Chapter Text
I am possessed.
Possessed by what, you say? It is a feeling, a sensation that I have difficulty in understanding.
I am certain it is not love.
I have experienced it, or what I think it is, all shades of that thing that once clouded my thoughts. While it is enjoyable when it lasts, the world shatters me, and it forcefully ends. From this unreasonable, irrational emotion I have inspired a miracle, yet the blood flowing in my veins are undoubtedly tinged with regret.
I am unsure whether it is happiness.
Through my journey I have long forgotten what it is to be happy.
Is it to be content with life? With people still pondering the meaning of life, I can hardly be satisfied with such an answer. Though people who are satisfied are undoubtedly 'happy', humans being the irrational beings they are, will never be satisfied.
Hence, with the limited knowledge I possess, I conclude happiness is not a real emotion.
It is a desire to help.
To help those in need, and to show people the way, with its perils and constant dangers that lurk at every turn. I shall give the people I will call my friends the courage they need to seek the future.
Yes. I believe they call it hope.
The ones that can truly be saved are the ones that can help themselves.I can only do so much. Past events taunt me, save me and remind me: Intentions no matter how noble, when forced upon others, are ineffective, unwelcome, evil.
And I accept it.
As I feel the familiar sensation of the earth bolting towards me, matter rearranging itself as air slashes my face, I am born.
I will bring forth hope.
I will bring forth despair.
But above all:
I shall bring forth faith.
…
I think.
Therefore I am.
***********
Running. Vaulting. Veering. Breathing. Breathing Out. Falling. Screaming. Pain. Darkness.
Take all these unrelated goods and pop into the blender with just a dash of deux ex machina, and blitz at high speed. Serve in a tumbler glass, shaken not exploded, remove unnecessary memories that form a layer on the top and garnish with an Apollo candy. Voila. You have a protagonist.
That concludes the pilot episode of Monokuma's Cooking show for the bored.
THE REAL WORLD
Hajime Hinata woke.
The air was cool and somewhere he could hear crickets. A single star adorned the night sky. The lamppost above him flickered unpleasantly. A paper bag was being carried by the wind in the distance. A brief turning of the head would reveal the unnerving fact that he was lying in the middle of an open road.
Where am I?
He let his mind wander. I remember... Screw this I don't remember anything!
It wasn't until he straightened up that he noticed the rifle pointed at him.
Space grey, the nozzle smelled faintly of cordite, poised to fire, and through the sepia scope a single purple eye peered through.
Instinct told him to run, reason held him still. The sweat tasted like metal in his mouth. For a moment both figures regarded one another. The impasse was uncomfortable. Finally he spoke:
"Um... Nice weather tonight, isn't it? AHAHA-haha-heh... never mind."
The eye blinked once. The wielder of the gun detached itself from the scope and surveyed him suspiciously.
Purple hair.
It would be more accurate to describe it as a sort of silvery lavender. Rhinestones studded her dark gloves as she adjusted the grip of the rifle.
Finally, she relaxed.
"Welcome to the Bullet Battlefront." Her voice was detached, yet present, cold and to-the-point. She swung the rifle over her head and opened the bipod attached at the front.
"Uh... Is that a real gun?"
"Everyone asks the same question..."
She rubbed the gap between her eyes.
"It's a Steyr Scout bolt action sniper rifle, fairly lightweight and accurate enough for the target I'm aiming at. Any other questions would have to wait until you agree to join us."
"So what do I do after I join your um..."
"Bullet battlefront. If you're wondering, we're currently at a loss on what name should be given to our group. The last name we had was the Neighbors' club, only to find it was copyrighted by a rather nasty individual. Hence that's our temporary name until further notice."
Hinata sat up, frowning.
"Right, so the Bullet Battlefront. Say I join the group. What happens afterwords?"
"First you accept the fact that you're undoubtedly dead. That makes you more flexible and compliant. Then you shall participate in the daily operations we carry out for our daily lives here and find a way to solve the mystery of this place. And then most importantly we fight to avoid being obliterated."
There was something wrong somewhere in what she said, but he followed:
"Fight what?"
"Tenshi."
He strode over to her side to see where she was pointing her gun. 300 meters away, a storey below, the target was completely unaware that she was being watched, much less targeted. To be precise, she was asleep whilst standing. A hoodie blocked most of her facial features, as a tuft of silver-creamy hair dangled itself in time with the wind.
However you look at it that's a defenseless girl right there.
"If your battlefront targets innocent civilians, I might as well join the JRA."
She turned back towards him.
"Firstly, Tenshi's not innocent. For that matter nobody in this world is truly innocent. Secondly, guns do a fat lot of good in this world where no one dies. Thirdly, we do not target innocent civilians. The enemy is just undefined. And finally we do this as we fear oblivion. Got that?!"
"With all due respect, I have no Idea where I am, my brain fails, which logically suggests this is a dream or I had a serious hangover last night, which I doubt since I'm underage and I do not have the delicious side effect that is a migraine. And right now, I just think joining with her might be better than somebody toting a gun."
Again the two were silent. Finally she exhaled.
"We're both on the same side. If you don't want me pointing guns, I won't. Progress requires faith. I believe it's your turn to show some."
For the first time tonight, she revealed a small smile.
Celestia was right. First try and force him in, then offer him another option. Finally, warm up to him and cover with a smile.
Humans do tend to be more trusting when you offer them a path of retreat. They become more compliant, reasonable, and would be willing to listen to you.
As the girl attempted a reassuring smile, her mind wandered beyond.
Society has changed us. It dictates us. What traps us are not bars, not torture chambers, but ourselves.
"Hence I ask again. Would you like to join the Bullet Battlefront?"
The teen warily inspected her gloved hand. Slowly, yet surely, he moved his hand forward.
Finally.
"OI! KIRIRIN!"
The girl silently swore as both people turned to look at the man hurrying towards them.
Dressed in a neon yellow jumpsuit, complete with a bandana sandwiching his shocking pink hair, the man, also toting a firearm, hurried forward.
Souda. Why now of all times...
"What's taking so long with the new guy? You know best of all that we're heavily understaffed, and we need to use any means necessary to- er...(notices her hand flying to her face) Whaddid I miss?"
"I'm going down to her."
"Oh Crap crap crap crap KERAPP! Kirigiri put that down! Put that down please. Look! Puppy dog eyes! You wouldn't shoot somebody with puppy dog eyes, right?!"
Hinata was halfway down the steps when he heard the gunshot.
Are these people idiots?
Bullet battlefront. Dead people. Angels. Oh my.
She'd be more believable wearing a justice robot suit.
"Uhh... Hello?"
A trickle of saliva dripped as the girl woke up. She calmly wiped her eyes and mouth with her sleeves, and then directed her attention towards him.
"Sorry about waking you up. Just thought you should know, two idiots out beyond were aiming a gun towards you. They also said you were an angel."
The girl cocked her face. Locks of hair billowed down.
"But I'm not an angel."
"That's why I told you they're idiots. And also-"
"I'm the student council president." She interrupted.
Obviously I was mistaken. What a moron I was.
"Right, sorry for bothering you, I'll just stop at a nearby hospital to regain my bearings."
"There are no hospitals."
He stopped in his tracks.
"Why not?"
"Nobody gets sick of course." She replied as if it was obvious.
"Why?"
"Because everyone's already dead."
Blank shock presented itself to her, before Hinata composed himself.
"OH, I GET IT! YOU'RE IN ON THIS ENTIRE THING, AREN't YOU?! YOU'RE THE REASON WHY I DONT REMEMBER ANYTHING, RIGHT?"
"Amnesia is common here. Those who experienced accidents might have also felt severe head trauma, hence loss of memories are the norm."
This can't be real. This has got to be a lie.
"All right then! Prove it! PROVE TO ME THAT I AM DEAD, CAUSE I'M HAVING A ROUGH TIME JUST THINKING ABOUT-"
"Hand sonic."
A thin blade materialized around her wrist.
There was a sickening sound, then there was peace.
The last thing he registered before blacking out was the peculiar looking hair clip on her head.