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

WARNING: This chapter contains mentions of mental illness and suicide. If these topics are sensitive to you, skip from when Monokuma says "His brother was a psychopath!" and come back in when you see "And then Rose..."

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Chapter 2: Deadly Life

"Auuugh!" Adrien cried, his back crashing into the seats of the tables behind him. He briefly lost his balance before catching himself, plopping onto one of the chairs without any grace. "I-I don't understand," he stammered after finding his voice. "It... It happened again?"

A scream resounded from behind him, a certain girl crashing to her knees. "ROSE, NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Juleka's anguished cry struck chords into everyone's hearts, Adrien's especially. He knew that the two were quite close, possibly even closer than friendship. He could only imagine the pain she must be going through right now.

*Ding dong bing bong*

"In case you haven't noticed already, another body has been discovered. You know what to do, folks. Spend some time to gather your thoughts then bada-bing bada-boom, trial!" The loudspeaker clicked off, the countdown having started. The static in Adrien's ears drowned out anything else. Another murder had taken place, and the culprit was one of them. Someone here was looking at their own handiwork.

Luka had rushed to his sister's aid when she collapsed, holding her close. She didn't appear to be in her right mind anytime soon, so the boy eventually excused themselves, walking off with his sister leaning heavily against him. They would not be available to participate in this particular investigation.

Adrien was too caught up in his utter helplessness at that moment, until Marinette placed a hand on his shoulder, jerking him back to his senses. Despite looking as devastated as he felt, she still managed to encourage him. "C'mon," she muttered quietly to him. "Let's go." Adrien nodded, standing up on shaky feet to approach the crime scene. I have to do this, he kept reminding himself. If we're all going to survive, I have to do this.

It was plainly clear that the bloody pipe on the ground was the murder weapon.

"Bloody Pipe" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Student Handbook

The file provided by Monokuma shortly after the announcement stated that the victim was Rose Lavillant, the Ultimate Optimist. Her body was found in the cafeteria, the cause of death being blunt force trauma to the head. The victim died instantly. The time of death was estimated to be around 10:30 PM last night.

So, she's been sitting here all night. That did nothing to comfort Adrien in this situation. That meant the killer just left her here for everyone to find in the morning.

"Monokuma File #2" has been added to the Truth Bullets section of your Student Handbook

"All these tables have been moved away from the back wall," Maddie stated, and indeed, the cafeteria tables were all clustered towards one end of the room, opposite the body. Alya adjusted her glasses. "It's like the killer wanted the corpse to be as obvious as possible." Adrien suppressed a shiver, knowing she was probably right.

"Moved Cafeteria Tables" was added to the Truth Bullets section of your Student Handbook

Maddie perked up as she rummaged over Rose's body, pulling away a paper card. She must have believed it would be useful for the trial. She would share it when the time came, he was sure.

"There's only so much you can find on one body," Alya declared, prideful smirk plastered on her lips. "This is going to require a bit more digging if we're going to add more depth to this mystery." She turned to the blond boy, hair swooshing around her neck. "Adrien, you're with me."

"Uh... o-okay." Adrien felt he had no choice but to go along with the journalist's confident authority; if she thought there were details that could help solve this murder, all the more reason to help out. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" Alix called out as the two reached the door. Alya's smirk didn't waver. "I'm sure I've got something that'll crack this case wide open." Then they left, heading off towards the girl's intended destination.

"Uh, where are we going exactly?" And why do you need me for it? That was asked in his head, but he chose to keep it to himself. Alya's gait was swaggering, bordering on strutting. "The library," she answered. "I believe there's something there that you'll be interested to see." Adrien raised his brow quizzically but didn't say anything more, resigned to just be pulled along on this crazy ride.

Alya made a beeline to the storage room in the back where Adrien assumed copies of books were kept, as well as outdated logs. Reaching up to pull on the string connected to the bulb, the small room was soon doused in illumination. "I've heard that Hope's Peak Academy has a more sensitive and confidential collection than what's stored here," she explained, diving in for one of the boxes, removing its dusty lid. "If I had the time and the money, I would drop everything and be on the next plane to Japan in a heartbeat." She began rifling through the files inside, scanning through them one by one. "But since I'm stuck in here, these will have to suffice. Aha!" she exclaimed in triumph, pulling out a folder labelled "School Counselor Files" in big, bold letters.

Adrien began to fidget in place. "Should we be looking at those?" he questioned, looking at the folder nervously. "That's private stuff, you know."

"Exactly," she huffed, prying open the folder to peruse the contents. "Unfortunately, a lot of names and places have been redacted. I assume that was Monokuma's doing." She licked her finger to have a better grasp on the pages she was flipping through. "But there's just enough evidence in here to make an educated guess on who our killer might be." She stopped at a particular entry, tapping on it proudly. "Here it is." She flipped the folder around in her hands, offering it to Adrien. "Go on. Take a closer look." Reluctantly, he took the folder from Alya, glancing down at the passage she pointed out to him.

"XXXXXXX had their weekly scheduled appointment with me on XXXXXX, 20XX. They continue to show signs of extreme erratic behavior, escalating to harmful levels. I have decided to inform XXXXXXX and the authorities of them and the danger they pose to themselves and others. Considering the recent lack of action from the School Board, I'm hoping that getting the police involved will force them to re-evaluate XXXXXX and send them to a facility with resources equipped to treat these sorts of cases."

This didn't clarify anything at all. It really only made him more confused. "So," he ventured, "you think this student is the one who killed Rose?"

"More logically," Alya answered, adjusting her glasses, "the student mentioned is an alumni, having been carted off to a mental institution. They most likely broke out and made their way back here, hiding amongst the freshman class. Subsequently, they wound up trapped in this killing game like the rest of us."

Adrien didn't even try to hide his skepticism. "Isn't that a bit too much like jumping to conclusions?" he inquired. "This could be anybody they're talking about. And if they were sent to an asylum, it's unlikely they would break out. Real life isn't like the movies, you know."

Alya hmphed, shaking her head as if he were naïve. "There's something I've learned during my time in journalism, Agreste: The most outlandish stories are generally the ones that turn out to be true, in one way or another." Adrien doubted the validity of that quote, but he kept silent, letting the prideful girl continue. "This psychological note suggests that our troubled student possessed a turbulent personality, most likely sadism or psychopathy paired with severe paranoia." Her lenses flashed in the light. "They're often unprovoked in their psychotic episodes, lashing out with violence with little to no regard for anyone around them." She looked him dead in the eye, as if she solved the case. "The aftermath looks awfully similar to how Rose ended up, doesn't it?"

Adrien had his misgivings about this theory. Was a former student of Collégé Duponte really hiding among them, unstable and itching for revenge? That didn't seem likely since this student wouldn't know Rose in the slightest. Yet, Alya was determined that her assumption was right on the money.

"School Counselor Notes" was added to the Truth Bullets section of your Student Handbook

"Adrien." Max suddenly appeared in the doorway, panting slightly, as if he had run all the way here. Alya looked annoyed. "What is it? We're kind of busy here."

"It's Kagami. She wants to talk to you." That was enough for Adrien to follow the bespectacled programmer out of the library and into the hallway, where Kagami was indeed waiting for them. Alya trailed behind, her irritation visible to all.

"What is it, Kagami?" Adrien asked. The Japanese girl regarded him thoroughly, rigidly giving her report. "I saw Rose out in the corridors after curfew last night," she explained. "She was carrying an abundance of art supplies with her, claiming she was heading to the art and crafts room." Her eyes narrowed. "I think it's natural to say that I was the last person to see her alive."

Adrien's brow furrowed. "She wasn't acting weird at all? Did you actually see her go to the art room?"

"No, nothing noteworthy," Kagami answered. "I know there were no art supplies found at the crime scene, which I also found strange." Her nose wrinkled. "The killer's doing, perhaps?" Adrien himself was musing over the same thing. "Maybe, but it's too early to tell."

"Kagami's Account" was added to the Truth Bullets section of your Student Handbook

*Ding dong bing bong*

"That's the bell, kids, and you know what that means! Nyeh nyeh nyeh! Head on over to the trial grounds on ze double! Hope you're all ready for this one!"

Adrien gulped as the transmission clicked off. It's time already? It had felt like hardly any time at all. He steeled his nerves, calming the uncomfortable wriggling in his stomach. The fateful hour was upon them. They were up against a killer who may be an escaped asylum patient hiding among them, but that would only become clear at the trial. No matter what the outcome turned out to be, he wouldn't back away from the truth. He would face the killer head-on, fully dedicating himself to their exposure. I'll find the killer no matter what. Because... all our lives are forfeit if I don't.

-------

The somber silence was as present as ever as they descended to the courtroom. As usual, Monokuma was waiting for them in the center, and they all took their places like last time. Adrien couldn't help but notice the new memorial photo that now took up Rose's place.

"Welcome back, ladies and germs!" Monokuma was leaned luxuriously in his throne, his head reclined back on his arms. "Why don't we get the kickoff started by talking about the murder weapon?"

"It's obvious, the murder weapon was right next to the body," Nathaniel said, crossing his arms.

"According to the Monokuma File," Alya addressed, "the fatal injury was the blow to the head. Naturally, the blood-stained metal pipe next to the corpse would be our primary culprit."

"Okay," Luka conceded, "so the killer confronted Rose in the cafeteria and whacked her over the head? That seems to be the only logical explanation, I guess."

"No, that's not it!" Adrien interjected. Luka looked taken aback. "Huh, whaddya mean?" he inquired. Adrien turned his gaze to Kagami, who was just as composed as ever. "Kagami saw Rose after curfew last night heading to the art room."

"Yes, that's correct," Kagami acknowledged. "She seemed to be in a hurry as well. It was possible she was planning to meet someone."

"I believe that's precisely it," Maddie added. "Whoever she was planning to meet up with is definitely our killer." She looked off to the side, hand to her chin in thought. "However, I doubt that this murder was planned in advance. It happened spontaneously, without any incentive."

"So, Rose was actually killed in the art room, and her body was moved by the killer to the cafeteria to throw us off the trail," Alya surmised. "It's also funny that you mentioned that this killing was sudden and unprovoked. As such, I believe that this case is already in the bag."

"Wait, you know who did it?" Ivan asked incredulously.

"Yes, the state of the body suggested violent, erratic behavior, consistent with a turbulent personality." Her stare drifted to Adrien. "Adrien and I found evidence that a student with those kinds of behaviors used to attend this school and was carted off to a mental asylum. There is strong evidence to conclude that this student fled the asylum and made their way back here, to hide amongst the incoming class. The Tragedy would have been perfect cover for them." Her gaze turned sharp, her chestnut eyes zeroing in on one individual in particular. "Isn't that right" she announced, pointing an accusing finger, "Luka Couffaine?"

"Wh-What? What the hell are you talking about?" The boy in question began stuttering, absolutely incredulous. "Hold on a minute!" Marinette interjected. "Luka grew up alongside the rest of us in the same community, if he had gone to Collégé before, we would know!"

"Would you?" Alya condescended, pushing up her glasses. "I'm no amateur; I did my research before transferring here. Anything that you want to keep hidden, I'll find out about it, I guarantee it. Therefore," her gaze locked onto Luka again, "you claim that you and Juleka are twins. But in reality, you're actually seventeen years old."

"Gh!" Luka didn't seem to have anything to say to that, taking a step back. Alya advanced on her prey, her lenses flashing. "Furthermore, you were absent from the education system for a few years prior to attending this school. I can only assume that was your time spent in that mental hospital."

"H-Hey, slow down!" Luka protested. "Yeah, I am seventeen, but I've never been to this school before. I missed a bunch of school years because I was composing for my dad's global tour."

"Your dad's a musician?" Kagami asked, raising her eyebrow. "That's news to us."

"Who is it? Is it someone we know? Someone famous?" Alix questioned, also curious now. Luka looked put off, sweating profusely. "Uh... um, it's... it's, uh..." He took in a deep breath, as if preparing for something unpleasant. "My dad is... Jagged Stone."

"W-Woah, r-really?" Marc stuttered, eyes lighting up. "Your dad is one of the greatest rock and roll artists of all t-time?"

"Yeah," Luka confirmed, not as elated as people expected him to be. He cast a side glance towards Juleka. "Our old man was constantly offered up tours and collaborations and whatnot, so he was hardly ever around." He huffed, traces of bitterness in his stance. "I didn't know who he actually was until recently."

"Are you talking about the hint you received from Monokuma?" Maddie inquired, to which Luka nodded his head. "Juleka got the same thing."

"As entertaining as it is to watch you struggle with your daddy issues," Monokuma interrupted, "how about we get this back on track, huh?"

"Indeed," Maddie agreed, although the clenching of her teeth suggested she did so reluctantly. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Alya, but I'm afraid your theory is off the mark."

The journalist didn't seem fazed in the slightest. "That's alright," she conceded. "I knew that Luka wasn't the killer anyways."

"Then why did you bait us with a red herring?" Alix asked scathingly. "You tryin' to get us all killed?"

"Come to think of it, Alya," Adrien mused out loud, "you were the only other person who knew about the details of this other student." He looked her straight in the eye. "Knowing how you operate, it's no surprise if you knew about this before you even got here."

Alya hmphed, smirking. "So, you're suspecting me now?" she condescended, adjusting her glasses. "You're right about what you said. And I may have tampered a bit with the crime scene to mimic a specific behavior pattern."

"Are you saying that you're the one who moved Rose's body to the cafeteria?" Maddie questioned, appearing irritated. The journalist nodded. "That's right. Makes this trial way more interesting, don't you think?"

"Dude, that's so not cool," Nino said.

"Why would you do that?" Marinette asked, extremely disturbed. Alya cocked her head to the side. "If you want your story to sell, it needs to be interesting, mind-bending. In journalism, it's not uncommon to... make up your own truth."

"Sounds exactly like how the press takes things out of context to drive up their ratings," Maddie scoffed. "Typical of you."

"It's only business," Alya countered. "You don't expect to get a good scoop by just reporting the boring truth, do you?"

"Enough about that!" This outburst came from Juleka. "I don't know what your game is, but you make it sound like that you were the one who killed Rose!" The gothic-looking girl's eyes were watery, accentuating her accusation with a pointing finger. "Well, did you? Was it you?"

Alya laughed. "You truly are a fool if you came to that conclusion." Her smirk was still present. "Despite my attempts to mislead you all, I am not the guilty one here."

"Sounds like a load of crap to me!" Alix shouted, clenching her fist. "Look at her, she's guilty as fuck!"

"No, Alya's not the one who did it," Adrien piped up. He looked out towards the crowd of students, all eyes on him. "If she had been the one that Rose was supposed to meet, that would be a different story. But Alya was nowhere near the art room when curfew started; in fact, Nino knows that she was in the dorms around the time of the murder."

"Oh, yeah, that's right," Nino confirmed, only just now remembering. "We had stayed late in the library last night, and we only left for the dorms when we heard the nighttime announcement."

"And Rose would have already been long gone by then," Adrien surmised.

"There's something else, too," Marinette added. "Whoever she had planned to meet wouldn't have gone back to the dorms at nighttime. They would've stayed out past curfew to wait for her."

"How's that? Satisfied?" He was looking at Alya as he asked this, but he was directing it towards the entire class. The journalist smirked again, adjusting her glasses. "Your evidence is purely circumstantial," she said, "but it'll do. It's just as you said. I'm not the killer."

"By extension, then," Kagami proceeded, "the killer is whoever failed to return to the dorms once curfew was announced."

"It's quite hard to do that in there," Maddie pointed out. "It's difficult to tell who actually enters or exits the dorms at any given time."

"Kagami witnessed Rose heading to the art room after curfew," Adrien reminded everyone. "The killer is whoever she was planning on meeting."

"Marc and Nathaniel spent a lot of time in there," Luka offered.

"But we didn't spot anything out of the ordinary, even though Juleka and Rose were there with us most of the time," Nathaniel shot back.

"I didn't notice anything either," Alix remarked. "I used the art room a few times to practice out my pieces."

"She must have been carrying a bunch of brushes and paints with her, right?" Ivan said. Maddie, Marinette, and Adrien all perked up as if a button had been pressed. "But we didn't find anything like that at the crime scene."

"You just made a terrible mistake, Ivan!" Adrien cried. The heavy-built boy staggered back, as if struck. "Wh-Wha-?"

"Yes, Kagami did say that Rose was heading to the art room, but she never said she was carrying anything with her." Adrien eyed the boy, whose demeanor changed entirely.

"You would only know that if you were the one to actually meet her there," Maddie continued. "Your little slip-up appears to have dug your grave."

Alix, standing off to the side, looked haunted. "I had stayed late at the art room last night," she breathed. "I left once it was nighttime and," she turned her horrified gaze at the songwriter, "Ivan was still there."

"That correlates with the time of the murder," Marinette jumped on, eyes widening as the truth unfolded. "It was you that Rose was meeting."

"Wait!" Myléne cried, dashing across the platform to stand in front of Ivan protectively, arms spread wide. "You guys have it all wrong! Sure, he may look scary, but Ivan's not a murderer! He's nice, he would never hurt a fly!" The petite girl's eyes were running like rivers with tears, dripping onto the floor. "Why are you accusing him?! He's your friend, isn't he?!"

She stopped in her ranting as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat, knowing it was Ivan. "You're a clever guy, Adrien," the boy said. "You got me." His eyes were concealed by shadow, unable to tell what he was feeling. "Yeah, I did it."

"I-Ivan, what... wh-what are you saying?" Myléne could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"Monokuma," Ivan called out to the bear. "No point in dicking around. Start the vote already." The stuffed toy gulped down the rest of the honey he had materialized from out of nowhere, shoving it off the chair. "Sure thing, slick!" The pot shattered into pieces. "No, wait!" Myléne cried. "Just wait a little longer!"

"You know what to do, folks!" Monokuma proclaimed. "Hit that lever to vote who you think the killer is."

The votes locked in, and the slot machine whirled until it landed on Ivan's pixelated visage, coins spilling from it. "Right once again, ladies and gentlemen!" he announced jovially. "Ivan in the art room with the metal pipe! Like a game of Clue, amiright?" The teen voted guilty had his fists clenched, shaking. "Even though you made the right call, the vote wasn't completely unanimous," the bear said. "Myléne, voting for yourself is noble but stupidly suicidal if you ask me. You should be grateful that everyone else had their act together or else you'd all be fish food!"

Adrien flinched. Despite Alya using the scattered canvas on the floor in the art room to transport Rose's body, it had been Ivan who had dealt the killing blow. He could do nothing but stand there in the midst of Myléne's cries. "No, this has to be a lie!" she screamed. "Ivan would never do this! You're all wrong!"

"...Why?" It was hard to hear Juleka since she spoke so softly, but she suddenly whipped her head up to shout at Ivan, angry tears streaming down her face. "Why'd you do it? Why did you kill her?" The boy winced and grit his teeth, turning his head away, unable to answer.

"Poor guy," Monokuma said mockingly. "Must be something too traumatic to talk about. No worries." The animatronic stood up, pulling out a large placard. "That's why I'm here to fill in the blanks for ya." And with that, a long-winded explanation began.

"Once upon a time in a magical kingdom far, far away, Rose Lavillant was born with a rare genetic mutation that made her prone to developing parietal and frontal brain tumors. She was in and out of the hospital for much of her childhood, so she didn't get to hang out with the neighborhood ruffians that often. That was, until she met Juleka of course, who was the only other person who knew about her condition." The girl in question hiccupped at the mention, her mascara running freely down her cheeks.

"While chemo, surgery, and other treatments extended her life by about fifteen years, Rose was only expected to live until the age of thirty-five. Thus, her time on this earth was severely limited." Monokuma returned to the motive that was provided. "I figured I'd let her know that there was a cure for her somewhere out in the world so that she'd grow a pair and kill one of you to go and find it." His tone grew aggravated. "Instead, the cheeky half-pint used my generous offer as an opportunity to fulfill her self-proclaimed bucket list."

Adrien could see that; the girl wasn't one to let anything get her down, even in the most hopeless of situations. "She would've loved to share this motivation with her ride-till-we-die friend Juleka, but she didn't want to hide anymore; she would have to reveal to everyone about her illness. She was afraid to before because she didn't want you guys treating her differently." Monokuma tilted his head to the side. "So, she decided to go to the only other person who may understand her completely."

"Yeah, me," Ivan joined in, sounding regretful and full of shame. "She pulled me aside after we all got the motive and asked me to meet her after curfew in the art room. Kid had the balls to tell me everything."

"And that, ladies and germs, is how Ivan fits into all this." Monokuma held his paws to his mouth, stifling his laughter. "You guys ready for a real kicker? Get this: Ivan's older brother was a psychopath! Nyyyeeeeeeeeeehhhhh nyeh nyeh nyeh!"

Everyone gasped at the reveal; even Alya seemed taken aback. The silence hung thick in the air, until Ivan's voice cut through it, choking back tears. "My brother was always... different from other kids. He was mostly viewed as the problem child, always getting into trouble and starting fights. Things got really bad once he entered high school." Adrien had a feeling where this was going; his thoughts drifted to the student counselor notes from earlier. "Big bro was finally expelled from Collégé Duponte where he nearly beat another student to death," Ivan continued. "His psych eval diagnosed him as psychopathic with severe schizophrenia." The boy's fists started to tremble. "That asylum was supposed to help him; they had promised me that, despite there's no known cure for his condition." Tears dripped to the floor, landing with soft patters. "They found his immolated body in his room three days later; none of the orderlies realized he had snuck a shard of glass in with him."

Shocked silence. The yawning pit of despair widening in everyone's guts. "Ever since then, people would always wonder about me. Mental illness is hereditary after all, it wouldn't be too far-fetched that the crazy, unhinged freak's brother would turn out the same way." This was something Ivan had never shared with any of them; had never planned to. Adrien could feel his heart ache in his chest. "I hoped that expressing my talent would make them think otherwise, but nothing worked. I was always going to be stuck in my brother's shadow.

"And then Rose," he choked out, "she had the courage to tell me, someone who was only an acquaintance, that she was dying. She wanted to make the most out of it if we ended up stuck in here our whole lives. She knew that I might think of her differently if she told me." His form hunched over, making him seem much smaller. "The exact same thing I was afraid of. But I was too much of a coward to spill myself to you guys. I was jealous, okay? This puny, frail girl was stronger than I ever could be."

"So, I was wondering," Rose offered, "if you could help me write a song? For everyone to have when I'm gone. That way they'll always remember to stay positive."

He could feel the loneliness of rejection build within him, filling him with rage. How dare she? How dare this dying, weak, pissant of a girl have the gall to expose her insecurities to him, who had never received an ounce of sympathy ever since his brother's death? He lowered his head, hiding his face. "You wanna be remembered, huh?" he spat out. "Fine. I'll make sure that no one forgets you." His voice rose in pitch with every word, oblivious to Rose's increasing concern. "I'll show them! I'll show them all!" He acted almost on instinct, gripping the metal pipe in his hand. He had no idea where it had come from, but he didn't care. Raising the bludgeoning weapon high above his head, he shouted, "I'm nothing like Big Bro!" A resounding crunch, and everything went black.

"I don't remember much after that," Ivan concluded. "One second, she was there, smiling without a care in the world, and the next she was in a crumpled heap on the ground, blood everywhere." His nails must have been drawing blood by this point, with how hard they were digging into his palms. "I panicked, of course," he admitted. "I-I couldn't just leave her there, but I... had no choice."

"Other than disposing of the art supplies she had with her," Maddie cut in, helping him with the rest, "you got rid of her digital handbook as well. However, you did that in the hopes of making sure her secret stayed hidden." She withdrew a laminated medical card from her trenchcoat pocket. "I suspected this from the beginning," she explained. "I found this on Rose's body, something that I concluded was overlooked by the killer. It was strange that this would be the only thing she had on her, instead of her eHandbook."

"So, in the end, you kept her secret after all," Marinette finalized with horrifying clarity, tears gathered in her beautiful, blue eyes. Juleka's and Myléne's sobs echoed quietly amidst them all, thinking of the selfless, energetic girl who would never grace these school halls, or the world, with her contagious smile ever again.

"Hate to kill the mood," Monokuma interrupted, "but it's about that time for you-know-what." He jumped to his feet, twirling around like a ballerina on one foot. "Let's give it everything we've got! Punishment time ahoy!"

"Wait!" Myléne cried, launching herself at the foot of Monokuma's pedestal, face stained with tears and snot. "Please, he doesn't deserve this! Take me instead!" She leaned in, pouring all her desperation into her plea. "I'm begging you not to kill him!"

"Myléne," Ivan spoke up, resigned. He flashed her a watery smile, completely at ease with his fate. "Don't miss me too much, alright? I want you to keep on living."

"It's not like I'm singling out Mr. Emo Boy here," Monokuma said. "This punishment is meant for all of humanity. This is what all you humans deserve."

"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Alix exclaimed. "Huh, what's it mean?" the bear inquired, tilting his head. "It's gibberish, alright? It ain't supposed to mean anything! I'm not trying to win an award here, you know."

"Regardless of your intentions," Alya interjected, "I plan to survive this death game. With or without any of you."

"Nyeh, nyeh, nyeh! A knock-out from the paparazzi comin' outta left field! Gotta say, Lady Gaga, I'm lovin' your enthusiasm."

"With that being said," the journalist continued, unperturbed, pointing a finger at Monokuma, "the moment I win this game, I swear I'm going to take you down. And when I make a promise, I keep it. That's what you get with an Ultimate title like mine."

Monokuma laughed uproariously. "Oh, oh, I'm getting goosebumps! Such conviction! I look forward to it, Cesaire!" The stuffed toy composed himself then, clearing his throat. "I don't know about you, but I'm gettin' bored. Let's move on, shall we?"

"Hold on, just wait one second!" Myléne cried. The psychotic bear ignored her. "I've got something special prepared for the Ultimate Songwriter. Who's ready for the main event? IIIIIIT'S PUNISHMENT TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!"

"STOP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTT!"

The red button revealed itself once more, the gavel crashing down on it. Familiar, dreadful words formed on its display, depicting Monokuma dragging Ivan off to his doom:

Ivan has been found guilty!

Time for the punishment!

Just like with Lila before, the platform underneath Ivan's feet fell away, and he plunged into darkness. Spotlights suddenly illuminated the pitch-black space, revealing the songwriter standing alone on a stage. Giant speakers were set up on either end, sandwiching the boy in the middle. The rest of the class watched from behind a barbed wire fence, unable to reach their doomed classmate. From above, Monokuma was perched on the stage's lighting fixtures, a control panel in front of him.

Ivan Bruel's Execution: Heart of Stone

Status: Executed

Monokuma pressed the button, and strong soundwaves of loud music burst from the speakers. They collided with the boy in the center, sending him crashing to his knees. The sound was deafening for the class; they could only imagine what Ivan was experiencing amidst the barrage. Despite covering his ears to block it, his ears still bled. Even if he were meant to live after this, he would be unable to hear for the rest of his life. The vibrations were fatally wild. It was a surprise the boy didn't shake apart right then and there.

Finally, when it seemed like Ivan's heart would burst in his chest from the sonic waves, Monokuma pressed a different button. With a loud rumble, a boulder the size of a school bus plummeted onto the songwriter, squashing him like a bug. Adrien felt sick at the sight of his classmate's body, reduced to just a stain on the ground. Monokuma has no regard for human life whatsoever.

"Don't be sad, Myléne," the bear consoled mockingly. "I'm sure your boyfriend is singing to his heart's content with the angels. Nyeeeeeeeehhhhh, nyeh nyeh nyeh!" Adrien's uselessness overwhelmed him again, unable to hold back the tears again. Listening to Myléne's heart-wrenching wails made it all the worse. Cold despair speared through them all. Once again, they returned to the surface, one less soul absent from the rest. The young model went to bed depressed and defeated, wondering yet again how he was going to get out of it the next morning, still stuck in this horrendous killing game.

In a secret room out of sight of the rest, Monokuma sat in front of a display of monitors, perusing the remaining students of Collégé Duponte. "Honestly, this has gone better than I planned. It was absolutely thrilling that the Bourgeois girl got the killing started without a hitch. Too bad she's sleeping with the fishes! Nyeh nyeh nyeh nyeh!" His gaze became piercing then, focusing on one monitor in particular, beginning to sweat. "The despair is ramping up. I can't wait until whoever's left gets to the grand finale." His face turned red, his paws rubbing all over himself. "The final revelation will plunge them so far into despair that they'll never recover!"

Chapter 2: End

Students Remaining: 13

To Be Continued

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Author's Note: I lied, I decided I'm gonna give you another update before I leave for vacation. It's a day early because I have to get up at the wee hours of the morning to get on that flight. No update next week.

I made up a character on the fly to use as a plot device. And red herrings, red herrings everywhere! Remember that I told you that Alya was going to be the pain in everyone's ass? This was more Byakuya-esque of her, but eh, whatever. Also, I heard that the team writing Miraculous Ladybug had originally wanted to make Luka seventeen years old, but they changed it to close the age gap and made him and Juleka twins. Personally, I think it would've been better if the writers kept Luka at seventeen.

What's this final revelation that Monokuma's talking about? I hope you're quivering in your shoes in excitement. Monokuma wants your sweet, sweet despair.

Tomorrow is my birthday!

Praise is appreciated and constructive criticism is encouraged.

See you next time!

-The_Mayflower