Prologue Part 5

Taka had been leading his group down the east wing of the building to find more students. Just like the rest of the building, it was run down and filled with weeds and covered with rust. Leon had been kicking pebbles as he walked down the hall with everyone, with each kick causing the pouncing pebble to echo throughout. Gundham's eyes twitched as he walked behind the baseball player.

"Cease your childish game, mortal," Gundham commanded. "You are disturbing my ears."

Leon groaned a bit. "It's not that bad, dude. Just ignore it."

"I suggest you focus more on the investigation than merely easing your boredom."

"Mr. Tanaka?" Hifumi stepped between the two of them. "There's no reason for the two of you to be fighting."

Gundham aimed his red eye at the nerdy boy. Hifumi shook in fear of scarred boy before speaking again. "I-I mean, w-we've all had a…stressful time, so Leon trying to kill his stress isn't bad…right?"

Gundham stared a bit longer at Hifumi before looking away to brood to himself.

Kaede sighed a bit to herself. "I guess some things are never going to change," she said to herself.

Nagito moved over to her side. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, comparing this to my last game, it just seems like we're cursed to be locked in with very…strange people."

"There's no need to judge, Akamatsu," Korekiyo said in a soft tone. "Just because they act differently than you doesn't mean they aren't as human as the rest of us."

"I know that," Kaede said as she crossed her arms and pouted. "But they were literally about to get into a fight over a rock. Is this really what we have to deal with the whole time we're here?"

"Well," Nagito spoke up again, "we just need to hope we escape soon."

"Yeah. Let's hope so."

Mondo had been walking along side Taka the whole trip. He too had become annoyed with all the bickering the group had been getting into. If he was outside in the real world and not investigating, he would be tempted to knock some sense into Gundham and Leon. Alas, he had to "behave."

'If bro wasn't here I swear,' Mondo thought to himself before noticing that Miu was looking at him. He narrowed his brows and gritted his teeth. "What?"

"So, you're a biker, right?" Miu asked.

"…Yes?"

"Ok. What kind of bike do you use?"

Mondo raised an eyebrow. 'Is she actually not being a bitch?' he thought to himself. He scratched back of his head. "Well, it's a customized chopper. The handlebars are higher up than most street bikes and the seat has a back to it to make it more comfortable."

Miu hummed a bit as she listened to Mondo list of his bike's modifications. "Not bad for a start, but is that all?"

"I mean, I gave it a flame decal too."

Miu snickered a bit. "Flame decals? Really? What are you, ten?"

Mondo narrowed his brows a bit and clenched his fist. "The hell's the problem with flames? It makes my bike look badass!"

"Please. Your need to look badass just goes to show how lame you bikers really are. You should care about making your bike not a piece of shit more than making it look cool."

"Oh yeah? Well, what the hell do you think makes a good bike?"

"Well, first of all the seat isn't as good of an idea as you think. Sure, comfortable, but judging from all the other punk bikers out there your seat is probably too big and actually blocks some of your view when you try to merge. And since I'm guessing you like to drive fast, the seat and the long handlebars can actually make your bike less aerodynamic."

"Huh. That does sound right…"

"Now, if you're asking for how I can improve your bike, that's going to cost you. My services aren't for free and if your bike is lousy as you describe, it may even cost you extra for me to take it apart."

"Hey, I didn't agree to anything yet."

"Then I guess you're going to be stuck with the shit bike for the rest of your life."

Mondo grinded his teeth together and held his fist up. "How about shut your damn trap?!" he shouted at her. "I like my bike, and I ain't having some spineless bitch mechanic tear it apart!"

Miu blushed heavily as she moaned. "W-w-who are you calling a mechanic?" she asked.

'That's the word she had a problem with?' Mondo thought to himself.

"Everyone!" Taka shouted. "Enough fighting! We have found an unchecked room!"

Everyone finally calmed down and turned their attention to the unopened room. Korekiyo approached the door and opened it up. "After you, friends," he said.

"Thank you, Kiyo!" Taka said with a polite smile before entering the room

He entered the room to see yet another classroom as rundown as the rest of the building and inside said room were five girls they haven't met yet. One was a redheaded girl in a plain looking outfit with a camera strapped around her neck. She was sat at a desk, bored out of her mind. Another was a giant of a woman. Muscular and covered in scars. The only real sign she was a woman was her long hair, schoolgirl outfit, and slight curves. The third girl wore black clothes that clashed with her silver hair. Her glasses rested over her red eyes and she had a stiff bag strapped over her shoulder. The fourth girl was a dark-skinned girl with white hair dressed in a white, shell styled bikini with a yellow robe draped over her. She was also sat at a desk, but she seemed to be drawing on a sketch pad. The final girl was a blonde girl with pigtails in a black top and plaid skirt. She had her feet kicked up onto a desk as she leaned back in her seat.

"Greetings everyone!" Taka shouted into the room. "My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru! My group and I have been searching this school for other students!"

"No need to keep shouting at everyone, bro," Mondo said as he stepped into the room.

"And all girls," Kaede said. "I know Tenko is going to be happy."

"How many of you are there?" the redheaded girl asked.

"There's nine of us here and ten others exploring the other side of the school," Korekiyo said. "And maybe more if they found others."

"Sounds like your theory was right, Junko," the giant girl said to the blonde. "There were others here."

The blonde shrugged and smirked. "Of course I was," she said. "There was no reason to doubt me."

"Sorry, but the whole 'we're all dead and there are more' theory was a bit much to believe at first," the redhead said.

"Well, you've at least caught up to where we are," Leon said. "I mean, we still don't know crap about what's going on but we're on the same page, right?"

"Well, we don't know who they are yet, Mr. Kuwata," Hifumi said.

"Oh, right," the redheaded girl said before rising from her chair to greet everyone. "My name is Mahiru Koizumi, the Ultimate Photographer. As long as we're stuck in here, we should do our best to work together."

Mahiru Koizumi: Ultimate Photographer

"Very nice to meet you, Koizumi," Taka said. "I must applaud you on your manners! I too believe we should work together to exit this facility!"

"Yeah, I just hope none of you guys slack off," Mahiru placed her hands on her hips. "I know how most of you guys can get lazy real easily."

Mondo looked over at Leon with a smirk. "I think she's talking about you, Kuwata."

Leon grumbled a bit to himself. "I'm not that lazy."

Miu on the other hand groaned at the photographer's lecture. "Great. We got another Tencrotch."

Mahiru raised her eyebrow at Miu. "T-tencrotch?" she repeated. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"She's just a bitch," Leon said. "She insults everyone for any reason she can think of."

"Well that's uncalled for!" Mahiru shouted at Miu. "Calling anyone crotch or whatever is stuff only sick creeps do!"

"N-nyeee!" Miu blushed a bit. "D-don't shout at me!"

Mahiru raised her eyebrow once again. "I…did she just back down?"

"Yeah, she does that too," Mondo said.

Nagito moved past the rest of the group to approach the giant woman. He smiled up at her and held out his hand. "You're the Ultimate Martial Artist, correct?"

The woman nodded lightly. "Indeed. My name is Sakura Ogami," she said, keeping her introduction short.

Sakura Ogami: Ultimate Martial Artist

"I've seen your fights posted on the internet," Nagito explained. "You move quickly yet hit with a lot of force. I can see why you've earned your title."

Sakura looked down at Nagito for a brief moment, then looked away. "No."

Nagito raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I still have to earn my title," she said softly before turning away and going quiet.

"You still wish to improve, huh?" Nagito sighed and smiled. He kept talking despite Sakura choosing to stay silent. "I understand. To keep your talent from diminishing, you must keep striving for improvement."

Nagito went to step away from Sakura to see the white-haired girl staring up at the two of them as penciled in her pad. Nagito approached the girl and smiled at her. "What are you drawing there?" he asked.

The girl pulled the pad towards herself to hide it. "Ohoho! Don't rush an artist," she said with a bright smile. "One cannot see the work of Auta without proper payment."

"Payment?" Nagito pondered. "What do I need to pay?"

The girl giggled a bit. "A pint of blood."

"Hmmm," Nagito hummed a bit. "Well, if it's to see your talent in action then I'll give you-"

"NO!" Kaede dashed over to Nagito's side and slapped his hand down. "Don't do that, Nagito!"

"Why not?"

Kaede raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" she asked. "B-because giving your blood isn't good!"

"Aww," the white-haired girl frowned. "Why must you interrupt Auta's will, Kaede?"

"Look, just…" Kaede groaned a bit. "Why don't you just introduce yourself to him?"

"Oh, that's right!" the girl said before spreading her arms out and closing her eyes peacefully. "I haven't told you yet. I am the Ultimate Artist that Auta's will works through. Angie Yonaga."

Angie Yonaga: Ultimate Artist

"Artist?" Nagito's eyes lit up. "As a whole? You don't just specialize in one area of art?"

"Nyahaha!" Angie laughed. "Of course! Auta's influence must spread through all aspects of art. As such, I sculpt, I paint, and I draw."

"Wow, amazing," Nagito said with a bright smile.

"But now, Auta needs me to continue my work," Angie sat back down and opened her notepad. "And one works best when no eyes are on them."

"Of course," Nagito said. "A piece of trash like me doesn't deserve to get in your way."

With that, Nagito stepped back and left Angie to her work. Kaede couldn't help but frown at Nagito's words. She took a deep breath and stepped after him to talk. All the while Angie kept looking at Sakura as she drew in her notebook.

Taka moved away from his conversation with Mahiru to approach the silver-haired girl and outreached his hand to her.

"Greetings!" Taka said loudly. "My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru! It is a pleasure to meet you!"

The silver-haired girl glared at Taka through her glasses. She instinctively grabbed the bag on her back, but froze when she noticed Taka truly wasn't a threat. She relaxed herself and crossed her arms.

"My name is Peko Pekoyama," she introduced herself in a flat tone of voice. "My talent is the Ultimate Sword Fighter."

Peko Pekoyama: Ultimate Sword Fighter

"My word!" Taka gasped a bit. "And is that a sword on your back?! Miss Pekoyama, I demand you unarm yourself this instant!"

Peko kept her arms crossed and shut her eyes. "I see no reason to do so," she said. "This sword is my property, is it not?"

"That's ludicrous! Weapons are not allowed in a school environment! Your sword is a danger to everyone here! You even reached for it when I approached you!"

Peko opened her eyes to face Taka again. "I apologize for that lapse in my judgement, but I stand by my statement. I will not give you my weapon."

Taka opened his mouth to respond, but Mondo placed his hand on his bro's shoulder.

"It's best if we just let her keep it man," Mondo said.

Taka turned to face his bro. "But it's a school safety hazard!"

"Yeah, but she's the Ultimate Sword Fight, right?" Mondo asked. "I think she's kind of earned the right to keep it on her."

"I shall keep an eye on her as well," Gundham spoke up. "As long as she is under the gaze of my evil eye, she will slay no soul!"

"If that's what it takes for you to believe me, so be it," Peko said before frowning. "Although it hardly matters. My will to use my sword has diminished..."

"Well, just behave yourself anyway, Pekoyama!" Taka said. "Whatever your talent maybe, you are still a student like the rest of us!"

Peko gave Taka a light nod and returned to her own brooding. Mondo wasn't particularly sure what had happened to Peko to make her seem so depressed, yet he did come up with two theories. Perhaps she had used her sword skills like Ryoma and feels like she's nothing but a killer. Then there was his second theory; maybe she had killed someone in a rage like he had. It wasn't a theory Mondo was happy to think about, but if it was the case maybe he should talk to Peko about it. He sighed and walked away with his bro.

Korekiyo had been mostly silent as the students began to introduce each other, but he noticed one person who hadn't spoken much either. The blonde girl with the pig tails. He wasn't too interested in approaching her until he took note of her attire. He stepped over to her as she was leaned back in her chair.

"Excuse me, but I can't help but notice your particular style in wardrobe," Kiyo explained. "It has a punkish style that seems unprofessional yet is made with fine materials and clearly took time to match with each other."

The blonde girl chuckled a bit. "You got an odd outfit too," she said. "Didn't expect you to be a fashion fanatic."

"Normally I'm not, but I can't help but notice the many influences of punk and alternative fashion from the past in your outfit."

The blonde girl leapt up to her feet and smiled. "You're weird. What's your name?"

"My name is Korekiyo Shinguji. I am the Ultimate Anthropologist."

The girl smiled brightly. "I'm Junko Enoshima. Ultimate Fashionista. Charmed I'm sure."

Junko Enoshima: Ultimate Fashionista

"Miss Enoshima," Taka spoke up as he approached the girl. "It is a pleasure to see you again. It was a shame you had to perish in such an unfair way."

"Oh, yeah," Junko said before waving her hands a bit. "Whatever. It's in the past now. I just want to see what the rest of this place is like. Unfamiliar areas are exciting, right?"

"Um," Kaede spoke up, "this place is mostly just a rundown building."

"Maybe, but maybe there's more to it, right?" Junko asked. "You can explore something for hours and still miss something obvious right under your nose."

"Hmmm, an interesting point, Enoshima," Taka said. "Perhaps we can take a second look around after reunite with everyone."

"Should we head back now?" Kaede asked.

"I believe that would be for the best," Sakura said. "Now, if you could lead us to the others…"

"Absolutely!" Taka shouted out loud. "Follow me, friends!"

All of the students nodded and followed Taka out of the room. Junko followed too, but she stuck to the back of the line. She had been fighting back her laughter the moment she woke up in this new place. Even when Taka came to talk to her, she wanted to just point and laugh at him for everything she had done, but she had to fight back. She finally understood just what she put her old classmates through. Waking up in a new area with no idea what she's in for, oh she could feel the despair overwhelming her.

'Looks like I'm finally getting to know what it's like to be in a killing game,' Junko thought to herself. 'Live or die, this is going to be the best.'

With that thought in mind, Junko sped up to catch up with her fellow prisoners.

So, this part turned out to be much shorter than I had planned, but just getting the rest of the cast together is what's most important. Maybe it's because this chapter involves Korekiyo, Gundham, Sakura, and Peko and all of them are supposed to be the anti-social/stoic ones in their games.

Whatever the case, I did get a kick out of making Nagito a talent fanboy and how Angie played off that. Not a lot, but it was fun to me especially when Kaede gets involved.

Also, Junko finally has to interact with her classmates for real. No swap outs, not Monokuma, just here. The ending paragraph reminded me a bit of Death Note with Light at the second to last episode, so she'll be faking innocence like Light did.

Outside of that, nothing much to note. We got one more part of the prologue to get through before the real meat of the story starts. I once again got to thank you all for giving my story a chance and commenting/reviewing. I humbly ask you to keep up the reviews, don't be afraid to be critical. And spread the word I guess.

I don't own Danganronpa obviously