Rallying
“...um…” Sonia pressed her hands together with a deep frown, “is what he said really true? D…definitely not, right? No one here is a traitor…”
Byakuya scoffed. “That’s right. Monokuma said it himself—he’s just trying to stir up suspicion. There is probably no traitor among us. Tch.” He suddenly crossed his arms, “why would there be? We shouldn’t even be having this silly discussion.”
“Y—Yeah…something like memory loss is…” Mahiru kept her head down.
“IMPOSSIBLE…!” Finished a distraught Nekomaru.
“Pathetic.” Hiyoko sneered.
“I don’t think so.” said Byakuya. “Just because we’re in a new environment, doesn’t mean it doesn’t stick to the rules of reality. It’s simply impossible for the rules of physics to bend what Monokuma’s implying. To reach in and take someone’s memories…to imply one of us will betray the other… it’s all set up for suspicion.”
You folded your arms over your knees. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t really believe that memory stuff either, at least without proof. But, like, if physics applies here, then how has literally everything that’s happened so far, happened?”
“Some sort of trick. Expensive machinery. There’s always science behind something.”
“I’d love to hear the scientific explanation for Monokuma chanting away my bullet wounds.”
“Well…” Nagito smiled. “...what if you’re the traitor?”
Ibuki screamed, “HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!?”
“Magically disappearing bullet wounds… you’re right, how could that be possible whatsoever?” he hummed, “what if… it wasn’t real in the first place? This whole act…playing tough with Monokuma…it’s all just a ploy to gain our trust, isn’t it?”
“...what?”
His blank eyes met yours.
An awkward laugh, “t—there’s no way…”
“Such bias isn’t befitting of an Ultimate like you, Hajime.”
“h…huh…?”
“I… I agree, however,” Sonia’s face pulled under the stress, “After all, think of what [Name] has done. She was hurt by Fuyuhiko,” the boy tched from deep in the crowd, “Wouldn’t Monokuma prevent such injuries from happening to an ally?”
“This is a killing game. We’re all students here, and yet, somehow, the traitor is one of us. Rule five just states in the event of a murder of the student group , which means it should apply to the traitor if they’re killed too, right? Which means they’re one of us. Monokuma can heal injuries that he himself has inflicted—but I imagine it’s a different story if it’s one of the participants.”
Hiyoko cackled, “of course a skank like [Name] would be the traitor! The stupid, bitchy comments you’re always throwing are just a way to get into our good graces! You’re probably desperate because you don’t have a talent!”
Nagito smiled. “You do stick out like a sore thumb. I mean, you’re from a course that you say is made from Hope’s Peak itself, and yet no one knows anything about it.”
“Hold on,” you glared, “if I was this ‘traitor’, why would I take on such a blatantly suspicious role? I would try to blend in more, take an Ultimate, like one of you guys.”
People shared anxious glances toward one another.
“U…um…” Mikan squeezed her hands together. She opened her mouth.
Nagito smiled, “well, that could also be the psychology you’re trying to implant on us, right? Reverse psychology. We could keep going back and forth about that. I imagine the organization wealthy enough to do this would spare no expense to disguise their kind. In the end, you could hardly call that a solid piece of evidence.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Mahiru glared. “If anyone would be the traitor, it would be that scumbag, Fuyuhiko! Remember? He’s the one who attacked her!”
Ibuki gasped, “Of course! Violent crimes like this could only be committed by violent gangs like him!”
“A—at this point, it could just straight up be both of them! O—or all of you…!” cried Kazuichi. “Stay away from me!”
“Everyone, stop ,” Byakuya glared, much harsher and larger than ever before, “what did I say? It’s ridiculous to even consider the idea. There is no traitor, and it is certainly not [Name].”
Nagito looked at him. His lips crooked into a sheepish smile, a deep exhale of a laugh. “...you’re right, I’m sorry. I let my doubt consume me for a second.”
Ibuki gasped, “seriously? You’re done just like that?”
Nagito smiled, “of course! I believe in all of you! Byakuya’s our leader, after all, too—if he says something, it must be right.”
“A—and, um…” Mikan squeezed her eyes together. When her eyes trailed back and forth, she met Nagito’s blank gaze and yelped.
“What do you need to say, Mikan?” Chiaki’s smooth, sleep-ridden voice coaxed the girl into shivering breaths.
“F—from what I could tell… u…uh…” she shrunk back at everyone’s stares.
You locked eyes. You didn’t really know what to tell her, so you just smiled as bright as you could. She looked back down.
“U…um… I looked at the wounds r…really carefully… and, um… I—I don’t think they were fake…? F…from what I could tell… uh…uuu…I…I’m sorry, I could always be wrong—please don’t hate me…!”
“No, that was probably pretty helpful… I think.” Chiaki titled her head. “That’s a solid piece of evidence, right? So we can conclude that [Name] isn’t the traitor, if there is one…”
Nagito hummed. “...you’re right. If the Ultimate Nurse says so, then it definitely must be true.” He beamed a bright grin at you, “isn’t that great news? That means there’s no need to suspect you anymore! After all, what do mere bullet wounds prove?”
You scoffed. “What’s your problem? These mood swings are monkey-level shit.”
“But…” Kazuichi scratched his cheek, “where’d the wounds go, then…?”
Gundham hmphed, “It would be but a scratch, if my power was used…”
You shrugged, “like I said, Monokuma healed me. I don’t know why, or how.”
Nagito blinked. “So… everything’s fine now, right? Now, all doubt has been cleared against you.”
Byakuya butted in before anyone could talk, seeming to have regained his sense of authority, “Of course. There is no room for doubt, because this is all just obvious stipulation. There is no traitor. Turn your eyes away from Monokuma, and simply follow my lead. We will make it out of here. And we will not die.”
On cue, the monitor flickered on. Monokuma announced the falling of nighttime—10’oclock. You were expected to go back to your cottages and sleep. (Considering that wasn’t in the rulebook, though, what he was really expecting was probably a bit of tomfoolery.)
And so, with no other ideas, you all went back to your cottages. Byakuya scheduled a meeting the next morning, to eat breakfast and plan your next move. You ushered Mikan until she finally left you alone. No shoulder-hobbling for you.
You watched as she left the area, gaze flickering back to you uncountable times. The second she was out of sight, your gaze whirled toward Nagito. He only smiled behind you.
“...so, Mr. ‘Let’s get a along, I’m sorry I was an asshole’…the fuck was that?”
He grinned, “insurance. Now there won’t be any doubt toward you in the future, you see?”
You kept your middle fingers at the ready. “Somehow, I really doubt that. You couldn’t have worded it better? Maybe not start by accusing me of being some kind of maniacally evil traitor? Also choose a less horrible time to accuse me?”
He shrugged, “you and I both know words aren’t my forte.”
“Yeah, clearly stupidity is where you reign supreme.”
He laughed, “sorry. I didn’t think it would affect you so bad. I just wanted to get a strong base for everyone’s trust in you, you know?”
“You didn’t think smearing my name in the middle of every single person on this island would make me look bad?”
“Well, things turned out alright in the end, right?”
You let out a long sigh. “I guess… I mean, that doesn’t make it not a dick move though. I mean, you’re hot, but not hot enough for me to let myself get stabbed through unknown circumstances.”
Nagito smiled. “Don’t worry, I probably won’t stab you.”
“‘Probably’, he says. Listen buddy,” you jabbed a thumb to your chest. “ I’m the one who does the jerking in a relationship.”
“Please stop saying things so nonchalantly.”
“Hey, I don’t take requests for free. That’ll cost you two starbursts.”
He sighed. “Listen, if I’m suspicious to you, then I guess I can’t really do anything about that. But I think we’d both benefit if you just gave me a little bit of legroom to work with.”
“The fuck are you talking about?”
His lips pulled up, face carved out in that soul-searing still life.
“It’s just a tiny little seed of a plan, but… I might be able to get you out of here.”
He suddenly took a marker out of his pocket, uncapping it with his teeth. His cold hands cupped your wrist, leaving slick scratches of letters over your arm.
5PM,
Meet me by the abandoned lodge by the hotel.
“Just a reminder for tomorrow,” clicking the marker back together, he flashed you one of the barest smiles you’d ever seen.
Peko stood uncomfortably in the corner, eyes glinting and pinched. He almost knocked over the folded boards of that abstract yellow-tinged painting in the corner. “Young master—“
“I said , don’t call me that.”
This was his twenty seventh pace around the room.
“Fuyuhiko,” she tried again.
Finally, he came to a stop, eyes regarding her with a refined glare.
She almost smiled. It took him months practicing to get that face just right.
Instead, she bowed her head, solemn and flat. “I’m sorry. It was because of my incessant knocking you were forced to let me in.”
“It’s fine, Peko.”
Slowly, he dropped himself onto the sheets with a loud sigh. He patted the spot next to him.
Peko tilted her head.
“…You gonna sit, or what?”
“A… are you sure?”
He scoffed. “I’m not your mom. Just like, get comfortable or something. I mean, you’re already here.”
She instantly bowed her head again, “I’m sor—“
“Don’t—“ He shook his head. “Look, you… you don’t need… just, don’t be sorry, okay?”
“O… okay. I’ll try my best.”
He stared at her. “…heh.”
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing! Don’t—fuckin—mind your own business!” He shot up, hands deep into his crumpled pockets as he headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”
He shrugged. “Supermarket or something? Who fuckin knows.” The glint of a familiar serrated blade tipped through his clothes.
“You can’t hurt her.”
She could feel his eyes growing wide beyond the buzzed back of his head. His fingers clenched so deep into his palms he was undeniably breaking skin.
His sigh was rough and hard. “...Is that what you thought?”
“No!” She shot up, “T—that wasn’t what I meant! I—I just—I know you aren’t this kind of—or, to the masters at least—you wouldn’t—’”
“No.” He wheeled around to her, chin up and eyes blazing under the moon with a vicious look she’d never seen before. “No, you’re right.” He stepped closer to her. One. Two. Three. “I am Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, future heir of the Kuzuryu clan. I am a teeth-grinding violent, dickish, angry piece of shit of a person. I hurt, use, and take advantage of everyone that’s around me.”
Her face pulled back. “T—that’s not—Fuyuhiko, please…” What was she supposed to say? He was so much better than all of that. Yet, as she tried to spill all of the protests in her chest, all that came out were weak sputters.
Think. What would the clan say? Her other masters?
“My son? Hell no. So far, that’s a weak, spineless ingrate—a blemish on the Yakuza name.”
“Ugh, seriously, where’s Natsumi when you need her?”
“That’s the future heir? Christ, this place really is going to shit.”
“That’s just how it is, right?” He scoffed. “Born like this, the real world would never accept us… so the only way we can go is into the clan. We aren’t meant to understand the opinions of normal people, their pain, or each other.”
Those words broke something in her and it got stuck in her throat. He was wrong. She did understand him. He was her life, her meaning, her entire existence, for God’s sake. “please… Fuyuhiko, you know you don’t have to do this. These could be my… our friends. Since we’re not back at home, we don’t have any orders to follow, so—”
“So if you know the barest thing about me, you’re going to get the fuck out. Right now.”
His stare was unflinching and his lip only curled harder every passing second.
Carefully, Peko stepped out of the cottage. The world was spinning. She forced her face still, and all too hard was she aware of her own existence, every breath that ground against her lungs. It was so cold.
“Young Master, I’m sor—”
He slammed the door.
As the stars blinked ever so peaceful in the sky, Peko came to a decision. No more slacking off.
She was going to finally do her goddamn job.
It was way too early in the morning for the door to be ringing.
“Hey, [Name]!” Nagito met you with a bright beam. “Great to see you haven’t been killed yet!”
You sighed, desperately wishing you could scratch through your cast. “Good morning to you too. Why are you here?”
“Checking in on you, of course.”
“The fuck do you mean of course ?”
“Anyway, Byakuya’s called another breakfast meeting for us. I assume he has a few more announcements. Either way, it’ll probably go way past our expectations. You can never really tell what he’s thinking, after all.”
“...Last night, you said that you might have had a plan to escape here. Right?”
“Hm? Is that what you’re hung up on?”
“ Of course it’s what I’m hung up on, dipshit. Elaborate.”
“I’m afraid I can’t at the moment. All I can tell you is I have a plan. The rest I’ll explain at the designated time.” His eyes flicked to your sleeve, the one blocking the hasty ink scrawls on your arm.
Yeah, you really needed to get new clothes soon. This uniform was boring and stupid.
“In the mean time, let’s see what Byakuya has in store for us, yeah?”
Your eyes narrowed. You jerked him up by his jacket hood, trying to sear your glare forever into his head. "Do I look like a dumbass ?"
He opened his mouth and (rightfully) decided not to comment.
"Buddy, I am the Nigerian Prince you sent a thousand dollars to. I'm not buying your bullshit, okay? And if, by some godforsaken miracle, I did , I'd have your head nailed to my wall the next morning." You smiled. "You wanna be my seventh rabbit?"
"... Haha! " he hid his mouth beneath lithe fingers, eyes a wide, unblinking swirl of greys and greens, no matter how close you yanked him. "You're funny, you know that?"
With a roll of your eyes, you sent him stumbling backward. "I'm getting breakfast. Don't follow me."
"We're going to the same place."
“I don’t wanna hear your goddamn excuses.”
The first thing you noticed was a table chock full of machinery. Kazuichi, next to it, was munching away at a piece of watermelon, staring dazed into the sky.
“What’s up with him…?” you muttered, as one of the later people to enter the restaurant.
“I made him take a break.” Byakuya shrugged. “The machine was starting to explode in his hands.”
“What machine?”
Byakuya only humphed. “He’s a fool, but he’s just as desperate as the rest of us. When I proposed the idea to him this morning, he just about imploded in his eagerness.”
Hajime burst through the door, “S… sorry… am I late?”
“Very,” Byakuya scoffed.
Mahiru sighed. “Can’t you set a timer or something? How are we supposed to be productive if you men can’t even commit to basic punctuality?”
“Actually, though…” Ibuki stopped her house of Poptarts for a second. By stopped, you meant she knocked it all down by dramatically slamming her hands on the table. “This isn’t everyone, is it?”
“Yeah.” said Chiaki. “Peko’s not here, is she?”
“Right. And Fuyuhiko is still missing…” mumbled Sonia.
“Kyahaha! Good for him! No one wants some angry stabby midget around, anyway!”
Byakuya turned his head. “I’m sure, even if he has temperament issues, there are ways upon which he would contribute immensely to the group.”
Nagito smiled. “Agreed! You guys are Ultimates here, after all. The more of us that work together, the better. We should listen to the wise words of our leader!”
Ibuki sucked air in through her teeth. “I mean, hehe… yeah, that guy is one of our classmates, but…” her eyes flicked to you and back. She leaned forward with a loud whisper. “He seriously gives me the freaks! I’m like, totally shivering just thinking about it!”
“Y… yeah…” Mahiru rubbed her arm. “Honestly… maybe it’s for the best he’s not here. We don’t want more people getting hurt.”
“R—right…” Mikan cast her gaze down, with a shrug. “That’s just…what happens when you do something wrong.”
Hiyoko let out a high giggle. “Tee-hee! Cheers to hoping he’s the first one to die!”
“Man, you guys are total bummers,” you snorted, “personally, I can’t wait to see what that guy does next.”
“Are you crazy? Listen, I get he’s our age and all, but he is totally nuts!” said Kazuichi.
“And just who, exactly, is ‘nuts’?”
All eyes swiveled toward the entrance. Peko’s gaze was cold and even.
“Gasp!” Ibuki slapped her face too hard.
“Sorry I’m late.” Silently, she slid into a seat.
“...You good?” You tried to break the awkward silence. No dice; she didn’t even glance at you.
Byakuya pushed up his glasses. “Now that we’re all here, I suppose I should introduce the project.”
“What project?” asked an apprehensive Hajime.
“Project Escape Jabberwock island.”
“What…?”
“Heh. Guess that’s my cue.” Kazuichi smugly slid out of his seat, a thumb to his chest. “Call me your hero, because thanks to my handiwork I’ll have ya out in a pinch!”
Hiyoko lifted a brow. “I don’t get it. Why is dogshit loser talking?”
“L—loser?”
“Kazuichi is working on our escape route—a communicative device that will signal for outside assistance to come rescue us.”
“Seriously…?” Ibuki’s eyes bulged out of her sockets. “That’s possible here?”
“Uhhh, to be honest, I don’t really know yet.” Kazuichi tugged awkwardly at his collar. “I don’t even know if there’s any signal out here, but it’s the best I can do.”
Mahiru huffed. “Well, do harder! Do you seriously expect for there to be signal on a deserted island?”
“B—but—!”
“Yeah, honestly, she’s right!” Hiyoko huffed. “Is this just some ploy to make us actually respect you? Cuz I’m gonna be nice and let you know in advance—there’s no way that’s ever gonna happen.”
“B—but…” he sobbed, “I noticed… the security cameras… and stuff…”
Nagito’s eyes widened. “You mean… if they’re really monitoring us, they must have a signal, right?”
He sighed. “Well, there are wired and wireless cameras, and considering they’re not connected to a power source, they’ve gotta be wireless, right…? Like, battery powered or somethin’ I dunno, Monokuma won’t let me touch em. But, uhhh… it doesn’t let us manipulate the footage in anyway, so they’re probably being broadcast to some headquarter, right? Like, Monokuma’s evil lair or something where he watches us all… so like, yeah, it’s likely he’s using some kinda radio wave signal.”
“Hah? But a camera’s not a radio?” Akane scratched the back of her head.
“I don’t get it either,” you said, “did Kazuichi just contribute something useful to the group?”
“What’s that supposed to mean…!”
“NICE GOING! Thanks to you, we’ll be off this island in no time!” Nekomaru laughed, slapping Kazuichi on the back. You heard a bad crunch beneath the sobbing.
“So… you’re saying there’s hope after all?” a grin spread ear-to-ear on Teruteru’s face. “We can connect with the outside world like this, right?”
“Um… my deepest apologies for my ignorance,” Sonia offered a sheepish smile, “But what exactly is the plan? Byakuya mentioned ‘Project Escaping Jabberwock Island’ with some sort of communicative device, right? How would we obtain such a thing?”
“So polite…!” Now Kazuichi was crying for different reasons. “She really is a princess! No, a queen !” He straightened back up with an arch, facing all of you with resolute eyes. “Alright, guys, here’s how it’s gonna go! We’ll all be divided off into different sections and groups, sent to investigate the island and bring back resources. Like, um, sure we don’t have an exact communication device, but I think I might… like, maybe, uh… just might be able to… put one together? With… enough, like, stuff?”
Gundham hmphed. “Such indecision… you expect us to trust a man who doesn’t even trust his own tongue?”
He let out a long, defeated sigh.
Byakuya coughed, “We’ve decided to split you up into groups. Mahiru, Mikan, Hiyoko, Teruteru, and Gundham. You guys will go out into the forest by the beach and search for animals. Document anything you find.”
“Huh?” Mahiru tilted her head. “Why?”
“I—I’ll… I’ll do my best to help you all!” Mikan pressed her hands together.
Gundham let out a cackle. “Let the beasts hear it! Anuubis shall feel their howls from the other side as they submit themselves before my wrath and kneel!”
Hiyoko let out a disdainful wretch and Teruteru sat in the corner and drooled.
Akane, Nekomaru, Sonia and Ibuki were set to scavenge resources in the supermarket.
“Haah?” Akane said. “What’s that gonna do? Why don’t you just send me to wrestle it up instead—I’ll have us out in no time!”
Nekomaru pounded his fist against his chest. “Violence is nothing with no purpose, and can’t solve all your problems! Stand straight! You must come to understand the significance of your work!”
“If you’re not training me, get lost. I bet I could tear your meat sack a new one, anyway!”
Hajime, Nagito, Chiaki, and Peko were set to spend the day fishing on the rocks.
“As I think a great man once said…” Hajime’s face scrunched. “Why?”
Nagito grinned. “I see! Maybe then my luck will be useful for once!”
Chiaki blinked. “I’m sure… there’s a lot you can do… that doesn’t just revolve around your luck.” She held a finger to her chin. “I’m not exactly sure… how I’m supposed to contribute, though?”
“You’ll be just fine. Are you questioning my decisions?” An intimidating glare spilled off Byakuya’s glasses.
“…ah… No, of course not… I think.”
You huffed. “Heyyyy, why am I being left out?”
He rolled his eyes. “Stabbing, shooting, do you need to be blown up to get the message? Stay in your cottage and rest. Aggravating your injuries is a horrible idea.”
You shook the tables with dog-like aggression. “Then get over here and blow me, you fucking coward!”
He sighed, pushing up his glasses. “That is all. Class dismissed.”
“Heyyyyy! Now just where are you headed off to?” said Ibuki.
“I will be conducting my own private investigation. Good luck, you all.”
“He’s gone…” Mahiru sighed.
Hiyoko turned up her nose. “No way I’m listening to Ham Hands. This whole thing is stupid anyway. Who’d wanna work with you boot-lickers?”
“H—hold on, guys!” Slowly, Kazuichi stood up. He sent pleading eyes to everyone in the room. “I… I know the guy’s suspicious, but you can’t just leave, y’know! We’ve been putting a lot of work into it!”
“We’re not here just to justify your waste of talent,” she sneered, “how about you spend your time being productive and growing a spine?”
“Hey!” He slammed his hands on the table, screw drivers and small metal pieces clattering to the floor. “It’s not just me, y’know! Byakuya’s also actually put a lot of work into it! And last I checked, a… a weak little squirt like you is hardly the boss here, so…!”
“...Do you fucking hear something?” Her wide, searing eyes gored deep into the soft meat on his bones.
Kazuichi yelped. “No, ma’am…!”
Sonia’s heels clacked across the floor boards. “…Hey.” She knelt down to Hiyoko, eyes softening.
“I know… you must scared, right? This is… quite the scary predicament we’ve found ourselves in, but right now, all we have to count on is Byakuya’s word. I understand how you must feel, um…” Her gaze shifted. “Playing big… pretending so others will heed you… do you not get tired? Byakuya is offering himself to us right now—his entire body and soul. Perhaps it’s worth lifting at least a finger back.”
She took a heeled step forward. Hiyoko stared wide-eyed at her, stumbling into the wall.
“Because no matter what Monokuma says, we hold the power, right? We are the ones that can show him how we are above the act such as murder, hurt, and distrust. Freedom is right in front of us now, you see. We only have to have the heart to reach out and grasp it. So… let’s go home together, alright?”
She splayed her palm.
“W… what? What the hell are you talking about?” Her eyes darted across all your faces, around every stitch of the room. Not a shred of attention was to be spared on her. She was trembling.
Kazuichi sobbed into his hands. “Miss Sonia…! That… that was so beautiful !”
A smile curved on Mahiru’s lips. “Atta girl.”
“W—what a pretty way with words…” Mikan blushed. “If I had something like that…”
A wide grin spilled into your eyes. You bit it down.
Hiyoko was cornered.
A minute passed. Head down, eyes on the brink of tears, she slipped her hand into Sonia’s.
“Thank you. You’ve made a wonderful decision.” She spun as she stood up, facing all of you with a smile brighter than snow.
“Now then, shall we get started?”