Continued from here.
Prologue DEAD END
"9 Lives Spent"
Monokuma's laughter grew in pitch, overpowering the discussion. For those gathered, it was obvious the vote was not going to sway any further. "Geh-hehe... it looks like your argument has come to a close! Let's move along to the most exciting part of tonight's daily feature!" Monokuma then slid down the head of the mammoth so that he was straddling one of the horns. "Oh, just a reminder... I'll let it slide this time as it was our first time together, but
make triple sure you vote for someone in the future! If you don't vote... I'll skewer you upon one of these mammoth horns and eat you up!"
Monokuma then stood, gasping in mock surprise. "Oops! I lost control of my wild side for a second. Riding a mammoth like this has made me feel bold!" This triggered Monomi to begin weeping again.
"U-Ugghhhh!! Why did this happen...?!"
"Next time?" Jude asked, speaking up.
"There won't be a next time, not after this!"
"Oh?" Monokuma tilted his head to the side in curiosity. "Won't happen again? Really? You know... why do you think the killer did what they did? Was it self-defense? An act of mercy? Did they decide the Affluent Progeny was a bad guy? Hmm... How about we ask them once we learn the results of the vote!" Monokuma jumped down off the mammoth and stood in the circle of podiums. He raised his arms into the air, and as he did so, an electronic display rose from the ground behind the mammoth statue. It stopped, displaying an image of a single white question mark on a black background, high above the mammoth.
"Have you made the right choice or the dreadfully wrong one?!"
The display changed to a moving image of a slot machine, the suspects' faces on the reels.
The slot machine eventually stopped, landing on Neon's face three times in a row. The text below flashed...
GUILTY
"I know it was hard for you guys to think hard, but somehow you did it! Now, was that so hard?"
"N-No..."
Neon Katt started to break down, falling against her podium and crying.
"I-I did it to save you all!" she screamed through her tears.
"You think I wanted to kill him?! I-I-I talked to Diana and I agreed with her that he was a problem... but she wasn't the one who actually got me to even consider killing him... the way he talked the way he acted... it was just a matter of time. The skewers... Diana gave me the skewers. I wasn't going to use them. Just defend myself, you know? He wasn't supposed to be sleeping in our cabin, but when he came into our cabin during the night... I just panicked!"
Diana had risen, her eyes red with tears. She had been crying quietly ever since the votes started leaning toward Neon.
"Neon, don't even bother. If I hadn't... If I hadn't said anything, if I hadn't switched the name plaques around, you wouldn't have gotten the idea into your head. I'm so sorry... I didn't think you would ever..."
"Diana, wait, p-please..." Neon was visibly shaking now.
"I went under his bed and I... I stabbed him until he stopped moving. I... took the sheets and the skewers and hid them before I used the cart to drag the body over to the other cabin. I was about done when Diana saw me placing the body and she screamed. I panicked and ran back to the cabin when everybody else was running in to check out the commotion. In the confusion, I moved the sheets and the skewers into the old man's bag..."
"I awoke first and I saw her. When I saw he was dead, I screamed. I couldn't help it, it was involuntary. But I thought about it later, and I didn't want her to get in trouble for killing him... Who I thought he was..."
Neon stood silently, not speaking again until a few moments had passed.
"Diana, I... didn't want to do it... but he..."
The faunus pointed dramatically at Monokuma.
"He told me to do it! He told me my team would've died if I didn't do it! He said he had them locked away and then he displayed those abilities he had...! I-I just couldn't let that happen! I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry...!"
"What?" Diana's demeanor took a dramatic took as she took this new piece of info in. Her head whipped to stare at the tiny bear.
"You mean she didn't... She didn't do it because of what I said...?" Diana's confused expression turned to one of hate. She growled, moving to leap over the podium.
"You monster!" she screamed.
"Hold on there!" Nigel had jumped into circle after Diana, grabbing her in order to hold her back.
"Don't get yourself killed now!" Diana only groaned, feebly trying to get out from his grip.
"Upupupu... Gahh-hahahaha! I feel it. I really truly feel it! Your hate! Your despair! Normally, I would be tickled pink! Buuut..."
"Why do you think I did this, huh? This Ultimate Kitty was such a bubbly girl, don't you think? Who would ever think
her capable of such a bloody deed as foul as murder? Hehe... you see what I was saying?
Anyone is capable of murder under the right circumstances! All you brats and goody-two-shoes think you know how the world works, huh? Well, let me tell you..." The display above changed to what appeared to be a field full of creatures mad of shadow. "Miss Strong-Willed was right! You're in the Dark Place, and here, you play by its rules. The despair you're feeling now? The darkness
feeds off it. It's a malevolence that seeps into your bones! Monomi's tactics are ineffectual and limp-wristed at best! I truly understand how this world works, and that is why
I'm the headmaster!"
The bear let out a soft giggle. He took a few steps toward Neon, peering at her. "You're a killer, sorry to say! You're also my
example. You have to suspect everybody when you're down here! Sure, I killed a few of you to get you all to understand, but I'm notoriously a harsh teacher! That's my thing! You can't make an omelette without cracking a few eggs! Think of all this as a lesson... think of it as the prologue to our adventures together! Byakuya wasn't able to lead you, but now I get to! And you have to deal with it."
"I don't-- We don't understand what you mean."
"Oh, well. You will, trust me! Now, it's time... some of you suspected this would be the case, and you're right! The only true way to deal with a killer... is to execute them for their crimes!"
For her part, Neon managed to hold strong against this news.
"Just tell me they're alive," she whispered.
"Hehe... Puhuhuhu..."
Monokuma would deny her an answer.
Inside the circle of podiums, a circular hole opened in the pavement. Out came the inexplicable sight of a giant white hand. The hand was attached to a long metal limb that descended down into the darkness of the hole. It shot upward up to then fall down upon Neon Katt to scoop her into its palm. The girl was then pulled down into the hole and it closed up after she was gone. "There is more than one way to skin a cat!" Monokuma declared.
On the display above showed Neon dropping down from a great height. She fell into a large sack that was then tied closed by two of the mechanical hands. The hands then pushed the sack forward, the camera zooming out to show the sack starting to tumble down a very large slope. The girl inside was tossed about as the sack bounced and dragged against dirt and rock. The camera then looked down to show that the sack was about to fall of a cliff face and crash into a body of water below. Diana gasped the loudest when the sack finally fell off the edge, and the group was forced to watch as she descended down and down toward the water...
Until, one of the mechanical hands grabbed the sack just in time, with Neon hopefully cushioned by the sack itself. An agonizing few seconds passed where nothing happened, but soon the hand was moving, dragging the sack across the water. It began to pick up speed, soon approaching the rock wall at the opposite side of the lake. The hand was about to crash into the wall when--
It stopped. It let go.
The sack with Neon inside fell into the water, sinking down into the dark depths below.
Diana began to weep, falling into Nigel and clutching at his arms. McGucket frowned at the sight, lowering his head and placing one of the skewers against his chest. Jude had been forced to look away, staring at the ground with his hands balled into fists.
"That's all, folks! Go get some food and have a nice rest... tomorrow will be a brand new day!" As he said this, the podiums and the electronic display began to sink into the ground. "Seeee ya!" Monokuma waved goodbye as he began to sink into the ground as well. Once he was gone, nothing was left but silence.
The whole thing seemed to affect Wanda most of all. She doubled over, clutching her head and spoke.
"Sometimes we want to hide from ourselves — we do not want to be us — it is too difficult to be us."
"I am here, Wanda. I'll take the weight. You're mine. You have been since before you got here. Relax."
Wanda's voice rang over the group of players. Her body became surrounded by red flames and energy, flashing brilliantly.
"Wanda doesn't want to be Wanda. She doesn't know that, but I do. I know all of you. I know you all your secrets and truths. I brought you here."
"Wanda" was, at this moment, someone else. Wanda's body floated in the air, like a goddess among men.
"As the night wind blows, the boughs move to and fro. The rustling, the magic rustling that brings on the dark dream. The dream of suffering and pain. Pain for the victim, pain for the inflicter of pain. A circle of pain, a circle of suffering. Woe to the ones who behold the pale horse..."
"Wanda" landed on the ground, the flames settled as she walked toward Edmond Honda.
"I hate you all, but you are one of the most. You never move an inch, always centered."
"Wanda" lightly put her hands on the man. Eye to eye. In a song-like tone, "Wanda" would speak:
"Through the darkness of future's past, the magician longs to see. One chants out between two worlds... 'Fire... walk with me.'"
Suddenly, "Wanda" pushed away from the sumo and fell into the ground. Fire surrounded her.
" I am no spirit's plaything! I am in control! I will not let you hurt anyone!"
***
CAST LIST
@C.T. as
Arya Stark "Ultimate Killer" [Game of Thrones]
@Yang Lee as
Bolin "Ultimate Earthbender" [The Legend Of Korra]
@Kaykay as
Chikage Kushinada "Ultimate Jujutsuka" [History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi]
@T.O.M. as
Catbug "Ultimate Cutie" [Bravest Warriors]
@Minerva as
Corrin "Ultimate Protector" [Fire Emblem]
@DapperDogman as
Darv "Ultimate Saltborn" [Salt & Sanctuary]
@Yun Lee as
Edmond Honda "Ultimate Sumo Wrestler" [Street Fighter]
@CCC Kouhai as
Five "Ultimate Game Master" [
Zankyou no Terror]
@BarrenThin as
Genji Shimada "Ultimate Forgiveness" [Overwatch]
@Krieg as
Isaac "Felix" Gates "Ultimate Bounty Hunter" [Red VS Blue]
@The Tactician as
Jack "Ultimate Samurai" [Samurai Jack]
@york as
Jack Frost "Ultimate Funhouse" [Rise of the Guardians]
@Verite as
Kyoko Kirigiri "Ultimate ???" [Danganronpa]
@Gummi Bunnies as
"Lapis Lazuli" "Ultimate Crystal" [Original Character]
@LuckycoolHawk9 as
M. "Stiles" Stilinski "Ultimate Sarcasm" [Teen Wolf]
@Crow as
Morikubo Nono "Ultimate Wallflower" [THE iDOLM@STER]
@Archwar as
Noble Six "Ultimate Lone Wolf" [Original Character/Halo]
@Jeremi as
Poison "Ultimate Manager" [Street Fighter]
@ShiroKiyoshi as
Rant T. Mouse "Ultimate Rat Mouse" [Original Character]
@Hazel-rah as
Ringabel "Ultimate Vagabond" [Bravely Default]
@Josh M as
Scarlet Witch "Ultimate Witch" [Marvel Comics]
@Crimson Spartan as
Seamus "Sledge" Cowden "Ultimate Breaching Charge" [Rainbow Six: Siege]
@Hospes as
Tarlotte "Ultimate Tantrum" [Kyoshiro to Town no Sora]
@CrunchyCHEEZIT as
Tekhartha Zenyatta "Ultimate Teacher" [Overwatch]
@The Spartan Potato as
Terezi Pyrope "Ultimate Justice" [Homestuck]
@DBZ7 as
Tharja "Ultimate Hextress" [Fire Emblem]
@Nater Taters as
Tomoko Kuroki "Ultimate Loser" [WataMote]
@Atomyk as
Victoria Maribeth Chase "Ultimate Bitch" [Life is Strange]
@Takumi as
Yurick "Ultimate Arcanist" [The Last Story]
@Klutzy Ninja Kitty as
Zinnia "Ultimate Lorekeeper" [Pokemon]
