Noel was one of the few who had been in the court of carnage before. But no matter how often she went in there, she never truly got used to it. On one hand it was a journalistic marvel that made tales worthy of every front page… but at the same time it was death and despair. There was no happy ending in the court of carnage. Somebody died, it was as simple as that. She wasn’t sad Lucas died, he was a murderer. But she could never rejoice at the death of anybody. Instead, she mourned for Mondatta, hoping he could find solace in the resolution of his murder and the survival of the innocent. A man that great deserved that as a final token of respect.

Regardless, this was a case unprecedented. The mastermind himself. The only thing she could wonder why he had joined this killing game to begin with. What was the use of him mixing in with the rest of them and potentially putting his life at risk? She didn’t understand it. But there had to be reason, right? Why had he chosen to disclose his backstory with her if she would either die or forget it anyway? Then why tell it in the first place?

After returning, Noel was slightly angered at someone. And she turned her attention to this person. ”Now I will leave. I cannot tolerate the presence of someone who speaks so lightly about someone’s death. That’s sick.” Noel said to Alice, her glare filled with a strong disgust. ”Good night.” She walked off. The talk of Davis or the new infinites wasn’t something she was in the mood for either. She just wanted to be alone right now.

Cyrus, on the other hand, did stay and listen to Davis’s talk, and he had an amused look on his face. ”Davis please. You know you’ve taken that clip completely out of context. The ‘we’ refers to the entire group. We didn’t say that the two of us must survive, we wanted everyone to survive.” He explained. ”And as long as we all survive, surely an option would present itself somewhere. That is what I believe. Not that I expect an asshole forcing people in a killing game to understand. You’re no better than ultimate despair at this moment.” He felt the rage welling up in him, but he kept it down. At this point, he was no better than those who had murdered his fiancée. He was probably beyond help.

Cyrus sighed when he heard the announcement of the arrival of new infinites. Though the resort was a short walk away from the elevators in the patient quarters, it was probably best to go greet them and formulate how to move on from here. He proposed that as such, and went down to the patient quarters with whoever else was willing to meet their new fellow captives. The first one they encountered was Zachary, the infinite archer.

”Good evening, and unfortunately this is not a prank. I’m Cyrus Brandon, the infinite politician. If you have any questions, I’m more than willing to answer them.”

Inspiration was unpredictable, and a notoriously fickle mistress. Authors, artists and other poor souls endlessly yearned for its blessing, its touch, so that through them it would create the next masterpiece that would rock the world. Sometimes it never came, sometimes the conduit was inadequate and the fruits, disappointing. One needed to be careful when they felt that this long-sought muse had finally descended upon them and took them into its embrace, for such a grasp could turn into suffocation, and would not let go until they either produced a work so magnificent that it transcended even the words magnum opus, or their mind shattered under the weight.

Perhaps all of this were just mad ramblings, but Daimyon did truly feel afraid of the latter happening. The gears in his head, which usually consumed inspiration at rapid rates resulting in the poet's prolific career, were now sputtering and screeching under the constantly mounting sensations. He saw himself through his mind's eye wading through a viscid swamp in an ever-thickening fog, chasing the sun in a vain attempt to find a way out of this suffering. Whenever he snapped back to the real world, he had to realise again and again that it was not at all better. He wished to completely tune out, just this once, but he could not go against his long-established, almost subconscious nature. Like a stray cat who had wandered onto the bus highway because it was excited by the noise, the curiosity of his imagination was insatiable.

Thus, he watched and listened to everything and tried to process the unfolding events despite his failing mental faculties. The reveal that Davis, who was a figure of righteous retribution just minutes ago, was actually the mastermind of this whole ordeal was so stupefying that Daimyon was inclined to agree with Monokuma: it all seemed like the director of the play got a bit too excited and accidentally dropped the final revelations on the audience after the first few scenes. It made no sense artistically—or in any other way, for that matter—and Davis did little to explain before leaving the stunned crew behind, potentially once and for all.
Barely a minute after that, Lucas was also snatched and everyone was back on the rollercoaster, heading to the next ‘attraction’. Another classic blunder, as far as theatrics were concerned: if these two significant events happened some time apart, it would have made for excellent pacing. Packing everything too tightly together, however, made for quick desensitisation and wasted emotional impact.

Daimyon stopped himself there. Was this his new coping mechanism, ejecting himself from the harsh reality and judging everything from far away, with a critic's eye? Even still, he did not like it. Apathetic, ever objective, almost cynical—this was not him. And he never wanted to become like that.

The site of the execution was another coaster ride which was blatant repetition and a creative failu—no. Lucas was trapped in there, and while he was a despicable murderer, he was also an Infinite and shared in the group's struggle for the brief time he had been with them. Daimyon grieved for him silently and buried his head in his notebook once the deadly ride set off—his overeager imagination filled out the details just fine. He could however not help but take a glimpse at the investigator once it was all over. His body was untouched, but his face was pale and frozen in a silent scream.

Death was a major part in many an artist's work, and while it was far from being Daimyon's favourite topic to write about, he did occasionally dwell on it. And yet, despite all the wonders of the mind, no depiction, no flurry of words could come close to describing how it felt seeing death from up close. This realisation also struck the poet as the glimpse became many seconds of unbelieving gazing, and he did not reach for his notebook to attempt putting the sight into words. Earlier, before he was too caught up in his own thoughts to do anything but go with the flow, he had the idea of giving a sort of eulogy in the form of a short poem for the dead, but that thought was also lost in the moment. The off-hand and cold remarks from some of his fellows were but a further twist on the dagger entrenched in his heart, and he left the group shortly after. He heard Davis talk on the many screens on the hospital walls on his way, but barely paid any mind before entering his room and locking the door behind.

"MUTTER DES TODES!!"

Mercy yelped as she shot up from her slumber, looking around in the elevator like a startled dog. Taking deep breaths, she sat up crossed-legged holding her head, mumbling random german to herself.

Suddenly the TV turned on to show Monokuma once again,

"Okay, who put drugs in the caffine?" she asked no one as the bear went down the list of insulting introductions, up until she was introduced.



"Carnage wot?" she tilted her head in confusion before the doors opened up. Quickly standing up, she walked out of the elevator, grabing a medical bag and dusting herself off before introducing herself.

"Quite a predicament we go ourselves into, no? Like the bear said, I am Dr. Mercy Evergreen, Infinite Plague Doctor at best. Nice to meet you all!" she waved hello at everyone, a small grin on her face.

Bliss was too nervous and tired to really react to what Davis was saying. She found Davis's further attempts to try and drive a wedge between Krista, Cyrus, and everyone else a little strange. But stranger still that Cyrus would try to talk to him through the monitor. But everyone was probably just as exhausted as she was. Well, not just as exhausted. Bliss was four hours over due for her nap, and had to attend a trial on top of that.

“Oh my god, it's the Baldwin!” Jezebel tore out of the elevator like her life depended on it. She was dressed like a cross between a court jester and a clown. “Cyrus, I bet you're totally the fan favorite aren't you?” Her grin widened a bit. “Anyway, I just wanted you to know that the bear is so wrong about me! Like I'm totally more than some costumed clown for a kid's party! But given what the bear was saying... He was probably wrong about all of us.” Jezebel turned to look at Zach. “I mean you're totally more of a Baldwin than a Betty.” She giggled. “Anywho, this is the first time I've switched killing games, what's up?”

---

Jezebel didn't really have anything to add that the infinites in this killing game didn't already know. Though someone killed a carnage sister outside of the night of carnage, and that infinite was subsequently “glomped” by a Dr. killgood robot, which blew up with the infinite.

“So yea. If you see that slimy bear...”

“Did someone call me?” Monokuma popped out of the floor.

“Oh my god, is the night of carnage on already!?”
Monokuma looked at his watch. “Nope! You're excited for it huh?”

The trickster folded her arms. “As if!”

“Well I know Krista's going to be excited, or at least she should be.” Monokuma folded his paws behind his back. “You know I think anything truly worth having is worth struggling and suffering for, and even then you probably won't get it.” The bear turned to face the violinist. “A red phone booth is going to appear between the fountain and the monostand in the resort. Though it will only appear for one hour every day.”

“The night of carnage.” The words flowed out of Bliss's mouth on a sigh.

“You're a sharp nanny! I don't care what Marianne says about you!” Monokuma produced a bunch of E-handbooks from his fur. “Oh, and here's some E-handbooks for everyone without. I've unlocked the second story patient's quarters, so everyone should have rooms now. You don't have to share, even though I know some of you enjoy doing that. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!” After the bear distributed everything, he put on a smug little grin.”But if you want me to unlock the rest of the second floor, you're going to need to go on a little bounty for me. Alexandria has been spending way too much time with that Calvin boy. So I want you... To destroy her carnage chassis.”

Bliss pressed her hands together. “Is that even possible?”

“She's just a minotaur with the lower torso of an ox. I mean if Theseus could kill the minotaur with his bare hands I'm sure you guys could.” Dr. Killgood shrugged. “I forget how he did it. I'll have to go to the study later and read up.” The bear waved. “Well, good night everyone!” Monokuma disappeared into the floor.

“Well that so wasn't like the last killing game I was in.” Jezebel shook her head. “He just kind of put on a Richard Simmons wig and had us do workouts and stuff.” She looked at everyone else. “But it was totally worth it!”

It was too late to really think much about this. Everyone went to their rooms post haste.

---

---

Hello everyone, Dr. Killgood here with some more monokuma theatere!

So we have a new person among us. But don't expect me to do anything about it. I hate new people. You need to change their diapers, you need to feed them, you need to help them get dressed, and they make annoying noises. But do you know what's worse? Old people! You need to change their diapers, you need to feed them, you need to help them get dressed, and they make annoying noises.

At least both of these are just a passing phase.

But about the cub, make sure to monitor them. If they cry, warm them up some milk, rub their gums, or just put them in another room. You can inquire with Bliss for more information.

---

Bliss was in the break room, eating a breakfast sandwich. She was still tired, but suspected she would be fully ajusted to her normal operating hours with a few naps at the right time. Or maybe she felt this exausted because once again, escape had tempted someone into killing. Or was it that Davis was the mastermind this entire time? All of this definetly made the ifinite nanny feel a little betrayed. Bliss had no idea how Caora and Shaun were going to fair. The nanny knew she couldn't help them like this. She needed to get her emotions in order.

Meanwhile, Jezebel had set up an “affection” stand at a nearby table. She had found found a pencle in the study and drew up a sign. It read “Affection: Give a hug, get a hug, just don't smudge the makeup!” Well, it was nice to see that not everyone was in the dumps. Even the idea of an affection stand was enough to make Bliss smile a little bit. Mondatta might have been the greatest source of hope this group had, but now it was up to everyone to pick up the slack. He won't have died for nothing if everyone remebers what he taught them.

But what to do now? Bliss was almost done eating. Monokuma said something about the study, and Bliss was inclined to go back. There were things she was curious about, like the minotaur, and the voice from within the safe.

In collaboration with @brokenpromise as Calvin

The next day's breakfast was rather drab. How could it not be? Yesterday's events were still fresh in everybody's mind. Cyrus ate, but there was little enjoyment in it. Today, food was just that, food. Sustenance, but no taste whatsoever. Not everyone was in attendance, which wasn't exactly unexpected. There was one person in particular that Cyrus had hoped to see, but he wasn't that lucky. After getting the last few bites down, Cyrus headed out to the place he was expecting to find his target.

As Cyrus aproched the crematorium, he could hear the metallic clang of a smith's hammer striking steel. It was faint, as the doors to Alexandria's room were thick. Just a little quieter than the smith's hammer was the carnage sister herself, but what she was saying couldn't really be made out. But then she started to speak up.

“Calvin! I think someone wants to take you away again!”

“W-wha!?” The smith stopped his swinging right away. “Are you fucking with me?”

“It's Cute-rus, I see him on the-” Calvin started swinging his hammer again. “Hey!” The hammering continued. After a few seconds, the door to crematorium opened up again. Calvin's hammering was much louder, and Cyrus could hear the flames now. Alexandria was standing in the door way, dressed as a dinner waitress. Just beyond her was Calvin leaning over a makeshift anvil with a back glistening with sweat. “Hi-hi Cyrus!” Alexandria winked. “Is there anything your nurse can help you with?”

Cyrus looked at Alexandria with some confusion. Why did this robot wear a waitress costume and why did it just wink at him? Maybe those questions were better left unanswered. Especially the former. "Just here for Calvin." Cyrus responded, not really willing to deal with the nurse. He quickly scurried past her and approached the working metalsmith. "Good morning. What are you doing?" He asked on a friendly tone. It was more a conversation starter than real interest, but he was curious nontheless.

Calvin grit his teeth and looked over his shoulder. Though he was looking past Cyrus, not at him. “I thought you were going to keep the damn door closed.”

“Oh, boop! I did say that!” Alexandria placed her hands on Cyrus's shoulders. “He's a bit cranky today, isn't he? Yesterday he was so upset, he just crawled in here and fell asleep. He's just been working on weapons ever since he woke up.” She pointed at a breakfast sandwich that was sitting on a stool far away from the smith. “I actually got him to eat one of my sandwiches though. I think parading around with Max really paid off.”

With a sigh, Calvin threw his hammer to the ground and turned to face Cyrus. “The fuck do you want with me?”

Cyrus didn't waste any time. He had little patience for this kind of behaviour, so he figured he'd get this over with quickly. He took the newspaper article from his pocket. "Marianne found this in Shona's room. She gave it to me during the investigation." He explained as he pressed it into Calvin's hand. "Your name's in it..." He had a glaring suspicion that his name being in it was not the real important thing, but that was something he couldn't be sure about.

Calvin didn't appear to be reading the article or listening to the politician. His hands trembled when his eyes locked onto the image. He looked less mad and more nervous now. “Son of a bitch...” He looked back up at Cyrus, then back at the article. “I-I made a lot of swords for Infinity Initiative. I don't even get to know who my clients are half the time.” He stabbed the picture with his finger. “But this is the ass hole who captured me!” He looked at Alexandria. “Tell him!”

“Yup yup!” The carnage sister chirped. “Daddy wanted to take my boyfriend away from me, but I wouldn't let him inside. But you can't order a patient to stay out of your room.” She sighed. “I really blew that one, huh Calviar?"

Cyrus sighed as Calvin recognized the image. "I suspected as much... I recall you mentioning you were caught by someone with a 'big ass gun'. I'm not that knowledgeable about firearms, but even I know .70 is not a normal gun." His attention then shifted to Alexandria as she spoke, and he could feel a shiver running down his spine. "Wait a god damn second. Did you just say that thing is a patient here?" He grimaced. He clearly recalled there had been no mention of the infinite vigilante in the introduction video. But then again, it probably wasn't beyond monkuma to withhold information. "So you mean there is one patient we didn't know about?"

“I'm pretty sure you guys met recently. They were on the roller coaster with everyone.”

Calvin balled his hands into fists. “Yes but WHO!?”

“Oh no you don't!” Alexandria backed away from Cyrus. “A superhero can't reveal their identity to anyone, And daddy would permanently delete me if I said anything.”

Calvin shook his head. “Holy shit.” He said with a sigh. “It was one of us the entire time...” The metalworker sat down in front of the anvil again and picked up his hammer. “I really need to get this done.”

Cyrus stood perplexed. "What the..." He looked at Alexandria. "So you're saying one of us is the armed lunatic that kidnapped Calvin? That's... what the hell!" He gritted his teeth. But there had to be a way to deal with this. "Well... maybe we can get everyone to join a room inspection? If we explain the situation, then surely they'd understand. That's the only place where someone could hide something like that, right?" He wondered out loud, then looked as Calvin got back to work. "So what exactly [are you making?"

“You'll see.” Without looking, Calvin reached into his pants and pulled out his E-handbook. He then tosseed it at the politician, only to have Alexandria catch it. "Noooo!" Because Alexandria was behind Cyrus, she nearly knocked him down trying to reach for it. He could feel her breasts coliding with the back of his head as she jumped for it. once she caught the E-handbook, she ws able to get a foot in front of herself to stop herself from crushing the politician under her weight. She looked genuinely flustered. Well, as flustered as a doll could look. Cyrus and Alexandria were both bent over with their heads pointed towards the ground. "You need to be more careful Calvin, I would of had to boop you if Cyrus caught that!" she handed Calvin's handbook to Cyrus before standing up. "I told you he was acting funny, didn't I?" She stood Cyrus upright as well and dusted off his shirt.

Cyrus was somewhat surprised as well, but recovered quickly. "I'll try to get people organised. Thanks Calvin. Good luck with your... project." He said before quickly walking away. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the strange robot or the grumpy infinite longer than he had to. At least he got what he was looking for.

Now he just had gather the rest, and to convince them to help.

---

---

Something interesting to note about Zachary is that you could call him a great deal many things. "The Best Archer" is the most obvious, but he could also be called "a very good shot with a revolver", and "arrogant". Hell, you could even call him "hardworking" and "dedicated". "A lover of strawberries" and "calm under intense pressure", though many wouldn't know just to what extent that last one would be. Yes, you could call Zachary so many different things, but one thing you could not call him is "A morning person".

The Infinite Archer found it difficult to get himself going in the morning generally, but there was something else that made the process even more difficult.

He thought about it long and hard and came to the realization that the most likely cause for this increased difficulty in waking up was because he did not sleep very much last night. But why? Perhaps it was the strange situation he had found himself in? That could certainly be it. After all, he couldn't imagine anybody would blame him for finding it hard to sleep after learning that he was trapped in this hospital with presumably no way out because somebody wanted to watch others kill each other. Yeah, that seemed like as good a stressor as any in his opinion.

*Yawn*

Fighting the urge to simply fall back asleep after the morning announcement, Zachary got up off his bed and got ready by taking a quick morning shower. When he was done, he put on his clothes, which consisted of a simple blue shirt, some trousers, shoes, and of course his shooting gloves.

Presumably, he would not be murdered the moment he left his room, but you never knew. And though the thought was tempting, he did not feel that locking himself in his room all day would really get much done. In this world, you needed to work for your goals. This was certainly no different. If he wanted out of this madman's game, then he would simply need to put in effort to accomplish such a mission. It might be a bit different and more difficult than anything else he'd worked towards so far, but a little challenge was probably good for him.

Or so he told himself. Besides, he REALLY needed to wake himself up and a walk might be just the thing to do that.

Stretching as he exited his room, Zachary kinda just made his way around the premises, looking at the nearby rooms that interested him. There was a room that seemed to have been once used to clean equipment the facility carried, only now it served as a laundromat. Aside from that, he happened upon the dump, but because there wasn't really much to investigate there, he easily got bored and moved on to the break room, where he finally saw other humans.

Zachary stumbled his way into the Break Room, just as a girl named Krista had introduced herself. Still half asleep, he only actually caught her name. "Hell...*yawn*." he paused, shook his head to clear his daze, and tried again. "...Hello... uh, fellow Infinites?" he tried greeting, but it was not as though he knew who everybody was yet. In fact, that Krista chick wasn't somebody he remembered seeing last night, unfortunately.

Using his detective-like deduction skills, he did manage to have a solid theory on just whom she might be. Utilizing his keen eye, he gathered that because of the violin case on her back, that it was very likely she was the Infinite Violinist or some kind of musician. Truly he could soon be called the Infinite Detective or something similar, what with how good he was at noticing the small things.... that just so happened to be big, and obvious.

But even his perceptive eyes could not tell him who the lady wearing dated clothing was. This was likely because it was not as though Zach ever had seen a Nanny before. Not even Mary Poppins. But, of course, he was such a good guesser than he managed to simply guess that she was the Infinite Nanny. Yes, he totally guessed it and it wasn't influenced by that bear referring to her as a nanny last night. Wow, Zach sure was a genius.

Finally, there was the person that Krista was attempting to introduce herself to, who looked very silly. Silly in a, "what kind of sane kid finds this entertaining, please go and stay go" kind of way. She was the person introduced by the bear right after Zachary himself had been introduced, so aside from Cyrus and that plague doctor, she was the only one Zach could confidently say he knew both name and talent. He heard her introduced as Jezebel Volcov. She was apparently a trickster, which gave Zach the idea that she might be into pulling pranks, not unlike Sir Francis of the Filth, a popular MeTuber he watched on occasion. That, combined with the getup she was wearing, made it kind of hard to want a hug from her. Plus, he recalled she mentioned him being a "Baldwin" or something. Admittedly, he knew not what that meant and the way she said it made it sound like a compliment, but still...

What if she called him bald?! That would make absolutely no sense, but how dare she?! His head was full of hair! She dare state something so obviously wrong to his face!?

Really, that certainly wasn't it. But he would keep his eye on her, she was not to be trusted.

Coincidentally, Zachary did not like clowns or anything that reminded him of them.

...

...

...

"...Anyways, I am Zachary, the Infinite Archer for those of you who did not happen to hear that bear's horrible, unsatisfactory introduction last night." his tone clearly indicated he was very unhappy about that, still. "It seems we'll all be sharing a potential tomb together. Let us all try not to die our hardest. Dying would... well, kinda blow."

It was at this point that Zachary noticed the expresso machine in the Break Room and, with speed too fast for the human eye, he instantly appeared before it and began to use it.

Good, now he could maybe wake up for real.

@BrokenPromise and @FamishedPants?

Everything passed in a blur.

Marianne Roche found herself up early the next morning with dark lines under her eyes, standing by a washing-machine at the first floor laundromat and tapping her hospital slipper-clad foot as she waited for the clothes to finish tumbling round and round in the washing machine. She wore a hospital gown which was the only thing she found in her(?) room, and it lay fresh on the edge of her bed when she awoke. So, naturally, she changed into it and the first thing on her mind was to get her bloody sundress into the washing machine. Even though everyone knew where the blood came from, it was a grizzly sight nonetheless. Her few belongings and other noteworthy things of interest to her were scattered on a nightstand by her(?) bedside and she had quickly stuffed them into the pockets of the hospital gown.

Of course, we weren't going to talk about the fact that she woke up and found herself in a completely different room to the one she fell asleep in. She would later learn that this was one level above (was that bear trying to kill her?) the old quarters. This meant more stair climbing, and more exercise for the Infinite Herbalist. Maybe that's just what she needed. Besides, this room was a lot more to her style. There were fresh plants sitting by the windowsill and a humidifier and special temperature control. It was warm and wet in her room, just the way she liked it, and just the right temperature and moisture for the few flowers to grow on her windowsill. There was a cleaner desk too housing two terrariums with what looked like almost ancient mossy plants and another with succulents the herbalist had never even seen in person before. Of course, it also had several small pieces of personalised equipment, such as her preferred ink (black) and type of pen—as if someone had set the room up just for her.

Well, that made looking around the Mono Shoppe some more the night prior quite pointless...
She did find something interesting, however. Was it really pointless after all, then? Hmm hmm.

---

What happened? Everything feels like such a haze...

The herbalist found her head spinning as she tried to recollect the memory of the trial. At some point, the tables turned on her in her fitful rage, and both Davis and Bliss mouthed off at her. In hindsight and with a clearer head, she deserved it. Bliss was not the murderer in the end, after all. It would be best to make friends, not enemies, in this place. It would be the safest.
Speaking of friends and enemies, a new development arose: Lucas was the killer and Davis was a traitor.
Marianne could only remember her head spinning at the revelation of the killer, and the feeling sick to her stomach after the rollercoaster ride, after just finding out Davis' true identity as the mastermind. She regretted biting back any and all insults she had wanted to hurl towards the man. He deserved them all, for trapping these innocent people in here. Even Lucas. Even though he was...no longer as alive as he used to be, anymore.
Was she going crazy, she wondered? The very most that happened watching his execution was a steely coldness that did not go away until Marianne Roche slunk away from the group, happy to be on her own for a spell and finish what she was in the resort area for in the first place, and got some rest. Some responded with anger to the night's events. The Infinite Herbalist was merely disappointed. Mondatta was a good person, and...Lucas got what he deserved.
It was a dog-eat-dog world out there, after all. It's too bad it was Mondoggo that bit the bullet, so to speak.

As she got bored of waiting and went to exit the laundromat, hospital gown and all its revealing glory be damned, she caught sight of a very unfamiliar individual, who it took her a bit to identify (if only thanks to the little skit-video Monokuma had for all of them.) It was a curious, groggy Infinite Archer, prowling the premises in search of...breakfast, most likely. She saw some other figures roaming around, but most looked indistinguishable from the rest; a lot like current-day zombies.
The events from the night prior really had hit everyone hard.

Still, there was something Marianne had to do, before anything else.

She clutched the decorative box in her hands tighter and grit her teeth. There was someone who deserved an apology.

Trailing the wispy strawberry blonde locks of the male (he was most definitely male, right?) Infinite Archer, she made her way to the break room, and there was both happy and a mixture of other emotions at seeing the Infinite Nanny, looking very haggard, at a table. There were some new characters in the area too, and what was scrappily titled an Affection Booth that Marianne could appreciate. She would introduce herself to new characters later; this problem had to be solved now.

"Good morning." the Infinite Herbalist spluttered, still standing a few feet away from Bliss Buckley. One hand held the decorative box and the other was balled into a fist so hard that her nails left little red indents even on her dark skin. She bit her tongue.
"I did not have the chance to give this to you when I received it." she continued coldly, almost robotically. No, coldness like that wouldn't work. But what else would you expect at this point? It wasn't like the two were best friends. Or even friends. Or even acquaintances anymore.
"I thought you could take it and make better use of it than I. Here." she placed the box on the table, still not getting too close to the Infinite Nanny. Maybe it was the inner frenchwoman in her but she still clung onto a sense of pride that made her hold her head high—but it drooped nonetheless.
"Bliss Buckley." she began, her voice a little softer, "I am sorry for the things I may have said to you yesterday. You were not the killer of Mondatta, or the one who hurt Krista. I understand that now."

She began to turn away, fiddling a little with the pendant of her cord necklace and biting her lower lip hard enough to make the dry skin come off in flakes. Unnerving and awkward, that's what she felt.

"Do not take it to heart or anything," she began, coughing a little so that the rest of her words were only semi-audible. Somewhere she hoped the infinite nanny heard them. Somewhere else, her proud self, was hopeful she didn't.
"You dress nicely for someone s- I mean. You dress nicely. This hat will look nice on you. It is a nice hat."

Quel soulagement! (What a relief!) It...it is still over.

"And t'es une belle dame. You are a pretty woman. I hope this gift will improve your morning. Adieu. I leave my distinguished apologies and sentiments with you."

And with that the Infinite Herbalist skulked away, into the thick (not many were present, but still) of the breakroom. She found herself eyeing the Infinite Archer at the espresso machine, a quick pang of déjà vu gripping her as she recalled that was the exact same place where she first properly saw Lucas Carsen: Infinite Paranormal Investigator.
She did a double take. Was she able to approach him where he was?
Perhaps he would notice her standing blankly by a counter where she could get some food (cold breakfast sandwiches, a staple diet) and staring shamelessly in his general direction.
Ah! Still, she hoped he did not.
It would be bad if he did.

In his dream Daimyon walked a long, winding road embedded onto a vast hillside. The sight of encompassing greenery accentuated by a few rocky peaks rising above, the hushing sound and breezing touch of the wind that fluttered the many blades of grass—it was all exceptionally vivid. The hill, however, did not give any cause for wonder and awe: without as much of a tree or a even a colourful flower in sight, it was rather drab. The sky was cloudy, the sun did not shine to guide the traveller's path. And yet he went on, tired but driven forward by an inscrutable force.

Something struck out at the side of the dirt road that caught his eyes right away. An injured white swallow writhed in the grass, a tiny flash of red trickling down its wing. Daimyon stopped and knelt down beside it right away.
“Oh no...who did this to you, little friend?”
He murmured, gently gathering the bird in his hands. Before he could pick it up, though, it cried out in pained chirps which made him withdraw.
“Oh hmm...let me see what I can do for you...”

His attire was a loose-fitting set of worn brown garments, and he tore a sheet of cloth from the arm to fashion a bandage for the small wound. Holding the swallow, he carefully wrapped it around its wing and fastened it. The bird seemed to respond favourably, trying right away to flap its wings. It looked like it only needed a little help.
“There you are, friend. Ah, I wish I could stay with you until you fully heal, but I've no doubt you're also aching for the skies...come on, then!”
He picked it up, this time without resistance, taking one last moment to marvel in its pure beauty, before he extended his arms and...

---

...let out a groan as he woke up. His limbs felt heavy but his head felt the heaviest, like he had spent the entire last day memorising ancient Greek classics. He had to stay lying for a few more minutes before he could even sit up, though thankfully the dull ache cleared quickly. Suddenly feeling much brighter, he stretched out his numb arms and legs and reached for his notebook on the bedside table.

...and caught nothing but air.

His heart sank and his head turned so quickly that his neck almost broke into it. Despite his best attempts he was not an orderly man, but there were a few things he never forgot to do—such as placing the small book onto the table every night before heading to sleep. And yet, this morning, the plain brown table was empty.
He sprung up like he was shot out from the barrel of the gun and began frantically searching around in his room. The usual sense of composure and easy-going attitude that he had usually emanated was nowhere to be seen right now as he turned everything upside down amidst panicked murmurs to himself. He checked everywhere he could: under the bed, on the writing table—which actually had two books on it but not his notebook—, the wardrobe—including going through the pockets of every single outfit stored in there—, the bathroom, he even opened up the first-aid kit in a desperate last-ditch effort.

To no avail. His notebook, his trustworthy companion throughout the years, his treasure trove of poems and memories and so much more, was nowhere to be found.
And to rub salt in the wound, his pen got lost with it.

He sat back down on his bed, and tried to recover from the shock. Without the sole anchor of familiarity in this unknown place among unknown faces, the unruly tides threatened to push him out to the endless sea, never to find shore again. He took deep breaths, whispering ‘calm down’ time and time again. Words did not work this time however, and he had to take a cold shower to regain at least some of his presence of mind. Once out and dressed, he grabbed his e-handbook—which was still at its place, or else he would have really lost his mind—and browsed it for a few minutes before getting out of his room and walking down towards the break room.

The long hallway was quiet, but the break room was lively—in the sense that there were people in there, not that those people were in any way qualified for the definition. The morning daze still hung over most, although some discussions were already ongoing. Daimyon, however, was not here for any of that: he was not in the mood for chatter, he did not feel hungry, and even Jezebel's ‘affection stand’ was not something he considered in the moment.

“H-has anyone seen my notebook?”

Shaun, too, like some of his fellow Infnites. merely passed by the newcomers, and ignored utterly Davis's attempts to goad the group into anger and some kind of mutiny. He didn't want to be near anyone. Not Mary, the only person he even remotely knew from before their confinement, nor Bliss, who had been thoroughly kind to him, nor Caora, the person he could somewhat consider friend in the scenario.

He, as quickly as he possibly could, exited from the group and made his way along the corridor of the patient's quarters, to the door of his room, where he swiped his handbook, and entered into the bland, generic hospital room decor he had been given. He had barely stopped to think about it since arriving. Thier rooms were supposed to be specialised to their talents, but Shaun's had none of the makings of a room set up for a programmer such as himself. Then again that was to be expected. The Mastermind would have been smart enough not to allow someone like him access to the system, even if it was closed. Davis... Would have been smarter than that...

His gaze drifted over to the beside table, upon which sat his "Advanced HTML" book, a penpot with a small variety of writing writing utensils and a dry eraser, and a DVD case. he picked up the case, looking it over, reading the synopsis, and taking in the cover. This was the DVD meant for the Infinite Model, who had since been rotated out of the game... Monokuma had said that there were countless more Killing Games going on beside theirs... Where was the Infinite Model now? Was she okay? Was she afraid? Was she dead? She wasn't the only... She wasn't the only face and name that they would never see again.

The boy grit his teeth, clutching the case tightly. How many more did they have to lose..? It hadn't even been a fortnight, and already three people were dead, four had been shuffled out to God knew wherever to face whatever fate lay in store, and another had left of his own volition... As he thought, he realised what that sounded like; left of his own volition made it sound like Davis had taken his own life. That outcome Shaun would have been exponentially more greatful for...

He shook his head, placing the DVD back onto the cabinet. He couldn't let himself think like that. Davis... Was a cruel man, but he must have had some reason to do what he did. Or, maybe he didn't. Maybe he just wanted to watch people kill each other. Shaun hadn't the knowledge, the deductive skills, nor the energy, to tell. First the Body Announcement had sounded, then everyone had searched for clues regarding the killer of Mondatta, then they were all forced to participate in the damnable Court, and to finish it off they had to watch as one of their own was executed... Everyone, without exception, must have been exhausted... Shaun was.

So he sat down on his hospital bed, rubbed his eyes, and stifled a yawn. He was done with this day. Laying back, he felt his head touch the pillow, and his mind go quiet, and the warm arms of sleep embaraced him.



Shaun stood in the darkness of Axis Mundi, surrounded by the now familiar scenery of the patient's quarters. He was in the corridor, the intersection that led to the hospital, the patient's rooms, the Break Room, and the elevators. The lights had been dimmed considerably, rendering the already ominous surroundings all the more so.

In front of him stood a man. He wore somewhat fancy clothes, though in the darkness they were barely distinguishable, and had his back turned. For some reason, Shaun couldn't help but feel scared. His breathing picked up, reflecting his anxiety, and at that the man finally recognised that he was not alone.

He turned slowly, and dramatically, until he faced straight on to the Infinite Web Designer. In the dark light his face couldn't be made out, but the one thing that was visible were his eyes. Wild eyes, burning gold, illuminated almost, in constrast to the inky shadow that filled the rest of the environment. He clutched something tightly in his hand; a tool of some kind, with a long point extending from the handle his palm enveloped.

Then the smell hit him. The air was filled with a thick, ungodly, metallic stench, which penetrated his nostrils, and worked its way deep into his lungs, and the rest of his body, like tentacles of some eldritch abhorence. Shaun gagged, reeling back slightly from the stink as he tried to stop himself from throwing up.

As first, he tried rationalising it. Maybe someone had left the door to the dump open, and the air conditioning had been turned up. But as he took a step back, recoiling from the dense, overbearing blanket of miasms, his foot landed in something which splashed outwards, onto the floor and onto the back of his trousers. He looked back, but for a second didn't recognise what he was seeing.

Quickly though, his mind figured out what it was. It was a body. A corpse. Spread out from under it was a pool of blood, which had soaked into their clothes and dyed it crimson. They were lying on their front, but at that distance it was easy to tell who exactly was dead in front of him. Only one person in the group wore clothes so old fashioned. The person who had been the kindest to him out of everyone.

There was no mistaking it. It was Bliss. His eyes widened in shock and terror, and he staggered backwards, towards the only other person he had seen. Shaun turned to face him. He went to speak, or shout, or scream, or something, but nothing came out save silence. As he soundlessly screamed, the lights of the quarters lit up.

And Shaun stood, frozen, feeling the blood drain from his face and the energy from his body. He dropped to his knees in disbelief and complete fear, barely recognising what he was seeing.

The floor was an expanse of white and crimson, littered with the corpses of everyone from the game. Cyrus, Krista, Calvin, Caora, Mary... Everyone. They were all dead. And stood in the middle of the sea of bodies was the one man Shaun thought he would never have to see again. Not in person. His clothes were soaked through with blood, and his face was spattered in the life essense of a dozen victims. His expression was blank save his burning eyes, but his mouth seemed to have the beginning telltale signs of an oncoming smile, or at least a smirk. In his hand, painted a similar crimson to the floor of the hospital, was a knife.

It was Davis.



The boy awoke with a start, forced bolt upright by the sight of his previous nights rest. In his head, he could hear the morning announcement, but he didn't register the screen. A bead of sweat dripped from his forehead as he idly looked around, slowly coming to his senses as he remembered where has was.

He reached up and wiped the sleep from his eyes, taking a second to steady himself before sliding out of bed. He stumbled, still waking up, but eventually walked his way to the bathroom, and to the shower. Shaun didn't exactly want a shower, per se, but... He had to clean himself up, and wake up completely, before he left.

The water was warm, but as he sat in the shower basin he grew cold. Remembering his dream brought on a cold shiver, to which he promptly turned up the heat of the shower, until the water stung his skin as it fell onto his naked form, knees raised so that he could bury his face into them. Even though there was no one around he wanted to encapsulate himself, to seclude himself. A part of him just wanted to remain in his room for the rest of the time, but that would amount to nothing. But, the only other place he could really want to go to was the Aladin's Palace, since it would be peaceful. Though he doubted he could bring himself to go there...

Shaun didn't spend long in the shower. He quickly grew tired of it, and so he exited the thing, and quickly dried himself off. He picked up his clothes from yesterday, and all the other days, and threw them on haphazardly. After all, he had been brought to Axis Mundi because of an accident, and had no real family members to speak of. He had no changes of clothes with him, and so had been relying on cleaning them every one in a while since arriving.

He opened the bedside cabinet, and his eyes fell upon the makeup bag Bliss had given him. At that, Shaun's eyes sunk. Doing his best to ignore it, he pulled the jumper and scarf from underneath it, and threw them on too. He had taken them off before, heeding Bliss's advice about people wanting to see him without being so covered up... But right now, he just wanted to be enclosed, wrapped up... Warm.

From there he opened the door to his room, and stepped out into the corridor, taking a breath as he did so. Cautiously, he looked to see if there was anyone around. Everbody would be waking up by now. He didn't really want to go to the Break Room; there would be too many people. Not to mention, Bliss would be there, and she would tell him off if she saw him wearing his jumper and scarf again after having gone almost a week without it on.

So, quickly, he turned to the right, and started making his way to the Resort, and the Study.

Daimyon did not expect a helpful answer from anyone in the room. That would have been all too easy and life, this master of dramatic plays, usually did not deal with those. In fact he was already mentally prepared for an exhaustive and exhausting search throughout the entire facility, as the small notebook could have hid or been hidden anywhere, by anyone.

...so when a reply that was not simply helpful but affirmative actually came, he was...rather stunned.

“I have.”

It came from Marianne, the Infinite Herbalist, who stood pensively at one of the food counters. The poet quickly walked up to her, his expression a curious mix of relief and apprehension.
“Is that...so? Where have you seen it? Please, it...it's very important to me.”

The herbalist’s eyebrow quirked and she shifted her weight to the balls of her feet as she searched Daimyon’s face. In one arm, she balanced the tray with the meagre breakfast offered to the infinites, whereas the other hand grasped at the cord necklace before trailing down to one of the pockets on her hospital gown, nonchalantly as possible.

“Of course,” she began, her teal eyes curious and catlike blinking up at him, “It could have belonged to anyone, Daimyon. It might not even have been yours…”
That was a blatant lie. Of course it was his. There was literally not a single soul else it could have belonged to. The way the prose flowed, disjointed and—
“Pardon me for asking, Monsieur, but just what is it that is so important about this book? It seems to have you quite...how do you say it, flustered?”

About life not making things easy...
The woman was curious, understandably so—Daimyon could see it on her that she was not used to him being like this.

“Flustered is a great word, if a bit weak for the situation still...” He let out an anxious sigh. “Ah, it is simply of great value to me, both physically and symbolically. It has always been with me and I wrote numberless poems into it throughout the years...truth be told, I feel rather incomplete without it.”

“Poetry, yes.” the herbalist continued skeptically, her arms crossed almost defensively over her chest for the better half of a minute before she took a less threatening stance, body language open and more chilled out. Of course, something about her tone of voice didn't fit, accusatory at best, “...even the best poets probably do not write their works every minute of every day. Infinite Poet or not, Daimyon...something is odd about this notebook.”

Still, she reached into the hospital gown pocket and pulled out the small, tattered brown book. It was in no worse condition than it usually was. In fact, it was almost as if the herbalist took extra care of it whilst it was in her possession, as brief a time as it was.
“I found this on the floor of the resort last night, chéri.”

Her eyelids sank in a curious squint though her pupils narrowed further. Still, she gave the Infinite Poet a deceptively warm smile. She coolly held the notebook out with one hand, the other casually stuffed into one of the pockets of the gown. “I was there for some work after the trial. Is this the notebook you have been looking for, Daimyon Londe?”

The poet waved away Marianne's ‘suspicions’ with a strained laugh.
“You are correct, it's not exclusively for poems. I immortalise plenty of memories, moments worth remembering into it as well—it's quite general purpose, you see!”

Calling the expression on his face a smile would have been generous, but it still did not speak of the thoughts that swirled in his mind upon one realisation: she had read into it. He did not blame her...okay, he did, because privacy and whatnot, but he was much angrier at himself for apparently dropping the precious document in the resort. Despite everything, however, his eyes shone with undoubted relief upon seeing that it was indeed his notebook Marianne was holding. Perhaps this living nightmare would be over sooner than he thought...

“Yes! Oh, haha, that is it indeed...thank you, Marianne.”
He reached out to take back his possession.

...but where he should have felt no resistance, the fingers of one Marianne Roche remained tightly clutching to the little brown book, her head cocked to the side but with much less of a smile and a much more worried expression than she had allowed herself for the entirety of their conversation.

“I would like to know what is going on, if you please, Monsieur Londe.”

Although the herbalist did not let go, he held his hand on the notebook, looking into her eyes in a silent plea that bore no fruit. His hand soon fell to his side, however, his head slumped and he let out a defeated sigh. He knew he could have tried to deflect the issue, but from the determination that emanated from the woman, he also realised that there would be no pleasant result to that.
“Very well,” he spoke in a quieter tone. “Not here, though. Let's...my room, yes, that should be sufficiently private. Let's go there.”

---

Marianne found herself staring blankly at the ceiling of the Infinite Poet's bedroom, her dark hair in a mess and sprawled all around her form as she lay on her back on his bed, the only part of her seemingly belonging to the setting being the hospital gown, only barely hanging onto her frame because of th—!
The gears in her head turned slowly and she found her lips parted, almost panting softly as she tried to form words again and again, but somehow coherence was lost on her.

“Wow...is that really, really...true, Daimyon?”

Daimyon stood, his arms crossed low on his chest and eyes idly fixated on the floor next to the bed, carefully examining every speck that dotted it. His posture was slouched, making his tall figure appear shorter—as if it was a deliberate attempt to somehow disappear entirely from the room and from existence for a while.
“...yes. I...guess you could have figured it out by yourself, given time with that notebook...but yes. Are you happy now?”

“Yes and no.” the young woman sat up with a little wince, taking the opportunity to let her eyes scan the poet's figure. He seemed dejected, and why wouldn't he be? She was glad but...not quite in the way she had wanted to be.
“I'm glad you told me. I was thinking you were a minion of Davis, or something like that. Still, chéri…”

She soundlessly stepped off the bed and closed the distance between her and the taller man. Her eyes didn't leave his for a second, even as she leaned in closer and…
...put a hand on his shoulder, giving it a warm pat.
“I don't know what to say. ...I did want to be wrong, but not like this. I am very, very sorry. Does anyone...know?”

The poet tensed when feeling her touch; a few seconds had to pass before he could relax himself at least enough to answer her.
“No one, as far as I'm aware. I wish you didn't either. But alas! Life is cruel, its paths leading us to unknowing doom. Still, hah...” He allowed himself a chuckle, despairful as it was. “...silver linings, they are always there for me. But you'll have to promise that you...stay silent on the matter.”

He finally looked at her again, much in the same way as he had done in the break room, now also giving the expression voice:
“...please, Marianne.”

“I promise not to tell a soul, so long as I am alive and you do not wish me to.” she chuckled hollowly. It was funny, to talk about life and death in this place. You never knew which one was out to get you in Axis Mundi. “But if you…” she found her voice trailing off, lost on the idea for a handful of seconds. “...if you die here, what would you will me to do then, Daimyon?”

“Quite the question, hah...” he noted, but found no reason not to answer. “Death doesn't end everything. People, we Infinites especially, leave behind legacies...I hope to leave one behind, too. And I want it to be for my poems...not for anything else.”

“Then this secret will die with us.”

The Infinite Herbalist searched his face, though couldn't keep the melancholy from her own. She carefully reached her hands out, shaking a little, as she took his face into them, gingerly tilting his head down to look at her again. It seems he had been avoiding her gaze for a large part of the conversation, and...only met her gaze when he wanted something.
“...did it not make you feel...alone, Daimyon?”

“I...dare say I was blessed with a powerful imagination. It...helps bearing through it all.”
His lips curled into a small smile. His words were right on more levels than she thought—the scent of nature's perfume on her was very apparent now that she was this close, especially the minty smell of her hands on his face. As he closed his eyes for just a moment, he found himself in a flower garden, bright and lush. Just the sight helped alleviate the leaden despair that sat on him.
“...it really helps.”

“I also promise to try and help that.” Marianne couldn't help but smile a very peculiar smile at noticing his serene expression. ...he was so vulnerable like this. It was definitely different to see someone relax, in this tense atmosphere. It was...familiar.
Seizing the opportunity, she gently thumbed over his bottom lip before her arms moved around the taller man's neck, and he could feel her body pressed flush against his as she (on her tiptoes) gave him as protective an embrace as she could manage.
“I promise you will not have to be alone anymore, Daimyon Londe.”

His smile was only broken for a moment by a surprised look as Marianne, quite suddenly, hugged him, before it returned to extend on his face wider than ever. His mind failed him this once—he had no idea what made the woman do such thing, but he did not complain. He wrapped his arms around her to answer the gesture, giving her a few gentle pats on the back.
“You see...life is cruel at times, but...it's also a hell of a story writer.”

He let them linger like this for a few more precious seconds before finally breaking away. Daimyon straightened out his clothing with a few quick motions and once again stood up tall, his hands tied behind his back—his signature stance, and the lively smile returned to his face.
“Thank you for everything. In a way, I'm...glad it was you who found it. Now...” He swiped up the opened notebook from the table, closed it and smoothly slid it into his shirt pocket. “...I don't know about you, but I am rather hungry! Shall we head back to the break room?”

“Ah! Most definitely! I find myself quite famished…!” the herbalist replied when the couple’s hug came to a close, her attention being torn away from the corner of a neatly folded piece of paper jutting out of the notebook that just disappeared into Daimyon’s shirt pocket. A kind of heat rushed to her cheeks with a stray thought and made her a smidgen giddy, even as she nodded enthusiastically up at her companion. He had ‘rescued’ her when she first landed in this place. It was only a matter of happy coincidence that she could do something similar for him. “Somehow, in this place, I never seem to be able to have a proper breakfast. Perhaps that will change today. ...after you, Daimyon. May your smile never cease and your silver linings never fail you.”

Bliss just stared at the gift box, occasionally looking up at Marianne when she spoke. Bliss could tell Marianne was embarrassed by this entire exchange, and chose to just let her talk. It was nice to see that Marianne wasn't still angry with her, though it was a shame people only chose to show their better sides after something like this. Bliss saw it all the time in retail based stores. A customer would yell at the cashier, and everyone behind them would act unusually nice. Why couldn't we be this way more often?

The nanny noticed that someone was absent. Bliss wanted to talk to Mary before going to the study. She had something urgent to discuss with her. It was actually to the nanny's benefit that the streamer hadn't arrived at the break room yet, as this would give them some privacy. She would need to return her hat to her own room and make preparations before going to see Mary.

---

Bliss's preparations were really just to heat up a sandwich. Though she wondered if that was really necessary. Bliss barely felt like eating, and only forced herself to do so because she knew her lack of appetite was due to her emotional state. Oh well, it was a good excuse to visit Mary at any rate. Bliss knocked on Mary's door.

“Hey um.” Bliss lifted a hand to her lips, momentarily forgetting the words she rehearsed. “I didn't see you in the break room, so I thought you might like this sandwich? And maybe we could talk a bit?”

Ever since they returned back from the trial room, Mary had holed herself up in her room. Even when she heard Caora prancing across the hallway singing in his adorable voice, she didn't come out to chase the trap. She spent long hours just laying in her bed, wallowing in misery and contemplating what life meant to someone like Mondatta, what his final thoughts were. Was he consumed by despair in the end, or did his unyielding hope endure? Now, nobody would ever know.

The Infinite Streamer, ever so peppy, grumbled as she heard somebody knock on the door.
"I'm not hungry, go away." But then, as if the timing was perfect, her stomach growled loudly, and she blushed, covering her stomach with her hands. She opened the door, and Bliss saw how disheveled her appearance was; her hair was messy and one strap of her dress was down from her shoulder.
"Hello, Blissie. Come on inside," she spoke with a defeated tone, and took the sandwich. Once Bliss was in, she began wolfing down on the tasty treat. She seemed to be gaining color as she ate, and was mostly back to her energetic self.
"This tastes delicious! You could teach me your recipes sometimes; I bet you know lots of recipes to cook for lots of different kinds of children."

Bliss just chuckled nervously. She didn't have the heart to tell Mary that she didn't really make that sandwich. “Oh, stop it you!” She waved her hand at Mary before sitting at the end of the streamer's bed. Of course it was true. Bliss did have a few go to recipes that she made for children with special needs. “Well, I'm glad you're feeling better. Good health is all about keeping that smile up. It's been proven that your body creates more antibodies when you're happy. That's true for both children and adults.” The nanny folded her hands in her lap. “I'm glad you're not upset with me. I got the impression that you resented the fact that I spent so much time with Caora and Shaun.”

Mary was about to take another bite when Bliss mentioned the other two, and then stopped.
"Well, that...It makes sense you'd spend time with Cookie." She sat next to Bliss, and quietly took a new bite.
"It's just...I'm jealous. Cookie likes being around you, and he always runs away from me when all I want to do is give him a sweet little hug. I just don't understand why he doesn't like them." As she said that, she shrugged, and her chest made a vertical movement.

“Oh, really?” Bliss pushed her fingers together. “Well,I just got lucky with Caora. Kids are weird that way, you know? There are plenty of kids who start off hating me.” Bliss giggled. “I find that you can't be in too big a rush to make friends with them. It's just like going on dates with guys, you know? If you're too eager, they get suspicious.” Bliss nodded. “But maybe I can help. Have you tried to do anything recently 'for' Caora?”

"Hmm? Oh, that's right! I was making a letter for him with Daimy-doo. We were just about done with it too, but...well, you know." As she said that, her face turned into a frown.
"Hey, I know you didn't know him that well, but Mondatta really was a nice guy. Sure, he was weird with his whole religion thing, but he never said a single bad thing about anybody else. That isn't easy. I regret I never managed to say that to him."

Bliss nodded with a sigh. “I knew him well enough. I'll remember those four nights we spent together in Krista's room.” Bliss cleared her throat. “While I did enjoy his outlook on life, I have to admit that I don't have that type of resolve. Even now, I know there's someone among us I'll never be able to truly get along with. You know who I'm talking about right?” Bliss didn't give Mary any time to respond. “The infinite reporter!” She smashed her fist into her palm. “I try to keep my spirits up around her, but Noel's too nosy, don't you agree?”

Mary nodded once. "Well, yeah. And before, I was also angry with her, as she did some shady stuff to me too. But, I decided to stop dwelling on that. I want to keep Mondatta's memory alive, and really get along with everyone. So I give up on all of my grudges, even the one for Noel!"

“Really?” Bliss's eyes opened up wide. “That's... Really good actually. It isn't healthy to hold grudges.” The nanny folded her arms. “I was going to suggest we find some way to steal her camera. At least her film roll. She has those embarrassing pictures of us on there. Caora too.” Bliss looked away from Mary. “But if that's how you feel...” She looked the streamer in the eyes. “Do you mind being there when I ask her to get rid of the pictures instead?”

"Right, she still has those! Of course I'll come with you. That's what friends do right? Hehe~" She winked, and stood up from the bed, raising her fist up. "Let's go!"

“N-now!?” Although this wasn't exactly what Bliss thought she was going to be spending her morning doing, there was little she could do about that now. Bliss was guided out of Mary's room and down the hall.

---

Krista's sudden outburst earn a yelp from Mercy, who jumped in fright like a black cat. Alice though only widened her eyes from suprise. She reassured the violinist as they apoligized for the sudden outburst. "It's alright Ms. Krista, your reaction is okay at a time like this." She said, patting her on the shoulder before they went back to her room. The recon turned over to Mercy, who was watching everyone else leave the room.

"It's been awhile, Doctor." Alice told her, "How was life before you were draged into this hellhole?"

The plague doctor perked up and shook her hand, "Oh, I didnt see you in the crowd! I've been doing well, but what about your eye?" She pointed to the eyepatch. Alice quickly retracted her hand to cover the left side of her face to avoid it being taken off, lightly growling.

"Ahaha, Its alright. I know you dont wanna let me see." Mercy said walking over to the second floor. "Anyways, I will be setting up shop if you need me."

Alice nodded in reply before Mercy left. And thus, she was the only one left there.

She thought to herself as she walked over to the hospital side of the first floor, slowly growing bored. None of the others would be awake for her to chat with, and Mercy was busy upstairs, so that left one person bear left to talk with.

And hopefully she wont be hated for it.

"Dr. Killgood? Are you around?" She stopped to call for Monokuma, looking around the hospital.

Alice continued to look around herself before she saw a shape over her shoulder. Upon turning around, she saw the black and white bear doctor. “GAHHHHHHH!” Monokuma jumped into the air, screaming loud enough to wake the dead. “Don't do that to me! I'm very drowsy when I'm woken up from hibernation!”

"BLOODY HELL-" She quickly caught herself before falling on the floor. "Oh, sorry Dr. Killgood. I'm just wondering if you'd like to chat.." She apologized to him, scratching the back of her head.

Monokuma tipped his head inquisitively. “Hm? Chat?” He lifted his head back up again. “You?” the bear's face started to glow red. “Woke me up from hibernation just to chat?! This screws with my sleep cycle! It's too cold this time of year to be moving about! However...” The bear's face returned to it's normal color. “I guess I could bear to spend a moment or two with a fellow patient. I am your doctor after all.”

Alice had stepped away from him as his face turned red, hands raised up to her head incase. She then slowly lowered her hands when the bear calmed down and lightly smiled at him accepting the offer. "Sounds good." She told Monokuma, "So first off, you said somthing about 'Hope's Peak teenagers' back at court. What was that about?" She asked.

“I don't like to repeat myself, one of the reasons why I never entered the perilous profession of retail. No, it doesn't come with batteries, ugh! But since you're new here, I'll repeat myself, just this once.” The bear folded his arms behind his back and bent in and out. Like a child waiting for a school bus. “The infinite killing game takes aspects of various other killing games back in the day when there was an ultimate despair. Junko Enoshima's 'Killing school life' took place in Hope's peak academy. They were all more or less teenagers, albeit older ones. So the hormones were raging and, well, you know...” The bear giggled.

"Hm, sound interesting." She said, crossing her arms with her eyebrows raised in curiosity. "They must have been a handful for ya."

“You find a group of randy teens interesting?” The bear stopped rocking on its feet. “Hmmm, I guess I can understand why you and Bliss get along so well now.” after a moment of silence, Monokuma's paw shot up in front of himself. “Hold the honey. Is that all you called me out here for?”

"Oh, no no no, I meant the killing school life seemed interesting, not it's residents." Alice explained to Monokuma. "I'm not a weirdo. And no, I just wanted to get to know you better, cause you seem pretty cool for a sociopath."

“Hmmm, you don't seem that shaken by all of this.” The bear scratched it's chin. “Oh, I get it, you're a fan!” The bear barfed up a notepad and pen. “Okay buddy, I need some new rules for this killing game. The court got way out of hand, got any suggestions?”

"Well, the first rule should be that in court, patients arent allowed to move away from their podiums.." She thought, pacing back and forth. "And of course stripping outside of their rooms is prohibited, but jackets should be the ONLY acception."

“Mmhmm.” Monokuma jotted down a few notes. “Well, this was pretty enlightening. I look forward to see you tommorow.” He tipped his head. “Or maybe I won't? I guess it depends on if you're a light sleeper or not.” And with that, the bear disappeared into the floor.

"See ya." Alice said before going back into her room, and going to bed.

---

Jezabel looked to Krista. “That totally has to be the worst pun I've ever heard.” She giggled. “You sound like you need a hug, girlfriend. And you're in the perfect spot to get one!”

Finally someone appreciating her pun! It was only then Krista realised what sort of booth Jezabel had running. It was sweet, if not weird - and Krista was not going to decline if the offer came her way. "Hugging is always nice," She nodded her head before opening her arms to welcome Jezabel. She then grinned. "Heh, it's such a nice jester, to do something like this, especially after the few days we've had."

"Now that one was better!" Jezabel stood up and spread her arms to reciprocate , but didn't move from her spot. She waited for Krista to close the distance between them before she embraced her gently. “Alright, now I totally have to hug you. That's the rules!” And so Krista was pulled into a second embrace. This one was a lot tighter, and she could Jezabel's arms tighten around her back. This wasn't a casual hug, more something two sisters would exchange during a funeral. Jezabel let go of Krista and stepped backwards. “Alright, thanks, you were my first customer today. I hope I have many more.” Jezabel chose not to say anything about the white makeup that stuck to the side of Krista's head. There was no need to embarrass her.

---

Alice and Mercy were having a conversation on the way to the break room. "So I was in this bar once when a guy in a panda suit walked in, yeah?" Mercy started to say, telling a joke to the recon in hopes of making her laugh."The panda guy sat down next to me and ordered a sandwich. Manager takes his order, comes back out of the kitchen few minutes later, and gives panda guy his order."

"Uh, where are you going with this story again?" Alice asked her. "Im gettin to it! No need to be a sourpuss..." She said, earning a unamusement face from the other girl. Once they arrived, Mercy opened the door for the both of them as she continued her joke. "Anyways, when the panda guy got done with his sandwich, he pulled out a gun, shot the manager, and ran out the establishment. I guess it's true what they say, that pandas eat, shoots and leaves."

...that was amazing. Krista laughed, just about hearing the end of the pun as the door opened. Whoever it was: she approved.

“Hey guys!” Jezabel waved her hand before sitting back down again. “I couldn't interest one of you in a squeeze now could I?”

The doctor smiled at the trickster and waved back to her, "Sure! I know someone would love a hug more than me!" She answered, involuntarily grabbing the recon's arm and walking over to her. "Mercy, I don't do well with hugs." Alice told her, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Nonsense! Hugs aren't that un-BEAR-able!" Mercy chuckled at her pun, while Alice facepalmed at her bear jokes from before.

“Ummm...” Jezabel leaned back as she eyes the Recon. “I'm not going to get stabbed if I hug her, am I? Because she totally looks like the type that would do that.”

"Don't worry, she's always like that. Well, until she warms up to you." The doctor reasured her, elbowing Alice in the gut.

Jezabel's eyes wandered between the two. “You totally look like one of those nutty doctor types.” She looked at Alice. “Can I trust her?”

"Well-" Mercy started to explain before getting interupted by said recon. "It depends on whether if you wont try anything stupid to kill me or risk losing a limb doing so." She blantly stated, standing back up from getting hit in the abdomen. "But, you seem like a nice person, so ill try to get to know you better than what I seem to be."

"...heh, she made a bear pun." The Infinite Archer could not help but chuckle to himself at the pun, even if he was a bit late to catch it. That was probably because the coffee hadn't kicked in immediately. But it was starting to.

Zachary approached the quartet of girls and offered his own input, even if nobody asked.

"I would be careful around people that hide their face behind makeup. You never know when they might snap and go on a killing spree. Nothing good comes from clowns, after all. Haven't you seen Killer Clowns From Outer Space or It? Or Joker from Batman. Jesters are just achaic clowns."

Jezabel's smile started to widen with the arrival of the clown hating (fearing?) Archer.

“Yea, that was a good movie. My favorite part was the cotton candy cocoons. It was totally gross when the clown poked it's crazy straw into one and started to suck out blood though.” Her eyes darted between the archer and the recon. “Say Zachary, are you saying you're more scared of me than her?” She smiled “I think you should be the one to hug her.”

"Lé wot?" Alice asked, turning to Jezebel while Mercy was trying to hold in her laughter.

"Fear?" Zachary scoffed. "I do not "fear" anybody and if I did, it certainly would not be you." he said with absolute confidence, so much so that simply listening to him say this would make one assume it was a true fact. However, he subconsciously had begun rubbing the back of his neck when accused, so perhaps Jezebel was onto something?

Looking towards the Infinite Recon, he continued, ignoring a certain someone's laughter. "I don't much care to hug people I don't know. Should you not save those for people closer to you?" he asked, turning back to the clown. "It's... a bit shameless to be so open about physical contact like that."

Jezabel got up from her seat and walked over to Zachary. He was now standing inside a triangle of woman. “Take a chill pill, It's just a hug. Besides, I have yet to hug someone, stranger or otherwise, and not see them smile afterward.” He reached for Mercy's hand and took it in her own. “I think that hugging people is the one way an individual can actually pass positive vibes to other people.” She reached out with her other hand, this time for Alice. The only way for Zach to escape was between Mercy and Alice. “Maybe if we all hug at once, it won't be so bad.”

The doctor grabed Jezebel's hand without hesitation, a dopey grin on her face. "I agree! Group hugs arent that bad anyways, right Ally?" She turned her attention to the recon, who was ready to punch Mercy for the stupid nickname. "First, dont call me that, Doc. Second, atleast let the poor lad decide on this.." Alice said shaking her head.

This was a bit odd, the Infinite Archer found himself in a bit of a pickle. You see, Zachary was not one for physical contact with others so freely, as he felt that it carried a lot of weight and should only be used for important situations. Hand-holding, kissing, hugging, and even.... 'that', should only be done with those whom you share a strong bond with.

However, the other thing was that Zach was also surrounded by girls wanting to hug him. And there had been many times where he complained about a main character of a show being too much of a wuss and probably not even a real man because he wouldn't be overjoyed at such an occasion. He did not want to be a hypocrite, but if he were to act like this situation was bad for him, then that is certainly what he would be.

So what should he do, then?

"I think it's especially bad if you start with group hugs! Where will you go next? Group hand-holding, group kisses, group netflix and chill?!" the archer complained, throwing his hands in the air as though he was surrending to the police. "If it'll make you guys feel better, then fine. There's a first for everything I suppose."

“Like oh my god.” Jezabel rolled her eyes. “You might be a Baldwin, but I think I can contain myself.” She released Alice and Mercy's hand when she approached the archer. “Here, maybe this is more your speed.” She gently patted the archer on the back before taking a seat behind her “affection” stand. “Remember though, you owe me a hug later.” She pointed at the sign that explained the hug/hug exchange rate. She hadn't made any mention of the "hug me" sign now taped between Zach's shoulderblades.

Hmm...

Zachary felt a bit disappointed, now that he had made such a big deal about it. But it was probably for the best. He didn't want these filthy casuals girls hugging him, not when he knew nothing about them.

Zach was pure.

"Owe...? When was this decided?" he asked, but immediately followed with a sigh. "Well, whatever, we can worry about that later."

"Aww..." Mercy said sadly, the coffee maker gaining her attention quickly. She made her way over to grab three cups for herself. Alice on the other hand was relieved to be free from having to hug someone, checking her bandages incase a wound reopened. And she was right, a new blood stain had appeared on the
bandages. "Crap. Evergreen, i'm gonna get you for this." She mumbled under her breath, holding the side of her stomach to clot the blood.

Krista noticed the blood, and her eyes widened. The sight of the blood reminded her of the previous day, and it did not look good. "H-hey, do you need help with that? I could take you to the ER. I'm sure we've still got some bandages." She inwardly cringed at the memory of Nariko - bless her heart - awfully wrapping her head wound.

“B-barf me out!” Jezabel almost placed her hands on her face, but with years of having to be careful around her makeup, she just hovered them over her cheeks. “I was so right! She was so nuts! The doctor totally stabbed her!”

"WAIT WHAT?!" Mercy yelled, droping the cup of coffee in her hand. She quickly ran back over to the three and saw the wound herself. "Scheisse, Scheisse, Scheisse! Es tut mir so leid! I didn't mean to make you bleed, I just wanted you to ATLEAST let her have a chance to be your friend! Oh god, oh god, oh god oh g-" the doctor panicked from the jester's statment, still wired from the caffine she drank. Alice slapped her across the face to make her snap back to reality. "Get a grip, lass! It's only a flesh wound." She told Mercy. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Krista, who saw the blood first. "I'm alright, I just need to re-stitch the bullet wound and replace the bandages." She told the violinist.

Ackerson had wanted to ask some questions about how people had been handling daily life here when the fiesta began. It would not be proper to say he was a fan of blood, but a little bleeding was not the end of the world. Besides, if Alice herself was not too worried about it, then it likely was not going to threaten her life in the immediate future so long as they gave it the necessary attention. In response to the panic, Zach could do naught but sigh and rub his temples at how Mercy was acting. Was she always this immature? Hopefully not.

It didn't help that people were also accusing others of assault, although in honestly it was not as though the Infinite Archer could exactly say she did not. Again, it was literally his first morning here and he didn't know anybody personally.

"You know, it doesn't exactly help when people freak out during an emergency. In fact, I'd say that tends to have the opposite outcome." Zach commented, turning to Alice and eying the wound. "Should you be up? Certainly doesn't look like people should be encouraging you to hug strangers. I'm not a doctor but it definitely looks like you should be taking it easier. But I haven't be shot before so who knows?"

Jezabel was looking over Zach's shoulder, more or less trying to hide from the bleeding woman. Or at least, that's how it appeared. “Like, why didn't you say something? That look serious.” She quickly hid behind the archer again.

What should have relieved Krista did nothing to comfort her. Whilst Alice appeared fine, the doctor - Mercy - had been freaking out over the sight of the blood and the comment made by Jez, which only made Krista take a step back with a nervous giggle whilst rubbing the the back of her head awkwardly. "Maybe you should get that checked out anyway?" She tilted her head in the direction of the doctor, who had just been slapped by the recon, "for her sake at least."

Calming down, Mercy heeded Krista's sudgestion and quickly got her medical bag from her room. When she got back, the doctor sat her and Alice down and started work on the wound, starting with removing the tattered bandages. "Hmm..." she examined the unsealed bullet wound while cleaning it up with a towelette and stitched it back up. Oddly, the recon wasn't flinching from pain.

Zachary might have been impressed with Alice's pain tolerance were it not for the fact he could not help but wince. It looked pretty painful and Zachary was no soldier or anything like that, so he was sure he would not take it the same as her, which wounded his pride a bit.

"Anyways..." he began. "If we're done flipping out about wounds, perhaps someone can tell me if this there is anything to do around here, besides hugging and getting shot?"

Shaun continued his way along the path towards the Resort, listening to the noise his shoes made as the sound reverberated of the otherwise silent area. It was still earlier, so chances were everybody who was up would be in the Break Room, milling about, drinking coffee and the like in an attempt to wake themselves up. Shaun just didn't exactly feel like human interaction at the moment.

As he entered the Resort, he took out his Handbook. He had yet to venture into the study, so he took a second to check which of the rooms it was. With it's location in mind, he made his way across the room, and through the door.

The Study had looked about as he had expected, if a tad more grandiose than he had had in mind. However, his eye was drawn to the thing that thoroughly did not belong in such a place. he hadn't come to the Study for any particular reason, more so just to get away from all the others, however the Vault, however forboding, took his interest readily.

He began to walk towards it, looking around the room to see if anyone else was present. In front of it, he placed his hand against the cold metal of the door, and stepped length ways towards it center. There, though, he noticed the door appeared to have been slid open a tiny ways, by about an inch.

Shaun pressed two fingers against the crack and drew them down it vertically, and then proceeded to knock against the cold steel surface. He didn't expect a reply or anything. You kept inanimate objects within a Vault. Yet still, he felt a compulsion to check. Who knew? Maybe on the other side of the Vault was another one of Davis's apparent "Infinite" Killing Games.

Sure enough, nothing happened. Shaun was about to walk away when he heard a knock from the other side. Shaun tried knocking on the door again, and his knock was returned with another knock. This time the response was faster though. Shaun tried knocking three times in quick succession, and the same number of knocks were played back to him.

Shuan, confused, unnerved, and somewhat concerned, let his hand rest against the metal. From there he placed his ear against the door, nearby to the crack, and whispered into it.
"H-hello..?" he stuttered, clearly uncomfortable with the situation at hand.

“Ahhh, A survivor.” a voice called out in a whisper. It sounded a bit too human than the carnage sisters, but it wasn't any less eerie because of this. “You sound like a young man, am I correct?” She didn't wait for a response before continuing. “Step in front of the opening, please.”

Cautiously, he took a step to his left, facing directly into the crack. He somewhat averted his eyes from the inside of the Vault, shaken from the voice he had heard.
"Wh-what do you mean, S-Survivor..?" he queried.

It was difficult for Shaun to see much of what was inside, as there was no lights on in the other room. He could only see with what little light shined past him.

“I mean you survived the trial.” She continued to whisper. “It's only the end of a trial that can make this door open. A little bit at a time, until I'm free.” That was when Shaun's conversation partner decided to look through the door back at him. It was clearly not human, as it's cheek had the same seams he had seen on a carnage sister. However, this one had cropped black hair, and a red glowing eye. The eye was especially worrisome. Aside from being ominous, the only time Shaun had ever seen a carnage sister with red eyes was during the night of carnage.

"Fr-free?" that comment sounded worrisome. The red eye, the different hair colour and style - it looked a little bit more, and at the same time a little bit less, than the Carnage Sisters he had grown accustomed to, but granted none the less of an uncomfortable feeling. The four Sisters they already had to deal with was troublesome enough, and he couldn't tell how... Stable, this one was. After Shona.. Could they afford to let another one of their kind loose on the premisise?

He looked her over carefully, trying to gauge her intentions, but to no avail. He had never been good at reading people, and robots were far from an exception.
"U-um... Wh-why are you... I-in there in the f-first place? Y-you look kinda like the other... S-Sisters, s-so..." was all he could think to ask in the situation.

“I don't know why I'm in here, only that I want to be free.” The robot did not move or attempt to blink. This robot made no attempt to appear as life like or playful as its counterparts. “But now that this door is open, maybe you would like something that is inside? I can't do much with an inch, but I know you will benefit greatly with what I have to offer.””

Shaun hesitated, glancing around the Study nervously as he wondered what on Earth the thing was talking about.
"Wh-what... E-exactly did you h-have in mind..?" he stammered, incredibly unsure of what to do; the situation was foreign and he had no way to know how trustworthy the thing was.

“Perhaps in time, you will come to know. Just remember where I am.” There was a brief pause before the robot continued. “What is your name, young man?”

"I-I'm... Sh-Shaun. Sh-Shaun Ellen" he stated, still thoroughly confused as to the things intentions, "A-and whats yours, c-can I ask..?"

“My name?” The android let out a low hum while it appeared to be thinking. “My name, is Alice Parker.” She disappeared behind the door. “If you need something that can't be found on your side of the wall, I'll be around.”

Shaun tilted his head in confusion.
"Alice... Parker..?" he repeated back, wondering if the name had any significance. The other Sisters all had only one name; he hadn't heard anything of them having surnames, and if they did, chances were they would be "Killgood". Before he could say anything further, the thing vanished, leaving him silent and confused. Shaun took a step back, and looked across the room, trying to figure out what to do next, and what exactly had just happened.

Noel took a bite of her breakfast sandwich as she fervently tapped away on the keyboard. She wasn’t really feeling up for socializing at the moment, and she had been itching to get into this computer for a while. Certainly it had to contain some kind of valuable information, as it was password locked. Why else would that computer be left here? And information gathering just happened to be her forte. As long as there was information to be found, the infinite reporter had a way to uncover it!

Password reset initiated. Please answer your security questions.

Noel smirked as she looked at the computer screen. It requested information? The infinite reporter was more than happy to oblige.

What is your fiancé’s maiden name?

Alice Parker

What is your nickname?

Neoslayer

What is the doctor’s full name?

Dr. Monokuma Killgood

Please enter your new password.

Noel smiled contently, then changed the password and security questions to something of her liking. She wasn’t sure how much information Davis and Monokuma had about her, but this would minimize the chances of them making the computer inaccessible in the future. Perhaps they would need it later? It took her some thought, but she came up with the perfect questions.
Nevertheless, the computer was part of a closed system. It didn’t have an internet connection to contact the outside. This didn’t surprise Noel, but it was always a sad discovery when one of your possible outs was cut off. You never knew where the mastermind could’ve left a hole, even if he was ultimate.

Not dallying on the thought, Noel began looking through the files. Most of it wasn’t too interesting, but she did find a folder titled “Hope’s peak assets.” The first file was a contract.

Once the discontinuation of the new hope’s peak academy program has been completed, the following resources shall be acquired by the infinity initiative from the current owner, the principal of hope’s peak:

- Neo world program/psychotherapeutic communication device
- Memory wiping application
- (other, unimportant assets listed)

Shipping and storage shall be provided by the infinity initiative. Upon reception, the infinity initiative holds all rights to these products unrestrictedly.
Signed by: Hope’s peak principal & future foundation head.
Makoto Naegi

The other files in the folder were dossiers detailing shipping to the US and articles describing the rights of ownership now held by the infinity initiative. Noel could make up that the infinity initiative was definitely the last one to hold these legally. However, this computer didn’t hold the storage files. Noel couldn’t determine where exactly these objects had been located.

Noel took the liberty of copying everything into her logbook, then closed the computer. She began wondering who she might be able to share this information with. Who could tell her more about any of those things besides that bastard Davis?

---

Cyrus rushed to the break room. He didn’t run, he just walked really fast. He needed to inform people before tonight. If this “vigilante” was truly someone amongst them, then there was a chance this person could strike again other nights. The kidnapping of Calvin had gotten Shona killed, that made this person indirectly responsible for her death. Who knows what kind of havoc this bastard could cause if they went unstopped? Cyrus would have to do everything in his power to prevent the worst from happening again. That was his duty as a leader.

Cyrus opened the door to the break room loudly. Not everyone was here, but certainly the word would spread faster if he informed them first, instead of gathering everyone first. ”Everyone, may I have your attention? This is an emergency that cannot wait. Our lives are in danger.” Perhaps not the most convincing argument. Weren’t their lives always in danger here? Nevertheless, he assumed it would be good enough to get their attention.

”I believe everyone new has been informed roughly of what happened in the first night of carnage. As for everyone who experienced it, it pains me to bring it up again. However, I have discovered more details regarding the matter.” Cyrus took the article and put it on the table. ”Shortly before the trial, Marianne came to me and showed me this article. The description remembered me of something Calvin told me… and indeed, this article details Calvin’s kidnapper.” He dropped a silence for a few seconds, allowing it to sink in for a bit before dropping the most devastating details. ”With disbelief I am here to inform you all that this person is one of us. Alexandria testified that whoever kidnapped Calvin with Monokuma was one of the patients in this killing game.”

It was with difficulty that Cyrus uttered the following words. ”We have a traitor amongst us.” However, he kept his expression stalwart. ”I suggest we try everything in our power to uncover who this could be. Right now our only private location is our own room. This would be the first and most logical location we might find clues.” He wasn’t convinced this search was going to yield results, but what other option did they have?

---

---

After Cyrus explained the current situation, Jezebel let a groan slip past her teeth. Though just seconds later she chuckled to herself. It was still possible to hear how uneasy she was.

“Seriously?!” She stood beside Zachary and Mercy. “As if one of us are a traitor, we totally just got here. I doubt either of us could be some grody backstabber.” She giggled a bit more. “But I guess you can't be too sure.” The trickster looked between the people at either side of her before sighing. “Well whatever, I guess we should just get this over with.” She pointed at Zachary without looking at him. “Okay mister archer, let's look at your room.”

It was not as though Zachary didn't already assume that there was at least one person who would be among the group that actually was an insider of some sort. That thing was typical in movies, after all. Still, hearing such news did not make him feel much better, nor did his room suddenly being volunteered despite not even having much of a chance to check it out.

Well, it wasn't as though he had anything to hide in there.

"We'll be checking yours next, won't we?" he shot back at the clown.

“W-we? Oh my god...” Jezebel started to twiddle her thumbs. “Isn't it so inappropriate to check out a girl's room though? Like...” With a huff, she placed her hands on her hips. “Guys have no class. Whatever! Sure, we can do that.” She folded her arms. “Lead the way.”

Zachary narrowed his eyes at the jester. "I hope you're aware you nearly just pushed me into a weird group hug that I did not want to be a part of." he sighed. Were woman always so difficult? He wasn't exactly a playboy, so he really wouldn't know.

Wait, this would be the first time he invited a girl into his room. Not the most romantic scenario, but still...

...I shouldn't think about that, though. Besides, she's basically a clown. But then again, she's also maybe a bit older~....

Shaking his head to clear his mind of such thoughts, Zach continued. "Whatever, follow me, then." he waved his hand as a gesture to follow him and then left the break room.

...

...

...

Zachary used his handbook to open the door and then stepped inside, waiting for Jez to follow. He looked around and noticed a mostly plain patient's room, aside from a quiver stuffed with arrows he imagined to be fake resting on the wall and a target for practice sitting in the corner of the room. It certainly wasn't that special.

"Here it is." he announced. Getting a good glance at it now, he felt it was rather plain. "There's probably nothing of suspicious in here, but I didn't really bother to check last night so I could be wrong."

Jezebel smiled a bit too happily.“Oh, I'm sure there's plenty off with this room, fer shur. It's just a little bit too normal.” Jezebel didn't waste any time prodding around the room. She felt around walls, pulled at loose molding, anything that seemed the least bit suspicious instantly caught her eye. Of course, this made sense. Jezebel was the infinite trickster, and probably knew a thing or two about secret hiding places and trap doors. It hadn't even been ten seconds and she was already done checking half the walls. “I was expecting your room to be totally trippendicular, but it's actually pretty simple.” She continued to search. “Anyway, got something you want to tell me?” She spoke without looking at the archer. “For a guy with clown phobia, you came here pretty fast.”

Zachary wasn't sure whether to be impressed or nervous that Jezebel was as efficient as she was. It brought up a lot of questions, but perhaps it was best not to ask those. Besides, he did have something important on his mind he wanted to discuss with her anyway. Focusing on that was ideal to learning something weird.

"Y-you mean Coulrophobia?" he corrected, before realizing how knowing such a term probably didn't help his case one bit. "Err, ignore that..." the Infinite Archer rubbed the back of his neck. He really did not do his best around clowns, that was for sure, but he didn't like the idea that he was "scared" of them. Just wary.

Zach decided to get back on track. "It sounds weird that I bothered coming with you, doesn't it? But I think it makes perfect sense. I had something I wanted to ask you, but more importantly, I felt that you were like the only one I could really trust... sort of." he admitted.

“We are so the newest people here. I get that.” She slid Zachary's “nightstand” and bed away from the wall to continue checking. “But what did you want to ask me?”

She probably could not see it while she was busy checking the room, but Zachary smiled. He found it pleasant someone could understand his reasoning, even if it should be very obvious anyway.

"Oh, that." Zachary felt a bit embarrassed to ask something like this, but unfortunately for him Google was not there to provide him a way out. He would have to do things the old-fashioned way.

"So what's a "Baldwin"? You keep saying that, but I'm not sure if it's some ironic insult or what." he asked. "I can't really react to it properly without knowing what it is."

“Seriously?!” Now that caused Jezebel to look in his direction. Though shortly after making eye contact with him she turned away. Was she blushing under that makeup? “Um.” She looked back at the archer. “A Baldwin is like the guy version of a Betty. Someone who's tre cute.” She nodded before moving to the front of the nightstand. “I can look in here, right?”

Zachary was a fairly arrogant person, so accepting praise was only natural to him. However, this mostly pertained to his skill with a bow. He was not very used to being called cute. Compliments like that were....

"Oh, err... um." Zachary laughed awkwardly, turning the other way in an attempt to hide the blush he was wearing. "T-thanks, I guess. Aha." Never once in his life did he imagine anything resembling a clown making him blush. He wasn't able to recover from being flustered very quickly, so he instinctively just said "yes" to her question, only seconds later realizing that she was asking the inspect the nightstand.

That wasn't good.

There was only one drawer on the nightstand, and by the time Jezebel had it opened, it was too late for him to tell her to look away.

“Oh?” She reached into the drawer and pulled out an old arrowhead. It was old and worn, both discolored and dull from use or age. “What is this thing?”

Motherfucker.

He did not want her to find what was in that nightstand, but he had let his embarrassment get the better of him. He couldn't help but be a bit irritated at himself for acting like that since he was supposed to keep himself calm most of the time. Damn clowns making his face beet-red!

Returning to the issue at hand... A complex emotion crossed Zach's face for a brief moment when Jez held up the arrowhead, but it soon went back to a typical straight expression. "Ah, that's... uh, well it's just an arrowhead that holds a bit of sentimental value to me, I must have forgotten to take it with me this morning since I was in a bit of a daze." Zachary explained.

"Huh? There's something else in here," Jezebel looked into the drawer again. As Zachary had expected, that wasn't all that was in there. “Gag me with a spoon!” With her other hand, she pulled out a sports magazine. It was a swimsuit special and seemed to feature a few of the more athletic infinites on the cover. Jezebel didn't say a word. The jovial clown's half mast eyes and straight lips were able to project her disapproval of her discovery through her thick makeup. She slowly rolled her eyes and turned to look at the archer, silently judging him.

And, of course, Jez had to hold up the magazine that was in there.

Zachary felt intense pressure under the look he was being shot. He couldn't allow her to think he was some pervert! "I was in the waiting room for a few hours and had nothing better to do than reading the magazines they had out!" he nearly shouted. "I just found that on me when I awoke, this must be some kind of prank by that dumb bear, I'm sure! Haha..."

Jezebel's face was frozen with that look of disappointment. “Grody to the max!” She placed the magazine and arrowhead back into the makeshift nightstand before walking out of the room. “Baldwin card revoked, by the way. I'm so going to hurt you if you try to sniff anything in my dresser.”

Zachary must have screwed up somewhere. He didn't even care if he made it out alive anymore. What was the point?



...
...
...

"But I'm not..."

On the way to Jezebel's room, Zachary was obviously hurt by the implication he was some sort of creep. He repeated the line "But I'm not like that" about a hundred times under his breath and had moved with all the vigor of a limp noodle.

---

Eventually, the two reached Jezebel's room.

Jezebel's room was quite a bit different than Zachary's. It was still a patient's room, but it had a lot more furnishings. Colored flags hung from the ceiling, and the floor was covered in straw. There was also a unicycle leaned up against one of the walls, as well as much smaller items spread about the room like decks of playing cards, cans of silly string, and colored juggling balls. This was definitely the room of the infinite trickster.

Jezebel stepped off to the side and leaned up against the doorway with her arms folded. She had cooled off shortly after leaving his room, but Jezebel looked a bit sheepish. She avoided looking directly at Zachary as he entered the room “So yea, get to it.”

As he stepped into Jezebel's room, Zachary managed to retrieve himself from the edge of despair. Or whatever he was at. "This is..." he found himself a bit put-off by the choice of flooring and...well, everything. It was an obnoxious room, in his opinion. "Wait, why does your room make mine look like someone just half-assed it?!" he suddenly became very angry at this dumb reason, but calmed down just as quickly.

"Whatever, I guess I'll get started then." he announced, not wanting to speak to the unhappy Jezebel anymore than he had to right now.

Zachary did his best to clean the room, but that's all he could really do. If you compared Zach's speed with Jez's in this particular matter, it was like comparing a cheetah with a sloth, in that there was no real comparison. Zachary was nowhere near as quick, and he did have much more to do than Jez on top of that, which was probably the only real benefit of having a simple room like his. But he would not give up! He checked behind the flags for any secret safes or stuff like that (not that he really expected anything of that sort) and had to pick up and inspect any sizable item laying around.

"I'm starting to think I wouldn't find anything even if there was something here." he complained, but continued away at searching every nook and cranny he could think of.

A heavy silence separated the two for some time, until the Infinite Trickster broke it.

Jezabel sighed. “I uh.” She rubbed the back of her head. “I'm like, a little sensitive around that sort of stuff. Men's desires and all that.” She looked away from Zach. “Like, I've so seen stuff a lot worse than that. And we need to trust each other so, like.” She shrugged her shoulders before making eye contact with him. “You can have your Baldwin card back. I didn't mean to get upset.”

The Infinite Archer was obviously still in the middle of his search when Jezebel began to speak, but as soon as it became clear she was saying something that sounded serious, he stood up and turned to face her with a serious face. He was a man who believed that one's full attention should be given to important matters, and this sounded like one.

Jezebel spoke in words that caused Zach a bit of pain. Not that she insulted him or something, but the wording gave him some ideas about what she really meant that made it very unpleasant to think about. He hoped he was wrong, but they certainly weren't close enough for him to confirm it. "...Is that so?" was the best response he could come up with to what she had said before she resumed eye contact with him.

As the jester continued and returned the "Baldwin card" she had taken from Zach earlier, he couldn't help but smile. It was a very simple and silly thing, but the fact she bothered to apologize for getting upset was respectable in his eyes. "Trust is a nice thing to have in a situation like this." he replied. "And I guess if you're willing to apologize for something silly like this, then you can't be too bad."

It was a bit hard for him to say, especially to her specifically, but Zach continued.

"We seem to be in a bit of a tough situation and I know it's hard, but... I would not be against learning to trust you if you'll do the same."

The clown only smiled in response, choosing to remain quiet while he finished inspecting her room.

As touching as the moment earlier may have been, Zach still had to investigate what appeared to be the remains of a clown fiesta, and it wasn't exactly easy. Still, he managed to chug along at a reasonable pace. The better part of a minute had passed by with neither of them saying anything until Jezebel spoke up again. Zachary was just about done at this point.

“You still owe me a hug, like, you know?” She stepped away from the wall. She wore a nervous smile, but it was the happiest she looked since entering her own room with him.

"That again?" he said, standing up and facing Jezebel from finishing up the last of the odd items on the floor. He took a moment to thank whatever higher being existed for that horrible experience finally being done before continuing. "I..."

Again, he really wasn't one for that whole touching thing, and they did not really know each other that well. Besides, physical contact with the opposite gender in their room was not something he was great at, and that's exactly how you would describe this situation. He certainly was hesitant at the idea. Hopefully, nobody randomly walked in. "...you aren't going to try to place a "kick me" sign on my back or anything, are you?" he questioned.

The clown's smile broadened. “In another life, maybe.” She spread out her arms. “We're totally building trust here, right, right?”

There was a second of silence before Zachary decided to finally answer."...I guess."

Hesitantly, Zachary gave in and completed the hug, probably bright red in the face as he did so.

Once the hug was completed, Jezebel moved her hand up to where she had patted Zachary on the back previously and removed the “Hug me” note she had taped between his shoulder blades. She quietly crinkled it up and dropped it on the floor before completing the hug. “Thanks Zachary. I feel better now.”

Isaiah had more or less stopped appearing at the morning meetings. Ice was not the social sort, especially since a death had happened. He wasn't really surprised who it happened to, and honestly, he always suspected Davis had a screw or two loose. But he sympathized with the younger infinites. He would have felt awful if something happened to Caora or Shaun. Part of him was still broken up over Kara leaving. Would they ever see her again?

Ice was able to hear Cyrus's order. He rolled his eyes. The traitor was working with the mastermind. It made far more sense that any equipment they had would be stored in some safe place. Quite frankly, Ice wouldn't have been surprised if Calvin was the traitor all along. But maybe it was good fortune he was able to hear the request. Everyone would have suspected Aleecia and him if no one checked their rooms. “Alright, I'll check Aleecia's room. She trusts me.” After getting her a sandwich, he left for her room. He hadn't seen her since last night.

---

Ice knocked on her door, and was a little surprised when Nariko answered instead of Aleecia. She was dressed like an actual nurse, white attire head to toe.

“What happened?” Isaiah's voice cracked.

The robot whimpered. “A-after the roller coaster ride yesterday, Aleecia's um, w-well. She had me watch over her all night a-and her headaches are getting worse.” She lowered her head in shame. “Her brain aneurysm may have been weakened further. She was in so much pain she couldn't talk.”

Ice pushed his way past the robot. He was a man of few words, but he had spent more time with Aleecia out of anyone. Once he pushed past Nariko, his eyes fell on Aleecia. She was laying on her bed with a damp washcloth on her head.

“Is she on anything?”

Nariko shivered. “There's nothing I can do. Morphine and other powerful pain killers thin your blood, which is dangerous with her condition. If her brain has started bleeding, she could bleed out and die.” Nariko's eyes shut with a click. “I-I'm so sorry.”

“Hey!” He grabbed the robot by the shoulders and shook her. “This is your fault! If it wasn't for that stupid rollercoaster-”

But Nariko only made sniffling sounds in response. Some mock tear ducts opened around her eyelids and started to trickle out water. It didn't look like real tears. There was a bit too much water, and it ran off her face too quickly. “I'm sorry!” She whined over and over again.

Monokuma popped out of the floor with a giggle. “You really shouldn't be so hard on Nariko-”

“Why are you pieces of shit in here anyway!? According to the rules-”

“WE ARE ONLY ALLOWED ENTRY IF WE ARE INVITED, WHICH WE WERE!” The bear shouted back. “See? I can cut you off mid sentence too. Now as I was saying...” Monokuma folded his arms. “This is all your people's fault. If there wasn't a trial, there wouldn't have been a need to ride into the court of carnage. So this is on you guys for not being able to love and tolerate each other. In this paradise no less. Seriously! We take care of your every need, and you're killing each other to escape.”

Ice growled. “You know damn well you instigated that last murderer!”

“I was getting bored though! I could bear-ly contain myself!” Monokuma looked between the blood donor and the dice master. “But Aleecia's suffering, I wonder if it will be a motive for murderer, or an incentive for conquest.”

“What are you implying?”

The bear tipped its head. “Oh, well.” He looked to Aleecia. “There are two ways you can end her suffering. One is through killing her. Out of the question for you, I know. Or! You could defeat Alexandria's Carnage Chassis and unlock the facilities on the second floor. There's some stuff in there that can be used to stabilize her.”

“Are you serious?”

“Does a chicken have lips?” Killgood turned his back on the blood donor. “Of course you need to remember my daughter killed Shona single handed. You will definitely be putting your life at risk, as well as anyone who helps you.” Monokuma looked over his shoulder with a chuckle. “If you knew how many people she's killed, you probably wouldn't even attempt it.” Ice only groaned in response. “Anyway, kill each other, or get killed by my daughters. Doesn't matter to me. So long as I cure you of your hope, I'm doing my job!” With a cute giggle, the bear disappeared into the floor again. It was up to Ice to tell everyone what was going on.

---

“...So if we want to save Aleecia, we need to do that!”

Isaiah had just gotten done explaining the situation to anyone who was willing to listen. Most of the infinites had gathered outside her room to hear Isaia's proposal.

“Um.” Bliss looked away from Isaiah. “I'm all for helping, but the carnage sisters seem dangerous. One of then has chain guns for arms, and another has a cannon. What do we have to fight back with?”

“Like.” Jezebel folded her arms. “This kinda smells like a trap. I'm all for helping a girl out but trying to kill one of those things without a weapon? So uncool!”

Not much time had passed before Calvin made an appearance. “Sounds like you're thinking about taking on Alexandria.” Calvin was holding a bow in one of his hands. “It's been a while since I made a bow, but this one is pretty decent. Not my best craftsmanship, but it won't fail it's wielder.”

Ice looked at the bow. “You made that?”

“And many more weapons.” Calvin spun the bow in his hand. “I'm not sure why, but Alexandria trusts me. During the night of carnage, she entered the crematorium with her carnage class chassis. I thought she was going to kill me, but she discussed her interest in having me make her some horse shoes.” He looked at the rest of the infinites. His eyes were bloodshot, a byproduct of working through the night without rest. “What I propose is that we ambush her when she comes to me tonight. We could split up into two teams. One team could help me slay her, and the other could locate the phone for Krista's phone call. With us fighting Alexandria, that's one less very dangerous carnage sister for the rest of you to deal with. It's a win/win.”

Bliss groaned. “Won't you guys be in a bad spot if the other carnage sisters show up at the crematorium?”

“Not at all.” Calvin swung his head over to Bliss. “Monokuma couldn't enter her room. As long as we stay in Alexandria's room, she's the only one who can harm us.”

“And what about the traitor?”

Calvin sighed. “That's why I was hoping Zachary could come with me. I'm not expecting the arrows to kill the traitor, but if they do show...” He looked at everyone else. “Well, it will certainly narrow down who they were. That fucker would be wise to sit this one out, if they won't help us.”

Ice placed a hand on his chest. “If you could make me a short chain, or find me a cable, I would definitely help slay Alexandria.”

Calvin smirked. “So it seems like we're going to have to put our differences aside for a while huh?” Ice didn't respond. “Look.” Calvin looked back at the group again. “You don't have to help fight. But you can help those that are.”

---

---

"And...done! Haha!" Mercy finished wraping clean bandages around her friend's wounds and put her equippment back into a black bag. Alice stood up and brushed her shirt back down. "Now, you need to be careful when it comes to your wounds. Another bump on a shelf or so and its back to bleeding again." The doctor told her as Cyrus arrived at the break room. His statement about a traitor among them made Mercy mouth a 'Verräter?' to the recon.

"Something about the blacksmith getting kidnapped by a ''robot'', when really it might be one of us in futuristic armor." Alice explained to her, getting a cup of coffee to go. "But we might be fine. Your still learning the ropes, and I only arrived like a week ago." The duo walked outside in time to see others grouping up at Ice's room door. "What's that about?" Mercy asked. "I don't know. But it seems important, lets go!" The recon said, both ladies running to the patient's quarters.

And there, she wanted to slam her face on a table. Alot.

Apparently, the roller coaster took a toll on on Aleecia, and the only way to help her is to destroy Nurse Alexandria's 'Carnage Class Chassis'. Seemed reasonable right? Yeah. But that's not why she was regreting some life choices. When Calvin told them about his plan, she nearly choked on the coffee she was drinking. Mercy on the other hand was okay with it. "Right! Ill be tending everyone's wounds from the side li-" she said before getting tapped on the shoulder. Emmiting a 'Hm' in curiosity, she turned to the half-worried half-unamused recon. "Uh, yeah, bout that. Prepare to have a crap ton of patients." The recon said as quiet as needed before walking away, leaving a confused doctor with the others.

---

Alice paced around in the theatre. She didnt think that the majority of them would be fighting the nurse all at once! She kept mumbling to herself before stoping to call for Doctor Killgood. "Monokuma! Where are you?!" She didnt bother to look around.

This time, Monokuma did not appear so suddenly. He simly walked out from behind the monostand like he had been there all a long. “This is starting to border on harassment. Nobody needs to see the doctor THIS often!” The bear folded his paws behind his back and gradually waddled over to Alice and in his sweetest voice said “May I help youuuu?”

The recon huffed and turned to the monocrome bear, obviously annoyed at something."Can you inform me of what a Carnage Chassis is? And just nutshell it for me, im not in the mood for a lesson." She asked him, arms crossed.

Monokuma nodded. “Let's see...” the floor opened up beside Dr kill good, and a large plush walnut was there. The bear proceeded to pry the wallnut open and snuck inside, so that only his head was popping out. “The carnage class chassis is the latest and greatest in hope curing technology! Each night, a single nurse or your truly will power up a stronger model of themselves and go on a rampage. They're almost as durable as your E-handbooks, and many times more deadly.”

Alice chuckled at the bear taking her question litterally before saying her thoughts on his explination. "So the nurses and you control a DEADLY clone of yourselves and try to kill anything that lives and breathes? How curious.." She said, holding her chin. "Must be fun trying to destroy too."

Monokuma fret his brow. “You're definitely not like the others...” He climbed out of the shell and pushed it off to the side. “So, is that allll you wanted me for?”

"Of course not. I was originaly gonna fight Nurse Alexandria myself..." The recon started to say, pinching the bridge of her nose as she continued. "But now theres a posibility that the others will team up to fight her themselves. Thing is, most of them have NO fighting experience! The archer guy, Zacharie or what not, may be able to fight her using a bow, but HIS talent only applies to sports. Ugh...I swear they're gonna get themselves killed.." having started to pace around the room again, she stopped and sighed in defeat.

The bear tipped it's head. “Well, that's the point.” The bear folded his paws behind his back and started to pace around Alice. Small circles. “I'm just here for the despair. Any number of you can die and it doesn't affect my bottom line at all.” The bear giggled. “So I don't really see a problem. But if you're worried about everyone, maybe you should be having this conversation with them instead of me?” Monokuma shrugged, still pacing around Alice. “I don't typically counsel my patients like this, but since you're a big fan of mine I'll make an exception.”

"So I should expect atleast two deaths? Noted." The recon said, her attention following the bear. "Hmm..Alexandria weilds a spear, right? If im going to fight her, then ill need a ranged weapon." She asked Monokuma, putting her hands behind her back aswell.

“Oh you think so? Because she might be easier to beat than you think.” The bear looked at his wrist. “Anyway, good talk. Glad you're really getting into it. I can see tonight is going to be very interesting.” With a laugh, the bear hopped into the air and fell down a trap door. It closed as soon as his ears passed the threshold.

"See you later, Doc." She said as Killgood left the room. Curious about what was in the theatre however, Alice walked up the sidesteps to the stage, and looked behind the curtains. There was equipment and instruments as expected, but one caught her eye. A piano. An idea striking her, Alice moved the piano and a chair out of backstage, and sat down.

She pondered what song to play for a little while, stretched her arms out, and started playing. And as she was, a smile slowly grown on her face. Not one of malice, but a genuine one.

---

---

Zachary had taken the bow and wasted no time personally inspecting every inch of the weapon. A bow was not a very complicated weapon, but that did not mean that mistakes were impossible during creation. Unsurprisingly and thankfully, Zachary found no reason to complain about this particular one the Infinite Metalworker had forged.

The Infinite Archer felt both anxious and calm now that he was equipped with a bow. Because of the situation they were in now, he couldn't get the nasty thought he might end up using this for something other than sport, but knowing you could potentially defend yourself was soothing in its own way given they were in a death game of sorts.

“That's why I was hoping Zachary could come with me. I'm not expecting the arrows to kill the traitor, but if they do show...”

The conversation had headed in an interesting direction when he actually returned to listening to it. The Infinite Metalworker desired Zach's presence as a possible deterrent for any actions made by their apparent traitor while they attempted to rid themselves of a Carnage Sister. Battling something like that was not a pleasant thought. It was unlikely his bow would help unless they had some weaker points to them that he could exploit, and he had not physically seen any of these "sisters" yet. Furthermore, being put into a situation where he might be forced to harm or kill someone with a bow...

Zachary rubbed the arrowhead necklace through his shirt, which it now hid behind.

"Do you really think it will be that easy?" The Violinist countered. "What makes you think that Monokuma and his robots aren't already aware of this plan of yours? There are cameras everywhere so Monokuma will be ready to react to anything! We need to help Aleecia but we cannot be reckless about this."

Nobody else seemed very eager to jump in, so Zachary decided now was the time he should offer his own input.

"Yes, it's a very dangerous plan indeed." he agreed initially, but continued with, "But it is unlikely there's going to be any plan we can make that is not just as dangerous. At least with this one, we're the ones initiating the fight on our own terms to some extent. And passing up an opportunity to remove one of these beasts I've heard about sounds is something I don't suggest unless it's guaranteed we'll get another chance." he ended, before asking, "Besides, what other plans have we got?"

Zachary looked around at others to see if they would provide one. He wasn't exactly excited about this plan, but he was unable to come up with one equally as good or better given what information he knew. Perhaps another would be able to?