Frenzy (REBOOT) (Pokémon Danganronpa)

Chapter 28: Acceptance

THIRD PERSON

The sounds of something familiar drew a few people outside; the sounds of birds chirping. Any proof of life outside the mansion was already scarce, but the sound of what seemed to be a small bird species gave hope.

Galant was one to be drawn out, his bladed arms perched up against the porch as he spaced out. It was easy to tell that the Gallade was thinking about something, as it had practically taken his entire attention for about an hour.

"Are you alright?" Leon was the first to squeeze past the door and approach the bladed Pokemon with a concerned frown. "You have been outside for quite some time now."

"Ah, my bad." Galant returned his frown with an even sadder one. "Just...thinking, is all."

"About?" The jackal seemed to be complacent with listening as he took a seat on a small wooden chair nearby.

The Gallade weighed whether or not he should even say, but figured it would be useless as the Lucario had most likely sensed his feeling of dread.

"I think...I'm the reason that Sam succeeded in her plan." Galant muttered slowly.

Leon only turned his head curiously at the statement, earning a small hum of confusion from him. This caused the Gallade to promptly try and explain himself.

"In my memory, someone I knew mentioned that I was backing a sketchy project. Something about harnessing the power to resurrect someone from the dead, and they promised they would bring my father back to life." He turned to focus his ruby eyes on the jackal. "I'm sure I remember it well, it was Sam who had created this project."

Leon held still for a few seconds, his paw raising to rub against his chin in thought. He didn't act surprised in any way but did take his time to think before speaking.

"Well, that is unfortunate, but there is nothing we can do about it now." The Lucario exhaled lightly. "You must find a reason to keep going forward."

Galant continued to stare at the jackal with a small frown before shaking his head in realization. "Yeah, you're probably right."

The Gallade shifted to stare at the sky separated by the plexiglass. From this distance, he could barely make out that they were in a cage; the metal bars so far up in the sky they almost turned blurry.

Leon, seeing as how Galant most likely needed time, dismissed himself back inside the mansion.

ZANTAI'S POV

Vanta had called everyone down in the basement for a plan he kept in mind. It sounded dangerous to most, but others thought it could improve our ability to escape. The main idea was that Vince was one of the first to recall a resourceful talent, one that could aid in finding an escape.

On the other hand, you could be Loki...someone who experienced a lot of her trauma all over again. Or even Sherwood, who started hating Leon just after his memory. It's all super risky and could either make or break us, but it's all we have left.

Thinking about whether it's a good idea isn't an option anymore, especially since our break week is ending in a few days. This has to go well, or else.

"As you all may know, there is something worth searching down here." Vanta cleared his throat, announcing his authority in the situation. "You are not forced to search, but we also would like some volunteers."

As the Umbreon divided the group into sections, my main focus would be on maintaining the fire we brought alive—which would be a small bundle of wood dropped in the center of the room.