Chapter 1: Fall Down Despairs [D]

The bottom of the stairs was, for lack of a better term, dead. The large election platform had been taken down for the day, leaving a spacious void in that area. When Rick had fixed the lights, he mistakenly set their luminance to the same as the rest of the hall. This created a dark and dreary atmosphere, in which everyone was just in close enough proximity to see each other. Well, not everyone. Margaret Thatcher was far away in one of the classrooms consoling her partner after the assassination attempt. At the opposite end of the hall, Batman was doing something similar. Everybody else was lingering at the bottom of the central stairs, patiently waiting for things to go back to normal. That’s probably why they were all so quick to check their Monophones when they buzzed: it was simply something to do. To break up the monotony. To get their minds off the killing game.

Candace stared down at her Monophone in horror.

Wh… Wha…

The sight of her brothers hanging in captivity immediately burned itself deep into her brain. A nauseous feeling of complete and utter dread consumed her entire body. She wanted to vomit.

I don’t… No… Why…

Candace couldn’t form a full thought. She couldn’t even breathe. The repugnant emotions swelling within her were too overwhelming. 

“AAUUGGHH!!”

A loud scream snapped Candace’s attention away from the video. She saw Ronald shaking his Monophone in anguish.

“No! This can’t be real,” he wailed. Ronald’s clown makeup accentuated his grimace.

Struggling to stay on her feet, Candace dizzily looked around the hall. Sheldon was staring at his Monophone with concern. Barbie was staring at hers with confusion. Even Garfield looked distressed. Everyone was experiencing the raw terror of seeing their loved ones imprisoned. Candace reflexively started her calming exercises. She put her hands on her hips to maintain her posture, and steadily took deep breaths to get oxygen into her lungs. After ten slow repetitions, she finally calmed herself. Then she gulped. From the moment Candace saw the video, one thought lingered in her mind. There was one person that she didn’t want seeing their video. She fought the impulse to look. She lost. Candace turned toward her friend.

“J- Jaiden!”

She ran to her as fast as she could. Candace put her hands on Jaiden’s shoulders and shook her. She was unresponsive. Her sunken eyes were haunting.

“Hey! Don’t worry! Everything’s gonna be fine! Listen to me! This is all some sort of trick! Your family is safe!”

Candace didn’t even believe her own words, but every part of her needed Jaiden to feel better. She continued shaking the empty husk that was once a girl. Eventually, Jaiden’s mouth opened slightly. A brief glimmer of hope shot through Candace.

“I… I’m fine.”

That hope was shattered in an instant. Candace could do nothing but watch as Jaiden slowly ascended the central stairs alone. 

The world was spinning. Growing more lightheaded by the second, Candace assessed the ongoing panic. Unikitty was looking around at everyone’s faces, visibly upset by the collective unhappiness. Hobbes appeared calm, but something about him seemed off. And Rick… was laughing.

“Ah ha ha! Holy shit! You think I give a flying fuck about Jerry’s stupid ass? You gamemasters have no clue what you’re doing,” he snorted, taking a sip from his flask as he shouted to no one. “Maybe if you chucklefucks offered up some Kalaxian Crystals, or, like, a club soda, then maybe I’d get my hands dirty.” Rick continued to laugh as he walked down the dark hall, leaving those who remained behind in a painful silence.

This was their reality. Perhaps the absurdity of the scenario had allowed them all to ignore the truth, but this was the last straw. Nothing could stop them from succumbing to the crushing desp- 

“HEY!”

Cheerleader-san caught everyone’s attention with a pouty shout. After a brief pause to make sure everyone was watching, she started a cheer. “Gimme an F! Gimme an O! Gimme an O! Gimme a D! What does that spell?”

“Ooh! I know this one,” Garfield blurted, waving his paw in the air wildly with uncharacteristic energy. “It’s FOOD!”

“Exactly,” Cheerleader-san replied. “And I’m freakin’ hungry!”

The group was quiet. Her behavior seemed somewhat tone-deaf, but nobody could deny that it had been a long time since they ate.

Then Hobbes spoke up. “I can’t speak for everyone, but a good sandwich can certainly lift my spirits.”

“Yay! I like that idea,” Unikitty said, jumping up and twirling her rectangular head around in circles. “Maybe some nummy food will turn all these grumpy frowns upside-down!”

And you thought my neck was weird.

Candace smirked to her right, but was immediately struck with the remembrance that Jaiden was no longer beside her. 

Candace hesitantly went with the group to the cafeteria. She was worried about Jaiden, but too weak to follow her upstairs.

I’ll definitely talk to her. Just… not right now.

The mob of ten dispersed into the cafeteria as the automatic lights turned on above them.

Ronald McDonald ran ahead into the kitchen, carrying Sour Patch Kid on his shoulder. He instantly appeared behind the window in his cooking garb. “So, what’ll it be?”

“I’ll have some nugs,” Cheerleader-san blurted, cutting to the front of the line.

“Here ya go,” Ronald said, reaching behind him and relaying the nuggets from Sour Patch Kid to Cheerleader-san. “…and you?” The clown paused for a few seconds, then realized she wasn’t listening. He snapped his gloved fingers in front of Candace’s face, snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Huh? What? Oh,” Candace mumbled, realizing she was at the front of the crowd. “Sorry. I’ll just have what everyone else is having,” she whispered, slinking away from the counter.

“Here ya go,” Ronald said. He threw a box of Chicken McNuggets at Candace, which bounced off her head and landed right in her hands. 

“Can you even call this dinner? It’s barely past four,” Sheldon mumbled as he walked past Candace sitting alone. “It should be called dunch, or linner, or something that signifies a difference between…” His voice trailed off as he approached a table near the far wall.

Candace sighed and checked her Monophone. The time read 16:20. That number meant nothing to her, so she returned the device to her pocket. Candace took a bite of nugget. Even the tender, juicy, 100% white meat chicken wasn’t enough to make her feel better. She looked around the room. Maya and Cheerleader-san were at a table talking and laughing. Unikitty, Hobbes, and Garfield were at another table doing the same, but they seemed much more focused on their meals. Candace turned to Sheldon and Barbie, who were both sitting by themselves.

See? There’s nothing wrong with being alone every once in a while.  

Batman entered the cafeteria. He was incredibly quiet, but almost everyone noticed his presence. He stood by the door until it opened again. When it did, Black Widow entered. She was slouching and gripping her sleeves. Nobody spoke, but the tension was palpable.

Black Widow cleared her throat. “I… I’m not here to apologize. I’m not sure I even want to,” she said, forcing herself to look at the others. “Regardless… we need to talk.”

After combining multiple tables into ‘The MegaTable’ (Patent allegedly pending), all twelve individuals were able to sit together, except for Sour Patch Kid, who stood in the center of the tabletop.

Black Widow took a deep breath, then began to speak. “You all understand how this killing game is meant to work, right? You kill someone, then hide the crime so you don’t get voted for during the class trial.” Once everyone nodded in understanding, the spy continued. “I never attempted to conceal my crime. The blackout was solely to prevent someone from stopping me. I was fully prepared to go to trial and be executed. I wasn’t intending to betray you all,” she explained. “If you still distrust me, I understand. Just let me reiterate: I still want everyone to make it out alive. The same goes for the people in our videos. I don’t have a family, but I have people I care about. We can’t ignore it any longer. Let’s discuss the motive.”

They discussed the motive.

“Everyone in this killing game received two videos so far,” Black Widow said. “The first showed the loved ones living their normal lives, and the second showed them in captivity. This was done deliberately for the sake of juxtaposition.”

“You said ‘so far’,” Hobbes noted. “Does that mean there will be more videos?”

“What happens in the next ones? Tell us,” Barbie blurted.

Black Widow sighed. “I’ve seen this approach used in some ransom cases. In all likelihood…”

She sighed again.

“…’video_c’ will show them undergoing torture. In ‘video_d’, they’ll be dead.”

Maya’s jaw dropped. “PEARLY’S GONNA DIE?” She shook the MegaTable (Patent No. 4635540) as she jumped out of her seat.

“Calm down. There’s a way to save them,” Black Widow said. Though the subsequent answer was obvious, hearing the words come out of her mouth with such certainty was deeply unsettling. “…Someone has to kill.”

Most of the group reacted in shock to Black Widow’s statement. Sheldon, however, was unamused. “What? Did that seriously not occur to you all? Kill someone, and the people in the video are spared. It’s a motive. That’s why it says ‘Motive’ above it.”

Everyone ignored him, and Black Widow continued her explanation. “As far as I can tell, the motive exists solely to put the killing game into motion. If the killing starts, our loved ones will almost certainly be freed.”

Hobbes put a paw to his chin. “How can you be so sure?”

“The rules suggest that this game is designed to go on for many rounds. If this motive turns out to be meaningless, then any future motives will seem meaningless too. There’s usually a degree of honor and fairness to these sorts of things.”

“I don’t see what’s fair about trapping us here and holding Pearly and Nick hostage,” Maya pouted.

Sour Patch Kid waddled up to her and yanked one of her hair beads.

“Ow!”

Sour Patch Kid smiled.

Maya backhanded him off the tabletop.

“Now, I’m about to delve into speculative territory. I want to hear your thoughts on this,” Black Widow said. “The first video was sent at 20:00 yesterday. The second was sent at 16:00 today. It’s too early to definitively draw a pattern, but the precise 20-hour gap between videos seems intentional. If the trend continues, the third video will arrive at noon tomorrow, right as we start the election revote. The fourth and final video will be sent at 8:00 the following morning. Does that make sense?”

Everyone nodded.

“Good. Now, that being said… We can’t let this motive break us. That would just be falling into their hands. Killing is unforgivable under any circumstances,” Black Widow asserted.

“Y- You’re telling us that the only way to save our friends is to k- kill? But you’re also telling us not to kill,” Ronald stammered. “So what do we do?”

“I don’t know yet,” Black Widow replied. “But I do know one thing. Things will only get worse if we falter. Regardless of what happens, regardless of what has happened… From here on out, we need to work together.” Her voice trembled a little at the end of her sentence.

Batman rubbed her shoulder.

Sheldon repeatedly tapped on the MegaTable (Patent revoked under 35 U.S. Code § 301) to get everyone’s attention. “Will no one point out the irony here? The very woman who attempted to commit murder is now imploring us to do the opposite. The hypocrisy on display is truly astounding. In fact…”

Sheldon trailed off as he noticed Batman glaring at him.

“…In- In fact, it’s a splendid character arc. Unquestionably inspirational,” he stuttered. The theoretical physicist’s face turned red as he stood up and walked straight out of the cafeteria. 

Black Widow didn’t react. She simply continued. “What’s important to me has never changed. I want to protect every innocent life. However… I shouldn’t have forced you all into that position. If you all wish to put someone else in charge, then I have no right to stop you. I won’t attend tomorrow’s revote. Do as you please. I’m going to spend some time apart from you all to reevaluate my approach.”

“Spending time apart? Geez, you sound like my parents,” Ronald honked.

Garfield stifled a giggle, but nobody else seemed amused.

“Sorry. It’s how I cope,” the clown frowned. “Y’see, I’m really worried about BK and Wendy.”

“Wait,” Maya said. “You know Ms. Oldbag?”

The two superheroes left as Ronald and Maya cleared up their miscommunication.

“Er… Maya? Are ya still listenin’?”

“Yeah,” the spirit medium replied, eyes twinkling. “Tell me more about this land of burgers…” 

“…I think I heard someone mention food,” Garfield said, turning his head around to see.

“That seems likely, given our current location,” Hobbes noted. “But it’s quite loud in here. Your senses must be sharp to pick up on specific voices from across the cafeteria.”

“They’ve dulled over the years,” Garfield sighed. “I used to be able to smell fresh lasagna from three hundred meters. Now I can barely tell what’s cooking next door.”

“It’s still very impressive,” Hobbes said. “If I may ask, how else has your age affected you?”

“I don’t care who gets elected tomorrow, so long as they put that clown in the kitchen full-time,” Garfield replied, scratching his back.

“I see,” Hobbes whispered.

“You know, even though it got you in trouble, I really appreciate you endorsing me, Barbie,” Unikitty said. “When I’m elected tomorrow, I promise not to put you in the Grown-Up Zone.”

“Haha, thanks,” Barbie replied, maintaining her smile. “Um… Do I want to know what the ‘Grown-Up Zone’ is?”

“Maybe,” Unikitty said, coyly grinning. “Ooh, I know! I’ll appoint you as my official glitter box cleaner! Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

“Haha, yep,” Barbie giggled, poking her cheek. “I don’t think I want to know what that is, either.”

The cafeteria was noisy with many different conversations, kind of like that place in schools where kids eat lunch. Abruptly, Candace blinked rapidly, waking up from her stupor. She hadn’t been thinking. Her body was simply going through the motions. She checked her Monophone. 17:03. Well before her usual bedtime. So why was she so tired? The election process was grueling, but she’d been through worse before thanks to her brothers. 

…

For no reason in particular, Candace wandered to the gymnasium at the other end of the school.

“As opposed to the gymnasium in the middle of the bathroom,” Rick muttered, rolling his eyes.

Candace turned her head. “Huh?”

“Oh shit, it’s the Ultimate Buster,” Rick said, turning his attention away from the wall. “Y’know, your title is kind of a misnomer. After all, your…” He paused and squinted. “Weird. I was saving that joke for a while, but now that I’m saying it, I’m realizing that it’s actually complete dogshit. So forget I said anything.”

Candace hadn’t been listening to a word he said, and was instead looking at the wall beside him. Rick was messing with what Candace inferred to be a fuse box, though it looked different from the one back home.

“Oh, this? I’m un-fixing the lights,” Rick explained, gesturing to the fuse box. “Yeah, turns out I fucked it up, so I’m doing it right this time. No need to thank me. Hey, check this out!” He abruptly changed the mood and began pulling wires and flicking levers with chaotic precision. The lights in the hall flashed on and off as the scientist maniacally laughed. “AHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

“Ahem.”

“Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” Rick said. “This here is called electricity. We use it nowadays instead of oil lamps and candlelight.”

“You’re disturbing the peace,” Margaret Thatcher croaked. She was next to her partner, who was standing even taller than usual.

Rick scoffed. “What, were you in the middle of your best Monica Lewinksy impression in that classroom over there? That’s fucked up. There are children present,” he said, feigning shock and covering Candace’s ears.

Candace swatted his sweaty hands away and glared at him.

Rick snickered. “Yeah, yeah. I get it. No fun, right? Whatever. Once I finish up here, the lights won’t be a problem ever again. You can honestly just forget about ’em.”

“Good,” Margaret said. “I do believe this school should be in cracking condition under our tenure. No more kerfuffle from you cheeky lot.”

“Y’know, if you wanted to get elected so bad, then why the fuck did you make Charlie Chaplin over here your poster boy? Seems pretty fucking stupid to me,” Rick spat, cleaning his ear with his pinky.

Margaret lowered her eyelids, but said nothing. She turned around and walked back into the classroom she came out of. Her partner followed close behind.

“Jesus,” Rick muttered. “Who pip-pipped in her Cheerios?” He turned to Candace. “Get lost, kid. I’ve got shit to do.”

The journey back was dark, but thankfully, it was a straight line. As Candace arrived back at the central stairs, the lights above her flickered on to their intended brightness. She shielded her eyes as she climbed the stairs, making sure not to trip and fall. At the top, she observed the upper hall, which was lined with doors to the many bedrooms. She creaked a nearby door open. The bedroom was dark. She could barely see inside.

Is someone in here? 

Candace slowly walked into the bedroom, watching the shadows closely. As she neared the bed, she noticed a lump under the covers. Candace knew who it was. She reached out a hand. 

Jaiden was sleeping peacefully.

Candace held still. There were a million things she wanted to say. She desperately wished to comfort her. But as she stood there, feeling her resting body rise and fall with each slow breath, Candace realized something.

She wouldn’t want that, would she? This place is horrible, and all I can give her is more bad news.

Candace pulled her hand away.

…I should just let her sleep. I’ll talk to her in the morning.

Candace tiptoed out of the room and carefully shut the door behind her. She took a moment of silence alone in the hall.

…

Candace proceeded leftward and tried another door. It was locked. She moved further down the hall and tried the next one. Locked again.

I guess we’re not the only ones who’re tired.

She finally found an unlocked door. All the lights in the bedroom were on. Candace knew it wasn’t the same room she slept in last night, but it looked identical. She entered. Then she paused. Candace hesitantly approached the bed. It was neatly made. She steadily brought her hand toward the pillow, then slapped it. It was soft. 

…

“YAAAARRRR!!!”

Nearly toppling over, Candace caught herself on the wall.

“Tadaaa! It’s Monokuma again!”

“Please leave,” Candace said.

“Oh, come on! Don’tcha wanna know how we clean the rooms? It’s actually super-“

“I don’t care. Go away,” Candace said.

“Hmpf! You kids and your short attention spans! I bet you’d be positively enthralled if I gave you the exact same information in a goddamn TikTok! But Heaven forbid you have to listen to me for more than sixty-“

“Okay. You win. Tell me.”

“Nah; I’ve lost interest,” Monokuma replied, doing cartwheels straight out the open door.

Candace followed the bear to the door and locked it behind him.

Are we allowed to kill him? That would make things a lot easier.  

…

…

…

The lights were off, and Candace was tucked snugly under the covers. So why couldn’t she fall asleep? It felt like there was some part of her mind that wouldn’t shut off. She reached to the side of the bed and grabbed her Monophone. 17:45. Obviously, she couldn’t text anyone or connect to the internet, but scrolling through her phone before bed was routine. Perhaps it would help her relax. She messed around with the limited features until she once again found herself staring at the Motive section. Thankfully, there were still only two videos.

Maybe there’s a clue hidden somewhere in one of these.

Candace meticulously combed through the first video in its entirety, but detected nothing noteworthy. She hesitated before tapping on the second.

I need to be strong. I can do this.

She tapped it.

Candace couldn’t bring herself to look at her hanging brothers, so she focused on the edges of the screen. A cobweb in the corner, a small crack in the wall… Nothing useful. As she concentrated, she began to notice an almost imperceptible buzzing noise. It sounded like it was coming from somewhere very far away. Her expression morphed into confusion, then panic, as she realized what it was. Candace mashed the Monophone against her ear. The video had sound.

“Mom! Dad! Somebody! Help us!”

It was Phineas.

Candace froze, mouth twisted in horror. No matter the situation, her brothers were always calm and collected. Hearing Phineas beg for mercy shattered the foundation of everything she knew. She listened closer.

“Candace! Can you hear me? They told us you’re the reason we’re here!”

Candace’s face clouded with immense guilt.

“Listen to me, Candace! Don’t do what they say! You’re strong! Don’t give in!”

Tears welled in her eyes.

“I… I don’t say this enough, Candace, but… I’ve always looked up to you! No matter what happens, you’re still my sister! Nothing will ever-!”

Before he could finish his final declaration, the video came to an abrupt halt. Candace weakly set her Monophone aside and curled up beneath the blanket.

…

…

…

…

…

…

The room was still dark. Candace wiped her crusty eyes and checked her Monophone. 6:16. At some point, she had fallen asleep. It was already tomorrow. Though fully rested, her body felt incredibly heavy. She slid out of bed and dressed herself. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. Like it or not, it was time to face the day. Pushing down the thought of her brothers, Candace exited the bedroom. She still felt physically ill from rewatching the video.

Maybe I’ll feel better after I eat.

She was kidding herself. She knew that no amount of food would make the sickening feeling go away. Candace walked alone in the upper hallway. Everyone else was elsewhere, coping with the stress of seeing their loved ones in crisis. Some were still sleeping in the bedrooms, and others were already eating in the cafeteria. At the top of the stairs, Candace found Margaret Thatcher slowly making her way down to the lower floor.

That settles it. If a fragile old lady like her can handle the burden, then so can I.

Candace shook her head side to side, trying to psych herself up.

My brothers will be fine. They’ll find a way to escape. They always do.  

Candace’s journey to the cafeteria was halted by Margaret’s sluggish descent.

I should just go around her.

But she didn’t. Candace just stood there, watching her. A horrible thought had already crawled into her brain.

If… If I pushed her right now, then Phineas and Ferb would be-

Candace shivered. She caught her breath. How long had she been holding it? She slapped herself.

No! What’s wrong with me? I can’t think like that!  

She looked behind her. The upper hallway was still completely empty. She looked down the stairs. Nobody was there. Her lips curled into a nervous smile. Her heart raced.

I don’t want to do this. I’m being forced to do this. There’s nothing stopping me from walking away right now and forgetting this ever happened.

Her whole body was heating up. Candace’s sweaty palms were trembling even more than the elderly woman in front of her. 

Margaret hadn’t even made it past the first step. Her frail body forced her to take extreme precaution when moving from place to place, but unbeknownst to her, this safeguard was putting her life directly into Candace’s twitching hands. Her hearing was weak. Her senses were dull. She was completely unaware of the teenage girl’s presence behind her.

I can save them. But I can’t. But I have to. But…

Candace noticed the backs of her hands. They were outstretched. Mere millimeters from Margaret’s back. Candace’s face grew warm and red. Her mouth was completely dry. Her breath was so hot she could see it. She felt like she was in a sauna. She turned to her left and right. Nobody. Nobody to see her. Her vision fogged. Everything was blurry. 

Candace was going to kill her. Her left eyelid twitched.

I’m losing my mind. I’m going insane.

She was acutely aware of every sensation. Every violent heartbeat within her chest. Every cold bead of sweat forming on her palms. Every dark blue fiber tickling her fingertips. She checked the hall again. Nobody. Nobody to stop her. Her whole body quivered. Her throat tightened. 

She couldn’t control herself. She was a prisoner in her own body, tortured with every emotion at once. Her eyes watered.

I can’t take it. I can’t take this anymore.

Her red face turned purple as she expended the last of her oxygen. The only thing stopping her from passing out was adrenaline.

This… This overwhelming anxiety… Is… Is this how Jaiden feels? 

Suddenly, Candace stopped shaking. Her arms fell to her sides. Her body started to cool down.

J- Jaiden…

If Candace commited murder now, she’d be condemning Jaiden to death along with everyone else. She silently let out the heaviest sigh of her life.

I’m not thinking clearly. The video… I can’t let it get to me. Everyone else is struggling, too. We’re all in this together.

As Candace wiped off her damp hands with her skirt, she noticed Margaret Thatcher mumbling something. Slowly, Candace leaned in closer to eavesdrop.

“…once this sham election is over and done, and these muppets are gutted about the deaths of their loved ones, I do believe I’ll gain full control of this killing ga-“

Her body moved on its own. 

…

Then… there was silence. For a brief moment, the world froze, and Candace felt weightless. Her eyelids were squeezed tight. She didn’t want to believe it. However, deep down, some part of her knew that she would eventually have to confront reality. Fighting back every urge to remain in that perfect, timeless moment, Candace forced her eyes open. As her vision cleared, she prayed that divine intervention had somehow prevented the outcome she feared. 

…

…

…

But in the world of Danganronpa, there is no God. Her prayers went unanswered, and her fear changed nothing. No one—least of all Candace—was prepared to face the inescapable truth. 

Margaret Thatcher is dead.