"Ugh, can't you just go away?!" Maikeru huffed, placing his fingers on his temples and rubbing in circular motions. "It's too early for this garbage."

"It's never too early for another motive!" the demented bear sang. "Besides, I've got a couple of updates I want to share with you!"

The ultimate pilot gasped and stood up, nearly spilling all his food. Luckily, Keiko was able to catch his tray.

"Is this about the new hangar that appeared on the map?!" Sora asked excitedly, his eyes wide. 

The what?

"It's about- .... well, yeah, actually," Monokuma shrugged. "I didn't think you guys actually took the time to check the maps. Good on you, Sora! You always were my favorite!"

Sora's excited energy immediately melted away and his shoulders grew slightly tense. Being Monokuma's favorite seemed like more of a bad thing than a good thing.

I had no idea there was something new on the map though. I think Sora might have been one of the only ones actually to check. After bringing it up, about half the students looked at their own monopads, including me. Surely enough, there was a new building marked, down a trail and on the opposite end of the forest as the training center. 

"Thanks, I guess. Um, according to the monopad, it's got all kinds of cool stuff," Sora said, trying to shake the tension away. He adjusted his goggles slightly as his dimpled smile returned. "I mean... I doubt there are any actual planes, but wouldn't that be something?! I think I could-"

"Enough yammering. You all can do what you want with the little extension later. What I REALLY came here for was to announce our next motive!"

Monokuma spun around and, out of nowhere, conjured up an old-fashioned phone box. It looked straight out of those classic movies. Seeing it instantly reminded me of that one creepy flick called The Birds. You know, the one where the feathered creatures go absolutely berserk and start attacking people. I couldn't help but recall that scene with the terrified lady trapped inside the phone booth while the birds wreaked havoc outside. Back then, it was one of the most chilling things I had ever witnessed.

Oh, how I wished I could go back to those times when all I had to fear was crazy fictional birds.

"Each of you will be summoned on your monopad at a random time, during which you will be allowed one phone call!" Monokuma chimed. "Nothing is needed in exchange. You can call anyone you want from the outside world! The police, your parents, your siblings, your significant others, blah blah blah!"

Really? That was it? That was the motive?

It seemed much too nice. If anything, it seemed like a gift. How would something like this lead to murder?

"You will each be summoned at different times. It's your choice whether or not you accept your summoning and take the phone call, but if you say no, then you won't get the chance to do it again! So choose wisely, puhuhuhu! No need to tell our missing friend about this. I've already reached out to him."

Rantaro? Monokuma reached out to him on his own?

What did he have to say about this? Did he have anything to even say? Where was he?

"Anywho, later losers! I've got a killing game to watch!" Monokuma giggled before disappearing and leaving each of us with nothing but his still echoing laughter.

We all simply stared at the empty phone booth.

Surely there had to be something more to it. Why else would Monokuma offer us something? All that's on his mind is murder and despair.

"We shouldn't use it," I whispered.

"I'm sorry, what?!" Seiko asked, crossing her arms.

"The phone booth. We shouldn't use it when it's our turn," I explained. "Monokuma only brought this here to tear us apart and inspire us to kill. Nothing good can come from this, even if it seems harmless!"

"She's right," Ruji agreed. I was so grateful to have his support. I honestly didn't expect it, especially considering how much he used to talk about missing his brother. "I mean... it's probably not real anyway. I bet the calls would be fake. He's probably got some kind of voice changer or something."

"But... what if it isn't fake?" Seiko exclaimed. "I have people on the outside who need me. People who have to know that I'm okay. Or, more accurately, have to know I'm not okay!"

"Guys, let's not fight," Yuuki breathed. "As much as I want that phone call, I think Suki's right... we can risk allowing yet another motive to tear us apart. We can talk to our families when we get out of here. Together."

The ultimate chemist crossed her arms, clearly ticked off. No one else argued, though. We all saw first-hand last time just how dangerous Monokuma's motives could really be.

"So what's the plan then, hero-boy?" Kichiro asked. "Stare at each other until we fall in love? Maybe the power of true love and friendship can save us!"

"We're going to go our separate ways and investigate in teams," Yuuki breathed, ignoring Kichiro's sarcasm. "How about this? Sora, Maikeru, Suki, and Seiko; you guys explore the new hangar. Saikoro, you go out and look for Rantaro. He's your roommate, so I think you should try to keep a better eye on him. Just so he stays in the loop. Keiko, you can go with him so he has a buddy. Bashira, Ahmya, Daiki, and Kichiro can go and search for the wall that surrounds us. Try and find weak spots. Brittany, Ruji, and I will go look through the lodge."

"How did you come up with those pairings?" Maikeru huffed, crossing his arms as if the groups we were assigned ticked him off. "I work better alone-"

"They were random," Yuuki breathed. "I think we need to break free from our usual cliques. We need to start getting to know each other so we can all start working as one!"

"Can't I at least be in the same group as my roommate?" Maikeru asked. "It's annoying enough to have to get to know him, I don't want to have to go through the effort of meeting you insufferable people too."

"No, we're going to do things this way!" Yuuki smiled.

"Fine by me, so long as I get to spend more time with my beloved spy-boy!" Kichiro chuckled, playfully embracing one of Daiki's arms. The ultimate spy seemed to give an exaggerated eye-roll before gently pulling away. I couldn't help but stifle a laugh. 

I liked Yuuki's plan. It meant I got to explore the new hangar AND hang out with some new people. Maikeru was a little iffy because of his usually cold personality, but I was pretty excited to get to know more about Seiko and Sora. 

Besides, being among the ultimate security guard, the ultimate pilot, and the ultimate chemist put me in pretty good hands.

As we walked to the hangar, Sora and I led the way. He spoke about how excited he was the entire time. Apparently, he had a hangar back home filled with all kinds of planes. Commercial planes, biplanes, glider planes, the list went on. He even named planes I had never heard of before. 

"I doubt there will be any functional planes here," he muttered. "But... well... if we get the right supplies, then maybe we can build one! Then, I can fly us out of here! Monokuma said there was a wall around us, but not a roof! So maybe, just maybe, that's how we can escape!"

He grinned and held his fists up in front of his chest, clearly excited. Honestly, it wasn't a half-bad plan. In fact, it was the only real plan I had heard since arriving here.

"That probably won't work," Maikeru huffed from behind us.

"Oh? And why not?" Sora asked, turning so he was walking backward and facing him. "I have a little bit of experience with building aircraft. I can probably do it if you guys just give me the right supplies and enough time."

"Building something safe would take months," Maikeru grumbled. "And not to mention, I doubt Monokuma would make escape that easy. In fact, from the way things are being run, I'd say escape is probably impossible. The best thing we can do is just stay here and make sure everyone stays safe."

"Seriously? So, just give up?" Seiko asked, shocked. "What the heck, Maikeru?! Don't you want out?"

"Of course. But as a security guard, it's my job to make sure everyone stays secure and safe. And building a makeshift aircraft is the opposite of that. My job is to protect people, not fill them with false hope by being unrealistic." he stated coldly.

"Ah, so you want to protect us?" I teased with a small smile. "Aw, are we growing on you?"

"Shut up. I want to protect everyone I see," he snapped. "It's my job. And I've already failed, so let's try not to make stupid choices, like building airplanes."

Already failed? Was he talking about Tora?

"Alright, alright," Sora breathed, shaking his head and quietly chuckling. "I see where you're coming from. But I still think it's a good idea."

"I don't," Maikeru said with an eye-roll.

. . .

The hangar was massive, like a gigantic, black garage. It had multiple rooms, but the main room was colossal. Instead of airplanes, it housed various tanks and large weapons. The place was filled with scattered metal, giving off a chaotic vibe. It looked like one big messy metal playground.

"If Ruji was here, he'd start rambling about how it looks haunted," Maikeru observed with a snippy tone.

He wasn't wrong, though. 

"It's so dark, I can hardly see anything," Seiko muttered, squinting her eyes.

"Me neither..." I hummed. I could mostly just see silhouettes, but that was it.

"Here," Sora beamed. He put a strap around his head, then flicked it on, revealing a headlamp. Maikeru let out a small groan, then pulled out his own flashlight as well, which was far brighter.

"Oh, sweet!" the ultimate pilot chimed. "Two flashlights! We can go in two groups! Seiko, you and I can explore the main room. You two go check the other rooms for anything interesting!"

"Who made you the boss?" Maikeru hissed.

"Do you want to switch?" Sora questioned. "I just thought you'd prefer Suki."

"Why would he prefer her?" Seiko asked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.

"I hate scientists," Maikeru shrugged casually. "I'm mostly fine with you. It's engineers and inventors that really get me."

"Oh," Seiko murmured, shifting uncomfortably. "Why do you-"

"I'm not giving you my life story," Maikeru breathed, turning away. "Come on, dreamer."

I gave Seiko an apologetic glance, then quickly rushed after the ultimate security guard, who was already on his way down a set of stairs. 

"How did Sora know you hated scientists?" I asked him curiously.

"He probably read the descriptions on the monopad," Maikeru stated, keeping his gaze forward. The further down we went, the darker it got. His face was just barely illuminated by his flashlight. "Haven't you noticed? He's always caught up on everything that has to do with that stupid tablet. He immediately noticed the changes in the map, and he knows everything that has to do with everyone, it's... unsettling, to say the least."

I frowned. Perhaps he just liked to stay up to date on everything. I mean, it wasn't like there was much else for us to do in our free time. Sora didn't seem like the type who would go exploring, and I never saw him at the training center. Maybe back home he used to spend a lot of time checking his phone and stuff. Honestly, staying caught up on everything related to the monopad didn't seem like a bad idea. It certainly helped in this situation.

"Does it say a lot about us on the monopad?" I questioned, pulling mine out and scrolling through.

"Not much," Maikeru whispered. "I mean... I didn't read any of yours, but my description leaves out everything that actually matters."

The tone in his voice told me he was thankful for that fact. 

He led me into a small room with a broken laptop. Maikeru tucked his flashlight into his belt and started trying to mess with it while I searched through the room for anything else of use.

"You know, I can hold your flashlight if you'd like," I suggested. "That way, your hands are free and we can still use-"

"No," he hissed, bringing his hand to the device. His tone was somehow even harsher.

"Oh, okay then..." I muttered, blinking a few times and trying to allow my eyes to adjust to the darkness.  

I looked through old books and blank blueprints. I didn't find anything of use until I came across a small file that was tucked away between blueprints.

Project Reset.

"Project Reset?" I asked, looking over the bolded words on the file.

"Hmm?" Maikeru asked, turning away from the computer and facing me. 

I kept my eyes on the file.

It was completely empty. There was nothing inside. Just the title. Project Reset.

"It's nothing..." I breathed, setting the file down. "Looks like we found a dead end."

I let out a sigh and bowed my head. Just this morning I was feeling worthwhile and important. The way Daiki spoke about me made me think I actually had something to offer. But in reality, I was no spy. I was just a girl who didn't know what she was doing.

"We'll keep it," Maikeru said, walking over and snatching the file from my hands. I was surprised I didn't get a papercut from how quickly he took it. "I have a feeling this is more important than it looks."

He gave me a soft, yet brief smile. I had never seen him smile before, so it looked strange to me. Almost unnatural.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"You're smiling. Are you trying to make me feel better?"

"What?! No! Of course not. I couldn't care less about how you feel!" he spat.

He was lying though. I could tell by the way he got all defensive.

I gave him a look and he rolled his eyes, letting out a sigh.

"Sorry. You just got all disappointed in yourself, and it reminded me of someone I once knew," he muttered. 

Oh? 

"Who?" I found myself asking.

"That," he breathed, "is a story for another day."

His usually cold attitude, though still present, seemed to melt away just slightly. 

I found myself liking this Maikeru much more than the old one. Even if he still refused to tell me much.

Sora and Seiko hadn't found anything either. Maikeru showed them the file, but we all agreed that it was practically useless without any other information to go with it. We were about to continue searching when Seiko's monopad started to buzz. She pulled it out and looked at it, adjusting her glasses as she did so.

"It's time," she breathed.

We all exchanged a slightly worried glance, then looked at the ultimate chemist.

"Are you going to go?" Sora asked. "I mean... what if Monokuma's trying to mess with us?"

"I need that call," she breathed. "You know why I need to do this, Sora."

"Yeah, but-"

"I'm not changing my mind," she breathed. She smiled sweetly, then gently placed her hand on his forearm. "I'll be okay. I'll tell you all about it when I'm done."

He seemed anxious but nodded. As she turned to leave, he watched her go until she was completely out of sight.

Both Maikeru and I waited awkwardly. I almost felt like a third wheel. I wonder what they talked about while exploring the hangar together.

I'd have to ask them all about it tomorrow. We had an hour until bedtime, and I didn't want any of us to be punished for being out past curfew. Plus, we already missed dinner. Hopefully, Yuuki wouldn't be too upset with us...

"I'm going to hurry back to my cabin before it's too late," I said, giving both Sora and Maikeru a wave. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?"

"Bye Suki!" Sora excitedly waved, standing on his toes. "We can tell everyone about the file in the morning!"

Maikeru didn't say anything, but I could see a small smile briefly cross his face as he gave the tiniest of waves.

"See you tomorrow, Maikeru!" I chimed.

. . .

I got the buzz for my phone call early the next morning, just after the morning announcements. I chose not to take it, as tempting as it was. Besides, it would have been during breakfast anyway. About half the students were already there. Yuuki was sitting in the center, as he always did. Next to him were Saikoro and Keiko. A part of me felt like the three of them were a perfect group. Three extroverts, ready to take action.

Rantaro was sitting in one of the corners, just across from Daiki. I would have labeled that side of the table the quiet side if it weren't for Kichiro, who was playing around with Daiki's hat. Again, I felt bad for the ultimate spy. I couldn't imagine having to deal with Kichiro as a roommate.

I decided to sit next to Maikeru that morning. He was off on his own corner, so I thought I'd keep him company. The ultimate security guard seemed taken aback by my choice to sit by him, but he didn't scoff or wave me off, so I considered that a win. 

Ruji arrived on his own a few minutes later. I excitedly waved at him and gestured for him to come sit by me and Maikeru. The ultimate ghostbuster seemed to hesitate upon seeing who I was actually sitting with.

"It'll be fine," I said silently.

His shoulders seemed to sag slightly, but he did as I asked and sat down right across from me and Maikeru. "Um, hello..." he meekly trailed off.

"Relax, you don't have to look so terrified all the time," Maikeru breathed, raising an eyebrow. I could already feel the awkward tension between them, but I didn't want to move. Maikeru really wasn't such a bad person, and I wanted Ruji to see that. 

"Oh, sorry..." Ruji trailed off, lowering his gaze to his tray of food.

"I said relax," Maikeru repeated, his mouth full of food. "I'm not a poltergeist or anything. I'm not going to... what was it you said they did last night? Possess people?"

"No, poltergeists usually just like to mess with people," Ruji breathed. "The ghosts that possess people are-"

"Shut up, my point is I won't bite," Maikeru huffed with an eye-roll, though he was smiling slightly again. "You don't have to look at me that way."

"What way?!" Ruji asked, his cheeks flushing a rose color as his eyes widened with terror. "A-am I looking at you weird?!"

"Now you are," I giggled, making his face turn even more red. The ultimate ghostbuster quickly looked away, covering his eyes like a cowering child.

"Stop that, you look ridiculous," Maikeru said, smiling even more than he was before.

"Believe me, I'm trying," Ruji whimpered.

I rolled my eyes, continuing to eat. If this was what they were like at breakfast, I could only imagine what it was like at night when sharing a room.

"Alright, who are we missing?" Yuuki asked after a few more people rolled in. 

"Sora and Seiko," I said, putting a hand by the corner of my mouth to amplify my voice so Yuuki could hear. "And... Brittany. Oh, and T-"

I had to stop myself from saying Tora. Another reminder that she wasn't here.

Yeesh, by now she's been gone just as long as she's been here. That alone felt crazy...

"Brittany's asleep," Keiko said with a small giggle. "I tried waking her up, I really did, but she kept complaining about how she wasn't a morning person. She's not dead or anything, though! She was very clearly snoring."

"Yeah, you can say that twice," Bashira snorted, her voice thundering. "I could hear her from my cabin."

"Wait, that was one of you girls?!" Kichiro exclaimed. "Wow. I was almost certain that was a plane engine-"

Daiki gently elbowed the ultimate unlucky student to shut him up.

"Well... I guess we can report what we found then and catch the rest of them up later," Yuuki breathed, though he seemed slightly disappointed that not everyone was here.

"I can try to find them once we're done," Rantaro offered.

"Yes, that would be great!" Yuuki beamed. "Thank you!"

Rantaro shrugged as if saying it wasn't a big deal. The casual and laid-back attitude made me smile. I really hoped I'd find time to get to know Rantaro a little more too. Actually, I wanted to get to know everyone. We were each ultimates, so we each probably had our own interesting stories. 

I already missed my chance to get to know Nori. 

"Anyway, Suki and Maikeru, you guys were with Sora and Seiko last night, right? Anything to report?"

"This," Maikeru breathed while holding the empty file up for all to see. "There's nothing in it, but it's titled Project Reset."

"Well, well, well, now that's a winner," Saikoro announced. 

"Not really," I muttered. "I mean... it's just a name. It might not mean anything."

"But it might mean something," Keiko smiled. "We just need to figure out what..."

"That's the question now, isn't it?" Saikoro chuckled. "As for my group, we didn't find much. We did find Rantaro and tell him of our plan to meet at each meal besides lunch, but that was all."

"And we didn't find any weak spots along the wall," Yuuki breathed. "But hey, at least one group was on it! Way to go Maikeru and Suki! Oh, and Sora and Seiko. We'll have to congratulate them on their good work once they come back."

The rest of us nodded along, then continued eating while making small talk. About fifteen minutes later, Brittany came rolling in. Rantaro quickly explained everything to her, then set off to find Sora and Seiko so he could talk them through everything too. Yuuki told us all to meet back up around 6:30 for dinner, (he specifically looked at me and Maikeru when saying this, which made me feel just slightly guilty for missing dinner the night before, although I was sure that was not his intention,) then we were dismissed.

"Have either of you gotten the notification for your phone calls?" I asked as Maikeru, Ruji, and I walked around with no true destination in mind.

"Yes," Maikeru breathed while taking his hat off and running a hand through his dark hair. "I think almost everyone must have by now."

"Well, I haven't..." Ruji trailed off, his voice getting slightly smaller. "What did you guys do when you got yours? I still don't know if I'm strong enough to reject it..."

"I think you should," Maikeru answered quickly. "It's like Suki said earlier. Nothing good can come from it."

"Well, I know... but I've been thinking, and I kinda want to talk to my older brother," Ruji explained. "Even... even if it's not real. Even if it's just a cruel trick Monokuma set up... I want to hear his voice. I want to hear him tell me I'm going to be okay. I guess that's kinda selfish of me... but I really miss him."

Maikeru's gaze seemed to soften slightly, although he looked away too quickly for me to really be able to tell.

"Just don't," he breathed. "You don't want to mess with your mind like that. Who knows what it'll make you do."

"Alright..." Ruji sighed, bowing his head slightly. "I... I'll try."

"No, don't try," Maikeru demanded. "Just don't."

"Okay, okay!" Ruji exclaimed defensively while putting his arms up. 

"You promise?"

"I promise," the ghostbuster squeaked, crossing his heart. "I-"

"Guys," Rantaro's voice came from behind us. Ruji let out a small scream and latched onto Maikeru's arm while I jumped slightly. 

Maikeru stayed completely calm. Not that I was surprised. He was the ultimate security guard, after all.

Rantaro's face was slightly pale. 

Sora was behind him, shaking and biting at his nails. I had never seen the pilot look so... small.

"The sky is darker," Ruji whispered just quiet enough for me to hear.

"Excuse me?" Maikeru asked, casting a glance at Ruji.

I shook my head, moving past the small comment and looking to Rantaro.

"What is it? Are you guys alright?" I asked.

"It's Seiko," Sora whispered, his voice shaking. "She..."

She what?!

Did this have to do with the call she took last night?! She couldn't have been dead. There was no body discovery announcement!

"We just... need you three to come with us so we can confirm," Rantaro said, turning and waving for us to follow.

Oh god, here we go again...