The Ultimate Hunt {DRV3 AU}

The School Of Hope

The boy backed up further against the wall. "How.... How do you know my name...." he whispered. His eyes weren't fearful, rather confused.

"... Dude, you're face and name have been covering literally everything the past month."

"... What...?"

Rantaro leaned closer in, studying Shuichi's movements. Judging by his voice and actions, there could only be one answer...

"You don't know about the ultimate hunt, do you?"

"... No"

Rantaro sat next to the boy, trying to assure him he didn't mean any harm. As soon as he said that, Shuichi's eyes grew fearful, backing his body up against the opposing wall, away from Rantaro.

"So... How did you come here then?"

"Here? As in the van?...." Shuichi concentrated on the floor, recounting the event. ".... D... Detective Jiro...."

Rantaro stayed silent as Shuichi continued.

"He........    I came for him for help... My parents, they decided it would be a good idea to.... To get rid of me.              I wasn't an ultimate...     I wasn't anything,,,    and they knew that..."

The boy broke into soft quiet sobbing. "I'm so sorry..... Thats.... Thats just awful..." Rantaro looked away as the boy continued sobbing.

"A- And after that...." Shuichi talked slowly through the sobs, his voice slowly breaking. "They... They tried killing me... When that didn't work, I went to Detective Jiro..... My uncle....."

"He seemed so saddened by what happened at the time, he organised for me to stay at his for the time being... He wasn't home much but when he was...... He was with his girlfriend,"

Shuichi sniffled. "He used to constantly beat her,,,, I could hear it from my room and I..... Couldn't stop it....."

"He got me a job at his company.... Isolated everyone from my life..... Controlled me...... My friends,,, my teachers,,,, gone. I could only focus on work.... Otherwise he'd be disappointed.... Like everyone else....."

Shuichi drifted off, staring at the floor. Rantaro was filled with a sense of sadness, Shuichi had been through so much in his life.... He wanted to comfort him... He wanted to protect him.

"Its okay.... I.. I'm here if you need me.." Rantaro glanced towards the detective. Shuichi looked up, his eyes tear stained. "You are?"

"I'll.... I'll look after you if we ever get out of here.... If you want of course...."

"I'm needy, and clingy... You won't want me...

Rantaro gave a small laugh. "Trust me, I'm a very patient person. I've dealt with worse.

"You've only known me for a few minutes.... Why...?"

"Why? I..." Rantaro was at a loss for words. "You're a good person, I know it. We don't have to be friends if you don't want to but....." he extended a hand out to Shuichi. "I'd like to."

Shuichi stumbled over a few incomprehensible words before taking the green haired boys hands. He muttered a quiet "thanks...." before backing himself up against the wall again, slightly closer to Rantaro this time.

It had been almost 5 hours before the van had opened. By that time Rantaro was sleeping with Shuichi sitting down beside him. The sudden sunlight forced Shuichi to squint his eyes, turning towards the back of the van.

"Alright, out ya get!" Jiro and another purple haired man stood outside. Jiro roughly gestured for Shuichi to come outside. "Get out here ya little shit, before I make ya" his breath smelt musky as Shuichi slipped out.

In front of him was a tall brownish school. Shuichi could instantly reconise it from all the media and social attention it had got in the last century. Hope's Peak Academy.

Where Headmaster Naegi had fought off Junko Enoshima, the embodiment of despair and misery.

Shuichi wondered why he, of all people, was here. He knew Rantaro had mentioned an ultimate hunt, but he had no idea what the school had to do with it.

THUD. Shuichi turned around to see Jiro dragging Rantaro out. The green haired boy was more than a bit pissed, expecially considering the fact that they had just hit his head on the ground.

He noticed Shuichi, instantly putting himself between him and the men.

"Aww, how cute. But who cares we're not here for your self sacrifice bullshit." The purple haired man turned around to lock up the van while Jiro forcefully grabbed their wrists. "Now listen here you shits. You mess this up, you're dead. Im not taking any of your bullshit excuses."

The boys winced away from his breath as he let the go with a resounding "tch." Rantaro looked around, finally noticing his environment. His eyes grew wide with fear as he started to feel a bit dizzy.

"A- Amami-San?" Shuichi gave a frightened look to his newfound friend. "Where are we...? I mean, I know where we are but.... why are we here....?"

Rantaro gave a look at the school. "The ultimate hunt. They're kidnapping all the ultimates and bringing them here.... They... Want to isolate us from the world,,, start a new colony filled only with ultimates.... Its sickening...."

"Can I ask what's sickening about it...?"

"We're going to be isolated. Alone. Scared for our lives. We're drifting for who knows how many years and where to?!? Nobody knows! They don't give a crap about us, we've only got a limited amount of food and then we slowly starve. I'd rather die here than go to.... Go to space... "

Rantaro slowed down, calming his breathing. "They think just because we're talented, we don't have any fears... Any worry, any pain.... Even if I have to be on the run for my whole life..... I'd take that chance. Rather than be sent to die in...." Rantaro gave a dirty look towards to school "Space....."

As he said this, a young brown haired man walked out of the school. His hair was slightly bouncy, while remaining spiked. He wore a black and white business suit that only just seemed to fit him. His eyes were soft, almost like a deer. He was smaller than both boys, but his face seemed more aged, yet still young.

He shook Jiro's hand before turning to the two ultimates. "I'm Dean Makoto. Would you two please follow me inside."