Back in the elevator, the first obstacle presented itself in the absence of a basement floor option on the buttons. It stopped at ground floor, with nothing beneath.
"I highly doubt they want anyone to see there's an underground area." Peko's pale finger ran along the button pad. "I wonder if..." She touched a crease in the steel facing, tracing it to find a small rectangle outline, about the size of a billfold. "This must be something. Perhaps it needs to be unlocked."
"Let me try." You picked out the key card and pressed it to the outline, hoping for something to happen. Your prayers were answered when the crevice glowed white, then the steel casing slid down out of sight to reveal a hidden button embedded in the face. It read B1.
"We found it," Peko said.
You pressed the new button and began your descent beneath the premises.
The room you were introduced to was a large octagonal chamber, with desks lining the walls adorned with computers. The generic ceiling lights were off, delegating the light in the room to a monitor left on. You withdrew and activated your own flashlight, unwilling to flick on the light switch to your right. You scanned the room, seeing a door on the other side of the room, plus two doors on either side, giving the room perfect symmetry.
"Where should we go?" you asked Peko as if she had any clue of the layout.
"We can look at all of them. Pick one."
You chose the door on the left. Inside was what resembled a server room, with electronic towers taking up most of the space. A solid metal door stood beyond the techno castle, but it was locked, requiring a physical key.
"Not much in here," you said. "Nothing we can exploit, at least."
Back in the chamber, you picked the door on your left. You entered what seemed to be a small observation room, with clean floors, bare walls, and huge windows. A door stood against the back wall, but your attention was drawn to what was beyond the large windows.
The observatory overlooked an enormous space, almost incomprehensible in size. It could've been a ballroom, or a gymnasium. Dim green light emanated from the floor and walls of the room, illuminating the room with an inexplicable source. The area was completely bare except for a strange white box in the center of the room, with wires trailing from the ceiling down to different compartments and sections of the box. On the left side of the room was a second observation deck, several feet off the ground. From what you could tell, it was empty. You noticed the unopened door connected to a staircase that descended to the ground level within the cave. It was also locked, preventing you from getting into the area.
"What is all this?" Peko asked.
"So much, yet so little. I have no idea what it's meant to be used for."
"This is getting stranger and stranger. It's good we discovered what's going on before it got too far."
"I hope we're not too late."
The final door opened into a small room with a pane of glass splitting the room in half. On your half was a mounted monitor facing the entrance. On the other half was a sink, a toilet, and a cot, with a sleeping Hajime Hinata.
"Hajime!" you cried, slamming on the glass. It seemed to be durable material, keeping him from escape.
"Huh?" Hajime awoke, lifting his head. No sooner did he see you than he scampered to the glass, pressing his hands against yours. "How...how did you get here?"
"Doesn't matter. We need to get you out." You began pacing the wall, searching for a door of any kind. Small, patterned holes were punctured near the bottom of the glass wall, though they served no obvious purpose. He looked like a zoo animal on display, a thought that enraged you.
"I don't think you can. The door needs to be unlocked with some sort of keycode." Hajime's hope was completely drained as if he had already accepted his defeat.
"Where's the door? Did you see how exactly they unlocked it?"
"The whole glass pane is the door. It descends into the floor." He pointed at the bottom of the window.
"Look," Peko said. She had turned on the monitor, revealing a list of commands to select from.
You took over, finding the prompt labeled door and entering it. A blank bar flashed on screen, requiring a password. "Shit," you cursed, gripping the keyboard. "I don't have any idea."
"You should get going, then. It's not good to stick around here," Hajime said.
"No, not without you." You faced him. "Do you know what the password could be?"
"I don't know." He shook his head. "Please, don't risk getting hurt. Get out."
"I'm not leaving you, Hajime!" you cried, furiously thinking of a solution.
"Listen." Peko held her back against the door, straining to hear what was happening on the other side. You stopped, noticing a muffled voice originating from what you figured to be the elevator.
There's nowhere to hide in here. We're trapped.
"You're too late. Shit!" Hajime whispered.
Peko touched your shoulder, then motioned for you to get in the corner beneath the monitor. You did, crouching down under the keyboard. She knelt between you and the door, signaling for both you and Hajime to stay quiet. "There's only one," she whispered, her eyes trained on the door.
What are we going to do? Is she going to fight him?
After a few moments of silence, the door creaked open. A tall, burly man in uniform stepped in, noticing Hajime before he noticed the two other students in the corner. In a flash, Peko was behind him, her arm wrapped tightly around his throat. He looked like a temperamental toddler in her grasp, making no notable effect on her as she strangled him. His movements grew weaker and he eventually slumped, indicating he was out cold.
"He never saw us," Peko said. "They won't know who was down here." She knelt and flung him over her shoulder with surprising strength, then left the room. You stayed with Hajime, watching Peko beyond the door set the guard in a chair. The silent observation was broken by a sudden static voice.
"Officer Ito? Once you're finished with your rounds, can you head to the courtyard?" A voice protruded from a radio clipped to the guard's belt. "Officer Ito? Come in, please."
"They're going to wonder what happened. We have to get out before more people show up," Peko declared.
"Not without Hajime." You stayed next to the glass.
"We don't have time. I must get you out of here." Peko shook her head.
"No! Peko, I'm not leaving."
"I'm tasked with protecting my classmates. Nothing else comes first." Peko marched towards you, her eyes piercing into your soul. Discovering compliance wouldn't be given, she moved behind you and roughly secured her arms around your shoulders and waist, a simple hold that didn't keep you from flailing, but kept her in enough control. "Hinata, you didn't see anything. This door has been shut the whole time." She began dragging you out of the room despite your efforts.
"Hajime's in danger, Peko! We can't leave!" You clawed at her grip, struggling to break free. "Hajime!" You panted. "I'll come back! I promise!"
Hajime gave a weak smile, one that hid the broken despair he had bottled up. He said nothing as you were pulled from the room, Peko slamming the door shut with her body.
Indeed, right when Peko flung you and herself behind a tree outside of the building, a gaggle of guards entered. They're heading down to the lab.
"What if they suspect Hajime?" you asked.
"They won't. He can't escape the glass. If he's smart, he'll say nothing about us."
"I don't want him to get hurt."
"I won't let you go back in there."
"Who put you in charge?" You snapped, unwilling to bow to her command. "My friend is in danger, and you could've doomed him! You really think you're in the right just because you're stronger than me?"
"I don't know what is or isn't right. I just do as I'm told." Peko didn't flinch at your anger. She seemed to be used to tolerating it.
"Of course," you grumbled. "You oughta try thinking on your own, instead of following everything Fuyuhiko says. Sometimes morality overrides orders."
"How do you know I work for Fuyuhiko?" She translated her surprise into intimidation.
"Everyone does. You two aren't great at keeping it a secret."
"Hm." Peko was speechless.
"You still probably won't let me back inside, will you?"
She shook her head. "Not right now, at least."
You trudged back to your own building with Peko. How much time do I have? They said the experiment wouldn't start until the end of the semester, but maybe they'll speed it up? I don't have time to wait.
"It's late, (y/n). You should get to sleep," Peko suggested.
"I don't know if I can."
"You're welcome to join Officer Ito in the unconscious club, if necessary." Peko struggled to get the words out, as if she wasn't used to talking like that.
"Was that...meant to be a joke?" you asked, opening the door to the academy. "Did you try to make a joke?" The smallest smile appeared on your face.
"It was an attempt." Peko kept her explanation simple to avoid further embarrassment.
You laughed unexpectedly, momentarily forgetting about your crisis. "You don't usually joke, Peko. That was pretty funny."
"Was it?" She vied for approval.
"It was." You couldn't hate Peko forever. "Keep it up."
You separated from Peko at your dorm, shutting the door before seeing her leave.
The following morning, Sonia surprised you at your door as you were leaving.
"Oh!" You bumped into her accidentally.
"Did you find anything?" she asked.
"Last night?" Your brain had to calibrate. "Yes. There were several rooms beneath the building. There was a server room, some sort of huge...arena? I don't know. And Hajime was being kept in a cell."
"That's terrible! Did you free him?"
"No." You restrained from blaming Peko. "He's still down there."
"Whoever is behind this is a cursed dog!" Sonia cried. "We must tell someone."
"I'll talk to Ms. Yukizome. She'll help."
"Let's try to get to her before class. Come on!"
You rushed with Sonia to the teacher's lounge, where Chisa could typically be found preparing for the day before classes began.
"Ms. Yukizome!" Sonia lurched the sliding door open, spotting her teacher.
"What is it?" Ms. Yukizome looked up.
"We must talk to you about the academy! I've confirmed something frightful is going on." Sonia was bursting with energy.
"Ms. Yukizome, I went to the new building last night. Sonia and Peko were there," you added.
"You went as well? Did you three go together?" your teacher asked Sonia.
"No. I undertook my expedition on my own accord. Peko was a willing assistant, but (y/n) was separate."
"I didn't know you were heading over there," Chisa said.
Strange. I just assumed Ms. Yukizome suggested Sonia look into the building too. I didn't consider she did it out of her own will.
"I've found everything that confirms my suspicions. I have documents, pictures, and files that relate to the faculty at Hope's Peak. Specifically, the Steering Committee. They're all in my dorm."
"What about you, (y/n)?"
"I found Hajime. He's down there, held in a cell. I...couldn't get him out."
"I see. This is very serious." Chisa faced her desk, looking at her computer as if it would give her answers. She glanced at her desk phone. "We'll need to get help. First, we must save Hajime. I can't allow a student to be put in a dangerous position. Secondly, we have to derail whatever the committee's planned. If it really is dangerous or unethical, it cannot be permitted to continue." Chisa sighed. "Sonia, I want you to show me what you found, please."
"I'm going to go talk to Mr. Kirigiri," you declared. "We discovered he's kept oblivious to what they've been working on. He has to be made aware."
"Good. He'll be adept at a strategy to remove the committee from power." Chisa stood. "I'm cancelling class today. We won't be able to focus until this gets resolved."
"Okay." Sonia nodded. "I'll get the documents. (Y/n), please keep in touch with us."
"I will. I promise." You rushed out of the room, anxious to get to the principal.
On your way up to the fourth floor, you received a group text from Chisa announcing class was cancelled for the day due to "management issues." Nearing the door of the headmaster's office, you heard voices within.
"Since when does the committee get to scout? What's the point of me working here if they're pickin' out our new kids?" You must've heard the voice before, but you couldn't be sure of where.
"I don't like it either." Mr. Kirigiri's voice was unmistakable. You stopped, listening further.
"Then don't accept these kids and let me find other ones. Sure, I let a yakuza into the academy. Maybe an oversight, but he's thriving. But a murderer? A confirmed, honest-to-God, murderer? That's insane."
"I can't override them. The hierarchy in the academy is biased against me."
"Jin, we've got to get this sorted out. I know I'm not the most passionate when it comes to the kids here, but whatever's going on is getting too dangerous."
"Have you found anyone else? Any other students?"
"Yeah, a few. I won't deny it, it's getting harder to find kids, but the ones I do get are diamonds. A gambler, a programmer...look, the Togami clan's winner this year is still a teen, so I shot him a letter too."
"Good. I appreciate your work."
"I'm honored, Jin." The man laughed. "Just let me and the others do the scouting."
"I would if I could."
"I'm sure."
There was a moment of silence.
"Well, I'm gonna head out. I've still got more work to do. Take care, Jin."
"You too, Koichi."
The large wooden door opened, and out walked a middle aged man with lengthy blonde hair covered with a ragged fedora. "Hello, (y/n)." He smiled pleasantly.
"Hello..." I feel terrible. Should I know him from somewhere? He seems to know me.
He kept walking, leaving no threat of further conversation. Disregarding it, you knocked and entered Jin's room.