A Name Without A Face

Chapter 16 {The Beginning Of The End}

This has all been horribly dull.
Taking orders like this, following Junko as though I had a choice. Where would I be if I wasn't helping her destroy the world? I wasn't interested in either hope or despair, so I suppose I would be... Doing nothing.
"Why... Why are you here?" I heard a whisper from the center of the room. Once more, I've gone unnoticed. I suppose I could easily blend in with the shadows of the corner but for now, I would watch. "Because I wanted to meet your ass!" Junko giggled in her cute voice. Hardly cute though... She was an abstract painting, not one thing, but not nothing either. And still... Too easy to understand.
Besides Junko, two people I recognized stood in the room. A girl, Chiaki, and a boy, Nagito. What would they be doing in a place like this?
How annoying. Nagito slowly pulled a gun from his pocket and pointed it directly at Junko's face. She blinked but didn't look surprised. Flicking her gaze to where I sat, I knew that was my cue.
I pulled myself from the corner and inched closer. The boy didn't notice my silent steps until I was already behind him. His shoulders tensed up, and he wasted no time in turning around and pointing the gun at me instead. "Who are you...?" He muttered, then seemed to be struck with the realization. Have you forgotten me so quickly? Or perhaps I looked like a demon in the darkness. Either way, I felt a strange pain in my chest, but I wasn't going to let myself get shot after all this work. It was too easy to slip the gun from his hands and slide behind Nagito. So much for his good luck but... I have that too. Did I... Say that out loud?
He turned around and tried to reach out but there was no time for hesitation. I pulled the trigger and saw the bullet fly into his chest. My old classmate fell back and Chiaki hurried to his side but I realized... I saw no blood. Why was there no blood?
It took a second, but I realized it. I suppose I underestimated the talent of the ultimate lucky student because the pocket on his chest... Had blocked the bullet with something inside. How could that be? Was my talent really canceled out because of him? I quickly realized Junko had vanished and hurried outside to leave my old classmates behind. If he really was lucky, he'll be fine. I looked down to the gun before tossing it aside. I wouldn't need something like that again. But that was only the beginning because even I didn't expect what Junko had in mind. The secret she had kept from me that would lead to the creation of the Remnants of Despair.

I could see the struggle, the clinging to life, the stubbornness to protect loved ones, I could only suspect this was hope. I wasn't sure I ever felt that before. My eyes couldn't move from the monitor, broadcasting the horrific death before me.
It seemed to drag on forever before the struggle finally came to an end. She collapsed, bleeding out in thick puddles. Chiaki's eyes seemed to fade but I could see her chest hadn't stopped moving yet. There would be no saving her though. Junko giggled beside me. "Fiesty little fucker! Didn't expect her to survive as long as she had. Welp, time to untie my new minions." She clicked her tongue. Junko had tied up the remainder of the class to watch the death on another camera, but that idea to create despair in them was just as boring as herself. "You clean up this mess. I'll be back later sweetie!" Giving another annoying nickname, Junko skipped away to leave me to this. Why... Must I clean up the body of my old classmate? Every time my eyes landed on her, I seemed to recall something. Something that should have been buried. Even now, I know she was connected to who I once was. I pulled myself up from the chair and exit the room, shutting the door behind me.