Chapter 4: Sins of the Forsaken (Daily Life #6)
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!
"Wake up."
Ina groggily opened her eyes. She didn't know what had happened or where she was. All she could see right at the moment were blinding lights as she tried to regain her vision from those tired eyes. How long was she knocked out? Maybe two…? Three…? Five hours?
Ina wasn't sure, but as her mind regained some parts of her memory, she recalled what she had been attempting to do moments prior.
…
"What is John Smith asking you to do?" her young associate, Orpheus Nodad asked, questionably.
Orpheus Nodad was one of the many few members in the Flame X Organization. In fact, Orpheus was at least a year younger than her but yet quite capable and intelligent like she was. And the Flame X Organization welcomed young talent like him to join the cause.
Flame X as an organization itself was nothing more than a small group of revolutionaries such as Ina herself who just so happened to dislike the way the world ran. So much so that they welcomed the idea of burning everything to the ground. Or at least, in Ina's philosophy, burning those damn demons back to Hell from where they came.
But aside from their extreme ideals and their symbol, which was literally just a skull with a fiery red X spray-painted over it, the Flame X Organization was a welcome community for all ages and all kinds of people. And for a long time, Flame X was a welcome change of pace from all the orphanages she had gotten sent to.
Speaking of welcome change of pace, Ina had just received a letter from "John Smith" yet again. He had been their most reliable informant for the past months, supplying the revolution with documents and evidence pertaining to some corrupt dealings from the demons they were so after.
Today's letter was different, however.
"John Smith wishes for me to infiltrate the prime minister's home," Ina responded to Orpheus. "He says that there were some documents that could really help our cause."
"A-Are you sure about this Ina?" Orpheus asked, uncertain. "It sounds… fishy to me."
"I can see why you would think that," Ina nodded. "But John Smith has been nothing but useful for our endeavors. I cannot see why he would choose to betray our trust when he has helped us lock away multiple of those pesky demons."
Orpheus was still uncertain about all this, but Ina sure looked confident about it.
"Okay… then, I hope you know what you're saying," Orpheus folded his arms. "Are you going to do this alone?"
"Of course," Ina nodded. "This is the fate I am assigned to. So please, do not worry about me, Orpheus…"
"If you say so," Orpheus looked down sadly.
…
Orpheus was right to be worried.
It was a trap.
Ina only realized too late. Late enough to find herself tied to a chair; wrists bound behind her back as her hazy mind started to clear. She saw that she was of course in an abandoned warehouse. Typical. It was the perfect place for her to be held hostage in. As for who was there…
She widened her eyes when her vision eased.
A man wearing a typical Guy Fawkes mask was sitting right in front of her, never making his own appearance known as she tried to thrash out of her bindings.
"You're finally awake," the man greeted.
"Who are you?!" Ina glared at the man. "What business do you have with me?!"
"You don't know who I am, Ina Hamamura?" the man sounded offended. "And after we've become such close pen pals."
Ina widened her eyes further.
"J-John?" Ina blinked.
"John Smith, in the flesh," John bowed.
"Wh-What is this?" Ina gestured to her on the chair. "Why do you have me restrained? I thought we were…"
"Allies?" John asked before shaking his head. "No no no. Ina Hamamura, you are mistaken. We were never allies."
John slowly leaned toward her.
"You and your organization were merely a tool for me to get rid of those that opposed my employer," John chuckled. "A lot of people definitely want his position in power! But fortunately, my employer has me to cover his back! And when I learned of Flame X, I thought it'd be fun to play a little game of chess and get rid of some pieces on the board. Great plan, huh?"
"...You betrayed us," Ina mumbled, looking down. "You betrayed me…"
"Betrayal?" John blinked before laughing. "Tut tut. I can't betray someone I wasn't truly allied with. That's not how this works. If anyone is a traitor, it's you. After all, you've let me correspond with your little organization and in the process, my employer has successfully infiltrated every part of it."
John laughed as Ina said nothing to that regard.
"I expected way better from you Ina Hamamura," John laughed. "People talked so fondly of you. You were one of their strongest members and yet you really aren't as good as they say…"
John walked up behind Ina as she thrashed slightly.
"Now, since my employer knows the names of many people in your organization, how about we make one final deal, yes?" John requested.
"...What deal?" Ina gritted her teeth.
"Disband Flame X," John simply said. "No more revolutions. No more fighting against a power that you cannot even come close to beating. In return, you and your friends get to keep your heads and I get paid. It's a win-win."
"...That is not my fate," Ina bitterly stated. "I cannot… betray my own people… You are a demon… just like them. Just like… me…"
John stared at Ina for a moment. Then, she glanced up with an icy glare.
"...You may destroy me and my people, but the revolution will have successors," Ina declared. "I will make sure of that. I will make the revolution lives on to–"
John patted her on the cheek, taking her by surprise.
"You're not really leaving me with a lot of choices here," John sighed. "I really thought that for a leader of a revolution, you would at least use your head. Were you really going to sacrifice your own team over your careless mistake? Wow… That's ballsy. But you're still young and amateurish so I'll let you off with a warning…"
John seemed really nonchalant about this whole thing.
"...Unfortunately, I can't say the same for some of your own 'people' too," John shrugged.
"W-Wait, you can't–" Ina widened her eyes. "N-No… P-Please! Y-You can't destroy them without–"
"Without killing you?" John asked. "Ha! No wonder you call yourself a demon! Either case, enjoy sitting here while my employer deals with that silly organization you call Flame X! Really should've picked a better day job, Ina Hamamura!"
Hollering in laughter, John Smith left behind a dumbstruck Ina Hamamura. She tried to struggle through her bindings, but nothing was working. Every effort was futile. Futile. Almost like she was destined to lose…
She couldn't believe it.
Was this truly fate?
Was she always destined to fail in the end?
Ina wobbled on the chair and fell to the side. She gritted her teeth bitterly.
God.
She couldn't do anything right, could she?
(Ina's Room)
"Please, allow me sister…"
"If you want to, sure."
…
Ina Hamamura got everything she would've claimed that she wanted in her life.
She had a proper family in the form of her half-brother. She knew who her father was. And if her father accepted her, she would have a proper stepmother and an adopted stepsister. That's a big if though. She still didn't know who her birth mother was, but it wasn't like she was curious about who she was. After all, why would she?
That family she always craved.
That big question of who was the scumbag that left her mother for the streets.
She had it all answered and figured it out herself.
Now what?
…
Well, there was still repentance for her actions against Mimi.
But aside from that, she had a doting half-brother. She was part of a family. And it wasn't like those nuns back at the orphanage that kept passing her along when they weren't able to pay the government what they owed, she was part of a genuine family. That was what she wanted most in life, wasn't it?
Ina didn't know anymore.
She got what she wanted but was it worth it?
She had a loving half-brother named Arthur Kingston who couldn't seem to stop getting himself in pesky situations that would most definitely get him killed by his fellow peers.
She lost the respect of Mimi.
She lost her closest friend during that time too, Mayu.
Her hands were stained with both Mayu's and Yuumi's blood.
To get what she wanted, what were the sacrifices that she had to make to get this far? And was it even worth it? She closed her hands and sighed.
Ina knew sacrifices had to be made, but she never thought she would ever have to pay for the consequences of those sacrifices. Actually, maybe she did… Maybe she was hoping that she would get caught as the blackened… Heh.
She still hoped that it was her that would have gotten executed that day.
Not Mayu.
…
A knock came at the door.
Instantly, Ina climbed out of bed, putting her boots on and rushing toward the door. Of the nine people remaining, there was only one person left who would bother trying to meet one Ina Hamamura.
Opening the door, she sighed.
"Hello, half-brother," she begrudgingly stated. "What is it this time?"
Sure enough, it was her damn half-brother, standing there with a sly smirk on his face. Clearly, despite everything that happened yesterday, it didn't seem to affect his conscience. In fact, she still felt bad about what happened with Jared.
If only she had just taken the initiative and chose Trust herself.
"I'm sorry, did I disturb you at a bad time?" Arthur perked his head.
"...No, just lost in thought," Ina sighed before pointing a finger toward him. "I hope you selected a simpler Disadvantage for Jared to handle. After what you claimed to be your mistake yesterday, that is the least you can do for him."
Arthur folded his arms, glancing at Ina strangely.
"...Arthur," Ina sternly said.
"Well, of course I did," Arthur blinked. "Did you not even check your eHandbook? You should have the Nighttime Advantage."
Ah right.
Things got so hectic last night that she had forgotten to choose her own Advantage. Guess Arthur had chosen for her. Which reminded her, this meant she would also know what exactly Jared's status was…
"Ah, right," Ina merely stated.
"Either case, we should probably head to the Cafeteria together," Arthur nodded. "Please, after you."
"One second, I will meet you there soon," Ina said as she opened up her eHandbook. "Go ahead without me."
Arthur raised an eyebrow before shrugging.
"Very well, if that is what my sister wants," Arthur bowed.
"Half," Ina nonchalantly corrected as she opened up the Motive App.
With a small smile, Arthur walked away, leaving Ina back to her own device. Here, she scrolled through the Motives App until she reached the newly updated status she had received for Jared:
…
Jared Caertas:
TRAITOR
…
So, he was a Traitor, huh? Just like Arthur… (Of course, she had no idea about Arthur's eHandbook going haywire). She shrugged. Oh well.
Putting her eHandbook away and closing her door, she headed off to the Cafeteria to catch up to her half-brother.
(Cafeteria)
The awkward tension in the Cafeteria became much apparent once Ina had caught up with her half-brother.
For starters, not everyone was at the Cafeteria for the Morning Meeting today. Holland was on Security Shift duty, since he and Zuri had switched shifts the day prior. Cassandra and Jared weren't here for obvious reasons. Haruto and Mimi? Also not here as well for undisclosed reasons. So the only people in the Cafeteria today were:
Abigail, Arthur, Ina, and Zuri.
"How quaint," Arthur folded his arms. "It certainly feels as if we lost a lot of people today."
"I don't think it's appropriate for you to say something like that," Abigail sighed. "Considering the fact that you are pretty much the reason why it's so awkward here."
"...I have to agree with Abigail here," Ina nodded her head in agreement. "Though, I am also partly to blame for this too."
"Please, dear sister, when I'm here, you can put the blame on my shoulders," Arthur looked quite valiant. "That is the duty of a brother after all."
"Half-brother," Ina glanced away.
Arthur looked at his own half-sister, curiously. It seems even she was a little upset by what happened to Jared yesterday. Of course, she was. She had a better morality than any of the other members of the Kingston family. At least, that was what he had thought.
He chuckled slightly.
"To be scorned by my own sister," Arthur sighed. "I did apologize already, you know. So, it shouldn't be a big deal anymore."
"Th-That… doesn't really excuse anything," Abigail pointed out.
"Well, I don't see why not," Arthur raised an eyebrow before glancing over to Zuri. "What do you think, Zuri? I think I should be forgiven for an honest mistake, yes?"
"H-Huh?" Zuri blinked. She was taken aback by Arthur suddenly pulling her into this conversation. "U-Uhhh… I'm… I can't really condone what you did yesterday, Arthur. I mean, it's not something a simple apology can fix."
"But Jared did say it was fine," Arthur pointed out. "So, by the victim's standard, everything should be fine."
Ina couldn't help but ask herself why they were bringing back a dramatic moment from yesterday. She was, of course, not very happy that Arthur pulled that move, but at the same time, talking about an event that made things awkward was instead making things even more awkward…
Ina sighed.
It's as someone from the remaining surviving prisoners had said.
There's never a moment of peace in this damned facility…
…
Especially now, since Holland had rushed into the room with a pant. Zuri, thankful she had a way out of this uncomfortable conversation, smiled at the presence of her boyfriend. Eep! She just called him her boyfriend in her mind! Squee!
Ahem.
"Holland!" Zuri beamed. "Did you leave Cell Block S just to come join us for our Morning Meeting?"
However, her smile didn't last long. Instead, it shifted to worry. Because Holland seemed less happy and a little more frantic. He was out of breath. Running down Mineshaft stairs, through Cell Block S, up some more stairs, through the Auditorium, past the bathrooms, and reaching the Cafeteria will do that to someone.
"...N-No… you guys…" Holland panted as he struggled to catch his breath.
That worry became increasingly concerning.
Uh oh.
"W-What's going on?" Zuri rushed to Holland's side. "I-Is everything alright, Holland?"
"Y-Yeah, did something happen?" Abigail asked, also concerned.
"It was not a… body, was it?" Ina widened her eyes slightly.
No.
Not again.
This can't happen again.
It just can't.
"No body yet, no…" Holland managed to voice out. "But there will be if we don't hurry…"
"Hurry?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.
What was going on?
Once Holland caught his breath, he realized that there was quite literally no time to explain. It had already taken him nearly five minutes to get from point A to point B. To go back? That's more time wasted!
"I'll… explain on the way there," Holland looked determined now. "Come on. Hurry. To Zuri's Cell."
"M-My Cell?!" Zuri widened her eyes.
"You heard him, let's go," Abigail narrowed her eyes.
Instantly, Holland had run off from the Cafeteria with Abigail following behind. Zuri followed after, leaving Ina and Arthur behind. Arthur could only blink in confusion as he gave a shrug.
"So, could something have happened again, already?" Arthur slightly smirked. Considering how often they would have to play those pesky Minigames, Arthur felt slightly relieved that something was happening. Even though that was a terrible thought to have, it also meant less of a chance for his dear sister to be placed a less than perfect position in this game.
Unfortunately, said sister didn't share his thoughts and sentiments.
"Please do not look entertained, half-brother," Ina scolded. "These are still lives. We need to hurry behind also."
"Hmph, as you wish dear half-sister," Arthur nodded in agreement.
So, after a moment of agreement, Arthur and Ina followed suit.
(Cell Block S)
When Abigail, Arthur, Ina, and Zuri successfully followed behind Holland to Cell Block S, they found themselves standing outside the only currently closed door of the Ultimate Bassist's Cell. Zuri's Cell. With a pant, Holland wiped his brow.
And the first thing someone had to say was…
"E-Eh?" Zuri widened her eyes. "W-Why is the door to my Ultimate Cell closed?"
"...I closed it," Holland merely said, as he caught his breath.
"Why?" Abigail raised an eyebrow.
"...Well, that's what I'm about to tell you," Holland said, flipping his hoodie over his head. "Earlier this morning, I caught something on the security monitor of the Bassist's Cell. Specifically, from the audio..."
"The audio?" Arthur looked intrigued.
"What was it?" Ina asked, curious.
"...It was Jared," Holland said, seriously.
"E-Eh, Jared?" Zuri widened her eyes. "W-What about him? W-Wait. Is he the one who's locked in there?"
"...Yeah," Holland nodded his head. "I caught him talking about wanting to kill someone…"
"You what?" Abigail widened her eyes.
"N-No way, J-Jared wouldn't–" Zuri covered her mouth. "N-Not to one of us at least! Th-That doesn't…"
Arthur said nothing in that regard. Could the Disadvantage he received have been something bad? He wasn't sure but he remained vigilant in order to listen to what Holland had to say next.
"...I know it's hard to believe but that's what I heard him say," Holland frowned slightly. "So… that's why I gathered you guys here. Since he should be locked behind the door, I need all of us to be ready to restrain him when needed…"
"I will do what I can," Ina nodded, rolling up her sleeves.
"Yeah, same," Abigail looked dangerously serious.
Zuri on the other hand remained by Arthur's side. She couldn't believe that Jared would stoop that low. It didn't make any sense for him to want to kill someone here! But if that's what Holland heard, then he had to be telling the truth right? He wasn't lying… was he?
Zuri glanced at Holland and his face looked serious.
So why did she feel like something was off?
Arthur on the other hand remained on the side, waiting to see what would happen as soon as the door would be opened. He kept his distance but not too much as he would totally rush toward Ina's aide if Jared even dared about attacking her as soon as that door opened. Toward Abigail…? Eh…
"...Zuri, if you can," Holland gestured to the eHandbook reader by her Ultimate Cell.
With a nod, Zuri took a deep breath and scanned her eHandbook. Then, all there was to do was to wait.
After the first minute however...
"I am sorry, but what exactly are we waiting for?" Ina questioned, moving away from her earlier position in confusion.
"...The door," Holland said.
"Eh?" Ina blinked. "But you scanned the eHandbook... Does it not open right away?"
"...Ah, that's right," Holland rubbed his chin. "You weren't part of the Security Office conversation so naturally; you and Arthur don't know this. But doors in Cell Block S that get closed after five minutes stay closed until you scan an eHandbook."
"Which is what I did," Zuri nodded in agreement.
"...After the eHandbook gets scanned, you must wait an extra five minutes for the door to reboot," Holland stated.
"That... sounds awful..." Ina grimaced.
"...The worst part is the waiting," Holland sighed with a nod.
So, for the next five minutes, they waited.
And waited.
And waited.
And learned that waiting five minutes for someone who might end up attacking them as soon as the door opened was seriously agonizing. All of them held some sort of hope that this wasn't true. Or held out for something that could at least prepare them for what they might find behind the door.
Holland held his stance.
Ina held her position and got ready to pounce.
Abigail similarly held her position and got ready to charge in.
Zuri held her breath over what might happen.
Arthur held onto his arms because he seriously wasn't expecting much to happen.
…
And then the door opened.
(Ultimate Bassist's Cell)
Ina and Abigail were the first to charge into the Ultimate Bassist's Cell. They attacked Jared, beat him black and blue, kicked him in the nuts, twisted his nips and broke his arm and his leg in an effort to get him to put the gun down!
…
Is what I would say if they even did run into Jared who was wielding a gun.
But instead, Ina and Abigail ran inside the room and glanced around, awaiting for any sign of Jared to pop up. But all they heard was silence. Jared wasn't even in sight. Was Holland… mistaken? Or lying?
"Jared's… not here," Ina frowned. She smelled something. "Hm? What is this...?"
"...Huh?" Holland looked surprised. "But… But he was…"
"What kind of game are you playing here?" Arthur coldly glanced toward Holland. "Are you deliberately trying to waste everyone's time here?"
"I… didn't realize you cared about everyone's time here," Holland blinked.
"Hmph, I suppose you are right about that," Arthur's cold expression changed into a smirk.
"W-What the–"
Instantly everyone turned to Abigail, and it wasn't hard to see why she was so surprised. Because in plain sight, at the Sound Booth's window…
…
…
…
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…
…
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
…was Haruto.
He was banging on the soundproof glass, which seemed to be a lot more durable than expected. Guess that's to be expected from soundproof glass!
But other than that, Haruto looked absolutely terrible. And by terrible, it seemed that he was suffering a nosebleed that he was trying hard to keep contained. At the glass, he pointed directly toward the door to the Sound Booth and that it was clear he had tried to open several times. He was also clearly talking but no one could hear a damn thing. Again, that's to be expected from soundproof glass!
From the looks of it, he was locked inside.
"H-Haruto?!" Zuri gasped.
"W-What…" Holland was surprised by this too. "B-But how did he…?"
"Hang on, Haruto!" Abigail rushed to the door.
From the looks of it, it seems the door was barricaded with one of the chairs by the bass guitars. Easily, she shoved the chair aside and opened the door. Once she did, Haruto bursted out of the door before she could even enter the Sound Booth with a visibly ticked off expression on his face.
And as if him being pissed off wasn't enough, he had stopped trying to contain his nosebleed, letting it spill down his lips.
"H-Haruto?!" Abigail widened her eyes. "A-Are you oka–"
"W-Where the fuck is he?!" Haruto looked absolutely heated.
"Where is who?" Arthur asked, looking serious.
"Jared!" Haruto growled. "That fucking bastard! When I get my hands on him, I swear to Christ, I don't care if we talked about shit yesterday, I'm strangling his fucking neck!"
"W-Whoa, Haruto, calm down!" Zuri exclaimed. "Take a deep breath and tell us what happened? W-Was he the one who…"
She gestured to the blood that he had long forgotten was seeping out of his nose. By the time he had realized, his hand instinctively went up to it in order to try to wipe it away. He gritted his teeth. It seemed the blood just made him more mad.
"The one who fucking locked me in the Sound Booth?" Haruto grumbled. "Fuck yeah he did! Not only that, but the bastard went ahead and punched me in the fucking nose too!"
"So that must explain your… broken nose," Ina winced slightly.
"B-Broken n-nose?" Haruto widened his eyes. Since he had no mirror or reflection to refer to, he slowly touched his nose and– "M-Motherfucker…"
Oh yeah.
His nose was definitely broken. Slightly crooked but a moment to snap it back to position was all he needed. Either case, if he wasn't as pissed before, he was super pissed now. His eyes went hollow and his expression looked as if he was ready to kill him.
"I'm finding that asshole and I'm shoving his face into the pavement," Haruto darkly said.
"H-Haruto!" Abigail scolded as she glanced toward one of her peers in the room. "Ugh, can someone go and get me something like a first-aid kit from the Infirmary?"
"I'm on it!" Zuri pumped her fist before hurrying off to do so.
…
When Zuri returned with the first-aid kit, everyone had crowded Haruto around the couch as he told his story. As usual, Abigail was his personal nurse, cracking his nose back into place much to his discomfort and also made sure to clean up the blood that was spilling out of his nose. She looked absolutely concerned but was mostly relieved that he seemed to be doing fine.
Fine as in, he was still alive and kicking.
She sighed as Haruto clenched his fist. From the moment Zuri had left to get the first-aid kit to present, Haruto seemed to have calmed down from his 'I'm gonna so kill Jared' feeling. Not that he still didn't want to.
It was just a little less than before.
Less enough so that he could share his side of the story.
"So, Jared wished to talk to you here in Zuri's Cell of all places?" Arthur questioned. "What about?"
"From what I could even take in right before the bastard clocked me in the face," Haruto folded his arms. "The guy was dead serious about looking to kill someone. And since Jared was a Traitor, I can only guess that he was looking to kill someone Innocent."
"So, Jared is looking to leave this facility, is he?" Arthur took in this information with wandering thoughts.
"So does that make you a Traitor as well, Haruto?" Ina asked. "Because if he was looking for Innocents, I doubt he would have spared your life."
"Nah, I'm definitely an Innocent," Haruto folded his arms with a miffed look. "Jared never knew that because I had a partner in Abigail during the round we Trusted each other."
Haruto turned to look at Abigail who was caught off guard slightly by his acknowledgement.
"Huh?" Abigail blinked, slightly confused. "Er… I'm sorry but how exactly would me being your partner not allow Jared to know anything?"
"Oh right, I don't think many of you guys know this," Haruto folded his arms. "But from what I've gathered from the Minigame, for 2v1 situations–"
"I doubt we have enough time for such trivial matters at the moment," Arthur shook his head, impatiently. "After all, I believe you were going to tell us that Jared was seeking to kill someone, an Innocent, and locked you in the Sound Booth. But the question remains, where is he now?"
"Th-That's what I want to fucking know," Haruto blinked before growling. "The bastard punched me into the Sound Booth, locked me in, and dipped. I was stuck in that room until you guys came in."
"So then, now we have a new problem we need to attend to," Arthur stated.
"No way…" Zuri widened her eyes.
"...This is bad," Holland understood the situation. And judging from what Haruto was saying, it was similar to what he did in fact hear while on camera duty. "...And knowing from what I've heard, I think Haruto is telling the truth. Jared might be somewhere in the facility ready to…"
He didn't dare finish that sentence.
"J-Jared, again?" Zuri looked disappointed as she spoke to herself. "Really?"
"Then we need to waste no time and start looking for him," Ina frowned. "If we continue to stand here then it could give him a little leeway to murder one of our own."
"Right," Abigail nodded.
"Before we go off and find him, I just have one more fucking question," Haruto looked slightly peeved. He glanced at the five. "Which one of you fuckers closed the damn door to this Cell?"
Holland slightly gulped.
"...Er that would… be me," Holland slowly raised his hand.
"You're a fucking jackass for doing so," Haruto's face was rather stormy. Clearly, he wasn't happy with the fact that not only he was locked inside the Sound Booth but also locked inside the Ultimate Bassist's Cell too.
He was locked within a room, within a room!
How irritating!
"...A-Ah, my bad, I… didn't realize you were in the same room with Jared," Holland apologized. "...Er, let's just go and find him."
Best he gets out of Haruto's sight before the guy decides to strangle his neck instead...
"Right!" Zuri nodded her head.
"Come on, half-brother," Ina ordered Arthur. At this rate, she was keeping her half-brother on a tight leash. Who knew what he would do if he did come across Jared? "We have a potential attempted murderer to find."
"Hmph, as you wish, sister," Arthur smirked.
"Half," Ina corrected.
"I'll go and find Mimi," Abigail told Haruto, urgently. "I have to make sure she's alright. Meet up with us back at Cell Block B? We're going to start our search there."
"Yeah, I'll do that," Haruto nodded as he switched out the cotton that was plugged in his nose to keep his nosebleed intact. "Right after I stop this fucking bleeding."
"That bleeding will stop when you stop picking at it," Abigail deadpanned before sighing. "Anyway, I'll meet you at Cell Block B. Alright?"
Haruto sighed in return and nodded graciously toward Abigail. Just looking at her face was making him calm down slightly. Then, with a small smile he spoke in relief.
"Got it," Haruto nodded as he kept picking at his broken nose. "Be careful, alright?
"Yeah," Abigail squinted her eyes toward what he was doing before smiling slightly to herself. Then, without much else to say, the five left to try to find Jared.
They had to find him.
She couldn't believe that police officer had practically snapped.
Because given his track record, it made sense. And if he was going after Innocents then… who knows what he might do next?
(Mimi's Room)
Mimi had skipped the Morning Meeting today.
This was unlike her.
After all, the only people who skipped Morning Meetings were overly depressed people and the big, bad grouches who think they were better than others and showed this by not attending what was supposed to be a norm in this facility. Today, she was some type of the former. She was depressed but not overly.
She laid on her bed, looking at Sailor Penguin and hugging him close as if he were her own personal therapist. She sighed to herself.
Her thoughts went back to yesterday.
To every sour feeling she had toward the Kingston siblings. That blasted Arthur Kingston. Ina Kingston. Ina Hamamura. Gosh. Specifically, Ina Hamamura.
She frowned bitterly toward Sailor Penguin.
"Was I maybe too harsh yesterday Sailor Penguin?" Mimi asked the plush penguin. "Too harsh? Not harsh enough? Should I even try to forgive her?"
The moment that came out of her mouth, the fairytale writer shook her head profusely.
"No!" Mimi told herself. "How could I even think about trying to forgive her?! Look what she did to your eye! She's the reason your mommy is gone now and why I lost my best friend!"
She stared at the plushie penguin, who could only stare back with barely an expression on its face, because it was in fact, an non-living object left to her by someone who was now deceased.
She frowned bitterly.
She laid back on her bed with a sigh.
"What am I doing?" Mimi asked herself. She placed Sailor Penguin aside. "You're not even alive. I'm just stuck here talking to a toy whose only job is to comfort me in times of need."
She glanced at Sailor Penguin.
Through her childlike imagination, she imagined the penguin was tearing up when she said so, before hugging it closely to her. She could still smell Yuumi's scent back when she was still…
"I'm sorry Sailor Penguin," Mimi sighed. "I didn't mean it. But…"
She let go of Sailor Penguin.
Her conflicts were running wild in her mind.
Ina clearly was trying to apologize to her and she rejected it so easily. She still blamed her for everything. For all the heartache that was placed upon her. She blamed Arthur Kingston for setting Yuumi up. She blamed Ina Hamamura for setting up that trap that secured Yuumi's fate. She blamed Mayu for hammering down the final blow.
God.
She still missed Yuumi.
After all this time, she still missed her.
If she wanted to, she could just cry right now. She could just hold Sailor Penguin tightly and imagine that it was Yuumi hugging her at the moment. She could just imagine that she was in a happier timeline.
Some timeline where all this madness wouldn't be happening.
Where she could… feel that innocence she enjoyed so much.
Go back to a time where death wasn't surrounding her.
Her face turned to misery.
She hated this facility.
…
A knock on her door forced her to get up. She sighed. She supposed it was someone trying to check up on her to hopefully get her to come to the Morning Meeting. But news flash, she wasn't going anymore! Not with those Kingston siblings who were doing nothing but proving her case on why neither of them could be trusted!
Especially Ina Hamamura!
That girl who…
She placed the witch's hat on her head before answering the door.
"I'm sorry, is it time for the Morning…" she trailed off and widened her eyes. "Uh. B-Big Sis Abigail?"
"Big Sis?" Abigail blinked. "What happened to Sleeping Beauty– Ah, whatever. I'm glad to see you're okay, kiddo."
"I'm not a kiddo," Mimi pouted, looking down. "But, is it because of yesterday? I… may have told Ina that I would never forgive her. And for some reason, I feel like maybe I was being too harsh!"
"What?" Abigail tried to register what she said. Boy, she does miss a lot of these important scenes, doesn't she? "No. Not that. I thought that maybe Jared might've reached you or something."
"Huh, Jared?" it was Mimi's turn to look surprised. "W-What's going on?"
"Jared's hunting down an Innocent in order to leave," Abigail folded her arms. "I had to make sure you were okay since Haruto told me you were an Innocent after one of those Minigames."
Abigail lightly blushed.
It was definitely during the time that they were napping together or something.
"Jared is hunting an Innocent?" Mimi widened her eyes. "W-What? B-But why?!"
"I… I don't know yet," Abigail answered honestly, looking dead serious now. "But everyone is trying to find him and we're going to make sure he doesn't do that. So… get ready and come with me. We're going to Cell Block B. Haruto will meet us there."
"Ah, o-okay," Mimi nodded, looking determined.
Jared suddenly going crazy after he was betrayed so cruelly by those Kingstons? Tch, just another example of why Kingstons couldn't be trusted. Mimi frowned bitterly as she followed behind Abigail. Perhaps she shouldn't be overthinking her choice to not give Ina that second chance after all…
(Ultimate Police Officer's Cell)
As Abigail and Mimi would've undoubtedly walked past the Ultimate Police Officer's Cell, they would not notice the fact that Zuri and Holland would be inside, realizing that Jared was not in fact in this room. They had assumed that Jared would be in here sulking like he usually was, but it didn't seem like he was…
With a sigh, Holland turned to leave the Ultimate Cell, but Zuri stopped him for a second. They were on the hunt for a possible attempted murderer, but Zuri had an important question to ask her boyfriend.
"Hey Holland, can I ask you something really quick?" she asked him, tugging on his wrist.
"...O-Oh, what is it?" Holland blinked, slightly blushing at her doing so.
"What exactly did you hear Jared say when you were on your shift?" Zuri asked, curiously. "Because I still can't believe that Jared would up and go…"
She shifted uncomfortably.
Jared was prone to doing crazy things but going off and trying to kill one of their own? That was so out of character. He would never…
"...Well, admittedly, I didn't hear the entire thing but from what I can remember," Holland sighed as he folded his arms.
Holland sighed as he leaned back against the Security Office chair. He had to say… the Morning Shift was much different than his original Evening to Afternoon Shift. For starters, he never felt this groggy during the Evening Shift and even though he said he was more of a morning person, that didn't mean he was immune to the early morning vulnerability he would feel.
He yawned.
No wonder Zuri couldn't make it on time to these Morning Shifts. He could imagine it being pure torture for the poor girl. He stifled a chuckle. He kept those headphones over his ears as he leaned back against his chair and stared at the sticky note that Zuri had placed on the Security Office's window. He admired her handwriting for a minute, slightly smiling to himself.
Remember, his face is always stoic, so his smiles were always small and sometimes not even visible to the naked eye. But regardless, even through his stoicism, he was still smiling.
God.
Her handwriting was so pretty.
He couldn't believe that the handwriting belonged to his girlfriend. He couldn't believe how cute she was. He couldn't believe how much he had been thinking about her all this time. He couldn't believe that just thinking about her would bring him so much peace…
He sighed in relief.
He hoped that after their shifts, perhaps they could enjoy each other's company again. That would be nice. His face blushed slightly at the thought of her lips on his. Their hands would be touching, and their bodies would remain close together.
Such a wonderful feeling.
It was the first time Holland's ever felt something like that after all…
…
All the more reason to get back to work and make sure nothing happens in Cell Block S! So, he scrolled through each camera monitor until something caught his eyes. Or rather… ears.
It was…
…Jared's voice?
"I… I hate to do this. But someone has to die."
W-What the?!
Holland widened his eyes.
No way. This was Jared's voice, wasn't it? This was… But what was he talking about? His thoughts about Zuri turned into worry. This couldn't be happening again, could it? Jared surely wasn't planning to…
"If it means that I can protect her, then I have no choice. This is what I have to do. I'm sorry…"
No.
Not on his watch!
Holland pressed the GC 3 button and took off his headphones, immediately. The timer started going down. He had no time to waste. He was going to have to find people. Find people to help him out here.
Whatever Jared was planning to do, he has to be stopped!
"...And that was it," Holland rubbed his arms slightly. "...I guess I must've hit the button a little too late because Jared wasn't even in there and I didn't even hear Haruto given how quickly I tried to find you guys…"
Holland looked down.
"But since we wasted time opening that door… if someone dies, I… I'll take full responsibility for it," Holland sighed.
Zuri listened to his story attentively before placing a hand on his cheek. She gave him a supportive smile.
"Hey," Zuri smiled. "Don't fret it, Holland. You did the best you could. We're going to find him before he even dares to kill someone, alright? So, don't start blaming yourself over nothing, okay?"
Holland glanced at Zuri. He held onto her cheek-placed hand and clasped it tightly. He nodded.
"...Okay," he stated as Zuri smiled sweetly toward him.
She pecked him on the chin, because she was shorter than Holland.
Then holding onto Holland's hand, she turned toward away.
"Come on," Zuri declared. "We have a police officer to catch!"
"...Right," Holland nodded appreciatively.
Even now, she was so cute. But he hoped that she was right. He sincerely hoped that they would find Jared before he ended up hurting someone or worse…
(Cell Block B)
Abigail and Mimi, as promised, were at Cell Block B while waiting for Haruto to arrive. At the moment, the two had stuck around in the middle of the Cell, right next to the locked and non-functioning eHandbook reader to the room, possibly Ultimate Cell, that they have yet to discover.
All the while through their wait, Mimi still couldn't believe that something was happening again. Something was happening again, and who would've guessed that a member of the Kingston family would be partly responsible for it? No. Both members of the Kingston family were responsible for it.
There was no 'partly'.
There was no single member.
It was both of them…
"Er, you okay, Mimi?" Abigail raised her eyebrow toward Mimi. "You're… seething."
"Huh?" Mimi blinked, snapping out of her frustration for a moment before crossing her arms. "Oh. I'm just a little mad."
"At Jared?" Abigail asked.
"Partly, but mostly toward those Kingston siblings," Mimi sighed. "I can't believe Ina would even dare suggest for me to forgive her when she hasn't even changed herself…"
Abigail was slightly confused at what Mimi meant before she remembered what exactly the results of the Minigame were.
"Ah, I see," Abigail frowned slightly. "You're blaming them for all of this happening?"
"Of course!" Mimi nodded stubbornly. "Isn't it the norm nowadays? The Kingstons are always involved in these incidents! I… I'm starting to think that maybe the reason we're all stuck here is because of them!"
"Whoa, okay, look Mimi," Abigail placed a hand on the rather sad-looking Mimi. "I get you're mad at them, but you can't really keep blaming them for everything, you know?"
"But isn't it true that everything in the past happened because of them as well?" Mimi pouted. "If Ina hadn't burned the Lamb in her Ultimate Cell, Kane wouldn't have started that chain of events that led him to kill Titus... We could've still had a chance to save Titus too!"
"I… You have a point," Abigail noted.
"I don't think I need to go through what they did to Yuumi," Mimi continued.
"...Y-Yeah, you don't," Abigail glanced away. That incident did in fact start Mimi's vendetta toward Ina, if someone couldn't tell.
"And once again, Ina got caught up in another incident," Mimi frowned, clenching her fist. "She was supposed to be the scapegoat for someone else's crime!"
"Okay, now I don't think you can blame her for that one," Abigail tried to reason.
"But still!" Mimi frowned. "Don't you find it a little bit weird that the Kingstons are always in the center of everything? It's like… Whenever they're around, there won't be any peace. I mean, look at us now! Jared is only going crazy because of what they did! I… I just…"
The more she listened to Mimi, the more she realized just how much Mimi was making a point here. Despite the obvious bias of what they did to her closest friend, she could see what she meant. The Kingstons were a core part of every incident thus far. Today's drama was no different.
She sighed.
Mimi was right…
It was weird how the Kingstons are always involved in everything…
…
"Yo, sorry for keeping you guys waiting," Haruto sighed as he finally arrived.
His nose was… bandaged awkwardly but at the very least, it wasn't bleeding or broken anymore. It was purple so it was going to take some time to heal though. But as he arrived, his healing nose was the least of his worries as he noticed Mimi's indifference and Abigail's wandering thoughts.
"Er… did I miss something?" Haruto asked.
"No, it's nothing Big Bro," Mimi sighed, looking down. She cleared her throat and pumped her fist with determination. The Kingston ranting period was finished. It was time to accomplish the task at hand. "Let's just find Jared and hope we're not too late!"
"Yeah," Haruto nodded toward Mimi.
"Agreed," Abigail nodded, snapping back to the objective at hand.
But even then, as soon as they began looking throughout Cell Block B, Abigail still considered what Mimi was saying.
Was it a coincidence that the Kingstons were often involved in everything?
It had to be. But she also figured that maybe there was more going on. That perhaps… the Kingstons may be doing these things on purpose…
Were they?
(Cell Block C)
"Tch," Arthur sighed, as he wandered past the Infirmary and Therapy Room with his sister. Clearly, the two had decided to check Cell Block C for any signs of Jared, but it was unlikely that he was here. After all, Cell Block C has barely any good hiding spots.
They even checked the Robo Justice suit and the side room in the Therapy Room for good measure! They weren't going to make that mistake again!
But even doing that, they still weren't able to find Jared. He wasn't in the Infirmary, the Therapy Room, the Ultimate Pawnbroker's Cell, the Ultimate Scam Artist's Cell, nor the White Room as well. That's every room in Cell Block C and no sign of Jared, meaning Arthur and Ina had just wasted too much time in this one area.
And reasonably, it was starting to frustrate Arthur.
"That blasted police officer," Arthur mumbled. "Why did he have to go and be all crazy again? That man needs to be sedated and sent to the mental hospital."
"Half-brother, you say that, but I cannot help but think that perhaps we are to blame for all this happening," Ina spoke up.
Funny enough, the scene prior to this one had a conversation about that!
"Us?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "And what did we do?"
"Well, if we had chosen Trust like promised, perhaps Jared would not have–" Ina pointed out before Arthur scoffed.
He chuckled at his sister with a slight smirk. He had to admire his sister's morality. It was one of the best things about her. One of the few good things a Kingston like her could even have…
"Sister, remember, it was I who made the mistake in the first place," Arthur pointed out. "Not you. You had nothing to do with it. And even so, I apologized for my mistake and therefore, Jared's reaction to it all is simply uncanny and immature of him."
"...But he would have still gotten a Disadvantage regardless," Ina pointed out. "Perhaps it was that Disadvantage that has forced him to snap."
"What Disadvantage?" Arthur smirked. "The Hated One Disadvantage? As if Jared would kill over that."
Ina blinked as she thought to herself about this. He had a point. Would Jared really kill over that Disadvantage? Who would he even trade places with?
"This hunt for that bloody cop is making my head hurt," Arthur held onto his forehead with an exasperated sigh. Then, he smiled. "Come sister. Let us go to my Ultimate Cell."
"Eh?" Ina blinked. "You are not thinking about snowboarding now of all times, are you?"
"Nonsense," Arthur shook his head. "I simply wish to bask in the cold. Soothes me greatly, you know."
"But we have already wasted so much time looking for Jared…" Ina pointed out. "Why waste more…?"
"If Jared does kill an Innocent, he can go away and get help for all of us," Arthur concluded. "Which means you will be rescued and with me around, I will make sure he does not even dare to target you. Not that he knows you're Innocent…"
"But still…" Ina didn't like that comment one bit. "Do you really not care for anyone's life here, half-brother?"
"Please, do you really have to ask that?" Arthur smirked. "Of course, I do care. I care for your life and mine of course."
"Besides mine!" Ina frowned, frustratingly.
"I don't see what's getting you so upset," Arthur folded his arms as he raised an eyebrow. "I simply think that whatever the cop is choosing to do may be the best alternative than waiting around and playing those silly Minigames over and over again. They are starting to get tedious."
He scoffed.
"Either case, are you coming or what?" Arthur asked his sister. "You can consider this as a break from the search if you still have doubts about this."
Ina, who seriously disapproved of everything Arthur was saying, could only begrudgingly follow behind him whilst responding with a simple…
"Very well… half-brother," Ina sighed.
And so, the Kingston siblings made their way back down to Cell Block S.
(Cell Block S)
It took a bit for the Kingston siblings to make it to Cell Block S.
After all, they did have to walk down a couple flights of stairs. But as soon as they made it to Cell Block S, Arthur was none but happy to return to that Cell he deemed close to calling home. With a smirk, he prepared to enter the Locker Room but before he noticed Ina trailing behind. With a sigh, he watched Ina walk past the closed door of the Supermodel's Cell in silent thoughts.
"Seriously, is something the matter, dear sister?" Arthur questioned.
"I…" Ina was about to say but she couldn't get the proper words out.
What could she say at this moment?
I don't agree with what you believe in, half-brother?
I think what you did was truly wrong, and something has to change!
I think that we need to share the blame here!
…
All of those were good options, but what was causing her to hesitate this badly? What was causing her to not be able to ask such simple questions to Arthur Kingston of all people. She glanced at the cold prince himself before looking down a little sheepishly.
Perhaps…
"Ina?" Arthur perked his head.
"...Let's go inside, half-brother," Ina merely told him.
Raising an eyebrow, perhaps it would be best if she told him in his Ultimate Cell. That's what Arthur figured at least. After all, maybe whatever was troubling needed to be a private chat between siblings if anything…
(Ultimate Snowboarder's Cell)
Yep.
It was still as cold as Ina expected.
Of course, it would be.
It was an Ultimate Cell that was filled with snow. Even with the snow boots and winter clothing she had to change into, the winter breeze was strong thanks to the snow machine and coldness radiating from all this makeshift snow. She hugged herself tightly, wondering why she would even bother coming in here in the first place.
But then again, perhaps they might find Jared hiding here somewhere…
"Isn't this nice, dear sister?" Arthur breathed in his Ultimate Cell with a smirk. "The winter breeze? The whiteness of the snow? The feeling of freedom, blowing against your face? It's truly magnificent, isn't it?"
"...I feel no sense of freedom," Ina merely responded. "We are still in a troublesome facility are we not?"
Arthur glanced at Ina for a moment before sighing for a moment.
"Ina," he felt his icy breath waft against the cold atmosphere. "Do you know why I enjoy coming to my Ultimate Cell so much?"
"No," Ina merely responded, noting how pointless this supposed break was.
Arthur stifled his amusement.
"It's because it makes me feel free," Arthur showed a genuine smile.
"How?" Ina turned to Arthur, slightly bewildered. "It is a Cell built for your Ultimate talent."
"That is true," Arthur nodded. "But that doesn't mean I can't still feel what freedom is."
Ina blinked toward Arthur. She was confused. How could he feel freedom from a cell? It didn't make any sense. But noticing Arthur glance off toward the snowy hill, she reckoned he was going to continue his thought process.
"Ina, when you are the first-born son of a greedy father like Alexander Kingston…" Arthur began. "You become the center of attention. All of the achievements and the sins of the father… they become burdened onto the eldest. I was born in royalty and yet, it felt more like a prison than I ever felt here…"
Ina saw Arthur's face. His smile had shifted into sadness.
"The only time I was ever given freedom was during the winter," Arthur explained. "Father would always go out on business trips, leaving me and my mother behind. And because of the snow, Father wouldn't be able to return home for days… weeks… best cases, months… Depending on when the snow would melt enough for him to return…"
He chuckled to himself.
"And every winter, Mother would allow me to leave the premises," Arthur's smile returned. "I could do whatever I wanted. Play in the snow for hours and even… enjoy snowboarding. Though, I wasn't very good at it from the start."
He folded his arms.
"Winter was the one season in the year where I truly felt free from Father's shackles," Arthur explained. "Every cold breeze I feel reminds me of that freedom. That freedom to do whatever I wanted to do. That hope that I didn't have to follow Father's dream and instead, choose my own path… for a more promising life."
Arthur turned to Ina.
"My Ultimate Cell is a nice distraction from the stress of the Game," Arthur told her. "After all, I constantly worry about you. My dear sister. But together, here, I feel like we are free together…"
"...I think you are being a little too clingy," Ina looked away.
"Perhaps I am," Arthur chuckled. "But I just don't want to see you be corrupted by Father's ideals. I don't want to see you hurt. And I want nothing more than for you to be safe and sound…"
Ina rubbed her clothed arm.
"Which is why I want to ask you…" Arthur looked serious now. "What has been troubling you this entire time? Since this morning, you've looked distressed. Uncomfortable to be around me. Have I done something wrong?"
Ina grimaced.
This was her way to be honest now.
No going back…
"...No," she shook her head before glancing at Arthur with a depressed look. "We have done something wrong. What is happening right now, it is all our fault."
"Dear sister, please don't tell me you're still blaming yourself for everything," Arthur folded his arms with a sigh. "I already told you. All the blame goes to me–"
"But that is just it, half-brother," Ina frowned. "All the blame should not go to just you. I… I appreciate you trying to protect me, but I cannot be excused from something that happened under my supervision."
Arthur paid close attention to her.
"...Half-brother," Ina clenched her fists with a frown. "I have been fighting demons all my life. I have lost good people in battles of my own choosing. And I have been the cause of lives gone to waste. Even here, I have made mistakes that I have learned I can never be forgiven for, no matter how hard I apologize…"
Ina bit her lip as she glanced away. She thought about Mimi and her conversation with the little witch girl yesterday. Honestly, it hurt.
It hurt so much.
"I can carry my own burdens," Ina told Arthur. "So please, half-brother, stop taking them from me. Let me share the guilt as well."
Arthur was surprised, frankly.
He pondered this request deeply.
"Hmph, as a good brother, I shouldn't burden you with anything," Arthur shook his head.
"But as a good half-brother, you will grant your half-sister a request, will you not?" Ina countered.
Arthur pondered this request as well.
Looking at her now, she was deeply serious about this.
Then, with a shrug, he forcibly nodded.
"Very well, if that is what you wish to have…" Arthur stated. "You can share my blame over what has happened with Jared… But the moment people start verbally attacking you, I will still defend you. Fair?"
It was Ina's turn to ponder. But it didn't take long for her. She merely nodded toward her half-brother.
"Very well," Ina nodded.
A winter breeze blew toward them, forcing Ina to shiver and Arthur to smile and feel absolutely relaxed.
"I still cannot believe you can associate this coldness as freedom," Ina muttered.
"I can't believe you aren't able to," Arthur extended his arms with a smirk.
Arthur loved the winter because it reminded him of freedom.
Ina had made many mistakes in the past that she had carried with her forever.
Even now, she was going to keep carrying burdens. That was the truth of her situation. Heh. She could even say that was her fate…
…A fate to carry burdens.
(Cell Block B)
Cell Block B was a total bust.
And Cell Block B was a pretty large Cell Block too! The trio of Abigail, Haruto, and Mimi had managed to cover everything here and yet they still couldn't find any trace of Jared around here! Seriously, this was getting annoying. At least, by Haruto's standards since he had a score to settle with that damned police officer.
The former basketball player cracked his knuckles.
"We checked every single damn Ultimate Cell on the block, and we still haven't found him," Haruto grumbled. "We even checked the damn Stadium too!"
"I guess that just means that Jared isn't in this Cell Block," Mimi frowned. "But if that's the case, then… where is he?"
"That is the question, isn't it?" Abigail sighed bitterly. It just felt like their search, that had wound up with nothing, had done nothing but waste their time. And with the fact that Jared was still running around with an intent to kill…
…It certainly didn't make that tension of hers feel any easier.
She hugged herself.
"Yo, Abby, you alright?" Haruto glanced at Abigail, slightly worried.
"...Just a little scared," Abigail looked away. "I mean, what if Jared does kill someone? What if we have to go through another Prison Trial? What if we have to risk our own lives again to solve a murder that one of us committed…"
Haruto looked at her, sympathetically.
Mimi noticed this exchange and decided to give the two their space.
"Hey, I'll be at the Mineshaft, okay?" Mimi told the two with a small smile. "I'll leave you two alone…"
"Uhh, this ain't the time for–" Haruto was about to say before he felt Abigail tug on his arm. "...Fine. But be careful, alright? If you can, make sure you have people with eyes on you, so you don't get snuck up on. You are on the list of targets, y'know."
"Of course, I know that Big Bro Haruto!" Mimi nodded her head. "I'll be careful!"
Haruto gave her a nod of approval and before he knew it, Mimi was off to check the Mineshaft. Specifically, the Security Office because if there was any way she could find Jared, it would probably be there.
As for what was troubling Abigail, Haruto decided to take the initiative and look back toward her with that same look of sympathy.
"Yo, so about what you said earlier–" Haruto began before Abigail suddenly hugged him. "H-Huh? A-Abby?"
"...You don't have to say anything," Abigail frowned, blushing lightly. "I'm just… I just got worried when I saw what happened to you in the Sound Booth. That's all…"
Haruto blinked, before also blushing lightly as well.
"I– W–Well, I only got out with a nosebleed and a broken nose so I'm fine," Haruto told her.
"But what if you didn't?" Abigail frowned. "What if you were…"
"Look, Abby," Haruto slowly returned the hug. "Everything's gonna be fine, alright? We're going to find Jared and nothing's going to happen, okay? So, quit being so weird. Who's the idiot now in this case, huh? Dummy."
Abigail's blush reddened.
"Th-That's me…" Abigail shyly blushed.
It was Haruto's turn to blush harder.
God.
She was adorable.
But unbeknownst to Haruto, even behind her blush, there was something still troubling her. Something on her mind that she couldn't even dare say to Haruto. Something she was extremely worried about. And yet, she did everything she could to ease those worries by hugging him tight.
(Security Office)
If Jared wasn't going around being all crazy-like again, Mimi would be feeling a little positive after seeing her arguably two closest friends being all lovey-dovey like that with each other. It was like something out of a true fairytale and yet, here she was, unable to enjoy it. She had no time to enjoy such things!
She was on a mission and currently, that mission is being here: at the Security Office!
She sat on the chair and rolled up toward the camera monitors. She looked at the array of buttons and functions these camera monitors had. It was… a little much. Her mind started to haze at how many buttons there were.
Speaking of buttons, she tapped her chin as she examined the GC buttons:
GC 1
GC 2
GC 3
GC 4
Most notably about these GC buttons was that currently only the GC 3 button was lit. She tapped her chin in thought and pressed on the button. After all, it was the only one that was lit. And when one thing is lit up, that means, monkey brain, press button, right?
Mimi pressed the GC 3 button, causing the button to be unlit, and noticed the five-minute timer begin to play.
"A-Ah!" Mimi gasped. "L-Let's not do that!"
Mimi then pressed the GC 3 button again and instantly, the timer shut off. She sighed in relief. Then, she noticed that the GC 3 button was now lit again… But wait, if these unlit buttons could be relit then theoretically…
Mimi pressed the GC 1 button.
Nothing happened.
Then she pressed the GC 2 button.
Nothing happened.
Then the GC 4 button.
Nothing happened.
"Huh, why is this GC 3 button the only one that's lit?" Mimi pondered. "And… what did Big Bro Haruto say about this room again…?"
That was the thing.
Haruto never explained this room to her. Mainly because she wasn't one of the few who were interested in taking shifts for this day…
She sighed.
She glanced around the room.
She checked out the window.
She read the note that Zuri had left for Jared.
And finally, she checked out the camera monitors.
She had hoped that by coming in the Security Office, she could maybe find Jared on the camera monitor. That maybe she could find him using those security cameras. That was her plan, but she underestimated just how little she truly knew of how the Security Office worked.
She placed on the headphones that were dangling off the edge of the Security Office desk and listened through.
Nothing.
She sighed.
This was hopeless.
Maybe she should try looking for Jared in a different way–
"Ugh!"
What was that?!
Mimi perked her head, looking around but realized that she was still wearing headphones. Whatever she had heard, it had to have come from the camera monitor. So, she turned to the camera monitors. Her eyes trailed to each individual one.
The Disconnected Security Camera… Obviously, nothing.
The Mineshaft Security Camera… Nothing.
The Ultimate Snowboarder Cell's Security Camera… Nothing.
The Ultimate Bassist Cell's Security Camera… Maybe! But just right beside that…
The Ultimate Supermodel Cell's Security Camera…
Mimi widened her eyes.
She got him on camera.
There he was. There was Jared. And it looked like he… She gasped as she watched Jared… fighting an unknown assailant?
She couldn't tell who it was thanks to the camera's absurd blind spot, but she knew for certain… There was a fight going on between Jared and someone else.
She…
She had to move fast!
(Cell Block S)
"A well-deserved break," Arthur seemed very soothed after his chat with Ina in his Ultimate Cell.
The Kingston siblings had since changed out of their winter clothing and stepped back into Cell Block S. Though the warmth, albeit only slightly since it was still cold in Cell Block S but at least warmer than it was in the damn snow cell, was something Ina was grateful to be back in, that chat she had with her half-brother was something she really did need.
"So, now we can go back to looking for Jared, yes?" Ina asked her half-brother.
"Yes, yes, of course," Arthur nodded with a smirk. "Break time is over after all."
"...I still question how you can afford having a break time when lives may be on the line here…" Ina noted.
Arthur was about to make some fancy-schmancy remark but was rudely interrupted by Mimi, who hurried into Cell Block S all of a sudden. It didn't seem like she noticed the siblings. After all, her attention was more fixated on…
"E-Eh?!" Mimi exclaimed. "I-It's closed?!"
"Mimi, is everything alright?" Ina asked, concerned.
"D-Does it look like I'm alright?!" Mimi pouted before turning back to the Ultimate Supermodel's Cell.
It was closed.
The eHandbook reader was open for anyone to scan the appropriate eHandbook onto, and unfortunately, Mimi didn't have that at all. She banged on the door.
"N-No, come on, open up!" Mimi yelled.
"What is going on?" Ina blinked.
"Stop asking me questions!" Mimi frowned toward Ina. "You have the eHandbook Advantage, right?"
"Uhhh, yes I do," Ina nodded her head. "But why do you wish to open this door?"
"I just said, stop asking me questions!" Mimi exclaimed. "Just give me your eHandbook so I can open the door!"
"No," Arthur stepped up to defend his sister. "You are not to speak to Ina like that. Either you give us a good reason why you need this door to desperately open or you don't get anything from Ina."
"Jared is in there with someone!" Mimi turned to Arthur with a glare.
Arthur folded his arms and contemplated that answer for a second.
"Ah, that is a good reason," Arthur noted with a blink. He cleared his throat. "Er, sister, if you will…"
Ina wasted no time.
She scanned her eHandbook onto the eHandbook reader, watching Mimi frantically pace around, anxiously. Once she had done so, the door remained closed for a moment. By the second minute, Mimi glanced toward Arthur and Ina with her mind wallowing in stress.
"W-Why isn't it opening?!" Mimi exclaimed.
"...Doors in Cell Block S that get closed after five minutes remain closed until an eHandbook is scanned," Arthur folded his arms. "After that, you have to wait another extra five minutes for the door to reboot."
"W-What?!" Mimi paled. "B-But Jared and whoever is in there don't have another five minutes!"
"Well, it's not like we can break the door down," Arthur retorted. "It's a bloody metal door."
"Ohhhh... please be okay in there," Mimi muttered nervously.
Ina could only watch her pace around in desperation. She wished she could do something to help ease her anxiety, but she knew that whatever she would do, it would probably make things worse.
So, she held her breath for the next three minutes.
Mimi paced around.
Ina got ready to charge in to stop whatever was going on in there.
Arthur folded his arms, noting how stupid it was for these doors to function this way.
…
Then finally, it opened.
(Ultimate Supermodel's Cell)
The moment the door opened... Ina charged in. She hoped to tackle down Jared. Once she would do so, she would slap him, punch him in the throat, and bite off his kneecaps or something like that. There was just one problem though…
…
…
…
…
…
...
...
...
"E-Eh?" Mimi widened her eyes in pure shock. "W-Were we… too late?"
...
...
...
...
...
...
No one was inside the Ultimate Supermodel's Cell.
There was no Jared.
Whoever the assailant was, they weren't there as well.
The Ultimate Supermodel's Cell was empty. But from the looks of things, there was indeed some sort of struggle that did take place here. After all…
Chairs were strewn about the floor.
A mannequin laid on the ground.
But what was missing were two actual bodies in the damn Ultimate Cell. Mimi didn't understand it. How could… But she saw Jared was inside, didn't she? Not just Jared but someone else too. How were they…?
Wait!
Of course!
"The Dressing Room!" Mimi exclaimed. "Check the Dressing Room!"
Ina nodded toward Mimi and did just that. She charged toward the Dressing Room, taking the door on the right…
…
…
…
…A moment later, Ina came out with a heavy sigh. She glanced toward the expectant glances of Mimi and Arthur. No words came out of her mouth. Instead, all she did was shake her head. Now words would come out of her mouth.
"No one was in the Dressing Room," Ina shook her head "I checked every inch. There is no place for anyone to hide either."
She sniffed the air.
"Huh, it's-" Ina found herself interrupted by a completely bewildered Mimi.
"Th-That's… Th-That's impossible!" Mimi exclaimed. "I saw them here! I did! They were fighting and everything!"
"Jared and someone else?" Arthur questioned before folding his arms and scoffing. "Fighting in a room that was closed and can, I assume, can only be opened from the outside?"
Arthur glanced around to make sure his assumption was true.
There was no eHandbook reader inside the Ultimate Cell. There was only one outside, which meant…
"Oh yes, the only way this room can be opened is from the outside," Arthur nodded his head. "Which means one of two things…"
"Y-Yeah?" Mimi glanced toward Arthur.
"Either you are pulling off the most horrendous joke of the century and wasting our time," Arthur coldly glanced toward her. "Or… Jared and his challenger simply… disappeared."
"But I wasn't joking!" Mimi pouted. "I did see them through the camera monitor! I did!"
"Oh, then I suppose two people just mysteriously upped and vanished into thin air," Arthur scoffed, folding his arms. "How believable."
"Half-brother, if I may," Ina stepped forward. "I do not think Mimi would lie about something like this. She seemed genuinely anxious about what was possibly occurring here."
"Y-Yeah, if anything, maybe Ina didn't look around correctly!" Mimi wallowed in her confusion. "Maybe… Maybe…"
"You are free to check for yourself," Ina suggested. "Because I assure you. No one is in the Dressing Room."
"Nor is anyone in this Cell," Arthur folded his arms.
Mimi didn't want to listen to these non-believers anymore. There had to be some sort of explanation for this right?! She stormed off into the Dressing Room, hell-bent on proving them wrong. That maybe…
…
...
...
…Mimi came out of the Dressing Room through the right door and looked down. Ina wasn't lying. They truly weren't there. And just as she said, there weren't any hiding spots anyone could hide in either.
"Satisfied?" Arthur frowned. "My sister tells the truth!"
"Half," Ina corrected.
"I just… don't understand," Mimi looked down. "I don't understand…"
"Let's go," Arthur sighed. "This was a complete waste of time."
"But… But I…" Mimi tried to say.
She couldn't believe it. She knew what she saw! She was telling the truth! And yet somehow, she was made a fool in front of the damn Kingston siblings. She looked down as the three exited the Ultimate Supermodel's Cell.
(Cell Block S)
"Hey, what's going on over here?"
Abigail and Haruto remained by each other's sides as they arrived at Cell Block S. They were planning to go to Mineshaft to meet with Mimi but instead, they overheard a commotion from Mimi right here at Cell Block S.
And given the fact she was with the Kingston siblings, that could only mean one thing…
"You two better not be picking on Mimi," Haruto cracked his knuckles. "Otherwise, the punch I was saving for Jared might just go to you instead…"
"Picking on her?" Arthur scoffed. "We value more time achieving the objective at hand than bullying a child."
"I'm not a child!" Mimi exclaimed.
Ina glanced away.
Clearly, he wasn't going to mention the fact that they took a small break in the Ultimate Snowboarder's Cell.
However, as she did so, she noticed two people walking past their little group of five at the moment. One of them seemed to look rather distressed and were walking at such a quick pace. Such a quick pace that only she seemed to notice since she wasn't even focused on the conversation at hand.
She raised an eyebrow.
Was that…?
"Well, if you're not poking fun at her, then what's with all the commotion?" Abigail raised an eyebrow.
"Mimi was the one who started the commotion," Arthur folded his arms. "She insisted that Jared was fighting someone in the Supermodel's Cell."
"But I saw it!" Mimi insisted. "I saw it on the Security Cameras! He was there fighting someone!"
"And we didn't find him or this someone," Arthur pressed. "How could that have happened?"
"I… I… don't know!" Mimi exclaimed.
Haruto softened his expression. It seemed that Mimi was hellbent about what she saw, and Arthur was clearly giving her a hard time over it. Wasn't typical bullying but he decided to go for a softer approach anyway… Besides, Abigail was here. So, beating up Arthur was out of the question.
"Well, if Mimi saw him on the Security Cameras, then maybe Jared and whoever he was fighting just left the Cell?" Haruto suggested.
"Out of the question," Arthur shook his head. "The door was closed by the time she arrived. They would've been still inside the Cell."
"Then maybe Jared and whoever he was fighting were hiding," Abigail suggested.
"Also, out of the question," Arthur shook his head once again. "Ina and Mimi both searched the Cell. No one was inside."
"But that's impossible," Abigail narrowed her eyes. "Mimi said she saw them in the Cell. And if the door was closed, how on Earth could they just disappear like that?"
"Which is what led to the commotion," Arthur frowned, folding his arms. "I think she's lying."
"I'm not!" Mimi yelled. "I know what I saw, and I'll prove it to you!"
She wasn't happy in the slightest. For Arthur Kingston to accuse her of lying was just an insult she couldn't handle. She clenched her tiny hands and stormed off. This wasn't something she could tolerate. She couldn't… She… She had to prove it somehow!
So, storming off, she ignored Abigail's call for her to return.
"W-Wait, Mimi!" Abigail blinked, watching Mimi leave.
But Mimi didn't respond.
Damn that Arthur Kingston.
Damn those Kingstons in general!
(Mineshaft)
Mimi sighed to herself as she walked into the Mineshaft. She was frustrated. Frustrated toward Arthur for thinking her for a fool! Frustrated that they didn't believe her! She... She was telling the truth! It just didn't make any damn sense! She saw everything clear as day on the Security Footage! Jared was there! He was in Maggie's Ultimate Cell and yet they tossed and turned the entire place. He wasn't there! And so was the person he was confronting!
There was no way they could've just disappeared like that!
R-Right?
…
That was why she was heading back to the Mineshaft. If she remembered correctly…
"Monohebi came in with some shit about how Cell Block S is a solitary block for some of the worst criminals in the entire facility," Haruto scratched the back of his neck. "So the Security Office pretty much monitors everything that goes on in Cell Block S only."
"And by monitor, you mean a camera system, right?" Jared asked.
"A really complex one at that," Abigail noted. "There's stuff about time limits and audio recording and playback…"
Abigail had mentioned something about playback. So, theoretically, if Mimi went to the Security Office right now and reviewed the footage again, maybe she might find something of interest! Maybe… Maybe an answer to how Jared and whoever he was facing off against suddenly just disappeared!
At least, that was the plan.
…
Because the moment she walked into the Mineshaft, something was different than usual. Mimi blinked. What was so different than usual? Oh, that's right.
There was noise.
Lately, there was never noise in the Mineshaft because the Minecart Systems and Grinder were always shut off. Apparently, it was really degrading and annoying and Mimi could see how distracting it was when the loud grinding noise managed to snap her out of whatever she planned to do.
Wait.
Loud grinding noise?
Did… someone turn on the Grinder?
Not only that but the Minecarts were moving again. It was almost as if everything had been rebooted back to how everything once was. How everything was when Mimi had first discovered this area with Haruto and Abigail.
But this time, there was an eerie atmosphere.
And not only that, but there was an awful smell too.
A horrendous smell coming from… near the end of the Grinder?
"Ugh, w-what is that?" Mimi asked no one in particular as she covered her nose with her witch's hat. Following the scent, she walked inches closer to the end of the Grinder before suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks.
…
She froze.
She couldn't move.
She finally understood where the smell was coming from now.
Because it truly did happen again…
…
She watched as a familiar set of clothing had just transported themselves closer to the rock pile where everything that was grinded up would end up. Clothing that she recognized all too well. She started to shake.
How could this be?
She walked closer.
But the moment she did, the nightmare never stopped. Because as the Grinder continued to produce its cacophonous album of horror, out came something that was completely disturbing. Mimi felt herself the need to puke but for some reason, she was still able to hold it in. The horrendous smell grew stronger as the remains of something that was grinded slowly rode against the conveyor belt at the end of the Grinder.
…
No.
Not something.
Someone.
The clothing they wore were torn and ripped up. Their body… or what was left of their body, was nothing more than ripped skin and broken bones, protruding at all kinds of unnatural angles. Some bones were even dust at this point. The Grinder had ground them up so meticulously that it was nearly impossible to tell who this was, but Mimi knew better.
She could tell based on the clothing that she had first seen.
She could tell based on the coloration of the clothing that they had still worn.
She could tell based on the coloration of their hair.
She could tell… without a doubt, that this horribly mutilated body belonged to none other than Jared Caertas, the Ultimate Police Officer.
"J-Jared…?" Mimi fell back, her mind trying to grasp the horrific sight of what she was seeing as the body slowly found its way toward the rock pile with its police uniform.
And throughout everything, Mimi couldn't say a thing.
She didn't want to say a thing.
In fact, the only thing she could let out…
"A–A–A–AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
…was a loud, chilling scream.
DANGANRONPA: CORRUPTED HOPE
Ahhhh, here we go again! The next body has been discovered! We are now officially out of Chapter 4 Daily Life and into Chapter 4 Deadly Life!
Updates, as usual. Trial Parts 1 and 2 are completed. When the time comes, they will be edited as much as they can be and hopefully everything works out in the end! Seriously, I really hope everything does work out ;-;
But yes, Jared is our next victim in this Killing Game D: First off, thank you to Otterplay for giving him to me so graciously like that! Like, you just came to me and said, "Take Jared and do whatever to him" and I was like, "I will brother. I will" *sniffle sniffle* Of the cast, Jared has one of the best backstories that I just loved writing for so much. I wanted to write him shooting the Womanizer for a while and I wanted to write that little backstory he had last chapter too- God damn, his storyline was just so fun! In fact... it was so fun...
...Originally, Jared was supposed to be a Chapter 3 victim and was supposed to die alongside Maggie and get killed by Carter for monetary reasons. However, Jared kept leeching on like a damn cockroach by having so much plot potential with Cassandra that I ended up making him Chapter 4 victim instead, effectively switching him out with Barracuda and stuff. Like God damn Jared, just let me end your life ;-; I get that you and Cassandra are cute but just let... me... kill... you...
Ah well. I finally killed him. This is where Jared's story ends sadly ;-; You will be missed, rookie!
Jared's plot was always meant to be that cop that tries to keep the peace and fails and resorts to other means to achieve that justice for his allies. The decisions he makes isn't always going to be agreeable, which definitely kinda separates him from the other cop I know named Kin- Ahem.
But whatever happened to Jared? Who do you think killed him? Well, wait and see when the Investigation comes out ;D
Prisoners Remaining: 8
Abigail Ellsworth - The Ultimate Equestrian (oddlyillregular) [1,000,000]
Arthur Kingston - The Ultimate Snowboarder (SinWriter7) [0]
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]
Mimi Kazoo - The Ultimate Fairytale Writer (Idraegan) [0]
Zuri Auraline - The Ultimate Bassist (CandleFire45) [1,000,000]