A Name Without A Face

Prologue {Kill The Beast!}

"You've been lied too! Hope's Peak Academy has lied to your faces, stolen your money, and created something inhuman!"

The chattering voices clamored over each other, booing, yelling, throwing things in the air.

The man on stage pulled the arm of a scientist, bringing him forward. The chains around his wrists jingled, rubbing against his skin. "What have you done?" The man's grip on the scientist tightened, making him grunt in pain. "Tell them! Tell them what you've done!"

His eyes lowered to the wooden boards of the stage, tears welling up. "We... We used the money the reserve course had provided and..."

"And?"

The mob was silent, all listening carefully to his weak voice.

"And... Created artificial talent."

"Explain to us. This 'artificial talent' you speak of." The man's eyes dart back to the crowd, a grin on his face as if the exposure of the scientist was somehow pleasing.

The skies also seemed upset as dark clouds cast their shadowed presence upon the school. Blood stained the ground, the fire crackled and popped from just beyond the tall iron gates leading up to Hope's Peak itself.

"We... Took an o-ordinary reserve course student..." The scientist gazed over the hundred faces. "And altered his brain to create a man who is perfect at everything. He has no flaws, no weakness, b-but he's not a monster-!"

"Silence!" The man raised his hand against the scientist's face with a loud CRACK, making the whole side of his face red. People in the crowd cheered for a mere minute before going quiet again.

"Your program stole from these people and made something that is no longer human. Look what it did to this school, to its students. You still believe it's not a monster!?"

"T-That's wrong!" The scientist's eyes quickly became frantic. "It wasn't him-! We created the perfect human! His intelligence surpasses even mine. He wouldn't be dumb enough to attack the school! Don't you understand?" He looked over the crowd in hopes he was gaining their support. "He's not evil! We created the physical embodiment of hope. Don't you understand? Does... Anyone understand?"

A small drop of rain fell from the sky, rolling down the scientist's cheek as if he were crying. There was no hope left, there was no school left, as the support of the crowd, filled with parents and loved ones of the students, began to diminish into nothing, the scientist raised his head to look up to the sky.

This would be his end.

"You've lost, old man." The man looked towards a camera, frowning into the lens. "The world has seen the truth now. Do you know what this means?"

"Destroy it!" Someone called from the crowd.

"We have to kill it!"

"It's going to attack my children!"

"Like it attacked mine!"

The scientist fell to his knees, unable to hold back his tears.

"This means the end of despair. No more will the beast torment us!" The man hopped off the stage. "Our hope will reign supreme. Destroy the mask of Junko Enoshima, the ultimate despair!"

The people's cheering rose again, louder than ever. And with a single crack from the people, unknown of the source, the scientist froze. His whole body went numb, but he couldn't stop shaking. With his final breath, he looked down to his stomach as blood guzzled out of a bullet hole. His world began to fade to black, and he fell, drawing his final breath.

From the distance, red eyes watched the chaos erupting into madness. People who had nothing left to turn to than their own selfish wishes. This wasn't hope, this wasn't despair. This was terror.

They were scared for their lives, and angry at the lives already lost. The figure had no intention of making his presence known at the moment, and he watched. He simply watched as the mob descended down the street in hopes of finding the 'monster' they so desperately desired. Then there was silence, but it hardly lasted very long before the rain came down even harder. Releasing a sigh, the dark figure pulled himself out of hiding. The empty streets lined with destroyed cars, blood, and litter that smelled rotten. He strode forward, allowing his body to soak in the rain. As he approached the stage, his ruby eyes glistened as he inspected the blood, dripping out of the fresh bullet wound. The fear in the scientist's eyes lasted until his final moment, full of fear. The figure kneeled down and brushed his hand over his eyes to close them forever. So sad, for one to die, chained and hated.

But the stranger didn't care. He felt nothing at the moment. Water drenched his jet black hair. soaking through his suit, but it seemed to have no effect on someone like him.

"A monster... Hm? Is that what they're calling me now?"

He closed his eyes and pulled himself back up. The fires around Hope's Peek seemed to silence now but the storm began to grow even stronger. "Perhaps I am."