Disclaimer: I do not own Danganronpa or Miraculous Ladybug. They belong to Spike Chunsoft and Thomas Astruc respectively. I only own any OC characters.

-------

The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History was a cataclysm unlike any other. It was as if the entire world had gone mad, terrorists seemingly popping up out of nowhere to slay the innocent. The world was engulfed in fire, turning the land into a literal hellscape. It was a world where despair reigned, its effects rippling to swallow up the rest of humanity in its glorious and horrifying chasm. And it was all done with the careful planning of one high school girl, from a high school in Japan that was famous for cultivating talent for the future of mankind, the one that was known as the Ultimate Despair.

            It seemed as though this was the end of the line for humanity, if it weren't for another, a high school boy, known as the Ultimate Hope. With the help of his remaining classmates, he defeated the Ultimate Despair at her own game, the devious mastermind choosing to die by her own hands. They were able to escape upon the tyrant's death, greeted with a hopeless world filled with hellfire and agony. Undeterred by this, the last students of Hope's Peak Academy set to work on hunting down and rehabilitating the Remnants of Despair. You know how the rest of this story goes.

            However, the survivors of Hope's Peak couldn't have been able to save all the Remnants on their own. Izuru Kamakura himself had his limits. No, they received some help from allies previously unknown to them. Apparently, there were some parts of the world that were able to maintain order amongst the despair that swept over them. Unfortunately, they, too, fell into their own nightmare of despair. But like the students of Hope's Peak, hope won out in the end, and they emerged all the better for it.

            This story may seem familiar to you, and in many ways, it is similar to what you've already heard. Sure, the cast is different, but the concepts are the same. Except for one key difference. Paris, known as the City of Love, had unwittingly become the battleground for the showdown to end all showdowns, a duel between the Ultimate Hero and the Ultimate Villain, a fight between good and evil that would resonate around the world. The outcome of this fearsome and destructive battle would determine the chance humanity had of being revived from the Tragedy.

            "How is this any different?" you may ask. Well, you see, this was not a battle between Hope and Despair. That had already been decided. No, this was a clash between one's deep-seated hatred for humanity and one's unending love for the world and the people in it. Would this person's hatred burn all mankind into a pile of ash? Or will love conquer, ensuring humanity's future?

            Well, dear viewer, that is what we are here to discover. This is another story that was equally as important as the one about Hope's Peak Academy, if not more. The Tragedy was not the only threat humanity faced. Come, join me, and learn how the fate of mankind's future rested on the shoulders of one young high school boy. Listen to this story about Love and Hatred.

Prologue: It Begins

            Collégé Duponte had no defining characteristics to it. True, many of Paris's elite attended this high school, all with their own Ultimate talents, but it was not an institution designated specifically for cultivating hope in the youth of humanity's future. At least, not as much as Hope's Peak, anyway. It didn't have the same resources or prestige as the infamous Academy in Japan, nor its shady history.

            Regardless, Adrien Agreste was excited. For the first time in fourteen years, he would be going to school. His father had him homeschooled, out of "protectiveness," he had claimed. In his opinion, he felt that it was more like overprotection. His father had gotten even more protective in the wake of the Tragedy. That was more reasonable. He was surprised that his father was even letting him go to school at all.

            His father, Gabriel Agreste, the famous fashion designer and esteemed multi-millionaire, had used his vast fortune to essentially turn their Parisian mansion into a fortress. The other regular citizens of Paris had to hunker down in bomb shelters that had been developed by the government in the case of an event such as the Tragedy. The city's technology was actually quite advanced, and its defenses were able to preserve the city from most of the worst of it. However, the city still suffered casualties and rendered many others homeless. He didn't think he would ever forget the day when his mother, who was away on a business trip, had to be counted among the dead. Her plane crashed, he was told. Like many other incidents that occurred due to the Tragedy.

            But instead of tightening his restrictions even more, like Adrien expected him to, his father instead gave him the opportunity to attend school with his peers. Once it had been deemed safe enough by the mayor, Collégé Duponte was ready to welcome its freshman class. Compared to most other places, Paris had gotten off quite easily. From what he heard, Japan was absolutely decimated, nearly uninhabitable. China, India, Russia, and other East Asian countries were no better off. London and Berlin were in a state of disarray after losing many prominent government officials. Even America itself had fallen, once thought to have owned the most powerful military in the world. It was nothing but anarchy now. France was similarly shaken but was able to hold onto its established government institutions by some miracle. Because of this, rebuilding started nearly right away, with Gabriel aiding in the relief efforts and damage control. In about two months, Parisians were able to go back to some semblance of normal before chaos struck.

            In the wake of their family's tragic loss, this was the last thing that Adrien thought his father would allow. Perhaps he realized that even though he spent so long trying to protect his son from the world, the world had still managed to harm them. If there was going to be any hope for the future, for his son's future, he would have to let him grow up. Adrien, proud to see that his father had assumedly grown, did nothing to hide his anticipation. When Monday finally came around, no one would be able to miss the shine in his green eyes.

            Eventually, the car pulled up to the recently repaired building. Waving a goodbye to his bodyguard and his father's assistant, Natalie, he climbed out of the vehicle to stand before the gates of Collégé Dupointe. He hardly noticed the car speeding off. He was too focused on the prospect of what this new chapter in his life would have in store for him. He was going to talk and interact with kids his own age! Something he had never done before! Sure, he was nervous, but he was mostly eager. What would his classmates be like? He hoped he got along with all of them. Finally, after years and years of being stuck at home, living his life from photoshoot to photoshoot, he could make real friends!

             Other students had begun milling through the double doors of the school's entrance. Without wasting another second, Adrien shouldered his backpack and boldly made his way up the steps, ready to enter a new world with a new adventure. As soon as he reached the top step, however, something strange began to happen. His vision got all fuzzy, and he became super dizzy. He clutched at his head, attempting to regain his clarity. Things like this didn't usually happen to him; he wasn't prone to fainting spells. But despite the logic and reasoning in his brain trying to figure out what was happening, he soon lost his balance, tipping over. The last thing he felt was the sensation of falling to the floor as blackness consumed him.

Chapter 1: The Cycle of Despair Begins Anew! Welcome to the Killing School Life!

            As awareness slowly dragged him from the depths of unconsciousness, Adrien discovered that he was sitting down, leaning forward with his head resting on his arms. He lifted his head warily, blinking his vision back into focus. He couldn't remember ever falling asleep. And his surroundings only added to his confusion.

            Where am I? A classroom? That didn't make sense. He had been on his way to school, yet he didn't remember ever entering this classroom. Am I inside Collégé Duponte? If that was the case, why didn't he recognize it? And why were all the windows covered in iron plates?

            The blond had to do a double take with that thought. But his eyes hadn't deceived him. Every window frame in the room had been sealed with heavy-looking industrial iron plates, complete with comically large nuts and bolts fastening them to the frames. No one could view the outside world or anything outside the classroom.

            What the hell is going on here? Adrien stood from his seat, and it was only then that he noticed that his backpack was gone. Crap, I had my cell phone in there! Did the school confiscate it? The situation became more and more ambiguous by the second, and a bad feeling began to stir in the pit of his stomach. How am I going to get in contact with Natalie? Or my father? That thought alone would have been enough to make him start panicking, but it didn't. He didn't have a full grasp on what kind of predicament he was in yet. It was best to get as much information as possible before jumping to conclusions.

            Adrien walked up to one of the sealed windows and gave an experimental tug on the iron plate. Just as he suspected, it didn't budge an inch and gave nary a creak. He let out a sigh. Figures. It seemed that whatever machinery was used to put these on would have to be used to take them off as well. He had a feeling that that kind of equipment wasn't going to be readily available.

            He made his way towards the classroom door. I should find a teacher, or the principal. Maybe they can shed some light on what's happening. Opening the door that was, surprisingly, unlocked, Adrien stepped out onto the catwalk that bordered the interior of the school, making up the second floor. The school had a center outdoor courtyard that served as its gym. However, his green eyes were greeted with a sight that was most unexpected.

            The entirety of the courtyard seemed to be covered by a large metal dome. It touched every rooftop edge, expanding into all four corners. Adrien expected to see the midday sun shining bright in a blue sky above. Instead, he was met with a sky of cold, gray metal.

            What... is this? Am I going crazy? Am I dreaming? He pinched himself just to be sure, but he didn't wake up. Not like he expected to. It confirmed the bleak reality he had woken up in, a reality that seemed to defy all rational logic. That bad feeling only worsened, threatening to make him ill. Was this some kind of elaborate prank? He knew for a fact that Collégé Duponte wasn't like this when he got here. So, what the hell happened? And why can't he remember?

            "Hey! New kid!" Adrien looked down from the balcony to see who had shouted at him. He discovered that a dark-skinned boy wearing a blue shirt and red baseball cap was waving his arms and gesturing at him. He could make out others standing near him. "Get down here!" the boy called. "Everyone's meeting up here!"

            Taking a deep, calming breath, Adrien did as requested, relieved that he wasn't the only one in this bizarre situation. All the eyes watching him make his way towards them was disconcerting, though. Was he the last one to get here? "Hi," he said as he approached the boy who had spotted him. "You guys are freshman, too?"

            "Yup, all of us." The boy unconsciously adjusted his glasses on his nose. Adrien could also see that he had headphones connected to an MP3 player attached to his hip. Easier to see now that he was up close. "Although, I gotta admit, I never expected the world-famous model Adrien Agreste to step foot inside this place."

            The blond rubbed at the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah, well, my father allowed me to attend this school," he answered. "And world-famous is a bit of a stretch. I really only advertise for my father's brand."

      {Adrien Agreste: The Ultimate Supermodel}

      Most people with Adrien's talent would be thrilled to have the fame and fortune that came with it. But he wasn't interested in these things. Of course, he didn't hate modelling; sometimes he could even enjoy himself while on set. But it had never felt like a career he would do for the rest of his life. He yearned for something more than that. What that something was, he still had yet to figure out.

            "So, a fan, huh?" Adrien continued. He had experience with fans before. The fangirls could be especially exhausting. But the boy shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Nah, I'm not really into fashion. I was just surprised." He then perked up, his amber eyes twinkling. "Ah, man, I know who you are, but I totally forgot I haven't told you who I was." He stuck his hand out for Adrien to shake. "Name's Nino Lahiffe. But just call me Nino."

            {Nino Lahiffe: The Ultimate DJ}

            Adrien grasped his hand in return and smiled genuinely. "Nice to meet you, Nino," he said. "And no worries. I get recognized all the time."

            Nino chuckled at that. "I'll bet," he replied. The blond then got suddenly serious after their greeting, glancing around at everyone else. "So, do you know what's going on? Is this part of this school's... orientation or something?"

            Nino scratched at his head. "Beats me, dude," he said. "I just woke up by myself in a classroom with iron covering up every square inch of the place."

            "That's what happened to me, too." Perhaps, it was safe to say that this happened to everyone here. "I was about to walk inside when I suddenly felt faint."

            "Dude, me too." Nino stared at him with wide eyes. "Do you think we got knocked out with sleeping gas or something?"

            "What would be the point of that?"

            "I don't know, man." Nino shrugged. "There're still a bunch of crazy people runnin' around ever since the Tragedy. Maybe one of them is behind this?"

            Adrien suppressed a shudder. "I sure hope not." Their situation would be dire indeed if that were the case. It was best at the moment to not think about the worst-case scenario.

            The blond was interrupted in his musing by Nino's elbow lightly jabbing into his side. He seemed to have noticed something that he wanted to show him. "Looks like you got an admirer, dude."

            Adrien looked up to lock eyes with a girl with deep blue eyes that matched the color of her hair. Upon noticing that she'd been caught, the girl's cheeks turned red immediately, and she looked away in embarrassment. "I-I'm sorry," she said to them. "I d-didn't realize that I w-was staring." She stuttered in an endearing sort of way, something that he found quite cute on her. In fact, there were a lot of things about her that were cute: her petite pink lips and button nose, the way her long lashes delicately framed her deep and mysterious eyes. He made an odd mental note not to stare into them too long lest he get lost in unfathomable depths.

            "No problem, Mari. It isn't any different from any of the weird stuff you normally do." This snapped Adrien out of his own reverie at that, shifting his focus to Nino's cocky grin. The girl's cheeks only seemed to turn a darker shade of red. Nino then eventually gestured to the girl he had addressed. "This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Kind of an oddball, but she's actually pretty cool once you get to know her."

            "H-Hello," Marinette stammered. "Nice to meet you."

            {Marinette Dupain-Cheng: The Ultimate Fashion Designer}

            "And Marinette, you know who this is?" Nino jabbed a thumb in his direction. He had never been in social situations such as this before, so he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say or do. But being put in the spotlight like this on day one was a little nerve-wracking.

            Marinette took a few steps towards him, scrutinizing him thoroughly. He suddenly felt extremely self-conscious, like he was being analyzed by a scanner that made sure to catalogue every detail. "Hmm," she hummed to herself. "I know you look familiar, but I can't quite figure it out."

            Nino let out an exasperated sigh. "Seriously? You of all people aren't able to recognize the world-renowned supermodel Adrien Agreste?"

            Once Nino had revealed that information, Marinette's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Wait, really?! You're Adrien Agreste?!" The blond in question chuckled a little at her enthusiasm, going back to awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Guilty as charged."

            Adrien didn't think that this girl's eyes could get any wider. "Omigod omigod omigod! No way! The Adrien Agreste! I am, like, such a huge fan of your dad's fashion line!"

            With the amount of squealing Marinette was emitting, one might mistake her for a mouse. It was something fangirls often did when they caught sight of him, but he found he didn't mind it from Marinette. It was probably because she was gushing for a different reason entirely.

            "So, entering the world of fashion, huh?" Due to her Ultimate talent, she was most likely going to be the one to take his father's place once he retired. "You must be really good at it to earn the title of Ultimate."

            It was Marinette's turn this time to look sheepish and humbled. "W-Well... I'm not the best yet, not by a long shot. I've only won small competitions so far. I guess it was enough for people to decide that I had potential." Even the way she appeared modestly flattered made her look cute. This had occurred so many times in a row that he wondered why he kept thinking about her like this, even though they had just met.

            "Wh-What about you?" she stammered. "What brings y-you here?" It took Adrien a moment to realize that she had addressed him. "O-Oh, my father gave the go-ahead to allow me to attend public school. This whole thing is kind of brand new to me, so I'm hoping to get to know everyone as much as I can." He looked out at the others gathered in the courtyard. "So, is this our class?"

            Marinette followed his gaze. "Yeah, seems like it," she confirmed. "A lot of us went to middle school together, so I know almost everyone." She pointed out two individuals among the crowd. "Except for those two, I've never seen them before."

            These two girls were similar in appearance, with lightly tanned skin and fiery auburn hair. One had glasses, wearing an orange flannel shirt and blue jeans. The other was furiously tapping her fingers against her thighs, as if itching for her phone. So, he wasn't the only one then. Her green eyes appeared anxious and perturbed, darting around frantically. Her hipster-style fashion sense completed her look.

            The girl closest to them, the one with glasses, heard Marinette mention them. Pushing her glasses up her nose, she answered them directly. "That's because I transferred from a different school outside the city."

            "Oh, that makes sense." Marinette then turned to the other girl, who only noticed the group staring at them after several seconds. "Oh, I uh... my family and I had been living in Nigeria. We moved back after the Tragedy struck."

            The first girl cleared her throat. "My name is Alya Césaire. I'm the Ultimate Journalist."

            {Alya Césaire: The Ultimate Journalist}

      "I've written for many publishers growing up, even for agencies in America." The subsequent 'oohs' and 'aahs' came from Marinette and Adrien afterwards.

            "And I'm Lila Rossi. I'm actually quite famous on social media."

            {Lila Rossi: The Ultimate Online Influencer}

            "Interesting," Adrien commented out loud. He didn't notice the slight blush that crept onto Lila's face. Something else caught his eye, something familiar. He let out a small gasp of surprise once he remembered who it was. "I didn't know that she was going to be here."

            "Who?" Marinette asked from next to him, and he pointed at a girl standing a few feet away, looking calm and stoic despite their environment. Her navy blue hair was paired well with her honey-colored eyes. She was wearing what appeared to be a traditional Japanese school uniform; a red dress shirt underneath a white blazer paired with a red plaid skirt. She had what looked to be a fencing sword strapped to her back. "That's Kagami Tsurugi," Adrien explained. "I've met her once or twice in passing during my modelling career. I don't know her super well, but we're good acquaintances, at least." The blond furrowed his brow. "Her and her mother must have left Japan before the Tragedy."

            {Kagami Tsurugi: The Ultimate Fencing Champion}

            "Ah, I see. I'm sure she'll be pleasant once we get to know her." With that, Marinette began introducing the rest of their class of Ultimates.

            {Alix Kubdel: The Ultimate Graffiti Artist}

            A tomboy-ish looking girl with radically pink hair.

            {Ivan Bruel: The Ultimate Songwriter}

            A quite large, heavyset boy who looked like he belonged in a punk rock band.

            {Rose Lavillant: The Ultimate Optimist}

            A petite girl with blond hair cut like a boy's, her baby blue eyes accentuating her bubbly and upbeat personality.

      {Myléne Hapréle: The Ultimate Activist}

            A short, stout, and timid girl with a fiery passion. She seems to have some kind of affinity towards Ivan.

      {Max Kanté: The Ultimate Programmer}

            A dark-skinned boy with an appearance that most would describe as "nerdy." He has quite the knack for developing A.I. and seems to have an interest in video games. (At this point in time, these children are unaware of the previous Ultimate Programmer and his recent passing).

            {Luka Couffaine: The Ultimate Composer}

            A broody-looking dark-haired boy with teal highlights and sporting many piercings. He can supposedly play, and write music for, a variety of different instruments, ranging from the classical to rock & roll categories.

            {Juleka Couffaine: The Ultimate Make-up Artist}

            A very shy girl with purple highlights in her dark hair, and Luka's twin sister. She is very interested in make-up and is known for her gothic look. Appears to be close with Rose.

      {Sabrina Raincomprix: The Ultimate Tutor}

            A bookish-looking girl wearing giant bifocals that seemed to magnify her eyes.

      {Nathaniel Kurtzberg: The Ultimate Comic Book Artist}

            A boy with bright, orange hair that's swept to one side of his face. He is currently working on a comic book that will hopefully become a bestseller one day. He just needs a writer.

            {Marc Anciel: The Ultimate Writer}

            A nervous-looking boy with dark hair and green eyes. He puts all his writing ideas in a notebook he carries around with him constantly. He seems embarrassed by it. He would love to have his work be brought to life, but he is no good at drawing.

            "And I believe that's everybody." Adrien started to nod once Marinette wrapped up, but one last individual caught his eye. She stood apart from the rest of the group, studying their strange environment intently. She was wearing a plain white shirt under a dark trenchcoat, dark denim jeans, and simple black combat boots. Her chocolate-brown hair cascaded past her shoulders and down her back. She held a hand to her chin in thought, her pale blue eyes locked in concentration. It was her conscious separation from the others that had caught his attention as he pointed her out. "Who's that?"

            Marinette's brow scrunched down in confusion. "I have no idea." As they continued to stare incredulously at the mysterious girl, she eventually noticed that she was being watched. "Do you need something?" she asked politely, robotically. It still made Adrien and Marinette jump in their skin. "N-No, sorry," the pig-tailed girl stammered out. "We've just... never seen you before. A-Are you new?"

            The girl's expression turned dour and thoughtful. "Yes," she answered. "I was also transferred here."

            "Where from?"

            "America." Marinette blinked in surprise. "Oh," she stated. "So, you're a foreign exchange student, then? I don't recall Collégé having something like that."

            The girl looked off to the side. "It's a new program the school issued to help students get assimilated back into the educational system. I just happened to meet their qualifications. I figured I'd have a better chance here than back where I'm from." The somber silence hung in the air for a few moments before she met their gazes again. "My name is Madeleine Pilgrim. But please, call me Maddie."

            "Heh. If it weren't for the last name, most people would think you're a native." Marinette smiled warmly at the girl. "It's nice to meet you, Maddie. If I may be so bold to ask, what's your Ultimate talent?"

            Maddie went back into deep concentration, as if struggling to turn the gears in her mind. "I'm... not sure," she answered, sounding lost. "If I have one, I don't remember what it is."

            {Madeleine Pilgrim: The Ultimate ???}

            "Really?" Marinette muttered in shock. "That's so weird." A pause. "You don't think someone... made you forget your talent, do you?"

            Maddie cast her gaze to their surroundings once more. "As impossible as it sounds, that may be likely, considering our current circumstances."

            "How so?" Adrien inquired, cocking an eyebrow. The brunette surveyed for a moment before turning to back to him. "Look closely. It's obvious that we're inside Collégé Duponte, but it appears completely different from what it should be."

            Pondering on it thoroughly, Adrien realized that Maddie had a point. These were clearly the walls of Collégé Duponte, but the large metal dome and all the iron plating painfully stood out to him. If this really was their high school, someone had taken the time to possibly repurpose it into something else.

            "From this point on, we should proceed with caution," Maddie told them ominously. "Prepare yourselves for anything."

            It was with the conclusion of those words that something did, indeed, begin to happen. A loud whirring noise started up, sending everyone on their guard. At the far end of the courtyard, opposite the entrance, a panel on the floor slid back, and what appeared to be a giant screen with several speakers attached to it rose from within. Once the massive electronic clicked into place, the screen came to life, revealing a display of cartoonish eyes from a monochromatic background, one appearing normal on the white side and one wide, curled, and red on the black side. "One two, one two. Mike check, mike check."

            Everyone was completely at a loss to what was going on. "What on earth is that?" someone asked. The strange voice over the speakers continued as if no one had said anything. "You guys are all paying attention to the Jumbotron, right? Good. Then without further ado, it's time to get this show on the road." A loud clattering could be heard behind the giant monitor before a sight that Adrien couldn't quite comprehend sprung at the top. With a flourish, what appeared to be a black-and-white stuffed bear leaped onto the floor to land at the base of the gargantuan screen, pulling off a pose as if to say "Ta-da!"

            Several seconds ticked by before the silence was broken. "Dude, what am I looking at?" Nino questioned, utterly flabbergasted. "It appears to be an animatronic bear." This came from Kagami, still somehow remaining steadfast, her voice monotonous. The bear in question pointed at her. "Ding ding ding!" it said, voice comically high-pitched and grating. "Right you are, Kagami! Gold star for you!" The bear was obviously playing around, like all of this was a fun game. It caught Adrien, and everyone else, completely offguard.

            "Welcome, welcome, ladies and germs," the bear continued jovially, "to Collégé Duponte!" The Jumbotron behind him played a classic cheer sound effect, the word "Congratulations!" flashing on the screen in bright colors. Unseen compartments behind the screen popped out confetti. "And from this day forward," the bear announced, "I am your principal!"

            You could practically hear everyone's jaws hit the floor. "Wh-What the hell?" Ivan stammered, pointing at the talking stuffed toy. "This is some kind of prank, right?"

            "This is highly illogical," Max said, pushing his glasses up his nose.

            The bear answered them directly. "Oh, it's no prank, kids. My name is Monokuma, and I'm the principal of Collégé Duponte!" The animatronic, Monokuma, waved his small arms excitedly in the air. "Let me just say, it's truly an honor to welcome new students on your first day of school."

            "Hey, you stupid bear," someone called out, a particularly loud blonde wearing too much makeup. "Where's our cell phones? Are you trying to kill us with boredom?"

            Monokuma was limited in terms of making expressions, but the stuffed toy somehow managed to look amused. "Those have been confiscated as per school regulations." There were a few protests in response to that, from the blonde especially. "As for killing you, that's not what I'm here for at all. That's your job!" He laughed then, a particularly annoying "Nyeeeeeeeh, nyeh nyeh nyeh!" that echoed around the enclosed courtyard.

            Several gasps could be heard. "H-Hey, if you're messing with us, it isn't funny, man," Nino stuttered, his face having gone pale like everyone else's. But Monokuma did not waver in his declaration. "Oh, I'm completely serious, folks. It's all in your student eHandbooks! Check your pockets, purses, whatever; you've all been issued one."

            Just like he said, everyone checked their persons to find small, cell-phone sized touchscreen devices. Once Adrien extracted it from within his inner breast pocket on his white casual designer shirt, he tapped on the screen to make it light up. What he read when it did made his blood freeze inside his veins. "'Guide to Living Your Best Killing School Life?'" he read out loud in disbelief. He could feel sweat start to trickle down his back. "Wh-What is this?"

            Other students voiced their own shocked reactions upon reading the title to the student handbook. "Your eyes do not deceive you, dear children!" Monokuma declared gleefully. "This school isn't just a normal school. It's a killing school!" He laughed loudly again, and it became easier to view the bear as a persona of an evil mastermind. It was definitely an evil laugh, that was for sure.

            "A killing school?" Maddie inquired, confusion and apprehension clear on her features. "What do you mean by that?"

            Monokuma tilted his head, putting a hand to his chin. "Well, it's quite simple," he stated. "I'm sure you've all noticed by now that every possible exit has been sealed shut." A shiver ran through the crowd. "Basically, if you want to escape, you have to kill each other! The first person who kills one of their classmates, and gets away with it, will graduate Collégé Duponte and leave the school!"

            It was at that moment that a chilling feeling settled over the crowd of students, hovering around them like a thick fog. Adrien could feel it; an oppressive emotion of horror and depression that threatened to crush any hope they had. Murder each other? To escape the school? What kind of sick game is this?

            "K-Kill each other?" Myléne quivered where she stood, fear taking a firm grip over her. "What the hell are you playing at?" Ivan yelled from next to her. "You actually think you'll get us to commit murder?"

            "Yeah," Luka called out from a different spot in the room. "No way any of us will do that. There's gotta be another way out!"

            Monokuma sighed, seeming to sag. "I should've expected a reaction like this, but it's still annoying." He faced the class head-on. "Believe me when I say that the only way out is to kill one of your fellow students! Although, it would be hilarious to watch you all scurry around like mice in a maze desperately looking for an exit. But that wouldn't be nearly as entertaining!" It was odd to perceive a stuffed animal's stare as daunting and terrifying. "You're all essentially trapped here for the foreseeable future, so you might as well get comfortable or get crackin' on killing someone." He laughed again maniacally, sending a chill down Adrien's spine.

            "What? N-No. Our whole lives? Unless someone dies?" The voice was soft at first before Sabrina exploded in a terrified outburst. "No! It can't be! This wasn't part of the deal!"

            "I assure you, sweetheart, it certainly can be." Monokuma swept his arms wide. "That's the rules of the killing game! There are other specific regulations in the Student Handbook as well. For example, it is absolutely forbidden to commit any sort of act of violence towards Principal Monokuma."

            "Shut up!" Sabrina screamed, pure terror seizing her body, tears welling up. "Shut up, shut up, shut up! This wasn't supposed to happen! I wasn't supposed to get stuck in here! I'm not supposed to die!" Suddenly, she bolted towards the heavy metal doors of the school entrance, banging her fists and scrabbling frantically on its sleek surface. "Let me out! You can't do this! LET ME OUT!"

            Everyone was perplexed at the Ultimate's sudden change in demeanor, clawing at the door like a madwoman. "Hey!" Monokuma called out to her, "don't go touching that electronic lock! It's real sensitive, you know! Someone could get hurt!"

            Alix ignored the bear's contradicting statement and stepped forward to grab hold of Sabrina. "Hey, calm down," she told the distraught girl, who was still flailing and screaming in Alix's grip. "Panicking isn't going to solve anything."

            The redhead didn't seem to hear her, a stray elbow knocking Alix in the chin hard enough to be released. As Alix fell backwards from the blow, Sabrina launched herself forward again, arms outstretched towards the doors. As soon as she made contact again, a horrendously loud beep sounded from the metal gate. From there, it all seemed to happen so fast. A previously unseen mounted turret emerged from a compartment above the door, aiming right for the girl beneath it.

            Before anyone could move, a riddle of bullets was fired from the turret, colliding with Sabrina's body at full force. At one moment, Sabrina was there. The next she was full of holes, crimson spraying against the door. The girl's figure wobbled for a moment before collapsing to the side. She did not move again. A pair of glasses, lenses now cracked, lay a few feet from the fresh corpse, stained with its owner's blood. The turret retreated back to its cubby just as quickly as it had popped out, vanishing from sight once more.

            Everyone seemed to hold their breath until a high-pitched scream filled the air. It came from the blonde who was arguing with Monokuma before. The room erupted into chaos. Myléne fell to her knees, sobbing amidst the screeches. Ivan stood dumbfounded at what just unfolded in front of them. "Wh-What the hell... just happened?" he muttered. "She's... she's really dead?"

            "This is so fucked up," Luka stated out loud, just as stunned. These statements more or less summed up everyone else's reactions to this violent murder. Adrien could do nothing but stare, wide-eyed and horrified, at their classmate who was alive not a moment ago. Alix, who was still sitting on the ground from being knocked back, had a front row seat, effectively within the "splash zone." She looked as if she couldn't think or express anything at all; what had occurred was just too sudden and brutal.

            Sighing from where he stood, Monokuma grumbled in agitation, furiously rubbing at the back of his head. "Ah, jeez," he said nonchalantly, as if what happened was just an unfortunate inconvenience instead of an actual murder. "I did try to warn her. That bio-mechanical lock is DNA secured. Anyone who activates it with the wrong DNA signature will activate the security system."

            "DNA secured?" Alya inquired, looking quite pale but trying to keep a steady demeanor. "Whose DNA is it programmed to open for?"

            "Can't tell you that," Monokuma answered. "That's classified information. But I will say that it's none of you squirts. So, unless you wanna get turned into swiss cheese like Miss Freakout over there, I suggest you don't touch that door. Think of it as a lesson for the rest of you!" The bear threw back his head and laughed uproariously.

            "You... You're a monster!" This outburst came from Alix, who had stirred and stood up while Monokuma was speaking. "She was scared and wanted to get out! How could you do something so barbaric?"

            Monokuma tilted his head again. "It's not like I had anything to do with that," he admitted. "I didn't build the thing."

            "Then who did?" Alya demanded. "Was it the one who trapped us in here? The one who's controlling you and everything else from the shadows?"

            Monokuma seemed unperturbed by the journalist's bold declaration. "Who knows?" he said, exaggeratingly shrugging his shoulders. "'S not like you'll figure it out, anyways."

            "I beg to differ," Alya replied, a dangerous glint in her eye. Monokuma, however, just laughed. "You've got enthusiasm, Césaire. I like it!" The stuffed toy punctuated that statement with a thumbs-up. "Can't wait to see it in action!" He returned to his casual stance. "Welp," he declared, "you guys know what to do. So, get to doin' it!"

            "Wait!" Marinette shouted, gaining the bear's attention. "Why are you doing this? What could possibly motivate you to do something so cruel?"

            "Why?" Monokuma echoed. "Because you guys are Ultimates, and there's nothing more despairing than destroying the future of humanity by making you guys kill each other!" He laughed uproariously again, holding his belly, sharp teeth bared for all to see. He looked truly menacing and unhinged. "Hasta la vista, you little snots!" he said after he composed himself. "Oh, and don't worry about the body. I'll clean it up later!" After that, he disappeared behind the Jumbotron where he came, leaving no trace that he was ever there at all.

            The class stood in stunned silence before Luka and Max rushed to peer behind the enormous screen but found nothing. Poking and prodding around the space proved fruitless as well. There was nothing that suggested how Monokuma was able to come and go like he did. Everyone did their best to ignore Sabrina's body a few feet away, but it did nothing to dispel the tension and dread they all felt after being presented with these unfavorable options.

            "What're we gonna do, man?" Nino cried, clutching at his head. "We're all gonna die in here!"

            "No one's gonna die," Alix told the dark-skinned boy. "We just gotta wait for the police or the army or whatever to find us and bust us out."

            "If the authorities were coming to rescue us, they would've done so already," Alya interjected. "I don't think we should put all our hopes on that."

            "Why the hell not?!" Alix cried, irritated. "Are you sayin' that something happened to the people on the outside?"

            "Maybe, but we can't know for sure." Alya adjusted her glasses. "We should all calm down and think of what to do in a rational manner."

            "Yeah, we can't give up now." Adrien didn't know why he felt the need to jump in on this, but he recognized that he had some sort of responsibility to rally everyone. "There's gotta be another way out. We just have to find it. We won't play this person's sick game."

            "Rational? Rational?!" This escalation came from Ivan as he stalked towards their group, aggravation written all over him. Myléne was holding onto his arm, trying to hold him back with all the strength her tiny body had (which wasn't much). "There's nothing rational about this!" Ivan continued to rage. "We're stuck in a school with some psycho teddy bear being forced to kill each other! We'll get killed if we try to escape!" He grit his teeth, looking quite ferocious himself. "Or have you already forgotten what happened to Sabrina?"

            Everyone flinched at that but didn't try to argue with him. Adrien knew that emotions were high, and he felt like he needed to bring everyone back to base before something worse happened. "No, I haven't," he said, raising his hands placatingly. "But we can't just sit around and do nothing. We need to work together to figure a way-"

            "Work together?! Have you lost your mind?! None of us know you!" The enraged boy turned towards Alya and Maddie. "We don't know you either! How are we supposed to trust anyone in a game like this?"

            Adrien got in between the other two girls, shielding them from Ivan's seething stare. "Now hold on just a minute!" he interjected. "We can't think like that. That's exactly what whoever's behind this wants. They want us to kill each other, instead of becoming friends and helping each other out!"

            "I don't wanna listen to this holier-than-thou bullcrap! Just because you're famous doesn't mean you get to play the hero!" Ivan closed the distance between them, fisting the front of Adrien's shirt. The smaller boy gulped at the other towering over him. "N-No, that's not what I-"

            "Screw you!" The last thing Adrien saw was a fist flying towards his face before an impact, and then darkness settled on him abruptly.

-------

            He came to quite painfully in an unfamiliar place. He groaned and rubbed at his head, the fuzzy images of Ivan slugging him slowly coming back to him. "Hey, dude," a voice called out from beside him. He turned his emerald gaze towards the sound, his vision focusing on Nino sitting beside him.

            "Hey, Nino," he said back, painfully making himself sit up, grunting as he did so. "How you feelin'?" the young DJ asked. Adrien massaged his temples some more before answering. "Better now," he replied. He took this time to examine their surroundings. "Where are we?"

            Nino seemed to lose his concerned demeanor, deducing that his friend had told him the truth. "I think it's a sleeping area," he said. "There're a bunch of bunks in here. There's another similar room for the girls. Rules say that someone can only visit the opposite sleeping quarters if everyone in that group unanimously agrees to it." He glanced back at Adrien. "Everyone's too preoccupied right now to organize something like that, so I agreed to take up guard duty."

            "You didn't have to do that," Adrien said as he looked around the room. It was just as Nino said, this room was crammed with bunk beds you would see in cabins at a sleepaway camp out in the middle of the woods. It seemed like someone tried to convert the school into a habitable living space in a hurry. What unnerved him the most, though, was the surveillance camera mounted on the ceiling in the corner, light blinking red.

            The dark-skinned boy shrugged one shoulder. "No big deal, man," he said. "That Ivan guy really gave you a good one." His smile dropped. "He apologized for that, by the way. After getting chewed out by both Myléne and Marinette." Nino let out a low whistle. "Jeez, that girl is scary when she gets mad."

            Adrien's eyebrows raised at that. "Really?" He was genuinely confused. "She didn't have to do that for me."

            "Seriously, dude," Nino addressed him. "Have you not interacted with any human beings, like, ever?"

            Adrien laughed at that, amused by Nino's inquiry. "Uh, no," he explained. "It's just that..." He looked down sheepishly, embarrassed. "I've been homeschooled for most of my life. This is my first time in public school."

            Nino cocked an eyebrow. "Whoa, really?" Adrien nodded. "Yeah, my father is a serious guy, and he's been a bit overprotective of me since the Tragedy."

            "Huh," was the only reply he got. Then an arm draped itself around his shoulders. "Well, it's alright, my dude. I'll show you the ropes." Nino gave him a huge grin. "We gotta have each other's backs while we're stuck in here."

            Adrien smiled, truly grateful. "Yeah, you're right." He turned his gaze towards the door. "What's everyone else doing?"

            "Exploring the rest of the school," Nino replied, standing up. "We found the cafeteria and the kitchen. Place is stocked up like a nuclear war bunker." He fixed his gaze on Adrien again. "It's like someone was expecting for people to live here."

            "Huh," Adrien said, as they exited the boys' sleeping quarters and out into the hallway. "That's odd."

            "~Adrikiiiiiiiiiiiiiiins!" A high-pitched voice sounded out from down the hall, and Adrien could hardly prepare in time before a big mop of blonde stuffed itself into his field of vision. A girl's body was pressed flush against him, arms wrapped around his neck. He faltered momentarily to crane his neck at their new visitor. "Hey, Chloé," he greeted, feeling the awkwardness that usually came with the girl whenever she draped herself onto him.

            "I'm so glad to see you're alright!" she crooned, making his skin crawl. But he still didn't pull away. Instead, Chloé raised her head to look at him, still holding on. "You dummy!" she pouted, puffing out her cheeks. "You never told me you were coming to school."

            "Uh, yeah, my father approved of it." Chloé brightened up at the words, cheering out loud. "Hurray! That's so awesome! We'll be able to hang out like we did when we were little!"

            "Dude," Nino voiced from next to them, "you know Chloé Bourgeois?" Adrien sighed heavily as he tried to extricate himself from the blonde's invasive embrace. "Yeah, we grew up together. My father and the mayor are friends, so they made us have playdates."

            "That's right!" Chloé declared, throwing up a peace sign as she continued to stay glued to the model's side. "We've been BFFs since the day we were born! Like two peas in a pod!"

            {Chloé Bourgeois: The Ultimate Politician}

            "Hey, you were the one who was complaining about the cell phones earlier, right?" Nino asked, pointing at her. She stood up to her full height, pulling away from Adrien, giving the boy a hard scowl. "I wasn't complaining, Lahiffe," she huffed indignantly. She glared down at him as if he were no more than an insect compared to her. "It's a crime to take something of value from me, even if it is a school rule. Or, at least, it should be." She tossed her blonde ponytail around in the air haughtily.

            Adrien noticed Nino's eye roll that the girl didn't see, and he figured that this probably happened often. "Hey, Chloé," he acknowledged, gaining her attention. "Where's everyone else?"

            "In the cafeteria." She sighed weakly. "They're trying to talk strategy. Pfft." She crossed her arms, the epitome of self-obsessed. "As if anyone's smart enough for something like that. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. I honestly have better uses for my time."

            "We should go join them," Adrien suggested, subtly tugging Nino along with him towards the stairs. Chloé blinked owlishly at the pair before trailing behind, acting as if anything she said earlier didn't happen, getting "pumped up." It was painfully obvious that she was sucking up to the supermodel.

            Just as Chloé said, everyone was gathered in the cafeteria. Large, open-view windows surrounded the stretched-out space; it would've been nice to have if they weren't all covered in iron. The students of Collégé Duponte were sat at one table near the middle of the room, which just so happened to be at the end of the cafeteria buffet line. His old childhood friend announced him pretty loudly to the group, something that sent awkwardness rising inside him. No one seemed to mind though, Marinette especially perking up upon seeing him. "Adrien!" she exclaimed. "It's great to see you're okay!"

            The young supermodel rubbed at his neck again, a nervous habit. "Yeah, it only looked worse than it actually was," he replied, finding himself cowed again by the bluenette's bright persona. A loud cough drew everyone's attention, and Myléne lightly swatted Ivan on the arm. "Ivan," she said, "don't you have something to say to Adrien?" The brutish-looking boy's cheeks were red with embarrassment, a mannerism that made him seem softer than he appeared. "U-Uh... sorry," he stuttered out. "For punching you and knocking you out."

            Adrien waved it off. "It's alright," he said. "You were scared, and you lashed out. It happens to the best of us." The blond's expression turned warm and friendly. "Besides, I'm not the type to get hung up over something like that."

            The tension in Ivan's body evaporated, as did everyone else's. Due to the others not knowing him very well, they weren't sure how Adrien would react to physical assault such as that. It was relieving to see that he was a kind-hearted, well-mannered person. With that out of the way, the group returned to what they were discussing, Adrien, Nino, and Chloé joining in, the aloof girl herself looking like she had better things to do than be there.

            "Alright, since everyone's here," Maddie piped up, "I think it would be best to go over what we've gathered from our search."

            "I agree," Alya commended.

            "Well, it seems that there's limited restricted access to the rest of campus," Luka started. "There was one door in particular that was locked, and Monokuma showed up to tell me that it was the boiler room." He scratched at his head, his puzzlement evident on his face. "He said that it wasn't the right time for it to be open yet. Whatever that means."

            "That's not the only strange thing," Nathaniel chimed in. "The principal's office was completely empty, like someone had cleaned it out beforehand. A lot of the drawers in the desk were locked as well."

            "Other than that, we found no traces of any possible exits," Maddie finished. "If we want to escape, we can't do it on our own."

            A heavy silence fell over the group, that cold dread hanging over them. "S-So," Myléne stuttered, "we r-really have to k... k-kill each other if we wanna leave?"

            The brooding mood was interrupted by hands slamming forcefully down onto the table. "We can't give up, guys!" Rose's adamant demeanor was incredibly loud. "We have to stay positive! Think about it!" She gestured to their current prison-like surroundings. "If this place is built like a fortress on the outside like it is on the inside, then of course it's going to take time for someone to rescue us. We just have to wait until then!" She puffed out her chest in humble confidence. "In the meantime, we can still try to look for clues about who put us in here, and how we get them to let us out."

            "I don't believe that maintaining that positive attitude is going to be beneficial to us in the long run," Kagami said. "At least, not in the part where we have hope that someone will rescue us." Rose seemed to visibly deflate. "However," the Japanese girl continued, hiding her mouth behind her folded hands, "I do believe that it would be wise to coexist peacefully. Adapting to our new environment could offer us the best chances of survival, for any one of us."

            "So, you're saying that we should just sit back and take this?" Lila rebuked. "No offense, but that sounds like a load of bull to me."

            "Not to mention that we still can't fully trust that someone won't kill someone else. It's too risky to just sit around on our asses doing nothing." Ivan pointedly didn't look at the four transfers. Adrien understood why he was suspicious since none of them knew him, and on their first day of school they were thrust into this terrible killing game. It still didn't lessen the stab of hurt that came with that thought.

            "Why can't we just bust down that locked door?" Nino asked. Alya pushed up her glasses at that, staring indignantly at him. "As much as I would love to, it's clearly stated in the eHandbook that any damage to school property is strictly prohibited. It wouldn't be wise to break a school regulation, given Monokuma's track record of enforcing them." The memory of what happened to Sabrina made everyone's stomachs turn sour. It was still baffling to Adrien that one of their friends had died not too long ago. He held back the torrent of tears that threatened to gather in his eyes.

            "It's true that we have no knowledge of what the situation is like in the outside world," Maddie stated. "Whether or not there are people who are working to get us out of here, we can't lean too much on that hope. It's essential that we keep cool and approach this problem rationally. As long as we do that, we can prevent anyone from getting hurt." Her expression hardened down into a grim stone face. "I know it's hard for some of you to trust me. But like Adrien said earlier, that's exactly what Monokuma wants." She looked over towards the blond in question then, adopting a more determined look. "He wants us to be suspicious of each other so that we have more of an incentive to kill. That's why we have to work together. Or else we'll lose."

            Alya smirked, crossing her arms. "Couldn't have said it better myself." Marinette stood up, mirroring Maddie's stoic and confident posture. "Yes, you're right," she said, casting her gaze out towards the class as a whole. "Let's all band together to figure this out. None of us are enemies. The only enemy we have is Monokuma." Adrien found himself captivated by her steely resolve and certainty. He couldn't help but take her in all at once, a light seeming to dazzle from her. But there was no way that his heart had doubled in rhythm right there. It must have been his imagination.

*Ding dong dong ding*

            The crackling of static following the bell chime from mounted speakers soon gave way to a familiar and annoying voice over the loudspeaker. "Your attention please, you lame turds!" Monokuma announced. "It's 10PM. That means lights out, in case you didn't know. Go back to your dorms if you haven't already and go to sleep. A good night's rest is healthy for you young folk. Now, get to it!" After that, the room fell silent once more.

            "Seems like we're out of time," Maddie said, standing back to make her way towards the exit of the cafeteria. Everyone else followed suit, Adrien grabbing a snack from the kitchen first since he hadn't eaten all day (it sucked to be knocked out). Before parting to return to their designated rooms, Marinette gave Adrien's hand a reassuring squeeze before trotting off. Her smile was imprinted into his retinas.

            It was hard for him to settle down, probably because he'd been in snoozeville for the better part of a day. But his mind was racing out of his control. The thoughts he didn't have a chance to mull over took priority. What was going on outside? Was his family okay? His father was probably freaking out right now. If he's even still alive. That notion was smothered as quickly as it had come. He refused to think that. There was no way. He would get out and see his father again, that much he was certain.

            Despite his efforts to get comfortable, Adrien's overactive mind made him fall into a restless sleep.

-------

Author's Note: And we've already got our first death. Hope it was surprising for everyone. This is my first Danganronpa and MLB fic, so I apologize if writing may be finnicky. I also apologize if anyone is OOC; I'm trying to write MLB characters true to their own character while also kinda sorta molding them to characteristics from those in Trigger Happy Havoc. For example, I don't believe that Ivan is that hot-headed. I just wanted to remodel that scene between Makoto and Oowada at the beginning and Ivan was the best choice.

I chose Alya to be the antagonist because... I'm not really sure exactly. I know that there's a sizable handful of the fandom that hates Alya, and I don't know why, but she's going to be the pain in everyone's butt in this story. Again, there will be several moments where she'll act like Byakuya while also still being Alya.

I'm aware that there's already an Ultimate Programmer and Ultimate Writer. However, writing is Marc's thing; that's why him and Nathaniel partner up in the show. Also, I could've made Max the Ultimate Game Developer since he likes games, but he's shown more adeptness in creating A.I. in the show. So, if you're peeved by this, sorry, but that's how it's gonna be.

I originally thought that the Ultimate Optimist is a stupid talent, but then I remembered that Ishimaru's talent is Ultimate Moral Compass (SHSL Hall Monitor in the anime), so I figured it's not that stupid.

Have I got you hooked? Who do you think is going to get murdered first? Who do you think will be the murderer? Do you already have some ideas as to who the mastermind is? I hope I haven't made it too obvious.

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower