EPILOGUE ADDENDUM
"Within Dark Shadows"
"Upupu... things are getting real crazy down there, y'know. I'm sure
you're not the one who came up with that ugly monstrosity downstairs, right?" Monokuma's high pitched laughter echoes throughout this secluded part of the facility. He speaks to a man obscured in shadows, one who has been watching the tour's events proceed from the very beginning. "I mean, besides
that thing, everything really worked out, right?"
Revan, clad in his full Mandalorian Iron armor and a cloak, didn't immediately respond. He certainly didn't care about any sort of pleasantries or jokes.
"Everything went fine. Malevolence was cultivated. The AI works, too, and that's what really matters. If the other bear wishes to show off for his precious Master, then that is all the better for us."
Monokuma tilted his head to the side slightly, observing what basically amounted to his new master. This particular incarnation of Monokuma had never known a direct master beyond the vague programming and direction given to him by the Arch Demon. This was certainly something to get used to, though the tiny bear had to wonder if he was really integral to Revan's mission at all.
"Well..." The bear switched gears, taking on a bit more serious of a tone. "I'm sure the Coalition thanks you for all your contributions. You have access to all their plans, right? You're so crafty~"
At this line of questioning, Revan broke his militaristic stance and simply looked at Monokuma.
"They might agree, if they had any idea I had taken them. All they know me as is the dutiful member who tipped them off to the latest Arch Demon plot. Save your flattery for one it might work on, bear."
"Hrm!" Crossing his arms, Monokuma didn't look too pleased. "Fine, have no one thank you for all your hard work! Don't make me go all insubordinate on you and tell all your friends you have a bear fetish! Look at all the bears you're manipulating, you sick bear pervert!"
"Hmph." Revan had some reservations about leaving Monokuma with the ability to speak freely, but the monochrome bear was at least better than the brown animatronic monstrosity downstairs.
"You're not wrong, at least. The Arch Demon is pleased with my work, and at least knows that his animatronic puppet had little to do with our success. He also does not seem to realize I am working toward my own benefit, or perhaps he just does not care."
Monokuma giggled. "But he should care. You're going to do great things, aren't you? I'm just wondering, was it a part of your plan to just let them all go?"
"Of course," Revan said, his tone made short by the suggestion one of his pieces had moved out of place.
"The Coalition will not look too intently into a success. It will be my recommendation that the Coalition shut down this facility to ensure the power of Fuse no longer goes used... but of course, we will keep the facility for ourselves. You'd best be ready to assist me there."
A slow clapping could be heard from somewhere within the shadows. Monokuma turned around and put a paw over his eyes in search of the noise's origin. Eventually, out of the shadows came Jade Curtiss.
"Now, what's this about a bear fetish?" he asked.
Monokuma stomped his foot in response. "What's the big idea walking in our meeting like this?! We're having important discussions where we vaguely allude to all of our mysterious plans."
"That will have to wait for another time, I'm afraid." Touching at his glasses, Jade ignored Monokuma and moved to stand before Revan.
"Far be it from me to judge how you use my products, but I'm not one to sit by and watch it all be used without compensation any longer."
Revan listened to the two speak without a word, but then 'compensation' came up and the Sith Lord simply laughed.
"What, you intend to force me to pay you? Hm."
He had figured Jade would be troublesome, but let him live. Killing him was not in his best interest. Still, Revan knew all it would take was one flick of his wrist, and Monokuma would get to see how unnaturally a head could turn.
"Do not forget who you are speaking to, boy."
"I'm aware," Jade said, sounding like he was already finding this dreadfully dull.
"I'm a powerful man with quite a few people who will notice if I go missing. I'm sure you and your group don't need undue attention."
"You sure talk big!" Monokuma interrupted. "I wonder if you talk so big strapped to a chair with hundreds of volts running through you!"
Jade only frowned at the annoying creature.
"It shouldn't be hard for someone with all your connections to pay me. The alternative to not receiving payment is a pretty simple one... It would be all too easy to inform the Coalition that one of their valued members doesn't have their best interests at heart. Whether you silence me or ignore me, both have unfortunate consequences for you."
Revan was very quiet. He nodded a few times, as though to say,
"So be it." He lifted his hand and used an advanced form of the Mind Trick: Force Fear.
"Or you will remain silent, and I won't burn you to a crisp."
"Someone already tried that!" Monokuma said. "This guy's totally weird!"
"No weirder than you, my bear friend," Jade said pleasantly. Seemingly unaffected by Revan's mind trick, Jade shrugged.
"I will not bore you with the details, but an unfortunate event in my past has forced me to maintain a certain resistance to assaults or intrusions on my mind. Not that you couldn't try to kill me with another sort of means, but the point remains."
Jade waited a moment, though as Monokuma seemed about to say something, Jade interrupted him.
"Let's not be difficult. I can offer you access to other luxury products before many others even know of their existence. A partnership of sorts. I'll even accept some of this facility's Fuse as payment, as it seems it has a practical use in altering or improving upon products that already exist."
Jade could only wonder if Fuse could be used on
food...
The proposal certainly wasn't a bad one. Revan locked his hands behind his back while considering it.
"What sort of technology are you offering?" Though he would prefer to avoid paying, perhaps the benefits could be significant. Or maybe he could just kill Jade and take the technology anyways. Either way, Revan came out on top, because of one, simple fact; Anyone that knew about Jade's disappearance would quickly forget him through Revan's influence. Those who resisted would be erased just like their master.
"We have an extensive research network within the company," Jade explained.
"New universes are scoured for technology that can be made useful for all universes. You'd be surprised how many products can't be manufactured outside of their original universe for that they require materials inherent to their own universe. Some materials can't be easily transported, and some simply cease to exist when taken out of their normal environment. We've been working on ways to maneuver around this, but developments such as these take time."
Jade held out a hand, a spear materializing in his palm.
"We've also hit a breakthrough in combining certain magics with technology. Particularly weapons technology, which you might find useful. We possess a weapon capable of breaking a hole in a universal barrier, but we haven't found a potential buyer who we don't worry will become overzealous and destroy space and time as we know it."
Jade adjusted the spear in the palm of his hand, aiming it instead at Revan.
"Perhaps it's unwise of me to be telling all of this to a thief, but precautions have been made. I'm seeing that my frankly reasonable offers are being met with resistance, something I was hoping wouldn't be the case." Jade spun the spear in his palm and instead slammed it into the ground, rooting it there.
"My extensive network is already aware of your identity. They won't release the info if all goes to plan. Try to silence them all if you want-- a former employee of mine is a leader amongst the Coalition, and I've already inferred to the agents sent here that a double agent is in their midst. I pray you handle this matter as delicately as possible in case something does go wrong for you."
Monokuma giggled, despite the tense atmosphere in the room. "I wanna see this guy run a death game!"
Revan's response was short and to the point.
"Fine, fine. I'll pay you for the AI. But don't forget one thing..." Revan picked Jade up by his throat without even moving.
"... None of the weapons in the world change that I could kill you and your lieutenants as easily as I would break a twig. As it stands, the only thing preventing that is my desire to stay hidden. If my presence were to be revealed..." On this ominous note, he released Jade.
"Long story short... Don't cross me. Are we clear?" His tone was calm and uninvolved.
"How about you run one together!" Monokuma exclaimed, but Jade ignored him.
"I'm sure you could do many nasty things if you wanted to!" Jade said, his smile deepening.
"Which you can do all you want under our agreement. Customer confidentiality." The spear in the ground disappearing, Jade pulled out a cell phone.
"With this face-to-face matter out of the way, my people will contact you through untraceable means to continue our deal. It will be wonderful working with you." With that, Jade left as easily as he entered, the phone to his ear.
"I feel like we're a part of the bear mafia!"
Revan gave Monokuma a long, hard look under his mask. He sighed deeply. Maybe creating that robot wasn't such a great idea.
For one boy, his nightmare was only just beginning.
Jeffery Sprit groaned as he got up off the floor. His face was flushed from the encounter with Cole, a guy who Jeffery had believed to be honorable, but in fact was nothing of the sort. With his powers in the hands of an evil man and no Fuse of his own secured, Jeffery didn't know what to do. Would Elliot let his sister go now?
"Oh, Jeffery~" said a familiar voice. Jeffery turned around to face the speaker, only to be grabbed him from behind and have what appeared to be an ice pick pulled close toward his neck.
Elliot stood before him, smiling.
"You look panicked... is that because you didn't get the Fuse?" Elliot waited a beat, but Jeffery found he couldn't speak. "It's fine. Really. I didn't actually want the Fuse from you. Revan will be kind enough to give me some. Did you know, he told me about you and your amazing powers after observing them as part of his Murder Game?"
Jeffery shook his head. "W-Who is--?"
"Oh, right, you wouldn't know. Poor, naive Jeffery. I was hoping you'd get your powers back before all this was over, but now the Conduit has them, and he's a bit too powerful for me to make an enemy of now. I'm sorry about that, really. I was so looking forward to painfully extracting your abilities from you~"
"B-But what about--" Jeffery shook with fear and rage. "My sister! Just let my sister go, you bastard!"
Elliot barked out a laugh. "You actually thought that was her?" Elliot raised a hand, conjuring the intangible form of Jeffery's sister. She was smiling brightly, but Elliot quickly waved away the hologram.
"What a fool you are. You're useless to me. For wasting my time, I am just going to kill you, Jeffery. Maybe then you will reunite with your sister."
Jeffery's eyes went wide. He couldn't speak a word. All he could think of was his poor sister before the ice picked plunged deep into his neck.
