familiar. There's a father who buries himself in his work. He comes home everyday, exhausted. By the time he comes home, it's already late. His child always asks him to take the day off. Spend some time with them. But the father always refuses. Because he always believed that what he was doing was for the best. He only wants to provide a happy life for his daughter…"
"Shut the fuck up!" Cassandra yelled, pointing the knife deeper into his neck. The tip of the blade was now touching his skin but not deep enough to shed blood. Her eyes were bellowing with tears. "L-Let me see him. I have to see him! I have to see him because I know he's okay and you're just a piece of shit trying to get under my skin!"
"You want to see him?" White Collar asked. "Very well then, I'll make you that deal you so very wanted. As the Ultimate Scam Artist, you're used to those quite a lot, I imagine. Ah, but also as the Ultimate Scam Artist, you probably know a few loopholes to get what you want and leave the other with nothing. I'm afraid to say that won't work with me..."
Cassandra fought back tears. She definitely wasn't in the deal-making mood.
"There's someone in this Killing Game that you know well," White Collar's mask looked serious. "All you have to do to see your father again is simple. Kill him."
"K-Kill… who?" Cassandra gritted her teeth, slowly lowering her knife.
"Oh, I bet you already know," White Collar chuckled. "You're a smart girl after all. Who do you think I mean?"
Cassandra gave it a thought before she remembered something she and Jared had theorized together. Something she's definitely noticed a lot of. Who he had beef with the most in this Killing Game…
"...Arthur Kingston," Cassandra grumbled.
"Correct," White Collar gave her a sinister grin. "You kill him, I let you go free. It's as simple as that."
"Oh yeah?" Cassandra frowned before she started to point the knife back onto his neck once again. "And what's stopping me from just killing you and the snake instead? The way I see it, I slit your throat, I stomp on your snake's head, and I end the Killing Game. I do what Jared couldn't."
"You wouldn't dare hurt my Master!" Monohebi hissed. She was getting ready to pounce on this bitch!
"Because you and I both knew Mister Caertas' plan was doomed to begin with," White Collar responded. "If you truly did believe in his plan, you wouldn't have bothered killing Miss LaDroubi in the first place. But you knew. You knew that even if I die, the Killing Game will still continue on. Because let's face it, kidnapping sixteen people and throwing them in a Life and Death game can't possibly be done by one man and a snake. There are always people behind the scenes. People who will make sure you and your peers get what they deserve."
Cassandra remained silent but resistant. She kept the blade firmly planted against his neck.
"In fact, you probably fooled Mister Caertas into thinking that the real reason you're here is to kill me," White Collar's mask grinned. "But you won't. And you can't. And you know why..."
White Collar couldn't help but laugh. Compared to Jared with his gun, he had the cards and the upper hand over Cassandra.
"But of course, that can all change..." White Collar began. "I am offering you a way out this. Out of this world and back into the world you call home. Back to your father. All you have to do is listen to the devil on your shoulder… and kill Arthur Kingston."
"Why him?" Cassandra frowned. "Out of everyone, why do you hate him so much?"
White Collar said nothing in response. Or maybe he was about to form a response until Cassandra continued, feeling how crazy it was that this was even happening.
"You know," Cassandra started to laugh as she lowered the knife once more. "For a guy who's always such a stickler for rules, you're clearly breaking your own rules. I mean, blackmailing a player into killing someone just to give them and only them a chance to leave? You say you're a man of your word but this is a whole level of cheating I don't want to deal with."
"What do you mean Miss Mura?" White Collar rubbed his throat as his mask grinned. "As far as I'm concerned, you're no longer a participant in the Killing Game."
"...W-What do you mean?" Cassandra blinked, widening her eyes slightly.
"Have you already forgotten?" White Collar's mask grinned. "You were the blackened of Miss LaDroubi's murder. And you… got away with it. Getting away with murder was the number one requirement of winning a Killing Game. And you did just that. At least, that's the story we'll go with."
White Collar held up a finger toward his mask. Maybe at a second glance, it also kinda looked like he was winking.
"But don't tell anyone..." White Collar grinned before holding out a hand for Cassandra to shake. "It's our little secret. Do we have a deal?"
Cassandra stared at his hand, cautiously.
"What about the others?" she asked.
"What about them?" White Collar perked his head.
"What will happen to them?" she clenched her fist.
"...Heartless Miss Mura, who has killed one of their own, and has instead gone to meet with the devil instead," White Collar summarized. "Why would you care about sinners like them? As far as I know, they'll never accept you back into their group after what you've done. So, what other choice do you have to survive? I mean, aren't you a survivor?"
Cassandra pondered this thought carefully. He had a point. After what they tried to pull near the end of the Trial, with that whole, tie the vote shit... What other choice did she have?
She was definitely a survivor. She needed to survive. For the sake of her father. For the sake of her future. She couldn't believe the irony of it all.
A scam artist making deals with the Devil.
Cassandra dropped the knife and shook White Collar's hand, before letting out a small smirk.
"You know what?" Cassandra smirked. "Fuck them. You got yourself a deal."
DANGANRONPA: CORRUPTED HOPE
What a chapter! Chapter 3: Sums For Our Fallen Grace has finally concluded with some notable cliffhangers! Cassandra has made a deal with White Collar! Zuri and Holland are finally official?! And Ina is finally free from Cell #66! Can't believe I made it this far but by God, Chapter 4 is now up next :D But before that, let's talk about things like I usually do!
The title: Sums For Our Fallen Grace. Obviously, the Sums is the money motive. But the Fallen Grace is literally up for interpretation! Maybe Fallen Grace is Barracuda, because he was the guy who everyone thought was a good person but ended up being the main culprit of Chapter 3 in the first place. A little more on that later. Maybe Fallen Grace was Jared, because he was the guy you thought was going to be a big help at the start but the stress of the game has finally gotten to him and knocked him off that pedestal. Maybe the Fallen Grace is Cassandra... whyyyy? But really, how I interpret it is that the Fallen Grace is actually the motives of both Barracuda and Carter, and maybe even Cassandra:
Barracuda's family. Carter's sister. And Cassandra's father.
Essentially, the title is just the money for them to support those who really did care about them. But I find it strongly connected to Barracuda's story, where his family saw him as the guy who could help them out and then Barracuda betrayed them by escaping to America. Barracuda is the Fallen Grace to his father's and brothers' eyes. Similarly, Holly Franklin was the Fallen Grace to the world. Because Carter had ousted her, her reputation faltered and everyone knew her as White Collar put, "a psycho older sister". Again, this is entirely up for interpretation but that's my two cents on things.
Now, the blackened of Carter's murder. The important culprit of Chapter 3: Victor "Barracuda" Marakovich. Firstly, thank you so much to Weekaro for allowing me to use him! I had some pros and cons when writing him. For one, when I first started out with him, I had no idea how to write him, which was the norm for a lot of these characters, but the more I continued to write him, the more I began to grasp who he was as a whole until finally, he ended up having the beefiest backstory drops in Chapter 3. He was definitely someone who had some funny lines, but he also had some serious plot with Maggie (which I actually didn't have a keen idea on where it would go for a bit) and had some serious plot with his inner conflict of being a disappointment. Case in point, I had the most fun writing him in his best Chapter appearance, Chapter 3 :DDD
Fun fact: Barracuda was not supposed to be a Chapter 3 Killer ;D He was supposed to be a Chapter 4 victim! But with that classic Danganronpa muscle character trope, I felt that it would be way too obvious for him to die Chapter 4 and thought it'd be more of a kick to his character to die as the Chapter 3 killer instead!
Chapter 3 as a whole was a fun chapter, but planning out where the rooms were was kind of a hassle. Specifically, how to implement one of Chapter 3's biggest twist: the Right Ultimate Pawnbroker's Cell. I had to go through so many names and ways the cast would discover it. Maybe it was an ESCAPE Room that looked exactly like Kane's Ultimate Cell. Maybe it would be called the Fake Pawnbroker Cell. Ultimately, I just settled with the Left and Right Pawnbroker's Cell. And of course, revealing Cassandra's talent in this chapter was a key highlight I've been aching to do as well as how she would move forward now that she's a first-class murderer XD
(Also, that twist that Maggie died yesterday was Chef's kiss. So proud of it ;-;)
Barracuda's execution was based on two things: puns and something I remembered as a kid when I was forced to do Physical Education. Basically, my gym teacher told me some story of some kid messing around on the treadmill. He ended up tripping and messed up his face due to the sandpaper-like material on the treadmill. That story was a huge inspiration for Barracuda's execution. And the shredder? It was a play on how when you exercise, you basically shred. Y'know. That!
And finally, the story of Jacob and Esau at the start. It was actually a really recent story I familiarized myself with while taking this stupid Antiquities class. Basically, the story goes that there are two brothers who had a little discourse over who should get their father's blessing. The verse I used was when Jacob practically blackmailed Esau into selling his birthright to him. Later on, in the story, Jacob tricks his blind father, Isaac, into giving him his blessing even though it was supposed to be reserved for Esau. So essentially, he stole the life Esau could've been living.
Sounds familiar? That's because that's pretty much the Franklin siblings' whole story. Carter, the youngest sibling, destroyed his older sister's life and had to move away, kinda like how Jacob had to move away because Esau was going to kill the guy for taking what was his. Of course, the Franklins had a more depressing aftermath but hey, everything worked out in the Bible so... Yay? Of course, there was also the fact that the flashbacks this time had so much to do with everyone owing someone something which is more of a thematic thing for this Chapter rather than a Bible reference haha XD
But yes. This is the end of Chapter 3.
Anticipated scenes I finally got to write? Cassandra making deals with the Devil. Revealing her talent. And god damn it, Zuri and Holland- Chapter 3 was perfect for them to start something ;-;
I will see you all in Chapter 4! But please, leave me your thoughts for this Epilogue and Chapter 3 :D Criticisms? Love it? Think Chapter 2 or 1 was better? Let me know through reviews and our Discord and again...
See you in Chapter 4 :)
Prisoners Remaining: 9
Abigail Ellsworth - The Ultimate Equestrian (oddlyillregular) [0]
Arthur Kingston - The Ultimate Snowboarder (SinWriter7) [1,000,000]
Cassandra Mura - The Ultimate Scam Artist (ExtraMeme) [500,000]
Haruto Walker - The Ultimate Former Basketball Player (theotakureader101) [0]
Holland Delaney - The Ultimate Game Designer (Sempi) [1,000,000]
Ina (Hamamura) Kingston - The Ultimate Revolutionary (VividIsSleeping) [0]
Jared Ceartas - The Ultimate Police Officer (Otterplay) [500,000]
Mimi Kazoo - The Ultimate Fairytale Writer (Idraegan) [0]
Zuri Auraline - The Ultimate Bassist (CandleFire45) [1,000,000]
