(See the end of the chapter for more notes .)

Sorry to keep you waiting, but I've got some more time on my hands now, so I'll be working hard to finish the story on a more reasonable timetable.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4: The World at War — (Ab)normal Day 1

The next morning…

Announcements: Ding-dong, ding-dong! Ding-dong, ding-dong!

Monobear: Good morning, you bastards! It’s a new day of learning at the museum! You’ve all got a special breakfast waiting for you in the cafeteria today! Let’s give it our all again today, Upupupu!

This food… I don’t know how to feel about it. Would be disrespectful to the dead to eat it or refuse it?

My indecisiveness led me to spend an extra ten minutes in bed. Eventually, I realized I had to eat something, and got up.

[Move to Dorm Hall]

[Move to Employee Hall]

Tamaki was standing outside the door to the Cafeteria. Something was bothering her.

Takito: Tamaki? Has Monobear not let anyone in yet?

Tamaki: [shakes head] No, no, not at all. [frowns] Everyone is already inside, eating away. Everyone except of course, you, me, and…

Takito: ...and?

Tamaki: [frowns] ...and Pablo.

Takito: Where is he?

Tamaki: [frowns] He took a piece of toast and some sausage and headed up to 4th floor. He told me he wanted to get a head start on danger-proofing the new area, and nobody, not even myself, should go up there until he’s finished. [neutral expression] I know he can be off-putting at times, but he only wants to protect us all.

Takito: I know that. He’s just not that good at it…

Tamaki: [frowns] One last thing. Did you think of anything new about why that knife appeared in Yasue’s room?

Takito: No. I’m sorry.

Tamaki: [frowns] It’s okay. I wasn’t expecting much. You should really go eat. It’ll be cold soon.

[Move to Cafeteria]

The breakfast feast meant to “reward” us for solving another case was there, and everyone sans Tamaki, Pablo, and myself were eating, just as Tamaki said. I got a plate and sat next to Kotori. Ryouta and Hitomi were there too.

Takito: Yesterday was pretty bad, huh?

Kotori: [stops eating, frowns] Yeah…

Hitomi: [slumps over, closes eyes] I’m running out of friends…

Ryouta: [winces] W-we all are…

Dang… Shouldn’t have brought this up…

Takito: We, at least we got some information about who’s trapped us here.

Kotori: [pensive pose] Yes, from Yasue…

[flashback to the image of Nahoko with her tablet, standing over Yasue in the tent]

Yasue: I don’t really know myself. I overheard this person talking to someone else

about the Mutual Killing. They said that everything was going “better than expected”

and that if someone doesn’t win a class trial by the fifth one, they would “kill the lot”

and “start over”.

Nahoko: Well, it’s a good thing I’m winning this right now, then. If you help me out, I

can win even harder, too!

Yasue: I don’t know. These people… they have more power than all of us combined.

At least one of them has to one of us, too. Promise me you’ll at least tell the others

these people’s codenames. The two on the phone were “Mr. Johnson and Mr.

Lincoln”, and they talked a lot about a “Mr. Carter”, though I don’t even know if any

of them were misters… The two of them did something to their voices.

[flashback ends, return to Cafeteria]

Ryouta: [holds camera, trembles] If s-s-someone doesn’t graduate by the f-fifth trial, th-they’ll k-k-kill us all…

Hitomi: [bites lip] Who are these “Mr. Johnson, Mr. Lincoln, and Mr. Carter” characters? [puts hands up] You don’t one of them could one of us, do you?

Kotori: [pensive pose] All we really know is what Yasue told Nahoko. But these codenames… I recognize them. They’re American Presidents.

Takito: So, our captors might be foreign?

Kotori: [pensive pose] Maybe. The chances aren’t much higher than they were before.

Ryouta: [holds camera, neutral expression] You p-probably shouldn’t tell W-wataru. [winces] If he th-thinks there’s a f-foreign spy among us, w-well…

Hitomi: [shrugs shoulders] I don’t think he cares about other countries’ past governments enough to know.

I looked over at Wataru. He was laughing with Satoko. I was glad he was at least happy, and didn’t want to ruin that, though I was worried something was deep inside him, waiting to come out. Just at that moment…

Monobear: [laughing] Upupupupu! Enjoying your survivor’s pancakes?

Wataru: [crosses arms] I was, until just now, cretin. Your presence kills my appetite.

Monobear: [dismissive wave] Good! That’s just what I wanted, anyway! [neutral pose] You should already know by now, you have a brand spankin’ new floor to visit!

Wataru: [crosses arms] Of course I knew that. I just wanted to enjoy my food.

Monobear: [dismissive wave] Upupupu! Oh, don’t be such a spoilsport! Your buddy Pablo is already up there, doing who knows what! C’mon, get with the program already!

Wataru: [grits teeth, makes fist] Pablo…! He’s probably up there, inadvertently giving the next killer their means…

Uh oh… Tamaki said Pablo didn’t want anyone else up there…

Wataru: [grits teeth, makes fist] Hope’s Peak Students! Takito! We’re going up there right now! This museum needs some REAL security!

Welp… Here we go…

[Automoved to Employee Hall]

Tamaki: [frowns] Wataru! Where are you going?

Wataru: [crosses arms] I’m going to the new floor. To do your job for you. [walks off]

Tamaki: [frowns] My job is to not do that, come back here!

[Automoved to 3rd Floor, Industrial Hall Left]

Wataru: [thinking pose] This is the stairway to the new floor, is it not?

Tamaki: [frowns] Please, please, don’t go in there. Pablo has very good reasons for not wanting—

Wataru walked up the stairs.

Tamaki: [sighs, frowns] —you to go there.

[Automoved to 4th floor, Political Hall]

Satoko: [displeased, adjusts glasses] Pagaidi, ko? This isn’t that bad. Why would Pablo want to keep us away from this?

Tamaki: [enters, frowns] He wanted to make absolutely sure he would get to any dangerous elements first.

Hitomi: [turned around, third eye open] Where is he, anyway? I can’t see him anywhere!

Tamaki: [frowns] I’m ...unsure. Though it would be best if I were the one to find him.

???: Ho, ho! Yes, yes!

Okita: [grins, points with rose] Hey, didya hear that? Someone speaking over there!

I followed Okita’s rose to the first door on the right in the hallway. The door there was labeled “Security Room: Employees Only”.

???: If I connect this to the cameras there and there, I’d be able to cover this entire floor!

Takito: I think we found Pablo.

Tamaki: [neutral expression] Let me speak to him then. [frowns] I’d tell you to stay put, but I don’t think you would.

Wataru: [crosses arms] You heard her! Explore! If you find any dangerous objects, bring them to me for destruction! [makes fist, grits teeth] And not Pablo!

Guess we all answer to Wataru now. At least for a little while.

[INVESTIGATION START]

[Talk to Kotori]

Takito: You seem deep in thought about this hallway.

Kotori: [pensive pose] Hmmm… Not really, but maybe I am. You should try looking around, too.

I examined the hallway. According to the giant text near the entrance, this was the “Political Hall”. Illustrations and text lined the walls, talking about the various systems of government Japan and other nations have, and how each of their legislatures work. Several famous politicians had portraits painted directly on the walls. At the end of the hallway, a section was laid out that listed prominent donors to the museum.

Takito: I don’t there’s anything in this hallway someone could use for murder. Not even a ficus or a bench.

Kotori: [pensive pose] True… [smiles] But that’s not what I’m thinking about. Have you taken a closer look at the cameras and doors?

The doors…

I did as she asked, and took a closer look at the doors and cameras.

There were six doorways I could see. One set of double doors that we came through from the 3rd floor, and at the opposite end, another set that presumably went to the 5th floor.

Hopefully, we’ll never have to use those…

At both the one-third and two-thirds points, there were two single doors on opposite sides of the hallway. Like earlier, the first door the right went into some sort of Security Room. Both the near and far doors on the left went to an “Inventions Room”, and the far the door on the right went to the museum’s Gift Shop.

The security cameras on this floor also looked a little different. The ones we had been seeing up until this point looked like Monobear a little bit, but these seemed like generic security cameras. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were the ones used in the museum when it was still operational.

I counted four generic cameras in total. One was pointed at the Security Room door from further down the opposite (left) side of the hallway, and another was keeping track of both the far Invention Room door, and the Gift Shop door from the left side of hallway. It was connected to the previous camera, and faced toward the 5th floor stairway. The final two cameras were focused on the near Invention Room door, each looking at it from different sides on the right side of the hall.

Kotori: [smiles] You’ve noticed the strange cameras, too, haven’t you?

Takito: I don’t get it. Why would you focus two cameras on the door to a room you could just take another route to enter?

Kotori: [slight shrug] The world of museum curation may just be beyond our plane of thinking.

Well, in Modern Art, maybe, but it shouldn’t be here…

[Move to Inventions Room]

This room had several displays of labor-saving inventions, ranging from early chariots to early computers. Okita, Wataru, and Hitomi were inside, looking around, though only Wataru seemed especially serious about finding dangerous items.

[Talk to Hitomi]

Hitomi: [hands up, excited] Hi, hi, hi, Takito!

Hitomi was lying down on a round shag carpet, moving as though she were making a snow angel.

Hitomi: [hands up, excited] It’s sooo comfy! I’m learning so much today! I think I’ll sleep right here tonight.

Takito: I don’t know how Monobear would feel about that…

Hitomi: [crosses arms, pouty face] Well, alright! I think I should be able to enjoy this exhibit!

Exhibit…?

I looked around, and sure enough, there was a small plaque bolted into the floor. It read:

“SHAG CARPET (SAFE TO TOUCH)

INVENTOR: UNKNOWN

WHILE EARLY SHAG CARPETS DATE TO THE MIDDLE AGES, MODERN SHAG CARPETS LIKE THIS WERE CREATED AND POPULARIZED IN THE 1960’S“

I kneeled down and felt the carpet’s edges. To my surprise, it lifted up. There didn’t seem to be anything holding down this exhibit.

Odd… I guess it’s not that expensive, though.

Hitomi: [gasps, hands up, excited] Wait, you can lift it up?! Then I can take it back to my room, and sleep in all night and day and night and day and… [flinches] Owww!

Takito: What wrong?

Hitomi: [frowns, looks down] I… got something in my back eye. I don’t think I like this carpet anymore.

It’s probably for the best this stays here, anyway.

[Talk to Wataru]

Wataru: [crosses arms] Takito! Have you anything in need of immediate and righteous destruction?

Takito: No, not really. I was just going to ask you the same question.

Wataru: [shakes head, crosses arms] I have found some things… but I fear they qualify as “Museum Property” and may not be destroyed. Take for example, this grindstone here.

With his metal arm, Wataru gestured toward a grindstone on display. Though the overall design looked ancient, the alloys and materials involved couldn’t be more than 20 years old.

Takito: I guess you could kill someone with that, but it doesn’t seem very efficient. You’d probably be caught, too.

Wataru: [scratches chin] Working with fireworks, I see everyday how seemingly benign objects can maim or kill. Add the wrong amount of phosphorus, and, well… [serious stare] You may need a new arm like mine.

Takito: Duly noted.

Wataru: [distraught expression, sighs] This must be what makes Pablo’s strategies failures. He cannot eliminate the danger inherent in everything. [stands up straight] Still, there are some things that can be done. I am very surprised that Pablo has not taken the time to confiscate Kotori’s plasma-tool-staff-object.

Takito: Yeah, it’s probably the most dangerous thing here. I don’t think he knows about it. And even if he did, he trusts Kotori.

Wataru: [crosses arms] He trusted Chiyo as well. [makes fist, grits teeth] She needs to surrender that tool immediately!

Takito: That’s something you’ll need to ask her about, then…

[Talk to Okita]

Okita: [snide smile, bites rose] Look here, Takito! This is what cars used to be like.

Okita showed me a car that looked really old. It looked more like a motorized bench. A nearby plaque read:

“INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLE (CAR)

INVENTOR: CARL BENZ

MADE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE IN 1886 (PATENTED 1879)”

Takito: I didn’t know you were into cars, Okita.

Okita: [snide smile, bites rose] Oh, I’m not. I’m just into long, romantic drives. That’s not something I can typically get in the big city I’m from.

Takito: I guess this combines a carriage ride with a romantic park bench.

Okita: [snide smile, bites rose] Mmmm… Can’t you think any saucier than that? [poses] Are you one of those “volcel” weirdos or something? I mean, even Pablo has finally locked himself in a room for “private time”.

Takito: That is definitely not why he’s in there. And I don’t want to do things to voles, if that’s what that word means.

Okita: [snide smile, bites rose] That’s fine, I guess. I’ll just be here, thinking of old cars, romance movies, and things that happen in old cars in romance movies.

Takito: Please don’t give me a reason to bring bleach and a blacklight up here later.

[Move to Political Hall]

[Talk to Tamaki]

Takito: How’s it going? Are you smoothing things over with Pablo.

Tamaki: [smiles] Surprisingly, he doesn’t seem to care. Whatever he was looking for, he’s already found in that security room. He’s really happy about what he’s found there.

Takito: So, can I come in? I kinda want to know what he’s so giddy about…

Tamaki: [frowns] No, he still doesn’t want anybody in that room. Not even me…

Takito: Is something wrong between you two?

Tamaki: [frowns] It seems like he doesn’t trust me as much. Well, it doesn’t seem like it’s me he has a problem with as much as anyone who isn’t himself. He’s on sort of an individual streak, I suppose.

Takito: Yeah. It feels like even with his watch, his grip on the group is fracturing.

Tamaki: [neutral expression] Takito, I need to ask you for a favor. Hopefully, it isn’t too much.

Takito: It shouldn’t be. What is it?

Tamaki: [neutral expression] As much as you can, keep an eye on Pablo. Try to gain his trust a little, and tell me if he does anything, well, foolish.

Takito: I’ll try. I should really do this for everybody. But I don’t see how I could anything out of him you couldn’t.

Tamaki: [smiles] You’d be surprised. Now, run along please.

[Move to Gift Shop]

The Gift Shop looked like any other, although it had plenty of merchandise related to Hope’s Peak as well. Some items were advertised as being made by SHSL students. Satoko and Ryouta were browsing.

[Talk to Ryouta]

Ryouta: [holding camera] H-hey, Takito.

Takito: Hey, Ryouta.

Ryouta was standing next to Kibogaman action figures for sale.

Takito: Evaluating the merchandise, are we?

Ryouta: [holding camera, frowns] I g-guess so.

Takito: You guess so?

Ryouta [holding camera, frowns] It’s j-just… [drops smoke bomb, appears in Kibogaman costume] These action figures are for children to enjoy, they should hold my effigy, and know hope is there for them. [grabs head] But these figures… They’ll n-never be able to do that.

Takito: Wow… You must think a lot about your image as a superhero.

Ryouta: [heroic pose] How do I not? My image is my most potent weapon in the fight for justice! [grabs head] But h-here, I cannot do much more than protect you all, to the best of my ab-bility.

Kind of like those dolls. I think I get why Ryouta was so interested in them.

[Talk to Satoko]

Satoko was hanging around the shop’s jewelry. That was the thing that always struck me as strange about museum gift shops; they have 100 yen items within a few yards of one million yen items.

Takito: I don’t think would Monobear care if you just took one of them, you know.

Satoko: [dismissive wave] Mai Mai e i iho la o Morona. This jewelry is trash. Half of it’s just common rocks like quartz or flint, polished to look nice.

Takito: You can tell that? As long they’re the same color, rocks just look like rocks to me.

Satoko: [slight smile] Kompreneble. When I’m not reviving a dead language, I like to collect, polish and occasionally resell gemstones. [adjusts glasses] Last I remember, I was getting ready to sell a sizeable bag of rubies, but if our memories really have been stolen, I’ve probably already sold them.

If the outside world is really like what we saw back when Takara went free, I doubt the money’s still there too.

Takito: When did you start doing this?

Satoko: [twiddles pencil in hair] When did I start… Dema ku min dest pê kir… Hmmm… [neutral pose] I don’t remember, really. It’s something I feel as though I’ve always been doing.

Takito: I get that. There are a lot of important events in my life I can’t remember, because I didn’t think they were important at the time.

I’m trying to remember when I first found my love for fine suits… And I can’t.

[INVESTIGATION ENDS]

[Move to Political Hall]

Everyone soon joined me in the Political Hall. We were all waiting for Pablo to finish whatever he was doing in there, or at least I was. I was pretty Hitomi was just ready for dinner.

Tamaki: [smiles] Good news, Wataru! I spoke with Pablo earlier today, and he—

Wataru: [crosses arms] I really have no desire to hear what a failed despotic foreigner thinks of my actions.

Tamaki: [frowns] Now, now. He only wants you to survive. He wants all of us to survive.

At that moment, Pablo came out of the door. He looked as proud as I had ever seen him.

Pablo: [smiles widely] Rest soundly tonight, everyone! I can now guarantee no murders will take place on this floor!

Okita: [raises eyebrow, bites rose] Really now?

Pablo: [smiles widely] Of course! Everyone, come inside right now

[Automoved to Security Room]

The Security Room was unappealing to the eye, as expected from a place the public wasn’t supposed to visit. There was an old-looking computer, and sitting next to it was a contraption that vaguely resembled a printer. One wall of the room was lined with non-lethal weapons like batons and tasers, the others were full of shelves, probably with old security records in them. A fire extinguisher was also sitting in the corner.

Ryouta: [winces] H-how does this make us s-safe… There’s t-tons of w-weapons in here…

Pablo: [smiles widely] Not to worry! I’ve spent my time in here gluing all those to the walls! There’s no way they’ll harm us now!

Satoko: [smirk] Oh, now I get it. He’s high.

Hitomi: [points] Ooh, ooh! What’s this crusty computer for? Didja figure that out?

Pablo: [smiles widely] I’m glad you take interest in this, Hitomi! It’s a camera monitoring system, independent of the one Monobear uses. You see, once I press this button to activate the metal detectors, any time a metal object passes through one of the doors in the hallway, any cameras pointed at the door will take a photograph.

Hitomi: [grumbles, pouty face] That seems kind of limited and dumb…

Wataru: [crosses arms] It’s quite situational. It will help, certainly, but to say this floor is murderproof?

Pablo couldn’t hear them, or at least chose not to.

Pablo: [smiles widely] So, without further ado… [presses button]

Computer: [flickers on] *whirrrrr….* SECURITY SYSTEM ONLINE *beep*

Monobear: [walks into the room] Upupupupupu! How’s it hanging, bastards? Do you know where all the glue went?

When Monobear entered, I heard a shutter sound from out in the hallway. The printer device then came to life, and spat out a photograph of Monobear’s back into a clear chute. The photo slid down the chute into the back of a box with a strong padlock.

Pablo: [authoritative pose] I may have heard some doubts earlier, but as you can see, photos taken of intruders are immediately fed into this strongbox, with no hope of interception. [smiles widely] I have the key in a secure location, and I have also changed the password on the computer to something only I know, so there is no possible way the system could be tampered with.

Okita: [raises eyebrow, bites rose] Hm? What if someone messed with the cameras directly.

Monobear: [laughing] Upupupu! Those are museum property! Destroy them at your own risk!

Pablo: [authoritative pose] Besides that, the computer manual informed me the cameras are equipped with a gyroscope. If it moves, all of the cameras are designed to go off.

So, there’s really no getting around them if you’re a potential murderer…

Wataru: [crosses arms] This is better than I expected, but it will not be enough.

Pablo: [smiles widely] Hohohohoho! Same to you, too, friend! [exits]

Tamaki: [frowns] Please don’t take that as an insult. [exits]

Hitomi: [bites lip] That Pablo… He works hard. Too hard.

Satoko: [shrugs shoulders] Eh. He’s okay.

We all left and had dinner. I don’t think any of us really thought Pablo’s camera system was the boon he did. Maybe after all this time, he was desperate for a win. We all kind of were.

Even as our numbers dwindled, more and more people seemed Pablo. Wataru, who already had suppressed his ego to allow himself be bossed around by foreigner, was beginning to tire of Pablo’s leadership and failure to stop the murders.

It felt like we were further from stopping the murders than ever. I crawled into bed as soon as I could, and forced myself asleep.

-MONOBEAR THEATER-

Monobear: So, as it turns out, a lot of animals wanna get in on the despair game.

Monobear: I mean, I can’t blame them. It’s pretty good.

Monobear: I offer a 12 week crash course on despair, available to anyone.

Monobear: Students can skip every class and study independently…

Monobear: ...provided they show up for the final exam.

Monobear: Which is, of course, another mutual killing game! Upupupu!

Monobear: There’s no better way to learn than by doing!

[Note: I've included a rough image of the 4th floor to help you visualize the camera/door situation better. Black lines are walls, brown boxes are doors, and red boxes are cameras. The blue marks show which way the cameras are facing and what they are focused on.]