Brats & Brains (Shuichi x Kokichi)

11 - Digital Madness

~ Kokichi

"Guys! Miu isn't moving!" K1-B0 exclaims from outside as we search the mansion. We all rush to the sound of his voice and when we arrive, my eyes rest upon Miu's unconscious avatar; I fight to hide my smirk. Our plan worked—Miu is dead, and I won't be executed. The killer will likely confess during the trial because of how gullible he is; he'll beat himself up for not being able to save everyone, and everyone will inevitably believe him after blaming me the entire trial. As much as it hurts, it's for the best...
~
30 minutes ago...

"Gonta!" I shout. "I found something!"

Gonta rushes over to me as I pick up the flashlight; it's not just any flashlight—it's a flashback light. This light is likely the secret to the outside world that Miu was talking about—a flashback to our lives before we were sent to this hell.

"What Kokichi find?" Gonta asks.

I roll my eyes. "It's the secret to the outside world, duh!"

Gonta smiles; I've never met someone that made me so happy yet annoyed me so much. "Kokichi smart! Good job!" Gonta cheers.

I shine the light in my eyes and the bright luminance discombobulates my eyes. As they adjust, I see what looks like meteors descending to the earth's surface, buildings demolished and submerged in blazing fire. I could hear screams from civilians infecting the dark, smokey skies. Then, I see people wearing surgical masks... The meteors carried a deadly virus to earth, and I as well as the other students inside this twisted game are immune to this virus... Then I see a glimpse of us being taken to space via a large spaceship... and one of the students amongst us hijacked it and brought us back to earth...

The light fades away and I'm back in the Neo World Program with Gonta staring at me with a curious twinkle in his eyes. I want to say something to him—anything—but I can't get myself to say a single word. The world is destroyed... Who knows if the rest of the human population is even alive? We might be the last ones left... What's the point in living in a world infected by a deadly virus with no survivors? What's the point in being alive if we have no one to go home to? What's... the point... of all of this...

There isn't any point.

Why am I still here?

I don't want to be here anymore.

"Kokichi?" Gonta asks.

I hand him the flashback light. "Just see for yourself," I say quietly.

I don't want to be her anymore.

Gonta takes the light and shines it into his eyes. After a few silent minutes, Gonta comes back to his senses and he's just as stunned as I was—if not more stunned.

"Oh..." is all he says.

I snap back to reality after several awkward, silent seconds pass by.

"I need you to help me," I say. "Miu is planning to kill me, but I can't touch her or I will be paralyzed—she programmed my avatar so it would be easier for her to kill me, but I can't let that happen. I showed you the secret to the outside world, so this is how you'll repay me."

Gonta ponders to himself. Eventually he says, "Well... Gonta is gentleman, and helping Kokichi make Gonta gentleman!"

"That's the spirit!" I say enthusiastically, stunned at how gullible he truly is. He's the only person in this killing game who would actually agree to my plan so easily... He really is fucking stupid, isn't he? Or is he just that desperate to be of service to people?
~
Present Day...