✧ Chapter 58 ✧
[ The Hope I Can't See ]
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[ Kokichi's PoV ]

Warning:
⚠️ Um.. torture. I guess. And ow feelies. Use heelies to escape the feelies ⚠️

Bloodied handprints on the floor.

Magenta liquid filled vials.

He was staring down at me with disapproval in his warm grey eyes. With a small, pained expression on his face and a knife one hand; he seemed hesitant to hurt me.

I was trapped. Bloodied and bruised by whatever was going on. Holding my breath, the detective knelt in front of me, using his free hand to tilt my chin up. "..."

This was.. terrifying. His now magenta eyes were brimming with unshed tears as he slowly leaned forward and brushed his lips against mine.

And at the same time, a pain started in my chest making me take a breath, my voice muffled against his lips.

"I'm sorry, Ouma-kun." his light, gentle voice whispered in my ear as he slowly pulled the knife out from my body.

Dull pain wrecked me as my lungs cried for air. In front of me, was the empty syringe which had held some sort of liquid which was numbing the real pain.

What was the real pain?

Watching him kiss me, my hand desperately trying to break free from its chains?

"Do you think I was lying when I told you I love you?"

Or was it his empty magenta eyes, which were watching me struggle.

This isn't.. this couldn't be happening.

My vision clouded with tears as Shuichi suddenly stood up from where he was kneeling in front of me.

"I'm not a liar like you, my dear Ouma.. I love your little games, but it seems like I've beat you this time around.."

With a swipe of his hand, he shoved my shoulder against the wall, and swung the knife backwards, stabbing me in the stomach—

My eyes shot open as I gasped and flailed around, my elbow hitting something plastic. Cradling the injured area, my gaze focused to the black, carpeted floor.

Behind me, the faint hum of an engine rumbled; which meant I was probably in a car.

Tinted grey windows enabled me to look outside. However, I chose to see my reflection instead but I didn't get the chance-

The car jostled, making me throw my arms out to break my fall. However, I was too late, since the momentum sent me sprawling to the floor.

"Hey!" I shouted, propping myself up with my arms. "What's your problem?"

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ouma." a cool voice spoke up, as two people got into the seats in front.

Maki climbed into the driver's seat, followed by Hajime on the other side, sitting beside her. He seemed disgruntled by the choice of seating, but it was clear that the girl wanted to drive.

"What's the big idea? Hitting me on the head like that.. why didn't you just say: 'Sorry Ouma, looks like I'll have to knock you out right now. Have a nice nap.' Huh, Maki Roll?" I pouted and folded my arms as the girl shot me a glare with the help of the rearview mirror.

"Don't call me that," she replied through gritted teeth, "Just shut up and let me drive." She shifted the gear stick and the car rumbled to life once more.

"Wait," I held up my hands as if they could see me, "How did I even get here? What happened after you knocked me out? Where's Keebo, Usami and-."

"Any more questions and I'll kill you," Maki replied, her mouth set in a hard line, "Tetsuya is with Usami in the other car, along with those who wanted to help. They're currently dismantling Monomi."

Oookay? I decided not to pry, but there was really nothing to do. I assume we were on our way to the Hospital.. but first, I risked a glance at Hajime.

He was too quiet. Eyes fixed on the dash of the car, focused so intensely, that he looked like he was resisting the urge to punch something.

His eyes were red, not because he had used his abilities. They were bloodshot, with tears threatening to spill.

"The hell happened?" I demanded, leaning forward, grabbing onto the seats as the van lurched forward. "What's with the gloomy faces?"

Maki wordlessly made the van take a sharp turn, making me lose my grip on the seat and fall back onto the floor of the vehicle.

"Jeez Maki.." I huffed, pressing my hand against my stomach. Maybe I should divert my attention to that weird nightmare I had..

I could actually feel the ghost of the knife which Shuichi had stabbed me with..

What kind of nightmare was that?

Shuichi was.. killing me? I stared at my hands, feeling the floor of the vehicle rock underneath me. I took a deep breath, clenching my fist to rid the image of the blood on my hands.

Whatever that nightmare was.. I hoped it wasn't true.

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Maki, Hajime and I ditched the van when we were close to the Hospital. Thanks to the walkie talkie located in the vehicle, I had contacted the other Remnants.

Apparently, there were a few of us tagging along. There was Hajime and Komaeda, of course.. but something seemed sketchy. They weren't talking much.

Kirigiri, Toko, Leon and Sakura. They seemed eager to 'fight'. Or at least, the detective was with us to make sure we didn't kill ourselves.

Akane, Chiaki (as our navigator through the Hospital), Kazuichi..

Mitarai, Komaru. Kirumi, Tenko and Angie. The animator claimed to be helpful because he could use his 'brainwashing' videos and take down the Traitors easily.

And of course, Keebo and I.

The hospital was a giant, towering building, with large glass windows on its side and the slowly rising sun behind it.

However, the glass seemed to just be for show, since beyond it, I could see that they were blocked by concrete walls.

I hated the whole building.. it was a torture, to be separated from the sun just because of a simple barrier of stone.

Freedom, so close, but just out of reach.

The architecture of the place was confusing, to say the least. The tall building was surrounded by a field of green grass, with a wide metallic fence caging people in, keeping people out.

At the corner of my eye, I saw Maki tap Hajime's shoulder, leading him away from the group for a moment. I cocked my head slightly, listening in on their conversation.

"- can't remember.." Hajime was saying in a distressed voice as Maki whispered something I couldn't quite catch. "I cant remember who he is.."

"Just calm down," the cool, serious voice of the assassin replied, "You're a leader of the Remnants. You have to get in that Hospital, take down Izuru and get Shuichi back before they revive Enoshima with the serums."

I flinched when someone placed a hand on my shoulder, making me look up to see the solemn eyes of Nagito. He seemed to know what was going on, judging by the look of emptiness in his grey-green eyes. He was clearly smarter than he looked.

"We have a mission to complete." he said to me as I followed, leaving Maki and Hajime alone.

Everyone else was gathered by the chain linked fence, which was monitored by surveillance cameras and barbed wire.

"About time," Kazuichi pulled out a small screwdriver, brandishing it around, "Ultimate Mechanic at your service."

"No need for that, baby shark. I'll punch a hole in it." Akane cracked her knuckles and reached for the thin metal links. Chiaki suddenly slapped her hand away, her expression as serious as ever.

"Don't." the gamer regarded the metal with a watchful eye, "These fences may look simple to hit, but they're actually charged with enough electricity to kill a person as soon as their fingers brush against it."

As if on cue, everyone inched backwards, avoiding the fence. "Oh." The gymnast withdrew her hand.

Nagito then pointed to a camera, which was watching us with its beady red eye. "I won't be surprised if they already know we're here.. might as well charge in while we still can.. but then again," he chuckled softly, "You shouldn't take advice from trash like me."

"Whoa buddy," Kazuichi spoke up, "Since when did you start talking like that again, huh? Looks like you got back into the habit."

Nagito's eyes flicked over to Hajime, who was talking to Maki. "Forget it."

"I can teleport you guys in if you want!" the cheerful voice of Usami spoke up as I surveyed the fence. Surely there was some way to enter the Hospital without drawing attention. C'mon. I'm a Leader! I should be the one thinking about how to do this..

With a yell, Komaru suddenly whipped out a megaphone and aimed it at the fence. I couldn't help but smirk, "I don't think yelling at a fence would be a efficient way-."

The girl shouted a command I couldn't quite catch. With a buzz from the gadget, tendrils of bright yellow electricity blasted out of the mouth of the megaphone. After awhile, the stench of burned wire and melted plastic billowed in our direction.

I waved a hand in front of my face, as Komaru smiled, satisfied.

"I suppose that works too.." I finished as Hajime and Maki finally returned, their expressions stormy.

"Hey Ouma," Keebo greeted from beside me as he looked up at the Hospital with a frown on his face. "Looks like we're finally getting Shuichi back, huh.."

I looked up at the building as everyone else climbed through the broken fence, avoiding the burning metal.

"Are you still going to leave us all when this is over?" he asked as the sun continued to rise. In most movies.. the fights almost always happen at night, under the cover of darkness.

However, this was important. With no time to lose, and with equally little time to spare.. we had to break in with the sun's rays beating down upon us. A small rebellion against people whose been influenced by a simple medicine.

I pulled out a card from my pocket. A simple, poker card. But it was not just some boring spades, or heart. It was a Joker card. When I had discovered it in the book Past Ouma has written, nothing really clicked in my mind.

However, it must have some significance, if he had kept it so carefully.

"Lets just go and save Mister Detective, I'll answer your question later." I grinned, patting Keebo's shoulder as we entered the Hospital grounds past the fence. At the same time, I slipped the card into the pocket of my hoodie.

However, as soon as the last of us stepped onto the grass, a sudden spray of water drowsed us all.

Someone stood on the grass, holding out a golden katana in a defensive pose, their magenta eyes fixed right on me.

"Korekiyo." Tenko wrinkled her nose, "Let us handle this one, guys," she held out her arms, "The rest of you, find Shuichi and bring him out safely."

"I shall help too!" Angie held out her hands at the magenta eyed student, who was slowly making his way towards us, "In the name of Atua, let us destroy this place and save everyone!"

Leon pulled out a dagger, "I'll stay with you two," he chuckled, "You girls might never know when you need a man's help, right?"

"Degenerate male," Tenko scoffed, looking slightly miffed, "Fine, but you better not get in our way when we start the fight. Korekiyo's a tough guy to beat."

"Take care, you three." Keebo told them as everyone else split up, running for the Hospital's double doors which were located quite a distance from the fence.

I followed the group, but stopped when Korekiyo leapt at me, swinging the golden katana as I dodged.

But a blur of blue forced him aside, Tenko kicking the student to the side. The Aikido Master dodged backwards just as the male student switched targets and swung his sword at her.

"In the name of Atua!" Angie exclaimed as the sprinklers activated once more, showering Korekiyo with water as I watched as she dumped a bucket of pink paint onto him. How interesting.

"Kokichi! Come on!" Keebo exclaimed as I found myself hoping they would be alright, "It's up to you to find Shuichi, and the serums. The rest will find our schoolmates. Makoto, Chihiro. Nekomaru. They should be around here somewhere. Ibuki and Ryoma as well."

"I'm coming with you." Nagito ran beside us, "This is my second life.. I'm not wasting it.." he fixed his eyes on the double doors, "Hinata's forgotten about me, and now, I'll fight for him."

"That must be the cheesiest thing I've ever heard anyone say," I told the albino, who smiled slightly, "But you're not gonna ditch us, right?"

The lucky student just smiled, taking out the metal pole he always carried and hitting a sprinkler. Almost immediately, every one of the sprinklers deactivated. I raised an eyebrow at him, even as we continued running, "Luck, huh?"

"That's kinda my thing."

"Stand back!" I heard Akane shout as a loud clap of thunder sounded, making me stop. Then I realised it wasn't thunder..

"YEAHHH!" the loud battle cry of Nekomaru echoed throughout the field as I raised one arm to block the grass and dirt from getting into my eyes.

Akane and Nekomaru were fighting, which meant that the Monokuma Traitors definitely knew we were around..

"Follow Nanami and Hinata," Komaeda suddenly announced as he stepped forward, "Keep going for the sake of love and hope, Ouma, Keebo. We'll take care of the rest out here."

His words sounded.. grave. Like he knew something was going to happen, and he could predict it. "Get out safely." he finished as Keebo nodded.

However, a panel on the side of the building rumbled and a whole army of Monokumas marched out. Countless copies of him with razor sharp teeth and claws. I swallowed nervously. Could the Remnants handle this?

We had made it to the double doors, but I was hesitant to enter them. How could I leave my classmates to the fight like this? No. I had to find Shuichi.. maybe he had an answer to this.

"I'll hold them off," Nagito informed Keebo and I, "Just go in and stop this, Ouma.."

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Running down the hallways with Hajime, Chiaki, Maki and Keebo didn't seem to be the most efficient way of sneaking into the place.. but then again, why should we worry about stealth? The Traitors knew we were here.

"How will we find Shuichi in this place? It seems endless." The scientist spoke up, sounding breathless.

Maki regarded the empty hallways with her red eyes, analysing the place. Then I realised that all of us had been trapped in this hell at one point in time.. "Seeming and being are different, Keebo." she told him, "Just keep your eyes peeled for any attack or if you find Shuichi."

I felt my heart pounding rapidly against my ribs, but it wasn't because of the running. This feeling.. it was as if I were anticipating my meeting with Shuichi. It was like seeing your long lost friend, or meeting an internet friend for the first time in ages.

"I'm just looking for Izuru," Hajime muttered, almost as if he were talking to himself. "I'll distract him like the last time.."

"He's probably in the Neo World Programme room." Chiaki whispered quietly, focusing on a gadget in her hands, "He likes to go there whenever he is free from his work, or likes to think about his existence."

"Honestly," I sniggered despite the seriousness of the situation, "Izuru is a mood."

Chiaki sighed, her pink eyes fixed ahead of us as Keebo turned to look backwards, "There's some people following us.." his voice had a tone of worry. "I think they're doctors.."

Maki started to say something when Hajime stopped running, his red eyes darting up to the ceiling.

"Hajime- what are you-." Maki started to say when he shook his head.

"Run as fast as you can." he told us in a low voice and promptly slammed his fist against the wall.

I didn't want to argue at a time like this, but-.

"Holy-." Keebo started to say as part of the ceiling crumbled, stones and debris falling right on our pursues. "That's efficient."

"Only if you want to bring down the whole building on us!" Maki reprimanded, her eyes furious as I clutched the burning pain on my side. Jeez, when was the last time I ran?

Hajime soon caught up with us, his eyes remorseless, "We don't have a choice," he pushed a hand through his messy, spiky brown hair,  "I wonder why hasn't Izuru or his followers have appeared."

"They're all either fighting outside," Keebo replied, "Or they're hiding somewhere in the building. And for the record, this building has at least ninety floors. We can't search every level-."

"The Quarantine." I spoke up now, my mind drifting off to what I suddenly remembered. I didn't know why that place sounded so familiar, but I definitely remembered something about it. "That's where we have to go."

Hajime gritted his teeth, "I thought I'd never have to go back there again.. but of course, that sounds like a place he could be."

"If you want to get to the Quarantine," Chiaki took her eyes away from the gadget, "Follow me. It's where all the experiments are tested, where the Serums are made."

"How.. can we actually trust you, Nanami-chan?" I asked casually as Chiaki frowned slightly.

"You're only asking this now?" Hajime muttered as Maki shot me a glare.

"I trust her." she replied simply as she brushed her hair away from her face, "If you don't, then leave. We can handle this on our own."

"Hey," I slowed to a stop, catching my breath, "I was just teasing, dear Harukawa.. you don't have to be so uptight."

The building rumbled, making Keebo place a hand against the wall. "The building's not going to last at this rate.. we better hurry."

So we settled to speed walking, glancing at doors every now and then. The hallways were deserted, an occasional, rather depressing, blank window appearing every now and then. I couldn't help but feel antsy..

Where is he..?

♥ End of Chapter Fifty-Eight ♥