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

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He wasn't too sure what to expect when he lumbered his way to the locker room in the morning, but he had always had a feeling. Just like with Sabrina, any evidence that a murder had occurred had been completely removed, leaving no trace whatsoever. Like nothing ever happened. The cold numbness of despondency filled him, leaving him ragged. Adrien, undressed, turned the knob to the shower, letting the warm water cascade down his bare back. He leaned on the wall with both hands, his body minutely shaking.

"Why?" he said to no one. "Why did it have to be her?"

It was hard to tell if the water dripping down his face were his tears mixing with what was pouring from the shower head.

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He didn't know how long he was in there, but he eventually did what he needed to do before shutting off the water. He grabbed the fresh towel he had brought in with him, drying himself down. Steam came pouring out of the boys' shower room as he stepped out, the towel wrapped around his waist.

A loud squeak got his attention, and he looked up to see a familiar face standing frozen in the locker room, her face beet red. It took him a moment to realize why she was trying so hard not to gawk at his exposed chest, his face heating up as he did. "M-Marinette!" he stuttered in embarrassment. "Wh-What are you doing in here?!"

"Ahhhh, I'm sorry!" she shouted, now gaining the sense to cover her face with her arms. "I didn't expect to see you naked when I came in here!" The teens comically leapt on either side of the shelf of lockers separating them, one to hide and the other to give him privacy. While this incident was indeed unexpected for the both of them, they simultaneously had a feeling that the other was way more stressed.

"I-I wasn't stalking you or anything, I swear," Marinette said after they both took time to catch their breath. "It's just... Nino saw you c-come in here, a-and you were taking a l-long time and I felt... I don't know, I wanted to... I was..."

"I get it," Adrien gently cut her off. The poor girl was already embarrassed enough as it was; he wasn't going to force her to admit that she had been worried about him. He was grateful for it either way. He decided that Marinette was a good friend. A lot of the things she said sometimes didn't make sense, but she was a good person, in possession of a warm heart. "I'll just get out of this towel first, okay?"

"...Okay."

Adrien opened the locker he had stuffed his clothes into as calmly as he could. Once he had put on his boxers and his shirt, he called out to Marinette that he was done. She didn't seem uncomfortable that he was still in his underwear; he was too hot right now to get fully dressed. They sat next to each other on the bench, awkwardly fidgeting in their seats. Eventually, the blond mustered up the courage to speak. "So, uh," he started smoothly, "was there something you wanted to talk about with me?"

Marinette curled in on herself further, the blush still present. "Well, I... I guess I wanted to... see how you were doing." One of her hands fiddled with the purse she always had slung over her shoulder. "Though I suppose that's a stupid question." He looked at her then, noticing that she had suddenly gone gloomy. "I'm sure you're still sensitive about what happened, but... the thought that you're trying to get through this on your own... I couldn't just... stand by and do nothing, you know?"

Adrien felt a strange flutter in his chest, a pleasant feeling that extended from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Again, he couldn't help but notice how cute she looked, even though she had her mouth curled downward in a frown. "Yeah, I know," he replied, causing her to whip her head up to look him in the eyes. Adrien himself lowered his own, tone wistful and sad. "I feel the same way." His smile dissipated. "I've... never had friends before other than Chloé," he explained. "I've never mingled in the public crowd that much, to be honest. I would only leave the house for work. I don't know what friends do together, or how they talk to each other." He looked at her again, expression bordering on pleading. "Are we... friends?"

Marinette blinked at him, not knowing what to say. Then she smiled, bright like the midmorning sun. "Of course, we're friends, Adrien," she answered truthfully. "We all are. And we'll always be here for you." She averted her gaze, cheeks lighting up again. "I'll always be here for you, definitely."

Placing her hand over top of his caught him off-guard, but it was a gesture that made that pleasant feeling swell in his heart. He met her gaze again, and the sweetness and compassion he felt from her hypnotized him for a moment. He was so entranced that he almost missed what she said. "You're a great guy, Adrien. You've got something."

"I-I do?" His own voice sounded foreign to him. Marinette beamed radiantly. "Yeah," she confirmed, "on your shirt." She pointed to a spot on his chest, making him look down to see the large spot of drool that had landed there. "Oh, crap!" He frantically did his best to rub at it, wiping at the corner of his mouth as well. He must have looked like an idiot with his jaw hanging open. "I-It's not what it looks like, I promise-!"

Marinette's giggle made him stop in his tracks. It was the most beautiful music he had ever heard in his entire life. "Of course, I'm just teasing you!" She pushed at his shoulder playfully, her giggling fits dying down. "You must be hungry, huh?" she said with a wink. Adrien did his best to calm down, taking the save in stride. "Y-Yeah, a little." He chuckled nervously, rubbing at the back of his neck. The fashion designer flashed a wide grin in response, getting to her feet.

"Well," she said, "how about I leave you to finish getting ready and then we can head to the cafeteria." The blunette coyly tilted her head to the side. "Does that sound good to you?"

Adrien couldn't help the way his heart skipped a beat. "Yeah, it does," he answered, returning her smile. She nodded with another giggle before stepping outside the locker room, leaving him to his own. It was funny; he had come in here feeling like the most worthless sack of shit in the whole world, but now he felt like he was floating on a cloud. A very fluffy, buoyant, pink cloud.

The young model brought a leg up to hug it to his chest, still blushing like a schoolgirl. Marinette is my friend. That fact blew his mind. I have friends. That was even harder to comprehend. And for several blissful moments, he was convinced that he wasn't trapped in a school with the rest of his class, forced to kill each other in some sick person's twisted game. None of their lives were in danger, they were all happily getting along like friends do. Wow. I wonder if Marinette has that effect on everyone? She had to have; she always seemed willing to help people, no matter how they treated her. Her performance in the trial also suggested she was exceptionally adept at strategy, another thing to admire about her.

As Adrien sat there ruminating to himself, the heavy weight on his chest seemed that much easier to bear.

Chapter 2: The Consequences of Love & Hatred

Luka bursting through the cafeteria doors while everyone was calmly eating breakfast brought with it a dramatic effect. "Guys!" Stares locked on him, incredulous as to what was so important that it warranted such a grand entrance. "Come quick, there's something you need to see!"

Naturally, everyone rushed to where Luka had come across this discovery. They all ended up gathering in the principal's office, the boy who brought them there circling the desk to crouch in front of the drawer doors. "What? Did something happen?" Alya eyed him with a raised eyebrow, pushing up her glasses. Luka turned to the journalist, cyan eyes focused. "A key had suddenly appeared on the desk this morning. It opened one of the drawers." He slid open the compartment, pulling out a small object. "And this is what was inside."

"A thumb drive?" Nino admonished, scratching at his head. "Why is it here? What's on it?"

"We should take it to one of the computers in the library to find out," Maddie suggested. The consensus was mutual. They travelled to the computer lab, Alya taking the thumb drive from Luka once they arrived. However, after logging in and inserting the piece of hardware, an error message popped up on the screen: "HARD DRIVE INCOMPATIBLE. UNABLE TO ACCESS."

"Aw, c'mon man," Nino lamented, physically drooping. "Are you serious? We get a potential hint about what's going on in this school and we can't even use it?"

"Of course! It's not like it's for any ol' dinky computer." Everyone whipped around to see the monochrome bear in the doorway, casually waving at them. Alya simply narrowed her eyes, suspicion evident in them. "What do you mean? What monitor does this go to?"

Monokuma snickered. "No can do, sweet cheeks," he replied. "That thumb drive is the only thing you get for now. Think of it as a reward for you fortunate souls to have survived the first trial."

"What kind of files are on this?" Max asked. "Nyeh nyeh nyeh!" The bear's laugh was just as conniving as ever. "Well, since you're so curious..." He leaned forward, building up suspense. "You could say that it's the answer to all your questions."

"You mean that this has information about why you trapped us in here, forcing us to kill each other?" Maddie's tone was condescending, scathing. "That's hardly worth putting any effort into."

"It isn't just that," Monokuma explained. "It might have stuff about what's happening right now in the outside world, you know?"

"Are you serious? You're not messing with us?" Monokuma just laughed at Ivan's inquiry, clutching his belly. "Am I, indeed? Why don't you kill someone to see for yourself? You never know until you try."

"Don't say something so horrible!" Rose cried. "That'll never happen again!" The bear's only response to that was another hearty laugh, the sound echoing and tapering off as he waddled away. They were left in the crushing silence, that ominous dread settling over them once more.

"I-It was so horrible th-the first time," Myléne sniffled. "Th-There's no way another k-killing will happen."

"If that's what you think, then you're hopelessly naïve." Everyone sharply focused on the one who had spoken, Alya's stare indifferent and insensitive. "Someone had already been murdered. Once that line is crossed, there's no going back." She perused the other students in the room. "No one can trust anyone now. It's every man for himself."

Adrien couldn't help but flinch at the girl's mention of what only occurred yesterday. But he said nothing, unable to find the willpower to argue. Fortunately, someone else did.

"What the hell are you saying?" Luka ground out. "We talked about this before. That's what Monokuma wants. We can't just make it easy for him."

"And look how that ended up," Alya shot back, making the cyan-haired boy simmer internally. She continued on regardless. "Monokuma has made it clear that he has much more clout than we initially thought. We are goldfish stuck in a fishbowl." She pushed up her glasses again. "I don't know about you, but I don't intend to have a target on my back."

"Like that'll solve anything," Ivan snarled. "Keep talkin' and you might end up added to the kill count."

"You seem to have a strong conviction to survive whatever Monokuma throws at us," Kagami stepped in. "I assume it's due to the press's institution mantra of always uncovering the truth no matter the cost has something to do with it. Something expected of the Ultimate Journalist."

"I don't just plan to survive," Alya countered. "I plan to win this game. By any means necessary." This was accentuated with another flash of her lenses.

"That's it!" Alix stepped forward then, approaching the journalist with balled up fists. "I should knock your lights out! Asshole!"

"No, don't!" Max lunged at Alix, attempting to stop the enraged girl in her tracks. But it was futile as he was shaken off easily like a used coat. "Get out of my way! This bitch deserves what's comin' to her!"

"Guys, stop fighting!" Rose's voice elevated above all the cacophony. "We're all friends, aren't we?"

Alya scoffed. "Hardly. Some of us might have grown up together..." She pointedly did not look at Adrien, "but we're all effectively strangers shoved into a life-or-death game for someone's amusement." Her eyes were hidden by the glint in her glasses. "If none of you have the balls to do something about it, then I'll just be on my own." And with that, she headed towards the exit.

"Hey!" Alix shouted. "You and I aren't done yet!" The girl paused in the doorway, turning her head so only her mouth was visible. "I think we are." Then she was gone. Nino was mumbling to himself, appearing put off. "Dude, that is so not cool." He rushed after her in the vain hope of talking some sense into her. Rose crumpled to the ground again, sobbing. "We're never gonna get out of here, are we?" Juleka knelt next to her, gently running a comforting hand through her hair. "Don't say that, Rose," she assured. "Listen, why don't we go to the arts and crafts room, yeah? That'll cheer you up." The usually happy girl nodded reluctantly, tears still spilling from her gentle blue eyes. The two carefully made their way out, the rest filing out in succession.

Adrien heaved a huge sigh, his insides twisting around themselves uncomfortably. People seemed to be on edge ever since the first trial, understandably. But things were steadily falling apart. How long could they all last like this? Was another murder really inevitable? He didn't know what to do, and he had never felt so frustratingly incompetent.

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Two days passed with nothing of note. While tensions were still high, there was a sort of precarious olive branch established with everyone. No one wanted to think about who would be next to get killed. To the best of their ability, they all maintained peace with one another, despite the refusal of some to cooperate with the others.

Adrien found himself spending most of his time with Nino and Marinette. The trio had become fast friends, and while Alya still insisted on digging into the source of this mystery by herself, the Ultimate DJ stuck to her like glue, convincing the self-righteous girl to play along on occasion. The two came as a set more often these days.

Max would always have his laptop with him, shutting himself in the library for hours on end. He would frequently complain about Alya rifling through the books, forcing Nino to participate. However, it didn't seem to hinder what he was working on too much. Adrien had asked him one day what had him occupied so diligently. "I can't offer up any guarantees," he said, pride taking up residency in his body language, "but I'm hoping it'll be something that'll pry open this school's data files and tell us more about what's going on." Adrien congratulated him on his work, secretly hoping that maybe it'll all amount to something.

Rose and Juleka would often be seen together; it would be worrisome to anyone if one of them wasn't by their side, if you knew them well enough. Them and Marc and Nathaniel would share the art space the school was equipped with. It looked like any normal art studio, and it was quite impressive all things considered. Again, the iron plates over the windows were more of a downer than anything else.

Ivan and Myléne couldn't be separated even if someone tried. They would always be seen hand in hand, talking intimately with each other in hushed tones. He had run into them one time while returning from a practice sparring session with Kagami. He was interested in observing how the Ultimate Fencing Champion was so elegant and poised in any given situation, whether it was outside of fencing or not. He had a feeling it had something to do with her upbringing.

"When Ivan and I first met," Myléne started after Adrien commented on how close they were, "he had written me a song to express his feelings. He had been watching me for some time and had grown to like me. It wasn't in a creepy way, mind you. He just didn't have the courage to talk to me face-to-face, so he waited until he figured out a way to communicate the only way he knows how." The petite girl giggled at the memory. "It was very loud and aggressive, which is usually his style. I wasn't really into it, but I was able to understand eventually." She beamed up at the larger boy, who had started to turn beet-red. "He may look tough on the outside, but on the inside he's a big softie."

"Myléne," Ivan complained, but he didn't seem angry about it. It was the look of a boy who was flustered and had no idea what to do with himself. Adrien suppressed a laugh of his own. He wondered: would he ever find someone where he felt the same way as Ivan and Myléne do with each other? He had never thought about it before, and it almost seemed outlandish. For some reason, he couldn't help but picture a girl wearing her hair in pigtails, her deep blue eyes stunning and gorgeous.

It was the crackling of the loudspeaker during dinner that marked the end of this peaceful limbo. "Aaaaaattention, ladies and germs. Hope you had a lovely break period." Monokuma's tone reeked of ulterior motives. "Buuuuuuuuut, I'm bored now so I've got some more motivation for you. Head to the courtyard, we're having an assembly!" The connection clicked off, the air becoming somber once more. The students trudged their way to the courtyard as instructed, preparing for what the cruel principal had in store for them next. To their confusion, a giant fan had been set up at the front, a stand holding a top hat within blasting range. The bear himself was stood beside it, patiently twiddling his paws.

Once everyone was present, he raised his right paw in greeting. "Long time no see, kiddos. So nice for you join me this evening." He laughed, the teens not appreciating his mirth. His laughter died down, getting straight to business. "Come to think of it, when I look at all you sad sacks, you know what I see? A bunch of high schoolers who aren't dead." He jumped in place, as if giving a hurrah. "That's why I've taken the liberty to get a fire going under your butts. Ta-da!" he held out a controller with a comically large, red button. "I've piled together hints for each of you about something you weren't aware of previously. If you wanna know more, you know what to do!" He pressed down on the button, the fan twirling to life, building up enough force to knock over the top hat. "Mazaltov!" the bear cheered. Several folded pieces of paper flew out of the hat, scattering amongst the uneasy students. Adrien scanned the ground for his "hint," as Monokuma called it, gulping at what could be inside. Is it about my family? The state of the outside world? Or something even more sinister? He was too scared to look, but he forced himself to unfold it anyway.

"You have a half-sister that you don't know about whose still alive."

He never thought such simple words could pack such a punch. He stopped breathing for a moment, mind scrambling at the implications of this "hint." Is it a lie? Normally, that's what I would think, but... He looked up at the smug animatronic while gasps and shouts rose up amongst the crowd. That bear is powerful and dangerous, more than I even thought possible. Monokuma reveled in the chaos that ensued, covering his mouth to stifle his laughter.

"What is this? We're in no mood for your lies!" Kagami accused. The stuffed toy acted innocent, shrugging his shoulders. "No lies here, I'm afraid. I wouldn't do that to you guys. Especially if it gets you to kill each other!" He cackled maniacally, bounding away out of sight, leaving them to their newfound turmoil. For several moments, Adrien couldn't get his body to move. Eventually, he regained some form of his senses to peruse the crowd. The first person he spotted was Marinette. She was trembling, her face pale as if she had seen a ghost. Cautiously, he sidled up to her, reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Marinette?" he called. "Are you okay?"

The girl flinched violently, and Adrien recoiled, as if he was trying not to startle a frightened deer. She relaxed somewhat when she saw it was only him, her expression going back to haunted. "Is-Is this real?" she stammered. She looked down at her paper, staring at the words on the page as if they would disappear if she willed it hard enough. "S-Surely no one would k-kill for something like this?"

"Don't be so sure," Alya said. "These 'hints' offer opportunities that make it nigh on impossible to just brush aside." Her glasses flashed again, obscuring her eyes. She said nothing more, letting her ominous statement hang in the air.

"We should get rid of these," Maddie suggested. "No one will be able to use it against anyone else if we do that." The rest seemed to be in unanimous agreement, beginning to tear their papers to shreds. Adrien did the same to his before climbing into bed, flushing the pieces down the toilet. This discovery given to him today threatened to drown out all other thoughts in his brain. He did his best to blank out his mind, eventually falling into a fitful sleep.

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*Ding dong dong ding*

"Rise and shine, kiddos! Welcome to another exciting day of the rest of your miserable lives! I hope you slept well." The morning announcement jabbed into Adrien's ears, forcing him to sluggishly sit up in bed. Rubbing at his eyes, he yawned loudly, Monokuma continuing to spout off in the background. "By the way, while you were all away in dreamland, one of your fellow classmates ended up kicking the bucket!" The boy perked up at that, suddenly wide awake. No, it can't be. The principal laughed over the speakers. "I wonder who it is. Happy huntin'!"

Adrien launched out of the bed, rocketing out of the boys' dorm. Some people had started gathering in the courtyard below. He rushed to join them, beelining straight to Nino. "Who are we missing?" he asked. The dark-skinned boy appeared just as worried as he was, grimly confirming that he had also heard Monokuma's declaration. "Don't know yet, dude. It's too early to tell."

"I think it's plainly obvious," Alya stated, fingering the frame of her glasses. "There are two people unaccounted for." Adrien did a head count of everyone in the courtyard, realizing with a chill that Alya was right. They were two students short.

Suddenly, Juleka came sprinting onto the flat pavement, looking around in a wild panic. She stopped as she reached the rest of the class, bent over and panting. She must have been running all over the school. "Hey, Jule, what's up?" Luka, her brother, approached her delicately, putting a steadying hand on her shoulders. He patiently let her catch her breath, everyone waiting with bated breath for what she was going to say. Eventually, she straightened up and stared directly in Luka's face, eyes wide and fearful. "Have you seen Rose anywhere? I've been looking for her all morning, but I can't find her anywhere."

Adrien didn't hear what Luka said to calm his sister down, Alya's words resonating in his head: "These 'hints' offer opportunities that make it nigh on impossible to just brush aside." That fist clenched on his insides again, coldness enveloping his entire body. Please, God, not again.

"Hmph. Naturally." Alya uncrossed her arms as she moved forward, heading in the direction of the cafeteria. "I had a feeling it would come to this." Everyone followed her, Adrien numbly shuffling his feet along. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't even want to begin to imagine it! All too soon, they arrived at the double doors of the cafeteria, Alya placing her hands on the handles. "A fitting place for a murder." Following that unnecessary comment, she pushed hard, flinging the doors wide open.

It was hard to see since they were only at the entrance, but as he moved closer, Adrien could feel all his delusional hopes wash away. There, slumped against the back wall of the cafeteria, the body of Rose Lavillant, the Ultimate Optimist, was on full display. Blood was spattered everywhere, originating from the girl's caved in skull; a long, heavy, metal pipe lay nearby, the bloodstains on it indicating it as the culprit of the fatal blow. Amongst all this carnage, Rose looked so small and fragile, shattered like wine glass.

It had happened again. The killing game had started once more.

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Author's Note: I'm so sorry, Rose! You didn't deserve this! What a cruel world! *blatantly ignores the fact that I was the one who wrote it like this in the first place*

In all seriousness, I'm sorry, Rose, but this is how the plot is structured. I'm certain you and Chihiro will make great friends in the afterlife. In other matters, you all know that there can't be a new level opened after every trial. Collégé Duponte is a much smaller box than Hope's Peak Academy was.

There have been headcanons where Zoé is Adrien's half-sister because Gabriel had a short fling with Audrey before he and Emilie got married, but I'm aware that it's not canon in the actual show. However, for this storyline, it will be canon. What happened to Zoé? Again, that's a story for another day. *evil laughter*

There will be no updates for the next two weeks, unfortunately. I'll be on vacation. I hate having to make you guys wait because I hate waiting myself, but I won't be able to bring my laptop with me. It's too much of a hassle to bring onto a plane. So, hang tight, and I promise there will be an update when I get back.

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower