pokebox | LOCKED TO ardent

LOCKED TO ardent

The first thing he noticed was the off-white ceiling and plain walls. It didn't occur to him that there was anything weird about that for a minute or so, instead he sat up, glancing around at the unfamiliar room. The bed he was lying in wasn't particularly hard or soft - not as comfy as the one at Hope's Peak, but it wasn't uncomfortable either - and there was a desk beside the bed with a set of clothes, a note, and two red-and-white balls. Mondo reached for one of the balls without thinking, only stopping himself when his memories of the previous days came flooding back like a tidal wave.

Fujisaki. How could he forget, even for a moment? Fujisaki had come to him, seeking help, expressing a desire to become stronger, and what had he done? He'd blacked out. No, that wasn't right - he'd blacked out and killed the kid. Mondo's fists clenched and he drew his hand back. That's right, then there had been a trial, just like the first time someone was found murdered in Hope's Peak Academy. Monobear had called them all down there and they had gone over the evidence. Well, if by "they" he meant Naegi, Kirigiri, and that jackass Togami. First they had outed Fukawa as Genocider Syo, then they'd blamed Togami for altering the crime scene, and then...

...And then the truth had come out. If he hadn't been so careless with what he was saying, Fujisaki's secret would have been safe and he wouldn't have hurt Ishimaru, his aniki. Of course he had noticed the way Ishimaru reacted - the screaming, the denial, the tears, the desperation - and Ishimaru had voted for someone else. Even when he had acknowledged his defeat, Ishimaru hadn't. Ishimaru had believed in him until the very end - but he shouldn't have. He had betrayed not only Fujisaki's trust, but Ishimaru's as well.

It was a good thing he hadn't gotten away with murder though. Mondo doubted he could have lived with himself if he had. Even the execution wasn't that bad - from what little he remembered of it. It could have been worse; he could have been chained to a signpost and bludgeoned to death by millions of baseballs. He still had nightmares about Leon's death. He didn't even know Leon all that well. No, Mondo's death had been relatively quick and he'd gotten to ride a motorcycle one last time. There was something freeing about that, something he doubted he could ever really put into words. His last action had been his favorite. Maybe that was suiting.

So why was he here? Why was he waking up? He was dead, he was sure of that. He was equally sure that this wasn't Hope's Peak. There weren't any windows in the room, which meant that he could be underground, but he doubted Monobear would have let him live after the murder. He hadn't gotten away with it; he hadn't "graduated." So where was he?

Mondo finally got up, snatching the note off the top of the clothes folded on the desk. There was a large, red "R" on the shirt front, but Mondo ignored that for the time being to scan the note. Apparently he was now working for an organization known as "Team Rocket." That title meant nothing to him and he set the note aside, picking up the clothes next. It was a very standard uniform that looked like it would be way too tight-fitting for his taste and Mondo set that aside as well. Finally, he picked up the red-and-white balls, turning them in his hands curiously. He wasn't a Super High-School Level Baseball Player, but he might be able to use them as weapons if he needed to. He tucked those in his pocket and turned to the door. He expected it to be locked. It wasn't.

The hallway was just as nondescript as the room, though the ceilings were a bit low for his liking. Mondo picked a direction at random and started down the hallway, absently wondering if he could find some way back outside. It felt like it had been a long time since he had seen the sun.

He was stopped on his way by a shorter, scrawny man wearing that uniform (yeah, it definitely looked like it would have been too tight on him). The man frowned at him and pointed one gloved finger down the opposite hallway. "You should be heading to your first day of training! Why aren't you in uniform?"

"Fuck off," Mondo replied, shoving the smaller man out of his way. The guy definitely looked older, so he could assume that this wasn't the school. No one else was in the school after all, right? Just the fifteen of them - well, eleven of them now (did he even count anymore?) - and the person controlling Monobear. Mondo brushed that thought aside; this wasn't the school. That was what he would focus on.

He didn't find his way out. His sense of direction had always been good, but that was on the roads, in the open air. He had always gotten turned around in Hope's Peak as well, but never like this. He couldn't believe he'd managed to wander in a circle, finding himself back in front of the room he'd woken up in. Maybe this was some kind of trick; he couldn't move on until he'd gone to his first day of "training" or whatever.

The man in the Rocket uniform came walking down that hallway at just that moment. "Gotten yourself lost, huh?" He sneered. "Just follow this hallway and hook a left. The training facility's there. You'll meet the other new recruits and get started on your two weeks of training."

Two weeks? Like hell he was going to hang around for that long. Mondo rolled his eyes and followed the man's directions, ignoring the shout for him to get back and change his clothes.

The training facility was more decorated than the hallways or the room, and well-lit at that. There were several other young men (wearing that hideous uniform), all gathered in the center of the room, talking quietly. It looked like the instructor hadn't shown up yet. Mondo was tempted to leave, but this might be his best chance to get information on this place. He frowned for a moment, before walking up to join the others. He stood at least a head taller than them, which made him stick out even worse than the clothes he was wearing. Not that he cared.

"What's this "training" gonna consist of anyway?"

None of the other men seemed to know, and Mondo began to wonder just how badly things were going to go. It wasn't like it could be any worse than Enoshima being stabbed through by spears in the gym, right?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Over the course of the months that Ishimaru had spent here, one thing had become incredibly clear - Team Rocket tended to favor those who followed their rules.

It had taken some convincing, of course. There was more than a bit of coaxing required to get him to see this organization as anything but a den of villains and criminals, to see these walls as anything but a safe haven for evil; there had been a few, however, that had been good to him. That had helped him. That had done nothing to make him think that they were anything but genuinely concerned for his well being. Authority figures, people who had made something of themselves in their world, government employees working under heads of state and military men who considered there to be no greater honor than serving their country. Ishimaru wasn't naive when it came to these matters - even those in positions of power made mistakes, he was more than aware of that - but even when he had made a point of speaking to them for himself, on a more personal level...there had been something there that garnered his trust.

They had taken him in. Assisted him. Shown him how to get by without harming others. And one day, during one of the lengthy conversations they often had over lunch, the one he was closest to had expressed a desire to bring someone to Johto from his world.

Ishimaru still hadn't forgotten Hope's Peak, or the students trapped there. And in that discussion, Colonel Archer had given him something that day, something he hadn't experienced in months.

He gave him hope.

But while he hadn't forgotten his classmates, there was only so much that could be done from this world; this organization had potential to grant him the key that would allow passage between worlds. And if serving this organization would save those he needed to protect, then so be it. He refused to compromise his principles in any way, and for a while this had frustrated him; however, Colonel Archer had been patient with him. Had shown him ways to assist the organization and make himself a valuable asset. And over time, he had become quite valuable indeed.

They likely won't be expecting a teenager. Don't be surprised if they don't respect you.

He found himself breathing deeply, eyes closed, before entering the room. It was something he'd done biweekly since the takeover; that much hadn't changed. That meant that the machine was still in use somewhere, but they were getting closer to it. They had to be.

Respecting you isn't an option.

The door slid open easily at his touch, the steps at the front of the room leading to a raised dais where he could easily see those crowded in the room. He kept his gaze focused straight ahead of him; the black uniform was similar to those worn by the others gathered in the room, with one exception - he had argued on behalf of keeping an armband of some sort pinned to his left arm, black with red borders, the bright red R obvious in the center of it.

Make them respect you. Do you understand?

His steps were loud against the platform, echoing hollowly even above the chattering washing through the room. He came to an abrupt stop dead-center, focusing his attention on the new recruits; his gaze was hard, if focused a bit high on the wall behind everyone, and his voice more than loud enough to carry through the room itself.

"Gentlemen!"

Most of the chatter was quick to quiet down; Ishimaru didn't relax. "My name is Kiyotaka Ishimaru, and I will be overseeing these next two weeks of your training - let it be known that this is not optional, nor will tardiness, unexcused absences or disorderly conduct be tolerated!"

But something caught his attention after a moment as his attention darted downward toward the recruits themselves; the long, open jacket with the upturned collar, showing more skin than the Rocket uniform ever did on males, registered before anything else. "You there!" He was quick to point out the individual in question quite literally, the gesture firm. "The uniform for this esteemed organization is likewise not optional! You will explain at once why - "

But the longer he kept his gaze aimed in the delinquent's general direction, more things came into focus - the height, the dark markings around the eyes, the hair...

No. No. It couldn't possibly...

The falter was brief, but more than enough to make it plain that he'd been caught severely off-guard; one thing was clear, however, and that was that this wasn't a conversation that he was going to have here, in front of the others. He promptly turned back toward the steps, snapping one more command as he descended them. "You will see me at once. At once! No hesitations!"

And from the look of it, he had every intention of waiting by that damn door until those words were obeyed.

"You're shitting me."

The words were out of his mouth before he could think, and a few of the other Grunts turned to glance at him briefly before turning their attention back to their instructor. Standing up there, shouting orders as he always did, was Ishimaru. Ishimaru, who was always leading the breakfast meetings, always telling everyone what to do, and always, always, always being a pain in the ass about it.

Mondo couldn't really conceal his grin.

But then - for a split-second - Ishimaru's gaze had turned to him and he had turned that rant on him and for a moment Mondo felt time stop. Ishimaru didn't recognize him. How was that possible? Maybe if he had been wearing that damn uniform it would be possible (if only because that uniform was so ridiculous it would be difficult to imagine him in it) but he was wearing the same clothes he always wore. How could Ishimaru not recognize him?

Time sped up and he heard Ishimaru hesitate. No, it wasn't that he didn't recognize him, it was that he was surprised to see him here (wherever the hell "here" was). Mondo relaxed, folding his arms casually and waiting for Ishimaru to finish his little speech. He didn't like what this implied - if Ishimaru hadn't been expecting to see him, then how long had Ishimaru been here? - but he pushed that thought aside, making his way through the Grunts to join Ishimaru by the door.

"Didn't think I'd see you again so soon." He said, giving his friend a small smirk. If he just acted like everything was okay, maybe it would be. Maybe he could succeed here where he had failed back home - maybe he could actually get people to believe that everything was perfectly fine and that there was absolutely nothing for him to worry about here.

"What's with the getup? Why are you working for this organization anyway?" The easiest way to pretend everything was alright was to redirect Ishimaru's attention. Questions seemed like the best way to go.

He couldn't really express it - he wasn't really sure how to - but Mondo was pleased to see his friend not in tears. He had been pretty worried about Ishimaru before his execution, but it looked as though Ishimaru had been able to pull himself together--

--Or maybe Ishimaru was dead. Was that possible? Was this some kind of afterlife? Hell, maybe? But Ishimaru didn't deserve to go to hell. ...Not unless he'd killed someone too. Was that possible? Was Ishimaru even capable of killing someone else? Mondo fought to keep his expression under control as he shoved those thoughts away. He wasn't going to question it. Ishimaru clearly had been here longer than he had, so if anyone knew about this place, it was his aniki. Besides, if this was Hell or the afterlife or something, wouldn't he have wound up here before Ishimaru? He was just being ridiculous, that was all.

Ishimaru was quick to open that door once Mondo had joined him; he wasn't going to sacrifice professionalism in front of the recruits so quickly, and he was aware that he was going to have to either go back out there eventually or fire off some sort of text at Colonel Archer telling him why he couldn't possibly stay, not when -

He stopped short once the door slid closed behind them, leaving them alone in that back hallway; for a good, awkward moment after he turned to face Mondo, he was clearly unsure of what his reaction should be - his expression flickered abruptly from agitated to relieved looking like perhaps those thoughts regarding the lack of tears had come a bit too early before the agitation was back again - and it took him a while to say anything out loud in response to any of those questions.

"Wh...what do you mean 'so soon'...?" His words were strange, forced-out. "How long has it been since you saw me last? Has much time passed since then? I..."

His breathing was jagged as the questions left him, but he was keeping control of himself. For...the time being, anyway...

"Whoa, whoa, hey, calm down, aniki." Mondo reached out to rest a hand on Ishimaru's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. The question was an odd one, but not one he had any difficulty answering. "It hasn't been long at all since I last saw you. I mean, we were all at the trial and then..." Mondo paused. He was quick to glance away before continuing, a bit hesitantly, "I woke up here. I mean, I've been asleep here so I can't say exactly how long it's been, but it doesn't feel like it's been that long."

But the fact that Ishimaru was asking him this question in the first place was worrying. "How long has it been for you?"

"...The trial. Of course."

He glanced down at Mondo's hand on his shoulder, though he didn't move to do anything about it; he simply stared for a moment before returning his attention to Mondo himself. Something intense was quick to flood through his system, warm and fast and undeniably the largest sense of relief that he had felt in a while. If his brother was just coming in after Kuwata-kun's trial...! Surely that would explain the subdued reaction afterwards - they had all been horrified, after all - and it would also mean that Colonel Archer's words had been true. That time didn't matter for them here, that everything would be fine...!

Ishimaru grinned at that, whatever anxiousness he'd been displaying moments before completely forgotten. "This is a strange place, aniki, you'll be quick to see that! It's been months for me here - but you don't have to worry about anything as long as you're here. No more trials, no more killing! Everything is fine for us here. You'll see, I'll show you!"

Well that was... a rather unexpected reaction. Mondo almost asked if Ishimaru was mad at him, but he knew Ishimaru too well for that. If Ishimaru was mad, he'd make that plain. He wouldn't be grinning like this and looking so damn relieved. For whatever reason, Ishimaru was glossing over what had happened back home, and Mondo wasn't sure whether he was glad or unnerved by it.

"Yeah, that sounds great!" But something about what Ishimaru had said bothered Mondo. "Months, huh? So time works differently here or something like that?" He paused, trying to fathom how that could possibly work. Eh, that wasn't something for a Super High-School Level Gang Leader to figure out. Someone else could work that out; it wasn't the important thing here.

"What about the others? Are they here? Are they safe?" Or were they still back home?

"The others aren't here just yet, but I believe they will be shortly - ah, let me take care of something for just one second, I have duties that cannot be neglected easily..."

He was already pulling out that odd communications device as he spoke, however, effectively making it clear that he was not going to hear any protesting on the matter even if Mondo wanted to present any. A text to Colonel Archer, first and foremost, making it clear that something rather urgent had come up and to send a replacement to the training area immediately to handle the recruits; this was followed by a second text shortly after, simple and to the point, questioning whether that machine had been found.

"It seems time works differently here, yes," he said as he typed, furrowing his brow a bit in concentration as he did so. "I've been told that the time we spend here doesn't effect the others back home - that I could be here for a year or more, and be returned to the same time I was brought from. You've proven that rather well...you don't understand what a relief that is...!"

He snapped the device closed after that, however, looking incredibly self-satisfied. "It's such a relief to see you, my brother, it's been too long!"

Mondo stared at the device blankly, watching Ishimaru fire off a text to someone. Sure, he'd had a cell phone, but it had been a crappy, cheap model that didn't even have a texting function. He never would have imagined that Ishimaru could text decently - that seemed like the last thing Ishimaru would ever do. But that device clearly wasn't a cell phone, and the fact that Ishimaru knew how to operate it so easily really did mean he had been here for quite some time. The idea itself was staggering.

Ishimaru had been loud and obnoxious and the self-appointed leader, but he had never seemed close to anyone before their duel in the sauna. Not that Mondo had really been close to anyone either, but he knew Ishimaru was a little... strange, for lack of a better word. How did he make it through all this time on his own? The others weren't here, so did he make friends in this world? He must have, because he seemed perfectly fine. He wasn't even really worried about that trial, or what Mondo had done to Fujisaki. But... maybe it was because he was trying to block it from his mind? If that was the case, was it really okay just to not say anything about it?

Mondo knew he was being too quiet, and he tried to focus on what Ishimaru was saying. "So... you're from the same time I am, but you've been here for months. But since nothing happened while you were here, that means time stopped back home, right?"

That explanation made about as much sense as anything else he'd heard about this place so far. He shrugged and decided to simply accept it. What was it that Celes always said? They needed to adapt, right.

"Sorry to keep you waiting then, aniki. Guess you'll have to fill me in on this place, huh?" He slapped Ishimaru on the back with a laugh, finding it far too easy to slide back into the act as though nothing was wrong. It made his stomach churn and he couldn't help but wonder what Fujisaki would think.

Getting used to texting had been a bit of an exercise in patience - it wasn't that he hadn't known how to do it back home (working out how to do things he hadn't any idea how to do was always a valid way to pass the time and the concept behind texting was, in essence, incredibly simple) but rather that he'd had no reason to do it at all. It was easy to avoid wasting time texting people when one had no contacts to text; things had changed here, though he still didn't like spending much time on the device when there were other things to see to.

It wasn't anything he really thought about anymore, at any rate. That slap on the back was a welcome one, familiar, something he hadn't experienced in a while; while there were a few here that he had gotten to know, there hadn't been anything quite like this here. "Don't let it worry you too much - you're here now, after all!"

As...bluntly sentimental that may have been, however, that was quickly pushed aside in favor of another train of thought suddenly crashing onto the scene, as it were; he squared off in front of Mondo immediately, his stance aggressive. "For now, you will come with me - there's something you need to be shown immediately!"

And with that, he seemed perfectly content to assume that he would, in fact, be accompanied, what with the abruptness with which he turned and started down that hallway.

Edited 2013-03-19 20:49 (UTC)

Ishimaru's words left Mondo speechless. Yes, he was here now, but how was this not something to worry about? He had killed. He had killed. It wasn't even an accident like it had been with his brother - he understood the differences now. He hadn't bludgeoned his brother to death with a barbell. But that was two people who had died because of him, and that was something he would always worry about.

It was looking more and more like Ishimaru really had blocked the trial and the execution from his mind. Mondo would have to figure out what to do about that, but for the time being, Ishimaru seemed to have something else on his mind.

"Ah, hey, wait up!"

Mondo didn't have any difficulty catching up to Ishimaru, but even so he still remained behind him. If Ishimaru had suppressed all those memories of the trial and the execution, wasn't that Mondo's fault as well? It wasn't that Ishimaru couldn't handle it - that wasn't the issue. No one could be expected to handle the betrayal of someone they considered close enough to call "brother" and then watch him die. No, the only weak one here was Mondo; Mondo, who had been too weak to acknowledge Fujisaki's strength; Mondo, who had been too weak to save Daiya; Mondo, who had been too weak to even own up to what he had done and spare everyone the pain that was that trial. He was the weak one; not Fujisaki, and certainly not Ishimaru.

Reading people was never anything that Ishimaru had done well; he often understood what people told him in the most basic sense, in that he could grasp the meaning behind the words they were using, but outside of that, the most he had was almost frustratingly vague. If he sat down to consider it - which he admittedly almost never did because he had better things to do with his time, even if those "better things" were rereading the same passage over and over again until he realized that he was probably more upset than he'd thought initially - it was probably best described as interacting with people through a thick pane of smoked glass. He could certainly see the reactions of others, and if they were blunt enough then he could understand them, but the details and context were entirely absent, as far as he was concerned. Mondo had been different in some ways, given that he had finally - finally! - seemed to have bonded with someone properly, in a way that they both could understand, but Ishimaru's complete inability to read between the lines really hadn't lessened any.

And so, once he could hear Mondo behind him, he didn't seem to want to leave the silence alone, still talking away with absolutely no sense of an indoor voice whatsoever. "You arrived right on time for the orientation, so I'm assuming that you haven't seen much of this place - not that I blame you, of course. It's very large, very difficult to navigate if you don't know where you're going!"

Although according to his own words, Ishimaru did know where he was going; the hallways were long but his pace was brisk, and it didn't take him long to find the elevator on the far end of the corridor. "This place is nothing like the Academy - we can leave whenever we like!" He paused for a moment after that, as though something had just occurred to him, though he seemed quick to brush it off. "Of course, I'm supposed to assess you for the organization before we can leave the building, but I want to show you one of the upper floors, while we're here - you can see the entire city, aniki, it's beautiful."

Ishimaru wasn't the only loud one. Usually Mondo was right there with him, being just as obnoxious and over-the-top as his friend. They had undoubtedly annoyed their fellow classmates (especially that bastard, Togami, but that was part of the fun!) and Mondo certainly was never this subdued. He hadn't had any reason to be subdued, after all. Even after witnessing Leon's death his demeanor hadn't changed. It hadn't been the first time Mondo had witnessed death, after all. That didn't mean he was fine with it. It was just as Celes had said, they'd had to adapt to their situation. If they had been weighted down by negative thoughts the entire time... Well, Mondo didn't want to think about what would have happened to them.

"The city? Where are we?" The thought of seeing the outside world was a bit much. Did he really deserve that? After what he had done to Fujisaki?

...What was he thinking? The outside world wasn't something to be given to those deserving of it. The outside world was something that everyone experienced, even serial killers like Genocider Syo. There wasn't any reason to think that he wouldn't be allowed to see the outdoors again. Mondo wasn't sure what to make of his initial thought and instead focused on Ishimaru's back.

His friend must have been deeply involved in the organization if he ditched his school clothes. He had been bragging to Naegi that he wore the school uniform every single day of the year because he was a full-time student, or some bullshit like that. But Ishimaru had spent months here. Maybe his priorities had changed? Mondo could easily ask about that some other time.

"What's the city like? Is it like home?" That was a bit subjective, of course; Mondo didn't even know where Ishimaru had grown up, so his interpretation of "home" could be completely different. That wasn't something he bothered to think about for long, however, as he was eager to get to the windows and take a look outside.

Ishimaru's demeanor shifted a bit as he stepped into the elevator, tensing a little even as that almost too-cheerful ding sounded to indicate the closing of the doors; it was noticeable, but something he seemed determined to force himself through. He'd used these elevators many times during his stay in this world; they had yet to do anything strange, like work only one way from the floor he was on, bringing him down to some basement with the familiar circular setup in the middle of the room, that place where he'd be forced to kill one of his classmates - but though the elevators here had never done anything too odd, nor had he been forced onto one in all his time here, it still took him a little while to relax, to remind himself that everything was going to be fine.

"In some ways it's similar - I believe this is the largest city in the region, but having seen a few of the others, I can say that isn't saying too much! Many of the places here are rural, with long stretches of forest and the like; the city itself may be familiar in ways, but the world is very different overall."

At the very least, the elevator was a reasonably well-maintained one, arriving at that observation deck on the top floor of the building quickly enough; Ishimaru seemed to relax a good amount when the doors opened. "After you, aniki, I insist."

He wasn't the only one who noticed how eerily familiar the elevator was. Sure, it looked nothing like the one that led to the courtroom, but that cheerful little ding! was more than enough to throw Mondo off-guard. He hadn't expected that he'd find fear in something as simple as an elevator. He really was weak. A stronger person wouldn't be bothered by something like that, would they? Ishimaru wasn't bothered by it. He had been here for months, true, but Mondo doubted he had ever had any sort of issues getting on an elevator--

Ishimaru's words sent a spike of fear though Mondo at first. In some ways it's similar... Yes, this elevator was very similar to the one in Hope's Peak--

Ah, but that wasn't what his friend was talking about and Mondo forced himself to relax. He folded his arms and played with one of the sleeves of his coat, focusing on that rather than the elevator or his friend. He wasn't sure he could face Ishimaru with the thoughts that had been circling around in his head. Look at how weak he was, incapable of even talking to Ishimaru about this. Ishimaru, his best friend. Weak, weak, weak, weak, weak...

Then another cheerful little ding! announced that they had reached their destination. Ishimaru insisted that he go first, so after only a moment of hesitation (and a brief look of confusion aimed at his friend), Mondo stepped off the elevator and into a circular room made entirely of windows.

What he saw was a sight he would never forget, a sight that simply took his breath away.

The city was huge - buildings rose up into the sky but never quite to the same height as the one they were currently standing in; people as small as ants milled about on the streets; the sun was bright, the sky was clear, and for the first time in what felt like years, Mondo could see all of this in person, not imagining it like he used to when he tried to get some sleep during those horrible Night Time hours.

"It's--!" But he couldn't find the words he wanted and Mondo approached the glass, pressing his hands to it and staring out, awe-struck. Had he been in any state of mind to notice, he would have seen that the glass was perfectly clean without any hand- or finger-prints on it. Whoops. Not that he really would have cared anyway, since the sights were far too amazing for him to look away from.

"Aniki, it's... Is it...?" The question died on his lips though. He couldn't bring himself to finish it. Is it real? Of course it was real. His brother wouldn't lie to him. Ishimaru wouldn't be a coward and refuse to tell his best friend about something so important. Ishimaru wasn't like him.

But the mental beating would have to wait, since Mondo was far too impressed with what he was seeing. "I've never been up so high like this before! You can see everything from up here! Ahh, you're right, you can even see the less-developed areas! Man, riding here would be pretty hard outside the city, wouldn't it?"

That seemed to trigger something else and Mondo suddenly turned to Ishimaru, expression grave. "Aniki," He started, stepping forward to grab Ishimaru's upper arms. "They do have motorcycles here, don't they?"

Ishimaru was content to follow Mondo to the window, though he kept his distance; his friend's reaction to this place wasn't entirely unlike his own (though he...had had the restraint to keep his hands off the windows, despite the fact that his initial and strongest urge had been to simply smash his face against the glass and never move again).

However, when Mondo turned to him again he admittedly wasn't sure what to expect; the grip on his upper arms had been a bit startling, and -

...uh. Well. O...kay. Whatever he had been expecting, it certainly wasn't that.

"I...I'm afraid I don't know, but I think this organization has access to transportation...I could always file a request..."

"Ah, really?" Mondo brightened up almost immediately. "I'll probably have to make some modifications, but that's not a big deal! To be able to ride again..." And ride out in the open, and not in an electrifying death trap...! "That would be great! No, that would be the best!"

He let go of Ishimaru to turn back to the window, once again pressing his hands against it and staring out at the city in awe. He could have stood there, staring out at the landscape for hours.

"You said something about an evaluation or something?" He didn't turn from the window, but raised his voice enough for Ishimaru to hear him. "Then I can go outside?"

Ishimaru didn't seem inclined to stop him; really, he knew the feeling, though he could honestly do without the motorbike.

"Yes, of course! And I've been outside this place many times myself, so I know it's not some sort of trick or a lie - we can leave whenever we like."

He shifted a bit, folding his arms across his chest. "We'll be asked to go on assignments once in a while, for this group we're a part of, but most of them are in other cities. You can see the entire region that way, and it's for a good enough cause."

"The entire region?"

...

"You mean there's more!?"

Normally Mondo only shouted when he was upset or angry, but it was hard not to shout in excitement about this. Their world was no longer limited to a school, or even a city. Mondo had spent most of his life staying within the same areas. Exploring the world was something he had always dreamed of doing, but something he'd never gotten a chance to do. He could do that here. He could see what this world had to offer, and if this city was any indication, it had a lot to offer.

But something Ishimaru said bothered him. "A good enough cause? What's up with this organization anyway? It's not like the Crazy Diamonds. It's a lot more... structured, I guess? I dunno. It seems pretty suspicious, you know?"

"So much more, aniki!"

...at this rate it wouldn't even be a matter of wanting to go outside - they were going to get kicked out of the building, dear lord.

However, Mondo's next questions seemed to calm him down somewhat; Ishimaru broke the eye contact he'd been maintaining, going back to staring out the window. "As for this place...I found it suspicious at first, too. I really did. And those suspicions weren't wrong - some in this organization are terrible."

He glanced at Mondo for a moment before looking back out the window; again, his gaze had hardened, his tone blunt. "They aren't the likes of Monobear, however; believe me, I would not have stayed, if that were the case. As I said before, no more trials. No more killing...!"

His voice cracked a bit at that, but he was quick to get himself back under control; while whatever else this place had managed to do for him wasn't entirely clear, he was certainly crying less easily. "They require power to rule the region. If they rule the region, they will be able to control who stays and who goes. This organization even has the power to bring the dead back to life - one of the ones running it now is deceased in his own world. He has the scars to prove it."

He shook his head a bit as though to clear it; he still wasn't looking at Mondo. "Do you understand what I'm saying to you, my brother? We can save everyone - Maizono-kun, Kuwata-kun, Enoshima-kun...none of them will have had to die! We can save everyone."

The first thing that struck Mondo as wrong was the fact that Ishimaru wasn't going into theatrics. He wasn't sobbing at the idea of killing (something he hadn't actually done - that Mondo had seen at least - but it was something he could very easily see Ishimaru doing), and that definitely seemed odd. But Ishimaru had been here for months, perhaps he had calmed down a bit. It was unlikely, but possible.

The second thing that sent shivers down his spine was Ishimaru's talk of bringing the dead back to life. Yes, Mondo knew that was true - here he was, in the flesh, despite being dead. But Ishimaru already knew that, didn't he? He shouldn't have said anything because Mondo already knew that. He was already dead - Ishimaru had seen him die. Was it really a matter of pretending to forget?

The final blow was the insistence that they could bring everyone back - Maizono, Kuwata, and Enoshima. Mondo couldn't control the involuntary twitch in his shoulders. Ishimaru really didn't know, did he? Or if he knew, he had managed to fool himself so deeply that he couldn't remember. But how was that possible? No, a better question: what was he supposed to do? Tell Ishimaru? Let him think that those three were the only ones who died?

...He couldn't do that. That would be disrespecting Fujisaki's memory. If there was one thing he couldn't do, it was that.

"...They're not the only ones who are dead, aniki." He said slowly. "I... I guess you don't remember. You did take it pretty hard, so I can't really blame you for that, but..."

Mondo paused, glancing out the window as well. It would be easy enough to talk to the window and not face Ishimaru while he spoke of this, but that would be weak. He was tired of being weak.

"Fujisaki's dead too. It happened not long after that night in the sauna."

Another pause. He didn't have to reveal Fujisaki's secret. If Ishimaru didn't remember, then that meant he could still keep his promise to Fujisaki, right?

"...Fujisaki asked me to train with... her. She wanted to be stronger. Sh-she was already stronger. Much stronger than any of us thought. Sh-she wanted to be strong enough to tell us all her secret, b-but..."

Mondo's gaze fell to the floor. He wanted to look away, he needed to look away, but he refused to allow himself to.

"I... don't really remember what happened. Sh-she asked me to keep her secret and... and she told me and... and..."

He fell silent for a long time. He wasn't sure he could gather the courage to say it. He really was weak.

"I killed her, aniki! I... I don't remember it very well b-but when I came to sh-she... she was dead. Bleeding from the head an-and... there was a barbell a-and there... there was blood everywhere and I..."

Mondo swiped a sleeve across his eyes and took a deep breath. He still couldn't bring his eyes back to Ishimaru's face.

"The trial was... it was a fucking mess. Togami - that bastard - he messed with the crime scene; made it look like it was Genocider Syo's doing. I dunno why he did it, he didn't say. S-so everyone suspected Genocider Syo - who's Fuwaka, or well, a part of her, I guess? I dunno, it wasn't very clear - but it wasn't her. Genocider Syo only uses scissors to kill a-and crucify her victims. So then everyone thought it was Togami for fucking with the crime scene.

"I should have told them - you, at least - before all that happened. But I didn't. I kept quiet because I... I just... I couldn't tell them. I couldn't. That secret was... it was really important to me and... and I was fucking scared. I didn't want to get away with it, you know. I just..."

Mondo shook his head again. He was losing track of the story. He had to tell Ishimaru everything.

"...So it wasn't Genocider Syo, and Naegi ruled Togami out when everyone discovered Fujisaki's secret. It... wasn't really my fault but... I still felt bad, you know? I promised - a man's promise - that I wouldn't tell, but it still felt like it was my fault.

"I said something stupid. I knew what color jersey Fujisaki was wearing when no one but Celes - who saw her - knew. Naegi and Kirigiri pieced it together pretty quick. Monobear told them everything. I couldn't bring myself to. Even after they found out, I couldn't say anything...!"

Another long pause. Mondo shifted uncomfortably.

"...Well, you know what happens next. An execution. You... you were so certain it wasn't me. You kept saying that they were wrong, that we needed more time to figure this out. You tried so hard to protect me. You even... you voted for someone else, when the time came. Everyone else voted for me. I... I'm glad they did. I didn't want to get away with the murder.

"So Monobear rigged up a cage, gave me a motorcycle, and electrified the whole thing. Then I woke up here."

For a moment, Mondo considered ending his story there and letting Ishimaru figure out what he thought about it. But no, he wasn't done.

"I didn't mean to kill Fujisaki! Or... well... I guess at the time I did, but...! I blacked out. I don't remember it. Sh-she... she was so strong and it made me realize how... how weak I really am and I... I couldn't take it. I have to be strong. I have to be strong. B-but I... I never wanted to hurt her. I didn't... plan it in advance or anything. I just..."

The pause lasted longer this time and when Mondo continued speaking, he forced himself to look at Ishimaru.

"I never meant to hurt you, but that... it really did hurt you. You were my friend until the very end, ani-- Ishimaru-san."

The abrupt shift to honorifics, which he usually didn't bother with, was probably the biggest indication, but he really wasn't sure if he could even call Ishimaru his brother anymore. Not after what he had done, both to Fujisaki and to everyone else. He had put them through all that. He had said nothing as he watched them struggle to find the killer. He could have gotten away with it. He could have walked away, a free man, while all of them died.

"I'm... I'm so sorry..."

"Fujisaki...?"

The name left him almost involuntarily as Mondo began speaking, quietly, the confusion in his voice incredibly obvious; he turned to Mondo immediately, his gaze seeking out Mondo's face as though looking for an explanation, eyes widening as the other boy's gaze darted downward to the floor.

Ishimaru knew, then, what was coming. He could feel himself shaking his head, silently mouthing the word no, but he couldn't make himself speak, couldn't bring himself to make Mondo stop. This was something that his aniki needed to tell him, he was suddenly and acutely aware of that much, but...

Most of the explanation washed over him; he heard it - there was no way he wouldn't hear it - but it wasn't anything that made sense. Togami and Fukawa and Genocider Syo, and Naegi and Kirigiri ruling out the other suspects and only leaving one possibility, just as they had done for Kuwata -

I killed her, aniki!

He knew, but he couldn't understand, and the abrupt shift to honorifics cut him more deeply than anything else at the moment. It was selfish, something he would feel guilty for later, but for the time being everything was abstract. It hadn't happened, there was no way that it could have happened, why didn't Mondo see that? It was still midmorning and they had finally come to an understanding the night before and there was a meeting to run and -

"...stop talking like that."

The words had to be forced out of his body; they were shaky, cracking, and he swallowed hard after they were out there before continuing, hardly caring about the fact that his eyes were brimming with tears.

"Stop talking like that! I know you, you would never...you would never kill any one of us, especially not Fujisaki-kun! You..."

His breath caught hard in his chest; he didn't bother swiping at his face or even trying to hide the fact that he was crying. "You said you don't remember. You didn't...you didn't do anything!"

"We were the only two in the room. I blacked out, yeah, but it wasn't for very long. There's no way anyone else would have had time to come in there, kill her, and get out without me noticing."

The words were soft though, none of the usual fire backing them up. Again, Mondo found himself staring at the floor. Last time, when Ishimaru had insisted that he was innocent, Mondo had let Naegi and Kirigiri explain why he wasn't. He had let Monobear describe just what had happened and why he had done it. He hadn't said a word until the very end. This time he didn't have a choice. He had to make Ishimaru see that this was what had happened.

"It was during Night Time, so most of us would've been in our rooms. That's why Fujisaki wanted to train then, so that no one else would see her. She was... pretty embarrassed, I guess. She thought she could trust me and I...

"...The barbell was pretty large. It would've been hard for most of the other students to swing that at someone's head. Oogami could've done it, but she's not the sort to kill anyone."

Not like me.

"I know you're upset and I know you can't believe it. But it's true. It happened. I killed her. I... I did it and yeah, I didn't speak up during the trial, but it wasn't like I wanted to get away with it either! I didn't want to watch you all die! I got what was coming to me, and yeah, it fucking sucked, but at least it was me instead of everyone else!"

Mondo swiped at his eyes again. He hadn't cried like this since Daiya died. It hurt - he wasn't sure what about it was causing him to cry, but the whole situation hurt and he wanted nothing more than to get on that elevator, go back to his room, and pretend this conversation never happened.

But he was stronger than that. He had to be.

"I killed her, dammit! I know you don't want to believe that, but I'm not lying! Why would I take the blame - and get killed - for someone else? If it hadn't been me and I'd tried that shit, Monobear would've fucking killed us all, you know that! He's a fucking stickler to his damn rules! He would have loved to kill us all! But he didn't because they were fucking right. They figured it out. I killed her."

Ishimaru flinched sharply away from him at that; he didn't remember deciding to move but he found himself quite suddenly with his back pressed against the glass, sliding down to sit on the ground, knees drawn up to his chest. The crying hadn't subsided any, and if anything it was getting worse, sharp sobs wracking his body; he had never been able to hide his feelings, always easily riled and very easily driven to tears, but unlike most other times there was nothing cathartic about this.

"Stop it...please, please stop saying things like that, you don't have to say things like that anymore..."

The words got Mondo to flinch away as well. It was just like before, when he had yelled at Fujisaki - Fujisaki hadn't taken it well because he wasn't a girl, Mondo's words hadn't helped at all, and yelling at poor Fujisaki had been what caused the boy to cry in the first place. This wasn't quite the same, but this was his aniki talking to him like this.

Mondo didn't know what to do. He usually had some idea of how to approach a situation (and if he didn't, he'd just act like he knew what he was doing - he couldn't show weakness, after all!) but this was different. He certainly couldn't act like there was nothing wrong, but what was he supposed to say? What was he supposed to do? He could get in that elevator and leave Ishimaru to pick himself back up, but he doubted that was the right thing to do. It seemed too cold, especially for someone he called his brother.

After a moment - a very long moment - Mondo finally moved to sit on the floor in front of Ishimaru. He was almost close enough to touch, but he didn't try to reach out. Not yet.

"...I'm sorry. I got carried away." The words were soft, a little uncertain, but genuine. "You're... you're right. I don't need to say things like that. If we're here, then chances are Fujisaki will show up here someday too. I mean, I'm living proof that the dead can be brought here, right?"

The attempt at a joke fell flat and Mondo glanced down at his hands. "I... look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you like that, alright? It's just... being in denial isn't going to help. I want you to know the truth, okay?"

Well, despite Mondo's...clearly mighty command of tact and social grace, his words did seem to have an effect, albeit not an immediately obvious one; it took Ishimaru some time to calm himself down to the point of being able to form coherent words, and actually managing to stop crying was something that was going to have to happen later, but after a while he at least seemed to be breathing properly as opposed to clearly trying not to scream or otherwise crack further.

"F-Fujisaki-kun...we'll...we'll bring her here."

The words were spoken more to the floor than Mondo, really; however, that didn't last long. His head snapped up after that statement was out there, determination in his eyes despite the tears.

"I'll save them...all of them! I won't let you down - I won't let any of them down - and they'll all be brought here with us! You'll...you'll see, I promise you...!"

LOCKED TO ardent

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