Interlude #2: A New Life For A Broken Soldier
Warning: This fic contains intense violence, lots of cursing... just cursing (Whew! Thank goodness!), character death, gore and blood, sexual innuendos, and possible spoilers for the Danganronpa series. But hey, everyone lurking in this fandom has at least played the first Danganronpa so no need to worry much there! Right?
With that said, please enjoy!
...
"You're approaching enemy territory. Be careful, Red Baron."
...
Charles Wright flew his fighter jet high over the small village-like military training grounds. He was only 18 years old at the time. A little young for someone being drafted into a war-like situation, especially one who was able to operate a F-22 Raptor. But it was no surprise that Wright could handle it. He had Talent potential when it came to all things piloting. Even being the pilot of some of the army's most formidable army jets.
That was the perks of being an Ultimate Pilot after all.
And at the time, Wright didn't mind it one bit. Sure, it was difficult balancing things out between the Hope's Peak Toronto course workload and trying to remain physically fit for the war he had been drafted into, but it was all part of the duty to keep his own country safe. Even better was the fact that they pretty much handed him the keys to their best aircraft and said, 'Go for it, kid. Show us what you can do'.
Today was no different.
Or rather, it was supposed to be.
Wright glanced down toward the village that he was supposed to target. Didn't look like much. Just a small village located in the middle of nowhere. But that's usually the big tell that this truly was enemy territory. A hidden blacksite where the enemy combatants would be meeting up for espionage and war details and all that fun stuff.
Wright was trained to look into stuff like that.
He opened up a lid, revealing a red button. He could see the area in which he could get a strike in. A good strike that could do a lot of damage and wipe out these enemies of his own country. Then, he spoke through his comlink, practically hovering in the air and ready to fire away.
"Commander, permission to fire away, sir?" Wright asked through his comlink.
…
"Do it."
…
Wright nodded.
He hovered his finger over the red button, preparing to press it.
This wasn't the first time he's done this. Bombing enemy territories, killing those whack jobs that dared go against his own nation… They always said that the first time you killed a man, you could never recover from that. Wright had to admit that he understood what that line meant now. To him, the task got easier and easier.
No longer would he hesitate.
No longer would he stress over the guilt.
He was doing what needed to be done for his own—
Wright paused.
Before he could even hit the red button he spotted people slowly coming out of their rundown homes. He expected soldiers with guns that would do everything they could to shoot him down. He expected men pointing their fingers at him in surprise. He probably even expected them to pull out fighter jets of their own…
What he didn't expect was to see the thermal images of mothers hugging their children in fear.
Wright blinked and quickly lowered his thumb away from the red button.
He shook his head.
No.
This had to be a mistake.
This had to be some sort of mistake.
…
"What are you doing, Red Baron? Fire. Fire away!"
…
Wright tapped into his commlink.
"C-Commander, sir," Wright had to maneuver his jet accordingly. "A-Are you sure you have the right place? Th-This… This was supposed to be the enemies' base of operations wasn't it? So…"
There was a brief pause before his commander responded.
…
"It's the right place. Fire away."
…
Wright's heart sank a little.
His breathing became a little restless. No. This still has to be some sort of mistake. He was a few hundred feet in the air but he could see the fear in the eyes of these people. Innocent people. Women and children. People he dared not kill. They… They weren't bad. They weren't enemies. They weren't…
Wright tapped back into his commlink.
"B-But, sir," Wright gritted his teeth. "Th-There are women, children even! Th-This can't be the right place! Th-This is–"
…
"Are you disobeying a direct order, Wright?"
…
This time, the Commander referred to him by his last name.
Usually when he flew around in that fighter jet, he was always dubbed as the Red Baron. Something about radio signals hopefully not picking up his real name just so enemies don't go killing his parents or anything like that. But when he heard his last name being referred to… God.
It sent chills down his spine.
…
"If you don't fire, you'll be arrested for insubordination. Is that something you really want? Is that something your parents would want from you…?"
…
Wright blinked.
"...No sir…" he simply said.
He closed his eyes…
…
"...Then kill them. Kill them all."
…
…and pressed the button.
A loud explosion erupted after Wright fired two missiles directly at the village. The screams of children and women in fear were cut short by his own actions. And no matter how much Wright tried to block the noise and avoid looking at the destruction he had effectively caused, he couldn't shake it out.
The screaming.
The haunting screams.
All of that screaming he had to leave behind as he flew off, practically running away from the amount of death he had caused.
…
"Good work, Red Baron. We'll await you back at base for briefing. Commander, out."
…
For once in his life, Charles Wright felt as if the work he did wasn't good.
They always said that the first time you killed a man, you could never recover from that. Wright now felt that sentence had completely destroyed its own meaning. It wasn't the first time you killed a man that you could never recover from. It was the first time you killed a mother and her children that your sense of self would be completely destroyed.
And that's all he could think about as he flew back to base…
Back to base to suffer the consequences of the choice he made.
The New Life...
Made from that single choice...
INTERLUDE #2: A NEW LIFE FOR A BROKEN SOLDIER
"Hey, you alright?"
Charles Wright opened his eyes, noticing the concerned look from Charles Burkheiser.
"E-Er, yes, sir," Wright simply nodded. "Just thinking about something…"
Burkheiser glanced at Wright, warily.
"If you say so," Burkheiser didn't want to pry.
He was an Ultimate Crime Scene Investigator, not someone who sought through feelings and the likes. But that didn't mean that he hadn't noticed that for the longest time, Wright had been oddly quiet, holding his breath as he awaited the results of their findings. Last time they were in the Warehouse District, they had been following a truck that was supposedly carrying the missing Class of 1-C's New Life Program. Their search led them here, to the Warehouse District, where Burkheiser had deduced that the truck they were looking for was underwater.
Not a Bioshock amusement park thing, you silly people.
"Well, Burkheiser," Officer Snips arrived with a notepad. "You were right. The truck we're looking for is at the bottom of the ocean. Bastard definitely drove the truck off the docks…"
"Bastard for hiding evidence…" Burkheiser narrowed his eyes. "...or for killing 18 people?"
Officer Snips didn't say anything.
And neither noticed Wright tense up over the way Burkheiser said that.
The precinct had arrived some time after Burkheiser made the call about their findings. And since then, both Wright and Burkheiser were forced to wait patiently for the tow truck to attach itself to the truck and later pull it out of the ocean. Divers were sent in to attach trucks to one another.
So quite literally, it was the waiting game.
The waiting game to see whether or not this poor class had been…
[Warehouse District]
When the tow truck finally pulled the large cargo truck out of the water, which took a lot of force and effort by the way, the scent of ocean water stained the open truck. Excess water dripped through the large doors as Officer Snips took the initiative of opening the doors. By the time he did so, he stepped back and groaned.
"Jesus, how long has this big thing been sitting down there?" Officer Snips asked, pinching his nose.
"Definitely a while," Burkheiser rubbed his chin. "The disappearance of the class did take place weeks ago."
"Yeah, well, weeks ago and you found the jackpot of evidence," Officer Snips stepped away, trying to take a breather. "A truck with no driver dumped straight into the harbor."
Once he did, he held up his hands.
"Alright boys!" Officer Snips exclaimed. "Let's open it up! Mind the smell and excess water!"
Hoisting up the metal rods that sealed the access into the truck's cargo, the other officers kept their distance for a moment. They did as Officer Snips, keeping careful mind of any smells and excess liquids that may leak out. Then, quickly, two officers went ahead and pried the doors open.
And once the door opened, all Burkheiser and Snips could see was…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…nothing.
The entire cargo shipment was empty.
Snips hoped that they would've found something. Bodies. Piles of evidence. Anything like that to help with this case. But in the end, there was nothing. He didn't share Burkheiser's mindset. In his mind, he knew all too well that there was no way in hell it would be this easy. No way in hell would he immediately find out what happened to that entire class…
"So, that's it?" Snips blinked. "Just a crock load of nothing? We had some of our best divers and got a tow truck to pull this piece of shit out of water for nothing? So much for the jackpot of evidence…"
"At ease, Officer," Burkheiser patted Snips on the back. "All this means is that we're on the right track."
"H-Huh?" Snips blinked. "B-But there's literally nothing to–"
"That's exactly it," Burkheiser nodded. "There's nothing. There's no driver. No missing class. If we didn't decide to track the license, that truck would be sitting there in the ocean and one would be the wiser."
Burkheiser noticed all of the other active officers on duty watching him closely.
"We know the class was taken by this truck," Burkheiser said. "We have traffic cameras as our evidence. But finding this truck with absolutely nothing shows that whoever did this… They're smart. They know how to cover their tracks. They know how to slow us down."
"But…" Officer Snips blinked. "That doesn't really tell us where the class is, now does it?"
"You're right about that," Burkheiser placed both hands over his hips.
He thought about this closely.
The truck dumped into the bottom of the ocean. No driver means the driver definitely jumped out to do this. No class means the class had to have been removed before the truck was even dumped. In most cases he's worked on, this was definitely what he would call a dead end. He glanced out toward the horizon, thinking of other possibilities…
If they took a boat, then that would just make his job much more difficult.
Without a specific location set in mind, there would be no telling where the class was now. Burkheiser could feel the expectant eyes from the officers behind him. All of them were waiting for him to speak. To give some form of answer. And yet, Burkheiser just needed a moment to think. To think about…
"I think I might know who could potentially tell us, sir," Wright suddenly spoke up.
Burkheiser turned back to Wright, confused.
He noticed that his assigned partner was currently standing behind the group of officers, each looking just as confused as Burkheiser was. Walking over toward the pilot, the crime scene investigator had to stand where Wright was standing to understand what he meant. That was when he saw it…
…the logo on the side of the truck that was rusting away due to the sea water. However, its legibility still stood, with the words imprinted clear into both of their minds...
[Braun PharmaX]
"Braun PharmaX?"
When Wright parked his Future Foundation-issued vehicle directly in front of the entrance to the large, towering Braun PharmaX building, Burkheiser couldn't help but feel just how familiar that name was. It was larger than Hope's Peak Toronto's tower of a school but definitely not as tall as the CN Tower. However, on the very peak of the building were the flashing words in neon lights:
Braun PharmaX
"That is correct, sir," Wright nodded. "It's a pharmaceutical company, owned by the von Braun Family. German aristocrats hailing from Berlin."
"First the Towa Group, now German aristocrats," Burkheiser mumbled as he let his eyes wander toward the towering building. "What are they doing in Toronto of all places?"
"Apologies, sir, but it's only one member of the family that is in control of the company, now," Wright shook his head.
"Oh, really?" Burkheiser turned to Wright, surprised. "And what happened to–"
"Arrested," Wright simply said.
Burkheiser kept his mouth shut as he examined Wright, carefully. Compared to the other people he's introduced to Burkheiser in the past, this one was different. He could tell that compared to Haiji Towa and Aubrey Gardner, the one he was about to meet was someone who was admittedly close to him as he was with Mabel.
As to how he saw Wright and Mabel interact…
"Still doesn't answer my question," Burkheiser rubbed his chin. "What is a German pharmaceutical company like Braun PharmaX doing in Toronto and…"
Burkheiser could see a twinge of nostalgia in Wright's eyes.
"...You know this guy, personally, don't you?" Burkheiser deduced.
He paused.
"And you think he might be responsible for the disappearance of Class 1-C?" Burkheiser questioned.
Wright simply parked his car.
"...It wouldn't be the first time a member of the von Braun Family was caught in a situation like this," Wright declared.
He unlocked the doors and quickly stepped out. Shutting the door with a bang, Burkheiser could only notice just how hardened his partner's expression was. He took in the ominous details he was given about the Von Braun Family: German aristocrats, some members of the family arrested, not the first time a member of the Von Brauns was caught in a situation like this…
Just how bad could this von Braun be…?
(Lobby)
Entering the Lobby of Braun PharmaX was like entering the large waiting room of the doctor's office.
It was big.
But not as big as the waiting room at Hope's Peak International's offices. Now that was one heck of a waiting room if Burkheiser had to see one. But the Lobby here at Braun PharmaX wasn't bad either. Aside from the fact that there were no Usami Units and just a single secretary at the front desk and the fact that it was relatively empty, the decor was nice.
Floor was squeaky clean.
Giant paintings hung against the wall, showcasing the Von Braun Family in its entirety: a father, a mother, and a son. Though, it did seem like the father and mother's faces were… painted over with black paint.
Could those be the two that were… arrested for some reason?
Huh.
For two big figures of the company to be arrested without warning, Burkheiser had to wonder how a company like this would still be so big and still look so pristine. He glanced over toward Wright, whose face looked slightly restless. From what he understood, the person they were about to meet was someone he knew personally…
Burkheiser wasn't sure just how personal this was going to get but, in due time. He was going to see who this Von Braun person was…
"Charles?" the secretary spoke up.
"Yes?" Burkheiser and Wright spoke up at the same time.
"He's ready to see you now," the secretary answered. "32nd floor. First door on the right."
Burkheiser and Wright shared a glance and followed the secretary's instructions…
(Office)
When Burkheiser thought of an office that belonged to essentially a German aristocrat, he imagined the office to look just as clean and pristine as the Lobby downstairs.
That… was not the case for this Office.
A giant bookshelf sat on the left and the right, with unorganized and misplaced books, just randomly shoved wherever they could be shoved. Papers and documents were strewn all across the floor. The couch for guests… also littered with documents and notebooks and all the likes.
The big desk: still a bunch of paper and random documents.
The window: a giant poster with a flow chart of some kind.
And in the middle of the room, a giant machine that looked to be inactive at the moment. It was… actually hard to describe this machine. But imagine the arc reactor that Tony Stark has in his chest and multiply the size by 500. Yeah, it was essentially a large version of that just sitting in a glass case directly in the middle of the room.
Whatever it was for, neither Burkheiser nor Wright knew.
"Jeez, doesn't this guy learn how to clean up after himself?" Burkheiser chuckled, sheepishly.
"Charles."
"Yes, sir?!" Burkheiser turned back immediately.
"No, he meant me," Wright stepped up, glancing toward the young male that had arrived at the scene.
A young male that definitely looked to be around their age. And boy, when he exchanged glances toward Wright, it definitely looked as if there was an unresolved feeling of hatred lingering in the air. Unresolved tension from their academy days.
"...It's been a while, old friend," the young male said, his tone cold.
"That it has… sir…" Wright simply said.
So, he just calls everyone 'sir' and 'ma'am', got it, was what Burkheiser had to think.
Wright and the young male approached each other. Then, with a single handshake… and a small hug… and pats on the back…?
"Pat pat," they both said in unison.
Are they friends or enemies?! Burkheiser blinked. I can't tell!
The young male's bright blue eyes were directed toward Burkheiser now. As he released himself from Wright, he glanced toward Burkheiser, his voice cold and seemingly arrogant as well.
"Who's your friend?" the young male questioned.
"He's my partner," Wright said. "A Future Foundation Agent from New York. Charles Burkheiser. Ultimate Crime Scene Investigator."
"Ahh… an American," the young male couldn't help but muse. "Well then, welcome to Toronto. Though, it's nothing as impressive as New York, I surmise…"
"Huh, I see," Burkheiser blinked. "And you are…?"
"...Lucas von Braun…" the young male, Lucas, introduced himself. "An old classmate of Charles Wright. Though, as of now, you can refer to me as the CEO of Braun PharmaX. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
...
(Lucas Von Braun ~ CEO of Braun PharmaX)
...
Lucas von Braun had an oval-shaped face with prominent cheekbones and a straight nose. As mentioned before, he sported bright blue eyes and curly blonde hair that reached down to his shoulders. He is of a slight build with slim arms and legs and stood to be about 5'7.
Casually, he wore a long, black, woolen winter coat, to combat the Canadian cold. Underneath this coat was a white button-down shirt. His lower garment consisted of black skinny jeans with three gold buttons on the top of his trousers on his left side. His footwear was a black elegant leather Chelsea-branded boots.
But most of all, behind his grim design was a face that sported a cold complexion and a level of arrogance that Burkheiser expected to see in most CEOs of their companies. No matter how young they actually were, Lucas was no different.
"Braun PharmaX, huh?" Burkheiser noted. "Wright told me that it's a German-based pharmaceutical company."
"Charles Wright is correct," Lucas took out a book and flipped through its pages without a care in the world. "It was founded by my family during the first World War and has been passed down since for generations after generations. Back then, it was simple. Any soldiers that required medicine of any kind, we would assist. And at first, it was nice… helping people in need…"
Lucas shut his book with one hand.
"But arrogance is another family product that has been passed down as well," Lucas muttered. "My family supported the wrong man and… Well, let's just say it took quite a lot of convincing to finally move the von Braun Family name to the West."
The implications of that were easy enough to understand and definitely not something Burkheiser wanted to dive into.
"I see…" Burkheiser blinked. "And your parents. They…"
Lucas bopped him on the head with his book.
"Ow!" Burkheiser jumped back in surprise. "What the heck was that for?!"
"If there's anything I don't like…" Lucas opened his book to page 394. "...It's stupid questions. Refrain from asking such absurdities next time."
"R-Right, got it…" Burkheiser grumbled.
He... doesn't really like to talk about his parents, does he?
As Burkheiser rubbed his head, he took in his first impressions of the youngest von Braun. So far, he didn't seem to be as… well… bad as Wright made him out to be. And even more surprising was the fact that Wright seemed to be somewhat civil with him despite how cold he seemed toward the family name.
It couldn't be the soldier speaking within him, was it–
Lucas bopped him on the head.
"O-Ow, I didn't even say anything!" Burkheiser exclaimed.
"You didn't have to," Lucas reprimanded. "I could see it in your thoughts…"
Eugh.
Creepy.
"A-Anyway, before you hit me again, I just wanted to ask…" Burkheiser kept his distance. "...What was your Ultimate Talent back when you and Wright were classmates…?"
"Would you like to take this one, Charles Wright?" Lucas asked the pilot. "I'm much too invested in this book."
"O-Of course, sir," Wright shot Burkheiser with a sympathetic look that told him to be a little patient with someone like Lucas. "Lucas von Braun attended Hope's Peak Toronto as the Ultimate Quantum Physicist."
"Q-Quantum Physicist?" Burkheiser widened his eyes. "Th-That… That's amazing!"
Lucas's lips curled into an arrogant smile.
"...I am quite amazing, aren't I?" Lucas chuckled to himself. "To tackle an Ultimate Talent that requires high intelligence like mine. You will never see another Ultimate Quantum Physicist as long as you live. You can be rest assured, Charles Burkheiser…"
Ah, so he's also full of himself. Got it.
"That must explain the mess, huh?" Burkheiser glanced around, realizing what he said, and prepared himself for another bop to the head.
But that bop to the head never came.
"Indeed," because Lucas agreed with Burkheiser. "All the documents, books and papers lying about… All of that is power. The power to understand science and how it creates progress in our society. To learn all types of sciences is what an Ultimate Quantum Physicist should do if he ever wishes to be successful."
"But you graduated, so aren't you already–" Burkheiser prepared to ask before getting bopped on the head once more. "O-Ow! Goddamnit!"
"Do not worry, sir," Wright assured Burkheiser. "After a while, you just get used to it."
"G-Get used to it?!" Burkheiser widened his eyes. "I can't even handle one hit to the head!"
"A scientist of any field is never truly successful in life until their proposed theories are correct," Lucas continued, placing the book behind his back and looking at both Charles' with such coldness in his eyes. "And quite frankly, proposed theories are quite often never correct. So, the scientist has no other choice but to revise and remake. Over and over and over again. Like an endless cycle. The wonders of science indeed…"
"Okay so…" Burkheiser blinked. "What exactly are you working on here as the CEO of—"
Burkheiser prepared himself for another hit on the head but this time, Lucas walked over toward the flowchart that Burkheiser had spotted once before.
"Tell me, Charles Burkheiser," Lucas smirked, as if he was getting quite invested in the topic he was preparing to talk about. "What do you think about time travel?"
"Time travel?" Burkheiser deadpanned. "Like Back to the Future type of stuff? That kind of stuff sounds like something only movies can come up with…?"
"Ah, a nonbeliever," Lucas chuckled to himself. "Understandable. After all, no one has been able to crack the mysteries behind such a concept yet. But I assure you, the possibility of altering time is quite possible… just not in the way you might think."
"Huh?" Burkheiser looked confused.
Wright said nothing. Poor guy probably got the same lecture years ago.
"Have you ever heard the saying…" Lucas began. "'A single flap of a butterfly's wings in one part of the world can cause a hurricane on the other side of the globe'?"
"That's…" Burkheiser narrowed his eyes.
"Edward Norton Lorenz," Lucas revealed. "On the concept known as the butterfly effect. Classic principle to chaos theory. The general idea is that if you can change something so simple in a moment of time, that simple change will gradually turn into a catastrophic event that leads to different consequences…"
Lucas pointed his book toward Burkheiser.
"For example…" Lucas smirked. "Let's say in our current timeline, I hand you my book. You take my book, and you keep it with you forever. In doing so, the effect of you keeping my book leads my company to fall because essentially, I've lost all the notes I've ever written on that book and thus, the Braun PharmaX brand is no more. Do you understand…?"
"Y-Yeah, I guess?" Burkheiser blinked.
"But, how about this…?" Lucas continued. "What if we change one single variable? What variable here would you like to change…?"
"Um, how about the part where I just… give you back the book?" Burkheiser suggested.
"Very well," Lucas smirked. "By giving me back the book, the timeline alters. Now, instead of my company falling, my company prospers better than ever because I have the very book that I need to keep this company intact. Braun PharmaX remains intact. And all it took to achieve that was something as simple as you giving me my book back. Do you understand now…?"
"I see…?" Burkheiser kind of did. But…
"That is essentially what the butterfly effect is," Lucas pointed out. "The choices we make in current times will in turn shape our future. No matter how small the choice may be, every choice will have a consequence. And whether it be good or bad… well… that just depends on the fate of the world we live in. Doesn't it?"
"Do… you really believe in this stuff?" Burkheiser had to ask.
Lucas paused, contemplating whether to hit him on the head with his book or not.
"Hmph, I know there have been other quantum physicists out there that have disproved the butterfly effect…" Lucas revealed. "But…"
Lucas shook his head.
"They are wrong," Lucas gave a chilling look. "I do believe that such a concept is possible. I do believe that the chaos theory is a valid theory. And in the end, when a timeline alters, no one will ever be aware of it. No one…"
Lucas turned toward the reader that was currently reading this story.
"But me…" he grinned, sinisterly.
"What was that?" Burkheiser blinked.
"Hm?" Lucas tilted his head. "Did I say something?"
"Huh?" Burkheiser blinked. "Well, didn't you… You just… Huh… I guess…"
"Apologies for the interruption, sirs," Wright jumped in. "But, we didn't really come here to catch up, I'm afraid."
"Hmph, is that so?" Lucas coldly glanced toward Wright. "Let me guess. This is about that debauchery happening over at Hope's Peak Toronto, is it not? The protests from the Children's Rights Movement? Something about a missing class…"
"Right," Burkheiser nodded toward Wright. "As of now, you are a potential suspect in the disappearance of Class 1-C. We would appreciate it if you would come to the station for–"
"No," Lucas simply read his book.
"H-Huh?" Burkheiser blinked. "H-Hey! You can't just say no! We know you're–"
"And for what reason do you have to suspect me?" Lucas asked. "I was in my office all day. You can ask my secretary downstairs. She does an hourly check-up to make sure I haven't passed out on the floor like I always do…"
"Well, for one, we know that the class was being transported in a truck," Burkheiser frowned. "A truck with your company brand on it."
"And I suppose you think I sent that truck to essentially kidnap an entire class?" Lucas questioned. "For what reason would I want to do that?"
Burkheiser opened his mouth to speak the more he did, the more he realized that he didn't exactly have a specific reason to suspect Lucas. All the evidence they had pointing to him was that the empty truck that had been dumped off the harbor had his company's brand on it. That's it.
Whatever he did, if he did…
He didn't have evidence.
This went from easy "Yeah, you're involved Mabel Leve" to straight up complicated now…
"Charles Burkheiser," Lucas sighed bitterly. "It's not hard to steal a company truck every now and then. Mine is no different. Did you not think the reason my company truck was used was simply for a foul framejob?"
Well, the thought did cross his mind.
"I think your empty accusations have soured my intelligence," Lucas muttered. "Charles Wright. It was good to see you again. But please escort your friend and yourself off these premises. I have little time to deal with you two when I'm in the middle of science…"
Burkheiser felt Wright's gentle taps on his shoulder, gesturing for him to leave.
And while Burkheiser did eventually comply, he couldn't shake off the feeling that Lucas von Braun had waved him off as soon as he started accusing him of such a thing. Whenever that happened, Burkheiser knew they had to be involved somehow. He knew for a fact that Lucas von Braun was hiding something. They all were. The only question was… what…?
What exactly was Lucas hiding?
The only question he thought about as the doors to Lucas von Braun's office shut behind him…
"Jeez, that guy…"
Once Burkheiser got himself situated in the car, he rested his back against his seat. It's as he had been saying to himself. This case was getting complicated. But it didn't matter. Complicated cases were where he excelled at. He was the Ultimate Crime Scene Investigator for Pete's sake! If he couldn't solve this case, did he have any liberty to call himself an Ultimate in that case…?
"I apologize for remaining quiet throughout all of that, sir," Wright apologized. "Lucas von Braun can indeed be a handful so I should've–"
"Hey," Burkheiser smiled at Wright. "There's no need to be sorry over something like that, alright? I mean, the guy is a kook. Like, time travel? Butterfly effect? Chaos theory? What a load of baloney…"
Burkheiser couldn't help but chuckle.
"Seriously, you had to deal with that during your school year?" Burkheiser chuckled.
"And I suppose you didn't have your fair share of 'kooks' in your class, sir?" Wright seemed amused.
Burkheiser paused.
"Ha, you got me there," Burkheiser laughed.
The CSI agent had to admit though. When he learned he was getting a partner, Burkheiser didn't know what exactly that would be like. If anything, his partners back home in NY were just a bunch of cops that didn't know what they were doing or just didn't know how to think outside the box every now and then.
But to have someone by his side who he could genuinely talk to and be… himself really…
It was nice.
Really nice.
Wright booted up the Future Foundation-issued vehicle.
"Do you mind if we head back to the precinct, sir?" Wright questioned. "I do believe I would like to speak with the Headmistress over a matter."
"Hey, that's fine," Burkheiser smiled. "At this point, I think some of the officers are returning back from the Warehouse District so…"
"Very well," Wright nodded. "Destination. Toronto Police Headquarters."
And Wright drove off, with Burkheiser sitting right beside him.
[Toronto Police Headquarters]
(Interrogation Room)
This was certainly the longest Mabel Leve had gone without her phone.
And honestly, it was quite the experience. It was soothing to know that she could finally live in a life where she didn't need to hear the constant ringing of her own phones and having to pick them up every so often. She sat quietly in the Interrogation Room, taking deep breaths as she held in the silence.
She was taken out of the Detention Center due to someone wishing to speak to her. And if it was who she thought it was, well…
She heard the door open.
It was exactly who she thought it was.
Charles Wright had entered the room and sat directly across from her. While Mabel remained handcuffed and was pretty much being treated like a criminal, Mabel would be lying if she said she wasn't happy to see her student. It was better than those police officers after all. Especially the pervy one…
"Charles," Mabel greeted. "What is it you need from me this time?"
"Just to talk," Wright simply said, leaning back against his chair.
There was an awkward silence between the two.
The teacher could do nothing but look straight toward her student. She could see Wright was looking a little down in the dumps. She recognized this version of Wright. She had to see it for years on end. She tried to give him a more supportive look. The same look she gave back when she was his teacher.
"...Miss the little box of chocolates I would hide in my desk?" Mabel smiled.
Wright couldn't help but smile at that.
"You used to make me go out and buy maple donuts for us to share," Wright noted. "Every time after our… therapy sessions."
Right.
The therapy sessions.
"...Those were delicious donuts, weren't they?" Mabel chuckled to herself.
Mabel stopped chuckling the moment she could see Wright frowning.
"Charles, what's-" Mabel wanted to ask before Wright cut in.
"Ma'am," Wright shook his head. "Never once in my life did I ever think I would have to speak to you in the Toronto Police Headquarter like this. Never once in my life did I ever think that you would be involved in… something as large as this…"
Mabel shuffled uncomfortably.
"Ma'am, what you have done for me throughout these years, meant a lot to me," Wright told her. "You were always there whenever I felt scared and alone. You were someone who I looked up to."
"...Charles," Mabel looked at him, seriously. "Is there a point to this?"
"The point is…" Wright began. "I…"
Wright folded his arms.
"...Were you really involved in this?" Wright continued to ask. "Were you really the one responsible for Class 1-C disappearing? Are you… a bad person?"
Mabel sank in her seat a little.
She kept that serious expression on her face.
"Charles…" Mabel sighed. "Please stay out of this. Heed my brother's warning. Just… stay out of this case and live your life. You do not need to be a Future Foundation Agent and you most certainly don't need to involve yourself with Hope's Peak Toronto anymore."
Wright looked as if her words had stung him.
"You've graduated," Mabel told him. "You should be living your life. The good life."
Wright didn't say anything.
He simply stood up and promptly left the Interrogation Room, keeping his head down and never looking at Mabel. Never seeing that Mabel too looked just as hurt as he did. Her expression softened but quickly hardened back into that serious state. She knew what she said was right. Wright didn't need to be involved with Hope's Peak Toronto anymore.
He didn't need to be involved… within her life anymore…
(Precinct)
Exiting the Interrogation Room, Wright immediately took a seat by the precinct's coffee table.
He needed a moment to himself. As a soldier, Wright was trained to never feel emotions. In war, emotions were a form of weakness. If he found any sympathy for the enemy, he was as good as dead. That was the toughest part of having to fight for his country. But no matter the type of war it was, fighter jet or no fighter jet, the same principle should apply. The battle he was fighting for as a Future Foundation agent was no different to any other war Wright had fought in the past.
It shouldn't be too different.
And yet, out of all the wars he had fought, this one was the hardest to deal with. Wright chalked it up to the different type of war this had become but… that was far from the true case. The first thing he thought about as to why this was…
Mabel Leve.
Wright placed his hands over his head as he thought hard about his former teacher. He leaned back against his foldable chair, closing his eyes in thought. Mabel Leve and him… There was no way he could go against her. Burkheiser had labeled her as the enemy. And all evidence points to her being the enemy.
But…
Even then…
Applause.
That was how Wright remembered it back then too.
He had just received an Air Medal for his contributions to the war effort as a fighter jet pilot. It was an award that many other fighter jet pilots would've killed to have gotten, literally. And yet, here Wright was, 18 years old and already earning war medals like it was nothing. One of the perks of being an Ultimate Pilot, he supposed.
Though, throughout the ceremony, his face never showed much excitement to winning such an award.
He let the Commander place the award around his neck. He let the photographers flash pictures. He let himself shake the hand of the very man that instructed him to kill those poor innocent villagers. And through it all, he said nothing. He just watched…
…watched as everyone else clapped for him.
Watched as his parents were too busy in other parts of the army to watch him receive such an award. Watched as the only person who stood out in the crowd, gave him a standing ovation: Mabel Leve. Her face… as proud as a mother could be for her own child. Now that… That was the sight that made Wright think that maybe this was worth it.
Wright almost smiled right then and there before noticing what was behind her.
Or rather, who was behind her.
A group of women and children, applauding alongside everyone else. A group of women and children, whose skin was burning. Whose grins looked as if they were taunting him. Mocking him for getting such a reward. As if telling him that he received quite an honor for what they did to him. Almost laughing…
Wright's face paled slightly.
He blinked…
…and in a split second, they were gone, replaced by the actual real people in the crowd.
Wright stood on stage for a few more minutes, letting the cameraman capture his disturbed expression. Once they were finally done, Wright quickly stepped off the stage. Something was clearly wrong. And yet the only person who noticed was…
…
Wright leaned against the balcony ledge, holding the Air Medal in his hands.
He glossed over it, rubbing his thumb against it. He noted the shine and pristineness of such an award. If his parents were here, they'd probably be patting him on the back and telling him what a job well-done he did for not just them but for his entire country as well. But even then, carrying this medal with him…
…it felt wrong.
He contemplated throwing it out toward the balcony, but he wasn't sure what the reparations would be if he did something like that to an honor that most other fighter jet pilots would want. So, he kept it close. Close enough to remind him of the horrific thing he had done… Close enough to remind him of the horrific things he must've done to other similar places…
Just how many other places did he bomb that might've had innocent life on it…?
How many…?
That question horrified him to a level of degree that no one would be able to understand.
"Charles?"
Wright blinked, turning back to see Mabel approaching him with a proud smile on her face.
"So, this was where you were," she smiled. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
The moment she saw Wright holding onto his own medal was the moment her smile grew wider than ever. She placed a hand on his shoulder, practically patting him on the back like a mother would to her own son.
"Oh wow!" she beamed. "Air Medal, huh? Expected nothing less from the Ultimate Pilot! Haha. I think I can sneak in some time for a quick picture–"
"Ma'am, with all due respect, why are you here?" was the first thing Wright wanted to ask.
"What?" Mabel blinked. "I can't go ahead and support my own student?"
"N-No, it's not that, ma'am…" Wright glanced away. "I-It's just that… Usually, you're so busy on your phone that you–"
Mabel chuckled softly.
She placed both hands on his shoulders this time. She looked straight into his eyes. And for the first time, Wright never saw this woman as just his homeroom teacher or Headmistress too busy on her phone. For the first time, he could see that this woman was someone who truly cared about him.
No.
Not just him.
But for all of her students.
"Charles," Mabel smiled. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. The Air Medal is a fantastic award for someone like you to get. I'm willing to bet that you're the youngest to ever receive one as well…"
Wright looked down, glancing at his medal.
"What about your–" he was about to ask before Mabel's phone started ringing.
Perfect timing.
Mabel checked the caller ID, then declined the call with a sigh.
Wright blinked.
"B-But you–" he widened his eyes.
"Oh, don't worry," Mabel smiled. "Today is a momentous occasion. The regret of doing that comes tomorrow."
Wright gave her an appreciative nod.
"Come on," Mabel held out her hand. "The reception is starting. Wouldn't want to miss that, now, would we?"
Wright didn't take her hand.
"...What's wrong?" Mabel looked at him, concerned.
"...I…" Wright bit his lips. "I think I would rather stay here, ma'am. B-But, please. Go on without me. I'll rejoin you after."
Mabel wasn't an idiot.
She could tell that there was something troubling the boy. Ever since he had gotten back from his most recent military service to rejoin the class, it always did seem like he was distracted. Wright had never been that way before. Not till that one mission. She squatted down to his level, giving him a somber look.
"Hey, Charles," Mabel asked, solemnly. "If there's something wrong, you have to tell me. I'm your homeroom teacher, after all. And my top priority is making sure you kids are safe, so please. Whatever it is you need to say…"
Mabel tilted her head.
"...Please, say it," she concluded.
Wright never did want to talk about what happened. Most of the time, it was because he never felt comfortable doing it. When it came to his own peers, he was fearful of what it might do to his social status. After all, no one in their right mind would appreciate being around someone who did what he did. Especially not…
"I…" Wright began. "In all honesty, ma'am… I don't think I deserve this medal…"
Wright simply placed the medal on the ground.
"Charles?" Mabel blinked, confused. "Are you…?"
"...I'm not, ma'am…" Wright tried to avoid eye contact. "...I'm really not…"
Mabel could see that the first time in her young student's life, tears were starting to form from the corners of his eyes. Wright tried hard to fight it but it was getting too much for him. Mabel should've expected this from a student drafted into military service. Whatever he's seen out there… especially at such a young age…
Mabel quickly pulled Wright into a tight hug.
"Oh, Charles," Mabel somberly said.
"...I– I killed so many people, ma'am…" Wright revealed. "Women. Children. 84 innocent lives lost that day. A-And it was all my fault."
"Charles, no, stop, it's not your–" Mabel tried to comfort him.
"I pressed the button, ma'am…" Wright shuddered. "I c-could've stopped myself. B-But I didn't. W-Why didn't I stop myself…?"
"Ch-Charles, I'm…" Mabel kept him close. "...I'm so, so sorry…"
Even then, Wright couldn't stop the tears from flowing out of his eyes. For the first time in his life, he felt emotionally vulnerable. He never had this problem killing those enemies of the state. But the moment he realized he was going to be killing innocents… That broke him. The betrayal and hurt from his own Commander… his own army that he served for…
God.
It hurt.
"M-Ma'am…?" Wright silently wept.
"Y-Yes, Charles?" Mabel tried hard to avoid tearing up as well.
"...I don't think I want to be the Ultimate Pilot anymore…" Wright simply said.
Mabel widened her eyes.
"Ch-Charles…" she wanted to object right then and there.
But even so, she knew she couldn't. If that was what Charles Wright truly wanted, she couldn't stop him. So instead, all she could do now was be the only supportive adult in his life. She kept him in a warm, comforting embrace.
"...I... I understand," Mabel simply told him. "I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry…"
And for the first time in his life, Wright understood what it meant to be a human rather than a soldier. For the first in his life, he finally felt understood and comforted. And it was all thanks to that day. It was all thanks to her…
…Mabel Leve…
So, how could someone like her involve herself in something like this?
Wright opened his eyes, noting a stray tear trailing down his cheeks.
He blinked.
Wright also imagined himself to be closed off and emotionless. Closed off and emotionless when it came to everyone else but the Headmistress. He suspected that was just how much he appreciated her efforts in taking care of him. Taking care of him when his parents were off doing their own duties.
Headmistress Leve.
How could you involve yourself in…?
"Hey, you alright?"
Wright instinctively wiped his stray tear away as he noticed Burkheiser approaching him, two cups of coffee in his hands. Though he did his best to avoid looking so emotional, he'd imagine that'd be impossible when he was trying to hide stuff like this from the Ultimate Crime Scene Investigator of all people.
"...I'm fine," Wright responded.
So, he still tried to hide it anyway!
"You know I just saw you wipe away a tear," Burkheiser sat down next to him. He handed him the second cup of coffee. "Coffee?"
Wright accepted it and kept it in his hands.
"With all due respect, sir, I don't think how I'm feeling is a concern of yours," Wright simply responded.
"Well, I think it should be," Burkheiser responded. "We're partners, aren't we?"
He sipped his coffee cup, regretted it and looked as if he wanted to spit it out.
"Jesus, that's hot!" Burkheiser exclaimed.
Wright couldn't help but feel amused by Burkheiser's reaction. Setting the coffee cup to the side, the young soldier thought about whether he should talk to Burkheiser about… some very important facts about him. But at the same time, Wright and Burkheiser quite literally just met. They were nowhere as tight as he and Headmistress Leve was…
"A-Anyway," Burkheiser softly bit the tip of his tongue. "Look. Wright. You've been kind of quiet and out of it lately. Like if there's something wrong, just tell me and we can work it out."
Wright pondered this for a moment, before stifling a chuckle.
"...You already know what's wrong, anyway," Wright deduced. "I believe you must've already figured it out."
Well, it looks like Wright was starting to know him like the back of his own hand. Burkheiser smiled and placed his cup of coffee on the ground and leaned back.
"...Headmistress Mabel Leve?" Burkheiser asked.
"Headmistress Mabel Leve…" Wright nodded.
"Look, I know the truth can be hard…" Burkheiser sighed. "But both you and I know that she's involved in this somehow. The only problem is getting her to tell us how exactly she's involved."
"...Do you think she's a bad person?" Wright suddenly asked.
Burkheiser was almost caught by surprise by that question.
He could see that Wright was serious about it. As if he needed that clear and definitive answer. He needed a moment to think. Mabel Leve was undoubtedly a conspirator in the class's disappearance but to what extent? Burkheiser didn't know but the fact that she tried so hard to hide it…
"...Does it matter?" Burkheiser simply said.
Wright blinked.
"Look, as long as Headmistress Leve keeps her mouth shut, there's no way of knowing whether she's good or bad," Burkheiser sighed. "I've seen stuff like this countless times. There are always murderers out there that end up being the true victim of the cases they made. I've seen men and women murder their abusers. I've seen desperate people shoot others to get cash. It just comes down to intention…"
Burkheiser looked at Wright.
"And whatever Headmistress Leve's intention was in making sure that entire class went missing…" Burkheiser began. "...If we find that out, I think we can easily judge whether she's good or bad."
In short, Burkheiser didn't know. But at the same time, he was right. There really wasn't a way to find out whether or not Mabel Leve was a good person or not. Not right now anyway. Wright supposed that when the time came for the truth to be revealed… Perhaps then he could judge the woman he had grown to see as his own mother.
"...Very well," Wright simply nodded. "I suppose we should try to find that out…"
Burkheiser gave him a small smile of encouragement.
And for a moment, there was peace.
…
"Charles!"
For a moment, anyway.
"Yes?" Burkheiser and Wright turned to the frantic Officer Snips.
"G-Guys, you gotta… you gotta…" Snips panted.
"Whoa, what's wrong, officer?" Burkheiser blinked.
"Hope's Peak Toronto!" Snips exclaimed. "There's something going on over there! You gotta get there fast! 911 reports everywhere!"
The Charles pair exchanged glances before rushing out of the precinct, heading straight into their vehicles and straight toward…
[Hope's Peak Toronto]
"Give us our children! Give us our children! Give us children!"
"Back away from the fence! Back away from the fence! We will not hesitate to arrest anyone who dares to enter school grounds!"
"We want our children! Give us our children! Give us our children!"
"I repeat! Back away from the fence! Back away from the fence now, or we will–"
"Bastard! My son's in there! You really think I'm going to let you keep my son in there after everything that's going on?!"
"Sir! Away from the fence! All of you stay back!"
"AGHHHH! My eyes! My eyes!"
"Tear gas! Away! Away! Back away!"
…
"Oh no…"
Wright couldn't help but let that slip out the moment he saw what was happening.
It was just as Officer Snips had alerted both Burkheiser and Wright to.
The moment they had left Hope's Peak Toronto to investigate other matters was the moment everything went to shit. A full-blown riot had started up directly at the entrances of Hope's Peak Toronto. Angry parents were going head to toe with some people equipped in complete riot police gear.
They wielded batons and see-through shields. They wore gas masks, allowing them to avoid the negative effects of the tear gas they had tossed. And yet, the brutality of the situation was enough to get Burkheiser to open the door and jump out of the Future Foundation-issued vehicle before Wright could even park the car.
"S-Sir, wait!" Wright exclaimed.
Burkheiser didn't care.
Whatever the hell Hope's Peak Toronto was thinking doing all this… it was disgusting!
He could hear the screams and wails of pain from the parents being forcefully pushed away by the riot police. Some of them were crying out the names of their children being forced to attend classes. And it even seemed like some were just beating the fuck out of these parents for the sake of showing them who was boss.
Goddamnit!
The tear gas was spreading quickly.
Burkheiser could hear a mixture of police and ambulance sirens wailing through the air.
Parents were coughing and sneezing. Some were screaming out in tears as they tried to escape the premises. Some were being detained as the riot police promised. But others… Good God, there were others that were beating those that were already down and about.
Burkheiser rushed toward one that was quite literally kicking a woman on the floor. Tear gas was spreading over to them, practically weakening her by the minute. Urgently, he roughly pushed the riot police member that was beating her to the side. Due to it being a surprise attack, the riot police noticeably toppled over toward the floor.
But given the armor, it wouldn't be long till he got back up.
Burkheiser turned toward the woman on the ground.
"Hey," Burkheiser held up his hand. "Get up. You need to–"
Burkheiser cut himself off.
The moment he peered down toward the woman who was wincing in pain from the brutal attack, was the moment he immediately noticed who this woman was. The black hair. The fancy purple outfit. Wasn't this…
…Aubrey Gardner?
"Get down!"
As expected, the riot police member Burkheiser had tackled to the ground returned the favor. Only this time, he was getting a beating just as bad as what had happened to Aubrey's. He felt the baton whacking his arm. He felt the heel of the member's boot kicking him directly in the stomach.
Burkheiser tried to shield himself, but with every kick came a pile of spit to leap out of his mouth.
"Get off of him!" he could hear Aubrey trying to defend him. "Get off of him right now! You are– AGH!"
And back on the ground Aubrey was.
"This is the police!" Burkheiser could hear Officer Snips calling out toward the crowd of people that were either trying to leave or were still fighting one another. "Cease all movement immediately. We will not hesitate to arrest any of you. Children's Rights Movement or Future Foundation!"
Burkheiser blinked on the floor.
Future Foundation?
Suddenly, it made sense. As Burkheiser glanced back toward the riot police member that had been practically beating him, he noticed that these weren't the typical riot police squad that he often saw around New York City. No. He had been courteously working with Toronto's police on this case. There would be no reason for them to issue a riot police squad at Hope's Peak Toronto.
Not unless these were…
"Sir!"
Burkheiser could hear Wright sprinting toward him, helping him up as the young crime scene investigator winced in pain. He noticed the Ultimate Pilot's look of concern on his face and chuckled softly to himself.
"W-Well, you missed the party," Burkheiser couldn't help but joke.
"Sir," Wright gave him a look of disapproval. "This is no time for jokes. We need to evacuate. We cannot be seen here with–"
"He's right, Charles. You can't just leave now. You're missing the party!"
"Huh?" Burkheiser and Wright both said at the same time.
Turning their heads, they could see a man approaching them directly from the Hope's Peak Toronto campus. A man that Burkheiser could tell bore a resemblance to Mabel Leve. Could this be…?
"Sir!" the riot police member that had beaten up Burkheiser rushed over to the man.
They gave a salute.
"I'm afraid the police have gotten involved in Future Foundation matters," the riot police member declared. "All Children's Rights Movement members we have detained may have to be let go."
They shook their head, disappointedly.
"Unfortunately," they simply said.
"At ease, Alpha," the man laughed. "Detained or not. I think we made our message very clear. Don't you think… Ultimate Crime Scene Investigator?"
Burkheiser widened his eyes.
How did this guy–
"What?" the man shot Burkheiser a cocky grin. "You don't think I wouldn't know if some American decided to come visit Hope's Peak Toronto? Come on. I practically own this place! You're in my territory now, Charles #2!"
"W-Wright, who is…?" Burkheiser wanted to ask.
"The Head of Canada's Steering Committee, sir…" Wright responded. "...and also, Headmistress Leve's older brother."
Wright shifted uncomfortably.
"...Cadius Leve…" Wright revealed.
...
(Cadius Leve ~ Head of Canada's Steering Committee)
...
As mentioned before, Cadius Leve was practically the spitting image of his younger sister.
He was a man at a height of 6'2 and although was in his late 30s, was definitely someone who looked just as young as his sister did.
He had a lean build with blue eyes, orange neat hair, and also a cocky grin that never seemed to waver from his lips.
To add to his design was the fact that he was dressed in a red royal Canadian mountain police uniform, with many medals on his right chest. The belt around his waist had the classic maple leaf insignia on it to represent the country that he served. Connected to his belt was his black equestrian pants with yellow stripes on its side. He also wore brown boots and to complete his look, a bright yellow shoulder cape was adorned on his right shoulder.
"Steering Committee?" Burkheiser blinked, confused. "But Officer Snips called him Future Foundation–"
"Hey, Charles #2," Cadius spoke up, pointing his finger directly toward him. "Aren't you supposed to be the smart guy from Hope's Peak NY? I think you can take a gander at what's really going on here…"
Cadius was right.
An answer had already popped up in Burkheiser's head the moment the Steering Committee member spoke to him. He's the Head of Canada's Steering Committee but he was also called a member of Future Foundation. That must've meant…
"...You're… the leader of both sections…" Burkheiser deduced.
"Bingo!" Cadius shot him a cocky grin. "I'm not just the Head of Canada's Steering Committee. I'm also the Director of Future Foundation Toronto District. Surprised?"
"Not really," Burkheiser frowned. "I did learn how understaffed Hope's Peak Toronto really was. It's no surprise they needed one person to handle two different sections. Unfortunately, it also means the power has probably gone to your head."
"How dare you?!" the riot police member, named Alpha, stormed up. "Say that to our General again, and I will have no choice but to detain you!"
"At ease, Alpha," Cadius chuckled to himself.
He quickly snapped his fingers, holding up what seemed to be a wad of Canadian dollars. Extending it out toward Alpha, the riot police member accepted it and pocketed it. That was enough to get them to calm down.
"Oh and…" Cadius snapped his fingers and took out another extra bill for Alpha to take. "...Here's an extra one for you to remove your helmet."
"Of course, sir!" Alpha saluted, accepting the dollar and taking their helmet off.
The moment they did, the head of a woman had been revealed. Though her face was simple and plain, she bore a black ponytail that was… just as simple and plain. In other words, it didn't really look like she was an Ultimate. Just some nobody that Cadius found some place…
"Y-You're…" Burkheiser sputtered. "...a woman?"
"Is that a problem?" Alpha narrowed her eyes.
"N-No!" Burkheiser shook his head. "N-Not at all! I just…"
She really did a number on his stomach and ribs. Ouch.
"Alpha here has been a loyal ally of mine for a long time now," Cadius grinned. "When I became the Director of Future Foundation, I knew I just had to bring her on board. That goes the same with all my other Future Foundation Agents! Isn't that right, boys?!"
Cadius referred to all the other people in their riot police outfits, cheering his name over a victory well-earned.
"CAD! CAD! CAD! CAD!"
"Unfortunately, none of them are exactly Ultimates either…" Wright muttered.
"W-What?!" Burkheiser was surprised to hear that. "None of your Future Foundation agents are Ultimates?! D-Doesn't that ruin the whole point of having Future Foundation agents in the first place?!"
"Ha!" Cadius scoffed. "My baby sister isn't an Ultimate and she's the Headmistress of this dump. A load of other Steering Committee members in the world aren't Ultimate Financiers either! What's your point? You think you have to be an Ultimate just to get a job as privileged as a Future Foundation Agent?"
Cadius held up a Canadian bill and crushed it in his hands.
"...You Ultimates are all the same," Cadius sneered, practically crumbling his monetary bill into a ball. "Thinking you're better than everyone else just because you have Talent! Just because you're destined to be some Messiah of the New World! What a load of crock we normies have to deal with. Isn't that right, Oscar?!"
Cadius tossed the crumpled Canadian dollar toward the other riot police member, Oscar, in the crowd.
"You said it, sir!" Oscar exclaimed, catching the crumpled up dollar with ease.
Burkheiser glanced at Wright.
He noticed that the pilot had been trying actively to find a way out of this conversation. Almost as if he was very uncomfortable being around this guy. Burkheiser recognized his fair share of assholes and douchebags in his life, but this Cadius guy… Man, he really took the cake. And his notable hatred for Ultimates…
Burkheiser wasn't sure what to make of it all.
"Delta!" Cadius snapped his fingers, calling forth the presence of another Future Foundation agent. "Give me the stats. What kind of legal action are we facing here?"
Also dressed in a riot police outfit, Delta ran over holding up what seemed to be a clipboard of sorts.
"A ton of angry parents that may be suing us to pay for their hospital bills…" Delta simply said.
"Ha!" Cadius laughed, taking out a wad of cash and handing it to Delta. "Find the best lawyer, judge, and prosecuting attorney you can and pay them accordingly. This case is shut and done."
"On it, sir," Delta nodded, taking the wad of cash and jogging away.
"A-Are you…?" Burkheiser widened his eyes. "P-Paying off the court system?"
"And what's wrong with that?" Cadius sneered. "Does that trouble you, Mister 'I Went To The Number One Hope's Peak Academy In The World'? Listen here, douchebag, cause I'm only going to say this once."
Cadius swung his shoulder cape to the side as his medals started to shine.
"You're way out of your league here," Cadius informed him. "Hope's Peak Toronto is a shit school that no one wants to go to because we have punks like the Children's Rights Movement messing with our rep. So, go back home to your skyscraping towers, sip your martinis with Elon Musk and Jimmy Fallon, and stay out of our way."
"C-Come on, sir, we need to–" Wright turned to Burkheiser, practically pleading at this.
"No!" Burkheiser stepped up, glaring at Cadius. "I don't know what kind of show you think you're running here, but after seeing what you guys did to those activists back there. That wasn't right. All of this isn't right!"
At this point, Burkheiser was getting up into Cadius's face. He could feel the tension rise as the other Future Foundation agents started to surround him, ready to attack him if need be.
"Hope's Peak Academy should be a brand that promotes the wellbeing and prosperity of our future!" Burkheiser explained. "What you're doing here… You're twisting that brand and you've turned it into chaos! You say you're the Director of Future Foundation Toronto District. I say, you're a goddamn tyrant."
Cadius couldn't help but laugh at this.
"And let me guess…" Cadius shot him another cocky grin. "...Your Talented Ultimate investigating skills brought you to that conclusion? Face it Charles #2. You don't know what you're talking about. And frankly, I don't want to have to talk to you ever again…"
Cadius snapped his fingers and took out two wads of Canadian cash, one in each hand.
"Romeo!" Cadius called out. "Juliet! Escort Charles #2 out and you're gonna have enough to feed your pets for six months. What do you say?"
"Sir!" Romeo and Juliet both saluted before rushing over to Burkheiser.
Grasping him by the arms, the two Future Foundation agents began to roughly drag him off campus. And compared to any of the Future Foundation agents or rather anyone in general, Burkheiser wasn't the strongest by far. So, no matter how hard he struggled to fight back, his weak little arms weren't enough to save him from getting him tossed out into the street.
"Ack!" Burkheiser groaned on the floor.
Wright turned back, ready to leave as well. But the moment he walked toward Burkheiser, Alpha had already stopped right in front of him, giving him the harshest look she could muster. And let me tell you, it was enough to put shivers down in Wright's spine.
"Nope, not you, Charles #1," Cadius counted another wad of cash before handing it toward Bravo for safe keeping. "You're coming with us."
"B-But–" Wright blinked.
"But nothing," Cadius dropped a wad of cash on the ground and stomped on it, a look of disdain clear in his eyes. "I warned you and your pesky little friends on what would happen if you got into our affairs again. And you know what we call that, army boy? Come on, you should know this…"
"...Insubordination…" Wright looked down, ashamed.
"Bingo," Cadius snapped his fingers with a cocky grin. "I think we… are gonna have a long, long chat…"
With that being said, Cadius turned, his cape swooping and fluttering with ease as he entered back into Hope's Peak Toronto territory. Following behind him were a handful of other Future Foundation agents. The only Future Foundation members to be left behind were of course Romeo and Juliet, both of whom stood guard, making sure no one could enter HPT's school campus.
Making sure Burkheiser especially couldn't enter either…
Speaking of whom, all Burkheiser could do was watch as Wright got escorted back into the building, shocked. He felt Officer Snips rush to his side, concern on his face. Concern over what, Burkheiser had many theories but the most promising one had to be the bruising and scrapes over his body.
"Burkheiser!" Snips exclaimed. "You alright? You might need to…"
"I'm fine," Burkheiser got up, fixing himself up. "I'm fine. I just… I just need to–"
"No, you need to go to a hospital," Snips shook his head. "At least get yourself checked out. You… don't look too good, I'll admit."
Snips was right.
Burkheiser absolutely did need to check himself into the hospital.
That much he could admit.
But what he couldn't… or rather didn't want to admit… was that this case had gotten much more complicated than it needed to be. And frankly, it just strengthened his resolve to get this case done with.
If only to rub it into that bastard, Cadius Leve's face!
[Toronto General Hospital]
(Common Room)
The check-up took longer than expected.
Burkheiser should've expected as much. Most of the people that had to report to Toronto's General Hospital were members of the Children's Rights Movement after all. And if anything, most of their injuries turned out to be much worse than his. While he had cuts and bruises, he was pretty sure some others had near damn concussions and other major injuries.
Jesus.
The Hope's Peak brand wouldn't really let this slide, would they?
Burkheiser wasn't sure anymore.
If they could give someone like Cadius Leve the position of Future Foundation Director and Head of Canada's Steering Committee, who knows what else they could do. Because to be fair, this was the first time he's ever met an actual douchebag working under the Hope's Peak brand. Even Mabel Leve, a suspected conspirator in the disappearance of Class 1-C was at least a little nicer…
Burkheiser sighed as he fixed himself a cup of coffee, making sure to add as much sugar as possible. He wasn't planning on sleeping any time soon tonight…
"Hey, you're…"
Burkheiser was alerted to the presence of a familiar face:
Aubrey Gardner.
Made sense.
She was among the many Children's Rights Movements members that were definitely bruised up throughout all of that. Not only that. She was the movement's de facto leader. And for a woman in her 40s, man was she gorgeous! Burkheiser gulped, knowing that his late 20s ass wasn't gonna tap anything so…
"Ah, you're Aubrey Gardner," Burkheiser awkwardly greeted. "Leader of the Children's Rights Movement, correct?"
"So, my reputation precedes me," Aubrey smiled at him. "But y'know, I've seen a lot of people around Toronto and yet, you… you're someone I haven't seen before. Are you–"
"Charles Burkheiser," Burkheiser quickly extended a hand out. "Future Foundation Agent from the New York District. Pleased to meet you."
Aubrey looked at him, hesitantly.
It didn't take long for Burkheiser to realize why exactly that was. Throughout his introduction, there were only two words that would trigger such a negative yet fearful response from her. Quickly, he shook his head and retracted his hand.
"I… I'm not affiliated with Cadius Leve…" Burkheiser reassured her. "If… that's what you're worried about."
Aubrey folded her arms, looking at him with suspicion.
"I don't really care if you are affiliated with the Leve Siblings or not," Aubrey told Burkheiser. "What matters is that you're affiliated with Hope's Peak. I'm… not entirely sure if I can trust you with anything in that matter."
"Huh?" Burkheiser blinked.
Does this woman just hate Hope's Peak or something?
That was Burkheiser's first guess. The way she generalized it made it sound like Hope's Peak was one big farce of an academy. But at the same time, if her experience with the Hope's Peak brand was literally Hope's Peak Toronto, then Burkheiser could see where she was getting the wrong idea here.
"Well, if you can't trust me, I understand," Burkheiser nodded, rubbing his chin. "In fact, I have been getting quite a lot of heat for being someone from an entirely different country investigating this case."
Case in point: Cadius Leve.
Aubrey raised an eyebrow.
"What case?" she asked.
"The case of the missing Class of 1-C," Burkheiser revealed.
That caught Aubrey's interest.
"...By chance, what is your Ultimate Talent?" Aubrey questioned.
"Ultimate Crime Scene Investigator," Burkheiser smiled. "Assigned here by Kyosuke Munakata from the Japan Branch. Which you might know who he is but–"
"I see," Aubrey folded her arms in thought. "So, my suspicions were correct. The supposed field trip Cadius tried to spin on us was a lie."
"I'm afraid so, Mrs. Gard–" Burkheiser nodded before being cut off.
"Miss," Aubrey corrected. "It's Miss Gardner, actually. I am… no longer married."
"O-Oh," Burkheiser blinked. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that–"
"Don't be," Aubrey hugged herself, giving him a warm smile. "It's not that big of a deal. I just thought I should let you know. Since we're technically meeting each other for the first time…"
"R-Right," Burkheiser chuckled.
Despite being the leader of quite a large movement, Aubrey seemed to be nice and warm enough like any mother out there. Any mother that… Burkheiser didn't say much of anything at first. He thought back to home but quickly shook his mind off of that. If Burkheiser was going to talk to this woman, he probably needed to know some basic stuff about her… right?
"Um, so, Miss Gardner," Burkheiser rubbed his neck. "How exactly does the Children's Rights Movement work, exactly? Like, what is it you guys are fighting for?"
As a New Yorker, all he really knew about it was that Hope's Peak Toronto forced Ultimates to attend their school for the sake of having students to teach. After all, what good was Hope's Peak in Toronto if no Ultimates were going to it? But Burkheiser wanted to know if… that was really all there is to it.
Surely not, right?
"Well, it can get a little complicated so, bear with me for just a moment, Mister Burkheiser…" Aubrey began. "You may have heard of other movements out there in the world. Gender movements that fight for equality. Racial movements that fight for social justice. The Children's Rights Movement is no different…"
Aubrey glanced away.
"Back then, the only Ultimates in the world were exclusively born in Japan," Aubrey explained. "That was why Hope's Peak Academy built their first Academy in Osaka. But over time, more and more children with Talent potential ended up being discovered in all parts of the world. This is the era we live in today. An era which you can find an Ultimate student in almost every city, town, and village out there."
Right.
Like a kind of Darwinistic evolution type deal…
"Now, every Ultimate is always encouraged to go attend an academy of Hope's Peak," Aubrey continued. "Promising every student that if they graduate, they're lives will be guaranteed a success and that they'll be a living vessel that'll help guide our generation to the New World…"
Aubrey sighed.
"As you can imagine, many parents out there absolutely love the idea of turning their own children into the most special people in the whole wide world," Aubrey grimaced. "Hope's Peak certainly made their mark when advertising their brand. That is where the Children's Rights Movement comes in…"
Aubrey folded her arms.
"We've seen countless stories of young Ultimates being forced into doing Talents that they themselves do not wish to commit themselves to," Aubrey explained. "To better explain this, I will use you as an example if you don't mind, Mister Burkheiser."
"Of course not," Burkheiser blinked. "Go ahead."
"You say you are the Ultimate Crime Scene Investigator," Aubrey smiled. "But let me ask you. Do you love being an Ultimate?"
"W-Well, of course," Burkheiser gave her a smile. "It's… honestly the best part of my life as I know it."
"Fascinating response," Aubrey nodded to herself. "Very well, then just for a moment, I want you to pretend as if you hated your Ultimate Talent. I want you to pretend that maybe… just maybe in your life you wanted to be… an actor. You were born with the Talent as Ultimate CSI but in reality, you wanted to be an actor. What would you do then?"
"Well, if I wanted to be an actor…" Burkheiser hummed to himself. "I guess I would try to be an actor?"
"And that's precisely what we're fighting for," Aubrey smiled. "You see, somewhere out there is a child who was born with the talent of being an Ultimate CSI, Ultimate Pianist, Ultimate Police Officer… but that same child doesn't wish to be any of those things. They wish to do something else in their lives. Doctor. Lawyer. Chef. But their parents and other outside forces, come to them and force them to be the Ultimate based on the Talent they were born with…"
Aubrey glanced at Burkheiser.
"Am I making any sense?" she questioned.
"Y-Yeah, I think I get it," Burkheiser hummed. "You're talking about being forced into a role you yourself don't want to do…"
"Exactly," Aubrey nodded. "I'm sure when you were little, you were often asked, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' And then you would answer with the most outlandish occupation you can think of."
"Yeah…" Burkheiser thought back to his troubled childhood.
"That's the difference between us adults and children," Aubrey explained. "Children are full of life and innocence. They have hopes and dreams they aspire to be. As they grow up, their dreams change according to how they spend their lives and how they are raised. That is the beauty of growing up."
Aubrey smiled in thought regarding this before slightly frowning.
"But if you take away that aspiration to be something and force them to be the Ultimate they were always meant to be…" Aubrey sighed. "Now what you've done is simply given them no choice on the matter. What if one day they decide they don't like wanting to be what their Ultimate Talent tells them to be? Will you still force them to do it then?"
Burkheiser… never really thought about this side when it came to Ultimate Talents.
"...You see, Mister Burkheiser," Aubrey looked down. "Being an Ultimate shouldn't be some prophetic role you fulfill… Being an Ultimate should be a choice. You can choose to be an Ultimate or you can choose to live your life differently. There shouldn't be any reason to be forced into becoming an Ultimate."
"And yet, Hope's Peak Toronto is doing exactly that to fill their seats…" Burkheiser understood what Aubrey was fighting for.
"Exactly," Aubrey nodded. "That is why we constantly stand outside their campus to protest against them. The people behind Hope's Peak Toronto fail to see our cause. We want our children out of their schools so they can choose whether they should stay as an Ultimate or live a different path. In fact, this freedom to choose who they want to be… That is the freedom we wish for all children in the world."
"Wow…" Burkheiser could only let out.
For a moment, Burkheiser felt like an idiot for finding their cause a little amusing when Wright introduced it to him for the first time. This was a concept that he himself never really bothered to think about. He loved being an Ultimate. But what about everyone else? What about all the other Ultimates in the world?
Could he really say the same about them…?
"And you've been fighting this battle for how long…?" Burkheiser asked, softly.
"Honestly," Aubrey laughed. "I lost count. But it's been a long time. A long… long time…"
Aubrey glanced away.
Burkheiser could tell that there was something more to her story but said nothing. It didn't seem like she wanted to talk about it, but Burkheiser wanted to ask her more. Ask her about…
"Must've been tough," Burkheiser chuckled.
"Yes, well, the battle always is…" Aubrey smiled softly.
"Aubrey. Jackson, woke up."
A member of the Children's Rights Movement popped their head in, interrupting the conversation between Aubrey and Burkheiser. Based on the lack of hospital gowns, it looked as if they were just a member looking after the other members that were being treated currently. With a sigh, Aubrey smiled at Burkheiser.
"I apologize for having to cut our conversation short," Aubrey told him. "I have to attend to my people. But…"
Aubrey slowly held out her hand.
"...It's nice to meet you," Aubrey smiled. "And thank you… for listening to our cause."
WIth those being the last words she said to end the conversation, Aubrey had followed her fellow CRM member out of the door and straight toward the other hospital rooms where everyone else would potentially be at. Once she left, Burkheiser took a seat at the nearest coffee tables…
He thought about Aubrey and her cause and what she was fighting for.
In the end, it made sense.
Not every child with Ultimate Talent potential would be happy with being an Ultimate. No matter how good they were at it, if they didn't love it, then what was the point? He supposed that the CRM's goal was simply to fight for a child's right to choose who they wanted to be. Burkheiser… couldn't relate but he understood.
…He understood…
Burkheiser felt his phone buzz.
As he reached into his pockets, Burkheiser could see the caller ID: Kyosuke Munakata. Right! The big boss that put him on this mission in the first place would be calling to expect results. Burkheiser had almost forgotten in light of everything that had happened today. Picking up the phone, Burkheiser spoke first.
"Mr. Munakata, sir! Sorry for not responding was just–"
[Hope's Peak International Headquarters]
(Room 2-J)
"I heard about what happened at Hope's Peak Toronto. I'm sorry."
Kyosuke spoke with such solemness.
As he stood by his window to glance out of Hope's Peak International's amazing view, he couldn't help but feel a slight tinge of regret over what he had gotten Charles Burkheiser into. But at the same time, this wasn't something he should feel regret over. Because at the very least, he was the one person doing something about it.
"No, there's no need to apologize, sir. I took up the case knowing full well the risks at hand."
Pause.
"I just didn't think it would get that bad…"
Kyosuke narrowed his eyes.
He had heard of it through reports. That the Children's Rights Movement had engaged in a full-blown riot directly outside of Hope's Peak Toronto's doors. Yet another unnecessary scar added to Toronto's name. Jeez. What was Canada's Chairman doing about all this? That was a question he needed to ask personally…
"I was also prevented from investigating the school by the Head of Canada's Steering Committee. Cadius Leve."
Steering Committee.
Ugh.
Always with those guys.
If anything, Kyosuke would bet his life that all of this trouble probably came into existence thanks to the Steering Committee. They were the main financiers of Hope's Peak. And with the establishment of Hope's Peak Academies around the world, came the establishment of Steering Committees situated to each branch. Each… greedier than the last.
"Right, the acting Director of Future Foundation's Toronto District, as well," Kyosuke responded. "Controlling two important sectors that keeps a Hope's Peak Academy functioning is bound to get to the guy's head. Unfortunately, there's not much I can do with him. Not as the Chairman of the Japan Branch."
"I thought so…"
Kyosuke paused for a moment.
"Do you have any updates on the case, thus far, Burkheiser?" Kyosuke asked.
"Oh! Right! Well, we did snag a few roadblocks along the way, but I think we have a new suspect we've been looking into."
"Oh really?" Kyosuke raised an eyebrow.
"Lucas von Braun. CEO of Braun PharmaX. Apparently, he's some–"
"-Young son of Elias and Mia von Braun," Kyosuke muttered to himself, narrowing his eyes further.
"Oh. You know them? Wait. How do you know all of these big CEO types, sir? I mean, first the Towa Group and then–"
"Why did you bring Lucas von Braun into the picture?" Kyosuke asked, curiously.
Pause.
"Well, Wright and I were following a truck that we believed to have contained the missing class. We found it in the ocean. It was empty… But Wright noticed that the truck belonged to Braun PharmaX. So, that's why we thought–"
"I see…" Kyosuke frowned.
The Towa Group and the von Brauns?
This couldn't be a coincidence.
This wasn't the first time those names mashed together once upon a time. But the last time that happened it was… Kyosuke grimaced. The last time they teamed up was years ago. Now both of these groups were back in the picture and in Toronto of all places. There had to be something going on here. Something that none of them were exactly aware about…
"Sir?"
"Sorry, Burkheiser," Kyosuke sighed. "Was just thinking about something. I might have to look into something a bit more. Expect a call from–"
"Hang on, sir. You said that the last time we spoke. When I mentioned the Towa Group. Is there… something you want to tell me? I think it would help with the case?"
Normally, in scenes like these, Kyosuke would be that one guy who would just hang up and let the readers keep guessing on what was going on. But let's be real here, we don't have that many Interludes and Kyosuke wasn't going to go and hide information like that if he wanted to get some stuff done here.
So, he kept his eyes fixed toward the window and responded.
"Hm, thanks for reminding me," Kyosuke nodded. "I did look into the Towa Group. From what I've found, there's been a big change of management."
"Big change of management?"
"Prior to ten years ago, the CEO of the Towa Group Conglomerate was not Haiji Towa," Kyosuke revealed. "In fact, he was never supposed to be in line to take on Tokuichi Towa's legacy."
"Tokuichi Towa… Is that Haiji's father?"
"That is correct," Kyosuke nodded. "Tokuichi Towa passed away some years ago. But in doing so, he left the company to his other offspring."
"His other offspring? You mean, a sibling of Haiji's?"
"Sister," Kyosuke revealed. "A young girl…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…by the name of Monaca Towa…"
[Towa Group HQ]
(Towa Office)
The previous office of Tokuichi Towa was something Haiji Towa used to dream of owning.
Back in Japan, it used to be a large office high above the clouds, overlooking the city it once provided its support to. Haiji remembered those days in which he could sit in his father's office and look out the window, looking forward to the day in which he could take over the company. Taking up his father's mantle and continuing his family legacy was all he dreamed about doing.
Nowadays, he would grimace over such thoughts.
He got what he wanted.
He's the CEO of the Towa Group.
And yet, he didn't feel like he was that young boy that loved exploring his father's office. Never did that feeling ever come back. Instead, here he sat on that white leather couch of his, flipping through images after images on his flat-screen television set. Despite having everything he ever wanted, it wasn't enough.
It was never enough.
Not in this day and age.
He reread that fateful Twitter post that changed everything for him. Made the Towa Group fall further from grace than it had already been:
"I like em young. As young as possible."
It was one comment.
One stupid comment over some toy advertisement they made.
One comment that put him as one of those fuckers responsible for Epstein Island and other shit like that. Haiji downed a glass of rum as he scrolled through the comment sections of his post. Even now, it was getting retweeted and remembered. After the shit that went down in Hope's Peak Toronto, his past posts has been resurfacing and he's been getting more heat than he had the previous time he made that comment.
Haiji suspected this was probably what it felt like to be canceled or whatever the fuck…
"How is this guy still not in prison? A literal nutjob."
"Wasn't he on The List?"
"Towa Group still relevant?"
"His sister would be disappointed…"
"Saw him at HPT the other day. He's grosser IRL than he is online."
Haiji poured himself another glass and downed it all in one single gulp. Leaning back against his sofa, Haiji kept his fingers tapping the side of his glass cup. He couldn't take his eyes off of those comments. There were more sure, but most of them were just a repeat of the top five. Fucking Children's Rights Movement weren't making things better by tagging him over and over again for their own sick campaign…
He heard the doors behind him open.
Based on the clacking heels, Haiji could only assume that it was his secretary.
"Sir," his secretary spoke.
"What the fuck is it now, Ashley?" Haiji muttered, never shying away from his bitter tone. "Can't you see I'm busy with something here?"
His secretary, Ashley, only glanced at the television screen, focusing on the negative comments he had been reading over and over again. Then, looking back toward Haiji, she gulped and spoke again.
"W-Well, yes," Ashley noted. "But…"
"Are the Children's Rights Movement protesting my company again?" Haiji sighed, placing a hand over his face and dragging it down. "Is that bitch, Mabel Leve, spilling out her guts to the police? Come on, Ashley, quit stalling and spit it out already!"
"I-It's um… feeding time, sir…" Ashley spat it out.
Haiji knew exactly what Ashley meant and he wasn't happy with it at all. In fact, he looked absolutely irritated. Annoyed. So annoyed that he had to stand up, smash his glass cup on the floor and burst out in groans and sighs.
"Fuuuuuuuck!" Haiji yelled out, exasperated.
He stormed toward Ashley and pointed back toward the broken shards of glass on the ground.
"Fucking…" Haiji sighed. "Clean up that mess. I better not see a shard of glass on the floor when I come back, or it's your job on a plate."
"Y-Yes sir," Ashley nodded before quickly running toward the shattered pile of glass, fighting through the heels she had forced herself to wear today.
And as Ashley fumbled her way through his office, Haiji marched on out of his office and straight directly toward another room right down the hall.
A room that he absolutely loathed to enter…
(Infirmary)
When Haiji stuck the pile of grub through the feeding tube, the CEO could do nothing but narrow his eyes toward what exactly the feeding tube was connected to…
…the mouth of a young female girl in her teenage years.
If anyone could describe her unconscious form, they would probably describe as a Sleeping Beauty type. Her green hair had grown absurdly long. The innocent, pale face of an angel was ever so prevalent. And wearing nothing but a hospital gown whilst covered in tubes and the likes. There was a heart monitor that bleated quietly. There were oxygen tubes inserted into her nose that allowed her to breathe. Even a string of needles injected into her wrist to take her blood.
Honestly, to anyone else, it was heartbreaking to see her like this.
Not to Haiji though.
While everyone saw this girl as a sleeping angel, Haiji saw only a demon. He knew the moment she opened her eyes, it would be all over for him. All over for him and his rule over his father's company. Haiji gritted his teeth and kicked the nearest object he could find: an electric wheelchair, which toppled toward the ground in response to his frustration.
Once the grub he was forced to feed her was completely diminished, Haiji laughed to himself. A dry, pitiful laugh.
He hesitated for a moment but the more he looked at the girl, the more he wanted to wrap his hands over her sorry little neck. He hovered over her exposed neck, as if the temptation was much too high. It wasn't the first time he thought about doing this. To kill this girl with his own bare hands…
Honestly, he'd be doing the world a great service.
But he didn't.
He retracted his hands, knowing full well that he couldn't.
Not yet, anyway.
Instead, he placed his hands over her hospital bed, laughing dryly as he glared at the comatose girl, hatefully. He leaned over her. An aura of disdain emanated from his body as he pushed away any murderous thoughts for the time being. Right now was a time to talk to her. A civil conversation between brother and sister…
"Hey, you little shit," Haiji muttered quietly, his eyes growing cold and resentful. "Can you hear me?"
Small breathing.
"If not, that's too bad," Haiji mocked. "Because I just wanted you to know that I could've killed you so many times before."
Haiji started to pace around the room.
"God!" Haiji laughed. "I would've loved to wring my hands around your neck and squeeze it tight! Make sure you die and stay dead! I can make it look like a medical malpractice as well…"
Haiji leaned back toward his unconscious sister.
"And you know what?" Haiji looked at her with such hate. "I don't think anyone in the goddamn world would care whether or not you died."
Nothing but the sound of her breathing, as Haiji stood over her, disappointed.
"...Just know that the reason you're alive right now isn't because I'm doing what father wanted me to do," Haiji muttered. "You still have some use for me. And once you don't, I'm pulling the fucking plug. That's a promise…"
Haiji's eyes darkened as the murderous intent seeped back in. He leaned forward, whispering the last words of his insulting monologue:
"...Monaca Towa, you fucking freak…"
[Hope's Peak Toronto]
(Headmistress's Office)
When Wright was still a student, he would hang out in the Headmistress's Office quite often.
Most of the time, it would be to chat with Headmistress Leve in makeshift therapy sessions. Obviously since Hope's Peak Toronto didn't really have an Ultimate Therapist of any kind to help them out. But whenever he vented out his frustrations and deepest, darkest secrets, for the first time in his life, he felt like there was someone there who he could trust. Who he could share everything without the fear of being judged.
The Headmistress's Office was a safe space.
And yet, now…
With Mabel Leve being held in custody as a suspected conspirator over the disappearance of Class 1-C…
With Cadius Leve now running around campus, locking down the entire school like he was the prison warden to Alcatraz…
The Headmistress's Office no longer felt like the safe space Wright could enjoy being in. Now, it was the space where he was to await Cadius and what he had to say to him. God. Wright wasn't looking forward to this at all. He was not looking forward to speaking to someone who was essentially his new Commander now…
Director of Future Foundation Toronto District.
Head of Canada's Steering Committee.
…
Speak of the Devil.
Entering the room first was Cadius Leve. Right behind him was Alpha, who shut the door behind Cadius and stood guard outside, making sure no one could come in and interrupt the private time between Cadius and Wright. As Wright shifted uncomfortably on the sofa he was forced to sit in, Cadius sat directly across from him, slapping down four files on his desk.
"Charles Wright," Cadius spoke with such a distasteful tone. "Ultimate Pilot. Future Foundation Agent of Toronto District. Former student of my baby sister…"
Cadius took out a Canadian dollar and crushed it with his hands, sporting a cocky grin as he did so.
"...Says here, you're also a soldier," Cadius grinned. "Won the Air Medal for your service. Youngest one to do so by the way, but… of course, it's all thanks to that Ultimate Talent of yours, huh?"
Wright didn't say anything.
"You know, I'm surprised," Cadius dropped the crinkled Canadian dollar down onto the ground. "As a soldier, I'd thought you of all people would know what it means to 'follow directions'. I mean, if you can 'obey orders' to bomb an entire village..."
Wright tensed up.
"...Then, how come you can't just stay out of our way?" Cadius sighed. "I mean, seriously? Teaming up with an Ultimate from America to investigate this case? How dare you…?"
Cadius took out another Canadian dollar and began to tear it apart, his eyes growing more hateful by the minute.
"I mean, how fucking dare you?" Cadius pierced a gaze toward the soldier's direction, ripping the Canadian dollar in half.
"S-Sir, I–" Wright wanted to say.
"Shut the fuck up when I'm speaking to you, Ultimate," Cadius spat, distastefully. "I warned you. I warned you and your little friends. This business isn't to be conducted by any Ultimate Future Foundation Agents. Your response? Four of you decided to go rogue. Snoop around in places where you shouldn't be snooping… and look where it got you. No. Sorry…"
Cadius dryly laughed.
"Look where it got your allies…" Cadius chuckled to himself. "All three of them have vanished into thin air. And you're the only one left."
Cadius took out another Canadian dollar and started to crinkle it.
"You see where I'm going with this, don't you?" Cadius gave him a cocky grin.
Wright wasn't sure at first but, when he saw the accusatory eyes glazing toward him, that was when he understood. The tension rose higher as he widened his eyes. Wright shook his head, desperately.
"Y-You think I was responsible for Class 1-C disappearing?!" Wright exclaimed. "N-No! Th-That's wrong! I would never–"
"Save it!" Cadius snapped his fingers, his voice raising in tone. "Tell me something, Ultimate! If you really weren't involved, why the fuck are you here and not with them? That in itself is mighty suspicious, don't you think?"
"B-But I… But I…" Wright shuddered.
"Almost as if…" Cadius started to crumple another Canadian dollar into a ball. "...You knew they were going to disappear. And you just conveniently… let it happen. Am I wrong?"
"Y-Yes, you are!" Wright hugged himself. "I would never…! I would never…!"
Cadius slipped him three of the files for Wright to review.
"So, in light of this," Cadius smirked. "I want you to go through each file and tell me your whereabouts for each of these people. Right here. Right now. When it is, you saw them last. What your history is for each of them. What exactly you Ultimates were investigating here…"
"I… I…" Wright clutched his head.
The guilty trauma of letting something happen to people.
The fact that Cadius was pinning the blame all on him. The Headmistress's Office was supposed to be a safe space and yet, now… Now it was a place in which his darkest moments were biting him in the ass once more. Wright tried hard not to break but at this point, it was almost impossible.
Wright felt like crying.
He felt like…
…
The door opened.
Alpha had come in, her face serious and urgent.
"Apologies for the interruption, sir," Alpha frowned. "The team found something that you'll need to see."
Alpha directed an accusatory gaze toward Wright.
"Something that both of you need to see…" Alpha narrowed her eyes.
Wright was confused.
So was Cadius, but he looked a little more annoyed than actually confused.
"This better be good, Alpha," Cadius sighed. "I was getting to the good part of my interrogation…"
"Again, apologies sir," Alpha saluted.
"Ah, don't fret," Cadius laughed. "I trust you."
Cadius turned back toward Wright, but changed his expression to reflect his distaste once more.
"Our conversation is to be continued," Cadius chuckled. "Alpha! Make sure Charles #1 here doesn't run off to play hero or whatever."
"On it, sir," Alpha saluted before making sure to put a heavy grasp over Wright's shoulder.
With the preparations in place, the three headed directly toward what exactly was so intriguing that required the presence of Cadius and Wright at the same time. Something that made even Alpha look at him with the same heavy suspicion as Cadius…
(2nd Floor)
When Alpha escorted Wright and led Cadius down toward the 2nd Floor, the two men could see the curious number of Future Foundation agents surrounding what seemed to be an open storage closet.
As the three got closer, that was when the smell hit them.
A revolting smell that hit them directly in the face. Noticeably, all the other Future Foundation agents forced themselves to wear the gas masks that had come equipped with their riot police outfits. For a good reason too!
"Jesus, what the hell is that smell?" Cadius pinched his nose.
"The source is inside the storage closet," Alpha closed her eyes. "Be warned, sir. It is… graphic."
Wright was already well on his way to check it out.
He did his best to ignore the smell. And he succeeded too. But the sight. The sight of it was something he just couldn't ignore. As the other Future Foundation agents moved out of the way to give Cadius a better look, this allowed Wright to get a first-class view of what exactly was emitting such a revolting smell.
What exactly was causing all of this commotion.
And what he saw was like deja vu…
…It was never easy seeing something like this before.
Despite being responsible for so many of these, it was never easy. Because right there, inside that very storage closet was a horrific nightmare for anyone to find, Future Foundation, soldier, or just a classmate. Right there, inside that very storage closet…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…was a dead body.
DANGANRONPA: TWISTED TRAGEDY
Ah hah! That was what I was forgetting! Interlude #2: A New Life For A Broken Soldier!
And boy, what a chapter it was :D First off, apologies if the scenes feel rushed or just weird in general. I don't know what happened but when I read back on it and tried to edit, it just felt... strange. Maybe it's just me and my perfectionism seeping in or something though, so the Ultimate critics here are you guys! And if you like it, then that is absolutely fantastic :D
God. I need a break from writing DX
Regardless, introduced two new characters ;D
Lucas von Braun, a character made by gfxfgh48! Seriously, thank you so much for giving me access to your character and allowing him to appear in this! Please tell me if I did your character right or if there's some stuff that needs to be changed :0 Now, please note to everyone that Lucas's original name was Lucas Matteo von Braun. I just removed Matteo because... I think it was a little too long and unnecessary and I thought calling him Lucas von Braun sounded so much cooler. If you don't like it though, I can always edit it back in :D As for Ultimate Talent, he was originally known as the Ultimate Physicist, but I noticed in his form's backstory, it focused way more on Quantum Physics than all other kinds of Physics so I changed the Ultimate title to reflect that :0
Hope he made a good first impression thus far :D
Second character, Cadius Leve! Finally! I've been hinting so much at Mabel Leve's big brother and by God, he was definitely an exciting character to write! Like, thank you SilverMark16 for creating this bastard because now, I have introduced my very first named Steering Committee member :D I have been alluding to Steering Committee stuff for a while now and now you have the guy in charge of Canada's Steering Committee: Cadius Leve. Pun name should be obvious ;D
Side note: Alpha is in no direct reference or has any direct relation to Alpha from ExtraMeme's Obscurity Disgrace. That's just a coincidence.
Oh and, yes Omakin. Monaca Towa does exist in this universe :D Enjoy!
As always, please let me know what you thought about the chapter! Even though your characters weren't in it, I still hope it was a fun read! And if you skipped reading the Interlude, then fuck you! I work hard on these and you'll seriously regret it :D But as always, let me know what you guys think! Love it? Hate it? Go nuts with the comments because I always love hearing what you guys have to say :)
Anyway, with Interlude 2 now done, Chapter 3 is underway!
Finally, finally underway :D
...
After my short break. School is starting and my assignment is to write a small little screenplay scene for something so, gonna be focusing on that before jumping into Chapter 3 XE Aiming to officially start Chapter 3 before October of course :)
Cast:
Charles Burkheiser - Ultimate Crime Scene Investigator [PRAKNASTY]
Charles Wright - Ultimate Pilot [NSPunny]
Aubrey Gardner - Leader of the Children's Rights Movement [Prince PokePersona]
Lucas Von Braun - CEO of Braun PharmaX [gfxfgh48]
Guest Stars:
Officer Snips [Otterplay]
