One-off short stories

Danganronpa: Goodbye Generation of Despair

This one is obviously based of the title of Danganronpa 2.
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"How! How did this happen! What were we supposed to do!" Naegi said, as him and Kirigiri were hiding out in a building.
They were the only ones left. Everyone else they escaped with were wiped out already. By agents of despair. Revenge for Junko's death.
"For now, we just need to make sure we lost them." Kirigiri said, snapping him out of his own world.
"Y-you're right. I can't let their lives go to waste." Naegi said.
"They believed in you and hope until the end. That's why we have to get out of here." Kirigiri told him.
"Yeah." Naegi's face had a look of determination on it,"I will never let hope end. For all of their sakes."
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It's been 17 years since that day. 17 years of hiding and planning. By this point, many of those who once believed in despair had disappeared. The common thought is that they killed themselves after they found out there was nothing left for them to do. Unfortunately, they didn't realize that hope was still in one person. Although that hope may not be the exact same. Naegi still wants to save this world. He'd been gathering survivors. Adults willing to help him rebuild hope, and children full of dreams. He was going to make sure they became Hopes for the future. In order to rebuild the world, it would have to be the next generation's hands that do it. That's why he created it. Sure, he had some doubts. But nothing else worked. He could make tests all he wanted, but those could just be lies. Nothing else eventually created hope like 'that' experience.
The High School of Mutual Killing.
So he used a system. A simulation. To rebuild that experience completely. With Monokuma and everything. Sure, it was terrible. But to rebuild a completely destroyed world. Some corners had to be cut. The children's memories were altered so they believed themselves to be living 20+ years in the past. That they were all Ultimates based of the talents they used to survive. And then they would be thrown into a killing game. They would struggle and face despair. When someone dies or is executed, their memories are then rewinded to before the killing game, and they are immediately put in another. In the end, those who survived would succeed and find hope. In the end, everyone in the system would find hope. Until the world could truly be built. It was a beautiful ideal. One he'd held on to ever since he learned the world had already ended. But, some thought the ends didn't necessarily justify the means. And some people in the simulation, simply became an anomaly. Like that boy. Rex Flynn. Neither quite a hope, but still a man who worked towards change. I can tell he's hurting. But, he connects with this world in some way. I've never seen anything like it. Or even felt it. But, I can see a bit of me in him. I think, he wants to be like me. Now, I've almost started to treat him like a son. The children of this next generation. They're so strong, and yet so weak. They almost seem younger than they are to me. To think Rex is almost turning 18. It shocks me.
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"Naegi, sir, I've heard from some people that you have big plans for my birthday. Is that true? Because I don't deserve anything like that. Other people don't need to give me anything, you know." Rex said.
"Oh come on, you're underselling yourself." Naegi said.
"Nobody should have to give gifts in this world. They have enough trouble living as it is." Rex said.
"But it helps us connect." Naegi said.
"I guess." Rex thinks for a moment,"We always tried to exchange gifts every year."
"Who?" Naegi asks.
"My friend. You know, Kyasurin." Rex said,"She was put out of the system pretty recently right."
"Yeah. She's a pretty bright kid. I can see that you were friends. She's making a great Hope." Naegi said.
"Yeah, yeah. We did always believe we could fix the world, you know." Rex said,"Just the two of us."
"Well, now you're at least a part of it, right?" Naegi asked.
Rex's hands shook,"Y-yeah, I guess."
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But, I think Rex stopped being able to see good at some point. He got too focused on the simulation. He's started to lose his view on the bigger picture. And I'm scared of what he might become. He could still be my successor, but I'm no longer sure that's right for him. He is his own man. That's what I've come to see. He is strong, but he is very very weak. A very fragile spirit. He's bound to shatter eventually. I just hope I can survive. I want to survive to see him, really, truly, hope for himself. Even if he betrays us all. Some part of me, maybe the fatherly feelings in me. They, want to see him hope. But, I've got to put the bigger picture first. This world needs hope. Not just him. Not just me.
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That's why I have to stop him. That's why I have to keep the simulation. We've made one city. I can't let him end the world that I'm building. Not for me. Never for me. But for hope. But for the people who died for hope. For those, I need to do what it takes. I need to make the world again. I will not let anyone's world go to waste again. Even if I have to betray my heart. Even if I don't think I hope anymore. I have to stop him. He's like a son to me. I have to stop him. For the whole world's hope.