Dangan Ronpa:return to Despair Academy

Monokuma

We all searched for the source of the voice, our eyes eventually finding the teachers podium.I don't know what we were expecting, or if we were expecting anything at all.But we waited,and waited..and finally...

"It's good to see all of  my new students!"

The same obnoxious voice bellowed out, and a moment later something happened that confused,and horrified me in equal measure.

A teddy bear popped out from behind the podium.Half of his body was white and generic like you'd expect a teddy bear to be.The other half was black, the mouth on the black side curving into a disturbing grin that revealed numerous pointed teeth.His eye, black and round on his right side, was a red lightning bolt on his left.

Even Igao, who was keeping a relatively calm demeanor raised his eyebrows in shock at the atrocity.Maiko slowed down, her eyes widened in not terror, but curiosity.Satoru took several steps toward the doors of the gym, away from the bear.

For a long time the silence was deafening, suffocating me like a dense fog.

But then she spoke up.

"Awwww!Look at the teddy bear!"Maiko shrieked in joy like a young child.

Most of the students looked at her with blatant looks of "WTF?!" Written on their faces.'How could anyone find that thing cute?!' I wondered.But even as I was thinking that Maiko ran up to the teachers podium to the bear.

"Maiko get away from that thing!"Minako gestured for Maiko to go to her, but made no move to get closer to the podium.

But Maiko didn't listen.

"Look at you!Oh I could just eat you up!"

She reached out to pull the teddy into a hug.She wrapped her arms tightly around his tummy...

"Miss Oshiro I implore you to listen to reason!"Akihiro grunted, moving his hands toward his arrows.

But what happened next occurred too quickly for him to make any offensive move.Maikos body started shaking violently as if she were having a seizure.Her eyes no longer held a childlike sparkle, but a dazed cloud.Her body kept shaking, her arms still wrapped around the teddy bear.Her breathing turned into sputtered gasps.

"Maiko!"throwing all caution to the I ran towards her.But I wasn't the only one.Yoichi,Minako,and Yoshie all made to separate her from the bear.But before any such action could take place.

"That won't be necessary."

The bear shook Maiko's trembling limbs off of him and stepped back, a glint in his eyes.

The four of us laid Maiko on her back as her body kept convulsing."W-what did you do to her?!" Yoichi asked, his confidant personality shaken by the turn of events.

"Oh I simply gave her a lesson on personal space!"he said nonchalantly as if he hadn't done what he did."It was just a teensy shock.It shouldn't be enough to kill her,you know probably."

A few of the other students tried to get closer, peering curiously at Maiko's form on the ground."It would be best if you just gave her air.Just leave her there for now."he said waving his paw at us.No one possessing any medical knowledge we heeded his words and left her on the ground as her breathing went back to normal.

A million questions were swirling in my mind.But the first one I asked was,"Who are you?"

The bear,as if waiting for someone to ask this said,"I am your headmaster here at Hopes Peak Academy,I am Monokuma!"

"What are you?"asked Satoru, his mathematical mind clearly struggling to make sense of the reality before us.

"Didn't I already say that?I'm your headmaster!Monokuma!"he repeated, his head tilting curiously to the side."Honestly and your supposed to be the smart one!"

"He meant what the hell are you supposed to be?!A teddy bear?!And how are you moving and talking?!"Masaru quivered obviously trying to act tough but failing miserably.

"Obviously it's some sort of, uh, remote control."Kimiko piped, but seeming unconfident in this statement as she continued to look at poor Maiko.

"Nope!"Monokuma looked ticked off."To be called a simple remote controlled toy, I don't know whether to laugh or cry."he pantomimed crying quite over dramatically."But honestly, Kimiko, do you really think a children's toy would be capable of that?"he went on pointing at Maiko's motionless figure.

"Are you the one who knocked us out?"Igao regained his controlled aura and stepped closer to Monokuma.

"What?"the question he asked seemed to be odd only to me.

Tomoko answered my question."A-all of us were p-passed out.We were all knocked out when we g-got here.When we w-woke up we were I-in classrooms,and a-all of our s-stuf was g-gone."as she went on her stutter got worse and her hands tightened around her case,obviously petrified at the thought of Monokuma stealing her clarinet.I offered her a comforting smile.

'Everyone?' I thought.'Is that really true?'

"How you all got here doesn't matter.Isn't the important thing how you all are gonna get out of here?"

"Yeah!"Shoichi shouted."Where is the exit Monokuma?!"

"The exit...is in yourselves!"Monokuma bellowed.

We met his expectant gaze with confused ones.He let out a groan and said,"There is only one way for you to leave,and that's if you graduate!"

"Okay so, what sort of test do we need to take?"Yoshio asked.

"Oh there won't be any sort of traditional final exams.This isn't exactly a traditional school."Monokuma explained."Instead you will have to test yourselves mentally and emotionally.You have...to commit a murder."

His words shocked us into silence.Murder?

Someone has to murder another?

...

...What?

"That's right!"Monokuma went on."It doesn't have to be in any specific way.I am very loosey goosey on my preferences.But you need to kill someone!"

Everyone's eyes were as wide as saucers, except for Igao.He seemed only slightly perturbed."And why do we have to do this to get out?What do you gain?"

Monokuma was silent for a very long time.Then finally, in a whisper that could barley be heard, he said,"...Despair...I get to spread despair across the world,nay...the hope of the world!"

He grew louder in volume, clearly excited at the prospect of such despair."Puhuhuhuhu!Puhuhuhuhu!Monokuma,vanish!"

And with that, he disappeared behind the podium, leaving us with our uncertainty and fear.