Chapter 2: Fatal Obsession

- Daily Life -

Written by: The Masked Eidolon

Edited by: No one, fuckers!!!

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I took a second bite out of my black oxford apple.

Crisp. Sweet. Tart. With a hint of cinnamon spice.

It was my favorite snack to eat when I found myself in troubling situations back home. It always brought me some level of comfort. Let me know that no matter what bullshit life had thrown my way, I was gonna come out just fine at the end of it.

Well, today is the first day I wasn't so sure about that.

Because I had no idea how to deal with Michi.

Convincing someone to suspect her had proven to be a fruitless endeavor because people were either too lazy to care or overthought their hunches like a guy ignoring obvious flirtation from their crush. Then I thought I'd have to take things into my own hands, but what could I even do? Kill her? Like I could beat the Masked Desperado in combat. Tell everyone that she admitted to being a mole? They wouldn't believe me, and then I'd probably just get iced a few days later.

I mean, maybe I could set up some kind of trap in my dorm, and capture her. Then I could skip to the interrogation part of my plan without needing to do anything else. But I don't have the foggiest clue as to how I would do such a thing. Which leaves me with little to no options on how to approach this scenario.

I sighed, leaned back in my chair and aggressively bit into the apple again.

It tastes damn good.

Maybe, just for now, I should focus on enjoying my snack rather than taking down the mastermind's spy.

Yeah, that sounds good.

But just as I began to swallow the juicy pulp of my favorite fruit, the bunker's PA system started to ring.

Monocavy: Special announcement! I repeat, special announcement! Every one of you little rapscallions must report to the gymnasium in ten minutes! Any latecomers will be swiftly executed!!

Eden: ...

Shit.

Is this what I think it is?

Monocavy giving us another motive video this soon was unexpected, but not unbelievable. He probably knows just how much pressure I'm under and has decided to up the stakes, like the little bitch that he is.

Whatever. I've dealt with more powerful people than this douchebag. And who knows, maybe I can spin this situation to my advantage somehow. After all, a new variable to consider will open up more opportunities for me to oust Michi.

Probably.

So I took a giant bite out of my apple to finish it up, kobe'd the core into my trash can, and headed to the gym.

When I got there, everyone was already standing before Monocavy's podium, waiting for him to arrive. Kuro gestured for me to stand next to him and Chaos, so I walked over.

Kuro: Whaddaya think this is about?

I crossed my arms.

Eden: Motive videos. He wouldn't call us to the gym for anything else.

Kuro: Ah, I see...

Kuro grinned.

Kuro: I have the perfect solution for this.

Chaos gave him a side-eye.

Chaos: What is it?

Kuro: You'll see, you'll see.

After a few seconds, Monocavy appeared from the sky once more and landed on his podium, causing everyone to quiet down.

Monocavy: Greetings, greetings everyone! I hope you're all having a fine day!

Kuro grinned.

Kuro: Of course we are!

Lgp: ...

Lgp: Not really...

Michi: Well, it's a little better than usual.

Michi glanced at me, but I refused to acknowledge her.

Monocavy put his paws up to his mouth.

Monocavy: Puhuhu! I'm glad to hear that! You see, I'm in a very generous mood right now. I know, I know, I already gave you birdbrains the second floor to mess around with, but I just feel like I really need to sate your killing appetite! After all, Styk proved that you guys have it in you...!

Yuki pointed at Monocavy.

Yuki: Get to the point, pig! We all know what this is about already...

Monocavy: Oh, do you? Well, in that case, there's no need to faff about.

Monocavy clapped his paws together and 14 of his clones entered the gym, each with a brochure in their mouths. They set down the brochures, revealing that each one had a different student's name on them.

Monocavy: Behold, the killing game's official new motive pamphlet! Each brochure contains the darkest secret of a fellow classmate, randomly assigned!

Monocavy excitedly jumped up and down.

Monocavy: Will you get a friend's? An enemy's? Or might you possibly get your own? Puhuhu! Pick yours up to find out!

Before anyone could move a muscle or even open their mouth, Kuro spread his arms and yelled out a command.

Kuro: Halt! Nobody move a muscle!

Eden: ...

Was he going to instruct everyone not to pick up their motives? This could be a really good thing if he's serious about it. But then again, this is Kuro. He's rarely serious about anything...

I glanced over at Chaos and he looked back at me with hope in his eyes.

Monocavy: ...?

Monocavy: Kuro? What do you think you're doing?

Kuro widened his grin.

Kuro: Heh. Monocavy, I'm the boss of this class. Undisputed. Unrefuted. So it's only natural I should get first dibs on the pamphlets. Let me at 'em!

Eden: ...

Chaos: ...

Yeah, figures.

Monocavy: Ah! Well, of course. Go ahead and take your booklet.

Kuro bowed.

Kuro: Namaste.

Fdeys stepped forward.

Fdeys: Hey, I don't think we should be lookin' at those things. Leave 'em be. You saw what happened the last time we thought taking them was a good idea.

Kuro simply gave Fdeys a thumbs down and walked right over to the line of brochures, picking his up. He opened it, then after a few seconds, raised his eyebrows and looked at Lgp disappointedly.

Kuro: Lgp, Lgp, Lgp.

Kuro clicked his tongue a few times.

Kuro: I thought you were better than this!

Lgp: ...!

Lgp: What did you see on there!?

Kuro: Classified. Only I, Kuro "Him" "The Elephant" "Seer of Secret Secrets" Ouji shall know. Ah, but don't worry! It's not just you who's secret will be shown to me.

Kuro then began to pick up each and every brochure that lay on the ground.

Kuro: It's everyone's!

Eden: ...!

Yuki: ...!

Michi: ...!!

Monocavy: ...

Insert: Hey, hold on! You can't just look into our secrets without our consent!

Jiren: Yeah, my tax returns might be in there!

Yuki: And some of us actually want to know what's in our brochures!

Before things could get too rowdy, I stepped away from the crowd and spoke over them.

Eden: Everyone, calm down! This is actually a good thing, guys.

Yuki: And how's that, Mr. Vice President?

Eden: Simple. If Kuro has all of the motive pamphlets, it means that none of us will be tempted to kill. And if a murder happens, we already have a prime suspect.

I'm sure Kuro is doing this for selfish reasons, but it works out real good for the group too, so I'll stand with him.

Chaos: Everyone should listen to Eden. The fact of the matter is, Styk only killed Dreamer because of what was shown on his motive video. If we don't lock them away from ourselves, another murder is bound to take place.

Kuro finished picking up the last brochure.

Kuro: That's right! I'm making a selfless sacrifice over here, y'know? Have some more respect!

Jiren: "Selfless sacrifice" my chimney! You just want to look into everyone's secrets, don't you?

Cosmos: We don't have to like it, Jiren, but it makes sense. I doubt Kuro will abuse the information he learns, if he even decides to read the booklets.

Jiren: ...

Jiren: Um... yeah, I guess it does make sense...

Yuki grumbled and put her hands on her hips.

Yuki: Can you at least show me mine privately after this... pretty please?

Kuro: No can do, missy. Sorry, but you're not quite based enough to view these brochures.

Yuki frowned, turning her head to leer at the booklets in Kuro's hand. She was 1000% planning on stealing them. Me and Chaos would have to keep a close eye on the motives, that's for damn sure.

Chaos: So, everyone who agrees with Kuro's arrangement, raise your hand.

Everyone slowly raised their dominant hands, some more reluctant than others.

Chaos smiled.

Chaos: That's all of us, eh? ありがとう。

Monocavy: Nuh-uh! I'm not in agreement!

Suddenly, a machine gun erupted from the ceiling and pointed at Kuro. It fired a few times and barely missed his face.

Kuro: OHHHH SHIT!

Kuro took a few steps back and fell down, scattering the brochures in the air.

Monocavy: Did none of you blockheads take a look at your student handbooks before coming here? There's a new rule you have to follow!!

Michi quickly took her tablet out and read the rule.

Michi: 14: No student may refuse to take their assigned motive into their possession, or destroy it. Additionally, no student may willingly give up possession of their assigned motive, unless Monocavy demands so.

Eden: ...!

Chaos: ...!

Kuro: ...!!!

Kuro: Wait, so I have to-!

Monocavy: Yes, yes! You have to let everyone take their own motive pamphlet! And nobody can willingly give it up to someone else! Puhuhu!

Yuki: Ha! Take that, Kuro "Fraud" "The Dwarf" "Blindass" Ouji! Never thought I'd be thankful to Monocavy, of all people...!

Yuki was quick to pick up her own motive from the pile. She opened the brochure, grinned, and then walked out the door.

Michi was next, then Jiren, Oof, Avi, Cosmos, and everyone else were circling the pile, murmuring and collecting their motives. Kuro was also sitting down next to it, stunned into silence.

Frustrated, I turned to Chaos.

Eden: Can't we do anything about this?

Chaos: There doesn't seem to be any loopholes in his rule... I'm afraid we can't stop it.

Eden: ...

Eden: Shit...

Chaos: ...

I sighed.

Eden: Well, let's take our own motives. Maybe something in there will help...

Chaos didn't seem to buy what I was saying.

Chaos: Maybe...

We both walked up to what remained of the pile and picked our booklets out of them. It was obvious that neither of us was going to look inside. But despite that, we both knew that the others wouldn't be so responsible.

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- Monocavy Theater! -

Monocavy: I hate Monetary power.

Monocavy: I mean, I like it. I like how much influence and authority it carries nowadays, unlike the two other forms of power.

Monocavy: In modern times, it's far and away the best form to have.

Monocavy: But that's the catch.

Monocavy: Because if something is effective and powerful, then the people with the most of it will do anything to keep it out of the hands of the masses.

Monocavy: And that's precisely why I hate it.

Monocavy: See, I wasn't born in a situation you'd call "privileged."

Monocavy: I'm the son of a prostitute and some deadbeat father I've never met.

Monocavy: My mother and I lived on the streets and ran errands for gangs to stay alive.

Monocavy: The only connection we had to the world of the elite was our strong and hearty distaste for it.

Monocavy: So when I turned my attention to Monetary power and did some research on how to get it, my hopes were almost instantly dashed.

Monocavy: Because every way to gain significant Monetary power in this world requires that you already have a lot of it.

Monocavy: The costs of entrepreneurship would make most people go into debt.

Monocavy: Investing is high-risk, low-reward for people who can barely afford to eat.

Monocavy: And you can't really get a high-paying job with my background.

Monocavy: Unless you have some kind of ultimate luck, poverty is a dark, bottomless pit that you can't dig your way out of.

Monocavy: That's the harsh reality.

Monocavy: And so I was left with nothing.

Monocavy: All three forms of power had proved either worthless, weak, or unobtainable.

Monocavy: What was a man to do?

Monocavy: Well, the only thing I could do was vie for something even greater than the three forms of power.

Monocavy: Something that no man had ever touched, no man had ever even glimpsed.

Monocavy: I'd be the first to get it.

Monocavy: I'd be the first to obtain Absolute Power.

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I forgot to set my alarm, so I was woken up by three soft knocks on my door. I wondered who it was for a second before remembering that Michi existed, and then proceeded to want to hang myself.

God, she's got to be the most terrible thing to wake up to in this killing game. An omnipresent, unkillable lackey of the mastermind who's forcing you to act against the very people you should be working together with. The concept kind of saps every drop of hope in your body.

Groggily, I managed to toss myself out of bed and trudge over to the door, opening it halfway and revealing my massive bed-head.

Michi: Forget to set the alarm?

I didn't respond to this question, just opened the door further and sat down at my table.

Michi: Seems like it. That's fine, you can do your morning routine after we talk.

She walked into my dorm and sat down across from me, empty handed.

Eden: No tea today, hmm?

Michi: You didn't like it when I first brought it.

Eden: Yeah, well, I guess I'd appreciate some right about now.

Michi frowned and stared at me for a few seconds before pushing her chair back and getting up.

Michi: Come with me to the dining hall. We can make some tea there.

Eden: Sure thing.

We both left our seats and my dormitory, walking down the halls of the bunker.

Michi: So, what do you have to report?

Eden: Um... what exactly should I be reporting?

Michi: Kuro, you, and Chaos are the new trifecta in charge, right? What are their thoughts right now?

We reached the dining hall pretty quickly, and I began to prepare myself a cup of tea. I could see Michi doing the same thing out of my periphery.

Eden: Well, Kuro is a selfish nutcase who wanted to be leader so he didn't have to do grunt work. You won't have to worry about him.

Michi: And Chaos?

Eden: Same as before, but a little more serious now. I'm guessing Styk's betrayal made him realize the severity of his situation.

Michi put her cup in the microwave and turned it on.

Michi: Do any of them suspect me?

Eden: ...

Should I lie? Considering that I have to bring up my mole theory at the next meeting, maybe a small bluff wouldn't be so bad?

Eden: Chaos does, a tiny bit. He thinks the possibility of a mole existing here isn't out of the question, and he noticed how Styk would look at you when he was still around. He thinks Styk may have known something the class didn't, and so you're on his radar.

Michi: Hm. Interesting...

Michi had her signature poker face on, so it was hard to tell if she believed me or not. But, whatever. I'll keep going.

Eden: In fact, he told me to bring up the possibility of a mole within the group in today's morning meeting. Said that he wanted the class to discuss it, but was a bit nervous to bring it up himself. Should I do it? He might start suspecting me if I don't...

Michi: ...

All my cards are on the table. If she believes the bluff, I'll have an excuse to mention the theory. If she doesn't... well, I don't really want to think about that right now.

The microwave beeped and Michi took her drink out of the machine. She stirred it with a teaspoon, and brought it up to her mouth, sipping lightly.

Eden: ...

Just answer me, damn it.

She put down the cup and exhaled, then slowly licked her lips.

Michi: No, I don't want you to do it.

Fuck.

Michi: I want you to completely avoid talking about a mole in public. When Chaos confronts you about not bringing it up, tell him that Styk looking at me doesn't mean anything. That he could've just thought I was attractive or something.

I was seething inside, but I put on the best neutral expression I could.

Eden: Alright, that's what I'll tell him.

Michi smiled.

Michi: Good.

I couldn't stop myself from grimacing.

Eden: ...

Eden: Is there anything else we need to discuss...?

Michi: Nothing particularly urgently. But I guess I'd like to look at your motive pamphlet.

I sighed. I hadn't even looked at this thing myself. But I guess I should do it now, huh? She's getting the information. Why shouldn't I?

I took the brochure out of my back pocket and opened it up, looking at the contents inside. It read:

Kuro Ouji's Terrifying, Crazy-Awesome Secret! - Kuro secretly thinks "The W2RLD" is a 6/10 show, not a 5/10 show. He docked a point out of principle due to its crass humor, but later regretted it, as a 5/10 rating didn't truly get across the quality of the show to his readership. Kuro has since doubled down on the notion that "W2RLD is 5/10," and is still in denial about his mistake.

Eden: ...

This is Kuro's greatest secret...? I guess it's fitting for a guy like him, but...

Michi chuckled a bit.

Michi: You look spooked. What did you read?

I handed the pamphlet to her, and she cracked up upon reading it.

Michi: Kuro's certainly... special, isn't he?

Eden: ...

Eden: It's fake, right?

Michi raised her eyebrows.

Michi: Fake?

Eden: Yeah. Fake. You guys are targeting someone else here with an extra brutal motive pamphlet while giving me a joke.

Michi raised both hands in front of herself.

Michi: No, no. I think you've misunderstood what I meant by "extra brutal." Monocavy didn't outright lie on everyone else's but Styk's, he just embellished some details, maybe showed a few people real enemies that they had, but not their greatest enemy. Stuff like that.

Eden: Really, now?

Michi: Yes. Monocavy never lies. He just deceives.

I put my elbow on the table and pointed at Michi.

Eden: But he lied about your secret, didn't he? There's no way in hell he put "Michi is the Masked Desperado" as your secret.

In response, Michi took out her own pamphlet from her pocket and showed it to me.

It read: "Michiru Akabane's Terrifying, Crazy-Awesome Secret! - Michiru is secretly the Masked Desperado of the Silent Crusade."

Eden: ...!!!

Michi: He never lies. Why do you think the first thing I did during the previous motive handout was grab up mine and beeline out of the gym?

Eden: ...!

Eden: I see...

Michi finished off her tea, let out a deep breath, and stood up from her chair.

Michi: Anyway, that should be it for our meeting.

Michi smirked and patted my shoulder as she walked by me.

Michi: Just keep doing what you're doing, and you may end up getting out of here alive.

I frowned as Michi was leaving, but that frown crept into a smile as she walked away into the dark hallways of the bunker.

Michi had no idea that she just gave me the ticket I needed to expose her once and for all. Her motive pamphlet. It was the only thing in this place that had solid proof to her secret identity. If I could somehow get my hands on it, it would be game over for her.

I sneered.

Get my hands on it, I will.

Now that I've found her weak spot, I'll pursue it to the ends of the earth until she's been dealt with.

Michiru Akabane, you just made the biggest mistake of your life. And you're gonna pay the ultimate price for it.

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Surviving Students (14/16):

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Eden - Ultimate Screenwriter

Vysko - Ultimate Collector

Michi - Ultimate Desperado

Kuro - Ultimate Reviewer

Dark - Ultimate Author

Fdeys - Ultimate Weightlifter

Jiren - Ultimate Landlord

Cosmos - Ultimate Therapist

Styk - Ultimate Sniper

Chaos - Ultimate Linguist

Dreamer - Ultimate Mime

Insert - Ultimate Fighter

Oof - Ultimate Chef

Yuki - Ultimate Script Leaker

Lgp - Ultimate Zookeeper

Avi - Ultimate Songwriter

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To be continued...