Frenzy (REBOOT) (Pokémon Danganronpa)

Chapter 40: Shackles

THIRD PERSON

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There was really nothing to talk about; what else could they say? Everything they feared had just happened in front of their eyes. Normally a trial would be solved by the deduction of the participants, but this situation was unique. On the screen they witnessed what was essentially Galant's "execution", something Sam made preemptively.

A few thought about why Sam prematurely introduced the Gallade's punishment, while others were too busy mourning—both completely fine and moral reactions.

Aside from the controlled sobbing in the elevator, the crowd was dead silent. You could hear a pin drop, even through the loud humming machinery.

Leon seemed to be lost in thought, while Grace was a fountain of tears in Vince's arms. Rayne was holding back a stream of tears, her head leaned into Luster's shoulder for support. Zantai was dead silent while sitting on the edge of the platform railing.

And Loki...

She found herself missing two people to turn and talk to.

It really doesn't settle in when someone close to you has died until you realize just how much you depend on them. The Zoroark almost always turned to the Umbreon for advice, while she also turned to the Gallade to discuss ideas and theories.

As if the other deaths weren't already, this death in particular would permanently impact the group for the rest of their lives.

A loud click was audible above them before they were greeted with the moonlit living room. They had been at the trial for hours it seemed like, enough for the moon to have risen—even though they knew it was entirely fake. As the furniture shifted back into place, the group eyed each other for a brief moment. Though in these situations everyone would return to their room, one Pokemon chose to do something completely different.

"Leon?" Zantai didn't get to ask what the jackal was up to before he had already turned the corner.

The Blaziken turned to the group behind him with a gesture of "Should I follow him?"

After a small nod of affirmation from Loki, Zantai whipped around and immediately followed the Lucario into the halls. After a few minutes, the two found themselves in the same place.

"Leon." Zantai's tone almost sounded like he was ordering the jackal to stop. "What are you doing?"

The Lucario was dead silent, his eyes glued to the ceiling. They had both entered the gymnasium, the jackal presumably gazing at the entrance to the attic. "He was up there?"

"Yes, wh—?" The Blaziken cut himself off as he watched the canine attempt to scale the side of the walls in order to reach the attic. "Leon, are you crazy?"

"I must know something." Leon muttered to himself before a talon was hooked onto his shoulder. "Do not try and stop me."

"What the fuck has gotten into you?" Zantai, clearly taken aback by the jackal's attitude, only kept his hand on his shoulder. "I'm not gonna let you get hurt over this bullshit. There's nothing up there for you to see."

Leon let the fire bird practically yank him off the wall before settling on the ground once again. He turned to the ground with a hint of shame, his eyes averting to nowhere in particular. "I-I...should have talked to him more. He mentioned a few things about his past that alarmed me."

"He..." Zantai thought for a moment. "He definitely used too many memory gems."

"Is there not a connection you find alarming, Zantai?" Leon turned to cross his arms at him. "There are only so many times we find a motivating factor to be our past."