Slow Hope

It had only been a week since they’d woken up, but Komaru felt as if they’d been walking for years. The uncertainty was the worst of it – not knowing if they were going the right way, or if there would be anything there when they did arrive; not knowing how much time had passed since they’d been put to sleep; not even knowing if the food they foraged was safe to eat.

There was a lot of not knowing.

And if Komaru could have gone back in time, she would have let her brother have it for splitting the three groups up. Sure, it was the sensible thing to do – if one of the groups was wiped out, the others might still survive – but Komaru was tired, she was sore down to her bones, and she wished they could have skipped this part and all woken up together instead.

‘There’s something up ahead!’ Daimon had gone ahead, and he called back to them now.

‘What do you mean “something”?’ Kotoko said.

Daimon joined his arms in an arc above his head. ‘Like a big dome,’ he said.

Komaru looked at Shingetsu, who’d been marking their progress on a map that was who-knew-how-long out of date.

‘This could be it,’ he said.

‘Finally,’ Fukawa said.

‘How far off is it?’ Komaru asked. She joined Daimon on the rise, looking out over the landscape.

‘Still a couple hours, I reckon.’ He pointed for her, and she could see it: a white sphere emerging from out of the trees. It was a solid structure, not like the ruins they’d passed.

‘Well, I’m taking a break,’ Fukawa said. When Komaru looked back, she had dumped her backpack on the ground to make a seat. Of the six of them, Fukawa had found the journey the most difficult – she tired easily, and struggled to keep the food down.

Even now, once they’d sat down together and Kotoko had passed out the fruit she’d been carrying, Fukawa had to leap up to go vomit in the bushes.

‘Toko-chan!’ Komaru rose, to go hold back Fukawa’s hair as she wretched.

‘I’m okay,’ Fukawa said, when she could talk again. Komaru handed her her water bottle, and Fukawa took it, washing out her mouth and spitting on the ground.

‘I don’t get it,’ Komaru said. ‘Everyone else is fine with the food.’

‘It’s not the food though, is it?’ Shingetsu said.

Fukawa took a proper drink, scowling in Shingetsu’s direction.

‘Whatever it is,’ Komaru said, worried all of a sudden, ‘you can tell us.’ They couldn’t have gotten within sight of the second group, only to have Fukawa fall ill ...

‘It’s not the food,’ Fukawa admitted.

‘Then what?’

Fukawa avoided Komaru’s eyes.

‘She’s pregnant,’ Shingetsu said. ‘Right, Fukawa-san? It’s morning sickness.’

‘What!’

‘No way!’ Kotoko said. ‘Who’s the daddy?’

‘Byakuka-sama, of course,’ Fukawa said. She wrung her hands.

‘Really?’ Kotoko said. ‘Really truly?’

‘Why didn’t you say anything?’ Komaru could hardly understand what Fukawa was saying – how could she be pregnant? How could she be pregnant and not have told Komaru? How could she have slept with Togami and not have told Komaru?

‘It might not have worked,’ Fukawa said. ‘And we might not have woken up anyway ...’

‘But ...’

‘You should have said something,’ Shingetsu said. ‘Your health is extra important now.’

‘Toko-neesan’s going to be a mum,’ Kotoko said. ‘That’s scary!’

‘What’s scary about it?’ Fukawa said. ‘People pop out kids all the time. I’m not special.’ She got to her feet and hoisted her backpack, as if she weren’t the one who’d just asked for a break.

‘Toko-chan, wait up!’

‘Just cos I’m pregnant,’ Fukawa said, walking ahead, ‘doesn’t mean I need coddling.’

‘Shingetsu-kun is right though.’ Komaru fell into step beside her. ‘You need to take care of yourself.’

‘I know that,’ Fukawa snapped. ‘It’s Byakuya-sama’s child, after all.’

‘Is it? Really?’ It did sound rather like one of Fukawa’s fantasies.

‘Like I’d ever have anyone else’s child,’ Fukawa said. ‘I couldn’t convince him to come with us, so I convinced him to ... anyway, it’s definitely his. Don’t act like it’s such a surprise.’

Behind them, Kotoko and Jataro started up a rude song. Komaru stopped to glare at them, and the song turned to giggles.

‘Just goes to show,’ Fukawa muttered. ‘A bunch of idiots like you could never understand our relationship.’

‘Toko-chan ...’

Fukawa strode ahead. Komaru looked helplessly back at the others.

Shingetsu wore a vaguely guilty expression, as if he regretted saying anything. But Komaru was glad he had. If Fukawa was having a baby, Komaru had to be ready to support her.

A baby. In this world.

She hurried after Fukawa. At least they would be reunited with the second group soon. Maybe then, she could get Fukawa to take a rest.

Komaru should have known things wouldn’t be that easy.

---

When they got to the dome, the doors were sealed from the inside.

‘There must be some kind of intercom,’ Kotoko said, and she made a sound like a yodel.

‘They won’t let us in if you’re making noises like that,’ Daimon said.

The door continued to loom over them.

‘Shouldn’t there be some kind of command we can use?’ Fukawa asked. ‘Naegi didn’t say anything?’

‘They hadn’t finished this place when we went to sleep, remember?’ Komaru frowned at the door. ‘If it’s electronic, maybe I can link it.’ She began to hunt through her backpack for her hacking gun.

‘I can’t believe you brought that with you,’ Fukawa muttered, as Komaru set about hacking the door. When it began to shudder open, she gave Fukawa a brilliant smile, and headed in.

They found themselves in a long room, that stretched out into a hallway. On either side were machinery and computer read-outs, blinking lights and screens. Komaru couldn’t make sense of them. There was no-one around, and a dead feeling to the air, as if there hadn’t been anyone around in a very long time.

‘What’s this place meant to be?’ Daimon said. He went to poke at the controls, until Fukawa growled at him and he snatched his hand back.

Everything looked a lot more complex than the facility they’d woken up in. ‘I guess we keep on going,’ Komaru said. At least the equipment was still working.

They proceeded down the hall, which became steadily more tunnel-like as they walked. Eventually they hit a metal door, with bars like a cage, and beyond it ...

Beyond it, the solid floor was replaced by moving platforms, and the area was patrolled by small drones shaped like Monokuma heads.

Komaru’s heart sunk, but she felt a curious lack of surprise. Nothing had ever gone the way it should, not since the Tragedy. Why should the future be any different?

‘That’s not meant to be there,’ Fukawa said. ‘You don’t think –?’

‘We keep going,’ Komaru said. She could destroy the drones, she thought, and the platforms were just a matter of careful timing ...

Kotoko gave a nervous laugh. ‘Lucky Komaru-neesan’s here,’ she said.

She could do this. ‘Be ready, everyone,’ Komaru said, bracing herself. ‘We don’t know what we’ll find.’

She opened the door, and started down the tunnel.

---

When they emerged at last, it was like they’d been transported to another world. The old world. A large building rose up beside the shed they’d emerged from; the sky was a brilliant blue. It had been overcast.

‘We’re still in the dome, right?’ Kotoko asked. ‘What’s this meant to be?’ She waved a hand at the building they’d emerged beside.

‘Looks like a school,’ Fukawa said. She leant against the walls of the shed; avoiding the traps had taken it out of her.

‘A school,’ Shingetsu said, with disgust. ‘Why’d they pick that to survive?’

‘Sounds like my brother, doesn’t it?’ Komaru said.

‘What’s this?’ a voice came from behind them. ‘No-one said anything about transfer students.’

Fukawa reacted first, lifting a hand. ‘Mo-monokuma,’ she said.

Komaru nodded. Quickly, she had the hacking gun in hand, and she blasted the Monokuma three times, till it lay twitching on the ground.

‘Why would there be a Monokuma here?’ Shingetsu sounded a little stunned.

‘You don’t think ...’ Kotoko’s voice wobbled.

First the trapped tunnel, now Monokuma. ‘We don’t know what happened here,’ Komaru said, ‘so be careful, everyone!’

They continued along the path that curved around the building. It was disconcerting, to see such a constructed landscape after days of trees and ruins.

‘This is too weird,’ Fukawa muttered.

‘Another Monokuma!’ Kotoko said. ‘This one’s dressed funny!’

It was a red Monokuma, wearing a scarf, and it looked as if it might protest Kotoko’s statement, except that Komaru hit it straight in the eye with the hacking gun, and it dropped.

‘That’s new,’ Komaru said. She felt a little sick. ‘Whoever this is, they’re not just imitating.’

‘Huh. It looks just as stupid as the others,’ Fukawa said. She kicked the body.

‘You!’ someone said. ‘How’d you do that!’

This time the voice was a boy, not a robot. He ran up to them, and Komaru was relieved to recognise him as one of her brother’s students. Oma was one of those who’d been sent forward as part of the second group.

‘With this,’ Komaru said, and hefted her hacking gun for Oma to see.

Oma made admiring noises. And then he said, ‘But who are you?’

‘You don’t know?’ Komaru asked. It seemed odd that Naegi wouldn’t have told him about them. ‘I’m Naegi Komaru. From the Future Foundation.’ There was no recognition on the boy’s face.

‘This is part of it, right?’ Oma looked down at the Monokuma, his face turning cloudy.

‘We don’t know what “it” is,’ Fukawa said. ‘We came from outside.’

‘What? Outside?’

‘Outside the dome,’ Komaru said. ‘It will be easier to explain to everyone at once. Where are the others?’ She thought of the Monokuma. ‘Is it safe?’

‘Safe?’ Oma said. ‘Oh, sure, it’s very peaceful.’ He started laughing, harder than Komaru thought was warranted. ‘But you can take care of yourselves, right?’ He looked at them curiously. ‘Come on, let’s go find the others.’

---

‘Th-this is everyone, then?’ Fukawa asked. The group Oma gathered came to nine people in total. Only nine, of the sixteen there should have been. ‘Let me guess. Monokuma trapped you here and ordered you to kill each other.’

‘Huh? You already know?’ Oma said.

‘It’s happened before,’ Fukawa said. ‘You don’t remember?’

‘We don’t remember anything before waking up here,’ Saihara said. Like Oma, Komaru recognised him from his photo. ‘Only ...’ He looked away, frowning. ‘I guess the flashback light was a trick after all.’

‘Well, the world could still be destroyed,’ Oma said. ‘Maybe these guys are robots too.’

‘We’re not robots,’ Kotoko said.

‘Sounds like something a robot would say.’

Komaru spoke before an argument could start. ‘The world was destroyed,’ she said. ‘A long time ago now. There was an asteroid on its way to earth, and we couldn’t do anything to stop it.’ She looked at Fukawa, who gave her a tight-lipped nod. ‘We were part of a project to preserve humanity, and we were put into stasis so that ... well, so that when the earth recovered, we could start over.’

‘Wait a minute,’ Iruma, one of the girls, cut in. ‘You’re saying we’re the only ones left?’ At Komaru’s nod, she started to smirk. ‘If they wanted to repopulate the earth, it’s obvious why they chose a super hot genius like me, but what about Kiibo here?’ She gestured at him with her thumb. ‘He’s not exactly equipped.’

Somehow, despite being a robot, Kiibo managed to turn red and splutter.

‘Ah, well ... you guys were the first class of the new Hope’s Peak Academy. They wanted you to stick together.’

‘The new what now?’

‘Hope’s Peak,’ Komaru repeated. ‘You don’t remember that either, then.’

‘So we were classmates!’ Momota said. He clapped Saihara on the back. ‘Maybe you were my sidekick after all, Saihara.’

‘If were were classmates,’ Harukawa said, ‘then who are you guys?’ She looked at Komaru and the others.

‘They must be from the school,’ Oma said. ‘Hey, should I start calling you “miss”?’

‘We’re not from the school, exactly,’ Fukawa said.

‘If you don’t remember anything, this is going to be hard to explain.’ Komaru wasn’t sure she could do it without going into the Tragedy first, and they still didn’t know why there were Monokuma here ...

‘We’re not going anywhere,’ Harukawa said.

‘Are we sure we can trust them though?’ Shirogane said. ‘We don’t know this isn’t part of the mastermind’s plan. After all, even if she says she killed Monokuma, we already know they can make more.’ She pushed up her glasses, hiding her face.

‘You don’t need to worry about more Monokuma,’ Daimon said. ‘Our Naegi’ll definitely kill them dead.’

‘I saw her kill Monotaro myself,’ Oma said. ‘It was horrible!’ To Komaru’s great surprise, he burst into tears.

‘What?’ Komaru said. ‘Did I make a mistake?’ He hadn’t looked like a normal Monokuma, it was true ... maybe she should have tried talking to it first ...

‘He’s having you on,’ Fukawa muttered.

‘Oh?’ Oma stopped crying abruptly. ‘You worked it out.’

‘Don’t listen to anything Oma says,’ Iruma said.

Oma grinned. ‘Nah, it was really great you got rid of an annoying guy like that. I’m surprised Monokuma hasn’t shown up again though. Or Monophanie.’ He pressed a finger against his lips.

‘H-how many of them are there?’ Fukawa asked.

‘There were five of them to start,’ Momota said. ‘Plus Monokuma. But the other Monokubs got destroyed in the class trials...’ His face became solemn.

Fukawa, beside Komaru, looked just as serious. Komaru reached out to squeeze her hand.

‘If Monokuma and Monotaro really are destroyed, there’s only Monophanie left.’

That, then, was the cue for a huge crash as the doors to the dining hall burst open.

‘You killed Papa!’ rang out a voice from inside a mecha. The robot loomed over them, and everyone backed up.

‘Exisals!’

‘Toko-chan?’ Komaru said, not taking her eyes off the mecha. ‘I think we could really use Genocider right about now.’

‘I didn’t bring my taser to the future,’ Fukawa said, through gritted teeth.

‘Fine,’ Komaru said, grabbing for her hacking gun. ‘I guess I’ll have to do it myself.’

She’d expected the robot to put up a fight, but it only took a couple of knockbacks for it to surrender. The hatch opened up, and the Monokub that emerged was so sorry-looking that Komaru couldn’t bring herself to destroy her outright.

‘Right!’ Momota said, punching his fist in his hand. ‘Time to explain yourself!’

Monophanie quivered in front of them. ‘I just wanted to avenge Papa and Monotaro,’ she said. ‘Who’re these people? What’s that horrible weapon?’

‘We’re asking the questions,’ Momota said. He took a deep breath, seeming to steel himself. ‘The killing game is over.’

‘Over?’ Monophanie trembled harder.

‘Can we really say that?’ Shirogane said, her voice soft. ‘If there is a mastermind, we know they can bring Monokuma back. This could be just another trick.’

‘Then we find out where they’re making them,’ Momota said, ‘and we trash the place!’

‘You should just tell us,’ Fukawa said to Monophanie. ‘Maybe then ... we’ll let you live.’ She looked shifty as she said it.

‘You think I know?’ Monophanie said. ‘If I knew, then Monotaro wouldn’t have to be dead!’

‘I think I believe her,’ Komaru said. Monophanie was so pathetic it was almost endearing.

‘Actually,’ Saihara said, ‘we might already know where it is.’

‘Huh?’ Monophanie’s trembling stopped.

‘After what happened to Amami-kun, we gave up on that route,’ Saihara said. ‘But it still might be that ... the door in the library ...’

‘But we already know the mastermind didn’t use that door,’ Shirogane said. ‘And we can’t get in anyway.’

‘I know,’ Saihara said. ‘I still think we should take another look.’ He frowned. ‘The door will be a problem though.’

‘I guess it’s hopeless then,’ Oma said. ‘I mean, if it’s an electronic lock, we don’t have anything that could work against something like that.’

Komaru was still holding the hacking gun. ‘I think I can help,’ she told them.

---

The group led them down to the library. Everyone went along – even Monophanie followed them. There was a feeling of anticipation: finally, they would know the reason for their suffering. Finally, they would be able to stand up to it.

The chatter stopped when they entered the library. Even Komaru’s group could feel it: someone had died here. Worse, someone had killed.

Harukawa made her way directly to a bookcase at the back of the room. The whole room was crammed with books, both on cases and piled on the floor. Someone had chosen them, Komaru thought. Maybe even her brother had chosen them. And this had happened instead.

‘This is the door.’ Harukawa triggered a mechanism so that the bookcase slid itself out, revealing another door behind it.

‘We thought the mastermind must’ve been using this room,’ Saihara said. He came up beside Harukawa and ran a finger along the card reader, sighing at the dust. ‘They never even used it.’

Fukawa sneezed.

‘Dekomaru!’ she said. ‘Why’re we at the library? Who’re these losers?’

Her sudden, brazen voice made Saihara jump. Genocider stared at them all boldly, her eyes only softening when she saw Kotoko and the others.

‘We made it to the future,’ Komaru said. ‘But something went wrong with the second group.’

‘Yeah, they sure look like there’s something wrong with them,’ Genocider said, and laughed. ‘Did you need me? If we’ve been frozen up all this time –’

‘We’re not in danger,’ Komaru said, ‘probably. We have to get this door open, but I don’t know what we’ll find.’

‘Is ... Fukawa-san okay?’ Saihara asked.

‘Fukawa? Who cares about that loser? I’m here now! Let’s get this door open, Dekomaru.’

‘Right.’

But before Komaru could link it, a little light came on next to the card reader. And the door began to open.

Genocider immediately took up a fighting stance. Komaru stepped in front of the others, arm out, as if she could protect them. They were both expecting a stream of Monokuma.

They weren’t expecting to see Monaka there.