" Kept you bastards waiting, huh!?"
"Everyone, make your way to the gym please"
"The opening ceremony can finally begin!"
"Phew! We finally finished our preparations!"
..
"...You do realize you just read your lines backwards, don't you?"
"So long! Bear-well!"
"Gym? Opening ceremony?" Kaede repeated what was just said on screen.
" Guys...what should we do?" Shuichi asked.
I don't care what happens anymore. I'm tired and I don't know when the last time I ate was! My adrenaline has gone down so now I need a break. I'm too tired to be scared anymore. I want to figure out what's going on, for sure! But this is all too much...
"Look, I don't care what we do anymore" I intervened the silence. "I just want this to be over with so I can go to sleep"
"O-okay! We're going to the gym. Everyone else is probably doing the same thing"
"True, but-"
"Shut up and go already, Shuichi!"
...
The three of us briskly made our way to the gym. I tried not to complain on the way there. When we went in, everyone was there. All of us ultimates in the same room. Something feels strange... but I'm probably getting delirious.
Everyone talked among themselves about things related to what was happening, but not related at the same time. I stayed quiet after finding I had to energy to talk. It felt painful. I'm a party person, I'm supposed to be talkative! But if I tried, I think I'd just mutter out a whole buncha nonsense.
Everyone's attention was called back when mechanical humming could be heard. Not much longer after the noise, 5 transformer-looking robots leaped out of nowhere in front of us.
"Yoo-hoo! Rise and shine, ursine!" They said in unison. All the questions about the robots were quickly answered. The monokubs were the monsters! Everyone, except for a handful, was stricken with panic. Trust me, I would've lost my mind too if I wasn't so drained.
"Alright, chill out, no need to panic...We're probably not in any danger" A familiar lazy voice spoke out. Yeah, that's gotta be Rantaro. I couldn't forget that weirdo even if I wanted to.
"If they wanted to kill us, they'd have done it by now"
He said while casually walking up to the exisal. That thing will crush him if he tries anything dumb... he knows that, right?
"Rantaro! our hero..." I sarcastically said. I was trying to be funny but I only got another side-eye from him. " So...what do you want from us? You clearly want something, that's what the guns are for, right? Let me guess. You're gonna force us to do something, and if we don't, we get hurt" He poked at the mechs. Maybe he lost his common sense along with his memory.
"Huh.. well aren't you a wise guy?" The red exisal spoke up.
"I'll start us off!" the blue exisal roared. "Here's what we want you punkasses to do..."
'Hahhhhh! My heart's goin' 100 miles per hour! I'm gonna say it! You ready!? Hell yeah! it's a—"
Then, the green exisal, or should I say the green monokub, finally said something. The first words I have ever heard it say were,
"KILLING-GAME" in a robotic voice, unlike the other cubs.
Everyone seemed confused, though the Kubs were mostly focused on the green Kub, monodam, speaking. He said it again to confirm what we thought was a misunderstanding. The monokubs began to fight for a reason I didn't pick up. I was too fixated on the words, "killing game"
Their loud arguing and fighting was disrupted by a voice just as sharp and annoying as the monokubs'. "My cute little cubs... You gotta knock off this awful fighting..." the voice spoke sweetly. Whoever they were, their voice was not made for speaking like that.
Then, the monokubs started to yell out all the different ways of saying "dad," but who were they talking about?.. I wouldn't want to see another one of the monokubs if that voice is what they're calling "papa kuma." How would they even have a dad?
The gym lights suddenly turned off quite conveniently. Something uncanny is definitely going to happen. On cue, a split black and white bear with wings, crazy right? flew up from behind the podium on the gym stage and announced himself as the headmaster. The monokubs praised their "dad" shortly after it.. or he? arrived.
"The only reason I can tolerate your tiresome antics is cuz you're all so cute. Even when the prologue is going way too long, I'll allow it because you guys are cute. In fact, the very first prologue ever was only short cuz you cutie-patooties weren't there!"
Why did he say prologue like we were in a book or something? Wait.. "very first" means that-
The monokub's father sucker-punched the five of them for no reason, or a reason I didn't catch. I was kinda deep in thought. Was that even a sucker punch?
"You kids really stand out from the rest of the second-generation failures in the world"
"Isn't that a little harsh? I'm sure there are some second-generation success stories..."
"I can't think of any, though—"
Oh- yikes. That was certainly a sucker punch. Why is he abusing the kids he claims to love so much..? But I guess parents like that exist in real life too. The black and white bear talked about his kids for a little longer before a few from the crowd of students decided to speak again.
"Wh-What is this? What's going on?"
"Another teddy bear appeared..."
"Yes, but that is no ordinary teddy bear. I can see it...the despair and madness swirling around that cursed thing..."
The split bear made an offended gesture, "Whoa... First of all, I'm no teddy bear. I'm Monokuma"
"That's your name? You're still obviously a teddy bear" I told Monokuma. The split bear got visibly upset, "I'm. Not. A. Teddy bear!" he yelled out with his stubby arms in the air. "Show some respect! I'm the headmaster of the Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles!"
"...Headmaster?"
"It appears to be some sort of autonomous robot with a built-in A.L., like me..." Keebo suggested.
'Dong dong dong! The Exisals are different, though! They're brainless buckets of bolts!" The red Kub shouted.
"They're mindless pretty killing machines that can only be controlled by us, the Monokubs"
"Autonomous robots piloting weapons platforms... This is certainly turning into quite the story" Ryoma softly commented. I was glad Rantaro brought up the "killing game" again. Everyone got so distracted by Monokuma. Our lives could be at risk here!
"I want you students with your ultimate-level talents to participate in a killing game!" Monokuma hollered. Kaede and Keebo, who responded to Monokuma's proposal, sounded stunned. "Huh? You guys don't wanna do it?" Monokuma replied to the other two's reasonable disregard. Why in the world would he think we want to partipate in a game of murder?
"C-Course not!" Gonta yelled out. "Gentlemen not hurt people!" Well at least I know he's harmless.. I should've known actually. "But if you've looked around the academy, then you already know, don't you? The academy is surrounded by a huge wall. You can't escape to the outside world..." I felt myself getting cold with the realization that he was indeed right. "And as long as we have the Exisals, you can't defy us"
Oh we're so doomed.
"So do what you say if we don't want to die" Rantaro summed up the headmaster's speech. That was basically it. How did I get myself into this situation? Why me? I'm not capable of murdering anyone!.. or at least on purpose. I don't want to even think of the idea, but who would be most vulnerable? My hypothetical killing tactics were interrupted by Tenko's bold, frightened voice.
"Y-You gotta be kidding me! Why would friends kill each other!?" She yelled at the black and white bear. For an instant, I was relieved to hear the word, "friend." That word felt like a shield; like something was telling me, "Nobody is going to kill anyone!" and that everyone would be okay. I'd be able to get out of this hellhole and go back to partying, making music, and trading jewelry at parties. Maybe I wouldn't have to escape at all! Maybe I'm in a coma from passing out somewhere.
But I swear realization doesn't hit this hard when I'm knocked out.
"...Who said you guys were friends?" Monokuma giggled sinisterly. "You guys aren't friends at all... You're enemies out to kill each other"
You shouldn't be unable to breathe when you get nervous in your sleep. Do you even get uneasy in your sleep? Is this even a dream then? This feeling reminds me of pre-performances..
I hope I'm not turning blue.
For a while, I was spaced out. I felt numb and useless. I stood idiotically still in the crowd of students who were probably discussing important factors in whatever situation we were in. Why am I so scared? I had to breathe manually. I felt like I had forgotten the most basic life skill. I know nobody is going to kill anyone.. but I can't shake the feeling that--
I felt a light tug at my shirt. I snapped out of my trance, but the closing feeling in my chest never went away. I jolted to look in the direction the tug came from. I could've never believed who it was.
Maki. The same Maki who didn't want to speak to me earlier, or so it seemed. Her face was almost as blank as earlier but with a twinge of concern, but not for me. The first thing she said to me was, "Focus. We already went over one of the most sophisticated parts of this game"
"Wait.. how long was I standing here?" I heaved out. Maki only sighed and turned her attention away from me. That never needs to happen again. I probably looked so stupid just now.. I pulled myself together and brought myself back to reality, though I wished I was in a coma.
The few words I heard from Monokuma were straightforward, "Let's get this heart-pounding killing school semester started already!" along with many ways to kill, including crushing. Where in this school would you find something to crush a person with by yourself? Anyway, we were pretty much threatened to kill each other. We have no choice.
After the whole bear family dipped, rings echoed throughout the gym room. I heard it from one of my pockets in my jacket. What is this? some type of.. oh, it says Monopad on the back. Cool. The screen lit up displaying multiple rules that we were not to break unless we wanted to be obliterated by the Exisals. Luckily, the class trial rules were explained. I think that's the conversation Maki was talking about while I was in La La Land.
For a few moments, the gym was completely silent. I'm guessing everyone felt the same way. Horrified, or at least I hope. If we all agree to not killing, nobody is going to die! Ryoma started up a conversation about the rules after the moment of silence. Nothing intelligent was said, but Angie's question caught everyone's attention.
"Hey, hey! What does this sixth regulation mean?" I swiped through my Monopad to view the sixth regulation:
"The killing game and class trials will continue until two surviving students remain"
"Only two surviving students? What would be the reason for that?"
Shuichi gave an obvious answer, but having two students remaining? That's a lot of killing. Who would be most likely to kill first? Could we kill everyone at once? I shoulda stayed intact so I could ask Monokuma these questions. Would that make me look suspicious?
Kaito got agitated fast. Said he wasn't playing this game and some others tried to talk sense into him before he went extinct. It went from that to arguing. I stood there silently. For the first time in a while, I felt like a background character; completely useless. I sighed and watched as the yells of my classmates filled my eardrums.
"HEY!! QUIT FIGHTING ALREADY!!!" Kaede's voice rose over everyone else's. Her yell made me flinch. That's the kinda voice you gotta have when someone's passed out in a crowd and you're trying to help them but the crowd doesn't care. "We shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves. Right now, we need to work together" She continued. I feel a Disney speech coming on..
"I agree with Kaede!" Tenko yelled out. "We must remember who the real enemy is! Master told me that strength must always be aimed in the proper direction!"
"A-anyway.. You're all panicking too much" Himiko stuttered. That was pretty ironic to say considering she's violently shaking. "Just stay calm.. like me.." Uh huh...
"Wow! You're shaking so much!"
"Even I can't handle these intense vibrations! And trust me—I've got loads of experience!" Was that- did Miu mean what I thought she meant? I mean, I'm not surprised but right now? Really?
Our conversation was steered back when Kaede said we should work together to find an exit. I couldn't agree more! "Yeah yeah! Let's do it 'cuz death and murder ain't really my thing" I told Kaede. She widely smiled and looked back at everyone else. "So? How about it?!"
Everyone else was quiet. Kaede and I were equally confused. " Why are you quiet...? Did I say something wrong?" Kaede asked. Turns out, everyone was just surprised at Kaede's good spirit. I think I could understand that. How can you be positive in a situation like this? Well, there was some hope. Gonta mentioned a manhole behind the school building. Jackpot! I'm outta here.
Gonta demanded for everyone to follow him to where the manhole cover was. I was one of the first out the gym door. I wanted to be near someone I trusted though. It wasn't like I felt any of the others were going to try and kill someone while we're out.. but just in case. I searched through the group for Kaede, but she wasn't there. Neither was Shuichi. They must still be in the gym.
Please nobody kill me while we're out here
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Word count: 2354
Zomg I suck at writing atp I'm just going where the wind takes me nothing makes sense anymore.