Misfit's Masquerade

Your consciousness came back in waves. Flickering blotches of brightness slipped out of your mind as quick as they came in. 

“...[ame]...?” 

It all came crashing down, grinding into your head. The pain was rocking your senses like an earthquake. It was all you could do not to clap your hands over your ears and scream. 

“[Name]...?” 

There was a new color eclipsing the fluorescent light of the room. Brown…? Or, maybe it was actually a little green. Pupils…oh, those were eyes. 

Someone was watching you…?

Monokuma. 

His face flashed through your brain. It was like being impaled on a cold stick. 

“...[Name]...?” 

Ah. Now it was a voice. The warm green splotches slowly fanned out into something more, assembling the rest of a pale, round face. 

The second you realized what it was, you did the only thing that seemed natural. 

You punched it. 

“Ow…!” The voice muffled through face-planted hands. It hunched over like a turtle as it cradled its face.

“Shit…!” Meanwhile, the sudden jerk of your muscles sent an awful spasm straight through your spine. The pain spread out to each surface of your body. You could only linger, attention drawn, and the more you fed it, the more it grew. Breaths tore through you like a twig in a storm. You were going to die. No, you’d rather die. 

“A… agh… !” You doubled over, back onto what you now realized were bedsheets.

“Jesus Christ…!” Hajime cried, cradling his head. “Good morning to you too…!” 

“Where am I…?” You cautiously glanced around the room, a delicate lift to your head. Familiar, warm lights blinked around you. “...this is my cottage.”

“Yeah…” Hajime sighed, leaning back in your desk chair. 

“Hey. Who said you could use that?” 

He gave you an unimpressed look. “Seriously? You expect me to sit on the floor and wait for you?” 

“I dunno, get your own chair!”

“Why would anyone do that!?”

You only gave him a half dignified snort-scoff, glancing down at your hands. Thick bandages wrapped them up all the way to your shoulders. It was stiff. When you twitched, they tightened against the joints of your fingers, rough gauze scraping skin. Faint splotches of blood dotted the white. 

How lovely. You’d been turned into a human candy-cane. 

Most likely Mikan’s work. 

“Well! Turns out I’m still alive.” You grinned, “somehow.” 

“Yeah,” sighed Hajime. “As soon as the bullets went off Peko moved crazy fast and got you both out of the way. Well, it’s not like humans can go faster than bullets, so…” 

“Wait… what? Is she hurt?” Your brows squinched. 

“Well, not nearly as bad as what you have,” he shrugged. “She and everyone else are waiting at the restaurant. Originally, we planned to let you rest, but I was sent to go check on you, to see if you were awake. And, since you are now, uh…” He offered an awkward hand, “let’s head to the restaurant. You have to eat lunch, anyway, so…” 

“Jeez. I was passed out for that long?” 

“Well, you were shot… a lot. Honestly, I’d say that was pretty early for your recovery.” 

You waved his hand away, “Unlike you, I don't faint from terror .” Frankly, you never thought you'd faint from pain, either.

This was... new. You weren't yet sure if you should've been embarrassed or not. 

With the only bulletless arm you had, you carefully peeled off the blankets and slid to the floor. You tried to land on your feet but your ankles wobbled and you collapsed. 

“Uh… you sure you don’t need my help?”

“Apparently I already owe Peko a huge favor, I’m not giving one to you too.” 

With that declaration, you carefully propped yourself on your elbows, then your knees, gritting your teeth through the excruciating pain. As you managed to make it to your feet, you took one step and crumpled again. 

Hajime stared. With a sigh, he hooked his arm under your shoulders and hoisted you to your feet. 

“What did I just fucking say?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t walk, and I can’t leave you here. Don’t take it too personally.” 

You started slipping from his grasp, and he clicked his tongue, carefully pulling you back onto his shoulder

You squinted at him. “...are you trying to cop a feel?”

“What!? No ! What’re you even saying!?”

You grinned, “Hey, I don’t min—”

“I’m going to violently drop you.” 

You gave an awkward laugh, “Okay, shutting up now.” 

After he managed to hobble you up the stairs, you keeled over in exhaustion, garnering everybody’s stares. Even with Hajime’s help, that was pretty hard. 

“So,” Byakuya raised his head, a grateful shot to the ice, “[Name] has woken up.” 

Hajime shrugged, “She was actually almost conscious when I walked in…” 

Akane tilted her head, “You didn’t gotta kick her into a wall or nothin’?” 

Mikan shrieked, “T—That is something you should never do, even to a healthy person!” she spared a sympathetic glance toward you. You just gave her a thumbs up. 

“Where’d Mahiru go?” Hajime noted her absence with apprehensive eyes. 

“She went to get Kazuichi,” Nagito hummed, looking up from the sleek console Chiaki—who had no reaction—aggressively pressed. 

“The dumbass thought he could run away! From a deserted island! ” cackled Hiyoko. “He probably pissed his pants while doing it, too. It’s a miracle he passed daycare!”

Speak for yourself… the words hung in the air. 

“Needless to say, it’s good to know that you are alright…”

You caught Peko’s gaze for an electrocuting second and turned away. Bandages clung to her limbs in various places, the outline of rough gauze protruding from her shirt. You could make out the faintest stains of blood, even through the wrinkled black. Blinking at your actions, she slowly did the same. 

“So, like… what’re we even doing?” you said, grabbing a nearby chair to steady yourself.

“Hmph.” Byakuya clicked his tongue, but eventually met you with a steady, concise gaze, “I don’t feel like repeating myself. Until Mahiru returns with Kazuichi, I will not start this meeting.” 

You rolled your eyes. Seriously? Why couldn’t he just leave you in bed and deliver the news there? This was way too much work. 

“Needless to say… since the others are taking so much time, I suggest we make use of it and start breakfast,” Byakuya strode over to the plate packed tables with an unbelievably high head, reaching for a sizable dish.

“Let’s eat!” he took the whole piece of meat and tore the flesh clean off the bone. 

Hajime pushed away plates and cups at your table. Mikan brought plates of nutritious food. You grimaced. You felt like some elderly douchebag in a nursing home. 

“Where did all this food even come from?” Hajime hummed.

Nekomaru grunted, “I believe it was here straight from the start!” 

“Ah!” You nearly cooed at Mikan’s face, shy hands pressed together in a rare display of delight. “They even have shrimp and crab!”

“Eating seafood is such a paaaaain! I hate it! Almost as much as I hate Mikan’s shady face.” 

“M… my face? Eh? Eh?” 

“Ew, yup. That’s the face right there.” she snickered. 

“The only shady face here is you,” you lift a brow. “Seriously, who let a loli stripper into Hope’s Peak?” 

A faint mutter, “Who let a Reserve Course student on this field trip?”

Your head whipped around to Nagito. He looked away. You wondered if you could drill his scalp off with your eyes. 

Hiyoko pounded her fists on the table, tears in her eyes, “I am not a stripper! I’m a traditional dancer ! Traditional! Dancer!”

“Oh!” shouted Akane through drool and crumbs, relieving the restaurant from your conversation, “I got it. Teruteru made all this food, right?” 

“I see, I see… my flavor must’ve been so high your tastebuds were fried.” He suddenly scowled, pupils shrinking to uncanny levels and veins popping from his head. “Yuh thick, boy!? Even through fried tastebuds, you should be able to tell—My food is eons above this mid-class trash! No, just comparing the—It’s out of the question!”

“H—Hey, don’t get so upset…” said Hajime.

“It’s true, though…” you munched half heartedly on a breaded piece of chicken. It was baked. Ew. “This stuff feels pretty tame when I think about last night…”

Ibuki cackled, “That’s what she said.” 

Teruteru reeled back into his skeevy face, “Yes, [Name] has quite the right idea! When you tried my food, you were astounded, weren’t you!?”

Peko’s brows furrowed. You wondered if she was curious. “What do you mean?” 

“Not only did your jaw drop! Your underpants fell off too! Even Peko’s black thong! Or—Or [Name]’s dark lace…!” 

“You—You bastard… !” Peko unsheathed her sword, pointing it at him threateningly, “How did you know that…!?”

“Yeah. You literally could’ve just asked. Don’t be so dramatic about it.” 

You lazily twirled a mussed lock of hair around your finger. 

“Do you have any standards, whatsoever?” said Nagito.

Sonia had an apprehensive finger pressed to her cheek: “But who, if not Teruteru, made this food?” 

“It must’ve been that Monokuma guy after all!” said Ibuki. People winced at you as if you might’ve been offended by the mention of his name.

Hajime shuddered, “Can we really trust this food if it was made by that stuffed doll?” 

“To ease your minds, I am just in the process of checking for poison,” Byakuya said, through a mouthful of food. 

You snorted, “Truly, our lives are being saved right now.”

The irritated thud of footsteps attracted everyone’s attention. 

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. I’ve brought him!” Mahiru harshly threw Kazuichi’s arm up, his sleeve caught in the iron trap of her fingers. 

“Eek…!”

“Stop trembling!” Mahiru elbowed him in the side. He yelped. “Aren’t you embarrassed, as a man?” 

“S… Stop it… don’t pull me…” he yanked his beanie over his water-logged eyes, “You’re gonna rip my sleeves off…” 

“Jeez,” you said, “where’d you find the guy?” 

Mahiru huffed. “He was all curled up in the beach sand, sobbing. His shoes were completely untied and dirty, too.”

“H—Hey! Don’t—Don’t make me sound so pathetic…!” 

“Kyahaha! He looks tough, but he’s a toootal scaredy cat!” Hiyoko’s expression suddenly morphed into one of dark blades, “I wonder if he’s gonna be alright… It’s often those types who turn out to be one of the first victims, you know.” 

“I mean, maybe in movies, though you totally just set him up a survival flag…” you hummed, chewing on your straw. “Although, scientifically speaking, someone who decided to murder would go for the easiest targets, right? Paranoia makes it harder to pull such a thing off. Meanwhile, weak and bravado-filled children like you, Hiyoko, would be perfect.” 

Her eyes darkened, “...children like me, huh?” A cruel, unnatural smirk twisted her face, “Then come at me. Do it in one strike, you blown up bitchstain. We’ll see who’s life’ll end down the drain.” 

A slow grin came down your face. 

More balls than Fuyuhiko, indeed. 

“Don’t make me come over there and parent you. Family dies together, after all.” 

She threw her hands in the air with a high, manic cackle. “My family will have been gagged and tortured to death before I consider a whore like you part of it.”

“Language…!” Mahiru gasped. She was quickly snapped out of it by Kazuichi’s struggling.

“L… Let me gooooo!” 

A shrill shriek shattered the air, the source revealing itself as Mikan flipped up with her legs in the air with a fanserviceness that could rival shitty harem shows.

“Uh oh—” you stood up, only to crumple to the ground like a wet paper towel.

You heard a snort, only to see Nagito’s turned head. 

The first thing I’m gonna do when I heal up is beat his ass. 

Mahiru glared when Teruteru made a perverted comment and swiftly untied her. Everyone else to be a confused stupor on how someone could even fall like that. 

“Mikan… are you alright?” Nagito asked, and you could hardly believe this was the same guy that laughed at your medical issues minutes prior. 

Her smile was shakier than an earthquake, skin glued down with sweat, “Uhm… I—I feel like my head’s split open, but I’m okay…” 

…At least she’s okay? 

Now that you thought about it, it  was odd. The way cables twisted up, how Mahiru had to sort through them to break her free, it only seemed possible with premeditation.

Oh well. If this is what Mikan wants, then I won't interfere.

After Mahiru’s comment on her stupendous tripping skills, Chiaki yawned, making eye contact with the entire room, yet no one at the same time. “More importantly… Everyone is here now, right? Shouldn’t we begin? I’ve…” she yawned, “gotten tired, you see.” 

You snorted, “Nice extroversion speedrun.” 

Byakuya breathed out a huff, elegantly wiping his fingers and mouth against a cloth. He was still chewing as he spoke, though. “As much as I hate to interrupt breakfast, it’s time to start this meeting.” 

The look on everyone’s faces was the same: Finally. Except for Akane, whom Byakuya pulled away from the food, despite her agonized wails. With a dramatic breath, he lobbed everyone a riddle-me-this question, something stupid about the thing you needed most at this time.

“You don’t mean food and sleep, do you?” said Akane. 

“Ku… You’re forgetting the importance of bowel movements. EAT WELL, SLEEP WELL, SHIT WELL! THERE’S YOUR ANSWER!”

The only one who actually tried was Nagito, who propped up his soapbox and started preaching about the importance of the power of friendship. “I’ve been thinking, if all of us Ultimates work together, there’s nothing we can’t do… Together, we can give birth to a hope that can overcome any despair!—”

You slapped your hands over your mouth, despite the pain. A string of snickers slipped through your fingers. “...give birth? Only Kazuichi could manage such a feat, being a massive vagina.” 

“H—Hey!” said boy threw a protesting hand in the air, “What’s that supposed to mean!?”

“Hey, it’s okay, I swing all ways!”

Nagito let out a long sigh, stepping back against the wall. “...I’m aborting this speech.” 

Y ou banged your head on the table, shoulders shaking with uncontrollable laughter. “...abort…”

“You knock on Hiyoko, but you seem pretty childish yourself,” Mahiru sighed out a laugh. 

“Nevertheless, he probably has a point.” said Peko, glancing toward you. “Monokuma designed those rules to make us paranoid and suspicious. To stop us from working together.” 

Byakuya pushed up his glasses. “Indeed. The answer you previously gave was excellent.” 

Nagito’s head pulled back into a bright grin. Byakuya’s praise was solid, and he even played quite a skilled hand as he rejected the answer. “...What we truly need right now is a gifted leader to be in command! And you will be delighted to hear that I will take on this responsibility myself.” 

And so, the discussion moved on. 

Well, it would’ve, if Mahiru didn’t throw back an assertive objection. She started chewing Byakuya out on how brazenly he decided that.

“Please, Mahiru, wait a moment!” Nagito said. He reasoned that in these circumstances, a leader needed to be a little aggressive. And, in the sense, it showed a lot of courage just to volunteer for a lofty position like this. 

No, not really. Greedy people could just be looking for control or a sense of security and trust from everyone else.

“W—Well, when we’re talking about someone born to lead, or someone with a lot of courage… Then what about Sonia or [Name]!?”

“...Huh? Me?” you pointed to yourself. 

Sonia gave a sheepish laugh, “I would not at all be fit. My role has always been more like that of a decoration.” 

You made a skeptical noise, “How’d you become an Ultimate, then?” 

“Huh?” she seemed off-put by the question, a doubtful arm moving to grip herself, “W… Well, I suppose you’re right… If I am to be regarded as an Ultimate, or, even a true citizen of my country… I really should be better at this sort of stuff, right…?” She let out a laugh, more elegance than joy. “I suppose the way Hope’s Peak chooses students really is a mystery…”

“Uh…” You had the distinct instinct you just fucked up. 

“Sonia…” Mahiru frowned. “That’s not true. You don’t have to do anything if you don’t want to.”

“Of course not,” Nagito added. “They chose you because they saw the talent in you. The time and place you choose to enact it is all up to your own discretion. No matter what you do, it’ll be right.” 

She only replied with a tight smile. With a satisfied nod, Mahiru went back to her stern face, wheeling to Byakuya. 

“Either way, between you and [Name], [Name] seems like a much more suitable candidate! Like, when she rebelled against Monokuma like that… There’s no doubt! She has the charisma and courage!”

“Mahiru,” Nagito said, “I—If you say something like that, Byakuya might…” 

Said boy hmphed . “...No, go ahead and have this debate. It is necessary to erase all doubt when we pick a role as important as this.” 

Mahiru blinked. “Huh? But you said—” 

“I was only stating reasons upon which I believe I would be suitable. If you think [Name] is better equipped for this task, then please, by all means…” he tilted his head, light scoring an intimidating sheen on his glasses, “Convince me.” 

You shrugged. To be honest, you didn’t understand why you were being nominated yourself.

Mahiru hid sheepish hands behind her back.

“I… I mean, I said it already, right…? She’s really good at… er, keeping morale high… and—  Remember the way she went against Monokuma? That must’ve been super scary… So that takes serious courage! Just what a leader needs!” 

“I… I agree…!” burst Mikan, “[Name] is truly the k—kindest person! S… She would make for a great leader…!” 

Why do you think that? I talked to you literally once…? 

“Hmph…” Gundham fanned out his scarf. 

“It seems you all have quite the warped visions. The pure expectations of mere mortals… Shine a bright enough light on them and the whole world will darken…” 

“Ew, what the hell?” Hiyoko said. “Speak a coherent language, you blubbery toad!” 

Nagito smiled, a little more punchable than usual, “Actually, I have to agree with Byakuya here. Come on, guys, when it comes to selecting leaders, don’t you think it would be wisest to choose with logic …?” 

“W…What do you mean…?” said Sonia. 

“I mean, think about it. What would [Name] charging Monokuma really give us? Especially when he has automobiles of all those scary machines… In the end, she made herself an example, and worsened the despair for everyone… Charging blindly into a battle with no actual power of your own; would you call that courage… Or recklessness…?” 

He held a hand to his chin.

“Remember: I don’t think this is a decision you can make based off who’s more likable, or who gave you more compliments…” 

“I don’t really get it…” said Akane. “I mean, she was tryna save us all, right? And put up a pretty good fight, too. That Monocular guy was even shredded, right? Well, at least til’ he came back…” 

Hiyoko sneered, “Isn’t it obvious, though? A teddy bear isn’t a real threat. It was those machines. I bet even Kazuichi could’ve torn his face off!”

“W—Why am I the baseline!?”

“...It’s the truth, though,” smiled Nagito. “In reality, all [Name] did was put us in more danger than before. Just take one glance at Peko for proof.”

The girl’s eyes widened. “Huh…? Me?” 

You winced, looking down. A familiar ball of uncomfortable heat pooled in your stomach. All eyes were on you. 

“H… Hey…!” said Mahiru, sending you a sympathetic look, “Cut it out! There’s no need to be so harsh on her! She was just trying to help us!”

Fuyuhiko scoffed. “Who gives a shit? In the end, it’s all the same. This stupid bitch nearly got all of us killed. Honestly, I say we should have just let her die.” 

“Fuyuhiko…?” Peko’s brows drew together. 

“…You…!” Mahiru heeled around with an abrasive glare. “You really are— Just…! Disgusting… ! I can’t believe you!”

“Y—Yeah!” said Ibuki. “Even if you are a top-hat clan boss or whatever, that doesn’t mean you can turn us into a set of broken strings!”

“Jeez, you all make such a loud farm!” snickered Hiyoko, shadows cutting out carcasses of eyes, “Don’t you get it? This isn’t some rich test of friendship. This is natural selection! [Name]’s soooo stupid, she’s bound to die eventually.” 

“Hahaha…! You’re all talking so seriously…” laughed Teruteru, unnaturally high, “Why don’t we all settle this with a nice cup of chamomile, eh?” 

“Everyone. Stop. ”

His voice sliced through the air as if it were water, blasting everyone’s mouths shut. 

Time and space warped to fit Byakuya’s presence, bending around his every word. He held the power. The Earth shook under him. 

“I said debate , not debase. This is why I decided to nominate myself as leader, instead of someone such as Sonia, or [Name], or anyone else, for that matter. This is a job I was born for.” 

He pushed up his glasses, “And, while I agree, we can’t just charge at Monokuma. It’s thanks to [Name] we know that now, and the kind of power he possesses.” 

“Well. I mean…” you made a little sigh, eyes glued petulantly to the table. “No one else was doing anything… I just thought, y’know… I didn’t wanna just follow his rules… That isn’t fair, y’know?” 

“And that’s commendable,” nodded Byakuya, “while it was stupid, the act in itself came from a place of courage. Now, all you need to do is how to apply that courage better in the future.” 

“Is that supposed to be a compliment…?” you muttered, but heat was still flushing up your neck. 

“It was supposed to be a word of advice.” 

Byakuya turned to everyone else, “Now, are there any more objections to my position as leader?” 

“I mean, I didn’t really want it in the first place, so, probably not,” you said.

“What!? Then why didn’t you say anything?” sputtered Mahiru. 

“Eh. Didn’t feel like I should at the time.” 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean!?” Kazuichi grabbed at his beanie. 

Byakuya sighed, but took up his typical fuck-all face. “Now, then, there’s something I want to show you. Come to Jabberwock Park, on the central island.” 

He was gone before anyone could question him. 

Students grumbled upon each other, slowly shuffling out after him.