Kokichi packed his suitcase at the back of the trunk of the taxi before getting into the front seat of the car, meeting the eyes of the driver of a person with a crazy red afro he knew all too well before that person started driving. The hotel was about half an hour to the school, so they will have plenty time discussing the agenda, and it was Kokichi who broke the silence.
"Rook," Kokichi said.
"King," Rook nodded, "So are you ready for your briefing? Since you once again become our James Bond?
"Doing Mission Impossible," Kokichi said, with a smirk, "Although I would prefer being a phantom thief. But it's because this operation needed moi, the biggest asshole and best strategist."
They chose Kokichi to be the inside man, for he was the right age, a brilliant actor, an asshole who can easily get on people's nerves and make them back off and finally comes up with the craziest plans for each of their executions.
He also had the makings of a leader that Hope's Peak were gunning for. Although DICE admits to no leader, Kokichi was the one it all boils down to in the serious situations they have.
"True that. Without you, I doubt we would be able to do even a quarter of the crazy stunts we do," Rook said, "And speaking of stunts..."
"Yeah, what am I up against, huh? Don't tell me all those months I was at the hotel, enduring all those boomers and perverts who wanted to know my everything and preventing spilling all hell to them that you guys are slacking off?"
"Course not, King," Rook said, ignoring Kokichi's nonsensical joke as he and the rest of DICE were too use to the BS spouted from that mouth of his ranging from crude to nonsense.
"Since you will be enrolling into Class 78-B, there are brief profiles of the class at the back car pocket. So far, there might be an interesting rival for our games in the near future, but no rivals for this game going. You ought to be careful, don't want any busybody snooping and getting in your face for it. They might try to stop it and that's no fun," Rook said.
"Tell me about it," King said, as he followed Rook's instructions and flipped through a folder that contained the bios of all his 'classmates', those poor souls. There Ultimates were of course listed in and so far he was interested in the Ultimate Detective, Ultimate Robot, Ultimate Maid and Ultimate Inventor. They might prove useful to his schemes.
"Anyway, as you know, Knight's been running theories about Hope's Peak you are going to infiltrate. Of course, we did our groundwork about it and I must say, our suspicions were correct about that school being more than shown on surface level," Rook said.
"Good," Kokichi said, "What's the use of playing spies if there's nothing worth spying at?"
"How about having to live a normal school life for the next three years and actually be grateful for the opportunity they gave you?" Rook asked Kokichi.
Then and there, they looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"Good one, Rook," Kokichi said, wiping his eyes with an uncontrollable smile, "As if anyone is grateful to be forced against their own will to go to school after all the awesome things we do."
"Yeah, I wouldn't trade all the times we had for the world," Rook agreed.
"That's why we can't forgive Hope's Peak for being so nosy and planning to kidnap one of us for a leader just so they can continue their idiotic hope. I don't care if it's for the greater good of this world but why did one of us had to suffer rehabilitation for crimes we love to do? Mind your own business," Kokichi scoffed.
"Amen, brother," Rook said, "So it's time to know who they are truly messing with, and know better than to poke their nose where they don't belong."
Hope's Peak may be the best school leading to the best future, but DICE didn't want any of that, long creating a future of their own. So that means they are basically forcing DICE's hands, especially since DICE were 'criminals' and the leader was 'rehabilitated' in order to not become a ruthless dictator. Meaning the school gave DICE the right to screw them over, however they like it.
So yeah, there wasn't any nobility or good intentions of what they were doing. Mostly petty revenge with any dirt they have and exposing it to end them, haha! But if the dirt goes deeper and nasty, that requires them to be vigilantes, all the better.
After all, one of their goals as DICE was to make the world a better place for them and the rest who dare to dream, and keeping the peace, in any ways possible, was what DICE enjoys to do, likening themselves to be the only evil force of nature rather than anybody else if need be.
"As you know, there is this Reserve Course being suddenly set up out of nowhere for the normal students at a high tuition fee two years ago when all this time Hope's Peak only focuses on Ultimates. The main story is to increase funding of Hope's Peak in pursuit of more Ultimates. But that's not even close to the case," Rook started.
"We don't really know what's going on, but we know that the money from the Reserve Course is going somewhere else. We know it has to do with people higher up than even the headmaster. The only motive possible for this has to do with the hope they keep on harping about, although that's pretty vague. So far, some Reserve Course students are put aside to be requested for something and always come out quite tight lipped about it. All shady, but nothing deeper than that."
"So from here on out, I have to find everything else myself, huh?" Kokichi asked.
"That's what an inside man is for," Rook said.
"But really, it's starting to turn out a conspiracy. Knight would be all over the place if it was him we sent to do this," Kokichi said.
"Yeah, that's why we didn't send him," Rook deadpanned, "Anyway, back to business, there are a few people you need to watch out for."
"Hmm?" Kokichi asked, "Other than those boomers and perverts?"
"Other than those scouts and the administrative, yes," Rook said, long since in tune with Kokichi's wording, "After all, there are a bunch of other Ultimates that can prove threats to you, especially... Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, the Ultimate Yakuza."
Kokichi looked up from the files at the name, the misunderstanding between them and the Kuzuryu clan coming to mind. He still remembered... before the misunderstanding itself, about a year ago, when they came back to Japan, they decided to infiltrate the Kuzuryu mob due to numerous shady things that were toeing the line and DICE, the arrogant bastards that they are, decided to make sure that they don't toe it too much.
People would say it's stupid, doing something like that, and they had be right. Unless you were DICE, had a plan and were not idiotic optimists... wait, where did the last one come from? But it was true. After all, DICE were no idiotic optimists. Simply fun loving people who go about things... 'smartly'.
Anyway, while doing so, a few people had to follow up with the Kuzuryu family, not the mob but the family itself and well... for himself, he had to keep an eye on Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. So...
"They let in someone like the Ultimate Yakuza, and Kuzuryu? Man, let's hope he doesn't remember me," Kokichi said.
"Doubtful. If I remember right, you like calling him baby gangsta, tried to look bigger than him and pissed him off countless of times," Rook said, "But it's not like he knows what you look like behind your mask, so you should be relatively safe. Just don't tip him off."
True... whenever the mob was doing related shady things that could go a whole lot worse, Kokichi was the one to try and stop Fuyuhiko's involvement, and well... he liked to play around~
"Of course, I will just call him Boss Baby instead," Kokichi said.
Rook sighed as they finally reach the school, before bringing out, "Here's my card if you ever need a lift."
Kokichi took the card and he saw the name 'Wayne Zoruku' on it. So that's the alias this time round, huh?
"OK, Wayne-chan!" Kokichi said, "I, Kokichi Ouma, definitely needs a driver anyway because supreme leader's don't drive themselves."
"Especially when they are terrible at it. I will never forget when I let you drive..." Rook, Wayne, shuddered, "Just get going and have fun at school."
"Sure," Kokichi said, peppy and with that, he took his first step toward Hope's Peak. Looking at his phone for time, he realized he still had a lot of hours left 'til orientation, but that was to no surprise. The hotel staff really wanted to kick him out as early as possible after all.
Kokichi knitted his eyebrows when he saw there was an unfamiliar app upon his phone, it's icon a white and black aesthetic, the black part covered with a red eye. A wave of familiarity ensued at the design but he tampered it down as he could bring no association with such a thing.
Opening it up, he saw that it had numerous functions. A navigation app that seemed voice activated for a location asking for a name and motive, which Kokichi did not understand. There was also an archive, files for cases and some type of digital bullets, inventory, a profile for friends called report cards, an empty skill set and special perks. On the top corner was surprisingly the amount of yen he currently had. Creepy.
For some reason, everything was pretty empty except for the archive. So, he read some of them:
Archive
HPA: The school where Ultimates learn in order to reach for a guaranteed and bright future in exchange for letting Hope's Peak research into their talent.
->Class 78-B->DICE: A group of mischievous criminals who committed various crimes all over the world in clown masks and roll of the dice under their codenames; King, Queen, Jack, Ace, Diamonds, Hearts, Bishop, Clubs, Knight and Rook. Motives and reasons unknown, they are elusive phantoms a menace to society and criminals alike or vigilantes who do the right thing.
Kokichi frowned as he instantly deleted it without hesitation, but decided he had to call up Ace, DICE's tech expert about it if ever the app appears itself again. Freaking creepy. His first thought would be that the app came from Hope's Peak but how they knew the amount of yen he currently possessed and knowing about DICE when mom's the word, he felt sure it was someone else.
And what's up with the app functioning like that, like those type of controls that come out for the video game protagonist.
'Game, huh...?' Kokichi thought, the word feeling meaningful in some way as he stepped into Hope's Peak.
As if some trigger, his headache returned again as the world turned a little darker and in front of him, he saw a faint figure of a bear, white and black... with the black side having that red slit for an eye. Then he heard it.
"Upupupu. This time... this time-"
And unbidden, pain erupted from his body, a stinging one on his back and right arm, weakness... fatigue. Unbridled rage and irrational thought coursed through Kokichi, his eyes unknowingly flashed pink, and as if possessed, he shouted out:
"I will stop you this time!"
"Upupupu..."
A faint laughter heard and Kokichi blinked back into his senses as the world turned back to normal, he felt alright again, but he couldn't shake this off so easily.
"Mono... kuma?"
Kokichi then put his hand over his mouth, tracing it like he couldn't believe of the word uttered and he closed his eyes as if trying to recall the word 'Monokuma' from memory, but he couldn't. And why did he say that to it, with so much conviction?
It was still so familiar, as the image of a white and black bear, foggy as it was, emerged within his brain giving the same emotion all over again. Kokichi quickly shook it off.
'What is wrong with me today?' Kokichi thought to himself, wondering if his sanity had snapped some time ago and why. That flash and a black and white bear. It simply made no sense. Kokichi decided to feel his head, making sure he wasn't sick. Maybe the headaches were a symptom of a fever, but he didn't feel any heat from it.
'I shouldn't let it get to me. I should forget about it,' Kokichi decided, but...
... Cannot forget. Never forget what I-
Kokichi quickly shook his head, as a flash of pain and determination interrupted him, to not forget... forget what? He moved forward, but he could not shake it off... a sign, good or bad, now unknown.
***
"OK, time to see and scare the shit out of my roommate," Kokichi said, as he reached the door of his dormitory he was assigned to. Students of Hope's Peak were assigned to dormitories so that they can live here for the next three years, but to Kokichi, that's so that they can observe them better like the stalkers they are.
Kokichi just opened the door, disappointed not to see anyone in there because he really wanted to make a great impression on his roommate, but that just means he really is too early for anybody to come yet.
The room was simplistic, as expected of a dorm room, with two beds, an adjoining bathroom. Necessary furniture was installed as well, such as a closet, table, chairs and drawers, enough for two people to use. Kokichi chose the bed closest to the door.
As he finished unpacking, his roommate was still nowhere to be seen and once again, he checked the time only to see that it might as well be still too early for the Ultimates to arrive if they weren't early birds.
To his surprise, the app that he deleted moments ago was suddenly inside his phone, as if it installed itself. Kokichi gritted his teeth, utterly confused.
He didn't know why, where and how of this intrusive app, and that scared him. The app had been strange from the start, but it was getting dangerously strange.
He could already imagine it... that app, the start of it all where it sends him into another dimension or something and he becomes the protagonist of this new game using his phone with its game controls to play it. OK... that was a lie, but Kokichi didn't like the implications of this app much. He needed to know...
So, this time, he didn't delete the app, but simply touched the phone randomly until another app opened up. It was a secret chat group made by Ace for the members of DICE to communicate over. Of course, this phone was given by the administrative so that they can keep tabs with him, but Queen, who got instructions from Ace, made sure the phone was bug free as well as installing their super secret app.
So, Kokichi started typing.
~~~
King: Guys, super strange app in my phone. Ace, help!
Ace: What strange app?
King: Like, I didn't even install the app, but it appeared out of fucking nowhere. Deleted it and it just popped out of my phone like nothing happened.
Hearts: Woah, app could b from HP?
Bishop: Possible. After all, King is the 'leader' of our organization. Not surprised that they want to keep tabs on him.
King: Doubt it. App strangely knew about us n I doubt HP knows about us. Otherwise, they would have caught u guys.
Rook: True. We r criminals. They wouldn't let us run amok, n if they knew about us, some of us would b found n made into Ultimates like King.
Heart: So someone else hacked into the phone?
King: And when I thought the phone wasn't defective. For shame Queen, letting this one app do as it pleases. What if someone is already secretly reading my browser history as we speak?
Queen: Then I pray for their poor soul. The cursed memes and cursed faces to perfect your own are not for the faint of heart. N I'm no gd with tech, that's Ace's job!
Ace: Yep. So far hacking into ur phone, found strange app, but... it's really weird.
Knight: Le gasp! For you to say it's 'really weird', is it that the app came from aliens or smthing?
Ace: Close enough. That app feels too unique without any normal traces of programming I can make out.
King: Maybe it's because it's really the work of an alien? Does that mean... aliens r better than Ace? Whose gd with tech now?
Ace: ... Consider your Mario Kart high score removed as a form of revenge.
King: NOOOO! I was jk. I WAS JK!
Ace: ... Consider your top position safe... for now.
King: Phew.
Club: Really dodge a bullet. You should know not to provoke.
Rook: Too bad he is provoking.
King: Shut up.
Ace: Anyway, just delete the app again and I will try to run interference 2 ur phone n see how it works.
Knight: Maybe I will call my alien friend and asked about the strange app. What's it looked like?
King: Half white and black with some red slit for an eye on the black part. It's been Area 51 since we saw Ludo. Say hi 2 him 4 me.
Knight: Gotcha.
Ace: You do that, and I'm going to crack this app. No way is it getting into King's phone on my watch.
Diamond: Ace VS alien? Stay tune 2 c who wins.
Jack: Of course Ace wins. No one can beat Ace.
Ace: TQ Jack. At least someone knows my worth.
King: LOL. I'll go delete the app now. Sayonara suckers.
Queen: U too, Ultimate Sucker.
Diamond: We will miss u.
Clubs: We will make sure to steal in ur name when we travel 'round the world.
King: U better keep that promise.
Ace: Course. Now, better delete that app b4 it does something weird, like a virus or smthing.
King: K, K.
~~~
Kokichi logged off, sighing as he briefly thought of DICE continuing their crimes without him, but he wasn't angry about it. Instead, he was happy that they were still chasing their dreams.
Just like when Queen was incognito in the Buckingham Palace to uncover the biggest scandal for months or Clubs infiltrating the Italian mafia to gain their trust and take it down... while the rest of DICE committed their own crimes without them.
Conclusion wise, it doesn't matter that one of the DICE members are out of commission incognito, DICE will still continue their spree no matter what, because that's what DICE was about and every member felt the same way about it, realizing their own dreams and aspirations with the help of others. So, no hard feelings.
Kokichi then let out a yawn, realizing he was tired, probably from his late night prank marathon as a farewell to the hotel staff. And they thought that kicking him out early meant they were safe. Hope Queen took a lot of pictures.
A bit of sleep wouldn't hurt, so Kokichi laid in his bed and closed his eyes.
... ... ...
He felt presence of eyes staring at him and thus opened his own. But he was no longer in the dorms.
What caught his eyes immediately was the open circular door in front of him, opened to a...
Ruined world, destroyed, crashed, in fire... dead, just like...
He faced bombs and cages with a hammer and made it to the very end. He swiped that card that opened the door. And saw...
The end of the world. Despair. He fell to his knees as he quickly closed the door. But he was still breathing heavily.
Wishing it was a lie. Pretending it was a lie. Making it a lie.
Because then what was everything for, in the end when this was the result of everything? But for everything... and everyone, it cannot go down in vain... Yes, true... In bitter rage and uncontrollable insanity, he swore-
Kokichi gasped his eyes open, ignoring that devastation in front of him and focusing on the surroundings, quailing the desperation and despair inside that felt so familiar and...wrong.
It was a dimly lit underground lair, wide and spacious covered in velvet, a color never associated with himself or DICE. Scratched upon the walls were signs of anarchy, splotches of pink that Kokichi can't help associating with blood.
The design of the lair was slightly childish, as he saw shelves of gas masks, tear gas, clown masks, wigs... the standard paraphernalia of DICE and many screens opposite flicking white and black erratically.
There was also a car representing closely to the one that DICE used for so many of their getaways and a toy helicopter flying above it used for so many of their distractions.
Kokichi found himself wearing very different clothes, the standard DICE straightjacket and a mask. Although he couldn't see it, he vividly knew it was a black and white mask evenly split with purple eyes and a red wide smile. Colorful tears weep the mask despite the smile.
He was sitting on a futuristic styled throne, surveying everything before him and even behind where at the very top of the throne, the logo of DICE stood out, stating this very place as theirs, although, despite the familiarity, Kokichi does not even remember such a lair ever procured by DICE... ever.
Finally, right in front of him was a desk where sat the people whose eyes were still openly staring at him.
Sitting atop his throne, he could only look down at the man sitting before the desk, a strange man that Kokichi felt not of this world with his bulging eyes staring at him, a long nose and a wide smile that should be happy but emotion indiscernible. Then, that man finally said:
"Welcome, Rebel, to the Velvet Room. It's been years since we had a guest. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream. I am Igor, pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"And this is Kirumi, my assistant," Igor said, pointing towards the girl, Kirumi Toujou in a velvet maid outfit and holding a large book tucked in her arms, whose profile he had looked some time ago. She bowed.
"Nice to meet you. I hope to be in your service as much as I can," Kirumi said.
Kirumi, why is she-
They were inside a cafeteria with many others, eating delicious food he knew was from the maid.
She was always there, always prepared, allowing a tense atmosphere come off relaxed.
She was doing her job, aiming perfection throughout her duties to the point that Kokichi himself was so impressed that he shouted:
"Please be my Mom!"
Yet he didn't trust her. He couldn't, not in this game... and he was right to do so, when all said and done...
Pink water, fish, running, rope.
In another time, another place, another world.
Kokichi gasped, looking frantically at the composed Kirumi, wondering why she even prompted such a reaction from him. The man... seemed contented with that reaction.
"Ahh... I see, so it really has begun."
"Begun? What has begun?" Kokichi asked.
"A mission like no other. Something that you should know but have forgotten. The reason why yourself signed a contract to be bound to this room in the hopes that the ruin that you see in front of you will never happen," Igor said.
"As our guest, we are obligated to help guide you with your mission, but only if you are able to go through with it yourself," Kirumi said.
There were a million questions in Kokichi's mind, but he settled on, "I... I didn't sign a contract."
"Nevertheless, you did," Igor said, showing a document with a contract... and Kokichi's own signature. He knew it was his own, because he signed it 'King', his codename and not his alias. But when did he...?
"Unfortunately, we do not have much time, so I will just convey all the essentials for the reason you are summoned here..." Igor said.
"Unbeknownst to you, there is currently a grave danger ahead of you, one that you are now boldly facing without even knowing everything. Going ahead as you are now, the mission that has been set in stone will undoubtedly fail..."
Kokichi stayed silent, unable to comprehend, that something... something bigger was going to happen than what he thought when he entered Hope's Peak just to uncover a scandal, maybe he had the sense when those flashes and that bear happened. But he did not really believe that was the case... yet.
"It seems that you currently cannot understand, but in due time, you will remember everything including the reason you are here now. Including the help you requested as we are obligated to for any guests who comes here, but they need to prove themselves. In the mission to come, in success or failure, we shall know, " Kirumi said.
"Indeed," Igor agreed, "We are only responsible for sharpening the guest's tools, but only when they have come to. I can sense that soon... that it might happen to you, and if it does, you will know the true meaning and purpose of what awaits you. I await with great anticipation of the awakening and the consequences afterward."
Kokichi was truly digesting this situation, assessing but failing to, too many of the pieces lost in the future unknown. It irked him so much that all this mystery was surrounding him, but that could be a lie. He was excited at figuring them out and the adventures to come.
"It seems you are becoming determined of what is to come. Good, very good. Do you know, that your room is a reflection of your heart? The very fact that your room ends up in this state even if that you didn't make it this far, and the additional touches, I can already tell that you will be an amusing guest to have. If you prove yourself, that is."
As soon as Igor finished those words, the lair was starting to blur, even the people as Kirumi seemed to know and comment, "It seems like you are waking up now. Now go back to your world where I will see you on the other side. Where your mission will begin and we will know whether... you truly have the resolve that yourself has wished upon to reach the end and grasp the truth or you are doomed to repeat the endless cycle of despairing lies that has long since festered. Remember..."
And with those words, Kokichi woke up.
Archive
Velvet Room: A mysterious room covered with all velvet that is said to resemble the occupant's state of heart, where only those bound by 'contract' are allowed to enter as guests.
-> Rebel: Rebels are people determined to complete a long forgotten failed mission that they are able to transcend time and space to sign the 'contract' without their present selves knowing. The Rebels will soon awaken once they remember why they signed the contract, where once they entered the Velvet Room all knowing, they are set to succeed their failures.
->Igor: A resident of the Velvet Room who promises to aid the Rebel within their mission with skills unknown. Knowledgeable and interested in Rebels and their fates to be.
A/N: Did you expect me to publish a chapter? Neither did I! But I thought if this story branched out a little, people will get more ideas where this will go, and they could give a good comment. I know it's rude to ask for comments like this, but it's just that I truly want to know what people think of the rare crossover that is Dangansona. Also, don't mind these author's notes coming so much... I'm just invested in this work to write a bit of my thoughts on it like this, K?